Old Blood and New Ch. 03

The woman didn't react. If anything, she froze in place.

Vyn tried to holler, but he couldn't make any noise.

The flames grew and grew, enveloping the brazier, and soon it covered everything, even the woman. Vyn only saw flames, felt heat, and then he only saw smoke.

He coughed himself awake.

Vyn shot up from his bed and slammed his feet down to the floor. He could smell the smoke. The night was dark, as it often was, but he did see some glowing from his bedroom door. He went to that door and gingerly tapped it with his fingertips.

Far too hot!! Blazing!!

Flames had reached the second floor already!!

Vyn went to the nearest window, flung the shutters open, and looked outside. He saw so much fire! It was spreading in the grass too!

There was no other option.

Nude, Vyn didn't look for a shirt nor drawers, didn't throw a coat on, didn't even tie his hair back. He looked up to the sky, used his thoughts to reach deep inside himself, and then his thoughts called out to the beast.

The Beast.

For younger ones, it was a slow and painful process.

He was in his prime. He'd grown past that.

It was much quicker, with only a few pops and aches here and there.

His point of view rose as his height changed. His bones hardened and lengthened. His teeth did much of the same, especially the canines. His nose and mouth stretched out only a bit. His ears pointed themselves out. The hair on his body retreated, even the curls on his head, and then out grew a completely different set, more like thick brown fur.

His sense of smell, his hearing, and even his sense of taste, all were elevated.

He hadn't done this in a long time, hadn't really needed to, but it felt good, to be honest. He'd missed it.

Maybe Vyn had been trying to deny this part of himself, even though he'd never admit to thinking that way.

But if he was ever going to leap far enough not to burn his feet and fur, he needed more force. Besides, in case a bone might break, he needed to be tougher.

And when in wolf mode, werewolves were fucking tough as shit.

He took a ragged but calming breath. If he was too frustrated or upset as he jumped, his joints would be more likely to tense up. That wasn't a good thing.

He lifted a leg, his elongated and clawed feet pressed onto the windowsill. The padding there didn't even feel a splinter, for Vyn had sanded and painted the wood long ago. His clawed hands, which had also some padding, gripped the vertical edges. He used his muscles to launch himself through the window.

In the few seconds he was in the air, Vyn heard it.

Rustling and panting.

It was a layer under the flames.

But there was also the layer off in the trees.

Once he landed on the ground, rolling diagonally as he did so, the noises hurried, and there was even the feeling of great footsteps disturbing the earth, vibrating towards him. He smelled them all too, musky and heavy.

OUT!! GET THE FUCKING SHIT OUT!!

He got up and ran towards the trees, but where he thought there were fewer intruders.

Even as the world zipped by his vision, even as his speed increased, he knew he was being pursued. He could hear their claws biting into the earth. He even heard them scratch at trees as they used them as platforms to push themselves forward. Vyn found himself doing the same thing.

One was getting closer.

Vyn was able to bend an irritating tree branch so it would slap the one behind him. He hoped it would be a distraction.

While he did hear the thunk of wood whipping back against someone's face, it didn't do much good.

Vyn could smell him. He was certain it was male. He had a hint of dust and chestnuts in his scent. It was terrifying. Vyn's heart was beating like it wanted to murder someone. His breath was rushing and turning his throat raw.

He managed to get a bit more of a distance because he'd thought to jump over some thick tree roots. While the creatures hurrying after him had done the same, the one closest to him actually stumbled. Vyn heard him yip like a puppy and land on the earth with a bam. He might have been so excited that he'd forgotten to concentrate well.

When Vyn was able to make out a new fence in the distance, a fence with some kind of twisted ribbon decoration, he decided he didn't care about trespassing. This was an emergency. He leapt over that fence and kept going. His pursuers had the same idea. They also went over the fence.

They weren't too far into the aristocrat's territory when Vyn heard the roar of a great beast. That was a bear. He knew it was a bear. Bears sounded distinctly different from werewolves.

Some bears were, in fact, nocturnal.

Maybe one of the followers could get caught off guard by the bear?

Vyn changed his course and sprinted on towards that noise.

Hooves?

Men's voices?

No. No!!

Vyn knew he wouldn't send the monsters over to that area. Those hunters likely didn't have a chance of dealing with the horrors.

He kept running, but this time in a new direction. He heard the river. Part of it must run through the lord's hunting grounds. That made sense. Water attracts animals, people too. Or course the aristocrat would have the river in his hunting grounds.

If Vyn could manage to take more distance and get to the river...

His legs were like machines. Steam and coal might as well have fueled him. His breath was intense but constant. He adored the moonlight, bathed his sight in it, and used his nose to enhance everything he saw. He felt as if he could learn this place very quickly if he was given enough time.

The sound of the water grew louder.

And yet, so did the sound of hooves.

No!! Don't come near!! Don't rush into a horrible death! A single werewolf was dangerous enough, but not even another werewolf could handle multiple at once.

