Ch.10
(I'm back! Whooo, midterms were... bloody insane. I appreciate everyone's patience and comments while I was on hiatus. Enjoy!)
Wet morning dew dampened the hemlines and pant cuffs of villagers as they walked to work. The farmers went to feed their livestock and others went to their shops to open for the daily rush of shoppers. Unbeknownst to these sleepy eyed birds, a plethora of scritches and scratches came from the shadowed ally. Frederick watched the passer byes from his hiding place behind some waste sacks, memorizing their faces and storing them into his memory banks. Each time he saw a new face he closed his eyes, focused on their features, and his face would shift into a perfect copy. This was a practice that Frederick had adopted after discovering his new skill; He even found out that he could change into the opposite sex. The catch was that while he could look like a woman, he still had his... man berries. As his face went from an old woman's to a young man within the blink of an eye, Frederick wrote down all the little kinks and nuances of the town with great zeal.
Mornings are so quiet and everyone looks like their still trying to wake up. It looks easy but I can't risk working then. Its best to work in crowds. Oh, yeah... I should also work on my female voices. I think I might be able to nail it with some practice.
No one knew this, but Frederick had a knack for imitations. On his 6th birthday his parents hired a comedic performer. Since he was confined to bed, the man only could preform outside his window from the palace courtyard. The funniest part of his act was when he did a humorous impression of his father causing the boy to laugh till he wheezed. From then on, Frederick studied and practiced imitating the voices of his family, the servants, and his classmates; Even learning some ventriloquism, which he found in a book. His favorite voice to do was Blaine's or the king's. He chuckled quietly as he remembered using Blaine's voice to trick his fan club into believing that he wanted to give each member one of his socks as a present. He felt a brief twinge of sadness before quickly brushing it away.
*No time for memory lane. Lets see what I have here.*
He flipped back a few pages, brushing his lengthy bangs from his eyes.
*Wow, I've got a lot of entries. Has it already been two months? Here we are!*
He read the entry he wrote on the wealthier patrons. For weeks, Frederick had to watch Whitney get constantly turned away any time he tried to talk to anyone or even ask for a job. Sometimes they were lucky and a fearful market seller would give them what they wanted out of pure terror. But when it came to work no one wanted to hire Whitney; His imposing demeanor and menacing aura made everyone wary and terrified of his intentions. They even tried to get work as farm hands but the barn animals broke out of their pens when they got close. Whitney said it didn't bother him but Frederick would see glints of sadness and frustration when people distanced themselves.
*He's done so much for me when he doesn't have to. I'm just some stupid kid that showed up in his life and made it harder. He's trying so hard... But its obvious that we can't do this the easy way. Lets see... The ladies carry their money and valuables in purses that they leave open, especially when they're out shopping like mad. The men are a little bit more weary. They keep their goods in their jackets or trousers. The wiser old men keep their valuables on tucked into their shirts. I'll have to come up with a real good strategy for that. Or maybe, I should just take the jewelry on their fingers. No, that's too risky,
He studied his hands. They used to be the hands of someone that lived comfortably but now they had been callused by the harshness of the woods. They needed to be quick and nimble as they slipped into satin pockets and snatched away coins and notes.
*I'll just stick with the easy targets for now.*
Frederick looked to his left at the sleeping boy in the corner. It was obvious that he was one of those just-turned-18-noble-kids that spent his birthday getting completely smashed. He had a few bags on him, which was great. Frederick closed his journal and retreated to the woods.
Blaine's footsteps echoed throughout the long hallway, giving the eldest prince an odd sense of displacement. For a minute, he thought he was in another castle entirely because he didn't hear the usual grunts of Lance's daily exercise routine; Those sounds had been absent for a long time. When he arrived at the door of his younger brother's room, he knocked on it while balancing a silver tray on his left hand.
"Lance... I brought your lunch."
No sound came from the room. Blaine nervously shuffled his feat as the silence continued.
"Lance... please... You need to start eating properly,... Everyone is worried that you're gonna make yourself sick if you keep this up... Can you...I need to see that you're alright."
He relaxed a tad when he heard shuffling from inside. The door cracked opened and Lance poked his head out. He still looked pale; His blueish silver hair was limp and he looked like he lost weight. His eyes were also lifeless and red rimmed. When he spoke, his voice came out horse from lack of use,
"Are they really?"
Blaine smiled.
"Yes. Dad has been asking for you ever since you stopped going to you combat training classes. He really needs you to talk with your peers about enrolling in the Cryptid Control militia. It'll be a big help since you're so good at getting the guys riled up and-"
Blaine trailed off into a yelp as Lance began to close the door. He stuck his foot into the crack.
