The Tale of Outh'n Durr

Chapter 17: Change

Or at least he'd thought he was ready. Something stung first one calf muscle, then the other, and his legs gave out beneath him.

"What have you done, Eiva Di'Amo?" Outh'n bared his teeth at her and growled. He wondered at his tendency to call upon memories of Oowah at the peak of his anger. "You're going to regret that."

"Oh?" When Eiva smiled, it was rarely warm or inviting. She saved those for Kol who seemed to ignore them. Now, though, the ice in her glare froze the blood in his veins. What was she planning? "And how will you do anything sprawled on the ground like a gurba searching blindly for a rotting seed?" she jeered.

Outh'n seethed. By the time he noticed the burning in his belly, it had spread almost the length of his extremities. "Seriously, Eiva. You need to leave now. I don't want you here and I don't want trouble. I just want to go home and rest." The words were a struggle and his eyes burned, though not with tears this time. A stirring of the ground beneath him took his eyes from the Genzetti warrior. "What in the name —" But before he could finish, Edrea's roots trapped and held him.

Eiva stood nearby, a relaxed observer, but not near enough to become entangled. She laughed, a scornful sound that set his blood boiling to match the burn flooding his nerve endings. He tried to speak but the only sounds that emerged resembled more of what he'd heard from Oowah. He frowned. What was Edrea doing?

Eiva drew back, her blade raised high. Outh'n closed his eyes, resigned to his fate when he felt a thump. His eyes flashed open to find Eiva in a similar predicament. He wanted to laugh so badly but the vines holding him tightened in warning.

"This will not be pleasant for either of you but this gift cannot be given any other way. You have both earned something extra which will allow you to excel among the Myrr."

Edrea's words cut off and the pain intensified. He snarled and writhed as his bones creaked and joints stretched beyond their limits. His skin prickled as if an army of metcha were allowed to feast on him endlessly. He howled in pain, shocked at how like Oowah he sounded. Had he paid closer attention than he'd thought?

Then as suddenly as it had come, the pain disappeared, leaving him worn like an old cleansing scrap and gasping for breath. Eiva sounded no better but he kept his eyes closed as he focused on regaining his energy. The soft pad of a beast's paw had him springing to his feet before he was really ready. He wobbled, then righted himself, scanning the area.

A black beast with a short snout and needle-like fangs stood before him. It's black eyes seemed vaguely familiar in a strange way. The wide tufted ears twitched, searching for the smallest sound. Outh'n stood very still, waiting for the moment he must defend himself against such a fierce foe. Great Giver of Life! This beast had shoulders like a mountain and legs like tree trunks.

"There are three vesat," the beast spoke into his mind with a voice as familiar as the eyes blinking at him.

"No," whispered Outh'n. "Kol? Is that you?"

The beast nodded. "Stop interrupting Outh'n Durr and listen. There are three vesat. We are of the first. This form is called vesat'ya and consists of warriors who shift into land beast forms."

Outh'n held out a hand to stop the unbelievable words. Surprise arrested his thoughts when he saw a massive paw covered in fur where he expected his own hand to be.

Kol continued, oblivious to his confusion. "The Ammir has asked me to train you two in the use of your forms. While I'm certain I can help Outh'n," he turned that massive head to where Outh'n knew Eiva had been, "Eiva, your form is much different from ours. I will ask for someone who is familiar with prey forms to aid you in learning of the tools your form hides."

He turned, his long tail striped with dark gray, swished back and forth as if he was impatient. "Both of you follow me," he said without a backward glance.

Outh'n turned to look at Eiva who struggled to rise on her spindly legs which were a mottled blend of muddy purple, green, and gold. Two curving horns jutted out of her elongated snout. A fuzzy, leaf-shaped ear the size of his palm twitched and swiveled above each dark, thickly-lashed eye. A long thin tail tipped with a fuzzy tuft matched her ears and swung back and forth in a strange rhythm. Once she regained her footing, she stamped one cloven hoof in fury and snorted, shaking her horned head. She almost toppled over for her futile efforts. Outh'n would've laughed but he was having his own issues getting used to a new form.

"Be easy Outh'n Durr. Relax into this form and reach your potential."

"Thank you, Edrea. I'll do that."

Outh'n set off following Kol, slowly at first, then building speed until he was trotting at an easy lope.

The tappity-tap of hooves on leaf-mold followed after him. Awkward at times, and often accompanied by an enraged snort, Eiva drew steadily nearer.

"I can't believe she turned me into prey," Eiva's alto mutter interrupted Outh'n's concentration.

"Edrea chooses as befits the host, Eiva," Kol chided. "Focus on honing your skills in that form. She gave you what you would need and your form is important to the whole of Yacan." Kol stopped and spun on his back legs to face them. Outh'n almost toppled over in his efforts to not slam into Kol. Eiva did fall, tripped by her graceful legs.

Kol padded closer and stood over her, looking down his nose. Outh'n tensed but stayed where he was. "Are you dissatisfied, Eiva Di'Amo?"

It was a long while coming, and at that, begrudgingly, but she finally shook her head, setting the tufts at her ears fluttering. Outh'n wondered at her form. He'd never seen a beast like that in Shinnoah. But then again, he'd never seen anything like Kol's form, either.

"Good. Rise and let's get moving. We have much to learn and little time to learn it in."

Kol waited, tail twitching impatiently, ears swiveled at attention to note Eiva's rising and make certain both followed obediently. Then he set off once again down the path.