Kethyr Naethus's Story

Kethyr Naethus felt something strange coming on. The sun was beginning to set & Kethyr knew what the feeling meant. He had to quarantine himself - and fast. Zipping his coat, Kethyr head east for the gates out of town.

Kethyr Naethus flipped up his hood and picked up the pace towards the Eastern Gate.

"You goin' out, kid?" A member of the Forces Vankoryth was casually guarding the gate.

"Y-yeah I uh-" Kethyr didn't want to say it.

"Say no more," The guard gave Kethyr a sympathetic smile. This was the fifth one in the past hour to come to leave for their condition. The wrought iron gate swung open to allow Kethyr through.

Kethyr Naethus lie by the pool of nyx, staring at his werewolf reflection.

This turning was the easiest of them all. He didn't feel the pull of the town or his human side. It had been years since his turning. It was about time it started to feel normal.

The red furred werewolf sighed and lumbered to all fours. It was peaceful here. The full moon reflected on the glass-like surface of the blue pool, the blue grasses in the surrounding fieldscape dancing gently in the cool breeze of the night.

Kethyr Naethus heard music echoing from elsewhere in the Cursed Wood. For once, Kethyr wasn't triggered with memories or anguish. The revv of an engine perked his ears in a way that was almost joyous.

The vision of a motorcycle passed through his mind, followed by the twitch in his muscles: he wanted to chase it.

He lumbered to all fours and shook out his bright red fur. He took off into the Cursed Wood with a howl,

AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Kethyr Naethus ran on all fours, the cool wind of the night swishing through his red fur as he bounded through the Cursed Wood towards the sound of the motorbike.

There it was! The red werewolf yipped as he spotted a glimpse of it flashing through the trees up ahead. He picked up speed, turning to run along side the scent trail. Faster, faster, faster, until there is was a couple trees away. He took a flying leap over a log and landed with a bark, excited to be racing and romping.

Eurydice raced through the forest, no real destination in mind, just the thrill of wind through her hair. But soon, despite her blaring music she felt a presence indicating that she was no longer alone... well, not that it was exactly possible to be alone in this forest, she had already felt a presence around her, but this one had taken more personal attention. She smirked under her helmet, and revved the engine a couple times. She was curious how fast her new friend was. She turned down the music, just a smidge, then raised up and threw her head back.

"Awooo!" she howled with a cackle before seating herself back down.

The red werewolf took a flying jump over the roots of an ancient tree, kicking up dirt and leaves on his landing. The engine revved. He surged forth, glancing sideways at the bike between the trees as they flashed by. He was panting - but it wasn't a problem. His chest wasn't burning yet. He felt he could run for hours.

A howl! This kicked up Kethyr's heart - it felt like forever since he had fun with another wolf. Part of him wondered if she was like him. Part of him didn't care. Something small in the back of his mind snarled, the flash of a memory of a woman suppressed back down.

Awooooooo!

Kethyr joined in the howl, drowning memories and worries with the glory of the moment.

Eurydice laughed at the responding howl, there was no fear whatsoever in her heart. She has made her confirmation, a lycanthrope, loup-garou, or more commonly referred, a werewolf. She hit something on her helmet.

"Alright pops, I've got contact wit' one of th'locals, engaging a jolly romp before saying hello," she said over the radio.

"What..? Also, don't call me p-," a gruff voice on the other end groggily responds.

"I'm racing a werewolf," she said plainly.

"What!? Now listen here, missy, I'm going to ignore that you left for your little joyride bu-," he began yelling before she cut off the com.

"Boooooring!" she laughed before she looked back at her pursuer. "Well yer a red thing, arn'tcha? Havin' fun back there, matey? Good, get that energy out an'then have a nice chat, aye?"

Kethyr knew there was a clearing up ahead and kept pace with the bike, though he picked up on one and a half of a conversation he wasn't of the mind to decipher. Racing a werewolf, though. He growled, his paws and claws tearing into the fallen leaves, thinking about the clearing ahead. He'd get a good look at who he was racing, once and for all.

Fun? Absolutely.

