Helix

Revenge

24 AD

Hot, sticky death dripped through the darkness, punctuated by a steady two beat wind. Gore turned the grass underneath to a slick smear of red, the earth to black mud, and the bodies to formless masses of meat. Golden eyes, gleamed through the blood soaked darkness of a black pelt, as though lit from within.

Helix cared little for the ravished bodies around him. Cared little for the pain of minor blade wounds across his body. Cared little for anything, save the witch on her knees before a cross, tears running down her filthy cheeks. He understood her pain.

Padding across the battle ground, he sat quietly next to her. A strong tug on his heart to hold and comfort her made him annoyed with being in the shape of a wolf. Though he realized that holding her would cross way to many lines he was not ready to face. Tentatively he reached out his nose to her hand.

Eslein jumped, then seeing him cried harder. "S-she's gone..."

Focusing hard Helix managed to push words out of his still unfamiliar mouth. "I know. I am sorry."

She shook her head. "They did this. Not you. All you have ever done is help me." Sniffling she wiped her face on a soiled sleeve. It didn't help.

For a brief moment the black wolf pressed his nose to her hand. Turning Helix started scouring the ruins. He found two of the wild wolves, alive but injured beyond repair. Bowing his head to them he softly attempted to comfort each of them in turn. They seemed to understand. With lighting swiftness his strong jaws closed around their throats, ending their pain. To his relief no humans remained.

After a few minutes of searching he found a pack with what looked to be good rations and maybe some clothes. Carefully picking his way around the carrion, Helix brought her the bag.

Eslein swallowed more tears as she took it from his mouth. "What's this?"

"Help."

Opening the bag wider she nodded. "Y-your right." Her eyes turned up again. "I can't leave her like this." It was a breathless, broken whisper. "But I'm not sure I could bear taking her down..."

"Clean up, and then we will burry her properly."

"Burn. We burn our dead."

Helix dipped his wolffish head. "Burn."

Picking up the pack Eslein started toward the small stream just outside the ruined fortress.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Focus. Focus. Helix grunted as he paced back and forth trying to figure out how to turn back into a human. It happened once, surly I can do it again?

Feelings seemed to be key, everything was tied to feeling now. That left the question, how does one feel human? A pain pulled at his abdomen. Glancing down he saw nothing and the sensation passed.

Muttering a mental curse Helix lay down, took a deep breath and focused on how his human body felt.

Pain erupted through his middle, burning outwards into his legs and arms. Even his face a jaw were hurled into exquisite agony! Gasping he embraced the feeling. When every inch was burning, and he thought he would feint from the pain, it happened. His skin stretched, tearing and reforming, his bones shattered until they too reformed together.

Helix's body trembled as sweet air flooded back into his lungs. Wincing he stood, intending to find some clothes.

Eslein stood a few feet away watching him.