Solitarius Lupus

3| Cracked Skulls III

My soul burned.

Heat roared through me, settling into my new form. Claws screeched through my fingers, My muzzle settled into place.

I could feel everything.

I took a step, a powerful shiver racking me. I was Night, a shadow, nonexistent.

Silence.

Then, a cold force held my skull, 

Azora. 

She pushed to the front of my presence, her powerful and angry aura rippled through me. She wanted to run, to take control. I shivered, I had never given her full control before, the scientists prodded and prodded me, wanting me to "embrace the bond". Her need was overwhelming, she dominated my head, clawing, crying, to be let out. 

I gave in.

My eyes blazed a striking obsidian, silver pupils slit down the middle. 

She was the embodiment of me, my tongue blazed with fire and I, we, howled.

I gave her control, and she ran towards the sound of faint rushing water. 

She leaned down to drink, taking big, hungry gulps of the crystalline water. 

She was hungry, and burning with a desire to kill.

I soothed her calmly, flooding my thoughts with images of the trees surrounding us, swaying gently in the wind. Her presence stirred, and she surrounded my mind, cold flooding my head. I heard what sounded like the rushing of water, screaming in volume, it got louder, filling my brain.

Then, silence.

And she spoke,

'hello azora. thank you for letting me in. i can help you.'

My eyes widened in surprise, the hairs on my neck involuntarily standing up. 

I trust you, I thought.

I felt her release her control on my wolf, sinking into the back of my mind, content to watch my next actions. I inhaled the sweet fresh air, the mist hanging on the forest floor leaving droplets on my raven coat. I did not know where to go from here. I have never existed outside of the lab, and now I'm free. 

But the humans will come for me, an experiment gone loose, I do not know when they will follow me. I will fight with everything I have to save this wolf, her presence protected me during the trials of the scientists, and for that I would always be grateful. 

I looked around, I had no clue where I was, nothing to bring any memories to the forefront of my mind. I picked up the slight scent of ash, it smelled earthy and burned my nose slightly. 

I decided to investigate.

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After following the trail for what felt like an hour or so, I heard voices. 

I froze in my tracks, ears pricked and alert watching the treeline.

I heard footsteps, many footsteps moving towards me. I made myself smaller behind a tree, and I felt my wolf push disgust through the bond at the thought of being made to submit again.

My breathing grew heavy as I waited and watched the trees for any signs of movement. I heard the padding of.. paws? I glanced up in mild alarm as a massive grey wolf flew past me, barreling foreword with so much force that the ground slightly shook beneath him. 

I shrunk back instantly, blending into the shadow of the tree and underbrush with my raven coat. The wolf kept running, to my relief, and did not turn back. I waited until the sounds of his footsteps receded before creeping out of the shadows. 

My sensitive nose caught the distinct smell of blood, iron stinging my senses along with a strong, ashy smell. No doubt the wolf was the cause of this smell, but was this a wild wolf? I had never seen anyone like me before, aside from the golden shifter adjacent to me in my cell at the lab. She was a beautiful golden wolf, small, with blazing blue eyes when she shifted. They prodded and poked her, and I remember her pained yelps. 

I withdrew my thoughts from the little golden wolf and focused on the forest floor. I had no sense of where I was going, I did not know this land. The smell of ash that the wolf had brought soon slightly faded, but did not dissapear, like it was perhaps blowing from upwind.

This was curious to me, and I wondered why there was more of this smell. 

I began to slink out from my hiding space, my massive wolf trying her best to be quiet as twigs and leaves snapped under the weight of my paws. 

I began to follow the scent, slightly picking up the pace in case the grey wolf decided to come back. As I walked towards the scent, it grew stronger, and my motivation to find the cause skyrocketed. 

I began to run, the scent seemed to follow a small stream, and I ran next to it as I held my nose in the air. I used my momentum to drive me forward, shoulders and legs beginning the slight burn of exertion. 

Back at the lab, I was allowed to run, but not often.

My muscles were weak, and I was angered at this. I should be stronger, I could be stronger.

My thoughts drifted away and I became focused on subconscious wonderings, so focused, in fact, that I did not realize the small clearing I had run into held a massive wooden cabin. 

Then, a strange flash of the ashy smell, before everything went dark.

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