Pain.

It radiated from his side and let Charlie know he was awake. At least he was alive. Still feeling pretty weak Charlie decided to keep laying there, keeping his movement to a minimum.

He wanted to take a look at his bandage but there was no light and he was cramped. He wanted to break a bit of the dirt walls down to let light in but knew it was stupid to expose himself while he was this weak.

Stupid or not he did need to break it down, not for the light but to let some fresh air in. He could taste it now, a pungent mixture of blood and dirt was attempting to overwhelm when he stuck his tongue out.

It couldn't be good to keep breathing this in even if his body might be different. Charlie used his head to gently push one of the earthen walls down. It was difficult, dirt kept getting into his mouth and there wasn't enough room to retch properly. There was no water to wash it out either, so Charlie had to put up with it.

It took even longer due to Charlie being extra careful not to put pressure on his wound, but it did eventually crumble. The fresh air was delightful but the sun blinded him momentarily.

The hole he made was just large enough for his head to peek out and to air out his little lair, but not big enough to expose his body to others. He wasn't going to be moving any time soon and wanted a hole small enough to where he could feasibly close it back up.

Having a bit of light to look around he decided to check his body and what greeted him wasn't pretty. The green leaf bandage had taken a reddish hue and there were splotches of dried blood all over. He couldn't see his wound but at least he didn't spot any fresh puddles of blood.

He had survived. For how long he couldn't say, but at least he passed worst of it and made it through the night.

Scanning the area he saw the four corpses of the dogs were still there but in far worse shapes than before. The first things Charlie noticed were the missing eyes in their heads, the shredded fur and bone-y limbs that jutted out.

Seems like some of the forests creatures had their fill while he was asleep. This comforted him at least somewhat since his theory, about the other creatures ignoring him with such an easy feast right there, was right.

Charlie thanked his stomach for staying quiet when looking at the corpses. He didn't know how often he'd be hungry, but at least it didn't scream at him while he was injured. Leaving in his condition would be the same as killing himself.

Having time to process what happened yesterday, Charlie decided to review the events and what he learned. He learned where to get water, about some of the creatures that roamed his area and most importantly he learned something about himself.

His fangs allowed him to produce some sort of liquid that would inject itself at the moment he bit. He'd never heard of something like that but he knew what he felt, and he definitely knew it worked. The dogs would agree if they could.

Deciding to take a look at it, Charlie opened his mouth and tried to remember how it felt to release it. He put himself back in the position of when he latched on to the dog and replayed the memory.

An itching sensation sprouted in his fangs and a small colourless droplet fell on to the ground. Charlie took a closer look but couldn't make much out, the droplet had already drained into the dirt.

He was going to try again but when the itching sensation returned, this time his whole body felt woozy. He stopped himself and the feeling quickly faded away.

Puzzled, Charlie tried it again. The woozy feeling returned and he stopped trying to get the liquid out.

Was he injured in his mouth? Did he run out of that liquid? Was there some limitation that he didn't know about? Of course there was, he barely knew a thing about what he even was in the first place.

Not having any further direction or inspiration, he put the matter of that strange liquid aside and decided to tackle another one of his thoughts.

What was that feeling that overcame him right as the dogs were breaking through? That all consuming hunger that felt like a fire inside him? At the time, he could still feel a bit of what was left inside his stomach before it spiraled out of control, was it related? Did that creature do this to him?

He was skeptical it had anything to do with the creature itself, the memory of his interaction with the golden being coming to mind. He felt the same way back then too. Was it because of Axxatal or those disgusting things that assaulted him in the white world? Did they do something to him?

Thinking about them was irrelevant right now. What good would endlessly questioning those things, that are so far beyond him, do him? He had to focus on what it meant and if he could use it to his advantage.

He remembered that when that feeling faded he felt stronger, more powerful. The world seemed smaller and his skin felt tighter. It was crazy to entertain the idea that he somehow grew in such a short amount of time, but he was finding it harder to explain the results when looking at his body.

Still, he was in no state to test anything out. Once he was able to move around again he'd think about this some more. Looking at the corpses in front of him, he didn't think he'd recover in time to test it on them.

