Raven: Chapter 4

Chapter 4:
         Suddenly, the pain ended, leaving only a memorable soreness behind, and the world was more vivid than anything I had ever seen before. It took me a moment to realize that it was more vivid not because of how I was seeing it but because of how I was smelling it and hearing it. Everything around me had a fragrance, and even the smallest noise was deafening. I tried to cover my ears, but all I could do was bury my head under my paws.
         “Yeah. That sensory overload will get to you for a while. You’ll get used to it.”
         I tried to cry out, but I could only manage a pathetic whimper. Ethan knelt in front of me and I felt him scratch me behind the ear. I must admit that despite my current, slightly fractured, mental state it was soothing.
         “Honestly, Raven, it gets easier with time. Why don’t you look around a bit and get used to your new body. When you’re ready, you can Change back to your human form the same way you Changed into this one and we’ll go from there.”
         I pushed myself up with my paws. I found that moving around on all fours was not as easy as babies make it look. After stumbling around for a few minutes, I began to get the hang of things, if only slightly. I began to concentrate on being human again and, within moments, I was standing in front of Ethan on two legs, fully clothed, with an uncomfortable feeling that I couldn’t quite place. I groaned.
         “Feels like the morning after the best frat party ever, doesn’t it, love?” I turned abruptly to see Lara poking her head out from behind a tree.
         “I thought Whit told you to stay out of trouble,” Ethan said, mildly annoyed at the interruption.
         “I’m not getting into any trouble,” she said. She came out into the open, a plastic cup in her hand. “You know what they say! Give a Scotsman a beer and they’ll stay out of trouble.”
         Ethan sighed. “I think you mean ‘Irishman,’ and no, they don’t say that.”
         “Eh, whatever works,” Lara replied, sipping her drink.
         “Lara, we’re in the middle of something here.”
         “Don’t worry about me, love,” she said, casually plopping down against a tree. “You won’t even know I’m here.”
         “I doubt that,” Ethan muttered under his breath. He turned his attention back to me. “Anyway, let’s get back to it. The war form is a little harder to visualize, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. Basically, you just need to let go of yourself and let your inner beast take over. Do you follow me?”
         “No, not really.”
         Ethan sighed. “Of course not. I wouldn’t expect you to.”
         “What?”
         “I wouldn’t expect a freak like you to be able to figure it out.”
         The change in his temperament confused me. I didn’t know why he was suddenly being so cruel. “What are you saying?”
         He took an aggressive step toward me. “I’m saying that clearly whatever genetic defect bleached out your skin must have affected your brain. Well, it’s either that or you’re just stupid.” He leaned in a bit. “You rode the short bus to school when you were young, didn’t you?”
         I stood in stunned silence. I couldn’t think of how to respond. I turned to Lara for assistance or reassurance, but she hardly seemed to notice me.
         “What?” he continued. “Am I speaking too quickly for you to follow?” Before I could react, he reached up and shoved me roughly in the shoulder. As I stumbled backwards, I could feel the anger welling up inside me, like the embers of a fire being brought back to life. I clenched my fists. My muscles were tensed, ready for a fight. The fury built until I was consumed by it. I felt every part of myself expand. I watched my clothing meld with my body and the white tufts of fur return. This time everything felt stretched and hyper-extended. When my vision focused again, I was staring down at Ethan, my claws poised, ready to rend him to pieces. Suddenly he jumped back and raised his hands.
         “Good,” he said quickly. “Good. That’s exactly what you need to do. I’m sorry about that. It’s just that anger helps to facilitate the Change.”
         I looked down at him. Slowly, my mind registered what he was saying. Everything he had said was meant to make me angry enough to allow the Change to be easier. I exhaled the breath that I just realized I’d been holding.
         “This is the war form,” he said. “That’s the form that you’ll want to be in tomorrow night for the raid.”
         “But,” I began. My voice was thick and hoarse. It didn’t sound like mine. “But what will I do?” I held up my claws for him to see. “I don’t know how to use these.”
         “That’s the funny thing about being part wolf,” Lara interjected. “You have some instincts that help you out a bit in certain situations. And it just so happens that a battle is one of those instinctive situations.”
         Ethan nodded. “It’ll come naturally to you.”
         With my anger gone, I allowed myself to shrink back to my normal shape and size. Surprisingly, it was already getting easier. I guessed it really was my second nature after all.
         By now, the sun was setting behind the skyline. I looked at Ethan and Lara. “So tell me, why do you need me? What were you doing at Sunrise Industries last night? What are Unravelers? And who’s Bïren?” They looked at each other, each hoping the other would answer.
         Finally, Lara said, “I think it would be better if we answered those questions in reverse order.” She glanced around nervously. “Go ahead, Ethan.”
         “Bïren,” he began, speaking much quieter now. “Bïren is one of the leaders of the Unravelers. She also is Whit’s former pack mate. They worked together for years, until one mission when they were sent to do reconnaissance on an Unraveler den. No one really knows what happened except that Bïren betrayed Whit over to them and joined their lot. Whit barely managed to escape the den with his life.
