Elegant Transformation
Zac joined the beast near the SilverLeaf. He stared at the beast with confused eyes, trying to decipher what it wanted. Back and forth, he peeked at both the SilverLeaf and the beast. Since Zac couldn't ultimately make up what the beast wanted, he decided to grab for the SilverLeaf, seeing how the beast led him to it. Averting his eyes away from the bright silver plant, he put his hand down, ready to take a handful of the moss.
When his hands touched the SilverLeaf, expecting to affect him in some way, it did nothing. Recognizing it was harmless, Zac tugged on the moss, but it did not want to remove itself from the stump it had attached itself to. It resisted all attempts by Zac to pull it loose. The more he pulled, the harder it became for him to pull it free. Finally, he gave up, deciding it was best to try other methods. Zac pulled the dagger out from his pocket, and as he cut it, the beast growled threateningly. Zac dropped the knife back into his pocket and backed away from the SilverLeaf, thinking the beast would leave him alone if he didn't do anything else.
The beast continued to watch him, its blue eyes boring into his soul. Feeling uneasy, he screamed, "What do you want me to do?" Zac asked the beast, hoping that the beast could communicate something to him. After a moment of silence, the beast spoke, though no words came out; only an eerie moan escaped the creature's lips.
"I don't know," said Zac, feeling helpless. He thought maybe he should just let go of the SilverLeaf and run away. There was no reason for him to stay; curiosity was the only thing keeping him there. But then again, he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out what would happen if he were to go against the beast.
After another long pause, Zac determined to pull out the SilverLeaf. It seemed that was what the beast wanted, and he could not make it far if the beast were to hunt him down. Slowly pulling the moss off, he found that the beast was still watching him, but now it appeared less angry than before. Zac put a tighter grip on the moss, ready to muster all the strength he could. As he began to pull, the moss came off. Something was wrong; it came off quickly as if he could've used one hand to rip it off. Why was it now that it decided to let him take it?
*Crackle*
The stump that the SilverLeaf had been attached to started to break down and turn to ash as if one single breath could blow it away. The entire stump turned black and disintegrated in seconds, leaving only ashes behind. The beast stood over them, looking down upon their remains. With great sadness, it shook its head sadly, seeming as if it was finally given peace. "What could this mean?" Zac pondered. What exactly happened here? And why did the beast have such sorrowful feelings when he took the SilverLeaf away? It was only but a tree stump, Zac thought. The beast looked back at Zac. "Was this a mistake?" Zac feared, thinking he had done something to anger the beast maybe. But no, the beast looked like it was transforming right before him! In mere moments, the beast took the shape of a human.
Long beautiful golden strands of hair dropped down to his back, muscles bulked like the Gods, and his blue eyes glazed over with a stern and mighty gaze. After taking complete form, he was down on all fours like the animal he previously was. He picked himself up, hovering over Zac at a grand six-foot and eleven inches. He smiled down upon Zac, but the glorious transformation was immediately ruined when "Ah, what the hell, man!?" Zac had to mention that his lower body parts dangled in front of Zac's face. Without embarrassment, he laughed as he put his knuckles to his hips, standing in an elegant pose.
Zac couldn't even question how a beast had just turned into a human. Zac made sure to back away instantly while covering his eyes, begging him to put clothes on. "Call me by my name." he requested. "And what is your name exactly?" Zac replied. "I am Galen! I am the guardian of this here forest, and you, my boy. Just gave me my greatest wish!" Galen announced in an almighty tone. "And what wish did I exactly grant you?" Zac's reality becomes more questionable when he has to speak while a naked man stands before him. "That is to become human, my dear boy!" Galen's almighty tone did not stop, making Zac annoyed by the minute.
