Chapter 3: The Ferine Strain
Chapter 3: The Ferine Strain
In the previous chapter, Ruby was being attacked by a group of hunters right outside her den, her father and brother aren't there yet.
Standing right there was a hunter, and his double barrel shotgun right in Ruby's face. He shot; she deflected it with a " SPAZZZ" thanks to defense magic. The bullet ricocheted and hit his third partner in the arm. Obviously spooking the hunters, she went on the offense and pivoted on her hind foot to face the hunter and took a clean bite out of his hand. By this time the hunter had dropped his gun and his two partners ran back into the forest. The man let out a yell for help twice before Ruby let go of his hand, then he ran and disappeared just like the other two hunters had, behind the trees screaming for god's help and mercy from demons. Of course, Ruby didn't understand this either. She continued to bathe herself ignoring the slight pinching pain of the wound on her back. The projectile went straight through, she noticed, almost piercing her tail among other things; but it was only a slight sting. After another 15 minutes of sitting there, she heard a gunshot from the west. She took to her feet immediately but was stopped dead by two tall beings standing the seemed to parade right through the bushes at her. They were wearing metal that was shiny white and the one to the left had a reddish- purple cape. They both had swords and primitive shot guns, double barreled. Must have been sent by those hunters, Ruby thought. She lunged at the one to the right like she did to the other hunter, pivoting and then attacking, but to her surprise her teeth couldn't pierce the shiny white metal. She was thrown back and hit the ground hard on her side, the being to the left pulling out his sword and the being to the right pulling out his gun. They were humans, only humans would cower behind such weapons as those, she thought. No time to utter an enchantment or call for help, and she wasn't the best shape shifter around either, so she decided to try to run. The sentinel to the right immediately took action and moved to block her escape from behind, never had she seen a human go so fast. The other one was muttering something, sword turning an eerie gold. Too panicked now by the human's magic she used a very powerful defensive maneuver which sent pieces of earth towards the sentinel with the sword. He smacked it away with the now perfectly gold gleaming steel with ease and launched at ruby yelling in a language she didn't understand. Ruby didn't know what to do at this point, everything she tried had failed.
All of a sudden something hit the attacking human, sending him spiraling backwards, hitting a tree. It looked as if the new person, semi-human, was her father Setherous, but no it was someone else. He was wearing samurai battle chest plate, full black with a white robe under that; she recognized it because her father had told her about it a few years back. Where her fathers exposed fur was reddish brown his was a silky milky white color. He had a sword in his hand as well, but not like the primitive human swords but it was red with a symbol at the end of it. She had seen this kind of sword before, a blue one actually, from when her father was killing those hunters that killed her mother. The sword had belonged to her father, so how come this being possessed a sword of the same origin? As Ruby kept thinking and thinking, the battle that took place in front of her seemed to pass in an instant. When she looked to see what had happened all she gazed upon the corpses of the two humans sprawled on the floor, one headless. Ruby, still freaked out by the whole thing started taking small steps back towards the den, staring at the new being sanding before her. He started walking towards her; they stayed equal distance away until Ruby ran out of space to move backwards with so when he reached her he bent down on one knee and gave her a note. She unfolded it and looked down to read it. It said:
_Each of us has a course to follow,
God knows every death I bare,
God knows the battles brewing,
He protects me with His care.
God has set the course I follow,
He knows how much that I can bare,
God will help me fight my battles,
When I go to Him in prayer.
God has given me the power,
He has set the course we share,
God will keep me in the battles,
So I can protect you with forever._
_ _
- Chaos.
_ _
_ _
Ruby couldn't believe her eyes, she hadn't seen a written version of the language she spoke for a very long time, and she really had no need to write, just speak. The thing that really baffled her was the name "chaos" which she knew to mean death and destruction. When she looked up to acknowledge the person that saved her life he was gone, just like that, gone. She finished her bathing and went to sleep.
