FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

To Be Hunted: A Drahune Chronicles Tale

The Drahune Chronicles by Michael Luvar Barnes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

"Survival. That is the core instinct that all beings have. Tempered by time survival skills become a tool to ensure that the individual will have an edge; something to grasp onto when things look their bleakest. Still, when everything else has failed you, survive.

Simply put, fight when you can, run when you cannot. Only a true idiot takes on a foe they have no chance of beating as they are. Fleeing gives you the chance to adapt and change. Standing and fighting will get you nothing except death. The only exception in my mind to this truth is if you are protecting something.

What would you die to protect?"

• Eric Dravens

***

Salem stopped at the edge of the forest. The moonlight gave him little in the way of a clear view of the territory before him. The path he was on led right through the forest's most traveled route. He expected anything to happen from this being an easy trip through the woods; or a rough one involving shooting and running. Draw, place the shot, release. Repeat as needed until target is down. Salem thought as he stared into the dark woods. Draw, place the shot, release. Mental preparation was something Salem did before he found himself in trouble and had no plan of action. The dark haired man tightened his grip on the compound bow he carried and moved slowly into the woods; certain he could handle himself properly in an emergency. The forest gave off a subtle collective energy that Salem felt as he proceeded. It was at peace. That was the impression Salem got as he entered it and looked around in the darkness. At Salem's back was the village of Turner Road, Salem's hometown. It was named after the slab of asphalt that once ran through it decades ago. The road remained, though now it was mostly flattened earth with dark specks of asphalt littering it here and there. Salem's parents were apart of the town militia and they taught their eldest son everything they knew. Certain he would need to know about survival in the changed world after the event thirty years ago. Thanks to his parents Salem's physical and mental well being was honed until he became a skilled individual in many styles of combat. His talents included an understanding of natural medicines, earth sciences and physics as well as basic knowledge of Ryleozyrn science and physics. Though his primary means of ranged fighting was archery. His shooting only complemented his training in hand-to-hand combat. Though he did have practice in different weapon fighting styles, he was a knife fighter. However Salem preferred a short sword for its reach when in close combat and carried one. For clothing Salem wore a dark colored sleeveless vest with four pockets filled with odds and ends. A dark long sleeved shirt underneath with a bracer strapped to his left forearm. For hand protection he wore a pair of black leather gloves; the right glove modified for archery. Black baggy pants with each leg tucked into a pair of laced up black boots covered his lower body. Each boot had a quick release zipper with the tab, when zipped, hidden under a button secured flap of leather. Because it was summer he carried no additional clothing, just what he could wear comfortably. Salem had deliberately waited for sundown to head out of town. Trusting in his abilities to see, and defeat, any danger the night may bring. He had grown bored with how easily he could deal with most human opponents. Longing for the days of fighting of raiders and cursed beings in the deserts west of his homeland. As Salem continued to follow the road westward through the woods he kept his footsteps light from years of practice. He hoped to see old friends at the village at the edge of a desert he was heading to. A village he was familiar enough with because of his time spent there some years back. He also considered the possibility that he might pick up a few new leads on work away from home, in other regions. As the human moved through the darkness he glanced around. His bow griped tightly in his left hand as he passed steadily through the woods. Salem's training allowed him to thrive within any wilderness environment. It was also thanks to that training he was able to sense and see the auras of living things. He could track targets without looking at them so the darkness was easy to travel through with his talents in full use. His parents had warned him that he should travel only during the day if not traveling via horse or vehicle. Speed was key when one needed to avoid danger as opposed to confronting it. Little did they know how much killing Salem had witnessed and performed. Things he was involved with when he had only just reached manhood in their eyes. The compound bow he carried was a gift from his parents right before he ventured out into the world the first time. It had a detachable scope with zoom and night-vision capabilities. The scope was handy for actually using his eyes to track targets at various ranges. Ultimately that gift coupled with his training was used to end a few sentient lives. Beings that had threatened him or his comrades. Salem was in the woods that night for the challenge, his parent's warnings somewhat ignored. He expected to have an edge somewhat over most