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Uhnnnn...

What happened?

Why's it dark?

Why on earth is my...ack... head hurting like that?

Hold on, what did I do last? I was at the inn, with Garreth...

Oh crap.

I must've gotten completely smashed. Dang, I can never take much brew.

Shit, what a hangover. Feels like my bed is all... crusty? Er, this isn't my bed.

By the king's underwear, I'm sleeping in a ditch.

Wait a moment. I didn't have any alcohol, did I? Don't think so. Why am I sleeping in a ditch then? Perhaps I'm just dreaming. No, that headache is all too real.

Ouch, by the way.

Someone hit me. Terryl hit me. Why did Terryl hit me? I think he thought I was going to kill him. Was I that drunk? No, I wasn't drunk. Right?

I had claws.

Correction; I HAVE claws.

And a tail. That feels good.

I've never had a tail before. Why does it feel good to know that I have a tail then?

Perhaps someone swapped my drink with the salvia extract again. Yeah, that would explain the hallucinations and memory loss.

But I wasn't drinking.

Oh, I know! I'm dreaming, that's it! Heh, why didn't I... no, I've already ruled out that.

Alright, facts, good and bad. One. I didn't get drunk. I think. Good! Two. I have claws. And a tail. Bad. Three. Terryl hit me. Hard. Very Bad. Four... I'm not in my bed. Bad.

That's an awful lot of bads.

I.. hm.

Oh no.

No, no, no.

No way. THAT was CLEARLY a dream.

Alright. I'll open my eyes now. I'm going to wake up in my bed. Everything will be normal. I won't have transformed into a...

Benjamin opened his eyes.

...scaly beast. Oh, SHIT.

*  *  *

Benjamin squirmed a little. His hands and feet were tied to a big stump, and he was muzzled by a leather strap. A rope was tied around his midparts, holding his wings down. A few people were looking at him, obviously guarding him. To top it all off, he was bound in the marketplace. The preacher was discussing what to do with him with several persons. One of the men turned around to look at him. When his face showed, Benjamin had to bite his tongue to prevent him from releasing a hateful growl.

The man was named Heinric. He was a Hanseat, from the trading guild of the Hanseatic League. During his first visit to the village, he had for a reason Benjamin held secret taken an extreme dislike to him, and had from that day harassed, insulted, meddled and screwed with Benjamin in every possible way. Benjamin had of course retaliated with his own arsenal, and it had all escalated to assaination attempts and wide open hostility. To have him discussing with the preacher about his fate was not a good sign, mildly speaking.

Of Natasha there was no sign, and neither of Garreth. Garreth had always been a coward, so that didn't surprise him. But Natasha? He'd half expected her to be yammering and gapping at everyone, demanding him to be untied. She was probably off having a discussion with someone trying to convince her that he was in fact a feral beast. Benjamin groaned when he realized how dire his situation actually was. He was trapped inside a body not his own, tied to a pole with Heinric nearby and gagged.

Wonderful. Alright, I'll have to worry about being a monster later, when I'm far, FAR away from Heinric and that nutcase of a preacher.

Benjamin frowned and sucked at his cheek. Feeling how sharp his teeth was, he half expected his cheek to tear open at first contact with them but it didn't feel more than it usually would. Less, actually.

After a few more seconds of exploring his new mouth, he resumed his earlier path of thought. He needed a plan of some sorts to get out of this mess. One option was to escape. How... Well, that was a little harder. The ropes were too thick to rip apart, and the stump was very, very stuck in the ground. With some time it could probably be worked out out the ground, but with Heinric around, time wasn't something he had. Option two was to talk himself out of it, a hard task with a muzzled snout and the entire village being scared out of their wits. Benjamin groaned again. The situation seemed darker and darker for every second now.

As the rest of the men left, Heinric suddenly turned towards Benjamin and begain striding towards him.

Oh, SHIT. Shit, shit, shitshitshit...

Benjamin sprattled and tugged on the ropes in a desperate attempt to get loose and away from Heinric. The stump creaked a little, but nothing else happened. Benjamin was almost panicking now, absolutely sure that this was it. Heinric slowed down to a normal walking pace when he reached him, and bent down with a malicious grin. He spread his arms and exclaimed:

"Well, well, well, my dear Benjamin. We have gotten ourselves into quite the mess, have we not? Oh, yes, I know it's you." He grinned again, flashing his teeth at Benjamin's surprised expression. He bent even closer to Benjamin, making him recoil from the Hanseat with fear in his eyes.

"What's the matter? Devil got your tongue?" He laughed gleefully and wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Oh, can't you see the humor here? I am the only person here, except for you dear sister (god bless her soul), that believes that you are still you! Oh, I bet you are wondering how I can know that..." He patted Benjamin on the shoulder, recieving a glare of pure hatred in response. "I can see it in your eyes, nevermind the change in your colour... Hah! Look at you, helpless at my feet! I'm on fire!" He airboxed spitefully and laughed again.

Go do something improper to your mother, asssss! Benjamin thought and finished his thought by hissing loudly. Slightly surprised that he could do that with his muzzle bound, he was still extremely satisfied at the result, as Heinric fell backwards into the mud.

"Oh, you'll pay for that." Heinric spat angrily as he wiped mud from his face.

Benjamin just smirked, showing off his sharp corner teeth.

Heinric opened his mouth to retaliate, but the preacher returned at that moment, along with his two lapdogs. The Bracken twins were the most religious persons in the village apart from him, and obeyed his every wish. They preached, read from the bible, punished "heathens" with a little more force than needed, most everything.

Heinric quickly stood up and loudly said: "You'll be punished for your evil plans, demon. I will see to it myself, God forbid that I won't!" With that, he turned around on the spot and left, cape flapping behind him. Benjamin sighed in relief as he disappeared around a street corner, leaving only an acrid smell behind. Frowning, Benjamin smelled the air. What on earth was this? Realizing that his sense of smell had improved fantastically, he smirked as he understood the meaning of the bitterness in the air. Heinric had not been allowed to kill him painfully right away as he wanted to, he probably had to go through all sorts of religious stuff first. Only a disappointment like that could smell so bad.

Deciding to have a go at uprooting the stump, Benjamin spent about an hour tugging at the ropes. The activity left him with throughly exercised arms, sore wrists and chafed scales. The stump had barely moved more than a few centimeters, and lots of the root system was still intact. He flexed his claws, scraping the bark of the stump.

Damn! I really, REALLY need to get going now. I saw some people burn someone they called a witch once, and it wasn't pretty. With risk of being literate, God knows what they will do to me. What am I, anyway? A demon if you ever saw one. At least I don't have hooves.

Benjamin shifted his stance. His rear was beginning to hurt badly, as his tail had placed itself in an odd position that resulted in it falling asleep. Benjamin frowned. If it was his arm, it would have been easy to move it and get rid of the unpleasant prickling. The thing was, he never had a tail before. With no idea how it worked and how to move it, it was just a limp meat-filled tentacle. He could feel it, the ground under it, the spikes and the intense prickling, but not move it. It just was.

Pressing himself against the stump, he lifted himself off the ground and tried to flick it away. It twitched a little, but didn't move any noteworthy distance. Still, it felt better than sitting on it. Sadly, his arms soon couldn't hold him up anymore, and he fell flat on the tail again, releasing a small growl of pain. Biting his lip, he shifted his stance again, annoyed that he couldn't move a quite large part of his body. Sighing, Benjamin returned to trying to uproot the stump.

*  *  *

Jerking his head up, Benjamin blinked the sleep from his eyes. Twilight had fallen. A fine mist enveloped the village, giving a soft glow to all of the windows and lanterns around the marketplace. It the wet kind of mist, the one that made everything inside it chilled to bone and dripping with water. A bleak moon shone through the grey cover, like a silver coin in the sky. Looking around, Benjamin could not see anyone, other than a single guard at a street corner. He was holding a halberd, a rare weapon around here. Probably something Heinric brought with him, Benjamin deducted.

Noticing that he was being watched, the guard shifted uneasily. Adjusting his grip on the halberd, he straightened his back and looked defiantly at Benjamin. Benjamin glared at the guard. He didn't know the man well, but he had treated him when he had broken his toe. What's his name? Brakes, perhaps. No, Bain. Eh, something along those lines.

