[Training] your opal eyes

All this time I didn't know
You were breakin' down

Soh was not much of a huntress, even when shifted. The instincts were there, but she didn't often deign to use them, so they weren't much use to her even when unleashed. It wasn't that she was particularly keen to hunt things for pleasure; no, on this particular day, her hunting was a means to an end. Her shifts were among the only useful things she had in a fight, but they'd be no use at all to her if she didn't have the practice to actually use them.

She prowled beneath the Crimson Cataract, often distracted by the red river that floated some ten feet above her head. It was a marvel, truly; she'd have to return soon to map the area. But, as that was not her purpose today, she did her best to ignore it.

She hadn't chosen the best shift for this task, though it was arguably the most useful to her in any potential battle against more humanoid opponents. The rosettes on her hide glowed in the underbrush, often giving her location away to any potential prey. When she pounced towards her fourth mouse, only for it to scurry away, unharmed, she couldn't help but release a snarl of frustration. Gods curse it! she shrieked through the bond, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear.

I'd fall to pieces on the floor
If you weren't around

Sohalia

Sah had been silently following the river and tracking a moose when he heard someone curse through the bond. The voice was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't place it initially. Still, the wolf turned on his heel and lifted his nose to scent the air. Are you okay? Thankfully, he didn't smell any blood so whoever's voice it belonged to was likely unharmed.

Just to be sure, the hybrid followed the sound of crunching leaves until he spotted a tide jaguar up ahead. This specific feline was an unfamiliar sight, but the voice finally clicked in his memory. Coming out from the shadow of a tree, the wolf reached out again, Sohalia? Is that you? It's Sah. Remember me from trivia?

the wild thunder

Lightning strikes
A distant howl

code by sky

All this time I didn't know
You were breakin' down

Sohalia jumped at the sound of a familiar voice in her head. She was instantly ashamed of her outburst; at least she wasn't human, where the blush that would be on her cheeks would give away her embarrassment. Oh, Sah! she said, remembering the kind man who she'd played trivia with not so very long ago. She tried to remember if she'd known he could shift, too, and came up blank. I'm so sorry, she added. I didn't mean to interrupt you.

Still a bit surprised to have company and perhaps hoping to brush her outburst under the metaphorical rug, Soh said, I'm fine. Of course, her lashing tail, the sure sign of a frustrated feline, gave her away. I was just trying to hunt, but it turns out I'm abysmally bad at it. She went for an aloof tone that said she didn't really care and failed. Then she sighed. A bit pitiful, for a jaguar, isn't it? I can't even catch a mouse.

I'd fall to pieces on the floor
If you weren't around

Sohalia

Sah shook his head, Don't worry about that. He hadn't been aware that Sohalia could shift either, but he simply accepted the new information. The wolf tilted his head as he listened to her conundrum, hearing the frustration in her mental voice. He tried to send a gentle wave of reassurance through the bond. The hybrid was still new to the concept, but hopefully, he was getting the sentiment across as he spoke. Hunting can be incredibly difficult to learn without a teacher. I'd be happy to show you the ropes.

Glancing at her agitated tail, another idea occurred to him. Or if you'd rather forget about hunting for now, how about a spar? You can practice that way too. Sah could certainly use the practice. He hadn't sparred in his shifts yet, only hunted.

the wild thunder

Lightning strikes
A distant howl

code by sky

Orbs of light beckon and call from the darkened angles and shadows of trees. Were those whispers of your friends? Family? Fallen allies?

Was that a scream? Could they be in trouble?

Is it all in your head? Just your imagination?

Or something else altogether – because what if it’s true?

---

You’ve encountered a Will-O-Wisp. This counts as a common creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. If you choose to follow this creature, you do so at your own risk, however, just having it in this thread is enough to satisfy your levelling requirements.

Will-O-Wisps (common): Glowing orbs of light that dance and weave between the branches, despite their usefulness, these creatures are not to be trusted. Mischievous and loyal to no one, they will lead travellers astray at a moment's notice.

All this time I didn't know
You were breakin' down

Having spent time in the Greatwood, the will-o-wisps merited only a passing glance before the Luminary turned her attention back to Sah. She listened as he gently explained that hunting was, in fact, a difficult skill to learn. She'd been relying on instinct alone, but seeing as her shift's instincts were at war with her own morality, she supposed it was no surprise that she didn't get anywhere with her attempts.

Besides, when Sah offered a spar in place of a hunting lesson, Soh's tail stilled and she tilted her head to consider. In truth, hunting had always been a means to an end for her... and that end was to be a better fighter. Perhaps it would be faster to simply cut out the middle step. A spar would be wonderful, she responded after only a brief moment of hesitation. Though I warn you, I'm not very experienced.

I'd fall to pieces on the floor
If you weren't around

Sohalia

Sah's ears perked up, hardly noting the increasingly familiar sight of wisps. Great! Sohalia's warning only earned her a warm laugh through the bond. Neither am I. I only recently hybridized so I've yet to truly spar while shifted. We can learn together. He'd certainly hunted in his wolf form and played with his companions, but neither was the same as true training. Or fighting. And Sah's wolf form was different enough from the form that he'd had in his original world that he wasn't counting it as solid experience in this capacity either.

Glancing around, the hybrid gestured with his head for Sohalia to follow him to a more open clearing not far from where they were. He'd spotted it on his walk earlier and it had ample space for two large carnivores to wrestle. Once the two were situated, Sah waited until Sohalia gave the signal that she was ready to start. With that given, he made the first move.

