[center][h1]Zima the Zimmer[/h1][/center] [indent][sub]Time: Briefly Before Mish-Cheechel Awoke[/sub][/indent] Zima waited a long time for Mish-Cheechel to awaken. When the animals returned and galloped past, she waited alongside Bear, thinking of how nice it would be to go about and run with them. When a wind began to blow fiercely, she waited alongside Bear, thinking of how it might be fun to go for a nice soar above the trees. The sun was sinking very slow along the horizon, melting the trees into one long dark shadow. Bathing them in the chilling twilight. How nice might it have been to wander among the stars, but she waited alongside Bear. For Mish-Cheechel was her friend and she would not abandon him despite all of her fanciful thoughts. The Keeper of the Harmony Tree had said he would awake and when he did she had to be there to set things right. To make sure he would be okay because that was what friends were for. Right? When the sun began to set at last and bathed their world in darkness did Bear settle down for sleep, but she waited. She didn’t need sleep, after all. The chorus of night would keep her buzzing mind occupied. She tried to guess at the sounds she could hear. The crunching of leaves from small furred critters, to the hooting of night birds up in their trees, hunting for their supper. It was funny how she took things for granted, how she never stopped to listen to the world, always eager to see it, to be with it and apart. But this was… It was nice just to listen. Then like flames licked out, the noises stopped with an abruptness that Zima did not fully realize until she could only hear the trickle of the running stream. Then the smell hit her. She became alert in an instant as a wave of rancid, putrid odor assaulted her senses. If she had a stomach she would probably have vomited, but thank Papa for that! Instead her eyes began to survey her surroundings. Even Bear was jostled awake! The poor thing shook, as if unsure whether to flee his master or stay and be brave. Was it another Keeper? A… A god? What God could smell so ba- P-P-Parasite! Had he come after all? Oh no! Panic began to set in as the Keeper said he was worse. What would she do? What would she do? She began to shake herself and looked to Bear for any semblance of help but instead she found Bear looking at her and it dawned upon her. Bear looked up to her! She couldn’t let him or Mish-Cheechel down. She wouldn’t! “Be brave with me Bear!” She whispered in comfort, yet she was beginning to become even more unsettled. Whatever it was, was getting closer. She could tell that by the smell but worse- the snap of twigs and the crunching of leaves. Instinctively she began to survey her surroundings for a body. Plenty of stones, no ice, no snow, there was a small breeze, would it be enough? Of course! Her eyes snapped to the water. It would be the fastest way for a body but would leave Mish-Cheechel and Bear without protection for a few seconds. Even still she was useless as she was right now. She would have to try, have to- The snapping and crunching stopped. She could make out something watching them, half hidden behind a tree. It was small and it struggled with breath. They stared at each other, neither moving, waiting for the other to make a move. When it became painfully obvious that it wasn’t going to say anything, Zima spoke instead. “H-hello?” Her voice came out small, barely a whisper. She cleared her ethereal throat and tried again when it made no reply. “Hello? Can I help you?” She asked. The thing gave no reply but stood… Growing taller and taller for it was not small, it had only been crouching. It stepped from the shadows into the moonlight and Zima gasped, for the thing was a monster! Her words were caught in her throat, she could neither scream nor move, so frightened she had become. She had no idea how to describe such a thing, like a deer twisted to stand upon two legs, broken apart at every seam, twisted beyond belief. A walking carcass, a carrion made animate. “Hello…? Can I help you?” It repeated back to her in a voice eerily similar to her own. Her form began to shake. It did not mean those words- it-it was not real. It couldn’t be real! It groaned, clawing at it’s emaciated stomach, looking past her to… Mish-Cheechel! That was what it had come for. Her friend! “Y-You!” She shouted, voice growing. “You can not have him! Leave!” It began to walk forward, it’s arms dragging on the floor as its body and back cracked at a misshapen angle. Her soul beat quickened, the hum inside coming alive with that age old response. Flight or fight. “LEAVE NOW!” She boomed but the creature gave her no attention. Its pace quickened and Zima had to act. At that moment, she did two things. First, she screamed at Bear to take Mish-Cheechel and run. Second, she became the wind and blew a mighty gust upon the creature. It faltered, its upper torso bending like a sapling in a gale but it stayed somewhat upright. It gave her enough time to get to the water. She could hear the large sounds of something heavy crashing through the undergrowth- Bear, and the sickening crunch of bones snapping back into place. It mattered not! Bear and Mish-Cheechel had to get away! She dove into the water and let it mingle with her essence. In a split second the flow and she had become one. Zima was ready to fight! She burst forth a tendril from the water, acting as a face of sorts to see what was happening. The creature was still after Bear and Mish-Cheechel, breaking into a jog as its bones became less broken. Zima whipped at it with a tendril of water and grabbed hold