[Jon's POV]
It was night and I was running silently in the forest.
Tracking Sinding proved to be a challenge without magic. Hunters are natural foresters and to go down after one in the forest is like going through a person's house as he know every nook and cranny of it.
That was the case here. Sinding suspected that he may be followed so he walked a trail full of traps. Lucky me, I who can scan with magic can not fall easily for traps.
[A/N: Deadly traps, I think I may tolerate the other traps though!]
Sinding destination is to the north and he is running not too fast, but then he started to look around in a weird fashion then undressed himself completely. Suddenly, something strange started to happen.
I was sensing from over fifty meters away by magic and I had mental image of what was happening, but that I had to see.
I found a spot the activated a spell called 'Far Vision', by this spell, my sight can reach further that normal human's, it was a magnifect spell.
Anyway, I could see Sinding more clearly when I combined the spell with 'Night Vision'.
Everything came became to clear from my point of view.
Sinding was transforming.
He was turning into a werewolf.
Werewolves, the most common of lycanthropes found in Tamriel. They are monstrous, wolf-like creatures taller and broader than man and mer, and are capable of moving on two limbs or sprinting on all four. They can attack with both their claws and teeth, inflicting lycanthropy with their bite.
Those with the wolf blood are prone to violence, whether accidental or intentional, as they live with a constant bloodlust which drives them to kill and devour their enemies.
Werewolves are widely feared and hated in Tamriel, and will be attacked on sight if spotted in beast form.
'Sanies Lupinus is the forceful transformation disease that causes all werewolves to transform under the influences of the moons.
Regardless the advantages and disadvantages of becoming a were-creature, those who accept the gift must serve 'Hircine' the in the afterlife.
Hircine is a Daedric Prince whose sphere is the Hunt, the Sport of Daedra, the Great Game, the Chase, and is known as the Huntsman and the Father of Manbeasts. Hircine created the various therianthropic diseases which transform mortals into beasts, and is therefore the guardian of were-creatures.
Even with all of that, the most effective weapons against were-creature are silver weapons. They cause the were-creatures to feel a terrible pain and unhealable wounds.
Still…
How amazing!
The scene in front of me is beyond what my information from the game or the studying would provide.
Witnessing how a human body can transform from its normal from to the lycanthrope form is fascinating.
I would love to have a closer look or study it multiple times.
How can bodies transform that way?
I can think of few theories about how 'Hircine' who created the 'Lycanthropy' disease managed to do it.
'Lycanthropy' is a supernatural condition that causes a person to transform into a were-creature: an unnatural crossing between a beast and their original species.
It has been called a disease, a curse, and a blessing. Lycanthropy is contagious, and not selective about who it afflicts as most mortal races are susceptible to it.
From what I know, bodies can change if we changed the form of the Astral Body with the help of a strong magic source. It is also the way how I am planning to cure Jullanar's eye.
Anyway, changing the Physical Body by changing the Astral Body is very complicated. From what I think, werewolves have two Astral Bodies. The first is their normal human astral body and the second is a wolf's astral body.
The wolf's Astral Body is supposed to be dormant and sleeping in normal cases to gather enough Magicka for the next transformation. And to suppress or apply the transformation, one must learn how to channel energies between the two Astral bodies.
This is wonderful!
I also understood why werewolves can't have an easy sleep or in other words, don't get a sleeping bonus from the game.
The Wolf Astral Body is always draining energy from the Human Astral Body, it makes the Human Astral Body always low on energy as the reaching the well rested state is bounded by regaining all the lost Stamina, Vitality and Magicka.
Truly, there is wonder in everything.
But the true mystery is, how can human cells transform that much with that speed?
I am not a biology scientist and I don't even have the power to witness the cells' transformation so I guess it is impossible for me to know.
But one thing is clear! Transformation hurts like a bitch.
Sinding is hitting the ground with his fists as if he is trying to suppress all the pain inside with another form of external pain but his groans proved that there is no way that is happening.
After a minute, Sinding was not Sinding at all.
He was completely something else.
"Mara!" Jullanar who was beside me also had a clear vision and saw everything clearly. She also started to pray to Mara nowadays.
Sinding is now a werewolf.
Sinding stood on his rear legs like a man but his upper body was clearly not giving the feeling at all.
I had a bad vibe when I felt its aura.
It is strong.
Much stronger than trolls.
Suddenly, he looks at our direction.
I made sure not to be discovered by it seems that I have underestimated the werewolves.
Sinding scanned the place with his eyes few times then looked away.
This was close!
He was still walking slowly but I don't want to follow him like that anymore.
"Jull, you still have him pinpointed?"
"Yes!"
"Fine, we can only track him within the radius of two hundred meters with your capabilities. Let's take it easy."
Jull seemed to agree and we sat on the ground.
"... Jon, we need to follow! Now!"
"Wha? Why?"
"He started speeding up. In few seconds he will be out of range and I will lose him."
