I watched the endless waves of goblins. It really seemed to go on forever; the cages increased in quantity the longer it went on, and perhaps the closer it got to the end. Then it struck me that they'll hold their prizes in the middle. Tens of thousands of goblins had trampled through this wood yet it was just not getting to the middle of the pack. No wonder it took them years to travel this far.

As I looked on I realised something: goblins weren't the only monster in the army. The ground began shaking a little harder as large figures began to appear. They towered over the goblins and probably used houses as tables. Were these giants? No, perhaps they were what that man referred to as ****s? Looking closer I realised they looked familiar. They were large, not just in height but also in width, and had what seemed like tusks emerging from their lower jaw. It had humanoid features but was also a shade of green, like the goblins. An ogre.

I gripped a stone in my hand and lifted my arm. A new thing that arrived along with the hours were long sticks with a flame on the end, lighting the forest and painting shadows of trees and the army across the ground. My pupils constricted and I felt a small pain on my face. My head was clear. I dropped the stone and slowly looked down at my hands. Mud and blood mixed to make murder itself gloved around my hand. My vision seemed to double and suddenly I had no feeling of direction, I swayed and leaned against a tree, not being able to put strength in my legs; I slid down and lay in the cold mud of the forest floor, leaves scattered upon it like stars in the night sky. I looked up but only enough light pierced the canopy to be able to see where I was going.

What just happened to me?

I slowly, fearfully turned my head to stare at it. The lifeless body of a goblin lay with its back across a thick root, its head probably embraced in between other wooden jaws. Suddenly my mind was sharp, yet it took my body an eternity to get moving. I bolted, slipping from the mud but not stopping, crawling and clawing up and over the roots, kicking my axe accidentally, though not regretfully. My mind screamed incoherent thoughts yet my body kept going straight. I raised my arm. What did I do, why did I, who- When did I think of this!? I raised my arm higher. What was going on with me?! Did I get mind controlled, was I being manipulated, did someone find I was reincarnated?! I put it into my mouth. Argh! I spat it out, stopping, and the thoughts concentrated on the object laying upon my open palm. A severed goblin head, its right ear slightly bit off, stared back with a soulless gaze. It slipped out of my grasp as my body tilted and my head hit the trunk of a tree.

I awoke and the moon previously dominating the sky and shining through the canopy had disappeared, abducted from the sky. I want to go home. I lifted myself once again and began running, sprinting, leaping, tripping, slipping. I just wanted out, no, I wanted away. Tree after tree, silhouettes masquerading as little green figures, jumping at me with a stick. Prey. NO! They weren't, when did I think-?

Home.

The forest seemed to entrap me, a labyrinth of living traps, death running like a river behind me. I ran straight, towards the city. Hours or minutes, minutes or seconds, perhaps no time at all passed until I gazed upon the wet grassland laying before the great walls of the city. Home.

I slowed down and only now managed to breathe. I fell and my legs began to shudder, feeling as if they cracked bones, from both the adrenaline, exhaustion and cold. And fear. I didn't wipe the tears nor clean up the bile upon my shirt. When did I even throw up? It didn't matter. I swallowed the air like a man dying from thirst would drink water, or a man dying of hunger would wolf down a burger. The thought of eating bought images of short figures, dead, open, inviting, letting them flow within me, and my heart skipped a beat, or two, or three. I held my head and bobbed backwards and forwards. What the hell was going on?! My scream echoed around the empty field, confusion worming through my thoughts as to when that occurred. My head was clouded, walled in. Something was making it blind. I scratched the back of my neck. I opened the cage forged of my hands and looked through my tears at the sky. The moon was reaching to kiss the horizon. Again, my mind seem to sharpen, but this time the air felt clearer; I was used to being late. I stood, my body protesting, and began approaching the fortifications. I continuously cussed at myself, to myself. Fucking idiot, dumbass. What the fuck was I thinking?! What made me do this?!

Questions for later.

My head had been cleared, and I had to hurry home (what if the thoughts return?). I reached the walls, void of guards walking upon it, and wiped my tears, preparing myself. I stepped closer to make sure no guards saw me and almost fell fully into a moat I had missed the first time I leapt. Luckily one of my legs didn't fall in and I managed to pull myself out. I felt the cool water soak through my clothes and felt it soak away the horror on my hands. I got onto my knees and sunk my trembling hands into the water, freezing cold, and rubbed them, clearing the filth upon them. I rubbed them again, clearing the filth from under my nails, scraping the dry bits. I dipped again and rubbed to clean them. And again. And again. My hands shook too vigorously for me to control them enough to dip again. I stood and looked at the wall. I just had to do the same thing as when I exited. So I prepared to move my mana, albeit slowly and began to draw a Gust spell construct. My hands trembled and immediately made me fail the spell. I tried again and it didn't work. I held my wrist from continuing and immediately constructed a Candle construct, having practised it enough and requiring no drawing. It flashed red as it produced a flame. I embraced it, holding it enclosed to my chest with my fingers as if it'll fly away from me.

