Creature Changers

Aieee... I really want to write the second half of my chapter... but until today (26th March) I haven't received that many reviews and I'm feeling disheartened... It's not good, I know, but reviews are the energy sources to fuel my inspiration to continue writing. Without them, I don't think I'll be able to pull up a chapter... Nevertheless, I shall try.

Disclaimer: I'm doomed. I'm out of ideas for disclaimers. I'm getting less random. I'm losing my humour. I'm... I'm... I'm rambling. (forgets to type disclaimer)

And not many even noticed what I did to my previous disclaimer. (mopes)

Garet: You're spending too much time feeling sorry for yourself! If you've got time to mope you've got time to write! You still haven't given Piers' creature yet!

S'not as if many many people noticed he's not up yet. Many think that the list is complete. They don't notice Piers at all.

Piers: (feels unloved)

Garet: Too bad.

Piers: At least I'm not a sphinx. I'm a... (gets muffled by Daidairo)

And now I sound like a person who rambles with her muses.

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Chapter 19: Part of the other Half

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Isaac stumbled and fell backwards, landing with a thud on the grass. The hit had knocked him awake, and he blinked at the spilt pot lying on its side next to him. The liquid that dripped slowly from it was a deep purple colour beneath the night sky, and some parts of the grass it touched were slowly wilting.

Horrified, Isaac looked around him. The forest was thick with trees, and not a single creature was in sight. The beams of moonlight that shone weakly through the leafy canopy of the taller trees were the only source of light in the dark woods, and Isaac felt thankful as his pupils widened like a cat's, allowing more light to hit the retina in each eye, and his eyesight improved.

Isaac began to feel more awake as his previously dulled senses began to sharpen. Unconsciously, he sniffed the air. Badger, fox, weasel, rabbit, bat, all of them gone...

Movement!

Instantly alert, Isaac pressed his feet against the soil and pushed himself up, whirling around to glare at the trees behind him. They were forced apart as a tall, swift animal raced between them, its hoofbeats silent on the soft grass. It raised his extemely long neck and glared down at the dragon. Emitting a low moan, it rushed straight at Isaac.

Isaac leaped to the left, narrowly dodging the sharp hooves of the running reticulated giraffe. The deep red, polygonal spots on its body flashed as it turned, heading for Isaac again.

Why is a giraffe attacking me for no reason! Isaac asked himself mentally. As the giraffe neared, he dived between its legs and swung his left elbow blade upwards, striking the giraffe on the upper part of one foreleg. Then the hind legs struck him hard.

The sharp hooves caused him to release several groans, and he pulled himself up as the giraffe turned again. The red gash Isaac had given was not deep, and little blood was trickling from it. Before Isaac could attack, the giraffe placed one leg on Isaac's front and thrust him up into the air.

Anticipating the fall, Isaac's instincts began to orient his body, turning his head and arms toward the ground before impact. But the giraffe had bent its neck, and the bare ossicones on its head gleamed in the moonlight. They slammed hard into his middle, and Isaac released a loud shriek as the giraffe tossed its head back, landing him harshly onto the ground.

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The dark brown grizzly bear leaped back, shaking its bloodied nose in anger. Before he could make a move, the centaur's hooves slammed it into a tree, and strong arms pinned it against the trunk by the shoulders.

Roaring, the bear struggled to free itself. The fiery panther padded lazily up and pressed several claws theateningly to the bear's throat.

"I think you've had enough," Felix said sternly. "Change back. Now."

The bear ignored his words. Turning its rounded head, it bit down hard on Felix's hand. The hand loosened at once, and the bear scooted to the other side of the tree.

Jenna blocked his way immediately, and the flaming wings surrounded both her and the bear, so that the only way of escape was large enough only for a rabbit to pass through. Sullenly, the bear changed back.

Felix eyed him as he rubbed his bleeding hand. He looked like a miniature version of Brett Marshall, minus a lot of the fat that the cyclops had. His eyes were green, unlike Brett's dull grey. Also unlike Brett, he was dressed in neat, clean clothes.

"Are you related to Brett Marshall?" he asked.

"He's my elder brother," the bear changer replied. He glared at Felix with annoyance. "That's all you're getting out of me."

