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                          Change                           
                       -by 99Justin-                       
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                   Chapter 1: Ignorance                    
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Chapter 1: Ignorance
I thought back to the day before. I had presented myself as a Alicorn, the form I used to use when talking to the upper echelons of command. I had ‘encountered’ a group of Changeling setting up the trap, about an hour before and had hurried to Strider’s camp. There had been about 2,000 soldiers there but I had rushed to see Strider himself. I went over to his command tent, situated in the middle of the camp, and walked in. Strider was, like a lot of his kind, brownish-bodied. He had gold armour on, and was staring intensely at the combat table. He looked up.
“Shadow Blitz” he said, sounding less than impressed.
“I have two things to say” I stated matter o’ factly to him.
“Firstly, don’t go through the Aranus Ravine. Changelings are setting up an ambush there. Secondly, these combat plans are seriously flawed. I am not a tactical genius but even I can see this won’t work.”
I stared straight into his dark, cold eyes and he did the same.
“I will do what I bloody want.” He’d replied, all too calmly.
“I am aware of that but unless you want to get killed I suggest you find another way around”
“That is not your decision to make, now leave me, I have to make final preparations.” he yelled.
I stormed out of the tent and walked away. As soon as I was out of sight of the camp, I headed to my mount, Alexistra. She was a red dragon, of the black dragon-flight. Her kind was rare, insanely powerful and to top it all off, she could transmute into a human, just like me.
“I take it as that didn't go as planned” she said with a hint of sarcasm.
“Oh, shut up” I said returning her snide remark.
We headed back to our camp together. After this reminiscence, I looked down. Changelings. I stared, awed at the sight, anger filling me with the knowledge that strider had ignored my warning, and then jumped. My dimensional forges forming hidden blades as I fell. I hit the ground and blood exploded from my first kill. As the two halves of the corpse hit the ground, still frothing with blood, I was up again, slashing and stabbing. Alexistra roared and spewed flames from her jaws as she took flight and supported me in my attack. Our attack lasted about half a minute but it was enough to set up a fighting retreat in Strider’s remaining soldiers and, together, we pulled out of the ravine.
Strider led the way back to his forces’ camp, battered and beaten. When we arrived, he turned and looked for the one who had helped his forces retreat. He recognized me as Alexistra landed in front of him.
“You!” His voice was thick with disgust…and rage. He turned to walk away.
“You would be wise not to make me your enemy, Strider.” I stated. “As an Arceothrope, I am a living weapon.”
“What the hell is an Arceothrope?”
“Now you've brought up the subject, an Arceothrope is a daemonic shape shifter made of perfect chaos. I can create any weapon I choose from my own body.” As I spoke, I let my daemonic side take over. My voice deepened slightly, my features became daemonic, and wings burst from my back with a ripping, tearing sound as my skin split horribly.
“OK, OK, OK!!! I get it, I get your picture.” Strider’s voice was frantic and I could hear the sounds of people vomiting behind me.
“Right then.” he said, his voice shaking. I could see him making a mental note to not pick a fight with an Arceothrope. He then he shouted to his soldiers, “Pack up! We’re heading home!”
A collective cheer went up from the assembled troops and they set to work with a fervour, quite like that of a mad man. I smiled, sharing a private joke with Alexistra before we set off.