Changes We Make - Chapter Eight -
Story by Cederwyn Whitefurr on SoFurry
What happens, when the hunters become the hunted?
Changes We Make
Chapter Eight
© Cederwyn Whitefurr
30th September, 2021
All Rights Reserved.
“We got two hours until the team gets here, how many you think we'll need?”
“For a newly turned Therian and a Joey? Not even a pure-blood Therian at that, but a turned human? She won't pose any threat at all, I think a four person team will deal with her...”
With a malicious smile, the man dropped the van into drive and headed out of town to begin their preliminary reconnaissance for Jennifer's farm and the surrounding woodlands.
*
Nicole spent the time whilst Jennifer was away, learning to better communicate with the orphaned Joey who had bonded to her faster than Nicole would have imagined.
Is it because of what I am? Is it something about my appearance and or scent that made her bond to me?
With a mocking laugh in her mind, the thoughts of the Therian intruded once again.
Really? Are you so dim-witted? My joey only bonded to you – such a pathetic thought, that of itself, because of what you are, and I do not mean a red kangaroo – instinctively, she knows a Therian will protect her, as she is still quite fragile and weak. That pathetic milk formula that human insists on feeding her? Bah, a poor, pathetic substitute for the real thing! Of course you're incapable of producing the rich, proper milk for her...
Nicole winced, clutching at her head as the Therian's influence filled her mind.
Yes, try to block me out – truly, you should embrace that which we are, what I can offer you in return! You have no comprehension of what you are denying yourself as one of us!
Nicole whimpered and curled up on the ground, shaking her head violently as the Joey clutched at her and cried out on fear, smelling its adopted doe's stress and pain.
I'm nothing like you – I'm kind, gentle of heart and spirit and I'd die to protect this little one, look inside my deepest mind, you'll know its true! I tried my hardest to save you...
With a contemptuous laugh, the Therian tore apart Nicole's mind like a scalpel would part flesh. Nicole screamed and trashed, the pain of this unholy violation nearly seizing her heart.
I'll concede that much at least. You did try to save me after all, albeit if you'd known what I truly was, I don't think you'd have been as kind-heated... Your kind have always feared and hated mine...
I never knew your kind even existed! Nicole whimpered. How can I fear that which I do not understand, nor know existed? How many of your kind...
With a snort, the Therian lost interest in the conversation, Nicole felt its presence still there in her mind, but she visualised it almost as if it turned its head away and looked elsewhere. It was the only way she could internalise this strange voice in her mind, was to anthropomorphise it and visualise it as best she could.
OUR kind, are mostly solitary creatures, well, our species is as you know from our pathetic, weak and short lived feral cousins – mostly individualistic in nature. Obviously, we do have some social aspects, did you think that joey just appeared out of thin air? Whilst we're nowhere near as gregarious as those Grey's...
Nicole frowned and focused in on that.
There's OTHER species? You mentioned the Greys, I'm assuming the sub genus Macropus Giganteus? Except like you...
With a disgusted snort, the Therian sighed.
I'm growing very tired of your incessant prattling human, I'm not here to answer your questions on our sociological or other questions.
It froze, then one of Nicole's ears twisted backwards, purely under the Therian's control as it listened intently.
That ungrateful human is back...
Nicole shook her head. That human, has a name – Jennifer. You'd do well to remember it, because without her...
Without her interference and insufferable presence, we'd be much happier, if you would surrender your control and let me truly show you what we're capable of. You haven't even tried, not once...
It abruptly silenced itself.
I haven't tried...what? Nicole demanded.
A split second before there was a loud, ear shattering crack of a rifle, the Therian seized control over Nicole and threw her to the side. An agonising burning sensation seared across Nicole's neck as she screamed in fear and agony as something smacked into the tree trunk.
I've been shot... Nicole's mind screamed at her.
Give me control, NOW! Come the snarling voice of the Therian. You want my joey and yourself and that godless human to live? Then do it, and believe me, that was a graze...
Sticky blood ran down Nicole's neck and dripped to the uncaring loamy soil. In less than a heartbeat, Nicole's entire psyche was wiped away as the Therian seized control and forced her to stand.
