Kaffein

Water.

It splashed on him. Kaff first thought of it as nothing more than one of the men pulling tricks on him as he slept. It would not have been the first time. He couldn’t bother himself to stop them. His eyelids refused to open to whoever came knocking.

Images of the night before started trickling back in. His hearing was muffled, his head also hurting. Though his head could process little, Kaff started to connect the tangled bits of memory strewn about everywhere. It was a slow and gradual process, requiring time to sow together. When the picture was complete, he sprung awake.

Kaff gasped, hacking, drawing deep breaths and forcing air into his lungs. His stomach churned as he remembered how the creature had twisted him. There was hardly any food left inside him to retch.

His head screamed for him to return to slumber, muscles protesting his every action. He was awake, exhausted, and barely alive; anyone would be after such nightmarish torture.

“Mercy be damned,” he thought.

Blurry eyes and a slight ringing in his ear greeted his awakening as he rose and steadily regained his focus. He was lying on a beach, that much was clear. Which beach, he had no clue. This place couldn't be the Hudson. He was too far inland when he encountered the Indians.

Wherever he was, water lapped him and soaked his uniform. His mouth vaguely tasted of salt and his hair was thoroughly drenched while his tricorne uncaringly floated a few feet away.

He pressed a hand against his temple to soothe the headache. Something was off, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. This god-forsaken headache was going to be the death of him.

He couldn’t quite hold his head the way he used to, so he moved his hand in front of him to see what was wrong.

The realization hit him like a carriage filled with bricks. The reality started sinking in as an all-encompassing panic that he was all too familiar with started flooding back into his mind.

There was no hand on his arm.

Fear started welling up inside him as he looked to his other arm. It was the same. Black fur and white stumps on each end.

He felt up everything on his person with his new appendages, and two words came to mind: wet fur. It was god-damned everywhere. And where there was once bare skin, there was now black fur. Soft, wet fur like a damned soggy dog.

Taking a deep breath, he proceeded to scream internally while still staring at the white-tipped hooves where his hands should've been. This couldn’t be real, it had to be a nightmare. But alas, he was conscious and wide awake. It was like the day of his amputation all over again.

He rose to his… hooves, only to fall flat on his face as his knees now bent in the other direction. At least his prosthetic had been tuned to fit with this new body, matching his other leg in size and length. A pleasant side note in this hellish nightmare.

He inspected his left leg closer. What had once been a wooden stump fitted with a foot for riding on horseback was now akin to an actual equine’s hind leg, and that was when he realized what creature he’d been turned into.

“Verdammt, I’m a horse.”

He dearly wanted to shriek his lungs dry, but that would serve no purpose other than to attract unwanted attention. There could be predators lurking, stalking him for all he knew. And right now, he was utterly defenseless.

It took him a moment, begrudgingly, desperately, and pleadingly, but he soon came to terms with his predicament. Currently, time was a luxury he couldn’t afford. Especially now since he no longer had a horse that could carry him around. He could taste the pure irony straight from the air.

Kaff rose up and attempted to walk. He found minimal success while only using his hind legs. His centre of mass was different from where it used to be, but he was sure he could do it given enough time and practice. But sadly, he currently had neither of those.

After some trial and error that left several prints of his snout on the sand, and sand up his snout, Kaff thought to give walking on all fours a chance. Demeaning as it was, he had little choice if he wished to survive.

He was wobbly, stumbling all over the place, but finding balance was definitely possible. He almost fell a few times, but the keyword was ‘almost’. He could see himself getting used to this.

Though it took him a moment, it proved to be effective. For now, trotting was his only mode of transportation.

One major difference he quickly noticed was that now he had far more balance with his prosthetic. At least, better than when he first started using his replacement leg. That took him weeks to get adjusted to, this took minutes. Another pleasant surprise in this terrible misfortune.

After familiarizing himself with his new body, Kaff checked his surroundings. It was somewhat dark, but there was a fair bit of sunlight blanketing the beach. He doesn’t know how or why, but he could tell that the sun was currently in the east, meaning that it was dawn. Or so he hoped it was.

Was that a saddlebag a few hundred feet away? It looked kind of… different. Not as in different colours, but it contrasted with the sand much more than it used to. It seemed sharper in detail as well. For a quick second, he checked the brim of his nose but found no spectacles there. Strange. Even with glasses, his vision was never one to brag about.

He trotted to the piece of equipment, surprisingly well actually. And sure enough, it was indeed a saddlebag and a carbine musket floating on the water, presumably his since there were no other souls nearby who could claim ownership.

He reached down to grab it with a hoof and he caught a glimpse of himself in the water. The ripple made it hard to see his reflection, but the two bright blue irises staring back at him weren't the pair he’d come to know over his lifetime.

