Completed [Near The Eastern Docks] What a Cow! (Bovi)

[Soshakuakamamushi]

"Ssso~ Like I sssaid, I'm going to buy you a nice collar with a pair of mana-..." She suddenly felt that the chain became much lighter. Did Bovi just slimmed down from stocky to weighing next to nothing? Something was obviously up. When she turned her head to check on the slave, she was not there. "Eh... eh..." Aka was dumbstruck for a few ticks, she blinked and rubbed her eyes just to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. The sounds of running footsteps snapped Aka back to reality, Bovi was running away!

"Ssstupid girl!" If one looked at their age chronologically, that statement was very much true, Aka was over a century old while the Kelvic was less than five years old. She hissed in disbelief and made chase to the running woman, Aka didn't know she was a Kelvic yet though. Her naked form running through the jungle, she vault over a large root, spotting the still-bound tall woman frantically running like her life depended on it "Oh no, you don't!" Aka flexed her legs and made chase once more, skidding once to dodge over a hanging vine and vaulting over a pool of mud.

Due to her inherent agility and the fact that Bovi was bound by her hands made the chase rather easy for Aka. She caught up soon and shouted after the woman. "Ssstop! There are worssst thingsss out there... like Myriansss! They'll kill you on sssight!" It was the truth, at least to as far as she concerned. Myrians would kill anyone that was not one of them in her eyes.

"Sssss!" Aka passed over the woman and stood in front of Bovi, trying to stop her... a poor move as the much taller and stockier woman crashed into Aka's lithe body and threw her like a rag doll. "Buhuk!" Aka could feel her ribs protesting in pain and she stumbled on the ground, rolling a bit to stop injuring herself any further. "G-gah..." S-she's strong... "C-come back! Come back or you will die!" She struggled to speak, still laying prone on the ground. As much as sadistic Aka was, she wasn't fond of death or grusome physical harm. She wanted to woman to be her slave, where she would take care of her like her very own doll, not leave her to die in the hands of predators and Myrians. She hoped the woman would come to her senses and listen.

OOCAka, oh, Aka...

[Bovi]

Bovi had a pretty good charge going as she crashed through vines and between trees, even without the ability to switch form. She charged straight through a sapling, then the crazy snake-woman, sheer momentum pulling her forward. Yes! She could do it! Of course, the problem with a great charge is that it's both noisy and really, really hard to stop. Bovi barely had a glimpse of the big... black... moving thing before she nearly ran into it. She tried to slide to a halt as the shape looked up and although she could see little but shadow in its form, the instinct of a prey animal told her that a predator was looking directly at her. She changed course enough to crash into a tree, killing her momentum, then turned and dashed in the opposite direction. She didn't hear anything follow, knew that she was putting distance between herself and whatever the thing was, but she felt the eyes of the forest on her, knew something was watching, maybe hunting. Maybe it was just panic. She was beyond caring. Bovi ran the short distance back to Aka, leapt over her still-prone body, and threw herself flat on the ground. The snake-woman, at least, could protect her. The snake-woman wasn't trying to eat her. That was one step better than the forest. Bovi was hardly aware that she was talking. "There's a thing. Please. Don't let it get me. Please."

[Soshakuakamamushi]

"Kuh... ah..." Her brusies wounds from her fight previously with Mamoru just nine days ago were getting to her. Aka found her vision blurring and filled with black spots. She lifted herself to all fours and shook her head, only to find her would-be slave laying prone on the ground beside her, neck and hands still bound by her make-shift restrains.

"There's a thing. Please. Don't let it get me. Please."

"Wha-?" Aka raised an eyebrow. The only thing right now who was out to get her was... Aka herself, why would this woman ask Aka's help to face herself? The sun must be cooking her brains. However, she didn't have the moment to finish her bewildered statement, not when she heard a growl near them, she squinted her eyes and spotted the glint of feline eyes. Shykes... that could only mean one thing, a big cat. The only solace she could find was hoping that this particular cat was not a Myrian tiger. The cat was watching them... eagerly, hungrily, like the predator it was. Aka needed to do something... and fast!

