"Ronan, shackle her," my so-called master growled at the fighter, one of the few thugs he still had.

"Why the fuck don’t you get Branwen or Harcon to do it… boss? You saw how that bitch took out Stone and Rurik, even with a collar around her neck." The man’s voice had a bite, but he kept his distance from me, staying cautious like the workhand. Good to see. They rightly feared me, or rather the beast inside me. I feared it too, though not as much as I feared those suppression shackles in the hands of the workhand. And then there was her. How could I ever forget that bitch? In that way, she had gotten into my head a long time ago.

'For fuck's sake, stop thinking about her, Korra!' The thought that this could be a way for her to actually get inside my head hit me hard, forcing me to double-check that my mental defenses were holding up - well, as much as I could, which basically meant making sure I was using [Indomitable Will] and praying that I was using it right.

I managed the first one, but not the second.

"Give me the damn shackles, you pussies. I’ll put them on her myself." Fed up with her useless crew, the hulking woman stepped in, yanking the suppression shackles from the workhand’s fumbling fingers.

'Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Fight or flight?' Neither seemed like a good option.

[Bruiser: ₪ sigils]

With the strength she had, I would be just asking to end up like Vara, not to mention the others in the clearing at the Esulmor Edge Inn. There was no fighting my way out alone, and running wouldn’t do much good either. Even if, by some miracle, I lost them in the woods, I couldn’t just leave. Not with those two women locked up in that cage.

'No! Not again!'

With a quick glance at the two of them, I made up my mind, unlike Harcon, who either changed his or couldn't decide on the right moment to strike. Sure, I wish I had the leeway to choose like he did, but I didn't. Between the shackles and the beasts, even though they both suppressed me in their way, I would take the beasts any time - at least there was a kind of freedom in that.

With the bruiser woman just a step away and the beast clawing at the edges of my mind, I let it loose. As many times before, twice, instead of turning into a full beast, growing in size, and losing my sanity to my beastly urges, I remained stuck not even halfway through the shift.

The patches of my fur and feathers that I had in my human form spread a bit. My hair had grown, and my sense of smell had improved. But above all, the biggest change came to my hands and feet, now covered wholly in fine fur. I grew paws on my human legs, and my bitten nails turned into sharp claws once more.

Not a very impressive change, if I were to be honest, but one that gave the bruiser female pause and me enough time to suck in a breath and roar at the top of my lungs, knowing full well that the volume of my shout didn't really matter so much as opposed to my intentions. So I put my whole heart into it, calling out to the beasts, daring them to come for me.

»ROAR!!!«

»Beast!«

»Another beast!« neighted the panicked scalehoofs.

"You brainless idiots! Shut that mutt up!" barked the mind-bitch, but to her horror and the horror of the others, the deed was done. Despite my roar coming out of my throat bare of my might, the forest responded. Only a few - no more than half a dozen, as far as I could tell - but the mossbears’ roars filled the clearing, striking fear into the hearts of those gathered here, mine included.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

»M-M-More beasts!«

"Tsk. Why are they all so fucking brain-dead," the mind-bitch, her hand cutting through the air. The seven brainwashed Shadowbreakers moved in sync, the two mossbears lumbering with them, forming a tight ring around her. Her glare bored into me, sharp as any spear. Yes, that bitch had finally found the guts, or maybe it was desperation, to attack my mind.

Of course, I wish she hadn't. Ready as I was, her pressure pushing on my mental defenses was overwhelming. But there was no talking myself out of this. But there was no talking myself out of this.

* 113th glyph engraved on Indomitable Will (⦿⦿⦿⦿)

With a whimper escaping my throat and the Lattice notification tickling in my skull, I hit the ground on my knees, ignoring the so-called master barking at me to stay still. Then, the bruiser’s huge massive hand clamped around my throat, and the next thing I knew, I was up off my feet, legs flailing uselessly.

"Finally, someone with a brain," the bitch barked, pleased, still scraping around for a way inside my head. "Now put those shackles on her before she... Rotten brain! Who cleaned your mind, mutt?! Who taught you?!" she snapped, frustrated with what Rayden did and my efforts to keep her out of my mind. I had to admit, I was kinda proud; must have been doing something right. Unfortunately, with my lungs strangled for air, my focus started rapidly slipping.

'What the bloody hell is Harcon waiting for?!' Did the bastard want to see me in shackles, or see the bitch make me her thrall? ‘Over my dead body!’ Pretty sure my claws wouldn't do the hulking female much harm, not in time, I drew the little bit of breath I could, knowing full well what would follow.

'Come on, beast. Do your worst!'

No need for words. Whether I liked it or not, the beast was now a part of me. As such, it knew very well what it had to do. My body surged with raw ferocity as the beast sprang from the deepest parts of me, its roar drowning out any thought I had and pushing the bitch away from my mind.

"No! No, stop her!" she screamed, panic taking over. But it was too late. With the next heartbeat, my beast might ripped out of me, rattling everyone in the clearing to their bones - well, except maybe for the two mossbears. Most just stood there, frozen. Some reached for their weapons, while others held their breath, more than afraid of me of what might come. The smell of my so-called master's piss filled the air and the clang of shackles hitting the ground broke the stillness that fell on the clearing. My wheezing breaths followed.

The big female let go of my neck and dropped everything she was holding, taking a few steps back to get into a defensive stance. I, on the other hand, fell on all fours, struggling to suck in the air I desperately needed. The choking aside, the sheer force I had just unleashed, had left me completely breathless.

"Fuck! You two, grab her," the mind-bitch snapped, barking orders at her Shadowbreakers while she scrambled onto the back of one of the mossbears.

"What in the world was that?!" Ward growled, demanding an answer. "And what the fuck are you doing?"

"What do you think? I'm getting out of here. Soon..." She didn’t get to finish as the woods around us erupted with the roars of its beasts, reacting to my might.

"Tsk. Look, Bastian. If you were half the leader you pretend to be, this wouldn’t have happened. Your plans sucks a brain."

"The fuck? How is this my fault when you're the one messing up my plans while basically forcing me to have my hands tied behind my back? If you'd tell me what she is capable of..." Out of nowhere, an explosion cut off Ward’s argument with the bitch, lighting up the clearing. A pained roar of two Shadowbreakers she sent after me, now in flames, followed along with the neighing of confused scalehoofs who finally shook off the shock of my might.

»Beast a Lady?«

»Lady, here?«

“Harcon?! Are you out of your mind?!" Ward bellowed, beside himself and oblivious to the scalehoofs. But honestly, I couldn't care less, for I was no longer alone. The former Master Guard stood there in a fighting stance, his left hand blazing with fire, his right gripping a staff. More and more flames gathered around him as he cast spell after spell. Just watching him gave me chills. I knew just how hot those flames could burn. Yet I found myself baring my teeth in a grin back at the male, as he glanced at me, sorry for taking so much time written all over his face.