27th of Gladexx
"W
here are you going this time?” Brianne sighed, watching as the lankier girl packed a small bag of belongings. At least she’d taught her that much. But apparently not enough, as Senara did not respond and placed a small water skin inside a worn leather bag. Brianne leaned on the counter, observing the girl's choice of clothing. Warm enough, she supposed, but yet again without shoes. “Look if you’re going to be leaving, at least tell me when you’ll be back.”
Senara clasped the bag closed and slung it over her shoulder. What was this woman's deal? What was everyones deal? Nosey, the lot of them, from Talon to Brianne could no one mind their damn business?
“Eventually. And don’t bring Talon back.”
---
5th of Searing
Crunch.
The grinding of teeth against bone, then bone snapping in half echoed throughout a small cavern in the Wildking’s Forge. Senara’s massive wolven form rose up from above the scaley carcass of her kill- whatever it had been, it was no longer recognizable. With a huff the wolf turned and glanced back towards the beckoning light of day.
Through the cavern's entrance, the wind teased scents of blooming flowers as the calming song of Lake Udori could nearly make one forget the carnage that had just transpired on it’s shore.
Senara stepped out into the light of the midday sun. Around her, four human bodies lay mutilated and torn. One of their faces frozen in the panic of his last breaths.
’Silly travellers. Humans. Awful, stupid creatures who get high on life and forget they live in a predator versus prey world. Serves them right.’
But part of her wished she’d gotten there sooner. Maybe then she could have at least chastised them properly for their foolishness. She chuffed and sighed, hanging her head low while crimson paws brought her to the shoreline. It was warm. Clear. The sunlight danced upon jewel-like stones beneath the crystalline surface, and for a few moments Senara wondered if this was the image that had distracted the humans to death. Calm, perfect waters in a world so chaotic. Perhaps she didn’t blame them so much anymore.
With a soft sigh Senara closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of her world. Crisp. Warm. Feral. Floral. She could smell the fruit of the orchards nearby, the sugar of the crystal forest only a few hundred meters ahead, and every bluebird and swallow that flirted between tree branches surrounding the lake.
’Now, inward.’
Like a stone. Deeper. Imagining the frame she’d been gifted by nature morphing to that of her lesser self.
’Human.’
The first tell was the tingle in her paws and tail. It crept up through her fur and skin like the wind through a field of grass. Every hair on her body stood on end before retracting inwards. As the transformation took hold of her she let it take her.
Bones and joints clicked, cracked, and popped into places and yet no part of this shift was as painful as the first few times.
Mere minutes later, she stood shorter than before and peered down at her human feet that were dug an inch into the wet sand.
No claws. No fur. No ears or tail. Just pale, pink flesh painted with scars and bruises from her weeks in training. It had been nearly ten weeks since her departure, and although she’d trained in her hunting skills in unfamiliar territory, she’d come no closer to her goal than when she’d left.
She still couldn’t call on her lycan form. And Talon’s expression the day his words had broken her walls was seared into her mind like a branding. It wouldn’t leave. It didn’t bother her as much as it used to but recalling her human form in the past few weeks had always meant remembering that day.
Why had he looked that way? Caring. Empathetic. Like he'd bring justice to the world with his very eyes. She hated it. She hated it more than she could bare but yet….
She missed him. She didn’t know him well enough to miss him in the ways other humans talked about missing people, but without him there those past few weeks it was as if a cold front had been following her.
Senara looked to the sky, half hoping to see the Avialae and his companion flying down to greet her. But there was nothing, just clear sky and a light breeze that tickled the nape of her neck where silky brown hair danced.
’It’s time to go back.’