Balancer's Soul (57 page)

“What is it, Buddy?” Mark still didn’t
budge as he asked again.

“It’s the biggest Grizzly Bear I have ever
seen.”

SNAP
and they heard the dry grass and sticks crunch under heavy
feet again. Sarah instantly grabbed Kara’s arm. “Let’s leave this
to them.”

“But?” She was completely scared.

“Kara. Listen to me. Connor can take
care of a bear.” Sarah looked directly at her. “He is more powerful
than you will ever know.”

Sarah had to use her inhuman strength
to pick Kara up and throw her over her shoulder. She dropped the
bow as Sarah ran into the tree line and stopped. The two of them
hid behind an oak tree to watch the coming battle.

***

As Connor used his sonar to see
everything around him he noticed that Sarah did as he asked and ran
out of the way of danger. Connor dropped Tool on the ground knowing
that all it would do is anger the bear even more.

Mark, at his side said jokingly “Cool
eyes. Do you shoot laser beams out of them too?”

“Drop the act Mark, I know what you
are.” Connor said staring directly at the bear that stood over one
hundred feet away as it continued to slowly stalk toward them.
Connor saw everything inside and outside the bear, even if this
vision is shown in only black and white.

“Well then
what
am I?” He asked
playfully, staring at the same target too.

“You’re a Changer.” Connor said
flatly.

“What gave me away?” He admitted in
the same tone.

“Mark, we can discuss it later. Right
now I need to know if you can keep that Grizzly occupied for
fifteen seconds.”

“I don’t see why not, but can’t we get
rid of it another way?” His tone became dangerous.

“They are an endangered species in
these parts so we don’t have the right to kill him. He won’t be
able to kill us, but he cannot stay here. We need him to fear
humans… We probably could lure him away if we had food, but the
food is hanging and packed away. That’s not the worst part.” Connor
said, trying to focus his mind.

“It gets worse?” Mark
grinned.

“Yeah… It’s mating season and we are
in his territory. I wouldn’t doubt it if he was the one who drove
that wolf pack away.”

“Well then we better show him that
he’s not at the top of the food chain.” He crouched down even
more.

“Nicely said, Bud.”

While using sonar to see the bear that
was now within seventy feet Connor saw Mark show his ability as a
Changer as he kicked his shoes off.

Bones began snapping all over his
body, making a sickening and audible sound. Using sonar Connor
actually saw the small fractures happening inside his friend’s body
and watched as his organs were rearranging inside his mass. For
each fracture he created they healed and grew back instantaneously
to alter his physiology. His rounded ears grew out slightly longer
and came out to a point. The bones in his face fractured and began
to change shape. His jaw and nose grew into the muzzle of a wolf
and his canines began to elongate and sharpen. His canines looked
like they were filed to a needlelike point like a fighting dog. His
length of his fingers didn’t change much, but his fingernails grew,
thickened and curved. They were sharpened to a point, becoming
deadly claws. His toenails also grew and became claws
themselves.

All of the hair over his body began
growing, thickening into fur and strangely began fusing together.
Connor recognized that he made his hair became a thin and flexible
armor. The short spiky hair on top of his head grew into a long
mane which also became a shield for the back of his neck. The bones
that fractured in his legs made his legs longer as they re-fused.
The sternum of his ribcage cracked loudly and bowed out to a point;
instead of having a flat chest he now had a barreled chest to allow
more air to fill his lungs. The last shocker came when he even grew
a long tail out from the back of his pants.

Mark dropped the front of his body to
the ground to now stand on all fours. He lowered his chest and head
as low to the ground as possible. His tail was straight and level
with his body. His rump stood higher than his head and the muscles
under his furry armor bunched up and looked ready to
explode.

It was the stance of a charging
predator before spooking its prey.

Sonar showed every one of his details
inside and out. A name for what Mark now looked like popped into
Connor’s head ‘Werewolf.’ He assumed that the myth originated from
Changers.

In a deep rumbling voice Mark said
from his stance “Fifteen seconds right?”

“That will be all I’ll need. You will
need to flee when it’s time!” The massive bear had stopped and
looked at them from hearing the sounds created from Mark’s shift.
This was the only chance they could get.

“Well I’m putting my life in your hands.” His
muscles bunched even more.

“As is mine.” Connor said.

Time to begin.

The massive Grizzly bear roared loud
enough to shake their core. It was a hungry and angered sound.
Connor watched its shoulder muscles tense as it prepared for its
charge. But it wasn’t nearly quick enough for what came
next.

All of Mark’s muscles propelled him
instantly at the oversized bear. Mark traveled so fast that when he
shoulder tackled the massive bear he literally pushed the its
massive body back a good twenty feet. Connor knew as a fact that
Mark’s speed could only be seen by abilities as a Balancer and the
impact itself that was just inflicted on the bear could easily have
killed a normal human.

At the same time Mark entered the fray
Connor raised both of his hands and gathered a large quantity of
energy from within. He stopped using sonar and focused on the
campfire to his back and all of the heat that was saturating the
surrounding area. As the blaze quickly accumulated above his palms,
the fire’s light illuminated the battle scene.

The Grizzly managed to get back on all
of its legs. It was brown with high humped shoulders layered in
muscle. Its muzzle was open, exposing its menacing teeth as it
roared. Each of its claws was at least as long and as thick
Conner’s fingers. He could tell that it was fully grown and if it
stood would be well over twelve feet tall and judging from its bulk
would be well over eight hundred pounds plus.

Five seconds later Connor spotted
Mark’s black wolf-like form circling around the bear slowly,
snarling back. And since he wasn’t using sonar he saw that his
friend’s pupils were glowing a bright white. When Sarah used her
sonar the entirety of her eyes glowed, but it was only Mark’s
pupils that glowed on him.

