Instinct

 She bore a terrible sin on her shoulders. 

 An army fell to her claws, crying out for salvation. Women and children wept and wailed as the blood splattered onto the ground, their husbands, their fathers slain. The nobles were restless, demanding for more able-bodied men, even bloody peasants to stand up against the beast. They would not soil their hands, even while trying to protect the town they ruled.


 All of this senseless slaughter. One sin after another.

 Kristel didn't care, though. Or rather, she did, but her mind was slowly degrading away. When you were trained to think like a beast, act like a beast, be a beast, thinking for herself was not high on her priority list in the midst of battle. Her heart twisted in pain with every life she took, but slowly became numb to it. The more lives she took, she less she cared. She even forgot the whole reason for coming...

 Slay the commander, and watch as their neatly made formations fall like dominos.

 After sneaking through the pitch black darkness as a cat and shapeshifting into a chimera, Kristel did just so. However, the beast within her stirred as the peasants panicked. Bloodlust. Rational thought was not enough to stop her instincts from kicking in and devouring one poor soul. Panic amongst the ranks increased as she slew them, even as her mind begged for her to stop.


 Soon, the nobles ran out of fodder to feed the beast. There was no sense in calling mages: chimeras were known to be one of the few beasts that could resist magic in Levia. All they could do was run, run for their lives and hope that the beast didn't think of catching up to them. But running prey was tempting prey, and Kristel had plenty of energy left to chase after them. She crouched, ready to sprint and slay the last remnants of this town's leaders-

 "Kristel!"

 A sharp pain shot through her sides as cold, sharp steel pierced her hide.  She howled in pain, turning towards her new enemy and growling. A man stood before her with a scythe, his green longcoat blowing in the wind, his hand holding his hat down. Beside him was a dog, black as night, wearing thick armor. She would recognize them as Juan and Jasper, but her mind was clouded by rage. She gave a loud roar. All the warning she could possibly give before her entire mind was clouded.


 Kristel saw her friend's lips move, but she ignored him and instead lunged upon him, claws at the ready.  Jasper jumped in to defend him and bit her, a loud scream piercing the night. She thrashed about and slammed the dog with her tail before biting into his armor, eager to rip it off. Her teeth gnashed and tore at the armor as the dog struggled to get her off, unable to stop its own armor from falling apart. The scythe sliced at her again, turning her attention away from her next meal. She was greeted with a stream of fire to the face, but she jumped towards her target in spite of it.

 CHOMP. Jasper bit her tail hard once she turned her attention away for too long. She screeched, flailing about and swinging the dog about with her tail in a desperate attempt to shake him off. He clung on like a stubborn crab, however. She didn't even think as to why, just that she wanted him OFF. NOW.

 Kristel didn't even pay too much attention to the thick, sticky thread wrapping around her and binding her, shooting from the fingertips of the man.  Only when it was too late and her energy was spent did she notice.


 She thrashed about and screamed as Juan bent over to her, digging into his pocket and pulling out a syringe. He pricked her neck and, within a few seconds, Kristel stopped thrashing about. Her breathing slowed down, her body relaxed. Slowly, claws turned into fingertips and fur turned into long, black hair. Her mind was hers again, the beast within returning to its slumber until she would call upon it once more. However, blood still stained her body. The blood of those lives she took.

 With a tiny voice, she asked, "Am I... Am I sane again...?"

 Unable to wait for an answer, she let the darkness whisk her away and rob her of light.