Farewell, Fog (Open)

[Calla]

16 Spring, 512 AV Calla had known a storm had been coming. The smell of the air had changed over the course of a few short hours and her animal instincts had begun to itch. Outside the woods had grown hushed and the birds could be seen fleeing in larger and smaller flocks, their own senses warning them of the danger to come. It wasn't any ordinary storm if smaller creatures felt the need to take to the air or burrow underground to flee whatever force was on its way. However, Calla was not one to run, nor did she suspect that the other citizens in The Spires would abandon their beloved city so easily. Instead of following the birds' path of flight, she returned to her home in the Inner Petals and prepared to bunker down. She stripped her clothing off and pulled her backpack from the small chest she kept. Her clothing items were made of a thin cloth and as such could be folded up into relatively small bundles. She stuffed her shirt and shorts as far down into the pack as she could, mindful of the blades that were also contained within. She left her wooden brushes loose in the chest. She rarely ever used them. Her hair was short enough that any brushing could be done with her fingers and she hadn't the need nor the capability to use them in her wolf form. She wasn't so sure she could get a whole lot with the items through a trade, either, so they were relatively useless to her. Everything else had remained in the pack since she'd arrived in Spires. The week's worth of rations she'd arrived with were long gone, her meals usually taken in the forest below after a hunt. The waterskin, which had by that time been emptied, the razor and eating knife, the flint and steel remained. The extra cloak she had was left in the chest as well. She didn't have much need for it since she already had the pelt that acted in the same manner. Her shoes were a matter of debate. She really hated wearing them and refused to do so as often as she was able. Only if the terrain grew particularly dangerous for bare feet did she reluctantly pull the things on. In the end she decided she might as well, and stuffed those into the pack as well, the poor sack beginning to bulge with the extra belongings crammed into it. Once she was satisfied that everything could be quickly grabbed and made off with, she shifted into her animal form and curled up under her bunk, as far back into the corner as she could squeeze her furred body. She wasn't a coward, it was simply survival. She could already hear the wind beginning to howl outside her abode and predicted that rain would soon follow. The other citizens would likely follow her lead soon enough and hunker down in their own shelters to wait out the storm. She had no idea what kind of storm it would turn out to be, nor the extent of the damage and the affects it would have on the world she lived in. The Djed Storm had raged for hours. There were times she thought it'd never end, a low whine escaping her muzzle at the thought and her ears pinned themselves to her skull in her fear and in the face of the howling of the winds outside her home. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, despite her fears, and eventually drifted off. When she awoke, it was quiet once more. Slowly she crept from her hiding place, and stopped beside the bunk once she'd wriggled out from under it and was able to stand. Only after she had scented the air did she allow herself to stretch, bowing her front half low, followed by her rear before shaking out her fur. The sleepy fog in her eyes refused to clear even as she blinked and slowly it dawned on her that fog had slipped in through the door and filled the interior of her apartment. With her head low and her ears stiffly facing forward, she crept to the door, her nose working furiously as she went in an attempt to scent any danger that may be lying in the Hidden City. Nothing smelled particularly out of the ordinary for the sort of atmosphere that lingered after a storm. She could hear the other inhabitants of the city stirring as the moved throughout their own homes and back into the outer areas of the city, trying to assess the damage done. She was beginning to relax now, her ears standing less stiffly and her head rising with the lack of danger to be discovered. Maybe all those birds had been overreacting. They did tend to be awful flighty. ------ In the following weeks, things seemed to continually take a turn for the worse. Everyone seemed to be out of sorts and constantly offended by everyone else, or otherwise emotionally provoked. Some individuals openly sobbed in public, others couldn't stop themselves from laughing at the oddest times, and still others were more easily provoked into fights than they ever had before. The Jamoura in particular seemed to be changing at a rapid pace, and not for the greater good. The once gentle giants were becoming aggressive and primitive. Things were dissolving into chaos, the kind that Calla had no taste for. She was glad that she'd packed her belongings in a fit of fear. She had decided to take her leave of the city and would need them. The only problem was that she couldn't carry the pack out of the city in the normal fashion. She didn't have thumbs in her current form and seemed unable to acquire them by shifting back to her human shape. With the progression of the weeks following the Storm, her ability to shift back to her human shape had become harder and harder to perform. Even more so she was finding it much more difficult to find any reason to shift back. She enjoyed her canine shape much too much, and with things falling apart in Spires, she was much more well protected and able to oblige anyone in a fight if she had her claws and teeth at her disposal. She, too, was feeling the effects of the storm, though she was unaware that the remaining fog was the cause. Her aggression level had nearly doubled and she was stalking around with a constant scowl on her mug, a low growl emanating from her muzzle in a near-constant stream with little or no provocation. She was more than willing to get into a fight with the non-Jamoura individuals of the City, but that luxury would be short lived. The ape creatures were much too big and much too strong to take on even one by herself. Even in her current state of mind she knew this. A Wolf's strength lay in its pack, and without a pack, a lone wolf was much less likely able to take down a strong stag, never mind something like a Jamoura. Her instincts were telling her it was time to vacate the territory she'd been stalking through and find a new one to settle into. She would need to find a calmer city to take shelter in, as the Wilds were a very dangerous place and a single wolf would be picked off without much trouble if she wandered for too long. Sunberth was the first name that came to mind as her jaws clamped around the top of her pack and hefted it out of the chest. From what she'd heard in the past, Sunberth was a sort of fast and loose city that accepted all sorts of people. A little on the dangerous side, but more readily accepting of wilder individuals such as herself. It sounded like it could be a good fit. And if not, she could find somewhere else to settle, if she didn't do just that before she's even reached her decided-upon destination. Arching her neck back in order to keep the pack from dragging on the ground, she somewhat awkwardly began her way to the outer edges of the city where she could descend to the forest floor. Once there she could figure out how to wriggle her way into her backpack and be off. The shoulder straps were long enough that they'd fit over her shoulders if she managed to get it on. It'd be odd and somewhat uncomfortable, but it would have to do until she managed to fit into her human shape again.

