A Familiar Change

Leonidas opened his eyes.

Silence.

For a moment he simply laid there on the stone floor staring up at the stone ceiling above him.

The room was cold.

Unrecognisable.

His head felt strangely heavy, as if gravity around him was distorted.

Slowly he sat up brushing his long white hair out of his face and dusting off his plain black long sleeved shirt and pants.

The room looked like some sort of circular chamber. Ancient stone walls faint aura radiating off of it surrounded him, though the aura they emitted was fading rapidly.

Dark wisps of energy drifted through the air.

Not flowing.

Not moving.

Dying.

Leonidas frowned.

“What…”

A faint crack echoed somewhere overhead.

The dark aura surrounding the runes flickered one final time before vanishing completely.

The room suddenly felt empty.

Leonidas pushed himself to his feet.

His memories were still fresh.

His village.

The fires.

The distant sounds of battle.

His father embraced him.

“You will join the battle soon enough, stay strong my son.”

Then black

The memory made his chest tighten.

He shook it off.

There would be time to think later.

For now he simply needed to leave the chamber.

He walked toward the exit.

The moment he stepped through the stone doorway a loud crack rang through the structure.

Leonidas spun around.

A second crack followed.

Then another.

The walls began crumbling.

“Seriously?”

Stone collapsed around him.

Dust exploded into the air.

Leonidas stood in the doorway as half the chamber gave way around him.

Within moments the ancient structure was collapsing into itself.

Sunlight poured through the falling rubble.

Leonidas shielded his eyes.

And began climbing out of the chamber where the forest met him at the surface.

The moment he reached the top of the rubble pile, he froze.

“Ok now this is odd” as he nervously giggles to himself.

He couldn’t explain it, the area he was in seemed familiar but different at the same time. He was almost certain he had been here before.

It was only a day ago he was scouting the areas surrounding with his friend but what had been covered by dense woodland looked almost thinned out.

There were massive trees stretched in every direction, but not as much as he remembered..

Wildlife.

Nature as far as the eye could see but some of the trees and animals he spotted weren’t native to the area.

Yet the hills and landscape were near identical.

Leonidas began wandering deeper into the forest.

”The battle might still be going on, I need to head back immediately."

And that is when he had stumbled upon the biggest change yet.

A dirt road cut through the land.

And far in the distance he could make out a small town.

Leonidas blinked.

Then blinked again.

“No.”

He turned around.

The ruined chamber was still behind him.

He looked back toward the town.

Then back at the chamber.

Then back at the town again.

“That’s definitely new.”

He folded his arms.

A town couldn’t just appear out of nowhere.

Could it?

His eyes scanned the landscape.

The road certainly hadn’t existed before.

Nothing made sense.

Leonidas scratched the side of his head.

“Either I took a rock to the head without realising which for me is near impossible…” as he laughs again at his own jokes.

His gaze settled on the distant settlement.

“…or somebody built an entire town overnight.”

A brief pause.

“I’m hoping it’s the second one.”

Suddenly a distant scream carried across the wind.

Leonidas’ expression changed instantly.

Another scream followed.

Then another.

The sounds were faint because of the distance, but there was no mistaking them.

People were in trouble.

Without hesitation, he broke into a run.

Questions could wait.

If someone needed help, that came first.

The dirt road grew closer as he sprinted along the dirt road.

Soon the town’s main entrance came into view.

The screams became clearer.

More desperate.

More frantic.

By the time Leonidas reached the outskirts of the settlement, chaos had erupted.

Villagers flooded the streets.

Some carried children in their arms.

Others dragged injured family members toward buildings.

Doors slammed shut one after another.

Windows were barricaded.

Fear hung in the air like smoke.

“What happened here?”

Nobody stopped to answer.

Most people barely noticed him.

They were too busy running.

As he entered the town a pair of uniformed officers rushed past him in the opposite direction.

Both looked terrified.

One carried a sword.

The other clutched a long weapon Leonidas had never seen before.

Neither slowed down.

“Move!” one shouted.

“Get to shelter!”

Leonidas turned toward the direction they had come from.

More shouting echoed from deeper within the town.

A loud crash followed.

