Chapter Sixteen, 'Adrenaline Rush'

"There are to many child. We should flee."
"I hate to agree with the Golem but that be a few more of the pups than we can handle."

"No. If we run then we won't be able to defend ourselves. We fight."
"Fight your heart out lass, I'm going up the mountain with the Golem. If yeh've got a brain under that gingery hair of yours you'll join us."

Mcraw and Nond fled. The warriors' blows were deflected from the golem's iron hide, and the pyromancer trailed flame beside them to prevent flanking. Alicea would never admit it to them, but the only thing keeping her from following was the realization that she couldn't fight through the Ga'Vok that separated them. She was doomed, she was going to die here.

~let me~
"What? Who are you?"
~I am the beast. Windspeaker, let the storm ride you~
"The moon is not risen. You have no power spirit."
~Spirit? I am no more a spirit than you. Death seeks us. Let me stand about you or we shall die~
"I will not be an untamed beast in the forest. Better to die Alicea than to live a wolf."
~Than let my hide be your armor and my claws your axes. If you will not let me take you, then have me~

She listened, through the sounds of battle the light called. She had heard it before but never so clearly. It is not a sin, the spirit whispered, this is my gift. Through it my servant shall do my bidding.

"Spirit of the beast, gift of the light, be my shield and my axes your claws. May the light have mercy on our foes."

It was an interesting feeling. The full moon brought a painful forced transformation, a sensation rather like having your skin burn off from the inside. This was entirely different, More like an itchy, crawling feeling; like putting on a bad sweater. Then her ankles shot up to where her knees had been, her legs completely reshaping themselves. Their was less of the usual clothing damage, but her paws were shaped wrong for axes. She discarded them, and looked down her new muzzle at her now terrified adversaries.

"What, you've never seen a girl before?"

She didn't wait for them to respond. She lept at the nearest warrior and slashed him. The unlucky warrior was flung into the mob. Alicea made the mistake of actually looking at him, luckily the warriors did too. Her claws had shorn through his armor and torn not only the skin but several of his ribs completely away. The horror of the surrounding horde grew as the warrior himself looked down at his mangled body and began howling not in pain but in terror.

Alicea managed to stifle the urge to retch and filled her mouth instead with the throat of a second warrior. This act sealed the deal for the remaining two-score warriors.