Suddenly my tears were forgotten as I felt more presences coming. "Zel... someone's coming!" I whispered. "And I don't think they wanna share an expresso with us..."
Zel spun around and a bunch of trolls stormed towards us. He pulled out his sword and I, since I had nothing else to use, readied my staff. Suddenly it dawned on my just how little damage I could do with a staff. As a big troll lumbered towards me I just stood still in shock for a moment then as it was going to strike me I was spurred into action. I did the first thing that came to mind – end of the staff right where it hurts. I was lucky that where it hurts on a troll and a human are at least similar since the troll doubled up in pain and I zoomed off out of harms way.
With a sigh I let the wolf side in me loose and instincts took over, my subconscious remembered the knife I had hidden in my bag and I pulled it out. Another troll approached me and I leapt at its face slashing its eyes with the knife yelling a battle cry. I slashed at a few more then suddenly they retreated and I returned to my normal mentality.
"That's right ya bloody cowards! RUN!" I yelled as the last bit of battle rage left me, then I blushed. "Hehehehe, I get a bit carried away sometimes... didn't know I could do quite that much damage by unleashing 'the Wolf'. 'Least they weren't like those people who were after me back home... they woulda been packing semi-automatics and just about every other kinda gun you could think of. Hrrumph... people like that have no honor."
"Who taught you to fight like that?" Zel asked. "That was good for only having a small knife and a staff."
"No one. I just use common sense, how else does one fight?" I huffed as the adrenaline left my system and I began to feel weary. "This was more excitement than when I accidentally stumbled in on an Assieda assassination..." I managed to say before I went limp and fell.
Later I started to come to only to find I was being carried by my new traveling companion. I smirked inwardly and just relaxed and didn't let him think I had come to. A few minutes later I decided I should show some signs of life. "Huh... I fainted didn't I? Sorry about that... its one thing to face a buncha humans with guns you can manipulate psychologically by sayin' yer a practicing pagan and facing trolls. Fighting trolls is not something very common in my world, don't have any trolls actually," I tried to explain. "I prolly was a bit on the heavy side... sorry."
He set me down while I was talking and looked at me. "If that's who it is in your world I guess its understandable," he said. "And it was no problem carrying you, the golem side of me makes me strong."
"Okay. I don't usually faint like that, I prolly got too used to all the monsters I meet wear a human face. They always say in my world it would be easier if monsters looked like monsters, but..." I sighed. "I've seen a thousand humans that I could tell – somehow – were monsters, and the majority of those were good looking by anyone's standards. They're wrong in my world, all they need to do is be able to see the soul and then they'd know." She noticed Zelgadis standing with a blank look on his face. "Heh, I, um, regularly totally confuzzle people with my ramblings, don't know if its because they're so deep or I'm just so insane..." I laughed, and just like at home I found I could get anyone, even Zelgadis, to laugh with a stupid joke and my own good natured laugh.
I propped myself up on my staff and reached for my water bottle I got from the army surplus store back home then looked at Zel. Why didn't that dude see that he looked so damned fine? I'll never understand males. Or non-tomboy females for that matter. I let out a sigh. "Don't stop now, I'm trying to make it to the next town before too long. And you're going to stick out more than me in those strange clothes. I'll have to go in before you and pick out something that's not so odd," he told me shortly.
"Yessir," I responded with a smirk and a bow. "Just so long as I don't end up in a dress... gah!"
I heard him chuckle as he shook his head and continued onward. I found myself walking slightly behind him staring at his back. Give it up girl, you're acting like a lovesick puppy! Get a hold of yourself! I scolded myself silently. Well, at least I'm traveling with him... I grinned hugely at that thought. My mind just couldn't keep itself from remembering my 10-hour bouts of watching every Slayers video I had and rewinding, at least thrice, every scene Zelgadis was in. I blushed. In what seemed to be no time we reached the town.
"Wait here," he told me and left me standing by a tree.
"That's a guy... always rushing off and leaving a poor, sweet, defenseless gel alone..." I chuckled and climbed up the tree to catnap on a branch. Damn! I couldn't get what was left behind me out of my head. My friends, my family, Star Wars movies! Damn! I was gonna miss the prequels... well... I'm getting to LIVE an adventure, what could be better than that? I wiped a tear out of my eye with a sigh. What I wouldn't give to have one of my friends here, even Charity and her oh-too-serious-overly-Christian-I'll-make-you-read-the-Bible attitude. "So, Char, you said magic was a buncha crap. Then how did I get here to travel with one hunk of a chimera?"
