[Northern Wilds] No Rest for the Wicked [Shishi]

[Mok]

Spring 11, a ridge north of Sunberth overlooking the ocean

Mok had enough of all the bullshit of the city...well at least for the time being. Right now he wanted to some peace and solitude. He wanted some time to think and get his thoughts in order. He just wanted to relax. In Sunberth, he was always in survival mode. Always looking over his shoulder, always taking extra caution to make sure he didn't step on the wrong toes. Today he would chill and relax all day. He cast out all of his fears and ambitions. He discarded all is worries and took at day completely to himself.

Traveling down the coast, Mok was trying to find the perfect meadow, the biggest tree, and the most secluded place to sit. The myrian did not come empty handed though. He had a bottle of wine and some pulp. Mok was not about chill out in the wilderness without something to keep him going. That being said, Mok was only sober when he had work to do. Otherwise, he was plastered out of his mind.

After hiking a several hours along the coast north of Sunberth, Mok found the perfect place. On top of the ridge that overlooked the ocean there was a line of large oaks. It was perfect. Not only could the half-blood sit in peace, but he would be able to see anyone coming towards him from miles away.

Taking his place under the largest oak, the myrian looked down at the ocean. It was awesome. The seagulls were chirping, the ocean was riding, the sun was shining it was great. The myrian was beginning to truly love Sunberth. This place was way better than the jungles of Faylndar. The breeze was cool and the salty air was soothing to him. But Mok was not here to think about his past life. Never more would he return to the jungles. This was his new home now and he loved it.

Guzzling the flagon of wine that he brought along with him, Mok was already feeling tipsy.

Red = Myrian
Bold = Common

[Shishi]

Paws pounded the ground as Shishi ran. She felt the wind on her face and she could smell the scent of the nature around her. Like almost every time the woman-lioness went out, she didn’t know where she was going. This was a thrill she indulged in when she was feeling antsy and lonely and in this moment she didn’t have a care in the world.

The smell of salt hit the lioness’s nose. She guessed she was heading towards the beach. Maybe she should change direction, Shishi didn’t like the water. But, the trees around her were so pretty. The lioness stayed her course. Shishi ran until there was something worth stopping for as the clothing she held in her mouth flapped in the wind.

And then there was something worth stopping for. The scenery around her was beautiful and the sun was seemed to be shining even brighter here. Shishi loved the sun. She trotted over around to find the view of the ocean below her. It was breathtaking and the water wasn’t about to reach up and grab her, so that was ok. On the spur of the moment, the lioness decided that she would rather lay in the sun as a human. Like that her decision was made. She gently set down her clothing and became herself again.

Shishi began to put on her clothing. The woman froze. She was in the middle of putting on her shirt and someone was here. She swiftly turned around. Her shirt rested on her shoulders as her eyes went wide. It was the man from before. His name was Mok, she remembered him instantly. He was Cade’s friend, and he saw her.

Shishi panicked. She roughly pulled her shirt on. Her first instinct was to run. When one was in a situation that she didn’t like or felt was irritating, it was logical to run. But something about this man’s dark eyes calmed her. He seemed so relaxed there. She lost her bid blind, the woman stood frozen and unsure what to say.

[Mok]

Before Mok could even get settled in, he spotted a massive shape approaching his location in the distance. Leaning forward the myrian squintted hard in attempt to make out exactly what the hell it was and how fast it was moving. It was no good though, the shape was way to far for Mok to see clearly what it was. The only reason why he had even spotted it was because it was running in open site though the valley. From his high view up there he would be able to see anything that big running towards him.

Flinging his bag of pulp and alcohol off to the side, Mok armed himself and started to climb the tallest tree. The half-blood was nervous, no maybe anxious was a better word. He wanted to figure out what was coming his way: if it was an enemy or an alley. Climbing up to the highest branch that could possibally carry his weight, Mok set himself up in a way that would hide his position. Finding his place, the myrian scanned the horizon again.

Suddenly Mok's heart fell into his chest. It was at this exact moment when he realized what was approaching; a motherpetching cat almost as big as a myrian tiger and just as fast. Feelings of dread filled his mind now. There was no way he would survive a conflict with such a beast. No, he would be ripped apart in seconds if he slipped up a single moment. Why did the most terrible things happen to Mok? Why did the gods plague him with this pestilance? All the gangster wanted to do was take a petching day off. Now he had to deal with a huge dangerous lion.

