The world spun and Eldridge’s eyes widened. Pain filled his thoughts as his vision shifted to clouds and open sky. His sense of time slowed as he took in the blue and gray. Around him fragments of his shirt filled the air, darkened with drops of his blood. Yet, all Eldridge could think on, was the safety of his friend. Had he given him the time to make his stand?

The wind rushed against his back as rifle shots filled the air. A pained smile crept across his face as he closed his eyes. He knew he could do little while in freefall. He felt the familiar threads assault his mind an instant before he heard “Retreat!” The echoing cry drew him from his pained refuge. His eyes shot open as he did his best to shift his view.

C ran, charging behind him. Byung fired at his nearest foe while Hinklebottom took aim with his AR. Movement above him drew his attention back, his shirt still splintering into fragments. No, they were no longer splintering but congealing. It was as if the shadows themselves were taking shape.

All other thoughts left his mind as he watched the creature form before him. “It finally happened,” He thought as a majestic black cat stood on his falling body. “Those drugs have taken their toll.”

The wind slowed around him as if he stood motionless above the ground. He had finally reached the apex of his fall.

“I have little time,” A familiar feminine voice spoke into his mind.

With little understanding how, he instinctively knew the voice to be the cat before him. Having spoken, the creature shifted its weight and launched itself off Eldridge. He felt the wind rush once again as his body reacted to the force. As he prepared for impact, a cold sensation rushed over him from his chest, the color bled from the sky as his world shifted.

The next thing he saw was the ground, his body prone, hands outstretched as if he was going to do a pushup. He moved his neck and tried to grasp the situation around him. He shot to his knees on reflex, pistol hand flew out before him, as a bloody vestige filled his view. After a bit of processing he realized it was the bear he was fighting earlier.

“How was it so close after all the time in the air,” he thought as he broadened his search.

To his right was the cat as it destroyed another of the beasts. Its hind claws tore chunks out of the flesh, jaw gripped hard on the back of the bear’s neck. Clearly, the cat, the panther maybe, had that situation under control. His gaze shifted before him and panic again found a perch on his oddly peaceful mind. Four medium sized bears were rushing towards him, about half a football field down the road. It would not be long before they were upon him.

A shot from his left drew his attention towards Hinklebottom, the man moved towards the forest, his shots slow and meticulous. As he watched, threads fluttered against his thoughts, his mind contemplated the retreat call from earlier. His hand subconsciously gripped his sole firearm, motions of reloading so ingrained he did it without thought.

He turned back to face his foes as he stood to one knee, his offhand braced his pistol as he prepared to shoot. An exhale of air left his mouth as he pulled the trigger. As he fired a series of shots down road his oddly calm mind sought out the source of these threads. They had given him direction when he had pulled at them before.

Another shot to his left echoed as he managed to tangibly grab one of the threads with his mind.

“I have to get to Falreath, that beast that chased after him, I have to trust his friend can take care of himself.”

The words confused Eldridge for a moment before he realized they were Hinklebottom’s thoughts. And if that was the case, then the four he continuously felt from before him, had to be the beasts charging him down. Those to the right, his head shifted and took in the cat and the bear amid their wrestling.

Then what of the one he faintly felt from behind. His head turned as he pondered the answer. Eyes darted as he sought any sign of someone or something that might be over the river. The pistol arched through the air as he saw a shadow, a target. One he knew to be the source of that thread. There was a rush of panic across the thread as he fired off a series of shots. The earth shifted beneath him and he lost his balance as the shadow darted from the tree line.

A rock fell from the cliff side and drew Eldridge’s attention upward. His eyes widened as he saw the entire thing begin to shift only to realize there was soon going to be an avalanche of dirt, rocks, and trees. His body shifted as he shot to his feet, still, he knew he was going to be too late. The many reports and stories he’s read informed him of the fate that awaited him should he get caught in the flow.

He scarcely took a step before a force crashed against his back. The weight of the collision shoved him towards the ground. His mind raced for a solution as the familiar cold rushed against his body, the color once again bled from the world around him. He felt his body move as his stomach turned. First cars, then trees flew past him, his breath held as he watched the inverted world pass.

Suddenly, he felt hardwood against his back, the color having returned. His lungs took a large breath as he looked around and found himself in the forest, or at least some forest, nestled against a tree. Before him, the black cat slowly pulled itself out of the shadows and took a step towards him. He reached out his hand palm first as his head turned to the left and his chest wretched, his stomach emptied itself of its contents.

He spat a few times before he looked back towards the cat. He wiped his mouth with his forearm as he stared at the creature. Eldridge found himself getting lost in the ageless feeling of its eyes. He could see more than intelligence, more than simple understanding. There was a wisdom deep within.

“I’ve stayed too long,” The voice once again spoke into his mind as the cat placed its head against his outstretched hand. “Stay safe and grow strong my partner.”

The creature’s warmth filled his hand and he felt a connection there. As they pressed together his mind focused on the silky nature of the creature’s fur. He almost wanted to sink into it, to wrap himself in such comfortable softness.

