The Change

by Lori Aisling

  Hearing movement behind her, she looked up to see Bror’s ice-blue eyes staring back at her. She took in his perfect, muscular frame, her pulse quickened, and she remembered running her hands over those hard muscles that were so obvious through his clothing.

  “Good morning. Are ya rested enough for another day? You know you can ride with me if you are still weary,” Concern dotting his features.

  “Nah, I feel good!” She said, smiling. “What’s the plan? Are we just running from the chayn, trying to buy time until we find Caspian and Bane or do we have other ways to fight Chaos in the meantime?” Boz plopped down on the ground next to her with a cup of coffee in hand and she patted his leg in greeting as he silently listened to the exchange between her and Bror.

  “I’m glad you are accepting this and looking for solutions, Bristol. We know this is a lot for ya ta take in and it’s understandable that you would doubt us. We cannot defeat Chaos without all the Others, but she appears to be one step ahead of us. With the amount of chayn in that horde, it is obvious that Chaos is building her power. This means she has at least some of her Others and is mounting her defense against you. We will need ta eliminate as many of her weapons as we can, even without Bane and Caspian. The more the chayn kill and maim, the more upheaval it will create in the populace. This, in turn, feeds Chaos and her power grows. We will soon have more to deal with then just chayn. She will begin manifesting larger, more powerful beasts and the scales will tip further. I recommend we start stoppin’ a bit earlier in the evening and work on some fighting exercises. We will need to engage smaller, more manageable hordes and wipe them out ta keep her power from continuing to escalate.”

  “Larger more powerful beasts than the chayn?” Jessie asked as she grabbed a piece of leftover venison and began gnawing on it. “That is where I walked in on this convo. Sounds like fun. When and where the fuck did I sign up for this crap? Cuz I kinda wanna renegotiate my contract.”

  Ristan chuckled as he joined the group. “Yes, Chaos isn’t just a one-trick pony. The more power she amasses with the chayn creating the emotions that feed her, the more creatures she can manifest using the magic of her Others and herself. Since this is all just a war game for the gods, there is no limit to what Chaos can create with enough power. Since she will have gods rooting for her success, they will aid her in any way they can to defeat us. Ideally, taking out some of her Others would be extremely beneficial, but that is easier said than done. They don’t fall easily and they are extremely powerful.”

  “On that happy note, perhaps it’s time to put some miles between us and that last horde, then,” Jayson said. “I think it’s a great idea to break early and get some training in if we are going to intentionally take on a number of those stinkin’ bastards. Obviously, just running is not going to help. We are going to need to fight back.”

  Jessie sighed and grabbed Bristol’s hand, pulling her to her feet. “Come on, pretty lady. Get naked with me!” She giggled and arched her eyebrows at the guys.

  Boz smiled and shook his head as he headed towards the horses, two packs slung over his shoulder. Ristan and Jayson finished rolling up the bedding while Bror doused the fire with the leftover coffee and kicked dirt over the dying embers. Jessie and Bristol folded their clothes before shifting. Feeling frisky thanks to the cool morning air, they continued to tease each other, Bristol stomped her hooves at the tigress while the cat swatted playfully at her, mindful to not make contact.

  The group headed out, still bearing west, at a brisk pace. With no sign of the horde of chayn, it wasn’t necessary to spend the whole day at a run or gallop. Bristol flared her nostrils and took in the smells around her. Cool mountain air, blooming wildflowers and the scent of a creek ahead of them was all she could detect. It was relaxing and the views were spectacular. She could see what she was sure was the Rocky Mountains in the distance and they jutted from the earth, reaching for the sky. Concentrating on Ristan and Bror, she reached out to them in her mind. “What are we looking for and where are we headed?” she asked.

  Bror turned in his saddle and looked back at her. “We were thinking we would head for the next town. We can scope it out, make sure it’s safe and see if there is word of attacks by the chayn. We need ta get an idea of how far their reach is and how fast their infection is spreadin’. Without contact with other humans, it is hard to know.” He spoke aloud, knowing she could hear him, but so could the others. Bristol was unable to use her voice while shifted, yet she understood spoken word as efficiently as she could in her human form.

