RP:Always An Adventure
Summary: Lanara plans an adventurous outing as a honeymoon date for Tiber and herself, and naturally, it’s complete chaos! The pair end up in the swampland, looking at caged beasts that are being horribly treated, and an idea strikes the witch to free all of those that are trapped in that hellhole. Little does her husband know, but she has ulterior motives! Before long, madness erupts, and Tiber and Lana are heading into the woods with one of the caged beasts; a tiger! The witch wants to bring back her deceased familiar, Cinder, and use the dying tiger’s body as the host. The Catalian has to race against the clock to find the necessary items for the resurrection ritual, and he greatly screws up on one minor detail. The Kelvarian needed three cattails! Instead… Tiber comes back with three rat (mouse) tails! Cinder is brought back to life, but the majestic tiger has been morphed into a miniature variety.
Part of the New Moon, New Motion Arc
This is a Adventurer's Guild RP.
Lanara has been in a rather grumpy mood since the couple returned from the street fair. Who can blame her?! She had been bitten by a snake that refused to let go and tried to squeeze her to death! Not that Tiber’s fun at the fair had been much ‘fun’ either! The clowns took their toll on the big bad wolf, and he left not feeling very big or bad. Thankfully, a few days of soaking up the sun, taking moonlit walks on the beach, and enjoying their time in Cenril, is all the couple needs to bounce back. It’s late afternoon and the witch calls for Tiber to come and eat, as she’s prepared them something for lunch, to tide them over until dinner. Lana seems to have something up her sleeve as she sits at the kitchen table of the bed and breakfast, biting into a turkey sandwich, with a bemused expression on her face. She chews thoughtfully, her eyes never leaving that of her beloved, before she swallows and breaks the silence, “I made plans for us tonight. It’s not in the most heavenly of places like we’ve been staying at, so I figured that we would go to this event and then crash at our house.” Sage Forest is only a few miles from the entrance to Gualon and they are both physically fit, so there’s no need to sleep over in the swamps. “I would dress in clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. It’s sort of a rough crowd.” She takes another bite of her sandwich and doesn’t offer any further details on their plans, just that it’s non negotiable and they have to dress down. Lana rubs her bare foot against Tiber’s calf, “I can’t believe that half of our honeymoon is over. I wish we could spend the rest of our days traveling and enjoying each other, without having to work or deal with drama.” Being with her mate is so simple and carefree and she looks at him with adoration, “We totally need to have a honeymoon every year!”
Tiber enjoyed the rest of the time in Cenril, despite the clowns, and the… plagued civilians. But Tiberius and Lanara had been selfish enough to avoid such madness while visiting the shores. The man munches on the roast beef sandwich that he ordered–although he enjoyed the honeymoon, he knew that home-cooked meals are what he still yearned for. Mostly because this roast beef was dry, and Lanara prepared her food with love. Their time in Cenril was almost gone, and he knew they would have to check out of the inn they were staying at. “Plans in the not so ‘heavenly’ of places? Is this to bite me back for the snake thing? Look, I know it wasn’t ideal, but like, I got mine, too, y’know.” He grumbles a bit, but the mention of crashing at their place makes him ring. Did he miss home? “Not that I don’t -love- our honeymoon, but I didn’t pack the right amount of socks.” Well, that was minor. “Dress in clothes I don’t mind getting dirty…?” He quirks a brow. “We’re not farming again, are we?” Crowd? He looks puzzled. “Okay, Gualon it is. I trust you,” he smiled. When she mentions the honeymoon he inhales sharply. “It’s going by -way- too quickly. All the business we’ll have to do when we are back, I’m not looking forward to. I’m content when it’s just -us-.” He grins at the idea of a honeymoon every year. “Investing in a vacation home? You got it, baby.”
(Post 1 of 2) Lanara nearly chokes on her dry turkey sandwich when Tiber asks if she’s planning some sort of vengeance, because she totally -would- plot something equally as traumatizing as getting fangs stuck in one's hand by their biggest fear. “No, Babe. We are on our honeymoon! If I want to get ‘even’ for anything, it would be when you least expect it and not when we are on vacation and celebrating our love.” That’s reassuring, right?! They finish their lunch and upon hearing that Tiber is on board with long vacations every year, she playfully drags him back into the bedroom where they spend the next few hours burning off those calories from their overcooked lunchmeat.
(Post 2 of 2) Later, Lana bathes and shaves her legs, cursing her lycanthropy for the fast hair growth, and it’s likely that Tiberius can hear her grumbles and commentary in the next room. She pulls black leggings, a hunter green tunic, and a pair of leather ankle boots from her suitcase and quickly gets dressed. Her long hair is pulled back to the middle of her head in a loose ponytail and a few strands have been twisted on the sides to add a little something special to her look. Lana doesn’t bother with makeup, but she does dab some clear gloss onto her lips. She houses two daggers on her frame, one is tucked into the waistband of her pants and another rests in her left boot. It’s nearly dusk by the time the witch is ready, and she joins Tiber at the carriage that’s waiting out front. Standing on her toes, she gives him a kiss before they board their ride. The driver has been instructed to drop them off at the entrance to Gualon, before he drops their luggage on the doorstep of their home in Sage Forest. Lana squeezes Tiber’s hand and tries not to dwell on the rancid stench of the swampland, “Ready, Baby?”
