The Jakku Forest

[Reno]

Fir, Cypress, Elm, Pine, Cedar, Oak, Redwood, Spruce, Maple and Yew. Alders, Berries, Chestnuts. Birches and Peatrees, Dogwoods and Hazels. Beautiful hawthorns, Stunning silverberries. Hollies at every corner, Ashes near every river. Walnut trees lined pathways, Mulberry trees hid under the shadows. Apple, plum and cherry trees providing food for weary travelers, sycamore's offered shade, Sakura's offered beauty, Aspens opffered guidance, Laurels offered death.

To any scientist, they would call the Zion forest a scentitific phenomena. With almost every tree inexistence sharing the same grounds, many flocked the edges to study the soils and trees and wildlife. Many asked 'how can such a thing be possible?'

Even some of the most famous scientists - Gast or Hojo, flocked to the strange forest, braving it's dangerous paths and poisonious plants. Gast, finding nothing too interesting, quickly vacated the project. However Hojo continued to search, assured something within it;s dark depths that something magical, something amazing resided.

Hojo was so certain of this because the night wildlife was, like to trees, varied. Lions and tigers, cheetahs and ocelots, strange birds, exotic dogs, maddening creatures of all types live there - even a few mthyical beasts. He sent troops of soldiers out constantly on the lookout for something. anything amiss.

Many thought he was crazy.

However, a certain clan knew how right he was.

The Jakku clan - they had named themseleves - knew how strange they would be to the humans. They knew having ears like an animal, tails like a beast or wings like an bird would make many fear them. So they hid. They hid deep in the forest, under the safety of the many branches.

Under the light of the moon however, was when they had true freedom. And true danger. Transpfmring into their creature-like forms, they could roam the entire forest if they so wished, some could hide much quicker from the humans that sought them, it was easier to find food and more enjoyable to live. However, at every corner a trap was set - jaw traps and snares, nets and cages.

It was dangerous, very dangerous and had they not all had the power of howling, humans would already know of their existence.

~~~

On powerful legs she paced around her clan, watching the large group of cats and dogs bow to her, showing their submission. Her stripped tail swung behind her lazily, ears twitching.

Of course, from the entire Jakku clan there were several sub-clans - packs if you will - living through the forest. The predators and herbafores could never live together. They ATE each other.

Shaktia's was the moon clan - named from the symbol that guided her as it;s leader - a symbol golden crescent embedded onto her forehead. They lived at the eastern side of the forest. She was a strong, tiger-like leader. She knew of the other clans and there leaders, she knew of the dangerous ones and the ones that her own would be able to take down if nescessary. Fifty Jakkus made up her pack.

Her tail twitched again. "It is almost the time for the moon to fall. Arn is blessing us once more." Arn was their good - they called her the moon god because the moon was what gave them they're secreacy, they;re true power. As humans they could do little more then sleep. "Do not run into the Fire clan." The fire Clan was Karissa's. They were another strong clan full of dragons and pheonix's and other strong beasts.

There were growls and purrs of agreement. they knew never to cross their leader.

"Good. head out, and find sustanance. Do not go looking for trouble. Be wary of the humans, they are lurking near the eastern river."

Growls of obedeience rang true, and several headed out just as the sun fell beyond the horizon. Children too young to hunt stayed at home and a few worried mothers or fathers stayed as well, trusting the rest of the pack to come back with enough food for all. Shaktia stayed with them, knowing that their furture relied more with the children then with those already grown.

~~~

A lupe ran across the forest, yipping exactly as the moon helped spur the change. Human to wolf within seconds he shot through the forest. Sleek and gray and beautiful. Arrow was his name. He was about two years old in his dog years, about twenty in his human. But in his short life, he had already met the dangers that was humans. He had once gotten caught in a human's trap, a jaw trap - ever since he has favored his front right leg. Another time a snare had clipped off part of his left ear, now it looked like a part is missing from it though it did not hinder his hearing.

In recent times it seemed that more humans have come to their neck of the woods, for whatever reason this young wolf did not know. However he was smart enough to run away or howl for help.

Arrow sniffed the ground carefully, smeeling the tracks of humans long-gone and old. He got scents of rabbit but they had not passed hear for days. He would have to go further east to catch anything, or track back into the west territory where Karissa's clan resided. Fearing the wrath of the dragons he continued east, careful to stay away from the scents of water and the river. In the breeze of the air, he smelt fire. Weather for dragons lungs of human;'s fire he could not be certain.

