The Road To Ravok (Celestia, Mac, Pi)

by **Celestia** on August 19th, 2012, 5:16 am

She rubbed her hand gently over the horse's neck and mane, glad she wasn't afraid of her. She turned her head to look over at Pi as he chortled, and then smirked, at her. She rolled her eyes ever so slightly, a small smile gracing her lips as she did so. "Oh really now? Then I guess I don't have to do anything to impress." She smirked, her eyes glistening with enjoyment. As Pi spoke, his tone got less joking and more serious yet he still kept on a half-grin. She let her smirk slip off her face and she looked back down to Shin'ta, she was never too good with serious situations and never knew what to say. Just as soon as it had came, he left off the serious tone and let out another joke. His personality, she noticed, changed rather quickly. "You could, though I don't think I'll look this good dead." She joked back to him, trying to lighten the mood from its past seriousness.

Soon afterwards, they all got ready and started on their journey. It would take them a while to get to their destination, taking many stops in-between for sleep and whatnot.

It was mid-day when they decided to stop for lunch by a stream. Shin'ta happily drank from the stream, swishing her tail to keep the flies away. Their surroundings were varying from side to side. On one side there was lots of orchards, going off far into the distance. On the other side there was the walled city, still visible from the hilled country they are currently residing on. Around the walled city was crops, corn, wheat, and many others. The Nykans sure have a vast array of landscape around them.

"Great, sounds like a plan." She replied to Mac, surveying the area around them. Grass, rock outcrops, brush, and other landscape was on all sides of them for a short time, then came the other landscapes. "I'm doing great." She hadn't stripped like Mac had, just rolled up her pants some. She wondered how he got his scars, but she was in no way going to ask him. They might be painful memories to him, and she knew all too well about those and how much they hurt.

Celestia's head whipped around in the direction of a rustling sound. By the looks of it, she wasn't the only one to notice it. Mac was looking at that area too, his bow and arrows in his hands. She narrowed her eyes and unsheathed her family heirloom, a black bladed longsword, which was tied around her waist. She gripped her sword's hilt as she took a few steps toward the underbrush where the thing was. As she was walking closer, the underbrush started rustling. A medium sized tan figure jumped out of the underbrush and started growling at the three of them. It was still a good 45 meters or so away, but if it ran it could easily catch up to them. "A...Mountain Lion? No...It's too small to be that... Bobcat maybe?" She whispered to herself as she watched the animal hiss at them, showing off its fangs. "No need to change into my true form, right?"

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by **Piraen Saneka** on August 20th, 2012, 5:12 am

"Oh, that wouldn't be any fun, would it?" He snickered. Though fun was something of an ambiguous affair for Piraen, he did understand the general concept of it. As a predator himself, he also understood that the chase was nearly all the fun, the catch coming in at a second. After that, though, everything just gets...boring. Responsibility, worrying, feelings, it all got tiring. Piraen chose to savor those moments before the mundane effects kicked in. "Dally a little." He nudged her with his right elbow, smiling toothily as he did so. Piraen set his body in motion, and, thus, the trio began their little venture.

The day rolled on slowly, giving Piraen a sense that this trip would seem longer than it really was. He had once heard the phrase "Time flies when you are having fun." Now, he wondered if the saying worked in reverse. He laughed at his own musings. I suppose "Time halts when life gets boring" isn't as catchy. The landscape changed smoothly, though the terrain seemed determined to oppose the very definition of smooth. Eventually, Piraen had grown too annoyed with the topography to continue. He was not used to so much walking, as he normally flew everywhere, and gradually learned to hate the tradition. What was an everyday thing for others was now a nuissance for the shifter.

He gingerly brushed Celestia's arm, requesting her attention. Once he was close to sure he had captured it, he spoke. "If our fearless leader inquires, I am shifting." Excusing himself, he hauled over to a tree. Unlike most his kind, nudity bothered him. As in, his own bareness (Piraen would always accept the company of a finely disrobed lady). For some reason, he disliked showcasing his skin. Many would point to some insecurity, but Pi always chalked it up to his city-going ways, to startling a few too many Sylirans with his unclothed self.

After neatly stripping and folding his clothes, Piraen set his vestments on a branch. Shifting took not but a blink of the eye, so he was back at them fairly quickly. Picking them up with his talons, the chestnut and white bird of prey took to a low-hanging flight. He set his clothes atop his bag, somewhat jamming them inbetween it and another bag, and began to fly once more. Pi let the soft wind lift him higher, though he was sure to keep himself within his companions' range of vision.

