Blinking my eyes open, I notice daylight and ferns and trees and the blue sky. A light breeze shivered my body as I attempted to find my feet. Sitting myself up, dirt covers my body and I attempted to assess my surroundings, seeing the trees (there's a lot of them) as well as bushes, ferns, oh and a dead half of a deer with a hole in its chest. My stomach turned as I watched the blood pooling around the deer and soaking into the dirt below. The massive hole in the deers chest seemed to indicate that the deer was missing a heart. Leaning over to investigate the deer a bit more, it made me throw up. It looked as if I had just eaten chicken broth and blood soup mixed with bits of deer. Oh. Deer. Looking at the deer, I scurried away from it in freight. Glancing at my hands, I noticed blood painted on my hands and the taste of dead deer at the back of my throat.
"Yeah, that happens when you end up killing and eating a deer. It's your body kinda, getting used to the transformation from wolf back to human, some things you end up eating as a wolf doesn't always seem to agree with the human side. It takes a while or so to get used to the after transformation effects. It does get easier, though. " Stated a familiar voice. "Trust me, I swear it does get easier, just takes some getting used to."
In my glance up, I noticed the familiar white shoes, jeans, and jacket.
"Jack, wait, Jack, is that you?" I said. As I realised, there were 3 other faces looking at me.
"Sam, this is: Randall, Hmaish, and Lilith." Jack said with a gesture towards each face.
"Hi, hello." I stated, waving in their direction. "Wait, hold up, rolling back. Did you say I ATE a deer as well as killing it. I'm pretty sure I would remember killing a deer, let alone eating it."
"Yeah, you don't usually remember the first transformation, except in waves." Smiled Randall.
"Well, to add onto what Jack has left out, I shall clear a few things up." Began Hamish, " you are a werewolf, just like us. We were chosen by hides of fallen warriors, specifically by the Knights of Saint Christopher. I was chosen by the hide of Tundra, Randall was chosen by the hide of Greybeard, Lilith by Timber, and Jack was chosen by Silverback. You, however, were chosen by Midnight." Stated Hamish.
"Midnight. That was the name I read on that box. But there's only 4 of you here. What about the 6th box I saw, that one read ALPHA. Is that hide claimed by anyone?" I questioned.
"Yeah, well, that is even more complicated. I'm sure Midnight would like to explain it, but you'd have to be unconscious for that." Smirked Lilith, "which I'm more than happy to help with."
"And userstand his native tonge, but none the less. No violence, we agreed." Hamish glared in the direction of Lilith.
"Maybe we should tell her, it would be useful information for Sam to know." Stated Jack.
"Oh, alright. But maybe in a bit, I have a feeling Sam would appreciate some clothing and a shower." Hamish implied as he tossed a towel in Sam's direction.
Wrapping the towel around my body, I used the help of Jack to get up and gather my bearings once again. As I got up, I glanced down to assess my situation that I caused, not as myself.
"Eww, that is revolting." I exclaimed.
"Yeah, you kinda went straight for the heart and ate the entire thing." Lilith spoke smugly, "Well done, you could be a Knight after all." I almost vomited once again.
Making our way back to the house, I noticed more colour to the green trees, the freshly cut grass, as well as the scent of animals and the deer. The potent smell of the rotting deer stung my nostrils and made my eyes begin to water. I also noticed the sounds of the birds were clearer, the trees whistling with the wind, the distant chatters of students, and a whistling. It was as if someone was blowing a dog whistle right into my brain. It was an excruciating pain that made my skin crawl and, and, aaagh. I felt this overwhelming pain as a creature forced itself out of my skin. My eyes flited between these shades of blue and yellow and the normal colours. My senses were on fire, my teeth extended, and I felt this force on my consciousness.
"What is going...aaahhgh...on?" I yelled.
As the hands and arms of the knights supported my weight, I heard the ringing dissipate, and I felt my consciousness fall.
"Hey, hey. You're all right, Sam. You only fainted this time. Happens." Jack said softly as Hamish concluded in dabbing my forehead.
"Yeah, OK, but why did I faint in the first place. I felt this pain as that ringing started, then nothing." I questioned.
"OK, well, the hide you bonded with is quite ferocious, " Hamish began, " Midnight, well Midnight likes to fight its host and will always sacrifice himself in any moment of danger. Also, that ringing sets all the wolves off. It's an indicator of magic spells being cast."
"I'm sorry, magic!" I gave a confused look in Jack's direction as I groaned my way upright. As I helped myself upright, I realised I was still fully naked. Jolting I arms across my body, I suddenly became even more uncomfortable than earlier.
"Oh right," Lilith realised my discomfort, "Here, it's weird after the first few transformations, you'll get confident." She threw a set of clothes in my direction.
