Arista

Of Science and Magic

His split second of distraction, cost him dearly. The sharp jabs that met his side had Bryce whipping his head downwards, his jaws quickly tugging the darts out. He tossed his head and allowed his magic to lash out, head dipping to nudge at where the darts had met his fur. Eyes flashing brightly the werewolf prince lunged forward, his jaws parting to wrap around Bearded-man's arm. His magic whirled around them in a thick fog, Byrce's grip tugging against the other man to tug him down. The smell of wolfsbane clung to his clothes, Bryce ignored the scent and jumped back with a rough yank of his head.

Copper filled his scenes as his teeth met skin under the rather thick coat the other wore. Snarling softly Bryce turned his head this way and that, his goal now to get the weapon away from the male. His ears swivel forward and back as the charge of electricity filled the air again and again. Heat began to travel from his side until it coiled in his chest, Byrce's grip loosening for a second as pain rippled across his body. The thundering of his heart seemed to roar in his ears, a faint tremor beginning to form in his legs. Teeth bared in silent threat he released his hold and staggered back, a pained whine escaping him as another ripple of pain and heat traveled along his entire body. His magic faded as his concentration wavered from the now continuous waves of pain, a familiar ache settling in the pit of his stomach as realisation dawned on him.

He couldn't shift back. Not now when he would be vulnerable, not when he was the only person who could keep Zane and Thea safe. A sharp whimper escaped him as his back arched upwards, his legs collapsing under weight they could no longer hold. The fact that he was being forced to shift back already was worrying, wolfabane took moments to take effect. Bryce tried to focus on getting to his feet, his muscles barely twitching at his silent command to move. His vision was blurring at the edges of his sight, another ripple racing along his spine that had his back arching again. Byrce felt bile fill his throat as his body began to convulse, searing pain filling his mind as the wolfdbane forced his form to shift back.  He fought against the blind agony, his head twisting against the ground as he tried to remain conscious. Eyes squeezing shut Bryce opened his jaws and snapped his teeth along his front forepaw. The sharpness of it had him scrambling to his paws, his magic solidifying before him and creating a barrier. It spread until Thea as blocked from her opponent, a faint mist hanging over the expanse of ice-wall. Panic gripped the prince as his legs gave once more, his front leg throbbing in sync with the continuous waves of pain that rolled along his body. Darkness threatened to pull him under, his body convulsing as he fought against shifting back. A soft bark managed to get passed the lump that seemed to be in his throat, they needed to move and quickly.

Of Science and Magic

@Siaya Dragalorn Yeah in still game for this :) i just kinda got busy too and couldn't really log in for a few days, hope your enjoying your trip at least. I continue waiting for a response.