"You are joking, aren't you?!" Zac questioned, wondering if he'd gone mad. Or perhaps the beast was just playing around with him. "Oh no, my boy. No jokes about the matter. You have granted me the ultimate gift, allowing me to live amongst humans. My heart will be filled with joy forevermore knowing that someone cared enough to help me achieve this goal." Galen explained, his voice growing louder each time he uttered the word 'joy.' "
"Live amongst humans? Didn't you kill a bunch of the same humans back then? And I certainly did not do this willingly, so I don't know anything about `cared enough to help` when I didn't even know what I was doing!" Zac protested. This was getting too much for him to handle. If he stayed any longer, he knew he wouldn't last. His sanity was already hanging by a thread, and if he kept listening to this guy talk, it would snap entirely. "FOR GOD'S SAKE, PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!" Zac yelled out loud, hoping to get his point across without having to hear any more nonsense.
"What a bummer," Galen pouted. Galen eventually complied and headed out near the trees. He was putting on a simple pair of pants. He also put on a shirt, which covered most of his torso. He wore boots that went up past his knees and quickly came back. "Now that we have that all straightened out, shall I tell you what brought me here?" Galen inquired, walking toward Zac. "Go ahead. Tell me whatever you please." Zac replied sarcastically. Galen sighed deeply and sat down next to Zac. "This place holds many secrets. Many mysteries lie within these woods. Some are good, others bad. One mystery that I am aware of is that of the SilverLeaf. Now Zac was interested in what he had to say, despite being slightly embarrassed by his situation. "SilverLeaf? So it can change things?" Zac wondered. "Yes, and no," Galen responded. "It seems that the SilverLeaf changes people into beasts, but those who possess a certain mentality are the only ones who can use it," Galen explained.
"But didn't it change you into a human? Why have I not turned beast?" Zac asked. "Well, I was born in this forest by unnatural means. I was already a beast from birth, and It was the SilverLeaf being removed that it could unbind me from my beast form and make a reverse-like effect on me, turning me human." Galen stated calmly. "But that isn't all there is to it. Haven't you noticed a few changes?" Galen asked.
Zac looked around for a moment before he noticed what had been changed. "The fog is gone?" Zac revealed. "Exactly. The SilverLeaf was also meant as a barrier to keep certain entities out." Galen added. "Certain entities? Do you mean humans? If that was true, how was anyone able to enter?" Zac questioned. "No, they're a different type of entity, they pose as humans, but there are certain humans that could not enter, which was also why I was born to be the guardian," Galen answered.
"I'm confused. Who is not allowed in here exactly?" Zac wondered. "That I do not know; all I know is all of the information I was born with," Galen replied, scratching his head. "So what does this have to do with me?" Zac asked, wanting answers.
Galen looked at him, confused. "Nothing really..." he admitted. "What?" Zac stared blankly at Galen, unsure whether or not he heard correctly. "Nothin'. You were just there, looking at your mental state. I saved you and lured you here." Galen claimed. "Why did you save me if you weren't going to explain yourself?" Zac demanded. "Because I felt pity for you. I saw your pain and suffering and wished to spare you from it." Galen exclaimed. "I thought that if I were going to become human, I might as well act human. Y'know?" Galen said, laughing nervously. "I see," Zac mumbled quietly. He tried to figure out if he believed Galen, but deep inside, he knew he shouldn't. Trusting people was what got him here in the first place, why he knew better than to believe Galen.
Though he couldn't tell Galen that, it was better to use Galen to get himself out of the forest before he found himself lost again. "Thank you, Galen. For saving me. I'll never forget what you did today, and hopefully, our friendship will continue to blossom," Zac expressed, trying his hardest to seem grateful. "F- Friendship?" Galen looked at Zac with kitty eyes. "Yes, friends" Zac pushed Galen's face away.
Zac started to walk off, and Galen followed. Zac had one thought on his mind: when he left the forest, he would give peace to the victims of everyone he witnessed die. It was time to throw away the thought of expecting anyone to arrest the corruption he never thought could exist. Though violence was never the answer to him, it was time to throw away such morals that everyone would become a good person if they received legal punishment. It's time for Zac to change his way of getting revenge on everyone who had wronged him and those innocent.
"By the way. Where did you get those clothes?" Zac asked. "Oh, don't worry about it," Galen responded.
...
Behind the same tree, Galen had got his clothes laid a naked corpse of a man whose guts were spilling out from his stomach, one of his eyes had been torn from its socket, and a giant animal claw went across his chest, leaving a deep and bloody wound.