normal foes but knew that even his aura viewing had limitations. He could only use it effectively for only about a mile or so. Trying to 'see' with it beyond that led to him seeing nothing but something akin to a blank tapestry. Salem was also unable to determine at certain ranges in the dark if a target was behind something non-living like a building or a rock. But even with its limitations, in full use his aura sight caused the area around Salem to be lit up like a city at night. The auras of living things creating various shapes of energy that appeared as many different shades of color. Salem's hand rested on the wrapped leather grip of the dark steel alloy blade strapped to this left leg. He continued to mentally list his total equipment he carried as made steady progress through the woods. He had two quivers filled with twenty-four arrows each. One was strapped to his back behind his right shoulder, the other strapped against his lower back to his belt sideways. Some of the arrows he carried were modified by him for different situations. A skill Salem had picked up during his apprenticeship years. He also carried a pistol as a backup weapon stuck in a quick draw holster strapped to his right thigh. One never knew when it would be more practical to just put a bullet in a target as opposed to shooting an arrow in its forehead with the skilled draw and release of a bowstring. Pausing in mid stride Salem began to focus more intently on the sounds the woods made. He sensed something was not right. Raising his bow as he focused his senses, he reached over his right shoulder and plucked an arrow from its quiver. He placed his bow's string gently into the groove at the end opposite the tip and drew back slightly on it. The ebony colored material did not refract any of the stray beams of moonlight that seeped through the leafy canopy above. Salem was too worried about what he might have sensed to avoid stepping into the shafts of light. He suspected his presence was already felt as well and tensed his arm muscles. He prepared to draw back on the bowstring without any hesitation; something was in the woods with him and it was not an animal he had ever felt before. Salem closed his eyes as he drew upon the energy within his being. He imagined a sphere of energy being reached for by a hand. Once the hand wrapped around the energy, Salem felt the power flow through him and opened his eyes with a literal new outlook on things. Salem's eyes were unfocused or looking at any particular point as he paid attention to the energies radiating within the darkness around him. The many different colors coming from different plants and smaller animals hidden away in their homes within and beneath the foliage. Catching sight of sudden movement caused Salem to focus on it. It was close, whatever it was, hidden out of view behind a row of trees and bushes twenty meters north of his position. The energy given off by the trees made it somewhat harder to focus on the being that had aroused his senses. Focusing harder he created a clearer image of a shape of energy that was moving. What could you be? Salem watched the shape move from behind a tree, its own glow pulsing slightly, as it came to a stop in front of another tree. Salem put away the ebony arrow and lifted his bow to make the first move. He reached into his belt strapped quiver to grasp a certain arrow. Its notched end would be covered in a particular pattern of tiny bumps; a special arrow for this special situation. Finding it, he silently drew it and fired the phosphorescent paint arrow into the tree the energy shape stood by. Salem had taken the shot without using the scope attached to his bow. He trused more in his years of training to shoot in perfect darkness using his aura vision and knew he would hit the trunk of the tree. The phosphorescent arrow zipped along whistling faintly before striking the tree. The force of the arrow hitting the tree created a reaction within a reservoir within the arrow shaft causing it to shatter the arrow raining its contents down on a stooped figure that snarled as it was pelted with droplets of yellow goo. The silhouette was still hard to see with the naked eye but from the glowing liquid covering its upper back and shoulders combined with its height. Salem knew all he needed to know about the identity of his company. Especially when it snarled in irritation from the phosphorescent paint stuck to its fur. It was a were, a cursed being, a creature born out of legend and given new life in the current world thanks to rouge magic and science. Salem reacted better than he thought he would. A fucking were, holy shit a fucking WERE! Salem thought as he failed to control his heartbeat. The mighty organ raced as adrenaline flooded his body. Now that he had identified what was in the woods with him fear was trying to take control. Be swift, be practical, and always keep moving, be it your mind or your body! Know when to move, know when to stop, know when to attack! Analyze, analyze, analyze! Salem snapped back into focus as the memory of his father's words brought control back to him. His heartbeat slowed and he dropped into a crouch and got off the road he was on. Now that line of sight was lost between himself and the creature if it decided to look his way. He pulled out a small vial from a pouch attached to his belt and unscrewed the top of it.

