I'll do my scientific best to command your fleet
Hey some news from me...
This month marks a year at my current job.
Has it been a year already? Go me.
I feel like I could stay here for a while. :)
Other stuff
I've been in the mood to create.
I'm working on making an entire fiction of my own...
Here's a little character fiction that I recently wrote.
Let me know what you think.
I am Trent O'Connell and I was born a Garou, what you would call a werewolf. I am a creature of spirit and I do what I can to make this world better. What follows is a story of my early life.
The Beginning
O'Connell is a last name of Irish origin. It is an Anglicization of the Gaelic Ó Conaill (meaning "descendant of Conall"). The personal name Conall is composed of the elements con (from cú meaning "hound" or "wolf") and gal (meaning "valour").
On March 6, 1986 at 1:15 AM Trent O’Connell was born to David O’Connell and Layla O’Connell. I lived my life barely knowing my mom. Before my first change I thought I was just this mistake that she had in the course of being married to my dad for barely a year. Oh I saw her enough to know who she was but never more than a few days at a time two or three times a year at most. My dad worked many late hours as a police officer. He wanted so much for me to have a good life so I spent a lot of my early years with my aunt and uncle, Katie and Patrick Murphy. I still saw my dad most days. He spent so much of his free time with me. Looking back I feel guilty; he never remarried or even went on a date after my mom left him. To this day I don’t even know if my parents got a divorce. I had asked of course but my relatives would always get angry and I wouldn’t get any information, nothing that made sense to me anyway.
A couple times a year there would be family trips up north. I loved those trips. There is a fascination I have with places. It seems like from the moment I first learned to walk I was finding new things to see and places to go. Back then there I had this sense of wonder with every little detail I noticed. Now of course I know that every place has spirits and magic all of its own. Back then though life was simpler and I was just a kid having fun. In exploring with my cousin Fox one year we found a special place. There was a magical tree there. It called out to me. I imagined it gave the two of us super powers and I wonder if there wasn’t something to that idea.
The First Change
On my 14th birthday mom showed up and wanted me to go on a trip with her. She told me she really loved me and wanted to explain why she had to leave. I didn’t want to go with her. I didn’t think there was any way she could explain why she wasn’t there all those years of my life. My dad seemed troubled at first but then told me that I needed to hear my mother’s story and thought it would be good for both of us. I wish I knew exactly what my mom told my dad to get him to agree even reluctantly. Mom had never bothered to spend more that a couple days with me before. I remember when I was younger I used to cry whenever she left. I wanted her to be in my life but she was only in it enough to remind me who she was, never enough to feel she cared about me. I agreed to go, part of me wanting to really have a mom that loved me, part of me expecting she’d leave without me and nothing would change. I never expected what came next.
The next morning I got up really early. I said goodbye to my dad figuring I’d probably see him in a few days. Mom mentioned we were headed west. I figured if nothing else I get some new sights to see. I didn’t sleep well that night so while we drove through Boston I drifted off to sleep.
I woke up expecting to be riding down some highway. The first thing I noticed before I even opened my eyes was the car wasn't moving. Mom was nowhere to be seen. I was in some kind of parking garage the lights were very dim. As I looked around I felt a chill, all of a sudden it was getting colder. I found myself getting filled with this feeling of anger and dread. My skin felt itchy as I stepped out of the car. I could tell the cold was getting more intense but somehow it seemed more tolerable to me. I saw a figure move toward me.
"Who are you and what do you want?" I growled.
The figure turned to me, "Help me."
I looked him carefully over and he was a bloody mess. He neck was slashed and his stomach was torn open.
"How do I help you? You're dead."
The words came out of my mouth but sounded so much different. I looked at myself and was shocked. I was bigger and covered in black fur. My sneakers were destroyed by my huge canine feet and what was left of my clothes was hanging in tatters. This must be some crazy dream and I'm playing Cole, if he was a wolf man, from Sixth Sense. I got to wake up.
"You aren't dreaming Trent. This is really happening."
"Mom... what... what do I do? What am I?"
"First I will help this ghost then I have much to tell you my golden jackal."
"I'm not exactly golden right now."
Mom smiled at that remark. She talked with the ghost who I had apparently left speechless. He wanted a message delivered to his family. We took the message and he looked more at peace. Mom told me to think of being a man and I felt myself shift. I changed putting on some baggy clothes just in case. As we drove off we had a long talk. She apologized for not being there for me more and game me my first lesson on being a Silent Strider. I listened for hours.
The next day we reached a tribe of Garou. Mom told me I was going to learn from the Silver Fangs for a time while she had work to do. She certainly seemed sure I would do well. Before she left she told me a Strider called Nizam would come and teach me when I was ready.
My First Tribe
I can only imagine what the Silver Fangs first thought when they saw me. I wore a ratty pair of jeans. The white socks on my feet were filthy since the only shoes I had were my sneakers that I destroyed the other day. My shirt was all faded and it had a few holes in it. I felt dirty and small as they eyed me over. Of course my mom had to go but this time it was as payment for my training.
In the months that passed I found myself playing the role of servant to other Fangs. To learn I had to prove my loyalty to each of my Fang teachers. I had to earn some new clothing too. The only thing the Fangs felt I could offer in payment was my service. I focused on being very diligent in both service and studies. This made things go smoothly for a time.
