The Shaman's Revenge

Seeing

The creature has told me much already, but he wasn't done. We were no longer in his memories, as he backed away from me, he placed his claw like hand on my arm and 'spoke' again, since he was unable to produce full sentences, I could hear it in my mind, but not with my ears.

"He wants to kill you, that Alpha, I liked to read about werewolves and vampires and all this mythological things, but never imagined it would be anything real, you hear stories and such, I'm getting off topic." I heard an audible noise that was more like a growl than a sigh, but he cant speak like that anymore.

"I don't know what I am anymore, but I know you tried to help, and I know that if that guy wanted you dead then could I ask why?" He removed his...hand.. from me I couldn't tell if he had shifted forms, but his hand did.

I sat up, and dusted myself off. "Yes I can tell you a few things; but first I would like my house restored to order please. I had things set up so I wouldnt trip or get hurt around the house and don't attack my bird again please. If you're set on helping me, then you and Crow need to be friends. Though...what should I call you?"

I felt a hand on my shoulder as he told me, "according to the folklore, you can't call me by my given birth name, just call me Creature. It isn't demeaning to me, I gave my soul to protect you, I felt you were something powerful, I can't understand it, and that you used that force to try to save me...however I feel once we both have each other's trust, then I will tell you my name and hope you don't call me by it and banish me."

"Creature and Crow...very well, can you please put my house back together? I'll tell you why Alpha Richard wants to kill me based on what you showed me in your memories. I heard movement around, it took some time to get the house fixed up, and he was rather slow about it, probably because he still couldn't figure out his body yet, I could hear cracking and Crow's unsettled cawing. I motioned for Crow to come over, and I used him to see what was happening.

Using Crow's eyes to 'mind link' in a way I saw Creature. His limbs were cracked all in wrong ways, he had antlers on his head and hooves for feet. His hands kept changing from human to claws to paws like a wolf or big cat, sometimes he had a tail and others he didnt. It looked like his ribs and throat were ripped out and there was just flesh hanging, showing bones. He would turn to me every now and then and look into my eyes, I could see a hollow black with a red glow behind them, I've heard of these creatures before, these shapeshifters and what they can do, but I never thought I'd accidentally create one....but when you dabble in dark magic, it happens.

His face went from human to a skull he looked like a dead deer reanimated with pieces of flesh hanging off of him, I could see why Crow was so unsettled, he was hunched over but could have easily been seven feet tall standing, he turned to me, red eyes glowing, as if he wanted to attack, Crow flew up to the rafters, quiet, silence, the smell of death was in the air, not just from Richard's pack destroying my forest, but coming from him, then I heard it, the sound of paws landing on the earth, the cracking of tree branches, I could feel Creature's energy ready to kill. I stood and stepped past him, grabbing to one of his antlers for balance as I led him out of the house. He rose to his full height on hind legs, I took a deeper smell of the forest, just outside of my protection, I heard Alpha Richard's voice.

"I'm telling you, this Shaman has gone mad, she killed a human and all of her forest and now she's mad at us and mad with power, she will kill all of us soon if we don't find her.

I put my hand on Creature's leg, pulled out a strand of my hair, tying it to his leg with a quick protection spell so he couldn't get hurt as long as this hair was attached to him. I linked to him mentally and told him "Don't kill anyone yet...have fun though and explore what you can do." Before I could even finish he had launched himself twords them with an ear splitting scream that sounded like a demon from hell made the sound.

I motioned for Crow to go and watch, which he did hesitantly, I could feel the chaos of the packs that came to see Richard's claims. I noticed Thorn wasn't there, maybe it was time to see what he was up to.

I cloaked myself and took my staff, walking the familiar path and away from the wolves' terrified howls and yips to get as far away from creature as possible..No..I thought to myself, I need to set the forest boundaries for Creature, or else he might track the wolves to places he shouldn't be seen. I went back to my cottage and whistled for Crow.

With in moments they were both back, I felt a hoof on my shoulder as Creature said, "the bird said that means come back."

"Ah good, " I said out loud. "There is something I need to do, you need to learn my territory, this forest is mine, but I don't want you going out of it and getting hurt, protect my forest however you feel the need to and only eat what you need to get by, the animals will come back to the forest eventually, but there is a spell, it will be like a fog, try and stay in the fog, for your own protection."

I sat and meditated, my spirit wolves emerging and carrying what looked like talisman papers, they quickly made their way around the forest's area, and after what felt like hours, a thick fog came through my whole forest, I could feel the energy, there was no real power in the fog except to hide in, but it did cover my whole forest. I stood up and looked in the direction of creature, "This forest is your home, try not to kill anyone, sometimes I will leave, but that hair I tied around your leg will let you know if I'm okay."  I walked to creature and grabbed one of the exposed bones, took a part of it, "and now, I will know that you are okay. Don't be nervous alone, I will always return, and so will Crow, he patrols for me to collect intel, and you protect the forest, especially from Alpha Richard, however I think I owe you an explanation of why he wants me dead, yes?"