New Story: The Adventure Begins

[hyaline]

He was sitting at the corner table in the tavern. His back was turned, blocking out most of the common folk and travelers alike but he could still feel the stares and hear the whispers. This was nothing new to the Tiefling for this is an ever present part of his life. He is mostly human but is far from being human; he has tried to be, tried to fit in but nothing was going to change the reality that he has a tail and a pair of cat eyes. He thought when he walked into the tavern that this time it would be different, but he was wrong. It was never going to be any different than those stares and whispers he now felt and heard. Perhaps he was just hoping or wishing for he has never known companionship, he has never been able to share his experiences with anyone.

He started to hear the rumblings, from the people present at the tavern, to kick him out of the building with the occasional “demon” for he had not thought to conceal his thin, whip-like tail. As well some of the people sat or stood uneasily because of an aura he gave off, an aura that came from the demon blood in his veins.

He silently rose and quickly left the building with his tail swaying behind him, almost to entice the people of the tavern to lash out at him to give himself an excuse to vent some of his frustration. The handsome face, which was surrounded by bluish, gray hair, of the Tiefling remained emotionless. He continued to walk through the small village, past the houses, the smithy shop and the market. Once out of the village he for a nearby forest and made camp for the night.

While propped up against a tree eating a few nut and berries he had collected a foul smell reached him, he recognized it almost immediately, it was the smell of orcs! Standing quickly he unsheathed one of the long swords at his side; he could now see torch light in the distance followed by a crack of an axe against a tree. He didn’t much care if the orc cut the whole forest down but he was restless and what a better way to spend ones time than hunting orcs.

He approached them from their left flank while making as much noise as possibly for he wanted this to be fun. He casually walk into the clearing where the orcs were at work. The five orcs saw him immediately having been already aware of the Tieflings presence.

He drew his other sword and with his tail he pulled out a dagger which he kept in his right boot. The orcs charged, whooping and yelling in their harsh tongue, the lead orc fell to the ground with a dagger sticking out of his skull, the others charged on.

“Come to me you fools, come to your death,” the Tiefling yelled, and he to charged.


(to be continued…………)

[Golden Lion 86]

The forest was quiet today. There were no Human visitors, no Elves to be seen. Only peace and quiet. A herd of oxen grazed in a clearing, near a pool of clear, fresh water. The herd numbered 30 or so members, about 10 of whom were bulls, 10 were cows, and 10 were calves. The calves were still small and unattractive. The cows were bigger, much bigger, but still not as appealing as the bulls. They were large, covered with hundreds of pounds of meat. They would feed the invisible predator for a week, perhaps more! The cat sat in the bushes, no more than 50 feet from the herd. He was a giant cat, a Liger. A product of a chance encounter between a Lion and a Tigress, the Liger was the best of both worlds. He was 15 feet long, and weighed 2000 lbs, about as big as the bulls. He had two advantages over them, however: as a cat, each pound of muscle provided far more strength than the bull had, so that he could lift one with ease, were he capable of standing. The second, and most important advantage, was that as a meat-eater and predator, he was much cleverer than the bull. He sat there for ten minutes, watching them, calculating his every move. Across the lake, he sensed another presence, a Bear. Though not as delicious as bulls, bears made for good meals regardless. The Bear watched him stalk his prey. A poor predator, the Bear ate berries and grasses. He ate meat only when he was fortunate to catch any. The Liger, on the other hand, was a master predator. Every hunt he went on yielded a tasty kill, and he would not fail this time.

Suddenly, before the Liger could act, a Crocodile emerged from the water, snapping at one of the bulls, and dragging him under. The time to strike was now, while the herd had not yet dispersed. The Liger leapt 20 feet forward and landed a few feet from a large bull. The bull took notice and began to run, but before he could get very far, the liger leapt again, sinking his claws into the beast's rump. The Bull moaned, but the sound was choked out when the Liger took one final bound, landed to the right of the bull, fell over and with a spring, sank his mighty jaw into the prey's throat. The bull struggled for a minute, but then fell. The Liger relaxed for a while, and sat, with the prey in his mouth, making sure the life was drained from it. He observed the Crocodile's struggle with the Bull, and saw that the bull managed to escape. The crocodile was hungry, but it needn't look far for a fresh kill. As was the custom of lesser predators, he made an attampt to steal the Liger's Kill - a fatal mistake. As the crocodilke snapped at the fallen bull, the Liger leapt into the air, and landed beside the Crocodile. The reptilian roared, but with a swipe of his paw, the great cat closed the Crocodile's mouth and sank his claws into his head. The crocodile tried to struggle, but before it could break free, the Liger sank his giant fangs into his aggressor's neck, severing his spinal cord. The crocodile's armored skin proved to be no defense against tha cat's 10-inch fangs. Now, the Liger had two kills, but the Crocodile was not his intended prey, so he left him to the vultures. He proceeded to skin the bull, when he recalled that he had a second adversary to contend with: the Bear. A fellow mammal, the bear was also a clever beast, though nowhere near the Liger in strength or speed. The coast seemed clear, but only for a moment.

The bear ran out of the bushes, charging the Liger. With a lightning fast swipe, the Liger slashed the Bear across the face, breaking his momentum and sending him to the Ground. The wound had fractured the Bear's skull, but he would not give up. He got up again and began to posture. Had he known the Liger's secret source of intelligence, he would have known that intimidation would not work. While the bear stood up, roaring with all his might, the Liger stood up on his hind legs, towering 6 feet over the bear, and jumped at him. He landed with a crash, sending his claws into the Bear's shoulders, while remaining in a standing position. The cat's giant head snapped at the Bear's face a few times, until it caught his muzzle in an iron grip. It was a common practice among cats to suffocate their prey by clamping down on their muzzle, but this was different. The Liger's Tiger heritage led him to see bears as thieves of the Tiger's kills, as they often were, and as a mortal enemy. The rage that powered the cat's jaws suddenly increased tenfold, and the bear's skull cracked under the pressure. The bear fell to the grass, unconscious, but alive. He rolled on the ground a few minutes, when the Liger took pity on the broken animal. The bear was doomed, but the Liger would give him an easy way out. Just as he had done with the Crocodile, the Liger flipped the bear over with his mighty paws and bit his neck, severing his spinal cord - an efficient, and merciful death. The area was finally clear, and the young lady who observed from a tree was no threat to the Liger. She clenched her hands in anger when she saw the bear fall, and prepared to charge the Liger, against her better judgment. Scimitar in hand, she tensed her muscles and prepared to jump when the Liger took notice. He looked at her with Human eyes, though gold-colored they were, and looked down upon the bear. He understood how she felt, and after a moment of staring at her, he picked up the bear by his neck-skin and dragged him over to the tree where the lady was, allowing her to perform funeral rites. The lady looked at the Liger, but her expression changed to anger again and she grabbed a spear leaning on a thick branch next to her, and threw it at the cat. The spear hit the cat in the shouder, and sank in, creating a deep wound. The Liger angered and stood up in his hind legs, slamming the tree with his claws, shattering the bark into a hundred splinters. His act of rage brought one of the splinters into his eye, and knocked the lady off the tree. She fell to a lower branch, landing on her feet, but it snapped after a few seconds, and she landed on her back.

