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Description
Dawn broke; bathing the land below with golden sunrays. The green rolling hills basked in the light, while the morning fog captured it, gaining a warm yellow glow. The old woods seemingly took a breath of the life that hummed in the air, awakening the robins and small birds that nested within the boughs. They fluttered out into the howling wind, allowing themselves to be carried away into the distance. The wind stirred, ruffling the landscape, lifting up tiny feathers and debris from the ground. A small blue feather detached itself from the rest; it sought adventure. Rushing past the others, it headed for the small village below. It was just now awakening, with smoke beginning to rise above the chimneys as the people inside rose from their sleep, eager to find out what the day might have in store.

* * *

A sunray wormed its way through the window, crawling its way up Benjamin's face. It sneaked around in his beard for a second or two, before darting up and into his half-closed eyes. He groaned sleepily and tried to slap it away with his hand, the five fingers failing to grasp the light. Giving up, he turned over and pressed his head into his pillow.

Gnnnhh...

Outside, the village was in a rush. A couple of travelling merchants had arrived with their wares, and they were busy setting up shop on the marketplace. The merchants were always a highlight, as their things were from far and wide in all shapes and forms.

Finally deciding to face the day, Benjamin threw the pillow at the window (briefly defeating the annoying sunray) and sat up. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the gravel that had apparently decided to take up residence in his eyes. After a minute or two, he groped for his clothes on the chair next to him, bumping his fingers a few times before suceeding. He pulled on the pants, threw the shirt over his head and laced up his boots, tracing his fingers along the small gash in the side of the right one.

Gotta get that fixed.

Blinking, he gave his bedroom a look. The old timbered walls met his gaze, so familiar. His bed, unkempt as always. A few shelves with some roots on, along with a bible. That was the single non-medical book he owned, which had been given to him by a travelling bishop. He had never paid much attention to religion, but a little faith now and then helped.

He pushed himself up, wobbled and propped himself up against the wall, jamming a small splinter into his ring finger. He swore and stuck it in his mouth, sucking on it. After giving the wall a frown, he opened his bedroom door, letting it swing open into the small room outside before staggering sleepily down the stairs into the combined kitchen/living room/laboratory. He didn't like to have it all in one place, and had been thinking about moving to his father's old place out in the woods, as it was somewhat bigger. Something always came in the way, though, as a broken leg, the cart he was supposed to loan broke down or whatever. It was always something.

Pulling a cupboard open, he sighed at the contents. Medicinal herbs, jars, a few glass bottles, but no breakfast. Displeased, he slammed it shut. A loaf of bread on the table caught his eye, and he broke it into two pieces before wolfing half of it down.

He poured himself a mug of water from a pitcher, and seeing his reflection, Benjamin cocked his head to the right. Waiting for the water to be still, he saw himself in it. An unshaved, brown-haired guy in his thirties, blue eyes twinkling with curiosity at the world. He chuckled at his expression, spun the water and took a swig of it.

He quickly emptied the mug which he then turned over, holding it so that one side was hidden in his hand while the other one stared him in the face. A fine piece of craftsmanship it was, with beautiful engravings depicting plantlife. It even had small stone shards embedded in it (how they managed to stay in place he had no idea). It was another one of his sister's amazing works of art, yet she herself did not acknowledge her prowess. Instead, she gave them away as mere gifts to anyone who seemed interested.

Deciding to let the day have a go at toppling him, Benjamin pushed his front door open with a grunt at the glare from the sun. Garreth, his neighbor and best friend, waved to him some houses away. Benjamin waved back, to which Garreth responded by gesturing with his thumb to the inn further down the street and making a drinking motion. Benjamin grinned, pointed to his shredded boot and mouthed "Five minutes". Garreth gave him a thumbs-up and strolled away towards the inn, obviously intending to "prepare himself", so to speak. Benjamin, on the other hand, headed towards Harvey's shop. Harvey was the local tanner, and just as rough as the hides he tanned. One could say he was well suited for his job, as he went well along with the materias he worked with.

Kicking a pepple along as he went, Benjamin eyed the day. The weather was fabulous, not too hot and not too cold, while a gentle breeze stroked the land. Considering the first impression, Benjamin decided that this day probably would turn out for the best. And a bar run with Garreth would sure spice it up. With a final kick, the pebble flew away into the distance and Benjamin looked up. Harvey's house came into sight, standing some distance away from the rest of the buildings. The reason for this was one of the nose. The large tanning vats where you cleaned the hides released a most awful smell when they were being used that turned your stomach and made you green in the face within a few seconds. Harvey had built his equipment some distance away so that he would not anger anyone, making sure the wind blew towards him for the most part. Although sometimes during the summer there could be "Vat days" when the unfourtunate occurrence of both that the wind had turned and the vats were in use. During this time the atmosphere in the village would become... quite unpleasant. A tiny miss in the planning by Harvey, as his "Safe distance" was too short.

Wrinkling his nose, Benjamin banged on the shop door. Harvey shouted something from inside and Benjamin pulled the door open. Harvey was working with something behind the counter, holding a few short nails in his mouth while hammering one into the shapeless lump on the table.

"Morning, Harvey. Fine day we've got today, isn't it?" Benjamin said cheerfully.

Harvey spat out the nails into a can and spun the hammer in his fist. "Hmph. I don't have time to care about the weather, got stuff to do. Now get to the point, what do you want?"

Benjamin bent down, pulled off his boots and placed them on the counter. Harvey snatched the damaged one away in the blink of an eye, turned and twisted it, fingered the gash before putting it down again.

"You could easily fix this by yourself, you just need a patch. Why bother me with this?" He grumbled.

Putting on a flattering tone, Benjamin said "You know I'm nowhere near your skill, and I can barely handle a needle. And even if I could, I'd rather ask an expert than risk messing it up myself."

"Pshaw! Manipulating bastard. Fine, I'll do it. It'll still cost you the normal price." Harvey said with a wry grin.

"Never expected anything else. See you later, then." Benjamin patted him on the shoulder, much to his displeasure.

Without another word, he turned and left the shop. Outside, the warm sun wrapped its rays around him, vibrant and almost alive.

Now shoeless, he burrowed his toes in the grass on the ground, enjoying the feeling of sunwarmed leaves under his skin. The green forest leaves rustled some distance away, playing with the wind. He gazed up at the sk, imagining what it would be like soaring above the trees, without a worry in the world. Just leaving everything behind and start anew.

Putting on a brisk walk, he headed for the inn. He passed several houses on his way, but only a few people. He explained this to himself by the commotion over at the town square. The commotion itself nagged him a little, as it felt as if he should know what it was about, but that he had forgotten it. Stashing it away in a murky corner of his mind, he decided to take care of that when he had celebrated the wonderful day in style along with Garreth.

