Eagle Eye (Dor)

[Dhatzu]

Dhatzu was in fact not particularly worried about finding the Okomo. His enthusiasm for the life of an acolyte in general had waned over the season, and the task of finding a lost pet chafed at him more than inspired him. His true excitement came from the kelvic herself. Still amazed by the race, his fascination was stoked by the encounter with the kelvic wolf Mesa ten days earlier. Now to see Dor, to experience her transformation and see her again as the falcon brought an exhilaration to the lhavitian and motivated his rather animated statement. Having seen Dor transform from raptor to girl a few times, he did not consider the logistics of the reverse shapeshift. So it was with some surprise that he watched the girl tug the shirt over her head. Reflexively his hands caught the tossed garment, but Dhatzus' eyes were securely fixed upon Dor. He had learned she did not share the modesty of human women, and with a quick stifling of his own instinctual propensity to look away, the acolyte instead watched as the kelvic stumbled out of her trousers and likewise flung them at him. It was not the first time he had seen her unclothed, but it was the first time he did not turn away, instead indulging himself with a long glance. Afterall, if her nudity did not bother her, why should he shy away from it. Still a bit thin, Dor was not short on generous curves, as Dhatzu quickly noted, and her alabaster skin took on an orangey hue in the failing light of day. Dhatzu stared in amazement, for as she stood unabashed in her milky skin, piercing black eyes and untamed mane, the woman appeared as wild as her feathered alter form. Indeed, perhaps it was her total lack of social stigma that made her so appealing, her bearing as confident and comfortable in her exposed human form as when she ruled the skies as the peregrine. The kelvic's waving hands and short instructions shattered the young man's lingering appreciation, and he nodded in comprehension, tucking her clothes under his arm. The sudden unannounced transformation forced Dhatzu back a step, and he watched slack-jawed as the falcon emerged from the cloud of lights to launch skyward on powerful wings. His gaze followed the raptor for a moment, a wide, satisfied grin spreading across his face. A bit of envy tugged at Dhatzu's heart, certainly shared by every earth-bound human who had ever seen a raptor take to the sky. Setting to the path ahead, Dhatzu walked on, trying to keep his eyes on the shape of the bird in the sky as he scanned the surroundings for sign of the okomo. The search suddenly seemed more relevant, if only to keep Dor at hand for a while longer.

[Dor]

The sky swallowed her. Night was spilling out from the feet of the trees, darkness crawling long fingers over the earth to shudder and spin against the shadow of Akajia echoed in that of Her marked son. The falcon knew that night came out of the ground, buried deep in the bowels of the world to sprout like weeds and wildflowers across Mizahar. The heavens had little to do with it, the last to go out, celestial lights extinguished only in the hour of the wolf where death and birth were at their closest. Joyous energy was ringing through the falcon as she navigated the skies, wingtips skimming tree tops and barrel rolling down the sheer face of a rocky cliff. Aerial acrobatics aside, she was as well performing a very thorough inspection of the surrounding peaks. Eager to find what Dhatzu was seeking, she swung a wide gyre back through the cut of the wind when the first of her paths failed to release any sign of his missing okomo. Within a clearing that was obscured partially from the air by the cant of the mountainside she found the beast at last. It was not alone. The scene below her was examined in a second pass, never once the people or the okomo bothering to look up. Not terribly far from the place she had last left the Shinya acolyte, the falcon finally altered course for Dhatzu. It was not until she was swooping from the clouds that a realization was made – her delighted response to being given a task was dangerous. Very, very dangerous. She was slipping and, worst of all, she had not even realized it. The epiphany destroyed her mood, shredding talon and feathers feet above the ground where Dhatzu stood into puzzle pieces of flickering lights. It looked not unlike a swarm of lightning bugs were showering down upon him before they abruptly gathered in on themselves and were gone, leaving the girl with whom the acolyte was familiar crouching grumpily at his feet. “Stupid beast,” she muttered.

