FSE

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I curse silently. Damn it song, you really need to learn to be a lot more subtle about things. I'm trying to not draw attention and such actions are extremely counterproductive in that regard.

"So, what would you technically be called? You don't look like a wolf so I don't think the term werewolf would apply."

"I thokas. I would de considered werethokas. There nany tykes. I hath not seen any others though," I shrug my shoulders, staring at the steak longingly, still trying to talk myself against just digging into it, as it would be a sense of surrender and give all the more power to this individual holding me hostage.

"How is it passed then? From a bit just like in all the stories?"

"No," I speak, showing my rather sharp teeth in the process, flicking my large canine tooth before continuing. "Dite not enuth. Derson Thight it oth too easily. Dite would not work unless derson already thery ill. Need dud," I move and tap on arm before grabbing the steak and tore a chunk out of it, not even noticing that I'm eating it like a common animal. Once done I continue speaking again. "Dud is key. With enuth dud in soneone else's dud it will take hold. Once took it is there thorether."

"So how did you get it then?"

I sigh and bite another portion of the steak, ignoring the amused look on her face while I do so. Still it is not something I haven't dwelt on.

"I was thoolish and young. I tholenteered to de changed. I got a hold oth a thial oth thokas dud and injectected nyselth with it. I thas-thascinated with the nagesty oth the thorn. It was thun thor a little while. I retheled in what I was dut I thound out adout the darker side oth this condition. Wolthes like changing only a thew days a nonth. Stays sane. Ith change nore othten as I did thor a while then run into digger prodlen. Go too thar then start slittery slote. Song can sing any time. Ith listen to song then change. Dut when change dack slightly nore like aninal."

"Ah, so you named your animal side after the greek myth of a siren's song. How creative of you. So are you saying that you're eventually going to turning into an animal forever. With no other way to avoid such a fate?"

"I can thight it. Ith I can stay nyselth, and not listen to song long enuth then I start to change dack."

My appetite being wetted I stop speaking for a while, devouring the steak in front of me, savoring the meaty taste of it. She thinks about things and waits patiently until I finish before beginning again.

"So what else about the legends are true? Do you hunger for human flesh? If you transformed would you suddenly attack me?"

"No. Song no attack unless you seen as threat. Aninals don't attack humans unless threatened or trotecting young. Tot hunters attack humans ith thery hungry or see as easy trey. Thokas are not tot hunters. Will not attack unless theel that you threaten ne. When we take aninal thorn we act as aninal does."

"So a bite won't do it and you don't hunger for human flesh. What other legends are wrong? Are you vulnerable to silver or heal from any wound within minutes?"

"Not weak against slither. It just a netal like any other. No nore ethect than any other netal. Ith injured I do heal thaster than a hunan or aninal, dut not as thast as you night think. What takes you nonths to heal would take ne weeks due anything you cannot heal thron, I cannot heal thron."

"So then this gun would probably kill you just as easily as any human if I shot you?"

I nod, then lick my lips, noting how dry they feel. "Can I hath sone water?"

"Oh, of course. One second," she stands up and quickly rushes up and pulls out a glass and comes back a moment later with a glass of water.

I take the glass and do my best to drink from it without spilling it all over myself, my muzzle certainly making the task rather difficult. I give up for a while once I've managed to get roughly a quarter of it in my mouth. She stares at me with bemusement, one hand resting below her chin, propping it up.

"Do you need a bowl?"

I scowl at her for a moment. "We done now?"

"Well is there anything else you can think of that you want to tell me? Anymore secrets to your kind?"

"I know only what I exterience. I hath not seen others like ne."

"Well then how about a preposition for you? I'm sure there are so many other questions I can ask of you that I cannot think of at the moment. So how about this: You come in a few days and we'll repeat this whole thing. You answer my questions as best I can and I'll provide you with a free meal. Seem like a good enough plan?"

"I guess. I'n good to go then?"

"By all means."

The next month passes in a fairly similar manner. I spend most of my time exploring things as normal. When I have less luck than usual I stop by that human's home for a free meal again. I also go and check in with the pastor a few times, more to let him know I'm still okay. Song is particularly annoying during this time. Song frequently takes over my body to go play with Friend. It's frequently returned to me a few hours later once done but still it is taking its toll on me. I've shrunk by a few inches and my appearance has gotten far more vulpine, more like a bipedal fox than just a human with fox like features. Elizabeth doesn't really help in that matter, even egging it on. In fact tonight is one of those days, egging song on and distracting me enough that I cannot fight song's desire and change once again, running off with my things still in that home to go play with Friend again. By now winter has fallen fully over the area. The whole landscape has long since been completely covered in winter and my fur is too thick and warm to really be comfortable indoors when I spend so much of my day outside. As such my meetings with Song are often done outside rather than inside the house.

