Tommy
was lost from sight as all looked up into the night sky. Then plummeting like a
rock, down Tommy came again to land more lightly than any could have imagined
him doing.
“Tommy, take a deep breath and hold it, then, using your
abdominal muscles, I want you to strain to exhale, but hold the air in,” Seth
ordered.
Tommy did as Seth commanded and watched as everyone around
him gasped in shock. Looking down, Tommy coughed out the air, realizing his
skin had changed from the sickly pale green to a deep brown.
“Now Tommy, inhale and exhale quickly,” Seth instructed
again.
As Tommy did so, his flesh began to lighten. First the brown
paled and then turned to a deep red then orange. Faster and faster Tommy
breathed as his flesh turned yellow and then near to white. All around him
stood smiling. It was an amazing ability.
“The faster you breathe, the lighter your skin becomes, and
the slower, the darker. For your darkest tones you have to hold your breath and
strain a little,” Seth said. “Garret, Dad, and Jack, you need to spar with
Tommy for a short while so he can quickly learn his limitations and strength,”
he added.
Understanding the need and nodding or voicing their
approval, they each turned and walked off with the man who was now part
amphibian and part reptile. Seth smiled knowing that his brother, father, and
Jack were in for some surprises. Even so, Seth had more work to do and
gesturing to Borrik, his second-in-command, he relayed orders to send the next
volunteer to meet him. The man was said to be a hunter and tracker blessed by
the god of the druids. He was a small and wiry thing with taut muscles and a
long nose.
Seth spent an hour perfecting this second assassin, a man by
the name of Chad. Already he was gifted, and Seth worked to enhance his
talents. Seth gave him a more sensitive nose and keener eyes. To that he added
strength and agility. Though he actually made the man physically shorter, he
gave him stronger instincts and beyond that he made him ferocious. Chad had
already adapted to his new body as he stalked off into the night with his
orders.
He had been a loner much of his life before, preferring the
forest and nature as companions. Now he needed to be alone; his instincts and
temperament demanded it. Seth had even promised it to him, but first he had a
job to do. Chad prowled off, away from the fire that hurt his eyes, and
dropping to all fours he rushed off into the darkness.
Seth called for another volunteer and then another. Hour
after hour for the majority of the night he would alter those who wished it
into his own champions. Others he blessed with size and strength, like that of
his father and brother. Mostly he hoped his assassins would succeed and spare
the lives of thousands. Seth toiled, sharing his power with those he chose,
until finished at last he sat back to watch as the first flakes of snow began
to descend from the sky.
*****
Garret drew his sword as did his father and Jack. Tommy
pulled a pair of short swords from the clothing he had discarded before being
altered into the creature he was now. He squeezed them in his new hands and
swung his arms testing the weight. Garret watched him intently.
“Are you ready Tommy?” the king asked.
The mutated man turned and nodded to him, and before he could
react, Tommy leapt across more than thirty feet, driving his knobby head into
Garret’s gut with unbelievable force. Garret lost his breath as the wind was
knocked from him and he was driven back more than ten yards by the blow. Tommy
twisted as they rolled and, springing into the air, he came down a few steps in
front of James. Garret, still struggling to breathe, watched as Tommy was
rushed by his father, but thwarted the attack by grabbing the man’s arm and
leaping with all his might, dislocating the appendage at the shoulder. Only
Jack was left in the fight, and moving slowly he tried to anticipate what Tommy
would do. Not one of them expected what did
was lost from sight as all looked up into the night sky. Then plummeting like a
rock, down Tommy came again to land more lightly than any could have imagined
him doing.
“Tommy, take a deep breath and hold it, then, using your
abdominal muscles, I want you to strain to exhale, but hold the air in,” Seth
ordered.
Tommy did as Seth commanded and watched as everyone around
him gasped in shock. Looking down, Tommy coughed out the air, realizing his
skin had changed from the sickly pale green to a deep brown.
“Now Tommy, inhale and exhale quickly,” Seth instructed
again.
As Tommy did so, his flesh began to lighten. First the brown
paled and then turned to a deep red then orange. Faster and faster Tommy
breathed as his flesh turned yellow and then near to white. All around him
stood smiling. It was an amazing ability.
“The faster you breathe, the lighter your skin becomes, and
the slower, the darker. For your darkest tones you have to hold your breath and
strain a little,” Seth said. “Garret, Dad, and Jack, you need to spar with
Tommy for a short while so he can quickly learn his limitations and strength,”
he added.
Understanding the need and nodding or voicing their
approval, they each turned and walked off with the man who was now part
amphibian and part reptile. Seth smiled knowing that his brother, father, and
Jack were in for some surprises. Even so, Seth had more work to do and
gesturing to Borrik, his second-in-command, he relayed orders to send the next
volunteer to meet him. The man was said to be a hunter and tracker blessed by
the god of the druids. He was a small and wiry thing with taut muscles and a
long nose.
Seth spent an hour perfecting this second assassin, a man by
the name of Chad. Already he was gifted, and Seth worked to enhance his
talents. Seth gave him a more sensitive nose and keener eyes. To that he added
strength and agility. Though he actually made the man physically shorter, he
gave him stronger instincts and beyond that he made him ferocious. Chad had
already adapted to his new body as he stalked off into the night with his
orders.
He had been a loner much of his life before, preferring the
forest and nature as companions. Now he needed to be alone; his instincts and
temperament demanded it. Seth had even promised it to him, but first he had a
job to do. Chad prowled off, away from the fire that hurt his eyes, and
dropping to all fours he rushed off into the darkness.
Seth called for another volunteer and then another. Hour
after hour for the majority of the night he would alter those who wished it
into his own champions. Others he blessed with size and strength, like that of
his father and brother. Mostly he hoped his assassins would succeed and spare
the lives of thousands. Seth toiled, sharing his power with those he chose,
until finished at last he sat back to watch as the first flakes of snow began
to descend from the sky.
*****
Garret drew his sword as did his father and Jack. Tommy
pulled a pair of short swords from the clothing he had discarded before being
altered into the creature he was now. He squeezed them in his new hands and
swung his arms testing the weight. Garret watched him intently.
“Are you ready Tommy?” the king asked.
The mutated man turned and nodded to him, and before he could
react, Tommy leapt across more than thirty feet, driving his knobby head into
Garret’s gut with unbelievable force. Garret lost his breath as the wind was
knocked from him and he was driven back more than ten yards by the blow. Tommy
twisted as they rolled and, springing into the air, he came down a few steps in
front of James. Garret, still struggling to breathe, watched as Tommy was
rushed by his father, but thwarted the attack by grabbing the man’s arm and
leaping with all his might, dislocating the appendage at the shoulder. Only
Jack was left in the fight, and moving slowly he tried to anticipate what Tommy
would do. Not one of them expected what did
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