# Skyfall Chapter 13

Author: Abyssa
Tags: Alien, Anthro, Canine, Gore, Human, Hybrid, Laboratory, Male, Werewolf, Wolf, fight


13
 
I followed Kato into the small room. The drapes were drawn and the room
was dimly lit by candles. It had two large beds that were blanketed with colorful
sheets. This place felt much more welcoming than the perfect-white, sterile
state of the laboratory. 
  Misha had collapsed on one
of the beds already. He had stripped down to his boxers, and the blanket was
draped over his lower half. He was already peacefully asleep. 
  I imagined they all must
be very exhausted after walking through the pass. I felt a bit guilty for
riding on the painted horse the entire time. I also felt somewhat exhausted,
despite having been comatose for two days. The atmosphere in the room made me
drowsy.
   "I can take the floor if..." Kato whispered.
  I shook my head, "It's
fine. It's a large bed." I said, eyeing the spot next to Misha. "I don't mind."

   It was partially true...I wouldn't mind
sleeping next to Misha like this, in this setting, and I felt better knowing
Kato would be just a few feet away. 
  Kato wandered into the
bathroom and began to shower. I slipped off my clothes and sank down on the bed
next to Misha. His hair was damp from his shower, and his skin smelled like
spiced soap. 
  I pulled the blanket up as
delicately as I could to avoid disturbing Misha. He stirred anyway, and rolled
over to face me. His eyes opened slightly, and he smiled before sinking back
into unconsciousness. His arm wrapped around mine as he moved closer to me. My
ears fell as I wrapped myself around him.
  Everything felt surreal.
I began to wonder if I would wake up... This moment felt less real than my
encounter with the goddess had. 
  I heard the water shut
off, and my body jerked away from Misha's. He stirred again but rolled over to
the other side of the bed this time. I closed my eyes and pretended to be
asleep as Kato came out from the shower and got into the bed across from us. I
felt ashamed...I didn't want Kato to know I was still clinging to Misha like
this. I knew he wouldn't judge me, but I still felt ashamed. 
  I stared at the man
sleeping beside me. Why couldn't I shake this feeling? I knew he was bad for me.
I knew that he didn't deserve my attention or my time...so why couldn't I just
forget about him? Is this what love meant here...an undying attraction for
someone that doesn't fade, regardless of how badly they treat you? I sank back
down onto the pillow and closed my eyes.
 
Not much time passed before I felt Misha stirring in the bed. He got up
and shook my shoulder, "Come on, Decipher." He whispered, "I have to go to the
gardens. Try to keep quiet. I don't want to wake Kato."
  I got out of bed and
slipped my clothing back on, catching Misha's eye wandering across my body.  Misha tossed me my supply bag and we snuck out
of the room as quietly as possible.
  The tavern was busier
than it had been when we arrived this afternoon. Misha and I wandered through
the crowd and out the door. Outside the air was still and the sun was beginning
to set. The town looked beautiful in the twilight. There were hues of gold and
orange shining from fires and dimly lit lanterns. The lanterns seemed to be
powered by pure energy of different colors, some were faintly golden, while others
shimmered with a blue, colder tint. I also saw a few shimmering lights dancing
around the town, perhaps fairies?
  "Come on." Misha said,
"There's an herb specialist and a garden on the other side of town where I can
collect the things I need. If we hurry, there's a refinery on the way, perhaps
you can purchase some metals to complete your dagger?"
  I nodded, "That sounds
great." I said as we began to walk farther into town. 
  The town bustled with
activity; it seemed everyone was just returning from their busy day at work. A
few people we passed stared at me uncomfortably, but when they saw that I did
not act like a werewolf, their minds were eased. 
  "No worries." Misha
laughed, "People are used to weird sights around here. The Dark Goddess
frequents this town, and often has visitors that take strange forms, not to
mention her children." He said, pointing to a dark path that led into the
forest, "There is also a large castle a few miles, and the lord of the castle
is a vampire who employs werewolves."  
  I nodded. "I remember
that." I lied, "Eldon is home to many of the vampire's employees, right?" 
  "Yeah." Misha said. "So
you're remembering things?"
  "Bits and pieces. I guess
my amnesia was so persistent because I knew nothing about the lab." I paused to
look at the nearest lantern, which sparkled with green light, "I have a feeling
that I've missed this place."
  "That makes sense." Misha
said with a glance in my direction.
  We approached a small,
brick building that had a brilliant orange glow. There was no wall on the
outside section of it, and inside sat a few forges that were glowing with
embers and liquid metals. A busy man moved large vats of the orange liquids and
poured them into various molds. The smell of singed metal floated into my nostrils.

