The Unforeseen Ally

Not once did the voices ever cease. They came and went throughout his dreams. Some had faces, while others had none. He could hear the screaming of someone as it mingled with the laughter of another. Tormented and mocked, Grey whirled around to find who it was. He came face to face with Liam, who sneered and taunted him, saying that Grey would never lay his claws on him. At the same time, a second Liam appeared, showing his fear and anxiety that his life would soon end. These dissolved into the nothingness and Grey felt a presence that made his hair stand on end. Out of the void emerged an enormous wolf with fur as black as night. Maybe it's because it was just a dream, but she appeared a lot larger than she should have, even by werewolf standards. The air around her rippled slightly with the power she exuded, and even her voice shook his surroundings as it reverberated throughout his consciousness.

I am Hikaon. Remember my name…find me…

Grey's eyes snapped open as the voice faded away. He rose to sitting position and placed a hand on his head. Was that just a dream, or did he really have a vision? He was more inclined towards the latter. Ever since he became what he was, nothing seemed too farfetched. Something was weighing down his arm, and he looked to find the blade still clamped onto it. He sighed. He's going to have to find a way to hide them from the public's eye, for it wasn't really being discreet to have two blades strapped to one's forearms. And he can't exactly place them on his back either, for they could still be seen. But for the time being, it wasn't an issue. They haven't had any human interaction since killing that vampire in that town in Canada. The thought still worries him, but he put it out of his mind.

Elle wasn't there when he woke up, but he picked up her scent leading towards the tunnel. Picking himself up, he sauntered towards the entrance and found himself at the cave's mouth after a few minutes. Surprisingly, sunlight was pouring in from an opening small enough to fit an average person. Using his right arm blade to widen it, he crawled out into the brilliance.

Even as the light temporarily blinded him, the first thing that his eyes noticed was Elle just standing there, basking in the sun's rays. Her brown hair cascaded past her shoulders and along with her skin, appeared to be glowing under the light. Grey was quite taken aback seeing her like this, as if for the first time. It was hard to believe that it had been about a year since they set out together. To him, it felt lot longer. She was reserved in the beginning, but gradually came out of her shell to the point where she was comfortable enough not to care how she acted around him. Sure they may have butted heads more often than they should have due to their tempers, but they've managed to grow fond of each other despite that. Truly, he couldn't even imagine continuing his journey without her, and he had a feeling that she felt the same.

Realizing that she wasn't alone, she turned her emerald eyes to face him. "What?"

"Nothing," Grey shook his head. "Just felt like getting out in the sun. How long was I out for?"

"Couple of hours. Whatever it was you did, it took a lot out of you."

"Yeah. I suppose it did.

"Do you remember?"

Grey closed his eyes and recalled what happened just hours ago. Never before had he felt so…powerful. It felt good, but at the same time it scared him. He thought of nothing else but killing and it was instinctive. He barely had any control of himself. It was just too much. The thought made him shudder.

"Not really. It was kind of a blur."

She looked at him for a few seconds, and for a while, Grey thought she was going to call him out on his lie. But she just shrugged, "Just make sure you don't pass out like that again. It wouldn't do us any good when you're like that and we get attacked."

"I suppose not," he answered. He laid himself down next to her and stretched. "So, any idea what we're supposed to do now?"

The flutter of wings seemed to answer his question, and Grey looked up to find the hawkish raven perched on a nearby tree. It looked at them for a few moments then started preening its feathers. Before Grey could react, Elle was already throwing whatever she could reach at it.

"You miserable little cretin! You almost got us killed! What was the point of sending us in there, huh?"

The raven squawked as it jumped out of the way of the projectiles and looked at Grey knowingly with its milky white eyes. Its piercing gaze made him shudder, for it was looking straight at him as if it could see him, regardless of its apparent lack of sight.

"I don't think it sent us there to kill us. Maybe we were supposed to gain something from this."

"Like what? What the fuck could we have possibly learned from that ordeal other than rocks can now move themselves to crush people?"

"I don't know!" Grey snapped. "Maybe a hint as to what we are. Maybe that we can hold our own against the other freaks of this world and survive. Shouldn't the fact that we lived through that mean something?"

"Yeah, but we're still lost with no idea what to do. We don't even have a trail to track anymore. And I am NOT sniffing Liam's jank again," Elle shuddered.

The raven started hopping from branch to branch away from them, stopping periodically and looking back as if beckoning to follow. Grey took notice and said, "We could just follow the bird again."

"And look how that turned out. When we followed it the first time, it led us off a cliff and into Rock-dude. Who knows what shit it'll get us into if we follow it again."

"Whatever," he sighed. "All I'm saying is that it seems to know something. And besides, it beats just sitting here bitching about it. And I don't mean just you," he interjected as she opened her mouth in protest. "I meant the both of us. Yelling at each other will get us nowhere."

Elle holstered her guns and grumbled, "Fine. But if that stupid thing nearly gets us killed again, it's gonna have more holes in it than Swiss cheese."

Grey suppressed a smile as he folded the blades into resting position. For now, he'll have to deal with avoiding large crowds for a while to avoid drawing attention with his weapons. "Alright bird-brain. Where're we headed?"