[Jade]

OOC: eh? '...?

[Reno]

OOC: lol it;s somehting Izzy wants to do.

[Rikugurl]

"In tonight's news, it is said that Professor Hojo has actually spotted some rare creatures in this forest outside of Gongaga. We were able to get in an interview with this fascinating scientist."
The caster walked up to a man who didn't seem the least bit interested in talking to the media.

"BAH! They're running a muck in this here place just to see what crazy thing that loonie has been talkin about."
A scruffy man started to yak as he looked up at the store television. He shook his head and reached into his pocket for some gil, placing it on the counter.
"Give me some of your cheapest cigarettes." He looked around the variety and pointed. "Those ones."

Slender hands reached behind and picked up the pack, not even looking. Why would he have to?? This guy was a regular. He placed the pack of cigarettes on the counter and placed the gil in the cash register.

The fat, older man took it and put them away in his back pocket.
"Thanks.... hey, you don't believe in this bullshit do ya, Mos?" He looked over the counter at a man who was in his early twenties.

~~~~~~~~~~

Mos was 22 years old and had been working at the Gongaga quick stop for who knew how long. He had long, straight, red hair that went down to the bottom of his butt. He always wore a snow hat, even during the summer... and was never seen without a cigarette in his mouth.
In this little shit town, Mos found himself quite bored all day and everyday... he wanted something exciting to happen in his life.

~~~~~~~~~~

Mos blinked as he looked through his green eyes at the regular customer. "Huh? What shit?" He looked up at the television with a dull look and turned it off. It was almost closing time anyway so why bother.
"I don't know... I really don't care."
Dragons? Come on...

The man looked at his weird. "You're quite quiet tonight Mos."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Mos was usually a blabber mouth asshole

~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm fine... just a bit tired." You could see it on his face. He pulled the stool over and sat on the edge of it. He never fully sat down on it... he explained that his ass hurt when he did....

"Alright, well, I'll see you tomorrow morning for my milk. Take it easy." He waved to the younger fellow and walked out into the night.
Mos stood and walked to the door, waving too and locking it.

[Reno]

Arrow loped across the wet soil, loving the spring it gave to his romp. It was exciting. He could smell rain in the air, clouds somwhere close were pouring. His sense were so much more accurate when he was transformed.

With his acute hearing, he could hear other wolfs or lions or tigers giving chase already. The more expeirenced had already found prey. HE still had a lot to learn about tracking, was still to enpreienced. It was not uncommon for the one or two years to come back empty-handed and have to bow to the more expeirnced for food. He hated doing that. It was so degraded so...

But for the whole week he had not caught a thing. He had not found anything scents to follow but those that were long gone or trails that had already been found by pack mates. That or he did find trails only to have his prey get away.

He- wait what this?

Arrow paused in his stride, whiffing the soil carefully yet eagerly. No... it;s couldn;t be. He paced the trail slowly, looking for another. it... it was! Arrow threw his head back and howled in triumph! He had found the scent of fox! Oh, fox. He had not tasted that in awhile. Sweet yet cunning, it was a hard pray, one he had never himself in his young wolf years, had the luck of catching.

But no, today this was his!