A rock came sailing through the air and bounced off Benjamin's neck. Growling with surprise, he twisted his neck around to determine who the culprit was. The shadows on the street flickered along with the lanterns, giving the entire scene an eerie look. A clatter of dropped stones revealed three children, probably in the ages nine to eleven hiding behind a stack of boxes. The oldest one smacked his companion who had dropped the stones over the head, producing an angry squeak from him. The third one simply ignored this and kept his eyes on Benjamin.

Glaring at the kids, Benjamin growled at them. The youngest one jumped with surprise, but the other two just nudged each other and smirked. Readying their throwing arms, they took aim and fired. Two hefty granite pieces whistled through the air towards Benjamin. Following them with his eyes, he swiftly dodged one only to have the second one hit him square in the forehead. Growling with anger, he attempted to roar at his tormentors. If I ever get out of this mess, I'm going to have a serious talk with those three!

Benjamin strained against the thick leather strap, baring his teeth as best as he could. The worn leather slid on his scales, lessening the grip a little. As another barrage of rocks bounced off his head, Benjamin's fuse ran out.

With a ground-shaking roar, Benjamin ripped the muzzle apart with a satisfying snap. The roar echoed among the houses, bouncing off the walls, reverberating and growing stronger. The kids screamed in fear, turned tail and ran like the devil was after them. Of course, in their eyes, that was exactly what was happening. The guard came rushing at Benjamin, brandishing his halberd.

"Back, demon!" He barked, jabbing the halberd at Benjamin.

Whipping his head around towards him, Benjamin spat and replied;

"Pisss off, Bain! You know bloody well it's me!"

Bain gasped and staggered backwards. Releasing the halberd with his right hand, he fumbled after a small cross hanging from a chain around his neck.

"Y-you can s-speak!?" He stammered with fear and shock in his voice.

Benjamin rolled his eyes and spat at the ground. "Of course I can speak! Didn't they tell you anything?"

Bain swallowed hard. "What are you?" he asked with a shaking voice.

Benjamin couldn't believe his ears. "What I am? Come on, Bain. It's me. Benjamin."  Wiggling his head, he tried to look innocent and Benjamin-ish.

Bain raised an eyebrow. "Benjamin? Nice try, beast. Last I looked, Benjamin wasn't a hellish demon."

"Eh, same here, actually. Just… bear with me, okay? I'll try to explain." Benjamin said.

"No, I think I understand perfectly. Satan is not called the Lord of Lies for nothing. As I said, nice try."

"For heaven's sake, Bain! It's me! Look, I understand it; I'm having a hard time believing it myself. Have you seen Benjamin the last few days? Listen, I am Benjamin, physician, drunkard and as you once put it "A little off". I once treated you for a broken toe when you had dropped a beam on it. The cause of that was that you were repairing your inner roof, and you didn't want me to tell anyone because you felt that it was embarrassing. Sounds familiar?" Benjamin nodded at Bain's big toe. "Seems to have healed fine, too."

Bain bit his lip and frowned. Shifting his stance uneasily, he drummed his fingers on halberd's handle. Finally, his face hardened.

"No. You could have gotten that information from him. I admit that I have not seen him in a few days, but I could easily have missed him. Now be silent, or I'll have to make you be quiet." With that, he turned and quickly walked away back to his original position.

"Yeah, thanks! I'm very glad you believe me! Care to untie me too?" Benjamin yelled sarcastically after him, tugging at the ropes. Bain ignored him completely. Slamming his feet into the ground in frustration, Benjamin growled.

At least I got rid of the kids.

A small rock bounced off his head.

Oh, this is going to be a long night.

*  *  *

When the kids finally gave up, Benjamin had counted to exactly five hundred and fifty-six stones of varying sizes and speeds, twenty-one involuntary roars and one hundred and five growls. In addition to the rocks, one chestnut, an empty and battered mug and oddly enough, a ball of yarn had been thrown at him. The ball of yarn had started to unwind mid-air, and now lay in a heap on the ground three meters to the right of him. His skin was sore, his muzzle felt like he had ran into a wall, and to top it off a massive headache was growing inside his head.

With a sigh of relief, Benjamin's head rolled back. The sky had begun to lighten now, and the mist was fading. Gazing at the fading stars above, he took a deep breath of the morning air. Wondering what he had done to deserve this, Benjamin closed his eyes and breathed out. Finally able to relax, he imagined his worry as a black liquid inside his limbs. Starting at the base of his skull, it dripped down his spine, gathering up what other specks it could find as it went. Two streams detached from the main flow and streamed out into his arms, circling his bones, enveloping them. The liquid shifted with his thoughts, and he nudged it out towards his clawtips. Flowing as a stream of dirtiness, it rippled through his arms. Tracing along the pattern of his scales, it rushed through his arms. The rest of the liquid had reached the middle of his back where it joined with two formidable flows from his bound wings, alleviating the soreness and allowing them to relax. Now the blackness flowed down the arteries inside his legs, grabbing and clutching at his flesh in a desperate attempt to reach all of the black substance left behind. With pressure building in his claws and feet, Benjamin tensed. The tail twitched on its own, as if in anticipation of something. The pressure was building up more and more, threatening to burst. Without further ado, Benjamin opened his hands to their full extent, spreading his claws wide. The imaginary liquid exploded out of his fingertips and toes, sending waves of relief and comfort through his body. Opening his eyes, he half expected a black puddle of worry at his feet, slowly seeping into the ground. Of course, there wasn't any.

Shrugging it off, Benjamin looked up. Not much had changed, other than a slightly better weather. Grunting a little, he tried to stretch his limbs to what extent he could, resulting in a sharp painful snap in his neck.

"OW!" Benjamin yelled and instinctively tugged at the restraints in an effort to get loose and clutch at this neck. Relaxing again, Benjamin groaned. That hurt. Oddly enough, it felt much better now than before.

Wondering a little at his neck's behaviour, Benjamin rolled his shoulders. Bain was still watching him from afar, but he looked like he could fall asleep any second. Looks like they never switched last night. Benjaimin observed. As Benjamin stretched his claws, the rope slipped. It dropped off his right hand and curled up on the ground, only loosely tied to his left hand. Perplexed, Benjamin moved his hand. He was completely free of the rope on his right and could easily get out of the left one.
But...? I was completely unable to even wiggle my wrists yesterday! What the hell? It must've happened when my neck snapped like that. I sure did put some involuary energy into that straining but... that much?

Benjamin looked at Bain. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, slipping a little on the halberd. Seemingly thinking of something, Bain looked around a little, resting his gaze on Benjamin. After a few moments, he slipped away into a street and vanished, obviously determining that a few minutes of no watch while he fetched someone else to take over wouldn't hurt.

Perrrfect. Benjamin thought and grinned toothily, involuntarily drawing out the R.

Quickly scrabbling at the rest of the rope, Benjamin ripped his left hand free and held them up in front of his face. Letting loose a quick laugh at the great sensation of being free again, he hastily stuck his hands behind his back again and started sawing at the rope tied around his wings. The rope started to fray and loosen, letting more blood into back into his wings again. Gasping at the fantastically warm feeling in the entire wings, Benjamin shuddered. It felt so good to be able to feel his now largest limbs. He couldn't honestly say "again", because he'd never had any wings before, but nevertheless, it felt great.

Bending over to loosen his feet, Benjamin noticed a natural movement in his wings when he bent forward. They rose a bit, tensing at the wingtips and spreading the phalanxes, increasing the size of them slightly.

What on earth? Why are they doing that...oh. Flight, a and o. The more wing areal, the more lift power. A forward weightpoint gives balance. And more muscular activity is of course needed... I should be able to fly! Holy...alright, enough amazement. Get loose!
Holding up an insanely sharp claw, Benjamin inspected the tip for a second before slicing at the ropes, severing them in an instant. Grinning, Benjamin prepared to jump up and dash towards his house, intending to grab some of his items before he escaped. His plan quickly went south, though. Something rattled in an alley. Benjamin quickly snapped his hands behind his back and pulled in his wings again with a silent curse.

