Anula ran, distancing herself from the screams of the dying. Creaking of old trees and snapping of fallen twigs under her feet reached her ears, drowning out the noise to her back as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. A blur reflected the moonlight forcing her to slow her pace while growls flowed from the deep shadow. She noticed eyes reflecting off the moon light forcing her to stop as five large figures crept out to meet her.

A man walked forward flanked by two gray lycan on either side, his turquoise eyes blazing through the few wisps of white hair covering his face. Two pointed ears broke the surface of his hair and he stepped forward eyeing Anula curiously. When he closed in on her, she stepped back realizing he was a giant of a man, equal in size to Draxz. Intricate silver vines and runes were etched across his oversized armor, entrancing her in its graceful workmanship.

“Fascinating.” an elegant voice said, drawing out the word, his gaze studying her curiously.

Anula tried to speak, but her words caught in her throat. She thought she saw a brief smile that vanished in less than an eye blink. A pungent smell filled her nostrils and the turquoise eyes shot past her and blazed like blue fire. With a nod the four lycan rushed past her in a blur, snarling and howling. She turned to see them intercept three half bulls rushing her way. Wolves dodged their pointed horns and used the bull’s bulk and slower movements against them. Anula freed her gaze, looking back to the silver haired man. He looked down at her mournfully, his lips opening to speak before closing again, his face becoming emotionless and cold. Anula stepped back, her instincts screaming at her to move, but she dug her heel in the ground, ignoring the terror. The man’s body began to ripple and distort, bones cracking endlessly through out his limbs. She stood, watching in terror while the man shuddered, silvery white hair began to grow from his skin, his hands widening and pulsing, forcing sharp nails to form. His head tilted back, his mouth opening in a silent scream. His jaw shuddered and unhinged, growing out into a muzzle of a wolf, his pointed ears growing larger. She watched the transformation in fascinated horror, unable to pry her eyes from the sight before her. His armor shifted and moved to accept the bulkier form revealing more silver runes and designs. A heart beat later the man who stood before her was taller and wider, his over sized armor fitting him perfectly. Anula’s mind raced to keep up with what she witnessed, realizing, the man was now a silver haired lycan. His silent scream ended and he lowered his head, forcing her to look up his long muzzle. His eyes flashing dangerously, a lip curling in hunger to show sharp canines longer than her finger. A low growl she could feel more than hear flowed from the beast.

It stepped forward, its muzzle inches from her face, warm breath pushing her hair away from her eyes. It inhaled a deep breath, her hair drawn back towards its nose.

Anula’s body was frozen in fear, her limps ignoring her commands to move. She now understood real fear. With a snap of this creature’s maw, her life would end.

At last, she let out a breath, swallowing hard.

The sound caused the lycan to change, its eyes flashing before calming, the danger subsiding for a brief moment as it blinked, looking from her to the fight behind her.

“Run.” It said, its voice slightly deeper.

The armored lycan turned and began to run on two legs before picking up speed and running on all fours. Anula shook the moment away looking back to see the wolves fighting another pack of half bulls with pure bloods running their way. She narrowed her eyes in the direction of the fleeing silver blur and ran.

~

The lycan was moving through the forest with a grace she didn’t think possible in the distance. Occasionally she would catch a glimpse of moonlight flashing as the only sign she was going the right way. Anula’s legs began to hurt and her breathing heavy from the run. She pushed harder knowing she would never keep up with the beast who seemed to increase its speed. After a few minutes she fell to the ground, her legs not wanting to hold her up right. Her breaths came heavy and fast, her body already exhausted from the previous days battle and chained march.

Anula laid there till her breath came easier, forcing herself to her feet. She continued forward hoping she had created enough distance from the minotaur force to be ignored. Walking quickly though the dense forest, she continued to look for any signs of the lycan, but he either changed direction or her tracking skills were worse than she had thought. Her heart stopped throbbing in her ears at last and she stopped, cocking her head. Behind her in the distance she could hear heavy foot steps and tree limbs snapping. Her eyes went wide in shock as she realized she had not escaped at all.

She spun in a circle looking to the nearby trees. She knew half bulls were unintelligent beings from her father’s stories, so she just needed to avoid their detection. At last, she spotted a thick tree, its branch high enough off the ground to not cause suspicion. She ran towards it and jumped off a boulder, her hands just reaching the thick limb, pulling herself up.

