The Broken Shard ((Open))

[ulrica]

<sub>She was confused, this was all just too much. What was a Soviet Union? What was a helicopter? Misae's head spun with this none sense, surely he made it all up! Surely this was all just a joke and any second now he would laugh and say, 'gotchya!'. But the phrase never came. Viktor was serious. He is mad... She reasoned, the thought that there was a complete and different world besides her own striking fear deep within the shifter's heart. But how could madness be so thought through...?

It is madness, you cannot explain it.

But how could he formulate such a lie and believe it so thoroughly as he does?

It is madness. You cannot explain it.

And so it went back and forth, back and forth in the panther's head as she listened to the male's explanation. Unfortunately, as he fell silent again, she was left with perhaps more questions than she had started out with. How could there be a world where guns were, what had he said? Automatic? What did that mean? That the gun held and shot itself? Perhaps even aimed? Could a tool have grown such brilliance that it would lose the need of a controller? If so, how had the human race, or any race for that matter, survived? "But it's just one more thing that has gone wrong, no sense on letting it get to me. I just have to roll with the punches." Viktor's words broke Misae's frantic thoughts and she turned to look at him again. Sympathy was in her dark eyes. 'One more thing that has gone wrong...' He shouldn't have to think like that... Call it pity, call it friendship, call it whatever you would, but the fact that he had accepted this life he obviously didn't want so easily was painful for the shifter. She was used to suffering, used to the loneliness of her life and used to the life she led, but this wolf, no, this man - for that is what he truly was - had been forced into the life and skin he never wanted. Misae chose to live as she did, his choice had been taken. Then I will give it back. Her decision was finite, she wouldn't force-change him as it was much too agonizingly painful for such a new shifter to go through, but she would do her best to grant him the key for walking back and forth between the world of man and the world of beast.

"You should sleep now." Misae said, her voice holding a tone of authority which hadn't been present before as she stood and returned to the place she had been resting before. "Tomorrow will be a long and trying day, you need your rest." She flopped down on her side, back facing the young wolf. She didn't go straight to sleep, however. Instead, she would lay for a while, watching the cave wall and waiting to see if Viktor would reply.</sub>[/color]

[sinn]

Viktor could see the disbelief in her eyes and disposition as he nodded and walked to the middle of the cave to catch some sleep, "You don't believe me?" he chuckled as he curled and drifted into sleep before he thought of the camera that was stored in on of the pouched of his armor "If we can get back to my gear, I can prove it to you." He finally drifted into the warm embrace of sleep as he fought off the nightmares that would soon ensue. If all went well, we would fight it until dawn.

[ulrica]

<sub>The night was a relatively calm one, leaving Misae refreshed when she woke the next morning. The sun shone into the cave, casting a small and warped circle upon the rocky ground. The panther stood, stretching with a great yawn which revealed her long, jagged fangs. Giving a great shake of her fur, the female flicked her tail a couple times and padded silently from the cave; leaping up the short ledge and crawling through the narrow entry way. Snow covered the ground in a thin blanket, sticking to her paws as the shadowy feline stepped out into the daylight. But she wasn't a feline, and those weren't paws, rather they were boots made from animal hide which laced up to just below her knees. For clothes she wore simple pants made from fur and a loose fitting, long-sleeved cloth shirt which had half of the back cut from it to reveal a pair of pearly wings hued with lavender and pale sapphire. Her long, white hair hung to the middle of her back, the same colors of her wings streaking through the pale strands.

Misae breathed deeply, taking in the chill morning air. She should have been cold, but even though she knew it was almost freezing outside, the temperature didn't matter. The dragoness was warmed by the fire which danced with her blood through her veins. She was invigorated by the power which coursed in that slender body, muscles twisting and coiling as the shifter lifted her tanned arms out to her sides as if she were being crucified. Simultaneously, those lovely wings stretched out, catching the sun and almost seeming to make her entire body glow with the light. A small smile came to the woman's face, it was going to be a good day.