Of Science and Magic

He wasn't sure what to do.
Byrce shifted on his paws, his gaze flickering to Thea then Zane. Shifting back would leave him more vulnerable and that wasn't an option, his lips pulled back into a silent snarl.
  "Never allow your emotions to cloud your judgement." His father's voice echoes within his mind, Bryce stills and releases a long breath through his nose. Anger coiled within his stomach, fear and worry had his heart hammering against his ribcage.
  He needed to be level-headed. Focusing his gaze forward the young prince tilted his head. He could smell a faint floral scent coming from the weapon the man held, his body slowly relaxing as he began to piece together what he had so far. The three heartbeats from earlier, coupled with the two before them didn't make much sense. Raising a paw and slamming it into the moist earth, Bryce willed his magic to spread.
  A sheet of ice formed beneath him and continued forward, pillars forming as the ice drew closer to the male. Shaking his form once, Bryce leapt forward and snapped his jaws with a growl. Pillars continued to form until they surrounded the male, Bryce jumped into the air and locked his jaws around the side of the weapon.
His grip nearly slipped when a blast of the same floral scent filled his nose. A pained whine escaped him before he jumped backwards and tugged the weapon and man with him. A burning sensation filled his mouth the longer he held on, his paws digging into the ice to maintain his posture. It smelled of lavender and yet not, his jaws releasing after another burst of the same pungent floral smell invaded his nose. Blood dripped from his mouth, his head shaking vigorously in an attempt to rid the taste and smell from his senses.
He knew what it was now. The gun had wolfdbane mixed in, Bryce whined high and frantic as he tried to focus. His ears pinned to the back of his head as he felt his vision waver.  It would take more to bring him down, he just didn't want to actually find out how many bullets he could handle. Mind whirling as a prickly sensation filled his mouth, Bryce whined softly in an attempt to rouse Zane.
 He couldn't do this alone.

~~~~~
 The howl that had pierced the air had Keira stilling. The children around her fell silent at the sound, Keira's stomach dropping to her feet as a wave of fear filled her.
Something was wrong. Very very wrong.
  Without a word she moved out of the gardens and turned towards the closest guard, her hands clenching and unclenching at her side's. "Gather the Scouts that checked the forest near the Altreiah Kingdom. Tell them to meet me by the gates, hurry now." She commanded softly, the guard nodded and took off in a sprint. A maid passed by and with a nod to the open garden doors, the female beta rejoined the children to continue their lessons.
Three minutes later found Kiera at the gates with a group of male and female Betas. Some were shifted and other remained human, Keira said nothing for a moment aside from pointing towards the forest. "That howl belonged to Byrce, I want you all to find him." She said through gritted teeth, the group of six werewolves nodded and bolted forward. The sharpness of the howl meant something was happening, Keira whined softly as the gates closed and silence filled the air. Turning on her heel, the queen moved back towards the castle with a scowl on her aristocratic features. If anything happened to her son she would show no mercy.

Of Science and Magic

The sudden sound of heartbeats had the young prince's attention,  his ears swirling from side to side. He knew for a fact that no other human had been within the forest, the Scouts did routine checks for a reason. His head whipping forward when the sound of shattering glass filled the air, Byrce's muscles tensing at the uptick in Thea's heart just as the ice broke beneath her. He leapt forward without hesitation, a sharp bark filling the air shee swam against the current. The prince wanted Zane to move and head downriver, his gaze never leaving his friend.
      Reaching her and securing his jaws around the fabric of her dress, Byrce began go haul her towards shore. A pained yelp escaped him when a sudden shift of the current had him slamming into a rock, his grip releasing as pain raced along his side. Jaws snapping at the water the werewolf tried to swim forward, the current fighting him as if it were a living force. Shaking his head as anger and worry coiled with his belly, Byrce released a burst of magic and held his breath. The swirling mass that seemed to hold him fought against the steady stream of ice he was summoning, every pulse of mist pushed away again and again.
     At the shout of his name, Bryce raised his head and howled into the air. His aching muscles stilling as the water tugged him downwards, golden eyes flashed crystal-blue as a large burst of magic lashed outward. Leaping upwards and taking off at a dead run, Bryce easily caught up to where Thea's rapid heart led him. A snarl escaping his throat as the smell of rotted meat and sweat filled his senses, he wanted them away from his friend and he'd do anything to see it happen. Leaping forward the young werewolf slammed both men with a burst of icy-wind, landing in between them and Thea. He could feel the water that clung to his fur freezing and turning into spikes, a small continuous icy-mist hovering all around him. Ears flat against his skull Bryce slammed a paw against the moist earth, his snarl lowering in pitch in an unconscious attempt to reassure his friend. Now that he was close enough he could tell a difference between the heartbeats, one sound slower then the other. Taking a sniff of the air Bryce snapped his jaws, one smelled of the forest but muted almost as if the scent couldn't decide on just want it wanted to be. Magic had different scents to it and this was one he couldn't understand, he backed up until his tail could wrap around Thea's wrist. Acting without thinking could lead them into trouble, eyes swirling betwen the two. Using a burst of magic the werewolf easily froze the rope, his body lowering until he was flat on his belly. His tail tugged gently twice, a silent plead for her to get on his back. Even if one was a Mage he could still out run them, rising to his paws the young prince moved to the right.

Of Science and Magic

Her touch felt warm against the side of his neck.

He watched her as she moved across the ice, his paws easily allowing him to reach her side. At Zane’s soft whimper of warning the young prince gave his own soft chuff. He'd tested the sturdiness of his ice several times, though even now he couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. His tail easily wrapped around Thea’s middle, grey ears flicking to listen for other sounds. Reaching the middle of where his sheet of ice ended he paused, a soft huff escaping his lips as the sight of the expanse of water. This lake flowed into a rather large river, the size of which made the young prince hesitant to use his ability.

