but they have laws and rules regulating them. For example, Ares can't just go and kill Apollo without reason. Unfortunately, those powers are abused. The highest ranking member of each faction is nigh-on untouchable. It's created a darkness at the heart of Avalon, where these people fester away, doing whatever they desire."
"Is Avalon an actual place?"
I nodded. "It's an island off the west coast of England, although it's not on any maps or charts that I've ever seen. But apart from being a place, it's also an organisation, consisting of several different entities all working together. It's a little bit like when the Lords of England bring their men over to fight for a common goal – in this war's case, King Henry's desire to take France."
"Was Avalon being in Soissons bad?"
"It meant all the English soldiers were sent there to die. Someone in Avalon probably contacted King Henry and used his men to do as they wish. Either to provoke all out war between countries or to guard a small girl with humans, because Henry's men are expendable in Avalon's eyes. It's conceivable that it could be both."
"They can get the King to do what they want?" Thomas asked, incredulous.
"Normally the heads of countries are surrounded by Avalon advisers. They ensure that Avalon's needs come first."
"So who wanted the English to be in Soissons?"
I shrugged. "No idea. There are so many gods and goddesses, Lords, Ladies and Knights of Avalon that it could be anyone in a few hundred."
"So, which god do you..."
A scream pierced Thomas' lips, doubling him over onto the ground. He reached out to me, his face contorted with pain. "Help..." he started.
Another scream cut through him, dragging him to a kneeling position before dumping him back onto the earth. Once his screams could no longer leave his constricting throat, the only sounds echoing through the night were that of snapping bones and muscles. His face changed first. His ears grew upward and the bones in his nose and jaw crunched. Tears fell from wolf-like eyes.
When his face was finished, thick black fur covered it, only then did the rest of his body follow suit. Pain continued to show in Thomas’ eyes, as his arms and legs grew. Increasing not only length wise, but in terms of mass too. They formed huge muscular monstrosities. Long black talons were at the end of each finger once they'd dislocated and grown.
Grunts and groans of pain stopped, replaced with a low growl as Thomas' midsection changed—the last thing to do so. Ribs popped and healed almost instantly, each accompanied by a small grunt. The collarbone snapping brought a howl of pain and Thomas raked at the ground.
I sat and watched, hand around the hilt of my Jian, as Thomas stood tall for the first time. He was over three heads taller than before, and likely weighed twice as much. An inhuman killing machine, designed to hunt and inflict damage. He looked up at the sky and howled again, showing the razor sharp teeth within his mouth.
He moved toward me, each step tentative and uncertain, testing out his new body. "I wouldn't do that." I tapped the sword next to me.
Thomas stopped and followed my hand with his eyes, growling slightly.
"If you're hungry, I brought you some food." I motioned toward the wild boar.
Thomas dove onto the carcass, claws ripping at the large animal. He tore huge chunks out and fed them into his waiting maw. He sliced open the boar's belly, spilling its insides onto the ground, and pushed his face up inside. The sounds of ripped flesh and snapped bones echoed throughout the clearing.
By the time Thomas finished, the boar was almost picked clean, a few hundred pounds of animal devoured in no time at all. Still covered in blood, he fell asleep soon after. Even though he’d only been a wolf for an hour at most, exhaustion took him.
I waited until his body had transformed back into his human form, a process much less painful, before covering him with some ferns and letting him
"Is Avalon an actual place?"
I nodded. "It's an island off the west coast of England, although it's not on any maps or charts that I've ever seen. But apart from being a place, it's also an organisation, consisting of several different entities all working together. It's a little bit like when the Lords of England bring their men over to fight for a common goal – in this war's case, King Henry's desire to take France."
"Was Avalon being in Soissons bad?"
"It meant all the English soldiers were sent there to die. Someone in Avalon probably contacted King Henry and used his men to do as they wish. Either to provoke all out war between countries or to guard a small girl with humans, because Henry's men are expendable in Avalon's eyes. It's conceivable that it could be both."
"They can get the King to do what they want?" Thomas asked, incredulous.
"Normally the heads of countries are surrounded by Avalon advisers. They ensure that Avalon's needs come first."
"So who wanted the English to be in Soissons?"
I shrugged. "No idea. There are so many gods and goddesses, Lords, Ladies and Knights of Avalon that it could be anyone in a few hundred."
"So, which god do you..."
A scream pierced Thomas' lips, doubling him over onto the ground. He reached out to me, his face contorted with pain. "Help..." he started.
Another scream cut through him, dragging him to a kneeling position before dumping him back onto the earth. Once his screams could no longer leave his constricting throat, the only sounds echoing through the night were that of snapping bones and muscles. His face changed first. His ears grew upward and the bones in his nose and jaw crunched. Tears fell from wolf-like eyes.
When his face was finished, thick black fur covered it, only then did the rest of his body follow suit. Pain continued to show in Thomas’ eyes, as his arms and legs grew. Increasing not only length wise, but in terms of mass too. They formed huge muscular monstrosities. Long black talons were at the end of each finger once they'd dislocated and grown.
Grunts and groans of pain stopped, replaced with a low growl as Thomas' midsection changed—the last thing to do so. Ribs popped and healed almost instantly, each accompanied by a small grunt. The collarbone snapping brought a howl of pain and Thomas raked at the ground.
I sat and watched, hand around the hilt of my Jian, as Thomas stood tall for the first time. He was over three heads taller than before, and likely weighed twice as much. An inhuman killing machine, designed to hunt and inflict damage. He looked up at the sky and howled again, showing the razor sharp teeth within his mouth.
He moved toward me, each step tentative and uncertain, testing out his new body. "I wouldn't do that." I tapped the sword next to me.
Thomas stopped and followed my hand with his eyes, growling slightly.
"If you're hungry, I brought you some food." I motioned toward the wild boar.
Thomas dove onto the carcass, claws ripping at the large animal. He tore huge chunks out and fed them into his waiting maw. He sliced open the boar's belly, spilling its insides onto the ground, and pushed his face up inside. The sounds of ripped flesh and snapped bones echoed throughout the clearing.
By the time Thomas finished, the boar was almost picked clean, a few hundred pounds of animal devoured in no time at all. Still covered in blood, he fell asleep soon after. Even though he’d only been a wolf for an hour at most, exhaustion took him.
I waited until his body had transformed back into his human form, a process much less painful, before covering him with some ferns and letting him
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