Cale's POV

There was something different about the little man's skin though Cale couldn't quite understand why because his vision was now black and white, the shade seemed unnatural. But with his vision it was only gray. The man stared up at the four in fear. 

Cale didn't know what had come over them. They had just hunted this man. They heard him rustle in the trees and something had just made them drop everything and chase him. But what? It was so primal and animal. Cale could hardly control it. Curiosity burned him as he ran. And now they were causing this man to tremble in fear.

Cale back away, he had never ever wanted to cause harm to anyone like this. Even if this man was strange, with large inhuman ears, the expression on his face was very much human.

"Werewolves are you?" He asked, his voice rough as his skin.

The four were so thrown off by this, their blazing curiosity was taken aback. They stopped looming over the man. 

Was that what had happened to them? Had they become werewolves? Was Pan some kind of alpha wolf god? Could wolves see in the dark? Cale certainly knew that it could have been a wolf inside him that made him hunt that man, going against his very nature. He had no idea what was going on and this answer could explain it all. Was it that? A beast implanted inside of him to change him. Cale felt sick. 

"No no not werewolves," the man sniffed them with his large nose. That eased Cale's stomach.

The man was more comfortable now that the four had their heads spinning, they were not so threatening then. He stood up straight and took Naoko's hand and sniffed it.

Naoko looked down at him in wonder but also in silence.

"Not werewolves but not mortals either. The scent of something beastly."

"What exactly do you mean?" Naoko whispered leaving her hand in his.

He looked around at the four "yes I suppose you do look like mortals, did you encounter any large animals recently?"

"No," Naoko whispered.

The man considered what Naoko said "Suppose the newly bitten are always a bit confused," he looked around at them again "but you four have managed to find each other so at least you've got that. Stay together, your kind are best in packs."

Nyarai stepped forward now out of her trance, she wanted answers, "what do you mean our kind? If we are not werewolves what are we?"

"You're werecreatures of some kind, a more refined nose than my own would be able to pinpoint that," the man tapped his large nose and gave a little smile.

"And why should we believe you? Who even are you?" Alkiva asked, her eyes squinted in suspicion, she had also snapped out of the trance of wonder.

His smile disappeared "well I guess there isn't much reason why you should believe me. Aside from the fact that you might be going through some strange changes right now, that's what new myth usually experience I believe. As for myself I'm Tagz a goblin of the second southern dwarven city of Australia."

"Prove it" Alkira spat out before anyone could process what Tagz had said. 

Cale could hardly hear what Tagz said next, his head was spinning with the fact that what he had said could indeed be true and that's what Pan had done to them. Everything was so strange right now. This was actually happening and what was worse: it made sense. Kind of.

"Well I'm a goblin, I look like one, there is not much I can do to prove it beyond that."

Cale looked to Nyarai, she felt it too. The shocking possibility that it could all be true. They met eyes and the question was passed without saying a word.

"I'm willing to believe it," she whispered to him "I saw Pan take down... something to protect me. Besides look at our eyes all yellowed, not to mention the fact that we can see so perfectly right now." 

"So Pan made us into a werecreatures and dumped us out here? That seems like a weird thing to do."

Tagz's ears caught onto them "Pan, greek god of the wild huh?"

"Shit yeah I was right," Naoko fist pumped the air, the other four gave her a glare, even Tagz. She shrugged it off.

"As I was saying," said Tagz, put off "Pan is the god of the wild, he's a little irrational. So yes that is a weird thing to do but it seems standard by Pan. Not that I know the guy."

Nyarai was trying to grasp this "So wait, Pan is actually the god of the wild and he gave us this werecreature thing... would you know which one is associated with Pan?"

Tagz shook his head "No clue. I'm only aware that Zeus made werewolves but that's pretty common knowledge, but I've been around enough werewolves to know that you guys, you're not werewolves."

Alkira clung to the bag she was holding "we should get out of here."

"That would be wise," Tagz turned to leave. 

"Wait!" Nyarai called out "where are you going?"

"To the dwarven city of course."

"You know you way around this place?" 

Tagz nodded in response.

"Could you help us get back to... the mortal city?"

Tagz scanned them up and down "What will you give me in return?"

Alkira clutched even more tightly at her bag "what do you want?"

Tagz licked his lips "Have you got any food?"

The four looked at each other surprised. This was all the goblin wanted, they had all assumed his answer would be gold or some insane magical item. But merely food was so easy. Too easy. Was he going to trick them? They didn't have much choice but to trust him. Finding the way out on their own didn't seem possible.

"Yeah of course," Naoko smiled at him "I have a packed lunch with your name on it."

Tagz smiled back, so genuine "such nice people, ok I'll show you the way. It's not too far don't worry."