Without another warning, the preacher and Heinric turned around the corner, along with a good deal of the village. Benjamin gritted his teeth at the sight of the short sword that Heinric was holding. The villagers spread out along the rim of the marketplace, leaving the preacher and Heinric in the middle. Like one, they stepped forth, striding up to Benjamin. The preacher looked at Benjamin with a disgusted look on his face, while Heinric had only spite and triumph in his. Stopping a few feet away from Benjamin, the preacher slammed his staff into the ground and exclaimed:

"Beast, you have been found in our midst, and we will not tolerate this. God Himself watches over us, and he will not see an atrocity as you walk this earth of His creation. Go back , I say, to thine master and Lord, Satan. Go back, or we will banish you back to whence you came with force!"

Baring his teeth, Benjamin growled at them. "Go back? I can't go back to somewhere I've never been. Listen, It's me, Benjamin! Can't you see?"

"Silence! Who allowed you to speak?!" The preacher thundered.

"I believe I did so myself, thankyouverymuch." Benjamin spat back and opened his mouth to continue. However, before he could do so the preacher interrupted.

"Be slient! You, give me the sword." He said and pointed to Heinric.

"But...! Milord, surely it is my duty to remove this miserably demon from this world. You should not..." Heinric protested.

"Give me the sword, I said!" The preacher interrupted. Grudginly, Heinric handed it over.

Kneeling down in front of Benjamin, the preacher placed the tip of the sword on his chest, preparing to drive it through his heart. Accidentally spotting the shredded rope pieces he stopped and stared at Benjamin's feet.

"What...? Why are you not tied?" He said in perplexion.

"Guess three times." Benjamin replied and promptly kicked him in the balls.

With a sound not unlike the one when you empty a tire the preacher collapsed in a heap on the ground, dropping the sword. Benjamin dove after it but Heinric jumped forward and snatched it away. Scrambling to his feet, Benjamin growled at Heinric. Grasping the sword with both hands, Heinric held it up in front of him with the tip pointing direcly at Benjamin's chest.

"No getting away this time, Benjamin. Fight all you like; I'll have your head mounted on my wall by sunset!" Heinric yelled with a maniacal glow in his eyes.

"Get out of my way, Heinric." Benjamin growled back, teeth bared.

Horrified whispers shot through the crowd, some even yelled out loud and ran away. Children hid behind their mothers, fathers shoved them behind their backs with stony faces full of fear. The ones who were armed readied their weapons, quickly glancing around to see if they were in front of the rest, ready to defend them. Benjamin hissed with fear and hate. Tensing, he readied his claws to defend himself and began to circle Heinric. Swearing, Heinric waved his sword at Benajamin's claws.

"Go on then, monster! Rip me to bloody shreds! If my death is what it takes to kill you, then so be it!" Heinric yelled, spittle flying out of his mouth. "Look at it!" He yelled, turning to the crowd "What can you see in its eyes? I see only hate, no humanity."

Slowly circling the marketplace, Benjamin glared at Heinric. Heinric feigned an attack, jumping forward and jabbing the sword at Benjamin. Benjamin sprung backwards with a feral hiss and growled at Heinric.

"I said, GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Benjamin yelled and charged at Heinric. With a heave, Benjamin tackled Heinric out of the way sending him flying to the right. Sprinting towards an alley, Benjamin swore internally.

This could've gone SO much smoother.

Dashing towards the maze of alleys and streets on the outskirts of town, Benjamin could hear the loud clattering of feet against rocks behind him, signalling that there were men following him. No big surprise there, though he did have a headstart. The houses around him had people looking out their windows with surprised expressions that soon turned into shock and disbelief. Whipping around a corner, the street split up into a T-junction. Choosing the right path, Benjamin swore. The left path led out of town, the right one was a dead end. Slowly turning around, Benjamin felt a chill run down his spine. The men following him stood in the entrance to the alley, blocking his escape.

Ah, come on! This is even worse than the time when me and Garreth were chased by those rabid chickens someone tried to sell him.

With determined expressions, the men started to move closer, readying themselves for an attack. Benjamin hissed at them, backing off. Ending up with his back against the wall, Benjamin made a quick decision.

Shit, what are you doing? Joking with yourself WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE? FUCK!

Roaring, Benjamin hurled himself at the men, hoping to be able to barrel through them. Cursing, they dove for cover, arms and legs flailing madly in an attempt to get away from the impending painful impact. Three of the men managed to get out of the way, but the last one wan't so lucky. Planting his shoulder right in the man's chest, Benjamin grunted as he sent him hurtling towards a wall. Giving a quick glance back, Benjamin blinked and narrowed his field of vision.

I hope this works.

Leaning forward, Benjamin focused his thoughts on his wings. Imagining how it would feel to move them, he attempted to give them a quick flap. His wings twitched and jerked, as if eager to be used for the first time.

Come ON! Work!

The men behind him was regaining their bearings, groping for their weapons. The yelled at each other, cursing and stumbling to their feet to resume the chase.

Trying again, he managed to flap once, sending him a few feet into the air. With a slight grin, he flapped once more. Now he was moving smoother, more naturally in relation to his wings. Continuing his efforts, he spread his wings fully. With a Whoosh his wings filled with air and lifted him into the sky, scraping a rooftop with his claws as he went by. Behind him, the men following him shouted in shock and surprise, pointing at him as he attempted to fly higher. Gasping at the sensation of only air beneath his feet, Benjamin tried to steer towards the woods. He wobbled in the air, almost losing control before regaining his balance and successfully banking left.

With a mighty flap, Benjamin accelerated towards the woods. Despite his dire situation, he could not help but to feel a great deal of satisfaction and joy at what he had accomplished. Flying certainly was an odd sensation.

As he neared the treeline, a sharp wind hit him in the side, catching on to his wings and sending him tumbling through the air. He flapped frantically, trying to regain control.

Oh no, not the trees. Not the trees. SHIT!

At the last moment, Benjamin managed to barely straighten himself up and glide not so gracefully down onto the ground, recieving a mouthful of dirt for the trouble.

Spitting and hissing, Benjamin stumbled to his feet only to trip over his still limp tail. Once more admiring the texture of the forest floor, Benjamin swore. This day was just getting better. Rolling over, Benjamin wheezed.

Holy FUCKING shit. What is wrong with the world? It's like life has decided it takes some perverse joy in fucking with me. Hell, I even swear more than I used to. Whew...

Suddenly, Benjamin jerked his head up. Something, or rather someone was coming towards him from the end of the forest. Scrabbling to his feet, Benjamin bolted behind a tree large enough to hide him. Breathing heavily, Benjamin pressed himself against the tree. The bark creaked beneath his claws, splintering and loosening under his grasp. The two persons stopped a few trees behind him, obviously having found his crash site. Biting his lip, Benjamin held his breath. Suddenly, one of the persons spoke up.

"Benjamin? I know you're here. Come out."

Natasha? Sounds like she's not alone.

Should I?

Indescisive, Benjamin opened his mouth to speak. Hesitating for a moment, he said:

"Go away, Natasha. You're in danger here."

Natasha gasped and started sounding a little strange.

"Benjamin! Oh, thank god, I almost thought you'd already ran away." She said.

"I was about to, and still will. But please, just go." Benjamin said pleadingly.

"Why?" Natasha asked, voice trembling a little.

What is going on here? She would never act like that.

"Don't messs around with me!" Benjamin snapped. "Can't you see how hostile everyone is? Shit, they were going to kill me!"

"I..."

"Shut up. Benjamin, come out or she dies." A familiar voice interrupted Natasha, making Benjamin hiss with anger.

Heinric.

Stepping out from behind the tree, Benjamin saw Heinric. He was holding Natasha with a sword against her throat, grinning madly. A small trickle of blood was running down his face, coming from a wound on his forehead. When he saw Benjamin, he grinned even wider and said:

"Good boy. Now, you are coming with me."

Cracking his claws, Benjamin hissed.
"Let her go. She's got nothing to do with this."

"Oh, but she does! You care for her, which makes her a perfect bartering chip and hostage. Now, get moving or I'll kill her." To emphasize his words, he pressed the sword against her throat. Blood started trickling out from beneath the sword and Natasha gasped.

