Author's Note:
Hope you enjoyed the first transfigurine. I'll introduce more of his transformations throughout the story. No spoilers, but the voice Ean heard is very important.
I'm going to Utah, so the next chapter might be awhile! Thanks for reading :)
-Tangent
They were sitting around the fire that Rye had built, sharing stories about their childhood. Ean was describing Elfwood to Rye, who was listening eagerly, anxious to hear about new places.
"And so they built the village near the Oldwoods, and they elected the elders to serve as the unofficial leaders. I guess the Elder Tree is the real leader, but he rarely speaks to anyone. Last time he did, well…" He gestured to himself and Iya. "You ended up in this mess." Rye leaned against a nearby log, eating a meat and cheese sandwich.
"I'm okay with it, I suppose. You two seem alright." Ean smiled at the comment, and Iya spoke to Ean:
"Has he heard the story about how you almost pushed me off the island?" Ean sat bolt upright.
"No, don't tell him that one! I'm totally not a murderer or anything like that…" Rye sat up as well, grinning.
"Whoa, whoa. I want to hear this one…" Ean shook his head vehemently.
"Nope. Maybe another time." Iya sighed, making a face at him. Ean rolled his eyes, turning back to Rye.
"What did you do as a child? Hunt?" Rye nodded.
"My dad taught me how to fish, how to shoot a bow, things like that. We used to go on camping trips near the lake before they died." The mood dropped slightly, and Iya looked at Rye intently.
"What happened to them?"
"They got sick and died. A plague was running around our village, and they caught it. The only person who got it and survived was Great-Grandma Nora, but she's effectively bedridden, and he husband died."
"I see." Iya said, looking down at her feet. "I think your father would be proud. Your mother too." Rye simply nodded, touched by the words.
"Well, I think we should get some rest. Who's got first watch?"
"I'll get it." Ean said, moving over so Iya could make a place to sleep. Rye did the same, pulling blankets from his pack.
"Man, I need a magic backpack like yours."
"Maybe they'll have one in Thais." Ean said with a grin. Rye nodded, covering himself in blankets. The night was cool, but not overly so, and Ean could feel the warmth of the fire on his back as he situated himself facing outwards. Iya was nearby, getting ready to go to sleep, and he turned away to give her some privacy. After a few minutes, she fell asleep, breathing lightly. Across from her, Rye had also fallen asleep, his bow propped up nearby. Ean settled down and began his vigil, searching for any potential dangers.
Three hours or so later, he was broken from his searching by a soft cry that barely reached his ears. Iya was stirring, and he could see the anguish on her face.
"No… Please don't…" There were tear tracks on her face, and Ean hurried over to her.
"Iya!" He shook her slightly, and she jerked awake, shying away from him. "Iya, it's just me."
"Ean?" She stayed far away from him, and he held out his hands calmly.
"I'm not going to hurt you." He could the tears still leaking from her eyes, splashing down onto the ground. "What happened?"
"I…" She did not speak any more, and he reached over to touch her arm, but she moved away.
"Iya, what-"
"I'll be okay, Ean." She looked at him, and her hair was messy and tangled.
"I- No, you clearly aren't." Ean said, determined to figure out what was bothering her. "This isn't the first time this has happened." Iya's gaze snapped over to him, and he remembered that she had not known he was listening.
"I… You… You were, what, spying on me?" Iya's voice, although quiet, was filled with indignation.
"No, I wasn't! I just…" But Iya's face was stone hard now, and his heart sank. "I just wanted to make sure that you're alright. You can trust me, Iya."
"You can't help me with this, Ean. Just let me figure it out, okay?"
"I…"
"Just leave me alone." Her words, although soft, cut him deeply, and he turned away.
"I understand. It's your watch now, by the way." He grabbed his own blankets and curled up near Rye, leaving Iya to watch over the camp. He could feel her staring at his back, but the elf said nothing, and he fell asleep.
The morning came quickly, and he woke to see Rye cooking something over a fire.
"Is that fish?" He asked curiously when he awakened fully, and Rye nodded.
"I found a river nearby, so I caught some." He smiled slightly. Across the fire, Iya was sitting quietly. Evidently, she was still thinking about the previous night, but Ean said nothing.
She asked me to leave her alone. When the fish had finished cooking, they ate quickly, before extinguishing the fire with sand. They rose and headed north, approaching the Green Weed Plains again. They had agreed that they would stick to the paths, and the person behind the other two would look for approaching. Iya had her staff at the ready as the entered the dangerous area.
They had just arrived at the same place where Ean had been bitten when there was a hiss from the field to their left. They paused, looking around for the sound, but saw nothing. Suddenly, a snake burst from the bushes, leaping straight for Rye.
"Look out!" Iya said, and Rye tried to move aside, but the snake was too fast. The only person faster was Ean. With an unnatural burst of speed, he snatched the snake from the air, slicing its head off with his claws. He threw the body back into the bushes, breathing hard. He heard a voice inside him, whispering:
Good. Use the speed to your advantage.