It slowly heated up my hands, but shivers shook my back, and my teeth clattered against each other in a cacophony of coldness as my jaw trembled. I didn't have much time. I made the spell sit on my left palm and extended my right arm to draw. A Gust construct pulsed as I finished charging it and empowering it. I just had to spellgrave it now in order to hide the glow. I concentrated and imagined the spell linking with my skin, before moving to my other hand. I then returned my attention to the Gust construct, still floating above my palm. I… I could spellgrave it? No, no that's impossible, I spellgraved it multiple times; it was easy! Did that manipulation… enhance my magic? Does this mean I can't spellgrave? That I'll freeze out here on the field?

Does that mean I'll die?

I frowned.

Not again. I didn't need to spellgrave, I can just use it without it. Sure I'll have to recast it multiple times, and take time to draw it, but it's better than the alternative. I took a deep breath, looking at the flickering Candle flame burning upon my left palm. I felt the heat on my face, saw the clarity of my surroundings. I closed my eyes and extinguished the flame. I opened them again and I drew the construct once more, making sure to put the same amount of mana and, more importantly, give it the same amount of strength. Or tried to. Something that was a little clearer now was that even the ability to more finely control the strength of a spell has diminished. Perhaps the manipulation had some benefits. I remembered the goblin and all such thoughts were wiped from my head. No, it had no benefits.

I prepared both spells, moving my arms so they pointed downwards. I then stepped back a bit before stopping and proceeding to move mana into my legs. Even that felt a little sluggish. I took another deep breath and I ran. 2 steps later and I leapt, activating the Gust spells. I got over the wall, going higher than I did last time, being well over 3 meters above the walkway. I tried to move the Gust spells in front of me and attempt to slow down for a safe landing, however cold sweat broke out on my back when I realised that they weren't doing anything.

Then my stomach jumped as the thrust they did produce proceeded to twist me into a spin. I tried to right myself, but it didn't come as easily as before; I barely managed to make sense of up and down when my back hit a rooftop. I slid forwards across it while rolling downwards. I slipped off the edge, the mix of these actions causing me to flip over forwards and off the roof. I used the last of my Gust spells to try and stop the fall but only managed to waste mana. I hit the ground and I flopped, the breath taken from my body, pain spreading, some clouded by the cold. I think I heard something crack. I tied to lift myself but my ribs and back screamed and I relented. I then slowly rolled over onto my side, pain beginning to fill my shoulder, chest and hips, before I gently rolled onto my back, and realised that hurt as well.

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I stared at the sky, a little bit lighter now as the moon began shying away. That's when I heard footsteps, echoing across and in between the alleyways. And they were moving quickly. I stood up, briefly feeling only pain and taking a second to realise I was standing before walking over towards a nearby alley. Or attempting to. My legs gave out and I face planted, I quickly tried to stand again, not processing what happened when my left shoulder fully dislocated and I fell onto it. I held back a shriek of pain not by force of will but via lack of energy. I could, I should rest.

Adrenaline spiked through me when something picked me up by the back of my collar. I opened my eyes and they were greeted with a helmet half sunken in shadow, half-filled with the sun. The guard scoffed at me, it seemed, before they began to talk.

"Whatcha doing out of the slum, eh? Trying," she threw me a couple meters away, with force yet with care. "Ta' steal?"

I rolled and lost all sense of reality, letting out air in my imitation of a scream of pain. I felt her pick me up again. I looked up and saw she brought the torch closer to me. I suddenly awoke.

"When someone asks ya a question, boy, you," She shook me, "answer them, ya'?"

I tried to respond using my voice but then decided to just nod.

"Good, now," she put me down onto my feet. "Go back to ya shack." She let me go and I flopped on the ground, the guard catching me moments before I kissed the ground.

"What, ya drunk? Tired or somethin'?" She moved her torch closer to my face.

"Ah, I see. Ya got caught stealin and they gon and beat ya up. Can't even walk now, eh? Aight I'll bring ya to your dirt."