Six weeks passed easily enough before a teenage Fang confronted me. He felt I wasn’t paying enough respect to every Fang. This was Paul Blood Moon a full moon marked as the Fang’s newly favored up and coming warrior. He was much bigger and much stronger than me. He demanded to know how I would show him proper respect. I quipped that I could easily show him less respect and how that seemed proper to me. At that he attacked me. I had gotten into a few fights back in middle school. I was one of the smaller kids that at first glance might have looked like an easy target. All it took was those few fights to see I was a fast kid and dangerous. I managed to barely sidestep his attack. I stepped in and punched him in the back. All that seemed to do was make him angry. He turned and I could see him shifting as he reached for my arm. I felt I needed to end this quick so I took a chance. I ran a nearby balcony as he followed. At the balcony he looked down on me as I dropped to one knee. He seemed pleased with himself until I slammed into him knocking both of us off the balcony. It was a long way down. I somehow managed to land on top of him but I was still bruised from the fall. Elder Fangs came running and I was punished for my reckless actions.
Things got worse from that point as other young Fangs felt they needed to show their superiority to me. Besting me became a badge of honor to them. I didn’t make it easy but neither did they. I got more scrapes and bruises than ever before in my life. After a month of that passed Nizam arrived and I was happy to see him.
Born under the Crescent Moon
We travelled on foot for a week. My feet and legs ached like never before. Still it felt good to push myself physically. As we travelled Nizam told me about Strider history and lore. We wandered into a dessert where Nizam told me I was to learn Werewolf magic. I pressed him with questions for hours before I agreed to sleep eager to ask every last question I had till I understood it all. He said I’d get all my answers after I wake up tomorrow. I woke up early and alone. Nizam was gone. I had no food or water. Looking around all I found were tracks. The only thing I could to do was to follow the tracks. I started running and turned into a wolf without even realizing it. After the first hour the sun began to rise. Soon I was under the heat of the sun as I ran following the tracks. I was so thirsty. I followed all the rest of the day into the night. I had to take a break. My throat was so dry. I curled up and drifted to sleep. In my dreams I was on my back unable to move. I felt drained as I looked up at the vultures circling overhead. One landed next to me probably ready to get its first bite of me. I willed myself into action and I pounced managing to pin the vulture to the ground. Right as I was going to sink my teeth into the vulture’s neck it vanished like it never existed. All of them were gone in fact. I needed water but there was none here. I ran again another day into the night. I was wandering the spirit world and I didn’t even know it.
I stopped to rest and as I drifted to sleep I felt bites on my body. I jumped to my feet and shook off biting insects but they were too fast. Beetles swarmed to devour me. Each bite tore flesh from me and drew blood. What a crappy way to die I thought. To this day I don’t quite remember what happened. Something saved me. It became part of me for a time or maybe it still is with me. Ever since that day I’ve felt different. I would learn I could channel energy and step sideways better than many elders. It may also be the reason why I am protected from mental attacks and domination.
I woke refreshed in a pack of wolf spirits. I bet it looked a little funny, me the small golden jackal in a pack of big wolves. In case your wondering Egyptian wolves today are also referred to as golden jackals and that’s what I look like in wolf form. I wandered with the spirit wolves for a time until I found my way back to the Silver Fang tribe. Along the way I learned my first gifts and made friends with many spirits.
Apparently I was with the spirits for three months. When I got back Mom was waiting for me. The elders seemed much more eager to teach me now and I took advantage. My mom also taught me which I treasured. I actually got to spend 2 months with her. She gave me a small mummified cat charm for luck. It would be the last time I saw her. She had to leave for a trip.
Rite of Passage
That morning I was to begin on my Rite of Passage. As I had learned from Strider history and culture it was broken into 3 trials. The first was a test of will and honor. That meant delivering a message. It sounded easy enough yet somehow I didn’t expect it to be easy at all. The second was a test of gnosis and wisdom. As the spirits of the restless dead seek us out Striders need to know how to handle them. The third was a test of rage and glory. Slay a creature of the Wyrm preferably a Follower of Set.
I didn’t leave the Fangs right away as I thought I would. Part of the test was memorizing the message. To make it more difficult I had to learn it in wolf tongue. I was to go to a Red Talon tribe to remind them not to hunt and kill innocent humans and ask them if they were responsible for the recent human massacre near their territory. Talk about a delicate message to deliver. Wolf howls, grunts, and posturing leave very little room to soften a tough message.
After a week I was ready. I traveled light and fast to large expanse of protected forestland. After two days at a fast but sustainable pace I reached the edge of the Red Talons protectorate. I could smell the markings in wolf urine of claimed territory. Also near the edge I found a few runes scratched into the dirt that confirmed it. At the edge I stopped and listened carefully. I checked to see if I could sense any other scents in the air. As far as I could tell there weren’t any Talons nearby. Wanting to show respect I howled a greeting and identified myself as a visitor. It felt a little high pitched and I hoped that wouldn’t get things off on the wrong foot.
As I waited at the edge of their territory a female talon appeared and greeted me. She was a beautiful female wolf. I was awe struck by her grace and fine form. She sniffed me over and put a paw on my face gently pushing my head down into a submissive position. I let a few fantasies run through my head and then shook them off. I remained submissive as I explained I was a Silent Strider cub delivering a message from the Silver Fangs. She was unsure at first saying I was small even for a Strider cub. I explained I was a crescent moon and that seemed to satisfy her. I followed her back to meet the other Talons and deliver my message. Before I got to say anything some Talons were calling me little cub and others were referring to me as baby cub. Yeah this wasn’t going to be easy.
I began howling my message and the female talon gently pressed my muzzle into the dirt so I stopped. The alpha stepped forward and let it be known that as an unproven wolf without even a rite of passage name I would need to show I had the heart of the wolf before I could address the Red Talons. Tramples Under Paw will be your charge and will tell us when you are ready. I looked up at the female she rubbed my muzzle in the dirt a little more. Yeah that name suits her.
I was mortified when Tramples Under Paw told me I could easily gain the right to howl my message if I hunt and kill a human. I growled that I wouldn’t hurt an innocent human. She was quick to correct me noting that they target bad humans. I still was unsure so we argued. Now I’ll tell you I seriously considered it but I’d need to know with certainty it was the right thing to do. Eventually she mentioned there are other ways to be recognized worthy to speak.
