Escape (Open)

With a pile of clothes set aside, Bree moved to the outskirts of Librium. Wilderness stood before her, several miles away from the busy streets of Others and Humans. Bree was here to practice. She'd been alone in this, save for help from those in the guard. She needed to concentrate, but she also needed to get used to the pain that changed her body into something larger, swifter and far more deadly.

Clothes became a nuisance to deal with whenever she had to shift. She carried an extra bundle to safely hide within the bushes, while slowly, she'd shed her own. She brought no weapons, even though the wilderness was dangerous for someone alone. Bree was already a deadly warrior in her own right. She could fend for herself when need be.

She swiftly undressed. Under cover of the shadows and leaves, the sunlight left dancing spots while the leaves swayed. Spring had yet to make way for Summer, and elements of Winter was still on its breath. Closing her eyes, Bree shuddered visibly as she felt a ripple of magic breaking within her form. She imagined those paws, the tail and the spots that began appearing on her nude skin. She called to the Cheetah, taking in deep breaths through her nostrils and exhaling out of her mouth.

Control.

Bree sought control.

One last exhale, Bree's eyes snapped open revealing swirls of gold. Her head fell back as her muscles twitched, then bones suddenly cracked, causing her body to bowl over. She cried out before gritting her teeth, muscles spasming. Her breaths became quicker, spots spreading until they were on her face and whiskers shot out.

She released a feral yowl, teeth sharpening before lengthening into canines. Bree dropped onto her elbows and knees, body contorting and twisting as the transformation commenced. Bree didn't scream. She kept her tongue between her teeth that the sharp scent of copper caused her nostrils to flare. Bones crunched as they realigned themselves, creating a new skeleton for her to completely melt into.

These painful minutes seemed to last for a century, and soon a large Cheetah crouched where Bree had been. Rising to all four paws, her long tail flicked one way and then the other before she circled around her chosen spot, remembering where exactly her clothes would be. With her muzzle she pushed aside discarded items to the brush with the others, and then glanced about, silent with a low rumble in her chest.

Then Bree would finally dash through the forest, breaking through foliage as she enjoyed what she could of the wind beating against her face.

Whenever Lance needed to get away from the hustle and bustle of Librium (and didn't feel like paying tourist booze prices in the Caribbean), he typically went to the woods just outside the city walls. Normal people tended to avoid them. Scary things liked to pop out. The addonexus had a quick getaway method, so he wasn't that scared.

An abandoned deer blind served as Lance's perch. He sat there, elbows on knees and chin in hand, just staring out at the forest floor below. It suddenly became really quiet. He tried to send a few Sensing feelers out into the woods, but sensing required an active target in mind. The times he did receive a passive ping was in a crowd (like the city he was trying to avoid). He got the feeling that normal people get when it's time to get the hell out of Dodge.

Lance wasn't a normal human.

But he also wasn't stupid. Lance's right hand became enveloped in shadow for a moment. A loaded crossbow appeared in place of the mist. Now to just see what had scared all the little birdies away.

The birds scattered from their perch. Bree's tawny gaze shot upward as she crouched low and moved at a quicker pace. Her lungs expanded to take in full breaths, lithe frame moving over the grass and rocks, through thick brushes. Her short fur didn't catch any twigs or leaves like her human form would.

Shaking her head, the large Cheetah looked for prey or game. Something to chase. Her salivary glands were activated as she thought about her fangs sinking into tender meat. The hot burst of blood made her rumble low in her throat, the vibration spreading across her white chest as she rose higher.

The Cheetah stayed close to the shadows of the tall standing trees, but within an opening was a young doe. Bree paused, lowering her head as she watched the doe take a drink from the running spring.

Bree waited, lips peeling back to reveal her canines. This could be her game, this could be the chase and perhaps the kill. The human, however, didn't find that too appealing but the Cheetah was in full control in this form. It wanted something fresh... and alive.

Her tonge swiped over her nose, and she lowered her head until it was close to the ground. This was the perfect distance to leap and snag the doe by its neck. Rumbling low, a Cheetah couldn't roar. Instead, it yowled or emitted a sharper, volatile screech. The Cheetah waited, and then finally shot out of the bush. The doe's ears twitched, but it was too slow to react to the sudden feel of fangs sinking into its slender neck.

Bree twisted her body, and brought the doe down on top of her. Legs kicked upward in the air as well as hooves. Bree clung on, tasting blood and flesh beneath the fur. She simply waited until the doe stopped moving.