She proceeded to put me over her shoulder before beginning to walk. I didn't pay much attention to where we were going, mostly because I fell asleep on the way. When I did wake up it was because I was dumped on the ground like a sack of potatoes. I immediately proceeded to get on my feet, before doubling over as I felt immense pain radiating out from my left shoulder. It seems to have dislocated, feeling with my right hand how it protruded. It seems the guard had immediately left, as the light of the torch was gone. Not that it was needed, for the night sky was brightened already. Sunrise was near.

I had to get home before anyone noticed I was gone. Or before anyone else saw me. Which means I had to get there preferably before sunrise. Looking at the sky, that wasn't gonna happen. I tried to move but my shoulder just hurt too much. Alright gonna have to fix that. Feeling around I found it dislocated backwards, which meant it would be hard to move back in place. And that means more pain. I looked around myself and finally realised where I was. The road below me was muddy, though some stone was still left. Around me were shacks more than houses, with wooden boards haphazardly thrown together. I didn't find any convenient block of wood, and so looked down at myself. I ripped off a large chunk of cloth, exposing some of my left side, and tied it into a thick not before packing it into a ball I shoved it into my mouth and sat down against a shack.

I reached to my shoulder with my right hand, and pulled. It popped back in easily, accented by a blinding flash of pain followed by relief. Alright, now I just had to go hom- NO! I quickly stood up and slapped myself. I started thinking like that again! I looked up at the brightening sky and my mind cleared again, not so focused on my goal. OK, Ok, yeah. I lightly tapped myself on the cheek again. Alright. I started to walk in the direction the guard had moved, looking around to see if any people were awake. I didn't let the panic take me as I was met with a crossroad. I had no idea where I was. What if I get so lost ill never make it back? What if I run into some gang and get killed. What if- Stop!

I took a right and began to half jog, held back by my injuries. They seemed to hurt more now than before, and I was worried I might just give up before I reached a landmark I knew. Landmark. I stopped and looked up. The sky was brighter again, the sun edging, almost pushing to get over the horizon, and I looked around for the wall, the inner wall. I kept going until another crossroad and looked both ways before I spotted the structure. I began running towards it, not caring about my injuries anymore. The road I ran into seemed to twist right until it ran parallel to the wall. Now I can just go around it until I find- I ran past an alleyway before I stopped, quickly retracing my steps. I looked through it and excitedly ran to the other side. I breathed heavily, hands on my knees and sweat beginning to leak as I looked upon what stood in front of me: the magic shop. I looked right and saw the cartographer's, and my heart jumped a beat. I didn't care anymore, I wanted home. I sprinted past it onto the other road and ran through that too.

My eyes teared up and blurred my vision leading to me running purely on instinct, but that was fine; I was almost home. To safety, away.

I tripped.

It scraped the skin off my palms as they tried to stop my body from impacting the ground, along with my knees and elbows. I didn't care; j stood up and looked forward. The sun rose. Suddenly, as the light hit my face, pain pricked at every pore upon it, not that I could acknowledge it; sleep beginning to overtake me. I blinked but my eyes refused to reopen, I stood but my legs refused to walk. I wasn't feeling tired, not one bit! Until now! Why!? Why!? Why is this happening to me!?

The sheer emotions overflowed my eyes with tears and they fell upon the road, some racing down my face. I stood, and ran, half asleep, down the road. I was almost there, almost there. The blacksmith should be on the right. I opened my eyes and through the blur, it appeared. A strangely familiar silhouette, a two-story house with a ceramic roof and an offshoot onto the side. The blacksmith. I got to the front door and my legs let me onto my knees. Home.

Home.

Home!

I cried. I almost wailed, before choking it down. I crawled on all fours and reached for the door, turning the handle to bathe on the warmth inside, letting the door swing open and feel it all radiate onto me. It was locked. No… no. I hiccups and the tears fell silently. I couldn't… this can't… I toppled onto my side, waiting. Waiting for anyone to find me. I closed my eyes, ready to sleep. They shot open and I dragged myself away like a scared cat that heard something, and I did. I hid away in the same alleyway I had escaped to only hours before, and anger, bewilderment, fear, all emotions flooded me thinking back on what I have done.

