Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2018 9:52 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

At first it seemed like she didn’t recognize him, and a sliver of anxiety wormed its way into his belly. “That’s right,” he answered, holding her arms gently. He watched carefully as she blinked, as if the memory refused to return to her. When it did, it was abundantly obvious. The lycan barely caught himself in time to avoid falling over as the nymph flung herself at him. Soft breath tickled his neck as one hand rested on her back. “Are you alright?”

He glanced at where Gaea looked back to, but saw only empty field behind her. His brow furrowed. A question for another time perhaps. Right now he only wanted to get out of this place, and Gaea seemed to know the way. The lycan followed quickly after her. Magic hung in the air like smoke, and it was beginning to become disorienting.

The wildflowers dropped away all at once, and he woke with a start back in his own body. Ojuk was nearby, and jumped to his feet as Olvar sat up. “I’m okay,” he promised the beast. He placed a hand on the warg’s nose to steady himself, eyes going to the older twin not far away.

It felt like an eternity before she startled awake, but he quickly found her hand to give her something to ground herself. “Steady.” A touch from Angela healed the wounds on each of them, though the lycan had pushed his to the back of his mind, unnoticed until the throbbing pain they caused was suddenly absent. Immediately after came a new set of clothes, identical to the ones he’d accidentally shredded during his unexpected transformation.

“What about my debt?” he asked the goddess. “When will I lose it?” Once again he was surprised by the answer, and the smallest bit suspicious. Angela disappeared again only seconds later, and the magic in the air dropped back to what he’d grown accustomed to while traveling with the twins. “I figured it was my failure as an escort that allowed you to end up here, so I should do what I could to fix it. Either way, she didn’t take it. It doesn’t matter.” As he rose to his feet, he stretched his back, feeling stiff from laying on the ground as he had.

“Let’s find somewhere to rest after that.”

Author: Gaea Rose, Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2018 9:17 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

Gaea felt an emptiness as she stared into the fields. She didn’t know why she felt so empty. She should have been happy. All of her life she wanted to be accepted by the nymphs and now she was at the one place that ALL nymphs wanted to go when they died. Her pink eyes watched the flames in the distance dance around the flowers.

It was his face and the fogged glass seemed to break in her eyes. “Ol..var?” It left her lips like a ghost as she struggled with herself like a moth to the flame. Her body longed for the flames as if that was where she needed to go but her spirit was something else.

He grabbed onto her arm and she spun herself around to him. “Olvar?” Her voice was soft and timid. The look on her face was one of confusion.

“Summer Child if you choose to go back with this man you will not be invited back here.” The voice was stern.

For a few brief moments her eyes blinked a lot as if she was trying to wake up. “Olvar…” She repeated it again until it clicked in her head. “OLVAR!” She jumped onto him wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her head into his shoulder. Her lips brushed his neck.

“I repeat what I said Summer Child.”

Gaea looked back at her. “I think I’m okay with that. I’d rather go be with Olvar and my sister… Then stay in a stuck up place like this.”

The elder nymph seemed distressed. “Tell your mother to stay out of our business.”

The older twin ignored the elder nymph as she clung to Olvar. “I think I know how to get out.” She took his hand and dragged him in the opposite direction. Surely this would be the correct way. Once Angela knew they were coming they were sent back to their bodies.

Gaea gasped awake after Olvar had woken up. She was wincing from the pain of her wounds when Angela touched them both. Their healing sped up and Angela shook the magic off her hands when she was done. “I will not be doing this a second time. Gaea if you die again that is it. I will not give you a third chance at life.” She twirled her finger about and Olvar found himself dressed back in his clothes. “And you looked like you needed a new set of clothes… So there. No more gifts I’m done.”

Olvar asked her about the bargain for Gaea’s soul and Angela shrugged it off. “I’ve suddenly forgotten what I was going to take from you… No matter… I suppose as long as you make Gaea happy as long as you are together our debt is fulfilled.” Angela disappeared as quickly as she came.

Gaea was still speechless as she caught her breath. Her eyes were locked with Olvar. “You were going to trade something for me?” They were the first words she could think of. “Why?”

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:48 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

Olvar closed his eyes at the ghost of a kiss. He could feel her body go still under his hands. Lost again. He was cursed by whatever beings out there called themselves “gods”, doomed to grow close to affection before having it yanked out of grasp, like a rug from under his feet. Maybe beasts weren’t meant to be loved.

It was the scream that lifted his head, at first expecting an attack from the slavers who had watched their leader die a horrible death at his hands. The sight that greeted him instead was far more unnerving. Trees seemed to be rising up and swallowing the men whole, rich flames engulfing the tents in a sudden explosion of chaos. The confines of captured slaves shattered like brittle glass, letting the poor souls run free. Olvar expected an attack at any moment.

His eyes fell on a woman who seemed to have formed from thin air, sauntering through the madness with an authority that could only mean it was her doing. The hair on the back of Olvar’s neck prickled. One of the “gods”. He glanced back at Gemma, barely hearing the word. It was Angela. The red-haired woman stood over William’s body, pulling up what looked like a younger version of the man. After a stoic scolding, he was tossed aside to a group of monstrous hounds, not of this world. They tore him to pieces, dragging him off screaming.

The lycan turned his attention back to Angela as she approached him. He felt backed into a corner, but refused to budge. Narrowed hazel eyes never left the goddess, and he remained firmly in his place as she knelt down to him. Ojuk gave a small growl at Gemma’s distress, clearly upset by his alpha’s tension. “Ten years would be nothing to bring her back.” Not only for his sake, but for Gemma’s. He couldn’t imagine the twin going on by herself. Angela seemed satisfied by his answer, reaching to touch him despite his obvious distaste at the idea. It wasn’t his body she was touching though.

He felt himself lurch back, but his body never moved. There was the sensation of falling, then a sharp stop. The shifter stood in a field packed with wild flowers, each one with petals like rubies. In the distance, the red blooms gave way to dancing purple flames, brilliant and unnatural. Between he and the flames stood a familiar figure. “Gaea!”

The wildflowers shivered as he hurried past them, catching her by the arm. “Gaea, Angela sent me. I’m here to take you back.” He’d thought she’d been gone forever. Now he had a chance to save her, but what if she didn’t want to go back? This had been in Corydalis’s vision. Maybe she was meant to be here. “… Gaea?”

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2018 7:08 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

Gaea knew his touch by now. It was an odd thing when she felt so cold. He was more like the rolling summer heat as he touched her hair and put his forehead to hers. Her pink eyes watched his but they were so blurry like the rest of the world. The pain was excruciating. Her last defiant act before she went limp was a weak kiss against his lips. It was more of a ‘for what?’. He didn’t need to be forgiven by her. This was her mess. She could feel the warm fields of Avalon now.

“Welcome Summer Child,” a voice called as she took a strange plant hand as she walked through the red fields. The amethyst fire spread out across the rolling meadows not far from her.

In the living world, her body was finally still, however, that didn’t stop the world around them from screaming. Everything was screaming as the earth began to tremble. Gemma held onto Ojuk’s saddle as she looked around. She was upset about Gaea but she knew what was coming. “Mother…”

There was a loud angry scream as the men of the camp started to burst into trees. Their bodies became bark as they struggled against it slowly their bodies hardened and soft screams could be heard from within the trunks. From seemingly nowhere at all came a taller woman with red locks that reached her waist. Her eyes were on the camp as she lifted her hand. The tents were ablaze in a furious golden fire now. The cages cracked allowing those within to escape.

Her walk was slow as she walked to William’s body. Her hand reached down and into his corpse. From it, she pulled and there was his soul of all things. He was screaming as he tried to get away. “You should have thought twice before taking my child’s life William.” Her words dripped with a potent venom as she threw his soul. Hellhounds were behind her as she watched them rip his soul to shreds. “Take him to Dalanesca… and thank you for coming.” The hellhounds dragged the mangled pieces away and she turned her attention back to Olvar now.

The earthquake stopped as the screams silenced from the trees. Life was quiet as if after a hurricane. Her movement went towards Olvar as she knelt down by him her red hair pooling at her bare feet. “What is this life worth to you? Ten years off your own? Twenty years?”

Gemma got off of Ojuk. “DON’T PLAY WITH OLVAR LIKE THAT! IT’S CRUEL!” She was still crying from watching Gaea’s death but Angela put up her hand to shush the younger twin.

“Everything has a price. Even bringing back my own child. So what is it you will pay to have her back Olvar?” Her eyes were an intense green with red around the iris. When Olvar finally answered Angela seemed pleased with his response. She reached her hand up and pushed against his body. Her touch was warm. “So go get her… if that is the price you will pay.”

