Exploring the Mountain

"This is so strange..."

Sigurd continued to study himself. He truly was a white-furred bear with claws and paws, a snout, and thick skin. Looking around, it was just him in this empty cave.

"How did this happen? Could I have really been reborn? If so, then where is this place? Why have I been sent here?"

There were so many things to think about and in this situation, he could not help but chuckle at this predicament.

"What am I to do now? Live my life as a beast? How strange, perhaps it will be peaceful here."

Sigurd looked towards the cave opening and walked on his hind legs. Strangely enough, he was able to do so quite easily, and looking out, he saw little of the outside world. The falling snow was dense and difficult to see past.

"Damn, if only I could clear the way."

He spoke to himself though it came out as low growls. Thinking this, he suddenly felt power circulate from within and warmth filled him as his body glowed with strange markings. Just like that, the snow cleared, opening a path for him out of the cave.

"Wh-"

In his shock, the power stopped and moments later, the snow resumed its heavy downfall.

"So I am a magical beast? But a bear that controls the season of winter... what sort of creature is that? Never mind, I should survey the surroundings."

Sigurd focused once more, attempting multiple times before successfully creating an open path through the snowstorm. He stepped out of the cave, feeling the harsh winds beating his body. But it was bearable and would've been much worse if he were a human.

"Hmm, I shouldn't stray too far from this cave."

In this strange new form, he wafted through the heavy snow, not knowing what he was looking for. There was nothing here but snow and wind however, it was easy to see that he was on a mountain. He slowly descended it, marking his path on the trees so as to not get lost.

The mountainous terrain and numerous trees made it somewhat difficult to move but he trekked onward. However, he saw nothing but more snow, trees, and stone. There was little life to be found as if he was the only being here. But that thought passed quite quickly as his ears perked up.

Off into the distance, the howling of wolves could be heard and Sigurd stopped. He looked towards the direction of the noise, keeping silent and anticipating an attack. His senses heightened as his fur raised up. There was a scent coming from that direction, one that presented itself as a sign.

"They're coming."

From the thick snow, a white wolf leaped out with its jaws gaping wide, snarling and growling as it tried to sink its jaws into his flesh. As quick as it was, Sigurd was just as fast and much more powerful. He swiped his left paw, punching the wolf in its side as it flew back into the snow.

"Agh!"

He roared in pain as two more leaped out, one biting his ankle and the other latching onto his back. Twisting and turning, he slipped and fell back, landing and crushing the wolf that clawed at him. He had just woken up and this form took time to get used to. However, the sensation of pain was something he could never forget.

"Damn!"

No longer biting his ankle, the other wolf jumped onto his stomach and struck his neck, cutting into his skin. He stood back up and grabbed the wolf that was on him, throwing the beast down onto the ground. It yelped in pain before retreating a few steps.

Then the first wolf emerged from the snow with several others, staring and growling at him.

"A wolf pack? I must have entered their territory... Hmph, it will take more than that to kill me!"

Staring at this group of wolves, their white fur and sharp golden eyes were filled with hostility. Each and every one of them snarled and barked at him to which he responded with a great and thunderous roar.

There were five of them in total and they all sprung at him at once. Each one aimed for a different part of his body, biting and gnawing at his flesh. His blood began to run, a deep blue river flowing from his wounds.

"Graawrr!"

A beastly fury welled up inside of him as he opened his jaws and ripped out the flesh of one of the wolves. With his claws, he grabbed the wolves that were on his arms, stabbing deeply into their bodies before slamming them into the ground. He kicked out, launching the remaining two through the air.

The wolves kept coming back and he returned the pain in favor, thrashing them onto the ground until their bodies were broken and they could no longer move.

Only minutes passed and it felt like mere seconds to Sigurd. Standing on his hind legs, he stared menacingly at the wolves, all but one had died and this one was barely alive. It was the one that had charged him first and the one that had the worst injuries. Its side bled profusely as the wound made by Sigurd's bite left a gaping hole. It was the leader and even in its near-dead state, the wildness in its eyes did not fade.

Their eyes met as Sigurd watched the beast take his last breath. He felt respect for this wolf, leader of the pack, and warrior to the end. That was commendable.

The bear himself slowly began to calm down as he grabbed the dead bodies and returned to the cave.

"I suppose I've found my food then", he thought to himself.

He ignored the wounds on his body and re-entered the cave where the wolves were stacked in a pile. Inspecting himself, his wounds were not too severe for most of them were teeth and claw marks. The pain returned as the adrenaline subsided.

"I don't have bandages here. I suppose I should...lick my wounds."

Sigurd was at a loss for words and began to clean his injuries with his tongue. It was strange and he felt silly for doing it but it worked. His wounds cleaned up nicely as they began to heal though it took several hours to do so. When the blood was mostly gone and the bleeding stopped, he just sat and looked out of the cave, watching the snowfall.

"So this is my new life now, I've become a magical beast, one of unknown origin. Then again, the world is quite vast. There are probably many things I do not know, especially at a time like this.", he thought.

It was unusual, something that he found difficult to believe but he accepted it nonetheless.

"Hm, I'm quite hungry, using magic really does take a lot out of you. This must be what mages feel like."

It was an understatement to say that he was hungry. He had been continuously using magic for several hours and went fought against of pack of wolves. This white bear was famished. He turned to the pile of wolves before gorging on them. He was no longer a man but a beast and he ate like one. Ripping and tearing the flesh of the wolves with his mouth, he scarfed it down, leaving bones atop a bloody mess.

"That was certainly an interesting meal. I never thought I would find enjoyment with raw meat. It was... very juicy."

But even after eating five wolves, Sigurd hungered for more. It was filling but it left him unsatisfied, he needed something with more...with more crunch.

As if something awakened, he headed out of the cave while there was still light. In the thick snow, he wandered the mountain, keeping track of his steps as he looked around. He used his nose, ears, eyes, all of his senses to search for more food, and in this search, he found some carrion. A few birds that were frozen to death, their wings nearly encased in ice, and their flesh had begun to rot. The smell of it was rotten and disgusting but to him, it was perfect.

Rather than take them back, he ate them on the spot, crushing their bodies with his jaw and devouring their flesh and blood. Upon finishing his meal, he noticed that the snow had lessened, no longer was it beating his fur like pebbles but became a gentle snow. The air slowly cleared up, revealing the sky as the scenery around him.

"Oh, how beautiful."

He could not help but think this as he looked out, looking over a massive mountain range spanning as far as he could see. With the snow slowly falling, the scene was incredibly picturesque, giving off a feeling of vastness in this seemingly boundless place. It was like a painting that showed various mountain peaks, covered in the soft snow and dotted with snow-topped trees.

It was quiet and peaceful, a feeling that he found tranquility in.