For all that talk of human killing this pack seemed content to leave humans alone. That is as long as the humans did no harm to the Talon’s wolf kin, the Talon’s territory, or the Talons themselves. I figured it would be worthwhile to find out what happened at the campsite where the recent killing had happened. I needed to learn the truth for myself. With Tramples Under Paw in tow we went to the site. It somewhat near the border of the Talon’s marked territory. It took a while to find and I it would likely have taken longer if not for the spirits of the dead humans. We shifted to our war forms and I spoke with them. They were angry but not at me. They spoke of a wolf that slaughtered them all. How could a Talon have done this I thought? This group came here to enjoy a weekend of camping. People out to enjoy nature and every last one of them savagely slain. They begged me take messages to their loved ones and to bring the murderous wolf to justice. I agreed provided they identify the wolf. Something smelled unusual at the site by I couldn’t place it even when I shifted to my lupus form. Tramples Under Paw noted the smell was strange and unknown to her as well. A great relief washed over me when the ghosts all confirmed the Red Talons were not responsible for their deaths.
The ghosts mentioned the wolf beast stalked the lands near the campsite every night so I decided the best course of action was to be there as bait with backup from Tramples Under Paw. I made a fire and waited. Late that night I heard a chilling howl. It did not sound right for a wolf or Garou. An all white wolf that reeked of death came running at me. I felt a white hot righteous rage burn inside me as I shifted to my war form. It sank teeth into my arm as I clawed its stomach. Tramples Under Paw raked the beast’s face and it released me. I leaped at it managing to get kicked in the face for my effort. I got up just in time to see Tramples Under Paw rip the beast’s heart out and flatten it to a bloody pulp under her paw. The beast fell and I looked over the body. I felt so stupid I should have known. It was a leech, a vampire. Tramples Under Paw looked into my eyes and howled our victory.
The Talons honored me with the title Claws Death and I earned the right to address the Talons my message. I began by howling that it was the Silver Fangs who gave this message for me to deliver. I was honor bound to so I continued with the reminder not to slay innocent humans. It felt unnecessary so I added my own howl of respect to them. It felt good to hear the alpha howling for my safe journey.
I returned to the Silver Fangs and reported what had happened. Nizam was there and I yelled at him for leaving me to die in the dessert. After a long conversation I learned he was watching me the whole time. Apparently all Theurges need to have a near death or other traumatic experience to trigger their deep connection with the spirit world. He went on to tell me that already in some ways I have excelled far beyond other beginning Theurges. He congratulated me on passing all three trials. However before your ceremony there are some other Striders that are looking to destroy a Setite that need your help. It was a chance to be with other Striders for that reason alone I couldn’t say no.
Nizam sweetened the deal further teaching me the secret of binding spirits into talens including detailed instruction how to make three very useful talens. He also taught me many mystic rites I treasure to this day. I spent 6 weeks learning and another week making 6 Atum’s Arrows, 2 Gaia’s Dust and 1 Fire Shadows. Then I was ready to go.
The Strider Pack
Nizam would deliver the ghost’s messages to the human families for me. Being a 14 year old would raise a lot of odd questions if I delivered them myself. As Nizam prepared to leave he told me I needed to go now as fast as possible to the nearby town. I would find the other Striders near a lake on the south edge of town. I ran all the way as fast as I could.
I arrived and didn’t see anyone else around. This area of lake was unpopulated. There were some houses off in the distance to the north. Was I too late? I sniffed around. There were no Garou scents in the area. I checked the area and it seemed I was alone so I shifted to my human form. I walked over to the water and saw my reflection. I figured I had time so I stepped sideways. The land here seemed a little empty. A few wind spirits playfully danced around me and I joined their dancing. I asked them what they knew of the area. We travel much and go wherever we please. In the time I spent with them I learned of the leech, his protectors, and his contacts. The leech was here seeking an item of power. When they grew restless and ready to move on I bid them good travels.
I looked around and saw a boy and girl roughly my age waiting near the edge of the lake not too far from me. I walked up to them. They seemed to sense me as I approached.
“Do you smell that Lanny?” The girl asked.
“I was wondering when you were going to notice.” He said grinning.
She flashed him a look of annoyance. “Another Garou has been here recently.”
“Well this is the meeting place. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long.”
I decided to move a bit away and then used the reflection of the water to step out of the Umbra. I looked at them and said, “Hi I’m Trent.”
The girl was surprised momentarily but after that moment they both looked at me and smiled. The boy was Lanny Spiritwolf and he added and before you ask yes that is my actual last name. The girl was Talia Chase. We filled each other in on what we knew. We were waiting on one other. So we traded stories and got to know each other. Talia was a Strider half moon with a good head on her shoulders. Lanny was a Strider no moon with a cool demeanor. It seemed odd to me especially given how young we were then.
So as I said we were waiting for one other. It was actually supposed to be two but something went wrong. I never found out what though. My eyes grew wide as I saw this all black wolf race towards us. This wolf looked almost three times bigger than I do as a wolf. I asked the other two if their wolf forms were that big. While they said no I was in for a surprise later.
The black wolf had jackal like look to him. With that and from his scent we could tell he was a Strider. He sniffed each of us and communicated in the wolf language. Talia asked him if he could speak English. He whined slightly and shifted to a very tough looking preteen. His clothes looked like what you might find in a dumpster but at least they didn’t reek or look too dirty. He spoke in broken English but you could see in his eyes a depth of great understanding and intelligence.
