Maea
And I only needed one more touch
Another taste of devouring rush
Another taste of devouring rush
Something wild lurked beneath her skin. Maea could feel it stir when the Bloodlust rose, and sometimes she wondered if it was the magic growing in her. But it felt nothing like any gift she had possessed before, not like water or the distance between locations, or the budding light of weightless feathers on her back. No, what came closest to mind was something she had done her best to forget, something that had been hers to borrow only - except for that fleeting instance, that quivering moment when she had received Ludo's blessing and attuned.
It would require some digging to unleash it, though, and Maea made sure to keep well away from the settlements and most people before she got to work. Sequestering herself in a thicket, she made herself comfortable and began a meditation she had learned once upon a time in Halo, when she had been able to attend the Academy there. Hours went by. It was hard to get past the chatter of her own thoughts. Harder still to set aside the guilt, and the sorrow and all the regrets she carried; hard to reach that place of calm within herself where she'd once harbored wonderful abilities. The wasteland of her soul was another source of pain; barren, deserted, a mindscape of shattered hopes and lost dreams.
But... it was not empty. A shadow unleashed itself from the darkness, and when Maea approached it, hand outstretched to welcome its presence - past fear, past trepidation and a peculiar reluctance to accept anything that might make her happy - she felt it melt into her like a sinking into deep water, or the lick of soothing flame.
When she opened her eyes again, she had changed. Shifted, it seemed, into something feline and monstrous. Luminous eyes contemplated the massive paws that kneaded the ground, the sharpness of claws where they delved the soil, and a whiff of air that smoldered with heated metal sent whiskers quivering with curiosity.
Rising, she marveled at the strength of her supple body. The tail made every bit of sense now, offering balance as she left the grove to test herself against the landscape. A thrill rippled the pale fur as she ran and found herself fast, stalked and learned of her own stealth - she roared into the face of the sun and reveled in the moment when it glared back, matching heat with heat until the molten stripes shed blued steel. If she started fires where she went... it was no concern of hers.
The tiger only paused to consider when a voice called out in the distance. Approaching to sate her curiosity, she came upon a farm and watched a mare and her foal run circles around some woman. Tones of frustration meant nothing to the feline in that moment, but the running of the horses piqued her interest.
In a mood to play, the large tiger lowered itself towards the ground and began to steal closer to the pen. Shimmering heat rose like desert air from her back, offering a fair warning that she was approaching; eyes locked on the horses. Not sure herself, if she meant to make them run more, or turn them towards the woman to be captured. Both options held equal potential for fun.
It would require some digging to unleash it, though, and Maea made sure to keep well away from the settlements and most people before she got to work. Sequestering herself in a thicket, she made herself comfortable and began a meditation she had learned once upon a time in Halo, when she had been able to attend the Academy there. Hours went by. It was hard to get past the chatter of her own thoughts. Harder still to set aside the guilt, and the sorrow and all the regrets she carried; hard to reach that place of calm within herself where she'd once harbored wonderful abilities. The wasteland of her soul was another source of pain; barren, deserted, a mindscape of shattered hopes and lost dreams.
But... it was not empty. A shadow unleashed itself from the darkness, and when Maea approached it, hand outstretched to welcome its presence - past fear, past trepidation and a peculiar reluctance to accept anything that might make her happy - she felt it melt into her like a sinking into deep water, or the lick of soothing flame.
When she opened her eyes again, she had changed. Shifted, it seemed, into something feline and monstrous. Luminous eyes contemplated the massive paws that kneaded the ground, the sharpness of claws where they delved the soil, and a whiff of air that smoldered with heated metal sent whiskers quivering with curiosity.
Rising, she marveled at the strength of her supple body. The tail made every bit of sense now, offering balance as she left the grove to test herself against the landscape. A thrill rippled the pale fur as she ran and found herself fast, stalked and learned of her own stealth - she roared into the face of the sun and reveled in the moment when it glared back, matching heat with heat until the molten stripes shed blued steel. If she started fires where she went... it was no concern of hers.
The tiger only paused to consider when a voice called out in the distance. Approaching to sate her curiosity, she came upon a farm and watched a mare and her foal run circles around some woman. Tones of frustration meant nothing to the feline in that moment, but the running of the horses piqued her interest.
In a mood to play, the large tiger lowered itself towards the ground and began to steal closer to the pen. Shimmering heat rose like desert air from her back, offering a fair warning that she was approaching; eyes locked on the horses. Not sure herself, if she meant to make them run more, or turn them towards the woman to be captured. Both options held equal potential for fun.
But the room was so quiet
Whose side am I on?
Whose side am I on?
