The sun rose up enough to glare across the water. It was bright and lit the insides of Nova's eyelids. Her body wasn't too pleased with the harsh ground or the cool of the morning. Her eyes blinked open first then she slowly rose up to stretch her arms above her head, roll her head side to side and sigh once she felt stretched and more awake, not awake just yet.
Her hands went to work calming the wild, white mess on her head while she squinted to Sean. "Good morning, I take it last night went ok since I actually got some sleep?" She joked and cleared her throat slightly hoping to clear up her morning gravel in her throat.
Sean turned the moment he heard her and offered a smile. As usual he looked tired even if he wasn't. "Well close enough anyways." Sean responded and stabbed the spear into the ground next to him before walking over to her. He glanced beyond her to see that Red was still out like a light. "I guess that means you slept well then, As good as you could with stones against you back anyways.... it is not so easy for me to sleep never has been really." He commented then sighed as he rubbed some left over sleep from his eyes. He was going to let her get a bit more awake before he was ready to explain his shift of the watch.
"Well if you want to sleep a little, I can watch until we start cooking breakfast," she looked over the camp site and over the water. "I don't know how I slept, but I passed out. I think the water helped a lot. We found a good spot to camp at." She tucked her knees close to her chest in attempt to warm up a little more. "It got a little chilly though."
"Yeah I didn't expect such a temperature drop in such moderate forests, but hell it isn't like our laws apply here for how shit works right?" Sean laughed. Then took a seat next to her. "Hopefully the furs at least helped some, though it might be in good interest that we go kill us a bear today." Sean smirked at her, knowing just how appealing it sounded. "We just have to make sure it doesn't have the face of a damn owl and we will be alright..." A perfect opener.. "Speaking of the strange ways of this place.. something happened really early here in the morning." Sean turned and faced, her locking eyes. "I am pretty sure I confirmed something about this Lugaru word... and well I am pretty sure a few of them showed up last night.."
She laughed and shook her head at his comment about the bears. "No bears today, please." Her eyes met his when he mentioned something happened last night. Her eyebrows bunched together slightly, worried about what he might have witnessed. Her eyes widened slightly and she fell silent, not sure what to say or how to handle the situation. Nova felt her words catching her throat till she finally spit out, "Are you sure? Why didn't you wake me up?" She sat up and glanced past him at the tree line as if one would be standing there waiting for her.
Sean nodded. His eyes following hers, he knew she wouldn't like to hear it but it confirmed what she was.. at least what she was here. "When they appeared I was ready to fight, not sure exactly what I was dealing with before hand, my spear was raised, but the largest of them. He was Black as the night, but gold markings almost glowed against his dark fur all over. His eyes even.. They weren't something you would expect from a wolf, The others had their own markings, their own colors... but they were all wolves larger than you and I with ease, and much larger than you in your wolf form." Sean sighed and picked at the grass. "The moment I realized it. They were looking past me. They didn't care about me. The one that spoke was looking over you.... When I said your name.. they were gone.. just vanished.." Sean looked to her studying her emotions, then back to the grass his fingers tore from its roots with a nervous twitch.. "When he talked it was in my mind just like you before. And he said that they meant no harm.. He called me elf..."
Nova turned her body toward him and nodded along to each word he said. She felt a shiver shoot up her spine and send goose bumps over her body. It was obvious the whole thing spooked Sean. Her eyes flicked to the tree line briefly in hopes they were still sitting there and only she could see them. The second she saw nothing was there once again, she looked at her friend and smiled in the corners of her lips.
"I can't believe you saw something... something like me. I was beginning to think I was alone in this weird body." She reached over and touched his hand that dug at the roots. "Thank you for telling me, are you ok though? I'm sure that was frightening with how big you're explaining them. Were they like lion sized?" Her curiosity and excitement pushed through more than her comforting.
Sean could tell that she was soaking it all in. He could never guess what she was thinking, but the whole thing had definitely made him realize just how weird this place was. it made him wonder.. were there elves here? Were there other species, like Orc, Fairies, Dragons!? His own excitement was starting to show through a bit, but her first question grounded him before he could revisit his days in the past as a DM for Dungeons and Dragons.