"Natasha, don't move. Don't worry, I'll help you. I won't let him hurt you." Benjamin's tail was stiff as a wire, tense as a piano wire.

"Quit stalling and move! I swear, she'll die!"

Eyes darting from side to side, Benjamin searched for a way to get to Heinric without hurting Natasha. A tree to his left, rotten at the roots.

No, it could fall on her too.

Open field behind them, thick forest behind him. Small boulders at his feet. Tangle of roots everywhere.

Wait. What's... THE HELL?!

Benjamins' eyes widened. A hunched-over figure was slowly creeping closer to Heinric from behind, wielding something large and by the looks of it, heavy. Heinric stared at Benjamin, too caught up in his victory to notice anything. The figure slowly raised its weapon above its head, poising to strike. The weapon fell, and in a split second Heinric saw what was happening.

CLANG.

The sword dropped and Heinric sank to the ground with his head already swelling. Shocked, Benjamin stared at Anita standing over the unconscious Heinric, holding a massive object in her hands.

Frowning, Benjamin looked at the weapon. When he finally saw what it was, he almost laughed out loud.

A frying pan.

*  *  *

Anita breathed heavily. Having seen Heinric grab Natasha and rush after Benjamin (Or whatever it was) into the forest, she had been indescisive a while. Eventually throwing all caution overboard, she had hurried home, looking for somehing she could use.

Damn you! You sure know how to stir up a ruckus, Benjamin. Oh, when I get my hands on your hide... And Heinric to top it all off! That man makes my bones hurt just by thinking about him. Now, where's... ah!

Almost kicking in the door to her kitchen, Anitas' eyes darted around, looking for something. A huge, unwashed frying pan caught her attention. It was one of the largest pans around, with a thick wooden handle of solid oak. The pan was perfectly suited for making large omelettes, cooking large pieces of meat or bashing in heads. Stretching out a bony hand, Anita grabbed the handle, feeling the smooth, slightly fatty wooden surface in her hand. Holding it up, she inspected the dried leftovers on the inside of it before knocking against a wall causing a large piece of fat to fall out. The fat made a wet slapping sound as it hit the floor, but Anita didn't hear it. She was already out the front door, hurrying in the direction she had seen Heinric go.

*  *  *

Breathing heavliy, Anita listened closely. Nothing yet. No, wait! There, a few trees to her left. Sneaking closer with the pan in her hands, she spotted a small clearing up ahead, near the edge of the forest. She clamped her jaws together as another shot of pain flashed across her back.

I'm getting old...er. she thought, pressing down a cough.

Nearing the clearing, she saw Heinric holding Natasha from behind, twisting her arm into an unnatural angle. What probably was Benjamin stood on the opposite side with bared teeth and murder in his eyes. Heinric pressed a sword he was holding in his right hand against Natashas' throat, making her gasp with pain.

"Quit stalling and move! I swear, I'll kill her!" Heinric yelled at the monstrous figure, pressing the sword even harder agains Natashas' throat.

"Oh, no you won't." Anita grunted and wobbled forward. Feeling the empowering weight of the pan in her hands, she crept behind Heinrics' back. Raising the pan over her head, she saw Benjamins' eyes widen with surprise as she prepared herself. Feeling the rush of adrenaline, she brought down the pan. Heinric must have heard something, because he looked back at the very last moment. Looking into his eyes, the only thing Anita saw was shock.

Anita grinned. Bullseye.

CLANG.

*  *  *

Not finding any words, Benjamin retreated to stuttering incomprehensibly. Anita collapsed onto the ground, flat on her rump. Letting her mighty weapon fall to the side, she huffed and propped herself up against a tree. Benjamin rushed over to Natasha, grabbing her. Natasha coughed hoarsely and rubbed her throat. Not hesitating one bit, she twisted around and hugged Benjamin. With tears streaming down his muzzle he hugged her back, not wanting to let go, ever.

"It's okay now. Take it easy. I'm here." Benjamin whispered.

Natasha sobbed, gripping Benjamin even harder.

"I'm so sorry, he made me do it and I didn't want to but he was going to kill me and..."

"Ssshhh." Benjamin hushed. "It wasn't your fault, it was his alone. You're safe now." Sniffing, Natasha curled up a little closer.

Huffing and wheezing, Anita said "Well... look at you two. *cough*."

Jerking up his head, Benjamin stared at her. Trying to find words, he only came up with four.

"Thank you very much."

"Don't mind it. I've not had this much action in several years, and swinging that pan made me feel twenty years younger." Anita pressed forth, shooing away his thanks with his hand.

With a sigh, Benjamin dropped down on his butt, going limp in his wings. The leathery appendages collapsed like wet clothes on a line, draping themselves over the ground. Drawing in a deep breath, Benjamin looked at his hands. The clawed paws opened and closed as he ordered them to. Benjamin shivered. This was his body now.

Staring at the ground, Benjamin asked:

"I need to ask you something, though. Who do you think I am?"

Natasha shifted. Benjamin looked up, meeting Anitas' light blue gaze.

"You are Benjamin, that's for sure. How do I know? No one but you could glare at Heinric like that."

Benjamin snorted and sighed with relief. Finally. They believe in me. Thank you. Thank you. Benjamin repeated these words under his breath for a while, taking comfort and hope in their meaning.

After a few minutes, Benjamin shook his head and looked up.

"We should probably go before he wakes up." Benjamin said and gestured towards Heinric.

"I don't want to sound pessimistic here, but go where?" Anita said, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? We'll go back to town and explain." Benjamin said, but realized soon after how stupid that was.

"Oh, sure! We'll just blunder in and say 'Yeah, it's alright, I hit Heinric our savior with a frying pan and the monster we had tied up on the marketplace is Benjamin.' Yes, I'm sure they'll understand." Anita snapped at Benjamin.

Dismayed, Benjamin looked down. Of course she was right.

Bloody fanatic bunch of idiots. They won't believe a word that either she or I say.

What am I going to do? I'm a monster. I'm not even slightly human.

I don't even know what I am.

What am I supposed to do?

"You're NOT a monster." Jerking his head up, he realized he'd been talking out loud.

"Thanks, but look at me. A demon if you ever saw one."

"So? You're still you on the inside."

"I'm not so sure about that. I'm not sure about anything anymore."

Picking at the ground with his claws, Benjamin grunted. He couldn't go back.

The sad truth hit him. He hadn't thought of it until now, but now he understood. He was an outcast now.

I can't return. It's too dangerous for both them and me.

I have to hide.

"I know where I can go. Finally a good reason to do it."

*  *  *

Gathering up his belongings from the ground, Benjamin swore. Yet another jar had cracked. He picked it up and turned it over, seeing the slimy mass inside jiggle, already seeping out from the numerous cracks in the clay. Turning towards the direction of the village, he took aim and threw it as far as he could. The jar sailed through the air, disappearing into the morning mist. He could hear it shatter against a rock somewhere in the distance, spreading its rotten innards all over. Some bastard would probably step in it.

Shouldering his burden, he thought about the last few hours. Smuggling out his life neccities hadn't been so hard as he thought, but he could have used some more of his stuff. It had been a short farewell but just as excrutiating. Natasha had cried. Anita had been gripping her new favourite tool, the frying pan. And a few eyes had been staring out some windows, too scared to say anything.

A branch under his foot broke with a wet snap. Stepping over a big log, he grunted. It should not be far now. The undergrowth had started changing from a thick mat of grass to flat rock now. A large swab of wolfbeard hung from a pine nearby, almost touching the ground. A river some distance away flowed through the forest, gulping and whooshing as it went by. Looking up towards the starry sky, Benjamin sighed.

A familiar shape started showing. Like an ink stain on a white paper, it bled out into full vision, drawing out the lines of a house façade. A log wall. Thatched roof. A chimney. Benjamin walked up to the door, feeling the large slab of rock adorning the entrance under his feet. Carefully placing his items beside him, he looked at the black windows. The door had a blackened wooden handle, positioned roughly two inches above his hip.

Taking a deep breath, he stretched out his arm and gripped the handle.

