Alina and Leor stood ten meters apart facing each other, they were in an open patch of dirt between two fields of spirit herbs. Each held their initiates blades out before them in a defensive stance. A small group of Beastly farmers had stopped their work, standing with their woven baskets at their hips as they curiously observed the two humans.
"Okay! I'm going to start off with only my Willpower. You'll have to stay sharp, I might use my transformation at any moment!" Alina shouted.
Leor wore a determined expression, he was going to give her a good fight. The young noble girl had always been a better swordsman than him, her extensive training and noble background made that inevitable. But Leor was a young man, his body was stronger and faster than hers, so the two had always been evenly matched. Until now.
He was already well aware that he was no longer Alina's match, but his pride as a man demanded that he make a good show of himself at the very least.
At Alina's signal the spar began in earnest. The goal was to test the young girl's new power, and try to judge how beneficial her transformation had been.
The starting signal had just been given, and already Leor could feel his heart dropping. The small girl had not even used her Beastly transformation yet, but the speed at which she moved across the dirt toward him was already much faster than she had ever been capable.
Similar to her newly enhanced hearing, it seemed that her strength and speed were greater even when she wasn't actively using her transformation.
Alina's figure shot across the moist soil, she moved like a predatory cat, each footfall careful and intentional, but incredibly swift at the same time. Still, Leor had experience fighting swordsmen that were stronger and faster than himself, so he observed the way her body moved and predicted her first swing.
Alina's sword came down hard in an overhand attack, she wasn't playing any tricks. The young woman intended to start off with a straightforward show of power.
The ringing of steel against steel spread across the sunny field, as Leor desperately retreated from one blow after another. It was all the young man could do to just barely keep Alina's blade from sinking into his flesh.
Each time their weapons connected Leor felt a shudder of force spreading through his arms from the powerful attacks. It felt like he was sparring with one of the senior Adepts back at the house of flame.
Alina continued to pressure him for a few more seconds, before finally taking the spar a bit more seriously. She pushed forward with a piercing blow, allowing Leor to overreact in his defense before quickly spinning her body around and attacking his left side with a tremendous strike.
Leor was forced to block the sudden attack in an awkward manner, his footing and body completely out of position. Because of that, the blow sent him stumbling backwards, nearly tripping over the uneven soil beneath his feet.
Then his eyes went wide, a sense of dread filling his stomach. The moment after Alina landed the powerful blow, Leor felt a dangerous pressure filling the air as a blanket of white fur swiftly spread across her arms and legs. Before the young man could even fully raise his sword the girl was back in front of him.
Leor instantly sent a desperate flood of Willpower into his body and mind, holding nothing back as he used every drop of power available to him. He was hoping to sharpen his senses and empower his body enough to drag out the fight for a few more seconds.
Alina's movements truly resembled that of a feline predator now. Her body leaning forward as she ran, almost as if she was about to start using her arms to move on all fours. But that didn't happen. Alina held her sword out by her side as she almost instantly closed the distance between the two.
As their swords connected, the clanging of steel sounded so intense he worried the sword in his hands might break. Leor's arms sent a shockwave of pain throughout his body as he blocked the attack. She was just too strong. Even with every drop of Willpower increasing his strength and speed, Leor felt like his arms would soon break from defending against her blows.
Alina sent three powerful blows into Leor's faltering defense in rapid fire attacks, before a fourth and final attack came flying toward him from above, but it was a faint. As Leor moved to block the attack, Alina's sword seemed to hover in the air by itself as her body swept forward. Alina had released her own blade, moving so swiftly that Leor could not even move his aching arms to block her.
She used her left hand to push against his wrists, forcing his blade towards the ground as she tackled him. A shudder of pain hit his back and an earthy smell filled his nostrils as Leor found himself pinned against the dirt, two powerful legs wrapped around his waist as a clawed hand locked his sword in place, while the other tightly clamped itself around his neck.
Leor stared up at his victorious companion for a few seconds, confusion filling his face as the grip around his neck continued to tighten. Alina's face seemed to take on an almost crazed and ecstatic appearance, her chest rising and falling rapidly with each heavy breath she took.
"A-Alina!" Leor was barely able to force out the word, the tightness around his throat close to cutting off his airflow.
Her predatory smile seemed to freeze as she heard her own name. Then, a look of sudden realization filled her eyes as she glanced down at her own hand, watching herself continue to choke her friend even after the spar had been won.
She quickly snatched her hand away from his neck like she had touched a hot ember of fire. Her eyes trembling slightly as the milky white fur covering her body quickly receded.
"F-Forgive me, Leor! I've never fought as a Beast before, I wasn't ready for the killing instinct that came over me. Are you alright?" She seemed to come to her senses, but she continued to behave in a strange manner, sniffing at him with her face too close to his own before beginning to wipe the dust and dirt from his cheeks with her fingers.
Leor just stared at her silently as he endured the awkward moment.
"Um. I'm fine, Alina. Would you mind allowing me to stand?" he asked softly, watching her face hover around so close to his own.
Alina blinked a few times at his request, before glancing down at her own legs that were still wrapped around his waist. She seemed to fully regain her senses all at once in that moment, a thick blush covering her face as she considered her behavior. Then, she put her new speed on display once again as she rose to her feet more swiftly than Leor thought possible.
"Ehem. I see now. It wasn't just my body that changed when I took the world tree potion. I've also been burdened with the many instincts of the Beastly body I now possess." Alina seemed to quickly overcome her embarrassment as she focused on the important new revelation, "Still, it should be a simple thing to overcome. I was vulnerable to such a mistake because I did not expect and prepare for it. Now that I know better, I will do so."
Alina reached down and helped Leor off the ground, returning his sword to him after doing so. Leor dusted off his clothes as he stared at her with a genuine smile.
"Well, regardless of that small problem, I'd say that your transformation has been a shocking success. I'm hardly your match anymore. In fact, I don't think five of me could face you in an actual combat situation at the moment. You have become truly strong, Alina." Leor wore a hint of envy on his face as he spoke those words. He didn't like being left so far behind by his companion, but he knew that he would soon follow in her footsteps.
Now that he had Alina's example to follow, Leor was far more confident in his own ability to take advantage of the world tree potion. The only problem was making the hard decision. He still needed to figure out what Beast he was going to choose, it was a tremendously difficult thing.
"I'd like to test something else while we are out here." Alina stepped toward the herb filled field to her side as she spoke, dropping down into a squat as she carefully observed the leafy plants growing in neat rows before her. Alina reached down and plucked a single leaf from one of the growing plants, placing it before her nose as she inhaled deeply.
"It smells… Good." she mumbled.
Leor couldn't help but focus on the plant as he watched Alina, prompting the new ability she shared with him to activate.
As Leor felt the strange sensation of information suddenly appearing in his mind, Alina brought the leaf to her lips. She gently placed it on her tongue, chewed it up, and swallowed it. All with the same curious demeanor. She sat there silently pondering for the next few minutes, before glancing up at Leor with a new and sudden intensity present in her eyes.
"It works."