Ba'ob: Nature

It was cause of all the quiet. Ba’ob never had time to think like this before— and never took it when he did have it. Now though he stayed inside, staring out the window, and let his thoughts just roam to the outside instead of actually going. Started thinking about what it was like, being out in nature. Instead of just living it.

The first thing Ba’ob noticed was the bond with the wolf. It was lessening. It was getting strong enough that Ba’ob had been able to force her to attack when she hadn’t wanted to. She hadn’t liked it. Ba’ob hadn’t either. But now he couldn’t. Now the bond had fizzled to the point where Ba’ob only had an instinctive sense she was alive. He spent a couple days clinging tightly to her. Azriel asked what was wrong— Ba’ob couldn’t find the words to explain. But even then he did his best to help.

The second thing he noticed was his scales coming off. For as long as Ba’ob could remember, he had patchy red scales on his side. And then one morning he got up, got changed, and a handful of them fell off. Ba’ob was worried, Azriel was confused, but Ba’ob wasn’t hurting so he listened when Azriel said it was all right. Later that day when he was sitting at the open window, listening to the birds, he realized something else. The magic that had connected him to the wolf— it wasn’t gone. He could still feel it. But it was different. Instead of burning, it pulsed. Like a heartbeat. Like he had something alive in him, trying to twist its way out.

Ba’ob needed to go into the forest. He needed to go alone. He waited though. Watched and waited til Azriel dressed up like he was gonna be gone for a while. Gave hugs, said he wanted to go outside while Azriel was gone. Azriel encouraged him to— Azriel always encouraged him too— and then was surprised when Ba’ob asked the wolf to go with Azriel. For protection.

Ba’ob shouldn’t have. Should have asked first. Nearly took it back but Azriel told him not to. So they left and Ba’ob hung around the house a little more— and then he left too.

Something was different. Ba’ob paced around the trees, going up familiar paths, exploring the woods that had been a second home this last while. It was very different. Something in him. So he sat down, he folded his arms (arm) in his lap and he concentrated on the magic thudding against his ribcage. For some reason he remembered Ombre— remembered that spell. That minute he’d worn a wolf’s skin like his own. Ba’ob grinned a little, remembering the feel of four paws, a sharp nose, warm fur—

—and found himself lurching to his feet. All four of them. Slowly Ba’ob lifted his paws up one by one. Four. None missing. Wagged his tail. Pricked his ears. He was a wolf. He whined, cowering against the ground. Didn’t want to do this. He was a person he should be staying a person he couldn’t run away from his nature—

—and he collapsed on his stomach. Folded his arms (arm) under his face and sobbed. He knew. That was the magic in him now. Animal magic. Wasn’t fair. Wasn’t *fair*. He was just getting used to being a person. It was… okay with Azriel. Azriel was kind. But now his magic was shifting, changing. Making him less a person. Already enough animal in his nature, didn’t need it in his body too.

He stayed there for a while. Staring at the trees, after the tears dried. Had wanted to get home before Azriel though. So soon enough got moving.

When he got home it was empty. Ba’ob went up, to Azriel’s room. Crawled up into his bed and hugged the pillow. Still there when Azriel got back.

“Ba’ob, darling, get up now. We’ve got to go to war.”