(So sorry for the late update. Things are still…complicated. Still haven't found a job, but a group who's been helping me has been working towards it. I can't remember if I've said this or not on any of my latest updates, but I have autism. Didn't know that until some months ago, but I haven't told many people. It's something that I think also affects my writing along with my Major Depressive Disorder. Just thought I should let y'all know, sorry.)
Death Fury: Thanks.
: You'll see, in time (hopefully sooner than I hope, but still not there yet).
Chapter 29: Slowly but Surely
(Unknown location, a few days later)
Drew grunted, chest heaving as he stood across from Ulva. She burst forward at an impossible speed, knocking him on the ground again. He picked himself up.
"I see why you managed to take down the speedsters."
"We're not as fast as them at their top speeds. Though that doesn't mean our speed is to be underestimated."
"I couldn't even see you, even when you hit me."
"You need to feel the air around you and the earth below you, feel yourself connect to the elements as you move. You are fast, faster than any human. I have seen you move at speeds humans couldn't dream of. There is still more you can do. Even in human form, we're speedsters in our own way."
Drew nodded.
"Inhale deeply, feel the earth between your toes. You eventually won't need to be barefoot, it just helps to start out this way."
Drew's toes dug into the earth as he inhaled, eyes closed.
Ulva walked around him.
"Imagine yourself running with the wind, feel yourself in your wolf form as you race through the forest. Not hunting, not stalking, just running free as you feel the wind through your fur."
The young shapeshifter felt himself run, his paws touching earth, the wind flowing through his fur. Then he moved forward, he opened his eyes and found himself several yards away. Ulva smiled.
"One step closer. Now we should see how you use your other bestial gifts in this form. Transforming works well as well, one just isn't always able to do so in the moment."
Ulva stood across from him, her nails shifting into claws within a heartbeat. Drew's did the same. Both surged forward, the first reaching the second within less than a heartbeat. She struck with her right claws, Drew ducking under the strike and shot his left claws toward her. But she caught him by the wrist and moved behind him, holding him up.
"Now what young pup?"
The wolfish grin on her face, made Drew's heart pulse and his face redden. But then he grunted as he moved to the left, swinging his right claws. Ulva grabbed him by the wrist there as well. Drew faced her, eyes shifting away nervously. She chuckled. The young shifter roared, striking out with one foot and hitting one of the nerves on Ulva's legs with one of his toes. Ulva grunted, falling on that leg. But her grip held and Drew fell with her.
She laughed.
"Not bad."
They turned, seeing a tall muscular man with wild brown hair approaching them, smiling.
"I'm surprised, I haven't seen anyone manage to surprise her like that in more than a few thousand years."
Ulva and Drew stood up, the former chuckling.
"Drew, this is Konrad."
Konrad shook Drew's hand.
"How is his work with his speed going?"
"It's coming along yet he's still not there."
Konrad nodded. Ulva walked over to him.
"How are preparations going?"
"Everyone has been training hard, our old armor and weapons are being pulled out and worked with one again. Some of us haven't wielded these weapons for centuries."
Ulva nodded.
"Get everyone ready, they'll pick it up again."
Konrad nodded.
"If I may suggest, with his blood and spirit still being relatively newly connected to the Great Spirit, perhaps having him explore using certain abilities from various beasts in human form? That's how the youngest learn during the waxing lunar phases."
Ulva rubbed her chin, nodding. She smiled.
"Excellent idea."
Konrad nodded. He stood with Ulva.
"From what we know about you, you have sometimes though not often used your abilities in human form. Try using your sense of hearing and smell, take in your surroundings."
"With your training in ninjutsu, this will come to you easier than some."
Drew nodded. He closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply through his nose. The air was clean, no scent of smog or pollution. The air smelled kind of sweet. There was honey in the trees, bees flying around. He could hear the faintest sound of the bees' wing beats.
Ulva and Konrad grinned at each other. The former spoke first.
"What do you smell?"
"What do you hear?"
"The air, it's clean. Almost sweet. Trees of honey are in the distance, I can hear the beating of the bees' wings."
Ulva smiled.
"What else?"
Drew focused on his sense of smell and hearing. He could smell the flowers in the fields and could hear the beating of the butterflies' wing beats. The grunting of wild boars as they rooted through the undergrowth. He could hear the eagles flying through the sky, shrieking and calling out to one another.
"I can smell the flower and hear the beating of butterflies' wings, boars rooting, and eagles flying and shrieking."
Ulva chuckled.
"You can open your eyes."
Drew did as she said. He rubbed his chin.
"What do you feel?"
"You know…I rarely did that even in my animal forms. I…I don't really stop to…to stop to smell the flowers I guess you could say."
Konrad sighed.
"Unfortunately, it seems that we all won't get that chance."
Drew nodded.
"What now?"
Ulva sighed.
"Your lessons of exploring your senses and the basic combat of our people have been going well. Your lessons with our language are understandably going slower, but I do see progress. But I'm afraid we will have to push you harder. In combat, language, and in magic."
"Magic?"
"I'm not completely certain the degree to which you'll have an affinity for given how you…obtained your powers."
Drew slowly nodded, trying not to remember his torturous past.
"I'll try my best."
Ulva nodded.
"For now, we return to your speed training."
Drew nodded. He inhaled, felt the earth beneath his feet, and the wind at his back and took off.
To be continued…
(Sorry for the late update.)