***

The were let out a loud snort as a scent wafted its way. Its eyes darted about as it sniffed the air. It had gone into the woods like it had done every night when it could no longer hold off a transformation. Hunting smaller animals helped to sate its urges along with running freely between the trees. But tonight, something else had drawn its attention. Something familiar to its transformed senses had come into the woods. Seeking it out it wandered in the direction of the scent. Stopping near a tree it was shortly thereafter startled and annoyed when it was splattered with a familiar glowing ooze. Ignoring it, it continued to track the scent when a new scent greeted it. Blood. It looked towards where Salem had unleashed the smell and started to slowly move in that direction. Intent on discovering the source of the smells that had gained its attention.

***

Salem moved in a fast crouch away from where he had opened the vial. The blood was harvested fresh that day from the butcher's shop. He had mixed an anticoagulant with it and used an insulated vial; giving it a larger window of use before going bad. Even when spoiled Salem knew it had its uses. That was why he acquired it. Right now he was using it to test the intelligence of the were. Picking a tree with enough foliage was easy enough and lifting himself among its large branches took some effort with his bow slung over his back. Once perched high above the forest floor Salem peered from his hiding spot using his scope. He watched his target, still sporting specks of yellow glowing goo, amble into view. Salem did not flee far to ensure he could hit his target with kill shots if it came down to a fight. But depending on the fortitude of the being he faced it could easily heal the injuries; then attack and infect him. Or it could simply flee into the night. It however was easily the largest thing he had ever seen in the wilderness near his home. Bears, he was told, were huge when standing. The were he was watching was something that easily could take on a bear and walk away from the fight unscathed. Its bigger than I thought. Salem thought as he studied it using his bow's sight. He had turned on its night-vision to better pick out the features of his possible foe. And a were canine, maybe a wolf or coyote, or even a wolfdog. Salem frowned to himself. He knew wolfdogs were even more unpredictable due to their mixed breeding. Caught between two worlds. One part a domesticated animal, the other a wild creature used to wilderness behavior. His own pet wolfdog Willow, had been trained extensively by his parents to focus on the family as its pack. Salem smiled to himself at his fond memories of Willow. He remembered when he was a bit younger rolling around in the mud and running wild and free with Willow as his only company. He also remembered the time she came home injured and his family promptly freaked out. While he kept her company, his parents took off looking for clues to the attacker. While they hunted she slept mostly while receiving treatment from the local vet. For a while they thought her wounds would be fatal, especially after a fever developed. She recovered, but still bore the scars from the event. And the town itself was a bit more cautious when going out into the wilderness. Patrols were increased, but they were limited to the reaches of the town itself at night. Focusing back on the now Salem went over his two best options for this new danger. Fight or hide. Fight or hide. Salem silently considered his next moves as he controlled his breathing. He took deep calming breaths and released them as slow also exhales. He wanted his blood primed for whatever action he decided to take. Salem lowered the scope and flicked off the night-vision. He decided to switch once more to using his aura vision to track his tracker and reattached the scope to his bow. He had out of habit dropped his grip on the power when he went into an evasive mindset. His hunters instincts told him plenty of ways of killing something large that required stealth. He was not trying to eat the creature though. He was trying to assess what it was and if at all possible take it down without getting killed in the process. Certain tactics were universal, but fighting a large inhuman creature required more than just tactics. Could I kill it? Should I attempt it? Salem thought while he bit his lower lip. Do I have the skill to take on something I have never fought before? Salem dropped the line of thought as he watched the were amble in the direction of his hiding spot. Well Shit. Salem was surprised at his restraint in stating how bad things were about to possibly become. His arms moved before he even completed his next plan of action. Salem pulled up his right sleeve as a plan swung into motion. The focused human then reached over his right shoulder with the now exposed arm and drew an arrow from his shoulder quiver. Grasping it with his left hand behind the sharp arrowhead, Salem quickly made a small cut on his arm, one that would not interfere with his shooting. While he was working on making his distraction Salem chanced a glance at the glowing shape moving towards him slowly. He heard its gentle sniffing as it tracked his scent. Focusing on