Lance lowered his crossbow, which was ironic considering he was in a deer blind. A doe stepped into view.

{Doe, a deer, a female deer. Damn it! Why would you go Sound of Music? Whatthehell!}

A spotted cat tackled the deer. Lance leaned in closer to get a better look. Was that a cheetah? Why would a cheetah be out here? Did the zoo lose another animal? He considered it for a moment. Returning lost predators sometimes resulted in a good reward. Then again, cheetahs were a known species of the New Breed werecreatures developed by Omni Corporation.

Bagging a Pride member could piss off Omni, not to mention the rest of the Pride. Then again, this cheetah (if it were a Were) could be randomly made one. Omni might be interested in 'recruiting' another Were. Several lucrative, yet dangerous, possibilities presented themselves. The smartest thing might just be to Orb out of there.

This would be the time for one of Lance's notorious coin flips. Unfortunately, the cheetah would probably hear the motion above. He decided to wait things out a bit more before having to make a decision.

The doe gave one last twitch, then a shudder before its weight fell on Bree. The Cheetah rumbled with satisfaction, tongue lapping over the blood and bitemarks before she finally released her jaws. Letting the doe slide off, Bree rolled onto her fours to nudge her game. Sniffing and nosing, the Cheetah settled over the dead doe before tearing a huge hunk of meat from its slender neck. Bone showed through the muscle as Bree chewed. She shouldn't eat too much since her body was built for cardio, especially in regard to speed.

A full stomach could slow her down, or worse, make her drowsy and vulnerable to what might be lurking out there. The spring was welcoming, the trickling sound urging her to bathe after this messy ordeal. Red stains coated her fur as she indulged, tongue lapping over the succulent juice as she noisily chewed.

The Cheetah thought she heard something and then paused, tiny ears straining for anything out of the ordinairy. For a time, she didn't move, tail flickering as she waited but heard and saw no signs of another. The birds and crickets chirping provided further distraction (and possible covering) as she returned to her feast. A little at a time, she enjoyed her fill. She stopped before her stomach bloated, and circled around her partially eaten doe.

Silently, she moved to the spring, enjoying the sun's ray against her fur. Lowering her head to the running water, she began to drink as well.

Lance turned his head at the smell of fresh maul. The sight didn't bother him considering the things he seen and done in the war. There was something different about watching the Animal Channel in Real-D though. He waited until the cheetah was done eating. Creatures that were full tended to be easier to manage. So Lance decided to flip for it.

He chuckled when it landed on tails. Too bad the coin didn't depict a tail. But then the cheetah paused. One of its ears twitched.

{Balls. Did it hear me? I knew it would.}

Cheetah decided it was thirsty and headed for the spring. Since the coin had decided, Lance orbed to another tree branch for a better vantage. He wondered if big cats didn't like to get wet either.

==How big is the spring? I am curious to see if Cheetarah can swim?==

==The Spring==

The cool spring was refreshing for the large Cheetah. Bree took pure satisfaction with her kill. Her stomach was filled enough; she didn't want to be too slow when the time came for her to use her agility. A full stomach made her vulnerable to potential hunters. While Librium created a picture of peace, things still went behind the scenes of the postcard looke it tried to achieve. Bad things. Good things. No place was ever perfect.

With a full stomach and the warm sun beaming down on her spotted fur, the Cheetah felt as if it had just returned to Africa - or the equivalent of what Africa would be now.

A pleasant shiver ran across her body, causing her tail to give a light twitch. She paused to lift her head again. Small ears gave a wriggled, as her tawny hues moved one way and then another. What was she looking for exactly? Well, the Cheetah couldn't help feeling as if it was being watched. Bree had that soldier's sense to stay alert no matter how relaxed she was right now. Human and Animal met at the middle at this point despite the latter being more dominant in form.

Her whiskers quivered before her mouth gaped into a wide yawn, long, deadly incisors revealed themselves before she returned to the Spring. A few more drinks, and she might even consider a nap.

Spotted ears gave a wiggle. It knew Lance was watching. The time was now. Lance's physical body broke up into a swarm of black spheres. The swarm rushed down the tree, leveled off, and headed straight for Cheetah. The swarm turned back into Lance just in time for him to deliver a flying kick. If he timed it right, the addonexus would connect with the big cat's side.

Knocking it right into the spring.

