The Dragon's Rogue

Chapter 10

The first essential adjustment I had performed when I had returned to my own tent earlier was an extra strap on the satchel, one that would prevent another misplacement, so long as I was careful when I shifted.

I reached for the glyph and picked it up, and then paused. The metal had a strange quality to it. Heavy, but warm as though someone had just been handling it.

I looked at the two men on the floor, I supposed it was possible someone had been handling it. The surface was smooth as well, with a finish that shone without reflecting. I spent a moment wondering at its crafting.

But it was not the time for solving mysteries. I slipped it into a small pocket on the satchel's interior, and tightened the flap, ensuring all of my supplies were secure. Then I stepped from the tent.

The camp was in chaos. Shifters ran from tents, some in wolf form, others human. Many of the warriors ran toward the forest, blades drawn and ready.

I stood for a moment watching mothers herd their children into tents, lighting lanterns within. Silence had descended upon the camp and I shuddered to think of how my people might have learned that lesson. But neither silence nor light would save them, not with these new enemies.

A movement to my left caught my attention. I swallowed.

Shaylise was there, her black hair falling loose about her face, pale and drawn with fear. In front of her, stalking ever closer one of the creatures approached. Once a woman, given the smaller stature of its human parts, it raised its destroyed snout; waving its head to catch a scent.

She was trapped; the beast was close enough to pounce if she gave her position away, but stillness would not save her either. Nor could she call for help without losing her life.

Indecision warred within me. The glyph was the cause of the attack if I could get it far enough from the camp the creatures might lose interest altogether. The entire pack would benefit, and there, in front of me lay an open path to the west. Where no Shifter, possessed or otherwise hampered my escape.

But I could not leave Shaylise to die. Not if there was something I could do about it.

So I raised my device and carefully pumped the lever, loading my last and final dart. Then I shot the beast in its lower half, where I could be sure the fur would not interfere with the serum.

It whipped around immediately, a screech of fury ripping forth. I didn't wait for it to get a better sense of my location, and I didn't spare a glance for Shaylise. I ran, as silently as I could, for the forest.

Technically the moonblossom should have had some effect. The poison I had used on the one from the forest proved that the corporeal bodies of the beasts were affected by such things.

No one had told the beast however. It dashed after me, loping half on it's hind legs and half on it's front. The experimenter in me decided, as I ran, that it was somehow incapable of a full transformation, which would be interesting at any other time.

I shifted as I went. Satisfied when not only my pack, but the dart launcher stayed in place. Pushing my wolf-body's limits I dashed out of camp and up the steep incline to the west, dodging fallen trunks and wide tangled brambles. Smooth, cool dirt spread between my paws as I padded ever upward and onward.

I didn't turn to watch the beast, I moved too fast, one mis-placed paw might bring me down and I would be dead. I did swivel an ear backward, alarmed at the fast paced thudding and snapping behind me.

My heart jumped into my throat. Even half deformed, and drugged, it gained on me. And it was following my scent, which meant evading it was going to be a lot trickier.