It is customary amongst alters or, as some call us, shifters that the weakest of the group shifts first. Out of respect for me Toad does not question it. She assumes her ranking under me and begins to transform into her wolf. Isis can not look away. The transformation seems so normal to me I never stopped to think what it must be like from her perspective. To watch a seemingly regular person change into a beast right before her very eyes must be spectacular yet terrifying. Now I only wish I could experience it from her point of view.
Toad howls when her transformation is complete. She stands tall on four sturdy legs. Her fur is light brown with patches of black throughout. She paces back and forth now waiting for me to change. I can hear her thoughts urging me to shift. I laugh to myself. So impatient for someone who is going to lose. I strip myself of my clothes and begin the process. My shift happens faster and smoother than hers.
When I am on four legs and covered in fur, I clamp down and bare my teeth at Toad. Her wide jaws open and she licks her lips. Before we begin to scuffle I turn to face Isis. I nudge her backwards. Once. Twice. Then again. I fix her with a long stare and hopefully she gets the message to stay put. The last thing I need is for her to once again find herself in the midst of my battle.
"Okay, guard. I get it!" She huffs.
I lick her because I know just how much she adores that. When I turn back to face Toad she is already in the position to pounce. Before I can move into position, she leaps across the space between us. Her body lands on me in a heavy blow. She has gained weight since our last spar. Good for her.
I toss her body from my own and we both fall to the earth floor plowing up a cloud of dust. Toad has always been impatient and nothing has changed. She springs for my neck but I move just in time. I roll under her and bring my teeth down on her belly only for a moment. She whimpers and hurries away from me.
Just a few drips of her blood coat my teeth now. I hear the princess gasp.
"You've hurt her!" Isis shouts out. "Guard! You've hurt her."
Toad glares at the princess. Clearly not a fan of having her weakness pointed out like this. She snaps her jaws at the human and it tightens my chest to see it. I charge my friend, knocking her into a tree. I stand over her and growl, bearing all of my teeth as I snarl.
In surrender, Toad lifts her head. She is giving me her neck. It is the true sign of defeat other than death itself. All it would take is for me to swipe my claws at her exposed throat and she would be down for good. A snap of my jaws. It would be over.
I feel two small hands push into my side. I look and it, of course, is Isis.
"Guard! That is your friend!" She fusses.
I push her away with my muzzle but she comes back again, pushing me. I grab her clothes between my teeth like a disobedient pup and carry her away from Toad. As expected, she kicks and swings in a tantrum. Her blows only connect with the air.
I drop her in a clumsy heap onto the ground. She huffs. I fix her in place with a long stare. Well, at least I try before I am pushed to the ground by another furry body.
—
I watch as the wolves before me wrestle with one another. They move almost too fast for the eye to follow. The snap of their jaws roll through the air in thunderous claps. Their bodies pound the earth in seemingly bone crushing thuds. Though, miraculously, they carry on as though nothing has been affected by this. In a final show of strength, Alexandria slams Toad to the ground. Toad is on her back once again as Alex sinks her teeth into her neck. If I did not know any better perhaps I would say they were mating instead of fighting. However those ideas are crushed by the blood curling howl that escapes Toad.