She heard the half bulls closing in and she climbed higher into the thick foliage. She watched the first bull rush past the trunk and she froze, not wanting to alert them. Two more rushed past and she relaxed feeling relieved, resting her head on the thick branch under her. She closed her eyes and breathed deep, her senses coming alive all at once and she could smell the leaves and the bark. A small breeze cut through the branches and the stench assaulted her, pushing away the beauty of nature. She slowly moved her head and peered through the opening of the foliage. She saw a half bull deliberately moving along the tree trunk.

“Uh… mn… mel... Ss… er…” A growl of what may have been words came from the half bull. The sound seemed painful for the throat to get out. “Ot… er…” a pause and the half bull walked back from where the other half bulls went running full speed. He walked back the way he came and disappeared from view.

“Ss… er…” the growl sounded again. The half bull stopped right below the branch she used to pull herself up. Anula rolled over and stared up into the foliage, her hands rushed to her mouth to prevent her from making a noise. Her hands smelled of blood, when she removed them from her mouth, she could taste it on her lips. A small drop fell from her palm and fell on her cheek following the path the tears she just noticed falling from her eyes. She laid there clutching her sliced palm to her chest trying to keep her breath as steady as she could. Minutes passed and nothing but the sounds of leaves in the breeze filled her ears.

~

“Stupid human, why does he want her anyway when he can have any of the others?” asked the half bull trainer walking towards a tree with low branches. “Queen won’t be liking him having a pet, that, I’m sure.”

“Should just give her to Lord Draxz, he may even reward us for it.” A minotaur soldier said walking beside him adjusting his sword at his hip.

“If you do, Lord Goren will have you gutted, or worse stripped of your horns.”

“Doubt it, it’s just a plaything. He just doesn’t want Lord Draxz and King Rurak to enjoy her. Greedy bastard doesn’t want to share her.”

“Knowing Lord Goren, he has a larger role for her.”

“Nothing more than a plaything I say, that’s all he wants.” They paused, looking around.

“Ukk, where in chaos are you?” the trainer shouted.

“You named it? It’s a half bull.”

“Yeah, it talks.”

“Talks?” Sounds of hooves on the ground came rushing back and stopped in front of them.

“Well Ukk?”

“Err… Err…” the painful sounding growl said

“That’s talking?” the soldier asked looking at the half bull curiously.

“Shut up, he says here.” Hooves beat the ground and the painful sounding growl went on.

“Uuu… eee…”

“Those are not words.” The soldier said eyeing the beast.

“You just don’t understand him is all.” Hooves stamped the ground and the sound of horns scraped the trunk while they approached.

“Ukk says she is in the tree.”

“Ukk says?” the soldier looked between the beast and tree with a skeptical look.

“Yeah.” The trainer said watching Ukk sniff ground. It then forced itself on its rear legs awkwardly, smacking a branch with the tip of its horns.

The trainer reached up, placing his hand on the branch feeling damp bark. Pulling his hand free of the moisture he brought it to his muzzle grinning.

“Blood… Good job Ukk.” The trainer said nodding to the half bull. Ukk snorted in response and moved away from the trunk peering into the tree.

Marching caught their attention, and more soldiers appeared.

“Lord Goren.” Both minotaur pounded their chest with a fist once and stood at attention.

“Where is it?” Goren asked with a slow precise voice that commanded attention.

“In the tree my lord.” The soldier said standing straight. He was a pure blood, but Goren was two hands taller with perfect L shape horns protruding from his head and wrapped in steel tips. Engravings of ancient Aesturion runes wrapped around the base of his horns signifying him as royal blood. Goren, leader of the royal guard stood in his shadow black armor with red highlights along the seams. Spikes lined his gauntlets and cuirass, some still holding gore with wolf hair attached. His thin blades were sheathed at his hip and daggers lined his chest and thighs. To the younger pure blood, Goren looked like Krao Oakum, Chaos’ general of the death legions they all heard tales of in their youth.

“Stop hiding, and you will be under my protection. Don’t, and you will become a broken plaything for Draxz.” Goren picked a chunk of bloody fur from a spike on his left forearm, tossing it to the ground as if bored and walked away without another word.