The Water-Beast

[hazlogs]

DATE:   April 7, 1998
Place:  Harbor Park

Nigel is squatting at the base of a willow tree, taking a pinch of the soil 
   and tasting it. He waves when he spots Shades.

Undine's desc:
This is a waterling, an undine, a spirit born of and carved from water. She 
   varies from not much more than a ripple to a delicate crystalline woman 
   with eyes like the sea.

Nigel's desc:
Nigel is a sandy-haired man in his early thirties with a gold-rimmed pair of 
   spectacles and a scrawny build. His exposed skin is brown from a great deal 
   of time spent outside, and his calloused hands and dirty nails would seem 
   to indicate a person who earns his living through physical labor, but while 
   some blue collar workers have cell phones and pagers on their belts, not so 
   many have an emerald ring on their finger and a $2000 watch that measures 
   barometric pressure. His usual expression can be described charitably as 
   pensive, or (less kindly) as befuddled. Judging from his clothes, Nigel 
   dresses in the dark. He wears a canary-yellow pullover on top of a 
   lime-green t-shirt (with the words 'Suicide Squid' visible above his 
   neckline), maroon jeans with frayed cuffs and patches on both knees, and 
   thick Polarwear socks (one blue, one green) under a battered old pair of 
   Reeboks which were white sometime in the past.
There are a few such trees scattered about. One of them was apparently right 
   near the edge of the ordinary river; now it's behind the sandbag barricades 
   and looking distinctly ill. There's another one on the other side of the 
   sandbags, pressed against the sacks. The lower branches on the river side 
   have been sawed off, presumably to prevent climbers from falling into the 
   swollen river.

JJ Malone's desc:
All but the least perceptive would notice that there's something not *quite* 
   right with this person. J.J. is about 5'11" and around 140-150 pounds in a 
   wiry, boxy form which gives no hint of gender. He appears to be in his 
   early twenties, although it's hard to judge. His dark brown hair is cut 
   short and tapered, parted to one side and brushed down smoothly. His facial 
   features have a foreign cast under medium-dark, olive-toned skin, although 
   the predominant feature is the black-rimmed mirrored sunglasses worn no 
   matter the weather, time of day, or his location. He is dressed casually in 
   a white T-shirt, ripped jeans, black leather jacket, and low-topped combat 
   boots.