I just started to doze off as he returned. "Here," he said tossing me a package as I hopped down. I silently went behind some bushes and changed. The new clothes weren't anything fancy, just brown pants and a shirt with a black cloak, but the colors looked good on me, the brown brought out highlights in my brown hair that made it seem to be a reddish coppery color.
"How do I look?!" I asked excitedly. I've always wanted to wear clothes that were 100% naturally made AND had a type of look they'd call 'rustic' back home.
"Now you may gain more attention by your good looks alone," he quipped after he got over a slightly shocked look. I just smirked at him and he blushed slightly.
"You know... you look cute when you blush," I commented lightly. Dangit! I was flirting... the noble tomboy reduces herself to flirting. I looked down and tried to hold back another tear.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I just left everything I know... I have known... I'm starting from scratch almost. No friends, no family, just alone," I rubbed my right temple with my right hand absently. "Back home, even when I thought I was alone... there was someone... even if they didn't understand."
"The way you fought those trolls earlier with no training I definitely wouldn't want to be your enemy, and since we're going to travel together until you find a place to settle down we might as well be friends," Zel told me.
"Thanx," I smiled giving him a slight kiss on the cheek causing him to blush again. "You really are cute when you blush..." I smirked.
He shook his head, "Lets get to an inn..."
"Can you teach me how to use a sword! I've always wanted to!" I asked like a child despite the fact I was 20.
"Okay! Okay!" he laughed as I followed my first new friend in this world into town.
It was hard to believe what happened two nights ago, almost as much as it was to imagine getting thrown into a whole other world like I was 5 days ago. First I find myself in a world where magic is the ruling force over science then I find I'm not human – or not what one usually thinks of when they think of a human. It was odd suddenly to get an urge to get up and wander off only to find myself gaining an inch of height, eyes that can see in the dark, almost feline ears, a fox-like tail, and fangs and claws. Whoever thought I'd become some kind of shapeshifter? I changed into wolf form then and there and ran through the forest for hours! I was free!
But who'd have thought I of all people would want to keep up a charade of humanity? I cast my eyes towards the ground as I walked behind Zelgadis. All this new knowledge I gain in the Realization of what I am. I was just glad I could return to human form, otherwise I'd be stuck in a dress to hide that dratted tail! And Zel wasn't being a help either! All he did was get more and more distant in the times I wasn't joking around... men are SO frustrating!! Well, maybe tonight I'd tell him, or not. Damn, this is hard. Over these past 5 days the slight crush I had on his character as I saw him on the Slayers anime series turned into a deep caring for him as a person. I couldn't help but wonder if he was so caught up in humanity that falling in love with a nonhuman would seem impossible.
"I think its time for you to get some rest," he stopped and said suddenly leaving me almost walking into him.
"I think so too... I'm feeling a little winded," I smiled. "Uh... Zel... I gotta say something..." I started. Brace yourself girl, he may hate you after this... I mentally sighed. "Two nights ago... you know, the night I stayed on watch... well... I Realized what I am... how I was able to come here." I slowly turned into my now nonhuman trueform, my catlike ears flattening against my head. "I'm not human... at least not what most people think of when they think human. I'm a ShapeShifter. I wanted to pretend I was still normal, I don't know why..." I ended in a whisper.
He lifted my chin up and looked at me, in the shadows I could still see him blushing slightly, "Why should I have any trouble with you being nonhuman. If anyone should have a problem with one of us two it should be you coming from a world without nonhuman sentients."
"DAMNIT! Why should I have any trouble with you Zel? And why would I have anything against nonhumans when none ever hurt me before?" I asked smiling shyly. "Besides... you look attractive enough like you are." He blushed as I softly kissed him beside his mouth. His eyes looked right into mine unblinking then turned away. "What?"
"Can you honestly look at my face and say its attractive?" he asked skeptically. I moved his face towards me with my right hand and moved the hair aside with the other.
"Most certainly, as one slogan went in my world, Hey, different is good, and I can surely agree with that. And it just so happens I have a weakness for blue eyes..." I leaned towards him with my ears perking up. I almost felt myself begin to purr when he moved to kiss me. Suddenly I yelped as I felt something hit my left shoulder. "The Assieda! But how! RUN!" I went on all fours and ran like a great cat or a wolf keeping my left arm up. Everything became a blur as I ran with nothing but the thought of losing those damnable Assieda that somehow had followed me.