They got their bags from where they had dropped them in such a hurry and proceeded to follow Tagz. At first they were pushing their way through the thick forest but then Tagz found them a path. It was narrow but enough for them to walk single file through it. Tagz leading the way. Naoko close behind him chatting with him then Cale and Nyarai, Alkira took the rear with her many bags. Cale despite all the ideas whirling around in his head he thought to the girl who had tackled him on the footy field. Garnet. Was she something else? He tried to remember to see if there were any clues but Naoko's conversation was too interested. He found himself just listening to that instead. 

Tagz ate away from Naoko's food containers using her chopsticks with perfect precision. 

"So do you live in this dwarven city?" Naoko asked. 

"Yep, it's my home."

"Do you have like a job there?"

Tagz paused for a little, slurping down some noodles "Not in the way you mortals would have jobs, I just do whatever I can for the wealthy."

"Like a servant?" Naoko sounded concerned.

Tagz shrugged "Nah I do whatever I please most of the time."

Naoko relaxed again "So is it just goblins and dwarves that live in this city?"

"No all kinds of myths. Except the dangerous ones."

"Myths?" 

"Non mortals, like werewolves, dwarves, goblins, witches even your friend Pan is a myth."

"I wouldn't say that Pan was our friend exactly..." 

"Yeah I've heard the gods can be cruel," Tagz flinched a little looking to the sky "But don't tell them I said that."

"You know this all sounds like a dream right?" 

"Heh, guess we are well hidden. But nope this is as real as it comes. You've got to stick together with these three."

"Why do I need to?"

"It's safer," he hoed into the noodles. 

"Safer!" Naoko stopped in her tracks "What do you mean by safer."

"Well myths being the powerful creatures that we are can also be quite dangerous and there is a reason we don't let some myths into the city. Myths tend to attract other myths."

Nyarai butted in "what are these dangerous myths exactly?"

"The most dangerous are obviously the myth hunters but they shouldn't bother you too much. Then there are the demons and vampires. But greek monsters can be bad though they are rare," Tagz explained.

There was a quiet voice from behind Cale, Alkira "what do these myths look like?"

Tagz looked back at her. She was holding her bags tightly and looking very nervous. He assumed she was merely afraid "Well vampires have red eyes, paler skin because they can't spend time in the sun. Demons however. They are tricky the only thing they really have in common are eyes like shattered glass."

Alkira fell silent after that. 

"And myth hunters?" Naoko asked.

"Ummm.... no obvious signs, you're pretty much fucked if they are chasing you down though. I guess you would call them the police of the mythical world," Tagz explained. 

Nyarai butted in again "So we are going to be hunted down by people of this new world?" 

Tagz stopped and slowly looked back at her "We were around before you. Mortals are the new world. Perhaps you'll be lucky. But it's dangerous to live with mortals. So I've heard."

This hit all of them hard. Dangerous to live with mortals. 

Cale thought to his footy team. Would he have to quit? Or risk shifting into... whatever he was mid match. His father would be so furious with him. But Cale smiled at the idea of leaving. If only Pan had made it seem as if he were dead so he wouldn't have to return to any of it. Cale was fine with starting a new life as a new him. Hunting aside, things would be different this time. He hoped.

Tagz walked up to a thick part of the forest, he uncovered a den made from unnaturally formed trees to make a little shelter. Soft moss lined the bottom and thick leaves provided some privacy almost making walls around it. 

"I think it's time for some rest we'll get there after a nap," he gestured for them to follow him inside.

Cale was not sleepy after everything that had happened that day but still he sat down to get some rest. He looked up to the sky, it was hard to see through the thick leaves but a few stars twinkled down on him. 

Alkira had used her blanket but she didn't look like she was sleeping either. Nyarai and Naoko were the only ones with their eyes closed.

There was a rustle from outside. Cale's ears pricked to it. He looked at Alkira and she nodded and crawled over to him. 

"Surely it was just like a rabbit or something," Alkira whispered.

"I don't know, I think my imagination is running wild after what Tagz said," Cale replied.

"Same."

They listened hard but there was only silence. 

Suddenly one of the walls of the den came crashing down onto Nyarai and Naoko. Tagz stood up allert drawing a dagger. Naoko and Nyarai pushed the wall off them and everyone stood alert. 

"What was that!" Naoko yelled.

"Demons," Tagz hissed. 

A large creature vaguely resembling a rhino with a face full of horns charged at them. As Tagz had said the creature had eyes like shattered glass. The four jumped out of the way with lightning quick reflexes. Tagz was not so fast. He got caught by one of the rhinos many horns and was speared by it. 

The rhino turned readying itself to charge again. The four were defenceless. They clung to trees but that didn't deter the rhino it charged again right at them.

As it picked up speed there was a flash of gray fur and the rhino was on it's side. A huge wolf stood over it.

Meow Myths,

Sorry about not updating in forever. Uni got kind of crazy but I'm finished my final semester so I'm free now. 

Who is the gray wolf? Leave your guesses below.

First published 27/10/2018

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Meow for Now