Talia asked our new pack mate for his name. He said he didn’t have a name yet. He didn’t understand why he needed one. Talia looked at us then said I have the perfect name for you. Your name will be Nibbles after my childhood guardian. Lanny and I laughed and laughed some more when she said she was serious. She looked at him and repeated the name Nibbles. He agreed to it which surprised me. Later I asked Talia about her childhood guardian. She said it was her dog, a black lab, which watched over her since she was a baby. She looked very as she spoke about it so I didn’t ask for more details.
I filled them in on all I learned from the wind spirits. Lanny offered to scout it out and confirm what the spirits told me. Talia and I agreed that sounded good. Find out their numbers and how to best deal with them. Nibbles wanted to go and attack right away but we swayed him to wait. Before Lanny left I located another wind spirit that agreed to alert me if Lanny got in trouble.
As we waited for Lanny to return my stomach growled. It had been a while since I had a good meal and I was feeling hungry. None of us had any money to buy food. Nibbles looked at us and called for us to hunt with him. I nodded and Talia reluctantly agreed. We all shifted to our wolf forms and I immediately noticed while Talia wasn’t as big as Nibbles I was by far the smallest of the three of us in wolf form. I felt a little embarrassed about being such a small wolf but after a momentary look over it felt like they both accepted me as a pack mate. Working as a team we caught two rabbits. Eating them brought this rush of energy that seems to only come from eating something so alive. I thanked the rabbit spirits for nourishing us as we ate. After we were done we curled up to sleep as we waited taking watches.
The next morning Lanny returned. He confirmed much of what I had shared earlier and added to that his own discoveries. To get at the leech we should first remove his servants. I worked to best divide the talens I created for the upcoming battle. I found out Lanny was skilled with a bow so I gave to him the arrows. He wasted little time in finding a nice bow to go with them. I gave Talia one Gaia’s Dust and the Fire Shadows to paint on Nibbles. I carried the other Gaia’s Dust. We then moved to destroy the servants of the leech followed by the leech himself.
I found a raven spirit and learned two things. The first was that if we hurried we could catch the vampire’s enforcer sleeping. The second was that there was a fire spirit interested looking to work with us. We quickly raced to town and located the enforcer’s room. We sneaked in through the window. Nibbles shifted to his war wolf form and made short work of the enforcer.
The rest of the leech’s servants watched over him so I went in search of the fire spirit to even the odds. The fire spirit was easier to find than I expected. The spirit was waiting for me as I stepped sideways. I would start a fire in the vampire’s room and the spirit would turn our foes to ashes. Along the way to the vampire’s lair I managed to get a lighter and a can of hairspray. With a quick test I found I had a makeshift mini flamethrower. If time and lack of money wasn’t a factor I could have made something much more impressive.
We arrived and at a house that was secluded from the others. I smiled when I saw it was a wooden house. There was a guard outside. Talia instructed us to go around to the other side and sneak up on the guard while she kept him busy. It took us a few minutes to get in position. We could hear her crying and calling for help. The distracted guard moved towards her and we attacked him from behind as a pack of war wolves. I always had a hard time shifting during the day but found I could do it if I pushed myself. He shouted out for help before we were done with him and others came. Talia quickly applied the fire shadows on Nibbles. Three guards ran from inside the house to find out what had happened. Lanny and I ran circling the house to attack them from behind while Nibbles charged. With the fire shadows on Nibbles his form looked to be engulfed in flames making him look even larger than he was. It drew the attention of the guards to him as they frantically shot at him. The combination of their panic and the illusion around Nibbles kept most of the bullets from actually hitting him. He shrugged the few that did hit and tore into the guards. As we rounded to get into the fight ourselves a bullet grazed my shoulder. There was at least one more in the house. I kept on running. Lanny and I turned the corner to see Nibbles had two of them bleeding. We each pounced on a guard clawing and biting all the way. The three of us we made short work of the guards. There was a shot from the house and Lanny fell. Nibbles howled and ran to the house. Talia came over and used the Gaia’s Dust on Lanny. Lanny had been hit in the chest and I watched for a moment seeing the big hole in his chest partially close. I shifted and used the Gaia’s Dust I had to completely heal him. I then took the lighter and hairspray from my backpack ready to start a fire. The three of us ran into the house after Nibbles. He was hurt but there were two others dead in here.
We figured the leech was likely in the basement. The rest of the house was now clear. We prepared to destroy the vampire. I started a kitchen fire. Lanny shifted so he could use the arrows. Talia shifted to werewolf form and in that short time Nibbles wounds were healed. It reeked of death in the basement. We sneaked down there to see an altar to Set and a stone coffin. I destroyed the altar burning everything that would burn and smashing whatever didn’t burn. Collectively we managed to open the coffin. The leech didn’t move. It started with me getting the lighter lit. At that Lanny fired the first arrow right into the vampire’s chest. It hit like a bolt of flame and I followed that with a blast of fire from the ignited aerosol. The leech attempted to pull itself up but Talia and Nibbles clawed it back down. There was an explosion and we were all thrown to the walls. I looked up to see a column of flame engulf the vampire. Lanny taking no chances fired every arrow I gave him at the charring corpse. Before the last arrow had a chance to hit, the body turned to a pile of ashes. We left the house to burn.
We ran from the town to the wilderness. That night as we rested Nizam appeared before us. He took us to a Silent Strider meeting where we each were honored. We were given our Strider names and a chance to learn more Strider lore. I could have spent an eternity learning and listening to stories but it only lasted a few days. That night I went to bed and things would change again.
I thought I would start a new pack with the three I met and we would make things better. But someone had other plans. I went to sleep that night. I dreamt of me in this pack of four Striders and all the great things we would accomplish. To be not just with other Garou… but those most like me. And what I had worked so hard to achieve was gone in a moment. The next morning it was Christmas and I awoke back in my father’s house. Never again to see another Strider or even Garou until the sword of destiny brought me back into the fold.