She pushed his soul out as it fell into the Fields of Avalon not far from where Gaea was walking. It was almost like the nymph hadn’t even realized he was there yet.

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2018 6:43 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

As soon as the slaver left the tent, Olvar’s eyes found him, glare fixating. His attention went briefly to Gaea, clearly badly injured, but thankfully still alive. He could smell her blood in the air, stirring his temper further. As William pulled her against him, Olvar took a step forward with a growl. His hands clenched at his sides as he started forward, anger bubbling to the surface at the strike. Only a dagger stopped his forward progress.

He glanced back at Gemma with a frown, eyeing the bottle suspiciously. “Gemma, what is that?” he called back to her, but William answered the question for him. Poison. A poison potent to Rosenites, or those with Rosenite blood. “Don’t do it, William,” he growled lowly when the man tapped the tainted blade against her skin. He took a step forward, stopping when the older lycan shouted, believing it to be at him.

Olvar stiffened as arms wrapped around him, but Gemma’s flowery scent wafted up to him. “No!” he snarled as the dagger was buried in Gaea’s belly, his body trembling with rage. He jerked forward, but Gemma’s grip was strong. He could feel the tingling power of magic rushing into him from his back, supercharged by the rage of the half-Rosenite.

The werewolf’s breath caught in his throat, eyes filling in with a feral gold. He knew this rage, but it felt like something out of a dream. It rolled through him, pouring into every inch of his being. For the first time in his life, the wolf would feel the heat of the sun at its back.

Olvar groaned in agony as his muscles stretched and twisted, pulling at his bones to the very verge of breaking. His body rocked, spasming unnaturally as it changed from man to beast. It didn’t take as long as it did on new moons, likely because of the heavy magic backing it. The lupundra reared back, then threw himself forward as the transformation concluded, his claws biting into the earth. The surrounding slavers scattered, but they didn’t matter.

The wolf was only focused on one person. He threw himself forward with a roar of anger, William’s eyes wide with shock. “You can’t change at will!” the man argued, but the beast didn’t care. He fell upon the man with a snarl, only to be met by rising fangs. The slave master had taken the form of a black wolf, equal in size to Olvar, if not larger. His muzzle was dipped in silver, pelt speckled with age, but youthful ferocity remained.

Thick fur caught the first of William’s slashes, and Olvar had the advantage of having him more or less pinned down. He lifted his forearms to protect his throat from dangerous claws, but the fangs that found his flesh were unexpected. A solid strike with one paw left the black wolf’s face streaked with red, and he was released. Olvar backed up enough to gain space, then charged again to collide with William as he rose. The momentum carried the pair through the back of the slaver’s tent, ripping fabric accompanying the short, savage snarls.

The pair brawled, each taking their own fair share of hits. William was fast and aggressive, but repetitive, only ever targeting the head and shoulders. It kept Olvar on the defensive, but also left his lower half exposed. Age was to the young knight’s advantage, but this wasn’t a natural shift for him. He could feel his energy draining with every passing second. If he didn’t make his move soon, he would run out of steam. Wait for a pattern. Look for openings. Count strikes. One. Two. Three. Now.

Olvar dropped his defense, ducking low under William’s arms. Both claws raked up the inside of the older wolf’s legs. He felt a similar attack at his back as the black lycan howled in anger, hind legs collapsing. A sharp shoulder to the gut knocked the offender backward. Olvar went down on him with tooth and claw, landing blow after blow to his face, arms, chest, throat. Anywhere he could reach. Each slash was fueled by rage; raw savage power poured into every action.

The younger wolf pulled back an arm for another swipe, but paused when the shifter beneath him abruptly reverted to his human form. William’s face was a mess: nose broken, lip split, a huge gash from ear to cheekbone. The man grinned, a crimson grimace of bared teeth. “Dumb mutt,” he scoffed, blood bubbling at the back of his throat. “Kill me if you want. You’ll still never have her.” He spat the grungy saliva in his mouth into Olvar’s face, sparking the beast into action.

He bared his teeth. His jaws parted. They closed around the man’s head, and the wolf reveled in the panicked heartbeat in the man’s chest. One strong crunch was all it took, and the slaver went limp. The shifter dropped the body with a snort, turning slowly back to the others. His eyes fell on Gaea.

Starting forward, his body twisted as his rage gave way to fear, whimpering as he returned to his human form. He pulled himself the last few feet to Gaea, a hand covering the wound in her abdomen. “Gaea,” he whispered, voice trembling from exertion and barely audible over her cries. His other hand gently touched her hair, shaking with worry. “Gaea, what do I do?” His arms and shoulders were throbbing with open wounds, but the worst of his injuries were a bite to his forearm and two sets of uneven slashes across his back. He hardly seemed to care though. His focus was on Gaea. “What do I do??” he asked louder, voice desperate.

Her cries were dying though. Growing weaker. He pressed a hand against the stab wound, but the bleeding wasn’t the problem. The poison was killing her from the inside out. And there was nothing he could do. “Gaea, please…” He leaned his head down, their foreheads resting together. “Please forgive me.”

Author: Gemma, Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2018 3:44 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

Even with Olvar’s promise, her face looked grim. “That’s the problem, isn’t it? What if we get to her and it’s too late?” She was choking back some tears now. “Corydalis’s vision scares me. Those fields… They are a place where nymphs go when we die. Only a select few are chosen to go and it’s considered an honor to be chosen. It’s a legend for us.” Gemma told Olvar without hesitation. She needed to get to her sister.

Gemma held onto Olvar after he lifted her up. Her eyes were darting everywhere looking for this place as Ojuk ran through the woods. Finally, she saw the encampment. It looked like they were packing up to move finally and she saw all the people they had captured along the way. Her heart would have broken if it wasn’t for the fact her sister was missing still.

There was a sharp nod from Gemma as Olvar instructed her to stay put. She could hear the anger in Olvar’s voice as they exited the tree line.

His tent wasn’t far when he heard the shout from Olvar. “That mutt is dumb,” a growl left his lips as he pulled the nymph with him. Gaea had barely regained consciousness when she found herself being dragged by her hair on the wet ground. “Well… if it isn’t the mutt. Trying to be a knight in shining armor?” His eyes went to Gemma who was glaring at him.

“When I was your age…” He pulled Gaea up into his arms. “I would kiss her like this.” His lips pressed against her neck and he looked up at Olvar for his reaction. There was a fight from Gaea as she flailed a bit against him. It was weak and there was very little movement. “I would stop if I were you Gaea.” There was a sick grin on his face.

“Fuck you,” Gaea let slip from her mouth as she spat on him. Holding her with one hand he slapped her again.

“You know that she has a lot more fight in her than she used to?” He pulled out a dagger from his belt and in his hand was a small bottle.

Gemma’s eyes immediately got wide. “KEEP THAT AWAY FROM HER!” It was a cry that left her lips as William poured it on to the dagger's blade. Slowly the sorrow that Gemma was feeling turned into anger as her magic presence fanned out from her small body.

“It’s an interesting thing… Did you know that there is one poison that will kill a Rosenite? Did you know if you put it on a half Rosenite it will kill them but it is more painful than if they were fully one? Corpse flowers are poisonous to them.” He tapped the dagger on Gaea. “So let’s make a wager shall we? If you can kill me fast enough you may be able to save her… However, that all depends on if Gemma can remember what concoction it is.”

Gemma’s eyes were streaming hot tears at those words. “You know I don’t know.” The words left like a whisper as Gemma climbed down.

“STAY BACK!” William warned but still Gemma went to Olvar and wrapped her arms around his waist. From from her movement, William plunged the dagger into Gaea’s gut and there was horrific screaming almost immediately.

The aura coming from Gemma herself was hostile and so unlike her. She was angry as her grip tightened around Olvar. “I’m going to give you something and I want you to fucking kill that bastard.” Her magic rushed into Olvar as she listened to her sister’s screams. William threw Gaea’s slowly dying body off to the side like trash.

After she was done Gemma ran back to Ojuk to climb up on him to get out of the way.

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2018 3:18 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

He could hear Gemma rummaging beside him, but lifting his head again would unbalance him. Cool liquid poured down his back, numbing each arrow wound it found along the way. The lycan shivered at the feeling, but the relief of knowing something was being done about the pain was comforting. When it came time to remove the first arrow he gritted his teeth. “Just pull, Gemma,” he growled through gritted teeth, not angry at her, but braced against the incoming pain. He bit back a cry with every arrow the half-nymph pulled.