Something heavy had just smashed into a building.

The ground shook.

Leonidas narrowed his eyes.

Whatever was causing this wasn’t normal.

And judging by the expressions on those officers’ faces…

It was winning.

With a burst of speed, he sprinted toward the commotion.

Whatever was waiting for him beyond the next street…

It was strong enough to terrify an entire town.

Leonidas rounded the corner.

And immediately understood why.

The street looked like a battlefield.

Broken carts lay overturned across the road. Market stalls had been smashed apart. Pieces of timber and stone littered the ground.

Several officers were already down.

Some weren’t moving.

Others groaned in pain as they clutched wounds and tried to crawl away from the fighting.

Only three officers remained standing.

And all three looked exhausted.

Leonidas ’ gaze shifted toward the thing they were fighting.

His feet stopped.

“…What is that?”

The creature resembled a chimera.

At least, it might have once.

Now it was something else entirely.

Something wrong.

Its body appeared to be stitched together from multiple animals. Rotting flesh hung from exposed muscle. Mismatched limbs moved in unnatural ways. One shoulder belonged to something resembling a bear while its rear legs looked closer to a giant wolf.

A snake protruded from its tail.

Half of its skull was exposed.

One eye was missing.

The other rolled wildly in its socket.

The worst part wasn’t how it looked.

It was the fact that it was moving at all.

The creature should have been dead.

Every instinct Leonidas possessed screamed that this thing had no right to exist.

Yet it roared.

And charged.

One of the officers barely avoided being crushed beneath its claws.

A woman stepped forward.

Unlike the others, she wasn’t retreating.

“Keep it away from the houses!” she shouted.

Even in the middle of the chaos, her voice carried authority.

She moved with practiced confidence, drawing the beast’s attention away from a group of trapped civilians.

For a moment it worked.

Then the chimera swung.

The woman raised her weapon to block.

Too late.

The impact launched her across the street.

She crashed through a wooden post and rolled across the dirt.

The chimera turned.

Its remaining eye locked onto her.

And charged.

Leonidas moved.

The transformation happened instantly.

His body blurred.

Muscles shifted.

Bones reformed.

Dark grey fur erupted across his body.

Within a heartbeat, a massive wolf burst forward.

The officers barely had time to react.

The wolf slammed into the chimera’s side like a battering ram.

BOOM.

Both creatures crashed through a market stall.

Wood exploded around them.

The chimera roared furiously.

Leonidas’ claws dug into rotting flesh.

The smell hit him immediately.

Rot.

Decay.

Death.

His ears flattened.

Even for a corpse creature, this was excessive.

The beast twisted violently.

Leonidas held on.

His claws tore through flesh as he attempted to drag the monster down.

“SHERIFF!”

One of the officers shouted.

The woman pushed herself to her feet.

Blood ran from a cut above her eyebrow, but her expression remained focused.

“Don’t just stand there!” she barked.

“Support the wolf!”

The officers snapped into action.

One charged forward with a sword.

The other raised a strange Wood and metal object Leonidas had never seen before.

A loud explosion rang out.

BANG!

The chimera’s shoulder jerked backwards.

Leonidas nearly let go in surprise.

What was that?

The beast barely seemed to care.

The wound remained, but it continued thrashing wildly.

The sheriff drew a similar weapon from her side.

Another explosion echoed through the street.

BANG!

Again the chimera staggered.

Again it kept moving.

Leonidas narrowed his eyes.

Something wasn’t right.

No living creature should be ignoring injuries like that.

The chimera suddenly reared upwards.

Before he could react, a massive claw struck him squarely in the chest.

The wolf was launched across the street.

CRASH.

He smashed through a broken cart and rolled across the dirt before finally coming to a stop beside an overturned carriage.

The sheriff was crouched behind it.

She was frantically stuffing powder and a metal ball into her weapon.

Leonidas shifted back into his human form.

“Ow.”

The sheriff glanced sideways.

For a moment she looked surprised.

Then she nodded.

“So you’re a beast shifter.”

Leonidas dusted himself off.

“That explains why everyone wasn’t panicking when a giant wolf appeared?”

