<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOKUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOKALE%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><style>  </style> Greetings, dear Keepers! I found some time to overwork the draft of my story a little and it should now be better readable. <o:p></o:p> Also, I added the WIP of Part 2. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Currently I have the problem that I plan of Mark and Hiram running into a patrol shortly after. I’d like to use some already existing characters from the Keep. Are there any suggestions from your side, who this could be? <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Sincerely <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Prof <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOKUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOKALE%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><style>  </style> Start with an empty sheet<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> … And load it with words. That should be my approach in writing down what happened, he advised me. Well, let’s go. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I had no idea, where I was or how I came there. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> It took me not much time to realize that I knew almost nothing. Not about this strange place, which was different from the one I’ve fallen asleep at (somehow I was sure about that), nor about the time before I awakened. Or about myself, even my name. <o:p></o:p> A blank slate was I. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> And I wasn’t afraid. It’s hard to remember now, if I felt anything at all, besides a slight curiosity for my situation. I guess the shock locked out confusion and fear for a time. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Looking down on me I noticed that I was naked. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> No, this word felt wrong. I rummaged in the corners of my brain for a better suiting description. You know, “naked” is a rather relative concept if your entire body is covered in thick, lush fur. Heh, even the naughty bits were either wrapped in fur or hidden in a furry pouch. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Well, that was different! And finally there was a little morsel of information left in my mind. When I thought about my person, I connected it immediately to the word “human”. Humans have no fur. Or four-toed, digitigrade feet… or a tail! <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Several times I tried to catch this formerly unknown appendage of my body, which dodged my grasp whenever I turned around to get it. I Circled round and round like a humming top, must have been looked like a kitten. Shortly after, my folly became clear to me and I had to laugh out loud, as I must right now, writing this lines. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> My voice startled me. It was deep and husky and noisy. I’ve never been that loud, wasn’t I?  More like the tone of a bully, a kind of guy I surely was not! So I decided to keep silent for a while. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> More important to me at that moment was the swishing tail, annoying in its elusiveness. I reached behind me and managed to grab it. The next moment a sharp pain made me yowl and let it go, quickly. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> With astonishment I gazed at my hands. Oh, how in the world could I overlook the fact that they were hands no more? They were paws! Covered in fur like the rest of me, except of pink pads on the fingertips and the palms. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “A fist full of thumps”, was my first impression. Like my thumb each finger (still counting five with the thumb, unlike my toes) had only two phalanxes. The third one was missing. And as a kind of compensation, every tip was crowned with a needle-sharp, curved claw. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Just a moment ago I’ve had learned that it was quite painful to get hit by them. Now they were retreating back into the folds on my fingertips, which hid them. <o:p></o:p> It took me some minutes to bring them back. Obviously my body knew how to let them emerge. As obvious as I did not. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Like with my tail, there were muscles and tendons I certainly never used in my life before. My body seemed no to care much about it. He used them without trouble whenever I paid not enough attention. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Clearly he had a big advantage over my still human self. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> *****<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I wasn’t human anymore. But what was I? Some kind of animal? A two-legged animal? <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Such creature was unheard of in my memory, although I could not even remember someone calling my name. In this case my mind was not the best expert to consult about. Tail and clawed paws said “feline”, but I had to know for sure. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I took a look around, examining my surroundings a little better than I did with my first glance. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I stood in a clearing in a wood. It was shortly after sunrise, but the air was already warm. It felt like summer and the leaves on the trees told me the same. On my right side, some steps away from me were a pond, his surface untroubled for there was not the slightest breeze. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Water, the oldest mirror in history. Suddenly I was reluctant. This was the moment of truth. Now I was afraid. Would I like what I was about to see? <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> My mouth was dry; I had to gulp twice to re-moisten it. My tail twitched in sympathy with my mood and my ears, too high on my head than I was used to, had flattened themselves against my skull. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Then I straightened myself as good as I was able to. The view of the water had made me thirsty, very. The decision was not really mine. Again, my body showed me who was in charge yet.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I kneeled down on the shore and with both paws; I poured the crystal-clear, cool liquid and swallowed it greedy. For a moment I was overcome with the urge to lap it up with my tongue, but I resisted this primal drive and drank the human way, although I spilled most of the water. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Again I was not used to the changes on me. If a simple act like drinking turned out that difficult, how would it be to actually eat something with my new mouth, no, my new muzzle? <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Scooping something to drink had broken the smooth surface of the pond with dozens of diminutive ripples. I’ve had gotten myself some moments of delay. But now the water turned back to its old, mirroring self. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Then I bent a little closer down to my mirror and eventually stared into the face of my new self. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> *****<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> A cat stared back. He was adorned with silvery-grey fur, speckled with black spots. Almost his entire body looked like this, excluding an area, starting from his chin, running over his cheeks, then down on the front of his neck, over his chest, the stomach, crotch and ending on the insides of his thighs. Which was creamy-white. (Of course I didn’t seen all of this in the water. My reflection contained little more than my face and upper chest. The rest I knew of already.)