She awoke next morning beside Elijah and her father was a few yards to the left. When she finished waking them both up and explaining what had happened to her the night before. Elijah laughed out loud but Setherous put on his solemn non-emotional face; what he does every time he is thinking very deeply about something. The silence was finally broken by Setherous's booming voice.
"I suspected as much, I mean some of them had to escape from that old den. I knew all of them hadn't died"
Ruby felt a wince of pain from Elijah's tongue to her wound, she turned her head around.
"Just cleaning it." He stated.
Ruby turned her head back around.
"Fine." she mumbled.
Ruby lay on her stomach in a position to where Elijah was right behind her, licking her wound clean, and Setherous, Ruby's father, was to the right of Elijah, still stuck deep in his thoughts. Without warning and very slyly Elijah flipped Ruby over onto her back, her four legs waving silently in the air. Elijah commenced licking the other part of her wound, the hole the bullet left as it went clearly through her backside. The wound was so close to her vaginal region she could feel Elijah's breath caressing her clit. It hit Ruby in that instant what Elijah was trying to do with her, but she wasn't in a position to move out of the way, and before she knew it Elijah's tongue was in teasing and entering the lips of her vagina. Moving up and down now, Elijah looked amused at Ruby's attempts to wiggle out of his firm grasp. Ruby let out a high-pitched moan, breaking Setherous from his trance. He looked over and saw what Elijah was doing and he pounced on him and dragged him outside of the den. Ruby could hear Elijah's yelps for mercy and the sound of Setherous administering proper punishment. They hadn't returned to the den for the rest of the day, Ruby hadn't worried though. Elijah never willingly tried that again, at least not with their father around.
When Elijah returned with Setherous they seemed exhausted.
"What happened?" Ruby asked.
"Those humans... attacked us!" Elijah said between breaths.
"It seems that human attacks in this forest have tripled since last year!" Setherous exclaimed.
"How about we move to another forest?" Elijah suggested.
"Our neighboring forest has been destroyed by the humans, the Bose Forest is overrun by dragons, and the imperial forest has as many humans as this one does. The only other forest I could think of would be the Feral forest, but we moved away from there right after-" Setherous was cut off by Ruby.
"There must be more open forests around here then the feral forest." She stated.
"Well all the other forests are too far a travel away for us" Elijah returned the statement.
"NO! I don't want to go back there! Not back to that primordial, evil little place where... ... mom...
she..." Ruby didn't finish her sentence.
"Ruby, it is the only place left to go. If we stay here we will die." Elijah said.
"Bu-" Ruby started to say but Setherous broke the statement with, "It is settled then, we leave at sunset."
Tears formed Ruby's eyes, her throat felt as if being scraped by something's claws; she retreated to the rear of the den. Setherous sighed, then he stated very clearly to Elijah,
"I will go get a meal for us, you are to stay and guard this entrance. Don't, and I mean don't go to your sister at all. I will also consign a weak barrier to protect this pathway, is this all getting through to you?"
Elijah nodded.
Setherous growled.
The obviously petrified Elijah whimpered a "Yes, yes I do."
Setherous did a back flip, launching from his hind legs, going from wolf to semi-human were wolf and taking flight in the sky. Elijah took a seat and just waited, dozing off. He was awakened by a noise coming from inside the den, he stood up, ears erect, and saw Ruby walk out of the den hole, easily passing the barrier. Not seeming to take notice of Elijah she just walked out into the forest path.
"Just going for a walk" She stated.
"Uhu" Elijah murmured.
She started walking, he wanted to stay but he was too excited, both sexually and mentally, to just sit there. He decided to follow her.
Hello? Setherous are you awake? A voice in Setherous's head said.
Ah, Atami, what's up? He communicated back telepathically.
It is the eastern and western packs, they want war, they just found out their leader had been killed, your mate! Atami cried out.
_ Well then I will make a short trip to the Western Pack Headquarters, settle them down at least until one of my progeny are old enough to take power of both packs._ He stated.