"It was pretty freaky I won't lie to you. Four of them were just about the size of a lion, or maybe a tad smaller, and the one that spoke... he was more like a full grown horse.... Like something you would only see in a movie, like that.. wolf in the movie 300!" he could never have known if she'd seen the movie but that was the vibe he got with the wolf. "But he sounded smart, noble almost. His voice was soothing and i think that level of intelligence was a lot of what made the ordeal so freaky... I expected growling, maybe and attack.. and then well that happened... " Sean was still shaken over it but he did well to brush it aside. "it made me wonder.. what the hell am I? what else is here? How small is this little grove, or even this forest in comparison to the world. and finally it made me realize what our next move will have to be. We need to find a city."
It was hard to figure out how to feel or what to express to Sean as he burst with explanation. Nova leaned back into her spot and looked off as he went on to ask rhetorical questions. She had thought the same things yesterday, but it grew much stronger now that names were matching up and descriptions fit. When she heard his last sentence her thoughts froze.
"Are you crazy?" she asked, immediately taken back by her sassy response, but carried on. "There is still so much unknown... like we don't have any reference of location, distance from anything, what else is in the woods, if it gets any bigger than what we've seen," she could go on but the rest simply hung in the air as she looked up at him surprised. "What if they don't even have cities?" Her mind was fuzzy from sleep and just waking up. Her eyes blinked off and she stared off again.
He knew well that it was a crazy suggestion given from what they had to go off of, but that was the exact reason it was what they needed to do. Sean shook his head lightly and made eye contact as he explained. "We have seen bears with owls faces, now giant wolves.. or Lugaru. Strange animals and critters, and I was called an elf. I wouldn't suggest it if I thought we have another option, but the fact is we have no information about this place, no real weapons to defend ourselves or clothes to stay dry if weather gets bad. The Lugaru called me an elf.. and elves have cities. For him to be unsurprised of me being here, that could mean there is a city nearby even, which could get us more answers, and supplies... rather than wandering around unprepared in the wilds.. waiting for something bigger." Sean's strategic mind had come into play here. Since he first realized it; this had become a game for him and now it was just the question of would he be right.
"I think it is our best shot. you aren't a wolf now, so it isn't so far fetched that we go to a city. We all have so many questions but we aren't going to get them answered sitting near the river... and ... not to be the grim of the morning... but we still have a witch to hunt.. with very little information.."
Her excitment was lowering the more he had reasoning to going into a city. The idea of leaving the place they started, the spot where her kind found her made Nova squirm. When he mentioned the witch hunt she looked down and found a pebble to rub at as she let that sink in. Her head nodded softly, "Ya, you're right Sean," she said slightly hurting from the comment.
"Well I'm going to work on getting breakfast so, ya..." she cleared her throat and picked up the stick with a stone point on the end before heading to the tree she sat at last night. Her eyes watched the water and she stood ready to throw the spear at any moving target, though her mind traveled back to the Witch hunt. She didn't want to make it a big deal till it had to be turned into one, so far it was a fact she had to relive each day till she retrieved what she needed.
Sean sighed and shook his head as he watched her walk away. He knew his words had come off for more abrasive than he would have liked. The fact was though that they had no idea what kind of time limit they were on to get that job done, and he didn't want Nova to turn into owl pellets.. Sean glanced back at the forest once more, half hoping the wolves might be back, if for no other reason to cheer her up, but was disappointed. Only when a whiny yawn pierced the air did his eyes come unglued from the tree to see Red stretching out in the sunlight.
'Bout time sleepin beauty.." Sean joked, and approached his friend. Red tried speaking but most of it was hidden in the strange and mysterious yawn speak. Sean laughed, then glanced over to Nova in the shallow part of the water. "Nova is getting our breakfast, but I migh.. Don't." Red interrupted. "I heard the majority of the conversation half way in my sleep, I think one thing you've not done yet is give her time to sort this out for herself. Let her come to grasps with it. Without you telling her everything is going to be alright.. Sean."
