Wandering

[squidkid11]

The trees swayed calmly in the morning breeze, birds chirped and flitted between the heavily laden branches, full of leaves, flowers, and life.
The entire forest seemed to be at peace and-well....except for there.

A black cloaked figured whipped around, barely keeping the garment low enough to cover the secret hidden underneath. The only thing visible was the bright green, glowing eyes, and an angry voice coming from the creature.
The attackers stumbled back as the creature lashed out with her mind, sending sticks and leaves flying in a circle around her. Her hands were not visible-thankfully-and all that could be seen was a strange blue glow coming from the sleeves. 
She briefly wondered if her assailants knew what they were up against and had a purpose, or if they were but common thieves or land pirates with no goal in mind aside from looting and pain. No, they were too organized for the latter option. Now her only question was....what was their goal?

[Riley Oran]

There were about twenty of them all around some wielding bow and arrow and other's wielding sword and shield. Some had ax, others nothing save for teeth glinting. These creatures were not normal, humanoid beings like were commonly found in Megalo. While they stood on their haunches they were not the same thing at all. Their colors varied from white to brown, but the most common was a black, bristly coat of fur that long nails and sharp dew claw extended out of, hands padded like wild beast and faces drawn out into muzzles that bore angry, white teeth.

There was a larger one towards the front-- the alpha lycan. It held nothing in it's hands, it's sheer size being intimidating enough. They scattered back when the creature lashed out with her mind, not from fear but confusion. Still, across most of their animal-like faces a sea of fangs revealed themselves in a storm of angry glares, hungry and wanting. Some called them Lycans, and this was not terribly far from the truth. They were wolfmen through and through, but not because of some petty curse. They were born this way, they proud of it, and they were predators on the hunt.

Why? Because somebody powerful told them to. Not this person, specifically. Any person would do. This being that lashed out with its brain was simply at the wrong place, at the long time. In the back there were seven wielding massive bow and arrow. Each individual stood at about seven feet in height, drawing back on its string and rendering a mighty arrow into the wind towards the cloaked being. Breaking from the sides, five with sword and shield separated and flanked with three on the left and two on the right.

The two armed with axes surged forward, staying low and out of the arrows' path. They were the sudden distraction for the six unarmed ones who had surged around behind them, lead primarily by the alpha itself. They moved like blurs, fur and weapons practically blending with the light as they whipped through the underbrush. They closed in upon the cloaked one, ready to seal fate.

[squidkid11]

((Can they talk?))

The cloaked secret turned at the sound of strings snapping and her eyes widened to see seven ;arge arrows hurtling towards her. Then surprise turned to a haughty smirk.
She lifted her hand-or, rather-where her hand would be. She had it covered by the sleeve, and all that was visible was the blue glow. 
Then the arrows stopped. Dead stopped. They didn't drop though, they were suspended in the same blue glow coming from the secret's sleeve. What seemed to be a flick of her wrist, and the arrows turned, sailing back at their firers. All this happened in a few seconds.
Then she turned her attention to those attempting to surround her. They carried swards and would be hrder to stop. She glared at them, then spun around in a tight circle-still keeping the cloak low-and sent more leaves and sticks flying at them, more so for distraction and to hide herself.
She briefly considered flying away, then a snarl from one's with axes caught her attention. They were staying low to the ground, and that made it easy. She grabbed a tree behind them with the same blue glow and pulled it forward low to the ground in an attempt to knock them off their feet. 
One last group. She turned towards them, only for her slitted green eyes to widen in shock and surprise as the largest pushed her to the ground, knocking the hood off.
Revealing a Half Dragon.

[Riley Oran]

((It's certainly possible, but as they're something new their capabilities haven't fully been established both physically and mentally))

The seven that fired the arrows were surprised to see them slung back. They all scrambled, two successfully, but five of them took hits from the arrows. Despite the size, the arrows only dealt some superficial damage, pierce the muscle and skin but not striking anything important. A couple howled in pain while others merely grimaced at the event, but all of them were back up and firing again, this time ready to dodge when it came time to.

The ones with swords weren't pushed back by the simple whipping of debris. They instead largely ignored the twister of discarded plant life, plunging their blades into the vortex while a shield went up to cover their heads and torsos. Even as the tree was ripped from the ground and flung at the two with axes to stagger them, only of them was knocked down. They other stumbled over it, continuing to press itself forward and swinging the ax into the maelstrom.

This meant the large one never reached her, instead lingering back as they strikes were dealt and waiting. At the moment this hooded stranger was off-guard or weak his group would advance with great speed, and they would take her down.

[squidkid11]

((Sorry, I can edit and get rid of the last part, if you want.))