It was Mac's words that next caught attention. His speech confirmed what Piraen previously though, causing the kite to mentally groan. This is going to be such a long season. Nevertheless, he still responded with a brief caw. Shortly after this, another short squawk shot out from his beak. He quickly recovered himself from the shock that the sudden change in behavoirs caused. He drifted in front of Mac as a sort of warning, landing on his right shoulder. Piraen wasn't quite sure what he could do in this form, though he was sure he could make an easy lunch for the feline in front of them.

by **Jeremiah Maccabee** on August 21st, 2012, 2:18 am

“Heh … some kind of lynx,” Mac said. “His bein' here's a good thing. It means there's nothing more dangerous in the immediate vicinity.” He returned his bow to its strap on the side of the saddlebags. “Celestia, maybe you can chase him away. I don't think he's much of a threat but he's making Shin'ta kinda fidgety.”

He turned his head to peer at the hawk-like raptor perched on his shoulder. “Pi, think you can scout the area up ahead? There's bandits in these hills, which I imagine is why they call 'em 'The Cutthroat Hills'. They raid the farmlands and sometimes attack travelers … like us. I'd just as soon avoid a fight if we can. Once we reach the plateau and get into the marshlands they won't be a problem. They stay out of the marshes.” He displayed a slight smirk. "'Course then we'll have to deal with the wild boars and with the alligators a little beyond that."

Then he would take Shin'ta's halter and they would continue their winding trek up through the hills toward the ridge that was visible in the distance. He knew a shallow cave a ways into Boars Bog and planned on spending the night there.

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by **Celestia** on August 23rd, 2012, 4:16 am

Celestia watched the lynx as it stood there, watching them. Then she felt something brush her arm. Her head whirled around and came face-to-face, not literally, with Pi. She nodded her head slightly at his words; she would do the same thing too if she was allowed. Pi, after he was done speaking, walked off behind a tree, obviously to strip off his clothes and shift. I'm not the only one who wouldn't want to change in front of people, good to know. She thought, a quiet chuckle erupting from her throat. She didn't dislike changing in front of others, she just didn't like it. Having her body exposed to everyone, especially men, was not a thing she favored. If she had to change if front of others she would, she just preferred not too. I must be a jacked up Kelvic, I don't really like anything they do....Haha oh goodie...

"Chase him away? Alright." She said, sheathing her longsword. She was kind of glad they weren't going to fight the animal, she thought it was a cute little cat. Of course, she knew if it had attacked them she would have to kill it, but killing animals just because wasn't something she liked to do. He's a hawk..? Never expected that. That's useful. She looked over Pi's true form, which rested on Mac's shoulder at the moment.

Celestia looked around the close area in between her and the Lynx, trying to stop a place where she could quickly strip and shift. There wasn't one close enough to her. She rolled her eyes at that fact and started stripping, hoping Mac would be enough of a gentlemen to look away. She was doubtful of that happening though. She gently laid her sword on the ground then threw her clothes next to it. Soon she was bare to the bone, completely revealed. She quickly shifted into her true form, which took less than a second. Her black bristled hair turned into a midnight black coat. Her body morphed into that of a wolves. Her eyes and elongated teeth stayed the same, but she gained sharpened claws. In her true form, she was a little smaller than the average female wolf. Celestia darted toward the lynx, a loud snarl emitting from her throat. Her canines protruded from her upper lip, razor sharp and ready to bite. The lynx growled at her, trying to sound threatening. It realized that didn't work and hissed before running off, leaving Celestia smirking, which didn't quite look like smirking in her true form. That was easy, good thing.

by **Piraen Saneka** on September 3rd, 2012, 5:02 am

Piraen looked the feline over. It was rather small for a predator. At least, it was smaller than Pi had expected, what with the large rustles it had caused moments ago. His head twitched about as he further examined the area around them. The twitching, however bizarre and seemingly unnecessary it was to others, had always helped the bird focus when looking around. It wasn't that it particularily helped him see any more or less than keeping his cranium would, nor did it help any in the department of intimidation. All things considered, the only thing that this unstoppable urge to constantly zip his head about was good for was to keep his neck muscles from falling asleep. Yet, here he was, perceptibly juddering his head, swivelling his head one-hundred and eighty degrees. Piraen shrugged his chestnut wings, readjusting himself on Mac's shoulder. Must be a bird thing.

Which their female companion clearly wouldn't understand. Pi eyed the dark form on the ground beneath him. It seemed their friend was a canine of sorts. The exactitude of which sorts was lost on the Kelvic, though he figured she was more than a normal house dog. Whatever she was, she was patently much more useful than Pi. As she began to give chase to the feline, the shifter chirped sharply at Mac's words.

