It started when I heard the drums this morning. I've always been fascinated by drums. The rhythm, the pounding, the pure joy in every resonating sound. I needed to find the drums, curiosity killed the cat you know. Wait a minute I'm not a cat. Oh well never mind that now.

 

Anyway so I was following the drums into the woods. Walking away from the road that I had been following for two days. A new adventure I thought at the time. I so like adventure almost as much as I like drums. Into the forest, the dark forest. You never notice how scary a forest looks until you see it at night.

 

Since the darkness encompassed all the space around me I decided that a change of form was in order. I stripped the un dedicated clothing from my body. Pants, Shirt, boots and underwear. I tied them up with my belt so as not to lose them. The Crinos for would have been more impressive to think of it now but I decided that lupus had the better senses. So I willed the shift to occur. The muscles in my body tensed as they grew larger to conform to the between form. The two strangest parts about the shift are the tail and the snout. I finally reached the lupus form and continued to trod the forest floor to the sound of the drums.

 

I pricked my ears up the sound coming in clearer then the stupid ape ears. The drums were pounding the entire forest. Resonating from trees and rock. The sound stopped the crickets from singing making the night feel like a shattered piece of glass. I felt out of place for a moment in a forest without animal sounds. Then it occurred to me that this disturbance was not at all natural.

 

I feared for the woods as the only thing I could think was bad. I expanded my senses leaving the regular five behind for the sixth one. I could feel for the Wyrm this way, luckily there wasn't the foul stench of the corrupter's touch. I reached further through the gifts of my fathers and sensed for magic. The essence of the high form came to me. This revel was a ritual of some sort. Something was being altered here, so I continued.

 

The drums caught my ears again. Now drawing nearer I could hear them more clearly. Three, no four of them pounding to different beats yet making one sound. I could feel my heart pounding as the fifth drum. I needed to know now and my curiosity got the best of me. The clearing ahead was lit by a fire. A large one from the looks of it. It's light extending into the night showing the forest for what it was. Now I would see the drums

 

There they were men and beasts like me but not like me. Animals roamed the revel ground dancing along side men. Large masks of the creatures of the forest were being worn by men and nothing else. They danced around the fire singing to the spirits. I could feel the gauntlet drop even here were it was weak. The spirits could almost become one again with the world. I would like to have seen a spirit take flight into the world.

 

I saw them then, the drums. Large drums of wood a skins stretched taught. The were being pounded upon by one man each. They each wore masks to represent the changing breed. Not the Animals I tell you but obviously the changing breed. One wore the mask of the cats and banged upon his drum in smooth fluid strokes. One wore the bear and pounded his drum in slow even rhythms. Another wore the mask of the rat and assaulted his drum with quick light beats. The last one who stood across from me wore the mask of me. The wolf was about him and he slaughtered his drum in a frenzy of uneasy pounding as he howled to luna.

 

Not being able to stand this any longer I lost my self-control. My calm heart gave way and I burst into the clearing. I joined in the frenzied dancing dropping the package of clothing in my mouth and assuming the Crinos form. I didn't realize it at the moment but this seemed to phase no one. I felt very at home Dancing around the fire.

 

The revel went on into the night with dancing and singing. A deer was brought out and we feasted. I could feel the pure Wyld flowing through my body. I rested for a while and spoke to a small fellow who was also resting. I learned that this was a convocation of Mages who had come to commune with the spirits. They were of a tribe of sorts. They called themselves the Dream Speakers. I believed for a moment that this was one of my dreams speaking to me. I danced some more and finally tired out. I slept then the sleep of the peaceful.

 

When I awoke the next morning they were gone. Drums, masks and all had been removed. I felt a loss in my heart but it would be only temporary. On the ground near my clothing was a small flattened rock with the symbol of their tribe. I put this in the pocket of my clothing.

 

I decided to check out the Umbra that morning. Something like this had to have spiritual repercussions. I stepped sideways into the Umbra the gauntlet still lowered by last nights events. I could see the remaining resonance of the drums as the Umbra sang their rhythm. The spirits here danced as I had and would continue to do so for some time to come.

 

I came back into this world and assumed Homid form. I found the highway again and continued my journey. Now a place in my heart held for these very special Mages. I could feel for them now and I will do so till the end of my days.

 

Excerpt from the journal of Peter "Bright-Eyes-that-Sing-with-Pain"

March 16 1997

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