Grabbing at her aching spine, the lady tried to get up, but flinched as her vertebrae bent into a position of discomfort. She fell back and lay there for a moment, breathing heavily. The Liger, in the meantine, came near the lady, blinking spasmatically with his left eye, and with a spear sticking out of his muscled shoulder. He sniffed the lady, and stepped back. After a few moments of growling, he turned into a humanoid, almost 9 feet in height. He was covered in fur, and sported a thick black mane. His hands ended in claws, and his teeth were sharp. He had a tail, just like a Liger, but his expression, now, was one of pity. The lady looke at him once more and turned herself over. She got up on her knees and tried to make it to the nearest tree, but she stopped and convulsed again, jerking her arm and putting it on her back. She knelt there for a while, when the man-beast came up to her. He reached for his girdle and pulled out a potion. He handed it to th lady, and she accepted, though she still clutched at her back. She opened the potion and drank it. Relief surged through her bones, and she could stand up again. She looked at the man-beast, and saw that he was pulling the spear from his shoulder. He pulled it loose and threw it aside. He then proceeded to try to get the splinter out of his eye, but in his hybrid form, he had claws on his hands - claws he could not sheath. So he cut his eye, and a mixture of blood and tears rolled down his cheek as he tried again and again to pull the splinter loose.
"Curse this form!" He finally spoke. "Curse the wizard and curse my blood!"
The lady walked up to him with caution. He was large and enraged, and though he proved that his intentions were not hostile, he could still inadvertently hurt her. After a few moments, she mustered up some courage and yelled:
"Stop!"
The man-neast looked-up at her, stopping his foolish attempts to pull the splinter out.
"Let me do it." the lady said. "My hands are smaller, and do not end with claws."
He bent over, so that she could reach his face, and in an instant, she pulled the splinter out.
"There." she said. "You needn't lose your cool. You could have blinded yourself!"
The man-beast looked at her again, nodding in understanding. In an instant, he noticed a look of curiosity on her face - a look that he misinterpreted as disgust, as he had so many others. Before she could pose all the questions she had for him, he ran off into the depths of the forests. An echo ensued, carrying the words "Thank you!"

[werebeargoddess]

Jena stared after the liger with mixed feelings. On the one hand, she was happy to have escaped with her life, for she knew how dangerous ligers could be. On another hand, she was furious that the liger had killed Terion, the bear who had been watching the liger, and she almost wished that she had killed the liger. On yet another hand, she wished the liger had stayed, for she had seen human intelligence in his eyes... She sat down, hard. Things could be so confusing, sometimes. She had been in the area, tracking a strange aura that she had felt, when Terion and his mate had asked for her help. Naturally, since she was a werebear, she had stopped tracking the aura to see what was wrong. As she soon found out, the liger was the source of their problems. The animals had a strict code n this area of the forest, and the liger had disrupted it. Terion, who knew that she was both a ranger and a werebear, had sent for her, knowing that she would be able to do something about it. Jena sighed, and scooted up next to the nearest tree, leaning on it. She had been a werebear her whole life. She was descended from a ling line of true werebears, so it had hardly come as a surprise to her parents when they found out. Jena closed her eyes, trying not to cry the tears that always came when she thought of her parents. She had been separated from her father because she was a werebear, and her mother had been killed by werewolves. Ever since her mother's death, she had lived off the land, on her own. Well, not exactly on her own. She was more often than not in the company of animals, usually bears. She liked being with animals, except ligers. To be frank, ligers and bears did not get along. Which was why she had been suprised when the liger had not killed her outright. This is all getting to me, thought Jena. I have got to get among civilization again. After a while, she got up, and buried Terion. His mate would already know of his death, and would move on. Which was what ahe needed to be doing.
Now that the liger threat was over, she could continue her previous quest: following the aura. A fortnight ago, she had sensed a strange aura, and had been following it ever since. If she was correct, then the aura was close to one of the nearby towns. She didn't want to go among people, but if she wanted to find the source of the aura, then she would. Resolutely, she started to walk in the direction of the aura.

[hyaline]

As he reached the charging orc group, he brought his weapons to the ready. He met the first orc sword thrust with one of his own deflecting the blow away from his body; he quickly brought his long sword back across to block an oncoming spear from a second orc. With his other sword, in his left hand, he stabbed out at the the first orc catching him on the leg that brought the orc down to one knee and with a swift swipe of his right sword off came his head.

The Tiefling now surrounded by the four remaining orc worked furiously, keeping his body moving at all times not letting the orcs any openings. His arms, legs, and tail worked in unison repelling the orcs and lashing out often. He noticed as the battle progressed that one of the orc to the left of himself slowing in his movements and further more that he was bleeding badly from a gash on his sword wielding arm. The Teifling leapt at this opportunity lashing out with his tail and tripping up the injured orc, down went one of his long sword slicing the orc throat and plunging in to his chest.

One of the three remaining orc shrieked out and panicked, he tried to run but the Teifling tail came out again hooking around the orc’s throat, choking him. He fell to the ground a moment later lifeless all the while the Teifling kept the other two orcs at bay. He recoiled his tail and went in the a roll springing up to the side of one of the remaining orcs, the orc groaned and arced his back in pain as a long sword slash across it. A moment later the orc felt a thud in the middle of his back and looking down he saw a sword penetrating from his chest.