Sean stood shocked, but knew looking back at it that Red was right and silently submitted with a nod. "Alright. Then lets go get some berries to go along with it." Red nodded and called over to Nova being the less close of the two it was informal at best. "Nova we are going to get some berries for breakfast. If you get some fish just set em in the little hole I made near the fire. Also if you get tired of spear fighting fish, I made a set of rods over by where I slept. We will be back real soon I know exactly where the berries are." Red then took the lead, grasping his own spear and leading the two of them off into the woods.
"You two don't get lost or anything," she said playful, in a tone that didn't exactly match. Her eyes stayed locked on the water. Once they left she stood still like statue so that the fish wouldn't hear or see any moment. Only a few seconds passed by when a large fish moved its way toward her, her eyes only moved to watch until it came right under her spear. A quick movement to the water and it squirmed at the end. She grinned and laughed, that was much easier than she thought it would be.
Her feet bounced off the roots and she dropped the first fish in the hole by the fire. Nova looked at the woods and caught her breath as she took it all in. Her eyes shut and she breathed in the air, took in all the sounds, felt it all as if she were the woods. When Nova opened her eyes she grinned wide as if it all was right. Her head nodded, and she moved back to the water to get more fish while the boys grabbed berries.
Red was much more swift than Sean would have expected, given his over all human like appearance. Sean was still faster at least for now and the two of them made quick steps through the forest, barely touching ground before bounding again through the forests like it were a jungle gym. "What do you think?" Red finally called back. Sean looked at his friend confused; and red clarified his question. "About Nova ya moron.." Sean couldn't see that Red was actually slightly irritated with him.
"I am not exactly sure what you are getting at, but I really like talking with her, she is kind of a wild card don't you think?" Red simply nodded, but he wasn't done interrogating either. "What about Victoria?" Sean stopped and Red slid to a stop just before him. Why in the hell was he asking about Victoria now of all people? "Of course I like Victoria. She is fun once you get to know her and I was lucky enough to build that connection with her.." Red's eyes narrowed slightly, the hiss in the back of his head grew louder but even he couldn't tell what it was. "mhmm.. " Was all that Red responded before taking off again, this time at a pace Sean would have a hard time keeping.
It didn't take long at all for Nova to catch more than enough fish for them to eat so she stopped. Her hand tossed to spear aside as her eyes looked for a flat rock. Once a good rock was found she picked up the fish and took their scales on one side so they could cook on the scale side. Her humming started randomly as she worked, a tune she knew but couldn't name. It was light and flowed through her ear smoothly.
She sighed at the fact that the boys were taking forever. She had time to test something out, this was her first time being alone since they got there. Nova sat on her knees in front of the water and looked at all of it before she shut her eyes and sat in silence. Her mind focused on her body, how it felt, where she hurt or where she was tense. Naturally she laid herself down and slowed her breathing. Her mind focused on her image of Abu, and there she was.
Nova's eyes shot open and the piercing image before her was so clear, the sound of the forest lived in her ears and the breeze brushed through her fur. Her body flicked till she was on all fours. "I did it! I did it on purpose!" She said as if the boys were back. She hopped around all excited and barked a few times before she sat down and let out a howl. Her muzzle slowly raising up as her eyes closed and she let it stretch out as long as she could before opening her eyes and laughing.
Sean had to catch his breath when they finally arrived at the place where Red's berries were. Red had already started picking out the good from the bad and Sean stood awkwardly on standby, though he noted which ones Red picked up, and then the ones he didn't. The question of Victoria still confused him. It made sense that Red would get ideas about Nova and him. "What about you Red, what do you think of Nova?" Red stopped for a second and smiled. "I think she is very attractive and your an idiot to not think the same." Sean looked struck and responded. "It isn't that I don't think the same thing, I just didn't know what you were asking? Red finished picking the berries and laughed, though it was more sarcastic than anything.. "So you like her?" Sean couldn't believe he was still going on about this. "yeah sure.. I.. " Red interrupted. "And Victoria?" I.. Sean didn't know what to say. he knew well that he and Victoria were just friends, but what had gotten into Red. Hell Sean didn't even know that Red had a clue who Victoria was, and it was apparent too that he had no clue about well much of anything when it came to Sean's actual interests.. "Look Victoria and I.. we are.." Red cut him off and started back, "Naw save it. The fact is you can't have both of em so you better make a decision soon on what you want or you will lose both." Sean tried to retort, correct Red about it because up until this conversation His mind had been elsewhere.