Silver – only one group I know use silver tipped bullets...
Hearing the racking of the rifle's bolt again, the Therian turned and vanished into the woods, leaving the terrified joey behind as it began its own hunt of those who had hunted its previous form and lead it to this moment...
*
With a exhalation of breath, the hunter eased the bolt back into the rifle.
“How...” He whispered. “I had her head dead to rights in the scope...”
“Get off channel -” Come the angry voice over the earpiece he wore. “Team one, go! Find that godless beast and make it suffer, now!”
Radio clicks acknowledged the order.
Their hunt had begun...
*
Gasping, the Therian crouched behind some shrubs, then placed a paw against the wound in its neck, feeling the blood, seared flesh and agonising pain as they silver bullet had gouged a deep channel across the muscle and fur. Feeling sick to its stomach, partially from the shock, partially from the blood loss, the Therian crouched lower and dug its paws into the ground until it found wet soil. Scooping up paw-full's, it plastered the wound with the dirt and leaves, until it formed a semi-sticky bandage of sorts.
Hearing the hunters, who to their hearing, were being quiet and stealthy, the Therian decided to take the potential offensive.
It'd hunt those who hunted it...
*
“Report in!” Come the crackle over the earpiece.
“Sector two, clear”
“Sector Three, clear”
“Sector four...wait...”
There was a choking cry cut short, then the sounds of something hitting the forest floor and awful gurgling sounds.
“Four, report in, now!” Come the voice of their group leader.
“Two, can you find four...”
A human's terrified scream reverberated through the forest.
*
Disgusted, the Therian dropped the humans still twitching corpse, before it turned and melted into the forest again.
A four person team – for me? It thought to itself. Insulting, they sent eight last time – almost caught me too. They were good, almost as good as me, but you don't live to my age by being stupid and making mistakes...
Then how did you get struck by that car? Nicole's voice echoed in its mind.
Ignoring the presence of Nicole, the Therian shook its head, feeling the makeshift bandage crumbling.
Two dead, at least two more to go, then their leader...when I'm done with him, I'll get rid of that irritation of a human woman...
You leave Jennifer out of this! Nicole screamed at it, but with a growl, the Therian swept away Nicole's psyche like it was nothing.
You want us to live? Then stay silent, or both of us will die – believe me, I know what they'll do if they capture us... You thought I hurt you? You have not even the slightest...
Both Therian and Nicole screamed as the agonising pain shot through the Therian's left ankle, the silver searing fur and flesh as the snare contracted.
It hurts – Come the Therian's anguished cry, as it struggled and trashed, unable to free its trapped leg. Silver... it's lethal if...
A prisoner in her own mind, Nicole could only endure the agony that filled both herself and the Therian.
Frantically, the Therian looked left and right, before it snagged a stick with its paws and dragged it towards itself.
I can help you, if you let me... Nicole pleaded.
Ignoring her, the Therian wept and struggled to thrust the stick between his leg and the tightening snare. Finally, scraping fur and flesh that bled profusely, the Therian finally jammed the stick down the side of its ankle and shoved the stick away as hard as it could.
Again and again, it struggled, until it finally dragged its trapped foot free and collapsed onto the ground, panting and shaking.
Get up – Snarled the Therian at itself. They're going to find you, and you know what they'll do if you can't fight and defend yourself...
Nicole was sickened by the agony from the injury. It was a pain beyond anything she had ever imagined any person or creature could endure – and still live. Yet somehow, the Therian struggled to both feet and managed to hobble a few paces away, more crawling on all fours than hopping.
You got to stop your bleeding – Nicole pleaded with it. You'll be no good to your joey if you die from blood loss or shock, will you?
Angrily, the Therian pushed aside Nicole's nagging voice again, refusing to admit the human was right – but it doubled back and returned to the previous victim. It looked frantically for something, anything, that'd help, but the snap of twigs and the crunch of leaves made it turn and force itself to hop again – leaving a very discernible blood splatter trail.
I need to get to safety, somewhere I can hide and catch my breath -
Nicole forced herself back to the Therian's mind, feeling its control over her starting to slip.
