The Broken Shard ((Open))

[sinn]

The night was cool and a fresh batch of snow had just coated the wooded area. Viktor was wrapped in his ghillue suit as he watched an elk through the sites of his broken M107. He kept his breath steady as he slowly crawled forward, slinging his high-powered rifle and unsheathing his Kukri. The Elk was unaware of his presence and he was getting close enough to strike.

Viktor spun his Kukri in a backhanded fashion and reared his weapon back to finish the Elk and reclaim his prey. His mind raced as his body pushed the height of the kill through his veins. Before he could so much as slash at the Elk, a large wolf leapt from the heavy foliage and latched its teeth around its neck and spun it into snow. Viktor spat in frustration as the wolf finished off his prey and tore through its jugular vein. Viktor punched the tree as he push from the ground and dropped his shoulder into the wolf; Knocking it to the ground with a heavy thud. He shuffled back as he brought his Kurki abroad to effectively finish off the possible threat.

The wolf was fast, and didn’t waste any time recovering and making a counter attack. The large wolf leapt with fantastic speeds as it brought Viktor to the ground with a heavy thud. The wolf chomped at Viktor’s neck with loud clasps of clamping teeth, with Viktor kept it at bay with his forearms as he rolled the beast to its back and connected with a powerful jab to its jaw, then another, then another. The rage consumed Viktor as he grimaced between every punch. The beast finally repelled him as it used its hind legs as leverage to vault Viktor forward. He rolled off his back and unholstered his M1911 and leveled it to the wolf. He took a deep breath and grimaced as he squeezed the trigger a single time. The weapon roared with a crack and spit a blaze of fire that launched the .45 ACP round deep into the wolf’s skull. A yelp followed by a thud echoed through the air as Viktor stood there, sighing at his actions. He quietly spoke as he knelt to the wolf, “No hard feelings. But you had it com-“ Before he could finish his sentence another wolf leapt from the brush with a roar directly at Viktor, but he was too fast as he shoulder spun the Wolf into the tree behind him. To his surprise it recovered and gave him a glare, “You…You killed my mate, you fool!” The wolf’s eyes lit with a fire that rose high above its head, “…I should kill you. But I have more…Fitting punishment.” The wolf sent a bark that lifted Viktor off his feet and into the tree behind him. Then, before Viktor could raise his sidearm, the wolf and the wolf’s body were gone. His head throbbed and his vision faded…he was losing consciousness, and he was losing it fast. But he had to keep moving, he couldn’t let this world win…Not now, not ever.

[Mama Z]

She had been traveling. Seeking out her fortune in various ways. Sure she had her home, but for now she needed to get out and about. Some would call it soul searching, others would call it a vision quest, she was thinking it more like a vacation away from life. Zodiac stopped to look around the world. It was colder here and she was thankful she still had most of her winter coat. She was a small thing, no taller than three feet tall. Her fur was a mixture of grey hues with an almost blue color strewn into them. Her eyes were a rich brown color.

She was trotting along when something loud shot through the land. She shrank down waiting and looking around. What had that been? Staying close to the ground, she went looking for its source.

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[ulrica]

<sub>Hunger. It gnawed and tore at one's innards with a ferocity which must have been of some living entity. Surely no simple bodily function could be so annoyingly constant. Misae groaned as her stomach growled again for what must have been the millionth time that day. She had to eat. Her shift from human to tigress lasted mere seconds and then a mighty beast replaced the mutated woman which had been perched lithely in a thick tree branch. The feline stepped down from the tree, dropping the few feet to land with a low thud. The hunt was on.

Fiery paws stepped silently through the forest as she followed an old deer trail. The shapeshifter's stomach clenched, reminding her of the being which demanded nutrients; the gnawing hunger that twisted her innards painfully. When was the last time she had eaten? And why the hell has it taken me this long to finally hunt...? The female wondered with some disappointment. She needed to take better care of herself. There were no comrades, no friends, to pick up the slack of her procrastination. Focus now... Misae chastised silently. Where was her head today? Why couldn't she pay attention? No, it didn't matter. She just needed to snap out of it and pull herself together. Ease into the beast and let the human just slip away... And there it was. The one-minded ferocity which she needed more than anything. The scattered thoughts of the woman drifted away, and the intense focus of the tigress took charge. Scents were suddenly obvious where they had been merely hinted at before, sounds roaring in her ears which had once seemed as whispers. Silent paws increased their pace as Misae hurried forward, the mouthwatering musk of a young elk attacking the delicate black nose with vehemence. But beneath it was another more foreign smell. It was human by origin, however, it was unlike any of those which was native to the nearby human communities. Interesting, but not important. She didn't have time to worry about such trivial things, there was a hunt in progress and her life hung in the balance of her success. No, she couldn't think about that..

