Igniting Sparks

Chapter 15.

Edited by @KitWulf 24-4-2020

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Azura placed her backpack down on the ground and grabbed her bottle of water, she downed most of it in one go as she had hiked at a rather fast pace for over two hours. After placing down the bottle she took out the map of the area to determine where exactly she was right now. She had found the hiking map in one of Lucas's bookshelves, it had been partly covered by other books and was a bit crumpled but readable.

She was currently on a trail which led her to one of the mountain peaks far away from the city. There was no sign anyone had been here for a long time, something she had hoped to find. The sky was cloudy and it would snow again eventually. A snowstorm was predicted to come late at night, the perfect cover-up for her to be able to shift and let the snow cover up her tracks afterward.

Azura put the map away and grabbed one last powerbar so she wouldn't be hungry and after eating it she dropped her bag behind some rocks out of sight. She took off all her clothes, shivering as the cold wind touched her bare skin. The last thing she took off was the ring.

Azura never fully realized the effects of it until she took it off; it prevented other people from smelling her, but it also prevented her from smelling a lot of things as well. The main reason she hadn't known Lucas was a werecat was because she simply couldn't smell it, and the only indication she'd had was made by Nora when they had met and she'd said he smelled...different. Now different could mean a lot of things and Nora hadn't pieced it together either back then so it wasn't that much of a clue anyway. Werecats being so rare, not too many knew of their scent to be familiar with it.

She took a deep breath, inhaling the different scents from all around her. It was like the shackles were taken off and she could experience freedom all over again. Azura was only 'human' now, but it would all be enhanced even further when she shifted. It had been too long since she'd last done so, that was for sure. She was itching to experience the world again on four feet after not having shifted since that first time she was here.

Much to standard human beliefs, the animal within wasn't a separate entity. For some reason, humans believed, especially with werewolves, that the animal part was another being with its own voice. Good thing most humans had no idea the creatures they loved to read those little stories about, were as real as they could get.

Either you shift now or I'll have to set you on fire to keep you warm.

Azura's eyes flashed open in annoyance at the voice inside her head. Maybe she was just losing it and it was her subconsciousness trying to talk to her. She huffed and decided that for once, she would actually answer.

"Either you shut up or..."

Not much you can do about me, remember. Just shift already, I'm aching to feel the wind.

"You are me. I know what I need, that's why I'm here, you don't need to remind me."

Ha, cute! Who says I'm you?

With a deep sigh and no longer wanting to argue with the voice, Azura stood on her toes, face up to the sky arching her back. She closed her eyes and let the transformation commence. It didn't take long for her to fully change into the white and black spotted snow leopard and now she was back on all four paws overlooking the mountains and trees below them.

About time. Now that you are your true form, might I show you your true power?

Azura growled as she felt sparks igniting in her body. She pushed the unfamiliar feeling down, not wanting to lose control over herself, as it felt like something was trying to do. She then darted off, running down the mountain, jumping from one rock to the other like it was something she did every day.