Good Luck, it shouldn't be that hard talk to the western pack's temporary leader. I have to go now, see ya. Atami stated.
I don't really need luck; well I am off then as well. Setherous chuckled.
Setherous changed course towards the western pack headquarters, shouldn't take that long to get there and back, he thought. He could smell spring in the air; the flowers on the ground were blooming.
"You know we are moving to feral tomorrow." Elijah said haphazardly.
"Yeah I know... so?" Ruby responded bitterly.
They were now very far away from their den entrance, Ruby just kept on walking, but Elijah took notice.
"So Ruby, where we goin' ?" Elijah asked.
"Well, I was going to go look at the sunset here but since you came alone for no apparent reason, I guess I will just go around in circles un the forest until I get bored and then come back." Ruby said, more to herself then to Elijah.
"Whatever Ruby, I guess I will follow you until you get bored or I do, whichever one comes first." Elijah spat back at her, slowing down his pace a little.
Ruby started walking faster.
Setherous had to get the western pack settled; they were getting out of control now. With the death of their leader the main tie between the two packs besides the armistice had been destroyed. He couldn't stop thinking of the different possibilities, anything could happen. Setherous's pack, the NE pack was under control, they would make no offensive move unless the western pack did. He wish he had lived a better life, trained all his pups, had his beautiful mate, offspring with the abilities and magic powers of both packs. NE and Western Packs' powers; if they were used correctly they could destroy everything else, the humans, the pesky rebellions, maybe even other smaller packs. Like if the southern pack ever disinterred or revolted against us we could smite them down with ease.
When Setherous approached the Western Pack headquarters in the middle of North America, he saw a legion of wolf dogs ready for war. He landed right in front of two armed sentinels guarding the main door.
"Who approaches?!" The guard to the left said in a low, dark voice.
"Me, Setherous, of the NE pack." Setherous responded.
"Who the hell are you now? And what is the NE pack?? I am sorry but... I just can't let you through." The guard said acerbically. The left guard cleared his throat.
"I would advise you to let me through if you want to live to see five minutes from now." Setherous threatened.
The guard to the right, wielding a bull hook scythe type device, tried to swing it and hit Setherous. He moved his head slightly to the left, dodging the attack. And then with all his might Setherous punched the guard in his abdomen, the guard fell to his knees.
"One more move and I kill both of you where you stand, now let me pass... or I could always let myself in" Setherous responded in the same sarcastic tone as the guard had.
They moved aside, Setherous praised them.
"Smart doggies." He cooed.
They growled at him in response but when he turned around they whimpered slightly, Setherous smiled, he was pleased. Right now thou, his duty was to get in contact with the Western Pack's temporary leader.
Ruby was getting sick and tired of Elijah following her, she had to get him off somehow, but she only knew the offensive moves Elijah taught her a few years back. Not nearly powerful enough to take him down, but maybe I could lose him by using some weaker magics, she thought.
"Hey Elijah..." Ruby starts to mutter something really fast and a grey little cube shaped object appears in Ruby's hand. "CATCH!" Ruby yelled.
Elijah, obviously unsteadied by her comment, caught the cube involuntarily and it exploded into a cloud of smoke in his face.
Then Ruby jumped atop a tree and started running backwards, hopping from branch to branch, breaking some on purpose. After about five minutes of running she stopped to catch her breath.
"Yes!" She said to herself.
When she looked back up to star back towards their home, Elijah was right there, smiling.
"OK, Ruby, we can play it your way then." He muttered.
Ruby started to run back on the branches, going as fast as she could. When she peered behind her she saw no one following her. She was about to sigh a breath of relief when she looked to her left and saw Elijah, keeping pace with her quite easily. Ruby jumped through the canopy of the tree and then back down to the ground, next rocketing towards a rock where she hit. But he was there already, waiting.
"HAHA! Too slow Ruby." Elijah laughed at her.
She tried to get up and run again, continue her little game, but Elijah struck her down with his foot, land a solid blow to her chest. Ruby flew back and hit a tree, snapping it in half.
