24 AD

Air, rich and full with the smells of untamed woods, rushed into his lungs as he ran. Catching sight of his quarry, flying high above the dark green foliage, Helix pushed on, his massive black paws flying over dirt, leaves and all of the forest floor with ease. He hunted for the god, hunted for answers, hunted for revenge!

Helix felt his heart beat hard with the realization that Ares was slowly slipping farther away. Pushing his strange new body to continue, he realized that deep inside, was a well of untapped sensation. A snarl broke the monotonous rhythm of his heavy breathing. With a mighty thrust of his back legs, the wolf launched into an even faster speed. The feeling of unfettered glee, at once again running under Ares' wing beats, tore a howl from his throat. The falcon responded with a shrieking cry of his own and began a spiraling downwards flight.

The wolf waited as the bird settled on a branch just above him. "Well, what do you think?"

Black hackles rose as Helix's lips curled back to reveal pointed canine teeth.

"Fussy mutt." The annoyance was thick in Ares's voice. "I suppose your appreciation of my gift is understandable." The birds head tilted left, one yellow eye studying him keenly.

A vicious, albeit unusual snarl, answered Ares's look as Helix tried, and failed to speak. The wolf shook its head violently, again releasing a myriad of angry sounds. With scarcely a whisper of sound, the falcon shifted form. Ares landed smoothly on his feet in front of Helix. The wolf crouched in answer, teeth bared and dripping angry drool.

"Come on then."

Powerful leg and back muscles propelled Helix through the air. He hit Ares's broad chest, both front paws landing hard. The god hit the ground a surprised chuckle escaping him. Sharp canines snapped for the throat. Ares moved faster than any human could, grabbing a handful of the wolf's skin behind the neck and yanking hard to the side. Helix spun through the air, sliding in the bed of leaves strewn across the forest floor as his legs absorbed the impact. Again the god was on his feet this time charging, a look of joyful abandon on his perfectly sculpted face. There was no hesitation, no thought, only instincts, and reactions. Dropping low Helix darted left at the last possible moment, pivoting around to snap at Ares's passing leg.

Only the shift saved him. The wolf's teeth snapping harmlessly below his flapping wings. "Oh, I like you prince." The falcon flew higher before calling back. "I fear duty calls. We will meet again."

A ferrous howl followed the god high into the air.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Why? Out of all the questions, this was the one Helix kept focusing in on. Why him? Why a wolf? Why had Ares left? Why had Sal vanished? Why had Ynyr vanished? So many why's, and not one answer.

He had chased Ares as far as he could, until the bird was at last, out of sight. Now he was pacing on the edge of a river, unsure what to do. He thought about going back to the fortress and whatever remained of the battle. But, how would that help? It wasn't as if he could just walk up and ask, "Hey, anyone seen commander Ynyr? I'm a wolf, but don't worry I won't bite you. I just need to figure out how to become human again and since he's a witch he can probably help me." He could not even speak. Could he? Helix paused looking into the fast flowing water. It was true that he had not managed to get words out with Ares, but maybe, maybe, he just had not tried hard enough.

A low coughing snarl escaped as he tried talking again. Realizing his throat was very dry, he crept to the water's edge. It was sweet, cool and clean, with the faintest hint of something that made his mind become distracted. Lifting his head, mouth dripping, he found himself sniffing the air. Something, some scent, rich and wild, drifted on the breeze. Every thought about speaking slid away as he slowly slunk forward following his nose.

His paws brushed across the forest floor with scarcely a sound. Layers of his wild surroundings revealed themselves as he grew accustomed to having every sense heightened. Still, he followed the curious smell, every other scent drifting through him like so many singular ideas. Slowly each smell became associated with its proper owner. Dirt, trees, the smell of a spider as it retreated from his presence.

A fleeting sound made Helix's pointed ears swivel around. He approached, all of his considerable instincts brought to bear on the now strong smell and faint sounds. In a quiet eddy of the river a naked woman bathed. The sounds he soon recognized as quiet sobs. She was crying.

Helix shook himself. Here he was following the smell of a strange woman when he should be trying to figure out how to turn human again!