[Wings]

Wings's backpack had been untouched since she had gotten to this amazing city. However, what looked like a nice, comfortable city soon turned into a riot of fighting and anger. She had seen an advertisement for the Crimson Edge, something that appealed to her senses. Her next plan was to go there.

She had been sitting underneath the long stairway while the fog drifted across her path. Her dried meat from her pack was very tantalizing, considering her wolf side, but she used it wisely. Her backpack caused sweat to form on her back where it was safely fastened, but not too tight to where it would suffocate her in her wolf form if she happened to shift. The sweat quickly froze in the cool morning air, causing her to shiver absent-mindedly.

Movement flickered in the corner of her eye, and she snapped her attention to the figure moving down the stairs. It was another Kelvic wolf, dragging a large, overstuffed backpack behind it. I stood up, realizing it needed help.

I slowly moved toward it so not to alarm it. "There," I said after putting the backpack onto its back. "Where are you going?" Then I remembered that I needed to shift for it to understand me. I crouched down on the muddy forest floor. Lights flashed until the transformation had completed. I cocked my head to the side and asked where it was going.

In wolf form, I could tell that it was a she. A faint trace of fear lingered on her coat.

[Wings]

17 Spring, 512 AV

[Calla]

Calla smelled the stranger before she ever saw her. A mix of dried meats, various cloths, and sweat on human skin with the undertone of a muskier scent. Another wolf in human guise, and one that was approaching with little hesitation, although rather slowly. Her head swung in the direction of the scent and the sound of footsteps, her body following so that neither her back nor her sides were left open to the strange young woman. Her hackles and tail raised and her lip peeled back to reveal sharp fangs as she allowed her pack to drop to the ground so her jaws were available for use. More likely than not the young woman had come to The Spires to look for a place to live and found it to be rather inhospitable. Or perhaps she was simply passing by beneath the city, as Calla couldn't recall ever having seen her within its limits. Either way, the woman was a threat until proven otherwise, especially with how oddly the residents of Spires had been acting as of late. Calla's own instincts were telling her to tear the girl's throat out and be on her way before any chance of an altercation could further develop. She herself had grown increasingly aggravated and hostile within the past few weeks, though not enough so to compare to the Jamoura just yet. A snarl ripped from her throat as the woman continued her approach and fearlessly reached down to snatch Calla's bag. Thievery was certainly not unheard of, though she had nothing of value in her bag that the woman could use to barter with. If push came to shove she could abandon the items held within. Well, all but one. She'd kill any would be thief before they made off with the pelt that had been stuffed in with her other belongings. She very nearly snapped the stranger's fingers off when she grabbed up the pack. It was only when she realized that the young woman wasn't retreating with the bag, but advancing instead, that realization dawned upon her that it was meant to be a helpful gesture and wound up wriggling her way into the straps. She backed off a few steps in any case, just to be sure. Her hackles and tail remained raised as the young woman addressed her, though her growling died down and her lip fell back into place. One ear flicked at the stranger's words. She could understand just fine, but any reply she gave wouldn't be understood by the girl's human ears. She backed off another step as the stranger suddenly shifted. It wasn't an act of retreat, more so her trying to put enough space between herself and the girl to allow her ample time to react, should the situation turn hostile. "Somewhere that's not here," was the only answer she gave in her wolfish tongue. The girl couldn't have been in the Spires long, if at all, if she could still shift so easily, and Calla was still suspicious. She wasn't about to detail her travel plans to a perfect stranger.