As she reached a clearing in the woods, she turned the bike into a sideways skid, dust, rocks and leaves thrown about as she left a sizable mark in the earth. She kicked down the break and spun around, sitting up upon the dark bike, crossing one leg over the other and propping her head on her arm before the bike even sputtered to a stop. There was some lack of concern if it crashed, confidence or reckless abandon. She then took off her helmet, her unusual dark skin and luminous yellow eyes apparent. She was also tall, very tall, seven feet at least.

"Cheers, mate," she said as Kethyr approached, flashing a grin. "Nothin' like the cool beat of afternoon air, aye?"

Kethyr playfully tumbled to a stop in the clearing, hopping back on all fours to- woah.

She was tall.

The red werewolf got up on his hind haunches and stood human-like. She spoke to him. He cocked his head to the right. She spoke again. He cocked his head to the left.

Kethyr snarled in agreement. Cheers. He knew that one. The snarl was almost a sneeze - followed by happy panting.

Yes, it was nice and cool in the Cursed Wood. He shook his fur, feeling the very start of the unturn beginning to subside.

Euri read his reactions, well, he didn't seem dangerous... not much a talker though, but he understood what she was saying to some level. She crossed one of her arms to prop the other as she twirled her hair thoughtfully, her luminous eyes wandering. It was odd, that there was no pack whatsoever to be seen, heard, or sensed in any way in the immediate vicinity. Was he a loner? Isn't that bad for them? As she thought it over she dismounted the bike and stood up, the sound of something moving indicated there was more bits to her not seen readily, but the only thing seen moving were... shadows.

"Eurydice Reverencia, a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she said in a sophisticated manner, making her approach before kneeling down close. There was a clear lack of any fear in her movements, and a lack of menace for that matter. "But aww, look'it you, are you really all here by yer lonesome, matey? Yer pallies leave you high and dry, or somethin'? Well that ain't cricket."

"Packless," Kethyr grunted, dropping back to all fours and giving a shake. His spine was starting to de-elongate, the fur on his extremities either shifting back into his skin or falling to the ground. He felt his paws starting to curl into fingers and toes, the claws retracting to be replaced by flesh.

He rested back on his haunches and extended a rough skinned half-paw-half-hand towards Eurydice. His eyes were still that of a wolf, though his snout was shorter and fleshier than it was ten minutes ago. Kethyr had not necessarily forgiven Maria for the abandonment, but he had become rather comfortable in his solitude. Kethyr was a bit of a shy guy, a loner, before his turning.

Kethyr had wallowed in self pity when the reality of being a werewolf had set in, and he realized this Cursed Wood was his home.
Then he had tried to be hard.
He had wanted to fight.
He had tried to learn.
He just... wasn't exactly cut from vicious cloth. At all.
Kethyr had finally accepted that.

A life of solitude suited Kethyr. It's what he had before turning. The hope for reintegration with humanity had been abandoned long ago, or so he thought. This very tall doggish lady sparked something inside him with their fun little romp through the trees.

"Not lonesome, just alone," He waggled a pointed ear - it wasn't trying to go anywhere anytime soon - and flicked his tail to kick up some fallen leaves.

"Kethyr," The werewolf gave his name.

She remained casual as he reached out for her, and simply watched as he started to shift back, somewhat. She maintained this calm and casual approach, curious as to what sort this werewolf was, but still certain he was not a threat. She tilted her head to the side and then to the other, her own shadowy ears swaying, her obscenely long hair swaying as she swayed.

"Packless, alone yet not lonesome? Ah! I see, I see, you're an introvert then, luv?" she said, pointing finger guns at him. She then crossed her arms on her knees as she crouched down and poked at her head and slowly leaned in, her tone getting rather serious, her pupils constricting to near pinholes. "Though, word of advice, mate? Personal experience: don't get stuck in yer own head too long, does somethin' grim to the ol' nut. Took a whole bloody squad t'pull me back, remember nothing from then, and I weren't a little girl anymore."

She paused, placing a hand on her chin and leaned back with a thoughtful look as she gazed off. "Holup, maybe that last part is different for werewolves," she said, back to her more chipper tone. As she rubbed her chin in thought, both her arms had been resting on her knees this entire time, leaving a bit of a mystery hand here. She reset her focus on the werewolf. "SoOoOoo, Kethyr, how long since you've been bitten? How in control of yourself are you? Have a particular taste in music?"

