Shika | F | 6 | Lead Sentinel | M: Raven // Mirtha

Shika huffed as she pinned her audits back her optics a unique shade of blue.. and the chimeria on her pelt making her look like bloodied snow. Moving she pushed forwards to check over Raven her nose passing through his raven black coat his change leaving her unphased as she avoided poking him with her new found rack. Physically she felt fine, externally she was cold to the touch. A renewed vigor filled her with an excess sense of strength which was refreshing to say the least.

Once satisfied Raven was ok she turned the Mirtha and repeated the process before stepping back with a huff of approval though the breath came out frosty much like her sentinels.

"Yes, lets try to Gather everyone back to camp. We need to ensure everyones ok, and able to overcome these... changes."

Shika stated calmly, and while thats how she seemed the tell tail flicker of her banner however subtle gave hints that she was very much struggling with these strange new additions to her body.

Turning she nudged Ravens shoulder before lashing her banner for Mirtha to follow. Her pace set at a very brisk run her audits perked as she forcused on all the sounds around her.. specifically for those of her pack. A howl would be to much.. could alert anything else subjected to the change which they didnt need if the pack was vulnuable.

As they traveled, Jiro felt a fiery presence behind him, the skin of his back burning a little underneath a thick mask of unbothered fur. Although he sensed the Lead Hunter's agitation, it was too late to backtrack, and if he knew anything about Pistol, he'd probably hate being confronted about it. Instead, Jiro focused on his task of connecting the Hunters to their quarry, taking the patrol closer towards the southern river. The sound of their prey—a respectable herd of deer—grew until it was unmistakable, even for those not granted the powerful hearing he was. His job complete, he fell back, letting the Lead Hunter overtake him.

He kept his eyes and ears alert, though the former was not enhanced the previous year. He did not possess the same supernatural strength and speed many of the Hunters now had and could not afford to be as reckless as some of them tended to be. Jiro flicked his ear, silently acknowledging Pistol's command and hanging left. As he got into position, he analyzed the herd, picking out a few potential targets while keeping an eye on the Lead Hunter. The corners of his mouth twitched a bit as the other male head right, completely in his element.

He knew it was coming, yet his ears still pricked up against his will as Pistol barked and initiated the hunt. Jiro did not have the speed to outpace a healthy deer, and although he had the patience to outlast one, the pack did not need to waste time running down single deer, so he made the one that drew nearest to his hiding spot his target. Darting out of cover, he intercepted it at a favorable angle and aimed for the throat. Only his sensitive ears locked onto a howl, misaligning his jaws enough from their intended target that they snapped around open air.

Keeping his head in the present, Jiro landed on his feet, momentarily debating whether he'd even be able to chase after the deer. Feeling a presence closing in on him, he turned in time to duck out of the way of Pistol's buck. A disgruntled frown crept onto his face and his yellow eyes hardened as they sought out another target before all the stragglers made it out of reach. He found one quickly, giving chase as it fled. Unable to approach from the front like before, Jiro settled for a strong bit to a hindleg. While he did not nearly break bone, his fangs tore into the flesh, giving the creature a heavy limp once he released its leg, wary of potential kicks. He had meant to follow up by overtaking the injured deer, grabbing at its neck and bringing it down for the killing blow. He had meant to at least follow his quarry and bring something worthwhile back to the camp. But that is not what happened.

His ears pricked up again, but this time he heard nothing but the sound of his footsteps, his quarry's footsteps, his packmates and their hunts, and his own heavy breathing. And then a sound like thunder cracked through the sky, except there wasn't a single storm cloud. Jiro would not have seen it anyways. The sound split through his skull, ears immediately folding back against his skull yet uselessly as the damage had already been done. Abandoning the hunt, he shut his eyes, his ears ringing painfully. Then it started hitting him.

The world around him began buzzing with an energy he had never felt before, lighting up with every movement though his eyes were still closed. Though the ringing in his ears dulled to a muffled static, the ache in his head only amplified as it was overloaded with new information it did not quite know how to process and yet knew exactly what it was at the same time. He felt four general... things around him, about his size, maybe smaller. He saw light through his blurry vision: a flash of violet, a streak of gold, a fiery red, and a earthy green. He couldn't tell if it was real or if he was just hallucinating. Jiro forced himself to take a deep breath in and out.