Unless...?

If there were hunters here...

That meant...?

Could the aristocrat be used as a distraction?

But what if the approaching horse bore one of the aristocrat's hunting friends instead?

Fuck!!

Vyn needed to get the river. It was the best bet. He'd jump into the water to hide his scent. He'd go with the current just long enough to be lost to the followers.

Closer... closer!!

He was knocked in the back so heavily that his breath was knocked too, right out of him as he fell to the earth. He was able to ram his elbow behind himself and get the offender mostly off of him, but there was soon an absolute beast was in his vision. Furious teeth and dribbling slobber. Golden eyes shining in the moonlight. Deadly claws swiping and long fingers trying to grasp any part of his victim.

Vyn had to dodge and roll away from claws that wanted to dig into his throat and belly, even his eyes. When the beast straightened, Vyn had to block and avoid kicks that were enhanced by more claws. If this was an ordinary human, or at least a werewolf in his typical human form, Vyn wouldn't have as much of a problem. But Vyn wasn't all powerful, and he knew more werewolves were coming.

He had to get away!!

He sunk the claws of one hand into a random tree and pushed himself up a bit with his feet, climbing, but instead of moving all the way up the tree, as he'd hoped his opponent would assume, Vyn pushed himself to one side and landed on the ground again. His opponent corrected for his behavior very rapidly.

Such a dangerous monster!!

As afraid as Vyn was, he knew the opponent was quite respectable in his way.

There was the burning, digging feeling of claws right at Vyn's side! He yelped and tried to continue. He couldn't afford to stay and fight.

More were coming!!

He felt the blood leaving him right after the flesh was torn. It trickled down and into his fur.

MORE WERE COMING!!

Run!! RUN!!

Vyn didn't know how long he kept running. He didn't know how many minutes were being wasted. He did know he smelled a great amount of blood, his own blood.

Eventually, the fast opponent caught him again. His arm wrapped around from behind. The claws raked diagonally, from the collar bone to the waist. Vyn growled and gave into his instincts. He tried to snatch up the hand that had attacked him, but that distracted him, and he tripped. He fell down.

The opponent was on him again.

POW!!!!

The sound of a gunshot close by rang through Vyn's ears and deafened him for the moment. As the ringing came, he watched the other werewolf jolt with the bullet's force, and then he fell back.

Holding the deeper scratch on his side with a hand, Vyn forced himself to his knees with a pained whine. His curiosity was troublesome. He actually looked at the now limp beast. Soon, it would transform back into its human form, but Vyn didn't want to stay long enough to watch. He only looked to see if he could guess where the bullet wound was.

Oh wow.

Right in the beast's forehead!

Groaning, Vyn struggled as he got to his feet. He was beginning to feel light-headed and weak. How much blood had he lost?! He touched more of his side.

He made a cracking, squeaking noise.

A good portion of himself was coated in blood.

Were any vital organs damaged?!

SHIT!!

No, don't panic! No!

Vyn moved to run again, but he coughed and trembled. He felt like his strength had been siphoned away.

As he met the earth again, he felt the horse's hooves coming closer. Then the other werewolves. Vyn used an elbow to push his bleeding torso up, and behind himself he smelled the horse. That wasn't all. Leather, cotton canvas, linen, sweat, and dirt.

The one riding the horse.

But Vyn was looking towards the growling figures that were speeding towards them. There were perhaps five or more.

The mounted one announced in a clear, loud voice, "This werewolf is now in my custody! You must retreat by the order of Duke Kaspier Aloithio!!"

A man's authoritative tone.

The werewolves didn't listen. They didn't even stop.

Another gunshot! Vyn flinched and put a hand to one of his ears.

One of the werewolves was left behind in the darkness as he collapsed.

An excellent shot this man was! But there was no way he could get all of them in time! They were too fast!

The mounted man suddenly gave another order, or it sounded like an order. There was such power in his voice!

"Defend!!"

As if they'd been hiding in the trees, the silhouettes of bats appeared and swamped over onto the werewolves. The amount of bats was purely insane, like a cloak of night. Their sudden screeching was overbearing. Vyn thought he'd rather listen to a few more gunshots.

Now dealing with an ungodly amount of bats on their bodies, likely biting and scratching their eyes out, the werewolves were forced to pause.

Vyn heard the man dismount, landing on the earth with an elegant type of thump. Then he felt a gloved hand on his shoulder. "My familiars are weak! We must go before their time fades!"

Vyn tried to turn to look up at the man, but before his eyes could perceive much he was scooped up in one of the man's arms.

Vyn was already a big fellow. As a werewolf he was pretty damn huge.

This guy didn't even make a noise as he took Vyn with a single damn arm!!

Vyn was slung over the horse, with just enough space for the other man to mount, and he did. Then, using a hand to steady Vyn, and the other to control the reins, the hunter rushed the horse back into a fast run.

They were leaving.

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