[Wings]

17 Spring, 512 AV

Wings stared at the wolf in wondering curiosity. She had wanted someone to travel with for a long time, hence her sociable nature.

The she-wolf stared back at Wings, clear untrust fogging in her eyes as thick as the fog around us. Her wolf fur slowly wafted in the breeze. One paw's claws dug into the soft soil, and she pawed away many of dirt.

"Would you mind if I came with you?" Wings asked.

Wings became uneasy in the silence that followed. It was a silence of decision and wanted solitude that made her like this. With the silence, the fog welcomed itself around her, twirling in-between her legs and neck, sliding over and under her light fur. Her coat became wet, and the cold air took advantage. The tips of the small hairs began to freeze, but not completely freeze.

The Spires wasn't meant for warm, sunny days. It could be a cold, harsh atmosphere that froze your paws blue.

Wings snapped back to attention as the wolf opened her mouth to speak.

Wolf
Common


Ooc: Sorry. I'm not that great of a rper yet. Bear with me

[Estr Bantque]

It certainly felt good to be home - more so than she had expected after her latest venture. She had only just returned from the beautiful city of Ravok, expecting to finally find time to let instinct take over and bound through the tree-tops and unique terrain of the Spires in her most natural form, something she had been looking forward to for some weeks now. Unfortunately, only a few hours after setting foot into the place, Estr found herself sprinting for cover from a storm she had somehow not sensed. Her usual room had been rented out to someone for a few weeks, something she would have to sort out with the owner when she had the time. So for the time being, the kelvic spent her days skulking through various inns and other such structures, making herself comfortable in the rafters and dozing off to the soothing sound of Jamourian conversation.

At least, that was how it had worked for the first few days. Lately, the citizens had been so brusque that even the gentle giants had been affected, often ascending into arguments and hollering, and a time or two nearly even brawling in the middle of an establishment. Estr was taken aback at her first sighting of this, and soon made a point of seeking out adequate places within the treetops to create a temporary home. A few times she had found suitable locations, but each time retreated back into the city for the security of its walls. It wasn't that the idea of another storm frightened her in the sense of being exposed, rain and thunder were things she had gotten used to living with wolves, but rather she could not stand being alone in such a storm. Thus, she continued wandering the city, switching between animal and felid form to keep her occupied, longing for the familiarity this place had once offered her.

It was in such a mood that Estr happened across yet another standoffish couple of travelers - both of them wolves, and both of them certainly kelvic. The first she could tell from it's manner: calmer than most, less offensive. The second, though seemingly more adjusted to its aggressive animal form, couldn't do anything to hide the pack on it's back that gave it away. This was exactly the type of situation Estr had been avoiding in the preceding weeks, with the threat of a violent brawl looming as two strangers eyed each other in the street. Here, however, she saw something different - only the one wolf positioned itself in a way that could be considered threatening, and even this was not from any aggressive movement but rather from an apparent distrust that could possibly escalate in the event of a misunderstanding.

It was exactly this type of situation that apparently drew Estr's attention, though she had no idea why. The same had happened in her passing through Ravok, and though her presence may have done nothing in the end, it gave her a peace of mind to at least watch that conflict would not break out where it was unneeded. Though, should the worst occur, she wanted to be ready. So approaching the two casually in human form (as comfortable as she may be around wolves, she has generally found that the canines are not quite as welcoming to her feline form), the kelvic made a quick mental check of where to find her dagger, pleased to know it was easily accessible from her boot. Not exactly original, but there was a reason it worked.