She gritted her teeth and clasped her hands, concentrated, emitting her res in their familiar ball form. She didn't get the chance to finish... the cat charged forward from the thick vegetation, aiming to take Aka down first, it must have saw her as the one with the biggest threat, the other woman was bound after all.

Its beautiful black fur streaking, it was a panther... Phew... not a tiger... But no, this was not the time to be relieved. Tiger or not, it was still a big cat! It had powerful body, claws, and fangs ready to tear the snake and kelvic apart! Aka tried to ignore the pain wracking from her body and rolled to the side, causing the panther's claws to miss her.

"Tch!!" She needed help, her wounded state dampened her combat potential significantly, she could somewhat move a bit fine before... but Bovi's crash earlier made it significantly worse. Aka willed her res to fragment Bovi's handcuffs and collar, releasing her, and covered her res ball in earthen material in some of the surface.

"I.. need your *GAHAK*..." she coughed some blood, this is bad "I need... your help! Please... distract that thin- TCH!" She dived to the side to dodge another lunge from the panther, the big cat turned around and circled around the Dhani, preparing for another strike.

"-ng! Until, I finished casting! Please..." Aka had no choice, it was either that... or becoming cat shyke in the middle of a jungle. She then began concentrating to create her lavaball by first covering her res ball in dirt, stones, and rocks. Aka could only hope the woman could distract the panther long enough for it to complete.

[Bovi]

Bovi felt the weight drop from her neck. She didn't waste time with complicated moral or strategic questions -- someone was in trouble, even if it was someone she didn't like; it was trouble she'd brought to them; and her run through the forest proved that she most likely wouldn't survive alone anyway. She wasn't the fastest thinker, but she didn't even need to think; the next step was instinct. Bovi did exactly what she'd done facing bandits and pirates and various monsters on the road many times before. She sighted the beast started running, and shifted on the fly. Big bison generally do best on open plains, not heavy jungle. But if there was a relatively straight line, Bovi could charge it. By beginning the charge in her lighter, more human form, she was able to build up speed quicker, so the almost two thousand pounds of shaggy ungulate that slammed through the cat horns-first was going at the highest speed she dared move in the thick trees. She then plunged through a sapling like it wasn't even there, veered around a tree while trying to slow down, and slammed straight into another, the sound of the impact echoing through the forest. She backed up, somewhat dizzy from the blow, and shook bark from her horns as she tried to blink her head clear. Right... forest... behind her, Aka was behind her... She bellowed as she turned and blearily tried to locate the beast again, trotting back in Aka's direction as she looked for it. She'd never charged a big cat-thing before and had no idea how far she'd have thrown it, or how much she'd injured it. If it was some normal cat or big dog-thing on the road, she'd be fairly certain it would have at least a few broken bones, possibly including its back... but she didn't know anything about the forest, or how resilient its creatures were, and she'd been too busy trying to avoid trees to take note of its weight. And it had been rather bigger than most of the predators she'd had to deal with in the past. No! There it was! Still there! She bellowed and charged once more, heedless of the long gash the beast left down one flank as she passed over it. It had tried to dodge to the side; she followed with her charge, but the directional change cost her quite a bit of momentum and robbed her blow of a lot of its power. Still, it put her where she wanted to be. Bovi stood between Aka and the beast as she spun to face it, planted her feet, and snorted threateningly.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

"W-wha...wu-wuwuwuwu?!!" Aka eyes widened when the woman actually transformed into a big, hairy, cow-thing! This woman was one of those "Kelvics". "Ha... I..." She couldn't contain her shock, so this was why the woman wanted for her collar to be taken off, so she would transform and escape her or... goring Aka with that powerful horn of hers. Aka just kept sitting there on the ground, boulder floating in front of her, widened slitted eyes, and mouth agape.