“I guess running around as a giant wolf doesn't help when some sort of monster is already attacking the place.” Leonidas replied with a cheeky grin.

Another roar echoed from the street.

The remaining officers struggled to keep the chimera occupied.

Leonidas pointed toward the creature.

“Where did that thing come from?”

The sheriff grimaced.

“No idea.”

“You don’t know?”

“It showed up, started tearing apart buildings and killing people.”

BANG!

A distant shot echoed from one of the officers.

The chimera barely reacted.

The sheriff cursed quietly.

“And apparently it doesn’t care about being shot.”

Leonidas looked down at the strange metal weapon she was holding.

The long barrel.

The wooden stock.

The complicated mechanism.

He frowned.

“What’s that?”

The sheriff paused.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

She turned toward him.

“…What?”

“The thing in your hands.”

She stared.

“You don’t know what a musket is?”

“A mus-what?”

For a second she looked genuinely convinced he was joking.

Then she studied his face.

No.

He was serious.

The sheriff opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

Before she could answer, a scream echoed from further down the street.

The chimera had nearly caught one of the officers.

The sheriff immediately refocused.

“No time.”

She finished reloading the weapon.

“We deal with the monster first.”

Leonidas peeked around the carriage.

The chimera was still moving.

Still fighting.

Still refusing to die.

Then he noticed something.

Its wounds.

The way it moved.

The lack of pain.

Suddenly it clicked.

“It isn’t trying to survive.”

The sheriff frowned.

“What?”

“It doesn’t care about injuries.”

Leonidas stood.

His eyes remained fixed on the creature.

“It’ll keep moving until its body physically can’t.”

The sheriff followed his gaze.

Understanding slowly appeared on her face.

“You think—”

“It needs to be torn apart.”

The sheriff smirked.

“That’s a lot easier said than done.”

Leonidas grinned.

The expression carried just enough confidence to border on arrogance.

“With me here, its easier to do than I say.”

Leonidas winked.

The sheriff was unimpressed.

“Alright then, hero.”

She cocked the musket.

“What’s the plan?”

Leonidas stepped out from behind the carriage.

A faint breeze stirred around him.

“Use that thing to keep its attention.”

Wind began gathering around his fingertips.

“I’ll handle the rest.”

The sheriff raised an eyebrow.

“You always this confident?”

Leonidas smirked.

“Confident? Nah I’m certain.”

And then he charged.

The chimera let out a guttural roar as it threw one of the officers aside.

Leonidas sprinted forward.

A faint aura gathered around his hand.

The air itself seemed to respond.

Tiny streams of wind wrapped around his fingers, spiraling faster and faster.

“Air Magic.”

The breeze around the battlefield suddenly intensified.

Dust lifted from the street.

Loose debris skidded across the ground.

The chimera turned toward him.

Its remaining eye locked onto its newest threat.

Leonidas thrust his hand forward.

“Light Breeze.”

The gathered wind erupted from his palm.

The invisible force slammed into the creature’s side.

The chimera stumbled.

Not enough to knock it over.

But enough to disrupt its footing.

Its mismatched legs scrambled desperately for balance.

That was all Leonidas needed.

He leapt.

His body transformed midair.

Bones shifted.

Muscles expanded.

Grey fur exploded across his body.

A massive wolf descended from above like a falling boulder.

BOOM.

The impact shook the street.

For the first time since the battle began, the chimera hit the ground.

The officers stared.

The sheriff allowed herself a small grin.

“Now!”

The wolf didn’t hesitate.

Leonidas immediately began tearing into the creature.

His claws dug through rotting flesh.

Chunks of decayed muscle ripped free.

The chimera thrashed beneath him.

Its claws scraped against the ground as it desperately tried to stand.

But Leonidas refused to let it.

He bit down on one of its forelimbs.

Twisted.

CRACK.

The limb tore free.

Black blood splattered across the dirt.

The creature roared.

Yet somehow…

It felt wrong.

There was no pain.

No fear.

No instinct for survival.

It simply kept fighting.

Like a corpse refusing to stay dead.

The sheriff noticed it too.

“It’s not even reacting…”

One of the officers swallowed nervously.

