Chapter 6 Medicine and Mutations

"Pass me that water skin," I growled, leaning back against the cracked tower wall. My claws scraped stone as I shifted, sending fresh sparks of pain through my arms.

Lysa knelt in front of me without a word, her hands already pulling supplies from her pouch. The makeshift camp smelled of blood and dust. Twelve of us huddled inside the broken tower base, a small fire crackling low behind rubble barricades. Dak stood watch near the entrance, spear ready. Mira sat close, watching everything with those big eyes.

"You’re burning up," Lysa said softly, pressing cool fingers to my scaled forearm. "The mutations... they’re hitting harder than I expected. Let me give you something for the pain."

I nodded, jaw tight. Every breath pulled at the new ridges under my skin. "Just make it stop screaming inside."

She uncorked a fresh vial and held it to my lips. "Drink slow. This one’s stronger. It should ease the fire in your veins."

The liquid slid down bitter and thick. Warmth spread fast, dulling the sharp edges of the agony. For a moment I could actually breathe without wanting to tear something apart. "Thanks," I muttered. "Feels better already."

Lysa’s eyes stayed on my face as she cleaned a gash along my ribs. "You’ve changed more in hours than most men would in weeks. Hold still."

[Predatory instinct absorption available,] the Codex chimed cold in my head. [Recent kills processed. Integrate?]

Before I could push it away, the golden veins flared hot under my skin. Flashes hit me, the serpent’s cold patience while waiting for prey, the wolf-thing’s raw hunger for weak flesh. My muscles twitched. I saw through their eyes, felt their instincts lock into mine.

"Ren?" Lysa’s voice cut through. "Your eyes... they’re glowing again."

I gripped her wrist without thinking, claws careful not to break skin. "It’s talking to me. Telling me to take more. To get stronger." My voice came out rough. "I feel it crawling deeper. Like pieces of me are... fading."

She didn’t pull away. Instead she leaned closer, wiping sweat from my brow with a clean rag. "Breathe through it. You’re still here. Still Ren. Tell me what you’re feeling right now."

"Like I want to run into the dark and hunt," I admitted, the words tasting foul. "Like the weak ones are slowing me down. But Mira... I can’t think that way. I won’t."

Mira crawled closer and tugged my scaled hand. "Does it hurt bad? I get the burning too sometimes. From the infection."

Her small voice grounded me. I forced a rough smile. "Yeah, kid. Hurts. But I’m handling it."

Karg muttered from across the fire, loud enough for everyone. "He’s losing it. Look at those arms. We should tie him up before he turns on us."

"Shut your mouth," Dak snapped from the entrance. "He saved your sorry ass back there. Give the man room."

Lysa kept working, her touch steady on my shoulder. Another dose of medicine went down. The pain faded more, but something felt... off. The golden burn in my chest sped up, like the medicine poured fuel on it. My claws grew a fraction longer while she watched. I flexed my left hand and two fingers refused to bend right.

"Damn it," I whispered. "I can’t grip a blade properly anymore. What am I turning into?"

"You’re adapting," Lysa said quietly. "Faster than anything I’ve seen. Most people fight the changes until they break. You... you’re becoming something new."

The Codex pulsed again, stronger.

[Integration 28% complete. Predatory efficiency increased. Humanity cost: manual dexterity -17%.]

I slammed my fist against the wall. Stone cracked. "I don’t want efficiency! I want to stay me long enough to get these people out alive!"

The rage surged sudden and wild. Red flooded my vision. The beast part wanted to roar, to smash the barricade and charge into the Wilds. My muscles locked. Claws dug deep grooves into the floor. I could smell every heartbeat in the camp, fear, blood, Lysa’s calm scent right in front of me.

"Ren," Lysa said sharply. "Look at me. Stay here."

I growled low, body shaking. The urge to dominate, to make them all submit or leave the weak behind, pushed hard. My vision narrowed on Karg’s throat for half a second.

Then Mira pushed a water skin into my clawed hands. "Here. Drink. You saved me twice already. You’re still the one who carries me when it’s bad."

Her trust hit like cold water. The rage cracked. I took the skin with both hands, forcing my stiff fingers to work, and drank deep. The primal pressure eased back. I exhaled hard, head hanging.

"Thank you, kid," I rasped. "Don’t know what I’d do without you pulling me back."

Lysa’s hand lingered on my shoulder again, thumb brushing one of the new scale patches. She leaned in close while checking a wound near my neck. Her voice dropped to a whisper only I could hear. "I’ve never seen anyone adapt this fast, Ren. Your body... it’s accepting the changes like it was waiting for them." Her eyes held mine, full of genuine concern. And something deeper. Warmer. "I’m worried about you. Really worried."

I started to answer when a distant roar rolled through the night. Deep. Much bigger than anything we’d faced. The ground vibrated faintly. Everyone in camp went still.

Dak gripped his spear tighter. "That’s no scavenger. Something big heard the collapse. It’s coming this way."

Mira pressed against my side. Lysa’s hand tightened on my shoulder, not letting go.

The Codex chimed once more in my skull.

[Major threat detected. Integration advised.]

The roar sounded again. Closer.