The panther was obviously wounded, bones broken. At Bovi's threatening snort, it finally realized that this fight was not worth its life. It turned around and limped deeper to the jungle, retreating. It surely didn't expect one of its would-be prey turning into some giant horned monster. Bovi could still charge and finish the black menace should she wanted to.

"Gah!!" Aka winched and she lost her concentration, dropping the boulder in front of her. She held her shoulder, her bruises and wounds were getting to her. She couldn't even provide a decent resistance should this hairy cow animal with big horns decided to gore her, she would do it, Aka just knew it.

Gritting her teeth, Aka put her back into a tree and her blurring vision stared at the bison. The tables had turned. "He...hehe... T-thank you for that... I'm uuh... not exactly in good ssshape..." She felt a beat, headache flooding her mind. "Ssso... I'm sssorry about before... i-if you'd like for both of usss to live... I... I can ssshow you to m-my home... j-jussst don't kill me..." If the Kelvic accepted her offer, Aka would climb on her back and directed Bovi to Zinrah.

[Bovi]

Bovi nearly shifted back in order to answer the serpent-woman, but caught herself in time. If she did that, Aka would probably collar her again, leaving her helpless like before. She didn't understand why Aka hadn't wanted her to shift, but she'd gone to a lot of trouble to prevent it. Of course, she could just as easily force her to remain in bison shape by shackling her legs... but if Bovi was going to be trapped as something in the middle of the forest, bison was better than human. So once she was sure the panther wasn't coming back, she trotted over to the little serpent-woman, and sniffed her. There wasn't as much blood as Bovi would have expected for the fuss that Aka was making, but there might be something broken inside her. Bovi was no doctor. Maybe she was just scared and worn out; Bovi had seen that after bandit attacks. If Aka had been wearing clothing, Bovi would've been able to pick her up in her teeth. But she didn't want to wound her further by biting into flesh. So instead she knelt beside her and gently pushed her with one horn, with the intent that Aka might grab the horn and she could help her up.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

"....uuuh..." Aka winced and instinctively drew back when the large hairy bull-thing sniffed her. "P-pleassse... don't eat me..." She knew that animals like this couldn't possibly eat meat, but common sense was in short supply right now. Aka clutched her right rib with her left hand, something must had broken there. She put up her right hand to her mouth, coughed again, and pulled it away to find more blood coating her palm. This was not good.

So she just sat there, all bare, closing her eyes and about to give a final prayer to Siku should the bison decided to "eat" her. She didn't have the time nor concentration to conjure another fireball. However...

"Huh?" She slowly opened her eyes to find the Bison kneeling gently beside her and using body language to... offer her for a ride? Aka didn't know for sure, but she might as well try. "T-thank you... Gah!" With a groan, she grabbed Bovi's horn from the side and heaved herself up to her back. With a thud, she was now prone on Bovi's back. "Uuuh... g-go there..." She looked around and finally pointed to a direction.

The Bison followed her directions and started moving, Aka just lay there, prone, groaning in pain.

.........

......

...

After what seemed to be a long painful journey, Bovi could see Aka was pointing to a secluded cavern entrance, guarded by Contrictors in Dhani form. They immediately raised their halberds and slitted-eyes examined the bison warily, but they saw that the (in)famous "small fry" was atop of this strange animal, looking wounded and disheveled. Bare and black hair cascading everywhere.

"Ssssmall fry? What isss thisss, explain? And are you wounded?" One of the guards approached Bovi and demanded explanation from the Viper.

"Uuuh..." Aka was not in the mood to explain, but she had to do it nonetheless "Attacked... by... panther... barely sssurvived... B-bovi here..." She gestured to the Kelvic "Kelvic... helped me... sssaved my life... ssshe alssso... helped bring... me home... ssso... can you let usss... passs?"

"Huh... sssure, sssmall fry, how lucky you are. Well, jussst make sssure to keep an eye on thisss... hairy bull-thing Kelvic, yesss?" The guard hissed and gave clearance, moving out of the way so they could enter.