the now slowly weeping wound Salem smeared part of the shaft of the arrow with his blood. He quickly placed the arrow by its shaft in his mouth. Teeth locked around a portion of it not coated by blood. He used his left hand to apply a small piece of medical tape from one of his pockets to the wound before pulling down his sleeve over it. The hunter quickly notched the arrow and aimed up above the treeline and released his shot at an angle. The arrow smoothly sailed through the air to come down some distance behind the were. The breeze had shifted again so Salem was certain his scent was now just catching the were's attention from the direction opposite of him. Salem watched the were turn and sniff the air coming from behind it. The scent it was tracking was coming from two directions now. Either it would go in the other direction, making Salem suspect it was not of a human level intellect, or it would continue in his direction. The were meanwhile was considering what it had heard before smelling the scent now coming from behind it that it was tracking to a source in front of it. That sound it recalled was similar to the noise the arrow that had covered it with the glowing stuff had made before hitting the tree near it. Crouching low and focusing once more on the first scent source from the spilled blood. The were broke into a run aimed straight at Salem's hiding place. Certain the first source was the origin point of the arrows and the blood. Salem quickly drew another arrow and took aim. Its too fast for a sure shot at this range. Have to wait. May need to conserve ammo. Salem thought as he felt his heart race as he prepared himself for a fight. The beast, once near, leaped from the forest floor twenty feet straight up to land with surprising grace on the wide branch Salem was balanced on. The action brought it face to face with the crouched human who pointed an arrow at its head. "Your move." Salem said coolly. He was still trying to determine its intelligence level before having to do anything too hasty. The two locked eyes for a long moment before the were flinched and Salem fired. The arrow struck the were in its left wrist catching it mid swipe. It cried out in pain before taking another lunging swipe at Salem with its right claws; its jaws snapped shut on air as it tried to bite Salem's bow but instead found the smaller human's fist impacting the side of its muzzle in a right cross. Salem shook off the shock from punching the beast barehanded and felt his clothing tear as claws glanced his left pectoral. There was a faint stinging sensation from the site where he was wounded. Salem silently prayed it was a curse bearer and not trying to curse him; as he sprang sideways off the branch away from the creature. I am truly a selfish asshole. Salem thought as he fell. Taking on something by myself that would require a team to safely bring down if not kill. Racing thoughts passed through his mind as he planned his next move. The gun? No, it was loud and would bring trouble, and he had already decided to handle this on his own. But, what if it attacked other locals if he failed to stop it? Others would suffer because of his arrogance. But at that point he was already too caught up in combat to worry about them. It was all about him after all. That was why he set out at night, that was why he had decided to stay and fight instead of retreating out of the woods. That was why he was there and not planning on running yet. He was bored and now had possibly bitten off more than he could chew thanks to arrogance in his own abilities. Salem fell for a few feet before a thin wire secured to the tree's trunk and his belt grew taunt and stopped his fall with a jerk. He kicked out with his left boot, digging a nail embedded in the sole into the tree's trunk. With a jerk his body stabilized enough for another shot and he drew an arrow from the quiver behind his right shoulder and notched it. Drawing the bow tight he loosed the arrow at the were. "Eat it you sonofabitch!" Salem whispered as his arrow flew at the creature. Seconds had passed between Salem falling backwards out of the tree and firing the second arrow at the were. But in those seconds the were had recovered enough from the arrow now sticking out of its arm to focus on fighting the human. It smoothly moved itself out of the path of the approaching arrow and leaped into another nearby tree before bounding to the ground. The thud of its landing was the last loud sound it made as it scrambled into cover. Salem swung around on the wire and raised his bow. He peered through the night-vision scope and watched the were distance itself from him. Calming his racing heart with breathing techniques; Salem began to consider his options. It was hurt and running away. He could pursue or flee himself plus Salem's instincts told him it was not done with him and was just setting up its next play. Either way Salem had to make another choice since he had time to plan his own next move. Run. Salem thought. You are not that far from the town. You can make it and maybe get a dose of therianthrope vaccine that hopefully is not snake oil and the real stuff just in case. Then you and the others in the militia can take down the beast with nonlethal