Mok couldn't sit there feeling sorry for himself though. Calling upon the darkness in his heart he got ready for the upcoming conflict. He needed to push his mind to its limit. He needed to push away all his doubt and fear and let the darkness consume him. He embraced the swirling blackness and captured it with an iron fist. He used this evil to give him the power to overcome all fear. He was a lone fighter now and needed all the strength he could possibally muster. Elavating his mind to the next level was the key.

Now the only person that could save Mok was himself. All doubt and fear was cast out now. He was a completely different person now. He was Mok the warrior now, ready to fight until the bitter end if it came down to it. This wouldn't be his first time fighting wild beasts in the wild either. Mok actually had experience with this sort of thing. He didn't really have a plan laid out in his mind yet. All his actions would be in direct response the cat movements.

As the cat neared, Mok readied his blade and his grit. In minutes it would be time to rumble. Things did not go as planned though. The big lion did not see him at all and to his astonishment began to...well...transfor! It was a petching kelvic, but not just any kelvic! Iit was Cade's woman...the one form earlier that week...Shishi. Mok jumped from his spot on the tree, dropping to the soft grass only ten yards below.

There was no need to be scared of Shishi...even though she was a damn kelvic lion! He let go of all the cruelty in his mind and let the currents of relaxation sweep him again. No more reason to panic!

The naked women that stood before him was very intriguing to Mok. At first her back was turned towards Mok, so he had the chance to examine her in full detail. Like the myrian, she was young, but ten times more beautiful. Her skin was tan, not a harsh desert tan, but a soft golden glow from playful days in the sun. He skin was almost impecable from this distance, like polished ivory. Her black hair was wild and stringy. Her hips were wide and her buttock was gorgous. Her backside was round and musclar and perfactly purpotioned. She wasn't some gross Sunberthian tavern whore either; her 'v' was athletic and clean. Next came her solid legs and her tattoo. The swirling ink on her left leg complimented her so well. It flowed with her body and her wild nature. It was almost to perfect.

The curves of her body, the tattoo, the hair...everything! It was definately doing it for Mok. The myrian was officially attracted. Before the gangster could gorge some more on this eye candy, Shishi noticed him and quickly pulled her shirt over her head and got dressed before Mok could see anymore.

Awkward silence.

Mok didn't know what to say. It was not that he was intimidated by her or shy, but he was debating in his mind whether or not to try anything with Cade's woman. The two barbarians had an unspoken agreement not to touch each others women. Her pure, wild, untamed beauty was definately a huge prize for any man lucky enough to win her.

Mok decided to ignore the fact that she almost scared the shit out of him and that he had saw her naked. He didn't want to anger her or nothing, she was a lion too afterall, "Come Shishi! Let us drink and be merry," pivotting around Mok reclaimed his bag and met the girl back under one of the oak trees. Laying against the trunk of the tree, he let Shishi sit where ever she please. Producing a bottle of wine, the half-blood took a swig and passed it to the girl.

"What's good with it Shishi, how you doin'?" Mok started, "You scared the motherpetching shit out of me back there though. I mean I can never tell a kelvic from an animal. I thought you were on your way here to eat me...you wouldn't do that, would you?"

Red = Myrian
Bold = Common

[Shishi]

Shishi’s cheeks were ablaze as she stared at Mok. She blew it, she was too careless and now he knew what she was. It was almost as bad that he saw her naked. The woman felt awkward and self-conscious. Nudity was common, but it was still a big deal to Shishi. Her hazel eyes cut into his calming brown eyes. They had a shine to them and the woman would bet high to know what he was thinking.

It was Mok who broke the silence. He told her to drink with him. The woman didn’t know if this was a good idea after the last time, but what the hell. She could bet a few drinks on her not feeling the “drunk” feeling.

Mok sat down and Shishi sat beside him. The woman felt relaxed now which was surprising considering he just found out her secret. Mok swigged a liquid and then handed it to Shishi. As expected, it smelled bad but the woman took a small sip. The man asked how she was. He then told her he thought she was going to eat him and jokingly asked Shishi if she would in fact eat him. Shishi laughed at him as she spoke. “Im alright, Im better now because I have company and as for eating you…well maybe if you made me really really mad.” The woman winked playfully at Mok.

Shishi took another small swig before handing the bottle back to Mok. The woman felt the trail of the liquid’s burn as it moved down her throat. She felt the heat spead across her cheeks and to her ears. Then she looked to Mok and hesitated before speaking. “…So about what you just saw. Can you forget you saw that. What are you doing here anyway? This doesn’t seem like a place you’d hang out at. Her eyes pleading Mok to not allow this to change his view of her."