Shaking loose feathers into place, Piraen lazily dropped off of the man's shoulder. Only just before his back touched the ground did Pi let out his wings. The air caught quickly, flawlessly lifting the feathery creature upwards. He tucked his right wing, spun so his back was against the sky and drifted down the pathway a few feet. Shrub...shrub...shrub...perso-shrub. How is that even possible; a bush that looks like a man? Piraen twitched his head, redirecting his thoughts to the task at hand. However annoying the man-shrub was, he found that the lack of altitude was even more irritating. Thrusting both wings downward, Piraen shot himself just above the treetops. He alternated between this level and a few yards below it, thus allowing different ranges of vision to come to him.

After many more chimes of shrub-counting and false alarms, Piraen decided that the path ahead was clear enough. He looped back, floating above his partners in 'crime.'

by **Jeremiah Maccabee** on September 3rd, 2012, 3:07 pm

The hawk was truly a beautiful creature as it soared low above the brush, did something impossibly acrobatic with its body and shot up into the sky above them, bright white head, shoulders and chest contrasting with the deep reddish-brown black-tipped wings. Mac figured its wingspan at more than a meter across. He felt a twinge of envy as the raptor effortlessly used thermals to rise and glides to sink.

The wolf was a different story. This was a true predator. Coal-black with glittering golden eyes and an impressive set of dangerous-looking fangs, she moved toward the bobcat with a low growl. The bobcat's fur stood on end, making it look larger than it was, and hissed. But that was just feline bravado. It turned and disappeared into the thicket from which it had emerged. Mac could hear the sounds of breaking branches as the cat fled the immediate vicinity. The wolf's lips pulled back, exposing its teeth as it watched the feline flee. Mac recognized the facial expression immediately and laughed out loud. She was smirking. Or at least she would have been if she were in human form.

The hawk lazily circled the area ahead of them for several chimes before returning to lazily circle Mac, the wolf and the white pony. “Well,” Mac said to no one in particular. “Now I know what you are both capable of. Let's move on. We still have a long way to go before we make camp.

Mac guessed Pi's lack of concern meant he hadn't seen anything alarming up ahead. Not knowing whether the Kelvics preferred their animal forms or their human forms, he decided to leave it to them to do whatever they felt most comfortable doing. If Celestia remained a wolf, he would gather her belongings and add them to the load Shin'ta was carrying. In his experience Kelvics were not usually the least bit shy about being naked in front of others. Apparently these two were. He hoped they would get over it. It would be a lot less awkward. Especially the woman. Mac was a womanizer and had a definite appreciation for the female form. But this was business and he would behave as a professional. In particular, he didn't plan on leering at her. Not much anyway.

He resumed the climb up the winding path that would take them into Boar's Bog. He clicked his tongue at Shin'ta and she followed.

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by **Celestia** on September 4th, 2012, 3:46 am

With the only thing remotely close to a predator gone, her job was done. Now the only thing left to do was decide. Should she stay in her true form or shift back into her human one? Either one was fine, for she knew she would go back to her true form when they set up camp and went to sleep. But right now, which would be better to travel as? Wolf or human. She thought maybe her wolf form, but then she couldn't communicate with Mac. In which ever form she chose, she wouldn't be able to speak to Pi. She shook her head and walked over to her things. She decided to shift back into a human, at least for now unless her true form was needed again.

It took less than a second for her to shift back. Her fur turned back into her luscious, black hair. Her body shifted back into its petite little self. The claws she had gained in her normal form disappeared, but she kept her elongated canines and her yellow, soul-piercing eyes. The sun began to warm her bare skin, which for once felt nice to her. She didn't think about the fact that Mac was there, it didn't once cross her mind. With that, she took her time putting her clothes back on. In what seemed like a minute to her, she was fully dressed again and with her longsword tied around her waist. It was positioned so that it wouldn't hit the ground when she walked, for it was longer than her torso and below and would hit the ground if not positioned correctly. After she got ready, she looked up and remembered she wasn't alone. Pi, in his predatory bird form, seemed unconcerned and was just floating above them all. She was slightly jealous of the fact he could fly. Then again she thought, he might be jealous of the fact she can run faster on the land, though she highly doubted that.

Celestia followed Mac's lead and started walking up the path that would take them to where they would settle in for the night. She thought just maybe this journey might prove to help her become more like a Kelvic, something which she would need so others didn't think oddly of her. She caught up to Mac, walking alongside him and at his pace. She was going to make it a side goal of hers to not be bothered by others, especially men, seeing her naked before and after she shifted forms.

by **Piraen Saneka** on September 6th, 2012, 1:48 am

Piraen was glad to be in the air once more. He hated walking with a sort of passion, and avoided it whenever possible. Even so, it had been a while since he had taken flight, and his bird-brain responded to such a situation joyfully. The wind coolly whirled through his wings as Pi spun and dodged around imaginary objects. Finally climbing to a satisfying height, the Kelvic dropped his wings. His body shook as the air's current whizzed around his aerodynamic frame, pushing him quickly towards the colorful ground below.

