Lightning, accompanied by the booming crash of thunder, rippled across the dark, intimidating sky as I circled a spike hound, staring into the animal's captivating, silver eyes.
Another flash of lightning, this time in front, resulted in me becoming momentarily blind, causing me to curse as I focused on my other senses.
It was a weakness I had recently discovered with my improved vision and, alongside the tingling sensation crawling up my spine, which I had come to understand as a warning, I took an urgent step to the left to avoid the, somewhat prophesied, attack which whistled past.
Sighing noisily in irritation, I blinked rapidly to clear my vision.
It seemed that while I had almost super-human vision during the day or even at night, during twilight hours and where there was the stark contrast between light and dark at the same time, my eyes couldn't decide what they wanted to do and so, decided to cut the feed.
Well, the last bit might just be me closing my eyes. The first few times I experienced the sensation, I tried to keep them open, not knowing what was going on, which resulted in almost crippling nausea and the urge to violently vomit for the next few minutes.
Regaining my sight in short order, I watched as the creature fell back onto its forearms, my premonition of danger proving correct, as it was once again was forced to land so it could turn towards me. I didn't know how many spine-like barbs the creatures could fire, but the most that I had seen was four sets of two and even then, I had only discovered that number as the last one we encountered, caught me by surprise. Something that nearly cost me my eye.
-"Once bitten, twice shy."
A white blur emerged over the crest of the hill, bearing down on the hound's back and enticing a weary smile to appear on my face.
I brushed the black and white hair, something I had only discovered when I plucked a strand, which was plastered to my forehead by the torrential, monsoon-like rain, out of my eyes as I watched the slaughter unfold.
With all the grace of a natural predator, the Alpha's front paw swiped the hounds back legs out from under it, flipping it on its back before tearing out its throat with unbridled urgency.
Realising that we had probably spent too much time getting the hound into the ambush spot, I jumped forward, making sure not to get in the way of the wolf pup that was already bounding towards the kill, saliva dripping from its jaw.
Like we had done multiple times over the last few weeks... or was it months? I had long since lost track of time during our flight from the still unknown creature, we descended into a feeding frenzy, tearing apart and consuming the corpse at a pace that would shock even the Sin of Gluttony.
Tearing off one of the hound's legs, I ramed it into my mouth, crunching flesh, muscle, bone and sinew before swallowing it without actually chewing.
Table manners were reserved for those with time, and that was something we did not have. We needed to eat our fill befor-
As if confirming my thoughts, as it had done for what seemed like an eternity now, the monstrous roar of whatever chased us echoed across the surrounding grassy hills, startling us from our meal and galvanising us into action.
Wincing as I moved my numb yet somehow, against all logic and reason, incredibly painful muscles, I rose to my feet, wiping the blood and gore from my mouth as I stretched.
My body creaked, poped, and cracked as I got ready to leave.
Run, hunt whatever we came across, eat, sleep half an hour or so, rinse and repeat. That had become my life, and yet, it seemed the cycle was finally broken.
Unfortunately, it wasn't in a good way.
Our pursuer was finally catching up, and it looked like the hunt was about to enter its final, bloody stage.
A low, rumbling growl escaped my throat, yet instead of fear, anger or depression, it was because I was almost trembling with excitement.
It had taken me a day or so into our journey to realise that for some reason, every time I looked at the alpha I was intimidated, yet the moment I realised this fact, the feeling stopped and my mind became a lot clearer.
The same had happened with the roar, and now, instead of terrifying me at a primordial level, my insides coiled in anticipation of the potential showdown.
I had thought that the alpha was the top of the food chain, setting her as my goal but now that illusion had been shattered, I wanted to confirm if this new contender was a worthy replacement.
The intimidation was obviously some sort of ability the creatures shared yet, unlike the alpha, who had steadily been losing strength as the lack of sleep and rest took its toll, with every meal and pit stop, no matter how short, I had grown in leaps and bounds and was almost chewing at the bit to get into a real scrap.
