Benjamin

Cardinal isn't letting up. The report from Mahony confirms it, and that's not good. The Predator Units are stretched thin as it is...along with Team CEBS. I tried to get through to both Estrella and Sade, but they didn't bother listening to me...similar to what happened in my nightmare. People shut me out and don't give me a chance. My family, my squad, and now my friends.

To think that all I have left is my equipment, and what's left in the flask I'm drinking out of. I'm going to need to refill this thing somewhere. Whiskey, scotch, rum, or whatever, it all tastes the same now.

I've turned into an alcoholic, but I couldn't care less. Besides, it dulls the pain I feel if I ever get into a fist fight, so it's actually helping me! Right? Ugh...I'm questioning so many decisions and aspects of my life right now; and it's just adding to my ever-growing insanity!

Clenching my fists in a mixed fit of both rage and confusion, I jump from the rooftop edge I was sitting on down to the streets of Gria City. This place has become more of a slum now though. The familiar shopping district where Team CEBS had their first double date is now a supply centre for the many refugees flooding into the Predator Unit controlled cities.

That reminds me. Only Ephario and Polk are under Cardinal's control, but they've been holding on for months. I can't even count the casualties, and Mahony is running out of experienced soldiers to handle the front lines. Losing fighters faster than you can train them...that's the perfect sign of a losing battle, or at least it's one of them. Still it's not the...AGH! My head just decided to throb violently, which signals that I'm having another one of my primal attacks.

Quickly dashing out of the city, I head towards Gria City's port. It's small, but I just need to stow away on a ferry or something. Grr….I start to growl in pain, but fortunately I've had practice with keeping my urges under control. Still, I can only suppress it for a solid hour before going berserk. Oh! There's a ferry heading for the outer islands! I'd better catch up before it leaves the port!

Just before the ferry takes off, I scamper aboard before hiding in the below deck storage. Okay...I think one of these ferries takes about fifteen minutes to reach their first stop, so I'll be able to hold on for now.

So I wait for fifteen minutes of torture before I hear an announcement from an intercom above.

"Arrival at the Nilf Enclave. All passengers prepare for the docking."

Without missing a beat, I skulk off the boat onto the dock. At least there aren't many guards around here. I quickly head into a forest near the port before changing into my Wolf Form. Good. The familiar predatorial feeling washes over me as I dash forward in search of fresh meat.

The Nilf Enclave forests seems to have an abundance of wildlife, but even the natural predators seem to be rather docile. Strange. I don't have any trouble killing a few deer and wolves, and that's all I need to satiate my primal attack for now, so I immediately turn back into my Human Form.

GRRR! Just as I do, I have to draw my knife to deflect a large arm making a swipe at me! Great, a bear! I hurl my knife at its right leg, embedding it deep and drawing a fair amount of blood. Quickly turning to run, I rip the knife loose with the ribbon attached to it before breaking into a full sprint.

Thank goodness there was an abandoned cabin not too far from the forest. I didn't want to fight a bear immediately after a Form Change...but crap. That run-in has caused my primal desires to surface again.

I'm about to head out again when I notice an outlying box in the corner of the dark cabin. Upon opening it, there seem to be multiple bottles of cider. Heh. I won't be going out for a while then...