The Teifling rapidly turn to face to last orc stand but he was no where in sight the Teifling shrugged it off assuming that the orc had turn and ran for is life. Although the fight had been fierce at times he received only a few cuts, for the orc group where not very skilled warriors, they had just flung themselves at the Tiefling and not even working together they had invited death upon themselves. He went back to his camp and finished what berries and nuts he had left. Afterward he spent sometime laying on his back looking up at the stars before turning over an going to sleep, his weapons at his side should the escaped orc decide to come back.

He awoke the next day picked up his possessions and proceeded on his way. He took to the side of the forest and tried to enjoy the morning. He knew he shouldn’t been so stubborn and angry about his body and most times he didn’t for he had an open road in front of him, he had freedom but some times like last night all his feelings get caught up to him for he was lonely, ever since he could remember he had been alone; he had never known his parent, he had never known family or friends.

He found a small stream and used it to bathe is wounds and wash the orc blood from his body and cloths. He also found a small berry bush, he picked some of them for later and out them in his pack. He took to the road again, he was a wanderer, he decided to go in search of a adventure or something to occupy himself for a couple of days.

[Golden Lion 86]

After feasting on the Bull he'd caught, the man-beast transformed into a Liger again and went to sleep. After a few hours of troubled and tear-filled rest, he awoke to a cold, sharp pain. Beside him sat the young lady, holding her scimitar to his neck. Such was her anger that she pierced his skin with the tip. Her lip was quivering and fire burned in her eyes. The Liger lay there, motionless, lest the lady's hand slip and pierce his neck. Though he would have a good chance of surviving the wound, it would not be pleasant, and he didn't want to hurt the lady, not even in self-defense.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked her, still in Liger form. "What have I done to provoke your anger, werebear?"
The Lady shuddered at the mention of her race. How could the cat know? She was a simple Human in outward appearance, and her build was light, very light, not even hinting at bear blood. She gripped the scimitar more firmly. Every muscle in her body went tense, though she tried to restrain any action until she received what she came for.
"I found a cave today, littered with the bones of a dozen bears and werebears!" she screamed at him so hard that her face turned pink and the blood vessels in her neck and forehead became apparent. The lady was enraged. "I found traces of your filthy fur on them. I found your toothmarks and clawmarks and everything else you left there after you murdered them!"
The accusation was more than the Liger could take. With a lightning-quick movement, he jumperd to his feet, sending the scimitar a little deeper into his neck, but ultimately ripping it out of the young lady's grasp and throwing it a small distance. In an equally fast movement, the lady reached for a second scimitar in a scabbard on her back - a movement she would soon regret. Raising her arm to get the weapon left the right half of her ribcage exposed - an opportunity the Liger took. With a swipe of his mighty paw, he ripped through the lady's armor and silk shirt, cracking three of her ribs and sending her flying a few feet to the left. He then leapt on her, but instead of landing on her and breaking what bones she had left, he landed beside her, putting his paw on her chest, so she would not get up.
"Murder, you say?" He roared. "Murder? It is those werebears who were the murderers! THey poisoned my parents, and then fought and killed them while they fought the poison's effects! These COWARDS murdered my parents! I avenged them as best I could. I give you my word as a greatcat, lady, that I would not kill with anger one who did not deserve to die!"
"The word of a greatcat is worthless!" The lady spewed with a slightly fainter voice. "Without the werebears and their fallen comrades to defend themselves, you can spin a web of lies without anyone being the wiser! I know for a fact that greatcats are conniving..."
"I do not lie!" Leonis screamed with a roar. "I speak the truth! Only the truth! The werebears you try to protect murdered my parents!"
"Perhaps they had good reason!" the Lady said. "Perhaps it is your parents you should be questioning, not the werebears!"
"How dare you put my parents into question?" Leonis asked. "My parents taught me all that I know. All that is just and right, I know from them!"
"Your parents were trespassing on werebear territory!"
"What?" Leonis asked. "We built a cabin in the wilderness! The land was unclaimed! They brought me here to save me from the ridicule I would face in civilized society since I lost my Human form! They were good people!"
"They trespassed into OUR territory and they paid the price!" the lady said. "They came to our land, hunted our prey, and expected to be allowed to continue? They were a disruptive force in nature's order! But perhaps it would have been best to let them live. Perhaps then you wouldn't have decimated our tribe!"
"Wait!" Leonis said. "Why do you speak of this as though you know of this? Did you... Were you responsible for their murder?"
"It was a just execution of two criminals!" the Lady said. "They did not follow our laws, so they died."
"You did not offer them the chance to relocate!" Leonis said softly. His voice grew faint as the pain of the memories came back to him. "We would have moved!"
"And disrupted someone else's lives?" the lady asked. "We had no alternative!"
"What of our lives?" Leonis whispered. He backed off, allowing the lady to stand. She rubbed her aching ribs and pulled out a flask from her own girdle and drank its contents. "Damn! If only I had listened and avoided that wizard! We could have lived in peace in the city. We might have been lycanthropes, but we were just as Human as any of them! Ever since my accident, I have been a monster! It is for me that my parents built this cabin. To spare me the pain of public ridicule. My selfishness drove them to their graves!"
"I'm glad you see my point." The lady said, still angry. "The werebears were not to blame. Still, I am intrigued as to why you let me live, whereas you killed Terion only a minute before. Do you despise our kin so?"
"No." Leonis answered. "I hate only those of you who killed my parents. You were among them, you say?"
"I.." the lady paused for a moment, considering the significance of her words to the Liger. "I did what had to be done! I... I don't regret it!"
The Liger looked up at her and then looked down again. The lady suddenly felt guilty, not for the killing of the were-Lion and were-Tigress, but for the traumatic effect on the were-Liger.
"Were our positions reversed, I am sure you would have done the same!" the lady proclaimed, trying to alleviate her feeling of remorse.
"I would have at least offered them the chance to leave." Leonis answered. "I do not kill for sport! Only for survival."
"You did not give Terion the chance to retreat yesterday!" the lady cried. "He had a mate, you know."
"I did not know that." Leonis said. "However, I did not act unreasonably! I offered a bear mercy once, and was rewarded with a painful cut to the face! I have learned not to trust bears who try to steal my kills!"
"Your parents should have raised you better!" the lady said angrily. "There was enough of that kill to share!"
"They would have raised me better, had you not killed them before I turned ten!" Leonis roared. He was angry again: angry at the werebears, angry at the lady, angry at himself mostly. "I have had to fend for myself for THREE years without theiir guidance or protection!"
"Ten? Three years? Oh my!" The lady said with distress in her voice. "By the gods! You're a child were-Liger!" she felt another wave of guilt wash over her. Judging by the size of him, she thought she was talking to an adult no younger than 30, but when she realized she was dealing with a were-Liger 6 years her junior, the rules suddenly changed. He was no longer a malicious and bloodthirsty beast ravaging the forest, but a confused adolescent who knew no better. The lady turned around and walked away a few paces. She was familiar with the ways of werebears, and had helped quite a few younger werebears find their place in life. This, however, was different. Not only did she not know anything about were-Ligers, but she had contributed to the death of the boy's parents. At that point, she made a decision: for as long as she could, and as long as she was willing, she would help Leonis find his way. She turned to him and looked directly into his giant golden eyes.
"What is your name, boy?" She asked.
"My name is Leonis," the Liger answered. "And I'll thank you not to call me 'boy'."
"I am called Jena." the lady said. "And I ask you to show respect to your elders. I will refrain from calling you 'boy', but you WILL refrain from dictating my behaviour!"
"Very well." Leonis said grudgingly. "Now that we are acquainted, Jena, is there something I can do for you? If you wish replacement for the armor and clothing I damaged, I think I have a solution." He said with a smile. He transformed into his Humanoid form, and pulled a pouch off his girdle. He handed it to Jena, still smiling. "Here, a fortune! Take what you need. It will be my gift to you, and compensation for all the hurt I caused you."
Jena looked at him and grinned. His intent was never evil, but her back was still sore, despit the potion he gave her, and her cracked ribs would also take a few days to heal, even with Jena's curative magic. She opened the pouch and poured its contents into her hand. She counted ten copper pieces, a pittance, and looked up at Leonis. The man-beast smiled proudly.
"You did not expect to find such wealth ihere in the wilderness, did you?" He asked. "Well, it is a good thing I have been saving these, for I never knew when I might need them."
"Indeed..." Jena said, with a look of discomfort on her face. It would take five hundred times as much money as the Liger possessed to repair her suit. She had more than enough in her own pouch, but she faced a dilemma: if she took the pouch, the Liger would have no money, and she would have a pittance added to her wealth. If she refused, the Liger might get offended, and eventually find out that his fortune was worth very little. She decided to accept, and leave the Liger what dignity he had found in his illusion of wealth. They began walking towards the west, in the direction of the nearest town.
"Jena," Leonis said. "I am glad to know you. I have not had many friends, and am glad that we have resolved our differences."
"As am I, Leonis." Jena said with a smile. "You have much to learn of your abilities, but I will show you how to control your power and your anger. You will learn."

