Turn and Face the Strange [DragonSong]

MadEmperor · January 20, 2023, 04:35:24 PM

Kahroan was quiet for a long moment. Could he really trust this woman? Why wasn't she more taken aback by his body? What was she?

Hoping he could trust her, he decided to tell her more. "He called himself Rickety Jim. He traded me this gemstone brooch hanging from my neck with the promise of great strength. He said the magic would come with a price.

"I... thought I didn't have anything to lose. I didn't think the price would be my body." He felt like such a fool for trusting that strange man.

DragonSong · January 20, 2023, 05:23:53 PM

"Oof, mate." River winced. "That shit's never a good deal," she lamented quietly as she looked him over more closely.

"Well..." She rocked back on her heels and tilted her head at him, frowning. "I suppose the silver lining here is that you seem to be healing faster than I would've thought. I'd pin that on dragon magic. The bad news, is..." She waved a hand at him vaguely. "Everything else that's going on here."

MadEmperor · January 20, 2023, 05:48:42 PM

"The worst part is the strange thoughts in my head. I'm angry beyond cause, and I can't bring myself to get rid of this cursed thing. If you tried to get rid of it for me, I know—" He hesitated, hating himself for opening up to this stranger—"I know I would attack you the same as those two thieves."

He restrained a cry of pain, shutting his eyes against it as he grabbed his head again.

DragonSong · January 20, 2023, 07:12:31 PM

River lurched forward automatically, but stopped herself before she touched him.

"Easy, easy," she murmured, feeling like a useless ass. "Okay, we can't get rid of it, that's fine. Can you stand? Do you need help?" She glanced back over her shoulder, frowning. "I don't think you should stay here much longer..."

MadEmperor · January 21, 2023, 06:35:53 AM

"I... think so." His voice trembled with uncertainty. He tried to stand but hissed and gave up, the sound more reptile than human. "My boots have gotten too tight."

He reached down to attempt to remove them, but his feet proved firmly lodged in the workman's boots. He was afraid of what they were going to look like as he worked a talon into the opening of the boot and began cutting into the leather. Eventually, he cut enough for his foot to pop free.

His foot was almost completely covered in scales, and the heel was a little too long for a human. His toes were merging into three digits and were just beginning to grow claws. A new fourth toe was beginning to grow on the back of his foot as well. It was no wonder he had trouble walking.

"Gods..." he said sorrowfully, "I'm really not human anymore."

DragonSong · January 21, 2023, 08:32:14 AM

River winced. It was like watching a shift in painfully slow motion. "Doesn't look like it," she murmured, not without sympathy.

Then she tried to give him a small smile and offered, "Well, hey. Neither am I. And I manage just fine. C'mon, let's get you up."

She got to her feet, one hand extended down to help him up with her.

MadEmperor · January 21, 2023, 09:17:29 AM

After freeing his other foot, he carefully took her hand in his and pulled himself to his feet. He was unsteady, but he could stand. "Thanks."

He sniffed the air. "My senses must be changing, because I thought you smelled different than others—like a wolf."

DragonSong · January 21, 2023, 09:35:42 AM

She gave him a quick, sharp grin--literally, showing a flash of lengthy canines. "There ya go," she encouraged as she helped pull him up. "See, you're getting the hang of this already."

She waited a moment to make sure he was steady on his feet, then turned and popped her head back through the doorway to check their surroundings.

No angry mob yet. That was always a good sign.

"WE should get moving. Try to cover that trail a bit too, if we can manage."

MadEmperor · January 21, 2023, 11:47:15 AM

He covered himself with his cloak and cautiously stepped up behind her. "Yes. I should know better than to leave a trail. I was a hunter back in Yoreiq."

He missed home more than ever in that moment. There, it wouldn't matter what form he took. Of course, if he had never gotten himself exiled, then he wouldn't have gotten himself cursed. Perhaps he was a fool, his mistakes drastically altering his life for the worse.

"But there are many things I should have known," he sighed.

DragonSong · January 21, 2023, 12:10:04 PM

"That tends to be an unfortunately consistent truth in life, doesn't it?" River agreed with a dry huff. She crept out of the mill house—still no sign of anyone else, but they should move quickly.

She glanced at Kahroan. "Ah...you mind if I..." She gestured to herself vaguely. "Change into something a bit more suited for stealth?"

MadEmperor · January 21, 2023, 12:43:51 PM

"Go ahead. "Though, I don't know how stealthy you can get with me around." He stepped just outside to give her privacy while still staying out of sight of the road leading into the city.

