Testing grounds (Rayen)

[Rakav Breaden]

Rakav had spent a few nights preparing for the next full moon. He had made so many mistakes with his past childer that he wanted everything to go perfectly tonight. He had made sure Rayen knew where to meet him and he had even taken into account their meeting place. Just far enough into the city that the mortals would not suspect them, but not too far from the forest should something go wrong. He had even taken the time a few nights before to go to their meeting place and see just how many vampires they may run into. He was mildly surprised that for the whole evening only three crossed his path.

For this evening he had chosen to wear a loss fitting shirt and trousers and had even thought to pack a small bag of cloths for both himself and Rayen and hide them within the forest for when the moon finally let them go. He was now going over what exactly he should teach her. There was no real guideline as to what a new Garou should learn and it was normally down to the sire to make the choice. He had wanted to take her on a hunt but he did not know how she would react to having to kill something. So he had decided to just teach her how to control her Garou form and get used to everything which was not available to her.

Checking his watch one last time he made his way downstairs and out into the grounds around the pack house. Tonight was just about him and Rayen so he had not even bothered to tell Sebastian, though he had left a note for Bryce just encase something went horribly wrong while he was away. He had wanted the whole pack to go out but since their argument Rakav did not know how to act around Sebastian. By rights he could teach him a lesson that he would not forget quickly, but in truth he could see why his eldest would have certain issues with him.

The journey into the city only took ten minutes and after that he found the meeting place, a small tavern which was run by a very ‘accepting’ mortal. Everything was in place and he hoped that nothing would go wrong. But he had planned for the worst just encase. His worst fear was hunters; they posed no threat to him and most avoided him. But Rayen was still so innocent that she would be an easy target. Shaking the thought from his head Rakav leant calmly against the wall and waited for Rayen to show up. There was still a few hours left of day light so meeting within the city did not appear to be a bad idea.

Several hours later

Rakav paced back and forth glancing at his watch and counting the seconds. He had thought he had been clear with the times, but as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon he was starting to wonder. He had hoped to spend some time with Rayen before taking her to the forest for her first since her turning. But he could already feel the pull of the moon and knew that soon she would not be able to resist the shift. He should have called out to her then, or at least used the power of locate to find her. But he was stubborn and he kept telling himself that there was enough time before the shift.

[Rayen Von Reichstein]

Each passing night, she could feel the anticipation of the full moon.

With each night, Rayen’s sleep dwindled down from a full eight hours to nothing more than three or four. For a good portion of the morning hours, Rayen had stayed within the confines of her room, hidden underneath her large white bedspread. She was aware of the fact she had skipped her morning run, breakfast and whatever else she would normally do. But she had this sick feeling that tonight was going to be a painfully long one, and she hoped Rakav would be well enough to help her through it. Yet for most of the day, she had not heard from him which started to worry her.

There had been no real point to try and seek anyone else from the pack out since her standings were minimal with them. Sebastian was one of the last people she wanted to spend her night with even if he could offer insight into everything. She hardly knew Bryce and she was probably going to be with Sebastian, which she knew dimmed her chances as well. It was not like she had tried to create tension between them but it just so happened that she came at a bad time. Rayen had left the room with Rakav, following blindly because she had no other choice but to obey him. She knew nothing of how to control what was about to happen--there was only so much the internet research helped.

The day had turned into late evening where Rayen was still hidden underneath the light covers before she finally tossed them off. Getting up from the bed, she placed her feet on the wooden floor and walked to the light switch. Her eyesight quickly adjusted when she flipped on the lights and on the floor was a note from Rakav. He had not bothered to knock on her door but rather left her alone. With a grimace, Rayen read what he had scrawled down and then tossed the note aside. Walking to her closet, she reached in a threw on something that she wouldn’t miss. If she would be clawing out of clothes tonight, she would put on something that she wouldn’t be mad about not having.

