Mystery of the Myth

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Astor followed her inside and watched from the hallway as she set to work on the turkey. It all looked so complicated and confusing. The smells of all the different things she used blended together into a strange aroma that filled the house and tickled his nose. "Raw turkey?" He had to pause for a moment at the sudden question. "Oh yes. Its the best. I cant have it very often since there's not an abundance of them, but once in a while is alright. There are a few other forms that make it easier to eat them, such as a wolf or a large cat. Their bodies are better able to digest them. I can have raw turkey in my human form as well without the fear of dying, but depending on if the turkey was sick or something, it can make me pretty sick." He replied. "Its like that with most of the things I eat in other forms, but things like poison berries and the meat of other predators I cant. They can be dangerous."
 
"I see...So you digest well. In general, for me, raw meat would make me sick. For most it would, actually. There are certain bacterium that live in the raw meat that aren't digestible by the human body...But if you cook the meat, it can be digested because those bacteria that don't do well with human stomachs is killed. Some bacteria you get with raw poultry, such as salmonella is poisonous to the point that people have died from eating it." She took a seat again, relaxing herself into the chair, and watched him curiously. "Well, it's good you know what your body can handle and how to deal with it...But if you ever eat something that makes you sick, let me know and I'll try to help you. Okay?"
 
"Okay. I'll try to remember," Astor agreed.

+++

A couple months passed by in relative peace. Astor spent a good deal of time in the forest, hunting and exploring ever further. He always made a point to return to Flutter's home, however. He found the human fascinating. He had finally gotten used to being around her, even if other humans were a different story. He had learned a lot from her just by observing her every day habits. For not being able to shift, they had adapted pretty well.

Astor trotted into the house carrying a couple rabbits. He had made it a habit to bring her some meat every week or so. Hunting was something he was good at, so he figured that was the best way to repay her for all the kindness she had shown him. He set the rabbits down on the kitchen floor and shifted out of his bobcat form. "I have someplace I want to show you. I think you'll like it."
 
Flutter had gotten quite used to his regular visits, and rather liked them. She wasn't used to having guests so regularly in her home, but his presence made her feel oddly at ease, despite her claims that she was quite comfortable being alone. His habits and general abilities were always interesting, and constantly added to the things she made a habit of learning each day. She'd also started to get used to his regularly bringing her some meat to cook from his hunting. She was starting to feel her cooking was improving with normal food, even if she still had to sweeten it due to her health issues- it was a nice change of pace each week he brought the meat, and she was glad to be able to also use it in gifts for him, since she liked making meat buns to share.

That day was no different than the recent ones. She entered the kitchen at that time after having just done some work in the mud room, which had actually left her hands quite dirty. Seeing the rabbits on the floor, she lifted them up and washed out anything that needed to be washed while she was washing her hands, then moved to get the supplies from the area to put it in the oven. "A place you'd like to show me?" It wasn't often he said such a thing, so she was a bit surprised to hear it, but she turned to smile at him while preparing the rabbits to cook anyway. "I'll happily go with you then. How far is it? I should preserve the rabbits if I'm going to be out long. It'd be bad to leave them cooking while I'm not home."
 
"Hm... I dont think its very far, but you might." One of the only things he had yet to adjust to was the differences in traveling. Humans were generally much slower than he usually was. "Preserve them. That way we dont have to rush back. I'll wait out back." He replied before slipping away. He went outside and transformed into something he rarely ever used: a horse. His fur was a rich caramel color, and it was a bit bigger than most horses, but not by much.
 
She moved without a word to preserve the rabbits to cook later, and then quickly rushed into attire more suited for the outdoors. When she felt confident enough to leave the house as it was, she went out the back to follow him to where he'd gone. Although it took her a moment to process that the horse before her was Astor, Flutter didn't require him to say a word to her to make her feel informed. Cautiously, she moved a frail hand to pat his caramel fur, smiling to him. "Your fur shows how healthy you are no matter what form you take, doesn't it?"
 
He flicked an ear, looking back at his fur. I suppose so. He lowered himself to the ground to make it easier for her to get on. Ready to go? Once he was sure she wasnt going to fall off, he stood back up and headed into the forest. He walked for hours, and by the time he got to their destination, the sun was high in the sky. He stopped at the edge of a little clearing in the forest. The ground was covered in little blue and white flowers intermixed in the lush grass. The sun shone brightly on the field, making it nice and warm, and across from them was the edge of a cliff. A stream stretched through one corner of the clearing, the gurgling of the water and bird song the only sounds in the air. Once again, he lowered himself to the ground to let her down. Remember that waterfall I told you about a few months ago? This is at the top of it.
 
