2018.12.6: Dragons and Bears and Wolves, Oh My!

Dragons and Bears and Wolves, Oh My!
Waziyata investigates an odd glade in the woods. While there, she meets an old bear shifter and the two fight off a literal Wyrm.
Players	Waziyata as Puddle Jumper, and Selias (ST)
Spheres	Shifter Gaian Garou

It's late in the afternoon. The air is really warm for this time of the year, making today a perfect time to be traveling out in the woods, if they so wished. For some people, it's not so much a matter of that as it is a matter of living out here, and Selias is one of those people. Standing out in the fields of crops, he stands there, harvesting the last batch of the year. All sorts, cauliflower, spinach, carrots, radishes, you name it, it might be growing in his self sustaining field. He is topless, forgoing the need of it as it's the perfect weather right now. Sweat covers the burly man that looks more like santa got lost in the woods and made a life for himself. Only his hair is not white as snow, no, it has color to it. He heafts up the basket of produce and hauls it over to the rest of his harvest, about seven baskets right now, there are still lots more to be picked, but right now he goes over to a seat not too far away, mopping up some sweat with some cloth.

The brush rustles and a white wolf can be faintly seen poking her head up, ears perked alertly. She stands quiet and watchful, observing the man as he carries his harvest in and then sits. She tilts her head a little, curious. A man with a cave home and a field of crops, in the middle of the forest. It's an unusual sight to see.

As Selias relaxes in this seat, up in the hill is the dark hole in the side of it with the LARGE boulder next to it resting on an ourcropping of the same type of stone it was hewed from. It... looks like there are some carvings on it, but from this distance, it's unclear. From that hole comes a figure, large and fluffy, is quite possibly the biggest dog Wazi has ever laid eyes on that was not an actual wolf. A coat of black and blonde fur, it has the look of a female beast. She tilts her nose up to the air, smelling it. And... something ticks in her head. Her hackles raise on her back, and her head snaps to where Waziyata is watching. The leonberger crouches down low, and starts to let out a low growl from where she is. Selias, for his part, looks up to the dog and calls out "Sera!" The dog, however, does not react. Hackles yet raised, she starts barking bloody murder at the location of the great rage she feels. She bolts down to the end of the hill to get between the source and her master, barking more and more, clearly trying to scare off the intruder before actually attacking. "Oh, I see." Selias rumbles, scritching his beard, peering off into the woods. The man stands up from the wooden seat, and it creaks as the weight is lifted. He puts two fingers into his mouth and makes a /sharp/ whistle and says "Sera! HEEL!" His voice is loud and commanding, demanding the dog to be at ease. This commanding voice bounces off of everything, and shakes the dog out of... whatever it was feeling. Her connection is greater. He reaches down and pets her, saying "Go on, get back inside." At that, she moves her head up to lick his hand before turning around and scampering back up the hill and into the hole... but she still peeks out of it, peering at the goings on, not wanting to leave. Selias, on the other hand, peers over to where she was barking at. "You can come out. I won't hurt you. Not unless I need to." His voice, deep and rumbly, but not without a tone of kindness to it.

At first, Waziyata watches on in interest as the very big dog trundles out and assumes that guard position. Her hackles don't raise in return, though her tail does lift in a show of lazy confidence, she knows she's the proverbial biggest dog in the yard, even if she may be physically smaller at the moment. She shifts her weight a little, moving closer to the edge of the brush even as Selias feels that slight tingle of magic in the air. Then, her wolfish nature almost seems emphasized. She is too big, too feral, too lean and hungry and predatory to be anything but a wolf in her element. The big dog is recalled and Waziyata's ears lay back, tail drooping just a little as the man's attention moves to her.

Then, Waziyata is shying back into the woods, slinking back into the brush and out of easy sight, slinking along the edge of the clearing through the trees and grasses, slipping further out of easy sight. Has she left? Does she linger? It would be difficult for the average observer to tell. It might even seem as if there are multiple wolves in the dappled gloom of the woods, but, that's likely just a trick of the eye.