Suddenly I found myself down on the ground exhausted in a clearing with Zel sitting by a tree. "What was that about?" he asked.
"The Assieda, they're a kind of old-style gangster/assassin group that I unfortunately stumbled upon in my world... OUCH!" I winced as I finally felt the pain in my shoulder. I looked at it and saw an exit wound in the front... and that I had lost a good amount of blood, which had most fortunately mostly soaked into my shirt. Thankfully my pack was on my back and didn't get hit. I pulled out a wad of fabric, "Um, Zel, could you turn around for a moment, it seems I got hit and I gotta bandage myself up..." although just how... well... I'll just have to improvise...
"Okay," he said blushing slightly. I took off my cape and shirt and began to bandage my wound; I winced loudly as I attempted to properly bandage it. Wordlessly Zel walked over and helped me, and it was my turn to blush.
I face the Assieda twice and live to tell it only to have to be nursed by a guy, I sighed mentally as I slipped my shirt and cape back on. Actually... it wasn't that bad... "Thanks," I managed to say finally.
"Who were those people?" he asked. "You can thank me by explaining why they're after you."
"In my world, about half a year ago, I went on a trip with some of my friends to a water park to go swimming. About the time we were going to leave I had a little accident and the shirt I was going to leave in was ripped so I had to leave my swimsuit on and buy a new shirt there. When I went to the ladies room to change I stumbled upon about 6 guys trying to kill another guy. I couldn't do anything to stop them from killing them... they threw me into a corner and had some old guy watching me... he..." I blinked trying NOT to remember. "Then three other girls came in... two were taken captive, one of those killed by the third who turned and joined the guys. " I shook my head. "When they left, one was left behind to kill me... he almost did but then I tried a psychological trick on him... or maybe it was real magic... I 'cast a witch's hex' on him to freeze him in place until I 'snapped him out of it.' It was after that I dropped my given name and went to using the name Flame." I sighed, "There were even some attempts on my life after that for speaking about then on the news. Not an easy life even for someone who was the one the neighborhood bullies chose to beat on."
"So now they're after you. But wasn't publicly exposing them a stupid thing to do?" he commented.
"You're lucky I like you... otherwise I'd be trying these new claws of mine out," I growl/purred at him. "Seriously though, they got me mad, and when I get mad I strike out in ways calculated to make life living hell for whoever I'm planning on getting. Figured letting the world know about 'em wouldn't be something they wanted. I got an evil streak in me."
"Remind me never to get on your bad side," he said with a touch of humor.
"Yer lucky I consider you a friend..." I said ominously then huffed a short laugh. "Now that I'm getting a fresh start I guess I'm just gonna have to re-earn my nick of 'Death Wish' – minus corny phrase that I'll never live down," I chuckled.
"'Death Wish'?" Zel asked curiously.
"I kinda... had a phase where I was pretty depressed... lost too many friends and family in too short a time... made up for it by being a little daring... a little TOO daring. When I think back on all the stoopid things I did - all the chances I took..." I laughed at the memories of all I did, all the cars that nearly hit me. "And that phrase I came up with!!! THAT was the STUPIDEST thing of all!! I have no idea how I came up with 'danger is the spice of life, and I like my life extra spicy!'!!!" I broke into total laughter as I said that, either Zel thought it was funny too or the site of a cat-eared human with a tail laughing, ears laid back and tail flailing wildly was too funny for him NOT to laugh.
Suddenly I sniffed the air. "We better hurry out of her fast, maybe get into a town, the Assieda have to keep low key in a town. And two against the Assieda ain't gonna make it, heck, a SWAT team back home had enough problems with 'em! We'll need help..." I realized I was getting on the verge of being hysterical. Get ahold of yerself gel, there are people here who can help... I thought as helplessness and despair flooded my soul. "Sorry... I don't usually react like that but then I haven't seen anything like them before... almost worse than feeling everyone's sorrow and despair at a funeral..." I was shaking trying to control myself, I forced myself to sit down and empty my mind.
I don't know how much later it was when we heard footsteps getting closer and I stood up grabing hold of the sword Zel got me at the last town. "Oh Flame!" a voice jeered and I knew it was one of the Assieda. "Come here and give yourself up or this wolf we caught dies!"