Tiber frowned when she mentioned that she would not plan such vengeance on their honeymoon. “Nice,” his tone is flat, but he waves that away. Time to be back in the moment because now he is whisked away back into the bedroom–he will enjoy the peace while it lasts even if revenge was lingering at his future door. Time passes and the lycan bathes as well, and puts on a plain cream tunic and brown pants and boots as he knew they were headed to Gualon. Very casual from his business attire. He leaves the stubble on his face. He waits for his wife to get ready, packing up the rest of their belongings for the next trip ahead. She steps out, now shoving daggers in her waistbands, and he is showing a confused look. “Uh… are we in trouble…?” He scratches the side of his head before he reaches for his own backup supply of weaponry. Mostly the same as Lanara’s–a dagger, and that signature scalpel from Lanara’s friend signed from the Blue Demon. He nods along before following her, travel and all before they head to the direction of swampville. “Not necessarily, as this is unusual, but… ready as I can be?”
Lanara holds tightly to Tiber’s hand as they make their way through the main road, which is partly covered in murky water. She imagines snakes wading through the discolored depths and swimming onto the road and biting her on the ankle. Asha is a little nervous too, as there are many foul scents here that she cannot register, but she refrains from whining too much about it to Luca. The less Tiber knows, the better, both wolf and woman think, because he would definitely want to turn back. The walk is a bit of a trek and they have to go the long way as parts of the city are flooded, but Lana tries to make the best of their adventure, “So… I know this doesn’t smell or look like a honeymoon moment, but this is going to make me -so- happy! I’ve always wanted to do this!” Her lips twist into a mischievous smile and her eyes have a hint of darkness in them, definitely not a good sign, as Lanara Lowell is surely up to something. The couple arrives at their location, which somehow smells even worse than all that they had passed along the way, and strange howls and roars come from behind a thick wall. A small booth is erected before the entrance and a very tall man with a single eye at the center of his head beckons them closer, “Come one, come all, to the caged beast free-for-all! Admission is nonrefundable at forty gold a person. The bets are to be placed inside at the betting station! C’mere little lady, give Uncle Leroy a big kiss while your sugar daddy coughs up some coin!” Lana blinks at the cyclops as she’s never seen one before, and she wonders if that’s where her third eye is, but something must have gone wrong in Leroy’s case!
Tiber is thankful he wore boots. He was familiar with Gualon, but not necessarily the swamps. The smell is foul, and Luca is agitated in the back of Tiber’s mind which gives him a mild headache. The stronger the stench gets, the more Tiberius wants to turn around. “Lanara, this is absolutely the–” she chimes in with how this will make her so ‘happy’. Great. Chummy! His almost-complaint backfires, and he turns that scowl into a chime, “And we will! The smell isn’t -that- bad.” Luca is growling at Tiber’s chipper remark to make his wife feel better. Though the mischievous smile Lanara has makes the man concerned. Why were they in this smelly place, anyway? An alligator was bound to eat them or something. Once they arrive and he trudges through the smelly, thick unclean water, he comes into view of the small booth. Tiber stops short, although that third eye is giving him the creeps. And now the cyclops wants to kiss the witch? Tiberius is staring at the single eye thoroughly where it pushes him forward. “Hm,” normally Tiberius would play jealous, but he agrees with the cyclops for once as Lanara looks completely bewildered. “Come on, babe, you said this is going to make you -so- happy. It’s part of the experience! Give good ol’ Leroy a smooch!” The Catalian is now playing along with thick sarcasm, and he gladly pulls out his coin wallet, and he gives a very dirtily teasing wink at his wife. The only time Tiber is not jealous and it was a cyclops. Tiberius makes the exchange at the hefty price. “Bets… Are we betting on… beasts…? Isn’t this…” This did not sound like her. Letting beasts fight…? Was this what this was? He was only guessing.
(Post 1 of 2) Lanara is still blatantly staring at that single eye that’s rolling around the man's head, as though she expects his head to start spinning next! Where were his other two eyes?! She’s so full of questions that she tunes out her husband’s words, merely nodding in consent to whatever he’s saying. However, she really -should- have listened, because Uncle Leroy lumbers forward and lifts the petite woman into his arms and greedily tries to plant several smooches on her cheek! A hand drops to the hilt of her blade and it takes every ounce of restraint for Lana not to stab the creepy guy in the jugular. “Put. Me. Down. NOW.” The cyclops chuckles and manages to plant a singular kiss upon Lana’s forehead as he lowers her to the ground, “She’s feisty, huh? Lucky bastard!” He clamps a hand on Tiber’s shoulder as though they are frat brothers, before he elbows him in the side and lowers his voice, “If you ever get sick of her, just bring her around here! Uncle Leroy has an eye for her!” The joke isn’t well received by the witch, who now stands with her arms crossed and glares at both men. Leroy takes the coin and flips the lever so that a panel on the wall slides open and Tiber and Lanara may enter the area beyond.