It took her time to get on his back- she was short, frail, and lacked experience with horses. However, his lowering himself made it easier, and his patience with her was much help to her anxiety. While he walked below her, her arms wrapped around his neck lightly, trying to stay steady on his back and ease her nervous nature. His fur was warm to her, and helped relax her when she hugged him. Then again, she'd already begun to find his very presence relaxing. When they reached teh clearing and he lowered himself for her, she got off his back and pat it lightly, hoping to ease any soreness in him before looking around at the flowers that were intertwined with the grass. The gentle colors and aroma soothed her mind, and she found it rather peaceful there. However, his revelation of their location was quite shocking.

"This is the top of the waterfall? It's hard to believe we're so high up..." She was clearly flabbergast at the possibility, but she tried desperately to hide it- though her face showed it well. In order to fight her surprise, she tried to change the subject on her own behalf. "You've had to lug me around this entire time though...Aren't you tired taking me all this way? Though I'm grateful to you, I feel bad that you had to carry me for so long...Do you hurt anywhere?"
 
He transformed back to his human form and laughed. "Sore? Not at all. You are much too light to make me sore." He walked over to the edge of the clearing and looked down at the waterfall for a moment before looking back at her. He held a hand out to her, smiling reassuringly. "Come, you've gotta see it. You'll be safe, I promise." This was a place he had come to a number of times in the last couple of months. It was a very relaxing and beautiful place. He knew she would love it, and was glad he had finally gotten the chance to bring her here. She may not be able to travel very var, but he could easily accommodate for her. "You dont have to stay cooped up in that house. Seeing the world around you is good for you as well."
 
A slight redness hit her features when the blood rushed to her cheeks, boiling in her veins. The hand held out to her both reassured her and made her feel a foreign sense of warmth that she could not comprehend. Until she realized she was just nervous, she didn't respond well, but then accepted the extended hand and followed him to the edge. The scene surely was a beauty to behold, and it was much easier since he was with her. She giggled lightly when he noted not to stay in the house too much. "It's true, fresh air is important for the body and mind, isn't it? But yet I always end up hiding in my house anyway. I don't go far often, but even if it's just into the small part of the woods near the house, I do like to go outside. I suppose it's better to be a bit adventurous once in a while though...But then again, you adventure a bit each day, don't you?"
 
He kept an arm around her waist to both reassure and steady her. The waterfall went down into a good sized pool below with a small sandy area around it and trees as far as the eye could see after that. "I go further and further each day. There's always something new to see." He peered over at her. "Maybe you wouldnt be so small if you'd go out more often, eh?" He led her away from the egde before letting her go. "There's a few other places I want to take you to eventually." He hadnt really noticed when he had become so comfortable around her, or when he had become so trusting of her, hut now he was glad he had agreed to stay in her little house. He felt a happiness he hadnt ever really felt before when he was around her.
 
"I'm small because my body doesn't process sugar properly." Flutter mused in response. "I produce so much blood it can't keep up with the sugar I intake- so I'm always low on fuel, so to speak. It's why I tire so easily. But..." She looked around them and at the sea of trees below. The branches intertwined as an optical illusion, looking like friends huddling together in her eyes. "Certainly, sunlight gives us nutrients as well. Even we are like trees, taking in nutrients from the sun. Perhaps my lack of going outdoors quite enough has in fact stunted my growth..." She giggled a bit however, despite the melancholy tone of the conversation, and gave him a cheerful smile. "But even if I'm small, I'm not unhappy with it necessarily. I'm small...But that doesn't mean I have no merit. Being small has its perks, you know."
 
He laughed. "No, certainly not. Some of the best creatures are small. Its nothing to be unhappy about." He layed down on the grass, picked one of the flowers and held it up to her. "I only meant it as a joke, Flutter, nothing more. Relax, enjoy all that the sun and nature have to offer you, just for a bit at least." Being out in such a peaceful, sunny place always made him tired, and usually lulled him into sleep, but this time he pushed the sleepiness away, it wouldnt be fair to her if he slept the time away. "We can head back whenever you want."
 
A laugh escaped her thin lips as relief washed over her in a wave. The fact that he didn't think it bad she was small was somehow calming, and the extended flower made her smile a bit warmer. Her small hand moved to take it, brushing against him as she took it to her chest, eyes closed as she inhaled deeply to savor the scent. She then dropped to her knees near to where he laid in the grass, only to fall on her side next to him. One hand gripped the flower, while the other found its way across his torso, hugging him lightly as she smiled to him gingerly, an unusually upbeat and toothy grin. "I wanna rest like this for a little while. I didn't do any exercise myself, but it's to relaxing like this to want to leave soon."
 
He smiled, putting an arm around her. "Mm... It is, isnt it? I'm glad you like this place. I was hoping you would." The pressure of her small frame against him reassured him, and before long, he was nodding off. A light breeze flew past them, the smell of flowers covering all the other smells of the forest.

He stayed there, dozing lightly for a good while before another, foreign noise caught his attention. He sat up, taking a careful look around them for anything out of the ordinary. He could neither see nor smell anything. The flowers were covering up any scents. He tapped Flutter. "Get up. I think we're being watched," he whispered.