Lance turned back into the black swarm so that he could follow kitty's progress down the river. He hoped that if it were a Were, then it would turn back into a human to swim to shore. He wasn't looking forward to scooping a massive furball out of the water.

At least the blood would have washed off.

==Sorry it's so short. I realized as I was typing it that I really need to see how this pans out.==

It'd been too long since she'd had any chance to get out of the city, the wolf within her was practically shaking in anticipation of the freedom that beckoned. While her Elven blood gave her more control of her animal instincts, it also made it harder for her to shift into her Were form. In some ways it made her stronger and faster in her human form, but never would she match the power she held in her Were form. Resettling her back pack on her shoulders, Neona's golden eyes took in the trees before her for a moment before launching herself forward. Her long golden curls were pulled back into a ponytail, strands coming free as she ran to frame her face. The wolf within her howled in triumph as she let it free. While she wasn't nearly angry enough to shift completely, her muscles still carried the power of the wolf, making her slightly faster then a normal human.

The trees seemed to fly past her as her booted feet barely made a sound upon the ground. Leaping over a fallen a log, Neona's foot barely touched the tree on the other side, launching herself off it to sail through the air to another tree just opposite the path. Her other foot came up to propel her off it, landing her on the ground once more to continue her run. She knew it could be dangerous out in the forests surrounding the city, but both her Elven half and the wolf yearned for the small time she allotted herself to enjoy the wonders of Terra. Some thought she was a genetic marvel, others thought her an abomination. Neona didn't truly care, she was what she was and there was no changing it. Crying over something no one could cure didn't help her. She had to look forward, had to keep control of the different faucets that made up her soul. It was difficult at times, the wolf could be hard to ignore with it's urge to lash out when angered.

Neona wasn't sure how long she'd been running, she knew she could go further then other humans when she tapped into her wolf side like this. Pausing for a moment, she dug around her backpack for her water bottle. A soft sheen of sweat covered her long legs, clad only in a pair of shorts an loose fitting blouse. She could feel the pain of the shift aching through her very bones but she didn't let it go any further then that, that pain reminded her of all she had to loose if she lost control even for a second. The miracle of her genetics that made it possible for a half breed elf to become a werewolf...also ran in her sister's blood, and that of her father from whom they received the Were gene from. She accepted her life, but she wouldn't wish it on anyone else.

The gold crystal hanging at her throat on a silver chain had fallen free from her shirt during her run, but she didn't bother to put it back. If anyone out here even knew what that crystal meant she'd be seriously surprised, hell she'd bake them a whole batch of cookies. With her enhanced hearing she heard something off to her right, instantly turning her head in order to get a better read on the sound. It sounded like splashing.

Shoving her water bottle back into her pack, Neona took off again, careful to keep her footsteps muted. That slowed her down slightly but she was fairly certain she didn't have far to go. The sounds of running water became louder, and she crouched down in the foliage to remain hidden as she peeked out between the leaves. Goldie was downwind from whatever had splashed into the river and she could distinctly pick out the smell of something feline. The wolf within her bristled but she ignored it. Something didn't feel right, that same animal instinct that kicked in during storms or earthquakes also served to alert her to possible danger.

The lethargy after a good meal and refreshing water left Bree's Cheetah too open, more open than usual. Whatever the big car was up against was something she hadn't faced before. And while Cheetahs had the basic knowledge of swimming, they often avoid such circumstances. Bree hadn't yet put hers through such a situation where water was going to be prevalent. An animal's hindrance was its peripherals. Cheetahs, even with their amazing senses, couldn't fully take in their entire surroundings without a slight swivel to their heads.

Bree's Cheetah wasn't any different from the wild ones that stalked the planes of Africa, once upon a time.

A low breeze fell on the Cheetah, bringing in a different scent that had the Cheetah on alert. She already had a feeling that she wasn't alone, but now it was concrete knowledge. Tiny furs raised, tail standing straight on end as shoulders bunched up, ready for a lunge when necessary. A Cheetah would swim if it had to, despite its natural need to avoid doing so. Bree hadn't come across this situation before, so it was going to be... less of something to be enthusiastic about.

Damn, it.

Of course, she wouldn't have the time, when a force that was unseen prevented her from reacting in time. A different scent filled her quivering nostrils, replacing the former that blew from the trees. The Cheetah released a startled yowl before it fell into the water, spring moving to carry the large spotted feline away. The human and animal clashed within the folds of her consciousness, arctic and gold flickering back and forth as Bree tried to work those feline limbs to fight against the current and stay afloat.