After spending a considerable time thinking, Charlie felt that he was starting to lose his strength again. Before it had a chance to fully fade, he covered himself right back up and promptly let sleep take him.

This time he had weird dreams. All forgotten by the time he woke up but they still left him feeling strange. He couldn't put it into words but felt a great sense of loss. He might have dreamt about Sabrina again, but he couldn't be so sure.

At the thought of her, Charlie fell into a self pitying state and wasn't going to be coming out of it any time soon. His body still ached and he was still in no shape to move around.

Like earlier, Charlie unearthed himself and let in some fresh air. One of the corpses was now missing and the rest were nearly reduced to just bone. Of the three that remained, there was still one relatively intact and Charlie could almost make out something sitting just below the ribs.

In a particularly violent image, Charlie saw something glisten in its chest. It almost looked like a rock but it had this unnatural sheen that just told him that he was wrong.

It almost called to Charlie, it had some sort of pull on him. It tried to reason with him, tried to tell him that his injuries weren't that bad and that it would be so easy to go and... devour it.

Shaking his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts, Charlie tried to set himself straight. He couldn't close his eyes so he physically forced himself to look away, and when he did, the pressure lessened.

What was that?

There are far too many unknowns and sitting in this hole wasn't going to answer anything for him. Yet there was no choice, no chance for him to get a lick of understanding. His body still needed time.

He was getting sick of it and pushed it all aside.

Every time he had a second to think, he'd think about them. About her. Even if the danger was high and the risk of death near certain, Charlie at least stopped thinking about his past life when he was busy.

It was torture to think about them and not even be allowed to express himself. It infuriated him to be stuck in a creatures body, it infuriated him that he was in this situation in the first place. He was once again forced to live, forced to fight and bleed, forced to give a shit about everything when his entire world had already crumbled.

He was doing it again.

He knew he had to stop. He knew he needed to be present, to repeat his mantra and control his emotions, but how could he? He wasn't even human any more, what will this help a monster?

Charlie didn't have the energy to sustain his anger for too long and found himself passing out. Another night filled with strange dreams and feelings he couldn't remember.

He woke in horror as he realised that he could still see light, he could still breathe easily. He had passed out without fixing his little cover of safety. He was exposed for the entire night.

His heart rate fell back down eventually, realising that not even the flesh was touched from those dogs. Either nothing passed here last night or maybe the flesh was no longer good and indeed, he could sense something rancid in the air when he started paying more attention.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Though today, Charlie felt much better. He couldn't have recovered this quickly, but when he looked down at the reddened leaf, it had broken away to reveal some scarred scales, but no wound.

The area was still red and splotchy, but he couldn't see a single open wound and found that even movement was fine now, if a bit stiff. What in the world was happening to him?

If he was still a man, that wound would have taken weeks if not months to recover from. Completely ignoring the fact that, without proper care, it would have been infected and eventually it would kill him without amputation.

Slowly testing the waters, Charlie made his way out of the small tunnel and hid in some nearby bushes. The shade was both pleasant and reassuring, especially now that his previous burrow was a pile of dirt. More so than before.

He was right, there wasn't a scratch on him, but there was some scarring. For this to have happened he must have been sleeping for a few days, surely. If that were true he'd be hungry and yet his stomach was silent.

He decided to head to the river to get some water as he mulled it all over. There was much to explore and understand but right now he'd just have to accept it and move on. Even if he did feel a bit crazy thinking that he could heal a normally fatal injury in a few days.

The river came into view and with it a new group of animals. Some were the same as the last time but most were new guests. There were things that looked like Skitters from his previous life, but as with every creature here, with a serious lack of burnt flesh.

Once in the reeds, Charlie drank as much water as he could. If the previous encounter proved anything, it's that water could become a very important resource. He cleaned his body too, washing away all of that caked in blood, letting the current do all of the hard work.

Feeling refreshed and clean, Charlie headed back to the burrow. There was still a question he needed answered. He hoped that the rock or jewel that was stuck in the dogs chest didn't disappear.

It had a strange pull on him, even when he just thought about it, and didn't want to leave this area without at least attempting to understand what it was.