tactics and hold it captive until it changes back. Salem was still tempted to take the were by himself, even if he could get away. Making it back to town was his best option; and with the militia they could capture the were. In fact he was not that far away now from being in view of the edge of the town; just a few meters or so from the treeline. Once past that he would be able to use a glow stick to signal for help. Salem let the wire unwind a bit more from its belt attachment before he drew his short sword and cut it. He dropped the remaining four feet to the ground easily enough. Sheathing his blade Salem again took note of the were's position, its glow radiating a different color indicating it was feeling something. That something was anger Salem guessed as he notched another arrow and began to creep sideways towards home. He took aim in the direction of the were but did not draw the bowstring taunt. Suddenly the were was moving again, this time right towards him at full speed! Drawing his bowstring tight Salem took aim and let the arrow loose right at the charging were. He drew another arrow from his lower back quiver just as the one in flight was smacked out of the air by the beast's healthy arm with ease. The were barked sharply as it smashed into Salem, its arms raised to grab him. Salem batted away the outstretched claws with a one handed twirl of his bow and grabbed the were by one of its arms as he rolled backwards. He used his opponent's momentum to toss them away from him as they tumbled. The were however managed to lock its jaws on his bow as it was tossed, tearing the weapon out of Salem's grip. Salem was back on his feet in under two seconds and clashed with the were again. This time using his bracer clad arm to block a single slash of its claws. The leather material barely held under the powerful impact; Salem's boots kicked up dirt as he struggled to remain upright after the blow knocked him back a few feet. "Oh yea!" Salem exclaimed causing the were to pause in its motions. "What? You think I am going to not enjoy myself a little? Sure, your big and scary, and... Fuck, forgot what I was going to say. The point is," Salem drew his short sword and tossed it by its grip into his right hand. "This is where steel meets claw!" The were backed up a few steps as it eyed the metal blade in Salem's hand. Before the two of them knew it they were circling each other. The were's tail twitched as it tread lightly, purposefully, as it sized up its opponent. Salem wondered if his opponent was a frenzied human after all. The rumors said that animals cursed or infected did not gain much in the way of intelligence after the transformation. Of course rumors being what they were Salem took any information he could not confirm himself as a half truth. The were before Salem behaved like it was trained in a pack hunting beast's tactics. That gave credence to his theory it was not a transformed human. But to an untrained eye one would miss the cues that it had human level intellect. The beasts posture told Salem that it was used to hunting with others certainly, but its stance was one that was more akin to someone familiar with human combat arts; either through observation or practice. Also was the obvious fact that the small clearing they were now in was not by mistake. Salem had been driven in the direction of it. His foe was far more cunning than he had thought. This was its hunting ground, it had tired prey before in this very place and cleaned up after. It may be a human that has grown tired of preying on forest animals when transformed. And now I get to be its chew-toy. Salem smirked to himself at the last part of his thoughts. As they circled each other both fighters were waiting for the other to make a mistake. Salem assumed the were was waiting for him to try and pick up his bow. They had each circled past the weapon a few times now since their fight had begun. But that was a fools quest, going for the bow would leave Salem open to a killing blow if he was not careful. And even at close range the weapon was obviously not effective unless his shot hit a vital spot. Salem still was unsure if he could even kill the were let alone weaken it enough for capture. Salem and the were stopped circling each other at the same time. The were rushed forward, and in that instant Salem smoothly drew back his blade for a slashing attack. The were was upon him even faster than he expected and locked its jaws around his bracer protected left arm. One of its powerful paws wrapped around his sword bearing arm and squeezed. Salem winced as he felt the tips of its fangs punch through the material and enter the flesh of his forearm. He let out a groan as he lost his grip on the sword his right hand held; the strength leaving it as his arm was gripped tighter. Salem and the were glared at each other again. With his arm between its jaws the threat of a quick amputation via bite readily apparent. Fuck this. Salem smiled suddenly causing the were to tense. But it was of no help as it barked in surprise through its mouthful as Salem smashed his left boot into the were's unprotected right leg; the nail embedded in it's tip punching into its flesh. He followed that up by smashing his right boot heel