[werebeargoddess]

It was nighttime. Leonis was sleeping; Jena was keeping watch. She knew there was no reason to, but she hadn't been overly tired, and she had nothing else to do. Every once and a while she looked over at Leonis, who was very much like a rock at the moment. How he had survived without any help, she had no clue. Her mother had aided her when they first lived in the wild, and she in turn helped other young werebears on their own. Now she was rendering the same service for this young boy. Except for one thing. He was a were-liger. She had dealt with the occasional were-tigress and were-lion, but never one that was a mixture of the two. She smiled grimly. If her mother could see her now, she would have died from shock alone. Were-creatures helped those from their own species, not from another. Yet here Jena was, guiding a were-liger.

She looked up at the sky. It was getting on near morning. They would have to get moving soon. There were many predetors who moved by daylight; and she didn't want to get caught by them. Quietly, she walked over and awoke Leonis. "Come on," she told him. "It's getting on towards daylight. We've got to get moving."
"Do we have to?" complained Leonis, turning over. "Can't I sleep for at least one more hour?"
"Sure," Jena told him, "if you want a predator to get you."
"Fine, I'm getting up." Mumbling, he got up, shook out his fur, and pulled on a shirt and some breeches. Jena tossed him some food. They ate silently, then packed up their things, and headed out. As they walked, Jena pointed out various plants to Leonis; which ones were poisonous, which ones were edible. Leonis looked curiously about him, taking in everything that he saw. He's so observent, thought Jena, suprised.

About an hour before noon, Leonis stopped short. "Did you hear that?" he asked Jena, shocked.
"No, but I feel it." For whatever he had heard, it had a strong aura. Jena gasped, but Leonis didn't notice. This was the aura that she had felt. But how had it gotten this far without her noticing?

Before she could think anything else, a twig broke audibly behind her. Both she and Leonis twirled around. Jena could see Leonis's eyes widening in shock and suprise. For there, in the middle of the road, stood a tiefling. He was nearly 6 feet tall, and had bluish- gray hair. His ears were pointed, and he had a long, whiplike tail. Jena was stunned to see that he was as shocked to see them as they were to see him. She was the first to recover, though. " Who are you? Be you friend or be you foe?"
"I should ask you the same," replied the tiefling. Jena relaxed. This tiefling was different from the ones in the tales her mother always told her.
"I am a friend as long as my friends and I are not attacked. Then I become foe."
"But..." began the tiefling.
"But what? But why do we not attack you on sight, as so many people do?"
The tiefling nodded weakly.
"Jena, what are you doing?" whispered Leonis anxiously. "How can you tell if he is an enemy or not?"
"I can't," she whispered back. "He doesn't look dangerous. Look at him, Leonis. He has that forlorn look, the same look that you had. He needs a friend, Leonis. If anyone, that would be us. If anyone, we understand what it is like to be rejected by society. I don't think he has any hope left. I think we should help him, Leonis."
"But we don't know who he is! How can we trust him? He could kill us in the middle of the night!"
Jena's eyebrows rose at that. " You trust me, even though I'm a werebear, and I killed your parents."
Leonis flushed. "But that's different! I mean, we're helping each other!"
"And you're point is? I think we could help him, Leonis, as we are helping each other. Maybe he could help us in return."