Weeks on the run, through the seemingly endless grasslands, was enough to drive anyone crazy with boredom yet I didn't think that was what was driving my desire for battle.
Right now, I felt better, stronger, faster and well, more powerful than I had ever done before but, I somehow knew this wasn't my limit. Actually, I discerned it was far from it.
If I was an insect, I would guess that I was in something like my larval stage. My body had completely changed since I woke up, yet it was constantly growing the more I consumed. All I needed to do was keep eating. Well, that is the feeling I got.
It could just be my mind playing tricks on me but, as a famous guy once said, 'Perception is reality and reality is perception'. In other terms, the mind is more powerful than the body and a little bit of confidence is good for you.
The movement of the alpha, picking up the pup with its mouth before bursting into a quick jog, caused me to erupt into action, quickly matching pace and casting a quick glance backwards, hoping to catch a glimpse of my elusive, yet ever present, foe.
-"Soon... And then we will see who chases who."
I had no idea where my bloodlust had come from, but the moment I had lost my fear of it, I instinctually knew I had to face the creature that it was hunting me. Not just face it, but dominate it, destroy it and finally, consume it.
If the wolf was the Alpha predator, then I would describe the monster as the Apex. As I wanted to become something... more, I knew that I would need to use whatever the thing was as the foundation of my growth.
Though that didn't mean I had to run towards it like an idiot.
From the time of that realisation, which was probably a few dozen days ago, I started to formulate a plan that would give me the best chances of victory.
The largest boon I could think of was that by travelling with the alpha, even if she were wounded, I would gain an ally when the time came to fight.
The next was, the longer I drew out the chase, the stronger I would become. Not only did my body stop consuming itself as quickly in its desperate need for energy, I had quickly started gaining body mass and strength with every meal.
I put it down to my body slowly optimising itself and getting used to the strain I was putting on it, however, without a doubt, I knew that my adaptation phased was over. I no longer felt my insides squirming around as they had done when I first arrived or the vague sensation that I was changing.
I sighed, wishing that I had used my time more efficiently. Maybe done some training or something.
Then again, it seemed like, even if I was jinxing myself by saying it too early, my body had done a pretty good job left to its own devices.
The first signs I noticed was that I was consistently cold, finding that although my core felt warm, my skin was nearly the same temperature as my surroundings. This was soon forgotten as something slightly more worrying occurred to me.
Since I had awoken, I no longer needed to excrete any waste. Hell, I didn't even sweat, and I knew that was actually a beneficial, bodily function that was required by your average human.
It vaguely made sense, at a huge stretch of the imagination, seeing as I would have been unconscious as my new body was... built, and unable to gain any extra nutrients. So, if I forgot that my muscles should be generating heat and there would be substances my body should not be able to utilise, thus needing to get rid of, it was kind of like dealing with money. Energy and resources saved were bonus resources earned.
Yeah... I had no clue what was going on with my body. I just hoped it didn't kill me in the end. Dying because you can't take a shit would be... an awful way to go.
Another roar, this time close enough to elicit a whimper from the pup to my right, caused my muscles to tense as I resisted the urge to stop and fight.
I felt a vein pulse on my head as I clenched my jaw.
That noise was really starting to get on my nerves.
Deciding that we didn't have long, the creature gaining on us faster than ever before, I cast an eye over the alpha and, within moments, shook my head.
I had hoped that we had another few days for me to increase my strength, feeling like the more I consumed and stored, the better my chances would be in the upcoming confrontation but, without even trying hard, I could see the Alpha wouldn't last much longer.
Since the other wolf succumbed to its injuries, falling to the ground and refusing to rise, the Alpha had taken to carrying the pup, anguish emanating from the poor beast that had lost everything. Her pack, her family, her home. She only had the pup left and to her, her entire world.
A twinge of regret boiled up from deep inside.
It wasn't only because I was using the alpha to save energy as we killed prey or even by staying with her, forcing the unwitting wolf to become an ally in case my paranoia was right and the beast was really after me.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
No, it was because when the adult wolf fell, the alpha was failing to coax it to continue no matter what it tried, a dark, chilling thought took root in my mind.