Putting his back to her showed a degree of trust he hadn't yet displayed, especially for someone who had been recently stabbed from behind. Perhaps it was because she wasn't human or because she struck him as a fellow outsider. Or was it simply that he needed her?

DragonSong · January 21, 2023, 01:46:07 PM

"We'll get off the main road soon enough, that'll help," River replied, waving his concern away. She had more experience than she'd necessarily have liked with getting out of town quick and quiet.

She glanced at him when he turned away from her, already starting to pull her shirt off over her head before she hesitated.

"Look, uh..." Alright. This was awkward, but she felt like she had to acknowledge the gesture. "I'm not overly fussed with modesty. I get it if you feel like...you need to keep an eye out. Not that I don't appreciate your respect, just...lettin' ya know."

Alright. Good. That done, she quickly stripped to her underthings and shoved her clothes into her small pack, then allowed herself to fall forward. Between one breath and the next, her body shifted, arms and hands to forepaws, nose and mouth lengthening, spine curving, tail sprouting from the base.

Then she was a wolf, shaking her whole body as she quickly adjusted to her new center of gravity. She swung her head in a low arc, picking up scents so much more easily now. With a soft, satisfied wuff, she snatched the strap of her pack up in her mouth and looked up at Kahroan expectantly.

MadEmperor · January 21, 2023, 02:06:36 PM

Even though he had expected it, Kahroan was a bit startled by the appearance of a wolf at his side. He shook it off and started walking away from town. He steered clear of the road this time, knowing his altered feet would leave curious tracks.

"Where do we go?" he asked uncertainly. He didn't know where it was safe to lay low while what was happening to his body stabilized.

"Can you even answer like that?"

DragonSong · January 21, 2023, 03:46:27 PM

The best answer she could give was a snort, jerking her head to the northeast in a general response to his question of where they were going. She couldn't really speak with most two-leggers in this form, unless they already had a penchant for beastspeaking.

...Well, actually. Now she thought of it--

She glanced up sidelong at him and tried throwing her voice to his mind--it was always weird to do this, as she could only do it in her wolf form; she had no ability to talk to animals unless she was one. But she'd heard stories that dragons could speak all--or most--languages. Maybe beastspeech counted?

I dunno, can you hear me?

MadEmperor · January 21, 2023, 04:35:32 PM

Kahroan turned to the northeast at her direction. He had never explored outside of the city, so he was grateful to have a guide. When the voice of this guide suddenly intruded into his mind, however, he nearly jumped out of his skin. He hadn't experienced such a thing before. Did all those like her possess such a talent.

"How..." His eyes looked at her with perplexed surprise. "How is it I can hear you in my mind?"

DragonSong · January 21, 2023, 04:47:35 PM

She would have grinned, if she wouldn't have dropped her pack. She settled for a few quick sweeps of her tail. No idea! I don't think it's me, it's you. I just gave it a shot—guess your dragon side can talk to animals.

She picked up her pace slightly, not wanting to push him, but with the wolf back on the surface she could feel the change in the air more clearly; she wanted to keep ahead of the coming rain.

Wonder if that works for other languages, human ones.

MadEmperor · January 21, 2023, 05:05:49 PM

"Animals or just ones like you, I wonder?" Kahroan picked up his pace to keep up. He could sense the moisture in the air increasing and the temperature cooling, but he didn't know what it meant. He had never entirely gotten a solid grasp of mainland weather.

"I suppose I'll find out sooner or later if I can understand more languages."

Could it be that this form wasn't completely a curse?

DragonSong · January 21, 2023, 07:12:10 PM

Guess you'll find out, River agreed, settling into a steady lope--fast enough to cover ground, but not so quick that they would tire immediately. I speak a little Adelan--y'know, when I'm actually speaking. We could always experiment some once I've got a human mouth again.

MadEmperor · January 22, 2023, 06:22:40 AM

He nodded. It was worth a try, assuming his mouth would be in any shape to form words.

He looked ahead, feeling like he could somehow see better than before. He had never heard whether dragons had superior eyesight, but he figured they must be like birds of prey that way. "Where is it you are taking me?"

DragonSong · January 22, 2023, 07:46:22 AM

Just...away, she replied as she continued loping along. Figure we'd best get some distance from town, then find a place to settle in and wait out the rain.

As if on cue, a low, lengthy rumble of thunder echoed behind them. River swung her head back to track the darkening clouds, then huffed, irritated.

Sooner rather than later, it would seem.