Straightening, Jena walked over to the tiefling, who tensed. "It's all right," she told him. "My name is Jena, my friend's name is Leonis. Do you have a name?" The tiefling shook his head. "Why?" he asked bluntly.
"Well," said Jena, choosing her words carefully, "I think we could help each other. You look like you could use a friend. We need someone who knows the countryside. What do you say?
The Tiefling stared at her. "Why do you want to help me?" He asked finally.
"Because," said Jena, "Leonis and I know what it feels like, having to avoid civilization. Leonis is a were-liger; everyone is afraid of him. I'm a true were-bear, and many people think I'll bite them, though I won't. Nobody accepts us, except each other. You look like you've gone throgh the same thing, being rejected time and time again. But we'll accept you, if you'll accept us." The tiefling considered for a moment, then nodded. "So long as you don't put a dagger through me, sure." Jena laughed.
"Don't worry, I don't have a dagger, and Leonis is a bit young for that."
The tieflig smiled slightly, and said, "I don't have a name, or I don't anymore."
Jena nodded. "How about Morhau?" The tiefling nodded.
"Good! Now let's go find a spring. I think Leonis needs a bath."
"I heard that!!" shouted Leonis as he began to mock-chase her towards the nearest spring. Morhau smiled, and followed.

[hyaline]

The tiefling was sitting on the grass some ways away from a small pond which was fed by a small stream coming from the north. Leonis was enjoying himself thoroughly playing in the water while Jena, sitting on the side with her feet in the water watched him, often laughing at his attempt to catch a fish.

As Morhau watched the two of them he couldn’t help himself by question if their intentions were good or not. How could he put his trust in these two when so many had betrayed it? But how could he not? What is a life without companionship and friends to share it with? He remembered the look in Jena’s eyes when she gave him a title and presented him with a choice, to lead a life that he has always wanted for so long or to forsake her kindness and continue to live his lonely existence.

He glanced over at her and was surprised to find her looking back at him, she offered a warm smile and turned back to the pond. A warm smile, he thought, not a deceitful smile but a smile of friendship and so he hoped.

But what of Leonis; Morhau had heard the argument the leonis had with Jena, they were probably unaware of his elven ear which were mostly cover by his hair. With what he had understood to be true, Leonis wasn’t exactly willing to trust him either. So he decided he would he would travel with these two adventures for a while anyways. He was uneasy about his choice but he believed he made the right one for himself at the moment and was grateful he had been given it.

Just then he heard a shriek from Jena and when he look over her way he couldn’t help but laugh. She was soaked from head to toe and it seemed that Leonis has splashed her because he too stood there laughing. Jena didn’t look to pleased so Morhau quickly made a fire and after seeing it she walked over to dry herself off. Only then did he notice how beautiful she really was. From her thick, flowing auburn hair to her delicate facial features that were intensified by her mysterious green eyes, to her shapely tanned body which was now personified by her leather armor that clung to her.

She sat beside him shivering, the fire was not yet big enough to warm her, after all it was autumn. The tiefling took off his cloak and passed it over to her.

“Thank you Morhau, I never would have expected…,” she caught herself

“From someone like me, a tiefling,” Morhau replied.

“I didn’t mean….”

“I know, and I wish to thank you and Leonis for the kindness you have shown me.”

Leonis soon came up to them and and threw five fish on the fire; he was still chuckling.

“I’ll get you back, you over grown furball,” said Jena in a playful tone.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Morhau awoke the next morning to a thick haze and to the smell of smoke. His first thought was that their camp fire had set ablaze the forest that surrounded them but that thought was quickly put aside when he heard a soft voice at his side.

“Leonis has gone to see what has happened, to find out what it is that burns.”

Jena was sitting beside him; she extended a hand and gave him some fruit, Morhau thanked her and ate while she packed up along with returning his cloak. A moment later Leonis bounded into camp and spoke rapidly to the both of them.

“A small, nearby village is burning, I also smell orcs about.”

[Golden Lion 86]

Leonis had just warned Jena and Morhau of the orc presence, and the three friends left in all haste and made their way to the village. It was a small farming community, home to no more than five hundred people. The orcs numbered maybe one hundred, and the village had that many defenders, lightly armed and armored, but they were quickly losing the fight. The orcs were phenomenally well-equipped, and apparently well-trained. Each was armed with a large shield, a scimitar, a spear, and a few javelins, much like the soldiers of the Old Days. The legion advanced on the village, shields forward and upward, an implacable wall. The spears and arrows of the villagers had no effect on the advancing force. The three friends arrived just as the gap between the orcs and the villagers was closing.
Leonis charged in first, following his warrior instinct. Following was Jena with her scimitar and shield, and Morhau with his dagger in his tail, one sword in his right hand, and a strange, hemispherical device in his left hand. This device was of shining silver, and was no doubt acquired during Morhau's planar travels. He pressed on the handle by which he held the object and the edges of the hemisphere loosened and sprang out in four directions, at 90 degree angles from one another. Each quarter-edge was supported by a two and a half foot beam, so the entire device was now two perpendicular five-foot poles, with a silver hemisphere in the centre. Morhau pressed the handle again, and all the space between the radii lit up in a pale blue glow. He held in his hand a shield, five feet in diameter, and it was made entirely of energy. Jena looked at him a moment before continuing towards the village.

"Interesting toy you have there!" she said. "I've never seen a shield like that."
"It's a fluidic shield." Morhau answered. "I got it in Sigil. It stops all projectiles, but is of little use against a hand to hand combattant."
"Why did you pull it out them, you show-off?" Jena asked.
"Those orcs have javelins." Morhau said. "I thought this 'toy' will come in handy."

Leonis reached the battle first. Having left the group first, and with stronger muscles and longer strides, this was not difficult. Leonis leapt on the first group of orcs, slashing wildly at them. Half a dozen soldiers fell, but the others fell back and formed a shield-wall. Their spears were pointed at Leonis, and he could not harm them anymore without great risk to himself as well. Leonis did not care: the villagers had to be spared the battle, and if he had to bleed or die to save them, then so be it. He rammed into the sheld wall, denting several shields, but also taking a spear in the flesh. Fortunately, hi heavy ribs deflected the blow and the spear punctured only the skin. Leonis cut through his skin with one of his claws, ignoring the pain, and freed himself. He then began to attack the spears themselves, grabbing them and breaking them one by one. Jena and Morhau joined the battle soon after, and strated to look for gaps in the Orcs' defensive formation.

