Mary watched with interest as her other self created a headless sea human body to experiment on, tweaking, chopping, growing testing and discarding what failed to meet her aims. Soon they merged and became lost in the all too familiar throes of creation.

Trisha and Jerica united to attempt to drag their partners back into their worlds. The two companions shared their frustration. Neither of them understood why their partners kept poisoning their creation with the poisons emanating from those insanely hard to create metals.

It took them a day before they were satisfied.

« That was interesting me. The moon? »

« Yes other me, also this should allow me to cure those suffering from exposure. And it’s another thing to offer the navy’s nuke boys or whatever they’re called. »

« Hey me, what about...? »

« Might work... But how do I? »

« How about...? »

« Mary! » Exclaimed Trisha and Jerica in unison.

« Sorry, » apologised Mary and Mary.

= = O = =

Xaar was getting nervous, his father hadn’t returned yet. He had been gone for ages and he still hadn’t returned with his promised dagger. He was getting hungry and thirsty. He nervously looked round blessing his nightsight.

Some time after nightfall he spotted some shapes moving around in the dark and he strained his eyes trying to identify them. Unfortunately they seemed aware if the limitations of a dwarf’s nightsight seeming almost to be actively teasing their victim.

A low pitched hissing voice seemed to float out of the darkness. “Sooo, a nice tasty little rock grub.”

“Yesss,” hissed another. “A niiice tender little rock grub.”

“And all on his own in the daaark,” added yet a third voice.

Xaar bolted in panic hearing low laughter coming from the dark.

“Huuunt, let’s hunt brothers.”

Xaar shied violently when a dark figure rose up in front of him and casually raised a gleaming crossbow. Sobbing with terror Xaar took off at an angle.

* * *

The Drow took over an hour to catch their prey and only ceased their play when their victim collapsed sobbing and wouldn’t or couldn’t do anything other than lie there and sob.

Suddenly all business they stripped and searched him before tying him up, then with kicks and prods from their weapons they forced Xaar to his feet and two of their novice warriors led him away.

“Now we hunt the hunters and their prey.”

The hunting party’s scout emerged from the dark. “Yes chief, by the tracks I figure nine rock-beetles were hunting three humans who had been escorting the rock grub back to their town. They headed for the coast.”

“Lead the way Nightshade. We have to be careful, we spent too long on the rock grub.”

“True chief, but it was so much fun!”

Nightshade grumbled to himself while Darkfire chucked. “Yes it was irresistible, but we took too long and now we need to be careful. The rock-beetles are grasping impetuous fools but they can be dangerous.”

The Drow edged their way to the top of the steep slope lining the rocky beach and Nightshade eased his way down onto the beach after making sure it was deserted. He carefully examined the beach and then to the surprise of the watching band went right down to the sea and spent some time examining the gravel beach.

After Darkfire signalled the all clear, the other drow bar two who remained at the to of the slope joined him.

“Well chief, if I read this right the humans aren’t. The rock-beetles split up, some went north and the rest south. Too rocky to say how many went each way.”

Darkfire looked at his scout in irritation. “What do you mean the humans aren’t?”

“Aren’t human. They’re some kind of seal, big seals that can take on the form of humans. By the drag marks they are huge.”

“That’s new.” Darkfire shrugged, “well we won’t be catching them this time. Any idea which direction the smaller party of rock-beetles went?”

“No, there is less disturbed rock to the south but that could mean that the rock-beetles that went south knew more about sneaking.”

After a moments thought Darkfire decided. “We go south, but lets get off this beach.”

* * *

Bloodaxe rubbed his hands together briskly while Juut the carpenter fed the fire with a few scraps of driftwood. The flames sputtered and spat oddly coloured sparks as the flames consumed the salt encrusted wood. Bloodaxe held his hands out to the totally inadequate flames in a futile attempt to get warm.

‘Damn thieving humans, it’s their fault I freezing my nose off. I was only going to kill them but now it’s personal and I’ll make sure they die slow,’ thought Bloodaxe with a sour smile.

“Oooo, two nasty tough rock-beetles.” Hissed a voice from the darkness.

“Yeees, not like the nice juicy... tender... little rock grub they abandoned,” hissed another.

“Rock grub taaasty, rock-beetle not.”

Bloodaxe jumped to his feet, grabbed his battleaxe and turned to face the direction the voices seemed to be coming from. Juut drew his warhammer and started to circle the fire to stand beside his friend. Both the dwarves were squinting trying to see with fire blinded eyes.

Before Juut reached Bloodaxe a barbed bullwhip wrapped itself around his neck and he was hauled off his feet. Juut grasped for the whip but he was rapidly weakening from a severed artery.

“Stupid rock-beetle spoiling my fun. Why are you not wearing your armour?” there was a short pause. “Chief, this rock-beetle dead. I’ll go relieve Nightshade so he can have some fun too.”

Nightshade grinned, “thanks Laasa Whipmistress,” he murmured as he went to join the rest of the hunting party in harassing Bloodaxe.

The Drow showed themselves and skipped out of the way of Bloodaxe’s furious charges while their fellows flitted in behind the berserk dwarf and delivering small cuts to his back and legs.