"Thanks." I smiled as I dressed in the hoodie and stood up to put on my pants and trousers. It was greatly appreciated. I guess this entire thing, with me naked and them seeing me, makes up close... I guess. Well, I'll think that to help me get over this mildly traumatising situation.
As I sat back down, feeling a tad more comfortable now, I was fully dressed (minus shoes), I took a few deep breaths and asked where I was.
"You're in our den." Randall blurted with a smile.
"Well, to be more specific, you're in that wooden house in that clearing." Hamish specifies.
"And now I guess we owe you a dammed good explanation, oh and training. We can't exactly let you leave if you can't control the wolf." Lilith added.
"Not to freighten me or anything." I replied sarcastically. "So what is this explanation then?"
"Well, before we get in too deep, shall we begin with a drink." Hamish pointed out as he stood behind the bar and began to mix drinks. "Here." He handed me and the others a cocktail each, I've gotta say, it was delicious.
As he sat down, glass in one hand and stir look growing OK his face, Hamish began the explanation. "So, Sam, to begin, you are a werewolf. Specifically, you are a chosen champion to the werewolf hide of Midnight. I am champion to Tundra, Jack to Silverback, Lilith to Timber, and Randall to Greybeard. There is a sixth hide, but Alpha doesn't choose a champion often, as his champion is alway specific and on a regular cycle of every 100 years, just to check if all is well with the pack. He's weird. To tell you a bit more about Midnight, his previous champion, before you, was a girl named Gabrielle. Gabrielle didn't die, as we all thought had to happen for a hide to leave the champion, but she found a spell within the depths of the spell books that lived in The Order's library, that could separate a wolf hide from its champion, without full death. Anyways, to confirm, you are a werewolf, and when you transform, you turn into Midnight.
Now, Midnight is a member of a secret society called the Knights of Saint Christopher, and we fight the evils of magic and keep order to the magical realms. Any means necessary. We were once in coordination with The Order of the Blue Rose, and we do do some missions with them, but their magic is what we have to protect he world from, and we have a duty to monitor what they do and weather it is a threat to us and the mortal realm. It is a full-time job monitoring the Blue Rose lot." Hamish sipped his drink. Explaining about the order of the blue rose and what they did with them and how they used to help them, Hamish turned to Jack and motioned for him to continue.
"Alrigt then, as Hamish has been saying, we no longer trust the blue rose. This is because they never hesitate to wipe our memories, nor do they ever hesitate to attempt to controll us. They are scared of us, so we use that to our advantage. Always. I was a member once, before I joined the Knigts. It was a moment I wish I never had gotten involved with, I found out more information than I ever knew. But, less about that. We are the guardians of the people, and we are committed to the cause. As you are now one of us, you shall pledge your allegiance, just as we all did once before." Jack had gotten up now and patted me on the shoulder. "Will you pledge, Sam. It is for the cause."
"And you can stay a really cool werewolf." Randall cheered.
"Or we kill you. After a game of beer pong, tho." Lilith threatened.
"OK, so from this I gather that Lilith is quite murderous, Hamish, you're clearly in charge, Randall, you're here for the shits, and Jack, why are you here? Vengeance? Sheer luck? Why?" I wanted to know a bit more and break down in my mind as to why this entire situation was happening to me.
"Well then Sam, if you really want to know. I was chased here by one of this lot, got lost in that same cupboard as you, and woke up naked on that sofa, I didn't actually see the deer I killed. Let's just say, I think I was a little less accepting than you. It also all happened a few weeks into school and after I became a member of The Order. To be honest it was a good thing I joined the wolves as well as the order, because it helped me take down and stop my father and, yes, get vengeance, but the vengeance was on my father, as he was ge one who murdered my mother, as well as my pops." Jack explained.
"OK alright, so I was correct." I smiled. " so I've had the backstory to this tragic tale, what happens now. Do I get to go to class and try to live my life, or do I have to forget what I have been doing for hours and wake up naked in the woods."
"Well, I wouldn't put it that way, but we can't really let you go anywhere. Since you're a liability to releasing the secret of us. We learnt from that mistake when Jack began transforming in the middle of campus when he first became a werewolf." Noted Hamish.
"OK so if I can't go anywhere, alone, can I at least be fed before we do this transformation stuff. As much as I have eaten half a dead deer, I did throw most of it up." I added.
"Yeah you will be hungry, I'll go grab us some burgers from the bar, yall can begin without me." Randall said as he grabbed his coat and Lilith rolled her eyes.
"OK we'll start without Randall then." Hamish sighed.
Guiding me round the house and down to basement, Jack started by explaining the use of strong emotions and feelings when transforming.
"Call it a trigger," He started, "the wolves will usually take over when the strongest emotions are in play, this is because they aren't the best at deciphering between fear, love or care. Midnight however, he is quite a vengeful wolf, his is most commonly triggered by the slightest bit of anger or fear. He is protective but is one of the few wolves who cares what it's champion is wanting."