Huh. An I-will-protect-my-friends-and-be-honourable hero wannabe. Felix could almost hear Jenna's voice as her expression changed. Chuckling inwardly, he crouched down beside Brett's brother.

"What is your name?"

"..."

"Who brewed the Changertract potion?"

"That's not a Changertract potion, you simpleton!"

Aha. Progress, Felix thought. Realising what he had said, the bear shut up again.

"So we noticed. Changertract potions don't make a Changer change, but this one did. Who brewed it, and why?"

The young man still refused to speak. He turned his face away from Felix, and met Jenna's fierce glare.

"I-It was me!"

"Why did you do that? What do you want from us?" Felix asked.

Silence again. Apparently, threats were the key to the locked mouth.

This will take some time... Felix thought.

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"Wha... wha... WHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHH!"

"What! You got a problem with me?" Garet grumbled.

"Yer a bloody sphinx," the man said between guffaws. His head was covered with long black hair, long black moustache and long black beard.

"You're the one who's going to be bloodified!" Garet yelled. He ran forward on all fours, moving surprisingly fast for something so huge. The man changed quickly into a cinnamon brown walrus, and raised his large tusks.

Alarmed, Garet screeched to a stop just before he hit the sharp tusks. The walrus leapt up and slammed his two tonne body hard against Garet, squashing him like a bug.

"Damn!" Garet struggled to move. His fore legs moved behind the walrus' fore fins, before his hind legs straightened. The walrus slid off his back with a thump, and Garet stuck out all his claws.

The walrus' wrinkly skin was more than a match for the pins, however. The tusks raised again, and Garet retracted his claws. Pulling free from the walrus, he dashed backwards, spreading his wings to keep his balance. Grunting, the walrus ran forward on his flippers, his head down and exposed.

Garet immediately guessed his intention, and he raised both frontpaws to meet the headbutt of the walrus. His immense strength was more than a match for his opponent. The flame on his tail blazed, and his whole body was covered with fire. The front paws blazed brightly on the walrus' head, and the pinniped pulled away with a loud bellow.

Garet watched him warily, and noticed that the colour his skin had begun to turn darker. He knew that his flames weren't hot enough to severely burn anyone yet, so he had not thought of using them at first.

But what if... the walrus was used to being cold?

With a roar, the walrus launched itself at Garet. Flame covered paws moved out again, and Garet thrust his heated claws into the walrus. The fire flew through the walrus' body, and the roar slowly decrescendoed until the walrus lay motionless on Garet's claws.

Garet pulled in his claws and backed away, staring in alarm at the unconscious walrus. He did not seem burnt in any way, but Garet could have roasted his insides. He didn't look dead, but... Changing back, Garet put his hands together.

"Ah... I seem to have done something bad," he said aloud. Changing back, he put his hands together and bowed. "Sorry. Please rest in peace. Don't come back to haunt me."

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Isaac climbed to his feet, coughing. He focused his blue eyes on the also injured giraffe.

At least I know he can get hurt. Lunging forward, Isaac sank his razor sharp teeth into the giraffe's leg. Blood spurted out from the wound, and Isaac pulled away, choking at the taste of blood. The giraffe bent its neck and rushed at him, ossicones shining. It slammed Isaac into several trees, before it froze and fell to the ground.

What on earth? Isaac watched it warily, wondering if it was trying to make Isaac lower his guard. Then he remembered the giraffe lowering its head. With the head below the heart, the sudden movement had cut off the blood access to the brain.

Is this a victory or not? Isaac sighed inwardly, then got to his feet. The next thing he knew, the trees behind him were collapsing onto him. Bright feline eyes glared at him from behind the trees, next to a pair of horns that had knocked down the trees.

A tiger and a goat? What is going on here!

The tiger was unmistakably Siberian, with its light coat and large size. The goat... Isaac had no idea what it was. But the straight, long horns looked even more dangerous than the giraffe's. Leaping over Isaac, the tiger raced towards the giraffe and began to nudge it. The goat lowered its head, aimed its horns at Isaac, and charged.

Isaac winced as the horns pierced his left shoulder, adding to the pain he already felt. His claws struck out and scratched the goat's eye before the horns withdrew, and the mammal released a loud grunt. Isaac plucked the half blinded goat from his shoulder, then balled his fist and punched him backwards.