[Dhatzu]

The reaching shadows cast by the last desperated rays of Syna's light neither intimidated nor obstructed the Night Stalker. As Dhatzu walked the barely-detectable path, scanning the rich mountainous landscape, his gaze was repeatedly cast skyward. Dor rode the air currents above the slopes and valleys, shredding the wind in long sweeping swoops and screaming dives. The acolyte marvelled at the kelvic as she plied the skies, seemingly an integral part of the substance of the atmosphere. Dor was as graceful and impressive in flight as she was not when negotiating human ambulation. The falcon girl vanished amidst the misty peaks, and the lhavitian continued on in his search for the missing Okomo, his distraction with the eccentric woman momentarily pushed aside. Not long thereafter, a glance skyward revealed a dark dot plummeting towards the earth above him. With sudden anticipation, the human watched the peregine's wings unfolded as she neared the ground, her talons outstretched, and for a breath, Dhatzu thought she might descend upon him in some unprovoked attack. But the cloud of pinpoint lights errupted around Dor, forcing Dhatzu a step back. When the magcial glow dissipated, it left the nude girl crouching at his feet. Once again Dhatzu's gaze lingered on the woman, her skin so transluscent it revealed the rudy flush of the blood beneath its surface. Again, he shook off any aversion to seeing her thus. As her raptor gaze turned up at him, the acolyte could see the sour discontent in Dor's dark-eyed gaze. The kelvic had seemed almost excited when she agreed to help him search for the okomo, now Dor appeared stony and irritated. Not understanding the source of her agitation, Dhatzu inquired, "What is it Dor, what did you see?"

[Dor]

The lights faded but left afterimages in her eyes. They took a minute to focus on Dhatzu, hands splaying partially over a face that ought not have held such suggestions of innocence in its bones. Lips pursed and she blew a tangle of hair away from her eyes while bare toes curled against the loamy earth. “Found it,” she answered shortly and her arms went out, wrists limps and elbows unbending for balance as she rolled up to her feet. Her shadow threw itself as if winged in reaction, wobbling and wavering with the rest of her before the world finally seemed to grow steady again beneath her feet. “Hope it’s not for breeding,” she went on while flapping a hand towards the south east where the path wound around a dense and vibrant copse. “”Cause it got itself caught. Looks like they’re going to be having dinner, Dhatzu. Three,” and she unraveled three fingers in front of her face, delicate eyebrows rocking upward. “Probably too much meat for three,” she added thoughtfully. “They might share.”

[Dhatzu]

Dhatzu waited patiently as Dor rose to her feet. He had assumed such a magical transformation was simple and easy for the kelvic. That was a childish notion. Her very substance went through monumental changes each time. Even as the girl moved, he could see the falcon adjusting to the human structure, her movement careful and steadying. He too saw the shadow that stretched from her feet across the soft earth, mimicking Dor's motions. Dhatzu, seeing shadows as sentient entities themselves, found himself jealous of her shadow. Green eyes met a raptor' dark, intense gaze. The lhavitian measured her words, for Dor's communications were quirky at times. It was a peregrine speaking, the paradigm of a bird of prey coloring her every thought. Dhatzu's brows furrowed at her comments, at first unsure if she had referred to the okomo being used by the Shinya to breed, or if she was making a joke about the captors performing taboo acts upon the animal. His head tilted further as she indicated the number of captors, and the suggestion that perhaps the creature would be eaten, inferring they too may get to dine on the stolen okomo. Dhatzu held Dor's gaze for a moment. Her eyes were as stoic and unrevealing as in her raptor form. Was she joking? Was she teasing him? A blast of the mountain breeze that had held Dor aloft now swept over them, tugging at Dhatzu's robes and Dor's mussed ruddy hair. No...she was probably dead serious. "Thanks Dor, I can't thank you enough." Three on one. They could be pranksters, easy to intimidate into returning the animal. But if they were thieves, or worse, well, that is another thing."Well, I am going to have a look." He announced. Dhatzu would not coerce Dor to accompany him, he did not know what trouble was ahead. Not much a naked girl could do if there was a scuffle. The acolyte would not put her in danger, though he didn't want her to leave either. "Stupid okomo." Dhatzu echoed Dor's earlier sentiment. He should let the thing get eaten and take Dor to get pastries. The acolyte knew what he had to do, and with a sigh, he turned back towards the trail and started off.