"Whoa. When the heck did you learn to do that?" Rye asked, and Ean blinked.
"I'm not sure, but I have an idea." He told them about the voice, and Rye looked interested. Iya was quiet, but that was almost normal now.
"So you're borrowing the senses and speed of the beast? That's pretty cool. Can you feel a difference?" Ean shook his head.
"I think it just kind of happens, but maybe I can do it if I focus." He closed his eyes, and suddenly his hearing sharpened to an incredible degree. He could hear the blades of grass rustling in the breeze, birds chirping in the grass, and the sound of grass being moved apart. Ean opened his eyes, pointing to the grass to the right.
"There's two snakes, about 150 feet out that way. We should be okay." Rye's mouth fell open.
"Wow. That's pretty impressive."
"I'm honestly not sure how it happened." Ean said, and they continued onwards through the grass. Ean used his refined senses to seek out the enemies so that they could either surprise them or sneak around.
After killing a couple bears and picking up the loot dropped by the enemies, Rye shook one of the bags of coin.
"These bears are dropping a lot more money than any other creature. Maybe the tougher the enemy, the better the drops?"
"I mean, that seems logical." Iya said, testing out her new spell. She now had the ability to call forth a stream of water, a ball of fire, and a gale of wind. The water could either be spread out over a wide area or condensed into a powerful beam. With a flick of her wrist, a spout of water flattened a patch of grass nearby.
"You seem to be getting good at that sort of thing." Rye said, and Iya gave him a small smile.
"Thank you. I-" Just then, Ean snapped his head up.
"Guys, we need to move. There's a massive group of monsters about 100 yards out, bears and snakes." They whirled around, looking in the direction that he was pointing in. They paled, and Rye pointed to a nearby hill.
"Come on, we need to get up there." They ran, crashing through the thick grass until they had scaled the hill. Rye looked, and he could see a lot of bears crashing through the grass, heading towards the hill.
"Uh, Ean? Any plan?" He said frantically, and Ean furrowed his brow.
"Start trying to shoot them when they close. Iya, use your magic, okay?" The young elf nodded, clutching her staff. Ean dropped his pack to the ground, rifling though it. Above him, Rye released an arrow that plunged into the shoulder of a bear.
"Ean… Are you…" Iya spoke, talking to him for the first time since their conversation the previous night. The elf pulled the transfigurine from his pack, clutching it tightly.
"If things, go wrong, run away, okay?" Immediately he doubled over, clutching his head in pain.
"Ean!" Iya shrieked, but he was already transforming, his skin bubbling and mutating into a dark, matted fur…
The beast roared as it awoke for the second time, howling its rage to the bright sun that shone overhead. He was crouching on a hill, and he heard the powerful thrum of a bow as an arrow flew overhead. He whirled, snarling angrily, and he saw the same two from the cave.
Kill them all.
No. They are my friends. Ean spoke firmly, and he felt the beast subside. But we can kill the monsters.
No. That is not enough.
Why?
We need to kill everything. That is our calling.
I don't care. The beast turned, red eyes glowing as it saw the many creatures coming up the hill. Behind him, a blast of wind from the she-elf hurled several snakes away, but many more were coming. The beast's eyes narrowed.
Kill. With a roar, the beast leapt into action, howling with rage.
From the hill, Iya watched in horror and shock as the male elf-become-beast tore through the monsters with reckless abandon, claws whirling. It tore at a snake, ripping it in half while it felled a bear with one strike of its claws. The ranks of the beasts were rapidly thinning, and Rye continued to shoot until he ran out of arrows. The monster that was Ean destroyed the remaining monsters, and an odd silence fell. The beast was breathing hard, and Iya could see that there were several deep gashes on its left flank. It turned, facing them, and Rye stepped in front of her, holding a knife.
"Ean, stop." The beast started coming forward, approaching them with a low growl. Rye raised the knife, and the monster came closer. Just as it got close, it let out a soft growl and sank to the ground with its eyes closed.
The beast limped forward, tired from its battle, and sank to the ground, The green-haired boy lowered the knife, and the girl stepped forward hesitantly.
Why do you not strike?
They are my friends. We do not attack my friends.
But you are a monster. You are not meant to have friends.
I am not a monster.
But you will be… All others have succumbed. Even him…
Who?
You will know soon enough.
… Can I ask you something? There was a long pause, and Ean felt as though he was being scrutinized by the voice.
Why do you wish to know?
I don't know.
Ask, then.
Am I stuck in this form?
Not yet, but soon…
The voice faded away, and Ean looked through the beast's eyes to see Iya crouching down in front of him.
The female elf knelt down before the large beast, looking into its eyes.
"Ean? Can you hear me?" The beast inclined its head in what seemed to be a nod. "Can you transform back?" The mixture of bear and wolf shook its head, and Iya looked at it with sympathy. The beast sank to the ground, and its eyes peered into her own. Rye had gone down the hill to collect the remains of the monsters, raking in a significant amount of cash and other useful items.