The tigress shook her head, growling grumpily as the scent faded into the back of her mind. However, not even the cool calculation of the huntress could keep it locked away for long. It was still there, whispering in her ear and begging for her to follow. Fine... The female snarled and altered her course a bit to the left. Screw the hunt, the curiosity was just too much to ignore. Misae followed the trail until she saw a human male looking somewhat disoriented. The tigress stepped into his line of sight, her muzzle wrinkling in a snarl. No, not a threat, a warning. This human was strange and new. There was no telling what he could do. Even so, the snarl faded as did the striped fur of the mighty feline. 

Misae approached him then in her anthro form. Tall, slender, tanned skin, violet gemstone eyes, pearly scaled wings veined with pale sapphire and lavender, snowy hair which held the same coloring. Every inch of her figure screamed predator, from the delicately curved fangs which showed slightly with the coy smirk she gave the man, to the feral grace and the fluidness of her movements as she drew closer. "And so the question is raised.... Do I kill you.. Or play with you...?" Misae breathed, her voice a coo of seduction. She was no human. She was a killer. 

The hunt was drawing to a close...</sub>[/color]

((OOC: Mind if I hop in? >.>))

[sinn]

Viktor could barely stand as he used the trees around for support. His mind was always calm, always collective, and always focused. But now it was racing and unconcentrated. He made the biggest mistake he could have possibly made... He panicked. Viktor dropped to his knees as he gripped his hair and grunted in pain. He regain his footing as his stomach began to turn in his stomach, forcing him to vomit from sheer force. He kept moving as he noticed a wolf, hiding near the brush. He stumbled toward her as he dropped to his stomach as he spoke very quietly, "Damn wolves. I knew they'd be the death of me." He pushed himself up as he felt his bones shift. He grimaced as he looked at the tigress, simply flipping his middle finger as he fell to his knees once again.

He wasn't sure what was happening, purhaps the bark would screw with his body and mange him out of recognition. Whatever was happening, it was painful. His teeth sharpened out to form canines. His face began to stretch out to form a muzzle to fit those teeth. Next his ears folded in his head, then moved up his head to orm large, pointed ears. His bones continued to twist as his back legs arched and his feet conformed with the legs. His tail bone stretched out and formed a long, fur covered tail. Finally, fur rapidly grew all around his body to finall complete the transformation.

Viktor fought to stay awake, the after-effects left his body weakened and confused. He wasn't sure what just happened but all he knew was he was weakened and was venerable. He watched the tigress hover over him as he faded from conciousness with faint words, "Go...To hell." he grunted a laugh as he drifted into black.

[Mama Z]

A wide variety of scents and smells filled her nose and Zodiac moved faster across the land. Finally she slowed and moving closer on her belly, slunk forward. It wasn't hard to miss wht was going on, but that didnt meant she wasn't afraid. She swallowed as she saw the shifter, her ears falling back onto her head. She looked to the anthro then to the man who was suddenly writhing on the floor.

Well..wow..Zodiac wtched as the once man turned into a wolf. She had heard stories of those who can change form at will. Was this the case? Brown eyes looked to the half human tiger then to the former man, then back again. Did they know each other?

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[ulrica]

<sub>Misae snort derisively at the man's gesture, though there was amusement in her eyes. Such weak creatures they were, and yet they acted as if they owned the world... She creapt closer, unafraid but cautious. Her eyes fell upon his guns. A strange make and obviously not the same sort the humans here carried, and no one person could ever afford to carry more than one gun. What are you...?" The note of sudection once present in her lyric had vanished. She was afraid now and though it didn't creep into the softness of her voice, her eyes had widened slightly and she looked around in an almost frantic way. Almost frantic, but never quite there. No, she never lost her head, not Missae.