A noise caught her attention and the dragoness spun with a snarl already curling her lips, violet eyes searching for the fool who had tried to sneak up on her.</sub>[/color]

[sinn]

((Sorry about being inactive for so long. My router got hit by lightning.))

Viktor slowly opened his eyes as the sun shot small beams of light deep into the cave's center. He yawned and stretched his legs as he walked to the sunlight and laid on his back, letting the warm beams of light comfort him back to sleep. A crack of someone or something walking shook him awake as he spun upwards and into a defensive stance. He slowly advanced to the foliage as he began a low growl, "Whatever is in that bush...Has three seconds to get show themselves-"

"Or what, mutt?" The voice was familiar, but it was one that rung a hostile bell, instead of a comforting one. The voice was that of the wolf that turned him into his current form, "I can tell your taking your new form well. I also see you met a shifter, and she's been helping you." He smiled as he sat down, "I could turn you back. But that would ruin the fun." 

Viktor snarled as he moved toward the wolf, he kept his eyes locked on his foe and spoke in a low growl, "You...You did this to me. This is your fault!" 

"You did this when you killed my mate! Don't think for a second that I feel sorry for you. You're lucky I gave you the gift of that form and not simply take your life as you did with my mate."

"Gift?! I'd be better off dead! This form is a curse not a gift!" He laughed as he turned around and paced toward the wolf, keeping his eyes still locked to the wolf in front of him. The wolf leapt forward, pinning Viktor to the foliage with a powerful push, 

"It behooves you to watch your mouth, mutt. I turned you into this form, I am the only one who can allow you to turn back." he released his weight off Viktor as he faced away from him, "If you want to be human again, you're going to have to learn to live like a wolf. Hunt like one-"

"-I know how to hunt. Misea helped me there. It seems I'm a step ahead-"

"Wolves don't hunt alone, fool. When I feel you've learned your place, I will return."

The wolf disappeared into the foliage as he Viktor took a deep sigh as he took a whiff of the pine scented air, trying to find Misea with his heightened smelling. He pushed through the brush as he followed the scent to her exact location, hopefully he would get to her soon, and avoid any dangers within the woods.

[ulrica]

((OOC: S'fine ))

<sub>The sun shone upon Misae's tanned skin, making her seem almost to glow a golden color in the light. Her wings glinted brilliantly, her entire body reveling in the freedom of stretching her wings out. Oh how wonderful it would be to simply lift off the ground and- No! She couldn't leave Viktor to fend for himself. Speaking of whom... I wonder if he's woken up by now... Sighing, the dragoness shifted back into the form of a black panther and started back on the short walk to where she had left the wolf still asleep.

"Viktor?" She called, standing outside the den. Something was wrong. There was an odd scent to the air. Another wolf! Misae snarled, following the scent to a disrupted patch of snow. One of them had taken the other down. Somewolf had hurt Viktor. No, not hurt, there was no blood. She was just being over protective.. Stop being such a ninny and find that pup! The panther growled, her fur stiff as she followed the newly made shifter's trail. Still, something was off. Something was wrong, very wrong, but she just couldn't place it... The birds.. She realized. There was no bird song. The feline stopped, looking up and searching for any sort of fowl. A raven, a sparrow, a robin, anything! Nothing. Misae growled again lowly, this time a noise of distress. Her ears flattened along her neck then rose again at the hint of a noise. No, it had been the wind.

Continuing on, another scent attacked her nose cruelly. It was almost rotten in its musk, the smells of dirt, blood, and something she'd rather not speak of all mixed together. It was a smell she knew well. One she had memorized at a young age. Bear. The giant creatures were rarer here in the frigid terrain, but they weren't unheard of. And a grumpy bear awoken during his hibernation could be a dangerous thing indeed... Viktor! Misae ran after his trail, wishing for the millionth time that she had learned the form of a wolf. Even though she lacked the speed, the agility was obviously present. Leaping over fallen trees, and ducking under low branches, she raced for the young wolf.