The trip back was faster, but silent leaving Sean time to reflect. He definitely had thought Nova was a beautiful girl, the moment she changed from wolf to woman.. he wasn't about to forget that or what he thought in that moment. But up until Red had started all this Sean had been focused on survival, on home, Hailey.. He hadn't given thought to anyone in that way, and in a way he felt guilty for that. Regardless he had to straighten up and get his head straight before they got back to Nova, because this was the last thing they needed right now..
In the distance Sean could hear the rush of the river. They were getting close. Then he heard the last sound he would have expected. A harmonious and longing howl rang through the forest, and both he and Red looked to each other. Sean dashed then holding his spear tightly in one hand as he passed through the brush with ease, almost as if the long weapon were an extension to his arm. The tree line broke and Sean shouted out. "Nova!".....
He didn't have to guess at the wolf at the center, the markings, and the snow white fur was all he needed to know, though it surprised him to see her, He looked to her from a distance, and the idea of calming his mind before meeting her again slipped right out the damn window. His mouth formed an O as he approached a half silent. "Wow." passed his lips as he shook his head in wonderment and called out to her. "Did you slip in the water again and just change? or is there more to it?" He laughed then moved to stand before her, looking down into her beautiful blue eyes, He knelt. "Beautiful any form you take it seems." He whispered and placed a hand on her head, petting softly.
As she heard movement coming toward camp she sat up on all fours and her tail waved behind her as she waited for her friends to pop through the tree line. Her tongue licked at her chops out of excitement and she slightly jumped when they broke through. She laughed at his 'Wow' and slowly stepped over to him. "No I did it all on my own, on purpose... I at least know how to get to my wolf form when I want, not sure about the human part yet but I'm sure it is just the same." Nova sat down as he knelt before her. His compliment took her back slightly, she'd blush if it wasn't for being a wolf. Her eyes closed and she leaned into his hand.
Once Red came into sight she barked out of excitement and walked over to the hole, sitting proudly before it. "I got plenty of fish and it is ready to be cooked. How did the berry hunt go?" She looked between the two of them as she waited for an answer.
Red was the first to raise a brow as he dropped the make shift sack of berries a ways away from the fire. He heaved a hardy sigh and shook his head. "Well it wasn't hard to get them, but trying to keep up with this guy when he heard your howl... that was a pain!" Red exclaimed then slouched down taking a seat. Sean laughed to himself. "Well That gives you a head up on the rest of us. You can at least turn into a wolf when you need to defend yourself. Reminds me do you just know how to fight when your like this?" Now that the wolf thing was less a surprise and more of a well gift in a way his mind was brimming with questions. Sean loved wolves and knew a lot about them too, so understanding how she felt like this what her instincts were.. He contained himself for the time.
Sean puzzled her, as usual with his questions of how she did things or how it felt. Her head softly turned to the side as she looked away. "Well I haven't fought anything yet, but any time I feel a threat my body just reacts, there is no telling it what to do. Just like you naturally know to dodge something sharp coming at you. You just do it because you don't want to get hit."
"For you to be human again, wouldn't you think it would just be like reverse of changing to a wolf?" He questioned as he checked the edge of his spear, and Red started lining the fish along the fire. "You got some good ones today, Nice work. We wont be hungry again until the evening which will give us more time to get ready for our trip." Red announced then flung a pebble at Sean's blind spot.
The pebble would have hit, it should have. But something sparked around Sean. a red flame licked around his skin and broke out at a sharp point that intercepted the pebble, destroyed it. The flame vanished then and Red stood up ready with his spear staring at Sean who seemed entirely unaware of what had happened.
Nova raised her head proud of herself as he talked about the fish she caught. A soft chuckle came from her as she watched Red flick a pebble at Sean. When her eyes followed she witnessed the strange reaction his body had. Her proud stance lowered and her ears flicked back as she watched what happen.
'What? Why are you both staring?" Sean asked and looked between them.
