K9-Lupus

In most stories, the knight is a valiant figure – a paragon of justice and goodwill of the people. However, in the far reaches of an even further off kingdom, one knight carrying a shield emblazoned with scarred, craggy mountain peaks only abided by such principles skin deep and no further. ******* The path up the tower had been treacherous. Hidden pits with consuming crevices, jolting spikes emerging from stone walls, and a disorienting, ghastly darkness all challenged the knight to his limits. And despite everything which had befallen him, he had yet to encounter the chief terror of this accursed place. Its existence was only whispered through the fear-filled eyes of the villagers nearby – a terrifying wyvern with fire capable of crisping a man down to their very soul that guarded the princess locked away. Upon first hearing the story of the beast, the knight had laughed, bold and unfazed, vowing to return with the princess by sunset. Now as he continued to ascend, eventually

The night of the full moon had arrived once more. Its pale brilliance rose higher in the sky by the minute, casting muted rainbows around the edges of passing-by clouds in a heralding call for creatures far removed from the whims and wiles of humanity. Kaitlin, a disguised member of this hidden clade until nights like tonight, could already feel the first, faint simmerings of irradiated werewolf blood coursing through her being. She hastened gathering up the last of what she’d need: a charged phone, wet wipes, an extra large bottle of antacids, and a jacket heavy with the scent of her beloved best friend Maya Tamaki. Tonight, Kaitlin would be heading out to the Crackle Branches, a secluded stretch of woods on the outskirts of Hayden Falls. The place used to be a popular logging location in Hayden Falls history until regulators came in to preserve some of the native species there. Now that it’s had ample time to heal over, no one typically went out that way to wrangle with the dense

The Origins of Grey Ryder by K9Lupus If I had to put words to the sensation, I wouldn’t know where to begin. There was just something so immensely soothing about learning I wasn’t the only version of myself in the universe. All of the moments where I missed the mark and fell short of reaching my goals and dreams suddenly weren’t deal-breakers; as a being of possibilities, I held the steadfast truth that options were always open to me if I so chose to pursue them. I came to understand that intention – powerful, directed will aimed at a single source long enough could create bends and ripples in the state of things. After all, that's how I came to be. The memories are pretty foggy, but as best I could put together, the Other Me ended up biting off way more than they could chew. They wanted power, control, hope – anything to believe in, and they were willing to do whatever they deemed necessary to get it. And the sad thing is they got all of that and more, but not in the way they

The hot pan in front of the young centaur colt sizzled with the rising, delicious aroma of the cooking pancake in front of him; it was now well on its way to gaining a familiar, golden-brown hue. His father, Rohan, was at his side, eagle-eyed as he carefully monitored his elder son Caspian’s efforts with a beaming glow of pride radiating deep from heart to tail. “Papa, how am I supposed to know when it’s ready to flip?” Caspian sweetly inquired, his front legs balanced steady on the stepping stool beneath him and quite eager to get to the fun part. “You’ll know when you take a good sniff and get a shiver in your withers or a grumble in your stomach. Just like when we all go camping and we’re off exploring a new place together, cooking is a chance for you to listen to what your body is telling you feels right to do or try.” Rohan said, ruffling his son’s hair as he twirled his knuckle through a loose curl. “Right now my body is just telling me I’m hungry!” Caspian unabashedly shared

The county fair had finally returned. Thank goodness. Its familiar array of glowing lights flashed in the distance beyond Tori’s bedroom window with the alluring promise of savory food stands and time spent with friends. She had worked too hard over the past few months to allow anything to interfere with her carefully laid-out plans for tonight. All of those long afternoons spent with academic tutors pounding mathematical formulas into her head would now bear fruit. She stacked the last of the folded laundry onto her bed, nudging a forgotten pair of shorts behind the hamper out of view. Close enough. A tentative knock on the door broke Tori’s attention. “Don’t worry, I’m still here. Come in,” she called out. The broad figure of Tori’s father appeared, his eyes immediately scrutinizing the scene before him. An uncomfortable silence filled the space as his thumb and forefinger plucked away at the scraggly end of his overgrown beard. A heavy sigh heralded the dreaded shake of his

Lance's Hospital Stay/First Transformation When I finally came to in the hospital, my consciousness floating within a sea of sedatives, the doctor calmly explained me opening my eyes was a miracle in and of itself. I was battered and bruised from head to toe, bundled in casts and braces restricting my movements like a sad marionette doll. Not that I wanted to move an inch anyway. The pain was already leaking through the swill of drugs the hospital staff had given me. He had never seen a more vicious animal attack in his career, the doctor had said. My jaw had been shattered–again–alongside my broken collarbone and right hand and wrist. A half-dozen broken ribs stood as lousy guardians for my pierced lung. Claw rakes littered my arms and legs. Then there was the bite, a craterous wound and void of jagged, remnant flesh at the side of my neck. Just thinking about it nearly sent me into a panic attack right there and then, my hazy thoughts flashing back to the gaping maw and the