He came back to the gruesome scene and thankfully found that there were still no curious creatures looking for an easy snack. He could see the sparkling object even from this distance. Even through the blurry eyes.

Almost transfixed, Charlie made his way over to the corpse. There it was again, that same sensation that overtook him just the other day. That fire wanting to ignite in his stomach and feast on the shiny stone.

He couldn't allow it to overtake though, he wanted to find out what it was first before doing anything potentially stupid. Once he got closer he was able to see that it wasn't a rock, or at least not entirely.

It was a translucent gem that had some root-like things branching out of it. Those roots went somewhere deeper into the muscle but they were exposed enough to where Charlie could make them out.

Yet this sparkling gem made his mouth water. He couldn't explain it, it didn't look appetizing - It was just a rock!

Resigning himself to the whims of his stomach, he allowed for the feeling to take lead. This time though he wanted to really pay attention to what was going on, he wanted to know how to use it and not just rely on his body doing all of the hard work.

It was a warmth that built inside of his center, it radiated and felt like it was looking for an exit. It pulled at his mind to get nearer to the gem, it pulled at his stomach and urged it to eat it. It almost felt like a will of its own.

Without teeth this was a lot harder than it should have been, but Charlie bit down onto the gem and pried it out with a lot of effort. A rancid flavour filled his mouth, the dog meat was definitely starting to rot.

As soon as the gem came out and landed in Charlies mouth the feeling that was building in his center exploded. A fire rushed forward and assaulted the gem in his mouth. The energy swirled around the gem but, surprisingly, just waited there to be used.

Intrigued by this turn of events, Charlie let it linger in his mouth for a touch longer to truly feel it all, before finally giving in and biting down. Even though there was nothing to bite down with, the simple action of doing so gave the energy the go ahead it needed.

The stone-y roots disintegrated, the gem melted away and melded with the power in his mouth, quickly dispersing inside of him. A welcome sensation washed over his mind, calming him and filling him with a deep sense of satisfaction.

It suffused his muscles, his skin and even his senses. The world was ever so slightly sharper, his skin was tighter again and he swore that he grew too. The dog seemed ever so slightly smaller now, not as imposing as once before. The feeling this time felt far more powerful than the last, a quantitative leap.

So far everything looked great, there were no apparent downsides and clearly his body had enjoyed it. Whatever sort of creature he had become, it might need those gems to thrive or even live, and maybe that's what he had consumed when he ate the first creature.

This new revelation provided him with a bit more information, but not enough to draw any real conclusions as of yet. He was happy to at least know what he had gone through. Surprisingly though, he didn't feel fuller but he wasn't hungry either. He couldn't be sure this fed him yet, so he was still stuck with that question bouncing around his mind.

With his initial goal completed, Charlie decided to move out of here and look for a new spot to live in. He had scouted a small area around him already and didn't remember seeing any potential spots, so he'd set out somewhere he had yet to be.

Charlie noticed that even movement felt easier, more comfortable since he ate the gem. Happy with this new benefit, Charlie hoped he'd be fast enough now to at least find shelter before night fell again.

Using his enhanced senses, Charlie decided to follow a particular feeling that nudged him in a direction he had yet to take. He couldn't put it into words, but somehow felt positive about following it.

Passing through the underbrush, he followed the paths that brought the least amount of effort to traverse and eventually found himself hiding from a large horned creature. It sent shivers down his spine when it came into view.

What stood before him looked to be one of the leathery birds he saw pecking away at that corpse. He couldn't be sure it was the same one, but it definitely belonged to the same type.

It was large, truly large compared to him. Its wings were thin and covered in skin rather than feathers, and its face looked disgusting. A curved beak that protruded from what looked like a severely caved in face, wrinkles that flowed over its snout and large beady eyes that had a vertical slit in the middle. Atop its head there were two large, forward facing and pointed ears with hair poking out from within.

Finally, there was a large horn made of chipped bone that sat on its forehead, it looked deadly. It would easily pierce him and he didn't think he'd be able to survive an encounter.

Charlie sat still in his position, for fear of making even the slightest of sounds would alert this beast in front of him. That curved beak looking especially nasty after a second look.