Finally, she came to the small clearing she had wandered to earlier. He had been tracking her too, oh thank the gods he was still alive. "Oh, Viktor..." She sighed in relief at the sight of his unmarred body. Thank the gods... Thank the gods... She smiled, walking toward him now and panting. But now, a peaceful reunion was too much to ask for. A bear stumbled into the clearing from the other side of the male, his eyes angry with exhaustion. "...Get back!" She ordered the wolf, charging forward with a blood thirsty roar. It was so different, so much more feral than any sound she had made since her time with the strange soldier. But it was necessary. Bear and panther faced each other, angry snarls and roars echoing between them. She was mad, for reasons the ageless creature couldn't realize nor comprehend. Misae's blood boiled, as the power of her true form began to leak through the gaps her emotion left in her mental shields. The ancient magics of a leviathan slipping through the chinks of her armor as she faced off with the giant of the forests...</sub>[/color]

[sinn]

Viktor watched Misea approach him with a sigh of relief, but it was short lived as a very large and vert angry bear broke from the foliage and stood in front of the two with a menacing appearance. 

Misea ordered Viktor to get back as she stood forward in an offensive stance. Viktor shook his  fur covered head, "No, I won't let-" he stopped himself as he watched her face twist in a grimace of anger. Viktor nodded as he stepped back and blinked, "Right...You can handle this..." he backpedaled then twisted into a sprint for a safe distance from the fight.

He wasn't sure what that bear would do, or if it would simply run from her in sheer fear. Viktor watched Misae as he examined her fighting stance. In his eyes, it was a beauty of stance, as it looked as if it both protected her and gave her a wide field of combat. He wanted to step in and help, but he knew his fighting was off and he would only get in her way. But he kept his eyes locked on the bear, just in case things weren't going Misea's way.

[ulrica]

<sub>What a perfect opportunity to show him how to fight with his new form... Misae mused silently during a lull in the bears savage roars. They stood facing each other for a few seconds, silence enveloping them. From an outsider's point of view, it might seem as if they were simply looking at one another, but it was so much more than simple eye contact. Each tiny scent, the smallest bit of movement, the farthest noises, everything was acknowledged and analyzed. Everything. There, the small twitch in the bears forearm. Misae snarled and moved into its path as the giant creature made to charge. It roared in protest, strings of spittle flying from it's fanged maw. But the dragoness stood her ground, for she was mighty and this was simply some lumbering cub to one who is ageless. The bear stopped, snow flying in front his paws and his angry snarls seeming to shake the trees around them. It stood on its hind legs, scenting the air in large gulping snorts. With a defeated grunt, it came back down to all fours and lumbered off the way it had come. It was over, just a territorial display by a half asleep bear. 

Misae was panting, her heart racing with adrenaline still pumping through her system. "Are you alright?" She asked concerned as she turned back to face Viktor, knowing the bear hadn't touched the wolf she guarded but the worry she felt pushing her to ask anyhow. With silent paws, the panther padded toward him, the wildness gone. Sure she still was beautiful in the way that feral creatures are, but the awesome power which had thickened her aura, the wisdom which had seemed to simply pour from her feline figure, it had vanished. The barriers of her mind were once again in place and the overhwelming consciousness of the dragon she truly was had disappeared behind them.

"Come, we should keep moving. It is best for a wolf like yourself not to be caught hanging around in pack territory." The shifter said, dipping her head slightly, already feeling the painful pressure in her skull from her little slip up. Her essence had shifted, but her body hadn't, the mix up would be painful later but for now it was at least bearable. Misae started forward, brushing past Viktor as she disappeared into the forest at a liesurely walk.</sub>[/color]

[sinn]

Viktor quickly leapt through the forest's brush and caught to Misea as he trotted along side her. He was trusting this Shifter more and more as the seconds past, despite the fact that he often kept his trust in a single person kept to himself. He yawned as he spoke over the bristling of leaves and the rusting of many creatures within the forest, but at the same time he kept his voice quiet enough not to alert anything, "There is something you should know...Something about me..." he looked down as he continued to talk, "The reason...I currently a wolf...Was...my doing...I, I killed a wolf in cold blood. And her mate...he did this to me." he took a deep sigh as he slowed his pace down, "But still...I think this is a bit too far..."