I hoped that the wolf would remain down and appease the hunger of whatever was chasing us, for why else would it continue its pursuit?, or at least buy us time and I continued onwards, not even looking back.
The alpha caught up quickly, giving me a look of utter hatred and contempt but did not do anything else, so I let it pass.
It wasn't until we were a fair distance away that the howling wind brought with it the agonising screams of the one we left behind, a chilling sound I didn't even know canines could make, and instantly regretted the thoughts I had harboured.
No creature deserved such pain.
I shook my head, trying to dislodge the memory that still chilled me to my core, unbalancing myself in the process and stumbling for a few steps on the wet, muddy slope.
I caught the alpha glancing at me out of the corner of my eye, before abruptly returning its head to the front. It had never forgiven me for abandoning its comrade, yet I think deep down, it understood.
-"It's easy to blame and push the fault on someone else."
The alpha's attitude irritated me slightly. I hadn't forced the Alpha to follow, and in fact, if they had all stayed, they might have distracted the beast long enough for it to lose my trail. Not that it would be the end of the matter. I really didn't like being hunted and vowed that even if it gave up, I would return for it.
Still, that didn't change how I felt.
I shuddered, the image of the poor wolf flickering in my mind. I had happily condemned the creature to, what I felt like was a fate worse than death, just to buy myself some time. What was I becoming?
What made me feel even worse, was that I had a sneaking suspension that I knew why the monster had done it.
Fear is a powerful tool if used by the right hands. Couple it with running your prey into the ground, exhausting them completely to the point they start dropping one by one, it was easy to see that whatever chased us was smart, cruel and above all relentless.
That and it needed to die.
A crooked, half smile, half snarl bloomed on my face as I once again growled, more to appease my restlessness than anything else.
It needed to die painfully. Oh, so painfully.
Looking again at the alpha, trying to gauge how long she could run while having enough energy to put up some form of resistance, my planning was thrown completely out of the window as a roar, feeling no more than a hundred or so feet away, shook my very bones.
It seemed like the creature had become impatient and wanted to end this farce, have a meal or maybe all of the above.
I couldn't stop the grin blossoming on my face.
-"About time... I am sick of running."
I looked over to the pup, instantly noting that it was going to be a massive hindrance in the upcoming fight.
After having spent so much time with the wolf, seen her pain and despair as she pushed herself to carry on moving forward, I knew she couldn't abandon the pup and that if it were to die, she wouldn't be far behind it.
Her eyes locked onto mine and I knew that we had come to the same realisation.
The chase was over, at least for the wolves. She was too slow carrying the pup and didn't have the energy or willpower to keep going.
The alpha started to slow, as did I, yet my insides screamed at me to not only keep running, but to sprint away as fast as I could. Make as much ground as possible as I continue to grow. In fact, the alpha might get a lucky blow in and incapacitate the creature all adding up in my favour.
Life wasn't fair and why should I be?
I could hunt on my own. It wouldn't be efficient, but as long as the targets continued to be spike hounds, I didn't feel like I would have much of a problem.
The wolf continued to slow, and pretty soon I felt its penetrating gaze on my back, as judging me for my actions.
-"What do I owe the wolves? I partook in the hunts, so a share of the spoils was rightfully mine. I only ran with them. It's not like the alpha has saved my life or done something that I should feel indebted to."
I shook my head as it twitched and jerked erratically. Since waking up, I hadn't really felt myself. As if I was an image... or a memory. Or that I wa-
-"NO!"
I bellowed in my mind, forcing myself from the topic I greatly feared.
As an atheist, I didn't really believe in a soul and so, with the destruction of my old body and brain, for how would of it got out of my skull?, even if I had the memories, the old me... the real me, was dead. I was...
Bitting my cheek, drawing blood, I focused. This was not the time to have a crisis of existence.
Concentrating on the problem at hand, I knew what I had to do.