"AHHOW!" She yelled at Elijah.
He laughed at her, she got up, he shot an incantation at her. The effect wiped out the surrounding trees and other plants. Ruby felt nothing, not altered or effected at all.
"Your attacks are weak; I will chain you with my spells and then rip you to pieces if you keep following me!" She said, Elijah smiling.
"Don't even try it, I just disarmed you." Elijah expectedly urging her on.
"Oh Yeah?!" Ruby retorted.
"Yeah."
Ruby closed her eyes and started to mutter things under her breath, Elijah lay down on his back.
"Ferine Defense Five, Cast Shadows To Bind My Enemy... AKUNI WIC-"
Ruby's mouth clamped shut and she fell backwards in pain, losing all balance, and then went into a spasm. She almost lost consciences. In about thirty seconds she regained herself, she had a headache again, could feel it tying her stomach in knots.
"I hate you!" Ruby spat at him.
Elijah laughed. "HAHAHA! Hey you started it, it wouldn't be my fault if I changed into a dragon and obliterated you 'eh?"
"Elijah you bitch!" Ruby came back with.
"Toshabah Liable Fire!" Elijah chanted.
A ring of fire formed around Ruby but she jumped up onto a branch, avoiding it. Then Elijah chanted "Toshabah Liable Ruby gmarc Shock!" which shocked Ruby from the waist down, then it started to direct all of its electric current towards her vaginal area. At this Elijah let out a giant laugh.
"What the he-... no... NO! Don't do that NO!" Ruby squealed.
Elijah just stood there, taking it all in. Ruby screwed her face into odd looks of pleasure mixed with some pain as she started to feel the shock all throughout her lower body.
"Come on Ruby! You like to play games, how about play one of mine now. Besides you are in heat." Elijah garbled the "Besides you are in heat".
Ruby unwillingly climaxed on the grass before her, Elijah lay back down on his back, allowing Ruby to continue her trial. Ruby had to do something to get back at Elijah, to stop this torture_. Hmmm, maybe an offensive move?_ She thought. Naw, I don't know any good ones except for the ones he taught me, but what about the defensive charm I know?! Well my best bet would be to rely on the Wichains one. YEAH! Lets try that. Ruby used all her may to gain her ground, the wind blew fiercely. OK, since ferine magic defense attacks backwards are offensive attacks. So then I just say it backwards and then I get back at him... if it's a good attack anyways. Her conversation with herself was over, it was decided, to assault back. She looked over at Elijah, the wind blew even more fiercely, and Elijah looked up.
Then as if he knew what Ruby was trying to do he said, "Ruby, don't even try it. Haven't you seen the devastation caused when people just utter offensive spells willy-nilly!? You could kill yourself, or me, or us all!"
"What were you just trying to do? Kill me!!!" She yelled.
"If any of those attacks had made contact it would have just blown you back like my kick, all non-lethal." He said back serenely.
Obviously agitated Ruby started to mutter the counter spell again, Elijah transformed into a dragon.
"N... n... achic? Winukak!" Ruby said, but nothing happened. She knew she messed up the spell, she had to try again. Something told her to.
"NIAHCI WINUKA!" She yelled at Elijah, but when she finished yelling Elijah was gone, everything was. There was just blackness everywhere. She also noticed she was a human, Full Human, no fur or snout at all. She looked over and saw a silver platform. She sat on it and waited until something happened, nothing happened. She lay back on the platform and spread out, it was cold to her human figure.
"Where am I?!" Ruby yelled into the emptiness.
"Do you have an old enough offspring to take the place of leader of both clans? That is the only way I can guarantee peace. Our leader left no death wishes for us, no will to give you power of my pack. So until I see an old enough child of yours the packs are hereby separated."
Setherous started to respond when he was clubbed upside the head, or at least he thought. When he looked back he saw nothing and when he looked forward he saw only the ugly little wolf dog staring back at him. Then this is a warning, Setherous concluded. Something had to be happening, he had to find Ruby and Elijah quick. Setherous hadn't received a warning like that in years.