"Wai-Wait! Wait! Lance! Don't shut that door!"
"He was right... Its just like he said."
Blaine struggled to push the door wider as he replied,
"Like what who said? What are you talking about?"
"We are just toys to him."
Blaine narrowed his eyes, feeling a burn of anger.
"Lance... Don't-"
"He tried to tell us... and we didn't listen. Like always."
"Lance, that wasn't Frederick. He's dead. That thing took him from us."
"But... That was him"
"Lance. That was a monster that wanted to kill us all. It took Frederick while we weren't aware and wanted to come after us one by one. It was just toying with us."
Lance was silent for a moment.
"His eyes... Those were his eyes. Our brother's eyes." he replied.
Blaine felt a cold snap in his chest as he firmly said.
"You let that monster fool you, Lance. Don't you remember what that beast tried to do to you? It charged at you once its cover was blown! It tried to kill you and it would have if it hadn't been for your class mates!"
"Is that what Dad told you?"
Blaine went silent as he thought back to that night; To the night that creature formed of tangled red fibers and tendon burst forth from his brother like a banana slowly being squeezed from its peel. His brain echoed with the juicy squelches of shifting flesh and the sharp pained shrieking that still haunted his dreams; He felt his stomach churn at the thought and shut his eyes. He tightened his jaw and tried to shake the memory from his mind. Lance watched him; Weary grey eyes shimmering with sadness.
"He was stronger."
Blaine looked up. "What?"
"Out of both of us... He was the first one to stand up against dad and his crazy whims. No matter how bad he was punished... He would always do it again."
Then his eyes flashed with an adamant flicker. "We both know... The Plaid Prince way was never for him... It never was... and when we saw him fail to meet it... The goal that Dad set for us... We would give some thin advice and then distance ourselves from him as much as possible."
"No, we didn't... Frederick is- Why am are we talking about this now? Are you trying to say that we were cruel to not coddle a monster and hang out with it all day? Even if he was Frederick, we didn't mistreat him. Just because we didn't spend every waking moment with him we're suddenly villains? The whole world was practically at his finger tips and he chose to whine and mope about it because he claims we neglected him. Really? We had our own lives to live, Lance. He had to learn that the whole universe doesn't just revolve around him."
"Yet, you constantly drop everything for dad, right?"
Blaine flushed as he stuttered out. "That's different-"
Lance took in a tired breath, sounding ancient.
"Blaine... Do you ever remember doing anything together? Us? As brothers?"
Blaine tried to search for a memory.
"Well, Father always threw us these big parties with a bunch of people, activities and we would invite all our friends-"
"I was talking about with Frederick. Like have we actually talked to him?
"Well... there was the times when dad told us to-"
"Without being told. Have we ever actually hung out with Frederick because we wanted to? At school or home?"
"Like I said Lance. We have our own lives and-"
Lance then sighed, sounding like he aged 20 years in a matter of minutes. Then he shoved Blaine's foot from the frame and shut the door leaving the elder sibling standing by himself in the hall.
Frederick looked over his notes as he made his way back to the river, tucking away a long strand of hair behind his left ear. The late morning rays penetrated the leafy roof and warmed his back and arms from the early chill. His fangs gnawed into the wood of the pencil as dry leaves and twigs crunched beneath his boots.
*I might have better luck going back on a weekend and then-*
A series of heavy footfalls to his left snapped him out of his reverie. He curled his hands into fists as he faced the attacker. But he relaxed when a familiar spicy scent flowed from that direction and a pale black stripped face appeared from the brush. He sighed and smiled with relief.
"Oh, you scared the crap out of me. I thought you were-"
"Where have you been?"
Frederick felt his heart skip a beat at Whitney's rough tone. When Whitney stomped into the clearing he saw that the older man's face was red and sweaty. His breath came out in heavy bouts and his large hands were closed into trembling fists. He froze in place as Whitney's smoldering silver eyes bore into his skull, causing him to break eye contact.
"Answer me. I want you to look at me when I'm talking to you. Where. were-"
Whitney looked past him and the cutting steal eyes grew and flashed with livid light as the pieces flew together.
"You were in the village." his voice came out tight and taunt like a rope about three strands from snapping.
Frederick scooted away as he replied, "Uh... yes but I-"
Whitney growled.
"You're not suppose to be there! Not without me! What's the matter with you!?"
Frederick felt his heart thud against his ribs.