He stared as his hand did just that, sinking into the head of the creature. Alarms went off in his head, still he fought against the urge to rip his hand away, partially captivated by the process. Silky shadowy fur crept up his arm and slowly turned the familiar beige of his shirt. Soon it moved to his chest and lightened even more. A moment later Eldridge had his familiar shirt on, though untucked.

****

Falreath paused his jog as his eyes scanned the forest around him. His instinct told him his friend had to be in the vicinity. The problem was the thick underbrush made it nearly impossible for one to find hide nor hair of a deer, let alone a man. A slow exhale of air left his mouth as he reluctantly chose to move deeper into the forest. Fearful-urgency pushed him onward.

As he took his first step, a shadow flashed across his vision. His head jerked as mind searched for hope.His gaze landed on a familiar black cat a stone’s throw away. As the creature inched towards a tall pine, he knew it to be the one from the battle earlier.

His body acted and he bolted over the uneven ground towards the creature. Fear shook his mind. Was he too late to save his friend?

The cat inched closer to the tree, and he saw a hand reach out towards it. The fear inside him competed against the joy that swelled from seeing that arm; at the knowledge his friend was still alive.

“Eldridge!” He yelled with no response. Faster, he had to go faster. That creature would rip his friend apart.

The next instant he stumbled to a stop as he saw the creature change, the silky black of it flowed up his friend’s arm. As he stood there dumbfounded, the creature vanished from the outstretched arm. Slowly, he closed the gap and found his friend laying against the trunk. The cat was nowhere to be found.

“Hey C,” Eldridge mumbled before he closed his eyes. Falreath’s hand moved quickly to his friend’s neck and relief fell over him as he felt the steady beat of his friend’s heart.

“C!” Hinklebottom gently exclaimed as he appeared on the cliff above the duo. “It’s good…Oh he doesn’t look good.” Concern filled the stalwart man’s voice.

“Hinklebottom! Good good” Falreath said as he stood and turned to his driver. “What’s the status of the copter?”

“Unsure, we lost contact around the time the landslide happened.” Hinklebottom replied. “We will probably have to climb a bit higher to get service once again.”

“Alright, get on that.” Falreath ordered with a flick of his wrist. His mind was mainly preoccupied with his friend. “Let them know we have injured.”

“Understood,” Hinklebottom replied as he faded from view.

Falreath turned from the driver towards his friend and started to examine him the best he could. Not that he knew to look for much beyond breathing and heartbeat.

“The detective doesn’t look that well,” Byung stated as he stepped up next to Falreath his breathing a bit heavy. “Is he still alive?”

“He seems to be stable,” Falreath answered, the emotion drained from his voice. “As far as I can tell.”

“I see,” Byung answered as he leaned against a tree and began to scan the surrounding area. “That’s unfortunate, as we sure could use his help, who knows if we are even safe right now.”

Falreath looked up from his friend and quickly glanced around. A breeze picked up and his trench coat began to rustle. “Honestly, we could probably use any help at the moment, at least against a bear.”

“Or a deer, those things are vicious,” Byung answered as he turned back to the group.

Falreath glanced over as the man took a step back, fear etched across his face. Falreath turned quickly to find a monstrous horse standing just behind the tree.

The beast stood well over Falreath’s full height. Its body glowed faintly as if it was surrounded by flames. The fine fur a mix of browns and reds and blacks meshing such that it looked like a cooling lava field. The deep red mane fluttered in the wind as if it was a flame dancing above a fire. The eyes, the deep brown eyes, held incredible intelligence as it stared at the two figures before it.

“Help you have,” The dignified words echoed in Falreath’s mind as the creature took a step forward.

A part of Falreath wanted to retreat, to run before such a beast’s advance, though another part of him felt drawn to the creature, it called him towards it.

“Help we have given. It is yours to take once you gather the xenoid.”

Falreath opened his mouth, paused a half a second, and finally forced the words out. “Who, what are you?”

“I am Cyprus, bonded of C Falreath, Forebearer of War, and one of the Twelve.” The deep words echoed as strongly as before, though this time its presence scratched against suppressed memories.

“That night,” Falreath said as he stood a bit straighter. “It was you that helped us during that night, so…”

He trailed off as he glanced down at Eldridge laying against the trunk of the pine.

“Correct. She is Ocel, bonded of Eldridge Skane, Progenitor of the Night, and one of the Twelve.” Cyprus replied to Falreath’s unasked question.

“I see,” Falreath said as he turned from his friend to face the monstrous horse once again. “So, how does one gather this xenoid?”

“That varies,” Cyprus answered with a flare of its nostrils. “For you, the simplest would be to gather it from the enhanced you’ve defeated.”

“I’ve fought these enhanced,” Byung retorted with a laugh as he flung his shirt over an outstretched branch. “I didn’t find any of this zenoid you’ve talked about.”

