Life Starts Now

The skeptical eyes of Madame were like daggers in her back, painful and uncomfortable. Not even the thick glass that separated them could keep her from feeling bare at her instructor’s scrutiny.  As Calise danced, Madame would bark out orders to her. Keep her legs straight, tighten her arms, and flow more in the movements. Calise did as her instructor asked, following the choreography as best as she could. Today it was a contemporary routine and took a lot of bending in her body. These kinds of moves often led to torn muscle and damaged tissue. As her routine came to a close, she let out a tired sigh. For two hours, she had gone through the moves and every time she didn’t get them right. Sweat made her clothes cling to her body and her muscles were trembling. The soft click of the office door made her look up directly to the eyes of Madame. Those cold eyes had been judging her for the last two hours, pushing her to do better. Now, as Calise’s gold eyes looked at her instructor, Madame seemed content. “You have proved to me how dedicated you are to this career. I want to continue your working with me as a dancer, not a student. Welcome to the world of performing my dear.” With Madame’s words, Calise’s eyes widened. She gave a brisk nod and straightened to her full height. “Thank you, Madame.” Calise calmly stretched her arms and sighed, feeling the tight muscle give and relax. She had known it was a test that Madame had given her, which was why she had tried to hard. At Madame’s departure, the shifter silently walked to change from the sweaty clothing she was in.

Walking outside, Calise admired the woodsy space around her. She didn’t know why this studio had drawn her. The shifter took a step from the stairs and landed as a snake. Calise shook her spaded head and relaxed into her natural form. It was always odd for her, going from having two legs to none. The shifter had grown more used to her primal form every day, only shifting when she needed to dance or perform. She shook off all thoughts and delved into the mind ways of her primal form, looking for a decent meal to have. The red figures of other creatures signaled close places for her to have a meal. Many scents collided around her, but one of them was different. This one made her remember the family she had left behind, all in their primal forms. It wasn’t that of another snake, but it was that of her species. Times with her family were clear in her mind, yet their species smell was identical to the one she was smelling now. Slithering closer, Calise stopped at what she believed to be a border. Food was long forgotten as she shifted back, smelling and looking among the trees. Her heart had turned to a hard, cold thing of unnerved tension within her chest. Calise shifted back to become the form of her rattlesnake, and let out a long hiss. The sound was accompanied by the sounds of her rattle. She was merely alerting others of her presence, but couldn’t help but be curious. Not once had she seen more of her kind since leaving Demetri. Now just might’ve been a nice time to meet more.

((Sorry its a little short))
The sun’s waving rays seemed to lighten the usually dreary border woods in a golden glow. A glow that sickened the heart of the poor snow leopard and made her mind swarm with memories. A bronze pelt that rippled with every movement of the muscular body beneath it almost appeared to walk beside her, emanating his warmth and love even stronger than the fiery disc that burned in the summer sky. But at least the sun was real. Jagara’s eyes closed, her subconscious self feeling the flank of her mate brushing her fur ever so slightly. It felt so nice, so comforting, as if he was alive. A soft purr escaped her as she whispered to him, “Dear, come back. Can’t you do that? One more miracle, for me.” But when her grey eyes opened to look at him, a biting cold came over the spot where there had just been a passionate flame from the touch of his fur. There was no one there…

Jagara snorted at her stupidity, long claws sliding out of the seemingly harmless furry paws in annoyance. ‘It takes you two centuries to get over one guy. Pathetic,’ she scolded herself within the boundaries of her mind. But then again, if he had not been slaughtered and mutilated in such a way, perhaps it would have been easier to accept. By sheer willpower, Jagara lifted the cement weighing on her trudging paws and threw it off to the side. She had duties to do, and this was not a time to be weak. In fact, there was no such time, ever. She gave a determined huff and leaped into a galloping patrol run. Her ears were pricked, jaws open to scent the air, and even her whiskers twitched, trying to detect disturbances in the woods as her wide, snowshoe paws silently flew over the earth beneath her. A hiss and rattle made her turn sharply and halt, seeing a shifter before her. Strangely, it was a reptile, one whose intentions were questionable. Remaining in a light stance, ready to leap up to dodge an attack if need be, she arched her long tail over her spine. “I am Jagara, Epror to Regina Eden, who owns these lands.” With a brisk tone, she added, “Who are you, shifter? Speak your purpose.”