(Post 2 of 2) Caged beasts of every variety from all over the realm are here, and from the looks of it, living in poor conditions. There are over five hundred cages in all, neatly arranged so that visitors can walk up and down the rows for a peek at the contenders. A fighting ring has been set up to the right and currently there is a sasquatch combating a cerberus, while dozens of spectators look on and shout their predictions. The betting booth is to the rear and a few shady men guard the boxes of gold, obviously well trained in combat and heavily armed. Lanara seems to be the only woman attending on this night, and she grabs Tiber’s hand and forcefully pulls him down one of the aisles of animals. They stop before a chupacabra’s cage and the witch drops her voice, “We are going to cause a scene and free some of the animals. Obviously, I cannot free all of them and I don’t want us to be caught, because it could make things bad for Happy Tails…” Lana sneakily looks to her left and right, those shifty eyes sizing up her surroundings, “We will pick ten beasts to free, in total. That should make a dent.” This idea is insanity at its finest, because there are only two of them and at least fifty people that would oppose them! Not to mention the fact that they will have to make their escape and not get apprehended, as they maneuver through swampland. “Let’s pretend we are here for sport, make a few bets, and watch a fight or two. Then… I will select the animals to free and we can act.”
(1 of 2) Tiber is not sure if he should step in or not, but the cyclops seems simple enough with the smooches on the cheek. Works out well. Any further and Tiber might take the head of a single-eyed dude. Amusement spreads across his face with Lanara’s feisty temperament. “That’s why I married her,” he finally admits with a witty grin. Once Lanara is put down, “You’re fine.” Probably rude, but he takes over and pulls the woman close to him for a brief kiss on her other cheek. “I am lucky. This guy knows right.” Tiberius gestures before laughing at Leroy’s creepy, jestful banter. “No.” He finally says with a flat face to Leroy after laughing so heartily. How did the lycan snap so fast? Leroy sort of looks thrown by the swing of emotions, and Tiber moves on with the Kelvarian close to his side.
(2 of 2) Eyes scan the rows of caged beasts who are held hostage waiting to fight other beasts. They throw themselves up against the bars. Some are poked and prodded. This was not Lanara’s scene, so why were they… he felt like he knew, and it felt like a terrible idea. Once Lanara drags him along and lowers his voice. “Gods, I’m getting to know you like the back of my hand. I should’ve known when I spent that coin…” He was not mad about the coin, but he was puzzling it together. There is a long pause between them before he side-eyes her. “And you’re sure…” She was. He sucks in his cheeks. What happened to a nice, peaceful vacation, again? “I love you,” was all the reassurance she would need. A form of ‘okay’. The man tilts his chin up and scrutinizes an owl bear and a red dragon that is muzzled and has its ankles chained. Tiber assumes that this would remain the same during the fight as well as he walks the row with his wife. “Bets on the owlbear. Gotta give the guy credit, as I’m sure he’s not so skilled with fire, best of luck to him. I have a good feeling.” He tries to be confident around the gamblers.
Lanara unexpectedly throws her arms around Tiber’s neck and pulls him to her for a passionate kiss, “I love you, too.” He’s willing to go along with this charade without asking too many questions or thinking of the consequences, and perhaps like her feistiness, maybe -this- is why she married Tiberius, “Okay… Good. I’m thinking that the owlbear will win, too, but we need to choose some backup contenders, just in case. We are here to win, after all!” Lana takes his hands as she peruses each of the animals in the cages, some which are so foreign that she’s never heard of them let alone seen them in the flesh. Most of the beasts are menacing and bite at the bars, a few spit or glare, and a two-headed bull charges at them and bends the panel to his enclosure. The docile ones tug at Lana’s heart but she cannot free them, because they won’t know enough to look danger in the eye or run freely away from the place they call home. The witch comes across several animals that look as though they are on death’s door, and she pulls out a small notebook where she writes down the location of their pen for later use. An hour later they’ve discovered eight beasts she wishes to free; a fire breathing ostrich, a winged grizzly bear, an owlbear, a red dragon, a hippogriff, a black unicorn, a behemoth, and a red-eyed sphinx. “I’m also going to free this girl…” Lana squats before the cage of a tiger that looks to be struggling to breathe and is emaciated. She’s out of place here as there doesn’t seem to be anything magical or menacing about her, like with the other beasts. At one time she was very beautiful and proud, but the husk of the tiger barely lifts her head to gaze upon her admirers. “I will keep her for myself and restore her to what she once was, I will-” Her words cut off as a lightbulb goes off in her head, and Lana abruptly jumps to her feet, “I know we missed the deadline but the Goddess does have a sense of humor and she’s been so good to me! We will bring back Cinder! In the body of the tiger!” She’s excitable now and hoping this goes off without a hitch. “Tiber… I need you to go and bet on the fights. Size up the men and I will handle the Sasquatch. He will be the tenth on our list…”
Tiber walks along the cages with the witch. Eyes look weary at each beast, as internally, he is thinking his wife is insane for wanting to play this game of freeing beasts. The two talk of each creature. Lanara takes note. They play the game of the wicked gamblers. When Lanara stops at the cage of the tiger, the man frowns at the state the tiger is in. Was Lanara teaching him to be empathetic to animals, as well? Then, the Kelvarian’s idea of bringing Cinder back as a tiger makes him blink and double-take. No, he was not empathetic, but blatantly concerned. “Cinder? As a tiger? You know what she’ll do since we made her wait this long? As a -tiger-?” His voice is low and bewildered, but really, he knew his wife was right and they -would- have to bring Cinder back. After all, Cinder saved the witch. Tiberius then nods before turning off to go work his way of smooth-talk with the men betting on different beasts. Tiber swindles his way with the coin holders–the ones holding the betting books. Tiber places the bets on each beast they observe before he slowly walks the perimeter to see each man was defending the cages. There was at least one man per cage to keep a close eye on patrons and to poke at the beasts in the cages: fire-breathing ostrich - average looking guy which looks to be using ice elemental magic to keep the fire at bay. A winged grizzly bear - an archer with large muscles. A red dragon - a tall avian woman with runic tattoos; some magic within them. A hippogriff - a seaborn. A black unicorn - a female elf that looks to also have some sort of empathetic pull on animals. A behemoth - a very hefty, muscular male dwarf. A red-eyed sphinx - a burly desert elf. The tiger? A small hobbit. Easiest target. Tiber makes mental note before finding Lanara in the crowd with his eyes. A nod. He waits for her to come for him, so he can debrief before they plan the release.