As he strode up to the heavy, battered wooden door to the inn, excited and happy voices reached him from the inside. Announcing his entry by kicking the door open to the delight of the people inside, he bowed one or two times before walking over to Garreth by the bar. Garreth had been busy speaking to Franks, the innkeeper who was apparently doing a little work on the side as a bartender. The inn itself was an old, but recently refubished building that could probably hold about thirty or forty people in just the bar area. Franks had been running it for as long as Benjamin had remembered, and it was popular in the area for its great room quality (great quality means no lice and somewhat clean bedsheets, along with really cheap prices) How many that could sleep there he had no idea, but a fair guess would be about the former amount. Right now, there were probably no more than twenty, but things were still humming and spirits were high. Spinning his chair around to face Garreth and Benny, he crossed his arms over his chest and grinned.

Garreth put down the ale he had been drinking, grinned and said "So you managed to get your sorry butt over here? And barefoot too?"

Benjamin snorted with laughter and wiggled his toes. "Aye. Harvey's repairing my boots. They're been leaking like Osthart's roof for way too long now."

Garreth and Franks gave a hearty laugh at that. Osthart was the village's thatcher. He was great at mending other people's roofs, but his own was always, constantly, impossibly, leaking.

"So, what's with all the commotion this fine day?" Benjamin asked.

Garreth looked surprised at the question, and Franks exclaimed "You've forgotten that? Hah! I guess I shouldn't be surprised, with all those odd plants you stuff into your belly. To cut it short; The merchants are finally back, and setting up shop on the square."

"Yeah, everyone's buzzing with the news. Come on, you can't mean that you've completely forgotten that they were coming this week?" Garreth slapped Benjamin on the back and took a swig of his ale.

"No, honestly. I've had a nagging feeling all morning, but I didn't remember that it was that particular thing. Anyway, that's great news! I hope they've got more of that herb they sold last year."

Garreth snorted with laughter and said something about Benjamin and herbs, but Benjamin wasn't listenting anymore. An old man further down the bar disk had caught his eye. He looked old as time itself, but still energetic as if he had been twenty. He had been staring at him ever since he entered the bar, but now he waved slightly at Benjamin, beckoned Franks over, whispered something to him and then continued his unsettling stare. Franks returned, looking confused. As soon as he reached Benjamin, the old man rose from his chair and started off towards the door.

Franks frowned, sat down on his side of the bar and looked at Benjamin.

"Do you know that guy?" He said in a low voice.

"No, not at all. What about it?" Benjamin answered, also lowering his voice.

"Cause' he asked me to give you this, that's why."

Franks slid a small parchment over the bardisk towards Benjamin. He cautiously took it, and held it up. Looking over his shoulder, the old man had just closed the door behind him. Confused, he unfolded the paper. It was a ... recipe? Yes, something along those lines. But the ingerdients were wholly unknown to him. The oddest thing of it all was the picture drawn above it all. It was the roaring head of a reptile of some kind, great flames emerging from its jaws. It was beutiful, yet still unnerving.

"What the..." Benjamin whispered, and reached out, touching the black ink.

The paper was as paper should be, dry, smooth and a little wrinkled, probably from being in the old man's pocket. Benjamin turned the paper, perplexed. Half the paper was covered in text he could read, while the other half was only a jumbled heap of odd, twig-like symbols. They were almost moving in front of his eyes, jumping back and forth on the paper.

Garreth and Franks bent closer, just as confused as him.

"The hell is that?" Garreth exclaimed.

"I don't know... If I didn't know better, I'd say it was a recipe for something..." Benjamin frowned and folded it. "Let's go home to my place and check this in my books."

"What, seriously? Now? I haven't even finished my ale." Garreth said, grumbling.

"Yes, now. Come on." Benjamin answered, rising from the chair. Still grumbling, Garreth drank what was left in his mug, paid and followed.

They quickly moved through the streets, subconsciously avoiding most people there. As they reached Benjamin's house, the sky had begun to darken, storm clouds rapidly moving in over the land. Benjamin looked up, unnverved by the weather. While it had to be a coincidence, he could not stop thinking that it was an omen.

They strode up to the door, nervously looking around as two criminals about to break into a house. Garreth shook his head and said "Benj, this is giving me the creepy-crawlies. I hate to say this, but I don't like that a storm is beginning to brew just as you get that weird whatever-it-is."

Benjamin bit his lip and nodded. "Me too. Let's get this over with."

He placed a hand on the doorknob, pushing it open. The familiarity of his house was comforting, but something was amiss. Stepping over a bootjack he walked into the combined living room/kitchen, with Garreth almost pressing himself against his back. Suddenly, something caught his eye. A small, brown, rugged box was resting on top of it, sagging a little from some heavy object inside it. Benjamin pointed to it, and they sneaked closer. Garreth reached out to open it, but Benjamin grasped his wrist and shook his head.

"Wait. I've read about how you can rig boxes so that they explode if you open them. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but some of the travellers aren't too fond of me. Catch my drift?"

Garreth swallowed hard, nodded and backed off. Benjamin grabbed a long fishing pole from a wall while Garreth took cover behind a stack of books. Joining Garreth behind the shelter of "101 ways to cure Zits" he reached out with the fishing pole poked the box. It moved slightly, but nothing happened. Squinting, he flicked the fishing pole. The lid flew off in a wide arc and landed in a pot with a silent "Whap". Realizing he had been holding his breath all the time, Benjamin sighed with relief when the box didn't do anything unusual. He hung the pole on the wall again and sneaked up to it. Inside the box was a black, rough rock, about seven centimeters in diameter. Garreth grumbled something about how paranoid Benjamin was and ostentatiously dusted himself off.

"The hell is that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the rock.

"A moose preaching in church. What does it look like, a rock?" Benjamin sarcastically said, reached out and picked it up. It was warm to the touch, like any other rock that had been lying out in the sun. He turned it over in his hands, studying the surface of it. Although it looked like a smith had been hammering on it with a sledge, it felt as smooth as a glass pane. Perplexed, Benjamin flipped it over one more time. To his shock, he found an identical animal head to the one that was on the paper. Pulling out the sheet, he compared the two. They were identical in all but one thing; the one on the orb did not have horns, while the one on the paper had.

His thoughts far away, the orb slipped out of Benjamin's hand. He dove after to catch it, but slipped and landed right on top of it.

Instantly the orb flared up with a violet light. Benjamin threw up his hands, trying to shield his face from it. It was no use, it shone right through him, enveloping him, bombarding him. A burning sensation shot through him, as if he had fallen into a fire and his flesh was getting seared off his bones. Benjamin screamed in both shock and pain as the light intensified, shining as a sun.

