Corr's Past Chapter 3

Corr cried out in shock and horror, which only came out as a loud yelp, and fell to the ground. Ailya desperately tried to hold in her laughter, while Alar just stood there, the only hint of his mirth was a small curve on the edge of his mouth. Corr wobbily stood back up and screamed at the two, "What has happened to me!? What is going on!?"
But once again, and to Corr's growing frustration, all that came out were a bunch of barks, yelps, and whimpers. Alar kneeled down, grabbed Corr by the muzzle, and looked him in the eyes.
"Concentrate on me," Alar's mental voice said, echoing slightly, "And think what you want to say. After a while, it will get easier."
Corr forced himself to relax and concentrate. Finally, after about a minute, Corr managed to ask, "What's going on?"
"You have been bitten by a Dark Werewolf of Salia," stated Alar, "The ones who destroyed your home and family. Most bitten by them either die, from blood loss or their natural toxins, or turn into a mindless lycanthropic slave. But you are a....special case."
"How so?" asked Corr, a Very slight, but still there, tremor in his voice.
Alar tapped the shining moon pendant hanging down from Corr's furry neck with his index finger.
"Because, by the grace of Luna, you found this," Alar told him, "While wearing this the toxins are neutilzed and you retain your sanity. It also marks you as a follower of Luna, the Lady of the Moon.
Ailya finally spoke up, "Salia has her own twisted version of the moon pendant. It is similar, but is blackened and has a different power over the other Dark Werewolves. It gives her control over all who wear them and keeps the Werewolves in their Blackrage form at all times."
"Blackrage?" asked Corr.
"The Werewolf that bit you was in regular wolf form," Alar explained, "And you better thank Nelia (Goddess of Luck) for that. It seems he lost his necklace."
Alar bent down and fished through his pack with his gloved hand and brought out a black moon pendant, keeping it well away from his body.
"That one you killed is probably thanking you, Ailya," Alar said with a smile on his face, "Without this, the Dread Lady's high priests and clerics probably would have either sacrificed that pathetic beast or sent it to the Black Chasm."
Ailya and Corr both shuddered at the name of the infamous prison of Salia. It was said that the unlucky souls trapped there were tortured daily, and after that were sent to toil in the mines for weeks at a time.
"Anyway, the Blackrage form is a twisted version of the Luna-faithful Moonrage form, or the Mora (God of Beasts) faithful Warbeast form. Picture the werewolf you saw. Now have it stand on two legs, give it hands and claws as long as your forearm, having the cunning of a hunting cat and the ferocity of a berserker warrior. And that's a Blackrage Werewolf."
"What about the Moonrage form?" Corr asked, "Can I do that?"
Alar nodded. "Ailya, show him how."
Ailya nodded and kneeled down in front of Corr. "Think about what the servants of Salia did to your home. What they did to the friends you may have had among the servants. What they did to your family!"
Corr closed his eyes to hide the tears that came to his eyes as he remembered. He remembered the flames consuming his home. He saw the figures standing outside, gleefully watching his world crumble. He pictured the bodies of the servants crumpled on the ground.
His breathing soon became ragged and Corr opened his eyes. His eyes now had red around the edges and his vision was much sharper. He felt bestial power surging through him. The rising moon burned into his vision and Corr gave a great howl at the coming of his Goddess.