Bringing her spaded head up, the rattlesnake slithered towards a small tree. She carefully wound her long, scaled body up the trunk. Calise’s scales blended in with the bark, nearly masking her body completely. As she made her way to coil around a branch, she took a moment to look around. Everything was in vivid shades of rainbow. Her slitted eyes focused on the red points, seeing many but none at all. The snakes eyesight mixed with its sense of smell and brought her into a new world of the animal. She watched as small, red rodents scuffled amongst the brush. Occasionally she could see the body of another snake that wasn’t of her species. They seemed to be basking in the sun, stomachs full and content to her view. Though they weren’t shifters, they seemed not to be bothered living in the lans of them. It made her wonder what lied beyond the border of the tree line. Others like her, perhaps? Her mother had told her once that shifters in the form of snakes weren’t always common. They tended to take the form of larger beasts, such as lions and tigers. She had to admit she was relaxed in her own scaled body and had never once dreamed of being one of the furry beasts. Her siblings had thought otherwise, wanting to be more exotic than their natural forms. She had known it was useless to imagine such thing, melancholy even. The snakes family her been to close and too wanting to be isolated. It was part of why she left, the other being that she enjoyed watching the nature of ones who walked on two legs.  Calise had come to accept living amongst humans after living so long with the original vampire. She had a hope that she wouldn’t be seeing him again, not wanting to meet what she had already met. Calise had left and made sure he couldn’t find her, and now she had found herself among the borders of her species. At this moment, the rattlesnake had to admit that meeting her new kind would be a completely new experience.

From her vantage point on the branch, she could both smell and see the red figure coming towards her. Narrowing her pupils to slivers, she could see that what wa coming towards her surely wasn’t something that belonged in a forest such as this. She could just make out the large paws, rounded ears, and thick tail to give her indication. There were small signs that told her that this animal was a snow leopard. She didn’t need any more tells that this was one of her species, the misplacement of habitat was enough. Calise uncoiled the upper half of her body so that the snow leopard could see her clearly and not camouflaged within the bark of the tree. The rattlesnake quickly worked her way down the trunk of the tree to slither face to face with the snow leopard and answer her questions. She didn’t know what an Epror was, but instinct told her it was something of a dominance. Calise was already on the ground and it was quite difficult to show submission with the nature of her being, but she lowered her spaded head and looked away from the one named Jagara before speaking. “I am Calise, a loner. I was trying to find a meal when I came upon this border. I mean no harm to you or others, but am now asking acceptance. I was trained in fighting within my human form, and I have weapons of my own in this form.” Common sense told Calise that she needed to say what she could provide for the group that she had found herself among the borders of. Calise was still wary of staying in one place for a matter of time, but she had calmed and settled in the city. Maybe, just maybe it was time for her to find a place within her own kind. The shifter quickly banished her thoughts and focused on Jagara, making sure that her own scaled body wasn’t posing a threat to her.

A hard gaze watched the reptile slither forward while claws automatically appeared from their sheaths, ready for use. However, once the rattlesnake lowered her head and averted her eyes, the shiny natural weapons were quickly retracted to their place. Jagara looked the shifter over as she spoke, short and to the point, just as she liked it. The snake’s body was long and adorned with natural camouflage, perfect for some of the defensive tactics the Epror had been working on in case of a human attack. And there were so many places she could fit in such a rare warrior, if she really did know how to fight. There was something peculiar about all of this though. “Trained to fight in your human shell? Huh… unusual. I guess it could be helpful though,” the snow leopard rumbled mostly to herself. Perhaps this would be a shifter who wished to reside in the Monet Quarter. Whatever was to happen, there were still things that needed to be done first. The snow leopard lowered her haunches to the ground to sit, curling her long, characteristic tail around her pale ash paws. However, she did inconspicuously shift her weight slightly off of her right forepaw, ready to smack off a bite if need be. Out of curiosity, she asked, “It is an honor to meet you, Calise. If I may ask, where do you hail from? And how many years of knowledge do you hold?” She made sure to add a small dip of her spotted head after the first sentence. Of course, this was routine, but never before had Jagara been so interested in a shifter who came to ask for admission into the pack.