A wolf hunkered low in the bushes, mostly grey fur with what seemed to be blue splashed in. A thought registered then, she was on pack territory. Misae dipped her head a bit, but that was all the thanks she could give before the man called her attention back again. He was shifting, she knew, but it was unlike any shift she had ever performed. Pain seemed to replace the cool refreshing sense of moving from one body into a body which holds no fear, only strength. It was as if something was forcing the change, pushing him too fast and rushing through what was supposed to be a plesant process. The shifter's eyes softened a bit with sympathy, reaching a hand out as his writhing fell to a close. Kneeling down, her hand might brush against the fur which had formed to cover his body. That is to say if he wasn't too awake to stop her. But with or without the touch her hand would yank back in shock of what she was doing. Surprise shoving her onto her feet and sending the dragoness to lean with arms crossed against a nearby tree. 

Violet eyes turned once again on the wolf. "Dont suppose you had anything to do with this?" She questioned softly, rolling her eyes at herself. Here she was, following the scent of a human male, inturrupting a much needed hunt, and now the dragoness found herself talking to a wolf which had arrived perhaps even after she had. Misae sighed, running a hand through her hair to brush the bangs out of her eyes. Her stomach growled again. If he didn't wake soon, she would be forced to go and hunt. However, she was slow to leave this human. He seemed new to his body somehow, and for some reason, she felt an odd sense to protect him. She groaned, pulling her knees up and resting her forehead against them. What am I doing...</sub>[/color]

[Mama Z]

The scene was so awkward and different than anything she had ever encountered before. And the humans she had spent time with had shown her some odd things. The other was just as stunned and that gave her the hint that she had nothing to do with this. When Zodiac was addressed she shook her head.

She straightened just slightly and moved out from her spot, though she was wary of Missae. 'Is...he still alive?' She asked tilting her head just slightly.

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[sinn]

Viktor slowly opened his eyes as the trees and snow came into focus. His head throbbed and his body was sore, leaving him with the inability to stand. Something was off; it was snowing and his breath was clearly visible, yet he wasn't cold. And his smell...it was far more acute than before. So powerful he could smell the brass off his .50 Rounds. He looked around from his weakened state, the same wolf that was there when he felt that intense pain was there, and now a dragoness sat at the base of a tree, her head folded into her knees. Viktor did everything he could to get up, to defend himself, but every fiber of his body screamed in agony as he did. He tried again...Same result. He looked to the duo infront of him as he spoke in a weak tone, "Wh..what happened? Who are you?!"

Viktor was still unaware of his new form as he tried to drag himself forward, but was met with failure as his Ballistics vest, boots and M107 refused to follow behind him. It was strange, his usual equipment was heavier than usual and carrying them would be an easy feat. Finally, Viktor gave up, panting from the physical pain and exertion.

[ulrica]

<sub>The wolf was a small creature, and more than a little timid. Misae saw the nervousness in her eyes and slightly wished she had been gifted with the form of a wolf as well as her other forms. Maybe then the she-wolf would have felt less frightened. Oh well, I suppose one doesn't get to choose their abilities.. She thought with some boredom, this must have been the thousandth time she had wished that very thing. "Is...He still alive?" The wolf asked, tilting her head a bit to the side. The dragoness shrugged lifting her head. "Well he was-" Her words cut off suddenly, and she leaned forward into a squatting position balancing with her palms spread over the ground. "Yea, I think he's coming around..." Her wings flared slightly, the three long spikes on each wing extending from their sheaths colored the same pearl as her scales. Just to be safe... Violet eyes watch the human who was now a wolf with obvious interest. He tried to stand, failed, fell back to the earth once again. Misae smirked, oh yes she had been there before. Drives you mad doesn't it... She thought smuggly, an amused smirk curling one corner of her mouth.