He gave an insane chase, the scent spurring him on. He was going to get this one!

~~~

Shaktia pricked her ears, listening carefully yet silently to the howls coming from the forest around her. no sounds of alarm yet, they were all sounds of chase. It seemed herpack was doing very well today.

Her ears twitched again, hearing a silently younger cry. Oh, it seemed Arrow had found one too - the first two year to catch scent tonight. The pup was young, a bit unwise, but she saw promise in him - that is is he stayed alive. There were many that would hunt wolves - she hoped the pup would be wary of those who might give chase to HIM.

She ehard no first-years yet - but she didn;t expect much from them, not yet. not when their seniors were out as well. One day she would ;let the first-years out on their own, without the stronger and experienced to get in their way of tracking. they had to learn better and that day was like a rite-of-passage that she gave to each.

Shaktia settled down, looking over the younger pups and cubs, the mothers and fathers that watched them carefully, unafarid to attack even her if she dared mess with them. Admirable, if she did say so herself. She as of yet had no cubs of her own, but a pack leader had no time for them.

She would probably never have children of her own.

[Rikugurl]

Mos sighed as he started to sweep some dirt out of the back door. His green eyes looked up at the moon. It seemed to catch him tonight. A strange feeling ran down his body but he shook it off as he continued to sweep.
The broom stopped as he heard the sound of a wolf. Fear went down his back and he quickly bounced in and slammed the door. He didn't like night shift anymore. It seemed like the local wolves were moving in too close to the small town.

He looked at the door, actually thinking that one of those damn things would bust through the door. he put the broom away and walked behind the counter, putting some things away and pulled out his time card.

Mos Madrid.

It read. What an odd name everyone thought who lived in Gongaga or whoever met the young, extremely thin man.

Smoke circled around his face as he started to write in his hours, hearing more noises of the night.

[Reno]

His chase was wild. A few branches got his fur and bushes tangled into his legs, but he didn;t give up. He couldn't. Not today.

~~~

Had Mos stayed outside, or even just watched out the window and few moments more, he wpould have seen a young red vixen burst from the woods and race past the shop. She was a young vixen or about 3 years, but she knew many tricks and traps to set for wolfs, even knew how to get them into a human's trap.

The young thing shuddered with fright, looking around the backyard, realizing she was in human territory. She jumped atop the railing to the shop, racing down it, then carefully pounced on the other side. To the young wolf, her trail would seem to be gone. She dashed back towards the forest and towards the river. if this did not work... she would use the river as her ally.

~~~

Arrow was so caught up in his chase that he did not realize he had run into human;s territory before he was already there. He looked left and right, confused yet curious. what were these strange buildings? he panted with exhasution. He had never been so far out before. The chase must have been miles.

The fox!

He quickly forgot about his new territory, catching the scent once more. it was only minutes old! he ran towards the shop that it led to... and then it disappeared. He whined angrily. Where had it gone?! He knew foxes were tricky, and many of his superiors said that a trail is never gone, just misplaced. It had to be here... somewhere.

[Rikugurl]

The lead of the pencil broke as his eyes opened wide. A scent?
The green eyes moved to the back door.
A low growl came from the young man as he stood up.
No.... stop.

He blinked and shook his head, the long red swaying along with the cigarette smoke. He couldn't get side tracked... he still had a long night a head of him.

He went to the wall panel and shut off the lights and grabbed his camera before he unlocked the front door and went into the night.
The minute he stepped out, his mind went crazy. His nose was full of scents...

A female....

Eyes moved to the forest but he shook his head again. "Come on...." He whispered to himself as he locked the shop up again and started to walk off towards the other house.

[Reno]

Arrow heard the noise of something shutting and lowered himself onto his belly almost automatically. He shuddered a bit, looking out into the night. he took in a deep wiff of the new scent. That... was not a human he smelt. It was... It was something...

A loud, stranged yip of a fox came from the forest. The vixen had been found! His prey!

Arrow shot up, and instead of his nose, he followed his ears, racing right behind the strange 'not-human' and, instinctively catching the scent again that the vixen had tried to throw him off at (it was a good trick he would admit), he followed it into the woods once more.

~~~

Shaktia's ears twitched, hearing a loud cry for help. It was not from her pack though, it was a fox. It sounded like she had been caught herself in a human;s trap. Then she heard a howl of triumph. Arrow... no Arrow had found the fox! Humans set more then one in one place!