Freezing water was simple enough, the hard part was keeping it frozen when a continuous flow kept coming. His sharp gaze watched the current as it flowed forward, his maw parting in a silent snarl. Allowing Thea to enter the water now would be the worst thing he could do, Zane and he had fur and could stand the frigidness. Their human companion couldn't, Byrce began to absently scratch his front paw against the edge of his ice. His head tilted downward slightly until his nose was mere inches from the water, the sound of water filling his ears for a moment as he focused. He didn't have full control yet and using too much at once left him exhausted, though for this he'd gladly feel the drain if it meant keeping Zane and Thea dry and warm. Yipping twice to draw Zane forward -he ignored the smell of anxiety from the other wolf- before he moved forward.

The moment he entered the water he concentrated on his ability, his legs moving against the strong current. Ears pinned to the back of his skull, Byrce turned to face his friends. His nose touched the edge of the sheet and immediately another burst of mist filled the air, the young prince swimming backwards slowly as it slowly solidified. The further they went the more ice he had to use and the harder he had to swim, his concentration only breaking once when a sharp pain raced along his spine. Reaching the other side was both a blessing and a curse, Byrce couldn't find the energy to actually climb up to the rocky edge. Small puffs of mist were escaping his nose as he made it up, his legs immediately giving under his weight. He rose once more to shake of the water and ice-droplets that clung to his fur, golden eyes focusing on Zane and Thea. His ‘path’ held steady even if he'd been hesitant to continue downriver like they had. The sound of far-off heartbeats drew his wavering attention, a quiet reassuring rumble filling the air. He'd allow Thea to lead them to their secret spot after this, he could feel sleep at the edges of his vision.

Of Science and Magic

I'm fine with that :) I like getting to now my partners and in some cases becoming friends. Chatter in PMs is fine.

And...I'm thinking waist-deep? Or deeper since the lake can feed into a river if that's okay :D

Of Science and Magic

Byrce snorted softly when his friends finally arrived, the sounds of their combined racing hearts distracting him from the sounds of the forest. He'd half-listened to the words Thea spoke to Zane, his gaze beginning to search the high trees once more. The young prince knew for a fact that only hours before a group of Scouts had been within these same trees, it eased him as well as put him more on edge. Anything could happen in the span of a few hours -though he knew that rarely happened nowadays with the truce- but he couldn't relax much.

The hard force of another body slamming into his own, jerked Byrce to attention. Zane was pushing in an attempt to roll him offer, the prince gave the wolf credit for his attempt. The wolf was still a pup in terms of age and strength, Byrce huffed softly and nudged the other gently away from his side. He pounced on the other and gently nipped at the others ears, a soft rumbling growl vibrating up his throat. It wasn't a warning or threatening sound, far from it if he was being honest. Pausing when he hears Thea land on the ground once more, Byrce stills and flicks his ears in thought. Rubbing his left cheek against Zane’s right -a habit he really couldn't help- to scent the other wolf, he straightened and shook his body. The lake was several feet deep once you passed the line of rocks that acted almost like a barrier, the water before them would reach passed Thea’s ankles. He moves forward and stills at the edge, his head turning back to watch both his friends. He gives a soft yip and flick of his ears, a silent request for them to focus on him.

A long breath escapes his nose as a wave of what feels like icy-water flows under his skin. He focuses on the feeling until it settles in the center of his belly, his tail flicking from side to side twice before his left front paw lifts from the leaf-covered ground. The moment his paw touches the surface a burst of mist sweeps across the water, crystal-blue ice covering the portion of lake before them. His mouth opens in a wolfish-grin, head turning back to watch Thea and Zane. Byrce moves forward and feels his muscles relaxing when the surface doesn't immediately cave. Practice wasn't an easy thing to have when one lived with beings who could tell the difference in air-pressure in mere seconds. Byrce had made time when he could and this was the first time he had actually used his ability, he couldn't help the happy half-jump he did on the lake surface. His paws leaving an imprint as he moved forward, when he reached the center he turned back and ran towards his companions. He felt like he had just after his first transformation, an energy and happiness he hadn't felt since their last outing about two months ago. He gives another soft yip and stops before Thea, his nose reaching out to hesitantly touch her hand.

Of Science and Magic

@Siaya Dragalorn No worries, just so long as communication is fine then it's no issues for posts to be spaced out :)

Of Science and Magic

A challenge was a challenge.

Bryce gave both Thea and Zane a few seconds head-start, his golden eyes watching them even as his muscles shifted under his fur in preparation. Reaching five in his mental countdown the young prince sprung forward with a soft yip and easily caught up with both his friends. The smell of pine and different animal scents filled his nose the moment he breached the treeline. He allowed his senses to talk over, instinct guiding him west at a fallen tree stump that seemed to act as a split between the normally even route. They didn't get to explore much anymore, what with his father insisting on finding him a mate and all.

He couldn't help the howl that clawed it's way up from his chest, it left a tingling feeling in his stomach as it filled the forest air. The river wasn't too inside the forest, which he was thankful for as he neared it with his ears perked and nose sniffing the air. Reaching the edge Byrce tapped a forepaw against the edge before sitting down on his haunches, his head lowering to lap at the cool water. He could hear faint heartbeats to the east that told him prey was hidden amongst the thicker foliage, a soft snort escaping as he rose and settled down beside a rock where Thea could sit if she'd like. His head lowered to rest on his paws, his body relaxed though his senses not. He wondered again if he should show Thea his new ability, she had after all been the first witness to his shift so many years ago. Aside from Zane -who he thought of as an adoptive brother- it was like repeating the past, except for the fact that back then they had been in the castle compared to in a forest.

Huffing softly and rising once more, Byrce shook himself once more. He could feel the strange coolness that hovered just above his fur, glancing down he found where his paws touched the ground a faint imprint of ice was left. He couldn't much control it and with the excitement of possibly telling his friend he couldn't really focus. Moving towards the river Byrce placed a paw to the surface and watched as it immediately froze, though it only lasted a few seconds. The flow of the water dispersed the ice-imprint he'd made, the young prince watching with avid interest as the near invisible ice pieces mixed with the water around them. Happy with his ‘test’ he turned to face where he could hear Thea and Zane approaching, sitting down with his tail slowly beginning to wag.

Of Science and Magic

@Siaya Dragalorn True, though no worries on me like abandoning this because your busy. I understand and don't mind waiting a few days if necessary for a post :)