Exploration [locked]

[Deleted]

((Maybe, but I have plans that require a metric butt-ton of exp XD))

Slowly, Nerah stepped further into the river, soaking all four paws and the tip of her tail. She stumbled a little, but caught herself, and focused on keeping on her feet in the current. When she was more experienced, this would be no problem, but this was her first time standing in water.

"This actually feels kind of nice," she said after a moment. "I'm not sure about swimming right away, though, when we just learned how to run without falling over and over again..." She looked to the others, seeing if they would join her or back off from the water as Antares had. She couldn't blame him for that. There was a current and water was still new to them, just like everything else.

[Meesh]

[]

Silva smiled at Antares "That's fine, you don't have to do it if you don't want to" she edged into the water, more cautious then she had been when she had learned to walk the day before. Prodding it with a paw, shed went in farther, all four paws now covered in water. The current provided a nice, and somewhat comforting pressure. To her surprise, Silva found that if she lifted all four paws off the ground, they stayed afloat all by herself for a few seconds. "Try lifting your paws" she called to Nerah "It's fun~ You can't do this in the air"

[Deleted]

Nerah watched as Silva stepped into the water, ready to help her if something went wrong. She didn't know how she could help, as she wasn't any more graceful than the black canine was, but the thought was there.

Silva suggested liftig her paws and Nerah did so, one at a time. With each lifted paw, she felt the water support more and more of her weight until it was keeping her suspended above the ground.

"How cool!" She thrashed a bit, trying to figure out how to move and finally managing it with a sort of altered walking motion. She dogpaddled in a circle and giggled. How fun!

((Understood. XD That's my plan with Nerah.))

[Meesh]

[[Reed, you made it to layer 3? I just realized. congrats! XD I'll have my work cut out for me to catch up with you :3]]

Silva watched Nerah for a moment before mimicking the movement herself. You sort of had to paddle your paws in the water and keep your head off, and it was like you were flying in the water. Silva giggled, then turned to the males "C'mon, it's fun!" she called. Turning to Antares, she added "and it's safe, see?" as she paddled around in circles happily.

[Aries]

Antares swiveled his ears ears back, feeling a bit left out. Although it was his fault he didn't want to go in. He inched closer to the water, giving it to the temptation.

"Are you sure this is safe?" he dipped one of his paws in the cool water, it wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't pleasant either. After a bit of in chin in, he was up to his belly fur it water, it was colder than her thought.

[Deleted]

((Thanks. ^.^ You'll get there soon.))

Nerah was having fun swimming in circles and up and down along and against the river's current. Against the current was rather hard, but if she went with the current she could rest her paws and let it carry her until she was ready to rejoin the others.

Glancing to the other female, Nerah saw that she was also getting the hang of moving in the water. Nerah tried to wag her tail, btu the movement was a lot harder in water than in air.

"It's all right!" She called to the males. "Nothing to be afraid of in here at all!"

[Meesh]

Silva nodded "Yeah. It takes a lot more getting used to, but once you get it, it's fun!" she swam upstream to paddle by Antares "Here, I can swim beside you, in case you need any help or something" she offered, lifting her tail out of the water, with some effort, out of the water to wag it happily. "You just have to move your paws like this...and this...and steer with your tail and paws a bit"

[Aries]

Antares trusted Silva enough to mimic her, it worked, and was easier than he anticipated. His powerful hind legs and sleek figure helping him cut through the current.

"This is fun!" Antares steered himself to the side to rest for a second. He wanted to get moving again , the water was freezing and his coat wasn't as thick as the canines. At least it would dry faster though.

Hey, Yamir, you should probably get in too, we have to cross the river anyway!" Antares called from a bit down stream to the canine, wading through the water to get back up to the others.

[Meesh]

Silva swam alongside Antares, wagging his tail. As he waded out to the side, she came out as well.
Silva nodded as she came out of the water, immediately curling up to keep warm. Despite the heat of the day, the water -was- cold, chilling her. she called from the far side of the river "C'mon, swim on over" it hadn't occurred to her were she knew the word "swim" from. "It's not too bad, you can do it! And the water feels great!"