No. Not this. Not right now. Kaff shook his head, rubbed his eyes, and donned the saddlebags without so much as looking. His predicament was already confusing enough as it was. There wasn’t the need to ask questions he did not have the answers to. He couldn’t afford to break down now. Survival came first, non-immediate questions were secondary.

Kaff moved to the shoreline and made his way deeper inland, shaking the water off his hooves as he trotted. The sand, warm on his hooves, parted easily as he stepped. He resisted the urge to sit back down and rest.

When he saw what was in front of him however, he couldn’t force himself to continue walking. He just stopped entirely, staring dead ahead with a distant look in his eyes. It was another forest.

Silence. It taunted him. The sense of dread loomed over his shoulders as chills ran down his spine. The overwhelming desire to turn around was enormous. A calm breeze on his barrel. He didn’t realize he was holding his breath.

A flash of yesterday’s encounter passed through his mind. He could hear the sound of grapeshot whizzing through the air and puncturing through skin as red rained all over. Frederick did not live long enough to scream.

He reeled back and shuddered, standing there for a full minute. He did his best to control his breathing. When he found his composure, a sigh escaped him and deep down he pushed away all of his fears.

He braved onward, his destination set for civilization.

There was little to keep Kaff’s mind at ease. He followed the sun all the way east until it was on top of him, but he had yet to find anything that could increase his chances of survival. Thus far there hadn’t been any dangers, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t encounter one later. He never failed to check his surroundings periodically.

Time ticked by as he traveled, and the heat began wearing on him. Sweat mixed with traces of saltwater, a terrible combination, now soaked his uniform and would soon cause rashes if he didn’t do something about them. He’d have to find a clean source of water to wash his clothes. The idea of him walking through the forest all the while nude wasn’t particularly pleasant.

Surprisingly, Kaff rarely took breaks the entire time he traveled. And even when he did, he only readjusted his leg and ‘rested’ for about two minutes before he continued trekking. And by rest, he meant he only stopped walking. Anything could be hiding behind those trees.

While resting, he did inspect his fur closer, however. It was awfully soft and fluffy for someone who had drowned in a vat of boiling water. It was akin to one of his friends’ horses but even finer. He questioned, but ultimately let go of it until survival was no longer a concern.

A few similar questions arose when he trotted. However, Kaff mostly devoted his mind to staying alert for any signs of danger. After all, he was still lost in the woods.

By the time Kaff had enough practice to gallop, he came across a river. If his experience in logistics had taught him anything, his chances of stumbling into civilization would be greater if there was a continuous source of water nearby. He followed the river upstream.

Much later, Kaff found himself trotting up the mountain where the water originated from. Even if there were to be no settlements up there, it would still prove to be a good vantage point. And so he pressed upwards.

After some considerable time hiking, he was met with the top of the mountain and the sun almost setting behind him. There was not a town in sight, unfortunately. Although, the view certainly was lovely. He could see the beach he had woken up on far, far off in the distance. It was frightening how much detail he could make out from this distance. He was impressed he made it through that big of a forest.

Atop the mountain itself was an equally delightful sight. A pristine lake within a sea of grass painted the scene. A surprising amount of flatland way up at this altitude. Patches of trees here and there were scattered throughout the even terrain. He’d check the other side of the mountain after he made a stop at the lake.

He made his way over to said lake, the grass pleasantly caressing his hooves. Kaff kneeled down to scoop up some refreshingly cold water to splash onto his face, ridding himself of his weariness and fatigue. He blinked, brushing away the dust that had gathered under his eyes and yawned as no man could see him.

He’d be lying if he said he didn’t take more than a few gulps to quench his thirst. The last time he drank was more than twenty-four hours ago. And even then, that was before he had walked and hiked his way to freshwater.

Looking around, he spotted a single apple tree nearby, its fruits prominently red. He walked up to the lone thing, a few of its apples hung low to the ground. He plucked one for a taste.

Odd. Sweet and juicy. Not what he expected, but was certainly satisfactory. Strange how there were no others of its kind anywhere in sight, but he didn’t have much energy to question it further. He ate a healthy amount and picked a few more for the road. This certainly tasted better than the hardtack he had ran out of by a frighteningly large margin.

Well, seeing as the problem of hunger and thirst were now somewhat satisfied, shelter should be his next priority. But then again, a quick wash wouldn’t do him too much harm. He was right next to a lake, after all. And he couldn’t even recall the last time he could bathe without a dozen other men nearby doing the same.

With his mind made up, Kaff’s saddlebags hit the ground with a thud, and he rested his carbine musket next to it. He took off his uniform as well, finding it wrinkled and smelling like an overboard sailor after months at sea. He felt considerably less naked than he expected to be. Probably due to the fur.

He then proceeded to thoroughly wash his uniform off of every bit of saltwater that stuck to its fabric. He dried and hung them on the tree after. Kaff also took time and did himself the favour of rinsing away the smell of sweat, grime, and gunpowder that had accumulated on his fur and body.