Then a long tail slapped his legs from behind, causing him to stumble backwards. The tiger pounced, knocking Isaac to the ground. Growling, his claws flew for Isaac's eyes. Isaac lifted one leg, planted it on the tiger's stomach, and pushed with all his might. The heavy tiger was thrown off, but the goat came back.

And then the giraffe's familiar hoofbeats were heard too. Isaac soon found himself surrounded by three very angry animals. They all attacked at the same time.

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"I think you overdid it, Felix," Jenna observed, grinning. Brett's brother had fainted, and was lying unconscious on the grass. Felix removed his hand from his throat and changed back.

"It's not my fault he's a coward," he replied with a sigh. "At least now we know that there's a whole group out there who wants our lives. In fact, I don't think he knows much else."

"Do you think there are other changers being targetted even as we speak?" Jenna asked.

"I have no idea. But it's possible. We should call the..."

Felix broke off as the leaves around rustled. Frowning, he turned towards the direction of the noise and moved in front of Jenna.

The bushes rustled again, and Mia's head popped out from it.

"Cascade?"

"Mia!"

"You've been attracted by the Changertract potion again too?" Mia asked, looking stunned at the sight of them. She pulled herself from the bushes, extracting her long, brown overcoat from the twigs that were sticking out.

"It's not the Changertract potion. It's called the MaxC-tract potion," Jenna said. "An evolved version of the Changertract, apparently."

Seeing Mia's confused face, Felix sighed. "It's a long story."

"But... is it Brett Marshall again?" Mia asked.

"His younger brother." Jenna pointed. "From the same family, at least."

"This time, it doesn't seem as if they're after our abilities, though," Felix said. "He certainly said nothing about it. It was just 'We're going to kick your butts!'"

Mia eyed him. "Would it be all right to leave him like that?"

Felix shrugged. "There's nothing else we can do. Bringing him back isn't quite a good option either."

"We're going to head back? There ought to be quite a large group still in these woods! Shouldn't we go find them?" Jenna objected.

"And then do what? Jump into trouble?" Felix raised an eyebrow at his younger sister.

"But other changers might be having trouble! We should help!"

"You just want to get mixed up in this. Jenna, we're going to..."

But what Felix was going to do nobody knew. A long, ear piercing shriek rang out through the night. Startled, the trio looked around them warily.

"That scream... sounds so familiar..." Mia said.

"In what way?" Jenna asked, puzzled.

"I'm not sure, but... I've heard it somewhere before! I think it's someone I know!" Mia began heading towards the direction of the commotion.

"Mia! Come back!" Felix yelled. He seemed to have given up formalities in the face of danger. "You won't be able to do anything against them as a mermaid!"

"I know there's something wrong! We can't just leave whoever it is to fend for himself!" Mia called back over her shoulder as she disappeared from the clearing to the trees.

"I hate to say it, but she's right," Felix muttered. "Coming, Jenna?"

All three Changers broke into a run as they flashed between the trees. Dead leaves crackled beneath their feet, and within seconds another running changer was in sight.

"Garet! You here too!" Jenna called. Turning, Garet stopped running.

"This really, really sounds like a repeat of what just happened," he remarked. "Danger is my middle name, indeed..."

"Oh, enough with that. Did you hear the yell?" Jenna demanded.

"More like a screech, yeah," Garet replied. "Yonder."

He raised a finger and pointed. Everyone stared. Long, long legs. Belonging to a large, large body and a long, long neck.

"Oof. Giraffes look much, much smaller on television," Jenna said.

And the giraffe grew even bigger when it staggered back towards them, breaking down many of the trees in its way. Releasing similar screams, the Changers scattered and dived out of the large animal's landing area.

Of course, that just gave them away.

Bright yellow eyes glowed in front of Felix. His hand instinctively reached for his birthmark. But his fingers were knocked away as the Siberian tiger pounced.

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There. I'll leave it at that. It's been a short chapter indeed... Or maybe, normal length. Considering the details squashed up together. I actually went to research on details! I really, really did! So of course it would take some time and all...

Did anyone notice Isaac's eyes...?

Oh well.

Happy Easter to all!

Daidairo