[Mok]

Mok wasn't looking at Shishi at the moment, but rather he was looking at the horizon. The soft spring time clouds rolled slowly in the distance. It was a beautiful site indeed. None of the white puffs had any particular shapes or anything, but they were getting there. Maybe the winds would change that or maybe some pulp would help him. He would save that for later though. The myrian took a huge whiff of snot and saliva and spat behind his shoulder as to not get the stuff in his face.

The kelvic took a swig of the drink and responded to Mok's joke with a playful wink. His only response to her was a soft chuckle and a grin. There was no need to say anything just yet. Getting the bottle back from the lioness, the drunkard looked at it for a moment and took a sip. Shishi went on to say that she wanted Mok to forget the fact that she was a kelvic, but quickly changed the topic to keep the myrian off guard.

"You know what the good thing about wine is? After a couple of swigs, all you need to do is sip on it and you'll be floating for the rest of the day," Mok laughed, "Anyways, let’s not change the topic though. Why don't you want people knowing you’re a kelvic?"

Mok turned on his side, facing Shishi now. His left arm held the bottle, while his right arm held his head up. The myrian took another opportunity to scan the girl once more; starting at her feet and ankles, Mok's eyes slowly peeled upwards taking every detail, especially her tattoo. His gaze finally met Shishi's and his eyes looked with hers as he waited for a response. The kelvic would see two dark and friendly eyes. The myrian would not shift his gaze though. He would look her in the eye until she finished her response.

Red = Myrian
Bold = Common

[Shishi]

Golden eyes lit up as the woman felt the buzz. She felt the burn in her ears as she chuckled at Mok’s comment. “You have to make sure you don’t float away though” Shishi laughed again. Maybe she found her comment a bit too funny. Mok turned on his side and continued speaking. The woman stiffened.

Shishi realized she wouldn’t win her pot back so easily. He still saw her change. She watched him as his eyes scanned her body. She began to feel self-conscious, so she turned on her side to face Mok. He asked her why she didn’t want anyone to know she was a kelvic. His eyes locked on hers as they tried to coax out the answer. The woman tried to make a joke out of it.

“Here kitty kitty kitty. Meow, Meow!” The woman mimicked as she pushed a gold coin around on the ground with her hands. She did like shiny things, but oh well. “Here’s your bell kitty kitty kitty. I’m going to call you Ms. Snuggles” The woman laughed as she nudged Mok playfully. To her surprise he was pretty sturdy. “Who’d want to gamble a name like Ms. Snuggles huh?” Shishi was waiting for the man to laugh.

She reached for the bottle and took a sip. “So what was that dice game about? Did you win a lot?” Shishi asked him as she flipped her coin in the air. “Was that other girl your mate? She didn’t seem to like me much. She makes me think of a female dog to be honest, but maybe she’s nice and I didn’t see it.” The woman pawed for another topic.

[Mok]

Mok raised an eyebrow when Shishi began to imitate a little cat. What the hell was she doing anyways? The funny thing was that she was extremely convincing. The myrian could see now that she truly was a big cat at heart. This made Mok geniunly laugh for a minute. Laying on his back now, he thought about Shishi's words. He gave the benefit of the doubt to every Crimson, even the kelvics. He would take her words to heart and respond to her one hundred percent. In this issue the myrian did not agree with her. Although she asked him about gambling, Mok decided to talk to her about being a kelvic. He didn't mean to end the jolly mood, but he could't go without saying nothing. He could always teach her dice later.

Jumping to his feet, Mok took another sip of wine and handed the bottle to Shishi, "Don't ever let anyone call you that."

Pacing to the edge of the ridge and back, the gangster continued, "There is NO motherpetcher that has the right to name you. You arn't a slave...your rolling with US now, you feel me? Your a grown ass kelvic! Not even the gods have the right to tell you what to do now."

Coming closer to Shishi, Mok locked eyes with her. He was suddenly so serious now. His black eyes were filled with intense passion and fire, "We are the Crimson. We pay the price and do not count the cost, you feel me? No one has the right to disrespect you or your name. If someone does that THEY must pay the price and we will not count the cost. You know why? Because respect means everythig here. Have pride, shishi, have pride! If anyone tries to disrespect, petch them. Call your boys, Mok and Cade. We will teach them a lesson."

The myrian took the bottle back and took another sip. Mok realized suddenly that he said quiet a bit at once. He would listen to anything that Shishi would say and respond full heartedly. He would also explain any of his points in detail if Shishi was confused.