"The way you're saying this Jack is in a way like you've been bonded with Midnight before." I questioned.
"Yeah, at one point with a book incident, I became unbonded with Silverback and needed wolf healing fast, so I bonded with Midnight to get a job done." Jack answered. "Anyways, Sam. What were the main emotions you felt when I was chasing you yesterday and when you got chosen by Midnight?"
"It was you, I thought the shape I saw before I forgot was familiar. Anyways, I was scared, curious about the boxes and I thi k that is about it." I pondered.
"OK so the emotions Midnight would've wanted to protect you from, would've been that fear. So hold onto that fear and let him out. You're safe here but let Midnight out. Once you can control the shift, it's less likely to happen in public." Jack encouraged.
"OK then. Fear. Here we go." I strained in my mind and thought as hard as I could, fear being chased by Jack last night. I was scared, terrified. Come on Midnight, you can play now. Eeeegh, uuuuggh. Ffffftfttftftf. I strained.
"Are you trying to take a dump or something?" Laughed Jack, "just let Midnight out. Like this." Jack removed his jumper and trousers and instantly became Silverback. He roared, then with the blink of an eye be was Jack once again.
"OK that's cool." I stated as I gave him a robe that was hanging on a nail. "But I don't think this fear, anger thing us going to work, is there any other way to do this?"
"There is," Said Hamish as he peered through the doorway at the top of the cellar stairs. "But you're probably hungry. Randall's back with the burgers, let's eat and try again in a bit." Hamish soon disappeared again as Jack gathered his clothes from the floor, put them on and ushered me upstairs.
With a face full of burger and chips, Randall asked, "hey, how's it going. Got down to Midnight yet?"
"Nope, not yet, harnessing the anger or fear hasn't worked, I'm all out of ideas, and experience. Hamish how about you give it a try next, somehow you helped me, let's try it your way." Jack sighed.
Munching down on the burger, the room fell silent as we all devoured the food Randall had acquired.
"Wait," Lilith paused, "Sam hasn't said the oath yet, HEY, Sam. You gonna join." It seemed as though Lilih wasn't asking.
"OK calm down Lilith it is her decision. But are you?" Hamish added as he gestured to Lilith to calm down.
"Umm, well I don't have any other friends here, so I guess. Why not?" I wobbled. "What do I say then?"
"All you have to say is: I give myself to the cause." Interrupted Randall. "There is a longer version, but that involves blue rose business and we don't associate with them fully anymore."
"Oh OK then. I give myself to the cause." I reply, "is that it, am I a Knight now?"
"Yeah, this causes for the usual drink." Cheered Hamish as he was mixing drinks once more.
We toasted my joining and we drank before continuing my transformation control practice. This time my transformation practice was with everyone, Jack, Hamish, Lilith and Randall were all squeased onto he sofa in the living room as I was standing in the middle of the room.
"Why am I in a towel? And not a bath robe or clothes?" I asked.
"Well, if you wore clothed and transformed you would break them." Hamish started.
"And you ain't gonna ruin any of the robes, I have ruined too many a good outfit when transforming and forgetting to remove my clothes." Added Lilith.
"OK that clears it up. First rule of transforming, always get naked first." I chuckled.
"You could say that," Hamish chuckled with me. "Anyways, transforming. So if you just relax and feel the wolf, let Midnight be one with you, bond and fuse together."
"Alrigth. To be one with Midnight. Hello, Midnight, I am Sam. How are you?" So.ehow I thought a conversation with him would help. Lilith just found it hilarious.
"OK, Midnight is a ferocious warrior, who is always down to sacrifice himself for the cause." Lilith pushed. "Let him be that warrior, embrace your inner warrior. And control it. Be incharge."
"OK that's one way to put it." I agreed, "Alright Midnight, I am a fighter, join me." I have previously trained in martial arts so I decides to use that control and I began to perform some of the techniques I found hard or my strongest.
"What is she doing?" Randall whispered to Jack.
"Shhhh, let it happen, I think its working." Jack hushed back.
Moments later, after performing a number of patterns and almost destroying furniture with my kicks, I felt Midnight. It was different from when I fainted in the forest, it was almost... peaceful. I felt one. I was one with Midnight. I smiled as my vision changed and I remembered what I was doing. Midnight had taken over, but he had taken over with me in the passenger seat. We smiled. It was amazing, I sniffed the air and took full control of the moment. Detransforming, I grabbed the towel Jack was holding out form me. Wrapping it around my body, I was overwhelmed with joy.
"I did it, I think I did it." I smiled.
"You did it, and I think that was the longest grasp but the most controlled transformation I have ever witnessed." Hamish implied. "Well done."
"If I can recall, you did better than Jack." Smirked Lilith as she threw a laugh at Jack. "Toche."
After redressing my body, we relaxed onto the sofa and toasted once again to my accomplishment.