“What kind of monster is this?”

Before anyone could answer, something moved behind Leonidas.

The snake tail.

Its head had been hanging limply throughout most of the fight.

Now it suddenly sprang to life.

Its rotten jaws opened wide.

Fangs aimed directly at the back of Leonidas’ neck.

“Look out!” one officer shouted.

The wolf spun.

Too late.

The snake was already striking.

BANG!

A deafening explosion echoed across the battlefield.

The snake’s head disappeared.

The force of the impact blew it apart completely.

The severed neck collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.

Leonidas looked toward the source of the shot.

The sheriff stood several meters away.

Smoke drifted from the end of her musket.

She smirked.

“You’re welcome.”

Leonidas huffed in amusement.

Then returned to work.

The chimera had to die.

No.

It had to be dismantled.

The battle became brutal.

One limb after another.

The creature continued moving even as pieces of its body were torn away.

The officers watched in horror.

The chimera lost a leg.

Still moving.

Lost another.

Still moving.

Its jaw was ripped from its face.

Still moving.

It crawled.

Dragged itself.

Fought.

As though some unseen force refused to let it die.

Finally Leonidas pinned the creature against the dirt.

His claws dug deep into its chest.

Then he tore.

The creature split apart.

The remaining pieces twitched.

Moved.

Struggled.

Then slowly…

Finally…

Stopped.

Silence settled over the street.

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

The only sounds were heavy breathing and distant crackling from damaged buildings.

Leonidas shifted back into his human form.

He stood in the middle of the ruined street.

Covered in dust.

Breathing heavily.

The remains of the chimera scattered around him.

One of the younger officers stared.

“…What the hell!?”

The sheriff smacked the back of his head.

“Keep professional.”

“Sorry, Sheriff.”

Leonidas chuckled as he walked over.

The woman was already lowering her musket and checking on her officers.

Even after surviving a battle like that, her attention immediately returned to her people.

Leonidas respected that.

As he approached, and the confusion was over he got a better look at her.

Long black hair was tied up into a loose bun and a few loose strands framed her face.

Her outfit was practical despite its style—a silver breastplate, red skirt, sturdy long black boots, and a well-maintained duty belt loaded with equipment and ammunition.

And to top it all off she wore a white cloak trimmed with brown fur rested over her shoulders.

Unlike the cloaks worn by the other officers whose cloak stopped at their waist, The sheriff's cloak was long and flowed down to her calves.

Across its back was a symbol Leonidas didn’t recognize.

Probably some local authority.

Or so he assumed.

The sheriff turned toward him.

For a moment neither spoke.

Then she extended her hand.

“Elara.”

Leonidas shook it.

“Leonidas.”

“Well, Leonidas…”

Her eyes drifted toward the remains of the chimera.

“…you probably just saved this town.”

Leonidas glanced over his shoulder.

“Really?”

Elara raised an eyebrow.

“You saw what that thing was doing.”

“Fair.”

He shrugged.

“It seemed rude to let it eat everyone.”

A nearby officer tried to hold in his laugh.

Elara shook her head.

“You say that tearing apart monsters is an everyday occurrence.”

“It isn’t?”

The sheriff stared.

Leonidas grinned.

Elara sighed.

“Thank you.”

The joke immediately disappeared from her voice.

For the first time since they’d met, she sounded genuinely sincere.

“If you hadn’t shown up, we’d have lost a lot more people.”

Leonidas rubbed the back of his neck.

“No need to thank me.”

His gaze wandered around the town.

The damaged buildings.

The unfamiliar architecture.

The strange equipment carried by the officers.

The weapon Elara held.

Nothing felt familiar.

Nothing.

His expression grew more thoughtful.

“Actually…”

Elara noticed the change immediately.

“What is it?”

Leonidas looked toward the distant fields outside town.

Then back toward her.

“This might sound strange.”

“Given everything that’s happened today, I doubt it.”

“I’ve never seen this town before.”

Elara blinked.

“You’re not from around here?”

“No.” Leonidas replied

“Traveler?” She asked

Leonidas hesitated.

“Not exactly.”

He pointed vaguely toward the surrounding region.