Just as quick as it had appeared, it was over. Benjamin looked groggily at Garreth who was standing over him. His entire body was on fire, a pain so great that he just wanted it to be over. He heard Garreth's voice calling out to him, asking if he was alright. He sounded full of fear, as if there was still something left from the blast. Garreth ran out into the street, yelling for help. Three or four people quickly responded and rushed into the house. As someone tried to get him up on his feet, he gasped in pain. His skin felt as if it did not exist anymore and his flesh was bare to the air. He screamed and twisted, his eyes darting around like a madmans. He was lying down on the floor with the burnt remains of the box beside him. Several people was bent over him, shouting and babbling. His vision faded, blackening, fogging and going away. The last thing he saw before he passed out was the image of the animal, roaring out its victory in flame, over something that he had never seen.

*  *  *

Groaning, Benjamin opened his eyes. He was in his house, in one of his sickbeds reserved for people he treated. Bad sign. He tried to move his arm; Pain. His back was hurting more than ever in his life and his fingers felt like they were broken. His entire body felt odd in every way, from head to toe. Resorting to just looking around, he spotted someone at the door. It was Anita, an old woman who had displayed a great interest in medicine, and soon rivalled his own knowledge. She cautiously edged closer to him, apparently scared of... something.

"Anita. Wha... What happened?" Benjamin blurted out.

Anita gasped and covered her mouth. It seems as if she.. hadn't actually expected him to speak. After a short, uncertain pause she said:

"Benjamin... It IS you, right?"

"What? Of course it's me... why do you ask?" Benjamin croaked forth.

"Well... ah, don't mind it. How are you feeling?"

"Bad." Benjamin wheezed. "If I were to diagnose myself, I'd say someone hit me with a wagon."

Anita pulled a chair over to his bed and eyed him cautiously. She placed a hand on his forehead, causing him to growl ferally in pain. Anita jerked back and moved away from him a little.

Whoa, hold on. Did I just growl?

"Anita... Tell me, now. What. Happened?" He said.

Anita hesitated for a second or two, before starting to speak.

"Garreth said that you two found a box with a stone in at your house." Benjamin nodded to confirm it. "Apparently, you then touched it and it... in his words, it began glowing extemely bright. You then started to scream, collapsed and passed out. We carried you here. You woke up one or two times before this now, and you didn't recognize us."

"Oh my god." Benjamin closed his eyes again. "Did I do anything?"

"You mostly hissed and growled."

"I... hissed? I'll box his ears bloody when I get hold of that old bastard who gave me that note!" Benjamin lashed out.

As Benjamin closed his eyes again, a loud banging emanated from the heavy wooden door. Anita turned to open it, hesitantly grabbing the doorknob. The door creaked as Benjamin's sister Natasha pushed it open, half-running into the room. She immedatly rushed over to the bed and sat down next to him, grasping his hand. He grimaced in pain, but didn't pull it away. Instead, he forced a slight smile out of him before collapsing back onto the pillow. He groaned as the pain intensified.

"What did they do to you? Poor you." Natasha said.

"Oi. I'm not... ack... dying or anything." Benjamin wheezed. "It just hurts like hell, that's all."

"Still." She said and tried to make him sit up. Benjamin gasped in pain and jerked enough to have the bed jump off the floor.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry, sorry, are you okey?" She asked, almost panicking. Benjamin groaned and nodded slightly. "Just don't do it again."

As he closed his eyes again, sharp rays of... something shot through his body, severing the bones in his body as it swept through his body, head to toe. Benjamin screamed his lungs out, tensing every muscle in his body. Natasha sprung up from the bed and yelled something, but he was lost in himself. The destroying agony rushed through his nerves and obliterated all thought, reducing everything to a dim, burning haze. He faintly registered that Natasha sat by the bed for some time before leaving the room to get something, leaving Anita to watch over him. The splitting ache in his body was soon joined by a booming sound in his head, like a waterfall reaching from the heavens, all the way down to the earth. It was as if he was lying where the water hit the ground, getting crushed by its weight, slamming into the hard rocks below.

This scene replayed in his head so many times, pressing him down into the bed, snapping bones and destroying him piece by piece. Hours passed while his body slowly warped, every second a decade, every minute an eternity. He could not think, only endure.

*  *  *

His eyes snapped open, the pain gone and his mind crystal clear. At least he thought so. Someone or something was standing over him. Of Natasha or Anita there was no sign. He tried to sit up but could not move. His body was frozen in place, pinned down by an unseen force. The entity moved closer, shrouded in shadows. It bent over him, peering closer. The face was oddly deformed, much longer than it should be. Benjamin breathed heavily, afraid of whatever it was.

That has to be a hallucination. Yipeekiyay, I'm insane.

Suddenly, the hallucination spoke.

"Let's hope not. That would be unfortunate."

What the..? Did that thing just hear my thoughts?

The "thing" shook its head. "Scared, human? Would you like it to end?" It said this in a very odd way, as if it didn't say everything it meant. Benjamin just frowned at his brain ghost.

End what? If it means this bloody situation, yes please. Am I talking to a hallucination?

"I can ssstop it..." The figure hissed. "But you can be with humans no more."

Benjamin frowned. I can't do that! I have my friends, my family! Why on earth can't I be with them?

"You will not? Then sso be it..." The last word boomed inside his mind.

Without saying another word, it placed a hand on his chest and twisted it. All the horrible pain was suddenly back, worse than ever. Benjamin roared, breaking whatever was holding him in place. He lashed out with his hand at the shadow, attempting to punch it.

He hit empty air. Whatever it was, if it even had been there, was gone. Vanished like the wind.

Wobbling, Benjamin fell out of the bed, hitting the floor. As the dim pain-fog returned, he passed out. He didn't notice when Anita and Natasha came back in and lifted him up into the bed again.

*  *  *

Blinking a little, Benjamin opened his eyes. The room was still dark, with Anita standing watch by the door.

He coughed a little and said "I'm kinda feeling better. Everything's not hurting as much."

Anita just stared at him, apparently scared to death.

A crawling sensation emerged in his face, as if something was skittering under his skin. He groaned and swore. Can't I even get a chance to wake up properly?  The feeling intensified into a sharp stabbing sensation all over his body, as if someone was driving twigs into his skin from the inside. Something ruptured on his face, and Anita screamed. Benjamin yelled in surprise and pain as he clenched his fists and more and more things ruptured all over his body, more and more everywhere faster and fasteralloverpricklingstingingrippingpoppingpaineverywhereripping

Stop.

In the blink of an eye, it was over. Benjamin breathed heavily, stunned and wondering what the hell that was. He turned his head around to look at Anita, only to find her doing frantic cross signs and praying for dear life.

"Ouch."

Anita froze and stared at him, clearly wondering what to believe. She wringed her hand and said in a scared voice:

"Ouch? Is that all you can say after... that? By god, I don't even know who I'm talking to anymore!"