I'm, I was, a veterinarian, I know how to treat your wounds – if I had the things to do it... They're in the van, but...
No! Come the angry snarl from the Therian. I will deal with this my way, you don't know anything, do you hear me? I've been wounded far worse than this before...
Hurt, confused and bewildered, the Therian looked about and once again dug into the dirt beneath another shrub and slathered the wet dirt against the wound as best it could.
If these injuries are not treated, you'll die... Nicole told it.
If I die, so do you, now shut up and let me think!
*
Finding the corpses of two of their hunters, they cursed and redoubled their efforts to find it. Following the blood trail back to the snare, then reversed their search and held their assault rifles at the ready. Therian's were known to double and even triple back on their own trails to confuse and come at their victims from behind.
“Its hurt, badly – look at the blood here!” Spoke the team leader, as he knelt down and gestured with his gloved hands at the pool of still quite wet blood. “If we push it, it'll probably bleed out – how the hell did a freshly turned human learn to fight like this? It's almost as if a pure-blood was guiding it...”
*
Collapsing at the streams edge, the Therian drank quickly of the flowing water, then dug at the bank, getting a thick, clay-like mud which it crudely spread over the neck wound and the ankle. Its ears snapped backwards as it heard the snap of another twig.
They're not going to give up, are they? Nicole's voice rang in its head.
No... Come the Therian's grudging reply. They've hunted us Therian's for centuries, they've learned from their fatal mistakes, and their cunning and weaponry has increased a thousand-fold or more since they first banded together to exterminate we Therian's.
Then how...
With a low growl, the Therian forced Nicole's psyche away again as it clutched its head between its paws and shuddered. It was hurting, having lost a significant amount of blood and with one foot almost useless – its weaponry at its availability was becoming quite limited.
*
“Therian!” Come the sharp voice of a human, as he stalked through the forest, looking for it. “Come out and face your end, or are you afraid?”
He turned his head left and right, listening for the sound of a twig or a leaf, but only silence greeted him.
“You're just like the others of your kind! At the end, they cried and pleaded for mercy... Come out, I'll put a bullet right through that head of yours and it'll be quick and painless...”
“No...it won't...” Come a strange, animal like growl behind him.
As he started to turn, two powerfully propelled feet slammed into his back, sharp talons tearing through the kevlar armour chest plate and slicing him open from neck to buttocks.
He gasped, the rifle falling from his hands as he was savagely kicked again, driven hard into a old, dead pine tree with a sickening snap of his ribs.
Blood exploded from his mouth and spattered against the tree as he staggered backwards and fell onto his back. His eyes were filled with tears as he stared up, the Therian standing behind his head and glaring down at him, its muzzle winkling as it snarled in rage and blood lust.
“Fuck...you...” He gurgled, his lungs filling with blood.
“You're...not my...type - “ Come that strange animal-like voice again, but the words clear enough.
“Kill...” He gasped, then choked up blood again.
“No...” Growled the Therian. “You'll die soon enough, just like how your kind murdered my daughter... you'll drown in your own blood – except I didn't cut your throat...”
His fingers fluttered at the belt, trying to grasp the hilted knife there, but the Therian pinned his forearm to the ground as she stared down into his eyes with a look of cruelty and sadistic pleasure.
“I know one of you is left, really? A five person team for me? I'm honestly insulted - “ Laughed the Therian weakly, as it looked away, then back at him, its ears flattening. “I would love to stay and watch as you drown in your own blood... but I fear there's one of you left to deal with... Honestly, you've hunted my kind for time beyond recollection – you know better! You never hunt alone... thank you for that small mercy at least, you made your death so much easier...”
You... Nicole's shocked thoughts swept over it.
SHUT UP! Come the snarl in response. Yes, our kind can talk, obviously, now...
Choking, the team leader gurgled and convulsed, before he looked up at the enraged Therian who snorted and turned away.
“You're not worthy of me ending your existence quickly...”
With that, it carefully moved away, then hopped a few paces before the ache from the injured leg nearly caused it to scream.
To Be Continued...