Lanara fights the urge to cackle, because the horror in her husband's eyes is all too real. Cinder loathed the man when she was the size of a housecat, but in actuality, she was much larger than the tiger in her full tikifhlee form and could travel in the Shadow Planes. If anything this is a downgrade in Lana’s eyes, but seeing as they already missed the third full moon and this opportunity has presented itself, she won’t look a gift horse in the mouth. While Tiber is speaking with the bookie and sizing up their competition, Lana is using her empathic abilities to speak with the animals in their cages. She feigns ignorance and solely speaks in Sylvan as she makes comments about the beasts, all the while telling them telepathically that their goal is to break free and flee to safety. A few will likely stay to help Tiber and Lana, but the calmer beasts won’t want any trouble. The tiger doesn’t respond to the witch, as though she doesn’t have the energy to reply. Lana wanders around the area before she gets that cue from Tiber, and it’s as she’s walking past the ring with the sasquatch that she feigns a yawn. Extending her arms as though she’s stretching, she loans some of her pent up rage to the hairy man, smirking as he seems to go berserk. The fans go wild and more bets are placed, proving enough of a distraction for Lana to pull Tiber aside, “Okay. I think we will have the big guy go crazy and take care of the employees up front and any of the spectators that want to get in on the action? What’s your take on the caged beasts and their handlers?”
Tiber plays nonchalant until Lanara comes to greet him again. He leans in closely and nods to her words. Eyes look above her head at the crowd around them too distracted by the fighting and the pouncing animals in their cages. “Each cage has a handler. I’ve noticed that some are using magic. Watch out for anything elemental, as it is my guess that with each beast, the person guarding it has the ability to resist whatever the beast is capable of. For example, the ostrich I noticed the guy using frost magic to keep the fire at bay so it doesn’t injure any spectators. The beasts that are capable of any outward damage using the elements must have a guard that is capable of magic, which I assume… might be you going against them while I get the more burly guards.” Only because Tiber was not really able to counteract magic. “Unless we want a swifter approach… a certain distraction?” Eyes dance over Lanara’s frame. “A sexy distraction? Whoops with the cage?” He smirked teasingly.
Lanara squints slightly when Tiber mentions the handlers having opposing magic, because it makes things that much tougher on the witch. She cannot use the same magic as they will merely absorb her power, but if she uses the opposing type, it will be negated also. Lana is slight of frame, so hand to hand combat is out of the question, “You handle the non-magical users… I guess I will have to use a neutrality spell, which will silence -both- the beast and their handler. Then I can unlock the cage, and hopefully the beasts and I are strong enough to take out their handler. Thankfully, they are all in different rows, so I think we can get a few loose before we are noticed. And maybe the Sasquatch can help bash in a few cage doors, too, if he doesn’t get himself killed.” Lanara is second guessing this, but on the exterior she looks cool and confident. She rolls her eyes at Tiber’s comment about using her good looks and charm, “Oh yeah. You know what that got me? A kiss from creepy Uncle Leroy!” Standing on her toes, she gives Tiber a quick kiss, “We will save the tiger for last, I think any fighting is out of the question for her, and I have to coax her into following us home. Good luck, Baby. Be safe.” With that, the witch is off, in hot pursuit of the red dragon first, followed by the fire breathing ostrich.
Tiber pokes his tongue in the side of his cheek. “Huh,” so non-magical fighting it was. Let’s hope stealth will conquer using fists because one was not so strong yet. Tiberius flashes a grin at the woman with him at the Uncle Leroy comment before returning the kiss. “Done and done. Watch yourself,” he reaches to brush a thumb across her chin before parting ways. His goal? The archer with the winged grizzly bear. The man casually sticks his hands in his pockets as he walks through the crowd. He looks left then right before parting between cages towards the tail end of the cage to watch the archer. He waits for the archer to poke the bear back with one of the crafted arrows he had before the ranger turns back around. Quietly, the Catalian creeps up the side and angles himself just right before slipping a hand in his back pocket where he pulls out his coin pouch. A single lock pick is pulled out. Does he really carry lock picks? Why, yes. Once a sleazeball, always a sleazeball. The pick slowly inches in the lock. As a person walks by and eyes him, he leans down to pretend to search the ground as if he lost something before he glances back up to see that watchful person walk away. He carefully turns it left and right to find the right click with his senses before opening it. The grizzly bear rams its body against the cage to and fro before slamming against the opening knocking the archer out of the way. “Run!” The crowd screams and Tiber is off to the next cage next door. The grizzly would be a great distraction, especially while the archer is pulling from the quip to fire arrows through the sky. The desert elf that is guarding the sphinx is so wide-eyed that the winged bear escapes that he does not even focus on his cage as he thinks it was a mishap. Surely these things happen from time to time. One beast every-so-often, right? The pick is slipped into the lock before the sphinx is lashing out to pounce onto the desert elf. Surely now, ruckus has begun.