Benjamin chuckled, but coughed from the painful sting it caused. He wheezed a little and replied:

"Don't make me laugh. It hurts. After what, may I ask?"

Anita wringed her hands and stepped back a little. Her face was contorted in indescision and fear.

Benjamin raised his arm to touch his face, but what rose from the bed was NOT his arm. He stopped, frightened. The black, scaly unfamiliar mass in front of him could not be his arm, no way! He moved his fingers; The clawed appendages on the scaly foreleg moved. To his horror, he had lost his pinky too, so now there were only four fingers. Benjamin waved his arm around in front of him in horror, wiggling his claws and watching the scales on his skin. He touched his face, running the hard claws over his now scaly cheeks. The scales had exactly the same feeling capability as his skin, if not even better.

"I...I w-want a m-mirror." Benjamin stammered. He reached out to his bedtable ignoring Anita's weak protests, scrambled around for a second or two, and pulled out a small mirror that he normally used to look in hard-to-reach places. He held it up to his face and froze.

His face was now completely covered in scales, with changes all over it. His facial features were horribly warped, as if someone had taken his head, chopped it into pieces and shoddily put it together again. His face was beginning to pull out into a snout, there were horns sprouting on the sides of his head and his neck was getting longer by the second. All his hair had disappeared, and had been replaced with a somewhat darker shade of scales. And his eyes. No longer an ice blue colour, but glowing blood red with slit pupils. He blinked; The face blinked. He gaped; The face gaped. Terrified, Benjamin threw the mirror aside. It slammed into the wall hilt first and shattered. The shards rang as they hit the floor, the razor-sharp edges reflecting tiny pieces of the room.

Oh, this isn't happening. This CAN'T BE HAPPENING!

Breathing heavily, Benjamin tried to relax and feel what had happened to him. His enitre body was unfamiliar to him, and all the sensations from the new limbs confused him. His rear was hurting from some kind of tail that had grown there and his toes were stuck in the quilt (probably from claws simliar to those on his hands). He could feel something growing rapidly on his back, pushing him away from the bed. Something was wrong, though. Whatever it was, it was growing under his skin, pushing out as if it was going to rip through any second.

Benjamin pushed himself up, wobbling like a drunkard. Lying down when those things erupted would be a bad idea. Anita backed off, scrambling in panic for the doorknob. She didn't get the chance to run, though, because the door flew open, sending her stumbling back into the room. In through the door came the village's preacher, with Natasha clinging to his right arm, trying to stop him.

"Back!" He exclaimed, holding out a cross towards Benjamin. Coincidentially, his legs decided at that moment that they would not support him anymore and he collapsed down onto all fours. Oddly, it didn't feel so unnatural.

"Please! It's my brother! Don't do anything to him!" Natasha pleaded.

"That, your brother? It is a hellish fiend, sent from the depths of hell!" The preacher spat.

"It's him, I promise! I saw it happen, start to finish." Natasha said.

"I second that. Although he may not look the same, it is Benjamin. I heard him speak just a few minutes ago." Anita said weakly from a chair in a corner. She looked shocked out of her mind, but she seemed convinced.

Benjamin groaned from the floor. He stared weakly at the wooden planks, breathing heavily. The pressue inside his back was increasing every second, and he could feel the rest of his body transforming more and more rapidly every moment. Taking a deep breath, he said:

"Arg... They're right. It's me, Benjamin. I would prove it to you, but I've got the feeling that I'm not quite done yet." As he finished the sentence, his back started to rip. Growling and hissing in pain, he dug his claws into the floor. The pain increased for every second, more and more until his skin could not hold up anymore. With a disgusting sound, two giant wings erupted in a spray of blood and scales from his back. Benjamin collapsed in the floor as his muscles started spasming violently in response to the rapid growth of the wings. The wings must have acted as some kind of catalyst, because now the rest of his body began to finish the transformation.

Benjamin panicked; his legs were getting thicker, longer and changing shape as his arms did the same. The small tail was growing extremely fast, elongating and thickening. Spikes erupted between his shoulderblades and at the end of his tail; ripping and tearing through his flesh. Benjamin yelled in a mix of roars and human screams as his face pushed out even more, forming a proper snout. The horn knobs on his head grew into twisting, long horns with an insanely sharp tip that could easily impale a human. His muscles were shaking more and more for every second, slamming the newly-formed tail into the furniture, sending the bedtable hurtling through the air. Suddenly, without warning, everything stopped. Grateful that it was over, Benjamin tried to get up. Apparently that wasn't going to happen, because all his organs started moving around, changing and pushing. His heart increased in size as a third lung grew and new muscles formed in all the new limbs, slamming him back into the wooden planks. Benjamin threw up on the floor from all the pain and moving around, and could not help but to notice that even his vomit was blackish in colur.

Coughing a little, he rolled over on his back, squashing the wings.

Come ON, that's got to be it.

Groggy, he looked at the people staring at him.

Havn't I've been through this situation before? Oh, right, I wasn't all messed up back then.

The preacher stepped closer and poked him with a boot. Benjamin felt oddly compelled to chew his ankle off, but just hissed a little and twitched.

"Look at that beast. Squirming at the feet of God." The preacher spat.

"Squirming at the feet of an idiot is closer to the truth, I think..." Benjamin groaned.

Natasha gasped and ran over to him, despite the preacher's protests.

"Oh my god, Benjamin! Are you alright?!" She said, almost panicking.

"If going scaly, growing wings, horns and claws, getting insulted repeatedly and vomiting all over my own floor, then yes." Benjamin said. He was feeling better and better for every second now, as if the light from the stone had left him now. His strength was returning to his limbs, and not only that, he soon felt stronger than ever. He could feel his entire body bursting with energy and strength, making him want to run, jump and... fly? What on Earth is going on?

Benjamin felt a chill run down his spine, all the way to the tip of the tail. These new feelings scared him. He'd never been this strong before, and it frightened him out of his skin. Part of him welcomed it, though that part had never been there before. The new him wanted freedom, the open skies and beyond... it wanted to run away. Benjamin bit his lip and suppressed the new sensation, pushing it back into a deep corner of his mind.

Slowly rising to his feet, Benjamin tried to feel how his limbs were working. The tail gave some extra balance to make up for his now digitigrade feet, and he could feel every crease in the wood floor through his padded feet. Rustling his wings a little, he suddenly noticed the other men outside the door, armed. Alright, maybe "armed" wasn't the right word, but pitchforks and blackjacks had never looked more menacing. The men moved closer, weapons raised.

"Oi, take it easy." Benjamin said and raised his hands. Sadly, this gesture of submission was horribly misinterpreted, and the sight of his claws scared the poor men so to the mild grade that they threw themselves at him, convinced that he was going to rip them apart any second now and that they had to defend themselves.

Benjamin, in his still slightly groggy state, only had time to look surprised before something hit his head and everything went black.

