Coyote: The Packmind/Prologue
Wallace and Sorien are on the road just outside of Fairhaven heading north on Highway 101 heading toward an are just south of the Redwood National Park. There's a gas station that was scouted as having a really large haul, particularly enough to be worth sending a semi out. Wallace sits behind the wheel concentrating carefully on avoiding abandoned vehicles that still haven't been cleared off the highway this far north of Fairhaven.
Sorien watches out as they go. "I should have checked the cars for stuff too, but oh well. The gas'll be plenty. I doubt we can haul it all back.
Wallace has ear-buds in, rather than listening to the lack of radio. He hears Sorien's voice and pulls one out, "hmmm?" he asks.
Sorien grins. "I said I should have checked the cars out, that's all."
"Miss Sorien, I'm sure we'll find enough at the station, the cars will come with time and not require a trailer." He grins stupidly as any kid could, still mostly human and quite young.
Sorien says, "Well, yeah. True."
Sorien goes back to watching their drive, letting Wallace listen to his music. Obviously she's an incurable rubbernecker, making mental notes about things to check out later.
The target is not a long drive, and hardly boring considering the wasteland highways have become since Pday. The many of the drivers simply having abandoned their cards mid motion, which in itself provokes a good question about the inhabitants. Highway driving for long distances is always a hazard and leads to potential problems, thankfully Zephyr has scouted most of the highways outside of Fairhaven for serious problems and this highway is marked as clear on the official maps.
Sorien mutters, "Used car salesman's paradise.."
Sorien spots a pack of feral anthro deer fleeing from a normal coyote out of the corner of her eye at one point. She also sees how the majesty of nature has already started to creep back over the abandoned human paradise.
Sorien winces a little, wondering if the deer were once human, or deer that were altered...
Wallace hums to himself in a grating way the track he's hearing on his place, but he's off-key and the tune unrecognizable, concentrating on the drive. It shouldn't be long now before they arrive.
Sorien makes a mental note to pick a semi with a stereo next time, and to bring some CDs.
Up ahead Sorien spots the Gas Station, an old Valero station, still showing signs for PURE gasoline. It's been abandoned since P-day, and remains remarkably intact. Some vines have overgrown the building and the parking lot is sprouting weeds, however the gasoline's toxicity has kept most of nature at bay.
Sorien nudges Wallace, then indicates where to pull up. "I dipped the tanks when I found the place; the regular is at about two-thirds full, the diesel nearly to the top and the premium is about the same. They must have had a delivery just before everything went to hell."
Wallace brings the cab up to a stop right near the access pits for the gas tanks. The station has four large underground tanks, being the only gas station for miles it gets filled less often and therefore has greater supply in tact.
Wallace immediately grabs his rifle and pistol out of the small crawl space behind the two, and pops open the door, "I'll make sure it's safe first miss." He says before hopping out onto the concrete.
Sorien says, "Okay. Not that I'm all that delicate. (giggle)"
Wallace does a quick search around the cab, and his human senses don't detect anything out of the ordinary so he moves to open Sorien's door and offers her his hand and help getting down.
Sorien hops out, looking around and sniffing for anything around that might be a threat. Not detecting anything, she grins at Wallace and starts dismounting the hoses they'll use to drain the tanks, and hooking up the pump they've brought.
The stench of gasoline bleeds out anything else in the surrounding area. It's honestly a wonder it doesn't go to any transformee with a good olfactory sense's head and cause them to pass out. The old gasoline spills on the ground have eaten into the concrete that has not seen any sealants or repairs in the last year, and the ground is mildly difficult to walk on with the crumbling concrete surface.
Sorien says, "Yick. Its breaking down a lot faster than I'd have expected. Maybe its a damn good idea to get this stuff out of here regardless."
The first thing out of the ordinary Sorien notices is at the edge of her hearing, she notices another breath, Behind the two of them is a runtish looking coyote, staring at them quietly less than four yards behind. It cocks it's head watching the two of them when Sorien spots it.
Sorien says, "Hmm... We got company..."
Sorien starts watching carefully for whether there are more coyotes, and getting ready, just in case.
Wallace is startled, having not heard the thing himself he immediately whips out his pistol and stares at the coyote. It's strangely close for a natural creature, most, even coyotes that are hungry wouldn't just stand this close.
It head-quirks again at Wallace's action, but takes a step closer to the two, still silent. It's eyes are golden and it's fur a mixture of ruddy browns, oranges tans and blondes, it's ears are perked but it's tail isn't wagging.
Sorien says, "Okay. Now one thing I know is coyotes are NOT known for approaching people... "
He pinches the trigger, sending a shot firing in the ground in front of the approaching coyote, Wallace panicking at the approach. He's not sure what's wrong with this coyote but it's not acting natural.
The coyote stops, and then raises it's head up into a long, mournful howl, and then turns to run off.
Sorien says, "Save your shots til we need them. (Sori starts looking for other targets; a coyote as bold as this one, even if its running now, is either ill or with a large pack able to consider people as prey- either way, bad news.)"