Lanara approaches the cage that houses the red dragon, noting that it’s in the row behind the ostrich, luckily. Muttering beneath her breath, she casts a spell of neutrality to equalize both the magic that the beasts and their handlers are using. A different spell unlocks the cages, and in the blink of an eye, the avian is slayed where she stands. The ostrich escapes its cage and continuously opens its beak, angrily trying to blow fire and realizing that it can’t. The handler tries to cast a spell but nothing happens and he attempts to run away, only to be incessantly pecked on the head. The ostrich uses its powerful legs to stomp on the man and his scream carries throughout the area. Lana doesn’t stand around to watch the feuds, she merely moves onto the next beast which happens to be a hippogriff. The seaborn guarding the cage door gives her a dirty look and the witch stares right on back, the two seeming to be in a staring contest. Neither woman blinks, but Lana is managing to unlock the cage door by muttering another spell beneath her breath, and clearly, the seaborn didn’t see it coming! The last on Lana’s list, save for the tiger, is the black unicorn. She pauses before the cage, sensing the empathic abilities of this guardian, and the two women lock eyes. They seem to read each other’s thoughts and this woman seems to be smarter than the others that the couple has swindled on this day. The unicorn beats its horn against the cage, wanting its freedom, and knowing that one of the two women will grant it. Both women fight for control of the unicorn but they are of equal measure and only stressing out the animal, so Lana resorts to using her fists. She charges at the woman like a bull and as their forms collide, she throws her onto the ground. Lana is swift and punches and slaps the woman, getting her hair tugged and a couple of scratches on her arms in the process, but she doesn’t relent until the woman is unconscious. She then rises from her place and unlocks the cage to free the unicorn. Meanwhile, the sasquatch has killed nearly fifteen people and is covered in gore. It runs up and down the aisles, helping to free the other beasts. Lana, breathless and tired from expelling so much magic, limps over to the tiger's cage and waits for Tiber to join her so that they can begin the journey home. The hobbit watches on, wondering why the pretty witch looks so disheveled.
Tiber does not have time to be completely aware of his surroundings. As the crowd is running, the man is walking with those hands in his pockets again. “You!” The bulky dwarf man with the braided beard steps in Tiber’s view. “Where do you think -you’re- going? Exit’s that way. Whatcha got in your pockets?” The dwarf is not stupid, and Tiber throws a grin at the shorter, burly fellow. Confidently, he lifts his hands in the air, lock pick in hand. “Caught me. You should work for the Cenrilian Guard. Catching criminals.” The screams are loud in the background and the dwarf charges forward with a mighty punch which Tiberius side-steps. The goal was the cage. The Catalian reaches the lock of the cage where the behemoth was located. Throwing its body against the cage through all the rage and chaos beyond the prison. Tiberius is ripped back by his collar however and thrown to the ground and a large gnarly punch is thrown at the male’s nose. In a fit of rage, Tiber gets up and throws two quick blows back until the dwarf knees Tiberius in the groin. “Oh sh–” The shot of pain is immediate and the Catalian hunches over. Nausea swells in his stomach at the blow before a hand reaches up to the length of the dwarf’s beard to pull his face against the bar hard to knock the burly man out cold. Tiber drags himself in hisses to lockpick the cage to open so the behemoth is free. The behemoth handles the rest. Once Tiberius finds his groundings, he moves slowly to walk off the pain in an awkward way until he is at the tiger’s cage where the hobbit only stares. The blonde walks up and gives the hobbit a single shove where the hobbit tumbles down. Easily enough the hobbit stutters before screaming and scrambles off as there are beasts everywhere at this point. “Just open the cage,” Tiberius takes the moment to catch his breath as Lanara lures the tiger, so they can get the hell out of here.
(Post 1 of 2) Lanara takes in the appearance of Tiber and she wonders why he looks so beaten up. Guilt eats away at her because this is supposed to be their honeymoon, and instead she has him freeing wild beasts and getting pummeled by burly guards. Obediently, she unlocks the cage of the tiger and coaxes her out, which takes serious effort. The animal is in sad shape and she collapses with every few steps, so it looks like they will have to drag her all the way back home. “Let’s each take an end… We can do this.” It will take them hours at this rate, but they have to try. Lana struggles to pull the tiger along, relieved once they are almost at the entrance to Sage Forest, because the big cat is rapidly fading before their eyes. She’s supposed to weigh around three hundred and fifty pounds, but has been reduced to around a hundred and seventy. Tiber could easily manage to carry that weight, given his enhanced strength, but the two of them are greatly struggling because they are trying to avoid jostling her too much or worsening her injuries. Nearly two hours have gone by and Lana tugs with all of her might, not worrying too much about the fact that the feline’s teeth can sink into her flesh at any given moment. Using her empathic abilities is out of the question, because she’s trying to focus all of her magic on keeping the animal alive. The tigress is sick with fever as her open sores are badly infected, and the stench of gangrene in the back left paw is nauseating. “How could those bastards not feed her, or tend to her wounds? I have a good notion of going back there and freeing -ALL- the animals and killing anyone who’s ever placed a bet!” Lana’s voice is strained as they are now nearing their property line, and although she wants to bring the feline into their home to work her magic, she realizes that it’s not possible. “Let’s haul her into the backyard…”
(Post 2 of 2) At long last, the tigress is laid down on a patch of grass in the center of their backyard, with both the witch and the lycan pausing to catch their breath. Unable to rise, the big cat remains rooted upon the earth and stares at them with half-closed eyes. Lana presses her hand near the tiger’s groin, at the site of the femoral artery, to check its pulse. She frowns and tears well in her big brown eyes as she looks up at Tiber, “We don’t have much time. Her heart rate is -very- slow and there’s no way that she will survive…” A lone tear trickles down Lana’s cheek, “I just want to bring Cinder back! I miss my familiar! She wouldn’t even be dead if it weren’t because of me, and this poor tiger’s death will be a waste! I have to cast the spell as she takes her last breath, but if I go and gather the necessary items for the ritual, she will be gone before I’m back…” The witch is filled with guilt and she openly sobs, as the new moon slowly rises in the sky and lands on the man, woman, and feline like a spotlight. “Babe… Can you go and get the stuff? I will make sure to keep her alive until you return. You don’t have to go very far! I only need a few things…” Once Tiber agrees, she stands up and hugs him tightly, “I need a single white rose that you must clip from a sacred place, a bag of dirt from any graveyard, and three cattails which you can get at at the sanctuary!” Her voice is a little muffled as she’s emotional, so perhaps Tiber hears ‘rat tails’ instead of the intended cattails. “You get going and I will prepare everything and keep the tiger alive!”