Description
Dawn broke; bathing the land below with golden sunrays. The green rolling hills basked in the light, while the morning fog captured it, gaining a warm yellow glow. The old woods seemingly took a breath of the life that hummed in the air, awakening the robins and small birds that nested within the boughs. They fluttered out into the howling wind, allowing themselves to be carried away into the distance. The wind stirred, ruffling the landscape, lifting up tiny feathers and debris from the ground. A small blue feather detached itself from the rest; it sought adventure. Rushing past the others, it headed for the small village below. It was just now awakening, with smoke beginning to rise above the chimneys as the people inside rose from their sleep, eager to find out what the day might have in store.

* * *

A sunray wormed its way through the window, crawling its way up Benjamin's face. It sneaked around in his beard for a second or two, before darting up and into his half-closed eyes. He groaned sleepily and tried to slap it away with his hand, the five fingers failing to grasp the light. Giving up, he turned over and pressed his head into his pillow.

Gnnnhh...

Outside, the village was in a rush. A couple of travelling merchants had arrived with their wares, and they were busy setting up shop on the marketplace. The merchants were always a highlight, as their things were from far and wide in all shapes and forms.

Finally deciding to face the day, Benjamin threw the pillow at the window (briefly defeating the annoying sunray) and sat up. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the gravel that had apparently decided to take up residence in his eyes. After a minute or two, he groped for his clothes on the chair next to him, bumping his fingers a few times before suceeding. He pulled on the pants, threw the shirt over his head and laced up his boots, tracing his fingers along the small gash in the side of the right one.

Gotta get that fixed.

Blinking, he gave his bedroom a look. The old timbered walls met his gaze, so familiar. His bed, unkempt as always. A few shelves with some roots on, along with a bible. That was the single non-medical book he owned, which had been given to him by a travelling bishop. He had never paid much attention to religion, but a little faith now and then helped.

He pushed himself up, wobbled and propped himself up against the wall, jamming a small splinter into his ring finger. He swore and stuck it in his mouth, sucking on it. After giving the wall a frown, he opened his bedroom door, letting it swing open into the small room outside before staggering sleepily down the stairs into the combined kitchen/living room/laboratory. He didn't like to have it all in one place, and had been thinking about moving to his father's old place out in the woods, as it was somewhat bigger. Something always came in the way, though, as a broken leg, the cart he was supposed to loan broke down or whatever. It was always something.

Pulling a cupboard open, he sighed at the contents. Medicinal herbs, jars, a few glass bottles, but no breakfast. Displeased, he slammed it shut. A loaf of bread on the table caught his eye, and he broke it into two pieces before wolfing half of it down.

He poured himself a mug of water from a pitcher, and seeing his reflection, Benjamin cocked his head to the right. Waiting for the water to be still, he saw himself in it. An unshaved, brown-haired guy in his thirties, blue eyes twinkling with curiosity at the world. He chuckled at his expression, spun the water and took a swig of it.

He quickly emptied the mug which he then turned over, holding it so that one side was hidden in his hand while the other one stared him in the face. A fine piece of craftsmanship it was, with beautiful engravings depicting plantlife. It even had small stone shards embedded in it (how they managed to stay in place he had no idea). It was another one of his sister's amazing works of art, yet she herself did not acknowledge her prowess. Instead, she gave them away as mere gifts to anyone who seemed interested.

Deciding to let the day have a go at toppling him, Benjamin pushed his front door open with a grunt at the glare from the sun. Garreth, his neighbor and best friend, waved to him some houses away. Benjamin waved back, to which Garreth responded by gesturing with his thumb to the inn further down the street and making a drinking motion. Benjamin grinned, pointed to his shredded boot and mouthed "Five minutes". Garreth gave him a thumbs-up and strolled away towards the inn, obviously intending to "prepare himself", so to speak. Benjamin, on the other hand, headed towards Harvey's shop. Harvey was the local tanner, and just as rough as the hides he tanned. One could say he was well suited for his job, as he went well along with the materias he worked with.

Kicking a pepple along as he went, Benjamin eyed the day. The weather was fabulous, not too hot and not too cold, while a gentle breeze stroked the land. Considering the first impression, Benjamin decided that this day probably would turn out for the best. And a bar run with Garreth would sure spice it up. With a final kick, the pebble flew away into the distance and Benjamin looked up. Harvey's house came into sight, standing some distance away from the rest of the buildings. The reason for this was one of the nose. The large tanning vats where you cleaned the hides released a most awful smell when they were being used that turned your stomach and made you green in the face within a few seconds. Harvey had built his equipment some distance away so that he would not anger anyone, making sure the wind blew towards him for the most part. Although sometimes during the summer there could be "Vat days" when the unfourtunate occurrence of both that the wind had turned and the vats were in use. During this time the atmosphere in the village would become... quite unpleasant. A tiny miss in the planning by Harvey, as his "Safe distance" was too short.

Wrinkling his nose, Benjamin banged on the shop door. Harvey shouted something from inside and Benjamin pulled the door open. Harvey was working with something behind the counter, holding a few short nails in his mouth while hammering one into the shapeless lump on the table.

"Morning, Harvey. Fine day we've got today, isn't it?" Benjamin said cheerfully.

Harvey spat out the nails into a can and spun the hammer in his fist. "Hmph. I don't have time to care about the weather, got stuff to do. Now get to the point, what do you want?"

Benjamin bent down, pulled off his boots and placed them on the counter. Harvey snatched the damaged one away in the blink of an eye, turned and twisted it, fingered the gash before putting it down again.

"You could easily fix this by yourself, you just need a patch. Why bother me with this?" He grumbled.

Putting on a flattering tone, Benjamin said "You know I'm nowhere near your skill, and I can barely handle a needle. And even if I could, I'd rather ask an expert than risk messing it up myself."

"Pshaw! Manipulating bastard. Fine, I'll do it. It'll still cost you the normal price." Harvey said with a wry grin.

"Never expected anything else. See you later, then." Benjamin patted him on the shoulder, much to his displeasure.

Without another word, he turned and left the shop. Outside, the warm sun wrapped its rays around him, vibrant and almost alive.

Now shoeless, he burrowed his toes in the grass on the ground, enjoying the feeling of sunwarmed leaves under his skin. The green forest leaves rustled some distance away, playing with the wind. He gazed up at the sk, imagining what it would be like soaring above the trees, without a worry in the world. Just leaving everything behind and start anew.

Putting on a brisk walk, he headed for the inn. He passed several houses on his way, but only a few people. He explained this to himself by the commotion over at the town square. The commotion itself nagged him a little, as it felt as if he should know what it was about, but that he had forgotten it. Stashing it away in a murky corner of his mind, he decided to take care of that when he had celebrated the wonderful day in style along with Garreth.