as it lunged towards Bear. With a yank, she slammed it to the ground, then she grabbed its leg and pulled. Once she had saved others from drowning but she knew…. She knew this creature could not be saved. It clawed at the land, leaving deep marks as it fought for a grip and it found one. It managed to get a hold of a tree, sinking a claw deep into the wood. It never took its eyes off Bear and when she saw the white rump at last disappear into the underbrush, did it finally look upon her with malice in those burning green eyes. She tugged harder and the creature began to slash at her tendril, breaking the connection enough where her hold broke. With uncanny speed it righted itself. Afraid that it might run after Bear, Zima came up on shore and launched her watery mass upon it. Twig, rock and flower were brought into her maelstrom of waves and she collided with the thing. If she could not bring it to the water, then she would bring the water to it. Her orb of liquid wrapped around the creature and it flailed in a vain attempt to gain footing or attack. She was winning! It would drown! Mish-Cheechel and Bear would be safe! Yet it could not be that easy, could it? No… For the creature began to taint the water that composed her and where it became tainted, it dropped harmlessly to the ground. She was losing water so Zima began to roll away from the direction Mish-Cheechel and Bear were heading. If she could make enough distance she might be able to have the creature only focus on her. So that’s what she did, avoiding areas and anything the creature could get hold of. It was a violent debacle, as she could not spare the land, else her prisoner would flee. Eventually they reached a valley of sorts, a rocky hill that led down a slope that dropped off into a ravine or valley. She could not tell but it might work. It would hurt but she had to do it. So Zima the Zimmer flung the both of them down it with speed. It only took her twice hitting the rocks for her watery form to dissipate and she was left free forming. She hovered now and watched the deer demon, hoping it would be flung off into oblivion. Instead, she watched it regain itself, clawing into the hillside to stop its momentum right before the drop. Wasting no time, Zima became the rocks and gathered them to her. She could not become the hulking creature of stone that had tamed Bear, but one that could be smaller and lighter to fight the creature but no less deadly. As soon as her stones were gathered and her sight fixed, the deer slammed into her with a ferocious growl. It ripped into her rocky sinew and yanked away a few stones before Zima clocked it with a rocky fist in the side of its head. That sent the thing sputtering into the rocks. She pressed her advantage and descended upon it, pinning it to the ground with her weight as she pummeled it in the head and chest. Each punched, broke bone and tore at flesh but the creature did not relent, instead it acted as if it simply did not care about the abuse it received. This alarmed Zima but she did not falter, instead she punched harder- Then her punch was caught by a clawed hand, and her own hand was ripped off. Well, she still had an arm but it was just shorter. This let the creature gain the upper hand and with a strength that betrayed it’s gaunt look, Zima found herself now pinned. It dished out the exact same punishment as she squirmed. Being a creature that did not have an actual head meant she didn’t need to defend herself. So as the creature pummeled her, cracking and chipping stone, Zima formed on her shorter arm a spear of sorts from the rocks. They gathered to a point and then she rammed it into the side of the creature with a sickening squelch. Foul liquid and rancid meat stained her stone and for once the creature screamed. That had been a mistake on her part. For the creature punched her central stone so hard, it cracked it into splinters and Zima was sent reeling as the assault continued. Her spear arm was broken, and it tried to pull it free but as her connection left, the stones lost their shape. It was at that moment that Zima knew what had to be done, properly, this time. With her legs, she grappled on to the beast, then with her good arm, pushed them to the side where the tumble to oblivion would await. It tried to get away but she was rock and stone and her grip would not let go. She was good at that. Not letting go. As they hit the free air however, its doom was sealed. Zima began to leave the rocks but as she did, something strange occurred. A tendril of green from its chest, just like its burning eyes, grabbed onto her ethereal form and Zima could not escape! She panicked and the world went dark as she felt something cold embrace her. [hider=Summary] Zima waits for Mish to wake up and stays, despite being a restless spirit and wanting to see what every noise and color is. She sticks to her duty as his friend and along with Bear, they wait till night falls. Then something strange happens, something neither expected. A stench fills the air, quiets the land and Zima gets spooked. She looks to Bear for guidance but realizes Bear is looking to her for guidance instead so Zima braves up and prepares for what is approaching. It turns out to be a creature of pure terror, half corpse and mutated beyond belief. She demands it leaves but it approaches. Realizing she has no other choice, Zima fights the creature allowing Bear and Mish to get away. The two spirits fight a big fight and in the end, all might be lost for Zima the Zimmer... [/hider] [hider=Spirit] Zima = 8 +2 =10 Wehniek Champion = 2 +2 =4 [/hider]