This month marks a year at my current job.
Has it been a year already? Go me.
I feel like I could stay here for a while. :)
Other stuff
I've been in the mood to create.
I'm working on making an entire fiction of my own...
Here's a little character fiction that I recently wrote.
Let me know what you think.
I am Trent O'Connell and I was born a Garou, what you would call a werewolf. I am a creature of spirit and I do what I can to make this world better. What follows is a story of my early life.
The Beginning
O'Connell is a last name of Irish origin. It is an Anglicization of the Gaelic Ó Conaill (meaning "descendant of Conall"). The personal name Conall is composed of the elements con (from cú meaning "hound" or "wolf") and gal (meaning "valour").
On March 6, 1986 at 1:15 AM Trent O’Connell was born to David O’Connell and Layla O’Connell. I lived my life barely knowing my mom. Before my first change I thought I was just this mistake that she had in the course of being married to my dad for barely a year. Oh I saw her enough to know who she was but never more than a few days at a time two or three times a year at most. My dad worked many late hours as a police officer. He wanted so much for me to have a good life so I spent a lot of my early years with my aunt and uncle, Katie and Patrick Murphy. I still saw my dad most days. He spent so much of his free time with me. Looking back I feel guilty; he never remarried or even went on a date after my mom left him. To this day I don’t even know if my parents got a divorce. I had asked of course but my relatives would always get angry and I wouldn’t get any information, nothing that made sense to me anyway.
A couple times a year there would be family trips up north. I loved those trips. There is a fascination I have with places. It seems like from the moment I first learned to walk I was finding new things to see and places to go. Back then there I had this sense of wonder with every little detail I noticed. Now of course I know that every place has spirits and magic all of its own. Back then though life was simpler and I was just a kid having fun. In exploring with my cousin Fox one year we found a special place. There was a magical tree there. It called out to me. I imagined it gave the two of us super powers and I wonder if there wasn’t something to that idea.
The First Change
On my 14th birthday mom showed up and wanted me to go on a trip with her. She told me she really loved me and wanted to explain why she had to leave. I didn’t want to go with her. I didn’t think there was any way she could explain why she wasn’t there all those years of my life. My dad seemed troubled at first but then told me that I needed to hear my mother’s story and thought it would be good for both of us. I wish I knew exactly what my mom told my dad to get him to agree even reluctantly. Mom had never bothered to spend more that a couple days with me before. I remember when I was younger I used to cry whenever she left. I wanted her to be in my life but she was only in it enough to remind me who she was, never enough to feel she cared about me. I agreed to go, part of me wanting to really have a mom that loved me, part of me expecting she’d leave without me and nothing would change. I never expected what came next.
The next morning I got up really early. I said goodbye to my dad figuring I’d probably see him in a few days. Mom mentioned we were headed west. I figured if nothing else I get some new sights to see. I didn’t sleep well that night so while we drove through Boston I drifted off to sleep.
I woke up expecting to be riding down some highway. The first thing I noticed before I even opened my eyes was the car wasn't moving. Mom was nowhere to be seen. I was in some kind of parking garage the lights were very dim. As I looked around I felt a chill, all of a sudden it was getting colder. I found myself getting filled with this feeling of anger and dread. My skin felt itchy as I stepped out of the car. I could tell the cold was getting more intense but somehow it seemed more tolerable to me. I saw a figure move toward me.
"Who are you and what do you want?" I growled.
The figure turned to me, "Help me."
I looked him carefully over and he was a bloody mess. He neck was slashed and his stomach was torn open.
"How do I help you? You're dead."
The words came out of my mouth but sounded so much different. I looked at myself and was shocked. I was bigger and covered in black fur. My sneakers were destroyed by my huge canine feet and what was left of my clothes was hanging in tatters. This must be some crazy dream and I'm playing Cole, if he was a wolf man, from Sixth Sense. I got to wake up.
"You aren't dreaming Trent. This is really happening."
"Mom... what... what do I do? What am I?"
"First I will help this ghost then I have much to tell you my golden jackal."
"I'm not exactly golden right now."
Mom smiled at that remark. She talked with the ghost who I had apparently left speechless. He wanted a message delivered to his family. We took the message and he looked more at peace. Mom told me to think of being a man and I felt myself shift. I changed putting on some baggy clothes just in case. As we drove off we had a long talk. She apologized for not being there for me more and game me my first lesson on being a Silent Strider. I listened for hours.
The next day we reached a tribe of Garou. Mom told me I was going to learn from the Silver Fangs for a time while she had work to do. She certainly seemed sure I would do well. Before she left she told me a Strider called Nizam would come and teach me when I was ready.
My First Tribe
I can only imagine what the Silver Fangs first thought when they saw me. I wore a ratty pair of jeans. The white socks on my feet were filthy since the only shoes I had were my sneakers that I destroyed the other day. My shirt was all faded and it had a few holes in it. I felt dirty and small as they eyed me over. Of course my mom had to go but this time it was as payment for my training.
In the months that passed I found myself playing the role of servant to other Fangs. To learn I had to prove my loyalty to each of my Fang teachers. I had to earn some new clothing too. The only thing the Fangs felt I could offer in payment was my service. I focused on being very diligent in both service and studies. This made things go smoothly for a time.
