MysidiaDrakkenbane

They had gathered a few pelts during the afternoon, but Aust suggested that they'd be able to really get their numbers if they waited for nightfall. Aust, exhausted from tracking and skinning, rolled out a blanket and curled up comfortably on it. Mysidia gave a small smirk as she watched the sleeping cat man taking a nap in the afternoon sunlight.

Mysidia then turned her attention to the wound on her arm and she ran her fingers over it gently. She had used her magic to heal the wound closed, but placed a salve on it, she created, to minimalize scarring. Aust had watched her whip up a batch of this salve as though it were nothing. He suggested that she talk to Feja, when they got back, and give her some of this old world knowledge. Mysidia said she'd be happy to.

Wolves, bears, badgers, anything that spoke of the wild realm of nature, had all gone mad. Whatever energy the Luclin shards brought, plagued the animals' mind with some kind of blinding rage. None of the animals recognized her as a worshipper of nature. They either gave her strict indifference or wanted to tear her throat out. She felt abandoned by this thought. Everything she learned and knew, was wrong.

Growing bored with just adjusting herself to the new world, Mysidia decided that the only way to really learn about it was to be out and about in it. She figured an hour or two exploring wouldn't cause too much harm. To keep the attention from herself, she decided to shape shift into her beloved wolf form to get around.

Standing off to the side of their camp, she closed her eyes and began her spell to complete her morphing. When she opened her eyes, four white paws and a long bushy tail took her place. And like so many times before, the world opened up to her a new realm of smells and sounds. She had the distinct curiosity to explore every one of them, but she knew better.

She found out, however, that even in this current state, the animals knew better. They could recognize the illusion form she had but didn't recognize her as a Druid. Odd, she thought.

She padded her way down into the valley and over a hill, getting used to being on four legs. She had almost forgotten how much fun it was to just tear into the earth beneath her and run as fast and as far as she could. Wolves have incredible stamina. They could chase prey for miles before bringing it down. They drove it into exhaustion before doing so. This gift was given to her the moment she traded two feet for four paws.

She saw a large patch of boulders in the distance and decided to bound up them to get a better look. With little effort, she bounced from rock to rock until she reached the top. What she saw only furthered her alien feeling. Nothing was the same. There wasn't one tree, one rock, one landmark that had remained of the old world. She may have just as well walked through some kind of dimension door. The landscape showed no difference.

Her wet coal black nose twitched under the slightest breeze and her ears swiveled around to catch whatever sounds she could. She could hear various travelers on the streets nearby and whatever animals were foraging for food. She could also hear the distinct snarling of a pack of gnolls in the distance. Snorting in disgust, she climbed down the rocks and decided to investigate.

She had her fair share of gnolls in her life. Five hundred years didn't change much about them. They still stunk of dank fur and death and they still clung to the tribal life they had before. Their coats, at least, got some variation, she thought. There wasn't much variation from what she remembered. She figured it was due to inbreeding. It would have explained their intelligence…or lack there of.

Two perky ears and two violet eyes carefully peered over a small hill at a group of unsuspecting gnolls. The hair on her body began to stand on end and she held back the urge to just charge in there and take them all on. If the wolf she had encountered was the lighter end of what she would face here, in Norrath, she had to rethink her strategy on taking on anything at all.

Sitting on her haunches, she closed her eyes and slicked her ears back, deep in concentration. She began to chant the words of an existing spell and releasing energy into those words. When she opened her eyes and peered over the hill, thick choking vines had come up out of the ground and attached themselves to the bipedal gnolls. If she had the ability to smirk, she probably would have.

Trotting proudly down towards the small group, she sat on her haunches again and decided to chant, yet another spell. The smallest tinge of frost clung to the air as she began to finish her spell. When she looked up four huge ice bolts came shooting out of the sky and destroying the gnoll group with a devastating ice crash. Three lay dead and only three remained of the group.

She released her wolf form spell on her and stood with shield and sword ready. She released the vine spell and the three remaining charged her with a ferocious cry.

"You will pay for that, earth worshipper!", one of them snarled to her.

"Even after 500 years and you still spout the same words.", she said rolling her eyes.

One came around the side of her and tried to sweep her leg. Her arm flashed back and quickly made the gnoll think he should have gone another way. The blade met his furry arm and red blood began to immediately run down.

The remaining two charged her at once. One jumped up in the air and drew his dagger. The other charged at her front. Without thinking, she lifted her shield and pushed off the jumping gnoll to the side and came in low with her blade towards the other. The sickening sound of flesh giving away was heard and she heard the gnolls intestines drop to the ground. The gnoll yelped and fell over. His body gave a few spasms before death finally took him.

The one that drew his dagger charged at her again and the other from behind. It was your classic pincer attack and it appeared that Mysidia had taken on more than she could bargain for.

The gnoll swung the dagger, and his aim was true. A clean cut slice scraped down her shoulder and she fell to the side feeling the familiar pain of the blade pierce her senses and flesh. She took off her shield and flung it at the dagger carrying gnoll, causing his head to slice off from his body. The headless body twitched and fell and the head rolled down the small ridge.

With her shield gone, Mysidia placed both hands on the hilt of her blade. The gnoll grimaced at her and she noticed that the gnolls' incisors had grown considerably in 500 years.

The gnoll drew his sword and quickly swung it down. Mysidia was forced to one knee, but she held the blade above her head, stopping his sword from ever coming near her. She pushed off, causing the gnoll to stagger back.

He came at her low this time and she swung it to meet him. Sparks flew up as they battled one another.

"You fight well for a tree hugger.", the gnoll barked at her.

"I'm out of your league, dog.", she hissed back.

They went back and forth, swinging blades, and continuing their battling dance. No matter what she did to the gnoll, he countered and vice versa. Finally, what seemed like forever, the gnoll made a grave mistake and pushed forward. Mysidia stepped aside and slashed at his back. The gnoll fell to his knees and dropped his blade.

"Kill me quickly. I have no regrets.", he said knowing his fate.

Mysidia raised an eyebrow and granted him his request. With a swift movement, she sliced down, severing his head from his body.

Mysidia wiped the blood splatters off her face and looked around at the corpses around her. Aust came thundering down the hill with his bow in hand.

"You really have a death wish, don't you?", he said looking around.

"You worry too much.", Mysidia said and picked up her shield. Aust looked at the six bodies on the ground and watched dumbfoundedly as Mysidia walked towards her horse.

"What the hell was that?", Aust asked pointing at the group.

"Afternoon amusement?", Mysidia said and shrugged.

"I think perhaps your husband has rubbed off on you a little TOO much.", Aust said and walked towards his horse.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing.", she said and grinned. She wiped her blade off with a cloth and placed it back into her sheath.

"Let's get out of here. We have a lot of ground to cover and I'm bored.", Mysidia said and kicked her horse into a gallop.

"The world has gone mad, indeed. Druids pretending to be Warriors…What will happen next, Wizards pretending to be Rangers??", Aust said and followed suit.

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