Even though I had often contemplated what I would do in similar situations, often ridiculing people who made the obviously stupid, emotional choice, thinking that whatever they were about to die for was worth it, I now found myself doing the very same.
Yes to live was to win but who said I had to die here? Wasn't I meant to thrive?
Would I always run away from the risks? If so I might as well go find a deep crevice of the world to throw myself in and become a hermit.
I also had the strange feeling that if I continued down this path, although I may become the Omega, I would not be happy or fulfilled. I was a human and as such, greedy. I wanted my cake and to eat it and it wasn't as if the entire idea was without value.
Herds, packs, pride, flocks even human society had a purpose. To increase the survival rates of the individuals that made them.
Would I walk the path of the loner or that of a group?
Also, would I become what I despised so much in humans? To use what I could, discarding it the moment it became a hindrance and not even looking back?
-"Why is the grass always greener on the other side."
There was a choice before me, and without needing to think about it, I had already decided.
Growling at my own stupidity, my feet skidded to a stop, creating two muddy trails behind me.
I was about to break a rule that I had always set for myself, becoming a hypocrite and a liar yet, it felt right, and honestly, when all is said and done, that is all that matters.
I turned, intending to return to the wolf, and it wasn't a moment too soon.
With a shout, I lept towards the wolf pup, who had been dropped on the floor, grabbed its tail and pulled it away from the closing jaws of the alpha.
'What are we doing? We know this is wrong. We must Run. We must survive. Leave those who do not matter."
Sliding the pup under me, I glared into the crazed eyes of the alpha as the voice that had been absent for so long, returned in full force.
If I was honest with myself, something I wasn't really ready to accept yet, even though the voice was emphasising everything I had decided to act against, I had missed it.
It was as if a part of me was missing, yet wasn't. I was half completed, yet whole at the same time. It was a strange, unnatural, almost indescribable feeling which was another reason for my increased levels of irritation as the days passed.
I chuckled, rising to my feet as I placed myself above the pup.
-"Not only suicidal but completely crazy. Fuck it, Who's going to judge me?"
Confidence seemed to surge forth, now that I was complete, as I felt my muscles rapidly contracting and expanding, preparing for the fight ahead.
‘How can you miss us? We are always with us. We cannot be separated. I am you, and you are me.’
The feeling had lasted no more than a few seconds yet, it was already gone. Replaced with renewed irritation at basically admitting to myself that I had missed... myself.
Making a mental note that I would need to talk to myself later, my head tilted to the side, listening for signs for when we would be interrupted.
The alpha, as if forgetting we were about to have company, growled in an attempt to intimidate me, the vibrations resonating through the water streaming down its coat, shaking it into a light mist as she took a step forward.
Once again, my ability to somehow know what the creature was feeling hit me full force.
Pain, anger, resentment, fear but most of all, despair, emanated from the creature.
She had given up and, in her last act, she wanted to spare the pup the same fate that the other wolf, and probably us shortly, would face.
However, instead of understanding her emotions, my own anger exploded forth as I released a threating hiss, magnitudes louder than the wolf, and stomped forward.
"Back. The. Fuck. Off. Bitch."
Our eyes locked and the raindrops between us seemed to slow, then fade out completely, as we glared into each other's eyes.
Two opposites stood opposed to each other. One was on the edge of being crushed by the cruel hand fate had dealt it, the other had been reborn by a similar lot, though instead of succumbing to despair, it had used the tribulations to forge itself anew.
The standoff continued as the wolf took another step forward, its teeth bared as it tried to impose its will upon me. It didn't want the pup to suffer. She thought it was doing what was best for it.
"Over. My. Dead. Body."
My jaws were so tightly clenched that it was hard to speak, yet I did, making my stance on this matter, even if it was to a different species, absolutely clear.
Even though the alpha was seven or eight times the size of me, probably around about the same magnitude difference in physical strength, instead of retreating like any sensible, self-preserving animal would do, I advanced aggressively.
At this moment in time, even with our true enemy about to charge over the nearby hills, I was ready to kill the alpha if I was forced to.
