Flashback Picking up a new friend [Solo]

[Neekra]

70th of summer, 512 AV Her home was almost complete in the beautiful wild city known as the Spires. With just a few more days of construction left, she decided to make a brief visit to Avanthal to obtain a couple of house warming items that would remind her of her birthplace and her parents. She didn’t want much, just a simple trinket or two. The morning of her departure, Neekra awoke early and looked around her unfinished home, picturing the finished product. She imagined a fire pit warming her fur on cold nights and a soft pile of blankets to bury herself in but this was just a dream. Her home still needed a roof. She quickly packed her backpack with only a simple set of clothes. Since she had a lot of experience with the wilderness in between Avanthal and the Spires, she knew what kind of beasts waited her in the dark woods. These were monster that could only be faced in her wolf form. As a human and unable to successfully run through the snow fast enough to save her own life, she knew that a hunger monster would have no problem beating her down and feasting on her squishy human flesh. But she also realized that once she got to Avanthal, she could no longer walk around as a wolf or naked for that matter, therefore she would have to haul her backpack with her throughout the entire journey. Unfortunitly, the decision to leave with her house so close to being done didn’t slide with her contractor, Sharai. The Jamoura had some very choice words for her when she found out her plan and almost refused to complete the project. Neekra, who quickly reconsidered her decision, promised to be back as soon as possible. 20 days. If she ran, she could make the trip in 20 days or so she thought. Although the cities were close, there were no promises of a perfect trip. So many things could go wrong. To Sharai’s demise, Neekra got her wish. With a few quick good-byes from her new friends, she was off.

[Neekra]

With her backpack between her fangs, she set off into the great jungle between Spires and Avanthal. She estimated ten days there and ten days back with no room for even a one night’s stay in her home town. If she was late Sharai, her housing contractor back in the Spires, would have her head, or simply refuse to continue her house and she’d be left alone in the woods and the cold once again. Not that the woods and the cold was a bad thing but she had already spent almost half of her current short life there. She was Kelvic and with that came a greater understanding of the world around her. It was time to explore her options and making a home in a residential area was the way she planned to do it.

Neekra focused on avoiding strenuous battles with monsters in the area and denying her urge to kill every smaller creature that watched her pass by. She only stopped every so often to indulge herself in the fun in the kill, smell of fresh blood, and the pleasure of a full stomach. Then she continued, not wanting to waste time and leave to much of her scent in one area. Leaving her scent would make it easier for other carnivores to find her and possibly pick a fight; this was a skill she learned in her year of wondering. Plus, she was an easy target being that she had no source of camouflages. The white snow did nothing to hid her so when she did have to sleep, Neekra found herself digging a hole and burying herself in the snow. Cold and wet, yes, but it lessened her chances of unwanted surprises.

Her travel was well until the sixth day. Cold, restless, and tired, she carried on. On the seventh night, she was itching for a challenge, some play time, when her glowing golden orbs caught sight of doe, a Hunter’s Pride deer to be exact. The doe wasn’t to big, Neekra had taken down bigger in her lifetime. So she calculated her chances of victory and how much time she may lose. Her conclusion, fate was on her side for sure.

She stalked closer to the animal, keeping her footfalls light and away from any winter greens. She halted as soon as she felt that one more step would startle the animal. That’s when she crouched down, head low and hind legs set like a spring, ready to attack. Neekra held her breathe as she lunged at the animal. The does head whipped back and its glassy black eyes filled with fear but it was to late. Neekra already had her fangs clamped around its back leg. And with a second more of constant pressure, she heard the bone snap. Then she jumped back, barely missing the hoof shooting right past her face. Disable, she thought with a grin. From just one bit, she could taste it blood that coated her tongue. She stood back for a moment in time, watching the doe wobble and cry for help. She lined up for her next attack but fell out of position when her ear shifted to pick up a sound in the brush. Something big was moving and fast. For a brief moment she went into full radar. Every sense worked at its peak of performance and her Auristics provided her flashes of light that showed her other energies in the area. Another deer. Male. Running straight for her at top speed. A fight with the leader buck wasn’t in her plan but the wounded, bloodletting doe sounded and smelt like it still wanted to play.

Her ears twitched again. The buck was dangerously close. She had to move. Either way if she stayed or fled, the ground where she stood was about to get trampled. Neekra bolted into the woods. Keeping her distance, she watched as the clumsily doe leapt away and the massive buck stood in its place.

Decision time. She could run around the perimeter of the buck’s range and cut the doe off, making a clean kill or she could leave now and save her energy for the next three days of travel ahead. Now, her instincts screamed, kill it now! And how could she refuse? It surprised her how only seven days had affected her state of mind so much. She was reverting back to her completely feral state that she had put to rest less than a season age when she moved into the Spires.

The wolf trotted through the forest, eyes and ears focused on the buck, flashing her Auristic twice. The first time the same as always, a bright white light where the buck stood and a dimmer light where the doe was. The second time something changed. A yellow light appeared in the position of the buck. Not letting that stop her, she continued but wondered what it meant.

As she got past the buck she picked up speed with the doe’s fresh scent hot in her nose. It couldn’t have gotten far, not with the wound on its leg. Like expected, she caught up to it rather quickly. Pacing herself, she fell behind the deer but kept up with its pace. Once confident in her plan, she attacked, sprinting underneath the fearing doe and out on the opposite side. Neekra ran past it pasted it and just before it called for help, she doubled back and went for its throat.

The buck never showed up. She was left to her feast undisturbed.

Three days later, the sparkling icy gates of Avanthal showed their beautiful glory.