The same wolf that shifted Viktor from human to wolf was following behind the duo, following their faint scent that barely filled the air. The Human was doing somewhat well...But not enough to change him back. In retrospect, he made Viktor into a shifter, similar to that of Misae. He chuckled as he got close enough to keep visual contact, but far enough to keep his scent and noise unbeknownst the the traveling duo, "Soon enough, pup...Soon enough." He continued to follow them as he continued to keep his distance.

Viktor stopped Misae as he sighed, "I need to know what you are thinking...If you don't trust me... please-" Before he could finish his sentence another wolf leapt from the thick brush and knocked Viktor on his side and pinned him down, he used his back legs to push him off, but as soon as he pushed one off, two more jumped him. Several other wolves surrounded the duo and kept their distance, making sure the two didn't have any room to properly maneuver. They deemed the wolf the greater threat and kept him down so they could "easily" defeat the panther. Viktor tried to get around the wolves, but they had a strong pin on him, "Misea...Run! I...I'll figure something out...Just, forget about me...I do not want for you to get hurt."

((OOC: From here I leave you to attack/kill the wolves. Or you could run, your choice. ))

[ulrica]

<sub>Scents filled the air, tingling in the panther's nose as she led the young male through the forest. Where she was taking him she didn't know, not back to the den. No, they couldn't stay in one place for too long. It would be best to leave the area, but Viktor's words quickly threw that thought from the shifter's mind. What he said was troubling, and Misae risked a curious glance back at the wolf as he stared down at his paws. A murder was just as serious amongst wolves as it was amongst humans, perhaps more so. Wolves were familial creatures, if this man had unknowingly killed a pack wolf then she was surprised they hadn't simply killed him. Instead they were...they were what? Teaching him? Showing him the life of a wolf so that he might understand the horrible wrong he had done them? Perhaps... "I killed a wolf in cold blood. And her mate...he did this to me." Misae nodded, now it made sense. This was torture. The wolf had given him the skin of a creature he hated, only when the wolf was certain Viktor had realized the horrible thing he had done would the wolf return him to his human form. Or kill him... No. She wouldn't let that happen. However, she couldn't stand in the way of justice...

What would I do...? If someone had just stolen everything I love in the world away...what would I do? The female wondered, once again glancing back at Viktor. What would I do...? Death. The answer was easy. But a swift death would never do. She would make them suffer, make them know pain, she would target their family first. A heart for a heart, their mate would fall too. And then what? Simply let that creature kill themselves? No... With the watchful gaze of a huntress, Misae would watch that beast who had stolen her world; she would keep them from eating, from drinking, and she would make them live until they died from the inside out...

Viktor stopped then, breaking the dragoness's thoughts and making her turn back with a curious look. "I need to know what you are thinking..." Something was wrong, something was very wrong. That scent, it shouldn't have been there, at least not so strongly. Those sounds, paws in the snow... Misae's heart thudded painfully as a wolf launched itself from the bushes and sent Viktor sprawling. She moved to help, but fangs were already biting into her thick pelt; searching for flesh...searching for blood. The panther growled, a savage sound which shook the trees, the wolves drew away from her but only for a moment. "Misea...Run!" The dragoness looked up at the male, wolves snapping at him and keeping him pinned even in his obvious struggle to rise. He's too young... He can't handle this... Her use of 'young' wasn't in meaning of age, but in knowledge. He didn't know his body, his strengths, he couldn't fight against these beasts. If she left him now, they would slaughter him without hesitation. Circumstance made the decision for her.

A wolf leaped at her, but this time she was ready. With a feral snarl, the panther swung a massive paw and sent the wolf tumbling with four streaks of dripping scarlet across its ribs. Seeing their pack mate so easily tossed aside by this shadowy monster, the other wolves hesitated again, but their courage quickly returned and once more they collapsed upon her. Misae roared in pain and anger as one wolf sunk its fangs into her thigh, another tearing into her shoulder with a vengeance. The ground was hard and unwelcoming as it found the feline's side, the wolves converging upon her in a pile of yips and snarls and...yelps? A single wolf darted away from the fray, its fur smoking and a singed scent filling the air. Then another wolf ran, and another, finally the group broke giving their adversary a moment to breathe. A big mistake.

