The Felcit tribe had a special ability that outsiders couldn't duplicate. It made Razen so jealous sometimes…
It was called the Fury State. When Felcit warriors went into battle mode they could change their skin at will. In the Fury State their pupils narrowed and became a fierce yellow, their canines extended into fangs, their nails extended and arced into sharp claws, and their bodies were covered with golden fur. Their physical strength at that time went through the roof, and an enemy would receive no mercy from a Felcit warrior when they were in that state.
The Fury State made warriors who usually appeared lithe and graceful and even harmless if they had a small stature, into muscular beings who roared and killed until their anger abated. Their already keen senses of sight and smell sharpened. The golden skin that covered their bodies was like armor, it could deflect the blows of most weapons, while preventing poison from getting close to their skin. Any liquid that fell on the golden fur of a Felcit warrior in the fury state would slide right off in less than a minute. Their claws were so sharp they could slice through a stampeding Bull-beast with one stroke, and Bull-beasts had the hardest skin of all the creatures they hunted in the Great Oak Wall. In the Fury State, a Felcit warrior was close to unstoppable.
Razen did her best to learn moves that replicated their power, but being human, it was hard for her to keep up with a team when the members went into the Fury State. While she could learn their litheness, and became adept at using their fluid battle moves, her strength paled in comparison when it came to the Fury State. She had to make up for that gap with technique to keep up with her class.
Razen learned just how fearsome the Fury State was, the day after she turned seventeen. That day she walked with Layla into the safe zone inside the Great Oak Wall. They gathered berries and chatted softly as they went. Layla shot a partridge and went off to retrieve both the bird and her arrow. They were planning lunch.
As soon as Layla walked out of sight, a shadow swept over to Razen, and before she knew it a blade was pressed against the throbbing vein in her neck.
"Make no sounds!" a hoarse voice whispered close to her ear.
Razen froze. Her heart was trembling.
It was one thing to be snuck up on by a member of the Tribe. The Felcit were a playful bunch and many of them excelled at stealth techniques. Their footsteps were lighter than the rustle of a falling leaf, yet it was still difficult for them to sneak up on another Tribe member. This was because each Felcit had great spatial awareness. From the sound of the wind in a certain shrub, to the changes in smell that came with fluctuations of the wind – they paid attention to it all! So how…? How did this male sneak up on her? Worst yet – he wasn't a member of their Tribe! Razen could smell it!
"What brings you here stranger?" Razen hissed, completely disregarding the man's words. With his skills she knew she would already be dead if that was his intent. His aura was desperate and his smell – though he stank like sweaty armpits – was steady and determined, not violent or murderous.
Her hand was already on the blade she kept sheathed at her waist. Inside she was terrified – terrified that something had happened to Layla, because the moment the man held his blade to her neck, the forest went silent. Even the animals around them could sense that something was off. However, she was raised as Layla's cub, and had been trained for battle since her youth. Her body was ready to act the moment she felt an opening in his movements.
"You will guide me to your dwelling little cub!" the man rasped. "Now – "
As soon as he shifted forward a roar echoed through the forest. He had moved them a league forward with his strange ability, but Layla was hot on their trail. She was already in the Fury State. While he was distracted by Layla's roar, Razen slipped out of reach of his blade, slashing at his stomach with hers as she put distance between them. The man was greatly skilled. He deflected her blade while fending off the flurry of slashes that came from Layla's extended claws!
"How dare you threaten my cub!!"
Before Razen could feel the warmth of Layla's sentiment for her, a battle of the like she had never seen unfolded before her eyes. Razen could only crouch where she had landed and stare in wonder. Her eyes were quick, because she grew up with the Felcit and trained with them, but that day, not even the scouts that came and surrounded their small group could follow the battle with their natural eyes. All they saw were flashes of light as Layla attacked and the strange man deflected all her blows.
The Felcit loved to stage mock battles, and they loved watching a good fight. With their quick senses this was how the craftier warriors got ideas to perfect their own battle techniques; they watched what others did and copied their moves, changing and adjusting them to suit their own preferences and fighting style to increase their battle prowess. This was how the Felcit became warriors of such a high caliber. The battle between Layla and the strange man, drew a crowd.
Layla was Combat Master of their tribe. Only a select few warriors could best her on one of her bad days, but here this strange man not only defended himself against all her attacks, but he was still alive, even after facing Layla in Fury State for over five minutes! All the Scouts and Razen were watching keenly. They didn't dare to blink afraid they would miss a critical moment in the battle if they did.
Layla stopped attacking after six minutes. Her rage had cooled. Razen was safe, and the man was wounded, but still standing. She began to be curious about this stranger. Her tail twitched as they circled each other warily.
"You come to my Territory and threaten my cub!" Layla hissed. "Who are you stranger?"