“I’ve lived here my whole life.”

Elara waited.

“…And?”

“And this town wasn’t here yesterday.”

Silence.

An officer looked confused.

Elara stared at him.

Then she also couldn’t help but let out a small giggle.

“Good one.”

Leonidas wasn’t joking.

The smile slowly faded from her face.

“…You’re serious.”

“Very.”

For several seconds neither spoke.

The sheriff studied him.

Trying to determine whether he was joking.

Or insane.

Or both.

Eventually she sighed.

“Right.”

Her tone made it clear she had no idea what to do with that information.

Fortunately, something more immediate demanded her attention.

A wounded officer approached at a jog.

“Sheriff.”

Elara turned immediately.

The conversation was forgotten.

“What is it?”

“Some civilians reported seeing someone.”

Her expression sharpened.

“Someone?”

“A figure watching the town from the woods.”

The officer nodded.

“They were there before the creature attacked.”

The atmosphere immediately changed.

Elara’s expression hardened.

“What exactly did they see?”

The officer shook his head.

“Not much. Whoever it was stayed hidden.”

“Male? Female?”

“Couldn’t tell.”

“Description?”

“Dark clothing. Hood up. That’s all we got.”

Elara clicked her tongue in frustration.

“Of course.”

The officer glanced toward the remains of the chimera.

“You think they’re connected?”

Elara looked at the corpse.

Then at the destruction surrounding them.

Then at the terrified civilians slowly emerging from their homes.

“I think a monster made from stitched-together animal corpses doesn’t just wander into town by accident.”

The officer nodded.

“Fair point.”

One by one, villagers began leaving their hiding places.

Some rushed toward injured family members.

Others immediately started gathering broken timber and debris.

A few simply stood frozen, staring at the remains of the chimera.

Though not all eyes were focused on the monster.

Many were staring at Leonidas.

Whispers spread through the crowd.

“Was that really a wolf?”

“He turned back into a person.”

“Did you see the size of it?”

“Is he some kind of royal mage?”

Leonidas pretended not to notice.

But he absolutely noticed.

“Looks like I’m famous.” Leonidas says with a nervous grin.

Elara glanced at him.

“You transformed into a giant wolf and ripped apart a monster in the middle of town.”

“That seems totally normal.” He replied.

“To you, maybe.” Says Elara.

Leonidas smiled.

Elara shook her head.

“Beast shifters aren’t unheard of.”

“I know that most of my village was full of them,” he replies.

“Okay they aren’t that common.” Says Elara

Then Elara continued.

“Beast shifters are rare throughout the kingdom but especially in a small town like this.”

Leonidas has a confused look on his face again, but Elara continues.

“Most of them work for noble families, guilds, military branches, or specialized jobs throughout the kingdom.”

Leonidas blinked.

Guilds?

Some of those words were familiar.

Others weren’t.

Before he could ask, Elara was already issuing orders.

“Get the injured to the healer.”

She pointed toward another group.

“Check every damaged building.”

Then another.

“Make sure nobody is trapped under rubble. And if there are any capable uninjured civilians, ask them for assistance. We have lost a great number of officers today. ”

The officers immediately moved.

Leonidas watched quietly.

Despite everything that had happened, Elara hadn’t wasted a second.

Every decision.

Every order.

Every action.

Focused entirely on protecting the town.

She was impressive.

The officer from before lowered his voice.

“What about the figure?”

Elara folded her arms.

“I want to investigate.”

“But?”

She looked around.

The answer was obvious.

Half the town was damaged.

Several officers were injured.

Some were dead.

“Like I said, we don't have the manpower.”

The officer nodded grimly.

“And if whoever created that thing is involved…”

His eyes drifted toward the chimera.

“…this could be beyond us.”

Elara didn’t argue.

That alone was answer enough.

Leonidas stared at the remains of the creature.

Something still bothered him.

Slowly he crouched beside one of the severed limbs.

Ignoring the smell.

Ignoring the rotting flesh.

He placed a hand against it.

Closed his eyes.

And focused.

For a beast shifter, animals felt different.

Every living creature carried its own magical presence.

A heartbeat.