*  *  *

Description
Uhnnnn...

What happened?

Why's it dark?

Why on earth is my...ack... head hurting like that?

Hold on, what did I do last? I was at the inn, with Garreth...

Oh crap.

I must've gotten completely smashed. Dang, I can never take much brew.

Shit, what a hangover. Feels like my bed is all... crusty? Er, this isn't my bed.

By the king's underwear, I'm sleeping in a ditch.

Wait a moment. I didn't have any alcohol, did I? Don't think so. Why am I sleeping in a ditch then? Perhaps I'm just dreaming. No, that headache is all too real.

Ouch, by the way.

Someone hit me. Terryl hit me. Why did Terryl hit me? I think he thought I was going to kill him. Was I that drunk? No, I wasn't drunk. Right?

I had claws.

Correction; I HAVE claws.

And a tail. That feels good.

I've never had a tail before. Why does it feel good to know that I have a tail then?

Perhaps someone swapped my drink with the salvia extract again. Yeah, that would explain the hallucinations and memory loss.

But I wasn't drinking.

Oh, I know! I'm dreaming, that's it! Heh, why didn't I... no, I've already ruled out that.

Alright, facts, good and bad. One. I didn't get drunk. I think. Good! Two. I have claws. And a tail. Bad. Three. Terryl hit me. Hard. Very Bad. Four... I'm not in my bed. Bad.

That's an awful lot of bads.

I.. hm.

Oh no.

No, no, no.

No way. THAT was CLEARLY a dream.

Alright. I'll open my eyes now. I'm going to wake up in my bed. Everything will be normal. I won't have transformed into a...

Benjamin opened his eyes.

...scaly beast. Oh, SHIT.

*  *  *

Benjamin squirmed a little. His hands and feet were tied to a big stump, and he was muzzled by a leather strap. A rope was tied around his midparts, holding his wings down. A few people were looking at him, obviously guarding him. To top it all off, he was bound in the marketplace. The preacher was discussing what to do with him with several persons. One of the men turned around to look at him. When his face showed, Benjamin had to bite his tongue to prevent him from releasing a hateful growl.

The man was named Heinric. He was a Hanseat, from the trading guild of the Hanseatic League. During his first visit to the village, he had for a reason Benjamin held secret taken an extreme dislike to him, and had from that day harassed, insulted, meddled and screwed with Benjamin in every possible way. Benjamin had of course retaliated with his own arsenal, and it had all escalated to assaination attempts and wide open hostility. To have him discussing with the preacher about his fate was not a good sign, mildly speaking.

Of Natasha there was no sign, and neither of Garreth. Garreth had always been a coward, so that didn't surprise him. But Natasha? He'd half expected her to be yammering and gapping at everyone, demanding him to be untied. She was probably off having a discussion with someone trying to convince her that he was in fact a feral beast. Benjamin groaned when he realized how dire his situation actually was. He was trapped inside a body not his own, tied to a pole with Heinric nearby and gagged.

Wonderful. Alright, I'll have to worry about being a monster later, when I'm far, FAR away from Heinric and that nutcase of a preacher.

Benjamin frowned and sucked at his cheek. Feeling how sharp his teeth was, he half expected his cheek to tear open at first contact with them but it didn't feel more than it usually would. Less, actually.

After a few more seconds of exploring his new mouth, he resumed his earlier path of thought. He needed a plan of some sorts to get out of this mess. One option was to escape. How... Well, that was a little harder. The ropes were too thick to rip apart, and the stump was very, very stuck in the ground. With some time it could probably be worked out out the ground, but with Heinric around, time wasn't something he had. Option two was to talk himself out of it, a hard task with a muzzled snout and the entire village being scared out of their wits. Benjamin groaned again. The situation seemed darker and darker for every second now.

As the rest of the men left, Heinric suddenly turned towards Benjamin and begain striding towards him.

Oh, SHIT. Shit, shit, shitshitshit...

Benjamin sprattled and tugged on the ropes in a desperate attempt to get loose and away from Heinric. The stump creaked a little, but nothing else happened. Benjamin was almost panicking now, absolutely sure that this was it. Heinric slowed down to a normal walking pace when he reached him, and bent down with a malicious grin. He spread his arms and exclaimed:

"Well, well, well, my dear Benjamin. We have gotten ourselves into quite the mess, have we not? Oh, yes, I know it's you." He grinned again, flashing his teeth at Benjamin's surprised expression. He bent even closer to Benjamin, making him recoil from the Hanseat with fear in his eyes.

"What's the matter? Devil got your tongue?" He laughed gleefully and wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Oh, can't you see the humor here? I am the only person here, except for you dear sister (god bless her soul), that believes that you are still you! Oh, I bet you are wondering how I can know that..." He patted Benjamin on the shoulder, recieving a glare of pure hatred in response. "I can see it in your eyes, nevermind the change in your colour... Hah! Look at you, helpless at my feet! I'm on fire!" He airboxed spitefully and laughed again.

Go do something improper to your mother, asssss! Benjamin thought and finished his thought by hissing loudly. Slightly surprised that he could do that with his muzzle bound, he was still extremely satisfied at the result, as Heinric fell backwards into the mud.

"Oh, you'll pay for that." Heinric spat angrily as he wiped mud from his face.

Benjamin just smirked, showing off his sharp corner teeth.

Heinric opened his mouth to retaliate, but the preacher returned at that moment, along with his two lapdogs. The Bracken twins were the most religious persons in the village apart from him, and obeyed his every wish. They preached, read from the bible, punished "heathens" with a little more force than needed, most everything.

Heinric quickly stood up and loudly said: "You'll be punished for your evil plans, demon. I will see to it myself, God forbid that I won't!" With that, he turned around on the spot and left, cape flapping behind him. Benjamin sighed in relief as he disappeared around a street corner, leaving only an acrid smell behind. Frowning, Benjamin smelled the air. What on earth was this? Realizing that his sense of smell had improved fantastically, he smirked as he understood the meaning of the bitterness in the air. Heinric had not been allowed to kill him painfully right away as he wanted to, he probably had to go through all sorts of religious stuff first. Only a disappointment like that could smell so bad.

Deciding to have a go at uprooting the stump, Benjamin spent about an hour tugging at the ropes. The activity left him with throughly exercised arms, sore wrists and chafed scales. The stump had barely moved more than a few centimeters, and lots of the root system was still intact. He flexed his claws, scraping the bark of the stump.

Damn! I really, REALLY need to get going now. I saw some people burn someone they called a witch once, and it wasn't pretty. With risk of being literate, God knows what they will do to me. What am I, anyway? A demon if you ever saw one. At least I don't have hooves.

Benjamin shifted his stance. His rear was beginning to hurt badly, as his tail had placed itself in an odd position that resulted in it falling asleep. Benjamin frowned. If it was his arm, it would have been easy to move it and get rid of the unpleasant prickling. The thing was, he never had a tail before. With no idea how it worked and how to move it, it was just a limp meat-filled tentacle. He could feel it, the ground under it, the spikes and the intense prickling, but not move it. It just was.

Pressing himself against the stump, he lifted himself off the ground and tried to flick it away. It twitched a little, but didn't move any noteworthy distance. Still, it felt better than sitting on it. Sadly, his arms soon couldn't hold him up anymore, and he fell flat on the tail again, releasing a small growl of pain. Biting his lip, he shifted his stance again, annoyed that he couldn't move a quite large part of his body. Sighing, Benjamin returned to trying to uproot the stump.

*  *  *

Jerking his head up, Benjamin blinked the sleep from his eyes. Twilight had fallen. A fine mist enveloped the village, giving a soft glow to all of the windows and lanterns around the marketplace. It the wet kind of mist, the one that made everything inside it chilled to bone and dripping with water. A bleak moon shone through the grey cover, like a silver coin in the sky. Looking around, Benjamin could not see anyone, other than a single guard at a street corner. He was holding a halberd, a rare weapon around here. Probably something Heinric brought with him, Benjamin deducted.

Noticing that he was being watched, the guard shifted uneasily. Adjusting his grip on the halberd, he straightened his back and looked defiantly at Benjamin. Benjamin glared at the guard. He didn't know the man well, but he had treated him when he had broken his toe. What's his name? Brakes, perhaps. No, Bain. Eh, something along those lines.

