Chapter 10: Turning Leon
The morning after last night's pack meeting, Leon came over looking like a kid on holiday, receiving a great gift when he sees the house, or mansion, more or a less. I am waiting outside to let him in, as I wanted to see his reaction, then I notice, his girlfriend isn't there. "Hey Leo, why isn't Amber here with you?"
His face darkens and he shuffles around, looking at the ground. "We broke up, I found out she was cheating on me."
"That sucks bro, but let's not focus on her, not today." Chelsea says coming out, in a jogging suit
"What, wait, why?"
"Because dork, you have just been given a huge opportunity, invited to this big house, where from what I understand, you'll spend the next two weeks, to a month training to get strong enough to survive the change, then in a few months you'll be coming with us to the adventurers university, where you may meet somebody new." she says back to him and then begins her stretches
It takes him a minute to really register what Chelsea said, but after that minute his mood brightens right away. I of course lead him on a tour of the house and show him to his room, so he can stash his stuff, then we head to the basement, where he begins to really train, like it's his only focus.
The next two weeks fly by, and then, while Leon is taking a break from the superset I just had him do, He looks at me and I can see the question in his face. I wait for the pressure to build even further, finally he asks "It's been a month are you going to turn me yet?"
"Yes, do you want me to do it to you right now?" I reply honestly, giving him a weird look
"What do you mean by that?" he looks offended
"We're in the basement gym, sweaty and currently halfway through a circuit that goes for at least another 25 minutes, and while you have gained a decent amount of muscle, The more natural muscle you put on the less the transformation is going to hurt, look at me, I was going to the gym everyday for years as hard as I could, so that I could enter the university in peak condition, and I still screamed my throat raw the first transformation, Chelsea, had been training longer and harder than I had and she clawed her way through almost four inches of concrete to find comfort in me."
"I suppose you're right, but what I've read in the lore is that while I'm transitioning into a wolf my body will recover quicker and I can push it harder to improve faster. Although, definitely waiting until after I shower."
"Good answer now water break's over time to finish the workout." and the workout goes on for another hour, but Leo never stops or quits. afterwards, we shower and head upstairs, and I contemplate what we should do as I know that to turn him all I have to do is bite him with the intent to turn him and the change should begin automatically, but It will help if he's in close proximity for a long period of time. "Hey Leo, tonight you wanna hang out in my room and veg the whole night?"
"Sounds good why though?"
"Well after to turn you I have to bite you, then after that, the wound heals quicker if we are in proximity, and I'm not sleeping with you, but hanging out should help."
We make it to the kitchen where Spriggann is making dinner and then after the meal I decide to have the rest of the pack around when I bite him. [ding the host has initiated transformation on Richard Lionheart, after training him for a whole month Unlocking Quest completion rewards Richard "Leo" Lionheart has received the legendary Shifter type Were-Lion True form] the image flashes across my vision and I just go with it, I knew that with the outset of this quest, he would be a good subtype and its ironic, as well as not having to submit him because he already places our friendship so highly in his regard. Then we head off to bed after bandaging the wound, and Leo and I go to play games in my room until, morning when I get my new daily quest. We seem to have passed out when I wake up and its already past 9AM, I do the daily quest and then go eat breakfast, afterwards we head to the training room downstairs and just give it hell for most of the morning.
The rest of the month passes fairly quickly, Leon trains daily, getting stronger and putting on muscle, Spriggann manages the estate and our small business ventures, Chelsea and I have our day jobs at the Deli. I look up at the sky, admiring the rising moon calling to the others with mind link, "(We should get to the roof, so we can transform in peace)" I hear the others agree and we make our way to the roof from where we were on the grounds.
Spriggann is the last one to arrive having made sure to tell the groundskeepers to stay indoors, I feel the change first, its like last time but easier, almost painless. I watch the others shift into their wolf forms, Chelsea looks like she was expecting the pain from last time, but when it didn't come relief floods across her face, and Sprig just shivers down into his wolf form, not having felt pain from his first shift, he is a natural. I turn my attention to Leo, His fur is forming, but it's not like ours, it's a golden blonde and it appears to be like a lion's mane, then his bones begin to break and he screams out in pain, soon enough though his body is fully shifted, He is a giant lion standing over a head taller than me, but then he turns and bows, submitting to me willingly. I tap my snout to his and then I can hear his thoughts. We run around on the roof of the building for a while, but eventually dawn comes and its time to shift back.