  After the man finished,
he turned to us with a gruff expression. "Evening, fellows." He said, keeping
his eyes on me, "What can I do for you?" 
  "I need some heavy brass,"
I said as I pulled the dagger blade out of my supply bag. "Something that would
work as a hilt for this."
  The man peered at the
blade and nodded, "I can forge a hilt for your dagger tonight, if you'd like.
Just leave the blade here." 
   "That would be good." Misha said,
"We will be back to pick it up after we run some errands."
  I nervously handed the
man the dagger blade, "This is very important to me." I said, watching his
blackened hands take the blade carefully. I didn't really know why I treasured
the blade; I didn't even have any intention to use it. Something about it just
seemed important. 
  "I am sure it is," the
man smiled as he examined the blade, "Quite a rare stone you have here. Don't
worry, I'm an expert. It'll be ten pieces."
  I dug in my satchel
around and looked at the handful of coins Kato must have inside it. I had
plenty. I nodded to the man, "Sure. Thank you."
  Misha and I headed down
the brick trail into a darkened area. Little flickers of light sparkled here
and there, but there were no lanterns or candles out here. The brick trail
turned into a dirt path that led us to a short, white fence. Misha opened the
gate and we stepped into the garden.
  The garden felt very
calming as we walked into it. The smells of all the flowers danced in my mind.
I wanted to see what they looked like, so I followed my nose to a clump of
flowers. Unfortunately, they were starting to close up for the night. I wished
we had come during the day, perhaps I would visit again sometime. 
  Misha picked at a few
plants. I knew my eyes were more sensitive to light than his, a side effect of
being half wolf, but even I was having trouble distinguishing differences in
the plants. Misha on the other hand moved through the vast assortment of plants
like an expert.
  "How can you tell what
you're looking for?" I asked Misha as he shoved a bundle of herbs into his
satchel.
   "I've been here many times." He
laughed, "It's easy enough to tell what you're looking for, either by smell,
feel, or sight. Come look."
  He gestured me towards
him and held out a twisted root that looked pretty insignificant to me. He
watched me study it for a few moments, and then handed it to me.
  "This is fleurant." He
said, "Shake it up and see how it feels." 
  I shook the thick root,
and it became warm in my hands. I stopped shaking it and examined the root
again, but I couldn't see any difference. As I held it, the rough texture of
the plant became smooth and fuzzy but it still looked the same. I smiled as the
feeling of the root became more and more strange.
  "What does it do?" I
asked with a short laugh.
  "It's an antiseptic." Misha
said as he dug into the dirt, "The root only does that at night, though. Many
of the plants I need only have reactions later in the day."
  Part of the garden was
raised and had a stone edge. I sat on the stones and watched Misha sift through
the plants. I caught glimpses of fairies zooming in and out of some of the
shrubs. Some of them had collected berries that they were returning home with.
I looked up at the sky. It wasn't black yet, but a few stars had begun to
shimmer in the darkening blue.
  After a few moments of
silence, I muttered, "Oh, by the way, sorry for sneaking into your bed
earlier." 
  Misha didn't look up
from his work, but I sensed his smile. "You think I cared?"
  I stayed quiet until he
looked up at me, "Well, I don't know." I said, "It would have been awkward for
me if our positions were reversed..."
   Misha gave me a genuine, warm smile,
a smile I wanted to burn out of my memory. I hated that smile. I couldn't
resist it. 
  "My feelings for you
remain unchanged, you know." Misha said as he walked closer to me. "But I
understand if you still feel uncomfortable." 

