Shadows of the Present

[Zelinda Bazhir]

 Gil'ean was a small village, just barely big enough to be called a village. It was surrounded by a forest, and hard to get to. It wasn't the forest itself, but the creatures that lived inside of it. Selene Lycan, the daughter of the local blacksmith, grew up here. She spent her childhood climbing trees, playing in the fields with children her age, and often going swimming in the small pond near her home.
Time seemed to stand still, here, not much changing. Year after year went to pass and she grew older, until she grew to the age of twenty one. Her father, not having a son to teach to hunt or fish, he took it upon himself to teach his only child to do so. She learned rather quickly how to use her sword in an agressive manner, though parrying, proved to be a weakness.


Selene picked up her sword, walking deep into the forest. She was going on her first hunt alone, hoping to bring home a big great hart, or bear. Her shield was in one hand, though she hoped she would not have great need for it. Her sword was held steadfast in the other.
She looked up. It was dark, which was allways the best time for hunting around her home. The moon was full, and had an eerie red hue. She shook off the thoughts of a story she had been told long ago, as she moved deeper and deeper into the forest. She could hear an animal approaching...She froze, biting her bottom lip spinning around to face the beast.
It was a wolf. A huge wolf, to be exact. She grumbled, raising her sword, and moving up her sheild to guard herself. It lunged at her, and she moved to avoid it by moving her shield up, causing it to hit it, and relect a few feet away from her. She groaned, jumping back, and as it lunged for her again, she brought her sword down hard across its back. It whimpered, moving off a bit, blood cascading down its back.
It looked up at the blood red moon, howling like a mad creature, before pouncing back towards her, knocking her to the ground, its sharp teeth, digging down into the tender skin on her shoulder, peircing the armor she wore there. She screamed, jerking her free hand, which contained her sword, forward, into the chest of the beast. It let go, and she shoved it off of her, and she looked at it as it lay motionlessly on the ground. She stood, wasting no time in turning to run back out of the forest breathing hard.
She reached her home, pulling the door open, droping her shield, and collaspsing to her knees. Her father rushed to her side, looking down at the wound. With in an instant, he froze. "selene....please...tell...me..that it wasn't a rather large..wolf.that inflicted that wound upon your shoulder.." he asked, knowing of the wolf that lived in the forest on the night of a full moon.
She nodded slowly."yes..." she looked up at him. "What does it matter?" she asked.
Her fathers face paled. He stood, walking over to his bed. Beneath, he pulled out a long, silver sword. He turned to her. "Selene...I beg...Run...Don't force me to do what needs to be done."
She looked up at him confused, but jumped to her feet, running from the hut, her father not trailing behind her. She couldn't understand what was going on, but she ran as fast as she could. She could feel her body slowly going through little changes, but what exaclty, she couldn't put her finger on.

It was not til the next full moon when she realized what she had become.

That was four years ago...She never returned home, Her father, and mother, was long forgotten, and she lived her life, for those years, in solitude.

[Zelinda Bazhir]

 Selene let out a scream tossing her head back. Her ears were ringing, her flesh seeming to catch on fire. Her spine began to change, molding into that of a wolf. She fell ot her knees, her hands holding her head. Her hands started to morph into furry paws, her nails extended, hardening forming into razor sharp claws. Her feet too, changed into paws. Her skin tore away, seeming to simply melt and beneath it reavealing a long coat of smokcey grey winter fur. Next ,hersmall ears formed into long wolf ears, a tail grew from her tail bone, and her body shrinking, her bones griding against another, cringing, until her body was that of a wolf. Finally, her face began to change. a long wolf nose and mouth deepset yellow eyes appeared....Her screams of pain turned int a long, ear piercing howl.

She started to run to the Haven bank. All humanity was gone from her eyes, nothing but a beast remained. The wolf was outraged...and now..it was time to stalk the mortals.

"Dat dem wolfie thingys!" a voice said. Selene growled jerking her head towards him, then lunged towards him. The man, Serge, raised his shield to block the attacking wolf, growling back at her. Selene shoook of the slight stun, and lunged at him once again, this time knocking him over and attempting to bite down into his skin, but only running into armor. Selene was grabbed from behind, someone trying to pull her off of Serge.

The mortals were talking in their strange tongue, but she no longer cared what they said..Nor understood them. She had her mind set on one thing...Food.

She wiggled out of the mans grip, lunging at the man again. He bashed her again with the shield, she howled, and jumped away. She watched him a moment. After regathering herself, she moved only to lunge down at him again. She squeezed past the shield he slammed toward her to his chest, where she dug her claws in. With a quick howl towards the full moon, she jerked down, biting through the armor on his shoulder into his tender skin beneath.

She was grabbed again, she growled angrly, bitting down none the lighter, determined not to release him from the deathtrap of her jaws. With each tug, she only clamped down harder. With a final tug, she was pulled from Serrge, tearing a chunk of flesh from his shoudler. Selene fell to the ground with a whimper. A soft, yet familiar sound reached her ears.

"S....Selene..." a familiar voice siad. She raised her head sniffing the air. Ilrith. She turned seeing him. He was doubled over, fighting the changed that threatened to take over him as it had Selene. She went to him, nudging him with her nose, letting out a small whimper.He reached over and scartching behind her ear with a hand that was begining to change. She raised her head, sniffing the air. A new Scent...With a final nudge against him, she turned and was off....yet again...


Selene opened her eyes. She had slept, for the first time in many days, though around her eyes remained the dark circles.She couldn't remember what she had done after the night fell.. but she coudl remember a horried dream..one she had had about a wolf...a wolf...that she had been. It had seemed all to real. But no, It couldn't have been...Could it?

She sat up, finding herself curled up near the door to her home. She had a rotten taste in her mouth, that of raw meat, blood...and carrion. It made her sick to her stomach. Her head ached..Mayhaps...Yes...that had been it..She must have had too much to drink the night before. She groaned, standing. With a shakey walk, she dissappeared into her house.