         “Unravelers are… Well, most of them used to be werewolves. I mean, physically they still are, but they were brought face to face with the evil and corruptness of the world, and they were consumed and, in many cases, driven mad by it. Now they are bent on corrupting everything they can and destroying the things that remain pure.”
         “What do you mean?” I asked. I was beginning to feel like this really was too much for me to handle.
         “There are three forces in the world: there’s creation, destruction, and the order which balances the other two.” He sat down in the grass and Lara and I sat beside him. “Humans, with their technology, their greed, and their caustic tendencies have defiled the force of destruction. Over the centuries, it’s slowly become a force of corruption, causing the world to spiral into darkness. Part of being a werewolf is that it is our duty to combat that corruption. But some werewolves see everything that’s wrong with the world without seeing everything that’s good, too. They see the darkness without the light. The despair without the hope. And they become consumed.”
         “But…” I had lain back in the grass by this point and was staring up at the emerging stars. “But why do some fall but not others?”
         “No one really knows what causes a werewolf to abandon themselves to this despair. Personally, I believe that some of us are just stronger willed than others.
         “The reason we were at Sunrise Industries last night was to destroy as much of their base of operations as we could. That place was under Unraveler control. And that night watchman that we killed: he was one of them as well. He needed to be gotten rid of. That whole building needed to be leveled. And lastly, we need you because, to be honest, we need everyone. The world is turning to shit right before our eyes, Raven. There are six billion humans and only maybe ten thousand of us. We’re fighting a losing battle. Desolation is winning out despite everything we’ve done, everything we’re doing.” He sighed deeply, his dark eyes searching mine. Perhaps he was searching for understanding. But I didn’t understand. This was something out of a superhero comic book. It wasn’t something for me, the white-haired freak from Chicago. I wasn’t The Amazing Albino or anything. I mean, I’m just me.
         Lara, having apparently exhausted her attention span, jumped to her feet. “Does that answer your questions?”
         I nodded. Without another word, the three of us headed back toward the clearing where the meeting had taken place earlier that day. While we walked, I pulled out my cell phone and called Evan.
         “What’s up, Rave?” he asked when I got him on the line.
         “Not too much, I guess,” I lied. After all, I didn’t want him worrying about me over things he couldn’t do anything about. “I just wanted to call. Just say hi, you know?”
         “Yeah. How’s L.A. treating you?”
         “Actually, I’m in New York now.”
         There was silence for a moment on the other end. “New York?” he said at last. “How’d you get there?”
         I glanced at Ethan and Lara. “Well, I… I came with some friends.”
         “Really?” He sounded concerned. Maybe calling him was a mistake. I didn’t want him to worry about me. “When did you meet them?”
         “Actually, they’re kind of more like extended family.” Lara smiled broadly at me and threw her arm around my shoulder. I took a deep breath. I missed my brother. “I just wanted to let you know where I was.”
         “Thanks, Rave. Well, what are you doing out there?”
         I hesitated. What should I tell him? I didn’t want to tell him about, well, anything that had happened in the last day. I had already made him worry about me. I didn’t want him thinking that I’d lost my mind on top of that. “Just, um, getting a feel for this new company that I got, um, recruited for.”
         “That’s great! What company?”
         “Actually, Evan, I’m sort of running late for a meeting. I’ll have to tell you more about it later.” Much, much later. “Sorry to run like this.”
         “No, not at all, kid. Glad to hear from you. You take care.”
         “Take care, Evan,” I said. “I love you.
         “Love you, too. I’ll talk to you soon.”
         Hanging up the phone, I suddenly felt very homesick. Ethan apparently noticed because he patted me on the shoulder.
         “Don’t worry,” he said quietly. “You’ll get to see him again soon. But until then, I’ll look out for you. If that’s alright with you, of course.” I nodded. “Good,” he continued. “I’ll do my best to not let anything bad happen to you. I promise.”
         No sooner had we reached the clearing than a loud bell began to ring frantically. People began running everywhere, Changing as they ran. Lara cursed and darted off toward the opposite edge of the clearing.
         “What’s going on?” I had to holler in order for Ethan to hear me above the clamor.
         “We’re being attacked!” he shouted back, Changing into his war form. He was truly an intimidating figure hulking in the darkness. “Time to use what you’ve learned.”
         It was hard to focus on the Change among all the commotion, but I managed it with a few coaxing remarks from Ethan. Werewolves were falling all around us as we ran across the clearing. At the far end, I could see eight monstrosities squared off against four werewolves. The eight seemed twisted and vile even through the darkness. One of them had faintly glowing red eyes.
         “Shit!” yelled Ethan. “We’ve been ambushed! It’s the Unravelers! So much for benefiting from the element of surprise tomorrow night! That’s Bïren,” he added, gesturing to the one with the glowing eyes. As we approached, I recognized Whit and the others from their scent. Ethan and I arrived at their sides just as the Unravelers charged them.