"Damn... they hit one of my weaknesses..." I muttered getting ready to try and save it.
"Its just a wolf," said Zel with a shrug.
"Have you ever met a wolf in friendship, looked into its eyes and have it accept you? If you did you'd never want to see one come to harm..." I told him, remembering my run in with the wolf at the zoo back home. "Let me try to handle this. This one will NOT die!" I boldly walked forward forgetting my fear and thinking only of freeing the wolf.
"I knew that would get you," chuckled one of the Assieda assassins. "So you've Realized now have you?" her asked as he saw my ears and tail. I looked at the wolf and saw they had it bound with a wire around its neck and began to growl.
"Shut up..." I muttered. "I ain't gonna let that creature be killed by a human with the soul of a monster..." the others came forward. I set down my sword and followed an idea my mind shoved up, "Just put the wolf to the side and we'll settle this without bringing an innocent into this, you have my word it will just be you and me." I motioned to Zel to stay back.
"As I said, I knew this would work..." the assassin chuckled again as they tied the wolf's wire to a tree.
I pointed my hands at them and began to chant, "Spirit that dwells in my soul, lend me your flames..." and then I released the energy I felt gather between my hands with a swipe as if I was clawing something. I opened my eyes to see 'claws' of fire strike the Assieda. "I've gone from simply being Flame to a FlameClaw... now THAT sounds like a cool name... FlameClaw... I like that... could either be called just 'Flame' or just 'Claw'..."
I made my way over towards the wolf before Zel could make a move worrying that someone besides me would scare it. Her, scare her. "Be careful, he might try attack you." Zel warned.
"She won't hurt me, will you girl," I purred as I moved slowly towards the wolf. I touched the wire and followed it slowly to where it encircled her neck and hooked my finger underneath to widen it and slowly slipped it off. I sensed Zel's surprise at how the wolf was behaving calmly. "There you go girl, your free to go," I told the wolf as I untied the wire from the tree and rolled it up to go in my pack. When I turned to leave the wolf started trotting beside me.
I couldn't let her go off on her own now that I had found her, a fire Skivit on their own could cause a lot of damage, and would be a good target for the Assieda to influence. Or more likely considering she had good reason to hate them, be killed trying to be converted to Assieda thinking. I trotted beside her with a purpose.
"What's that thing doing?" asked the other as he turned to see what was taking the girl, FlameClaw.
"She wants to follow me it seems," she answered. Well, if I didn't speak up now, figuratively speaking, I'd have to later and then it would only be harder to explain and there'd be less trust.
Of course I'm going to follow you, it isn't every day one runs into a Fire Skivit that can use that much power after only going through her first phase! They were both surprised to hear my voice in their head, well, who wouldn't be. What, you two didn't expect them to ransom a normal wolf, did you?
"I had no idea..." FlameClaw said honestly.
"I've never even heard of the Assieda before," shrugged the other.
I nodded solemnly. I am SilverHeart of the Vartu Wolves, allies to the Skivits, your kind FlameClaw, although you won't be a full Skivit until you reach your Becoming.
"Ah... Silver... now that they found I can do... what I did... they're gonna REALLY be after me, aren't they?" Flame asked visibly scared at the thought.
I'm afraid the answer is yes, considering how rare Flame Skivits are and how powerful they are... I trotted towards the girl. There is no way I'm going to let them get you. They're too dangerous for all the worlds as it is.
That innocent looking girl from another magicless world was that powerful, and in that much danger! I looked at her and remembered what happened before the Assieda first found her here, I couldn't let them harm her. And I wasn't about to trust that wolf to protect her, even if Flame fully believed the wolf could. "From what I've seen I wouldn't let anyone fall to harm in their clutches. I also have some friends who could help."
It wasn't hard to find Lina and the others, I'd just parted ways with them a few days before I ran into Flame. It took us no more than two days with SilverHeart's help, although the thought of seeing Amelia again made me doubt getting to them that soon was a good thing. So far we hadn't run into the Assieda again, that had Flame nervous, and I didn't blame her.
They say they're in the Hungry Bear Inn, the wolf announced.