On a side note, Mok was beginning to feel buzzed, "No retreat, no surrender, death before dishonor Shishi."

Red = Myrian
Bold = Common

[Shishi]

Shishi’s hand twirled her hair and Mok turned onto his back and chuckled. Turns out it was funny. Then suddenly Mok jolted up and passed the woman his bottle and she took another sip. His tone totally changed as he spoke with passion. The man told her not to let anyone call her the name and that she deserved respect because she was grown up and part of this Crimson Edge. He told her to call her boys Mok and Cade. Her boys? In the process, he had stepped so close to her that she could see the whites of his eyes. Her heart rate sped up from his proximity. It sounded so offbeat to her. Mok’s voice burned with the fire of passion and he hardly knew her. The woman blushed as she thought that the two being her boys meant that she was their girl.

Shishi mentally shook herself so that she could recover. “Well the name was kind of a stretch”, the woman spoke trying to convey it was a joke. “But, hey that situation would be better than being alone right?” He was still close to her. She tried to keep herself from sounding nervous “I’d just rather be thought of as a human. Humans are less likely to be alone.” “But anyways…” Shishi continued as she used the words that she was taught to change topic. Maybe it was the alcohol, but her mind began to wander.

“So would you mind keeping this between us, like a secret shhhh!” She was acting silly again. She felt like she was floating, Mok was right. She wasn’t going to float away. Well she hoped she wouldn’t. She giggled again. Everything was just funny. Her thoughts moved back to dice. “So, I like to gamble and you like to gamble. You should show me dice.”

[Mok]

Of course Shishi didn't understand. What was Mok thinking? Although she looked human and sounded human, she was still a kelvic... a beast of nature. Pleasure was all that was in her mind right now. The gangster had delt with several kelvics before and this is how he understood it. He couldn't just explain to her with words. Words meant very little to a kelvic. No matter what the woman thought, they were animal's first, human second. Mok understood that now. She needed to experience it for herself and learn for herself. The half-blood planned to show her too. If she was going to roll with the Crimson Edge, she would have to learn.

This gave Mok some ideas. She wanted to gamble right? Wanted to play game? That was perfect. Mok would make it into a game. He would teach her. Taking another sip from the bottle, the gangster walked over to his bag and slung into the tree, well hidden from any wandering eyes, "So you want to shoot dice huh? Well, you can't play dice until you've learned to truely gamble."

Before the lioness could question him, Mok explained, "Tell me your wager and I will explain the game," after hearing Shishi's wager Mok finished, "Heh, I'll agree to that... one rule: No lions. If you want to be human like you say, no shifting. If you shift, you lose...The game is simple, you win if you can catch me. You lose if you stop running."

And with that the myrian took off sprinting down the ridge, heading west and north. Looking behind his shoulder, Mok tried to see if Shishi was surprised at his actions. Using the gravity to his advantage, the myrian took long wide strides, covering as much ground as possible with every step. Although he was a little drunk, it didn't bother him at all. In fact, he did mostly everything drunk. They would soon see how Shishi farred though.

On a side note, Mok wasn't running aimlessly. He was leading her to a spot that he had seen before. It was a cliff that overlooked the ocean. He aimed to bring her there. That would be the location of Shishi's first lesson about what it meant to be Crimson.

Red = Myrian
Bold = Common

[Shishi]

Learn how to gamble? What Shishi knew how to do that. Mok was speaking too quickly. He explained the rules of the game and that was about all the woman caught. Then he took off leaving Shishi in the dust. She called out to him in confusion. “Wait what happens if you win?!” The woman took off after him.

The woman was determined. She was going to pounce on him. Her legs pumped and her heart rate accelerated. Shishi was making up ground. Mok’s dark hair was blown back in the wind where as her own fell in her face. The man was fast. It was not so easy in this form. Shishi sped up.

Shishi had her eye on the pretend prey. She wanted to transform so badly, but if she did she’d lose the bet. Shishi ran her full speed now. Her weak human legs reached their limit. Mok was much taller than her. He had the advantage. Her thoughts were racing.

Shishi was close enough now. The woman had him. She pounced. He moved out of her grasp and she hit the floor. She mentally cursed. Her face landed flat in the grass, but she recovered quickly. The woman jumped to her feet and rushed after him, hazel eyes blazing with adrenaline.
She cursed again. Mok gained more ground than he started with. Shishi’s small legs struggled to make up the distance. Slowly she began to catch up to him. Where was she going? What happened if he won? Those thoughts were far from her mind.