Looking towards the clock on her nightstand from over her shoulder, she cursed aloud and stepped up her change. She was going to be late.

An Hour Later

Rayen had made good timing throwing changing into her apparel that she had to dig for. She had thrown on a white long sleeved Henley and a pair of black sweatpants that were a little too big. Rayen had tightened the drawstring all the way and placed on a pair of black running shoes. Within minuets, she had started her Ford up and drove straight into town to a nearby parking garage. She wasn’t sure how long she would keep it there so she bought an overnight pass and placed it into the back pocket of her sweats. From there, she maneuvered from the parking garage to the location that had been prearranged by Rakav.

Turning down one street, she looked up from the concrete sidewalk underneath her feet. She saw Rakav pacing back and forth while checking his watch. She almost smiled at the fact of how impatient he could be at times. Crossing her arms over her chest, she hugged herself tightly out of habit on a cold night despite she felt like a walking space heater. “Rakav.”

[Rakav Breaden]

Rakav heard his name and turned to face Rayen his anger at her being late was instantly forgotten. He had already completely ruined his relationship with his first childer he did not wish to make the mistake with her. He was also painfully aware of the full moon which was now creeping into the sky. They did not have enough time to leave as it would soon start affecting her. Sighing heavily he looked around, the streets where starting to come alive once more as the Taverns opened their downs and the vampires within the city awoke. This was not the ideal location for her first full moon with him, but it would have to do.

“We’re going to have to re-think a few things. I would have preferred to teach you the basics of survival within the forest, but the city will provide some interesting challenges which I am sure you will be able to over come.”
He led them towards a near by alleyway, again it was not the most ideal of locations. But he knew that to the general public anything different was considered evil. He did not wish to draw attention to them just yet. He was a little on edge as his senses told him that there as an abnormal amount of vampires close by. His lessons where going to be about hunting but they would have to now be about evasion. He was sure he could make up some game where they had to go undetected within the city. A feat which was not going to be easy considering the size they would become and the fact that a Garou was a prized catch for both vampire and hunter.

“Just promise me you will not tell Sebastian about this. The city is not a safe place for our kind and I have always been hard on him about it. But I am coming to realise that we live in different times and how to survive changes. “ He smiled before looking up and staring at the full moon. He could feel its hold already though he could now ignore the need to change. But he knew that for her it would be overwhelming and she would have no choice in the matter. As this was her first real shift he wanted to allow her to take the lead so he took a deep breath to subdue the inner beast.
“What is going to come next is not going to be easy, and I am placing both of us in some danger by allow this. But this is the night you can truly decided if all of this is a gift or a curse. And do not worry, I will not allow any harm to come to you, you have my word.”

He took a step back and folded his arms tightly across his chest, it had been a while since he had been so willing to allow the change during the full moon and he could feel the adrenaline already coursing through his veins. But he still held back, the longer her remained in his human form the safer she would be. One Garou attracted a lot less attention than two.

[Rayen Von Reichstein]

She watched him turn around, acknowledging when she called out to him. Though he would have been angry with her for being so late, she had an excuse for being so. The fact that tonight was her first full moon led her to believe that they would be staying within the confines of his private grounds. When she neared him, he was already getting straight down to business which also led her mood to drop as well. Rayen chastised herself for thinking that tonight could have been another attempt to further bond with her sire. She had been aching to get to know the man behind the wolf so she better understood him.

Training in the city? Rayen didn’t attempt to hide her surprised look that crossed over her features. Perking a slender brow at him, she was beginning to wonder if he had indeed gone mad. Whatever the case was, there would be no point in arguing about the location since they were already here. Instead, Rayen followed silently as Rakav led them into the back of a long narrow alleyway from the mouth. Holding her breath, Rayen had becoming painfully aware of the stenches that reeked the vile smell. As a human, she would have been able to get over it but since her senses had been heightened, the stench was almost unbearable.