When he got to his back, however, he froze. He stared, asking himself how he could be so oblivious.

For a full minute, he just stood there, absolutely angry with himself for never noticing. For such an important thing to go unnoticed would’ve killed him back in Europe. Here, he was lucky it wasn’t a hazard or a threat that could’ve cost him his life if it went under his nose.

Wings. A pair of them. Predominantly black feathers with white ones at the tips. They looked like they had been hit by a tornado. All day long, he never felt them, not even while wearing his saddlebags.

“Sigh. Scheiße.” All he could do now was take a deep breath, and try to calm down. No use wasting energy on being angry at himself over something already done.

The wings on his back were akin to something found in a child's fairytale. Such a stupid thing to be found on a horse. They were sizable, sure, but they were not logical.

He tried to feel around his back for… something, anything similar to an extra pair of limbs so he could control them. Then, they moved. By his own volition. There was no more doubting if they were fake or if they had been sown to his back. He did a few basic motions to familiarize himself with them.

After a few minutes of practice, Kaff washed them as well. They were sensitive. Very sensitive. Much the same way his foot was ticklish, though a little different. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, however. A light caress sent shivers down his spine and blood to somewhere else. He had to be gentle with them.

When he was done cleaning up, he decided to sit down for a while as his clothes further dried, finding comfort under the tree. He sighed to himself as twilight turned to dusk. Never had he found so much peace while so afraid.

Water dripped down from his white and black mane and onto his bare form. The carbine beside him was far bigger than it used to be when he was human. Or more than likely, he had shrunk. He was going to need practice if he ever wanted to use it again. And somehow, despite the many improvements over his old body, he felt weaker. Like he could die at any moment at the behest of any beast that stalked him. He was weak. He was no longer a predator. He was now prey.

He shook his head and ruffled his wings to dry them, causing them to rain water droplets all around him. Kaff doubted they were functional. Mother nature must have made an error. Just the thought of him flying was already an argument to stay grounded. And even if he could fly, he was too tired after the day’s journey to make any attempts.

He took a hoof and felt the skin underneath his fur. They were as smooth as the day he entered university, before the war and before every major event that had happened in his life. It was toned muscle instead of loose skin, and it irritated him to no end.

This body and its every positive only drove home the point that nothing around him was natural. This wasn’t him. Whatever thing he became, he didn’t want it. He didn’t deserve it. He already spent his one life. Call it disposition or even a second chance, this was wrong. A small part of him was grateful, but he was no saint to deserve it.

But then, life was never fair. The world was always arbitrary and unjust. It was true he didn’t deserve such fortune, but there was little sense in throwing away opportunities.

After everything that had happened in the past few days, he could technically say he was successful. But this… this wasn’t what he wanted. But then again…

He put a hoof to his chest and found what he was looking for. He moved it to eye level so he could better admire the object.

A necklace. It resembled the Prussian Eagle as close as smithing could allow. The pure gold glinted the last bit of sunlight dusk had to offer. The chains around his neck were encrusted with enough precious gems to satiate any nouveau riche’s lust to be ostentatious. The Eagle itself was fitted with its own small crown, sceptre, and orb. The piece of jewellery could buy a modest estate in Berlin.

Kaff chuckled, remembering the tale of Midas. If only gold had actual use outside of currency and jewellery for those whose purses are too heavy.

The dumb smile on his face didn’t leave for some time. Perhaps this predicament of his was a blessing in disguise.

He sighed once more and decided he might as well clean his carbine musket and his leg while there was a clean source of water nearby. He was thankful that his cleaning kit had been transported here along with his saddlebag.

Kaff’s mind danced around some questions regarding his circumstance as he did his maintenance. The lion-esque witch he encountered, his new body, Frederick, and even a passing thought about the rest of the dragoon company.

Ultimately, unless those things could cause trouble for him in future times, they were irrelevant. He did his best to learn from them but mostly decided to focus on the present. Far too many of his colleagues were blinded by the past, and so fell victim to the future.

Before he knew it, everything was done and packed into his saddlebags, including his uniform. Kaff was sure that his fur was enough to weather out the night. He’d save his uniform for more dire conditions should the need arise.

His musket, however, was now cleaned but unloaded. He didn’t know how he was going to be able to fire it, so instead, he fixed on his bayonet. Technically he still had his sabre, but a thrusting semi-spear was currently more wieldy than a swinging sword. At least, until he could better understand how his body operated.

The moon glowed a bright white as Kaff double-checked everything. Before he left, he decided to take a look at himself by the lake one more time. Just so he could finally settle into this new body.

One look later and he could now confirm that yes, he was indeed a horse. Huh, a strip of white between his eyes and going down his snout. Didn’t notice that before.

“Lovely night out ain’t it, partner?”