A rock came sailing through the air and bounced off Benjamin's neck. Growling with surprise, he twisted his neck around to determine who the culprit was. The shadows on the street flickered along with the lanterns, giving the entire scene an eerie look. A clatter of dropped stones revealed three children, probably in the ages nine to eleven hiding behind a stack of boxes. The oldest one smacked his companion who had dropped the stones over the head, producing an angry squeak from him. The third one simply ignored this and kept his eyes on Benjamin.

Glaring at the kids, Benjamin growled at them. The youngest one jumped with surprise, but the other two just nudged each other and smirked. Readying their throwing arms, they took aim and fired. Two hefty granite pieces whistled through the air towards Benjamin. Following them with his eyes, he swiftly dodged one only to have the second one hit him square in the forehead. Growling with anger, he attempted to roar at his tormentors. If I ever get out of this mess, I'm going to have a serious talk with those three!

Benjamin strained against the thick leather strap, baring his teeth as best as he could. The worn leather slid on his scales, lessening the grip a little. As another barrage of rocks bounced off his head, Benjamin's fuse ran out.

With a ground-shaking roar, Benjamin ripped the muzzle apart with a satisfying snap. The roar echoed among the houses, bouncing off the walls, reverberating and growing stronger. The kids screamed in fear, turned tail and ran like the devil was after them. Of course, in their eyes, that was exactly what was happening. The guard came rushing at Benjamin, brandishing his halberd.

"Back, demon!" He barked, jabbing the halberd at Benjamin.

Whipping his head around towards him, Benjamin spat and replied;

"Pisss off, Bain! You know bloody well it's me!"

Bain gasped and staggered backwards. Releasing the halberd with his right hand, he fumbled after a small cross hanging from a chain around his neck.

"Y-you can s-speak!?" He stammered with fear and shock in his voice.

Benjamin rolled his eyes and spat at the ground. "Of course I can speak! Didn't they tell you anything?"

Bain swallowed hard. "What are you?" he asked with a shaking voice.

Benjamin couldn't believe his ears. "What I am? Come on, Bain. It's me. Benjamin."  Wiggling his head, he tried to look innocent and Benjamin-ish.

Bain raised an eyebrow. "Benjamin? Nice try, beast. Last I looked, Benjamin wasn't a hellish demon."

"Eh, same here, actually. Just… bear with me, okay? I'll try to explain." Benjamin said.

"No, I think I understand perfectly. Satan is not called the Lord of Lies for nothing. As I said, nice try."

"For heaven's sake, Bain! It's me! Look, I understand it; I'm having a hard time believing it myself. Have you seen Benjamin the last few days? Listen, I am Benjamin, physician, drunkard and as you once put it "A little off". I once treated you for a broken toe when you had dropped a beam on it. The cause of that was that you were repairing your inner roof, and you didn't want me to tell anyone because you felt that it was embarrassing. Sounds familiar?" Benjamin nodded at Bain's big toe. "Seems to have healed fine, too."

Bain bit his lip and frowned. Shifting his stance uneasily, he drummed his fingers on halberd's handle. Finally, his face hardened.

"No. You could have gotten that information from him. I admit that I have not seen him in a few days, but I could easily have missed him. Now be silent, or I'll have to make you be quiet." With that, he turned and quickly walked away back to his original position.

"Yeah, thanks! I'm very glad you believe me! Care to untie me too?" Benjamin yelled sarcastically after him, tugging at the ropes. Bain ignored him completely. Slamming his feet into the ground in frustration, Benjamin growled.

At least I got rid of the kids.

A small rock bounced off his head.

Oh, this is going to be a long night.

*  *  *

When the kids finally gave up, Benjamin had counted to exactly five hundred and fifty-six stones of varying sizes and speeds, twenty-one involuntary roars and one hundred and five growls. In addition to the rocks, one chestnut, an empty and battered mug and oddly enough, a ball of yarn had been thrown at him. The ball of yarn had started to unwind mid-air, and now lay in a heap on the ground three meters to the right of him. His skin was sore, his muzzle felt like he had ran into a wall, and to top it off a massive headache was growing inside his head.

With a sigh of relief, Benjamin's head rolled back. The sky had begun to lighten now, and the mist was fading. Gazing at the fading stars above, he took a deep breath of the morning air. Wondering what he had done to deserve this, Benjamin closed his eyes and breathed out. Finally able to relax, he imagined his worry as a black liquid inside his limbs. Starting at the base of his skull, it dripped down his spine, gathering up what other specks it could find as it went. Two streams detached from the main flow and streamed out into his arms, circling his bones, enveloping them. The liquid shifted with his thoughts, and he nudged it out towards his clawtips. Flowing as a stream of dirtiness, it rippled through his arms. Tracing along the pattern of his scales, it rushed through his arms. The rest of the liquid had reached the middle of his back where it joined with two formidable flows from his bound wings, alleviating the soreness and allowing them to relax. Now the blackness flowed down the arteries inside his legs, grabbing and clutching at his flesh in a desperate attempt to reach all of the black substance left behind. With pressure building in his claws and feet, Benjamin tensed. The tail twitched on its own, as if in anticipation of something. The pressure was building up more and more, threatening to burst. Without further ado, Benjamin opened his hands to their full extent, spreading his claws wide. The imaginary liquid exploded out of his fingertips and toes, sending waves of relief and comfort through his body. Opening his eyes, he half expected a black puddle of worry at his feet, slowly seeping into the ground. Of course, there wasn't any.

Shrugging it off, Benjamin looked up. Not much had changed, other than a slightly better weather. Grunting a little, he tried to stretch his limbs to what extent he could, resulting in a sharp painful snap in his neck.

"OW!" Benjamin yelled and instinctively tugged at the restraints in an effort to get loose and clutch at this neck. Relaxing again, Benjamin groaned. That hurt. Oddly enough, it felt much better now than before.

Wondering a little at his neck's behaviour, Benjamin rolled his shoulders. Bain was still watching him from afar, but he looked like he could fall asleep any second. Looks like they never switched last night. Benjaimin observed. As Benjamin stretched his claws, the rope slipped. It dropped off his right hand and curled up on the ground, only loosely tied to his left hand. Perplexed, Benjamin moved his hand. He was completely free of the rope on his right and could easily get out of the left one.
But...? I was completely unable to even wiggle my wrists yesterday! What the hell? It must've happened when my neck snapped like that. I sure did put some involuary energy into that straining but... that much?

Benjamin looked at Bain. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, slipping a little on the halberd. Seemingly thinking of something, Bain looked around a little, resting his gaze on Benjamin. After a few moments, he slipped away into a street and vanished, obviously determining that a few minutes of no watch while he fetched someone else to take over wouldn't hurt.

Perrrfect. Benjamin thought and grinned toothily, involuntarily drawing out the R.

Quickly scrabbling at the rest of the rope, Benjamin ripped his left hand free and held them up in front of his face. Letting loose a quick laugh at the great sensation of being free again, he hastily stuck his hands behind his back again and started sawing at the rope tied around his wings. The rope started to fray and loosen, letting more blood into back into his wings again. Gasping at the fantastically warm feeling in the entire wings, Benjamin shuddered. It felt so good to be able to feel his now largest limbs. He couldn't honestly say "again", because he'd never had any wings before, but nevertheless, it felt great.

Bending over to loosen his feet, Benjamin noticed a natural movement in his wings when he bent forward. They rose a bit, tensing at the wingtips and spreading the phalanxes, increasing the size of them slightly.

What on earth? Why are they doing that...oh. Flight, a and o. The more wing areal, the more lift power. A forward weightpoint gives balance. And more muscular activity is of course needed... I should be able to fly! Holy...alright, enough amazement. Get loose!
Holding up an insanely sharp claw, Benjamin inspected the tip for a second before slicing at the ropes, severing them in an instant. Grinning, Benjamin prepared to jump up and dash towards his house, intending to grab some of his items before he escaped. His plan quickly went south, though. Something rattled in an alley. Benjamin quickly snapped his hands behind his back and pulled in his wings again with a silent curse.