When Selias calls that greeting and welcome, there is no reply. No return of the wolf head poking up from the woods, no baying bark or howl of approach, no naked human girl running through the grasses with open arms. It might even be disappointing.

Selias just... stands there, watching the wolf come out and he sees how starved it looks. He frowns softly, saying "My, you look like you're all bones, young one. Do you..." He does not get to finish it as the wolf quickly vanishes back into the woods. He does not follow after, he does not want to spook her. He stands there for a few minutes, and says "Well, if you're feeling a bit hungry, I got some meats dried for winter I've been meaning to test the quality of, if you wanted to join me for a taste testing." He moves a hand to point a thumb at the hill cave. "I welcome you to my home to come and eat, so please, join me for a little bit, eh?" He offers with a big, doofy smile in the direction he thinks the wolf is in. He does not know that this wolf is a garou, just that it's a wolf. He's offering a wild animal to eat with him, but he does not fear it. This man ain't a wolf, that's for sure.

In the woods, the wolf slinks further along the edge of the clearing, out of easy sight, picking her way along carefully. She is slinking in closer to the man and the boulder, one ear oriented toward him each step of the way, though she doesn't come back out from cover. Is she sneaking closer to take him up on the offer of food? More likely, she is doing it to investigate the man. Maybe even to look at the marks on the rock. She doesn't offer any convenient, English explanations for the action.

Selias frowns softly as Waziyata slinks off, trying to sneak around him in the forest. The bears eyes might be dim, but his nose is strong and makes up for the slight difference in eyesight. Little is missed in those regards. But... he just smiles and tucks his hands behind his back, and turns to start walking back to his seat. As he walks, he starts to hum a song. As he hums this song, it feels like... the bones of the earth itself starts to vibrate with his song, but surely not. Must just be his deep tones, is all. He sets himself down in his seat, and closes his eyes while still humming. Up on the boulder, from where Waziyata sits, she can make out some... markings, but they aren't entirely clear. She... thinks she remembers them, but what she remembers is a great tragedy in the Garou's past that they visited upon... someone, some shifting family, but who is not clear in her mind.

Waziyata eyes the claw markings, one ear still oriented toward Selias. They are very familiar, but unfamiliar all the same. Silently, the wolf turns and pads back down through the underbrush, slinking back down close to the cave mouth. She moves with quiet confidence, sure of her ability to hide from a man-shape in the woods, picking her way so carefully as she does. Once she is back near the cave mouth, she settles down into the bushes, out of sight but probably not out of mind, observing the man as he rumble-hums that song.

After a few more notes, the man finishes his song, and opens one of his eyes to exactly where Waziyata is watching him from. He simply smiles at her, and taps the side of his nose, saying "Young ones always forget that bears don't hunt by sight, but by nose. You've never been out of my awareness, young wolf." Selias rumbles off, and smiles. "Why don't you come out? Do I scare you? I hope not, I'd hate for that to be so." At the mouth of the cave, Sera had went back inside the den, seeing that Selias has everything covered out here. He's a big boy, he's got this.

The wolf tenses when the man's eyes fall on her hiding spot, ears perking up alertly. At his words, she shifts her weight just a little, very slowly and carefully edging back up to her feet in a low crouch. She doesn't move to slink away again just yet, instead remaining in her 'hiding spot'. Maybe he's bluffing?

Selias can't help but laugh! He gets a good belly laugh from this, and smiles a big ol' grin right at Wazi, saying "I was not born yesterday, kid. I saw you trying to read the stone up there, trying to make out the markings up there. You still don't seem to know what I am, so allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Selias Umber, rited as..." At this he stands up, and gives a small stretch, popping some bones in his back. "...Leaves Ground Shaking. I am the rank of Tovi, but mostly because who I was, was lost with the sands of time. I need to regain what I lost with the ages." He takes some steps forwards, and quickly goes from walking on two legs onto all fours as his form changes. The pants he was wearing gets torn to shreds from the strain, sending denim all over behind him. Now, sitting where the man was standing a few moments ago, is a grand grizzly bear, bigger than any bear she has seen before, bigger than the one she took down before. Droopy lips, a sniffy nose, he still looks at Wazi, even if his sight is far worse, he has not lost her.