With an enormous sniff to the air, Kethyr realized she wasn't a werewolf at all. Just as she said. Kethyr at this point was used to being a little out of the loop. He decided not to dwell on the difference, but did let out a huff and a nod on her comments on staying out of his head.

Depression is one hell of a drug, he heard someone say once.

Kethyr stared her back in the eyes as she leaned in close, his pupils growing wide as hers grew small. She smelled good. It had also been what felt like a century since he had heard the term introvert. He stifled a barky laugh as she continued, imparting some personal experience that was...oddly relatable.

"Not too different," Kethyr said as he sat up a hair taller. Half wolf, half man, and half naked. His face was usually the last part to return. He felt his knees pop into a different shape and plopped down in a more comfortable sit in the cushion of leaves.

And now came the questions. They seemed pretty regular, though they caused Kethyr to wince all the same. He looked to the branches above as he considered how to answer them. It had been forever since he had been bitten. So long, he stopped counting days and nights and weeks and months. It had taken all those days, and nights, and weeks, months even to gain the control he had over his wolf form. He wasn't sure he felt like talking about that all just yet. Brought back bad memories. Brought back feelings of failure.

As for music?

His maw split into a genuine grin, "What was that you were playing?"

Lewis steps out of nothingness, leaving the non-space with the sound of a dull thump.

He immediately reaches into his vest for a GPS device. He's careful, he's had the sound muted and the obscuration spells covered his traces from most means that weren't magical, so he was pretty much covered when it came to the werewolves and vampires out on patrol. He was a near-expert in non-detection as well, able to step lightly and agilely into places that only the best of trackers were able to find, something he's pretty sure is a sense only humans or lesser-powered creatures would have to rely on, as vampires and other 'kin' relied heavily on their higher senses, rather than on basic skills, another thing to be glad for.
If anybody were to notice him, which while unlikely wasn't impossible, they would see what looked to be a shadow that slowly faded into something like a person, then into the armored figure that he would be seen as close-up.

He turns on the GPS, then slowly navigates through the woods, pausing at every snap and noise to analyze his surroundings. He stops around a rotted tree to remove a shovel, a black, folding affair, and quietly navigates to a tree, where he cuts a line wrapped around the trunk.
A large, black bag falls to the ground, which the armored man moves deftly to catch. He lowers it to the ground, opening the straps to reveal an assortment of knives, as well as one hatchet and a short machete. He removes both of the larger bladed implements, attaching them to sheathes at either side of his belt, and then tucks four throwing knives into a strap across his chest. He throws the bag back on after closing it, and then sets off to the next point.

He continues on, gathering a compound bow and quiver at the next stop, and then moves on to his final point, when he comes to a clearing. Well. There were two individuals standing over his next point, about seven yards from where he buried. He supposes he could throw a knife into an eye or fire an arrow from a distance, but he doubts that would prevent him from being noticed. Werewolves, as one of them seemed, were notoriously hard to kill, and he couldn't take it out from a distance with the weapons he had. He might be able to take it in melee, but that would require a grapple, and he didn't have time to spend fighting some dog-blooded freak.

He decides to remain with his anonymity, and just stands where he is, bow in his hands, an arrow nocked, staring directly at the two from some shadows.

"Ha, suppose not," she said, noticing he was uncomfortable answering her previous questions. He seemed a nice sort, though, she had pretty well fully let down her guard at this point. As far as she knew, it was just them. She had no idea how to treat lycanthropy, other than enforce self-control. He seemed pretty easy to talk to, and just seemed like more a poor lost soul than anything. Whoever inducted him must have abandoned him, either voluntarily or involuntarily.

He did, however, answer her last question with a question, and with a short chuckle. "Oh, that tickle yer fancy, luv? That is some 80's style synthpop that has been havin' a resurgence of late, an' it resonates, y'know? I can play more if ya want."

As she smiled to him, there was suddenly a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, but she figured it was just the weird magical nature of this place. The shadows always seemed to be moving, but then again, so were hers.

I am chen hello