The worst of it was when the arrowheads broke off, and had to be retrieved. The wound burned on the inside, making him squirm until Gemma was able to relieve the heat with meticulous care. Finally more relief from the Rosenite medicines, and he felt his breath return. He worked with Gemma to get out of the mud, then laid back to collect himself. Rosenite healing was incredible, putting his own natural abilities to shame. Still, the trauma to his system would take him time to recover from.

While Gemma cleaned up Ojuk, Olvar tried to control his breathing. It wasn’t long before he was up though, feeling sick to his stomach, but determined. He stumbled toward his warg, collecting his blades on the way and sheathing them. “We’ll find her. I promise.” The lycan met Gemma’s gaze as he spoke, climbing into Ojuk’s saddle before offering a hand to the younger twin to pull her up. “Hold on tight.”

The warg picked up the scent easily, following the distinct blood trail at a steady lope. Olvar was accustomed to the motion, shifting his weight in time with his mount for a smooth ride. He hoped Gemma was holding on.

They raced through the waning trees, following the curve of the land before the trail finally broke away from the main road. The scent led them through a small valley and out to a grove of trees nestled in the hills. Ojuk slowed to a stop, staring intently and growling at the sound of bustling work ahead. Olvar dismounted. “Stay up there,” he instructed Gemma, then started forward with his warg just behind him. “William!” he bellowed as they broke the inner treeline. His voice was heavy with anger as he glared around for the other shifter. Anyone who dared too close received an immediate warning from Ojuk’s bared teeth.

Author: Gemma, Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 10:23 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

Gemma was lost in the world right now as she climbed off of Ojuk once the men started to close in. She had a pack with her now as her eyes darted to Olvar. She needed to get to him and she did as soon as she could. “What would Gaea do.” She had heard his voice. “What would my sister do?” She wasn’t the healer of the group. She didn’t know which mixtures did what.

Finally, she threw down the bag and she started to go through it before she pulled out one of Gaea’s mixtures. She poured it all over Olvar as she braced the arrows to pull them out. One by one she pulled out the silver and made sure to dig out any tips that stuck. “I’m sorry,” Gemma’s hands were blood by the time she was done but she made sure to add more of the concoction that Gaea had made to his words.

The younger twin did all she could for Olvar including moving him to a less bloody spot. “You need to rest a moment.” It was hard for her to say that when Gaea was in as much trouble as she was. Going to Ojuk she removed the arrows the same but he appeared alright for the most part. “Good boy…” She rubbed his face.

Once Olvar was feeling better Gemma packed up a bag and looked at the blood that was obviously Gaea’s. “We could follow her scent. She’s bleeding pretty bad from the hit that William did. If we don’t get to her soon she is going to die.” Gemma wasn’t even trying to be dramatic. “The shackles she had on just now… I’ve seen them before. They stop magic. If we don’t have our magic we can’t heal. She is bleeding like a human. I doubt he is going to give her any healing.”

Back at his base, William waited. His men came in to give him a report and William growled at them. “You couldn’t even kill the mutt? WHAT GOOD ARE YOU ALL.” He took the side table of his tent and hurled it at him. “Start to pack up the camp. We’ll be on our way soon.”

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 10:07 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

Olvar’s attention fixated on one point amongst the trees as soon as a voice answered. His temper was already rising, but he controlled his breathing, kept his sword arm loose. Tension made for shoddy blows. “Enough of a man to face my enemy,” the younger lycan countered, a low growl riding under his words. He listened to William, but took none of the words to heart. They rolled away like water from oil, but Olvar’s focus was too narrow. He didn’t perceive the hidden archers until he heard the thud of their bowstrings.

Over a dozen arrows thudded into the ground as Olvar stepped back, but nearly a dozen more found their marks. His breath caught in his throat as the silver burned into his flesh. A cry of pain died on his lips, smothered by the intensity of the burning. The shifter slumped to one knee, barely catching himself to avoid going completely to the ground. He struggled to find air, his heart fluttering against his ribs in a panic when he caught the sour stench of wolfsbane. Why hadn’t he worn his armor? Stupid. Dead and stupid.

A thoughtless attempt to rise was unsuccessful, only aggravating the arrow that had struck his hip. He winced, expecting a blade rather than the voice of one he guarded. Don’t, he thought, words failing him. Get on Ojuk and go. She wouldn’t though. He doubted it was in her to run again. The lupundra’s head hung heavy, but he head skin strike against skin. How dare he strike her. His thoughts were muddling. Was he kneeling in mud? Beneath him, the soil was wet with blood. The world lurched sickeningly.

Olvar threw his head back, nearly falling over in the process and causing several wounds to burn and throb all over again. A wince was bitten back as he glared at William. The wolf inside him could feel the anger, furious to have been cheated out of a night of freedom. Could Olvar change at will, he surely would have at this moment. Just to claw the smugness from the other wolf’s face as he knocked Gaea unconscious to carry her off.

The arm holding him up trembled under the strain, forcing him to drop his head again, lest he fall completely. Her scent was fading. Both of their scents. Hazel eyes dragged across the ground in search of his weapon. Was that it? He couldn’t be sure. His vision was blurring oddly, heartbeat drumming against his ears. Boots approaching. Don’t touch me, he thought with a snarl, ripping the seax knife from its sheath at the small of his back. The motion was carried into a swing with as much strength as he could muster, catching one man off guard. The blade bit deep into his thigh.

While others from William’s gang moved in, so too did Olvar’s company. Ojuk roared into battle a completely different beast from the one Gemma had fallen asleep on nights ago. Solid paws, a mouth packed with deadly teeth, and ferocious claws ripped the men to pieces one by one in defense of the creature’s alpha. The arrows were hard pressed to pierce the warg’s thick hide, and those that stuck hardly seemed to warrant notice. Blades became panicked at the sight of the rushing beast. Ojuk chased off the remaining attackers and killed any who failed to flee before returning loyally to Olvar.

The lycan was breathing heavily, weapon abandoned beside him. One hand gripped at the shaft of the first arrow. “Gemma,” he winced pathetically. His healing abilities could not touch wounds inflicted with silver. He needed help, and quickly.

Author: Gaea Rose, Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:26 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

Gaea sensed him too.

Her heartbeat was going fast and it was causing her to stress a bit more. She wasn’t as strong as she was when she faced the wolf and just a small batch of men. “I need you to stay with Ojuk no matter what.” She whispered to Gemma. Gemma stared at her for a few moments but nodded. She would do that for her sister. Something was very wrong.

“I can smell you too mutt… All over Gaea too. It’s been bothering me for days since your pathetic attempt when you were bathing. Can’t even tell the younger twin to fuck off? What kind of man are you?” William’s voice had aged considerably since the last time that Gaea had heard it. It sent shivers up her spine. She thought the scar from when he had attacked her was aching. “Either way I think I would have to put a hot poker to her if you had touched her anymore. I want what’s mine and preferably untainted.”

Her lips trembled a bit more and she couldn’t find the ability to tell him to go away. “It’s cute though that she protected you last night. From this of course.” William gave the signal and dozens of arrows shot at Olvar hitting him. “They are silver… a gift from an ex-lover to the current one.” William shrugged as he came out of hiding.

Gaea slid down off of Ojuk as William pulled out a knife coated in what she could only imagine was wolfsbane of all things. “STOP!” Her eyes were teary as she put herself between Olvar and William. “Just take me but leave him alone. Him, my sister, and Ojuk. That would satisfy you right?” She was shaking a bit.

William looked like he contemplated it a bit before he slapped her. "Stop telling me what to do woman I'm getting really tired of it." Afterward, he grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her forward forcing a kiss on her. Gaea reacted badly as she pulled back and smashed her head into his. “I got what I came for. Kill the others if you can.” Special cuffs were placed onto Gaea as she struggled about but it didn’t matter since she was so weak. William hit her hard to get her to stop moving. Blood rushed from her head as he picked her up over his shoulder. “Mutts always lose. Consider this a lesson for taking what’s mine kid.” After a few seconds, he turned around. "Oh but if you do manage to live and that twin does too… You could always just pretend you still have her. You could even rename her like a pet."

William left the group to deal with the others as he took Gaea back to his camp. He threw her onto his bed and sat on a chair waiting for her to wake up. He wouldn’t violate her while she was asleep… What kind of fun would that be?

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:08 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

He didn’t answer her question, only turned his head away when she moved to kiss him. A clear enough answer. The lycan was furious. He didn’t care about William being around, he was sure he could have handled it had something happened. But he had warned Gaea to stay at camp with Gemma and Ojuk, and she had disregarded his word like nothing. Her life had been in danger, and because of him. If he had killed her, it would weigh on his conscious for the rest of his life.