The wolf's tension lingers even as Selias laughs and starts his spiel. Her head tilts just a little to one side, ears laying back in an expression of confusion. Then, they stand up again as the man rises to his feet and begins his introduction. She crouches a little lower as his form begins to grow bigger and heavier. Then, she finds herself faced with a massive bear snuffling toward her. There is a moment's hesitation, then the wolf chuffs softly and slinks out from under the cover of the trees, lingering at the edge of the clearing, out of easy paw swiping reach of the bear. Her ears stay back, all but flat, tail wagging high and stiff behind her in a show of wary warning.

Then, she moves in a slow semi-circle around the bear, sniffing and investigating him curiously, though careful not to stray too close.

The bear just... sits there, as the wolf starts to circle him in the semi-circle motion around him. His nose twitches, and the head moves to follow Wazi, he lets out a low sound. It's not a threat, just... a noise, as he flops back onto his back, completely exposing himself, making himself as a non threat to the wolf. He wiggles a bit, as if scritching his back on the grass, seeming quite amused with himself.

Eventually, she completes a full circuit around the big bear, sniffing and investigating. Then, as he's wallowing on the ground, belly up and exposed in the air, she daintily circles in closer to the apex predator. After a minute or two, she is right near the bear, sniffing curiously, not quite touching but well within range to bite or be bit and clawed.

She examines the bear from up close and personal, much of the tension in her form draining away after a few moments, tail wagging more freely. Then, at the next wiggle, she abruptly rises up onto her hindlegs and moves to rest her forepaws on the bear's big belly. It's the perfect position to tilt her head and look down at him, maw suddenly opening in a panting, wolfish grin. <<Gurahl. Silly.>>

As she lands her front paws on his big belly, the bear lets out a small sound that sounds like a laugh, and the head of the bear moves to look up at the wolf on his belly. He can't say anything that she'd understand, so he'd just make a few sounds and give a big grin! In this form, he smells strongly of honey, as if he just raided a bee hive and stole all the golden good stuff within. His wet nose twitches, and the head flops back down on the ground, quite happy with this.

The wolf remains perched on her hind legs, forepaws upon the big bear's belly, tail wagging as she investigates him up close and personal. She pants merrily, laughing the silent laugh of a wolf, and then she drops down from her position perched against the bear, dropping to the ground nearby. She turns about once or twice, then abruptly grows into a blonde, teenage girl squatting in the dirt, hands on the ground.

Wazi is grinning widely as she looks at the bear, shifting her weight a little to straighten up, then sit back on her heels. Afterward, her hands move to take the position of her paws, running through the fur on the big monster's side and belly. When she speaks, it's in a wry, awkward voice - the words of someone who isn't speaking their native tongue, "Silly bear. Like other bear. I am Waziyata Puddle Jumper. Ahroun." It isn't her rank, of course, but maybe she doesn't understand what Kovi means.

The bear stretches out on the ground, letting out what can only be called a bear-groan as it does so before rolling over onto his belly to look over at Waziyata as she changes her shape into that of a young woman. He gives a big ol' doofy smile that only a bear could give. He pushes himself off the ground and stands on his hind legs, towering over her quite easily before his hind legs suddenly move so that he plops onto the ground, letting it rumble from his weight alone. He's true to his rite name, at least, as the ground yet rumbles from it. It dies down and the old bear sits there, staring at her as he thinks. He leans forward and gives her a biiig lick from his really long tongue, making some of her hair stick up from the honey scented slobber!

She laughs as she looks back down at the doofy-grinning bear, tilting her head a bit to one side, fingers tangling in his fur. She wrinkles her nose a little, hands remaining in place to drag through his fur as he rises up onto his hindlegs. The girl shows no fear, instead grinning again as she stares straight up at the bear. When he drops to the ground and causes that small rumble, she shifts her weight, moving one foot back to brace against the shaking.

Then, she is licked and slobbered over. She cringes back a moment, then laughs and lifts a hand up to push lightly at the bear's snout. It's a clumsy movement and she narrowly misses jabbing him in the nose with one long finger, "Candy bear."