"Yesss... yes- *GAHAK!* B-bovi... let'sss go... to the... herbalissst" She gestured for the bison to enter, then she would immediately direct her to the shop where the Dhanis sell various herbs, including medicinal ones.

OOCFeel free to take Aka to the Herbalist, Bovi.

[Bovi]

Bovi did not like the caverns. She did not like them one bit. The forest was unfamiliar and probably poisonous, yes, but it was at least open. And the only dangerous thing she'd encountered there, she had managed to run off. Whereas the place Aka was taking her was enclosed, and unfamiliar, and full of predators. Bovi did not like the predators. She did not like the way one of them approached her and Aka. She did not like their weapons. They seemed to treat her passenger with concern, but they were predators nonetheless; Bovi could feel that with certainty. She had no guarantee that they would refrain from eating her, and if they did, how long. She snorted at the one nearby, warning him. But he was still there, and they were armed, and if she did run off, Aka might still have strength to restrain her; she couldn't be certain. So reluctantly, she headed inside, taking care not to bump into the walls in the suddenly dimming light. The enclosed nature of the tunnel made her nervous, and she fought the urge to bolt. But it wasn't the first time she'd had to do something that she didn't want to do. Taking Aka's direction, she carried the young woman through the caverns, to the place she wanted to go... the herbalist.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

At The Herbalist...

"S-sissster... Serendisuka!" Aka whizzed and heaved as they entered the Herbalism shop, the Viper desperately calling for one of the staffs. A female Constrictor in her human form immediately perked up at being called, her green eyes were met by an interesting sight. The "small fry" being carried by a strange horned bull animal. Her experiences immediately suggested that the Viper was wounded, both from her demeanor and her voice.

"By Caiyha, sissster, what happened? And who-what isss thisss animal you are riding on?" Suka stopped whatever herbs she was making and approached Aka, concern and worry filled her expression. Her simple robe and shoulder-length dark brown hair trotted to Aka and Bovi.

"L-long ssstory... attacked by p-panther... s-sssaved by... Bovi, here... s-she's... Kelvic..." Aka tried to explain, this was getting tedious. If she had to explain again she would perhaps rather die... well, not really.

"I ssseee, I sssee! We gotta get you patched up! And uuh... Bovi, thanksss for helping her..." Suka was one of the more benevolent Dhanis, being a Caiyha worshipper so she wasn't as suspicious to Bovi as the other Dhanis. She picked up Aka and brought her to one of the bedrolls for patients, then she checked up the small girl for any bruises and internal wounds.

"Hmmm... I see... sssome broken ribsss... woundsss here... and her- Oh! Bovi wasss it? Could you be patient and wait there while I tend to her?" With that, Suka began to gather some bandages and medicinal herbs, tending to the groaning and moaning Viper. After a few chimes, Aka's exhaustion caught up with her and she fell into the dreamscapes...

OOCAka would wake up in my next reply, I will fast forward it by about... 8 hours. If that's alright

[Bovi]

As soon as she was free of Aka's weight, Bovi slipped back into her smaller form. It made the tunnels feel slightly less confined, although she still didn't like them, didn't like the roof. She sat against the wall near the door and watched the new woman work. Bovi knew a little of healing herbs herself, but her experience was with Syliran plants, and she was no professional. What the herbalist did was out of her realm of experience. But she didn't seem to be hurting Aka, so Bovi stayed by the door, out of her way. She could try to leave. She might be able to find her way out of the tunnels, into the forest, back to the beach. She might not. But she could try. If she was lucky, she might not get eaten. Except, the predators had an apothecary with a herbalist. So they most likely had an economy. So they probably had traders. Traders with whom she could get a job, and leave safely. And even if they didn't, maybe she could learn a little about the lay of the land, about which way she needed to travel to find real civilisation, instead of running off randomly into the jungle. She watched Aka and the healer carefully, until Aka drifted off to sleep. Bovi kept watching as long as she could, but it had been a long day, and soon enough, her own head was drooping toward her knees, and she too fell unconscious.