The white-eyed raven tilted its head in understanding and after preening its feathers one more time, it hopped off the branch and glided away. In response, Grey dashed after it with Elle not far behind him. Almost reflexively, he found himself running on all fours as his body morphed into its lupine form. The lack of the blades on his forearms certainly made it easier to move. In addition, the added speed allowed him to keep up with the blind bird as it wove through the dead branches. Travelling under the light of the sun left him feeling somewhat exposed. After being a werewolf for so many moons, he had gotten used with running under the cover of darkness.

Nervous? Elle asked

You could say that. We tend to avoid running in broad daylight when we could avoid it. Plus, I have no idea where we're headed now. At least last time, we knew what we were looking for. Now, it could be anything. I know what I said earlier, but I don't like being blind.

Yet you're letting the clearly blind bird be our guide.

I guess you got me there. Maybe we should just—MOVE!

Without another word, Grey and Elle jumped in opposite directions and seconds after doing so, a knife buried itself into the ground where his paw had been. He whirled about, sniffing the air and growling as he did so. Their assailant was near, but the scent as hard to place. It seemed to be everywhere and at the same time nowhere.

Stick close Elle.

You don't have to tell me twice. She replied as she backed up so their flanks were touching. Just our luck, right? First the rock monster, now this. That bird is so Swiss-cheesed.

Grey would have smirked had he not been preoccupied with searching surroundings. He could hear something as it jumped from tree to tree, shadow to shadow. It was a nothing more than a blur, but he continued to watch, muscles tensed to retaliate. A flash from the corner of his eye caused him to snap at the flying projectile as it zoomed in his direction. He flung the knife away, snarling at the shadow that had thrown it.

"Wow, you certainly are a different one," a voice rang in the darkness. "A lot more difficult to put down than other animals, but I enjoy the challenge.

That's right, keep talking you cocky bitch. Tell me exactly where you're gonna come from.

The person was careless. While they were yammering on and on, Grey heard a twig snap to his left. He gave no indication that he heard it, but kept a mental not of the sound of the person's voice. The voice stopped moving behind him, right in front of Elle. He assumed that the attacker was going to spring from there.

Whoever it is, they're in front of you Elle. But make it look like you're still looking for them. We have the element of surprise now.

Gotcha.

Grey closed his eyes and strained his ears, listening for anything that would indicate their assailant's advance. What he heard was the metallic slink of something being pulled out of its sheath. Something in him stirred and somehow, he felt through the earth that their enemy was preparing to spring forward.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. The moment he thought the person lunged, Grey turned and did the same to meet them with an open maw and outstretched claws. As he slammed into them, his fangs sank into their shoulder while they fell. From the corner of his eye, he could see Elle with her teeth locked onto their wrist as she tried to shake off a long and sinister looking dagger from its grip. Blood welled up in his mouth, but the taste was foreign. It was familiar, almost human. But he knew what human blood tasted like, and this didn't even come close. Something lurked in the dark fluid that he almost recognized. He didn't long to ponder on it before he felt the other hand grab a fistful of fur and pull. Grey pulled his fangs out of the flesh with a snarl and turn to face their attacker.

It was a girl, no older than Elle herself. Her long black hair spilled onto the forest floor, untidy by travel Grey assumed. She had a slightly wiry build with skin so tan that it was almost middle-eastern in her eyes are what caught his attention. They were the color of steel and carried not one ounce of fear at the snarling beast inches from her face, but brimmed with defiance and anger. Grey noticed that her jaw was tensed up, as if she was suppressing a growl herself. Without lowering his guard, he backed off a little while still keeping a paw on her to hold her down.

"Heh, what? Did the puppy grow a conscience for the little girl? Well, I don't need it mutt! I don't know what the fuck is up with you, but I don't take pity from anyone, man or beast!"

The teenage girl struggled to get up, ignoring Grey's warning growls. She managed to get her other hand free and was now swinging the menacing dagger at Grey. He wasn't sure how he was able to avoid it and keep her pinned at the same time. While he pondered this, he heard a metallic click.

"Drop it bitch!" Elle snarled, pointing a pistol at the girl.

"Where the fuck did you come from?" she asked in bewilderment.

"Hey! Watch your language! And I believe I told you to drop it!"

Grey was also surprised. What was she thinking revealing herself to another human? As far as he could remember, they had never shown it to anyone. Did she plan to kill her? Yes, she did attack them, but that almost seemed unnecessary. He looked at her questioningly and she understood.

"Don't worry Grey. I'm not going to kill her. If you're wondering why I did this, it's because I'm pretty sure she's one of us."

One of us? The words seemed simple enough, but it was really a very hard concept to grasp. He hadn't seen another werewolf that wasn't sent to kill him and Elle in a while. At first, he suspected that she might be one of Liam's grunts, but Elle quickly put that notion to rest.

"And I know you're thinking it, but she's not one of Liam's. There's no trace of him on her."

"What the hell are you talking about?" the girl screamed. "Have you gone insane? Why are you talking to a dog? What do you mean I'm one of you?"