Fury coursed through the shifter's veins, heating her blood to a boiling point. Soft hisses echoed as drops of the red liquid landed in the snow, courtesy of a wicked gash running from behind her ear to the middle of the side of her neck. The wolves stared at her with something like fear and awe, the realization that she was different suddenly striking them ferociously in the form of a giant, scaled claw. The shift had taken a couple seconds at most, but in that time, fifteen foot wings had sprouted from behind the furred shoulder blades, her snout had narrowed and lengthened, her neck growing considerably longer than any panther's should be, her legs grew taller and the muscles shifted beneath the scaled flesh, her tail grew to an amazing length with spikes running from along its length to the base of her skull, and finally her fur fell away to reveal pearled scales veined with pale sapphires and lavenders which darkened on the undersides of her wings. Misae was a magnificent creature in her true form. Beautiful in appearance with an overpowering aura which seemed to shove its way into the subconscious of any creature near. Fire gathered in her giant maw, making her violet eyes shimmer radiantly with some inner light as with a massive roar, she released a jet of flame into the air.

Wolves yelped, running over and into each other in their haste to escape. But not all were fast enough to run. An unlucky few found their flesh shredded by jagged dagger length claws, a slow and painful death as they bled out in the snow. But most of these beasts she let go, they weren't her concern. Viktor... Gem stone eyes turned on the wolf she protected with a blood thirst unmatchable by these wolves. The dragoness's giant claws left craters in the snow as she slowly walked toward her charge, wings flared and bending trees away from her massive body. Her temper had been spent, these wolves had mere heartbeats before their lives ended.</sub>[/color]

[sinn]

The sounds of growling and snow crunching under grunts of both pain and physical stress echoed through the forest. Viktor watched from the cold snow as a wolf attack Misea, then another, then another...Viktor bit his lip as the it seemed the wolves were going to take down his newly found friend. He cursed and spit at the wolves pinning him down as he tried to force his way from their weight, which would have been easily done in his human form. He cursed again as the wolves looked up suddenly and put their ears back to show signs of fear. Viktor didn't understand, they had the upper-hand, Misea was surely killed by the wolves around them. Viktor assumed it was a sign of their leader or something of greater threat coming to finish Viktor off, he squinted and gritted his teeth as he thought;

I never thought this is what my instuctors meant when they said I was going to die like a dog...Dammit...This isn't happening! No...THIS. IS NOT. HAPPENING!"

Viktor's gut lit with fire as he pushed one of the wolves off his body and latched his teeth into the second wolf's leg that was pinning him to the cold snow. Suddenly, and as if on queue, the wolves ran with their tails between their legs...A full retreat. Viktor tilted his head, an injured Panther and Physically useless wolf causing an entire pack to run? Something was off putting, something wasn't right. Viktor turned as he saw a dragon, a very large, very angry looking reptile with wings ten times Viktor's size. He stood straight up, showing no fear toward the possible threat infront of him. He spoke with a clear, yet still heavily accented tone toward the winged reptile, "Where is Misea? What have you done with her...? Please, I don't want any trouble, I just want my friend so I can treat her injurie-" Before he could finish his sentence, his mind clicked. It hit him like a stone wall, this dragon was Misea...Sure her form was much different and her aura was...It shook him to his core. However different her body was, her mannerism and her general disposition were still there. Things you can't change, no matter how different the form. Viktor stood a bit more at ease as he figured who the large dragoness was. He spoke as he paced around a bit, "What happens now? Now that I have confessed my crimes to you? Are you going to end me? or 'Leave me to the wolves' as they say? I deserve worse...Go ahead...just...whatever it is, make sure it is just."

