a flash of claws and teeth [ability one-shot]

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

July 2011

The sun beat down relentlessly throughout the day, and Rob and Heleen sought comfort from the unforgiving sun within the darkened rooms of their oversized home. Most of their time was spent together, both in school and during the summers. Heleen understood and accepted Rob much more than the rest of their family did, and he had ultimately been the one to convince their parents to allow her to come to Beauxbatons with him. He didn't understand propriety so much, but he was a good older brother.

Evening fell across the low lands, and Rob sidled out of the family home to find solitude. His thoughts scrambled in his mind, and he needed time to sort them. The pounding of one foot in front of the other was the best way for Rob to find silence and solace. He stretched his legs before setting off, setting a leisurely pace on his usual track through the woods. The full moon slung low in the sky lit his path as he wound his way through familiar tree branches and along familiar paths.

There was no sign from fate that would tell Rob that this run would be extraordinarily different from the rest.

In the deepest, most silent section of the wood, Rob did not hear the crack of a branch that should have alerted him to something being a miss. His trainers on the ground, the thumping of his heart, and the heaving of his breath drowned him. This lack of awareness would prove near fatal. A flash of teeth, fur and claws sent Rob sprawling, a yell ripping from his mouth. A beast was upon him, feral and cruel. Pain seared through his left shoulder as he cried out again, his limbs tangled with the beast. And as suddenly as it had set upon him, the beast vanished, retreating into the dark recesses of the trees.

Rob lay on the ground, painting and wincing at the agony that spread from his shoulder. He glanced down, and felt nauseous at the mess of blood and mauled flesh. He allowed himself a few moments to collect himself, calculating a plan that would give him the best chances of survival. He could easily get back home. He had been only two kilometres into his run. Ripping off his shirt, Rob attempted to wrap his shoulder, grimacing and hissing at the pain as he shifted the joint. He managed to make it home in under thirty minutes, immediately greeted by his mother in a towering temper at his wordless disappearance. This was quickly replaced with worry as her only son explained how he had been set upon, and his deduction at the fact that there was a new foe to face.

Lycanthropy.