(1 of 3) Tiber finally is able to collect himself and wipes his bloody nose. Lanara lures the tiger out and the man, in that moment, feels bad for the sick animal. “We can do this.” He agrees before taking most of the weight of the large cat. More like… malnourished cat. It was at this moment, Tiber was thankful for his ability to hold strong, though the smell of the tiger’s paw is sickening, and the look of this creature is… difficult for the eye. Anyone with at least a mild heart can see that. “Because, people who run places like that only have a one-track mind, and think that it’s a game. They’re in it for the coin. The greed. Think of when people bet duels with people. Same thing, but animals don’t really get a choice.” He sucked his cheeks in as he puts it in his own perspective which makes his… heart ache? Perhaps he was feeling empathy for animals now. Once they get her to the backyard, he lies the tiger down very gently and gives the tigress a stroke of comfort. He can hear the sadness in the Kelvarian. See the tears in her eyes. The tiger was dying. “And we will bring Cinder back, I pro–” but now, he is in charge of the supplies. A rose, rat tails, and a bag of dirt from a graveyard…? What?! The man’s wife is sobbing at this point and he is staring with great concern. “I–I got it, babe. I’ll be back in an hour and a half tops! Try to hold on, babe.”
(2 of 3) Tiber does not waste another moment as he dashes off. His first mindset is the temple of Arkhen, as he had been by the godly place a time or two. A God of Light. White roses would be easy enough to clip. Once he is at the sight, he reaches for his pocket knife to cut through the stem of a white rose that grows in a bushel outside of the temple. “Single white rose. Gods, Tiberius, you’re good. Husband of the year.” He turns off to the next location. The Deep Dark Forests near Enchantment. There were always wicked things that brewed beyond those trees, and where wicked things brewed, graveyards relied. Stupid idea, but one to say-the-least. The man travels his way with cawing crows while shadows hover from the trees. He swears he can feel something… or someone watching him. “Get supplies, she said. Save -Cinder-, she said.” Was the man scared? Perhaps he was scared of witchery, even if his wife was one, but his wife did tell him about what happened to Penelope and Kyori and her in these woods. There better be no wicked Vivi in here. An old graveyard comes into view. Old withering stones sit, moss and fungus growing around the untended place. “I should’ve went local.” He swears he can feel a cold chill on his back now as he is in the middle of all the gravestones. He kneels down at a random one before realizing he had nothing to shovel with and no bag. For a makeshift bag, he pulls out his coin pouch. “The things I do for love,” fingers dig into the musty, damp earth as he pulls clumps of dirt from the ground and shoves it into the coin pouch. A mix of dirt and grass clump and he is off again. To the sanctuary! He could have sworn he heard ‘rat tails’. Odd. Saving an animal for an… animal. Inhumane, but alright, he would -not- question the witchery. His wife knew all, right? Once he makes his way to the animal sanctuary, he barges in quickly. “Venin! Sweetheart! Darling!” Venin gives him the tightest glare possible and a scowl. She knew Tiber’s -real- feelings about her. “Look, I need rat tails, okay? I don’t know why, I don’t know -how-. Just Lanara needs them.” Venin has a tainted look on her face. “Well, I’m not -Lanara’s- pet. She can do it.” Tiber then frowns. “Give me the rats, or I swear I will have you -demoted-.” Venin rolls her eyes before heading to the back to grab a cage of rats for the rat tails. Tiber gives a two finger salute. “Thanks, Venom!” And he dashes out the door.
Tiber (3 of 3):: Finally, Tiber comes into the clearing of their backyard again at the estate in heavy breathing. “I got it babe, I got it,” he comes close and drops on his knees beside the tiger and the witch. “A rose,” he lays it out for the witch, “Dirt from the graveyard,” he shoves his hand in his back pocket with his dirt-filled coin pouch that has a worm poking out. “And! Rat tails!” He gestures to the box before them.