As he strode up to the heavy, battered wooden door to the inn, excited and happy voices reached him from the inside. Announcing his entry by kicking the door open to the delight of the people inside, he bowed one or two times before walking over to Garreth by the bar. Garreth had been busy speaking to Franks, the innkeeper who was apparently doing a little work on the side as a bartender. The inn itself was an old, but recently refubished building that could probably hold about thirty or forty people in just the bar area. Franks had been running it for as long as Benjamin had remembered, and it was popular in the area for its great room quality (great quality means no lice and somewhat clean bedsheets, along with really cheap prices) How many that could sleep there he had no idea, but a fair guess would be about the former amount. Right now, there were probably no more than twenty, but things were still humming and spirits were high. Spinning his chair around to face Garreth and Benny, he crossed his arms over his chest and grinned.

Garreth put down the ale he had been drinking, grinned and said "So you managed to get your sorry butt over here? And barefoot too?"

Benjamin snorted with laughter and wiggled his toes. "Aye. Harvey's repairing my boots. They're been leaking like Osthart's roof for way too long now."

Garreth and Franks gave a hearty laugh at that. Osthart was the village's thatcher. He was great at mending other people's roofs, but his own was always, constantly, impossibly, leaking.

"So, what's with all the commotion this fine day?" Benjamin asked.

Garreth looked surprised at the question, and Franks exclaimed "You've forgotten that? Hah! I guess I shouldn't be surprised, with all those odd plants you stuff into your belly. To cut it short; The merchants are finally back, and setting up shop on the square."

"Yeah, everyone's buzzing with the news. Come on, you can't mean that you've completely forgotten that they were coming this week?" Garreth slapped Benjamin on the back and took a swig of his ale.

"No, honestly. I've had a nagging feeling all morning, but I didn't remember that it was that particular thing. Anyway, that's great news! I hope they've got more of that herb they sold last year."

Garreth snorted with laughter and said something about Benjamin and herbs, but Benjamin wasn't listenting anymore. An old man further down the bar disk had caught his eye. He looked old as time itself, but still energetic as if he had been twenty. He had been staring at him ever since he entered the bar, but now he waved slightly at Benjamin, beckoned Franks over, whispered something to him and then continued his unsettling stare. Franks returned, looking confused. As soon as he reached Benjamin, the old man rose from his chair and started off towards the door.

Franks frowned, sat down on his side of the bar and looked at Benjamin.

"Do you know that guy?" He said in a low voice.

"No, not at all. What about it?" Benjamin answered, also lowering his voice.

"Cause' he asked me to give you this, that's why."

Franks slid a small parchment over the bardisk towards Benjamin. He cautiously took it, and held it up. Looking over his shoulder, the old man had just closed the door behind him. Confused, he unfolded the paper. It was a ... recipe? Yes, something along those lines. But the ingerdients were wholly unknown to him. The oddest thing of it all was the picture drawn above it all. It was the roaring head of a reptile of some kind, great flames emerging from its jaws. It was beutiful, yet still unnerving.

"What the..." Benjamin whispered, and reached out, touching the black ink.

The paper was as paper should be, dry, smooth and a little wrinkled, probably from being in the old man's pocket. Benjamin turned the paper, perplexed. Half the paper was covered in text he could read, while the other half was only a jumbled heap of odd, twig-like symbols. They were almost moving in front of his eyes, jumping back and forth on the paper.

Garreth and Franks bent closer, just as confused as him.

"The hell is that?" Garreth exclaimed.

"I don't know... If I didn't know better, I'd say it was a recipe for something..." Benjamin frowned and folded it. "Let's go home to my place and check this in my books."

"What, seriously? Now? I haven't even finished my ale." Garreth said, grumbling.

"Yes, now. Come on." Benjamin answered, rising from the chair. Still grumbling, Garreth drank what was left in his mug, paid and followed.

They quickly moved through the streets, subconsciously avoiding most people there. As they reached Benjamin's house, the sky had begun to darken, storm clouds rapidly moving in over the land. Benjamin looked up, unnverved by the weather. While it had to be a coincidence, he could not stop thinking that it was an omen.

They strode up to the door, nervously looking around as two criminals about to break into a house. Garreth shook his head and said "Benj, this is giving me the creepy-crawlies. I hate to say this, but I don't like that a storm is beginning to brew just as you get that weird whatever-it-is."

Benjamin bit his lip and nodded. "Me too. Let's get this over with."

He placed a hand on the doorknob, pushing it open. The familiarity of his house was comforting, but something was amiss. Stepping over a bootjack he walked into the combined living room/kitchen, with Garreth almost pressing himself against his back. Suddenly, something caught his eye. A small, brown, rugged box was resting on top of it, sagging a little from some heavy object inside it. Benjamin pointed to it, and they sneaked closer. Garreth reached out to open it, but Benjamin grasped his wrist and shook his head.

"Wait. I've read about how you can rig boxes so that they explode if you open them. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but some of the travellers aren't too fond of me. Catch my drift?"

Garreth swallowed hard, nodded and backed off. Benjamin grabbed a long fishing pole from a wall while Garreth took cover behind a stack of books. Joining Garreth behind the shelter of "101 ways to cure Zits" he reached out with the fishing pole poked the box. It moved slightly, but nothing happened. Squinting, he flicked the fishing pole. The lid flew off in a wide arc and landed in a pot with a silent "Whap". Realizing he had been holding his breath all the time, Benjamin sighed with relief when the box didn't do anything unusual. He hung the pole on the wall again and sneaked up to it. Inside the box was a black, rough rock, about seven centimeters in diameter. Garreth grumbled something about how paranoid Benjamin was and ostentatiously dusted himself off.

"The hell is that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the rock.

"A moose preaching in church. What does it look like, a rock?" Benjamin sarcastically said, reached out and picked it up. It was warm to the touch, like any other rock that had been lying out in the sun. He turned it over in his hands, studying the surface of it. Although it looked like a smith had been hammering on it with a sledge, it felt as smooth as a glass pane. Perplexed, Benjamin flipped it over one more time. To his shock, he found an identical animal head to the one that was on the paper. Pulling out the sheet, he compared the two. They were identical in all but one thing; the one on the orb did not have horns, while the one on the paper had.

His thoughts far away, the orb slipped out of Benjamin's hand. He dove after to catch it, but slipped and landed right on top of it.

Instantly the orb flared up with a violet light. Benjamin threw up his hands, trying to shield his face from it. It was no use, it shone right through him, enveloping him, bombarding him. A burning sensation shot through him, as if he had fallen into a fire and his flesh was getting seared off his bones. Benjamin screamed in both shock and pain as the light intensified, shining as a sun.