"I-I-I'm sorry, but I didn't-"
"YOU DON'T RUN OFF ANYWHERE WITHOUT ME, UNDERSTAND!?"
Frederick jumped back at the sudden booming yell. Suddenly, Whitney came up to him, arm outstretched to grab his him.
"We're leaving." he said firmly.
Frederick slapped it away and darted back, anger replacing his nervousness.
"Hey, hands off! I said I was sorry!"
Whitney froze, staring at his arm still stretched out in front of him. His gray eyes became fevered with a wrath that rivaled the fiercest storm. His dark pupils shook as a multitude of emotions seemed to flicker across his face. All while one hand was bound into tight ball; Blood began to trickle onto the grass through his fingers. Frederick continued to back away as his heart thudded into his toes.
*Shit, is he going to hit me? Oh, man... I didn't know he was going to be this mad.*
Just as quickly as it came, Frederick saw the wrath leave. His shoulders relaxed, his fist unfurled, and his eyes reverted back to their calm tone. Then the large man turned and walked off, leaving the nervous teen in the clearing.
*What the fuck was that all about?*
Frederick added raw dill to the bubbling water simmering in a pot over the fire. He stirred the stew as he looked out to dark blood orange sky tinted with spots of purple clouds that drifted in front of the setting sun. A pit of dread had slowly began to grow in his stomach ever since this morning. After he went back to camp, Whitney didn't speak to him and kept his distance from Frederick for the whole day. He even went off to hunt for dinner on his own.
*Oh, man... I really messed up this time... Shit, I thought he was going to tear me apart... He looked so pissed... That was terrifying... Should I try to apologize but what if he gets angry again?... I could just wait till he's in a good mood... Maybe do some extra chores for him...Then-*
"Hey."
He jumped at the voice and turned to see Whitney with a fox flung across his shoulder. Frederick felt his nerves spike but then he saw that the older man kept looking away from him and back again.
"I'm- I'm really sorry about snapping at you like that. Its just...When I didn't see you, I thought the worst and I guess I... I'm glad nothing happened." he said as he dug the toe of his boot into the dirt.
Frederick let out a sigh of relief when he heard Whitney's soft voice again.
"It's fine. I shouldn't have gone without telling you. I was just trying to plot out safe times to go so we wouldn't draw a lot of attention. I just hid in the alley the whole time.."
Whitney nodded and the two prepared dinner in silence. Whitney kept looking up to the slowing approaching evening with unease and Frederick noticed it.
"Are you ok? I've never seen you this nervous. Is something wrong?"
Whitney sighed and crouched down on the grass.
"Frederick, I need you to make your dinner really fast, go up in your tree house, and don't come down no matter what."
"Huh? Why?"
"The full moon is out tonight."
"...Oh."
*So this is the night that he becomes a were tiger. That explains a lot... Note to self: Don't piss off Whitney on full moon days.*
Whitney then passed the fox corpse to the teen and started to walk off towards the river. Frederick watched him as he cut the corpse and let the blood drip into the boiling soup.
"I... Is there anything you need? I could check on you if you get-" Frederick asked
"No, you don't understand. I'm not in control when I'm transformed... Its like I... My memories... come in vague quick moments... everything is fuzzy and it feels like trying to remember a dream... I could really hurt you, Frederick. So I need you to stay in the tree house; Don't come down no matter what you hear and try to stay quiet. Alright?"
Frederick wrinkled his forehead. "Ok, but-"
"Frederick. I'm serious. Do. Not. Come. Down."
Frederick heard the urgent and pleading tone and nodded.
*Poor guy... It must be scary... Waking up in a place you have no memory of coming to... the whole night a blur...*
Frederick quickly got his meal ready as the first stars began to dot the sky. He skittered up the tree just as darkness fell over the forest. He took one last look back at Whitney and the older man made a shooing motion with his hands; His eyes glowing with increasing unrest and his hands trembled. Frederick sat in the middle of the wooden platform and ate his meal in silence; Its weight pressed on his heart and he wished for Whitney's company.
Frederick tipped his head back as he lapped up the last drops of soup from his bowl; He had been extra famished and found himself draining the left over blood from the fox carcass laying beside him. The night air chilled his skinless arms as he stifled a small burp and turned his eyes toward the rising white disc peeking through the branches of the trees; The bright night sun illuminated the veins of the leaves with a silvery blue that lit up the tree house with an ethereal glow. The chirp of crickets and the rustling of dead leaves sounded muffled as Frederick strained his ears to focus on the sound of Whitney's heart beat. He finally was able to focus on the dull quick beat that began to pick up in pace after a minute. A strong bitter smell wafted into Frederick's nostrils and permeated the air below; Its humid and chemical stench burned one word across his mind.