For her part, Wazi smells of woodsmoke, blood, exertion, and small prey. She ate roast rabbit this morning. The tang of oil, leather, and metal hints that she has a weapon on her - no trace of gunpowder, so something small and sharp and easily concealed.

Selias huffs softly as he's very nearly poked in the eye, but he makes no other noise that might make him seem upset. His nose sniffles softly as he picks up all he can about this young garou, little is lost to his nose and it is as the saying goes: The Nose Knows. He gives that grin again before flopping down next to her on his side, seeming quite happy with this in spite of him not being able to respond to her in turn. But, does he really need to right now? He's happy, she's having fun petting a bear, all is good!

Or, maybe not. With the thin gauntlet in the local area, it... tends to attract unwanted attention by things that're not always wholesom in nature. Now is, sadly, one of those times. There is a sound, it's like some throaty clicking sounds as something moves in the bushes around the clearing that the two of them are relaxing in. The movements and sounds get the attention of Wazi, while something not right forms in the air for Selias, a sort of... sour smell, he's not exactly sure, but he picks up his head and peers around, his nose sniffing the air some more to see if he can pick it up again.

Another item of note for the smell of Wazi is the strange solitude of her. While most wolves and even most people have the smell of others on them - mates, friends, family, the press of strangers- Wazi has been alone for days at least, if the lack of other smells is anything to go by. She snickers at the bear's huff and flop, tilting her head a bit. She grins down at the bear, eyeing him a moment before stepping closer. She swings one leg up and over, as if to straddle the animal, when that sound catches her attention.

All at once, her grin freezes and then fades to a serious frown. She pulls her leg back to the ground and then pulls away from the living teddy, turning to look toward the source of the sound. She frowns, shifting her weight a little and slipping her hands into her hoodie pockets. Then, she lifts her head and begins to sniff at the air too. "Something here," is explained to the bear.

Sel-bear's eyes go wide when he hears what Wazi said. The sour smell is someone, or something, else in the area. He lets out a loooow groan, and rolls over onto his belly before picking himself up on all four heavy limbs, and trundling around to face where she is looking. While he can't exactly see the threat, he can smell -something- is out there, just beyond the borders of the clearing, hidden from his nose and hearing. Wazi, on the other hand, is a different story. Her hightened senses allowed her to pinpoint the thing in question, and... sometimes, it might just be best to pretend some things don't exist.

In the darkness of the shadowed forest, Wazi could hear it first, a sort of... slithering, like a snake would make when it moves, but on a far bigger scale. SCALE, word fun. Because just beyond a bush, she sees it. An eye peers out from a bush, big and sharp. Whatever is there... it's massive. Once it sees that Wazi had exactly inpointed it's location, a hissing sound is heard, like a really pissed off snake. /IS/ it a snake? Well, in a moment, the two would get their answer. In a blur of movement from the underbrush comes a massive creature, easily ten feet long and as thick as the bear with a serpentine body and a draconic head. It's... a wyrm, a living, breathing Wyrm. The smell is stronger now, it smells like foul meat and sickness. The yellow-green eyes eyes peer at the two of them, seeing some good food easy for the taking, as it does not really know the truth of those in front of it. Selias, for his part, does not back down from this challange that the massive beast imposes on them, and infact takes some steps forward before standing on his hind legs to let out a bellow that would scare away some bird onlookers, but not much else. He stands there, proud and strong, glaring hard at the creature he's never seen before.

Wazi shifts her weight a little, lowering her shoulders and shuffling her feet into something more akin to a fighter's ready stance, hands slipping free of her hoodie's pockets as she squints out at the massive snake...monster...thing. She can smell it now, hear it, see it. "Wyrm," she comments quietly, hands clenching into fists and jaw setting into a grimace. Then, even as the bear is striding forward to bellow his challenge, Wazi is throwing herself face-first to the ground. In the moment before she lands, she changes, and a massive dire wolf lands on all fours, the hispo shape. Then, she is stalking forward, hackles raised, giving a low, rumbling growl to provide counterpoint to the bear. Her tail points straight back and she holds herself in a crouch, ears laid flat, hackles raised, clearly ready to spring on the thing and attack.

