Theo woke to the chatter of laughter around a fire.

“… brave knight, coming to rescue her!” Bjorn shouted.

“His little princess in the tower,” Grub hissed.

“Now, now, don’t mock him too harshly. Our friend is going to tell us exactly where to find the rest of his party. Isn’t that right?”

“And then you’ll let me finish him off, right?” Grub said, “I want the XP, you said I could have the next one!”

“I think it’s only fair that Serafin kills this one. She found him,” McClain’s gruff voice said.

“Serafin kills all of them, McClain,” Brock said, “let us have one.”

“He’s mine,” a small voice said. Theo opened his eyes and saw the teenage girl stand and walk towards him, “no one touches him.”

Her voice was strangely flat, toneless. How did she pick me up like that? What kind of spell was it?

“He’s awake,” the girl — Serafin — said.

Suddenly, Theo felt a hand grip his chin. When he opened his eyes, McClain’s melted-wax face looked down at him. He grinned. “So he is. It was mighty brave of you to come after your friend, Druid. What’s your name?”

Theo said nothing. He just stared at McClain with hate in his eyes.

“Not too talkative, then. Well, that can be remedied,” McClain said. He moved over to their fire and began heating one of his knives above the flame. Theo watched as it grew hotter, began to glow orange.

“My girls can be quite persuasive,” he said, staring at the superheated knife. He stroked the hilt gingerly, then walked over to Theo slowly. Theo turned to Jessica. Her mouth was gagged again, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

That’s enough, he though, we’re getting out of here.

As McClain walked towards him with the knife, he reached inside for his mana. He felt it, a surging power just beneath his skin, growing in the pit of his stomach. Earlier, when Tiberius had been in danger, he’d used his Call of the Wild ability to summon roots that killed the Velocirabbit. If he could do that again…

He used his life sense to feel the roots under the earth, right where McClain walked towards him with the glowing blade. He Called out to them, begging them to rise up, grab McClain’s ankles.

Nothing happened.

The roots didn’t listen. They didn’t respond to his Call of the Wild at all.

He tried again, forcing mana out of him, into the roots… but it simply flowed back into his body.

What the hell? he thought, why isn’t it working?

The only reason he could think as to why Call of the Wild wasn’t working for him had to do with emotion. When he’d saved Tiberius, he’d been overcome with raw emotion. But then again, maybe it had something to do with the DEITY UNKNOWN who had granted him the skill.

McClain was laughing, now. “Look at his face. I think he’s like to shit himself.”

He reached Theo and knelt, brandishing his glowing blade. “This ends when you let it end,” McClain whispered, “tell us where the rest of your party is, and we’ll let you go. Promise.”

He smiled his warped smile, and Theo saw the flash of a gold tooth. Then he pressed the burning knife to Theo’s face.

Pain screamed through Theo. It was worse than anything he had ever felt, spreading through every nerve of his body, making his vision go black. The smell of charred meat filled his nostrils, and realized with horror that it was his own flesh.

“People always break when you go for their face,” McClain whispered, “fingers, toes… they don’t compare to cutting off an ear or an eyelid.”

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McClain pulled the blade away, and Theo felt hot blood dripping down his cheek. He looked over at Jessica, thrashing against her restraints.

McClain grabbed his chin and refocused him. “You ready to tell me where the rest of your mates are? Because I’m just getting started,” McClain said.

“Okay, fuck this. I’m going Bear Mode,” Theo said.

McClain blinked, confused. “I’m sorry, what?”

But it was too late. Theo reached into himself, grabbed his mana, and cast Beastform.

The mana surged out of him in a flood of green light, making McClain stumble backwards and cover his eyes. He felt all the skin on his body ripple as though he’d been struck with a huge storm wind. The power of the man seemed to fill every cell, replacing his skin with fur, making his bones lengthen and strength, making his face stretch into a snout. To his surprise, it didn’t hurt. It was uncomfortable, sure, but it also felt natural. His body seemed elastic, able to take on the new shape. He felt himself grow too big for the ropes tying him down. They snapped around his swelling arms, and the tree he was bound to shivered with the force of his transformation. He heaved his first breath in the new body, landed on all fours, and then roared.

