The russet-colored wolf

[Noro]

((Sorry for the wait... < ))

Go to the Academy. Stay there and make sure they're safe. Zane's last words echoed in Asher's mind. The brilliance of his blazing eyes still burning as if his best friend were still in front of him. He was like family to him.

Asher lifted his nose. He couldn't smell much other than the damp of the underbrush. His thick fur was soaked after almost five days of running without rest. He had passed through a few rain showers on his way to Twilight Moon Academy. His mouth was dry and he was tired.

He attempted to walk a little further, limbs shaking. Finally, he dropped to the forest floor. He morphed back into his human form with jerky movement, fatigue preventing the transition from being smooth. Exhaustion carried him away at the brink of dawn.

Asher slept for two days, fading in and out of consciousness before he was fully rested. He woke up facing the canopies of the dark forest. His memories of the past five days in wolf form flooded into him. He leaped off of the ground, electrified by some unknown source of energy. He stood with his body tensed as he tried the air for any new scents. He couldn't catch any, but he felt something was near. His senses strained in effort to come up with something, but for the moment, all was quiet.

[±Witchcraft±]

Durriken stood just out of sight behind the trees downwind from the very strange animal person. Durriken shielded himself slightly from the detection of others by shielding his mind and levitating slightly off the ground. It would be hard for any creature to track him since he would leave no scent trail on the ground itself. Only a skilled tracker would be able to tell where he went from the small markers he left from brushing against tree branches and other plants.

He stood and watched the person as he awoke and jolted awake. When he started to sniff the air for new scents Durriken tried to impart a feeling of calmness to the person with his empathy and a small telepathic suggestion that nobody was there. The core of himself wanted him to remain hidden for the longest time he couldn’t do much more then see an attack coming. His best offense was a strong defense.

After a bit when he felt like the person was calmed down enough he took a few silent steps forward. No twigs snapping no rustle of the thick coating of leaves.

“You took a path much more difficult then most. Which either means you did not know the easier way, or that you did not want to be noticed entering. Since it seems like the Master Teachers are good at noticing those who would do it accidentally and still guild them, I hold stronger to the latter.”

[Noro]

((He's a werewolf. ^^))

Asher turned, not fast, but not entirely slow, either. His clothes were worn thin and somewhat ragged in most areas. The black top, clearly once long sleeved, hung frayed at the shoulders.

He attempted to walk a little closer to the stranger, still trying to get a scent. Asher didn't feel threatened, nor did he want to seem threatening; it was his first instinct. He sighed, fending off the hopefully unnecessary adrenaline rush.

"No, you're right," he spoke softly, combing a hand through the dirtied brown mess of hair on his head. "I did not arrive by accident, though there are bound to be times where I'll wish I did." A smile almost appeared, but was prevented by the heavy weight of his circumstance.

"I would introduce myself normally, but these aren't normal times for me and I must stay on my guard. I could not possibly be any more careful than I am now. I'm afraid I have a task I must complete and I intend to do so." Ashers muscles tense, ready for a fight if need be. He didn't know this person, or his intensions. He may have slept for two days, but he was still tired and wasn't sure how long he could fend off an enemy at this point.

[±Witchcraft±]

Durriken stared at the person with a sort of uncaring look. It wasn’t degrading like a nobleman looking down at a peasant just, blank, and sort of bored. That was a major downside of being a seer. With great ability comes near insanity.

His left eye fogged over as he searched the past for a simple thing. It was such a basic piece of information it didn’t require him to go into a full trance to access it from the astral plane. He was looking for a name. His head would hurt a bit afterward though from looking at two worlds at one time but nothing like the first time he saw the future directly and not through his cards. About thirty seconds later his eye cleared once again and the strange person spoke.

“Well…Asher, lets see what the cards say about all this.”