"Wh..what happened? Who are you?!" He was afraid, but if his fear was born of Misae's presence, that of the small wolfess, or from his predicament, the shifter wasn't sure. Probably a mixture of all three... The winged young woman didn't answer right away. It wasn't her nature to do what was helpful to others, rather she cared about what suited herself and she always took time to think over her words. She tapped a finger against her chin, a curious light coming to her gemstone eyes. "I think a better question would be: who are you?" She replied, with a wry smirk before standing and dusting off her palms. The male seemed to be struggling with his new form, or perhaps oblivious he had changed at all. Either way, he was tangled up in the strange armor and weapons he had been wearing. Misae rolled her eyes a bit, looking down at the creature with a quirked brow and a hand on her hip. "If you want help you only need to ask. Just squirming around like that is going to end up making it worse." As an afterthought she retracted the spikes in her wings, it looked like she wouldn't needthem after all.</sub>[/color]  

[Mama Z]

Zodiac was sniffing the air round them, trying to see if she could smell if he was dead or not from this distance. But finally, he let out a groan and tried to move about. It was painful to watch. It was like watching a pup scramble for its life. All the same, Zodiac let Misae do the talking. She wasn't sure what to think of this. The wolf seemed so confused...and frankly so was she.

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[sinn]

Viktor's newly formed legs screamed in agony as he tried to stand once again, and like before; it was met with failure. The shifter near watched as he struggled,

"The better question is: Who are you?".

Viktor grunted as he continued to work his powerfully sore muscles, "I'm Viktor. Viktor Makarov. United Nations coalition commander of Brigade: Hotel." he winced in pain as he tried to move again. His vision was still blurred and unfocused, leaving him blissfully unaware of his current form.

"If you need help, just ask."

Viktor rolled his unfocused eyes as he rested on the ground, "I don't need your help. Nothing permanent was done, he probably hit me something that stuns me. Nothing broken...I'll be up and running on my feet in no-time." he continued to try to lift himself from the ground, but the 75 pound rucksack, 30 pound Kevlar vest, and 25 pound sniper rifle made it impossible for him to go anywhere. His boots hung awkwardly off the end of his newly formed back paws. Viktor could barely make out anything as he thought out loud, "I...I don't remember my equipment being this heavy, or this cumbersome." he looked to the shifter and the wolfess as he tried to move once again, "Does anything look broken from what you can see? I mean I assume you've seen other humans before myself, so seeing anything out of place or different needs to be noted." he looked at the two comfy as he continued to rest on his stomach. He wasn't sure what was going on, and his body refused to cooperate.

[ulrica]

<sub>His name was odd, but hey, so was hers. Who was she judge? But these words he used, what the hell was a unitednations? He mentioned he was a commander of a..hotel? The humans had pubs and inns they lent out rooms in, was he the owner of one? But then why make it sound as if it were a military post. Oh well, it wasn't important. Unless an army of more crazy men appear I don't seem to have anything to worry about... Misae mused, her confusion kept tucked cleanly away in the cavernous depths of her mind. She gave an amused snort when he denied her help. She smirked, squatting back on her hams. "No help huh? Well.. Suit yourself.."

"Does anything look broken from what you can see?" Misae cocked her head, how was she supposed to know? She dealt in swords and knives with her only ranged weapon being a bow and arrow. Guns were bad to her. They hurt and caused terrible wounds which took days to heal. No, guns had been labeled as something to stay away from since the dragoness had been very young. "Anything out of place or different needs to be noted." She blinked. Really? Was he ignorant or just plain stupid? It started as a snort, then a giggle, then a full on laugh. The woman fell back onto her rear and ran a hand through her hair. Gods this male was thick. "I don't think you'll be needing your guns any time soon. You have new weapons now, mutt." She chuckled softly, a wry glint in her eyes. "Your legs feel like the bones were shattered don't they? Well it's because they were. Your bones broke and fused in new positions to give you that form. And you have to use new muscles now so you will most likely have trouble walking for a while. Do your teeth hurt? Bet they do, run your tongue over them, you'll be surprised." The woman stood stretching her arms above her head. "You don't have to believe me, hell, you don't even need to listen to me. But you can't deny what your body has been screaming at you." Misae brushed off her hands, placing one on her hip while the other dangled at her side. Her stomach tightened, it was time to hunt, but she couldn't in good conscience leave this strange shifter without a teacher of sorts. Not this soon any how..</sub>[/color]

[Mama Z]

Oh enough of the word games. Zodiac moved forward, moving to stand in front of the new wolf. 'You aren't human.' She stated, speaking clearly. 'I don't know which magic has hit you but you're like me.' She knew he could understand her clearly now. And she made sure to talk to him carefully. 'Your human weapons and shields are useless to you now.' It was going to be a blow but the sooner the shock wore off the better it would be.'