into the fur clad paw of its left leg. The were, pained and distracted, lost its grip on Salem's right arm enough for him to pull it free. Salem swiftly drew the pistol from its quick draw holster and in one motion he brought it up and aimed squarely at the were's head and squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened. And in the next moment the were smacked away the gun as it glared in anger at Salem. The hunter realized he had never practiced enough quick-draws. So he had missed the step of releasing the safety of the weapon while bringing it to bear on his target. It was a critical mistake that was surely going to cost him now. As Salem pondered what he could do now, his arm still locked in the creature's jaws, he noticed its aura had shifted colors again. The glow from it made the were closeup appear to be a wraith straight out of a horror story. The were suddenly released its bite on Salem. Salem suspected it was because he was completely unarmed now. Yanking the nail out of its leg, Salem backed away from the were. He stopped when it growled at him and tensed up again. It continued growling as it watched Salem to see what he would do next. Salem steadied himself and checked his arm, he was bleeding but the limb was intact and usable. Moving into a fighting posture the human figured he could use the were's weight against it again; to throw it around a bit more like earlier, until he could get his sword and end the fight. The were had other ideas and simply vanished into the trees surrounding them. It began to run, circling Salem again. That tactic, like I thought this is its killing ground. Its trying to freak me out then strike when I am distracted by fear. Salem thought as he kept up with the were using his aura vision. The were was on all fours, moving amongst the trees in a wide circle around the human. The beast crashed through bushes and trampled twigs and fallen branches as it ran. Salem edged towards his sword and waited for the right moment to make a move for it. Now! Salem lunged for the weapon just as the were stopped circling him and emerged from the surrounding trees in a leap. Salem's hand came within inches of the blade as his desperate leap ended with him crashing into the were. Its left hind paw was already perched on the blade. Salem chanced a glance up at it and noticed its expression. It seemingly smiled down at Salem, mocking him with its glare. Salem tried to stand only for the were to pick him up by the back of his shirt collar like a pup. "I won't beg." Salem said dryly to the were as it lifted him up to its eye level. Before he could lash out with his boot with the nail in it the were simply flung him away. Salem smacked into the ground hard. The wind was knocked out of him and he moved more slowly after impact than he thought he would. The human rolled over onto his back and coughed. He glanced over his shoulder from where he lay and could see that nearby lay open field through the trees. "You like danger." Salem said as he put the pieces all together. "You pick a spot to drive your prey to that is close to the edge of the forest. You then circle them and attack them from that direction; using that hope of getting into the literal clear against them. You always know they are going to pick the shortest distance between them and open field. Out there they have a better chance of skirting the human settlement and throwing you off of them." Salem looked at the were as it stood there looking at him. "I am not a fucking toy and I refuse to play your game!" Salem shouted. The were was startled by the words, or appeared to be as it stopped growling and simply listened to the angry human. "You do NOT do this to another sentient creature you do not intend to eat!" Salem felt his arm and chest burn as he spoke. "Oh damn it all are you trying to make me like you? You wished this-this-this walking carpet infection on me? I am pissed! You know how I know I am pissed? I cannot come up with clear insults that is how angry I am!" Salem threw his hands up as the burning sensations continued and spread warmth throughout his body. He did not let the strange sensation he was feeling stop him as he continued to vent on the were. The creature simply stood where it was, taking in his angry words. "To hell with you!" Salem walked over to his bow, passing the were and flipping it off as it watched him. "This is some bullshit you know that? If I fuzz up and come into the woods I am going to kick your ass on principle!" Salem shouted again, not caring who heard him, his fury so great as the strange feeling continued. Salem slung the bow over a shoulder before retrieving his sword and gun. He cast the were a dirty look before he simply began to walk out of the woods. Leaving the creature behind him looking almost ashamed of what it had done as it now sat on its haunches and watched him go. Salem got within feet of the edge of the forest when he felt too sick to continue. Dropping to hands and knees he gazed in horror at his right hand as fur raced up the back of the limb. Dropping his aura vision he watched more fur appear on his other hand and realized he was cursed. "This, was a bad idea." He gasped as his vision grew dark and his consciousness faded.