  “So when we come to a town, we just blend in, ask around, and act like drifters?”

  “Yes, that seems to work well,” Ristan answered. “People like to talk about the good and the bad things in their lives. When faced with strangers, they either want them to know how terrible things are to prove their moxie by surviving, or they want to brag about how they are the top of the food chain in their little spot in the universe. Bars and restaurants tend to be the best places, but trading posts and the like can be useful as well,” he added.

  “Will Bane and Caspian go to towns, too?” She asked.

  To answer her personal question, Ristan responded telepathically. “I am sure they will. Once one of us find our Other, the beacon to you becomes stronger. Once you come into your powers after The Change, we all can kind of ‘feel’ you. Keep in mind we are all placed on this realm in relation to our connection with direction. For example, I am north, so I was placed in the Northern section of this realm. Bror is west. Depending on where they are placed, it could take either one of them much longer to find us. We never know exactly where you will be. We just ‘feel’ like heading a certain direction.”

  “I could tell when Ristan found ya,” Bror added. “Not for certain, but I felt a stronger pull, a sense of urgency and it kept me heading in your general direction. I know that with two of us here, that pull will be even stronger now and the other two will be headed towards us. Remember how large your realm is. Bane is east, so he could either be struggling to catch up, or he could be crossing a sea ta find ya. It is not uncommon for many years ta pass until we are all reunited.”

  “How long were you looking for me?” She asked. “I am sure it was not helpful that I kept moving around.”

  “I would say it has been around eight years or so since you came into enough of your power to really start sending a signal strong enough to consider more than just a guess,” Ristan said.

  “Oh, God! So all this time, you have been looking for me, Chaos has been getting stronger, and I was just oblivious! There has got to be a better way to do this! The deck is already stacked against us!”

  “The gods did not intend for this ta be a simple task for you, Bristol. If you were ta know all the answers, it would be much easier for Chaos ta be defeated and the realm ta survive. Many of the gods prefer a new game. The deal that was made with Adrestia assured no meddling by the gods in the realm for a full century should you defeat Chaos. That is a long time for them ta be out of a playin’ field.” Bror added.

  “I know I have a lot to learn still, but from where I am standing, the gods are assholes. To play with human lives like this; torture, and destroy realms, it is mind-boggling to me. Why build all the realms and create all of us and everything here, only to have us fail?”

  “When you get them all together in a counsel, please ask them that for us, too,” Ristan grumbled.

  The friends continued to chat, much of the conversation spoken out loud with Ristan and Bror communicating to the rest of the group all of Bristol’s questions and comments. Jessie voiced her displeasure with growls and snarls when the conversation didn’t appeal to her, which was most of the time.

  They topped a grassy peak, and the group could see a town in the far distance. “Let’s head for that town for the evening,” Ristan said. Heading down the slope, they would have to pass through a thick section of brush and trees before breaking out into the level land surrounding the town. As they moved clo
ser to the trees, Phase began snorting and prancing, then Sleip threw his head and balked, refusing to go any further. Bristol sniffed the air, but could not immediately detect any danger. Then the smell sabotaged her- the pure funk of putrid rot. That was the only way to describe it. Unlike the sickly sweetness of natural decomposition, this odor oozed with the noxious aromas of danger and death. Before anyone could react, a large creature burst out of the trees headed straight for them. Easily the size of any of the horses, the four-legged beast was black and streaked with red, almost as if its skin were sliced and it was bleeding. Large wings, like those of a bat, jutted awkwardly from its back. The bulbous head was round, with huge eyes dripping the same red exudate. As it came closer, Bristol could see the sharp teeth, like daggers, jutting out as the creature screamed at them. A ten-foot tail ended with the head of a viper that danced above the creature, hissing, its eyes focused on them.

  “Thanks, Hecate, you bitch,” Ristan growled while swinging off of Phase and manifesting his weapons. “Get ready!” He yelled. “Her blood is venomous so don’t let her bite you, and she won’t die until her head is removed! Jessie, you need to get back. You can’t fight her with teeth!”