"Stand down, you fool, before you get seriously hurt!" Jena yelled to Leonis.

Morhau struck the shields with his sword, provoking the orcs into a response. A dozen soldiers turned on him and aimed their javelins at him. Morhau ran back, to give the orcs the distance they needed. They threw his javelins just as he raised his shield. As the weapons hit the fluid, they disintegrated, and slowed down. When they had come to a stop, only foot-long stumps remained. These fell to the ground with a loud clatter. Morhau then aimed his dagger at the wall of orcs. He threw it, drawing no reaction from the enemy. When the dagger neared its target, it glowed blue for a second, and phased throught the shield, lodging itself in the orc's skull. Panic spread through the legion as the orc fell and the dagger slowly faded from his broken skull. Morhau gave off an almost diabolical grin as he aimed again. This time, the orcs fell into their natural pattern of behaviour, and started to run. Morhau sheathed his dagger and put away his shield. Drawing his second sword, he charged the orcs.

Jena jumped into the melée as well, slashing away at the orcs, and receiving minor cuts and bruises. Leonis looked at the desperate orcs and jumped into their midst. He underwent his transformation and unleashed a feral rage on the assailants the likes of which they had never even dreamt of. He was fast as lightning, jumping from orc to orc, killing each one with a single bite, usually crushing their skulls or tearing off limbs and leaving them to bleed. Jena and Morhau saw this and stopped. They retreated, as a precaution, to watch Leonis' fury from a distance. Morhau had never seen anything of the sort and was curious, and Jena was apprehensive for the exact opposite reason. She had seen many a werebear lose control and wreak havoc on entire groups of forest bandits as well as their intended victims. Ligers, unlike bears, were even more uncontrollable, faster, stronger, and more precise. What a bear took three hits to fell, the liger felled in one. If Leonis lost control, he might decimate the village. Jena called out to four nearby bears, asking for support. They came immediately, and joined Jena in watching Leonis. They might keep him at bay, or even overcome him, but not all of them would survive if worst came to worst. Jena would not endanger the bears so. Instead, she intended to use them as a distraction for Leonis, in an attempt to exhaust him.

Leonis, in the meantime, raged on, with half a dosen javelins embedded in his flesh. He jumped from orc to orc, slaying them by the dozen. Leonis was beginning to show signs of serious injury and three dozen orcs stoll stood. Jena and Morhau saw that he would not be a threat, even if he did go berserk. They joined the fight, along with the four bears. Before long, only one orc was left standing. Leonis bled from many places, and now fully one dozen javelins were in him, but he caught the orc in his sight, and exhibited a boost of vigor. Jena bid the bears stand down, and sheathed her weapons, as did Morhau. They had yielded Leonis his prey. In an uncharacteristic display of wisdom, Leonis jumped at the orc, striking him with unarmed paws, and dropping him to the ground. Both the orc's shoulders snapped, and he lay there, motionless, as Leonis struggled through the transformation again. He was drained and injured, and pulling out the javelins took the last of his energy. He fell to his knees and pointed to the orc.

"Information," he said. "Army, well-armed, well-trained! Too clever! Mastermind, who is? Must..." the words trailed off as Leonis fell into a pool of blood. He had lost consciousness, but was not quite dead. The villagers closed in in a circle around the three friends, and looked at the fallen were-liger with curiosity.

"A cleric!" Jena said, breathing quickly from the battle. "Do you have a cleric?"
"Jena," Morhau said. "You are pretty badly hurt yourself. You need assistance."

The villagers cleared a path for their village cleric. She was a small and slender young girl, maybe 15 or 16 years of age, and she was as frail as an elf, though Human by birth.

"Our village prophetess!" One of the villagers said. "She can help it, perhaps."
"Him!" Jena said. "It's a he! I hope she can help him, and then, maybe you can help us find our way to the city."
"I will do what I can. I might be able to heal him." The prophetess spoke.
"I hope so." Jena said.

[werebeargoddess]

Together Jena and Morhau helped Leonis into the town hall, where the villagers had set up empty beds for the three travellers, while the prophetess followed behind. Gently, Jena and Morhau eased Leonis onto one of the empty beds. The prophetess laid her hands on Leonis's shoulders and began to chant. As Jena and Morhau looked on, Leonis's wounds began to heal some, and look less gruesome. After a while, the prophetess stopped chanting and turned to the two.
"He will live." She told them. "His wounds weren't as bad as they looked. He needs to rest for a while, but he should be able to move about in the morning if the two of you hurry, I think the mayor will have something to say to you."
Jena and Morhau nodded, then rose and went in search for the mayor. When they found him, he was very happy to see them, and wanted to thank them. Jena stood there, hardly listening to what the mayor was saying. She was tired, and wanted nothing more than to lie down. She didn't see the worried looks that Morhau kept shooting at her. Jena was about to beg the mayor to allow her to go lie down, when she stopped. Both the mayor and Morhau looked at her questioningly. There was a roaring in Jena's ears. She fell then, darkness descending over her like a storm.

