I ran by an alleyway and into an old warehouse. I slammed down the door and scampered up the stairs, driven by fear. I finally got into one of the high rooms and looked out the window. My senses almost overpowered me, the stench of old, dead fish surrounding me. But fear of death eclipsed it. I gasped for air, leaning with my front paws against the window sill. I stared out of it, thanking any god that would listen for the fact that they weren’t looking here. Yet. I wanted to change back, or at least back to a lupius, but the spirit inside of me wouldn’t let me. You want to... change back? Why? Because, I’ll be faster. No, you won’t! Please, please don’t change. I don’t wanna be alone again. What are you talking about? Before you became this, I was kinda... asleep. I didn’t really feel anything, but I was alive. Please, I like life! And I’m not alone anymore! What do you mean? Who are you? .... can’t remember. I just remember that, after... he died... I ran away with my mate. You had a mate? Yeah. She was beautiful, with these bright yellow eyes... but, she left, too. She died, and I didn’t have any more reason to live. Why not? Because I was alone. Until I met this... uh... what do you call them? They are wolves, yet they walk on two legs... lupius? Yeah! I met one, and he saved me from them. From who? Humans. With guns. Oh... I was so happy when he saved me. I wasn’t alone anymore. And we were friends. He would even become a wolf and run with me sometimes. We were friends. We both loved to run. What did he look like? I don’t remember... but I remember what he felt like. His presence. What did his presence feel like? Like... yours, kinda. Mine?! Yeah. A lot like yours, in fact. Do you like to run? Yeah... ooh! Can we run? Wait, wait, wait... what are you? You don’t really speak like a human... I’m a wolf. What?! Then how can you talk?! Well, we’re both wolves, so we can talk anytime we want, silly. I’m not a wolf. Oh, you’re not? But... I’m a lupius. I can become this sometimes. Then... Okay, sorry. About what? I thought... I wasn’t alone anymore. You’re not? What’s wrong? I thought you were a wolf. Well, if you had a body, then we could still run. And you can run with my body, how about that? I’m not used to these paws, so you can help me! Oh, Okay... what’s wrong? I just thought I had found another wolf, for a second...  am I good enough? Yeah... in fact, you’re a lot like that lupius who saved me. What was his name? It was Beldas.  My heart stopped, my eyes widened. What was that? Beldas? Yeah. You know him? Yeah, uh... that’s my name. But.... you’re too young to be him. I think... you met my father. How come you’re here? Because. One day, he went away... and I waited for him. But he never came back. So I waited and waited for him, but, when I was old and grey, he never returned. So, when I died... I went looking for him. He was reborn as a baby, and I went with him, because I didn’t want to be alone anymore. He didn’t really recognize me, and I went asleep... but I woke up today. And I met you. I think... see, it’s complicated, but I am my father, in a way. He’s not even really my father, in fact. Just me in another life, sorta. So, that means... you’re Beldas!!! hi, I missed you so much!! I’m so glad I finally saw you again!!! thank you so much for coming back...  I felt an overwhelming joy and relief come from somewhere inside me. Uh, heh heh, thanks... I don’t really remember you, but...  ... but I remember you! I wanna run again! Can we run?! Please please please?! Oh god I missed you!!! yeah, sure we can run! Can you leave my body? Will I see you? I think.... well, we’ll find out later. We hafta leave. I heard a door creak open. Oh, crap... I thought. Then, before I had a chance to curse, the door was slammed open. Not by an angry human, but by Ustian. His big yellow eyes dilated with rage. “What the hell did you do that for?!” he shouted. I whimpered a little. “Don’t try that crap with me, I know you know what I mean. Why did you kill the priest? We coulda just ran while you were a lupius, but no. you had to piss off the whole town!!! just c’mon. The two griffoniniel and the drathitas are in animal form, and they’ve taken all of your stuff with them. We need to hurry.” “I don’t even know you? Why should I trust you?” I said, surprised that I could speak. “Because I’m the only chance you have. They’re getting ready to burn this thing down as we speak.” “So what should we do?” I asked. “Just follow me.” he opened up a window, and peered out of it. There was a large crowd forming, and they had torches. The small annumreale swore, and turned, thinking. He put his palms together, shut his eyes, and began to chant. His palms shone, lighting up the small dusty room. He slowly lifted his palms, a great blue light shimmering and dancing from his hands. He held the two glowing palm to his mouth, and blew. Out of the window, a great shuddering gust exploded and screamed down to the people below. It scared the horses and immediately blew out the torches. The sky began to darken slightly, though it was already grey from the oncoming winter. He held his palms parallel, and began to blow slightly through them, letting the gusts flow