She stood in the middle of a snowy field, with more snow falling from the sky by the second. She shivered, and even though she knew she was in a dream, she could still feel the chill.
A large white tiger approached slowly, with a hint of caution in its body's mannerisms. Cathy approached the tiger with an equal amount of caution, but no real fear. Somehow, she knew that this tiger was no danger to her.
"Sister," the cat's voice rang inside her brain, "hear my words."
Cathy was a little taken aback. She'd had many strange dreams, but none so strange as this! She was now within touching distance of the tiger, and knelt down in the falling snow, reaching out to stroke the fur on its head. "I will hear your words, sister," she simply thought, knowing somehow the cat would hear, and these were the words to be spoken.
"This was destiny which brought the medallion to you, and it is destiny you must fulfill," the tiger said, laying down in the snow, allowing Cathy to pet her.
"Speak of the destiny, and I shall fulfill it," Cathy replied, again instinctively knowing it was what she HAD to say.
"The world is not as it should be; the species of man is marauding and enslaving, destroying at an even greater pace than in any other place in history. Soon the life giving earth will be nothing more than a grave for all. You are to change this; you are the last hope in this age."
Cathy gasped, frightened and overwhelmed, "How am I to do this?"
"The medallion your companion brought is no mere trinket or bauble. It holds the power to allow you to wear my skin. When you wear my skin, you will be tenfold stronger, tenfold more hearty, and one hundredfold more deadly. You will use this power against enemies both open and covert in your world. It will also open your eyes to these people, and let you see them for what they are."
"But I am only one being," Cathy protested, "How can I stand against so many?"
The tiger continued, as if she hadn't heard. "The magics of this talisman once only allowed you to assume the hybrid form, and it was permanent. Many of the species had such a talisman, until one day, the dark ones began to corrupt the magic. The ravenous and greedy wolf, eager for spoils of war fell to the temptation, and traded his nature for power. The bearer of the medallion could create more, slaves to the moon, but able to assume the hybrid form in darkness. With a single blow, the balance had been upset."
"Werewolves? I have to fight fucking werewolves?" Cathy knew she was going against the destined speech, but really didn't care. (And actually wasn't quite sure if there was a script at this point, actually.)
"What the ravenous wolf did not know was that the children of the light had this power as well, it simply had to be awakened, by a destined being. You are that destined being."
"I whaaaaaa?????" Cathy began to ask as the tiger leapt upon her, pinning Cathy under her bulk. At first, Cathy thought she was sinking into the snow, but then realized the tigress was melting into her body.
"Awaken, and have my knowledge and power inside of you," said the tiger, as she disappeared into Cathy.
Cathy awakened in a sweat moments later, frightened, but full of knowledge. She looked at the medallion, seeing now that only a humanoid tiger was on its face.