Later, when Jena awoke, she felt briefly disoriented, and at first didn't recognize where she was. It was only then she realized that it was around dawn, and that she was in the town hall. Leonis was on a nearby bed, sleeping. She was rather suprised to see that Morhau was up, cleaning his weapons. Did he ever sleep? Jena watched Morhau quietly. She had never seen quite like him, and was amazed at what she saw there. Sometimes he was so expressionless, that she could have never seen something less human, and at times he was so full of expression that she was suprised that he wasn't human. He was quite the fasinating character. And his looks... Normally she kept herself aloof from such feelings, but if there was on person whose looks she admired, it was Morhau's.
Oh crap, she thought to herself. Now look. I'm getting myself infatuated with a person I hardly know. But before she could think anything else, a young woman had noticed that she was awake, and had come hurrying over.
"Oh good," said the young woman, "You're awake. Here," she said, handing a cup full of a liquid to Jena, "Drink this. It'll help." As Jena drank whatever-it-was that was in the cup, she asked, "How long have I been out?"
"About three days. You were really pretty badly hurt. I'm quite suprised you hadn't fainted earlier." Jena nonodded, and found her gaze drifting back to Morhau. The young woman noticed it, and smiled broadly. "He's been worried about you," she told Jena. 'The only times he's spoken was to thank us for the food, to talk to the young lad (here she gestured to Leonis), and to ask after you. He hasn't even asked where the privy was." She shook her head. "These be strange times, my lady. First all of the going-ons down south,and now this... I don't know what the world is coming to, my lady."
But Jena was curious. "What's been going on south?" She asked the young woman. 'Is it something we could help with?"
The young woman flushed. "I.. I'm sorry, my lady. But it's not my place to say. I shouldn't have said anything." But seeing that she had failed to deflect Jena, she continued. "If you ask the mayor, you might learn something. But now, you've got to rest, to regain all of you're strength. Holler if you need anything." With that, the young woman left. But Jena did not sleep. Instead, she lay in bed for a long time, thinking.

[hyaline]

The prophetess had found Morhau outside the entrance to the town hall talking to the smithy. She told him that Jena was awake; he thanked her and turned back to the smithy who had produced a suit of leather armor, “There you go, all fixed and no charge to yourself of course.”
“Thank you, that is greatly appreciated,” Morhau replied
The smithy waved it off, “It’s the least I could do, we are all in dept to you and your friends,” and with that he turned and left.