After a moment, she gave a warm, inviting smile that showed the tips of her canines. If this shifter wanted acceptance, or was considering it, then the female would try to be hospitable. Or, at least appear that way for a start. With a brisk but still warm tone, dropping her previous protective one, she began, “Acceptance, eh? Fighting skills are welcomed, but they are not the deciding factor here. Regina Eden owns these lands, and she believes that every shifter should be given a second chance, despite all of the wrongs and tragedies of their life, so that we may become a strong family here and lead our species to greatness. However, as this is a fully functioning pack, you would be expected to fulfill your duties with punctuality and proudly bear your rank while protecting our lands. Respect should be shown to all of your pack mates, regardless of their position in the hierarchy. Do so, and you will be returned with the same curteousy. And of course, we expect loyalty to our pack and to our leader.” She paused, thoughtfully looking at the shifter and decided to continue, “Would you be willing and capable to do these things? And I know you must have some questions of your own, so feel free to ask.” Jagara finally lowered her paw and casually rested there, waiting for answers. Her thoughts began to drift back to a golden pelt, shimmering in the sunlit fields of the Basque country. It was so nice back then. Just her and Azeroth, alone together for seemingly an eternity. But alas, not so! Their time together was not to last more than a short while, for Fate had written a tragic ending of her own that she wanted to see played out. The shifter blinked, snapping away from those thoughts once more and reaching down to lick the large, horizontal scars on her knees for a moment, their tingling presence annoying her again. Jagara never understood why they itched or how it was instigated, but she was slowly beginning to think that it was a mental thing stimulated by her thoughts about the past.

Slowly, the rattlesnake shifted her eyes back to the snow leopard. She remained quiet for a moment and narrowed her eyes further to look at the details of such a creature. Not once had she seen a slow leopard in her life, and it made her curious. She looked over the red-colored fur in her vision as it was slightly surrounded by more oranges. Calise watched the colors move almost distractedly, watching the heat around the other shifter move and pulse. Her mother had told her that the vision would be both a blessing and a sin. They weren’t able to see the very slight moves to an attack, but she was able to see all the main weak spots of an opponent. She still watched as the other half of her body curled into a relaxed position, not coiling to strike. Calise kept the contracting muscles within her body lithe and loose as she remained prepared for a paw to strike at her. As Jagara spoke, Calise answered. “It is both an honor and a pleasure to meet you as well, Jagara. I do not mind you questions at all. Yes, trained in my human shell. I prefer to be able to fight in both, and have all the natural weapons I would need in my primal form. I hail from a small cave in Austrailia, where my family wished to live in their primal forms. I have two-hundred and fifty years of knowledge within me, but I am a professional dancer as well. It is something I enjoy to do, so I use my human shell more than others probably would.” The shifter spoke the words matter-of-factly, not trying to sound arrogant or dominant. It was more of a slightly friendly tone, and the accents within her speech were evident. She thought that she might as well give the information before the other shifter asked, not wishing to prolong a conversation that wouldn‘t need more than a few sentences. Calise had to admit that she was actually fascinated in the nature of the other and wondering for the first time what Jagara felt like in having fur. Scales were all she knew, but Calise couldn’t help but to wonder how all shifters of different types felt in their primal forms. It was slightly distracting her from their conversation, so she quickly banished the thinking.