"Dammit!"
I cursed as I started to run following Jull directions.
We were fast but Sinding appeared to be faster.
We were losing him slowly.
"Jull, jump on my back!"
I only had that thought in mind.
Jull jumped and I carried her a on my back.
Just as we were ready, I activated 'Empower' and pushed the ground harder, then activated 'Hasten' and my speed exceeded the limit.
This was my fastest!
"Are we getting close?"
"Yes! Steadily."
Steadily?
I thought I was a little bit too fast but it seemed that Sinding is taking his speed to the limit too.
Is he escaping or what?
I kept running while making the system update me about my Stamina from time to time.
<Stamina: 254/300>
<Stamina: 203/300>
<Stamina: 183/300>
<Stamina: 134/300>
Dammit!
I am running out of stamina at that rate.
I can't just take out the Flame Atronach Horse is this forest. First, the forest is too full of obstacles and I am running in a semi-parkour style because I am carrying Jull in my back. Second, the Flame Atronach Horse tend to leave some fire behind when it runs so it is rather dangerous to the forest.
There is another solution and that is to summon the new Atronach form I created but it will be to visible and Sinding won't even need his superhuman senses to find me.
"Cast 'Heal' on me!" I asked Jull to do this as the final answer. 'Heal' can restore some Stamina in the process of healing.
The running was not done yet and I saw a stream.
I started wracking my brain about the area as I was not very familiar with it but of course there was a faster solution.
'Map!'
<*Map*>
There it is!
The System's most convenient tool that I always forget to use.
It also provided me the location of Sinding based on my 'Scan'.
He was heading to a small pond called 'Evergreen Grove'. The place was known to be peaceful in the game and it could be the place Sinding's pack are hiding at.
My guess was correct. Sinding stopped.
I also slowed down and put down Jull. She had a better chance in sneaking than I can now so she went a bit ahead of me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Jull's POV]
Jon wanted me to eavesdrop on the pack. I was using 'Scan' but I hardly got any reading form here. Jon however said there are four more readings other than Sinding.
I sneaked ahead of him and could hear few people talking.
The place Sinding was in is a grove of trees concealing a small pond fed by a rocky stream as well as a ruined and flooded Nordic Barrow buried under water.
There were four fur tents and four people making fire in the place. They didn't get panicked when Sinding popped up. It seems that these are the rest of the pack.
"Easy! Calm yourself and inhale this and you will be fine." A voice of a man sounded and I could see a large silhouette from a far.
"What brought him today? He seemed to have ran on all four all the way to hear."
The scene in front of me started unfolding as I use vision magic to get a better hold of the situation.
A man with a strong build was making Sinding in his werewolf form inhale some smoke. It looked like that expensive incense that Lady Nurina imports but it looked rather more special. Sinding in his panicked state started to calm and lay on the ground. Slowly his limbs started to become smaller and the fur on it started to disappear.
In my opinion, I find it very disgusting. Jon, on the other hand, looks at the transfurmation as if a child looking at a new toy.
In a minute, Sinding appeared on the ground in his human form again and looked too tired. He was obviously naked so his comrades covered.
"Here, drink this. What brought you today?" The big man asked.
"Vigilant, a vigilant of Stendarr appeared in town this morning. He was snooping around about werewolves." Sinding spoke with a pale face.
"Huh! Impossible." The old man frowned. "We just arrived here, and the only pack around is the one in 'Cracked Tusk Keep'."
This is valuable information! I've to remember it.
"Tell me what happened from the start." The man asked Sinding and Sinding started talking about what happened this morning.
The big man listened and scratched his head.
"This doesn't make any sense!" He said, "The Vigil does not travel alone. They always come and go in groups. I don't understand what happened but for this man to come and disappear like that is certainly not normal. Do you have anything of his scent?"
"No! I barely made a natural face in front of him and escaped his gaze by acting normal."
"Nevermind! Tomorrow we will try to investigate him so rest now. We'll move at dawn. Rissing, you will remain in camp!"
The man named Rissing answered with a nod.
"Hey, Torkild! This transformation is consuming me. You said something about suppressing it before." Sinding asked the big man whose name apparently Torkild.
"Ah! New blood like you always fancy this story. Listen! This is not something you can just go and acquire. It is called 'Hircine's Ring', an artifact of Hircine that will grant the owner the ability to transform into a werewolf if he is not one and control his transformation if he is one. You need the permission of the ring holder for the ring to be passed down."
"Who is the owner?"
"Ghunzul!"
"Wait! The leader of the werewolf Orcish pack in 'Cracked Tusk Keep'?"
"That's him!"
"Isn't he supposed to be hostile to us?"
"He is, but we have a way to take the ring from him. But that's for another day. Come, rest now."
The Ring!
The same ring Jon is looking for.
This is a good find.
I have to tell him now!
Just I was about to turn and leave...
*Crack*
… I stepped on a broken branch.
Crap!
"WHO IS THERE?"