The hooded figure noticed unhappily that all of her attempts failed to some degree. She once again stopped the arrows and flung them back, this time faster. Then she returned her attention to the one with the axe and the ones with the swords. She snarled loudly and whipped the tree around in a wide circle, both in an attempt to clear the area and to remove them from the battle. She turned her attention to the others, they had stopped and the largest was just watching impassively. Undoubtedly the leader. Her eyes narrowed. "You're next, Scum!" She hissed, then returned her attention the the fight at hand.

[Riley Oran]

((Nah, keep it there. It's interesting to read how people adjust for what they think is going to happen, and could potentially teach us both something about one another in the future))

Using the same trick twice, even with speed enhancement was doomed to failure. The upright hounds evaded and resumed firing, clearly demonstrating that the technique would remain largely ineffective from that moment onward. Though, one had to wonder: even after clearly seeing that she would block their arrows, why did they keep firing? It made no sense if they were trying to repeat an ineffective method if they were trying to attack unless they were insane. Yet, their coordination seemed to imply purpose in their actions. So why then, did they fire at her?

Because then she wouldn't notice something else. The wolfmen were quick and close. In the precious seconds it would take for her to target and reflect the arrows, much like it did the first time, they'd closed in with blades against flesh to strike their target. Not down, but injured and crippled. To render her weak. Realistically, she would have only the time to notice and counter the ax coming from her front, but she had created a weakness for herself with her twister of debris.

She had obscured her own vision as well. Even if the tree was coming, even if she tried to counter it, she would find that to be terribly ineffective. In the moments it would take her to counter the arrows and swing the tree blades would find and cut tendons, shatter joints, and brutally subdue. She was a powerful one. There could be no doubt about this.

But she lacked experience with that power. Maybe their employer knew more about this "random target" than he let on, but it wasn't for them to contemplate. Their prey was within reach.

[squidkid11]

((Alright))

The creature turned and her lip twitched as she realized that would not work. She ha underestimated their cleverness and ability to problem solve. She deflected another round of arrows as she thought of another idea, then turned and her eyes widened as a sword hurtled dangerously close to her face, just barely missing, and this was only thanks to her fast reflexes. She snarled and glanced down at the ground below her. And a smile formed on her face. She quickly deflected every attack-though she earned a slice through her cloak, then into her leg-which resulted in the ax and wielder being threatened by a swinging tree.
It only took a second, and she had created that time, and there was suddenly a wall of earth surrounding her, held in place by the same blue glow. Though it was difficult. There was a lot to hold in one place for a certain amount of time, and she needed that energy to finish the fight.

[Okami]

((Mind if I join this? ))

As the wolfmen and the dragon woman fought for some unknown reason (Seriously, don't know why they're fighting XD), a figure bounded in their direction, her eyes narrowed to a point, her mouth open to take big, gasping breaths. Her black hair blew in the wind as she ran on all fours, despite being in her humanoid form at the moment. Her body was a beautiful deep tanned color, and what she wore right now was all torn up, exposing her belly. Her hands and legs were covered in dirt from where she had been running. The wind billowed slightly, blowing viciously against the fur of the wolfmen and the dragon woman. With it came the scent of blood and cinnamon, thick and fresh, carried on the breeze from the South. It hadn't been that far away either, in fact, it was almost as if the scent was almost atop them.

You might wonder why the young woman was running at such a pace. Well, she had picked up the smell of blood when she had been dueling with her packmates and, naturally, had wondered if the fight was among wolgons. As she neared, it was really hard for her to tell. There was the scent of wolf, human, and dragon, but separately. It confused her, and that confusion had brought her running toward the fighting. When she had been closer she heard fighting. Arrows being nicked, she assumed, and had snarled with disdain. Arrows and long ranged attacks were for the weak. Hamu would never understand why creatures preferred to use them rather then gain the courage to fight with their own two hands, like she did. Her wings had flexed with annoyance, and she had continued running toward the sound.

As she ran, she suddenly stopped her pace, and dropped into a low crouch, slithering into the bushes quickly, and flaring her nostrils, keeping her eyes peeled. Now she could separate the smells. One was of wolfmen, the offensive, she assumed, since she heard the string of arrows from the direction of their smell. The other was a dragon human. She smirked, then frowned. Hamu wasn't sure who to help, since both were technically kin to her. One had wolf, the other had dragon. She snarled again, and decided to help the female, who she could tell was female because of her scent. Why had she chosen this? Because sometimes she just found men annoying, that was why.

Hamu wasn't very good at making decisions, and she, honestly, just wanted to fight. By now the fighters must have picked up her scent, so, flexing her shoulders, she lunged out of the bushes, snarling at the wolfmen and dragon woman. Her dragon wings opened up fully, making her appear larger even though she was in human form and crouching. One hand was on the ground, the other gripped the silver dagger she owned. She bared her teeth at the warriors, daring them to attack her. Hamu had shown herself because, in her arrogance, she believed it was unfair for them to fight her without knowing she was there. She wanted a true fight and, quite honestly, she wasn't going to take this fight any more seriously then she would a squabble within her own pack.

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