Calise was slightly taken aback with Jagara’s warm smile, but went with it anyways. The rattlesnake nodded quietly to the leopards word, thinking and pondering over many questions within her head. She quickly realized many had to do with the same subjects, so she summed them up to ask when the other shifter was done speaking. Words of having a second chance took her back slightly to the memories. They were a blur now, but she could just remember the murder and weightless feeling of the highs. Why she did them, Calise didn’t want to know. The shifter was ashamed of herself and the lack of self control she had, but now she was being offered a new start. Nodding, the snake’s scaled mouth turned up in a smile of her own. “I will work hard and remain loyal, I can promise that to you and to anyone else who would ask me. I have not been part of a pack before, but any rank I was given I would bare proudly. It would be an honor to become part of such a complex community.” Taking advantage of the offer to ask questions, Calise spoke once more. “First of all, are there any shifters that are of the snake nature like myself? I know is it uncommon, but I was just wondering. Second of all, are most of the shifters not in their natural habitats? If so, then why?” Giving her main curiosities words, she waited silently for the leopard to answer. Calise dark, forked tongue slipped from her mouth involuntarily to taste the air as she smelled. Her personality and way of acting was one of how her species of snake would act. The calm demeanor and slightly friendly attitude. Human emotions aided in with that, but she remained very true to her nature. From previous experience, she was resistant of biting and more for the ways of threatening. She was naturally not one for social graces, but thought that she was doing quite well.

Jagara had begun to notice that strangers who happened upon the pack lands always seemed to study her, like she was some exotic animal. Well, she was an exotic animal, but it still amused her to think that they had seen nothing like her before so they stare and examine her pelt with their bright, curious eyes. The shifter paid no attention to this, however, and simply watched the rattlesnake as she spoke. She liked the way Calise quickly gave her the information she wanted, as well as a little pledge, since there was no point in wasting time. Besides, there were more important words to say and things to do. After rolling her well-defined shoulders, she began the official accepting speech, “Good. We always welcome dedicated, loyal shifters into our ranks. From this moment on, you shall be known as Bellator Calise, Warrior of our pack and protector of our lands. Feel free to make your nest in the Timberlands, but I think you should check out Monet Quarter. It is a small village-like area for the shifters who are used to a humanoid life to feel at ease. You might see me there in the library sometimes in the morning. I tend to do some of my studies there and open the doors for the day. Also, you are welcome to roam our territories, but be sure to remember who you are and what assignments you have. Your duties begin tomorrow at noon. If you ever need some guidance, advice, or even comfort, you may come find me, I mean it. Welcome to our family, Calise.” The Epror rose to her paws and shook her pelt before thinking about the question. The first was easy and quick to answer, but she had to think about the second.

“No, I have not seen any other reptilian shifters among us, but have faith. One might turn up soon. We seem to be growing with every passing week. I believe that, perhaps by fall, we shall have a strong force of able-bodied shifters.” She paused for a moment, looking up at the expanse of blue and foamy white that occupied the heavens during the day. Why had she come so far from home? Or even as far as Basque. There was some logic behind it, but it was challenging to formulate it in an explanatory answer. Drawing her gaze back down to look at the snake, she replied, “Well, yes, many of us are misplaced. I met a black jaguar recently; we have two tigers, the white tigress being our leader. There is also a lion and a white wolf. I suppose we were just all travelling, running either towards or from something, perhaps both. We all have our own demons, our own tragedies and tales. Well, at least that’s what I believe. I myself am perhaps the most misplaced animal here, but I originated from the Alps, going down from the mountains and to the villages at the foothills once I was on my own. The villagers found out who I was and, not wanting to kill off fifty or so men and perhaps receive wounds, I fled and eventually ended up in Basque. Ever since a tragic event there, I’ve been travelling and trading knowledge mostly relating to combat and tactics but also some general skills. That’s how I’m so far from home. Each of us has our own story, it’s just who we are. It doesn’t matter where we decide to settle down, I think. It only matters with whom we stay.” Turning around, she began to slowly pad back to camp, releasing a wild yowl into the air. She glanced back at Calise and said, “You may either go explore the territories or come walk with me so I may answer any more questions that you may have, which I do not mind doing. However, we will be joined by Arthas, who I have just called for. I need to walk him anyway.” Jagara padded deeper into the woods, her shoulders rising and falling smoothly. As her ears flickered back to check if the new Bellator was following, a handsome blue merle Aussie burst through the bracken and began to walk beside Jagara, matching her every stride.

((Welcome to the pack, Bellator Calise! You may now post in the Shifter Regions! You don’t have to reply to this post if you don’t want to.))