Suddenly out from under the tank itself, two dozen coyote flood out, one biting into Wallace's ankle and dragging him off his feet as it runs by. Sorien hears yips and barking behind her, and a very distinct growling as a larger coyote than the rest comes around to look right in her eyes. There's a definite spark of intelligence in them, unlike the one before. Wallace yelps as he slams into the ground dropping his pistol, and falls into the rifle strapped to his back.
Sorien says,"Crap! (She grabs at Wallace, dragging him loose of the animals with main strength; She gets set for the unavoidable fight!)"
Three coyote leap at Sorien while she tries to pull at Wallace. Pulling his leg free from his accosting animal he pulls himself upright and pulls the rifle out, a bit peeved to be using it instead of the pistol. He fires at the one that had his ankle and hits it right in the head. The coyote takes the bullet right in the head and falls to the ground.
Sorien says, "Jesus Christ! (She starts wading in to less-permanently deal with the creatures, not wanting there to be more deaths.)"
Wallace turns away from Sorien to fire at another, this time hitting one in the flank. It yelps and runs away until it falls to it's side in agony.
Sorien says, "Get in the truck, get it started!"
One of the coyotes nearby leaps onto Wallace, it's jaw going for his trigger hand, latching it's jaws around it.
Sorien is being flanked from all sides, the tide of coyotes unusually thick, and the intelligent one has the most disturbing grin on it's face. Sorien spots another one simply watching her, off to the side, much smaller and probably female.
Sorien simply strikes any creature that gets too close, definitely causing hurt, but not striking to kill... Yet. She shifts closer to Wallace again, and tries to drive the creatures off of the young man. "Get to the damn truck; that asshole there is the leader I think!" her eyes track to the grinning coyote, and she prepares to go for him as soon as Wallace is able to get to the cab.
Wallace screams as it bites down. He pulls a lose piece of concrete with his left hand and smashes it down on the coyote's head, forcing it to let go. And immediately follow's Sorien's suggestion, leaping into the open passenger's side, and trying to turn the keys. He screams out to her that she needs to detach the pump.
Sorien nods quickly moves to do so. "Worst case just fucking drive- we're more important than the damn gas!"
Some of the coyote pack follow the younger man, his hand torn open and bleeding as he tries to turn the key with his left hand. One of the coyote's follows him leaping up onto the passenger's side seat. Wallace turns and kicks the coyote in the face.
Sorien blinks... Then realizes what to do- instead of cutting off the flow of gas, she just detaches it so that the foul-smelling fluid spews out onto the oncoming foes, and she goes for the top of the trailer!
A few of the coyotes are wounded by the pressurized flow of the foul smelling liquid. Sorien loses track of the two intelligent coyotes in the commotion.
Sorien screams "DRIVEDRIVEDRIVE!" And holds her high-ground position!
Wallace screams out as the engine turns over and the semi's cab begins to roar. Another coyote takes a swipe at Wallace but he pulls the door shut, smashing the door into the coyote's head.
The tractor jerks into motion, the initial gearing too high, and the engine stalls, unbalancing and distracting Sorien. She manages to keep still but her attention is taken on not falling off.
Sorien shifts stance on the narrow catwalk atop the tank, getting ready for the motion of the vehicle. She watches carefully for the coyotes, knowing at least a few are smart enough to think to come after her, despite the nausea the majority are likely experiencing now.
The smaller of the intelligent Coyote's slams into Sorien's back, it's full body weight thrown into her at an angle meant to push her off the side of the trailer.
From below Wallace is screaming, "Get in the fucking truck!" to Sorien. The passenger's cab still open and another Coyote attempts to leap in to accost the driver.
Sorien falls forward, grabbing the catwalk as she does and kicks back, aiming for the jaw of her attacker! "Just drive! There's no damn time!"
The motion of the truck and the weight of the coyote are almost enough to push Sorien off to the ground but she holds on despite. Wallace tries to get the engine started again, and the trailer once again hums into life. He drives forward this time, heading for the grass field-way ahead, hoping to shake some of the coyote's off.
Sorien glances around, seeing if she lost her attacker or not, and tries to keep ready for other attacks while keeping a grip on the catwalk.
Sorien hears growling up above her and looks. The big mighty intelligent coyote is looking down at her growling. It bends down and bite's into her hand.
Sori feels a bit dizzy as she's bitten, the feeling is odd to explain, like a sudden rush of blood to the head.
Sorien yelps, swears, then handstands; as she topples back over towards the attacker, she lets loose with her traditional skunk attack! She tries to not fall off the truck in the process, and swallows hard against the dizziness.
The blast of foul musk in the big coyote's face is too much for it, it collapses off the truck, and Sorien manages to land, but the wave of dizziness continues and she falls as the truck hits the grass and jostles the truck.