The wolf circled the edge of the clearing, eyeing the jaguar carefully. When he thought he saw an opening, Sah quickly shifted his weight and attempted to slam his shoulder into Sohalia's flank to knock her off of her feet. Even as he made the move, the Wild Thunder was careful to hold back his strength. He didn't yet know at what level Sohalia was at in terms of raw strength and given what she's said, he went with the assumption that it was on the lower end. The wolf didn't want to accidentally hurt her.

the wild thunder

Lightning strikes
A distant howl

code by sky

All this time I didn't know
You were breakin' down

That Sah was a hybrid piqued the girl's interest, but there would be time to discuss it, if he was open to such talk, later. For now, she needed to focus on their spar.

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of fighting on four legs was the need to coordinate each of her limbs in a way she wasn't used to doing - and then there was her tail to consider. She certainly wasn't accustomed to having to account for something like that in her day-to-day life, and the tail of a jaguar was far longer than one might think. As Sah circled her, she turned to follow his movement, careful to keep her footing light and ready to move.

Fortunately, it seemed to work. As Sah lunged for her, she leapt to one side, hoping that by dodging him, it would put him off balance. As he passed her, she swung around and reached to smack his shoulder with a paw (claws carefully tucked away), hoping to send him tumbling into the ground.

I'd fall to pieces on the floor
If you weren't around

Sohalia

As Sah moved past Sohalia, the paw of the larger predator knocked into him, sending him off balance. The wolf tried to twist and regain his balance but instead tumbled into the dirt with an oomph. With the air slightly knocked out of him, the hybird sprang to his feet. Shaking out his fur to dislodge the worst of the dirt, he laughed through the bond. You'd think having four paws would make sharper movements easier. Good job.

Ready to go again, Sah took a different approach. Getting in close with a burst of speed, the wolf ducked low and attempted to land a sharp (but careful) bite to the joint of Sohalia's back right leg. He was careful not to bite hard enough to draw blood but attempted to apply just enough pressure to make her leg buckle.

the wild thunder

Lightning strikes
A distant howl

code by sky

All this time I didn't know
You were breakin' down

As Sah tumbled into the dust, Soh couldn't help but feel triumphant; her tail twitched with excitement, her golden gaze gleaming in the crimson glow of the Cataract flowing overhead. Fortunately, she wasn't one to boast or bait her opponents, and so she merely waited for him to regain his footing, prowling in a vague half-circle to look for the next opening. Thanks, she said, a shy smile in her voice. She hadn't really expected any sort of success, so to have landed even one blow would tide her over for days.

The next attack was different, with Sah aiming for her leg as she circled around him. Soh leaped forward in an attempt to avoid the wolf and only just managed to dodge the worst of the bite, though his teeth still nipped the point of her joint. Wincing faintly - her leg didn't buckle, but it was still a sharp enough pinch to hurt - she whirled on him, again batting at a shoulder to see if she could make the same trick work twice.

I'd fall to pieces on the floor
If you weren't around

Sohalia

Sah tried to move away from the incoming paw but from his crouched position, there wasn't enough time to fully dodge. The feline's strike hit his shoulder, and he tripped, just barely staying on his feet.

Moving with the momentum that Sohalia had forced on him, he twisted in an attempt to slam into her shoulder from below as he stood up. The intention was to try and use his momentum and weight to knock her over.

The hybrid had thought that this spar would be easier. Sure, his original form hadn't exactly been a wolf. But it had been close enough as far as Sah was concerned. Maybe he was accounting for the weight of the wings that used to be on his back when he was a canine. Regardless, this spar was truly a learning experience.

the wild thunder

Lightning strikes
A distant howl

code by sky

All this time I didn't know
You were breakin' down

Soh could have crowed with pleasure at her dual success, but as it was she gave a small snarl of satisfaction and tried to dance away - but Sah was quicker this time, and he managed to slam into her from below as he stood, knocking her off balance. She staggered to the side, scampering to get her balance back before Sah could continue his attack.

Now that they were further apart, Soh slunk in a circle, her form close to the ground and her ears pricked towards her opponent. This time, she tried Sah's tactic, charging towards him when she thought she saw an opening and trying to smack her shoulder into his haunches. Hopefully she'd manage to keep him off balance... even if she had no idea how to follow her success up with another attack.

I'd fall to pieces on the floor
If you weren't around

Sohalia

Sah was relieved when Sohalia went on the attack. He usually preferred to attack second in a spar and get a read on his opponent. It was a proven method, as it certainly didn't fail him this time. As she got in close and attempted to slam into him, the wolf sidestepped out of the way. But instead of letting her run past him, the hybrid took a different approach.

Turning to get behind the feline as she passed him, Sah jumped and attempted to tackle the Luminary and pin her to the ground. If he could keep her down, victory would be his.

the wild thunder

Lightning strikes
A distant howl

code by sky

All this time I didn't know
You were breakin' down

One might have thought that in a fight, a jaguar would win against a wolf. And indeed, Soh had seemed to have the upper hand at the beginning of their little spar, managing to send Sah tumbling not once, but twice. And no matter how things ended, she would be proud of that.

Even if she secretly wished she'd win.

But alas, it was not to be. Sah sidestepped her attack and, as she rushed by, jumped and tackled her, taking her to the ground with a growled oomph. Though she struggled, she couldn't manage to get out from beneath the wolf, and in the end, she lay panting in the dust, her tail lashing back and forth. She wasn't sure if she was more annoyed with herself or amused at the turn the situation had taken. Well, she said, Looks like you win! How'd I do?

I'd fall to pieces on the floor
If you weren't around

Sohalia