[Deleted]

Nerah was having so much fun that she didn't notice it at first. There was a bit of pain that blended well with the cold sensation of the water. Soon, though, it grew more intense, and she found herself struggling to stay afloat. Letting out a few frightened yelps, she struggled through the water, swimming with legs that felt less and less like hers, breathing through a nose that felt equally alien. Eventually, after what seemed like eons, she struggled onto the opposite bank. She whimpered as she took a few clumsy, painful steps and fell on her side a few tail lengths away from the water. She then curled into a tight ball, tail tucked firmly between her legs and eyes squeezed shut to stop the hallucinations. That had to be what she was seeing. How else could she explain her contorting form and brightening fur? The ground seemed to shift and shrink underneath her as her whole body flared up with the pain. What was happening to her?!

((What's this? Your Nerah is evolving!
~chime~
...
--->
--->

...
~chime~
Your Nerah evolved into *occult* Nerah!))

[Meesh]

[LOLS XD]

Silva yipped as she saw Nerah struggling for shore, panting as if she were dying. Jumping up onto her paws, Silva ran over. Her friend's fur seemed to be growing in length, turning a lighter shade. In fact, her entire friend was growing, ears becoming more rounded and tail growing longer. Silva blinked as she saw, were Nerah once was, a large caninelike creature who smelled like Nerah, but looked nothing like her. "N-nerah?" Silva was shocked "What the heck just happened...?"

[Aries]

[Completely forgot to make the basic Occult image D8]

Antares saw Nerah struggling to the opposite bank and Silva following close behind. He immediately dove into the water and pushed his way across the river, worried about his distressed friend. He was shocked to see something that looked nothing like Nerah, but had her scent. A larger much different was curled up on the opposite bank. With none of the faded striped patterning of Nerah, but a light yellow-caramel color covered her coat.

"What the-" Antares stopped mid speaking as Silva spoke exactly what was on his mind. He inched closer to what was apparently Nerah to get a closer look and better sniff at her, nothing other than her appearance seemed to have changed.

[Meesh]

[[tis no worries XD you can make it later and she can change it, and we can all just pretend not to have noticed the lighter fur XD]]

Silva sniffed her friend again. It was her, silva was sure, but why did she suddenly grow so fast? Maybe it was a part of growing up, like learning to walk, and they'd all do it? Silva shuddered, she wasn't sure. "Nerah? Nerah? Are you alright?" she turned to Antares, worry in her eyes "Do you think she's okay?"

[Deleted]

((But I like the way she looks now XD))

She continued to whimper, knowing nothing but the pain. Eventually, though, the pain faded, and she slowly became aware of her surroundings once more.

She rose clumsily to her feet and shook her fur dry. Well, it seemed like she'd be okay. That was something to be thankful for. And her surroundings were just as still and peaceful as they had been. They were just...a bit smaller.

Odd...

And she felt different. Stronger. Like she could take on any beast she encountered all by herself and win easily. The sensation may have excited her if not for her confusion. What in the world was going on?

Someone spoke her name and she looked down at her packmates, who were looking up at her in concern. Wait...look down? Look up? She was roughly the same height as them. Their necks shouldn't be craned that much just to see her, and she shouldn't be staring down at them like this.

Then she noticed that her muzzle looked different. It was thicker than it had been. Also, the color was way off. She looked down at her paws, which were the same golden brown color and thicker set than they used to be. Her gaze then shifted to her tail, which was longer and straightened out. She could have straightened her tail before, but it had always been more comfortable curled. Now the opposite seemed true.

A single thought entered her mind. "Am I dreaming?" Her voice had changed too, growing deeper t go along with the bigger frame.

[Meesh]

Silva blinked, even her friend's voice had changed! It was much deeper. Now that she glanced closer at her friend, she saw some characteristics of the old Nerah. The eye color was exactly the same, for one. And of course her tail was still wagging. "If it's a dream, we're all having it. You suddenly....doubled in size, and your fur turned lighter..." her voice trailed off in confusion. "How are you feeling? do you think it's going to happen again?" she nosed her friend in worry. Silva had always been just a bit more petite then other canines, and Nerah a bit bigger, but this was a whole new story.