The door had opened and I heard someone walk out, not daring to look, before the door was shut, but not locked. A few footsteps later and another opening and closing of doors, and I turned the handle again, this time on my feet. I threw my shoes away in the alleyway, painted with dried mud. And blood. And bile. Carefully, I looked around to make sure no one else was awake inside, before making my way to the stairs, trying not to leave any mess to clean up. My hand shook as I opened the door to my room and almost made me slam it when I shut it. I went to the window and opened it, throwing away the clothes I currently had on me into the alleyway to sit along with my shoes after cleaning my body with the clean parts. I didn't care if anyone found them. I reached under the bed and grabbed new clothes, clothing myself. Now that I was inside, I felt a little more energetic. As I went to close the window the sun blinded me. I felt pain and quickly drew the blind, tripping onto my bed. I barely had time to shield myself with the blanket before darkness overtook me.

…

I awoke and immediately knew something was wrong; it was too dark. Quickly, I stood up from the bed and swiped the blind aside. The moon shone from the night sky. How did I sleep so long?! This doesn't make sense, I went to sleep around 6, and yet I woke up at… Night. Sometime after 9. I knew I was tired, but I didn't expect to be this tired. No, something was wrong. I stood up and looked at my hands. They were clean. There were no injuries on them. But I had fallen this morning. Wait what if multiple days have passed? A cold shiver went down my spine. What would mum say? The door opened and Mum walked in. Her eyes glistened and she smiled with relief when she saw me.

"Oh Arry!" She swept me up in a hug.

"I was worried!" She held me by the shoulders and pushed me away to have a look at me. "You must be sick; you're so pale, and slept the entire day."

"How," My voice croaked, "Did I sleep for?"

"A day, don't worry." She smiled. "How are you feeling?"

I felt like shit. I think I began to have a headache at the back of my head, I felt hungry and thirsty, I needed to go to the toilet, my shoulder still hurt a bit and worst of all I smelled to high hell.

"I'm fine."

"You sure, nothing hurting?"

"No, no just," I scratched the back of my head and the pain seemed to get stronger as I pressed the back of my neck. I flinched.

"A headache?"

Mum suddenly turned serious and twisted me around.

"Oh…"

My heart sank.

"What, is it bad? Is something bad?"

"No, honey just… let me show you." She walked out of the room. "Don't touch it."

My hand stopped itself and went back to my side. What did she see? I sat on the bed. I interlocked my fingers and closed my eyes before thinking. I wasn't in the right mind yesterday. It might have been the fact that I had just gotten rid of a sickness and was feeling high and mighty but that's not enough to make me… do that. Yes, I was angry, and sad, but that didn't excuse what I did. I just... killed something. It wasn't like me eating meat, or killing a bug, this one looked human. And I could say it was to defend myself, but I... I started the fight, it wasn't self-defence. I killed it, almost like it was...

'Prey'.

I remember the stray thought from the forest and trembled, my fingers tightening together harder. Why? Why did I act like this, why did I do that, why, why why. Why. Why! I don't know... and that scares me. Wait. I looked up. Why did the goblins take the people as well? It wasn't because of the mana cores, thinking of it they could just kill them and then take them. So then why...? And after I... I tried to eat it! Why? What could I have gotten from it? Why was it 'prey'? Why did I have a thirst for blood?

Blood.

Mum walked back into the room and I pretended to look natural. I didn't dare look at her.

"Here." She handed me something rectangular. A mirror.

"Hold it up so you can see your face." I did so.

"A little bit further away...good!"

She then got another piece and aimed it at my nape, reflecting in the mirror I held. My hand shook out of freight and almost dropped it. What... was it? It looked like scar tissue, but... greyer. It seemed to spread out I a circle, from a deeper scar that was darkened. It looked a little like a crescent moon. I looked at mum, and my eyes teared up. She immediately hugged me.

"It's OK, we can get it looked at." I began crying but making no sound. She sat next to me and began tilting side to side as if to put me to sleep.

"It's OK, it's OK." She caressed my hair. I wasn't crying because of the wound, necessarily.

It was a because... I looked at mum and I had a word go through my mind: 'prey'. How could I? How dare I?! It's almost like I... I wasn't human; it was like I wanted to drink everything's blood, and I had to kill. No... no...

And I got weaker, sleepier because of light, the sun?

No. No!

I hugged tighter and mother stopped rocking me, sensing something was wrong. I tried to hold it in, but the crying shook my body.

And that wasn't a crescent moon; it was the mark of a fingernail.

I stopped myself before I bit into mum's shoulder. I ripped myself away and pulled myself onto the bed and to the corner, mum looking at me confused.

"Arry?"

"M-," I gasped in air, "Mum..." I took a few breaths to calm myself.

"Please..." She got closer and I recoiled, moving further into the corner.

"Please, f-fix me! Please!" I let out crying, harder than I ever did as a baby, shaking my entire body.

I didn't want to stop being human.