"Fire!" Someone called. Fire? Fire. Fire! He opened his eyes—or maybe they were already open—and the foul scent of burnt fur registered in his brain. The first thing he saw was a mass of brown next to a mass of blue, which he identified as the ground and the sky as his vision slowly cleared. When had he fallen? His gaze then fell onto his packmates. Though they did not look like themselves anymore, his nose told him it was them and his nose did not lie the way his eyes did.

"Wha- Jiro? Your pelt," he heard Pistol call and he twisted his head to look at himself, flicking water from his fur with the motion. Water? Since when had he gotten wet? He saw his own gray pelt now lined with streaks of silver, creating on him the patterns the sunlight drew on ocean waves. One thing at a time, he told himself. Jiro looked back at the Lead Hunter, a slight chill going down his spine as he saw nothing but whiteness. He suppressed any fear he had, giving the rest of the patrol a quick glance. He spotted Hondo on the ground, fur patchy, wrapped in vines, and surrounded by a green halo. Hardening his resolve, he picked himself up off the ground—or at least he tried to.

Pain shot through his right shoulder, sending him back down into the mud. It felt as though a buck had kicked it, breaking something with its powerful hindlegs—and maybe it had; he had no idea. His ears were finally clear now and he could hear the creatures of the forest returning to their usual chatter. Gritting his teeth and with determination in his eyes, he pulled himself up onto his three good legs, the fourth lamely hanging at an odd angle.

Kaido paused just short of the Hunter's den. Although the hairs on the back of his neck did not rise, he felt something was about to happen. At the crack of thunder, his ears flicked back against his head. His eyes narrowed and shot to the sky in time to see a purple streak flash across the sky before turning gold and disappearing. A peculiar sight reminiscent of a similar event one year prior. The first Flash had granted them great powers, enhancing their physical capabilities beyond that which could be considered normal. Would this do the same? Would it turn them into even stronger monsters than before? Or would it twist their powers and turn the abilities they had adjusted to against them? He did not need to wait long for an answer.

His gaze fell onto Feather and Aspen, the ones he had just been talking to before deciding his quiet bed would be more enjoyable than chatting around camp. He watched as the Queen spun in circles, noting the soft pink hue covering her otherwise grey coat. But it was Aspen that caught his attention, or rather the lack of the Senior Hunter's presence. Kaido did not have enhanced hearing or smell, but he was sure the older male had not moved in the time it took him to cross camp to the dens. One of Aspen's gifts had been that of incredible stealth, but even this seemed out of his league. A frown overtook his muzzle as he watched the spot where the Senior Hunter had been intently, as if he would simply reappear. And he did. Kaido raised his brow slightly, the concept neither unordinarily nor completely foreign as to truly surprise him. As he watched, the older Hunter looked as though he had never left, and maybe he didn't. Not from his perspective at least. He might have to ask later.

A sharp cry caught his attention, slicing through the silent shock of the camp. Just one after another, Kaido thought, shifting his attention towards the Herbalist's den. From across camp and with the ears of a normal wolf, he could still hear the commotion happening inside, see the outer walls of the den rustle every now and then as something strong inside hit them, like a caged animal trying to escape. Whatever or whoever it was gave it up, the camp falling almost as eerily silent as it had been before, only the usual sounds of the forest began easing their way back in.

While he watched his packmates go through various stages of shock and unease—and pain—he himself did not feel much different. If anything, he felt stronger. Heavier. His pelt buzzed with an unknown energy that served to empower him, wrapping around him like an invisible aura. The weight of his head felt unbalanced, and if he looked down his snout, he could see two shadowy figures protruding from his muzzle, curving inwards like a boar's tusks. Fascinating. He took another glance around camp, noticing the visual differences of various packmates, offhandedly wondering what other abilities they were paired with. Well, he'd find out soon enough. Beta Raven would probably call a meeting, have them all compare notes to find out what the Flash did this time.

Kaido's eyes shot towards the Herbalist's den. The cries had stopped a while ago along with the commotion. He was pretty sure the Herbalist herself had been inside and either she'd be really busy the next few hours or anyone unlucky enough to get injured would have to settle for the apprentice. Either way, it wasn't really his problem. Kaido turned back to the entrance of the den before him. He stepped inside and lied down but did not sleep, keeping one ear pointed out towards camp.