Suppressing the tremble in his hands, he followed her back to camp, using the occasional tree for support. Upon their arrival, Gaea sulked past Gemma, leaving the twin looking stunned. When the younger turned to him for explanation, he only shook his head and went to Ojuk. The warg lay beside him as he rested, letting his aching muscles and lurching stomach settle. He would take his time recovering from this one. Something about that fleece had drained him.

Midway through the day, he finally rose. Ojuk was with him, waiting patiently as he strapped on his blades and flung his overcoat across his mount’s back. He went about cleaning up the camp, gathering their supplies and loading everything up. “We have a long way to go yet, and Laeto is no longer safe. Let’s go.” Backpack slung over his shoulder, he took point while Ojuk guarded the rear. They did indeed have a long way ahead of them.

After hours of hiking, the trees finally began to thin, indicating either a rare clearing or the border of the rainforest. Olvar hoped for the latter, and was pleased when a short trek downhill was all it took to free them from the looming canopy. Only sparse clumps of trees marked the path now, providing shade without casting them into the subtle chaos of the forest. It was here that the lycan paused, putting Ojuk on alert. He listened; he inhaled; he exhaled slowly. “Stay near Ojuk,” he ordered, the warg giving a growl as he went on the defensive. One stood on either side of their half-nymph charges, Olvar drawing his short sword.

He could smell them nearby, they just hadn’t revealed themselves yet. Among the scents, he picked out that of the shifter from earlier in the morning. Good. If he could deal with William now, he could avoid any more interruptions later in the journey. “I can smell you,” he called.

Author: Gaea Rose, Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:49 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

Her eyes looked down at him and for a moment she took a deep sigh. “I was more worried about losing you than I was about myself being hurt.” Her voice was soft. “I know…” That’s all she could say about the vision. It had happened so soon and she wondered if her demise was following. All she could think of was the fire.

Gaea helped Olvar the best she could but even Gaea appeared to be having some troubles. She was exhausted and it spoke from her eyes. She had used up entirely too much magic containing Olvar’s wolf. “Yes, his name is William… and he is a lycanthrope like you. Well… Not entirely the same.” She felt bad for not telling him but she looked away from him. “I thought it was weird to have told you so soon.” She didn’t want Olvar to think she was just jumping from shifter to shifter. It wasn’t that way at all. It was a coincidence.

Once the blanket had fallen she was quick to pick it back up. “This is called a lavender fleece. It is one of the most powerful things I can conjure. It can soothe any beast and calm them into a lull but at a price.” Her hands were shaking a bit as the blanket disappeared. With better eyesight, it was easy to see little black veins in her arms now. “I’ve used entirely too much magic.” Her legs were even shaking but Gaea was determined to stand.

Her eyes drifted back up to Olvar’s as she walked to him. “Are you mad at me?” Her arms came up as she crossed them to warm herself up from the lack of mana in her veins now. “I knew there was a possibility he was watching us from afar. Him being a lycanthrope himself he knows what to do… I should have told you but my pride wouldn’t let me. Not that it would have mattered on your shift. That’s why I came out to find you so I could protect you. I took the risk of weaving the lavender fleece by myself for you.”

In her desperate attempt to get forgiveness the nymph tried to kiss him but instead was met with Olvar’s disapproval. The look on her face was hurt but she understood. Gaea sulked away from him and made her way back to where Ojuk and Gemma were.

“GAEA!” The younger twin sister was up and looking at her wound. “He told you to stay put.” Gaea ripped her arm out of Gemma’s touch and the youngest stood there just looking at her. “Gaea?” Gemma looked up to Olvar for help but was speechless as Gaea went to patch herself up quietly.

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:28 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

“You shouldn’t have done that. I hurt you,” he murmured shamefully, then went silent as he realized what he’d said. He thought back to a painted shaman, and a lupine figure dancing in flame. You will face something in the time coming. You will hurt someone you care about. You might not even be aware it will happen. “Your sister’s vision…”

He turned his head to follow her gaze as she held him, spying the stranger easily. Salt and pepper hair, a sturdy build, and a scent of wolf. Olvar frowned, meeting his eyes out of habit, but his usual challenge wasn’t behind the gesture. Whoever the other was, he seemed more focused on Gaea anyway. As the half-nymph pulled him closer, he watched her with concern, lifting a hand to her shoulder. “Steady,” he soothed, then turned his head again in time to see the stranger retreat with a small tantrum.

“My clothes…” He wasn’t sure what he was looking for as he glanced around, but an angle clicked somewhere in his mind, and he pointed. “Back that way. They’re in my backpack.” Gripping the blanket against the cool morning air, he worked an arm beneath himself, pushing up to get to his feet. His stance was shaky, body aching anew after the task of rising, but he stood tall. “That was him, wasn’t it?” Knowing what the man had done should have caused Olvar’s temper to flare just at the sight of him, but it hadn’t. And his wolf last night must have been contained somehow, or Gaea would be in pieces. What was going on with him?

Once they found his backpack, the lycan dressed himself, the blanket falling from his shoulders in the progress. The rage that had been subdued rushed back so suddenly that the man was forced to stumble forward and wretch. Nothing but bile came up from his empty stomach, and the oppressive feeling passed as quickly as it had risen. His hands trembled as he eyed the blanket suspiciously. “What is that thing?” he asked with a grimace.

Author: Gaea Rose, Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 11:00 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

If she had time to be afraid she had time to run and form a plan. The moment she would get scared was the moment it would have her. She had to think on her feet. Olvar was right this wasn’t him but this wasn’t the first time she had encountered such a creature. No, this wasn’t at all similar either. She focused on what she could do. In her mind, she knew it was a heavy risk. She could have stayed in the tree and waited it out but that was a time-limited plan. It would make her tired eventually and then she would be left to the wolf’s carnage.

Holding onto the wolf was a lot more stressful than she had anticipated but she did it anyway. Her voice remained calm as she spoke to it. “Relax…” Again she spoke as the blanket worked its magic. She could tell that the werewolf was slowly losing the fight against her strong magic. She could tell that another werewolf was here too. He was watching them and she had felt those eyes on her before.

When morning finally started to rise she was right there with Olvar as she pulled out some oils and rubbed his body down as he turned. Gently she wrapped the blanket around his nude form and smiled at him. He was angry at her and it was well deserved. With a hard roll of her eyes, she kissed him. Good, he was shocked at least she had that much going for her. She moved one of her hands softly onto his as he kissed her again. It was a long peaceful one that made her heart do cartwheels.

Keeping her face close to his her eyes drifted to her arm. “I decided to tango with a wolf and won.” Her eyes drifted up as she held him close now in the blanket. “LEAVE YOU ARE NOT WANTED HERE!” She yelled into the forest. “I can feel you watching me!” The trees moved to reveal an equally naked man who was by far older than Olvar himself. For a moment Gaea lost her breath as she pulled Olvar closer. “I’ll throw wolfsbane on you. LEAVE.”

There was a growl from the man as he smashed his fist into the tree and left the pair alone. “Do not worry about my arm. It will heal.” She was still focused on where the other man had been. “We need to get you back to Ojuk and Gemma. Where are your clothes?”

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 10:46 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

His howl ripped through the forest, a foreign invader painfully out of place in the quiet sounds of night. Silence fell around him as his claws pulled furrows into the ground, kneading the soil and grounding his mind. His belly burned with the fire of almost a decade of slow-burning anger; it blazed in his eyes, the usual hazel replaced by gold that gleamed like a dragon’s hoard. He let out another bellow from deep in his chest, spooking an animal from hiding. An animal. A target. An enemy. The creature’s attempt at escape was enough to enrage him, as if the mere suggestion that it could outrun him was an unforgivable insult. The lupundra tore through fern and frond after the little beast, caring not what he plowed over as he went. His claws captured his prey’s hind, yanking to an abrupt halt its flight as well as its life.

Bone crunched between the monstrous wolf’s powerful jaws, snapping completely through to the spine and silencing the creature’s cry. What had once been some sort of cat was reduced to a limp bag of flesh as the werewolf whipped his head from one side to the other. He trapped one of the animal’s legs beneath a jointed paw and pulled, not intending to eat, but simply to destroy.

One ear flicked back to the sound of wretching. His hackles bristled, making his already wide shoulders look even broader. The beast turned slowly, eyes fixating on the girl who’d appeared. Not human. Flowers, and not. Unimportant. A target. An enemy. The dead jungle cat slumped from his jaws, a string of blood trailing after it from the monster’s teeth. A low growl, wet with gore bubbled out of his throat. He stepped forward. When she didn’t step back, he adjusted his course to circle behind her. Run away. Chase life. Flee death.

