The Sacrament

Chapter Two: Day Break

Coven Tenet II: Law of Return, what one puts in is returned three-fold.

Aster blinked rapidly while trying to shield her eyes from the sun. Her body was sore and stiff from the change. The pressing of sticks and rocks into her bare skin no more of a comfort. She sat up, trying to get her bearings. Forced shifts were always a blur when trying to recount them, she tried to summon the night to her mind but all that came was blurred trees. She was thankful her wolf form remembered the Goddesses command to do no harm. Nothing was worse than waking up next to a kill half eaten. It often meant walking nude and gore covered back to shelter. Not to mention the smell. She seemed to have gone encounter-less, the only new flaws being some scratches along the legs that were already scabbed over and healing.

She was more than a few miles out from the ceremony grounds, where she left her dress. It wouldn't take long to run back in wolf form, but if she wanted to release the tension of her muscles it would be better to take a normal jog back. She stood, doing a few stretches to prepare. Then a cursory look for anything caught in her hair. Today's haul being a meager few twigs.

It always felt odd, nearly clumsy running in human form. She was particularly thankful to have smaller breasts in these circumstances as bigger ones just bounced all over the place while running. She'd heard enough complaints about that from her more endowed coven sisters.

Before long she jogged into the ceremony clearing. She could tell others had returned before her, while some ran in as she did. Her dress was still where she left it and she slipped it on. Beside her Juni arrived in halfshift, what one would expect a large wolf to look like and very different from the fullshifted form. A fullshift was the form they took last night, towering tall and vaguely humanoid with sharp extended claws, what the old stories of their kind usually depicted. A halfshift is what was common in today's literature, a watered down version spoon-fed to the masses by romanticized outsider writers. Juni was the offspring of a jumper, an individual who married outside their bloodline, often marrying up. Her mother was originally from the japanese hive of the Asena, the 12th bloodline, while her father was Selk, the 4th. Jumper's themselves were not looked well on. It was considered stepping out of the order of things but people treated Juni well enough. Juni slipped on her dress over her slight frame. Her hair was a wild mane of black that when brushed reached the small of her back. Her facial features were slender, her lips like small brush strokes on a painting. The only tip to split heritage laying in the eyes where they appeared more open. She reminded her of an asian pocahontas, or what she imagined she would look like based on the film.

They walked toward the Covenstead together, other witches wandering in the same direction, whether in human form or not.

"What do you think of Maybelle? Think she had any revelations?" Juni asked, her step spritely as ever.

Aster hadn't thought her over much, "She's inexperienced with leadership positions, she seemed nervous last night but who wouldn't be? As for revelations we'll have to wait for Koren to make an announcement."

Juni groaned, "Ugh Koren, I can never decide what to think of him. I mean he's a hunter!"

Aster rolled her eyes, "If you're not claw happy with the humans then you should be fine. Plus, he's just doing his job."

Juni pouted, "I mean he's kinda hot in a 'I'm older and could kill you' way."

Now it was Aster's turn for dramatics as she fake gagged. " That's gross, that's some outsider shit."

"It's a preference!" Juni shouted in fake offense, smiling widely.

Aster responded to her with a shove, then cupped her hands yelling, "Juni likes outsiders!" A few heads of passersby turned in response.