Six weeks passed easily enough before a teenage Fang confronted me. He felt I wasn’t paying enough respect to every Fang. This was Paul Blood Moon a full moon marked as the Fang’s newly favored up and coming warrior. He was much bigger and much stronger than me. He demanded to know how I would show him proper respect. I quipped that I could easily show him less respect and how that seemed proper to me. At that he attacked me. I had gotten into a few fights back in middle school. I was one of the smaller kids that at first glance might have looked like an easy target. All it took was those few fights to see I was a fast kid and dangerous. I managed to barely sidestep his attack. I stepped in and punched him in the back. All that seemed to do was make him angry. He turned and I could see him shifting as he reached for my arm. I felt I needed to end this quick so I took a chance. I ran a nearby balcony as he followed. At the balcony he looked down on me as I dropped to one knee. He seemed pleased with himself until I slammed into him knocking both of us off the balcony. It was a long way down. I somehow managed to land on top of him but I was still bruised from the fall. Elder Fangs came running and I was punished for my reckless actions.
Things got worse from that point as other young Fangs felt they needed to show their superiority to me. Besting me became a badge of honor to them. I didn’t make it easy but neither did they. I got more scrapes and bruises than ever before in my life. After a month of that passed Nizam arrived and I was happy to see him.
Born under the Crescent Moon
We travelled on foot for a week. My feet and legs ached like never before. Still it felt good to push myself physically. As we travelled Nizam told me about Strider history and lore. We wandered into a dessert where Nizam told me I was to learn Werewolf magic. I pressed him with questions for hours before I agreed to sleep eager to ask every last question I had till I understood it all. He said I’d get all my answers after I wake up tomorrow. I woke up early and alone. Nizam was gone. I had no food or water. Looking around all I found were tracks. The only thing I could to do was to follow the tracks. I started running and turned into a wolf without even realizing it. After the first hour the sun began to rise. Soon I was under the heat of the sun as I ran following the tracks. I was so thirsty. I followed all the rest of the day into the night. I had to take a break. My throat was so dry. I curled up and drifted to sleep. In my dreams I was on my back unable to move. I felt drained as I looked up at the vultures circling overhead. One landed next to me probably ready to get its first bite of me. I willed myself into action and I pounced managing to pin the vulture to the ground. Right as I was going to sink my teeth into the vulture’s neck it vanished like it never existed. All of them were gone in fact. I needed water but there was none here. I ran again another day into the night. I was wandering the spirit world and I didn’t even know it.
I stopped to rest and as I drifted to sleep I felt bites on my body. I jumped to my feet and shook off biting insects but they were too fast. Beetles swarmed to devour me. Each bite tore flesh from me and drew blood. What a crappy way to die I thought. To this day I don’t quite remember what happened. Something saved me. It became part of me for a time or maybe it still is with me. Ever since that day I’ve felt different. I would learn I could channel energy and step sideways better than many elders. It may also be the reason why I am protected from mental attacks and domination.
I woke refreshed in a pack of wolf spirits. I bet it looked a little funny, me the small golden jackal in a pack of big wolves. In case your wondering Egyptian wolves today are also referred to as golden jackals and that’s what I look like in wolf form. I wandered with the spirit wolves for a time until I found my way back to the Silver Fang tribe. Along the way I learned my first gifts and made friends with many spirits.
Apparently I was with the spirits for three months. When I got back Mom was waiting for me. The elders seemed much more eager to teach me now and I took advantage. My mom also taught me which I treasured. I actually got to spend 2 months with her. She gave me a small mummified cat charm for luck. It would be the last time I saw her. She had to leave for a trip.
Rite of Passage
That morning I was to begin on my Rite of Passage. As I had learned from Strider history and culture it was broken into 3 trials. The first was a test of will and honor. That meant delivering a message. It sounded easy enough yet somehow I didn’t expect it to be easy at all. The second was a test of gnosis and wisdom. As the spirits of the restless dead seek us out Striders need to know how to handle them. The third was a test of rage and glory. Slay a creature of the Wyrm preferably a Follower of Set.
I didn’t leave the Fangs right away as I thought I would. Part of the test was memorizing the message. To make it more difficult I had to learn it in wolf tongue. I was to go to a Red Talon tribe to remind them not to hunt and kill innocent humans and ask them if they were responsible for the recent human massacre near their territory. Talk about a delicate message to deliver. Wolf howls, grunts, and posturing leave very little room to soften a tough message.
After a week I was ready. I traveled light and fast to large expanse of protected forestland. After two days at a fast but sustainable pace I reached the edge of the Red Talons protectorate. I could smell the markings in wolf urine of claimed territory. Also near the edge I found a few runes scratched into the dirt that confirmed it. At the edge I stopped and listened carefully. I checked to see if I could sense any other scents in the air. As far as I could tell there weren’t any Talons nearby. Wanting to show respect I howled a greeting and identified myself as a visitor. It felt a little high pitched and I hoped that wouldn’t get things off on the wrong foot.
As I waited at the edge of their territory a female talon appeared and greeted me. She was a beautiful female wolf. I was awe struck by her grace and fine form. She sniffed me over and put a paw on my face gently pushing my head down into a submissive position. I let a few fantasies run through my head and then shook them off. I remained submissive as I explained I was a Silent Strider cub delivering a message from the Silver Fangs. She was unsure at first saying I was small even for a Strider cub. I explained I was a crescent moon and that seemed to satisfy her. I followed her back to meet the other Talons and deliver my message. Before I got to say anything some Talons were calling me little cub and others were referring to me as baby cub. Yeah this wasn’t going to be easy.
I began howling my message and the female talon gently pressed my muzzle into the dirt so I stopped. The alpha stepped forward and let it be known that as an unproven wolf without even a rite of passage name I would need to show I had the heart of the wolf before I could address the Red Talons. Tramples Under Paw will be your charge and will tell us when you are ready. I looked up at the female she rubbed my muzzle in the dirt a little more. Yeah that name suits her.
I was mortified when Tramples Under Paw told me I could easily gain the right to howl my message if I hunt and kill a human. I growled that I wouldn’t hurt an innocent human. She was quick to correct me noting that they target bad humans. I still was unsure so we argued. Now I’ll tell you I seriously considered it but I’d need to know with certainty it was the right thing to do. Eventually she mentioned there are other ways to be recognized worthy to speak.