  "Who owns the garden?" I
asked before he could get closer. I didn't have the energy to resist him.
Besides, I was honestly curious. Even my downloaded information knew very
little about this garden.
  "Kei," Misha said as he
turned to pick a few berries, "She has a business negotiation with TRIL, and so
we can come pick from her garden whenever we're in town. Come on," Misha said,
glancing at a slip of paper, "the rest of the things I need are inside with
her."
  We approached a small,
cobblestone hut that radiated a golden glow into the garden. Misha knocked at
the door a few times.
  The door opened and the
overwhelming smell of sweet pie hit me. I couldn't help but sniff the air to
get more of the delicious smell. The short woman behind the door giggled as she
saw me. I looked down at her. Her face was aged, but she wasn't elderly. She
was about a head shorter than Misha, and had a curved figure. Her auburn hair
curled and fell just past her shoulders. Everything about her seemed so warm
and welcoming.
  "Misha!" She said as she
embraced him in a hug, "Great to see you!"
  Misha laughed. "Hello,
Kei!" He said, gesturing to me, "This is Decipher."
  She grinned at me, "You
smell the pie, don't you, doggy?" She asked with an excited bounce. I would
have been offended if she didn't seem to be so genuinely happy when she said it,
"Misha, I just made pie! Come in and have some!" 
  My ears perked up with
excitement, and my tail swished behind me. These reactions were all
involuntary, but they seemed to make Kei giggle again. I felt a bit flustered
as she welcomed us into her small home. The scent of freshly baked pie made my
mouth water. I had never smelled something so delicious before.
  "What do you fellows
need today?" She asked as she moved across the room to where her kitchen was
set up. Misha and I took a seat on a couch by her fireplace.
  "I have a list here, and
we picked from the gardens already." Misha said as he tossed his satchel onto
the table in the kitchen, "Send charges for all of it back to the facility."
   Kei scooped up two slices of gooey, blue
pie and served them to Misha and I, along with a pot of tea. I snatched the
fork and took a bite as quickly as I could without making myself look like a
fool.  
   The taste was better than the scent was. The liquefied,
warm fruits had been soaked in spices and sugars. I think I might have let out
a moan of pleasure after my first bite.
  "This is so amazing." I
said once I could speak again, staring at Kei with a dazed grin. "Thank you so
much!"
  Misha and Kei both
laughed at me this time. "Yeah. That's what happens to everyone when they have
Kei's pie for the first time." Misha laughed, picking at his own piece. 
  "Oh, you're welcome,
honey!" Kei said as she glanced at the herbs Misha had collected. She picked up
his list and looked through it. Her face became more serious as she studied the
items on the list. "Looks like you need some potent things, Misha." 
   "It's been a busy year." Misha said as
he sipped his tea. 
  "Will it be safe to
travel with wolfsbane with your friend?" She asked.
  "I believe so," Misha
said as he studied me, "but if it affects him I brought some antidote just in
case. We don't know much about Decipher yet." 
  I might have asked
questions if I didn't have the pie, but the crisp, buttery crust kept me quiet.

  "Well, let me go pack
the potent herbs." She said before vanishing through a cellar door.
  "Potent herbs?" I asked
once the warmth of the pie faded enough for me to form a coherent thought. 
  "Poisons, banes,
drugs...things that have the potential to be dangerous." Misha said as he
finished off his own slice of pie. "We extract many of the components in the
lab to create antidotes, immunizations, and on occasion, weapons."
   His explanation probably should have
bothered me, but the warm pie made me feel euphoric. I stared at the fire with
a blank, dazed expression. "Was the pie drugged?" I asked after a few moments.
  "Not that I know of."
Misha laughed, "You were probably just really hungry. You haven't eaten for
days. I gave you an injection to keep your energy levels high enough while you
were in the coma, but you weren't able to eat with the rest of us. Luckily,
Kei's pies are packed with exactly what you should be eating to recover."
  Kei returned from the
cellar with a small package in her hands, "Here are the delicates." She said as
she handed the package to Misha. "You be careful with them. Keep yourself safe."