"Did you not feel... or know what just happened?" She stood up and wandered over to him slowly, in a slight crouched stance. She wasn't afraid of him, but she didn't want his body doing the same to her as it reacted to the pebble. "You just... shot his pebble before it hit you? Is that what we just saw Red?" she asked to clarify. It wasn't all that clear as to what he did or even how it happened. Her nose stretched out to sniff at him, same smell as before. It wasn't anything threatening.
Sean followed Nova with his eyes, not understanding any of what was going on. Red was approaching now too. "Yeah that is what we saw Nova. Some deep blood red spike or something stopped the pebble from hitting him.." Red seemed just as confused, but his eyes had that curious gleam about them, and before Sean could think to react, Red had picked up a stick and swung it hard over Sean's head. Sean barely able to protest as he rolled back and looked at his friend still coming at him. "Red what the hell are you doing?!" Sean demanded then side stepped another swing, ducking under the next one that followed. To anyone outside of the camp and half way to them as well. Red looked like a mad man with a god damn stick right now, and Sean was on the run.
"Nova... forgive the dog pun..." Sean swerved around another attack and leaped over a low swing before nearly falling on his ass. "But dear god please fetch me a stick!"
Nova backed up and started to watch as the two started reacting to each other. Her body told her there was no reason to protect, so she didn't. Her ears perked up at her name then lowered as he made his pun. With that she took her time sniffing out a stick. Once a large enough stick was found her mouth bit down and she jogged over near the two, dropping it close enough for her not to get hit but for him to grab. "There ya go, and don't you dare so good girl or I'll jump in..." she growled softly as she walked away then laid down watching the two of them. Head on her front legs, only her eyes moving with their burst of swings and jabs.
Red was still way too fast to be a god damn human, and Sean was losing momentum fast. His eyes followed Nova as she very deliberately took her sweet time looking for a good stick. Ducking, weaving and over all just doing his best to avoid Red's swings, because his friend was not holding any punches here. "Come on Sean, you said you wanted to train right!" Red challenged him then as if the bastard needed it, he picked up a freaking twig and flung it like a knife. Sean rolled out of the way and landed just in reach to grab a big old honker of a branch... "Goo.... Oh never mind.. you ruined it!" He shouted ducking behind another swing.
The branch in his hand was thicker than the one red used, and it was off weight. An awkward weapon to use against someone who was so fast, but when Sean lifted it... the weapon was nothing in his hand. "Just like the deer" He commented to himself, then turned just in time to block a heavy swing by Red. Sean retaliated with his own swing, and so their little dance began. neither were the most graceful, but with a weapon in his hand, Sean felt at home, confident.. the weight of it didn't matter anymore and he was easily able to block and counter against Red. before long the two of them were smiling behind their make shift swords, and taunting the other. Red had left an opening though, and Sean could see it clear as day. Swinging low his branch arced upwards, and Red turned just in time to block it... He wouldn't be able to though.. Like before, but before Red could react this time... the Crimson red flames formed on Sean's hand, and climbed up the stick, and as the wood connected it sliced through Red's weapon like it were nothing, and then it sliced through Red.
Blood spilled to the ground, and Red fell backward holding at an almost lethal gash in his side spread to his shoulder. His eyes settled on Sean, but not his eyes per say. They were green, not normal, but bright, glowing. Sean could feel his mouth moving, but not at the same rate he wanted it to. His eyes followed the blood that never touched the ground, but seemed to hang in stasis around them. Silence and still until Sean felt his body almost yanked back... reversed time returned to normal just as Sean noticed the lick of red flames upon his weapon, and he turned quickly to miss swing Red as his weapon flew from his hands... Both he and Red fell backwards and dropped what they were holding.. Red's eyes were normal.. there was no blood, and the flames that were licking at Sean's hands were gone...
Nova lifted her head as things got more intense, ears pressing back. Sean took a swing at Red and she barked, hoping onto her feet. It was going too far, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. Her heart sank and she ran over to them just as the two were pushed away from each other. Her body slid between them and she looked to Sean on her left then Red to her right. "Are you trying to kill each other?! We don't know how strong either of you are, but clearly it is a hell of a lot more than either of you know or understand. The last thing we need is for one of you to accidently kill each other..." she huffed at the two of them and sniffed the air to be sure no one was bleeding.