Just as quick as it had appeared, it was over. Benjamin looked groggily at Garreth who was standing over him. His entire body was on fire, a pain so great that he just wanted it to be over. He heard Garreth's voice calling out to him, asking if he was alright. He sounded full of fear, as if there was still something left from the blast. Garreth ran out into the street, yelling for help. Three or four people quickly responded and rushed into the house. As someone tried to get him up on his feet, he gasped in pain. His skin felt as if it did not exist anymore and his flesh was bare to the air. He screamed and twisted, his eyes darting around like a madmans. He was lying down on the floor with the burnt remains of the box beside him. Several people was bent over him, shouting and babbling. His vision faded, blackening, fogging and going away. The last thing he saw before he passed out was the image of the animal, roaring out its victory in flame, over something that he had never seen.

*  *  *

Groaning, Benjamin opened his eyes. He was in his house, in one of his sickbeds reserved for people he treated. Bad sign. He tried to move his arm; Pain. His back was hurting more than ever in his life and his fingers felt like they were broken. His entire body felt odd in every way, from head to toe. Resorting to just looking around, he spotted someone at the door. It was Anita, an old woman who had displayed a great interest in medicine, and soon rivalled his own knowledge. She cautiously edged closer to him, apparently scared of... something.

"Anita. Wha... What happened?" Benjamin blurted out.

Anita gasped and covered her mouth. It seems as if she.. hadn't actually expected him to speak. After a short, uncertain pause she said:

"Benjamin... It IS you, right?"

"What? Of course it's me... why do you ask?" Benjamin croaked forth.

"Well... ah, don't mind it. How are you feeling?"

"Bad." Benjamin wheezed. "If I were to diagnose myself, I'd say someone hit me with a wagon."

Anita pulled a chair over to his bed and eyed him cautiously. She placed a hand on his forehead, causing him to growl ferally in pain. Anita jerked back and moved away from him a little.

Whoa, hold on. Did I just growl?

"Anita... Tell me, now. What. Happened?" He said.

Anita hesitated for a second or two, before starting to speak.

"Garreth said that you two found a box with a stone in at your house." Benjamin nodded to confirm it. "Apparently, you then touched it and it... in his words, it began glowing extemely bright. You then started to scream, collapsed and passed out. We carried you here. You woke up one or two times before this now, and you didn't recognize us."

"Oh my god." Benjamin closed his eyes again. "Did I do anything?"

"You mostly hissed and growled."

"I... hissed? I'll box his ears bloody when I get hold of that old bastard who gave me that note!" Benjamin lashed out.

As Benjamin closed his eyes again, a loud banging emanated from the heavy wooden door. Anita turned to open it, hesitantly grabbing the doorknob. The door creaked as Benjamin's sister Natasha pushed it open, half-running into the room. She immedatly rushed over to the bed and sat down next to him, grasping his hand. He grimaced in pain, but didn't pull it away. Instead, he forced a slight smile out of him before collapsing back onto the pillow. He groaned as the pain intensified.

"What did they do to you? Poor you." Natasha said.

"Oi. I'm not... ack... dying or anything." Benjamin wheezed. "It just hurts like hell, that's all."

"Still." She said and tried to make him sit up. Benjamin gasped in pain and jerked enough to have the bed jump off the floor.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry, sorry, are you okey?" She asked, almost panicking. Benjamin groaned and nodded slightly. "Just don't do it again."

As he closed his eyes again, sharp rays of... something shot through his body, severing the bones in his body as it swept through his body, head to toe. Benjamin screamed his lungs out, tensing every muscle in his body. Natasha sprung up from the bed and yelled something, but he was lost in himself. The destroying agony rushed through his nerves and obliterated all thought, reducing everything to a dim, burning haze. He faintly registered that Natasha sat by the bed for some time before leaving the room to get something, leaving Anita to watch over him. The splitting ache in his body was soon joined by a booming sound in his head, like a waterfall reaching from the heavens, all the way down to the earth. It was as if he was lying where the water hit the ground, getting crushed by its weight, slamming into the hard rocks below.

This scene replayed in his head so many times, pressing him down into the bed, snapping bones and destroying him piece by piece. Hours passed while his body slowly warped, every second a decade, every minute an eternity. He could not think, only endure.

*  *  *

His eyes snapped open, the pain gone and his mind crystal clear. At least he thought so. Someone or something was standing over him. Of Natasha or Anita there was no sign. He tried to sit up but could not move. His body was frozen in place, pinned down by an unseen force. The entity moved closer, shrouded in shadows. It bent over him, peering closer. The face was oddly deformed, much longer than it should be. Benjamin breathed heavily, afraid of whatever it was.

That has to be a hallucination. Yipeekiyay, I'm insane.

Suddenly, the hallucination spoke.

"Let's hope not. That would be unfortunate."

What the..? Did that thing just hear my thoughts?

The "thing" shook its head. "Scared, human? Would you like it to end?" It said this in a very odd way, as if it didn't say everything it meant. Benjamin just frowned at his brain ghost.

End what? If it means this bloody situation, yes please. Am I talking to a hallucination?

"I can ssstop it..." The figure hissed. "But you can be with humans no more."

Benjamin frowned. I can't do that! I have my friends, my family! Why on earth can't I be with them?

"You will not? Then sso be it..." The last word boomed inside his mind.

Without saying another word, it placed a hand on his chest and twisted it. All the horrible pain was suddenly back, worse than ever. Benjamin roared, breaking whatever was holding him in place. He lashed out with his hand at the shadow, attempting to punch it.

He hit empty air. Whatever it was, if it even had been there, was gone. Vanished like the wind.

Wobbling, Benjamin fell out of the bed, hitting the floor. As the dim pain-fog returned, he passed out. He didn't notice when Anita and Natasha came back in and lifted him up into the bed again.

*  *  *

Blinking a little, Benjamin opened his eyes. The room was still dark, with Anita standing watch by the door.

He coughed a little and said "I'm kinda feeling better. Everything's not hurting as much."

Anita just stared at him, apparently scared to death.

A crawling sensation emerged in his face, as if something was skittering under his skin. He groaned and swore. Can't I even get a chance to wake up properly?  The feeling intensified into a sharp stabbing sensation all over his body, as if someone was driving twigs into his skin from the inside. Something ruptured on his face, and Anita screamed. Benjamin yelled in surprise and pain as he clenched his fists and more and more things ruptured all over his body, more and more everywhere faster and fasteralloverpricklingstingingrippingpoppingpaineverywhereripping

Stop.

In the blink of an eye, it was over. Benjamin breathed heavily, stunned and wondering what the hell that was. He turned his head around to look at Anita, only to find her doing frantic cross signs and praying for dear life.

"Ouch."

Anita froze and stared at him, clearly wondering what to believe. She wringed her hand and said in a scared voice:

"Ouch? Is that all you can say after... that? By god, I don't even know who I'm talking to anymore!"

