art by crypsis
Max was unique in his world because he invented most of it. The boy who had claimed monster blood and lost his family to the unfortunate curse of turning into badgers was utterly without the comfort of family or kin. He was marked by his coat and by his size, and his vision of the world had not changed much…only adapted to the facts and the truths as he knew them. The world was a savage place, and the monsters he spoke of were very real.
The Optio took his suggestion in stride, and Max joined her in an easy lope. His size afforded speed, but she was like him—halfblooded—and they fell in line together. If they had been hunting for something larger he might have taken point behind her, as was the instinctive way of doing things. Several members of the clan hunted in peculiar ways, though, and Max found himself adapting to different styles. His own favored his native form, though this was due to his large size. If he was as small as a true coyote he would not have done such a thing.
“I am,” Max said proudly, and his tail flagged to show it. The spitz bloodline was apparent there most of all—it was a fluffy thing that curled when he was especially excited. “I haven’t done much differently though,” he admitted. “Ezekiel is still my main teacher, though I do most of my training on my own.”
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