A rhythm.

A sense of life.

This thing had none of that.

Instead…

He felt traces of something else.

A foreign presence.

A human presence.

Leonidas opened his eyes.

“There was definitely a mage involved.”

Elara looked over.

“What?”

“This thing wasn’t natural.”

“I think we’ve established that.”

“No.”

Leonidas stood.

His expression was serious now.

“The magic inside it.”

He pointed toward the corpse.

“It doesn’t have an animal's energy source or source of life to draw from.”

The sheriff frowned.

“What does that mean?”

“It means someone made it.”

Silence followed.

The officer swore under his breath.

Leonidas continued.

“There are traces of human magic all throughout its body.”

Elara looked toward the nearby forest.

Then toward the officer.

Then back toward Leonidas.

“The figure.”

“Most likely.”

The sheriff sighed.

“Wonderful.”

For a moment everyone stood quietly.

Then Leonidas spoke.

“I’ll go.”

Elara blinked.

“You’ll what?”

“I’ll investigate.”

The sheriff stared.

“We dont even know who you are.”

“Exactly, so I’m not bound to stay here.”

Elara opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Then laughed once.

Somehow that logic almost made sense.

Almost.

Leonidas shrugged.

“You need people here.”

He gestured toward the damaged town.

“You’ve got injured officers.”

He pointed toward the civilians.

“Scared townsfolk.”

Then toward the forest.

“And possibly a monster-making mage running around.”

“I am aware.” Says Elara

“You can’t do both.” Leonidas Replies.

Elara hated admitting it.

But he was right.

The town came first.

Always.

The sheriff folded her arms.

“I can’t officially send you.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re not one of my officers.”

That seemed like a strange rule.

Then again, Leonidas was quickly learning this world had a lot of strange things.

Elara continued.

“If you go chasing criminals and something happens and word went round that you went on my behalf, I’d be responsible.”

“Fair.”

“On the other hand…”

A thoughtful look crossed her face.

“There is a workaround.”

Leonidas waited.

“A mercenary contract.”

“A what?”

This time it was Elara’s turn to stare.

“You don’t know what a mercenary is either?”

Leonidas gave her an innocent look.

Elara pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Right. Of course.”

“Basically, I’d be hiring you.”

“Oh.”

“Though it’s not common anymore.”

“Why?”

“Guilds.”

Leonidas immediately had another question.

Then another.

Then several more.

Unfortunately none of them seemed important compared to the possibility of a monster creator running loose.

So he decided to save them for later.

“Good enough for me.”

Elara sighed.

“You’re surprisingly easy to convince.”

“I was going either way but now I could potentially get paid”

Leonidas laughed.

The sheriff pointed toward the forest beyond the town.

“According to my officer witnesses said the figure was seen on the eastern side.”

Leonidas followed her gaze.

“Anything else?”

Elara smacked the top of her head with her palm.

“You were here when I got the information.”

”I’m trying to be all professional here. But don’t worry I got this.”

Elara frowned.

“You’re confident.”

“I can track them.” He says.

“From this distance?” She replies.

Leonidas nodded.

“If they’re responsible.”

Then his eyes drifted toward the chimera.

“Their magic will still be lingering.”

Elara’s expression sharpened.

“You can do that?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

Leonidas grinned.

“Only one way to find out.”

Before anyone could respond, his body began shifting.

Grey fur spread across his skin.

His frame expanded.

Within seconds the giant wolf stood where the young man had been.

Several nearby civilians gasped.

A few children looked absolutely amazed.

The wolf sniffed the air.

Then the chimera.

Then the wind.

For several moments he remained perfectly still.

Searching.

Listening.

Tracking.

Then his ears twitched.

He found it.

A faint scent.

A trace of magic.

Leading toward the forest.

The wolf looked back toward Elara.

The sheriff met his gaze.

“Be careful.”

The wolf gave a short huff.

Whether that meant “I will” or “Don’t worry about it” was impossible to tell.

Then he turned.

And sprinted toward the trees.

Leaving behind a damaged town.

A mysterious sheriff.

And far more questions than answers.

Ahead of him waited the first clue to the mystery of this new world.