[Dor]

Dor would have preferred to be taken for pastries. Pastries, after all, were a new obsession. They were sticky and delicious. That was plenty of excuse. Yet there were no pastries on the mountain trail and the falcon girl blinked after Dhatzu’s back. Pale hands came to prop on the slope of her hips while her eyebrows climbed up to her hairline. The shifting wind wrapped around her, causing her to shiver beneath the scent of burgeoning autumn. “Dhatzu!” She called once breaking her astonishment. Shaking off stillness like water, she spilled forward to catch up with the acolyte. An awkward dance spun her around so as to walk backwards in front of him, causing her to trip at least twice; but, fortunately for them both, she managed to catch herself before face-planting. The result was the pushing out of both hands, palms facing forward, until they connected with his chest. It was to slow him down or stop him, of course, before she tumbled right over. “You have my clothes,” she sighed at him meaningfully. “And I’ll show you where exactly, okay? Don’t want you getting lost. I’d just have to find you again.” Silly humans.

[Dhatzu]

Dhatzu grumbled to himself as he turned and walked away from Dor. Stupid okomo. He had finally found the kelvic again, and now duty would take him away. His growing angst with the rigidity of his life flared, resentful even of the Shinya ways. He could lie, go back and say he had never seen the missing animal. But Dor had, though she did not seem to see the situation as he did. That was what was fascinating about her, he never knew where she was going to come from next. Dhatzu sighed and resolved himself to find the creature. A spike of excitement poked his heart when he heard Dor's call, more so than he wanted to admit. He had never heard her speak above a huskly soft tone, and to hear her voice raised was surprising. The unrhythmic shuffled of her light feet along the ground overtook him, as did the girl as she passed him backwards. A grin brightened Dhatzu's face to see the alabaster-skinned woman trying to negotiate the trail in reverse, when it was challenging enough for Dor to do so facing front.Finally she leaned forward and laid her palms to his chest, convincing him to stop. He eased to a halt, studying the thin hands and long arms stretched out from his torso towards her own, snapping his head upwards to her face when he realized his gaze was lingering on her breasts. A crimson blush flushed the skin of his face. With a sheepish laugh the lhavitian looked down at the bundle of clothes tucked under his arm. "Oh, yeah, I guess you can have them, they won't fit me, though don't wear them on my account." he teased, her reappearance urging his cheekiness. He extended the armful of garments towards Dor. "Alright, I could use your help, but be careful, we don't know what kind of people these are." He spoke with an edge of concern. It was obvious the uneven terrain outside the city proved more challenging for the winged kelvic. Once she was dressed he extended his elbow out to her in an offering of support. "Some of the ground may be tricky." Though he feigned an air of sincerity and professionalism, Dhatzu was thrilled to have Dor with him, the last person he figured to run across on his reluctant errand. the night stalker was given the chance to look a little further into the woman he could not quite figured out.