From a tree bordering the clearing, a hawk flew down to the ground and transformed into a rough looking man with straggly black hair. A scar covered one side of his face. He glared at the two of them. "Well, arent you the observant one," he growled.
 
She rested against him for the time being, enjoying the gentleness of the afternoon in simplicity. She had dozed off alongside him, never letting go of him as she slept, oddly sound in her sleep. When he tapped her, she took quite a surprised expression, though it took a bit for her to snap out of her sleepy daze. When she woke and heard him properly, however, she shot up, staring towards where the hawk flew to the ground and transformed. Another like Astor, perhaps?


Flutter would have assumed it a friend if she weren't well aware that not all of a species were friendly with one another- she knew this well due to watching enough humans get into fights with others of their own kind, even friends causing wounds to form on fellow friends. It wasn't simple that way, and she highly doubted that the shifters were any simpler.

Timid, she hid behind Astor slightly, gripping his wrist lightly to show she was scared, both for herself and him. "Who...Are you?" She mused, turning to the stranger. She didn't leave Astor's side, not wanting to separate, but her curiosity still made her ask such an obvious question. The only other question she could think to ask was why he was watching- but she was certain his identity would be more useful to begin with.
 
The stranger growled at her. "You expect me to answer the question of a filthy human?"

Astor growled back at him, pushing Flutter protectively behind him. "There's a rumor of one shapeshifter who despises humans, and kills them on sight. I think they called him Reiden."

"So you are of our kind." The stranger - Reiden - muttered. "Yet you are with a human." He shifted into a large mountain lion and leaped at Astor. That makes you just as filthy as them!

Astor grabbed Flutter and dived out of the way of the claws. "Hide, quickly." he told her. He faced the other shapeshifter again. "I wont let you hurt her," he growled at him before transforming into a tiger.

They leaped at each other, quickly becoming nothing more than a writhing mass of claws and teeth. Fur and blood flew freely. Reiden launched himself into the air, landing on Astor's back and dug his claws in. Astor yowled, standing on his himd paws to try and knock him off. He let himself fall backwards, landing on top of Reiden. Finally freed of the claws, Astor leaped away from him. They stood facing each other for a moment. Both were panting, and bleeding from a number of wounds. Reiden hissed at Astor, and once again they leaped at each other.
 
Flutter was more startled by Astor pushing her away protectively than by Reiden's growl. The response from the stranger wasn't nearly as scary as the fact that Astor felt a need to protect her. After all- he wanted to protect her. That meant there was danger as a possibility, and it much more clear from that. However, when he told her to hide, she did as told despite her better judgement. She wanted to help protect him as well- but Flutter knew well that Astor was far stronger than she was. Her help would only hinder him.

As the blood shed about the grassy plain, she felt a strong sense of fear welling up in her gut. Her stomach churned as each hit landed and the smell of blood overtook that of the gentle floral aroma. Crimson-stained leaves were scattered everywhere it seemed- it somehow terrified her, even though she had once felt the scent of blood was somehow soothing- which she'd never admit, nor ever understand. The more wounds they had, the more she felt tears welling up in her eyes- something she'd never fully experienced properly. Their wounds increasing wasn't something she could stand to see anymore, and she called out from hiding despite his warning.

"Both of you stop it! That's enough! You're bleeding so much you could die of blood loss at any moment at this rate!"
 
Reiden leaped away from Astor, his head swinging toward's Flutter's voice. He leaped towards her. Astor panicked for a split moment before his body would move again. He launched himself at the other shapeshifter, hitting him in the side and digging his claws in. Reiden yowled, swiping in Astor's direction. The impact prevented him from getting the proper leverage. They rolled closer and closer to the cliff edge, both of them too preoccupied with trying to stop the other one to notice until it was too late. Tumbling through the air, they finally separated. Astor tried to cling onto the edge of the cliff, but he couldnt get a hold. He knew if he hit thr ground, it would kill him. The image of Flutter's smile popped into his head. He couldnt let that happen. He closed his eyes and focused on the image of a bird. He could feel the transformation beginning, but this time, it wasnt painless. The blood in his veins turned into molten lava as the transformation continued, nearly knocking him unconsious. Once the transformation had finally finished, he forced his wings to work. Slowly, his descent slowed and he began getting higher. He barely made it back to the top before collapsing on the ground, darkness finally swallowing him.
 
Seeing him fall made the fear multiply tenfold, and even moreso when he collapsed to the ground after managing to make it to the top. Fearful for his life, she dashed out of her hiding spot and wrapped her arms around him, not even noting the blood that covered her clothes when she did so due to the blood all over the field. Needing to treat his wounds and pain fast, she searched the area with her eyes for a makeshift remedy and supplies, as she hadn't taken quite enough in her pockets. She used what she had, treating him while he remained in the darkness of unconsciousness, trying to fight back tears of fear as she did so. When she felt she'd done all she could, she hugged him, crying. "Astor...Please wake up..."
 
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