Even as she advances, Puddle Jumper's claws begin to splinter and fracture, clicking together softly as the massive wolf trots toward the Wyrm. It is ignoring her for the moment, which is fine with the Ahroun - it gives an easy opening for her to do her job. Trusting that the bear can take care of himself for the moment, she charges at the creature and, at the last moment, springs up onto her hindlegs to slam both forepaws down into the beast's hide, burying her claws deep into the scaled flesh. Then she drops back to all fours with a snarl, leaving her claws embedded deeply in the thing's side, radiating pain.

The Great Wyrm is kinda stunned by the sheer boldness of these creatures to DARE stand up against it! They don't stand a chance, and they they threaten it? They'll understand... what... fear... The train of thought goes away when it sees the young woman shift into something other than a girl, and she charges and leaves the painful claws buried deep in their tough armor, just past the gap between the scales, giving a terrible pain they've not felt in forever! It cries out in pain, and writhes for a moment, trying to dislodge the claws, but the eyes open with a snap and in a blur of movement, it goes over the still standing bear, buring their fangs into their flesh! A sheer, instant kill for sure! But... as soon as it bites down, it finds that it feels like it's biting into stone. Their teeth can't break the skin of the bear, it's too tough to chew. For the first time in hundreds of years, the Wyrm is worried it may have bitten more than it could chew, literally in this case.

The ground starts to rumble, the deep bones of the earth trimble with anticipation. The Wyrm still hangs onto Selias, trying to sink their fangs into the thick hide of the bear, but finds it can't. The bear... starts to grow larger and larger. Two paws reach and remove the jaws of the beast as easily as one would take off an artical of clothing, and tosses it aside, it could not hang onto the prey if it could not sink their teeth in. A roar sounds out as the bear grows larger and larger yet, the ground rumbles with him, for Gaia remembers her first protectors, her healers. Soon enough, a towering beast is seen, fifteen feet tall, looming over the Wyrm that now coils up on the ground hissing loudly at this renewed threat. Long, sword like claws on his paws. The ancient warrior of Gaia is awoken from his slumber with in Sel. His head turns to peer down at Wazi, his eyes wild and bloodshot, this is not the cuddly teddy bear that was just shrugging off the bite. This is a monster. He turns his gaze over to the Wyrm, and bellows out a roar that might be heard for miles around, scaring any lesser creature around.

And finally, the teddy proves himself to be an Apex Predator, just as Wazi knew he could. The massive wolf growls again, darting in close to the wyrm thing and snapping at that thick hide, scoring a deep bite through the scales and tossing her head to tear away a chunk of flesh. On the scale of the thing's body, it is a relatively small chunk of flesh. On the scale of a human, it is a terrifying, massive gobbet of blood and gore. Her big tail wags stiff and high, on alert, as the snake turns back toward her. Then Puddle Jumper braces herself against the incoming attack, lips peeling away from her teeth in a snarl.

The Snake was so busy looking up at the bear, it did not see the wolf charge up and bite into their flesh, ripping and tearing scales and chunks of flesh from their hide. The blood is green and thick, and smells like poison, but... it does not effect her at all, must still be too young to be used in defence. The Wyrm turns and peers at Wazi, letting out a cry and lunging forward, sinking their teeth into the wolf. It wiggles their next, wrending and tearing, sinking teeth deep into the flesh before withdrawing. The needle teeth are meant for injecting potent venom, not shredding and ripping like bears or wolves, so the snake leaves deep holes on her flesh in turn for her biting it...