For all that talk of human killing this pack seemed content to leave humans alone. That is as long as the humans did no harm to the Talon’s wolf kin, the Talon’s territory, or the Talons themselves. I figured it would be worthwhile to find out what happened at the campsite where the recent killing had happened. I needed to learn the truth for myself. With Tramples Under Paw in tow we went to the site. It somewhat near the border of the Talon’s marked territory. It took a while to find and I it would likely have taken longer if not for the spirits of the dead humans. We shifted to our war forms and I spoke with them. They were angry but not at me. They spoke of a wolf that slaughtered them all. How could a Talon have done this I thought? This group came here to enjoy a weekend of camping. People out to enjoy nature and every last one of them savagely slain. They begged me take messages to their loved ones and to bring the murderous wolf to justice. I agreed provided they identify the wolf. Something smelled unusual at the site by I couldn’t place it even when I shifted to my lupus form. Tramples Under Paw noted the smell was strange and unknown to her as well. A great relief washed over me when the ghosts all confirmed the Red Talons were not responsible for their deaths.
The ghosts mentioned the wolf beast stalked the lands near the campsite every night so I decided the best course of action was to be there as bait with backup from Tramples Under Paw. I made a fire and waited. Late that night I heard a chilling howl. It did not sound right for a wolf or Garou. An all white wolf that reeked of death came running at me. I felt a white hot righteous rage burn inside me as I shifted to my war form. It sank teeth into my arm as I clawed its stomach. Tramples Under Paw raked the beast’s face and it released me. I leaped at it managing to get kicked in the face for my effort. I got up just in time to see Tramples Under Paw rip the beast’s heart out and flatten it to a bloody pulp under her paw. The beast fell and I looked over the body. I felt so stupid I should have known. It was a leech, a vampire. Tramples Under Paw looked into my eyes and howled our victory.
The Talons honored me with the title Claws Death and I earned the right to address the Talons my message. I began by howling that it was the Silver Fangs who gave this message for me to deliver. I was honor bound to so I continued with the reminder not to slay innocent humans. It felt unnecessary so I added my own howl of respect to them. It felt good to hear the alpha howling for my safe journey.
I returned to the Silver Fangs and reported what had happened. Nizam was there and I yelled at him for leaving me to die in the dessert. After a long conversation I learned he was watching me the whole time. Apparently all Theurges need to have a near death or other traumatic experience to trigger their deep connection with the spirit world. He went on to tell me that already in some ways I have excelled far beyond other beginning Theurges. He congratulated me on passing all three trials. However before your ceremony there are some other Striders that are looking to destroy a Setite that need your help. It was a chance to be with other Striders for that reason alone I couldn’t say no.
Nizam sweetened the deal further teaching me the secret of binding spirits into talens including detailed instruction how to make three very useful talens. He also taught me many mystic rites I treasure to this day. I spent 6 weeks learning and another week making 6 Atum’s Arrows, 2 Gaia’s Dust and 1 Fire Shadows. Then I was ready to go.
The Strider Pack
Nizam would deliver the ghost’s messages to the human families for me. Being a 14 year old would raise a lot of odd questions if I delivered them myself. As Nizam prepared to leave he told me I needed to go now as fast as possible to the nearby town. I would find the other Striders near a lake on the south edge of town. I ran all the way as fast as I could.
I arrived and didn’t see anyone else around. This area of lake was unpopulated. There were some houses off in the distance to the north. Was I too late? I sniffed around. There were no Garou scents in the area. I checked the area and it seemed I was alone so I shifted to my human form. I walked over to the water and saw my reflection. I figured I had time so I stepped sideways. The land here seemed a little empty. A few wind spirits playfully danced around me and I joined their dancing. I asked them what they knew of the area. We travel much and go wherever we please. In the time I spent with them I learned of the leech, his protectors, and his contacts. The leech was here seeking an item of power. When they grew restless and ready to move on I bid them good travels.
I looked around and saw a boy and girl roughly my age waiting near the edge of the lake not too far from me. I walked up to them. They seemed to sense me as I approached.
“Do you smell that Lanny?” The girl asked.
“I was wondering when you were going to notice.” He said grinning.
She flashed him a look of annoyance. “Another Garou has been here recently.”
“Well this is the meeting place. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long.”
I decided to move a bit away and then used the reflection of the water to step out of the Umbra. I looked at them and said, “Hi I’m Trent.”
The girl was surprised momentarily but after that moment they both looked at me and smiled. The boy was Lanny Spiritwolf and he added and before you ask yes that is my actual last name. The girl was Talia Chase. We filled each other in on what we knew. We were waiting on one other. So we traded stories and got to know each other. Talia was a Strider half moon with a good head on her shoulders. Lanny was a Strider no moon with a cool demeanor. It seemed odd to me especially given how young we were then.
So as I said we were waiting for one other. It was actually supposed to be two but something went wrong. I never found out what though. My eyes grew wide as I saw this all black wolf race towards us. This wolf looked almost three times bigger than I do as a wolf. I asked the other two if their wolf forms were that big. While they said no I was in for a surprise later.
The black wolf had jackal like look to him. With that and from his scent we could tell he was a Strider. He sniffed each of us and communicated in the wolf language. Talia asked him if he could speak English. He whined slightly and shifted to a very tough looking preteen. His clothes looked like what you might find in a dumpster but at least they didn’t reek or look too dirty. He spoke in broken English but you could see in his eyes a depth of great understanding and intelligence.