Sorien rolls clear of the truck, not wanting to be field-pizza, then just stands and runs after the truck; she knows that she's not faster than the coyotes, but she's MUCH faster than an average human; she'll leap for the ladder on the back of the trailer when she can, knowing that in the field the truck can't get anywhere near highway speeds. She bites her cheek to get some focus back into her head, and hauls.
As Sorien is running she notices her blood streaming from her damaged hand has begun to drip up into the air, this seems really unnatural to her. She looks down at the hand and looks dumbfounded, it looks like a giant paw, a coyote's paw, but she waggles her fingers and shakes the weird imagery out of her head, focusing on trying to catch up. The large swarm of coyotes, including the intelligent female are pursuing her close behind.
A coyote inside Wallace's cab has him distracted and the vehicle is swerving, and speeding up, hitting the uneven ground bouncing the vehicle around.
Sorien suddenly has an overpowering urge to -stay-.
Sorien says, "Oh, you fuckers. I do NOT think so!" (She draws on her Ki, focusing her mind and body to sprint for the truck, timing her charge for a swerve and goes for the open passenger door, to at least try to get the coyote off of Wallace!"
Sorien weaves her way toward the passenger's side of the cab, but a coyote comes flinging out ejected by Wallace straight at her, slamming her to the ground with it's weight. The tractor finally hitting roadway and reaching a higher speed.
The coyote landing on Sorien is clearly dead, and it begins to -melt- on top of her, flowing into crimson blood and then into the ground.
Sorien says, "Crap! (She rolls with the creature, then away from it. She knows she has to get away, but the odds of her getting to the truck are almost nil now- she realizes she has to do something she's not practiced- shifting on the run to a flying form. She sprints, and starts to shift to Wyvern!)"
Sorien trying to activates the nanites only speeds her new infection on, she screams as her arms begin shifting into coyote's paws, and that urge to stay grows even stronger in her head. She feels someone calling her name in the back of her mind.
The pack having caught up behind her, circles around the flailing and changing skunk.
Sorien yells, "Fuck YOU!" and simply runs, knowing that she is well and truly screwed. She turns and faces her tormentors. "Fine. I am SO gonna trash every goddamned one of you!" And she commences to do so, til the inevitable.
Her hips begin to crack next, causing her to lose her balance. Most of the coyotes simply standing there waiting, rather than attacking Sorien, only growling when she comes close to strike.
Sorien fights until the last, resisting the changes within and without with everything she has.
Sorien manages to take out more than half the coyotes, and the big intelligent one she doesn't see again until just before she blacks out entirely. The overpowering urge to stay is shrugged off right up until the end as well. At first she only hears voices, but it becomes harder and harder to concentrate on her form as it changes. She feels like she's floating in her own head and then screams one last time before everything goes dark.
In the blackness Sorien feels nothing. She feels like she's floating in space, and screams out into the void.
She then begins to feel like she's drowning, bit by bit choking on water she can not see or feel.
Sorien fights the sensations, focusing on self, fighting it all to keep her self, herself! She says only one thing: "I'm fucking ME."
What comes out as she chokes can't be heard, and her head feels like it's going to explode as she suffocates. She once again blacks out.
Sorien comes too with her face on the dirt, it's wet, as if it recently rained, and she feels terrible. Hair is flowing over her face, and she brushes hair out of her face with very feminine human hands.
Sorien blinks!
Sorien pushes herself up and looks herself over.
Dizzy as hell, she tries to get up and look around but collapses back, she shivers in the cold air, and her feet are resting in water of some kind. She is completely naked, and fur-less. The sky above is in twilight, and the moon is high in the sky, the indigo purple sky is almost unnaturally colored, and there is some pink in the distance.
Sorien says, "I... Am so... Gonna beat the hell out of whomever did this... (She slows her breathing, once again digging deep into her Ki to energize herself.)"
Sorien's skin is an odd color, darker than she ever was, the reddish brown tint is distinct, and the hair flowing over her face is raven black.
Sorien gasps as she feels complete disconnect with all her power. Her nanite control, her masteries, every source of energy she is used to is stripped. She feels alone, naked and cold as the wind whips across the stream and open field surrounding her. Grass waist high surrounds the edge of the river bank she is laying on.
Sorien curls up, kneeling, to get herself warm enough to move again; holding body heat in and getting herself fully out of the water.
Sorien's concentration is broken by the raspy sound of an old voice. It speaks in an ancient tongue she's never heard, yet she immediately understands what he's saying. "You are cold." It says matter of factly. Looking around she finally sees the source. In the grass nearby a native american man is standing his eyes are deep blue however, and his hair has grown grey in patches around his head. He is covered with coyote skins and is carrying another, he holds it out in the air for Sorien and says, "For you."
Sorien, not being stupid, takes it. "Who are you, and why am I here?"
"Time will talk" He says, above him the moon is an odd shade, part of it red, and what look like wisps of black, almost like tendrils are just beginning to touch it. He says "Follow", and starts off away from the girl.
Sorien fights to keep her expression neutral, but she's not happy as she follows the strange man.
The walk is long, and all sense of time is broken without any passing change in the sky or surroundings.