Morhau found Jena sitting up in her bed, “I believe this belongs to you,” he said placing the armor on the end of the bed. He wanted to she how she was doing; he couldn’t really explain it but when Jena fell it scared him.
“My armor, you fixed it!” Jena said inspecting it. “It looks brand new.”
“Not me,” he replied with a laugh, “ I found a smithy in the village.”
“Your so kind,” Jena replied with a smile.
“I was only trying to help, I couldn’t just do nothing and when I saw your frayed armor I decided that it should be fixed. It’s been three days since you fell and was getting worried that you might never wake up, to you this probably sound childish.”
“Never, I thank you for looking out for me., ” she said with bright eyes, “How is Leonis? I heard from the prophetess that you have been speaking with him”
“He’s fine, along with a sense of humor that ‘furball’ has a courageous heart.” He had gain much respect for Leonis after the fighting to save to village. Most of the were-ligers wounds had healed perfectly, the prophetess had done a very good job. Jena laughed then proceeded to tell Morhau about what the prophetess told her about the south. “We should go and see the mayor then, if you’re ok to travel.”
“Yes, I’ll get ready.”
“And I’ll become as well,” said the familiar voice of Leonis.
“Of course Leonis, glad to see up.”

~~~~

The three friends were on the road again, heading on a path south of the village. They had found the mayor at his house and spoken to him. He didn’t know a lot but had told them that some evil plagued the southern regions. Very little news found its way to the village because it was so far away from the towns and cities and the last scheduled trade caravans to come up from the south had never arrived. The mayor was troubled about this and had asked if there might be anything they could do, perhaps learn as to the fate of the missing caravans. The three friends had agreed to help out and so they were going south.

[Golden Lion 86]

Jena and Morhau made their way along the forest floor, a path that Leonis decided not to follow. A forest animal by birth, he decided to make his way on the treetops. Leaves rustled as he jumped from tree to tree. He was obviously happy about the time he'd spent with the prophetess, and had energy enough to burn.

Jena, in the meantime, inspected her armor, and smiled at occasional glances Morhau tossed her. Feelings were brewing between the two that they were a little confused about. They knew what they were, but they'd known each other for only a short time! And yet, between the three of them, they formed a sort of family: Jena and Leonis had at least an elder sister-younger brother bond, if it didn't quite reach mother and son relations. Jena and Morhau had a mild attraction toward one another, and were as lovers - almost.

They were enjoying their stroll when they heard a strange noise. A group of people cried for help under the metal clatter of sword combat. Leonis jumped off the trees and landed with a barely audible thud. Jena and Morhau gave him a look, understanding what the young were-liger thought.

"Again these damned orcs!" He roared. "We will eat well tonight!" He unsheathed his claws with an almost metallic sound. He rushed forward and made his way to the forest clearing where the traveler band was being attacked. Jena drew her weapon, as did Morhau, and he also deployed his fluidic shield. They came to the clearing, but Leonis, with longer and more frequent strides had come there first. During the three days they spent at the village, the prophetess had become fond of him and asked her father the blacksmith to fashion him a light suit of armor, that he might survive his battles.

His tactics had also changed, for instead of rushing in like a rabid animal, he used his surroundings to his advantage, striking an orc , and withdrawing to the treetops. He moved from tree to tree, and when the orcs had lost track of him, he swooped down at them. Jena would have had trouble holding off a legion of well-organized orcs as a bear, so she used the speed and agility of her lithe human form to take them by surprise. As for Morhau, he used his Transphasic dagger to knock down a few orcs, spreading panic among the forces, and when they had been adequately terrified, he rushed in with his blade.

Orc after orc hit the ground, and the battle soon shifted in the heroes' favor, and as the orcs abandoned the travelers, the heroes started to move away, signaling the travelers to retreat and regroup. The travelers, led by a young elven lady, a mid-height, slender wizard, retreated and came in behind the orcs. The lady had been escorted by a dozen guards, but only three remained. They wielded their weapons expertly, and the orcs soon fell to the combined forces arrayed against them. Suddenly, a number of arrows flew through the air, hitting the remaining bodyguards, and killing them. Morhau raised his fluidic shield in defense of himself and his friends, but the elven lady was struck in the leg, just below the hip. A sharp crack signaled that the arrow had hit a bone, and the lad collapsed onto her knees. Morhau moved the group closer to the lady, but the arrows kept coming. Leonis broke off and ran to shield the lady, hoping his armor or his much stronger body would spare the lady the pain of additional arrows. He was young and foolish, and thought with his heart rather than his mind. The sight of a beautiful young elven lady in distress had set his course of action the moment he saw her. The arrows came, but struck his new armor instead. A few lodged themselves in his fur and flesh, but the wounds were minor. Morhau moved in and shielded Leonis and the lady. After the safety of the shield enveloped them, the heroes looked around for the source of the arrows. They found three orcish soldiers sitting in the trees, firing not arrows, but decepdtively large crossbow bolts at the group. Morhau threw his dagger at one of the orcs, drawing the others' attention, and when the firing stopped, Leonis quickly made his way up the trees and killed off the remaining two.

Jena and Morhau waited for Leonis to descend, and showed him the wounded elf. Leonis inspected the wounds, and looked over the lady. She lay motionless on the ground and appeared to be unconscious. Leonis took her by the sides and carried her over to a tree. He laid her down and grabbed the arrow that was in her hip. He gave it a yank and it came free, but not before the elven lady gave off an infernal shriek and jumped with her good leg and climbed the tree. Leonis looked up at her, and Jena came to the tree. Mohau kept his distance. The lady looked at Leonis with a mixture of terror and anger, and he realized that she was less alarmed over the extracted arrow, and more over Leonis' unusual appearance. Leonis realized this and began to laugh.

"Do not fear me, fair lady." he said. "I mean you no harm."
"The arrow..." she mumbled, breathing quickly. "That hurt!"
"My apologies," Leonis said. "But it needed to be remoed before it could be infected."
"Come!" Jena said. "He's harmless! A lion outside, perhaps, but a timid kitten within!" she started to laugh, and the elven lady forced a smile. Leonis came up the tree and helped the lady down. Morhau had a few healing potions that helped her to heal, and she quaffed them quickly.

"What is your name, and why were you attacked?" Morhau asked.
"I am called Mirabel," the lady said. "and I am an ambassador fom the merchants' guild in Waterdeep. I was on my way to the nearby village of Emerald Vale, to investigate the disappearance of our caravans, when I was ambushed."
"Ah!" Leonis said. "We just came from there, and we regret to say that the village itself was attacked. Thankfully, we came in time to drive off the invaders." He gave the lady a wide smile.
"My young friend," Jena said. "You need a lesson in modesty." She turned to Mirabel. "Perhaps you would like to travel with us?"
"I would be honored." she said, extending her hand to Jena. Jena accepted the token of friendship and pressed Mirabel's hand.

Thus, the company made off with their new friend, to hunt for the cause of the land's troubles.

[werebeargoddess]

Several days after they met Mirabel, they consulted the map. From what they could tell, they were no more than a few days away from the next village. They agreed that it would be a good idea to head there to stock up on supplies, as well as look for information on the plague. Having agreed on that, they settled down to prepare camp for the night.

As they set up, Mirabel spoke to Jena. The three had become fast friends with the elf over the past couple days; Leonis in particular seemed to like her.

"You have been rather quite," observed Mirabel quietly. "Tell me, my friend, is something troubling you?"

Jena was quiet for a bit, thinking. Mirabel was rather observant, for indeed Jena had been troubled. And suprisingly enough, Morhau was the cause of it, or at least one of the major ones.

"I don't know what to do," she told the elf, just as quietly. "I mean, I care much for Morhau, despite the fact that I've known him for only so long. But..."

"Yes?" prompted Mirabel.

"Well, as you've already figured out, I am a true werebear. I can change my shape into that of either a bear or a hybrid. And, well, Morhau is a tiefling. Now, as you probably know, humans have mated with, and even married, tieflings. But as far as I know, tieflings have never mated with werebears. I'm not sure if they're compatible or not."

Mirabel was silent, thinking. Then she said,

"Huh. I can see your point. Tieflings don't mate with other races very often. And when they do, it is usually with pure humans, or even pure elves, but not lycanthropes. Well. We really do seem to have a sticky situation. If I were you, just tell him of your feelings towards him. If he does not feel the same, then at least you'll have made your feelings known. If it turns out that your feelings are mutual, and that he feels the same as you, then the two of you can take things slowly from there."

Jena smiled. "Thank you, friend. I will have to think on this." Mirabel smiled in return, and hurried off to lay out her pallet for the night.

Once the four friends were finished setting up camo, they sat around eating. They were all tired after a long day of traveling, and nobody fely like talking much. It was getting dark quickly, and when they where done eating, they each went to their own beds.

Jena lay for a long time. Sleep seemed to elude her. From the deep breathing of her friends, they seemed to be asleep already. Jena was having trouble sorting out her emotions. As she had told Mirabel, she cared for Morhau. She didn't worry too much about being rejected, for he seemed to care for her as well. No, there was something else that worried her. It worried her just how much she cared for Morhau. She had only met him a few weeks before. Surely that wasn't enough time for her to feel this way! And yet, she still did. But when she thought about it, he wasn't the only one she cared about. She cared about Leonis, who had become something of a little brother to her. Technically, she was supposed to be something of a guide and mentor to him, but maybe since their ages were so close, that wasn't possible. Maybe it was better that they be like siblings. And she and Mirabel had become fast friends in the few days they had known each other. Yes, there were other people who she cared for as well. Jena had to smile to herself a little, for they were beginning to resemble something of a clan. A four-member clan, but a clan all the same.

Finally several hours yet before dawn, Jena had to get up and dress. She had gotten little sleep during the night, and felt she could be abed no longer. Quietly, she walked to the edge of their camp. Their camp was on the edge of forest, leading onto the farmland. Somewhere, amid that farmland, was the town that they were headed for. Funnily enough, it was in the east.
Why should I be thinking about that sort of thing? she wondered to herself. There was a noise of someone walking behind her; Jena whirled, ready for an attack, but it proved to be only Morhau. Jena chuckled.

"Oh, its only you, Morhau. I thought you were asleep."

Morhau smiled, though Jena could hardly see it in the dark. "And I thought you were asleep. Nay, I was having trouble catching sleep. You?"

Jena relaxed. "The same. I figured I might as well get up, in case something should happen."

Morhau nodded, and moved over and stood next to Jena, close enough she could feel warmth coming off from his body. Huh. I never realized that he isn't much taller than me. We could easily lean on each other if we had to. Jena banished the thought quickly, refusing to let her mind continue along that line. Because of it, Morhau startled her when he spoke up again.

"When I traveled alone, I used to get up an hour or two before dawn, and I would watch the sun rise. It has been quite a while since I last did such."

Jena was rather taken aback, for she had done very much th