Selias has not moved since he Shifted and roared, but the ground yet rumbles under his feet. His eyes finally open and look down in time to see the snake bite into the large wolf. He sees her blood flowing onto his ground, into his home, and sees her in pain. A feeling wells in his breast, a feeling he's not felt in forever. The feeling of rage. It's bubbing and boiling, but not to the point of spilling over. Finally, he steps forward, sending shockwave as his sheer mass makes contact with the earth. Again, and again, he charges forward, moving swiftly for a beast of his size, bringing his clawed paw down onto its head, sending it into the ground some feet, buring it under the ground. The body wiggles and writhes, showing some life yet holds it. He lifts his leg and stomps down onto the head, again and again and again before reaching, grabbing the body, pulling the buried mess of a head out of the ground before swinging it overhead and into the forest, sickly green blood splatters the ground as he does this, but he does not care. He roars out in defiance of this, and to any others, who would dare threaten him or his friends at his home.

Puddle Jumper shimmers faintly with a silvery, spiritual light as she braces herself for the Wyrm thing's attack. Even then, her hide isn't as tough as the bear's, and she snarls and snaps again at the creature as it scrapes a chunk of her flesh away. The hispo dances to one side, limping a little, and is gathering herself up for another reckless pounce at the creature when the bear finally joins the battle proper. She hangs back a bit, ears perking up some and then laying back again as the bear storms in and finishes the beast off with those massive claws. Then, as the bear begins stomping and throwing, she shies back a little, tail wagging slowly again as she watches the gurahl do his work. She begins shrinking, even as the massive snake monster thrashes its final moments of life. When it hurtles into the treeline, she stands on two legs again, bigger and stronger than the teenager who played with the bear, ugly and hairy, the glabro form.

Rather than speaking up or advancing over to help attack the corpse, she presses a hand to the bloody wound on her side and growls faintly. Then, she shrugs a satchel off her back, and bends to dig a gourd painted in glyphs praising Gaia from inside of it. She wasn't wearing the satchel in her homid form.

Selias huffs softly, or in the perspective of Wazi, he pants as if he just ran across the earth. Straightening up, he rolls his neck and... starts to shrink down and down, back down into the bear form that he was wearing before all of this went down. Back to being the teddy bear yet again. He groans softly, the typical bear sounds, and turns to face Wazi, seeing her pulling out the Talen of Gaia's Breath. Yes, she's in pain, but it'll be better if he tries something. The bear trundles forwards towards her, nosing the talen in her hand, and his head turns to her wounds. He sticks out his honey tongue and liiiicks her wounds. It tingles and tickles at first, but quickly, she would find most of the pain faiding as some of the holes from the attack. HE licks away the blood, to find more of where she was hurt.

Wazi keeps an eye on the situation with the bear, glancing past him periodically to check on the dead mega-snake, just in case. What if it gets up again, or gives birth to a million cockroach horrors from its body, or does any number of reasonable things to suspect a wyrm monster might do in death? She can still smell and see and hear amazingly clearly, with the magic of her spirit gifts. Then, the teddy bear is back and stumping over to her. She looks to him, frowning slightly, but doesn't resist as the talen is nudged aside. She glances to it, then carefully slips it back inside the bulging bag. From up close, it's clear the entire bag is filled with old, dried blood and linen - used bandages - as well as more of the gourds, each with the scent of paint and the subtle feeling of spirit essence. It's a veritable treasure trove of spirit-bound toys.

Then Wazi is snickering and wincing a little as the bear nuzzles in to lick at her bloody hoodie. It helps heal some of the wound, but only some. She shifts her weight a little and then pushes her shoulder in against the bear's neck, nudging him away in turn, "Wait."

Then, once he's pulled back enough, she grits her teeth with a soft hiss of discomfort, and pulls the hoodie off, revealing the torn and blood-soaked teeshirt underneath. Rather than bothering to pull it off in turn, she simply tears the fabric with her hands. It leaves her naked from the waist up, but it's a less titilating sight than might be expected - her entire torso and arms are covered in amazingly intricate, colorful tattoos of blood-soaked bandages wrapped about her entire body, disappearing from view underneath her jeans. Does the tattoo continue below the belt?

The effect is ruined, of course, by the actual jagged wound in her side where the dragon bit her. It is also marred by a deep, proud scar across her breastbone, slashing diagonally down across one tattooed breast - a four-clawed hand sank deep into her once, and has since been subtlely stained blue. Perhaps the after effect of the Garou's Rite of Wounding, if Selias is familiar with their proud warrior traditions.