He made a sweeping motion over a wooden box on his belt and it opened, two cards emerging one in constant movement. The floated to about chest level on Durriken and he plucked them from the air and looked at them. Making clicking sounds with his tongue as he looked them over. After another 30 seconds he made another motion like a traffic director telling a car to stop but much smaller. The cards levitated in the air and turned, showing themselves to be The Moon upright and The Chariot in constantly spinning.

“Travel, travel, travel says one. Full of motion though victory or defeat is not known as of yet. Though just looking at your cloths I could see you have traveled far. Though if this came up it seems like this trip is much deeper then just your most current run. Anyway, the second card is a bit more. Deceit, hidden-ness, treachery, though my gut says there is more to the moon then its normal tarot meaning.”

[Noro]

Asher caught on as soon as he saw the cards. He was terribly confused at first. At the explanation of the moon card, though, he chuckled lightly.

"It doesn't take a seer to see that connection!" He didn't say it to be mean. He just thought it was incredibly hilarious that he put the last reading in those words. He couldn't do anything about what he was, so he settled for being lighthearted on the matter. It took a lot to offend him.

"I can see that it doesn't make a lot of sense to try hiding information from you," Asher spoke. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to waste any more energy telling you everything anyways." He looked at the person standing in front of him with a strengthened curiousity. He didn't know his name, but knew that if he wanted it to be known, he would introduce himself. He was strange. "You know, you didn't really have to do that just to find the information that you did. How about trying with your own head, next time? Try to put your abilities to the side. It'll be a little more interesting when you get your results. You achieve the same thing, only through a different route." Asher wasn't sure what had compelled him to say this, but he was thoroughly intrigued by the seer. He felt that the vacant expression on his face didn't entirely belong there and needed a momentary reprieve. Half of him expected the stranger to ignore his advice and go on about his business, but the other half showed promise. Asher awaited his response.

[±Witchcraft±]

“Aw, so you are a werewolf. Forgive me, I have seen enough people here with far more animal qualities that were not a were of any kind. Oh and you wish for me to use my head?”

That easily can be done if you wish he said within the other person’s mind. Oh and since you won’t ask either. My name is Durriken. I not using my abilities to gain information is like you not using any of your enhanced abilities to fight; they are simply a part of me. And when you have seen enough of the world as I have, you learn to not trust what people say, most lie and even those who don’t, won’t share all that you wish to know.

Durriken didn’t move as he said this and his right eye only twitched slightly to show the small strain he used to project his thoughts to another mind. Durriken a few months ago, really right when he got the ability, began to get into the habit of astral projecting himself to the far corners of the world, to see what the rest of the world was like. He really didn’t like it. It just reinforced the negative nature of men his cards have showed him.

[Noro]

I only use my abilities when there is no other way. Like my recent journey. He thought this matter-of-factly. It used to bother me, but no more. I don't think of it as bad. But I would still only use them only when necessary. I hope you'll forgive me if I have offended you by saying so. His jaw was set. He preferred to think that he was capable of doing anything on his own accord.

This has no importance in this situation, though. Since you are so apt at unintentionally searching through my mind, do you think you could possibly be of assistance to me? He smirked, not bothered in the least by the intrusion into his mind, merely amused by the frankness of it.

[±Witchcraft±]

To each his own. he thought with a mental shrug Though I didn’t look through your mind. You are right, I could but that puts a lot of strain on each of us and I find it just rude to do that to a person unless as you say ‘There is no other alternative’ I found our your name in another way that comes very easy to me which actually caused most of the abilities I have now.

He let his feet touch the ground as he got tired of keeping himself levitated. There wasn’t a need since the clearing was fairly flat. That and he doubted he would be running from this person. He looked too tired to stand not to mention trying to chance after him.

“I might be able to help you if you let me know what you are looking for and why.”