[ulrica]

<sub>Misae was proud of the young wolf, it seemed he was finally coming into his new body. He used his fangs well, instinct directing him for the wolf's leg. A good attack, if the shifter's bite was strong enough those fangs would meet bone... The wolves noticed her targeting them and gave a parting snarl before dashing off into the woods. Viktor was confused, Misae could sense it in his aura and see it in his actions. Finally, he too noticed her presence. The dragoness credited his reaction to her new form to years of soldier training, surely any other creature would be terrified. After all, hadn't those wolves just moments ago ran yelping from the sight of her?

"Where is Misea?..." The dragoness in question blinked at Viktor's querry. She was touched by his concern, a softness coming into her eyes which hadn't previously been present. A low, rumbling chuckle echoed in her deep chest; a noise comparable to the sound of a roaring fire or a rock slide. Even in such a small sound, however, the wisdome and strength Misae possessed showed plainly in the notes. She was a leviathan, thought to be either a fairy tale or extinct, and it was the knowledge of the ages which gave her such an overpowering aura. Then the recognition coated his face and Misae smiled a bit. Folding in her wings, and relaxing her muscles as she lowered herself onto her belly, Misae curled her long reptilian tail around her side and draped it over her crossed claws. Her head was still held up, her neck arched so that she looked down at the wolf before her. "I'm touched by your concern, Viktor. It is not something I meet often..." Her words drifted away at the look on his face.

The young male was troubled, that much was made clear by his actions and his words confirmed that fact. "What happens now? Now that I have confessed my crimes to you? Are you going to end me? or 'Leave me to the wolves' as they say? I deserve worse...Go ahead...just...whatever it is, make sure it is just." Misae gave a low rumbling in her throat, a hollow noise as she cleared the passageway of any remaining flame. The fire would go into her stomach and be extinguished. "Youngling it is not my place to punish you for your crimes against another. While you were in the wrong with your actions, and I assure you your fate would be far more painful had you killed my mate, your wrong was not toward me and therefore it is not my place to praise you or punish you." 

Misae frowned, lowering her giant head and lying it on the ground beside the wolf so that she looked at him through a single violet eye. So many emotions showed in the gaze. Pity, affection, disappointment, and also the fiery blaze of the prtoectiveness she felt toward him. "I have told you before and now I will tell you again, this is a dangerous world you have stepped into. The rules here are not like the rules you are familiar to, but they are absolute and their punishments are often unproportionaly harsh. Here there isn't time for forgiveness because forgiveness is weak. Those who hurt you die, there is no other way for dealing with things. You are lucky to have survived this long, lucky that wolf did not simply kill you rather than teach you." Misae went silent then. She didn't say the truth that hung in the back of her mind, the looming certainty of uncertainty. What would happen if the wolf decided to take back his mercy? Would Viktor be killed or simply forgotten? She didn't know. The only thing she was certain of was the wavering of her decisions. When the time came, would she protect this young shifter, or would she leave him to die...?</sub>[/color]  

[sinn]

The wind continued to blow a gentle breeze through the frigid forest as he looked to Misae, his mind still wondering if she would protect him or leave him to his 'judge'. Viktor nodded at her words in agreement, both of the enemies in the lands and of what she would do if he killed her mate. Viktor continued to trudge through the snow as he spoke to Misae, "Hopefully we can get out of this God Forsaken land before anything else of trouble arises. And hopefully, some help will arise and I can find the wolf who is 'Teaching me a lesson'."

Before he could finish his words, a strong yet calm voice arose from the bushes behind the two, "It looks like he found you...again, young one. You are learning, and that is my focus in your form. The dragoness is also correct when she says your lucky I simply didn't kill you, but I found you being a wolf would let you see more." He paced around the two as Viktor looked to the ground, not being able to look him in the eyes after his crime. The wolf continued to speak as Viktor simply sighed and shook his head, "Viktor, you have wronged me. You have robbed me from my love, the mother of my pups. You are a murderer, and the universe sees that. I can see into you Viktor, you were a brave, conflicted human who both killed and saved. I have seen into your world before, and it's evils and how you fight them. I also understand wolves in your world are shunned and hunted by your kind with weapons of unspeakably and irreparable power." He smiled as he looked at the ashamed wolf, "But you are learning, as I said. And soon you will truly see the error of your ways, which is when I will truly decide whether I turn you human again or simply leave you like this for the rest of your life. I don't think your pack leader, or...Commander as you call it, would be pleased to see his best Soldier stuck like this." He looked stern to Viktor as watched the young wolf continue to look away from the wrong wolfed.