“Sebastian and I are not speaking as it is, so that won’t be a problem.” Rayen commented, her mood darkened when she thought about her sibling. Though she had nothing too personal against him, she did not go out of her way to get along with him either. There was no point right now since her alliances remained solely with Rakav until she could figure a future for herself. Did it include Rakav? That question haunted her as she followed the man who changed her life in one night. “I guess I have no choice but to trust you when you say it.”

Rayen felt the silence fall between them again as an increasing pain took over her body. She had been well aware of the full moon and because of it, most of the day had been spent underneath her covers. Sickness had washed her out most of the morning, aches and a fever took its place in the afternoon but when she woke up, she was queasy. Backing up against a wall for support, her knees weakened as she slid slowly down the side. Wrapping her arms tightly around her body, she clenched every muscle she could imagine to rid the pain. It was no good.

“I.Hate.Full.Moons.” She sputtered out as her body started shaking, she was fighting the change. If it would get any worse, she would die from the pain alone. “How…come…you’re not…changing?”

[Rakav Breaden]

Rakav could do nothing but watch her suffer, he could remember the first time he had undergone the change and even now he could remember the pain it had caused him. He knew he could have offered some comfort and told her that told her that it got better with time. But he was almost two hundred years and the pain had not lessened. For him however he had learned to use that pain to firstly control the speed at which the transformation took him, and then after a while prevent it all together. As she asked him why he was not changing he could not help but smile. He was, he was just better at hiding the suffering he was currently enduring.

Lifting his right hand up and turned it slowly from left to right. He watched as fingers extended and grew and his palm became cracked and reformed to create a large paw like appendage.
“I am, I can just control the process and mask my pain… I shall teach you this later. Once you have developed certain skills.”
Lowering his hand he took in a deep breath as he felt his ribs start to rearrange themselves. He had once heard of elder Garou learning how to force the transformation of their internal organs to allow themselves certain advantages, but he had yet to master that. As he looked at Rayen he was reminded that though he was considered her elder he was still just a cub when it came to certain aspects of their way of life.

“Try not to fight it, I know it hurts and you feel as if your insides are on fire but the more you try and resist the harder it gets. Just let go of your mortal self and allow your inner beast to come forth.”
Though he had first decided to allow her to change first he felt that allow that would seem pointless. If he was to teach her he needed to be in his true form to do so. Closing his eyes he relaxed every muscle in his body and allowed the full transformation to take effect. His bones snapped and grew as his muscle twisted and reformed to mould the Garou he was. The transformation was over in a few minutes and soon a large black werewolf stood in the alleyway where a man once stood.

As he opened his new eyes the city around him took on a new light and he discovered to his surprise that it was far more beautiful than he had expected. He had only ever changed once before within the city limits and that experience had left a sour taste in his mouth. But he hoped this time would be different. Rakav became completely aware of just how much pain Rayen was in and turned his full attention to her. His instincts where telling him to stay close and to protect her so he took a step forward before reaching out with his senses to make sure that no unwanted attention was coming their way.

Reaching out for her mind he did the only thing he could.
“Listen to my voice Rayen. Try and focus the pain into your heart, it is not easy but doing so will make the transformation quicken. Try and breathe deeply and allow your muscles to relax. Imagine what it will be like once everything is over… I promise you the pain is worth suffering through to be able to see the world as true Garou.”
He wondered if his words would be of any comfort as he could recall his sire telling him the same thing and he never listened.

[Rayen Von Reichstein]

For her personal comfort, Rayen wrapped her arms around herself tightly as if it provided safety for her. Backing away from the Rakav, she stopped until she felt the brick-layered wall touch the back of her heels. When she knew something solid was supporting behind her, she leaned into the cool layers as the heat seared through her muscles. With each inch she lowered onto the alleyway ground, she felt the popping of each muscle underneath her skin. She looked up momentarily to see Rakav shift his hand with ease and without the pain showing across his features.