Fun time's over. Suddenly shooting his limbs out, Piraen leveled moments before hitting the tree tops. Using the momentum from the drop he soared forward, eyes peeled for danger. If he had heard Mac clearly, this area had the word "Cutthroat" in its name, making Piraen slightly wary. Thus, he figured a second look wouldn't be damaging. "Better safe than sorry", to quote a cliche. With the extra speed, he reached a part of the path farther than before. His head twitched as he tried to find some sort of danger. Each movement, however, brought back a blank response; Piraen found himself shrub-shrub-shrubbing again.

Slightly dissappointed that there wasn't anything to do, the bird of prey began to loop back to his companions. Above him, another, clearly larger, bird soared. As he turned onto his back to look at his kin, it emmited a shrill call, sounding something like a territorial caw. Before he could respond, the bird was on Piraen. Its talons grasped his wings, cutting his shoulder area on both sides. Pi thrashed, which he'd surely regret later on. "I'm leaving!" He shouted to the true bird as the pair flew downwards. "I'm lea-" Midthought the Kelvic noticed an almost flag-like ribbon tied to the adjacent bird's leg.

This was no wild bird of prey. No, instead, it was a carrier bird; a well-trained pet. And to every pet, there is an owner. Considering this pet's response, Piraen would rather not meet the owener. Surely, they would respond in the same hostility as their bird. Pi cried out, hoping the pair wasn't far behind him. They needed a warning of sorts, and he thought that, if the shrill cry wasn't enough, its abrupt interuption would surely be; in the middle of his call, his back hit the ground with an entirely too audible thud. The air flew out of his lungs, cutting off the sound. As the bird began to peck viciously at his chest, Piraen attempted to recollect himself. However, his mind had been left far up in the air, long lost due to the quick speed change.

Alone with the bird, the only thing Pi could grasp in his exhausted, pained mindset was one thought: "Don't let it be slow."

by **Jeremiah Maccabee** on September 6th, 2012, 2:23 am

The shrill call of the bird brought Mac's head up. Two birds were engaged in arial combat. One Pi's size and the other bigger. He realized what was happening just as the two birds disappeared from sight behind the bushes.

“Celestia!” he yelled. “Pi's in trouble!” He clambered up on to Shin'ta's, which was difficult because she wasn't saddled. She was rigged for packing gear instead, including the saddle, which hung to one side over her haunches. It took him three tries to get on her and stay on. He grabbed a handful of her long mane and kicked with his feet. She started walking and, when he said, “Come on!” she moved into a trot, which tossed Mac around like a bag of oats. He kicked again and she went to a slow gallop, which made for a smoother ride. He was just barely hanging on.

“Damn,” he thought. “This is taking way too long.” Without daring to look around he yelled, “Celestia! Where are you?”

by **Celestia** on September 20th, 2012, 1:43 am

It happened rather quickly, at least to Celestia that is. One minute Pi was flying through the air, heading back to them, and the next a huge predator bird came swooping in and attacked him. The way it attacked made her believe it wasn't just some territorial creature, that it was actually sent by someone to attack him. She wouldn't be able to know if she was right or not until they caught that bird. The bird and Pi both plummeted toward the ground, Pi being the one who would face the impact of the fall. This bird seemed t have the intent to kill him, and would continue to try to succeed unless interventions were made. And that was exactly what they would do.

Before Mac could even finish informing Celestia of what she already knew, she had started stripping off her clothes yet again. She knew being in her wolf form would be much faster, and stronger. She needed that if she was going to help Pi fight the bird, and whoever possibly sent it. In seconds she was out of her clothes and shifting into her true form. Her fur glistened in the light as she took a string, which was tied to her sword, and ran in the same direction as Mac had gone off with Shin'ta. She dragged her sword with her as she tried catching up with him, hoping she could somehow throw her sword, in its sheath of course, up at him. It could maybe come in handy later. With this idea in her head, she ran carefully as she tried to keep her sword from scraping the ground too much. It didn't take long for her to catch up to Mac and she hoped that when he saw her he would get what she was trying to do, or at least know to take her sword. As she ran by him, not close enough to scare Shin'ta but close enough that she could hear him, she flicked her head to bring her sword flying up in the air in the direction of Mac. She hoped he would catch it, because if not she would have to just leave it and run even faster toward Pi. A fallen ally comes before anything, even a sacred possession. Lives over objects is something she believed.

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