Viktor's mind was everywhere, everything the wolf said was completely understood and Viktor felt ashamed to even look at the wolf he had completely robbed. He couldn't simply say 'I'm Sorry' and be done with this entire fiasco, he needed to prove to the wolf that he was not only sorry, but that he would learn to respect the world he was in. Viktor finally spoke as the wolf circled him, "When I was first put into this form, I was angry, confused, and I felt sorry for myself. Now I am ashamed to even look at you, because I have become the very thing I have sought to destroy." Viktor finally looked at the wolf as he took a deep breath, "Whatever it takes, I will make amends for my crimes. If I knew that was your partner...I would have never-"

"But you did, and that's all that matters. You lost the love of your life years ago, and then you rob me of my love as someone robbed you. What would she say? What would she do, Viktor? Think about that, think of yourself next time you think of me. Now...Who is this dragoness?" The wolf examined Misea, he saw a very large, and very prideful looking reptile that, both the wolf and Viktor saw, had an aura was both frightening and beautiful. He spoke as he continued to watch her, "I have watched you as well, despite the fact that you do not have to protect the young wolf and yet you still do. I respect that, I also know you are a shifter and I can only hope you will not help him become human again when or if I turn him back. Tell me, Misea...Why do you protect him, even after you know what he did?"

[ulrica]

<sub>Misae snarled at the appearance of this new wolf, her eyes narrowing as she raised her head, arching her neck so that she stood defensively behind Viktor. The wolves before hadn't killed him and neither would this one. She would make sure of it. However, the wolf simply spoke to her charge, regarding him with a sense of wizened disdain. The dragoness eased herself over so that she could rest directly behind her friend, with her tail uncovering her front claws in case she found need of them in the near future...

All this stranger seemed to want to do was talk. Talk about things the woman couldn't understand and got the feeling she didn't want to. "You have robbed me from my love..." This was the wolf whose mate Viktor had killed? Misae looked down at the wolf she had so readily jumped to protect with an odd look in her violet eyes. But he didn't seem to notice her, all of his attention focused on this foreign wolf. She saw the shame growing on his face and felt the urge to comfort him, to wrap her arms around him and tell him it was ok, that it wasn't his fault. That he hadn't known. But she didn't of course, how could she when it most assuredly was his fault that this wolf had lost the one heart he had found love in? Oh Viktor... What have you done...?

Misae's thoughts were conflicted now, torn between the need to keep that strange young shifter safe and the instinct to obey the laws of her world. How could she follow one without forsaking the other? I can't... "You lost the love of your life years ago..." The dragoness blinked, looking at the stranger then again at Viktor. He had lost his own love? When? How? He'd never said anything about that, but then again why would he explain his entire life story to a complete stranger...?

The second wolf's attention then turned to Misae and the dragoness glared angrily at the creature, blaming her indecision on him and his sense of 'justice'. Couldn't he have just done the normal thing and killed Viktor in the very beginning? Then she wouldn't be having all these second thoughts about everything... "...Why do you protect him, even after you know what he did?" The shifter narrowed her eyes, fatigue setting in from her shift and the energy it had taken to heal herself with the action. This needed to end soon or she would collapse, leaving not only herself but Viktor in danger."The time passed since I learned of what he did hasn't even been thirty minutes. I protected him before then because I saw a confused human who needed help. I have done many things in my life but letting an innocent die has never been one of them. As for why I protected him in that small fight moments ago... I was evening the odds..." Her glare turned venomous, and the scales over her chest where her throat connected to her torso began to glow slightly as fire gathered there. "Now I have answered your questions, you will answer mine. How do you know my name, and who are you?" The spikes in her wings unsheathed themselves, the large limbs flaring slightly to show her irritation. Oh yes, one way or another, this would end very soon...</sub>