She turned then, her cheeks wet with her grief. Bright, unmistakable, ocean blue eyes glittering with tears. Their eyes met and she froze, a small gasp of air escaping her lips. The air instantly thickened, her pupils vanishing into the blue.

Every fiber of his body reacted to the spike of power. Although his hackles rose in response to her coming attack Helix held on to his wits and realized she must see him like a wild animal intent on attacking her. For a moment he considered trying to speak to her but earlier he'd growled when he tried to talk. A growl would scare her and undoubtedly provoke an attack. Then again if he did not act quickly she was going to attack anyway. He quickly backed away, head low, tucking his tail slightly.

Her pupils appeared as tiny dots as she watched him retreat. "That's right. Get out of here! Leave me be!"

Helix's head snapped up at her words. He could understand her. He could understand the witch woman, whose name he'd never known, and never bothered to ask Ynyr for. Slowly he stepped forward again, wondering at his understanding, her tears, and her presence so far into the woods.

The witch ground her teeth, pupils again slipping away as her power thickened the air. With a small breath of air, the wolf released a desperate sound. It was a quiet whine. She looked at him, caution filling her flickering eyes. Blinking he tried again. "D-dooon't"

Although he would not call the whining word comprehensible in any language she seemed to understand and gasped. "You... you just tried to speak!" Helix blinked his amber eyes and dipped his head in a wolffish nod. She noticeably swallowed hard. "What do you want?"

Good question. Licking his lips Helix slowly tried to form words. The low snarling sounds came out as nothing more than the sounds of a wild animal. With a huff, he turned around intending to walk back into the woods. This talking crap was not working.

"Wait."

Throwing a look over his shoulder he paused.

The woman dried her tears, then slowly approached the bank. Grabbing her clothes she quickly shimmied into them. Her outfit somewhat resembled that of the tribesmen's hunters. Once clothed she walked toward him. Helix kept his head low, turning toward her as she approached.

She still looked nervous, breath catching as she reached toward him with a trembling hand. Standing as still as possible the wolf let his head be pet by her. Their eyes met again, blue shining back into his gold.

"I have read about familiars before in some of the old tomes. Are you my familiar?"

Helix blinked. Okay, so maybe he did not understand her language as well as he thought. He had no idea what a familiar was. Moving slowly so as not to startle her, he shook his head.

Sighing she withdrew her hand, "Well, I am Eslein, Eslein Rey. And I do not know what I can do for you but..." She hesitated a moment, "I suppose if you would like to come with me you can? Not sure where I am going to go just yet."

Helix tilted his head thinking, then nodded his agreement. Maybe since Ynyr was, gods knew where, she would be able to help, however unlikely?

"Just don't try to eat me okay?"

He huffed, and some of the amusement must have reached his eyes because she smiled slightly.

"Fair enough."

So Helix followed her. At nightfall Eslein set up camp in a small, sheltered, gully deep in the woods. Every so often she would glance around, her power tightening the air for the briefest moments. It did not take much deducing to realize she was scared, and not from having a massive wolf following her either. Although, he supposed that contributed to her nerves as well.

Once the fire was popping merrily, she dug out a small portion of dried meat from her shoulder bag. "It's not much but here." She tossed half in front of him.

Sniffing at the dried chunk of tack, he gingerly picked it up from the ground with his teeth. It was gone in half a swallow. Helix's stomach growled in protest to the lack of more. Eslein watched him curiously as she chewed on her portion. His now over sensitive ears picked up the sound of her stomach gently rumbling as well. Glancing back at his fur covered body an idea came to Helix. Wolves hunted right? Surely he could catch something for her to cook.

Standing he sniffed the air. Eslein's scent was the strongest, followed by the food she held. Then came trees, molding leaves and... there. That smelled like something that might be an animal of some kind. Following his nose, he slunk into the shadows.

"Goodbye then." Eslein's whispered words sounded rather sad but, Helix ignored it, moving farther towards the smell that tantalized his stomach.

