The Challenge

Chapter meeting the creed before the trial, and a challenge.

     The bubbling of the creek hit my ears and I relaxed, I turned fully out of instincts. I looked down at my fur and smiled, I turned my hand over and stared at the scar, I ran my hand over it and laughed. I heard a branch break and I looked up.

     "You made a pact?"

     "Same as my last life...same terms...and such."

     I stared over at her and looked away at her glare, I looked up at the moon and felt the surge and closed my eyes and breathed in and out.

     "We'll defend you!" She yelled.

     "NO!"

     She backed away. I opened my eyes and looked over at her.

     "No...I'm sorry for yelling, but you will not save me...none of the creed will interfere in what's to come."

     "Once you're dead...after...you can kill them all, order us to."

     "Never...until the head generals death I have a lifelong pact with him...and a lifetime offer...pact excluding."

     "What!"

     "He fears our kind...our people...and most of our kind fear his...we are both the same...in the end...we are no different from them...they have more permanent settlements than us...but that's really the only difference."

     She rushed over to me and looked around.

     "They are my creed...you are my species...they can be as well...or they can remain creed...chose."

     "What if they hear you speaking the way you are they'll-"

     "Murder me?"

     She nodded slowly.

     I ran my hand through her hair and smiled.

     "When our kind changes...revives...they are different...and while I am a bit different...I am not changed...when I return...until I return...lead the creed...but do not...avenge this bodies death...if it happens...if it doesn't...we'll be happy...but if not...do not avenge it...I will return...right as I am...a bit distant to the past...but you're...touch...love...will outlast that all...let's go see our creed."

     She looked up at me and nodded, wiping away tears.

     I closed my eyes and breathed out and returned to my normal form. I smiled at her and we walked towards the creek.

     The rest of the creed looked over at me, all turned.

     "I must leave with the head general...and I will likely be killed shortly after the trial...but we will not take vengeance on this body...you must not...the head general is a friend to us-"

     "Why is he not standing with you in the trial then?"

     I stared over at him, I motioned him over. he walked over on two legs but returned to four as he neared.

     "Is this a challenge?"

     He nodded slowly.

     "Do you want to survive to the next...or do you want it to end?"

     He turned his head at the question.

     "Do you want to die permanently...or just your body?"

     "Permanent death isn't accessible to a plain lover like you!" he growled.

     He charged at me, I waved her away and charged him.

     He slashed me across my face and I punched him in the gut and bit down on his neck, he threw me off and I rolled away into the creek. I sat up but was pushed down into the water with his weight, he held me down. I thrashed and tried to get up to breathe but couldn't, I started to struggled harder against him, but stopped panicling and relaxed, and visualized the forest, and focused on him. I pushed up and kneed his knee, he rolled away roaring in pain. I rose out of the water and walked  over to him and grabbed onto his neck and tore the flesh from it, spitting it out and pushing him into the creek. I saw the water begin to boil and growled and slammed my fish into his chest and saw him struggle a last time and fade away.

     "His next life...will be welcomed into the creed if it wishes to stay, I will not deny one of our own due to past lives...for the life change, changes most."

     I walked next to her and looked over at her and smiled.

     "She will lead the creed in my absence, if I learn of a challenge of unjust suit I will not hesitate to make any of you change ten thousand times in a single night...but I do not want to rule with fear alone...I once did...but not anymore...it is not right...I've learned from the plain...we aren't so different...in many ways...but in many other ways we are different...my mate taught me that...I will go and likely die...my next will return...this body...doesn't matter in the long run...for I will revive, no matter what execution method they use. I will return...and we will fight...even if from the shadows...we will FIGHT!"

     The creed roared and howled. I closed my eyes and breathed out and smiled.

     And we'll win...even if it cost me a hundred lives.

     I turned to her and smiled.

     "Goodbye."

     She nodded and kissed me, I kissed back and smiled at her, I nodded and walked away. I walked past the creed and towards the general, whose heart was beating faster and faster.