  “What the fuck is that?” Bristol screamed in her head as the group created a ring around her.

  “Can you fight in that form, Bristol?” Bror cried. “She will kill you if you can’t!”

  Immediately Bristol shifted and screamed for a weapon. “I need my whip, goddamn it! Give me something!” She shrieked. As the creature bore down on them, Bror manifested a black bullwhip and tossed the looped leather to her followed by a short sword. As it unfurled with a snap of her wrist, she saw the reflection of tiny blades dotting the edge of the whip. Naked, sweaty and ready to fight, Bristol smiled and took her place amongst her friends as they squared off against this new danger. “Bring it on, you ugly, stinking bitch!” Bristol screamed at the creature, letting the whip reach out at the exact moment the beast was in range. The blades on the leather struck deep across the demon’s face, lacerating from her eye to the jagged, teeth-filled maw. The skin flopped down, exposing muscle and bone. The hellion screamed and spun sideways, flinging her tail towards Bristol, the deadly fangs of the viper aiming for her face. “No!” She screamed. “Not today!” She rolled across the ground missing the hit of deadly venom. Boz slid across the ground next to Bristol, slicing at the creature's legs, cutting across the front left knee. Bror and Jayson attacked the right side, stabbing and slashing at her torso. The snake swung its head, striking at Ristan as he anchored his blade deeply into the goddess-spawn’s eye socket. Before the fangs could find purchase in his arm, Bristol struck from below, lopping off the snakes head. Realizing she could not find a weakness among them, the monster jumped backward to reassess her prey. While screaming in frustration, she unfurled her wings and began to beat them, the force stirring up the dust around them.

  “Don’t let her escape! She will report back to Chaos and the chayn will know where we are!” Bror yelled.

  With her tail now a lifeless viper and deep puncture wounds marking her face and body, poisonous blood dripped freely as she shrieked the promise of hell. Rising off the ground, the leviathan prepared to take flight once again.

  “No!” Bristol screamed. “I said not today!” Running towards the vile creature, she let her whip fly and it wrapped itself around the thick, bleeding neck of their foe. The blades dug deep, holding the whip in place. Wrapping the leather around her forearm, she jerked back as hard as she could, digging in her heels, using her body weight to force the beast back to the ground. “Kill it!” She screamed as the creature pulled against her, dragging her across the ground as Bristol fell to her butt tugging back against the massive beast. With its head held to the ground, Bror leaped across the space holding a broad sword over his head. As he landed, he slammed the steel down swiftly across the creature's neck, severing the writhing head from a now lifeless body.

  Bristol

  Flopping on her back, breathing hard, Bristol stared at the sky. She could hear the guys trying to catch their breath from the intense fight, but not a word was spoken. The silence was broken by the sound of Jessie’s laughter. Twisting her head, Bristol stared at her friend. Jessie had shifted and was wrapped in a blanket she had grabbed out of a pack and was standing behind Bristol, her hand over her mouth trying to hold in the escaping giggle.

  “Jesus, Jess. What the fuck is so funny?”

  “Bitch, I never in a million years thought I would live to see the day that my best friend took on a spawn of Satan, buck ass naked, and rocked that shit! That was, quite possibly, the most amazing shit I have ever seen! I am not sure if I should be horrified or totally girl-crushing right now!”

  “I am so glad I could inspire you.” Bristol rolled her eyes and pulled herself off the ground. “I have dirt and grass in places we don’t even want to discuss,” she said with a smirk. “Other than that piece of TMI, is everyone ok?”

  The guys all confirmed that no one had received any injuries as Bror retrieved another blanket for Bristol to wrap herself in.

  “So I am going to assume, at this point, that this nasty horse-snake-bat-demon thing is proof that Chaos is indeed getting stronger?” She asked the guys.