The clearing before him had transformed. In addition to changing his body, his senses were completely new. He could smell scene as much as he could see it: the two barbarians stinking of sweat, the metallic smell of McClain’s burning knife, the ragged, filthy clothes of Jessica. The flame in the middle of the campsite burned brightly, casting off waves of pungent smoke that warned of wildfire. The bear — Theo, but also not Theo — wanted to run from the flames.

No, Theo commanded, get Jessica.

His bear obeyed. He turned his head to look at Jessica, staring wide-eyed at him, just as an knife pierced his skin.

It felt like a bee sting. It landed in his thick hide, barely piercing an inch. He turned back to see McClain, arm extended at him. His eyes were wide as he watched his knife sticking lamely from Theo’s fur. Theo stood on his hind legs, let out a roar that shook the treetops, and then swatted at McClain with a paw the size of a frying pan.

His claws connected with McClain’s side, sending him flying. He landed against the ruined wall of the tower, hitting it with a smack that shook dust from the stone. McClain’s body, bleeding profusely, lay in a crumpled mass on the ground. Theo didn’t stop to see if he was still moving. He didn’t stop to wonder if he’d just killed a man. He merely turned and ran towards Jessica, trying to grab her robes in his teeth and carry her away.

That’s when the pain came. At first, he didn’t know what he was feeling. Only that his left side seemed to open as though cut, although there was no blade. Blood rushed out the wound in sheets, soaking his fur.

He turned and stood, trying to protect his injured flank. In his bear form, he towered above the campsite, searching for his attacker.

The teenage girl — Serafin — stood there, staring at him. She raised a hand, then brought it down in a slash.

Another cut, bone deep this time. It screamed across his chest, exposing his bear’s ribcage. Again, there was no blade, only the over-wide stare of her eyes. She raised her hand again, swiping it effortlessly. Another razor-thin wound across his chest, pouring blood into the dirt.

“Theo, run!” Jessica shouted. She’d managed to get her gag out, and her voice was thick with worry.

He looked at her, saw the pleading in her face, then back at Serafin. She raised another hand to attack.

Theo turned and ran. He let his bear’s body carrying him through a gap in the broken tower just as Serafin’s invisible blade hit the stone behind him. Dust and rubble flew, but he was already out into the woods, away from the tower. The bear was fast, and could see in the dark light of the forest. His paws carried him swiftly between the trees, and his nose illuminated threads of scent. He followed them towards camp, across streams and under fallen trees. Behind him, voices called out, and he knew that the raiders were following him, hunting him. Blood dripped from his chest, leeching the life from him. His eyes batted with exhaustion, but he pushed back the urge to collapse. Only when the scents and sounds of his pursuers fade that he slowed down to a trot. He slogged through the forest on all fours, breathing heavily through his snout. His thoughts were scattered, implacable, whether because of his newly shaped brain or his loss of blood, he didn’t know.

Up ahead, the scents of camp grew stronger. He smelled Blake and Alice and the remnants of their fire and roast meat, heard Tiberius whining, trying to communicate something to Blake. They’d started a new fire, against his advice, and the light broke through the forest in golden rays.

Dazed, Theo stumbled into camp. He pushed through the shrubbery and took in the scene. Tiberius next to Blake. Alice by the fire.

Instantly, they started to scream. Alice drew her bow and nocked an arrow. “Get back!” she yelled at Blake. Blake’s eyes went wide and he drew his sword, which crackled to life with electricity.

Oh right, Theo thought, I’m a bear.

He took a deep breath and reached for his mana, ending the Beastform spell. Mana surged through him again, washed over him in waves. He felt much of it leave him, going from his fur and muscles and into the light that left him, his mana completely spent.

An arrow flew right over his head as he shrunk back to human size. Alice stood there shocked, hands still on her bow, looking at him.

“Theo…?” Blake said, stepping towards him.

Theo wavered on his feet. He’d never felt so awful. He looked down at his chest, which was still lacerated with huge cuts, like from a sword. His blood coated his bare chest, painting his lower body red.

Oh great, he thought, I’m going to die, and I’m also naked.

Then he collapsed into the dirt, Blake and Alice rushing towards him.