Song returns my body to me a few miles from where my clothes were located, so I had to run completely naked back to that house. But when I get there I can sense something's wrong. The door is wide open which is strange since my stuff has always been left neatly at the back door since I could come back at very strange hours. On top of that the door looks broken open, with scents of unfamiliar people inside, as well as the scent of blood and fear.

I rush in, completely ignoring the fact that I'm still naked. My first impulse is to merely find out if Elizabeth is okay. Though I don't really feel like I owe her anything I would still feel somewhat guilty. Odds are she'd be a lot more lenient to leave her doors unlocked or willing to let someone in without verifying what it was. I stop at the door. I can hear the sounds of three individuals running around inside, all male. I cannot hear Elizabeth but I do not smell death so she's probably at least still alive. On top of that I can tell that they don't know I'm here which gives me that advantage at least. I move in, crouching low as I try to figure out how to handle the situation.

I move in and can see them just standing around. Having robbed people before I find it incredibly odd that they aren't actively trying to find things to take for the purpose of selling. One can never know how long you have until you have reinforcements or cops arriving so you have to make a point of getting everything of value and leaving as fast as possible. Instead these three seem to be waiting for something, or someone. The only person I know of that she visits with as far as I know is myself, meaning that they must be waiting for me. But this doesn't make sense as they couldn't know I'm here or when I get back.

Regardless, why they're there is not the issue. What's important is that they are there and I need to take care of them to make sure that she's alright. All three are wearing black clothes so I can't tell what they look like, but I can smell them well enough. All are young males, in completely good health, which further helps with my notion that they are not here for her possessions. I crouch up behind one, using the darkness of the house to my advantage. I coil up and then unleash myself at the nearest individual. My mouth opens from instinct to try and lunch for his neck but I catch myself. I don't want to kill anyone so I manage to close my mouth at the last second and instead turn it into a tackle from behind. He collapses and I'm pretty sure the force of my leap knocked the wind out of him. I'm still having to struggle against the urge to bite down on his exposed neck, to kill the thing that poses so much a threat to me.

I settle by taking his head into my own hands and slamming it against the ground. It makes a somewhat sickening sound but I know for a fact that he'll survive, but the motion did alert the others.

"It's here. Remember, injured but not killed."

My ears perk up at this statement but I do not really have time to dwell on all of this as the other two grab a nearby object and begin wielding it at me. The one closest to me steps up first and takes a swing at me. I duck down below his attack, swiping at him with a fist, leaving it open handed with my nails extended. I know that it won't be able to do much to him. Canine claws are not sharp enough to be all that useful as a weapon. From what I know of the species and from experience having been one for parts of the day they are nowhere nearly sharp enough to cut flesh. Especially in regards to foxes. They don't hunt anything large enough to make it a necessity. Instead it serves only to grip the ground more easily and to help dig through the ground. Even still I know that using my claws will cause more pain than injury and would cause him to hesitate.

Unfortunately my swipe misses but I keep pressing onward. He's obviously a much better fighter than I am as I don't seem to be able to have any luck against any of my attacks working. I do my best to try and stay out of his range but my arms are starting to really hurt very badly. But I have the advantage in that he clearly is trying to avoid anything I use, for fear of what the legends say about my kind. Just as I start thinking that I may be able to push him into a wall to get the better of him when the other hits me in the back with a wrench. I collapse forward, my hands catching me against the ground as my world begins spinning. Without thought I turn and lunge at the second attacker. By the shock of my motion and force I can create with a jump I knock him off the ground and onto his back, my fangs getting very close to his neck. I'm about to let myself go and kill someone for the first time when I hear a loud noise and then a searing pain through my entire body.

The first one I was attacking kicks me off the second, adding even further injury. I can hear the sirens of a police car approaching and so can they for they panic and kick me one last time before getting up and fleeing, dragging their unconscious member away with them. My first thought, though, is not that particular problem but rather getting the bleeding to stop. I do need to leave but getting caught is only likely to kill me. If I don't tend to this wound now I'll die. If I can stop the bleeding I'll live. Besides, I'm pretty sure I have no chance of getting away as it is. I can already feel my own consciousness starting to slip, my vision already getting blurry. Even if I would run I couldn't get far and they'd be able to find me from the trail of blood. Better I fix myself up first and deal with them later. Having nothing else to use I grab at the nearby curtains and pull them down completely before wrapping them as tightly around my side as I can, crying out in the pain while I do so. Once done wrapping it up as best I can I pass out, barely noticing the sound of some people entering the building.