“You lack the catalyst, the bond to truly utilize the xenoid.” The beast replied as it turned its gaze towards Byung. “While it would help and has helped strengthen you, it would be difficult to control.”

“So, we have to kill more bears?” Falreath asked with trepidation. He was sure he would already have nightmares from this attack for nights to come.

“Necessary as that might be in the future, given the spread of the necros. I recommend that you gather from those you’ve already killed first. Simply drain it from the corpse.” Cyprus answered.

“You know it’s been a day, when a horse telling you to drink the blood of a dead bear isn’t the strangest thing to have happened.” Byung said as he unbuttoned his pants. Falreath just stared as the man began to take them off.

“While I suppose that would work, a simple physical contact would do the trick.” Cyprus said before he turned back to Falreath. “Even close proximity would net you something.”

“And what am I to do with this xenoid once I gather it?” Falreath asked to the creature’s, to Cyprus’s face. “Does it simply make one stronger?”

“Xenoid, while it does strengthen, does empower, it is chaotic in it’s application.” Cyprus answered. “Fortunately, with myself as your bond, a bit of meditation will allow you to direct its growth.”

“Meditation, what’s that mean?” Falreath asked. “What am I supposed to find a monk?”

“Unfortunately, my strength is giving out.” Cyprus answered. “Gather the xenoid and grow my bonded. We will speak again.”

Falreath flinched as the horse took a step and slammed its head against his chest. He took a slight steadying step back as the horse melted before his eyes. He watched the fur and hair mold around him once again only to form the comfortable trench coat he has grown fond of wearing.

“So, what’s the plan?” Byung asked as he walked up next Falreath.

“What are you doing?” Falreath asked as turned to face the man. “Why are you naked?

Byung looked down at his body, covered only a lone pair of boxers. “Not quite naked, though I think I should take off the boxers as well.”

“Please don’t.” Falreath stated. “And that doesn’t answer my question.”

“I will not catch hypothermia just for some sense of propriety.” Byung snapped back. “You walk around in your waterlogged clothes all you want.”

Falreath opened his mouth to argue but thought better of it. The man made some sense in a weird way, though Falreath himself was already warming up. In fact, as he focused on his clothes, he realized they were already quite dry.

“Fine, you stay and watch over Eldridge, I am going to see about some xenoid bears.” Falreath answered. “Perhaps we might get you a bond, whatever that means.”

“Not sure I want one, I might prefer to stay well enough away from all this in the future.” Byung answered.

“Suit yourself,” Falreath replied. “Though I might remind you about Eldridge’s shotgun.”

With that Falreath disappeared over the top off the cliff, having to trust his friend to the naked man below. Reluctantly, he found himself in agreement with one of the man’s earlier statements. It has been a day, given a naked Asian in a forest doesn’t even faze him.

Then again, his mind was already reeling from the sight of his friend. Not just at the sight of him leaning against the pine with dried blood everywhere. No, deeper still was the image of him launched into the air by that bear. This scene has been replaying in his mind constantly, always there whenever he closed his eyes. Another sigh left his mouth as he pushed aside a branch.

“Perhaps Byung has a point,” He mumbled along his walk. “It might be best to not be involved in all this.”

If only he had a choice. The two of them found themselves in the middle of it that night in the woods. Though, why had Eldridge even been in the woods was still a mystery.

Falreath’s mind continued to race as he climbed the hill at a steady pace. Going from Eldridge to Cyprus to the bears and back again. No matter how hard he tried to focus elsewhere he was locked in the events that just happened.

It was just like his mind after losing a football game, yet all that much more real. All that much more frightening and deadly. He hoped in time, he would be able to move past this day, to move past that night.

His mind froze as he stepped out before the road, the tree line broke around him. The landslide covered most of the pavement, barely stopping a few feet before him.

“What caused this?” He asked as he stepped up onto the road. His gaze covered the area on the lookout for any more threats.

The cliff side fell and covered nearly a football field’s worth of the road in dirt. So much so that the only sign of the road is the trunk of Byung’s vehicle.

“Well it doesn’t look like finding a creature will be easy.” He muttered to himself as he began his scan once again. “Nothing to do but dig it seems. Could use a shovel though.”

“Not so tight!” The scream of his friend pulled his gaze back to the forest behind him.

“No,” He told himself as he turned back to the road. “The fact that he can yell like that is a good sign.”

Though, it did little to calm his racing heart. His sight landed on the deer crossing sign not a pace from him. If he could pull it out, could he use it as a shovel?

It was worth a shot as far as he was concerned. At worst he would waste a few moments, moments that would hopefully help center his mind. His hands wrapped around the u-shaped metal post as he moved into a solid lifting position. A long breath later and he lifted, strained his muscles to their limits.

A few seconds passed and he was sure that this was an exercise in futility. That was until he fell the ground give ever so slightly. With renewed vigor he pulled and slid the sign out inch by inch. The last quarter of the bar popped out of the ground and caused him to take a few steps back. A smile crossed his face as realization began to hit him. He had just pulled out a road sign with his hands.