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."
"Alright you caught me. I may also harbour slightly affectionate feelings towards you as well," Lilith responded, offering a toothy grin as she glanced down at Chloe before focusing on her basket. "At the very least, it seems that your harvest was fruitful this time around."
"Yes, Master Lilith," Chloe replied, grunting as she started to wind a pure white cotton around her hand, compressing it tightly.
"Did you use the locating spell that I taught you?" Lilith asked.
Though she promptly grunted as her body started to shift once more. There were more of those hideous cracks and crunches as her form began to shift before Chloe's eyes. It sounded so ugly, so painful, though the woman handled it with not so much as an ounce of discomfort painted upon her face.
Inch by inch, she shrunk and settled back into a human form. Though this one was at least clad in a simple brown shawl which covered much of her body.
"It is always amazing to see you do that," Chloe stated, looking at her in awe.
Lilith smirked. "Shapeshifting is always a fun little party trick." She took a knee in front of her student and offered her hand. "May I see?"
Chloe nodded and held out her wounded palm, feeling Lilith carefully grasp the wrist. Her mentor examined it closely, humming and hawing as she did so.
"Am I in trouble?" Chloe asked, hating how childish her worry sounded.
"I'd say considerably less trouble than you were in a few moments ago," Lilith joked, looking her in the eye and offering a thin smile. "I am proud of you for finding those mushroom caps, by the way, they are not an easy substance to locate."
"I feel like there's a 'but' coming," Chloe teased.
Lilith smirked at her. "But this forest can be dangerous and I've taught you spells and wards to keep predators at bay while you're foraging." She wagged a finger at Chloe, narrowing her gaze. "Wards which you clearly did not utilize."
"I..." Chloe sighed. "The forest seemed peaceful today."
"It is peaceful," Lilith stated, reaching out with her other hand and brushing it across Chloe's cheek. "The wolf is a member of the forest and is not an intruder. He is merely inhabiting a niche within a realm where he belongs. If anything, you and I are the intruders here."
Chloe nodded though couldn't help but blush at her mentor's tender touch.
Up close, she could appreciate the beauty of Lilith's human form. She was a powerful woman, strong and bulky, being a little taller than herself. Her skin was tanned from both the realm of her birth and also years spent living under the sun, being the colour of a rich mahogany. Her hair was short and cropped black with little specks of grey mixed into it. There was the start of wrinkles under her eyes, the first signs of an advancing age. Though these only drew attention towards a rugged scar which marked her cheek, telling many stories with its mere presence alone.
And while all of these traits were so beautiful in their own right, they came together so nicely within this singular form.
Even now, Chloe couldn't help herself from getting lost in her mind, appreciating this body.
"Though I imagine that nearly losing your life is an adequate punishment already," Lilith stated, scoffing. "And it is likely a lesson that you will hold near and dear to your heart." She cocked a brow as she looked her pupil in the eye. "At least, I hope so."
"Yes, Master," Chloe said, grinning sheepishly as she looked down at her wounded hand.
"Still, I am glad that you're okay," Lilith offered, drawing back and instead getting to her feet. She then held out her hand to Chloe. "We should probably head back to the cabin and redress that wound."