(Post 1 of 2) Lanara impatiently paces back and forth as she waits for Tiberius to return with the items necessary for the reanimation ritual, wafting sage in the air to purify the backyard. She changed into a silk purple robe and is barefoot, with her long hair flowing freely to the middle of her back. Her pentacle hangs from the chain around her neck and there’s an unmistakable vibration in the air, as though the area is brimming with magical vibes. The tigress lies still, in the center of the yard, with a circular sprinkling of salt surrounding its form. Lanara smiles at Tiber as he enters the yard and she’s almost giddy with anticipation, because it’s been nearly five months that she’s been without her beloved familiar. The coin pouch of dirt is given a nod, and the rose is gingerly held in her hand, and she glances back to focus on the tiger's condition and doesn’t quite catch when Tiber says -rat- tails and not cattails! Little does the couple know, but Venin doesn’t take too kindly to threats of demotion, and she hasn’t given them rat tails, either! The nasty caretaker tossed in a couple of -mouse- tails, as though hoping to shrink whatever sort of spell Lana is casting, much like shrink the ego of her employer's husband. Lana’s too eager to get this show on the road and doesn’t examine the items closely, “Okay. Perfect! Thank you for getting all of the items, Babe. I’m going to get started, but I should warn you… I will probably faint after the spell is cast and we won’t know if it worked until dawn. So… Maybe you can just carry me inside? After sleeping, I should regain my strength, and in the morning we can come out and reunite with Cinder!”
(Post 2 of 2) The tiger begins to choke on its own saliva and it looks as though she’s barely breathing, clearly on the brink of death. Lanara swallows and takes a deep breath, knowing it’s now or never, as she steps just outside of the circle of salt surrounding the tiger. The witch motions for Tiber to stand off to the side as she calls upon the four corners, which are represented by four obsidian stones on this fateful evening. Next, she welcomes each of the elements; earth, air, fire, and water. They feel the caress of the wind on their cheeks, they sense the hum of electricity in the ground, they hear the sound of waves crashing against the shore, and their flesh heats as though they are bathing beneath the sun. However, as Lana calls upon the element of spirit, it’s only she that feels that familiar third eye opening and the invisible cord that connects her to the Goddess. Pulling an athame from the pocket of her robe, she slices her palm and pours her blood over the white petals of the rose; which has now become a resurrection rose. It’s tossed onto the body of the tiger, along with the three (believed to be) cattails, and the clippings of Cinder’s fur. Lana then walks around the salt circle, sprinkling the bag of graveyard dirt on the interior of the circle, her voice is loud and clear as she speaks. Although Tiber is a linguist, he will not be able to decipher the archaic jargon that exits his wife’s lush lips, as only a few souls know the exact spell to resurrect a deceased familiar in a new host. The words that will hopefully bring the tiger back to life with the spirit of Cinder within, seem to overpower the sounds of the night. Not a single cricket chirps. There isn’t any rustling of rabbits in the bushes. Even the breeze seems to silently sweep through the forest, not disturbing a single twig or leaf. Lana’s eyes dilate and she traces three circles above her brows; the maiden, the mother, and the crone. In common tongue, she makes her plea, “Heal the body, heal the soul. Help me Goddess, to give control!” The tiger takes its final breath and once Lana no longer feels that empathic connection to the living animal, she closes her eyes and finishes the spell, “As I will it, so mote it be!” A loud crackling sound, sizzling like lightning, blares through the forest and shakes the ground with phenomenal force. The backyard is enveloped in a blinding white light that seems to last for several moments, when in reality it’s only about twenty seconds. The light grows dim. The ground ceases shaking. The sounds of the forest resume. The tigress lies motionless in the salt circle. All is as it was before the ritual; save for the fact that the witch is unconscious, from having exacted all of her energy.
Tiber looks concerned at the thought of Lanara fainting due to the spell. This side of his wife’s ability was something that was still incredibly new and foreign to him. Especially for a man not so well familiar with magical ability. She is wearing soft, silken clothing and looking more wild and in her element. His jaw slacks a little as his eyes drink the witch in. He was entranced by her own nature. There was no time for steamy fanatical thoughts. The lycan gives his beloved a nod and almost leans in to kiss her temple, but he stops short as the tiger is choking on its last bit of life. The Catalian takes a step back instead, as asked, and he stands a distance away to watch his in-tune woman start the ritual. Eyes dance as he watches the witch call four corners and cuts her palm for a bit of her own blood. Tiber stands with a heaving chest, as he has never really seen Lanara in this… world. Her world. Her culture. The ingredients are tossed in the air like a recipe, and it all lands delicately on the tiger below. The tiger taking its last breath which makes Tiberius Lowell hold his own for the rest of the ritual. Until the ground shakes with the loud crack. The man stumbles back in startle with a hand held high to shield his face, if anything. Then silence. The witch is down. The tiger is dead. The world was still. Cautiously, the man approaches the woman below. “Lanara? Lana–” she told him what he would need to do. Feet step beyond the salt circle. Leaning down, Tiberius slides his palms beneath the petite woman, one arm under her thighs, the other under her back to carry her inside to bring her up to the bedroom. Carefully he places the witch down and brushes strands of hair out of her face before covering her with a blanket. Tiberius would bathe, and then turn in to join her for the rest of the evening. He coils next to her, wrapping an arm around to keep her close to him, and then he falls into a pit of deep slumber.