*Fear.*
Frederick didn't know how he knew but the fact that his subconscious practically threw such a word to the front of his brain made him shiver. Frederick braced himself for the eventual screams of pain and discomfort that would tear out of his friend's mouth as Whitney's heart beat grew faster and louder with every passing moment; Grotesque descriptions of written transmogrification from man to beast flipped through his mind. Jekyll and Hyde... werewolves... the wendigo ... skin walkers.
But then the heart suddenly slowed its beat to a lull.
Frederick felt the hairs on his arms rise as he realized that the noises of the night had disappeared. There were no musical chirps of insects. No scattering of nocturnal creatures. Even the babble of the river was muted. His unease grew at the sudden decrease in heart beat from his friend; It was like hearing someone's scream get cut off in the middle. He stared over the dark edge of the platform.
*Should I go down and check on him?... It sounds like he's ok...but is he really?... He told me not to leave but it sounded like he was in trouble. What-*
A deep low growl rose from the ground and rattled his rib bones. Frederick crept quietly over to the edge and looked down. At first he didn't see anything out of the ordinary but then his gaze went to the right. His heart caught in his throat at the enormous black and white stripped tiger slowly approaching the tree; Its head facing the ground and sniffing around the roots. Then the head turned up to look into the branches and Frederick ducked out of sight.
*Oh, Shit... did he see me? Oh, please God tell me he didn't.*
Frederick held his breath as he prayed and waited for the creature to walk away; There was no food in his little house after all. But a thunderous shake that nearly made Frederick's soul leap from his body told him that it was all in vain. Frederick screamed as he looked down to see that the tiger had thrown itself onto the thick trunk of the tree; Its claws sinking deep into the wood and its back leg muscles throbbed as it tried to pull itself up. The tiger's silver eyes gleamed hungrily in the moonlight; Any resemble of Whitney was absent in those feral silver bullets that shot through his soul.
"FUCK! WHITNEY, STOP IT! ITS ME! DON'T!" Frederick cried as the platform shook violently once again.
Frederick felt his own claws sprout from his fingers as he held on for dear life when the tiger pushed on the tree with its full weight.
*He's not listening. He really doesn't recognize me. STAB MY ANUS! What do I do? I never fought anything bigger then a deer before! I'M DEAD FOR SURE!*
Another tremor made Frederick scream as the tiger got a better grip on the trunk and started to climb closer.
*SHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT! I have to think of something fast!*
Frederick scanned the platform and his eyes rested on the torn bloody fox. He quickly grabbed the leg and held it to his chest as another tremor shook the tree; A stifling hot breath rose up from the floor boards like mist on a lake and sent a charge of urgency through his nerves. When the tree steadied, he got to his feet and heaved the corpse far into the woods.
"GO FETCH!" he yelled as he hurled the carcass far into the trees.
The tiger turned its head to the fleeting smell of meat, lurched from the trunk and bounded off, making the ground tremble with every step. Frederick fell on his butt and panted with both relief and horror.
"Whew, that was close. Holy shit... I thought I was going to die... He wasn't joking... I couldn't even get through to him..."
Frederick heard the loud roar of the tiger ring out through the trees like an earthquake; It then dawned on him why the forest went so quiet and why most living things avoided them.
*No wonder Whitney was so agitated... He's the scariest thing for miles... Its like every thing that moves can sense the beast in him and avoids him... It sounds so lonely... and he looked so scared... But he said that they're were other things in the forest. Creatures that even make him nervous and want to keep quiet at night. But what could possibly be more horrifying then-*
Suddenly, Frederick felt his blood turn to ice and his gut twist uncomfortably as a heavy presence settled into his skin. The vile stench of rot and decay flowed on the wind like ash from a witch burning; Hints of burning flesh and sour soil made him snort as he covered his nose. Frederick looked out into the now foreboding forest that he had been calling home for two months. Something was lurking in the thicket. And it seemed to be on the hunt for the tiger.
