Kurt tumbled through the woods, barelling about like a panicked animal. His stomach had shrunken from four days of starvation. He knew what he was looking for. The moon shone overhead, and He muttered a howl as loud as he could in his weakened state.

"Gaia, hear me. . . . " he muttered. Lightning flashed in the distance. It would rain soon. Kurt bolted forward towards a clearing. A figure stood in the center of it. .. He stopped and Staired. . . it was Fredrick.

Fredrick was his foster father. The man who was paid to take care of him in his real parents place. He had beaten Kurt as a child, along with his Wife, Edna, and Child, Garette. Kurt Growled as he stared at the man. . . both fear and anger swelling in his heart.

"Come here boy!" said the large man. "Come here and get yourself another beatin! You been bad again ya little asshole!" Kurt could barely breath. Edna stepped into the clearing from the right.

"Now Kurt!" she said. "Don't make this hard on us!" Kurt stared at the miserable bitch. . . . His head throbbed. His heart jumped again as Garette came into the clearing.

"COME ON YA LITTLE PUSSY!" he called. "LET'S ROCK!" Kurt snarled, both at the trio in front of him, and at himself. . .. He couldn't take this any longer.

He raced into the clearing, shifting to his Crinos form and pummelling Fredrick to the ground.

"ALBINO FREAK! I'LL KILL YOU KID" he shouted, his blood splattering on the ground.

"DIE!" shouted Kurt, thrusting his claws into his fathers body. He felt a slap to his head. Edna stood over him with balled fists. Kurt raked his claws across his stomach, spilling her intestines on the floor of the clearing.

"You punk assed freak!" growled Garette, charging at Kurt with his fists out. Kurt rolled aside, clawing at the brats ankle. He fell to the ground, and Kurt crawled to him, tearing his throat open with his teeth.

Kurt rose to his feet, heart racing. He howled up at the moon with glorious victory. but a voice interrupted his celebration. . . .

"kurt . . . ." the weak voice said. He looked down at where his fathers body had lain. . . now in its place was Canth, battered and broken. She reached out her hand. "why kurt. . . .why. . . . " Kurt's eyes widenend with terror. . . .

"uncle kurt?" said another voice. Kurt's head jolted to Garette's body, now replaced by SaburWolf. "why you kill Canth? why you kill momma? why you kill me?" nausea swept over his body. . ..

"No. . . ." he said. . . . "NO!!!" he looked to the sky. "I didn't do this!"

"but you did, kurt." said the voice of White Wing. Kurt looked at her body, laying in the place of Edna's. "your fury killed us all." She said. "you could have controlled it. . .you could have. .. . you could have helped us. . . " she said as she choked on her blood. Kurt dropped to his knees.

"Great Gaia. . . . what have I done. . . ." Light began to shine from all about, consuming the bodies of his packmates.

"Stand Kurt Thunderhowl. Philodox of the Get of Fenris." said a soft voice that rumbled from the earth. Kurt rose to his feet. "I speak to you for you have much confusion. I shall not alleviate that confusion, but I shall let you choose more wisely." The earth rumbled softly beneath his feet as the voice spoke.

"Gaia. . . you speak to me?" said Kurt.

"Yes. I speak to you. Know only this. The litany says, combat the Wyrm, wherever it dwells and wherever it breeds."

"Yes. . . I know. . . thus my confusion."

"So you have questions as to your loyalty to the one you call Canth." Kurt bowed his head.

"I know it is wrong to doubt an Elder, Mother, but I. . . "

"you are wise not to trust her fully. The Wyrm does dwell within her. But remember, the Wyrm is everywhere. It will do you no good to destroy everything, including myself, to eliminate it of the Wyrm."

"But Mother. . . how will I know when to destroy?" he said. There was no answer. "where is the Wyrm?"

Lights flashed all about him as he rushed through a tunnel of light. He woke on the floor of cave, looking at the ceiling. He smiled to himself. Not a mere dream. . . no. . . not a mere dream.

The trek home was difficult. The lack of food in Kurt's system led him to hallucinate. . . he was not sure weather or not to return to Canth and the others or not. But now he knew. . . Whatever he did, he would be doing right by slaying the Wyrm, no matter who he served in the process.

He stumbled to the camp site and fell to the ground.

"Where the Hell is everybody?" he said. . . shuddering as he reacalled their dead bodies in his . . . was it a dream? He heard footsteps coming from behind him. White Wing knelt next to him. "Wing. . ." he said with a grin.

"My God, you look like shit!" she said.

"Thanks. You look good to." He said sarcastically, taking her hand. She was real. she was really real.

"Let me get you some food. . . " She stood, still staring at him.

"Thanks." he sighed, then winced.

"God, I need a cigarette."

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