She remained still, earning another longer, louder growl. His ears were locked forward, lips pulled into a tight ‘C’ to bare his fangs. Unblinking eyes glinted an eerie green in the poor light. The flower girl did not turn, barely moved in fact. It was infuriating. And then, she dare have the nerve to speak to him. The beast let out a vicious snarl, bolting after the stranger as she ran. Anger ran red hot through his veins as long claws stabbed into the earth, pulling him forward in a tight, predatory lope.

The rainforest whipped past his face, but so focused was he on his pursuit that he paid little attention to his surroundings. The girl vanished from sight, and he nearly collided with the tree she’d been pressed against. His rampage ripped gashes in the bark, splintering greenwood and throwing shards of the tree to the earth. He circled the trunk tightly, the girl’s smell still heavy in the air. She had just been here. Where was she? The loss flared his temper yet again, and he bellowed in rage. Where was she??

A sudden weight on his back provided the answer. Somehow she had gotten into the branches. How didn’t matter. He wanted her off. He threw his shoulders to one side in an attempt to throw her off. When that failed he threw his claws back over his head, feeling them catch briefly before losing her again. The lupundra snarled loudly, starting to throw his weight again, but this time with less dedication. An odd sensation had begun on his back, like cool water flowing over a burn. A low growl became a soft rumble. A soft rumble became a quiet whine. The beast stood on all fours, head beginning to droop as his hackles fell flat.

Slowly, the monstrous wolf fueled only by rageful hate fell still, only turning his head in response to a shout nearby. He smelled humans, then nothing but flowers, followed by the telltale scent of another werewolf. A growl was mustered, but little more. For as long as the blanket was on him, he only stood and watched the forest begin to move around him again. It was almost as if he was waiting for something.

As the night ended, so too did the effects of the curse. The wolf grew anxious, pacing in small steps before descending into the same painful throes he’d endured the previous night. This time, the howls of pain became a scream.

Olvar’s scream broke apart into a series of curses and whimpers as the transformation finished. On the floor of the rainforest he lay trembling, eyes glancing fearfully around before falling on a familiar face. “Gaea…” What was she doing here? He’d told her to stay in camp… His eyes narrowed. “Gaea! I told you not to come out here! It’s dangerou–” He was cut off abruptly by a sudden kiss from the half-nymph, eyes widening in surprise. He was almost too stunned to reciprocate, but he returned the affection just before she broke it off. They stared at each other for a moment before an exhausted hand caught her cheek, gently pulling her back for one more.

Even before her kiss he had been struggling to catch his breath from his shift, but now it was only worse. "What happened?" he asked, referring to last night in general. His eyes, however, found her arm, and his brow furrowed. "What happened?" he asked again, this time quieter, with all focus on her injury.

Author: Gaea Rose, Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 9:03 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

The warning to Gaea herself was very plain to see. Ojuk had Gemma resting with her back against his body just watching the two of them. It was almost like the two were dancing around each other at that point. The dance was on a bed of nails and they were delicately or hazardously avoiding each pointed tip. The look in Gaea’s eyes was enough to say that she could be defiant but she simply nodded to him.

It was the screams that the twins heard. Gaea had been sitting at the firepit messing with it using a stick. Her movement went to a dead halt as Gemma watched her. “Gaea… whatever is running through your mind don’t do it.”

It wasn’t reaching the elder twin. Her pink eyes were watching the flames. Olvar sounded in so much pain. Her ears were good no matter how far he got. A sharp breath left her as she finally stood up. Ojuk went to protest and Gemma shook her head. “She can’t hear us.” The twin was gone and Gemma narrowed her eyes. “Gaea…” What was going through her head? Gemma looked at Ojuk and rubbed his head. “She’ll be alright. She won’t do anything stupid.” She hoped at least.

The trees were like a blur as she jumped from tree to tree. It was like a different world on the inside of the bark as she used the trees as warp points. She could span various speeds but as she finally found the werewolf she phased out of the tree and fell. One of the downsides to that type of magic for her as she vomited a bit. Cleaning her face she got up and the noticed that the wolf was already onto her being there.

This was what Olvar didn’t want her to see. Her pink eyes stared straight ahead as she felt the wolf circling her. It wanted a chase and she could feel it. A deep breath left her lips as the wolf got to the back side of her. “If it is a chase you want then fine.” Gaea knew her voice had the potential to make it angry.

Her feet were much quicker than one would think. Though the wolf was on her heels just as much as she could run. Dodging the bushes and trees she found herself quickly becoming cornered thanks to the storm. “Damn.” She wasn’t pleased with how things had happened. However, she was quick on her feet as she touched a tree and disappeared.

The wolf stalked below the tree she was in. Her whole being could feel him as he brushed against the bark of the tree. It was so odd. She felt her stomach twisting from the magic she was forced to use. If she hadn’t had the compulsion to find him she wouldn’t have been in that mess. Why was it that she was so sure that he was in trouble?

She lurked in the tree for just a few more moments as the wolf circled her once more. She dropped out of the top branch. A large blanket of weaved lavender appeared as she blanketed him with it. She wrapped her arms around him the best she could as she held the blanket to him. The wolf attempted to reach for her on his back as his claws got her arm. “Shhh… Relax now.” Her voice was soft as she put her lips to his ear. The wound she could hardly feel through this unnerving presence she felt. “Relax.” The blanket weaved the magic as soon as it had touched him. The anger would slip from him as he relaxed.

This feeling she got… What was it?

“THERE IT IS!” She turned her head just enough to see a group of men. She wasn’t strong but she threw out her hand and the earth gave a mighty shake as the area the men were in fell off into the ravine they were near. She went back to holding the wolf tightly as not to let him lose the blanket. It would be a long night. While she had faith in the wolf she knew more about the situation then she had told Olvar about. It was that fear that made her come out to him.

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 8:29 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

Travel went well until the storm hit. Without a clear view of the skies it was almost impossible to see it coming. The only warning was a sudden drop in the air a few minutes before it hit. At first they were forced to take shelter, but even seeking out safety proved to be dangerous. Trees were falling, mud was rushing down even the slightest incline, and flooding could come out of nowhere. Olvar set the twins up on Ojuk’s back with his overcoat to cover them, soaked by the rain within seconds, but he didn’t seem to care.

Even when the weather calmed, it caused them trouble. Though the rain now came only in short, untimed bursts, the path they had planned to take was blocked off, and the way around would add two, if not three days to the journey. Olvar’s anxieties rolled to the surface. The new moon was fast approaching. He had planned to be out of the rainforest before his shift, but it didn’t look like that would be an option. He would have to play it by ear instead.

They covered as much ground as they could, but when the evening came, he knew there would be no easy way around this one. “Ojuk will stay here with you two. I’ll be back in the morning,” he promised. His eyes fixed onto Gaea. “Do not come looking for me. I won’t be myself tonight.” The shifter’s tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. He left his coat and his weapons behind in case they were needed, then headed as deep into the woods as he could before nightfall.

His goal was to let the shift run its course as far from camp as possible, and give the twins as little to worry about as he could manage. The latter wouldn’t be easy though. His change was a violent and visceral one, made up of straining bone and twisting muscle. He still hadn’t learned to cover his screams, but the worst part of the experience was when he slipped back out of his own mind; weightless, as if falling down a tunnel. The blackness swallowed him, and the last thing he heard before completely fading out was his own scream contorting into a bellowing howl.

Author: Gaea Rose, Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 8:12 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

Gaea’s eyes moved up to his own as he watched the medicine do its job. “It’s a mixture of mostly herbs and magic. Rosenites heal better when put in the sun. It’s a lot like blood to a vampire but we require sunlight to heal. Our healing capabilities are halted in the shade and at night. Which is why it’s taken so long for my leg to heal. All I did was pump a wee bit of light magic into the mixture. I figured from this point on I need to be able to walk so you can be more on guard. I feel like a burden otherwise.” She offered him a frown but was quick to smile once more. “Whatever I can do to help lessen the burden on you.”

Her heart felt a bit better with Olvar’s assurance. She wasn’t sure what about the lycanthrope made her feel safe besides the fact that it was his job. There was still the matter of what almost had happened in the water, something that hadn’t quite left her mind just yet. “Don’t think so hard about it.” She lifted her hand up and cupped his face. “Her vision is just a guideline. I am not scared of mine so you shouldn’t be of that. It’s true that it could be another werewolf.” Her thumb brushed gently against his skin as if to comfort. “Magic can be for good or evil… Just depends on the practitioner.”

Gaea spent the rest of the time grinding out medicine for the road while Olvar organized everything on Ojuk. Gemma was particularly happy with the number of supplies that they had managed to get. They waited until the next day to leave the village. What should have taken two weeks to get to the other side of where they were turned out to take so much longer due to the sporadic weather.