[sinn]

The Wolf noticed Misea's sudden irate tone as he wasted no time to answer her question, not out of fear, but out of respect, "My name...That is not important. I know your name, however is because I've been watching the two of you. Viktor has said your name once or twice. Very uncommon name, so I remembered it easily." he turned to Viktor as he said; "Think about what I said, it will go a long way." As the words escaped his lips he was gone, just as easily as he arrived. He thought about his 'sense of justice' seemed correct to him, if he simply killed him, then he wouldn't be any better than the man who killed his mate. He kept his distance and continued to watch the two just outside their range of his scent.


Viktor couldn't help but feel conflicted, sure he didn't know the wolf he killed had a mate, and in his defense she attacked leathally first. But when it came down to was at fault, he was the criminal. Whether the wolf knew it or not, Viktor understood his pain and he understood it greatly. He had lost his love years ago to a murderer. He turned his head to hide the tears of his sorrow, and for the sorrow he inflicted on another. Everything he fought against, everything he hated, he had become. He couldn't stop thinking of his love, her face was seeded in his mind and it was a seed that rooted itself deep into the soils of his being. Viktor's swelled with trickles of tear ran down his muzzle as he shook his head, "Damn...Just...I just wish I could take back what I did...I have become the very thing I have sought to destroy, and I unknowingly killed someone else love. But I don't feel sorry for myself, not in the slightest." he sighed as he wiped the almost unseeable tears from his eyes. He noticed Misea looked a bit tired, as if something was causing her to lose energy and lose it fast. He didn't say anything as he wouldn't simply be stating the obvious, instead he angled it away from his rare show of emotions, "...We have two options, Misea. We can rest for the rest of the day. Or we can continue forward. It is your call." He tried to keep his emotions in check as he waited for Misea to answer. Her voice would no doubt comfort him and he awaited the answer as he sat down and sighed.

[ulrica]

<sub>Anger flared within the dragoness, the glow in her chest growing brighter. She hated when her questions weren't answered, hated when she didn't get her way. For being almost a century year old, the shifter could certainly being very immature. But the wolf was already gone, and as if his presence controlled her emotions, the rising anger died away leaving her emptier than when the conversation had begun. Weaker than when it had begun. She used too much energy, this form was eating away at her slowly but surely. It wasn't something which normally happened, but in her body's need to prepare itself, it had taken too much and now her aura was paying. If too much energy was taken from her aura, she would have to wait until it could regenerate before she could shift again. That could days, or weeks. Even years. Her first thought was her anthro form, but to be left without any sort of weapon while she was this weak would be a horrible mistake. So, while Viktor was muttering about regretting his past - Heh, don't we all at one point, youngling... - the dragoness pushed herself through a shift.

Her body shrunk, her bones breaking and refusing in different positions. More feline positions. A few seconds later, the shuddering form of black panther had replaced the giant, glittering figure of a dragon. Misae gasped for breath, her energy stores depleting fast. She fought to pull herself together, however, as her behavior had caught Viktor's attention. The male had enough sense not to say anything, thankfully, but his eyes on her were enough to twist the strings of embarrassment deep in the female's gut. Why did him simply looking at her have this affect....? "...We have two options, Misea. We can rest for the rest of the day. Or we can continue forward. It is your call." The dragoness nodded her head, yawning in an attempt to mask her fatigue with simple laziness. "We need to keep moving..." She said, even the energy it took to speak wearing her down more. Did she have the strength to keep moving? Probably not, but that didn't change the fact that she needed to get Viktor away from here. They had just been attacked, which meant there were most likely still wolves lurking about and Misae didn't want to stick around to find out exactly how many. "Come on, hurry up..." The feline said gruffly, thought worn down notes of her voice somewhat softened her tone. Nonetheless, the determine panther padded forward, practically willing her muscles to move. She would find them someplace to rest for the rest of the day and the night, then they could continue on tomorrow. After all, what could one little break do...?</sub>[/color]