Her ears lower, the pup was walking straight into a trap! she tilted her head back and roared a warning, hoping the boy would ear and cease his quarry. She did not want to find him in a trap as well.

~~~

Arrow's ears flicked at the noise of his leader, momentarily pausing. but why should he give this great prey up? he needed to show the others he was just as good! He continued on, unheeding. It would get him caught a smacking for later...

[Rikugurl]

Mos continued off until he heard a yelp in the woods. It would of frightened anyone or make them feel bad. The poor animal obviously got caught in a trap.
He personally hated traps.
A deep sigh and he continued until he too heard something in the bushes.
And then the smell of blood.

His snow hat moved as he looked into the woods, narrowing his eyes.
Knock it off Mos... you're not a part of that world anymore...

He shook it off again and started walking away, only to hear a low yip again. His heart seemed to tear a part.
The scent.
It was a.... female fox.
Fuck.
He looked at the woods again then heard a door close.
A woman was rushing through the alley way naked, giggling over a guy running after her.

FUCK! THAT WAS HIS SHOT.
He stumbled to get his camera but the two had made it back into the house. AH FUCK FUCK FUCK.

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

Mos was an underground investigator by night...
His boss was going to kill him.

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

He shoulders sagged but he looked back at the woods.
Damnit...
He reached for his gun in his back pocket and raced into the greens.
He hopped over logs and through brush easily, as if he had run through the forest everyday of his life.
He too, was following the trail and scent of blood.
A clearing...

He jumped out into it and slid in front of the wounded fox, his gun drew and pointed right down at a wolf.
His head lowered as a growl came from fanged teeth.

[Reno]

Arrow had just reached his pray. The poor female fox was caught in a jaw trap. He knew how that felt. He;d but her out of her misery.

But just as he had gotten close, he caught the scent of another and soon, in front of him was some untransformed Jakku. The one he had smelt before. This fox's mate perhaps? No... he had the scent of human all over him - what was he? a traitor?

Arrow looked at the strange thing he held, not understanding clearly, but he kenw well that it was dangerous and fatal.

The little fox continued to yelp in pain and fear, her blood making Arrow's senses go crazy. He wasn;t unwuse enough to move though.

He growled at the human-Jakku, taking a few steps back, falling to his belly in the sign of submission.

The fox just laid in her trap, shaking with pain. She did not know what to make of her savour either, other then that he smelt closer to human with all the smoke - but nothing completely hid the scent... the scent of a Jakku.

[Rikugurl]

Mos stared the wolf down with his now wild green eyes. What the hell was getting over him? He would of never in his life stared a wolf down. For Christ sakes! He never even saw a wolf before!

He could feel fangs growing out though as he opened his mouth to make another warning growl, the gun still pointing straight at the wolf's head.
His long red hair blew back in the wind as the woods became silent.

He was missing a great chance of a taking a picture of a business man buying a prostitute that he could of gotten A LOT of gil for over this!?

He walked back slowly, making sure that the vixen was safe from any other animals that might be after her scent. The end of the cigarette fell off in pieces as his green eyes continued to stare down the beast at gunpoint.

[Reno]

Arrow drew his tail in close, watching the other male closely. He was getting annoyed however. Why was he taking so long to decide? Why was he not transforming and attacking? If he did not transform he could not converse...

His curiosity got the better of him.

Suddenly, before this 'human's' very eyes he changed, paws becoming hands and feet - signs of scars over the right hand above the wrist, wolfine features becoming almost human, side from the wolf ears, left hear permanentally clipped. He stayed on his stomach, naked, and growled up at the other. "What are you doing? Make a move!"

The vixen whimpered, too dulled with pain to do anything else.

[Rikugurl]

Mos's eyes grew as he watched the transformation right in front of his eyes. Shit... he could of gotten a picture of this and sent it to Hojo for some good money... But.... unfortunately, he forgot his camera by the shop door.

HOW MANY MORE TIMES ARE YOU GOING TO FUCK UP TONIGHT MOS!?

The redhead just stared, almost in fright as the....thing just stayed down on the ground. Half naked and sweaty... and now talking to him!? He started to question what he was smoking.

He didn't know what he was so freaked out... he saw himself like this every morning... right? No.... he.... he wasn't like that anymore.

Shit...

He looked down at the whimpering fox then back at the wolf-thingy.
His gun started to shake but he shook his head and steadied it.
"Get the fuck out of here and leave her alone!"
Yea.... he was talking to a wolf....

[Reno]

"Hmph, at least you gave an answer this time." Arrow said sourly, glancing towards the fox - he had nearly gotten her. "Lucky prey." He gave another glance towards him. "I do not know what pack you belong to but you should not spend time with humans as much as you do. their scent upon you disgusts me. Do you want to risk our home?"

The young wolf did not wait for reply. within moments, he had transformed back into a wolf, had stood, turned and raced back into the cover of the trees. This was a dissappointment for him.

The vixen watched the wolf leave, her heart beating fast. she was safe... or was she? Was this male going to eat her instead? She whimpered in fear again, showing her teeth. she would not give in easily.