A strong storm hit in the middle of their trip causing pathways to wash out, trees that were too huge to move fall, and other unfortunate experiences. For the most part, the twins rode on Ojuk due to the nature of the weather patterns. There were times though that Gaea walked beside Olvar to keep him company as long as she wasn’t distracting him.

Finally, though they set up camp for the night of the moon when Olvar was set to shift. The girls set up camp ahead time to help him out. Gaea approached Olvar and looked up at him with concerned eyes. "Please be careful okay?" She didn't know the circumstances of his shift but it didn't mean she couldn't wish him well.

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 7:49 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

He didn’t flinch as the mortar and pestle were slammed back to the tabletop. She was angry. He expected anger. Quietly, he listened to her tale, feeling a small stir of jealousy in his gut, though it had no right to be there. He had no claim to Gaea, and hadn’t even been alive in the time when her story began. The lycan’s gaze was steady and measured as she met it. As she continued her work and her recollection, his twinge of envy tilted toward a protective anger. Whether from his role as escort or the ill-advised personal feelings he seemed to be developing, he felt an immediate need to deal with this stranger.

As her tale concluded, several questions fluttered through Olvar’s mind, but now didn’t seem the proper time for them. If anything, his mentor had managed to hone his ability to read people, and this was a painful memory for Gaea. Best not to make her dwell on it. He now knew the threat, and the persistence with which they were being hunted. The thought would certainly weigh on his mind.

His attention was stolen by the steam that curled up from her wound upon contact with the medicine, twisting through the air like a tendril of loose rope before dissipating. The wound stitched itself back together before his very eyes, and Gaea no longer needed his assistance to stand. “Damn…” He’d never had much use for medicines himself, what with his unusually fast rate of healing, but it couldn’t be denied that the half-nymph’s abilities were impressive. “Is that magic, or just the plants you used?”

“He’ll do neither,” Olvar assured her. “That’s what I’m here to prevent, and I fully intend to do so.” With Gaea steady once more, he allowed himself a moment to relax, leaning lightly against the table with arms crossed over his chest. “She never said that was my wolf in the fire. It could be anyone. I meet other werewolves all the time,” he lied easily. He avoided other werewolves all the time, but that did mean they were there to be avoided. “Besides, nothing is set in stone. I don’t trust magic for exactly that reason.”

The rest of the hour was spent gathering supplies and organizing them in such a way that Ojuk would not be stuck carrying them all. The weigh was divided evenly between he and his alpha. Luckily, most of what they took was only herbs and medicines, so the addition was barely noticeable. With Ojuk’s load secured and Olvar’s backpack full, the party of four bedded down in the village, ready to leave come dawn.

As soon as they left the village boundary, Olvar was on high alert. Corydalis had warned them of danger the instant they left on their journey, but he knew not where it waited. During their travels he would simply have to remain vigilant. For the girls’ sakes.

Author: Gaea Rose, Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 9:07 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

Gaea nudged him just a bit when he spoke with Corydalis. “Don’t worry Older Sister. A wolfman is a wolfman. I see pride in him.” Corydalis had a smile on her face and that’s all Gaea was willing to listen to before she asked Olvar to pick her up.

As she worked she slammed the mortar down again and looked up at Olvar. “It’s one in the same.” She started to work again. “The slavers that my sister told you about are the same thing that Corydalis is talking about.” Her voice was quiet but her anger was slipping away. “It wasn’t fifty years ago… It was a tad longer but we tend to speak in decades once you are our age.”

The blonde haired woman measured plants out and continued her work. “I was in the marketplace selling some flowers that we had gathered. I rather go alone without Gemma but it was one of those days. She had seen a cat in a tree and wanted to get it down.” There was a smile on her face. “And that’s when he bumped into me. This tall muscular man who when he looked at me saw me like a sunset.”

She took a deep breath in as she bit at her lip. “He… was charismatic and noble. Held the door for me. Gods everything dumb about love at first sight.” She stopped to look up at Olvar. “We were happy for a time him and I. But this story obviously doesn’t have a happy ending. He didn’t die he is very much alive.” She went back to work as she focused on the end of story. “We rarely take lovers Gemma and I… If we do they are one time things and we move on. It wasn’t like that with him… I went out of my way to find him one day and…” She stopped again for a moment as she got her thoughts together. “Found out he was the leader of the main slave trade that causes so many problems for my people.”

Gaea appeared very sad. “So I struck him and ended it. He filleted me down the side with an anger I’ve never known from him. I managed to get out because Gemma felt something was off. He’s been after me so he could own me ever since. I am his prize that got away. It’s also why I haven’t taken a lover in so long I suppose.” Which made her movements with Olvar more curious as she went back to work.

Once the concoction was done she poured it on her leg and steam started to come up. She winced a bit but took a sigh of relief as she stood up with Olvar’s help. After a few moments the skin sealed up and she looked pleased. “Now that is actual medicine. I’ll make some more for the trip just in case… but,” she looked up at Olvar and had a quiet voice once more, “that’s what happened. He’s probably either going to kill me or make me wish I was dead. It’s probably the second choice. Corydalis’s visions come true one way or another. Her visions are more like strings there are multiple ways it can happen but the end of them isn't always the end. It doesn't have to be bad what she shows you. It seems scary but at the end of your vision, your wolf was peaceful in a way. All I saw was burning for myself."

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:50 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

While the girls finished cleaning each other up, Olvar settled down on his overcoat, double checking that his blades were nearby. Ojuk stretched and settled down not far from his feet, resting his head on bulky paws. One arm went behind the lycan’s head to act as a pillow. The other rested on his belly. At some point during the night, that arm ended up halfway between he and Gaea, who had snuggled up next to him in the absence of her sister. He slept soundly.

Not long before dawn, Olvar’s eyes flashed open. Their fire was down to a single plume of pitiful smoke, leaving them in darkness. Movement was all around them though, and though the canopy swallowed much of the light this early, he could see well enough to get an idea of what was around them. Humanoid figures. Armed. His hand crept toward his blades, but Gaea’s outburst caught their attention first. He snatched his seax knife as a spear thrust toward her, but strange magic beat him to the punch. Flowers? He looked to Gemma, who spoke in an odd tongue. Everything about this was wrong. Ojuk growled softly. His grip tightened on his knife.

After packing up and making a point to secure his weapons to his belt, he loaded the gear onto Ojuk, picked up Gaea, and they started off. It was a long trek, filled with distrustful glances. When finally they arrived at the village, the day was almost done. Olvar frowned as they approached the woman adorned in tribal paint, apparently some sort of shaman. He suspected her to be Corydalis.

In the flared of the fire, hazel eyes reflected a feral green shine, and something stirred deep in his belly upon seeing the image of the wolf screaming in the flames. The woman approached already knowing his name, and it only served to set him more on edge. The lycan lifted his chin proudly as she spoke. “Then be careful,” he answered simply. He had no need, nor desire, to heed the warning of a magical shaman.

He was reluctant to break eye contact, even as he carefully set Gaea down. His arm remained ready to help support her. While the twins worked out details for acquiring supplies, Olvar watched the fire. The image of the wolf was gone, but he’d known the shape clear as day. The warning was vague. Perhaps it was another wolf. After all, it had calmed in the flames. Never before had his more beastly half rested in such a way.

All at once, the bonfire roared to strength, brandishing another supposed prophecy. A burning field of flowers, petals hot in the air like ash. He frowned, eyes sliding over to Gaea. It would seem she hadn’t told him everything, nor had her sister when she offered him this job. If there was a larger threat at hand, he needed to know.

At her request, he picked up Gaea again, carrying her to the indicated hut to work. Ojuk had gone with Gemma to restock their supplies, leaving Olvar with the older twin. He let her grumble and work for a few minutes before finally speaking up. “Is there another threat I should be worried about?” he questioned, eyeing her with a frown. He knew something was going on that she had chosen not to mention. “And how often is she right? About what appears in the fire?” His thoughts were still catching on the howling wolf.

Author: Gaea Rose, Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 1:23 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

The area around them was peaceful beside the distant laughs and pouncing of her sister and Ojuk. “Don’t underestimate Gemma and her determination. I’ve seen what she does.” Her voice was gentle and soft as they continued to listen to the nature around them. “She’s the stronger of the two of us even if she doesn’t act it.”

Gaea felt him hold his breath and for a moment she thought about stopping. What surprised her most was when he started to come down to her level for the kiss. The water, however, made her jump. There was a gasp that left her lips from the expectant cold water. Soon the moment was all but forgotten about as they engaged in an all-out water war with each other. There appeared to be two teams. Olvar and Gaea on one side with Gemma and Ojuk on the other.