  “Yes,” Ristan sighed. “Hecate is the mistress of beasts and it appears she has taken a side in this battle. That creature is known as an Empurin. Fierce and aggressive, with a bite that will immobilize, and even kill, if she injects enough venom. That is why Jessie could not fight her. She would have ingested the blood of the Empurin if she had bitten her. They are always female. Myth has it that Hecate creates them with her own blood, hence the reason for their gender. A strong group like us can defeat one, even two, but a pair that’s backed up with a group of chayn could be a very dangerous situation. We really need Bane and Caspian, this is escalating quickly.” He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “Bror and I have limited access to our magic, just like you. We can manifest weapons and we can utilize each other's skills to maximize our fighting abilities, but we need more. We need to complete the group so that you can come into your true power. As much as I hate to, with the Empurin being this close, we need to go into that town and see if we can gather information.”

  “Not to sound shallow, but is there any way we could get some rooms for the night? I really, really need to bathe,” Bristol said.

  “That can be arranged if it appears that the town is safe,” Bror stated. “But if there is a whiff of Empurin, or a horde of chayn, we will have ta leave quickly.”

  “I agree with the whole ‘live to fight another day’ idea,” Jayson added, as he wrapped his arms around Jessie. “But a shower and a pitcher of sorghum ale sounds really good after this,” pointing his foot at the slain carcass next to them.

  “And a plan,” Boz grumbled, lacking his usual calm demeanor. “This isn’t going to work forever. I feel like Bristol is bait at this point and we are just not good enough to keep fighting this kind of shit every day!”

  Jessie grabbed two pairs of jeans and two t-shirts out of a pack and tossed a set to Bristol. “I don’t know about you, but I think riding into town is a better idea. Showing up as a tiger never results in welcome mats appearing, and a beautiful white horse that fries folks’ skin off might not be really popular. Just guessing,” she shrugged and slipped into the jeans.

  The girls dressed and Jessie mounted up with Jayson on Sly. Ristan held his hand out to her and Bristol jumped up behind him on Phase. Although she was shaken by the battle and the intensity of the monster they defeated, she felt a sense of pride for herself and her friends that they had defeated yet another hurdle in her quest for balance, small as it may be- A quest she was feeling more strongly about with every hour that passed.

  Approaching the outskirts of town, the team paused. “Bror. Take Jayson and Jess and head straight in. The three of us will sweep around and enter from the west side of town. People are more accepting of smaller groups of strangers
riding in,” Ristan suggested.

  Nodding his head, Bror nudged Sleip forward, flanked by Sly carrying Jayson and Jessie.

  As they headed towards the west side of town, Bristol turned to face Boz. “Are you doing ok, Elf?” she asked, using her nickname for him.

  Boz gave her a cautious smile. “I am doin’ fine, lass. I am worried and my head is spinning. But I have a lot of faith in ya and I know we are doing the right thing. I just hope it’s enough.”

  “Me too, friend. Me too. Now, we really need to talk about the most important issue at hand currently,” she said, suddenly serious. She felt Ristan tense up in front of her and Boz raised his eyebrows.

  “More serious than the end of the planet and other-worldly demon spawn trying to kill ya?” Boz asked. “What now?”

  “Burger and fried potatoes or a rare cooked steak?” She deadpanned. “These are end times, boys! Every meal could be your last!”

  “Holy shit, Bri. That is really not funny!” Boz chuckled. “But since it’s so important, I am totally going for the steak. But medium rare.”

  “Ristan?” Bristol asked.

  “I am not sure if I should kiss or throttle you, woman.” He said. “You are fierce, battling an Empurin and winning in one instance. The next, you are a comedian making jokes to put everyone at ease.”

  “It’s balance, Ristan. I’m good at it! Now answer the question.”

  “If I have the option, I would go for roasted game bird and fruit pie,” he said dreamily.

  “Oh God. Gods. Pie,” Bristol moaned. “Yes. Peach pie warmed up with ice cream or apple pie with fresh whipped cream.”

  “Coconut cream with meringue a foot high,” Boz added.

  “Kick this pony into a higher gear! I’m starving and now it just might be a matter of life and death for me to find us some pie!” Bristol laughed.