As the Grizzly roared again, following
the lights created from Mark’s eyes, it dropped its front legs and
it charged at him. At the last moment of the bear’s charge, Mark
jumped up and spun in the air. He landed on the bear’s back like a
trained acrobat. Mark viciously dug his deadly clawed fingers into
the shoulder muscles of the bear. Mark opened his massive jaws and
sunk his teeth into the back of the bear’s neck as it roared out in
excruciating pain and rage.

Above Connor’s hands now blazed a six
foot tall sphere of fire that illuminated every inch of the
clearing. Mark bought the time he needed. He yelled at the top of
his lungs. “MARK! RUN!!!!” As Connor roared he threw the hulking
fireball.

Connor saw simultaneously that Mark
launched himself off the back of the flailing bear with lightning
swiftness into the darkness of the trees while the confused bear
saw what is heading directly at it.

It froze in fear.

Connor focused more of his power to
change the form and shape of the fire into a crescent shield as it
landed into a roaring inferno cage. He changed the shape of the
fire to scare the bear away and it worked. When the bear unfroze it
had only one way to go; backwards.

Mark ran towards his friend, swiftly
and on all fours, coming to a spinning stop right next to his side.
As his breathing slowed he pushed himself with his arms into a
standing position. He now stood as tall as Connor. He looked at him
with his glowing eyes and Connor noticed that even his pupils had
changed. Normally pupils are circular, but right now his are slit
like that of a feline. In his deep animalistic voice he said “Make
sure it isn’t coming back!”

He used his pulsating sonar and
surveyed the entire area in a two hundred meter radius and spotted
the Grizzly fleeing for its life. “It’s running away as quickly as
it can.” He announced, stopping the sonar.

He let out a deep steaming breath from
between his teeth. He turned those glowing silver eyes to Connor.
“How long have you known I was a Changer, Buddy?

Connor balled up his fist and held it
out like old times. Mark’s muzzle pulled back, exposing a line of
razor sharp teeth, that were coated with the bear’s blood, and knew
he was smiling. He balled up his claws into a fist and punched them
gently together. They were brothers in arms.

He had no choice but to laugh, now
that the tension was easing. Mark joined in, laughing as well, but
it was more of a deep rumbling bark. When he did laugh Connor saw
that his muzzle and teeth were stained redder than the first
glance. Looking down he saw that the clawed hands were also covered
in blood. He also noticed that the silver shirt was shredded in
pieces and Mark’s pants were relatively unscathed except from where
his tail ripped through the backside.

Connor took off his shirt and handed
it over to him. “You need to clean off the blood from your muzzle
and claws. Unless you want Kara to think you’re injured. That is
the last thing we need to listen to.”

Mark lifted his claws and saw the
blood soaked hand. He sniffed his hands and his nose wrinkled.
“Thanks, Buddy.” He took the shirt gratefully and meticulously
cleaned his muzzle and hands.

“Connor, are the two of you
safe?”
Sarah pushed into his mind,
sounding and feeling frantic.
“I can only
see two dark figures in front of the fire.”

He looked in their direction and then
back to his furry friend. “The girls are worried about us. Sarah
wants to know if it is safe for the two of them to come over
here.”

“In this form my hearing is five
hundred times more acute than any human’s or Balancer’s and I
didn’t hear anyone say anything.” His ears twitched back and forth
listening for something.

“She just mentally contacted me.”
Connor said in his defense.

“If Sarah’s your mate, I know that you
can’t hear her thoughts.” He tossed the bloody shirt down behind
him.

“Listen we are something new and
different from any Balancer you have ever encountered before, but I
guarantee that Sarah just telepathically contacted me.” Mark looked
at him with a puzzled expression. Connor had to think quickly.
“Mark, do you want the girls to see you like this?”

He made a deep rumbling sigh. He
scratched his head with his claws as he looked at the ground. “Well
if she takes this form as well as you did, I can’t see why not?” He
looked up with sad eyes. “But if sh…”

Using his advanced speed, and his
right hand, Connor clamped Mark’s furry mouth shut. His silver eyes
went wide with surprise. Connor stepped closer and looked him
directly in the eyes. “Listen to me.” Both of his ears turned to
the front, aimed in his direction. “You let me break her in before
she sees you. Knowing my sister the only thing that might freak her
out would be if you keep your eyes glowing. Turn off those night
lights. Ok, Bud.” He released Mark’s muzzle.

He rubbed it with his clawed fingers.
“That really hurt.” He turned off the lights in his eyes as
requested.

“Sorry about that. I’m still learning about
this new world of mine.”

He patted Connor’s back and felt the
dangerously sharp claws on his unprotected shoulder. “I understand
what It’s like somewhat.” He looked to the left and pointed with
his clawed thumb. “I think you had better take care of that before
we have a forest fire on our hands.”

“I forgot. Thanks.” Connor called the
fire element and pulled every ember of the fire away and made a
massive fireball again above his head.

“Show off.” Mark said under his breath
as Connor restarted the campfire again. Connor dispersed the rest
of the blaze into a harmless heat, until everything dissipated
safely.

“I think you should stand behind me,
in my shadow ok.” His large head nodded. Connor yelled loud enough
for the girls to hear. “It’s safe you can both come back, the bear
is gone! But come slowly!”

Mark’s hot breath on the back of his
neck felt unsettling. Lucky it was dark and his fur color is black
as well or this wouldn’t be able to work.

The girls slowly walked into the light
of the campfire while both having a look of disbelief and fear on
their faces. Sarah tried to run up to him to see if he was ok, but
Connor held a hand up for her to stay where she is. She stopped,
but with great reluctance.

Kara fired her first barrage of
questions. “Brother, are you and Mark ok?”