Though she could hear his words inside her head, they were of no use to her when she was going through the pain. Keeping a tight hold around her upper torso, Rayen bent forward as the pain lowered into her abdomen. It slowly worked its way down to her thighs and hips, expanding each one to accommodate the change within her. Lowering her head into her arms, she clenched her teeth to keep from crying out in pain. With one hand, she reached out to the ground in front of her and slowly lowered herself onto her stomach. When she found a somewhat comfortable position, she looked up again to see the large black wolf over her.

Rakav was attentive of her but he only offered her the words of wisdom to follow. It helped more coming from the beast she was meant to be rather than the woman she was trying to stay as. Breathing slowly, she closed her eyes and stopped fighting the pain. Though it lessened when she stopped fighting it, it was still present as she allowed the change to happen. As she kept her mind focused on her breathing, she felt each muscle expand and contract as the woman was replaced the beast. Minutes after it started, Rayen was now replaced by the same black wolf she had changed into upon her transformation.

It has to be over soon…she promised herself aloud, unaware of she was speaking as a Garou. Her hands were no longer wrapped around her shoulders but out in front of her shaped like paws. Opening her eyes, she opened her snout and looked upwards towards Rakav--the beast. Is it over with?

With a long breath, Rayen lifted her head from the ground and glanced down the alleyway. Everything was so vivid, each noise had been amplified three times so that it was sensitive for her. Pushing her new body onto all fours, she turned around slowly as if she was chasing her tail. Though it was the second time she had been transformed into her beast form, she had never quite gotten used to it. Do you hear all of that? I can smell...everything. Upon mentioning everything, if Rayen could have grimaced, she would have. With the heightened sensitivity of her senses, there came a downside to it all.

[Rakav Breaden]

Rakav simply nodded his head in answer to both her questions. It had been such a long time since he had seen another Garou transform that it took him a while to realise that she was truly one. He felt a secret pride that she shared his colouring. In his mind this brought them closer. He became aware at this point that he was staring so he looked away and studied their surroundings. They where trapped between two streets, both of which was flooded with mortals rushing home before the streets became truly dangerous. He shuddered at the thought of trying to teach Rayen while people screamed in fright.

Looking up he smirked to himself. The rooftops would provide a perfect playground for her first lessons. And getting up there would prove to be extra challenge that he had not considered for that night. He allowed her to come to terms with her new senses alone. Turning towards the closest wall he placed a paw onto the brick work and then dug his claws into the brick. A small amount broke away but not enough to cause any alarm. It was strong enough to hold the weight of a Garou climbing. Normally he would teach this skill with trees as bark allowed for a much more stable base. But he had to improvise and this brick wall would do nicely.

It was at this point that he became aware of a presence that he wished would have just stayed away. About a block away he could smell the all too familiar scent of vampire. He would have ignored it had it not been for the fact that the scent was quickly closing the gap between them. He was aware that certain vampires enjoyed nothing more than testing their skills against a werewolf. If he was alone he would have waited and taught the young thing a lesson. But he could not risk Rayen being harmed. Turning back to her he tried to remain relaxed, not wishing to alert her to the impending danger.
“Your first lesson shall be a simple one. All you have to do is follow me and not fall behind.”

He did not explain what he meant by this but knew it would become apparent soon enough. Turning back to the wall he dug his claws in and started to climb. As he had done this a few times before it did not take him long to scale the wall and reach the rooftop. He instantly regretted his decision to go up as the stench from the city seemed to rise with the warm evening air. But this was the only safe option he could see. Trying his best to ignore the potent smell of dead fish he looked over the edge. His eyes rested on Rayen. Though the alleyway was dark he could see everything perfectly and started to calculate a quick route down should she fall or get stuck.

He was already planning the next few things he wanted to do. If they moved further away from the centre of the city they could do far more within the streets. He was eager to test her stealth and he could not think of any better way that dodging mortals. They were easily startled, just like a deer, though they could not run as fast. However this did not matter as he had no intention of hunting this evening.