  Misha placed the package
in his satchel and slung it over his back. "Of course." He said with a nod,
"Thank you Kei. Decipher and I need to get back for dinner with the rest of our
party. It was lovely seeing you again."
  "And thank you for the
pie." I added. 
  Kei laughed and wrapped
her arms around me. I jumped at the gesture, but returned her hug. She embraced
Misha next. "Always a pleasure. Keep in touch!"
  The warmth of Kei and
her home stayed with me as we travelled back to the forge. I wished we could
have spent more time getting to know her; she seemed like a woman that was full
of amazing stories. She also hadn't seemed to judge me at all, she hardly even
asked about me. 
  By the time we made it
to the forge the sky was black and the stars and moon were casting silver light
on the landscape.
  "There you are!" The man
bellowed, holding up my dagger. He had crafted a brass handle that twisted like
a unicorn's horn. The brass was etched with silver markings that danced in the
curves of the twisted shape. 
  "I hope you don't mind."
The man said as he handed me the dagger, "It felt right." 
   "Not at all. It looks beautiful." I said. I
dug in my bag and pulled out eleven pieces of gold, one to tip the man. The
work he had done had surpassed my expectations, but I suppose I should've
expected something like this from a professional blacksmith.
  "Pleasure doing business
with you." He said with a grin as we walked off. I continued to examine his
craftsmanship on the hilt.
  "So you like it?" Misha
asked. 
   "I
figured that was clear." I teased. 
  We continued to walk
down the brick path. The town was dark now and people had begun to settle down.
  I heard footsteps
trailing behind us and quickly turned to see Sheila running at Misha and I.
"Kato is in trouble!" She shouted.
  She reached us, panting
heavily and with a worried expression. "Kato and I were in the woods when a werewolf
attacked us, neither of us had any silver." She gasped for air, "It's not even
a full moon! Come on!"
  I didn't think. I
followed Sheila blindly. Misha yelled out to me but I didn't listen. He trailed
behind us as we ran. I felt like this was a chase. 
  Sheila led us through a
winding forest trail. As we ran I became aware of the fact that Kato was not
here. We stopped dead at an area where the trail opened up to a crossroads. I
instantly knew it had been a trap, but part of me was excited. 
  I turned to Misha. I
felt sick once I realized he had followed me here. I shouldn't have let him,
but I didn't have time to think...I snapped my attention back to Sheila, who was
laughing at us. 
  She charged at me and
began to slash at me with her dagger. "It took you long enough to get yourself
a weapon!" She yelled as I dodged her slashing. "Why don't you test it out?" 
  I kept my eyes on her,
moving slowly and observing her every movement. I felt like a fool for letting
my guard down, but deep down I knew that I had wandered into her trap knowingly.
I was eager to take care of this problem. I tossed my bag aside, along with my
dagger. I knew more about fighting with my own body than I did weapons,
anyways. 
  I snarled at her, "I'm
glad we could take care of this tonight." 
  She smirked, "I can't believe
you fell for it. Maybe you knew?" She said as she paused for a moment, standing
up straight and circling towards Misha. "Are you going to fight me, or just hop
around while I swing at you? If you don't start fighting, I'll just toss this
knife at your less experienced lover over there." 
  I thought back to my
assignment...it suggested I make her blind with rage. My heart raced as I picked
through my thoughts. What could I say to make her angry?
  "How are you going to
explain our deaths to Doctor Hale?" I asked with feigned confidence.
  She laughed, "I'll think
of something. How would you explain my death? They would punish you, you know."

