Intimidating

“I hope you didn’t expect to learn that move in one try,” Castello almost laughed. “Do it again, Skyla.” I’d figured he should’ve given me more credit; I was after all attempting to learn fighting moves invented for vampires, not whatever I was. Other vampires snickered in a not-so-secretive way, murmuring barely loud enough that my sensitive ears could pick it up. I’d prove to them that I could do it, and I’d do it even better than those bloodsuckers ever dreamed.

         The werewolves, on the other hand, sat with bored expressions, staring off into space. They were never the caring type. To them, all that really mattered was showing off their massive strength. I giggled out loud, getting many strange looks, thinking about how I would quickly widen those uncaring eyes by letting them how I could lift seven times my own weight.

Of course, my focus was supposed to be on vampire fighting skills at the moment, so I began to prepare mentally for another go at it, running what I needed to do through my mind. Physically, my unusual transformation took place.

This was why I was different from everyone else. There were only three possibilities of what a person was: a human, a vampire, or a werewolf. But I was the only exception, the freak, at least to vamps and wolves; to humans, we were all freaks. It wasn’t surprising how no one was ever really fond of me, because they were all scared of what I was able to become, once I transformed. My teeth would grow to be carnivorously sharp. My ears would develop to be large and pointed, and a long tale would form straight out of my lower back, always swishing around playfully like a cat’s. The white of my eyes took over completely, making it seem like they had been covered in a thick layer of snow that had no chance of melting. My instincts also changed with the transformation, becoming unfamiliar to those used to my human nature, as they would be primal and animal-like. The most shocking change, something that only the other monsters could see, was my own personal little atmosphere that floated slightly away from my body, also known as an aura. Everyone had one, but mine was the only one that was visible to anyone. See I can’t see it myself, I’ve been told, in my human phase, it’s a pure white, said to be the glow of an angel, but when I changed into my unusual and never-heard-of being, it would turn into a menacing black, now resembling a demon.

Once the switch between beings was complete and my instincts were no longer human, a small, forcefully controlled growl ripped through my barred, jagged teeth. In crouched forward, ready to pounce on an invisible target I imagined somewhere in the air in front of me. Castello then let out a loud, “Go,” and my body bolted before my mind could even comprehend the word. In this state, running on all fours was much easier than simply running on two legs, although apparently only the wolves saw it that way when they had transformed also. After a final extended stride, my back legs landed firmly on the ground, causing such force that I was launched ten feet in the air. While airborne, I accomplished a very complicated set of flips and turns, which, in a real life situation, would have hit six different people at once.

The small base camp in the seemingly always darkened abandoned woods went silent for an extensive period of time, as vamps and wolves alike watched as I finished a only the most elite vampires could ever do. I was beginning to worry when I wondered if they would ever finally feel I was too much of a threat to them, causing them to attempt something terrible against me.

A small bit of that emotion faded when a few, tiny claps filled the long silence. I had assumed it was Castello; he was the only one who didn’t talk to me like I was an outsider of all nature. I could always trust his eyes, which shined like melted silver, the unmistakable sign that he was the vampires' leader.

         It greatly surprised me to turn around and find it was actually the leader of the werewolves, Koda. I’d never thought his name fit him well. In translation, it meant ‘friend,’ but that was the farthest thing I’d expected him to be. The orders he made were harsh and strict; anyone who didn’t complete one would be yelled at for the longest time. There was no mercy for anyone in his path. But right then, with the small hints of a smile on his lips, it suddenly seemed possible for him to approve of something. I smiled in return. Koda then began to pace, eyeing many of the wolves, who were all in their human form at the moment. His miniscule smile was gone, and he was serious again.

         With the thunderous and booming voice of a true werewolf superior, he said, “You should all take note of Skyla’s achievement. Since her first moments here, she has shocked me with her many abilities. I would now like to see you all surprise as well.” He paused for a fraction of a second, glancing at me, a spark I’d never seen in eyes before suddenly there, and then turned back to his pack. “Whoever can beat Skyla in a fight will the right to be my second in command. Have at her!”

         I knew it. I knew it all along. It was only a matter of time until someone would challenge me; I’d just never expected it to be the entire werewolf tribe. Around thirty large and fighting-experienced human-disguised creatures sprang up and shifted into their true forms of gigantic dogs. Being second in command was a great honor among the werewolf tribes. They never about anything except for this; it was a way to show their strength and power over everyone else. Being first in command was never decided, it was set; there was no one else for the position. But to be the second most powerful wolf was the highest award in their system.

         Many snarls coming out of massive sets of teeth were directed at me. Some of the wolves began to circle around to prevent escape, forcing me to face them. The largest werewolf, known also for being the best attacker, stepped forward, howled in a cocky manner to the large and full moon, which gave the only source of light besides a few bonfires, and began to charge. Others followed, and some stayed behind, probably waiting for an opening.

         Although I didn’t want to fight, someone else did; someone who shared my mind and my thoughts. Another me, forced to be my second in command when it came to controlling what my body did. She was evil, my evil. If I ever had an evil twin, it would’ve been her. She was the source of my power, and she fueled my abilities. Get rid of her, and I would’ve been any normal human. But I could never get rid of her, as hard as I tried. When I was a monster, she had more say about to do than when I was human, and she wanted to fight. I was already my monstrous self, the outward appearance of what my evil side would like if she had her own body.

         Evil Skyla smiled her infamous smile, the one she always wore before she attacked. Some of the wolves lost a few steps in their stride just at the site, her teeth barred and her eyes narrowed. There was a growl that had been let out, more high pitched than the others and with an evil tone, obviously not from a werewolf. As they finally closed, only few feet away in all directions, I allowed Evil Skyla to have complete control for the moment. She took the opportunity with pride, and did her worst on the enormous mutts.

         The battle, if it was even appropriate to call it that, considering it wasn’t much of a battle at all, was short and full of wasted attempts and energy. There was nothing they could do to get away from a creature unheard-of in any normal society. Blood had been spilled all over, none of it mine. Ripped fur lay in bundles all around. Large pointed and jagged teeth were scattered and small whimpers were let out at the pain. There would be no second in command, because no one had risen high enough to the challenge. Not a single werewolf, even the largest that had howled to the moon like he already won, was enough to defeat an evil I’d known all too well my entire life. She’d gotten me out of and into trouble constantly, and that night was no exception.

         According to Koda, I was no longer welcome to stay with the ‘tamed’ creatures. As he saw it, I was too dangerous for anyone to be around. Castello had attempted to say something against it, but ultimately had to agree with him, to his dismay; he had said that I was too unpredictable. I wasn’t all that surprised by the outcome, but now I was officially against everyone: all the humans, all the vampires, all the werewolves, all the people of the world basically. Why I roamed the Earth would always be a mystery to me, but as my evil side always put, “A little intimidation is healthy.”