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[sinn]

Viktor shot a grimace at the shifter, "Did you just call me...Mutt? If I wasn't paralyzed I'd shoot you with my 1911." He adjusted his body to shift the weight off his vitals, "What are you-" he stopped and did as she suggested. He ran his tongue along the ridges of his teeth and widened his eyes as he immediately realized the difference. His mind flickered as he looked at his left hand to see it was a paw. He started to panic, his new instincts overrode his old ones. How could have this happene- his mind went blank as he drew the conclusion: That wolf...He...turned me into one of THEM! he chuckled as he spoke to himself: "No...This...No I must be delusional. Caught in a coma after combat...No...This can't be happening!" his mind went from scared and confused, to angry and frustrated as he tried to move once again, this time with everything he had; "Dammit! Damn you wolves! You did this to me!" a sudden snarl escaped his mouth as he struggled in place: "I swear to all that is holy I'll kill everything in this forest!!"

He finally caught himself as he calmed down and took deep, relaxing breaths. He looked to the shifter and the wolf as he eased his nerves, "Can..Can you help me get up? I..It seems I cannot move due to the weight on my back." he sighed as he tried to free himself once again; "I'm hopeless right now. Anyone or anything could pick me off no problem." Viktor's mind cursed at him for asking the two for help, but he knew his petty difference would have to be set aside if he was to survive. He gave one final stare at the two as he spoke softly; "I still think this is a dream. Or that we're simply fooled into believing I have changed."

[ulrica]

<sub>All in all, he is taking this fairly well. Misae mused as Viktor babbled on about delusions and comas. "Dammit! Damn you wolves! You did this to me!" And there's the snap.. The dragoness glanced at the wolfess with a cocnerned expression, she definitely didn't want to fight a strange male, but she loathed the thought of leaving this 'wolf' behind. Especially when it seemed to be her kind unjustly taking the blame. "I swear to all that is holy I'll kill everything in this forest!!" Misae's eyes narrowed and she growled lowly. "Enough, denling. You insult the wolves whose packlands you invade as well as yourself making threats such as those out of fear. You are obviously some sort of soldier, act like it. What would your commanders say if they saw you acting like the spoiled little dog you are. You don't deserve to wear that skin." She snarled viciously, the feral tone to her litling voice suddenly taking on a dangerous key. If he wanted to try and even lay a claw on her, she would tear him apart.

Viktor seemed to calm down soon after, breathing deeply and soothing his mind. His eyes turned up to look at the she-wolf and shifter then, Misae braced herself for an attempt at attack but was pleasantly surprised when the wolf merely spoke. "Can..Can you help me get up? I..It seems I cannot move due to the weight on my back." The dragoness quirked a brow, a mistrustful look on her face. She gave a snort as he continued. "I'm hopeless right now. Anyone or anything could pick me off no problem." The woman rolled her eyes running a hand through her hair. "Looks like a job for opposable thumbs.." Misae grumbled, wiggling the fingers of her right and the wolf as she cautiously approached the male. He was not going to catch her off guard. "Just a heads-up, I doubt coming here is what made you so easily disposable..." She huffed annoyedly as she drew up alongside the wolf. Her wing spikes extended again almost of their own accord, pointing down at him like six polished, diamond daggers.

"I still think this is a dream. Or that we're simply fooled into believing I have changed." The dragoness huffed, gently laying her hands on the strange armor which covered the wolf if he didn't find some way of wiggling out from under her palms. "Dream or not, just tell me how to get this junk off of you." There came another tightening of her stomach and her mind flashed back to her first few shifts and the amount of energy it had taken simply to walk afterward. This wolf would probably like to eat as well if his shift had been anything similar to her own, and why not get food for the little femme also? My I am a charitable person today... The shifter grumped silently before speaking audibly, "By the way.. How do you feel? Hungry? Thirsty? Extremely sick?"</sub>[/color]