After a bit, he came within sight of a grassy clearing in which stood a herd of deer. Having hunted as a soldier he carefully moved upwind before sinking low and creeping forward as much as he dared. While staring at a small doe who wandered closer two thoughts struck him. The first was that he could see everything in the dark as if it was broad daylight, although there was a grey cast to the night world. The second was that to catch the deer or any animal, he was going to have to bite into a living raw creature. His stomach was still all for it, his mind though recoiled at that idea. Something like raw fish was all right sometimes. Raw venison was a totally different story. Still, he was hungry, so was the witch.

Helix knew he'd waited too long when the doe nearest him suddenly, sniffed the air and bleated, the herd spooked, darting into the trees at full speed. Standing up annoyed with himself the wolf tried to chase them. He gained a little ground but it was obvious that the deer had far more experience being wild then he did.

At last, he bought another scent and slowed, letting the doe escape. This smell was earthier but still very much alive, and it was strongest beneath a bush a bit to his left. Staring at where he thought the hidden meal might be, he finally made out a medium side rabbit crouching low, hoping not to be seen. Instinct flooded over Helix as he mentally gathered himself for the leap.

Three.

Two.

One.

Helix launched forward, a blinding fast shadow in the night painted woods. The hare never stood a chance. It tried to run but did not even complete a single step before the wolf's strong jaws snapped its spine with a vicious shake.

Afraid that if he let go he would not have the courage to pick his kill back up Helix, carried it back to the fire. Spitting out the mouth full of hair and blood a few feet from Eslein.

She blinked then reached out and grabbed the rabbit. "Thanks?"

He nodded before settling down on the other side of the fire to watch her skin, clean and cook the creature. When it was done, he swore that it might have been the best meat he'd ever eaten.

Sighing contentedly full, the witch removed her boots and lay down, using her leather shoulder bag as a pillow. Instead of closing her eyes stared into the starry night. "How can a world with so much pain in it, be so beautiful?"

Helix looked up as well. She had a point. The sky was a brilliant tapestry of midnight blue set with sparkling flecks of light, more numerous then anyone could ever count. Lowering his head, Helix closed his eyes and softly murmured under his breath. "Wish I knew." There was a rustle of leaves and clothes followed by a gasp.

"You spoke again. Actual words, Greek words!"

Eyes snapping open he saw her sitting up, awe written plainly on her face. Excited he tried again. A coughing growl came out. Irritated with himself he stood and snarled. Eslein stood, approaching him cautiously. As she got closer Helix quieted, staring at her.

"I have an idea. I never learned to speak Greek but, I can read it if you can write?"

With a yip Helix understood, bounding to the woodpile the witch had gathered and grabbed a stick in his mouth. Crouching near the fire he swept a paw out to clear away the leaves. Seeing what he was doing Eslein helped him, soon making the forest floor a dirt canvas.  With painstaking strokes, the wolf moved the stick, biting down hard on the bit of wood to form the letters. The result was a messy but, readable scrawl.

Help. I am human.

Eslein studded the ground her eyes bright in the flickering firelight. "Human. How are you a wolf then? Were you cursed?"

Thinking about her question he decided how to answer. Sort of.

"Well, I have no skill with breaking spells. Although, my sister would have known what to do. She is good at such things." Thoughts, laced with a flicker of pain,  played across her face as she tried to understand. "Hey! If you are human does that mean you are... a man?"

Helix lowered his head sheepishly.

"Of course it does. You sure you aren't just a witch yourself, using a wolfs body to spy on naked women?" Her tone was sharp.

He shook his head before lifting the stick and writing again. I was at the fortress. When he was certain she had read it, he swiped his paw across the words and continued. Repeating the process a few times, he explained what he could. 

We attacked. We were winning the battle when Ares showed up. He did this to me. Ynyr vanished along with Dacuma.

Her smell changed, the tension in her body intensifying with every scribbled word, to the point he wondered if she was considering attacking him again. Deciding he had a better chance of figuring everything out with her help, he wrote three more words.

I am Helix.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "H-helix?" Taking a deep breath she looked him over from tail to snout. At last, she spoke, a trace of humor in her voice. "You look good as a wolf."