Under the Red Moon's Gaze

Luka decided to retire to his room for the night, as the events that had taken place on the Holy Grale had left him rather exhausted. It wasn’t every day you fought a black dragon on a flying ship. He figured they must have been somewhat close to their destination, and no one would really notice if he slipped away for some peace and quiet. It was also rather late and some sleep would benefit him.   As he was stripping his armor from his body, Luka looked out of his room’s window. Through the clouds, he noticed the red moon hanging very full in the sky. He felt his stomach tighten. He began to speed up the process of undressing to prepare, knowing he didn't have much time. Right on cue, a sharp pain shot its way through his body. It was starting. All he could do was try and prepare himself for it.    He stared down and watched as hair began to sprout all over his body. He dropped to his knees and watched as claws ripped through the skin on his hands and took the place of his fingernails. His face began to stretch out as his skull transformed from a human’s to that with distinct canine features. His teeth became longer and sharper, which made tearing through flesh much easier in this form.    This wasn’t the first time the transformation had happened to him, but it was always just as painful. He let out a blood-curdling scream as the rest of his body took on the form of a large wolf. Luka quickly scanned his surroundings. He could feel his thoughts beginning to cloud, then fade, leaving only one thought in his head. It left no space for any other.    Feed.   He stood on his hind legs, head grazing the ceiling. He turned around toward the door when noticed he heard a shuffling in the doorway to his room. It was a woman, one the human part of his mind didn’t recognize. The mask in her hand told him all he needed to know. She was a part of the ship’s theater troupe. She must’ve been close by when he let out that scream earlier. It was the last thought his human side had before the wolf took over. The transformation was complete.  The scared, helpless woman was nothing but food.   Before she had a chance to run, Luka lunged at his prey, grabbing her and immediately slashing at her face, aiming to kill her and fill his hungry stomach. He pulled the body into his room, pulling the door closed behind. Luka locked his jaws around her throat and snapped them shut, as the taste of blood and flesh enlightened his wolf taste buds. He feasted on the corpse until all that was left was a small pile of bloody bones.   Luka awoke the next morning to his room in shambles, the offal from the previous night in a pile on the floor. Panicking that someone might walk in, he quickly gathered up the pile and tossed it out of his window. He found the closest thing to a cloth he could find and began to wipe up all the blood before tossing that as well. He went about the room, tidying the items and furniture, propping a broken chair to look whole. Inspecting the room to ensure nothing appeared amiss, he suited up, gathered his belongings, and exited the room to go and find the rest of the Collective.