Unsure of the nature of their conversation, Estr decided to test to see whether the bestial forms were meant to be aggressive or merely a matter of preference. "Not trying to play law enforcer, though the gods know this city needs some right about now, but just thought I'd see if everything was alright over here?" She expected they would either ignore her and go about their business, nod, or some other partial acknowledgement that signaled she was unwanted or unneeded there. Otherwise, should she be welcomed, she would either wait for either of them to return to a human form, or allow herself to transition into her own animal figure - praying that this wouldn't prompt any type of instinctual aggression.



OOCIf my character is addressed and neither of you return to human form, which I don't expect you would, feel free to assume my character's transformation into the clouded leopard (understands wolfish tongue, part of char. history) for conversation progression. I hope that was implied in the post, but I'm a little rusty and feel it was a bit wordy for getting the point across.Thanks for bearing with me!

[Calla]

The other wolf wanted to tag along. Calla wasn't so sure about that. She supposed to was only natural that a lone wolf would seek out companionship with others of its kind, but she had been on her own for a while now and was somewhat reluctant to let someone else impeded on her freedom as a loner. Plus, the girl that had placed the request looked to be on the young and naive side as she readily approached a wolf with little hesitation or caution. The other girl might slow her down, and she didn't want it to take her forever to reach Sunberth. Before she could make her decision, yet another individual approached. Calla couldn't help wrinkling her nose. Cat. She'd never liked the way cats smelled. Her golden-eyed gaze shifted from the other wolf and over to the young woman that called to them, making it clear that she didn't care to play as referee to any sort of brawl that might break out. At least she had enough sense not to stroll over between the two canines as she addressed them. Calla still wasn't entirely comfortable or willing to shift back to her human form just yet. She wasn't so sure she'd be able to manage it even if she had been willing. The past few weeks in the hostile environment of the Spires had made her much more comfortable in her fur. Whether it was psychological or not, her shifting had been compromised as of late. Instead she sidestepped a few more paces in order to gains some more ground for herself before taking a seat. She was attempting to get her bristling fur under control as she regarded the young woman not far from her. Her ears stood straight and tilted as far forward as they were able as her head fell into a tilt, regarding the woman curiously. She wasn't going to attempt shifting to speak to the woman just yet, but she wasn't going to dismiss her immediately, either.

[Asha]

Asha sat with her back against a tree, pondering her situation. Well, perhaps pondering is not the correct word. As of late, thinking was becoming more difficult and her thought patterns were completely alien to her. Where she once thought of how all beings are interconnected through complex cosmic interplay now all she could think of was how irritating those smallish creatures running around were. She was even beginning to think that they might be a bit tasty. But no, that wasn’t right. Asha didn’t eat animals, she was Jamoura. Jamoura were gentle giants. Or were they? In the last two weeks Asha had seen more arguments and physical conflicts then she ever had before. And the Jamouran grunts which were once thought to be so bestial and base were now heard from every quarter of the Spires. Asha herself was beginning to forget how to move her tongue to shape the human’s Common language. More and more she had to rely on Jamouran to converse with her family. But why should she have to speak the despicable human’s ugly language anyways? She was a great Jamouran and---

The wind picked up and brought a fresh scent to her large nostrils, immediately cutting off her former thoughts. Her attention span was pathetic. With a few quick sniffs she identified the scent as some wolves and a human, no not a human, the creature had a strange feline scent mingled with it, perhaps a Kelvic. That seemed interesting. Interesting was enough of a reason for Asha to investigate. Her great, black body rose up on all fours, balancing on the knuckles of her hands. She stopped a moment in confusion; didn’t she usually stand on her back feet? When was the last time she did that? She hated the strange questions and indecisions that had been crowding her head for days; they filled her with fear and uncertainty. Feelings she did not enjoy. Shaking her head with a grunt to clear the thoughts away, she lumbered around the tree to see the party standing a little ways up the road. She padded towards the group, fully recognizing their scents as Kelvics all around. She stopped a few yards away, suddenly uncertain of her purpose for approaching had been. She felt almost embarrassed at her behavior, but then again who cared what some tiny creatures thought? Her mammoth body towered over them, and that was enough to give her a sense of dominance over the creatures.