*What... What is that?... Something is out there... Something... not right... Whitney... I have to find him.*
Frederick slid down the tree and set off after the tiger, taking extra care as he did. When he caught up to him, Frederick saw that tiger Whitney was taking a drink far upstream; The heavy presence still in the area. Frederick settled behind some bushes, not wanting to get caught and torn. Then tiger Whitney looked up and growled in the direction of the underbrush. Frederick felt his heart leap to his throat when something growled back with it's own dissonant low tone. Then a flash of black leapt out towards the white tiger. Whitney swatted it away with his paw, knocking it to the ground. The creature landed on both feet gracefully and Frederick felt his jaw drop. A black dog as big as Lavern stood before the tiger; Its outline curling and unraveling like burning paper edges. Its from to dissipate and flow like smoke. A glowing yellow eye in the middle of its head highlighted glistening white fangs lining its mouth. The ghostly hound arched its back with a snarl and charged. The tiger prepared to fight back but then as the hounds feet left the ground it disappeared. The tiger growled in confusion for a moment before letting out a sharp yowl. The creature had formed right behind him and clawed the tiger's back legs, splashing spicy blood on the cool night air. The tiger, now enraged, launched himself at the shuck. Its claws kept slashing right through the monster dog. When the Hell Hound clawed back with its own claws, the tiger man would scream out in pain as his flesh was cut and singed on the spot. Frederick watched the battle; Unable to move even though his brain was screaming at him to take action. But his body felt icy cold, like death had entered and was placing its delicate yet strong hand on him.
After a few minutes, the tiger ceased its fight.
Its claws dug into the dirt as it fought to stay upright. Blood trickling out its burnt flesh and dotted the sandy river bed. Then the Hell hound tilted its head up and let out a bone chilling howl; The note sending out a wave of finality like the thud from an executioner's axe.
*Run away. Run.*
The tiger stared at the creature; Pupils shaking with fear as his legs gave out and he dropped to the ground.
*What!? NO! What are you doing?!*
The creature slowly walked to the tiger. Its steps proud and composed.
*NO...nononon. Get Up.*
The tiger bowed its large head.
*NONONONNONONONONONO!*
Frederick's body jolted with new strength and he ran out the bushes towards the Black shuck, claws drawn.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
The shuck turned his head in surprised as he saw the skinless boy jump out towards them. But Frederick went right through the dog and landed on the other side. He came up on his hands and feet, glaring at the hound. The creature stared at the new comer with its eye; a beam of pale light bathed the boy and seemed to look deep into his soul. Even though his legs were shaking and his heart was pounding like crazy, Frederick still kept his eyes on the creature. The creature let out a noise that sounded a lot like a scoff and turned back to the tiger; Bright flames flared up from its claws and teeth. Frederick ran to the hound as its fangs shot towards Whitney's neck. He grabbed a hold of the creature's jaw, planting himself between the hound and his friend. The dog growled in annoyance as he tried to shut his mouth but Frederick held strong even as the flames burned his bare hands. He twisted its head off to the side and pushed it away. The dog growled again as its cloudy yellow eye went a dull red.
*Shit.*
The dog fiercely swiped at him with fiery claws. Frederick did his best to doge the swings, but still got hit a few times. He hissed as he felt a series of burning cuts blossoming on his legs.
*I can't just keep dodging forever. What do I do?*
Then the dog arched its back and jumped at him. Frederick ducked and turned to face the spot where the dog landed. But it wasn't there. He looked around for a few seconds before a burning sensation pierced his chest and he felt a heavy weight throw him to the ground. He let out a scream as the dog dug his fiery claws into the raw muscle and grabbed the smoldering mouth again as the creature went to take a chunk from his throat. Frederick tried to push the creature off him but the incorporeal beast's weight increased with every push. He continued to scream out in pain as he fought to keep its fangs away from his throat and his shoulders burned. The hound snarled and huffed in effort; A moldy stench rolled out its maw in waves and Frederick closed his eyes as they watered.
*I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I need help. Somebody...No...No...NO!*
Suddenly, Frederick heard a startled grunt. He opened his eyes to find the Shuck's red eye fading back to pale yellow as it whimpered in pain. Frederick looked down to see a long fleshy tendril protruding from his stomach and right through the dog. A rush of adrenaline surged through his body as he shoved the thing off, causing hot black liquid to spray out from the hound's body. With a growl, He drove his claws into the hound's now solid throat. He didn't let go until the yellow eye dimmed and went black. Frederick dropped to the ground, letting the corpse slip out of his grasp; the body burst into a pile of ash as soon as it hit the ground.
The moonlight bathed the world around him in a gray cold light; His heart slowed and his ears filled with a continuous ring; a large groan came from in front and he saw the tiger rise up. It stared at him for a bit before bounding away into the woods. Frederick rose to his feet and started walking to camp. The trip back was just a colorless blur that ended in blackness when he felt the wooden plank beneath him.