Whats more, I had no doubt that I could pull it off.
While on the outside I showed no sign of weakness, inside I was terribly conflicted.
Not only did one-half of me want to continue running, including the voice that I really should name if I am going to accept that I am crazy, and gather strength but the other half was prepared to fight and kill what I had stopped to protect.
It didn't make a hint of logical sense to me, but I was committed to this path. No matter where it would lead.
My body tingled and the bones in my arms started to ache, yet I pushed it from my mind as a cold, pressure-like sensation starting at the tips of my fingers, expanded outwards before beginning to crawl up my fingers.
For the first time in my life, my mind was not in control, and I gave into my emotions and instinct.
-"You can fight many things in life, but you cannot fight yourself."
I was a man, yet also a monster. A human, yet a beast. An angel while at the same time, a devil.
'Why must we always take the difficult path? Risk is bad.'
My resolve hardened as I glared into the beautiful, amber eyes of the alpha, my jaw clenching so tight I felt muscles start to pop as the beat of my hearts competed with the thunder.
Even as it did, my mind was conflicted. I was willing to stay and fight, yet willing to kill what I was fighting for, and that was... me. I was the contradiction, and deep down, I loved the freedom it gave me. The shackles of humanity were coming loose.
The sensation that had started in my fingers reached my wrist as I took a deep breath and cleared my mind.
I stepped forward, solidifying my intent into images. Somehow the wolf had been able to understand me before. I needed it to do so now.
We were running out of time.
Either the wolf would submit and fight alongside me, or I would kill it and remove the threat.
The creature I had once respected had lost the right to rule, giving up and condemning one it was responsible for.
If it came to it, and all hope was lost, I would kill the pup myself but not a second before.
Why? Because I wanted to.
The wolf leaned forward, bathing me in its smelly, hot breath.
I knew that I had crossed the line. Either one of us would back down, or monster or not, one of us would die at the others hands.
The alpha's gaze flickered to my hands, and I had to resist the urge to check what was happening to my body, as I moved forward once again, my face almost touching the muzzle that was lowered enough for me to look into the creature's eyes.
My lips curled, revealing my teeth, not that she would be able to see from how close I was, yet as I was preparing to attack the alpha, she stood back and... lay down before looking up at me.
It wasn't a complete act of submissiveness, more like she was willing to give me a chance, yet I could see the seed of hope sprouting throughout her body as her muscles relaxed, while some semblance of sanity returned to her eyes.
Not even giving me a moment to collect my thoughts, the rumbling groan, the sound of multiple feet smashing into the soft ground, reached my ears.
I released one last growl at the ex-alpha, daring her to disobey me and injure the pup, and turned towards the pending arrival of our guest.
The feeling of power and control over another washed over me but was quickly subdued by the adrenaline coursing through my veins and the irresistible urge to fight.
I felt my bones pop and creak as my muscles tensed and relaxed, slowly walking back in the direction we had come.
I was pissed off, and it wasn't entirely at the alpha. I was furious with myself.
Spitting on the floor, something I had not done in decades, I attempted clenched my fists, hearing a bone-like clacking noise before feeling resistance as my fingers turned out to be too long to form a ball.
I didn't even have the chance to check as the hill in front of me exploded, sending dirt and lumps of stone flying in all directions, as the creature that had been hunting us, the one that had, for one reason or another, had not only caused me so much trouble, but it has also prompted me to question my entire existence, appeared before me.
As its nightmarish head rose amongst the falling debris, apparently trying to make some sort of terrifying, grand entrance I released my frustration in the form of a roar. It was so powerful that it forced my body back, my feet sliding on the wet ground yet I barely noticed, so focused on my foe.
"Well?" I bellowed, causing the creature to, what would almost be comical if it wasn't so grotesque, tilt its head in confusion at my aggressive attitude, confusion evident on its horrendous, tooth-filled face. "Is that it?"
I knew the creature couldn't understand me, but that didn't matter. It was obviously one for theatrics, and my blatant disregard for them had, at least from what I could tell, infuriated it.