Kaff jumped at the sudden appearance of a new face on the reflection. He fell and instinctively reached for his musket, but stopped himself before he did so.

Standing beside him was another creature just like him, only without wings. Their colouration and features were distinctly different, however. They were also laughing.

The pony, not horse Kaff just now figured, had a reddish-brown coat with a white mane and golden irises. They did have a white strip of fur between their massive eyes just like Kaff, however, but it didn’t go around their snout.

Now that Kaff saw it, something inside of him told him it was female. He could narrow it down to something related to the muzzle and posture. Outside of that, he could glean nothing.

He didn’t know how he got that information. The most he knew about a pony was when he visited a friend’s estate that raised some. Other than that, it was a mystery how he got this knowledge.

“Startled ya real good there, didn’t I?” the pony giggled. A massive grin was plastered on her face. “Sorry I snuck up on ya there, pal. Thought it’d be funny, and boy howdy it sure was!”

Kaff didn’t know what ‘pal’ meant, but he figured the creature was friendly enough. That, and the fact she was the only sentient creature he had encountered all day long.

“Uh, yes. Rather humorous now that I think about it,” Kaff responded.

The pony offered a hoof. “Here, lemme help you up.”

Kaff took her offer and stood up and was rather surprised by her strength. He was a little taller than her, however.

“The name’s Jace, by the way. Jace Barred.”

Kaff fixed his hat before replying, “Kaffein. Tis nice to meet your acquaintance, Jace Barred.” Now it was Kaff’s turn to offer his hoof.

He couldn’t place what her accent was or where it could have possibly originated from. He was simply glad that she spoke some form of English. Much like the many strange things that had happened to him in the past twenty-four hours, Kaff simply didn’t bother to question it. Those answers could wait, survival came first.

“Likewise, friend.” Without hesitation, she shook it, before turning to face the lake. “Admiring the view? I know it’s a ways away from Railcrossing, but it’s always nice seeing folks venturing out all the way here to see the lake.”

Kaff couldn’t find it in himself to disagree. His time up here had been rather pleasant compared to everything else that had happened recently. Finding food and clean water was absolutely better than being toyed by some lion-esque witch.

Not only that, but he also managed to find some help up here. Or rather, help had found him. She did mention that she came from a settlement nearby. To think that proper rest was nothing but some distant, lofty goal he had set when he found himself stranded on a beach this morning.

Kaff looked up. “Yes. Though these stars are foreign to me, they shine beautifully.” Despite not being an avid astronomer, he could still tell the stars were all arranged differently. They did not match with what his memory served.

Just on the corner of his peripheral, Kaff could see the mare looking up to match his gaze. “Yeah.” For a moment she too appreciated the night sky in silence, before abruptly adding, “Wha— huh? Foreign how?”

He sighed. He could feel the day’s worth of walking slowly catching up on him. “I find myself a newcomer in these lands, only setting foot here recently. Just today, actually.” He couldn’t help but chuckle at his predicament. “I’d be a liar if I say I hadn’t gotten myself lost as well. Thankfully, rescue appeared seemingly out of nowhere.”

Her face was completely alien to him, but yet he could still tell what was going through her mind as if she was human. Her eyes were distant and her breath paused for a split second; the little details pointing to confusion. He could also tell that it took her a moment to process his words.

There was no mask she was hiding behind. Her reactions were instinctual: too quick to be fake. And any open hostilities she could make right now would be contradictory to what she had already done. If she had wanted to harm him, she wouldn’t have made herself known.

All of that had happened in a little under two seconds.

She was a little hesitant, but she found her words. “You didn’t get up here from Railcrossing?”

Kaffein shook his head. “No, ma’am.”

She stared at him for a second, a slight bit of disbelief crossing her face. “You’re lost …but you’re a pegasus.” She spoke slowly as if he was a toddler and pointed at his wings. “Don’tcha know how to use those things?”

Kaff ruffled them using his newfound muscles, and answered, “Another unfortunate ’no’. Tis a long story, ma’am. Equally as long as the day I just went through.”

“Sigh. Well, don'tcha fret none. I’m sure I can help you get to town. It ain’t that far and I’m just about done up here too.” She held a hoof up. “Oh, and just call me Jace. You probably ain’t even a year older than me.”

Kaff offered her a smile. “Thank you, Jace. I thought myself a deadman before you had introduced yourself.”

“Think nothing of it, pal. I’m happy to help, but we should probably get a move on while the moon ain’t that high up.” She received Kaff’s nod and promptly started trotting, motioning for him to follow. “Next stop: Railcrossing.”

Kaff gladly followed along, putting his three hooves and prosthetic to good use once more.

Before he left, however, he made the connection between the mare’s empty saddlebags and the lone bouquet of assorted flowers resting on the base of the apple tree.

He bowed his head, and journeyed onwards.