Crimewave - Sword and Mutations

Her head wouldn't stop hurting. Her back was sore, but her wings had come in so there was no pain. But her horns had just begun piercing her skin, and god it hurt. Blood trickled from the open wounds but it wasn't too bad. Walking helped keep her distracted. Ares had just been walking around the swamp and forest before she spotted it.

Sticking in the ground, with it's sheath beside it, was a sword of black-ish metal and silver and leather hilt. Its edges were lined in blue, and even though it was partially in the ground, it almost radiated with power. A cord of leather was wrapped around the pommel and dangled limply, a blue bead holding it in a loop. It seemed... royal. Regal.

As she held a paw toward it, she felt a horrid, sharp pain in her head as the horns grew even quicker. Still, she kept walking toward it, drawn by the blue. The closer she got, she felt her wings grow even more and her horns growing quickly. Until she was touching the blade, with a fully grown set of horns (proportional to her size) and a pair of glossy black wings. The pain had died to a dull ache now, and she was able to better examine the sword.

The engravings seemed familiar but unknown, the blue looked as though it was the hottest flames one can bring to life. But no heat radiated from it. The leather cord beckoned her and she wrapped her paw around it, standing on her hind legs and tugging in hopes of yanking it out of the ground. Unfortunately it did not budge, earning a few loud curses from the child.

[color=#98c3e1]"Damnit! Just get loose already!"

[color=#98c3e1]"Speech"

[align=left]there's a chip on my shoulder *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Moth knew nothing of magical swords that caused things to grow quicker, in fact hadn't even known that there were swords in Tanglewood at all, other than possibly the library in the drawings in the books and in some houses of those that used swords in battle. She never thought there would be one simply sticking out of the ground in the middle of the swamp. If she had known about it she likely would have gotten rid of it a long time ago, or, rather, dug it up and taken it somewhere where it wouldn't be a potential harm to the children and those clumsy in the group.

She had been looking for herbs, hopeful that despite the colder weather they would be around the swamp in some spots, when she saw the faint blue glimmer from behind the foliage and the sound of Ares speaking. Coming closer and seeing a sword, however, was the cause of what had caught her eye, and watching as Ares toppled over from trying to get it out of the ground cause alarm. It was possible that the young Tanglewood member would be able to be careful with the weapon, of course, but it was still a weapon and she was still a child - a child that had recently been injured already at that - so it would be understandable that Moth wasn't the most willing to simply give the other a sword out of nowhere.

"Ares?" The reaper would speak, looking down towards the other, noticing the growth of wings and horns and pausing for a moment. They had grown a lot quicker than Moth had thought they would, considering their growth thus far, and it threw her off guard for a moment, but only a moment. "I don't think you should be trying to get the sword out of the ground right now. I mean I'll help to get it out, and you can keep it but I won't allow you to use it until you're an apprentice and have had some training at least. I don't need more visitors than necessary to my house for injuries." She was a mother, she knew that children got interested in things they shouldn't at times, but so long as they were monitored it was fine, right?

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* and it's big as a boulder

She turned her gaze to Moth, suddenly feeling overprotective of the sword. She listened to the reaper, however, finding her words sound. [color=#98c2e1]"Yeah.. Yea that makes sense." The words felt foreign to her lips, as though she wasn't speaking. She looked back at the sword. It continued to beckon and practically beg for freedom. She was to entranced by the sword that she hadn't realized that Aurum had arrived until he spoke.

Ares whirled her gaze to him, wings unfurling and ears held back against her skull. Strength filled her and she hissed at him, backing up toward the sword. [color=#98c3e1]"No! There's nothing wrong with the sword - It's mine! No one else can wield it!" The words again felt foreign but right at the same time. She felt stronger, different, almost. Like she was someone else for a brief moment. [color=#98c3e1]"If we leave it here it could be stolen and I'll never see it again! I - It's mine and mine alone. No one can have it except me. No one. Not even you, Aurum." She snarled, feeling a warmth within her chest.

Yes, child. It is your sword. Your birthright, for you are the goddess of war.

[color=#98c3e1]"Speech"

Salvia's words fell on deaf ears as Ares narrowed her eyes at Aurum, though as she turned around and saw the sword become constricted and pulled deeper into the earth, her eyes widened and her chest tightened, constricted in a mix of fury and confusion. Her body shook violently with the restrained anger, but she gritted her teeth and stared Aurum down. The sheath was free from his vines and she moved slowly, methodically, toward it, eyes sticking to Aurum like glue. Placing a firm paw on the black sheath she stood resolute, wings flared.

[color=#98c3e1]"I'm not stupid. I've read books about what swords can do. You-" she choked on the words as she was pulled back to her senses, ugly fury behind a dam and locked away but still her body shook with the strain. [color=#98c3e1]"I.. I keep the sheath. Only fair." Words quieter than snow, body nearly crumpling but still standing tall. Head lowered in defeat and she sat down with a heavy movement. She curled her wings around her body as though protecting it from outer elements.

[color=#98c3e1]"Speech"

Walking through the swamp the lioness just happened to come across the scene. Her constant avoidance of others had become apparent really and she had even hesitated before coming any closer. Staying back and further within the foliage though her colors hardly allowed for her to actually stay hidden. Her bright blue eyes stayed trained on Ares for a longer moment then the others before she finally rested them on Aurum and then toward Salvia. With a soft sigh she pressed forward and allowed her figure to push up through the brush. With a wave of her tail in greeting to the group she focused primarily on the sword, looking at the item that had been tucked deeper into the ground as a whole. It was what Ares was after but she had to agree with Aurum, she was much too young to be wielding a sword and attempting to use it. Even if she had read about them in books putting it into practice was another matter entirely. It was not the same and she would know. As one that wielded serrated bone weapons she was capable with her own creations.

Still she merely kept silent because she figured that Ares would not want to listen to her. After all her own daughter that she loved thought she was an imposter. That she was dead. Her ears pulled back and she lowered her eyes from the situation. Why had she even bothered showing her face then? Perhaps as backup in case she was needed to help sway the odds. She sighed softly before shaking her head a bit and lifting her gaze up them. She was definitely on the Luminary's side when it came to the child and the weapon. She needed to be older and stronger if she as ever going to wield something that was this dangerous. She needed extra care and more precise training so that she didn't end up loping off her own limb. But she was also wondering about her wings and her horns. They had grown so fast and in such a short moment of time. Something must have caused that to happen.