New Modes of Life -updated-

As he came to, he could only see darkness pierced by two glowing red eyes. They hovered just inches from his own, umoving. Their owner just as mysterious as their intentions.

He tried to call out, to receive either clarity of the situation or a speedy death. However his voice was nowhere to be found. He had faced death before, but being voiceless made him relieve an even darker fate.

He would rather die than experience being mute again, however he knew that another life lie just beyond the horizon of death. Each second felt like an hour.

Silence from within and without. Finally the owner of the eyes closed in on him. He shut his eyes, he could feel their breath on his face. 'Please, give me a quick death'.

To his immense suprise, he felt something wet drag across his face. '...' He opened his eyes in shock, 'Did it just lick me'? He felt a headache coming on from trying to understand the situation.

The shock of seeing the beast like eyes inches from his face had distracted him, but bow something had become clear. His body was not human.

'From the shape of my body... it seems like I'm a wolf?' He tried to sigh, but all that came out was a quiet whimper. 'humiliating, my first sound is the whimper of a puppy'

He looked up at the eyes of the creature that was still adamantly licking his face. 'Something feels familiar' he thought, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was a soft and warm feeling that he hadnt felt in so long.

With a jolt, it suddenly came to him. 'That is my mother'. His name in the past, Haruya was when he carried the last time he had a mother. At first his distaste for wolves had left him feeling disdainful of his new existence, but perhaps... it was not so bad.

Once his mother had finished licking him, she curled her body around him. Felling her warmth, he felt his young body slipping into a peaceful sleep '...'

He was woken by his mother gently lapping his face. When he opened his eyes he could see streams of sunlight slipping through the cracks in the ceiling.

After his eyes adjusted, he began to look around his birthplace. He was in a massive cave in the shape of a dome. He could see many tunnels that led to unknown places.

Most noticeable was the fact that they were surrounded by wolves with swirling patterns that shone with a misty light that ebbed and faded, each with a different color. They each faced a different direction as if they were guarding them.

Sensing that he had woken, his mother picked him up by the nape of his neck and carried him past the other wolves. 'Where are we going' he wondered. She took him to a nearby room where a large grey wolf withgreen eyes and matching patterns stood.

To his surprise, his mother spoke. "It's his time" He hadnt realized it in the past, but it became clear that beasts have languages of their own, albeit less complex.

"Congratulations Razsai" said the grey wolf as he moved to the side. Behind him sat a stalagmite with glowing blue liquid dripping down into a shimmering pool. His mother nudged him forward.

He turned to her in confusion, in response she mimicked looking up and opening her mouth. 'It seems she wants me to drink that liquid'. He felt a bit put off at the thought, but he could sense an energy within.

'I will put my trust in her' he thought. He looked up and stretched his neck as far as his small body would allow. Slowly a as the drop fell straight into his mouth.

The moment the liquid touched his tongue he felt it being absorbed into his body. It sent warm shivers throughout every part of him. Suddenly the dark cave became clear and his frail body that could barley walk now stood firmly on the ground.

A new sensation spread across the outside of his body, like snakes of warmth coiling around him. Looking at the places he felt, he noticed he had some markings of his own. 'It seems the liquid is a factor in their glowing patterns'

Now that he had finished his mother picked him up once again and returned to the area where they slept. As he was carried away he caught a glimpse of the grey wolf who had been watching the processes intently.

I'm his second life he had practiced strengthening his qi and acquired a lifetime of knowledge. But now that his body was no longer human, he could not use the qi he once relied on.

'All of my knowledge is nearly useless now... but it's kind of exciting, exploring a new kind of power'. However, part of him still wanted to be human

Once his mother set him down, he looked looked at her and tried speaking. "I want to explore". His mother reacted with wide eyes. 'I guess I'm a little to young to be communicating clearly'.

The one thing he could not stand was not being able to speak to others. His first death had left a deep impression on his soul. "I'll always be nearby" came her reply.

At that he set out to explore the cave of wolves.