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> It looked soft and fluffy, but somewhat monochrome. The only safe havens for colour were a triangular pink nose and yellow-brown eyes, which carried a look of wonder. <o:p></o:p> It was the face of a leopard, a snow-leopard, to be precise. Where I did knew this? Well, I still knew the sun was called sun. I’ve had not forgotten everything. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> A movement on top of his head caught my attention. His ears, as I could see now, who were triangular with round tips, raised from the ground, mirroring my equally rising state of mood. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> His black lips twisted into an awkward expression, remotely resembling a smile. His whiskers twitched in embarrassment. Human impulses collided with a feline face, which was not made to express emotions in a human way. He gave up his fruitless efforts for it was obvious that he smiled in a feline way. The position of his ears told this to everyone who could understand it. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Then he opened his mouth. “Could be worse”, he said with this booming voice, which now sounded a lot more pleasant in my ears. “To be honest, I think you’re a good looking one.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Hearing this, I had to laugh. Well, if he said so.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> At least my style of speaking and laughing was still human. The thought was really comforting. I waved the cat in the water good bye and stood up. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> *****<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> So far, so… weird. I was a snow cat, in the middle of a summery wood. <o:p></o:p> What now? <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I definitely couldn’t stay on the clearing. Although there was good water, I couldn’t see anything to eat or a shelter from not so friendly weather. And beside that, I had to find help. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Help to change back to my real, my human identity, to get back my lost memories and not furthermost, to get some clothes. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Don’t get me wrong, in my current state I didn’t felt nude but, as strange as it may sound, also not modest! A cloth to wrap it around my waist would have done the job. <o:p></o:p> I had to get back to civilisation. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Where should I go to, which direction? <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The visible part of the sky refused to give me any hints. No trails of smoke, no sign of a sentient being. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Rather helpless I circled the borders of the clearing and finally found a narrow path, descending into the undergrowth, probably only used by game, heading for the pond. But it was better than nothing. So I let it lead the way. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I had followed the path between the trees for about half an hour, as something moved into the thicket and another something in me took over. Within a heartbeat I crossed the ten foot distance between my position and the moving object and pounced. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> My target, which was, as I could see now, a mouse, avoided my paw by a hairs breath and vanished into its hole. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I crouched down and breathed hard. Not because of the sudden movement, it was the stimulation that cursed through my veins, the excitement of hunting. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> It was that moment I discovered the supple, powerful muscles beneath my fur. And the simple joy of using them. Man, I felt great at this moment! I had to use them more. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The next few hours were a haze. I ceased thinking, I plainly did. I run, I climbed trees, stalked small animals, jumped and tumbled around and did plenty of silly things I’m slightly embarrassed, now thinking about it. I tested the boundaries of the beast that was currently me. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Eventually I slowed down. Reason returned from its unexpected vacation and took its place on the bridge back. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I breathed long and deep, savouring the plethora of fragrant odours. Unquestionably I would miss my heightened sense of smell when I was a human again. With a childlike sparkle in my eyes I took a picture of the environment. It seemed like I was in a deeper part of the forest now. And…<o:p></o:p> Utterly and completely lost. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> *****<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> On second thought, I’ve been lost beforehand and I was it now. No change in my situation. Excluding the pond. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I was parched again. And tired and hungry. My undertakings in hunting weren’t crowned with success by now. Besides, the mere thought of raw, bloody meat wasn’t a very appealing one. –At least until now. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Suddenly I felt very lonely. You could say I fell into an emotional hole. Questions beset me, the sorts of I was able to avoid since my awakening. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> What in the world could possibly happen to me? Why was I alone and in my birthday suit in the middle of a forest? <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> What if someone brought me to that clearing and left me there? You abandon someone you don’t want so see again. Let him die out there, where you not have to witness the miserable part. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I had not much trouble to come up with a reason. A glance to my paws was enough. My condition wasn’t natural, it practically reeked of magic and curses and all kinds of evil doings. Probably I was lucky to still being alive. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> And what if I did it myself?<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Either as a refugee, running for my life or, and that was the really frightening consideration, I’ve came to this place to end my cursed existence by my own hands. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> What if, what if, what if…<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> So absorbed was I that I paid no attention where my feet carried me. I didn’t even take notice of the stranger I passed, merely 3 steps away from me. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I believe I baffled him a lot with my ignorance. Imagining the scene from his view, it must have looked like some weird dream. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Then the stranger let loose a sharp whistle, bringing me back to reality, and cried: “Attention, dreamer!”