The creature meandered around, seemingly unaware of Charlies presence, making next to no noise. Whatever it was, Charlie would never be able to hear it coming. He was already far too close for comfort and this thing just made no sound.

Eventually it took flight and Charlie was allowed to finally breathe again. He had held his breath in the off-chance the creature would be able to smell what he ate and find his position. Charlie started to hate these things; it's twice now they've stopped his advance without even trying.

This scene ended up repeating multiple times. He had come across a whole slew of creatures, all moving in the same direction that Charlie wanted to go. He had a sneaky suspicion that everyone felt that sensation. With the amount of strange powers that had control over him without him knowing, he doubted nothing else was affected.

Yet even with that suspicion, he was still dangerously curious enough to find out what it is and continued in that same direction. He came across more of those leathery birds, large dog like creatures that dwarfed the pack he fought to the death, and even saw another creature that looked like him!

He was excited for all of but a moment, before the creature that looked like him got whisked away by an unseen creature. He saw a flash of multiple eyes peek out from the tree above it before something green dropped on top of it and pulled it into the bushes.

That hidden creature was terrifying. It was the same colour as the canopy, was fast and clearly experienced in taking down other creatures in mere moments. He couldn't make much out from that exchange except for its eyes and its long spine-y legs. There were far too many legs to feel comfortable looking at it.

It also didn't seem much bigger than Charlie, but that didn't bring much comfort. With a renewed awareness of the danger he was in, Charlie set forward with a keener eye on what was above him.

He had travelled a considerable distance, nearly twice of what he had scouted out the previous day and the sun had started to set. Unfortunately for Charlie, he had yet to find a hideout and was becoming stressed.

He wanted to climb the trees to at least get himself off of the forest floor, but he found it difficult to do so without hands. His movement technique didn't quite work in ascending the vertical bark, so he needed a new approach.

If he couldn't find one, he'd make one in the only way he knew how.

He found a spot where there were a lot of bushes under a tree and made sure there were no surprise guests waiting for him in the foliage. He did find that there were small bugs and even a rodent, but at the mere sight of Charlie they all fled. Good, it would save him time from having to deal with all the critters.

Charlie found a flat looking stone nearby and wrapped the tip of his tail around it. It felt stupid wrapped in his tail, but there was no other option. Charlie wasn't willing to use his face to move dirt again.

Using his newfound strength, he used the stone as a sort of leverage to lift up some dirt around the tree roots. It was awkward and nearly useless, but at least he wasn't looking to dig deep, just enough to clear out some space under the massive roots so he could squeeze himself in.

By the time he had finished and was able to plop his body down from exhaustion, night had already fallen. This time there was no hole left for fresh air, this time he had made sure that there was nothing outside his house that would attract any unwanted neighbours, and finally gave himself permission to relax.

It was a long and stressful day, but a day he had survived. That on its own was an achievement as he so plainly saw. The image where one of his kind was ambushed and quickly finished off flashed through his mind.

After letting his mind wander for a while, enjoying this peaceful moment, Charlies thoughts once again set on his wife. Though, something was a bit different this time. His heart ached a touch less, and his mind didn't fill with the deep sense of self pity. It still filled with pity, but it was far less impactful.

Charlie didn't like this. He didn't want to feel better, not yet.

He hadn't processed, or grieved properly yet, and didn't want his decisions to be taken away from him. Was it his body? Was it that he became this creature that was muddling away at his mind? Was it any number of those golden and terrifying creatures he had met? Did they do something to his mind, to his soul?

As usual there were no answers. There was nothing and no one to help him through the deep, unsettling questions that raged in his mind. Even if he could come across another person, another human, they would either be terrified and run away or try to kill him. He knew they would, he had something that could kill creatures in minutes, there was no chance he wouldn't be killed on sight.

Frustrated and angry, Charlie attempted to push those thoughts to the side. He wasn't going to get anywhere tonight and it infuriated him. Charlie tried focusing back on the sweet memories of his wife, but even that warmth was ruined by the simmering anger that lay just beneath.

All that work today though really did tire him out and he wasn't allowed to simmer for too long before falling asleep. The dreams tonight were especially vibrant, especially important, but as he woke again they quickly faded to nothing but a lasting sense of urgency.