Lately, an odd feeling had been building within Animus any time he altered his own form. A hint that something wasn't quite right, that perhaps changes to his outward form should come from within himself, if only he could see how. And after the dream the other night, of once again finding his Watchtower, he was sure he was ready, at least for the next step down the path.

Animus wanders through the Neidan mansion, looking for Ankh.

Ankh climbs out of the pool, toweling herself off and looks surprised to see Animus. She wraps the towel around herself and nods in the direction of the patio furnature. She's still dripping wet and isn't ready to go back into the house yet. Besides, the sun feels good on her skin.

"Have a seat. You look like a man on a mission. What's up?"

She sits down in one of the chairs and looks up at him with an inviting smile.

Animus chuckles, taking a seat next to her. "No polar bear attacks yet? Did I get a free pass or something?"

He lets the words hang for just a moment, teasing, before continuing. "I think I'm ready to learn what comes next as an Orphan of Proteus."

Ankh looks at Animus for a long time before making any movement that she may have heard him. She nods once and stands, letting the towel fall away from her naked form. She begins to shift, her body wavering into white fur, dark muzzle, large paws.

She sits back on her haunches and waits for Animus to be ready before she lunges, her blue eyes staring up at him.

Rolls


Animus unconsciously takes a step back, hand coming to the ring now strung around his neck to ward off the Abyss. He isn't completely successful, and utters a short growl as the contamination sears his flesh. But the results come through, as his hands shift to become the claws of a wolf. In the next instant he meets Ankh's lunge with an attack of his own. Claws lash out, marring her white fur with crimson blood.

Casting, combat stats, and first attack



Ankh does not waste much time with her own attack, using her typical swipe and bite. The claws don't hit as well as she had hoped but she knows the bite had to hurt. She leans back on her hind legs after the attack and waits to see if Animus begins to heal. This is of course, the real test of his mettle.

4L (already subtracted Def and Armor)


The combined attack barely earns a grunt from Animus. It was painful, yes, but he was used to pain. He launches another attack, not yet bothering to heal. But the price of his over-confidence is telling, as his next attack barely scratches Ankh's hide.

1L before def


Can a polar bear actually laugh? Why yes, yes it can. Ankh laughs as she leaps toward Animus again. It isn't a mocking laughter though, at least it doesn't sound like it's mocking him. It's more a laughter of nerves and joy at the release of tension and doubts. One of the positive effects of shifting into animal form is the release from logical thinking it can give. While Ankh does not lose herself in the form, she does allow the more analytical part of herself to drift away, allowing her to enjoy the fierce instincts of the animal shape she dons.

The claw attack hits more solidly this time, but the bite is less then effective in her mind. Still the feel of Animus' flesh in her mouth is almost intoxicating. She pulls a little of the bear mentality back as she begins to savor the taste of his blood. Maybe a little more logic would be a good thing before she eats her friend.

4L total afrer subtractions


Animus staggers back a step under the continued assault, dropping his sense of the living things around him. Skin flakes and falls away, revealing whole flesh beneath. Animus calls reaches through the Primal Wilds to Arcadia, guiding his strike. He winces as his next claw attack rips through fur and bone. Ankh had to feel that one.

Holy ... Animus heals 8L, 7L to Ankh before def


Animus watches in surprise as the polar bear collapses to the ground in front of him. Almost instinctively, he calls to the Primal Wilds, mending bones and knitting flesh together. When Ankh comes to, he is still breathing heavily, the adrenaline rush just beginning to fade. "Sorry about that last one. Are you okay now?"

-4lethal from Ankh


Ankh sits up, shaking her head in a slightly dazed manner. She focuses on Animus and smiles brightly. "Damn, that was quite a hit. I'm impressed. I think you might be better at this then I am. Remind me never to piss you off, ok?"

She stands and reaches for the towel, then decides maybe it would be better if she sat back down. "Yeah, I'm good. Nothing a little healing won't fix. I think you pass, by the way."

Animus glances at his wolf's claws, then back at Ankh. "Never thought I'd take down a polar bear. I think I needed that." Because the only way I can be sure I don't have a reoccurance of Kruegans' is by putting myself under similar stress. It's why the Arrow practices live.

Finally he lets his claws fade back to humaan hands, watching the transformation. "That transformation felt almost ... wrong, in a way. Like I was calling on the supernal for something I should be able to do on my own, if I could just see how. Is that making sense?"

Ankh frowns as she drapes the towel over her shoulders. She looks at Animus and considers the problem for a few minutes before responding to him. "First, you need to concentrate on what you want to change. I mean, do you want help with fighting or defene? Because, once you decide you can't change your mind. So keep that in the back of your mind while you do this."

She shifts in the chair a bit, realizing that her bottom doesn't have a whole lot of cushioning and neither does the chair apparently. "Then, you need to will your body to change. Don't call on the supernal like you're trying to cast a spell. Talk to your body and tell it what you want it to do."

Animus doesn't spend long considering. "Fighting, definitely. I'm already solid on defense, and besides," he grins playfully, "wolves aren't exactly known for their toughened hide."

He concentrates inwardly, focusing on the feeling of wrongness he'd had, following it back to its source. I am the wolf. It's time to bring a bit more of that into the world. Finding the connection, he reaches into the core of his being, drawing on the wolf's claws. And sure enough, his hands once again shift, smoothly making the transition, bringing the comfort that always came with wearing the wolf's features as his own. He glances up to Ankh, grinning. And so, my soul continues its journey.


Ankh smiles as she watches his hands shift again, only this time there isn't that strange look on Animus' face. "Yeah, like that. You're a fast learner it would seem. I think you just might surpass me at some point."

She stands again and wraps the towel around herself completely this time. "I need a shower and some clothes I think. I don't know if West really understands the comfort we have with the utter lack of clothing. Now, can you do that when you need to? Or will we need to work on it some more?"

Animus nods, remembering how West had reacted to Ankh's nudity after the scouting so long ago. "I'm sure I've got it down. Just don't get bit by a polar bear on your way in. I've heard the blue-eyed ones are especially vicious."

Ankh laughs and heads toward the house. "Oh I think I have all of the ones around here tamed. It's the wolves I need to worry about."