Once nightfall was upon them the girls began to try and dry off as soon as possible. Olvar had put Gaea on the river bank which she was happy about. She wrung her hair out the best she could before Gemma helped her get dressed. The twins laid claim to his blanket brushing each other’s hair with combs before both laid down for the night.

Somehow during the night, Gemma had abandoned Gaea to sleep on Ojuk who more than welcomed her company. Gaea looked up with sleepy eyes as she shivered even in this heat. She merely missed her sister at that point. In a sleepy haze, she took the blanket over to Olvar and curled up with him. Two could play this game.

It was some time in the early morning when there was rustling around them. Gemma was one of the first ones to notice it as she popped a pink eye open. She patted Ojuk as a sign to remain calm. Spearmen came out of the tall bushes and pointed their spears at them. Gaea woke up in a haste and one tried to jab her back down. It was Gemma who threw out her hand. The spears around them exploded into flowers. “Enough, we’ve come a long way seeking Corydalis. You will take us to our sister.” Gemma spoke in the language of the tribe in a very commanding voice that was unlike her.

Some of the men whispered but bowed to them. They were allowed to gather their gear. Gemma stayed on top Ojuk and looked down at Gaea who was being carried by Olvar once more. “You scared them, Sis. Try not to do that.”

Gaea gave a pout. “I didn’t mean to I just sensed movement and I did it out of instinct.” She let out a sigh. Gemma gave a smile as they continued the long walk into the rainforest. It was night when they reached a village. On a hilltop like part of town was a raging bonfire that sparked with magic. There sat a woman with long red curls, curvaceous body, and glowing blue tribal paint over her flesh. The spearmen left the group there as the woman stood up.

The fire by her erupted in a series of colors before it finally settled on shades of red. A werewolf in full form was howling at the sky. A blue scarf appeared around the wolf and he seemed to calm. The fire let loose a scream with the howl. Corydalis had her pipe in hand it looked to be ivory with a golden dragon skull on the front of it. Smoke left the dragon’s nostrils on the pipe.

“Olvar Tyresus,” the woman spoke as she came closer. Gaea instinctively tried to move out of the way but she was still in Olvar’s arms at that point. “You will face something in the time coming. You will hurt someone you care about. You might not even be aware it will happen.” The woman’s coral eyes got close to his. “The flames have spoken this much about you wolfman. I would be careful.” She took her pipe and smacked Gaea on the bottom. “And how did this happen?”

Gaea squirmed a bit more until Olvar set her down. “The tap on my butt was not okay.” Gaea was blushing a bit. “Little sisters should be more respectful towards their older sisters,” Gaea said it in Gemma’s direction.

“You are only older by a few minutes,” Gemma said as a matter of fact as she shrugged her shoulders.

“Thank you for your prophecy little sister I am sure that Olvar will take it and learn from it,” Gaea spoke with about as much respect as she could for someone who just got smacked on her ass by a pipe. Corydalis was about five feet and seven inches tall which made her a bit taller than her elder sisters. “We were hoping for supplies for our trip to Vada. I need to make medicine as well.”

Corydalis appeared to mull the request over. “You are the second one this month to ask that request… I suppose for my darling older sister that I can afford more of our supplies.” Then Corydalis paused. “One more thing.” The fire exploded and showed a field of wildflowers on fire. “Your lives are in danger the moment you step foot out of this village. You are wanted. Hunted by those that desire you. It’s been fifty years Gaea Rose and you should have taken care of it by now.”

Gaea watched Corydalis for a few moments. “Please do not put my business in front of Olvar. I will stay on guard.” Her tone was serious but that was nothing out of the ordinary. “Do you have an alchemy set up that I can use?” Corydalis pointed up to her hunt. “Olvar please take me up there.” She seemed bitter now as the flames died down. “Gemma go get supplies with Ojuk. We’re only spending the night here.” Whatever Corydalis had meant got under Gaea’s skin as Olvar took her up to the shack.

“It is none of her god damn concern,” Gaea said frustrated as she grabbed herbs from the many baskets as she sat down at the table to work on potions. “And she certainly didn’t need to tell you anything about me.” She slammed the mortar and pedestal down. Finally, she had a deep set frown on her face. “I hate men sometimes and nosey sisters.”

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 10:48 AM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

The soothing oils helped him to relax, loosening up some of the tension he always carried with him. “Arri sounds nice,” he commented, then exhaled sharply in a little half-laugh. “Gemma will have to get through his fur first. He’s shedding this time of year.” He closed his eyes as she continued to wash him, the water cool around them, and the trees overhead bright with scattered birdsong. The ents paraded slowly by on their path a short distance away, completely disinterested in the matters of the strangers.

He held his breath as her touch traveled smoothly down his torso, eyes opening upon hearing his name. “That’s what I’m here for,” he answered in a low voice. Despite barely knowing Gaea, he felt himself leaning down to meet her, expecting the evident kiss, but instead receiving a startling wave of cool water across his back.

Olvar turned, hazel eyes falling on Gemma and Ojuk as the pair declared war. “You’d best be ready then!” the lycan called back with a grin. Hands half under the surface, he shoved forward, using his palms to send a wall of water at their “attackers”. He remained close to Gaea to support her leg, but always kept one hand free to splash back.

After almost an hour of playing in the river, Olvar noted the fading light. It grew dark much faster under the rainforest canopy. Opting to make camp now so they could dry off before night, he guided Gaea to the bank of the river to sit. Once she was settled, he pulled on his trousers to protect his legs from the undergrowth and started gathering kindling for a small fire. It didn’t take too long to get one going, and with the girls able to start drying off properly, he went on to figure out sleeping arrangements. After some debate, he finally set his good blanket out for the girls to sleep on. He would use his overcoat. The air here was warm enough even during the night that covers shouldn’t be needed.

Author: Gaea Rose, Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 10:27 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

Gaea smiled up at him and shook her head. “Nah, you are doing enough. I think it is a good treat for you to be taken care of.” That was the way she saw it as she washed his hair. Slowly she took the soap and washed the rest of him. Before long she was massaging the oils into his skin and she knew it would probably feel good. They smelled good too which would appease her sister.

“Always. We help each other. That’s the only way to survive in a place like Arri,” her voice was gentle as she answered him. Her lips formed a smirk as she returned it. “Your dirt washed off quite easily probably compared to Ojuk though…” She giggled lightly. “Gemma will get him clean I am sure.” She ran her hand down his chest for a minute before looking back up at Olvar.

“Hey, Olvar?” Gaea put her good foot on top of one of his to give her a little bit of a boost. “Thank you for taking care of me.” Her voice started to go quiet as she got a bit closer to him. Olvar was coming down to meet her when there was a sudden wave of water that hit them.

“AHOY!” Gemma was on top of Ojuk’s back, who was very clean by now. “I AM WAGING WAR ON YOU BOTH!” Ojuk made a nose at that remark and did another splash. Gemma slid off of his back and started to splash Gaea and Olvar more.

“Gemma!” Gaea blew strands of wet hair that was now plastered all over her face out just so she could spot her twin. “You are a right asshole.” Gaea started to splash back and she even did a few splashes at Ojuk though she was care of her leg.

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 10:15 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

Olvar watched with a half-smirk as Gemma coaxed Ojuk into the water, the warg making an entrance that was far from graceful, but certainly effective. The warg was already completely soaked. It was a good thing the gear and saddle had been removed when they first stopped to rest.

As she entered the water, he noted her wound. Still tender, he was sure, but it wasn’t the angry red that indicated an infection was brewing, and that was enough reassurance for him to disregard it. Despite feeling her eyes on him, the lycan found he didn’t much mind, but kept his own gaze respectful of her privacy, as a gentleman would. He’d certainly come a long way in terms of manners. As she let her braids out, her hair covered some of her form, allowing him more comfortable eye contact when she spoke to him. “Help me?” he wondered, though only briefly. The nymph’s intentions were soon made obvious as she wet down his hair to wash it. “You don’t have to do that, Gaea, I would hope I could wash my own hair.”

But she persisted, and Olvar found himself letting her. It was a sort of relief to have someone taking care of him for a change. After so many escort or protection jobs, making sure that everything was perfect, totally controlled, it was a nice change to hand off the reins for a few minutes. Even as she rinsed the soap from his hair and moved on with her doting, he found himself slowly beginning to relax with thoughts of his family’s farm. Once again, something in his travels with Gemma and Gaea reminded him of home, but he couldn’t put his finger on what.