Talia asked our new pack mate for his name. He said he didn’t have a name yet. He didn’t understand why he needed one. Talia looked at us then said I have the perfect name for you. Your name will be Nibbles after my childhood guardian. Lanny and I laughed and laughed some more when she said she was serious. She looked at him and repeated the name Nibbles. He agreed to it which surprised me. Later I asked Talia about her childhood guardian. She said it was her dog, a black lab, which watched over her since she was a baby. She looked very as she spoke about it so I didn’t ask for more details.
I filled them in on all I learned from the wind spirits. Lanny offered to scout it out and confirm what the spirits told me. Talia and I agreed that sounded good. Find out their numbers and how to best deal with them. Nibbles wanted to go and attack right away but we swayed him to wait. Before Lanny left I located another wind spirit that agreed to alert me if Lanny got in trouble.
As we waited for Lanny to return my stomach growled. It had been a while since I had a good meal and I was feeling hungry. None of us had any money to buy food. Nibbles looked at us and called for us to hunt with him. I nodded and Talia reluctantly agreed. We all shifted to our wolf forms and I immediately noticed while Talia wasn’t as big as Nibbles I was by far the smallest of the three of us in wolf form. I felt a little embarrassed about being such a small wolf but after a momentary look over it felt like they both accepted me as a pack mate. Working as a team we caught two rabbits. Eating them brought this rush of energy that seems to only come from eating something so alive. I thanked the rabbit spirits for nourishing us as we ate. After we were done we curled up to sleep as we waited taking watches.
The next morning Lanny returned. He confirmed much of what I had shared earlier and added to that his own discoveries. To get at the leech we should first remove his servants. I worked to best divide the talens I created for the upcoming battle. I found out Lanny was skilled with a bow so I gave to him the arrows. He wasted little time in finding a nice bow to go with them. I gave Talia one Gaia’s Dust and the Fire Shadows to paint on Nibbles. I carried the other Gaia’s Dust. We then moved to destroy the servants of the leech followed by the leech himself.
I found a raven spirit and learned two things. The first was that if we hurried we could catch the vampire’s enforcer sleeping. The second was that there was a fire spirit interested looking to work with us. We quickly raced to town and located the enforcer’s room. We sneaked in through the window. Nibbles shifted to his war wolf form and made short work of the enforcer.
The rest of the leech’s servants watched over him so I went in search of the fire spirit to even the odds. The fire spirit was easier to find than I expected. The spirit was waiting for me as I stepped sideways. I would start a fire in the vampire’s room and the spirit would turn our foes to ashes. Along the way to the vampire’s lair I managed to get a lighter and a can of hairspray. With a quick test I found I had a makeshift mini flamethrower. If time and lack of money wasn’t a factor I could have made something much more impressive.
We arrived and at a house that was secluded from the others. I smiled when I saw it was a wooden house. There was a guard outside. Talia instructed us to go around to the other side and sneak up on the guard while she kept him busy. It took us a few minutes to get in position. We could hear her crying and calling for help. The distracted guard moved towards her and we attacked him from behind as a pack of war wolves. I always had a hard time shifting during the day but found I could do it if I pushed myself. He shouted out for help before we were done with him and others came. Talia quickly applied the fire shadows on Nibbles. Three guards ran from inside the house to find out what had happened. Lanny and I ran circling the house to attack them from behind while Nibbles charged. With the fire shadows on Nibbles his form looked to be engulfed in flames making him look even larger than he was. It drew the attention of the guards to him as they frantically shot at him. The combination of their panic and the illusion around Nibbles kept most of the bullets from actually hitting him. He shrugged the few that did hit and tore into the guards. As we rounded to get into the fight ourselves a bullet grazed my shoulder. There was at least one more in the house. I kept on running. Lanny and I turned the corner to see Nibbles had two of them bleeding. We each pounced on a guard clawing and biting all the way. The three of us we made short work of the guards. There was a shot from the house and Lanny fell. Nibbles howled and ran to the house. Talia came over and used the Gaia’s Dust on Lanny. Lanny had been hit in the chest and I watched for a moment seeing the big hole in his chest partially close. I shifted and used the Gaia’s Dust I had to completely heal him. I then took the lighter and hairspray from my backpack ready to start a fire. The three of us ran into the house after Nibbles. He was hurt but there were two others dead in here.
We figured the leech was likely in the basement. The rest of the house was now clear. We prepared to destroy the vampire. I started a kitchen fire. Lanny shifted so he could use the arrows. Talia shifted to werewolf form and in that short time Nibbles wounds were healed. It reeked of death in the basement. We sneaked down there to see an altar to Set and a stone coffin. I destroyed the altar burning everything that would burn and smashing whatever didn’t burn. Collectively we managed to open the coffin. The leech didn’t move. It started with me getting the lighter lit. At that Lanny fired the first arrow right into the vampire’s chest. It hit like a bolt of flame and I followed that with a blast of fire from the ignited aerosol. The leech attempted to pull itself up but Talia and Nibbles clawed it back down. There was an explosion and we were all thrown to the walls. I looked up to see a column of flame engulf the vampire. Lanny taking no chances fired every arrow I gave him at the charring corpse. Before the last arrow had a chance to hit, the body turned to a pile of ashes. We left the house to burn.
We ran from the town to the wilderness. That night as we rested Nizam appeared before us. He took us to a Silent Strider meeting where we each were honored. We were given our Strider names and a chance to learn more Strider lore. I could have spent an eternity learning and listening to stories but it only lasted a few days. That night I went to bed and things would change again.
I thought I would start a new pack with the three I met and we would make things better. But someone had other plans. I went to sleep that night. I dreamt of me in this pack of four Striders and all the great things we would accomplish. To be not just with other Garou… but those most like me. And what I had worked so hard to achieve was gone in a moment. The next morning it was Christmas and I awoke back in my father’s house. Never again to see another Strider or even Garou until the sword of destiny brought me back into the fold.