It's been a while since my last update and I decided to attend to that. It took some time to get this chapter done to my satisfaction and I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter Three- Acceptance and Preparations
Mozenrath ended up sleeping most of the following day and when he awoke, he was surprised to find that he had only four hours left before nightfall. He did feel energized from his long sleep and looked forward to the night's purpose; he was determined to master each and every movement of his body before turning his mind to other matters. He sat in bed for about fifteen minutes thinking about the coming night before getting up to attend to nature and getting some food that he would end up burning when he transformed. He was naked when he changed at sunrise and he didn't bother getting dressed; why put on clothes when he would have to remove them soon after?
He was soon outside, watching the sun go down. He ran the plan through his mind again as he waited. His surroundings soon grew dark and he turned around to see the moon peeking over the horizon. He smiled slightly before closing his eyes and waiting to feel the sense of power and strength flow through him. His wait was not long; he felt a pleasant tingle go through him and he promptly dropped his hands and knees as he changed into leopard form. He opened his eyes to take in the area around him. His vision was excellent; he could see further now than when he was human. He practiced by standing in the moonlight and then moving into the darkness by stepping into his home. Light and shadows had no distinction for he could see perfectly in both situations.
He stepped back outside where he closed his eyes and focused on his hearing. Again, his sense of sound was better as a leopard than as a human. He could hear tiny movements that he wouldn't ordinarily hear. He inhaled deeply and the myriad of smells he picked up was nearly overwhelming. He let his instincts take over in order to filter out the scents and that allowed him to marvel over how he could pick out which ones were prey and which ones weren't. He opened his eyes and followed his nose out into the desert where the prey he smelled were wandering around, just waiting to become his dinner.
He again noticed his body's movements. They were smooth and sleek and when his claws automatically kneaded the sand under his paws, he chalked it up to hunting instinct. He turned his head in one direction and then another. There was delectable prey in both directions, but which one did he want? He sniffed the air to his left: The scent of another hare came to him. He sniffed the right and found something new and instinct told him it was a small group of mice. He weighed his choices and decided to go after the hare since he knew that the chase would give him more movement for him to reflect on while he dined.
He silently padded off to the left, the scent of the hare growing stronger with each step. He paused at the foot of a small dune and knew his prey was on the other side. He crouched down before springing up and over the dune with the intention of pinning down the rabbit. All did not go to plan: The rabbit saw the leopard looming over him and sprinted out of the way and into the desert. Mozenrath did not hesitate; he took off after the animal, his long limbs giving him added speed and closing the distance between the two of them. He was soon at the rabbit's heels and lunged forward, planting his forepaws on the back and biting down on the neck. The hare went limp in his mouth and he settled down to eat.
It's amazing how instinct just takes over once the prey has been scented and the chase begins. I think back on it and I can't believe how fast I was moving. Every one of my senses are enhanced and the world is brighter, clearer, and sharper. I might even be able to conquer my non-magical enemies in this form. Mozenrath was delighted with these revelations and knew that if he wanted, he could definitely act on these feelings. However, as he ate he felt something besides conquest fill his thoughts: He wanted a mate and, in that moment, he knew exactly who he wanted.
I will need to plan it out carefully. If I want a mate, she will need to be a werecat like me. In order for that to happen, I must wait until the full moon next month. I will read over the scroll carefully in the morning to find out how I can infect a human. I also want to know if my senses will still be enhanced while I'm human. He licked his paws and mouth clean before heading home to get some rest so that he could start his preparations in the morning.
The morning soon arrived and Mozenrath quickly dressed and ate some food before heading for his lab and unrolling the scroll. He read it over carefully and soon found the section he was looking for: How to infect a human. He smiled as he read it over; it was so easy to turn someone. All he had to do was scratch or bite the person during the full moon. Turning my target will be simple; getting into her home will not be so simple. However, I will be a leopard so getting in may not be as hard as I originally thought. Now that I know how to turn my future mate, I will focus on my senses.
He sat on his throne and closed his eyes; he wanted to focus on his hearing first and follow it up with his nose. At first, he heard only the sounds in the room he was in, but soon sounds from other rooms filtered in and he was certain he wouldn't have heard them before he cast the spell that changed him. He opened his eyes after determining that outside would be better for testing his sense of smell and could hardly believe it; he could see further than he did a few minutes ago! He headed for the front door eagerly and became aware of how swiftly and silently he was moving toward his destination. He stepped outside, closed his eyes again, and inhaled deeply. The same myriad of scents flooded his nose, but this time no instincts were present to filter them out. He didn't allow this to surprise him; he calmly started figuring out how to sort out the smells. This proved to be harder than he thought, but he was able to sort out a couple of scents before resolving to practice every day for the next month.
He strode back inside and headed for the lab again. He looked around the room and his eyes landed on what he called his Conquest Wheel. He stepped up to it, grabbed it with one hand, and lifted it clear of the floor and held it up over his head. It seems I am also stronger in human form as well, but then again this wheel is not that heavy. I must finding something a little heavier and work my way up until I find the limits of my strength. Mozenrath spent the rest of the day, finding objects to lift. By the time, he stopped for the day, he could lift almost anything. His throne took both hands, but little extra effort to lift. His bed was another matter; he used both hands and could lift one side up but could do no more than that. This put an end to his strength tests at least for the day and he laid in bed and drifted off to sleep, pleased with his progress.
Mozenrath ate at least one meal a day over the next few weeks as he needed the energy to test his abilities. He continued to test his strength by seeing if chains or ropes could bind him for long. The rope only lasted a few seconds, maybe a minute at most while the chains took a few minutes; the point was binding him wouldn't last long whether human or leopard. Another strength test was finding out what he could bend or break. He found breaking wood to be easy and bending metal was almost as easy. He found that iron, gold, and silver would not bend at least not unless he put a lot of effort into it.
He practiced his sense of smell every day as he had resolved to do and he was slowly learning to filter them out and identify each scent as he focused on it. He discovered that he could even smell certain emotions. He learned this fact when he roamed his city and he came near a group of his undead guards. They feared his wrath and the retribution that came to any of them that displeased him. He looked at them and they trembled at his gaze. His eyes widened as a scent he was unfamiliar with wafted up to him. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. What is that I'm detecting? I've never come across it before…or have I? I can feel my hunting instincts becoming aroused and excited. Could it be that I smell the fear that my guards are feeling? If so, that is interesting.
His wanderings through his kingdom was him practicing his movements. Yes, he found he could swiftly and silently the first day after the full moon ended, but he wanted to see how quickly he could move. He found he could run so fast that the sand beneath seemed to blur and when he stopped, he wasn't even breathing hard. He looked around and up at the rooftops of the buildings around him. If I am to get to my victim, I need to learn how high I can jump.
He chose the side of a building that had five window ledges, bent his legs, leaped up, and successfully landed on the first ledge. He nodded at his first attempt before increasing the challenge. He leaped again and made it the last ledge before climbing over the roof's edge. He surveyed his kingdom from his vantage point while he thought about his latest test. That was good. My mate's home is taller, but I can clear a considerable distance in one leap. But how about jumping from one building to another? He gauged the distance between the rooftop he was on and the next one before running full tilt toward the edge and jumping across. The drop yawned below him, but he easily cleared the gap and landed safely on the other side. He continued to test his leg strength as he headed back to his home.
I'm pretty sure everyone knows who Mozenrath wants for his mate as the pairing listed is mentioned and next chapter he will go after her.