Iya pointed to Ean's shoulder, which was bleeding profusely now, and asked:
"May I bandage your wound?" She pointed to it and attempted to touch the cuts, but the beast shied away from her and growled at her. She merely held out her hand, trying to convince him to trust her. His eyes told her that he remembered their argument, and she felt a wave of guilt. She should have apologized, but all that came out was:
"Please, Ean." The elf-beast looked at her for a few seconds, then turned to let her reach his side. She pulled a healing potion and began to pour it gently onto the wound. The beast growled in pain, but did not move, and the cuts began to close. When she was done, she pulled her hand back, looking at the monster in front of her. It was almost… cute. Overcome by the instinct, she petted him on the head, and Ean's eyes closed momentarily. He licked her hand, and she pulled away, standing up and turning to look at Rye, who had just finished collecting the spoils of war.
"We got about 3,000 gold, and a bunch of other items besides. Should be able to sell it in Thais. Have you…"
"Yes, I think Ean's good to travel. We might need to wait until he transforms back, though. I doubt they'd let him through." The beast wagged its tail, and Rye smiled slightly. "We should probably make tracks for Thais, though. We can camp on the plains outside if we must." Iya nodded, and the three set off towards the mountains in the distance, making tracks through the empty grass.
As the sun began approaching the horizon, the trio approached the mountains that barred their way to Thais and safety. As they entered the beginning of the mountain pass, Iya saw a small hole in the mountainside, and she recognized it immediately.
"Another teleporter!" The female elf rushed over, peering inside to reveal another room that was the same as the ones that had come before. She flipped the switch, checking the price on the piece of paper.
"Oh, this one costs more!"
"That makes sense, I guess. Perhaps it's based on distance? Or maybe the danger level?" Rye said, and Ean gave a short bark. They exited the room and set off down the path that led eastwards.
The sun had dipped below the horizon when they exited the pass, arriving onto a verdant field of green. To the south, they could faintly see the ocean as a line of blue. There was a forest nearby, and they could see another range of mountains far to the east, stretching skywards. To the north was a sprawling city, with high walls and tall buildings. They could see several tents near the walls, but Rye spoke quickly:
"We can't take Ean there. We'll have to camp in the forest for one more night, okay?" Iya nodded, and Rye led them a little way into the trees, where he set about making a fire while Iya began preparing food. Ean curled up near the firepit, keeping watch for anybody coming into the woods. When the fire was burning properly, Iya began roasting bread on the edge of the flame. After they had eaten, Rye turned to her.
"Iya, you should get some sleep. I'll wake you I'm tired, or if anything happens, okay?" She looked hesitant, but she nodded. She rolled into her blankets as Rye sat down next to the fire with his knife next to him. Ean sat across from him, looking at Iya with his red eyes. If she could have placed the emotion in them, it would have been something akin to worry. After a while, she fell asleep to the crackling of the fire, and the beast's deep breathing.
It was around midnight when Ean felt it. His skin began to crawl, and he felt his breathing change slightly. With a growl, he began to shift, feeling the rage begin to fade away as his body morphed back into that of an elf. As he did, he heard a faint voice in his mind:
Goodbye for now… As the deep sound faded, Ean returned to his body and collapsed upon the earth, groaning. He was unchanged, except for the faint scarring on his arm.
"Ean!" Rye leapt over to him, grasping him by the arms. "Are you okay?"
"I… Yes, I think so?" He sat up, and his stomach growled. Rye brought him some food, speaking quietly.
"You remember where we are?"
"Yes, we're near Thais. I remember the monster attack…" His voice trailed off as he looked at Iya, sleeping peacefully nearby. Rye nodded.
"Why did it take so long this time?"
"I'm not sure. I think that it depends on how much I use my ability, honestly." Rye seemed to accept that as an answer, and they were silent for a moment. Rye leaned over and tapped his shoulder.
"So what are you going to do?" Ean looked at him, confused.
"About what?" Rye gestured at Iya, and Ean looked as well.
"Whatever she's mad at you about, I'm sure you want to apologize. How are you going to do it?"
"I…" Ean paused. "I'll think about it, but I'll do it soon." He met Rye's eyes, and the green-haired boy nodded.
"That's good." Ean was silent for a moment, but he spoke:
"I can keep watch for the rest of the night, okay?"
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I think so." Rye nodded and rolled into his sleeping bag, leaving Ean alone with his thoughts. Overhead, the moon and stars shone down upon the group in the clearing, reflecting upon the fire that crackled and popped.
Iya stirred, blinking rapidly to clear her eyes. They were near Thais, and they had stopped for the night to… to…
She sat up quickly, and her heart leapt as she saw a familiar figure sitting near the fire.
"Ean!" she said, getting to her feet. He turned, smiling slightly. The tension that had existed between them was gone now, and she touched his arm gently.
"Are you okay?" She said, noticing the faint scar on his arm. He nodded, touching the mark.
"I'm okay." Nearby, Rye rolled over, groaning.
"Time to go already?" Ean laughed.
"I think so. Thais awaits!"