***

Morning found Salem stumbling towards his family's home semi-nude, his shirt remnants had become a makeshift loincloth. Salem was holding what was left of his remaining clothing and other gear. He offered no explanation to the town militia members he had passed except to say he had had a rough night. As he made his way down a side street to his home Salem wondered why he tasted raw chicken as he smacked his lips. He wondered if Ms. Bateson would be missing a hen or two that morning. She did stay in a home closest to the edge of the village, and her fences were meant to keep unintelligent predators out. Vague memories of running with the were that had cursed him entered his thoughts as he wandered to his front door and knocked. Salem's father answered the door and took one look at his son before shutting it in his face. "Dad, I had a rough night!" Salem called out. "Your mother and I agreed she would be the one to talk to you if you got raped by something in the woods." "DAD! NOT FUNNY!" Salem exclaimed, the statement possibly too close to home for Salem's comfort since he could not clearly remember anything after the change. Salem's father opened the door again and ushered in his eldest son. Salem walked into the living room where his mother waited with a medical kit and shook her head with a frown. "I need a sewing kit more than this thing." She said with a pat of the box she held. "Get the child some pants husband so he can have a seat and explain what happened to cause him to dress as a jungle dweller." "Hate you so much right now mom." Salem muttered as his mother simply smirked at her eldest. "She has not called me by name for a long time, how do you think I feel?" Salem's father replied as he headed to his son's room to get some clothing for him. "Become better in the bedroom husband if you want me to utter your name." Salem groaned at his parent's flirting as he waited for clothing. "Thanks." He said as his father returned with a pair of pants he tugged on. Sitting down he sighed and related his reasons for what he did. "Your a dumb ass." Salem's father said as soon as his son finished his story. "That is harsh, but yes Salem, your a dumb ass." Salem's mother repeated. "Oh come on, both of you are going to get on my case about this?" "Yes." Came the simultaneous reply. "You two always do this." Salem groaned into his hands. "I had a rough time already!" "You cannot remember that rough time!" Salem's father snapped. "We are both angry, but happy your alive, but angry that you would go out looking for trouble!" Salem's father said before he sat next to his son. "You seem okay but your aura is a bit fuzzy now." "You are going to make dog related puns for a long time aren't you?" Salem asked with a roll of his eyes. "You mess up again child, we get you spayed." Salem's mother interjected. "Mom, I am a boy last I checked." Salem's mother leaned close to her son until her nose almost touched his and smiled gleefully at her eldest son. "Not once I am done with you if you take what your father and I taught you and go off thinking you can take on the whole damn world by yourself!" Salem leaned back suddenly feeling very fearful of his mother's wrath. "What now?" "We speak with the rest of the town militia, get word out to local villages, and start researching your new condition. I suspect your first change is the one more instinct based. Future changes will likely have you more in control and hopefully have you not coming home smelling like wet fur and sex." Salem's mother sighed as she wrinkled her nose. "I hope whomever you hooked up with likes hairy guys." Salem groaned and hid his face behind his hands as he tried to keep from bolting from the room. "Well I am certain there is a certain sex act you are sure to excel at now boy." Salem's mother shot her husband a look. "Too soon." "Too soon?" Salem's father repeated. "Too soon." Salem's mother scowled at her husband as she patted her son on his head. "Just go to your room and rest for a bit. Then wash up and prepare for a busy day today. We need to speak with the Mayor and also organize for a possible hunt. The were may be a local from what details you have given us." Salem got up to leave when his younger siblings entered the living room. "You guys want breakfast, Salem we will bring you something later." Salem's father said as Salem left the living room, ignoring his siblings questions about his lack of a shirt and shoes and the weird smell. Once alone in his bedroom Salem sat on his bed wondering what was going to happen to him. As he sat there was a soft creak that took him away from his solitary thoughts. His eyes locked on his bedroom door as the door swung open slightly to reveal the family pet. Willow. She entered the room treading softly on her fur clad toes. Her dark paw pads made no sound as she moved to sit in front of Salem. "I am pretty sure you can smell whatever is on me. Trust me girl, I am not trying to make you jealous. I have no idea what happened after certain things transpired last night. But," Salem reached to stroke his hand through Willow's head fur. "You can help me track down a certain somebody from last night I am sure." Salem stopped in mid reach as Willow locked her jaws gently on his arm exactly where the were had locked its jaws on him last night through the bracer. "No." Salem said as he felt his heart skip a beat. Willow simply kept her grip on Salem as she stared into his eyes. Eyes that suddenly looked very keen and dangerous with a hint of very familiar playfulness. "Well, I guess you did track down that somebody. And that somebody was you." "Not quite." Salem looked over at his bedroom window to find it open and a figure standing outside of it. "So, it was a double date." Salem smirked as he took in the sight of his visitor beyond his open window.