Without another warning, the preacher and Heinric turned around the corner, along with a good deal of the village. Benjamin gritted his teeth at the sight of the short sword that Heinric was holding. The villagers spread out along the rim of the marketplace, leaving the preacher and Heinric in the middle. Like one, they stepped forth, striding up to Benjamin. The preacher looked at Benjamin with a disgusted look on his face, while Heinric had only spite and triumph in his. Stopping a few feet away from Benjamin, the preacher slammed his staff into the ground and exclaimed:

"Beast, you have been found in our midst, and we will not tolerate this. God Himself watches over us, and he will not see an atrocity as you walk this earth of His creation. Go back , I say, to thine master and Lord, Satan. Go back, or we will banish you back to whence you came with force!"

Baring his teeth, Benjamin growled at them. "Go back? I can't go back to somewhere I've never been. Listen, It's me, Benjamin! Can't you see?"

"Silence! Who allowed you to speak?!" The preacher thundered.

"I believe I did so myself, thankyouverymuch." Benjamin spat back and opened his mouth to continue. However, before he could do so the preacher interrupted.

"Be slient! You, give me the sword." He said and pointed to Heinric.

"But...! Milord, surely it is my duty to remove this miserably demon from this world. You should not..." Heinric protested.

"Give me the sword, I said!" The preacher interrupted. Grudginly, Heinric handed it over.

Kneeling down in front of Benjamin, the preacher placed the tip of the sword on his chest, preparing to drive it through his heart. Accidentally spotting the shredded rope pieces he stopped and stared at Benjamin's feet.

"What...? Why are you not tied?" He said in perplexion.

"Guess three times." Benjamin replied and promptly kicked him in the balls.

With a sound not unlike the one when you empty a tire the preacher collapsed in a heap on the ground, dropping the sword. Benjamin dove after it but Heinric jumped forward and snatched it away. Scrambling to his feet, Benjamin growled at Heinric. Grasping the sword with both hands, Heinric held it up in front of him with the tip pointing direcly at Benjamin's chest.

"No getting away this time, Benjamin. Fight all you like; I'll have your head mounted on my wall by sunset!" Heinric yelled with a maniacal glow in his eyes.

"Get out of my way, Heinric." Benjamin growled back, teeth bared.

Horrified whispers shot through the crowd, some even yelled out loud and ran away. Children hid behind their mothers, fathers shoved them behind their backs with stony faces full of fear. The ones who were armed readied their weapons, quickly glancing around to see if they were in front of the rest, ready to defend them. Benjamin hissed with fear and hate. Tensing, he readied his claws to defend himself and began to circle Heinric. Swearing, Heinric waved his sword at Benajamin's claws.

"Go on then, monster! Rip me to bloody shreds! If my death is what it takes to kill you, then so be it!" Heinric yelled, spittle flying out of his mouth. "Look at it!" He yelled, turning to the crowd "What can you see in its eyes? I see only hate, no humanity."

Slowly circling the marketplace, Benjamin glared at Heinric. Heinric feigned an attack, jumping forward and jabbing the sword at Benjamin. Benjamin sprung backwards with a feral hiss and growled at Heinric.

"I said, GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Benjamin yelled and charged at Heinric. With a heave, Benjamin tackled Heinric out of the way sending him flying to the right. Sprinting towards an alley, Benjamin swore internally.

This could've gone SO much smoother.

Dashing towards the maze of alleys and streets on the outskirts of town, Benjamin could hear the loud clattering of feet against rocks behind him, signalling that there were men following him. No big surprise there, though he did have a headstart. The houses around him had people looking out their windows with surprised expressions that soon turned into shock and disbelief. Whipping around a corner, the street split up into a T-junction. Choosing the right path, Benjamin swore. The left path led out of town, the right one was a dead end. Slowly turning around, Benjamin felt a chill run down his spine. The men following him stood in the entrance to the alley, blocking his escape.

Ah, come on! This is even worse than the time when me and Garreth were chased by those rabid chickens someone tried to sell him.

With determined expressions, the men started to move closer, readying themselves for an attack. Benjamin hissed at them, backing off. Ending up with his back against the wall, Benjamin made a quick decision.

Shit, what are you doing? Joking with yourself WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE? FUCK!

Roaring, Benjamin hurled himself at the men, hoping to be able to barrel through them. Cursing, they dove for cover, arms and legs flailing madly in an attempt to get away from the impending painful impact. Three of the men managed to get out of the way, but the last one wan't so lucky. Planting his shoulder right in the man's chest, Benjamin grunted as he sent him hurtling towards a wall. Giving a quick glance back, Benjamin blinked and narrowed his field of vision.

I hope this works.

Leaning forward, Benjamin focused his thoughts on his wings. Imagining how it would feel to move them, he attempted to give them a quick flap. His wings twitched and jerked, as if eager to be used for the first time.

Come ON! Work!

The men behind him was regaining their bearings, groping for their weapons. The yelled at each other, cursing and stumbling to their feet to resume the chase.

Trying again, he managed to flap once, sending him a few feet into the air. With a slight grin, he flapped once more. Now he was moving smoother, more naturally in relation to his wings. Continuing his efforts, he spread his wings fully. With a Whoosh his wings filled with air and lifted him into the sky, scraping a rooftop with his claws as he went by. Behind him, the men following him shouted in shock and surprise, pointing at him as he attempted to fly higher. Gasping at the sensation of only air beneath his feet, Benjamin tried to steer towards the woods. He wobbled in the air, almost losing control before regaining his balance and successfully banking left.

With a mighty flap, Benjamin accelerated towards the woods. Despite his dire situation, he could not help but to feel a great deal of satisfaction and joy at what he had accomplished. Flying certainly was an odd sensation.

As he neared the treeline, a sharp wind hit him in the side, catching on to his wings and sending him tumbling through the air. He flapped frantically, trying to regain control.

Oh no, not the trees. Not the trees. SHIT!

At the last moment, Benjamin managed to barely straighten himself up and glide not so gracefully down onto the ground, recieving a mouthful of dirt for the trouble.

Spitting and hissing, Benjamin stumbled to his feet only to trip over his still limp tail. Once more admiring the texture of the forest floor, Benjamin swore. This day was just getting better. Rolling over, Benjamin wheezed.

Holy FUCKING shit. What is wrong with the world? It's like life has decided it takes some perverse joy in fucking with me. Hell, I even swear more than I used to. Whew...

Suddenly, Benjamin jerked his head up. Something, or rather someone was coming towards him from the end of the forest. Scrabbling to his feet, Benjamin bolted behind a tree large enough to hide him. Breathing heavily, Benjamin pressed himself against the tree. The bark creaked beneath his claws, splintering and loosening under his grasp. The two persons stopped a few trees behind him, obviously having found his crash site. Biting his lip, Benjamin held his breath. Suddenly, one of the persons spoke up.

"Benjamin? I know you're here. Come out."

Natasha? Sounds like she's not alone.

Should I?

Indescisive, Benjamin opened his mouth to speak. Hesitating for a moment, he said:

"Go away, Natasha. You're in danger here."

Natasha gasped and started sounding a little strange.

"Benjamin! Oh, thank god, I almost thought you'd already ran away." She said.

"I was about to, and still will. But please, just go." Benjamin said pleadingly.

"Why?" Natasha asked, voice trembling a little.

What is going on here? She would never act like that.

"Don't messs around with me!" Benjamin snapped. "Can't you see how hostile everyone is? Shit, they were going to kill me!"

"I..."

"Shut up. Benjamin, come out or she dies." A familiar voice interrupted Natasha, making Benjamin hiss with anger.

Heinric.

Stepping out from behind the tree, Benjamin saw Heinric. He was holding Natasha with a sword against her throat, grinning madly. A small trickle of blood was running down his face, coming from a wound on his forehead. When he saw Benjamin, he grinned even wider and said:

"Good boy. Now, you are coming with me."

Cracking his claws, Benjamin hissed.
"Let her go. She's got nothing to do with this."

"Oh, but she does! You care for her, which makes her a perfect bartering chip and hostage. Now, get moving or I'll kill her." To emphasize his words, he pressed the sword against her throat. Blood started trickling out from beneath the sword and Natasha gasped.