Once it was clear they both weren't injured she moved away from everything with a chill that ran down her spine. She didn't understand how any of this was happening, of course. They were on day two which meant days on end full of twists and turns. As the two of them took their own time to understand what happen Nova gave into her images of her human body and slipped into her more delicate form so someone could get the food going. She didn't take her eyes off the fire as she added to it in order to get it heated up again and to cook. It was written all over her face that she wasn't happy with them.
Both Red and Sean sat there for a while. Neither wanted to move, and both realized the hard truth to what Nova said. Sean's eyes followed her as she moved away from them, and then as she almost flawlessly turned back into a human. Not naked either, the furs were there as well... Sean wanted to comment but held his tongue at that point. The fact that in reality he had just killed his best friend didn't help his stomach, and he could feel the bile building up in his throat.
"It was my fault alright?" Red broke the silence, and said it loud enough for all of them to hear it. "I wanted to test a theory... It has been like that ever since I came here. I feel like I know shit already.. but I also feel like testing well.. everything.." Red pushed off the ground and checked to make sure he had no damage, then looked to Sean... "I shouldn't have came at you so hard, that was my mistake... but still... at least we know more now." despite having just died and kissed death on the cheek only to return. Red could still smile like he always did, in fact he seemed more happy about it than any of them, and from that he stretched and quickly moved over to where Nova was and started sorting out berries. He looked up to Nova. 'Sorry for the scare.. I just didn't want to let that little hint get away from us.." From that her fell silent, and prepared a larger leaf for each of them with multicolored berries.
Once the fire was ready she started cooking each other fish. Once Red wandered over she kept her eyes on her work. An eyebrow raised in response, but she bit her tongue and held in the comments she wanted to make. The two settled down, which is what she wanted so there was no reason to get mad at them. "It's alright, I just would hate to..." she shook her head and let the sentence finish itself in their own heads. Once each fish was ready she placed portions on each leaf.
Sean joined them soon after, still shaken from the experience he settled in his normal spot and looked to Nova Sheepishly. Red had said it all and all he could offer was an apology, which wouldn't do anything. "Looks like you got a better handle on your ability to shape shift, just now you seemed to do it flawlessly.." His hope was that taking the subject off the incident.. if you could call it that might help their mood. Even though he was bursting to talk about whatever had just happened he held it in.
When Sean returned Nova couldn't help but look up at him. Her eyes reading that he clearly felt a lot from the incident so she softened her gaze. Her eyes looked back to the last of the fish she cooked. "It's all in my head, I just picture what I want and it just...happens." Nova looked back up at him at him and glanced over to Red as she placed the last of the fish down. She envied the friendship they had here. She thought of Rebbeca and how much she wanted to talk to her about everything. Though it would drive her crazy talking about Sean she would at least talk through it and grasp whatever the hell was going on with the two of them.
"Fish is ready to eat," she softly offered and sat back as her teeth softly chewed on the inside of her lip. Her mind was rolling and rolling with different ideas, emotions and thoughts. For once she felt like it was ok to filter through it and know she wouldn't break down like a crazy person.
The three of them grabbed a leaf and picked at the food. It was amazing how good it all tasted. It was fresh from the land around them, not processed junk food each of them were use to back home. Each bite was better than the last, making it all vanish within minutes. The mood lightened and the tension left throughout the meal. Giving them the time they needed to just hang out, not worry and just be with each other. The meal finished each of them more than content and it was only about noon by way of the sun. Red cleared his throat then interrupting the silence. He pulled out a pale looking leaf and upon it were stains, markings that appeared to be a map. Red looked between them. "I took time to start marking things out in the wilds in case we chose to venture out. I figured this would come in handy." The three of them looked at each other and this time Sean spoke. "I think we spend the rest of today figuring out what we can about our new bodies and abilities... preparing.. and tomorrow crack of dawn.. we go." The idea settled a shiver on their spines but all three nodded in agreement. Each of them were ready for answers.