through the window and grow into roaring zephyrs. The horses jumped, scared, and eventually just freaked out. “What are you doing?” I asked. But before he could answer, a quick snap of thunder and a downpour of rain, blackening the sky and shattering the wondrous anticipation of the crowd. The annumreale’s palms eventually flickered out, and he shook a little. It had taken a lot out of him. His eyes stared blankly, and eventually he just fell to the floor. But before he could, the spirit took control of me and ducked underneath him, my huge frame carrying his like I was a horse. He was unconscious, and the rain was already starting to wane. The crowd was screaming, scared of what had caused this. I ran as fast as I could down the stairs and into the alley. Watch, this’ll be funny... the spirit said playfully. He took a great joy and anticipation on what he was going to do (I could feel it), and took a deep breath. And he howled. Loud, long, and almost musically. The sound actually felt like a physical force pouring from my mouth, drenching the sky in song. To me, at least, it sounded beautiful. The crowd immediately ran out of my way and back into their homes, screaming and scattering. I could feel the spirit laughing as he watched the people scamper away at his song. Ahahaha!! I told you it would be funny!!! and it was. But I still needed to run. They would soon gain reason from their hysteria and regroup. Where the hell are Ace, Don and Player? I asked myself in frustration. I saw in the fields two huge animals. One looked grey and cougar-like, but at least three times the size. The other had wings and was brown. And then there was Player who was normal. I didn’t know how, but I knew who the animals were. “dude, what happened to you guys?!” “I was gonna ask you!” “Well, I mean, jeez!! What are you guys?” “Griffons and dragons can become anthros (what we really look like, with clothes ‘n stuff) and animals, like this.” “What about Player?” “Uh...” Don said, smiling awkwardly. “He, kinda, changes to a giant instead.” “Why?” “Bitten by a radio-active dragon. Wanna see the scar?!” James said excitedly. Yeah, sure!!!  “Uh, no thanks. I’ll pass...” aww, I wanna see it!!!  Not right now. What’s your name, anyway? Well, you used to call me Lobo... hey, that’s a cool name for you! Lobo!   Well, you thought of it...  Yeah, but still. It kinda fits you. So, uh, nice to meet you, Lobo! “hey, uh... are we leaving? ‘Cuz Vitara says she’s hungry.” James said. I stared at him for a minute, and then said, “I would say you’re crazy. But I’m a wolf thingie with a voice in my head, Don’s a giant, uh, animal, I guess, and so’s Ace. I no longer can tell what’s crazy and what’s not.” “Yeah, but still. I’m hungry, too.” Don said. “Uh, waitaminute...” Ace said. He changed back to what he called an “anthro” and took out his backpack. He pulled out some air-tight plastic packages and a frying pan. He also took out a few small plastic bottles filled with peppers and such. “What’re you doin?” I asked. “Cooking. Can you guys get some logs or twigs or sumthin? I know it just rained, but we have James.” “Good point. You cook? But you’re, uh... all thin ‘n stuff.” “Meh. I like cooking. Now go get some logs.” “‘kay.” I was about to change back when Lobo suddenly got really sad. You’re leaving... what? Can’t you come with me? I mean, I’m just changing back to a human... but, if I’m not there, can you change back? Just so you can tell me when we can talk again? I’m kinda lonely... Okay, but I think you’ll stay. Wait... so I changed back, and waited. There was a silence. Did it work? Hello? Beldas? Yep, it worked. Yes!! Whoa, this is kinda weird, I’m standing on two legs... are you used to this? Yeah, kinda. Neat! Don changed back, too, and helped me look. Ustian quietly followed us, still tired from when he had used magic. While we were gone, Ace turned to James with a confused expression on his face. “Wait, did he just say he has a voice in his head?” “I think so. Why?” Ace sighed. “Nothing, forget it.” Ace began to mumble as he tore open the plastic bags. “All I wanted was to just go on a vacation, away from the press, maybe stay at a hotel, but nooo, we had to go to the fricken’ four corners of the fricken’ world...” “You say sumthin?” James asked. Ace sighed again. “No, nothing...” the plains were pretty bare. There was no wood, really, mainly because of the lack of trees. “Well, to start conversation, how’d you do that magic hingie? When you made it rain ‘n stuff? That was awesome.” “First of all, human,” Ustian snapped coldly. “‘magic’ is something that you’re told about in schools to keep any kind of faith that your existence isn’t mediocre and pointless, to tell you that strange things happen just to make you happy. What I used was Arcanus.” “What’s that?” Don asked, picking up twigs telepathically and putting them neatly into a little bundle floating several feet off the ground. “Never mind.” “Well, sorry, Mr. Sunshine... Jeez...”  He was an angry little person, I could tell that much. But maybe, he was like James’ opposite. James had a terible childhood and that made his mind stay a child. Maybe Ustian had a terrible childhood... and his mind grew up too fast.