   "Actually, Sheila." I said,
narrowing my eyes, "You have become disposable. Of course I knew you were
planning on attacking me...but I had to get my assignment done."
  Her expression changed
from amused to angry. She was struggling with the thought. "You honestly think
Hale wants you working for him, dog?" She spat. 
  I took my chance and
lunged at her. She tossed her knife as I slammed her against a tree. I watched
the knife land in Misha's shoulder, who cried out in pain from across our
battlefield.  
  When I turned back to
Sheila, she was slicing another knife across my arm. I jerked away as the
stinging pain slowly crept through my muscles. She escaped my grip and jumped
up, ready to strike again. I began to feel shaky. Misha was bleeding heavily; I
could smell it. I had to stay focused on Sheila, though. I can't afford to panic.
  "It's true! Doctor Hale
ordered me to kill you!" I yelled. Sheila prepared to strike at me again. At least
she was getting angry. 
  I lunged at her. I felt
my muscles changing as I moved towards her. My shadow resembled the werewolf
who's DNA I had originally copied. I let out a bloodthirsty roar as I slashed
into her thigh with my claws. 
  "They don't need you anymore."
I hissed. "Your emotions make you weak."  
  She jumped and kicked me
in the side of the head while lacerating my arm again with her knife. I
snatched her leg in my jaw and bit down as hard as I could. Sheila shrieked in
pain and jabbed her knife straight into my side. I did my best to hold on to
her leg, savoring the blood that trickled into my mouth. She twisted the knife,
and the pain forced me to let go. I collapsed. Luckily, I fell on top of her
and prevented her from jumping away.
  I slammed her wrist down
on the ground and her knife went flying. She stared up at my snarling face as I
pinned her down. She looked terrified, and I enjoyed the moment. I pressed my
massive paw down on her chest. She began to cough and struggle weakly. 
  "Fuck...you." She said as
she choked on her own blood, "I hope you die and leave Misha as empty as he
left me." 
  That was enough. I
crushed her ribs with one swift punch of my paw, and tore her chest right open.
My clawed hands snagged on her ribs and snapped them apart. My mouth dug inside
her open body and ripped her heart from her core. I let out a triumphant,
growling howl as her body became motionless below me.
  I stood, hunched forward
on my digitigrade legs like the monster I had become. I spit her heart out and
licked the blood from my lips. The adrenaline began to fade, and I remembered
Misha. 
  Nearly collapsing from
pain, I rushed over to Misha while I was still built like a werewolf. He was
holding onto the knife embedded in his shoulder and shaking. I tried to grab
the dagger, but my hands had become awkward, large paws that couldn't grasp
things as well as before. 
  I closed my eyes and
focused on returned to my original form; I needed to get Misha out of here. My
stab wound throbbed with pain, and I could feel blood gushing out of the side of
me. My entire left side was cramping with pain, and was dyed red. I had lost
too much blood already; we needed to get out of here. Misha opened his eyes and
watched me just as my hand began to morph. His glossy eyes became wide as I
changed back into my more humanoid shape. 
  After I was done
transforming, I ripped the dagger out of Misha's shoulder and helped him up. I
was able to focus enough energy into my stab wound to stop it from squirting
blood out, but it still leaked and sent pain through my body. Misha's wound
leaked blood, but not nearly as much as mine did. I handed Misha our bags and
dragged him forward.
  "Come on..." I said
weakly. I was feeling dizzy, and he wasn't responding. 
  The silence of the
scene offered me nothing but panic. I stared out to where Sheila's massacred
body sat in the center of the crossroads, illustrating our struggle in dark
rivers that flowed from her lifeless figure. Even in the faint, silver
moonlight I could see the glistening crimson.
  "Decipher..." Misha was
looking at the morbid scene as well.
  He was afraid of me; I
could feel it. I closed my eyes as we limped forward and tried to ignore the
fact that he had probably seen everything that had just happened. I didn't have
the energy to be worried about that right now. I did my job, and I felt no
remorse.
  I tore off what was
left of my shirt and Misha held it up to his shoulder as we quickly staggered
back into town. 
  Eventually we made it
back into town. The streets were mostly empty except for a few people. I would
have cried out for help, but I noticed someone running at us before I could. 
  Caliber approached us,
"Shit! What's going on?" He asked, "Kato sent me to check up on you guys. He
had a feeling Sheila would do this."
  Caliber helped support
me as I staggered forward. "We need to get Misha back." I coughed. Between the
morph and the blood loss, my energy was spent, and my legs were going to give
out any second. The blood had begun to dry and cake onto my fur, making walking
even more uncomfortable.
   "Fuck,
Decipher!" Caliber said, "Misha will be fine, you on the other hand..."
   Misha was still silent. I assumed
he was in shock. I had prepared myself for this, and I had known it was coming.
Misha on the other hand had just witnessed me brutally murder someone. I don't
think anything could have prepared him for that...He had only ever been aware of
my gentle side. I felt a bit ashamed that he had to see this side of me.
  Everything was hazy as
Caliber helped me back to the tavern. At some point, Kato joined us and began
to help support me as well. They both kept calling out to me.
  "Decipher! Hey..." 
  "Come on Decipher, stay
with us."
  "Misha's in shock...he
won't speak..."
  "Make sure he doesn't lose
his bag!" 
  All the voices danced
around in my mind. My vision began to blur as I stared at Misha's horrified
face. 
  We entered the tavern,
and Kato and Caliber picked me up completely and carried me up the stairs. I
saw the blurred shape of Misha following slowly behind us. As soon as they laid
me down on the bed I let myself pass out. I had done all that I could, and my
body demanded rest.  

Source: https://sofurry.com/view/566095

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