A Pride of Werecats

Chapter 21

Cale's POV

There was something different about the little man's skin though Cale couldn't quite understand why because his vision was now black and white, the shade seemed unnatural. But with his vision it was only gray. The man stared up at the four in fear. 

Cale didn't know what had come over them. They had just hunted this man. They heard him rustle in the trees and something had just made them drop everything and chase him. But what? It was so primal and animal. Cale could hardly control it. Curiosity burned him as he ran. And now they were causing this man to tremble in fear.

Cale back away, he had never ever wanted to cause harm to anyone like this. Even if this man was strange, with large inhuman ears, the expression on his face was very much human.

"Werewolves are you?" He asked, his voice rough as his skin.

The four were so thrown off by this, their blazing curiosity was taken aback. They stopped looming over the man. 

Was that what had happened to them? Had they become werewolves? Was Pan some kind of alpha wolf god? Could wolves see in the dark? Cale certainly knew that it could have been a wolf inside him that made him hunt that man, going against his very nature. He had no idea what was going on and this answer could explain it all. Was it that? A beast implanted inside of him to change him. Cale felt sick. 

"No no not werewolves," the man sniffed them with his large nose. That eased Cale's stomach.

The man was more comfortable now that the four had their heads spinning, they were not so threatening then. He stood up straight and took Naoko's hand and sniffed it.

Naoko looked down at him in wonder but also in silence.

"Not werewolves but not mortals either. The scent of something beastly."

"What exactly do you mean?" Naoko whispered leaving her hand in his.

He looked around at the four "yes I suppose you do look like mortals, did you encounter any large animals recently?"

"No," Naoko whispered.

The man considered what Naoko said "Suppose the newly bitten are always a bit confused," he looked around at them again "but you four have managed to find each other so at least you've got that. Stay together, your kind are best in packs."

Nyarai stepped forward now out of her trance, she wanted answers, "what do you mean our kind? If we are not werewolves what are we?"

"You're werecreatures of some kind, a more refined nose than my own would be able to pinpoint that," the man tapped his large nose and gave a little smile.

"And why should we believe you? Who even are you?" Alkiva asked, her eyes squinted in suspicion, she had also snapped out of the trance of wonder.

His smile disappeared "well I guess there isn't much reason why you should believe me. Aside from the fact that you might be going through some strange changes right now, that's what new myth usually experience I believe. As for myself I'm Tagz a goblin of the second southern dwarven city of Australia."

"Prove it" Alkira spat out before anyone could process what Tagz had said. 

Cale could hardly hear what Tagz said next, his head was spinning with the fact that what he had said could indeed be true and that's what Pan had done to them. Everything was so strange right now. This was actually happening and what was worse: it made sense. Kind of.

"Well I'm a goblin, I look like one, there is not much I can do to prove it beyond that."

Cale looked to Nyarai, she felt it too. The shocking possibility that it could all be true. They met eyes and the question was passed without saying a word.