[Noro]

"Oh, now you want to talk," Asher replied. He wasn't trying to be rude, he was just getting a little cranky from running around in circles trying to understand this guy. He didn't know whether it would be okay to trust him or not. Then again, he also didn't know whether or not it mattered. If Durriken really wanted to know, he could find out anyways. And if he didn't want to know... well, he could still probably find out anyways. Asher felt slightly lost, which wasn't common with him. He proceeded to sit down cross-legged on the forest floor. His dark green eyes flared with an unclassifyable emotion. It was like a giant knot at the back of his throat consisting of anger, fear, patience, persistence, irritation, anxiety, and of the utmost embarrassment, a strong sense of helplessness.

Asher's head tilted back to look at the sky; he questioned the hidden stars for answers, not receiving any in reply. He hadn't been expecting to, but it would have been nice to be surprised. He let out a long sigh and let his eyes wander back to meet Durriken's. "I am here, sent as a guardian over the ones that are to be killed by their very own kin." It was the very first time he had said it out loud. The truth of it struck him like a hammer. He really is going to try and kill them.... and for what? Simply existing... and here I am, crazy enough to try and stop the irrationality of his thinking. Asher momentarily questioned his own sanity. No, it still doesn't matter. I will do all that I can to help them. Besides, there's still a very small chance that he'll find them. He won't get to them... he won't. He attempted to convince himself, but the trails of doubt lingered on.

[±Witchcraft±]

Durriken rolled his eyes at the other person’s crankiness and frustration. Though the kid didn’t know it, he should have been a bit grateful. There were far worse people to have found him in the school then Durriken. Some which he remembered would have most likely killed him on the spot or shortly afterward just for sport.

“I will help you mainly since I have nothing better to do. Though you should get used to your mind going around in circles, it isn’t a bad trait since eventually you will learn something knew even if it takes you the twentieth time around to notice it. Though may I ask who ‘them’ are?” he asked, picking it up from the werewolf’s racing thoughts.


(Sorry for shortness, feeling a bit tired and uninsightful which makes it hard for Durriken to be insightful.)

[Noro]

"Huh?" Asher looked up, the shadow vanishing from his face as he extracted himself from his thoughts. "Them?... uh." He blinked a few times as he tried to get his train of thought back on track. "The Kamazanti's... that's them. There are four of them." His nose wrinkled a little. He smelled comfrey nearby. His sharp eyes circled the area they were in. He stood up gingerly and walked to a tree opposite him, careful not to completely turn his back on Durriken.

"One of them attends your school... your Academy. The other three are looking for her. Well, the two older ones are. The youngest is barely two years old, so he wouldn't know much, would he?" he spoke somewhat quietly as he peered around the oak's vast trunk. There they were. Crouching down, Asher picked the leaves off of the yellow flowers. He made sure to leave them intact enough to still survive.

"The last time I checked, the oldest of them was trying to get into this school as well. He's nineteen, a year older than your peer." He shifted his weight, a sign of slight discomfort. "The one who goes here is named Azuintaeya..." He slipped the leaves into his pocked without looking at them, but he kept his gaze averted from Durriken's also. He paused, waiting for any kind of response, whether physical, mental, or verbal.

[±Witchcraft±]

Durriken nodded when the wolf person described the situation. Then, on a hunch, which he learned to go on, he took his tarot deck out of his box and threw the entire thing into the air. The cards scattered in all directions caught by an odd breeze that suddenly appeared. A small number appeared in a relatively close area on the ground the rest scattered in weird clumps that he knew were not what he wanted.

He waved his hand as the cards he didn’t want left the ground and returned to his box. Then he walked over and squatted near the small area that remained. In the very middle of the arrangement were The High Priestess and The Moon. These Durriken knew represented himself and the other person. A good distance away which he figured from where they were now was near the border of the school was The Chariot which described a person of opposites and movement. Someone who controls two different things within them or even more and moved a lot as a child. He also guessed the person was moving right now.