(Post 1 of 2) Lanara stirs moments before dawn and bolts upright, anticipation coursing through her veins at the thought of being reunited with Cinder. The cut on her palm is still sore but the blood has clotted and the rapid healing process is taking effect. A strong arm is coiled around her waist and she nuzzles her cheek against her husband's bare chest, inhaling his scent. If she wasn’t so eager to see if the spell took effect, she could happily lay in his embrace for the rest of their honeymoon. She gently shakes Tiber and whispers “Wake up, Sweetie. It’s almost time!” The giddiness has returned to her voice, despite the fact that she’s exhausted from the adventures of the night and from using so much of her magic. Hopefully, it wasn’t all for nothing! Still barefoot and clad in a robe, she takes Tiber by the hand and leads him down the stairs and into the backyard. The morning dew on the grass is cold against her bare skin but that’s not what has the witch stopping short and donning a bewildered expression. There, in the center of the yard, lies a severely shrunken form of a tiger. It’s about the size of a small cub, just slightly larger than an average housecat, and it’s glaring at the couple. “I don’t…Understand. What went wrong?” Is it Cinder giving them the silent treatment? Perhaps the Goddess is pulling a prank? Confusion reigns in Lana’s mind before she spins on her heel so swiftly that she nearly loses her balance on the wet lawn, “You got the dirt from a graveyard, correct? And the rose, you plucked from a sacred place, like a shrine? The cattails! You picked them from outside the sanctuary, just beyond the pond?” It had been dark and time was of the essence, so Lana is going through the list of ingredients, trying to figure out where she had gone wrong in the ritual. She hadn’t felt anything wrong with them, but she also didn’t get a good look. Her brows narrow as she looks at her husband, but it’s a telepathic connection that pulls both of their attention to the miniature tiger that pads over to them.
(Post 2 of 2) “Somehow, I -knew- you would frack this up, Dog Boy! You had -ONE- job and you blew it! What the heck took you two so long?! Why am I in this weird micro jungle cat body? I hate you!” Cinder launches herself at Tiber, but before her form can make contact with the male, she’s snagged and hugged against Lana’s chest. The witch is crying again but these are tears of happiness, even as the tiny tiger stiffens in her grasp and tries to swipe angrily at Tiber. “I missed you so much, Cinny! I love you to pieces and cannot thank you enough for saving my life.” She kisses the kitty at least a dozen times on the head and Cinder softens, “I would do it all again… And thank the Goddess that I was there, because this idiot would have royally screwed that up, too!” The minutes tick by and the witch and her familiar have their long awaited reunion, all of which is going well, until Lana mentions that she’s on her honeymoon. Cinder is practically screaming telepathically, and perhaps it will have registered with Tiber, that he can hear -everything- the feline is saying! It seems that since he has a direct connection with Lanara due to their wolf bond, that the familiar bond is also shared! Cinder catches on as to what happened and she throws her head back and yowls, “The horror! I would rather be dead than be linked to this jerk! Lana, how could you do this to us?!” Lana lowers Cinder to the ground and stands beside her handsome husband, “Wow. Who would have thought that she’d have gone from a tikifhlee to a… Toyger!?”
Tiber awakens with the movement of Lanara. Automatically eyes open and he moves out of bed with the witch. He does not manage to snag a shirt in time, so just cotton pants it was. He moves after the witch through the house out to the backyard where… is that a miniature tiger? Lanara goes over the list, and he side-eyes the witch when she says ‘cattails’. “Um… you said -rat tails-.” And then suddenly, he is hearing Cinder’s voice. He grinned, wide. “You’re lucky you’re alive. I made my promise. We brought you back.” The man is snarky. Glad that the tikifhlee was not actually a full-on tiger. The paw is reaching out to slash his bare chest, but Lanara catches the feline instead. Tiberius frowns on cue when Cinder said that he would have messed up saving Lanara. “Glad you still kept your charm in your time to sit and stew,” he says this very sarcastically, but only finds himself grinning ear to ear again. “What? Sad you missed the wedding?” Beat. “We’re going to get -real- close. Call me ‘papa’,” he taunts towards the mini tiger. Once Cinder is lowered, he stands there with his wife. “I think I like this change. Suits you, Cinner.”
Lanara isn’t sure if she should smack Tiber or give up practicing the craft altogether, as they had -both- messed up the ritual and now have a bond with a pint sized tiger with an attitude the size of a sabertooth. “I clearly said cattails…” Her voice trails off and she shakes her head, as this adventure had taken so many wrong turns! Tiber had been beaten up, dragged a tiger around the forest for hours, went on a strange shopping trip, somehow convinced Venin to butcher live rodents, witnessed a resurrection ritual, carried his wife into the house just to be woken up at dawn, and made an enemy for life with Cinder. On their honeymoon, no less! One thing is for sure, the Catalian loves the Kelvarian very much to go to such lengths to keep her happy. Cinder scowls and glares at Tiber, “I’m -never- calling you papa! If anything, I have two mothers now!” Lana’s annoyance over the spell somewhat backfiring fades and she wraps her arms around Tiber and pulls him close, “Thank you for matching my level of crazy and for helping me bring Cinder back to life. I love you very much!” She kisses him tenderly for a long moment, before she pulls back and gazes into his amber eyes, “Everyday is in adventure with you, Mister Lowell, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Let’s go back to bed and get some rest, because you will need it as we’re still on our honeymoon.” Lana winks suggestively, before leading the way into their home, a sensual sway of her hips ensuring that Tiber makes haste.