"Lets get going, the sooner we find them the more we'll be able to defend ourselves when they do make their move," Flame said while her mind drifted slightly. I half suspected her and the wolf were having a private conversation. I nodded and we headed off. I was almost afraid to go into the inn and end up being greeted by Amelia more than just a little enthusiastically. But knowing her it was unavoidable, and as I entered with FlameClaw, now with a new hooded cape she picked up on and the hood over her ears, and SilverHeart in tow that thought was confirmed.
Both the girl and the wolf jumped back as Amelia launched herself at me and proceeded to cling to me. "OH-ZEL-I-KNEW-YOU'D-COME-BACK!!!!"
"Get off me!" I said trying to push her off. "I came to find you guys for some help for someone I ran into." Flame took that as her cue to step forward, she adjusted her hood a bit and one feline ear was in view for a second.
"Let's sit down before we discuss this more, preferably in the back in case they come," Flame said looking back over her shoulder quickly. She followed behind along with the wolf, it was obvious that she didn't like being in the inn much.
"Now what's going on? And who are they?" asked Lina impatiently.
First off shouldn't we be introduced? The wolf sent obviously wanting to see their reaction. Flame smirked a bit as she saw the varied expressions the others wore.
"All right," I said bowing slightly to the wolf. "The wolf is SilverHeart and the lady next to me is FlameClaw. Silver, Flame, these are my friends Lina, Gourry, and Amelia."
"And it seems that even having left my world they, the Assieda, followed me," she continued readjusting her hood again so that they definitely saw her ears. "As you can see I'm not human, even if I did think I was one for almost twenty years. I'm a Skivit, a Fire Skivit in particular, that's why they're after me. If what Silver tells me is true if they get me before my Becoming they can influence my thinking and have me working for them..."
And Fire Skivits are especially powerful, this one in particular has great potential. She's already used powers that she shouldn't yet be able to. If they get FlameClaw and combine her powers with the Skivits they've already brainwashed they could do much harm to any world or worlds they want. the wolf continued for her.
"Who just said that?" asked Gourry. SilverHeart put a paw over her eyes.
Me, you dolt! The wolf!
"How can a..." he started to ask but Lina started pummeling him.
"And you want our help to keep FlameClaw out of the grasp of those filthy enemies if Justice!" Amelia declared. Suddenly Flame looked like she though this idea wasn't as good a one if she thought.
"Something like that..."
Ye GODS she was more annoying in person! "All I need is some protection until I reach my Becoming. I can't offer any money since I'm not from this world, but I will be able to help, I'm not all that defenseless as the last group of Assieda found." I smirked remembering the feeling of surprise emanating from the Assieda when I saved SilverHeart, and for a moment I forgot my now-feline teeth. I quickly covered them as I remembered. Well, at least these new instinct will let me rest a bit now that there's more peeps in this 'pack'. I carefully itched alongside my right eye. I hated to think I'd have to rely on these strangers totally. "I'll be back in a second," I said preparing to ask the innkeeper if I could earn a decent meal if I provided some musical entertainment.
I made myself appear fully human as I walked up and pulled out this small musical instrument called a liir'in that SilverHeart had produced for me. "Excuse me," I said pulling my hood down. "This place seems kind of dull, and I'm low on money. Perhaps if I provide some music I can earn a decent meal?"
"Why sure, a lovely lady like you is welcomed to," the innkeeper smiled. I nodded my thinks and went up to perform as the innkeeper announced me. "This lovely lady has offered to provide us with some music! Enjoy!"
The others saw me and were startled that I know looked human, I heard SilverHeart and Zel trying to explain to them, especially Gourry, that I was a shapeshifter. I hoped to all the gods that SilverHeart was right about Skivits becoming natural musicians once they reach their Realization. My fingers began to move on the small metal 'keys' on the liir'in and the first notes of "As Long As I Can Dream" floated out. "When this world that I see, is too much to take, and too hard for me, and everything is blue. When the rain's pourin' down, and I can't find the sun don't mean the sun can't be found. It always comes through. There's not a soul that's lost, that can't find its way. There's not a night that's long, that can't find the day. As long as I can dream, there's a better world, there's a better world. I see it shinin'. And in my dreams I see, in my dreams I see, there's a better world, oh, as long as I can dream." I sang on, following it up with "In Walked Love", "Life Uncommon", and "Absence of Fear". More than once Silver popped into my thoughts to tell me just how good I was and the reactions of those I was to travel with.
Part 2 | Fanfiction