"Natasha, don't move. Don't worry, I'll help you. I won't let him hurt you." Benjamin's tail was stiff as a wire, tense as a piano wire.

"Quit stalling and move! I swear, she'll die!"

Eyes darting from side to side, Benjamin searched for a way to get to Heinric without hurting Natasha. A tree to his left, rotten at the roots.

No, it could fall on her too.

Open field behind them, thick forest behind him. Small boulders at his feet. Tangle of roots everywhere.

Wait. What's... THE HELL?!

Benjamins' eyes widened. A hunched-over figure was slowly creeping closer to Heinric from behind, wielding something large and by the looks of it, heavy. Heinric stared at Benjamin, too caught up in his victory to notice anything. The figure slowly raised its weapon above its head, poising to strike. The weapon fell, and in a split second Heinric saw what was happening.

CLANG.

The sword dropped and Heinric sank to the ground with his head already swelling. Shocked, Benjamin stared at Anita standing over the unconscious Heinric, holding a massive object in her hands.

Frowning, Benjamin looked at the weapon. When he finally saw what it was, he almost laughed out loud.

A frying pan.

*  *  *

Anita breathed heavily. Having seen Heinric grab Natasha and rush after Benjamin (Or whatever it was) into the forest, she had been indescisive a while. Eventually throwing all caution overboard, she had hurried home, looking for somehing she could use.

Damn you! You sure know how to stir up a ruckus, Benjamin. Oh, when I get my hands on your hide... And Heinric to top it all off! That man makes my bones hurt just by thinking about him. Now, where's... ah!

Almost kicking in the door to her kitchen, Anitas' eyes darted around, looking for something. A huge, unwashed frying pan caught her attention. It was one of the largest pans around, with a thick wooden handle of solid oak. The pan was perfectly suited for making large omelettes, cooking large pieces of meat or bashing in heads. Stretching out a bony hand, Anita grabbed the handle, feeling the smooth, slightly fatty wooden surface in her hand. Holding it up, she inspected the dried leftovers on the inside of it before knocking against a wall causing a large piece of fat to fall out. The fat made a wet slapping sound as it hit the floor, but Anita didn't hear it. She was already out the front door, hurrying in the direction she had seen Heinric go.

*  *  *

Breathing heavliy, Anita listened closely. Nothing yet. No, wait! There, a few trees to her left. Sneaking closer with the pan in her hands, she spotted a small clearing up ahead, near the edge of the forest. She clamped her jaws together as another shot of pain flashed across her back.

I'm getting old...er. she thought, pressing down a cough.

Nearing the clearing, she saw Heinric holding Natasha from behind, twisting her arm into an unnatural angle. What probably was Benjamin stood on the opposite side with bared teeth and murder in his eyes. Heinric pressed a sword he was holding in his right hand against Natashas' throat, making her gasp with pain.

"Quit stalling and move! I swear, I'll kill her!" Heinric yelled at the monstrous figure, pressing the sword even harder agains Natashas' throat.

"Oh, no you won't." Anita grunted and wobbled forward. Feeling the empowering weight of the pan in her hands, she crept behind Heinrics' back. Raising the pan over her head, she saw Benjamins' eyes widen with surprise as she prepared herself. Feeling the rush of adrenaline, she brought down the pan. Heinric must have heard something, because he looked back at the very last moment. Looking into his eyes, the only thing Anita saw was shock.

Anita grinned. Bullseye.

CLANG.

*  *  *

Not finding any words, Benjamin retreated to stuttering incomprehensibly. Anita collapsed onto the ground, flat on her rump. Letting her mighty weapon fall to the side, she huffed and propped herself up against a tree. Benjamin rushed over to Natasha, grabbing her. Natasha coughed hoarsely and rubbed her throat. Not hesitating one bit, she twisted around and hugged Benjamin. With tears streaming down his muzzle he hugged her back, not wanting to let go, ever.

"It's okay now. Take it easy. I'm here." Benjamin whispered.

Natasha sobbed, gripping Benjamin even harder.

"I'm so sorry, he made me do it and I didn't want to but he was going to kill me and..."

"Ssshhh." Benjamin hushed. "It wasn't your fault, it was his alone. You're safe now." Sniffing, Natasha curled up a little closer.

Huffing and wheezing, Anita said "Well... look at you two. *cough*."

Jerking up his head, Benjamin stared at her. Trying to find words, he only came up with four.

"Thank you very much."

"Don't mind it. I've not had this much action in several years, and swinging that pan made me feel twenty years younger." Anita pressed forth, shooing away his thanks with his hand.

With a sigh, Benjamin dropped down on his butt, going limp in his wings. The leathery appendages collapsed like wet clothes on a line, draping themselves over the ground. Drawing in a deep breath, Benjamin looked at his hands. The clawed paws opened and closed as he ordered them to. Benjamin shivered. This was his body now.

Staring at the ground, Benjamin asked:

"I need to ask you something, though. Who do you think I am?"

Natasha shifted. Benjamin looked up, meeting Anitas' light blue gaze.

"You are Benjamin, that's for sure. How do I know? No one but you could glare at Heinric like that."

Benjamin snorted and sighed with relief. Finally. They believe in me. Thank you. Thank you. Benjamin repeated these words under his breath for a while, taking comfort and hope in their meaning.

After a few minutes, Benjamin shook his head and looked up.

"We should probably go before he wakes up." Benjamin said and gestured towards Heinric.

"I don't want to sound pessimistic here, but go where?" Anita said, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? We'll go back to town and explain." Benjamin said, but realized soon after how stupid that was.

"Oh, sure! We'll just blunder in and say 'Yeah, it's alright, I hit Heinric our savior with a frying pan and the monster we had tied up on the marketplace is Benjamin.' Yes, I'm sure they'll understand." Anita snapped at Benjamin.

Dismayed, Benjamin looked down. Of course she was right.

Bloody fanatic bunch of idiots. They won't believe a word that either she or I say.

What am I going to do? I'm a monster. I'm not even slightly human.

I don't even know what I am.

What am I supposed to do?

"You're NOT a monster." Jerking his head up, he realized he'd been talking out loud.

"Thanks, but look at me. A demon if you ever saw one."

"So? You're still you on the inside."

"I'm not so sure about that. I'm not sure about anything anymore."

Picking at the ground with his claws, Benjamin grunted. He couldn't go back.

The sad truth hit him. He hadn't thought of it until now, but now he understood. He was an outcast now.

I can't return. It's too dangerous for both them and me.

I have to hide.

"I know where I can go. Finally a good reason to do it."

*  *  *

Gathering up his belongings from the ground, Benjamin swore. Yet another jar had cracked. He picked it up and turned it over, seeing the slimy mass inside jiggle, already seeping out from the numerous cracks in the clay. Turning towards the direction of the village, he took aim and threw it as far as he could. The jar sailed through the air, disappearing into the morning mist. He could hear it shatter against a rock somewhere in the distance, spreading its rotten innards all over. Some bastard would probably step in it.

Shouldering his burden, he thought about the last few hours. Smuggling out his life neccities hadn't been so hard as he thought, but he could have used some more of his stuff. It had been a short farewell but just as excrutiating. Natasha had cried. Anita had been gripping her new favourite tool, the frying pan. And a few eyes had been staring out some windows, too scared to say anything.

A branch under his foot broke with a wet snap. Stepping over a big log, he grunted. It should not be far now. The undergrowth had started changing from a thick mat of grass to flat rock now. A large swab of wolfbeard hung from a pine nearby, almost touching the ground. A river some distance away flowed through the forest, gulping and whooshing as it went by. Looking up towards the starry sky, Benjamin sighed.

A familiar shape started showing. Like an ink stain on a white paper, it bled out into full vision, drawing out the lines of a house façade. A log wall. Thatched roof. A chimney. Benjamin walked up to the door, feeling the large slab of rock adorning the entrance under his feet. Carefully placing his items beside him, he looked at the black windows. The door had a blackened wooden handle, positioned roughly two inches above his hip.

Taking a deep breath, he stretched out his arm and gripped the handle.

*  *  *