[Dor]

Black eyes observed the acolyte’s flush with bemusement, hands dropping from their prop against his chest as they were now satisfactorily at a halt. Collecting up her offered clothes, she promptly tugged the shirt out of the mix and stepped back to pull it over her head. Worn soft linen floated well past her hips, hems flapping at her thighs as she blinked owlishly – ha – at Dhatzu. “You get all ruffled when I’m not wearing my feathers,” she pointed out and it was half a question. Which half, however, was up to debate as she climbed into her trousers. Ruffled, she said, and meant flustered. Unkempt but decently attired, she twisted tangles of hair into a heavy loop and fluffed the whole of it out of her shirt’s collar. An avian tilt of her head to the side took in his offered elbow, riddling out his intent with the squishing of her mouth and the narrowing of one eye. At length, she hooked a hand into his elbow and went about the involved process of navigating the rocky terrain bare foot. “You don’t think they’ll give the stupid beast back?” She asked. “But if they hunted and butchered, they could share your bit. Or you worried they’re bigger than you? You know, you should take them by surprise,” and here she demonstrated what was, apparently, her idea of surprise by swooping a hand down like, well, a falcon diving for prey. This was made complete by a whistling sound effect.

[Dhatzu]

Once again, Dhatzu watched as Dor donned clothing. It amazed him still the lack of modesty she possessed, absolutely unconcerned that he stared at her slight, alabaster-skinned body with a gleam in his eye that resembled a child staring in the window of a sweets shop, but hesitant to ask his mother if he may have one. The girl slid on the shirt, and it did cover her to the mid-point of her thigh, though the fluttering of the garment's hem in the evening breeze threatened to reveal more once again. Her question startled him, and his cheeks flushed involuntarily. The lhavitian considered elaborating on the nature of his culture, the importance of clothing and the marked implications of the lack of them, and the courting and mating rituals of his society. But it did not seem fitting to launch into a lecture now, not did Dor give any indication she required a long explanation. "I am not used to seeing women naked." He replied instead. A sheepish grin curled at the corners of his mouth. "Or used to women who let me see them naked." An offhand compliment rolled around the edge of his tongue, some sublime token of appreciation for the unique beauty of her nude human form. But he could not find the words that would not sound campy or licentious, so he merely waited as she stepped into the pants. Once dressed and having bound her unruly mane, Dor slid her arm around his elbow. He tucked it in a bit, drawing her closer to help her as they walked. The topic of conversation returned to the cursed okomo offspring, and what may await the two once the find it. "I don't know what to expect Dor. I am not sure why someone would steal an okomo right out of the middle of Lhavit. Surely just not to eat it. Maybe it is just a prank, and they will give it back." He glanced over at her dark predator's eyes. Again she mentioned eating the thing, was she hungry? "I am not worried that they are bigger than me." Not worried, but concerned. He did not have his skirmish sword, just a dagger and his novice training in martial arts. "I agree, surprise is the best approach, not knowing what we will find. Though, I can't surprise like that." He laughed lightly, mimicking the kelvic's hand movement and diving whistle. "I will have to sneak up on the ground." Dhatzu tried to find the softest path for them to trod, considering Dor's bare feet. Then a smile crossed his face. "This might go easier if you did not have to walk. You could ride...on my back."

[Dor]

“Women are weird,” the bird girl decided. It was an especially bold statement coming from her, but that was plainly part and parcel of her character. The slope of her shoulder was snuggled against the acolyte’s and she leaned lightly on his arm while navigating the terrain. It took more than just a few steps for it to occur to Dor that her companion was purposefully choosing grassy patches or those where moss spread thick and downy over the earth. The corners of her mouth twitched with consternation, but then bare her heel slipped against a stray stone and it jabbed uneasily into the flesh of her foot. Rather than muttering with irritation or pain, revelation lifted her head with wonder dousing black eyes with light. Irritation slid instead into a smile, going so far as to allow dimples to poke out for a collection of heartbeats. “Why wouldn’t someone take the okomo to eat?” She wanted to know, the strangely wispy accent that cobwebbed her speech abruptly buoyant. “If they were hungry and it was there. Is it bitter fleshed?” She turned her head, spitting in demonstration. My, that was attractive. “Stringy? Wait, huh?” Bouncing to a stop, Dor’s head tilted to the side. Pert nose wrinkled. She blew out a breath and slapped hands to the slopes of her hips. They would go faster. “O-kay,” she decided with care.