The year is 74 NA or the 74th year of the new age calendar after the discovery of new land’s far to the east were discovered and news of their abundance of untouched resources returned to the waring countries of main lands. With this news the nations made peace with each other but that was only on the surface for now they waged a war of colonialism to see who could snatch up the most land the fastest. The countries dumped countless resources in too new fleets to send across the sea and establish outposts in the new land. these new lands however were never meant to be tamed as the new fleets made landfall and attempted build new human settlements. They were beset by setback after setback lost ships at sea or people going missing in the forest. Nights were filled with howls of beasts unlike any heard on the main land. it wasn’t until transports returned to destroyed settlements with the words LEAVE gashed into side of houses. Strangely though all the houses were empty and there was no sign of battle or blood. Unsure of what to do the transports returned to their nations to relay the news. Needless to say none were pleased by the news, one nation went so far as to send the ships back telling them to bombard the island to “smoke out what was hiding” but the but the vessels were never heard from again. Due to the high costs the nations pulled the funding for colonization and refocused back home. From time to time a ship is sent to see if any survivors or to see if any other nation manages to establish a foot hold.
These were the stories told to me when I was a child. I am lady Jorden Rus third in line to house Rus a distinguished military family in the nation of Sythia and my ship the super-heavy frigate Regalia has been chosen for this year scouting expedition, what could possibly go wrong.
With a sharp intake of breath though my nose and my eyes shot wide open but I couldn’t move everything felt numb. My eyes darted about the room this is not my ship… where am I what happened I was going though a storm. I was trying to control the ship barking orders to the crew when lightning struck the central mast cracking the wood and set the mast ablaze. It came down on the wheel the rain and wind put out the fire but the damage was done. With no control over the ship, it capsized in the storm. How did I get here and where exactly is here anyway? Looking around the room or cave would be a better way to describe it. crude tapestries depicting some runes or shamanistic glyphs littered the walls. I could feel the heat of the sun on my head but could only look deeper into the cave. woven baskets filled with herbs of unknown origin also litter the area. Suddenly the warmth from the sun stopped, I tried to move my head to look on instinct but still couldn’t move. A shadow began to cover me until the figure was right over me.
“finally decided to wake up hmmmm” a gruff old voice spoke to me my eyes straining to see who or what was talking to me. the man walked to my side using his walking stick that was covered in symbols unknown to me and a odd red jewel at its top. It looked like fire whirled inside the uncut gem. The old man gradually sat down and I could finally see him completely. I was stuck by what I saw, the man had ears of a bear on top of his head. his hair was gray his face wrinkled with age but had markings half his face was a tattoo of a bear claw. He had yellow sharp eyes as though he could see though me. he was tall and lanky furs and skin of animals I’ve never seen before covered his body.
“the numbing with go away eventually” he began speaking again “but I have some things to tell you before you inevitably run off and get yourself killed or worse become our problem again. when you can move please don’t try to run you will only hurt yourself. This is my one and only warning” with that the old man got up again and trundled back outside.
Hurt my self what the hell is that old bastard talking about. AAAAAAAA what the hell is going on if only I could move or do something, anything. Then I could hear another figure approach and when she was finally in my view if my jaw could drop it would have.
Standing maybe 6’ 5” to 7 feet tall Carmel color skin. Her face was soft with long wavy raven black hair with a few strands covering her eyes. Her eyes are like a midnight blue that could look right though someone. She had a small scar on her cheek no bigger than a pinky nail in length. She had tall pointed fox ears that twitched with the fur the same color as her hair. Roving my eyes across her slender body she was toned with a multitude of tattoos in the shape of animals. Her private area covered by a loincloth and her C-cup breasts rapped tight to her chest in leather. A large fluffy fox tail swished gently back and forth behind her.
She kneeled down next to me and put what looked to be some sort of soup in a carved wooden bowl. Gently she pulled me up to a sitting position opened my mouth and slowly poured the contents of the bowl into my mouth. God, I feel like an invalid sitting here unable to do anything myself I thought to myself. Thankfully it didn’t last long and she laid me back down and left without so much as a word. There I laid unable to move slowly though I could begin to move just a little bit. A little pinky twitch here and a slow blink there I was beginning to move again just as the old man said. Hours passed that felt like days stuck in my head with my own thoughts. Thinking if any of my crew were still alive or what these natives are going to do to me or what has already been done. How will I get home how… how… how… did it come to this? The tall woman returned once more but went further into the cave behind a leather curtain of some kind. Bones rattled as she closed it and went to bed, I guess. Welp time to get out of here. Slowly I moved to stand up thankfully they were kind enough to give me some kind of clothing even if it barely covered anything. I slowly moved towards the entrance of the cave being carful not to make any noise. Once I got out of the cave, I heard a pair of foot steps headed my way quickly hide in the bushes. I held my breath as the sound of crushed grass and leaves got closer.
“you’re not vary bright, are you?” a feminine voice spoke “stand up I know your in the bushes stop acting like an idiot.” I dare not move hoping that it was someone else that they were talking about. “fine if you don’t want to come out then run along already, I have neither Patience nor interest in you greedy lot.” I slowly began to back away from before turning and running into the jungle. Gods I ran as fast as I could I don’t know what the hell is going on but I don’t care pushing massive leaves and braking small branches that were in my way to go anywhere. I don’t know how far I ran before I was starting to struggle to breath. The taste of blood in the back of my throat as I double over as a sudden pain raced though me. the surprise of the shock made me lose my footing crashing to the ground everything burned inside of me like someone was pressing a heated branding iron to my entire body. I screamed and cried begging the pain to stop to go away, it felt that though my own skin was tearing it self-off. I dug my nails into my arm to distract me from the pain to no avail I couldn’t feel anything again except for the searing heat though my body. My eyes clenched shut hoping to wake up from this nightmare to be freed from the agony till blissful unconsciousness took me.
When I awoke again the heat was gone but my eyes were blurry and everything was so loud. I instinctually went to cover my ears to find that there was nothing there anymore. Even my own hand felt foreign to me as it was brought to the side of my head. what the hell has happened to me I thought as I attempted to stand up only to fall face first into the dirt and dead foliage on the ground. This time when I began to stand, I leaned in a nearby tree to steady myself rubbing my eyes in an attempt to clear them and I felt fur brush against my skin. I moved my hands away quicky to see what was on my hand but it wasn’t on so much as a part of me! a thin layer of snow-white fur covered my hand and arm. I stared in disbelief as I tested to make sure that it was indeed my hand, clenching and unclenching being careful not to cut myself on my new found claws.
“no,no,no,no,no this can’t be real it just can’t be! I couldn’t have turned into some monster.” I began looking over my entire body and it had all changed.