         Lara had been right when she told me that fighting was instinctive for werewolves. I became almost instantly aware of where my body was and how it was moving at all times. Ethan and I teamed up against one of the Unravelers. We worked together flawlessly, our bodies seemingly attuned to each other. I would fake to the right while he attacked from the left. I stepped back while he advanced. Our movements became more like a dance. It felt as though there was a higher mind connecting the pack together. Yet even with this connection, I was still afraid and hesitating. People who I’d just seen earlier that day, talking and laughing with each other, were dying around me. Ethan’s claws tore through the Unraveler’s throat, spilling his blood into the dark.
         As he fell, Ethan’s attention turned elsewhere and he ran off. Watching him, I saw a grace and skill in his movements. He was a warrior. This is what he trained for. More than that, it was what he lived for. I scanned the onslaught quickly. I saw Jinn throwing daggers expertly into Unravelers’ hides. Whit was rampaging through the enemies, savagely rending apart any who strayed too close. He was vicious, yet in control of the situation. Then I spotted Tyra, fighting alongside Whit. She acted as more of a body guard, standing stoically just behind Whit until something considered attacking him while his back was turned, then leaping into a fury and tearing them apart before they could raise their arm to strike. Lara, I noticed, was nimbly leaping back and forth among enemies, causing them to strike each other more often than her. Her red fur was distinctive in the darkness, and even from where I was, I could see that her eyes sparkled with a jovial light.
         At that moment, I saw Ethan engaged with Bïren. They were circling each other, just the two of them. As I watched, Ethan tried to rake her across the face, but she dodged. Ethan was knocked off balance for a split second, but that was all the time Bïren needed. She threw herself at him, claws extended in front of her, and knocked him to the ground. Looking toward the rest of the pack, they were all at two-to-one odds or worse. None of them were able to help, or even notice. I heard the yelp of pain from Ethan as her razor claws pierced his flesh. I wanted to move forward, but my legs were frozen in place. Terror gripped me, yet I couldn’t move. I could only watch. Landing on top of him, Bïren drew her right hand up and, with a look of joy, plunged her claws deep into his chest. As I stood there, watching dumbfounded, I saw Ethan revert back to his human size and shape. I looked at his face, and I saw my brother. I had been forced to leave him, the only person who took care of me. Then I met Ethan, and he promised to take care of me, to look out for me. And I had let him die.
         A deep, guttural growl escaped from somewhere within me as I felt the rage well up again, threatening to take away control of myself. Bïren stood and kicked Ethan’s body. She was looking around for a new target. The anger was building. I didn’t want to lose control. I forced the fury into the pit of my stomach and, with a clear head, I charged Bïren.
         I ran toward her, teeth beared. Bïren, laughing at my anger, merely took a step to the side, allowing me to run myself across her outstretched claws while at the same time missing my target altogether. A sharp pain tore through my arm as her claws ripped through muscle and ligament. It felt warm and wet as my fur was stained with my own blood. I turned to face her. I swung at the creature with my other arm, but with a similar result. This time, though, it was my face that burned as her claws tore through me. My vision became clouded as blood poured into my eyes. I heard her laugh again. It was a sickening laugh; the laugh of someone who delights in murder. I would not let this monster defeat me. Suddenly, Bïren straightened in a jerk, a dagger hilt protruding from her shoulder. Behind her, Jinn was grinning. Or was it a snarl? This was the opportunity I needed. I charged her again.
         She turned back to me just as I dove at her, my newly-born claws outstretched. Her eyes shot open wide in sudden revelation as I landed on top of her. I looked at my claws, imbedded in her flesh. I had felt them tear muscle and scrape bone. The light from her eyes began to fade. I pulled my claws out of her, but before I could stand, pain tore through my side. Looking down, I saw her dying face set wide with an evil grin and her claws thrust up under my ribs in her last assault. With a something like a yelp, I slashed at her one final time, splitting open her throat and letter her blood stain the grass beneath us.
         I pulled myself free of her and turned, breathing heavily, grasping my side which felt as though it was on fire. But all around me there were only the quiet moans of the injured and the dying. While I had been struggling with Bïren, the rest of the battle had played itself out. We had won, though just barely. An obscene number of werewolves lost their lives that night, including Ethan. I walked to where his body lay and I knelt beside him. Back in his human shape, he looked so small. Fragile. I knelt in silence, clutching my arm, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Whit, still a nine-foot tall monster, staring down at me, an expression of ineffable sadness on his bestial face.
         I think a small piece of my spirit died with Ethan that night. But after saying a small prayer for him in my own way, I stood and looked at the werewolves standing before me. I looked to Whit and to his pack. The pack that would follow him anywhere he led them, even to death. My pack. I looked down at my claws and my blood-soaked fur. This is where I belong.
         Every good story I’ve ever read gives you closure. It lets you walk away feeling that something important happened that was worth reading; something that makes you glad that the author dragged you into it in the first place. This is my story. And it doesn’t end like that.

The End, for the time being, at least