“What are you doing here?” she boldly stated in a mix of Common and Jamouran grunts. The mixing of languages felt clumsy in her mouth and sounded strange in execution, but she couldn’t quite remember what all the Common words were.

OOCHello, I know you have quite a party going already but I hope you don’t mind if I budge in.

[Wings]

A scent, much like fallen forest leaves, wafted across Wings's nose. As a reflex, her body began to form into a hostile nature, a nature she didn't like to show. Her guard hairs rose, her eyes became sharp flint, and her lips peeled back, showing teeth as sharp as a dagger.

"We don't need help." She stopped her self from adding "You'd best be going, if you have any sense at all".

Her ears flicked back as she heard loud footsteps behind her. Blinded by rage (that had somehow taken over her mind), she spun around and growled at the figure that made its way over, acting as if it owned the entire forest. The Jamoura owned a title of dominance, and Wings didn't like it one bit. She raised her tail.

Dizziness rushed over her like a wave. She felt as if she was drowning, and her breathing became unsteady. There were too many people to handle (for she had been on herself for too long), too many people to keep control of. Shadows threatened to envelop her, and her legs wobbled underneath her weight. When they gave out, she was left laying on the moist forest floor, growling and spitting at the strangers around her.

[Estr Bantque]

It took a tremendous amount of reserve for Estr to keep her trembling upper lip from from curling back in an animalistic manner which she could not mask, even in her human form. As the previously more aggressive of the two wolves took on a more civil stance, the younger and seemingly calmer one made a turn around that raised the hairs on the back of Estr's neck with frustration. Eyebrows raised, the kelvic allowed her eyes to wander about the scene before settling back on the younger wolf, making eye contact and pausing for a moment before retorting, "Well then I suppose it's a good thing I wasn't looking to give any, isn't it?" She attempted to hide the edge in her voice with a laugh, intent on not escalating any tensions but unwilling to allow herself to be intimidated by a naive pup sporting fangs that seemed to give her some sense of entitlement. "No, no worries hon, I'm not looking to push my claws into your business. But I'd rather this place not have any more fur needing cleaning up where it's not necessary," she paused, narrowing her eyes with a smile and deciding not to add in something about how a lesson in manners may in fact be necessary.

Unwilling to feed the younger kelvic the attention she had been giving it so far, and unwilling to see her short temper collide with the natural aggression of this wolf which could result in a regretful scene, Estr turned to the elder of the two, opening her mouth to caution her that she would be taking on her feline form to allow easier communication, not to antagonize either of them. Before she could do so, however, a fourth party entered the scene. Mouth still open, Estr could not bring herself to emit a sound nor close it as she caught sight of the Jamoura. Though any other day this would have been a welcome surprise for the kelvic, who had been fascinated by the ape-creatures culture since a young age, it was now another dynamic to a situation which Estr was no longer certain she was welcome in. Nevertheless, as the common-jamourian language mixture reached her ears, she could not bring herself to bid the trio adieu.

Still, as she remained the only human there, Estr began to worry for her vulnerability. The thought crossed her mind to switch over to her leopard form; though it would make her smaller still, it would allow her more security to know she could move more quickly and hold her own should anything happen, but as the agitated wolf literally collapsed into a panic, she figured that was not the best thing to add to the mix at this moment. Throwing a puzzled glance at the young wolf, Estr addressed the Jamoura in a similarly clumsy mix of Common tongue and what little Jamourian she knew, "I wouldn't take any offense by her... I'm not sure she knows exactly how to handle herself around others." Praying that this wouldn't evoke an emotional response from the young wolf, Estr turned to the calmer wolf kelvic to ask, "I know your friend or acquaintance here said she didn't need any help, but do you think she'd take my hand off if I tried to help her up? It's me or our new friend here," she said, nodding toward the Jamoura, "and I'd hate to see her have some type of episode here. Well, more than she already has." She would wait for some type of indication by nod of the head or otherwise before making any move. What was only a few moments ago a somewhat tense encounter had quickly turned into a show of sorts, and who knew what this pup would pull out next, not to mention the other characters present in this mix.