Somewhere far off there was a pair of cards. The Fool and a facedown card then when Durriken tried to flip it, it wouldn’t move. That showed an unknown person with a person of pure innocence. He was guessing it was the small child which would represent all new choices since the fool was eternally young and one of the other people Durriken didn’t know enough about and didn’t feel like using the energy ‘to’ find out about. Also on the other side but about the same distance as The Chariot was another face down card which Durriken couldn’t move with his telekinesis. Again he guessed that to be the last brother who was coming to the school soon. Lastly, there was one card that seemed totally out of place. It was face up but totally black. It was if time didn’t affect it as strongly so the cards couldn’t even tell him anything if he tried.

Durriken tried to physically pick up the card but hissed in pain as it burned his spirit. His physically body was fine but it was as if he got hit by a psychic attack. Durriken looked up at the person and beckoned him over.

“I am guessing this is the person you are looking for, about to leave the school.” He said pointing to the Chariot which seemed to shift slightly though it wasn’t from him. “Though before you go running off, between that person and us, is something not of this world or even this dimension. One thing you learn at this school, always expect the unexpected. So, how good are you at fighting things?”

The way he said the last line, totally out of the blue made it clear that this thing wasn’t friendly and probably wouldn’t let them pass unopposed. It also made it clear that Durriken wanted to know if he was going to end up fighting this thing alone.

[Noro]

Asher did not doubt Durriken's abilities, so when he said that something big was coming, Asher believed him. A slight chuckle escaped from his mouth before he had the chance to talk.

"I do believe I'd be better able to tell you of my skill if I knew what it was that we were up against. Unfortunately, though, we don't. Therefore, I guess we're just going to have to wing it and see what happens." The twinkle still hadn't faded from his eyes as he moved to grab the hilt laying between his shoulder blades to a katana that clearly hadn't been there a second before. He flipped it lightly from his right hand to his left, letting it whirl around his wrist a few times before it actually landed in his palm. Then, he reached his hand into his back pocket, as if dipping it in something, then removed his hand to show a light sparkly dust coating it. He rubbed it along the edge of his katana's blade then snapped his fingers. Both his hands and his blade were alight with fire. Asher looked back at Durriken, eyebrows raised as if to say 'Should this suffice?' Damn good for a werewolf, I think. He continued to smirk even as he thought this; he was suddenly in a ridiculously good mood, despite still being tired and hungry.

[±Witchcraft±]

“Be right back in a tick” he said suddenly as he passed out on his feet. Standing there with his eyes closed in a trance like state.

Suddenly to at the edge of the clearing toward the direction of the beast another Durriken appeared. It was a simple astral projection. It would only last for a short period of time before he would have to call it back. It had all the consciences of the real Durriken though none of his powers.

It walked through the trees, dodging the branches and the roots not used to walking on uneven ground. Soon he discovered what was there. The closer he got to it, the older the trees got though all of the trees in the previous area were all the same age. He felt himself walking slower and slower the closer he got to it.

Suddenly the clouds parted and more light flooded the forest. In front of him he saw a giant dragon of grey scales. It glared at him and suddenly the projection was frozen in time. Being out of time as often as he was, he could have resisted it if he knew it was coming. This caught him be surprise. Suddenly with a gasp from the original body Durriken was back in his solid form, though he would discover later he had a solid strip of grey hair within his brown locks.

“How good are you of creatures out of time?” he said cursing the time sprite mentally for letting something like this into the forest.

[Noro]

"Creatures out of time?" Asher was confused. He had never fought a creature out of time before. He looked at Durriken and pondered whether he should point out the streak of gray hair that had appeared upon his head, but then decided it wasn't entirely necessary seeing as they had a bigger problem on their hands than his premature aging. "I haven't the slightest idea what that is, but if you tell me how to fight it, I can attempt to at the best of my abilities. Surely it can't be that hard?" The saracasm in his voice was heavy, but still light-hearted and somewhat good-natured at the same time.

((Eh, couldn't think of anything better to post... sorry. I promise I'll be a bit more creative once the time-beastie comes to eat us! >))