Benjamin chuckled, but coughed from the painful sting it caused. He wheezed a little and replied:

"Don't make me laugh. It hurts. After what, may I ask?"

Anita wringed her hands and stepped back a little. Her face was contorted in indescision and fear.

Benjamin raised his arm to touch his face, but what rose from the bed was NOT his arm. He stopped, frightened. The black, scaly unfamiliar mass in front of him could not be his arm, no way! He moved his fingers; The clawed appendages on the scaly foreleg moved. To his horror, he had lost his pinky too, so now there were only four fingers. Benjamin waved his arm around in front of him in horror, wiggling his claws and watching the scales on his skin. He touched his face, running the hard claws over his now scaly cheeks. The scales had exactly the same feeling capability as his skin, if not even better.

"I...I w-want a m-mirror." Benjamin stammered. He reached out to his bedtable ignoring Anita's weak protests, scrambled around for a second or two, and pulled out a small mirror that he normally used to look in hard-to-reach places. He held it up to his face and froze.

His face was now completely covered in scales, with changes all over it. His facial features were horribly warped, as if someone had taken his head, chopped it into pieces and shoddily put it together again. His face was beginning to pull out into a snout, there were horns sprouting on the sides of his head and his neck was getting longer by the second. All his hair had disappeared, and had been replaced with a somewhat darker shade of scales. And his eyes. No longer an ice blue colour, but glowing blood red with slit pupils. He blinked; The face blinked. He gaped; The face gaped. Terrified, Benjamin threw the mirror aside. It slammed into the wall hilt first and shattered. The shards rang as they hit the floor, the razor-sharp edges reflecting tiny pieces of the room.

Oh, this isn't happening. This CAN'T BE HAPPENING!

Breathing heavily, Benjamin tried to relax and feel what had happened to him. His enitre body was unfamiliar to him, and all the sensations from the new limbs confused him. His rear was hurting from some kind of tail that had grown there and his toes were stuck in the quilt (probably from claws simliar to those on his hands). He could feel something growing rapidly on his back, pushing him away from the bed. Something was wrong, though. Whatever it was, it was growing under his skin, pushing out as if it was going to rip through any second.

Benjamin pushed himself up, wobbling like a drunkard. Lying down when those things erupted would be a bad idea. Anita backed off, scrambling in panic for the doorknob. She didn't get the chance to run, though, because the door flew open, sending her stumbling back into the room. In through the door came the village's preacher, with Natasha clinging to his right arm, trying to stop him.

"Back!" He exclaimed, holding out a cross towards Benjamin. Coincidentially, his legs decided at that moment that they would not support him anymore and he collapsed down onto all fours. Oddly, it didn't feel so unnatural.

"Please! It's my brother! Don't do anything to him!" Natasha pleaded.

"That, your brother? It is a hellish fiend, sent from the depths of hell!" The preacher spat.

"It's him, I promise! I saw it happen, start to finish." Natasha said.

"I second that. Although he may not look the same, it is Benjamin. I heard him speak just a few minutes ago." Anita said weakly from a chair in a corner. She looked shocked out of her mind, but she seemed convinced.

Benjamin groaned from the floor. He stared weakly at the wooden planks, breathing heavily. The pressue inside his back was increasing every second, and he could feel the rest of his body transforming more and more rapidly every moment. Taking a deep breath, he said:

"Arg... They're right. It's me, Benjamin. I would prove it to you, but I've got the feeling that I'm not quite done yet." As he finished the sentence, his back started to rip. Growling and hissing in pain, he dug his claws into the floor. The pain increased for every second, more and more until his skin could not hold up anymore. With a disgusting sound, two giant wings erupted in a spray of blood and scales from his back. Benjamin collapsed in the floor as his muscles started spasming violently in response to the rapid growth of the wings. The wings must have acted as some kind of catalyst, because now the rest of his body began to finish the transformation.

Benjamin panicked; his legs were getting thicker, longer and changing shape as his arms did the same. The small tail was growing extremely fast, elongating and thickening. Spikes erupted between his shoulderblades and at the end of his tail; ripping and tearing through his flesh. Benjamin yelled in a mix of roars and human screams as his face pushed out even more, forming a proper snout. The horn knobs on his head grew into twisting, long horns with an insanely sharp tip that could easily impale a human. His muscles were shaking more and more for every second, slamming the newly-formed tail into the furniture, sending the bedtable hurtling through the air. Suddenly, without warning, everything stopped. Grateful that it was over, Benjamin tried to get up. Apparently that wasn't going to happen, because all his organs started moving around, changing and pushing. His heart increased in size as a third lung grew and new muscles formed in all the new limbs, slamming him back into the wooden planks. Benjamin threw up on the floor from all the pain and moving around, and could not help but to notice that even his vomit was blackish in colur.

Coughing a little, he rolled over on his back, squashing the wings.

Come ON, that's got to be it.

Groggy, he looked at the people staring at him.

Havn't I've been through this situation before? Oh, right, I wasn't all messed up back then.

The preacher stepped closer and poked him with a boot. Benjamin felt oddly compelled to chew his ankle off, but just hissed a little and twitched.

"Look at that beast. Squirming at the feet of God." The preacher spat.

"Squirming at the feet of an idiot is closer to the truth, I think..." Benjamin groaned.

Natasha gasped and ran over to him, despite the preacher's protests.

"Oh my god, Benjamin! Are you alright?!" She said, almost panicking.

"If going scaly, growing wings, horns and claws, getting insulted repeatedly and vomiting all over my own floor, then yes." Benjamin said. He was feeling better and better for every second now, as if the light from the stone had left him now. His strength was returning to his limbs, and not only that, he soon felt stronger than ever. He could feel his entire body bursting with energy and strength, making him want to run, jump and... fly? What on Earth is going on?

Benjamin felt a chill run down his spine, all the way to the tip of the tail. These new feelings scared him. He'd never been this strong before, and it frightened him out of his skin. Part of him welcomed it, though that part had never been there before. The new him wanted freedom, the open skies and beyond... it wanted to run away. Benjamin bit his lip and suppressed the new sensation, pushing it back into a deep corner of his mind.

Slowly rising to his feet, Benjamin tried to feel how his limbs were working. The tail gave some extra balance to make up for his now digitigrade feet, and he could feel every crease in the wood floor through his padded feet. Rustling his wings a little, he suddenly noticed the other men outside the door, armed. Alright, maybe "armed" wasn't the right word, but pitchforks and blackjacks had never looked more menacing. The men moved closer, weapons raised.

"Oi, take it easy." Benjamin said and raised his hands. Sadly, this gesture of submission was horribly misinterpreted, and the sight of his claws scared the poor men so to the mild grade that they threw themselves at him, convinced that he was going to rip them apart any second now and that they had to defend themselves.

Benjamin, in his still slightly groggy state, only had time to look surprised before something hit his head and everything went black.