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I circled around to face him, and could do nothing but stare, dumbfounded. <o:p></o:p> My unexpected company, whom I gave a facial expression of the blankest sort, was a fennec! <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Like me, he stood straight on two legs, had paw-like hands, a tail and walked on his toes. He was about my size, maybe a little shorter (later I measured myself with five feet and six inches). Rather slim built, compared to me there wasn’t much of him. I had about one and a half of his weight. Nevertheless, something told me, this little guy could shred me to pieces without breaking a sweat. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> His face was dominated by big, watchfully brown eyes and huge ears. And his fur, as far as I could see it, had the colour of sand. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> As far as I could see, yes. There was that vast difference between us: I was only in my fur and he was not. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> He was clad in a sleeve-less tunic and shorts, both garments had a dark green colour. A woven leather belt around his waist held several little bags, a knife and a short sword, his right paw not far away from the hilt. A quiver full of yellow-feathered arrows was strapped on his back and the appertaining bow, a remarkable weapon, as tall as his owner, leaned on a tree near him. And of course no footwear, not with such feet. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Seconds of silence went by. I could not move, nor speak or think. The mechanisms of my mind were jammed. That was too much. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> After some time, in which I could see his growing confusion, he asked me: “Do you understand me?” And after the passing of a couple more moments, he repeated the question in another language I knew and two I did not. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Somehow I was capable to break free from my stupor. I shook my head and murmured: “Y-yeah, yes, I understand you.” Then, after a gulp of air and with a tad more power, I added: “Who are you?” And bit my lip to avoid the mandatory: “What are you?”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> It showed now, that the stranger’s vulpine face was better suited to convey human emotions. He smiled with his lips. It was mostly amused, but with a hint of forbearingness. I was seen through. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “My name is Hiram. I’m a part-time hunter, full-time fox-morph and inhabitant of Metamor Keep. And may I learn your name?”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Oh boy, there was it, the dreaded question. I shrugged. “Call me Dreamer.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Not quite the end yet… ***** <o:p></o:p> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOKUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOKALE%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><style>  </style> Part II<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> „Richard, Kaplan, Wayne, Adam, Dan, Carl, Egon, Peter, Ray, Winston…”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “Enough Hiram, please. My head’s pounding.” <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I had to stop the continuous flood of names and names and names, the seemingly inexhaustible fennec feed me since me made stop for rest. I sat slumped down against a tree trunk, eyes closed. It was a good deal after noon and the temperatures still rising, high enough to make me uncomfortable under my thick pelt. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I was hungry for something real. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “No luck so far?” His voice came from somewhere above me. I looked up and spotted him in the crown of an oak, where he retrieved a backpack. “Nothing that sounds familiar?” <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I shook my head. “No bell’s ringing. Let’s just settle for Mark.” <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> My new friend jumped back to the leaf-covered ground and opened the bag. Rummaging through it he asked: “Is there a special reason for that?” <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> A frustrated hiss escaped my muzzle. “No, to me it doesn’t feel more known than Edgar, Hassan, OIaf, Cabracan – seriously Hiram, Cabracan? – Or Xiao. I simply like it. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Grumbly I added: “Besides, Dreamer sounds kinda lofty, now as I think about it.” <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The fennec made no attempt to conceal his giggle. Finally finished with his expedition through the depths of his backpack, he tossed me a water skin and something wrapped in wax paper which smells made me swim in drool. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “Your decision. Then it’s Mark Dreamer for the moment. Plus any nicknames me or any of my friends come up with”, he declared. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> My reply was something muffled, mouth full with dried meat. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> His smile grew sardonic. “And I don’t believe it will take long for you to get the first one, ‘Stripper’.” <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> His gentle laughter drowned my very eloquent “Hey!” He lifted his paws in defence. “I’m just teasing you, sorry. But the problem’s still present. We need something to cover you. Couldn’t let the ladies see you like this, all in the buff. Lessee…”<o:p></o:p> And again his arms dived into the bag. “Too bad I didn’t bring some spare duds.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “Lucky me”, I remarked dryly, after a glimpse at his narrow hips. “I would die by suffocation, but modest at least.” <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> It’s almost a dramatic view, watching the tremendous ears of a fennec fall back. “Touché”, Hiram said. “I think I deserved this one”, with these words he threw me another bundle.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Let’s say I was, uhm, slightly puzzled after I unfolded it.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “A towel?” <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “Big enough to swathe even your waist in it.” <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “You don’t have a spare of clothes but a towel?” <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> He shrugged. “You never know.” <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Eventually the absurdity of this situation brought a smile to me. And as I was busy covering my bareness, my talkative companion did his best to fill the silence. <o:p></o:p> “You know, a skirt…” “Kilt!” I demanded <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “You know, a… kilt”, he chuckled “Has its merits, especially for you, in this conditions.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> On my clueless look he added:  “Better ventilation.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> My expression must’ve been priceless. First he started to giggle, then me too. That went on for some minutes, every time one of us got his senses back together; the giggles of the other incinerated the fit anew. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Oh man, it did me a great deal to laugh. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> To be honest, Hiram had a point. Even my impromptu-kilt was almost too much for me in the summery heat. A properly pair of trousers would certainly set me ablaze. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p></o:p> </td></tr></table> __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Sie sind Spam leid? Yahoo! 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