Was this an opportune moment to change back? Great stress often did that, but she would be so drained. Yowling and hissing, the Cheetah's paws created more of a ruckus than the moving spring. Bree needed to shift back, but the pain was going to black her out. She had yet to welcome such feats, since she was practically alone in this. The shift came after each lash of the water, a gradual process of bones crunching back into a humanoid shape that pulled the Cheetah under, sounds muted by the rushing torrent as she writhed and twisted, bubbles flying out of a gaping maw that became more and more human after each second.

Soon, Bree's form would float out to the surface, entirely human and unconscious.

Darting in between the trees, Darkorb Lance kept a careful eye on his prey. It was quite difficult to follow a submerged cat when one's essence was phasing through solid matter, but it's not like Cheetah had much choice in what direction to go. At least the forest canopy helped to hide the swarm of black bubbles that now made up his body. He was just able to see Bree's dark hair surface for a moment through the haze of his Orbing. The addonexus forced himself to fly faster than the stream was flowing. He could just pluck her out of the river and orb away, but there were too many travel variables involved. It would be easier to bring her to shore and then make his great escape. A midair grab and leave could get him more than a tad wet.

A bend in the river was the best place to enact phase 2 of the plan he didn't have. Lance zoomed ahead and coalesced on the bank. He made sure to come out of it with a Disguise just in case someone, like Neona, happened to see him. What used to be a tall, well built handsome blonde was now a slightly overweight Piney (as they are called in New Jersey) with hunting camouflaged clothing. The glamour spell wasn't meant to do clothing, but Lance didn't intend to be summer-toothed (some are there, some are missing) for all that long. He found a fallen tree branch that seemed just long enough to hook the unconscious Guardswoman and attempted to do a little fishing.

Getting the branch right under her armpit, Lance's hidden muscles bulged to bring her to shore against the current of the river. He mentally sighed in relief to see she was definitely human now. Orbing a Were didn't require as much effort when they weighed less. Where all that Were weight went when they were human confused the addonexus. Matter is never lost or destroyed, the physicists always said, so why didn't they weigh the same in both forms? Just one of the many questions one can think about when he's gone around the block for the last several decades.

Lance dragged Bree up onto shore. He ignored the fact she was naked, for the most part, and checked for signs of a pulse and breathing. Sure he was a hot blooded male and quite virile for a human of ninety-eight, but Bree was a potential meal ticket at the moment. He found her carotid sinuses in case she woke up in a frenzy. Just the right amount of pressure, and the baroreceptors in her neck would trigger a decrease in blood pressure and put her back to sleep.

She wasn't worth anything to him dead.

However, Lance didn't want her biting his jugular out either.

The stress of shifting back wore her out. She was like a fading lightbulb, occasionally flickering with light. The cold water pulled her under and then up, mind lost to the current until she was pulled onto the shore, by the branch. At this point, Bree was still conscious, eyelids flickering to reveal bits of the white between them of her oculars.

What a disaster. A day she'd chosen to simply practice her shifting, and the water would turn her back into the human form. The spring had a waterfall that would empty out into a river. Another one could've been further down, with a deadlier plummet than this one. She was lucky, to say the least. Lucky, that a stranger had been watching her, to pull her out from an untimely death. Mitch would've been really pissed about losing his partner than anything else. The pair had been through extremes together, and forged a bond of everlasting friendship.

If she were to die, he was entitled to all of her possessions, even her beloved weapons.

Thoughts of death aside, the guardswoman felt the pressure of a slightly damp surface beneath her body. Slowly, she was coming to, but the weight of oblivion continued to weigh down, keeping her lids sealed as she was dragged across the earth. Now lying still, a small nose emitted, a groan until she coughed, and then choked.

Water dribbled from her part lips, and she started with a gasp, arctic hues staring up and blinking way the black dots, so that she could see. Her muscles burned, bones ached and headache soared, throbbing at the delicate temples within her head. Her arctic hues darted about wildly, seeing the canopy of leaves overhead until they rested on a huntsman in camouflage. What the hell just happened!?

The guardswoman stared, animal instincts still running high to attack. "Who are you, what happened?" she demanded, and even forced herself to sit up, but she fell back when her head went through a violent, see-saw motion. She cursed beneath her breath and grabbed her head.