"I must leave immediately" Setherous commanded.
Before the wolf could stand up Setherous launched through the roof of the complex den towards Ruby's and Elijah's location, he few as fast and he possibly could.
"OK, where am I?" Ruby asked softer this time. She felt as if she were being watched.
"I am almost in control" Something said in an eerie tone not her own.
"What are you?"
"I am I."
"... but... WHO are you?"
"I am I."
"Why are you here, and where am I?"
"I am here to give you what you want."
"What the?"
"I brought myself here, and you brought yourself here."
"Why?"
"Because I want control of you and now that you have cast that particular spell I can go through with my strategy."
"That... just... I want to leave. Now!"
Ruby tried to get up, to leave, to walk in the endless darkness until she found light, but he couldn't get up off the platform.
"What is this?" Ruby snapped.
"I am giving you what you want, revenge, to get even correct."
Ruby couldn't respond, couldn't move, could hardly think. Just lay there, naked, on the silver platform with a freak in the same room. Next thing she knew, as if her body parts were magnets, her arms and legs moved into place like she was on an 'X', each arm and leg in the correct place. She tried to scream but couldn't. She started to lift off the platform, still in an 'X', away from the dark place into a blue room; well it was like a giant orb she was in more then a room. The 'X' position she was in turned upright and then stopped.
Then a grinding noise like nails on a chalk board sounded in Ruby's ears, She could hear nothing, and then soon enough see nothing either. Ruby just sat there, blind and half deaf until she felt a pain like no other in her life.
"...!!" She could do nothing to combat it. It felt like giant nails being hammered into every joint in her body.
"Ruby what the hell were you thinking!" Setherous asked himself aloud. He looked towards their home, then to the left a little, where the saw a giant clearing in the trees, that has to be them! He thought. Setherous also noticed he was being followed by some western pack goons.
"Ruby! Ruby!" Elijah yelled at the top of his lungs.
Elijah observed what was happening to Ruby, she was transforming, body like a black hole sucking up everything around it. When ever she sucked up something it became a piece of her body, Ruby was floating now, long hair everywhere through the wind, full human, nipples erect, bleeding everywhere... wait why was she bleeding everywhere? Elijah didn't understand. He also sensed forces acting in this situation he had felt before.
"I have to stop this" he said to himself.
"Eminore Ceptour!" A purple energy ball formed in Elijah's hand. "Ere!" He said unhurriedly and drawn out-like. The purple orb in his hand grew five times its size. He hurled it at Ruby but she just sucked it up and combined with it.
Elijah stood helpless as Ruby gathered the last of her needed energy, then she blew up and smoke screened the whole part of the forest. When it cleared Ruby wasn't Ruby anymore, where she was suppose to be a giant earth golem stood there, inactive. Elijah, as he usually does, thought of this as a game, a giant rock girl against dragon boy, he laughed slightly. He didn't know what at the time but Elijah sensed the presence again, it was powerful and evil. He wasn't stupid, he knew what it was right then and there, one of his brothers.
"OK, its on then." He said to the golem creature.
At these words the golem seemed to activate.
"Errah? Oh its just you. You have grown so much since we last met!" it said slowly, then laughed. "What did we use to call you, Little weli?!" The thing broke into a series of laughs, like a hyena.
"Well it's obvious you aren't Ruby anymore." Elijah said calmly.
"OOH, you are catching on?" The giant rock face smiled. "Ruby is still in me, I just took control when she was weakest, pretty easy actually for such a weak being like herself. "
"You died!" Elijah yelled, not still fully believing.
"Eh? No no nope... maybe a little crazy, but... no not dead."
"Well you will regret taking over my sister!"
"I don't regret it."
"MY GOD you are crazy!"
The rock face smiled and then laughed again.
"Time to go down... brother!"
- To Be Continued in Chapter 4: The Cost of Power -