“Another rock-beetle is approaching from the south,” stated Laasa as she prepared her crossbow.

“It’s getting late. Kill it, this one is nearly done and we have to go home,” ordered Darkfire.

“No armour again, what is it with these rock-beetles?” Laasa waited patiently until she couldn’t miss, then she fired her crossbow and the dwarf stumbled to a halt clutching at the bolt sticking out of his right eye.

Laasa giggled, “rock-beetles and their rock heads.” Then she shook out her whip and flowed silently towards the wounded dwarf.

* * * INTERLUDE 1 * * *

Donnie Rivers woke feeling disoriented. Somehow something just didn’t look right. He fumbled at his bedside table and knocked his alarm clock to the floor before managing to grab his glasses. Then his alarm went off.

Donnie rolled out of bed and after a couple of tries he found his clock and silenced it before replacing it on his bedside table before stumbling into his bathroom. Splashing water on his face finally woke him and on looking in his shaving mirror he finally realized that there was a blue screen hovering in front of his nose.

“YES!”

A short time later he had called in sick and was sipping his coffee. Impatiently he pushed aside his breakfast things and booted his laptop. He opened the pages he had bookmarked and started reading them again.

Barely glancing at the blue screens hovering in front of his nose he faithfully followed the instructions he found on www.weres.r.us.com. He only slowed only when it came to choosing a species.

‘Bunch of bloodthirsty fools. I can’t believe there are no vegetarian options. Let me see, yes there are instructions on how to add other species.’

Donnie carefully followed these new instructions and grinned. “Yes, yes and yes.”

« Done. Integration complete. »

After checking that the camping area he had previously selected was open he quickly packed a bag and headed for the lift. Then he was heading out of Charleston radio blaring as he hummed along.

Donnie barely noticed the scenery as he headed into the mountains. When he arrived at his destination he parked his dusty car and meandered over to the lake. He eyed the other holiday makers with distaste examined the lake and returned to his car. He drove off and stopped briefly for gas before finding a suitably isolated road heading towards the lake. He ignored the sign stating that it was a private road and drove between two bushes and parked within sight of the lake.

He examined his scratched paintwork and grumbled about the property owner not keeping his land neat. Then after looking round he stripped and shifted.

Donnie took some minutes to learn how to access his new instincts and learn to walk on four legs. He wandered down to the lake and admired himself. He dipped his head and had a refreshing drink before moving towards a patch of lush looking grass. He slowly sank into a haze and started to crop the grass.

When his new instincts urged him to move into the woods and hide in the bushes Donnie resisted. The grass was so lush and tasty.

Then – agony – something drove through his chest and burst his heart. Donnie fell to the ground and shifted back to human. His nature having taken over and forced the only route that would allow it to repair his perforated heart. Donnie curled into a foetal position and fainted.

* * *

Will McCoy cursed and dragged out his satellite phone and called for the emergency services. “Is he dead Sonny?”

“Shouldn’t be. These shifter folk are hard to kill. They are very vulnerable to silver but I hit him with a lead ball. Also I didn’t hit him in the brain nor did I sever his neck.” Randy McCoy used his ramrod to reload his Springfield rifle. “How stupid do you have to be to prance round as a stag in the wood in deer hunting season?”

* * *

Donnie woke slowly. His chest hurt but he seemed to be secured on a stretcher. Two hillbillies were talking to a scruffy stout looking sheriff. A paramedic was poking at him. “Why did those idiots shoot me? You should arrest them.”

“Why? They shot a stag and they have a licence for two deer. Furthermore this is their uncle’s land and it’s deer hunting season.” Asked a young man in a deputies uniform.

“But I’m a man.”

“Not ‘cording to the System. Weredeer it says with anyone with the skill to check you out.”

“I am, I’m a man and nobody should eat meat. It’s wrong, hunting’s wrong.”

“You looked like a stag. Randy was trying out his birthday present so his pa was filming it. And then you’re trespassing.”

The paramedic snorted, “We’re designed to eat meat. He’s good to go. Let’s get him on the ambulance.”

* * * INTERLUDE 2 * * *

Tod contemplated Gator’s reply. It didn’t exactly fill him with confidence and it raised yet more questions.

‘I’m Tod now. What’s Parthia and what do you mean by your other self? Yours in friendship Tod.’

The answer arrived sometime later.

‘Hey Tod, Cool, Parthia is da ozzer world where like, this female god with these huuuge boobs took part of our souls, like, an set us up as dungeons. Now me an and tha other dungeon me have kinda got together an know all he and I know. Cool no? See ya, Gator & Swampy.’

So Mary was not alone, not really. He felt a chill run up his back.

* * *

Mary smiled at Jerica and hugged her tight.

“Hey Mycroft got any idea who we could offer a little fix that would allow people to be far more resistant to radiation? An’ another that would allow them to correct a certain degree of existin’ damage.”

“What about Gallows? He’ll think we should have gone to him with it?”

“Not happenin’. C’mon Mycroft are you even sure the man is workin’ for the States?”

“I think he is. But no I’m not sure.”

“’Course you’re all invited to my birthday party. An’ also see if you can pass an invite along to our Hawaiian friends. You know the ones who gave us the fish tanks.”