Elle sighed, "Just show her Grey. Trust me."

With a shrug, he got off the girl, who immediately sat up and backed away a little, dagger forgotten on the ground. Grey circled her, feeling his body change down to the cellular level as he willed the transformation. It almost seemed slow how he gradually stood on two feet while the bones elongated and the fur receded. His muzzle shrank back to a normal face, his fingers grew back, and in less than ten seconds, he was a human again with blades strapped to his arms. He turned from the girl's shocked expression to Elle. "You sure about this? Doesn't look like she's ever seen one of us before."

Elle seemed uncertain. "I don't know. Call it a feeling, but I was pretty damn sure that she was one of us."

"Well let's just ask. Hey!" Grey nodded towards the girl. "Have you ever seen a werewolf before?"

He was met with a blank stare, which was not good. They couldn't afford to leave a human knowing what they were. Next thing they know, a mob will be after them. Maybe what he tasted in her blood was something he imagined. He swung a blade in place. "Looks like you were wrong Elle."

He stepped forward, feeling uneasy about the act he was about to commit. She was just a girl who was probably fending for herself. But they had no time to babysit nor could they risk letting a human know about them and live. He raised his arm. One clean sweep across the neck should do it. It would be quick, painless, and above all merciful. Elle turned away, not wanting to witness it. Grey steeled his breath, in preparation to end the girl's life. It was then that she said something that stayed his blade.

"So I'm not the only one," she whispered.

Grey paused, slowly lowering his weapon. "What do you mean by that?"

She stood up and replied, "I can do that too. What you just did I mean. I can turn into a wolf, both the normal size and the giant one, make myself taller and stronger, and turn into this thing that's like half human and wolf."

"I'm sold," Grey smiled. "Elle, she's one of us."

"How do you know?" she asked, uncertain.

"She just named all the other forms we can turn into. I don't think that's something an ordinary person would know. When did you first make The Change?"

"Um, about a couple of weeks ago," she shuddered. "It's not something I like thinking about."

"Tell me about it," Elle muttered as she sat next to here. "So what were you doing here all by yourself?"

"I thought I was a freak, you know? Figured it would be better for everyone if I just lived in the woods all alone or something. Sorry for attacking you two. I was just so hungry."

"Well I can hardly blame you," Grey said sympathetically. "One look at Elle here is sure to have anyone salivating," he smirked.

Elle kicked him playfully, trying to hide a smile. The girl asked, "So are there anymore of us out there? I mean, I never really considered the idea of werewolves being real."

"Yes, there are other werewolves out there. We're actually looking for some right now before we bumped into you."

"What for?"

"Two reasons. The first is because we need to more about what we are. The second is because there's a bastard that we need to kill."

"Ah, I see. Alright then, I'm in," she said gleefully.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Grey said. "What do you mean you're in?"

"Well, I would like to know more about what I am too, seeing as I thought I was supposed to be a sideshow for the carnies. And come on, you wouldn't leave a fourteen year old girl by herself in the woods, would you?"

"You seemed to be getting along fine before," he raised an eyebrow.

"That was before, but honestly if I have to spend one more night alone, I think I'll go insane."

Grey looked at Elle, unsure of what to do. Elle shrugged, "It couldn't hurt to have another join our ranks. Three wolves do look better than two."

"And it would draw less suspicion since we'd actually look like a pack," Grey nodded. It would make sense to accept another werewolf. Couldn't hurt to have another ally at their side against Liam. It certainly would make future fights easier with an extra set of claws.

"Alright, you're in. But just because you're the youngest it doesn't mean we'll be slowing down any. Try to keep up."

The girl's determination returned as she picked up her dagger and sheathed it. "I'll keep that in mind sir," she said mockingly. The sound of fluttering wings caused her to rise to her feet. She held out her arm as the blind raven perched on it. "Hey there bud. Where've you been?"

"You know that cretin?" Elle exclaimed."

"Yeah. This little guy's kept me company from time to time ever since I Changed. I was wondering where it went. Kinda comes and goes as it pleases. How do you know it?"

"You could say that it's been our guide," Grey answered. He looked at its milky eyes once more. "So where to?"

The raven spread its wings and started flying away with a piercing shriek. Elle sighed, "Well, we better follow Swiss cheese before we lose it and miss out on whatever peril its bound to lead us."

Grey stifled a laugh as he rose to his feet. "Oh, since we'll be travelling together, intros are in order. This is Elle and my name is Grey. What's your—" he turned to find that the girl was nowhere to be found.

"It's Kyra," a voice said from above. Grey looked up to find her in the trees.

"When did you get up there?"

"You gonna ask questions all day or you gonna look for some werewolves," she answered with a smile. "Oh, and do try to keep up. Just cuz I'm the youngest doesn't mean I'll be slowing down any."

Without another word, she started nimbly leaping from branch to branch, running from tree to tree. Elle holstered her pistol. "You gonna let the young one make us look bad Grey?"

"As if," he snorted, swinging the blade into resting position. It had been a while since they travelled in human form, but he was not about to lose to a teenage girl. Taking a second to stretch his legs, he said, "Let's show her what it really means to be one of us."