Chapter 2: A Walk in the Woods

 Malikai stared at the space she had occupied just seconds ago.  As his
thoughts focused on her he felt something.  He moved to brush whatever bug
had found it's way to his arm when he relized it was his own flesh moving,
changing, until he was a perfect replica of the woman.  He quickly began
testing his new-found power, her wonderous parting gift.  Finally, a large
wolf stalked out of the clearing.  He was a bit awkward still, but
learning to move on four legs wasn't that hard.  He searched the woods,
looking for a native.  He had to learn about this world to survive.

After much wandering, a tattered and ragged man walked towards a small
shack.  It was the home of a woodcutter and his wife.  The cutter had left
for town only an hour ago, leaving his wife alone.  Malikai smiled and
walked slowly closer.  He felt her thoughts, sensed her comfort.  His
clawed hand reached for the door to the cabin...


The cutter returned home that night with high spirts, the cold snap had
created quite a demand and his cartload had sold for almost twice what he
had expected.  He burst through the door with a bundle of fresh linen (a
surprise gift for his wife), and screamed.  The cloth fell from his numbed
hands to land in the pooling blood at his feet.  He followed the cloth as
he landed heavy on his knees.  She was dead.  The only thing in his life
he loved, and she was dead.  He howled his grief and pain.  He screamed
his anger as he saw the marks for long slow torture on her body.  The pain
in her eyes as they looked blankly past him.  She had suffered.  

Nearby, Malikai smiled again.  The man's pain filled his mind.  He found
almost as intoxicating as her torment had been.  As the woodcutter raged,
Malikai drank deeply from his emotions.  The man would live, at least long
enough to show Malikai were the nearby town was.  Her mind had labled the
town Montfort.  And he had seen memories of many people, so many people.