The wind whistled through the trees, gracing Chloe's cheek as she traced her way through the forest. It was a gentle breeze, the kind that licked so nicely at her pale arms and managed to flutter her long blonde hair. It was the kind of wind that had a way of staving off the relentless heat of a hot summer day. The kind of wind that paired nicely with the shorts and loose-fitted blouse that she currently wore.
Though the wind was also a tool as Chloe was a woman on a mission.
She went for the satchel that hung from her belt, reaching inside and grabbing a pair of vials from within. The action was done seamlessly, managing to locate the two of them without even reading the label or studying the contents inside.
A faint melody came fluttering forth from her lips, a playful whistle that held magic of its own.
She sprinkled a little bit of each vial into her opened hand, keeping her melody going as she did so. And just as the shrillest note left her lips, the powder started to rise and merge into the wind. Two colours followed the breeze, seemingly immune to gravity as they danced upon the wind.
They drew a trail through the air and guided Chloe towards her objective, heading in the direction of her required harvest.
"Thank you, my mother," she whispered.
And her mother responded 'you're welcome' by kissing her upon the cheek with another burst of her relieving breeze.
Chloe smiled and touched a hand to this kiss before heading in the direction of the purple and yellow that danced upon the air. She followed it as it wove between trees, not once distrusting the path that she was being led down.
After all, her mother was a kindly being and would never play tricks upon her.
Honestly, that was just one of the dozen reasons she was thankful to get into herbology and not illusions or mimicry. When a caste of magic could be used for mischief then its deities were mischievous little imps to its practitioners.
Chloe came upon the end point of her short journey, spotting a sea of little grey and white caps lingering at the base of a tree, making their living out of the mossy husky of a once lively species. Some of these caps had blue dots, others orange, and a few bore a distinct purple hue. These purple bunch were her target and she started to pick them, ferrying them over to a basket at her side.
It was calming work, spotting and plucking them. This single husk alone bore much fruit, ensuring that she'd have enough to fuel a dozen weeks' worth of anti-poisons and soothing salves.
Though the work was also a distraction, narrowing her gaze upon a singular goal. It was easy to get lost in one's own labour. The way that someone could just zone out and completely forget about the world at large, completely ignoring the fact that they were in the midst of a very lively forest full of other creatures.
It wasn't until the low rumble of a growl pierced this calm that Chloe realized her mistake.
She quickly wheeled around, peddling back and pressing herself tightly against the desecrating stump at her rear.
Before her was a fierce wolf, growling and baring its fangs. It was thin, hungry, desperate for a meal. There was a wound upon its side, an angry scar that ensured that it approached with a limp as it took a lurching step towards her.
Chloe reached for her satchel, feeling her pulse quicken. Her movements were frenzied, panicked as she reached for one of the vials. She clutched it tightly, holding it in the palm of her hand and pressing into her skin so hard that the glass indented against her palm.
A last resort.
The wolf was so close now, its warm breath caressing her face.
"Please," Chloe tried.
Though the beast did not understand her.
What it did understand was a heavy bang from behind.
The beast immediately wheeled around and Chloe peered out from behind it, spotting her savior. They were outlined by the light, obscured from any detail by an almost heavenly glow. Though they were tall and rugged, powerful in stature with bulky arms and a strong build.
For a moment, both the beast and the figure stood at an impasse. Though at the very least the wolf was not looking towards Chloe any longer.
There was suddenly a loud crunch, something akin to a twig breaking. Though it soon happened again and again, growing increasingly gruesome with each successive noise as it became apparent that these were bones and not branches. Slowly, the silhouette altered in shape and size as its arms melted away and were replaced with glorious wings. The figure became a monster in its own right, growing taller and taller in lurching bursts until it lumbered over the scene, becoming even more intimidating than before.
"Master," Chloe whispered.
The wolf whimpered.
And that's when Chloe stuck out.
She slammed the glass vial into its side, causing it to shatter. Shards impeded themselves into her hand and she winced at the cuts. Though the pain was nothing compared to the awful and putrid smell that soon punctuated the very air.
The wolf whimpered and sniffed, going wild and bouncing around. It was attempting to nip at its hide and do away with the substance that now lingered in its fur. Though it was an utterly hopeless endeavour.
And that's when the new beast lunged at it as well.
The two frontal assault terrified the wolf and it quickly scrambled away, whimpering like a struck dog as it fled the scene.
The new beast stepped closer, no longer hiding in the radiant light. They were tall and terrifying, a mix of animal and human. Their face was accented by feathers but was distinctly feminine with a crown of black downing. Her body was powerful, tense with muscles and easily three feet taller than Chloe's own. It was devoid of any clothing, bare and beautiful with a strong build that held its femininity in the fringes. It was covered with a mix of a luscious brown hide and equally gorgeous feathers that were a mosaic of purple, black, and grey.
The beast wiped at its brow with one of its wings, no longer having the hands necessary in order to do so.
"Are you hurt, Chloe?" the beast asked, its voice more like a growl than actual spoken words. Though even through the harsh huskiness, care could be heard, worry seeping out upon these feral syllables.
Chloe nodded quickly though looked to her hand, seeing that fresh blood which was bubbling forth from the little wounds peppered around her palm.
"I'd consider yourself lucky," the beast stated, scanning the forest as if expecting a fresh monster to break through the foliage at any moment. "That was a dire wolf and a starving one at that."
Chloe reached for her satchel and grabbed a pair of tweezers, hissing as she plucked the few lingering shards out of her skin. "Thank you for coming, Master Lilith."
Lilith smirked. "I don't intend to let my student die in the middle of the woods. I've invested far too much time into you to let something like that happen."
"Uh huh," Chloe teased, hissing as she sprinkled a splash of alcohol onto her hand. "I'm sure that's the only reason you saved me."