“Do the women always help the men like this in Sularia?” he asked with a smirk. He felt gentle fingers following the bumps and ridges of his scars, for once not minding. The shifter’s attention rose briefly to Ojuk and Gemma playing downstream. The warg had discovered that his front paws were wide enough to create a heavy “plunk” sound if he lifted them completely from the water, and he seemed quite amused by the find. “I hope they’re bathing. Ojuk is a mess,” he mused, turning his gaze back to Gaea. “I suppose I wasn’t far ahead of him though.”

Author: Gaea Rose, Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 9:45 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

There was a smirk on Gemma’s face as Olvar caught Gaea. So he did somewhat care. It had been a gamble for Gemma but she trotted off. “Come on Ojuk.” She tossed some oils and soap to Gaea before she and the warg were going together downstream. Ojuk pawed at the water before Gemma went on. Once Gemma was in Ojuk jumped into the water with her. “Good boy,” Gemma was heard saying.

“I know you won’t. Gemma is just being herself again.” She held the soaps and oils in her one hand as she took Olvar’s. Easing into the water she let out a hiss from the cold water hitting her wound. Gaea wasn’t shy as she looked Olvar over. It was more like a reaction to seeing his skin. It was normal for them being from Sularia.

He held her steady as she let her long hair out of the braids they were in. She got it soaked, washed it, and rinsed it. Looking back at Olvar she took a sigh. “Let me help you since your hands are full.” She cupped her hand and wet his hair down. She took the soap and ran it through his hair. “Sorry, these smell like flowers. They come from Sularia.” It wasn’t the manliest thing in the world. She set the oils down on a rock nearby and worked her fingers into his hair massaging gently like she had bathed others before, most likely Gemma.

Gently she washed the soap out avoiding his eyes with ease. Before long she was washing his body too but being careful of his privacy. “This is really common in Sularia.” She gave him a smile. “We have public baths but due to there being so few men we all would bathe together.” Her fingers would trace some of the scars he had out of habit but she would stop herself when she noticed. "Gemma and Ojuk sound like they are having fun. I don't even think she is bathing."

Author: BadMoonRising, Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 9:11 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

Olvar gave a small nod at her explanation. He knew all too well about the oppression of curses, but if the Rose family curse had slipped over time, would his own? And what would be the outcome? Would the effect become less frequent, as it had in the Rosenites, or would it become unpredictable? The idea brought a shudder, but he chose not to dwell.

His attention was taken instead by Gaea’s surprising knowledge of DaeLuin, or rather, of its demise. He felt a hole open up in his belly, brow furrowing. The lycan’s gaze wandered elsewhere. From the sound of it, his brother was likely dead. He was the last of his family name. The duty was his to wear it proudly. The shifter stood a bit taller as Gaea continued her explanations. More family then. It seemed these twins had family in every corner of the land.

“For a long time it was just me, yes. Since I left home. I worked with mercenaries for a while, then tried to join a pack of other shifters. Neither worked out, and I only ended up making enemies in both instances. I decided that taking life as it came was the best option for me, but even that proved difficult. I was captured and held prisoner, but eventually the knight keeping me took me as a student…” He still wasn’t sure why. Simon had been given every chance to run him through, take his life, make the world safer from one more werewolf. But he hadn’t, even when Olvar pushed him to the edge running his mouth off. The lycan shook his head. Best not to dwell. “Now I have Ojuk, but he isn’t very good conversation. You get used to it.”

—

The rainforest was a much calmer travel for Olvar. Though his last experience in a rainforest had almost ended in the loss of his life, it felt good to be out of the relentless sun of the plains. Not to mention the natural cover that hid them from sight. He could see the outline of Ojuk ahead, but the faint dappling of his coat did wonders for his camouflage, and surely anyone passing by unawares would miss him. The warg was still traveling strong, carrying Gemma, Olvar’s armor, and now his overcoat. Insects couldn’t get through the tough leather to bite at him, but the muggy air was too much to bear with an unnecessary layer.

To rest his shoulder and his aching feet, he’d stopped by the river, setting Gaea carefully on the bank. He crouched, cupping water in his hands to drink while the girls shared from the canteen. Water dripped from his lips as he lifted his head, eyeing the passing ents. “Treefolk” as his mother would have said. “Nothing that big is totally harmless,” Olvar answered, then bent for another drink. Hearing the direction of the twins’ chatting, followed by the shuffling of clothing, he took his time quenching his thirst, eyes politely averted. They narrowed at the jab from Gemma.

He sat back on the bank, making a point of watching the ents with a huff. He rolled his eyes at the bubbly nymph’s teasing. “I’m sure you can hold her up, have confidence in yourself.” He stood. He might as well practice the knightly vows Simon intended to have him take. “I’m going to bathe further downriver,” he informed the pair, a plan that was interrupted before he could even take a step away. Gaea gasped, Olvar turned, and without thinking he threw hands out to catch her, one on her shoulder and one on her side. The man sighed, giving Gemma a pointed look before adjusting his grip to just her arms. “One moment then,” he murmured to Gaea, then eased her back down to the bank. If it was insisted upon, he would assist. To spare them from the water, the knight in training stripped out of his clothes, bundling them carefully and setting them back from the bank. He entered the water first, then offered a rough hand to Gaea. “I won’t drop you,” he promised, “unlike certain siblings you may have.”

It was somewhat unnerving to be without a weapon on hand in the company of others. Perhaps it was years of suspicion ingrained in him, or perhaps it was the mystery of what lived in the rainforest, just out of sight. It could even be that he was simply unaccustomed to having his life so obvious before near-strangers. Every scar in his skin carried a story, good or bad, and he wasn’t sure he was terribly fond of those stories seeing the light.

“Wash up quickly then,” he encouraged. Already the shifter was ready to move on.

Author: Gemma, Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 9:25 PM, Post Subject: The Harassment Continues[P/R]

“Neither do we,” Gaea answered as she thought about it. “We live on our own because we like that. Despite how Gemma might be we are still solitary creatures. We like each other because we are each other. If that makes sense.” They were identical twins after all.

There was a hum on her lip for a moment. “So… The other facet of the information on my family. The Rose family is the matron family. My greatest Grandma was the very first Rosenite. It’s said that they were jealous of the creature they created so they cursed her to only have daughters. While the curse was strong through the years it has slipped allowing men to be born into our race.”

She listened for a good long time. “My mother had a counterpart in that world. She combined with herself here. Some of my siblings were from this DaeLuin. Six of them actually. They say the void ate DaeLuin but no one knows.” That was her extent of the knowledge for that place.

Thinking about the best way to answer his last question she just smiled. “Corydalis is one of my younger sisters. She is a shaman for the tribe there. All of my siblings are talented in some way. Corydalis’s father was the head shaman. He was powerful and enthralled by our mother. She saw the opportunity to have a strong child and strengthen her bloodline. So she took it. That’s how most of us were born… But Basse. Basselina’s father won a drinking match with my mother and had a night with her. Got pregnant with Basse but Basse is pretty strong.”

After a while, she wanted to hear more about Olvar though. “Is it… always just you by yourself? If I didn’t have Gemma I would be by myself… but it is weird thinking about not having her. She is a part of me. I’m sure she felt the wound on my leg. We do that you know… Feel each other’s pain… Know when the other is sad. We can speak without speaking. I don’t know what it’s like not to have that.”

–

Like they had said Laeto was a few days off from where they were. Once they were in the rainforest things seemed to calm down a bit more. Ojuk was hard to see as he was ahead with Gemma. It was hot and sticky so Gaea was sighing a lot. The need for water was on the right so they had stopped to fill the canteen up by a river.

“Ents,” Gemma said as she pointed. There were tall walking rattan ents that were walking down the river. “Aren’t they neat Olvar? Completely harmless but Daphne says they can be jerks.” Gemma was still up on Ojuk’s back as she took a drink from the canteen and passed it to Gaea who was taking a seat by the river. Her feet were dipping into the crisp water.

“This feels so good… I don’t know how Corydalis and Daphne do this… I can deal with Arri but this.” She made a face a bit and laughed. “I would have to be naked all the time.” Gemma nodded with her sister.

Checking their packs Gemma got out some new clothing. “These dresses are too hot and yours is ruined.” The twins were quick to help each other change into the lighter clothes and throw out the old ones. However, before they changed Gemma had an idea. “Why don’t we get baths? It would be cooler for us and probably feel good… and Olvar needs a bath.”

There was a light smirk on Gemma’s face as she looked at Olvar. “The current is weird in the river and I’m not strong enough to keep Gaea up while we bathe… Can you keep her up?” Gaea went red for a moment but said nothing. “It will only be for a little bit and besides it’s not like you’ll look at her or anything,” Gemma smirked at Olvar before she let Gaea go. Gaea gasped as her leg gave out and she started to fall.

Gemma appeared to be retrieving some soap from their pack.