JJ Malone crunches in, taking in the park in a lazy, sweeping glance, then 
   heads for Nigel when he spots him by the willow. "You stand out like a sore 
   thumb," he mutters without preamble.
Nigel wipes his hands on his pants as he stands up, slightly nonplussed. "Too 
   East Coast, you think? I've been considering getting my eyebrow pierced, 
   but it'd be a pain keeping the hole open."
"Clothes," the ahroun summarizes succintly. "You clash."
Nigel looks down at himself and frowns thoughtfully. "Well, sure. It's the 
   only way, sometimes. You ever owned a Brugmansia Inoxia?"
JJ Malone's expression screws up in confusion. "Uh. No."
Nigel nods, expecting this. "Climate's kinda moist around here for it. It's a 
   'Dr. Seuss' plant, big yellow flowers shaped like trumpets with red 
   'throats'. Hallucinogenic as hell, if you know how to extract the 
   ingredients in just the right way, which I don't. It knows a lot, if you 
   can decipher what it's saying, but it won't even *talk* to you unless it 
   likes what you have on. To a Dr. Seuss, this" he indicates his outfit "is 
   staid. So you see."
Salem makes his way through the tall grass of the south.
JJ Malone's mouth tightens, and he says drily and a hint of annoyance, "Except 
   the rest of the world isn't out of Dr. Seuss. Anyway. You were going to be 
   doing something."
Like a dark thundercloud cloud given flesh, Salem stalks in from the southern 
   part of the park, the ever-present lit cigarette dangling from his mouth.
Nigel lifts a hand and waves, just in case Salem has any trouble spotting them.
Davy makes his way down the disintegrating cement path, leaving the road 
   behind.
Salem pauses a step, then nods curtly in response to Nigel's wave and alters 
   his course to intersect with the two Glass Walkers. His step is brisk and 
   sharp, the rage glowering and snarling under his flesh like a rabid 
   Doberman on a short leash.
Davy comes running in from the direction of his pack's territory, the sweat 
   soaking his grey T-shirt showing clearly that this is the end of a workout, 
   not the beginning. As he sprints into the edge of the park, he finally 
   begins to slow. His chest heaves like a bellows.
JJ Malone is standing with Nigel, and now Salem, by a willow tree. 
   Impatiently, he jerks his chin at Nigel. "So?"
Nigel wanders away towards the tree with the limbs cut off, eyeing it 
   clinically as he talks. "Either of you know much about this place?"
Salem falls into step with the Walkers, hands in his coat pockets, the 
   cigarette trailing a thin line of gray smoke. He grunts something 
   noncommittal.
JJ Malone shrugs his shoulders. "Used to be part of Untouchables, who has been 
   watching over the place for a good while now. I'm out of touch of recent, 
   but I know it pretty well."
Davy comes up to one of the benches and begins stretching out his legs. The 
   cluster of three Garou get a quick assessing glance, but the panting Fianna 
   doesn't move over.
Jayson makes his way down the disintegrating cement path, leaving the road 
   behind.
Nigel stops examining the bark and spots Jayson. "Oh, excellent."
A taxicab pulls up outside of the park and a dark form steps out, pausing long 
   enough to pay the fare. After waiting for the cab to pull away, the Walker 
   checks his watch and starts slowly towards the park.
Davy just continues stretching. His glance goes over Jayson without 
   recognition.
Jayson arrives at the gathering with a nod to those he knows. "Sorry I'm late, 
   folks."
The cigarette smolders in Salem's mouth, the embered end tilted downward. The 
   muscles in his jaw are tight, his body language tense and curt. He nods to 
   Jayson, uttering a grunt that, while not overflowing with warmth and love, 
   isn't directly hostile, either.
Nigel smiles. "Good to see you here. Now," he continues, more softly, "can any 
   of us Sense? I don't know how badly affected things are on the flipside, 
   and extra warning will be useful."
JJ Malone says without waiting, "The park's one of the best spots in the city."
Jayson shakes his head slightly. "I've been taking notes from a Gnawer on 
   sensing, but it took me a bit to filter out what was useful and what was 
   nonesense. I think I can give it a whirl, though."
Dillan wanders into the park, a bag in one hand announcing a recent visit to 
   Burger King.
Nigel gestures towards a corner of the construction that's out of sight of 
   most of the rest of the park. "All right, then. With your permission, 
   Shades, let's go."
JJ Malone gives a scan around the place, then nods to Nigel. "Your show, I'll 
   follow your lead."
Davy gives the clump of Walkers another look, longer-lingering this time. He's 
   still stretching his arms, but more idly now. He then rubs his skin as if 
   the temperature is starting to get to him.
Nigel heads for the secluded corner, gives a careful look around to make sure 
   he's not attracted the attention of any norms, and pulls a small mirror out 
   of his pocket. He begins staring into it.
Salem's scowl deepens as he trails after the Walkers, taking the cigarette 
   from his mouth. He flicks it onto the ground with one gesture, crushes it 
   underfoot with another, and then pulls out a small hand mirror from within 
   his coat. The Ronin takes a deep breath and then focusses his eyes on his 
   reflection.
Davy raises his eyebrows, but he doesn't follow.

---- The Walkers and Salem reach across ----

Umbra: Harbor Park
Contents:
Undine
Salem
Jayson
Nigel

Salem drags himself through the gauntlet with a visible exertion of will; by 
   the time he's through, his face is contorted into an angry snarl. Stowing 
   the mirror away, Salem glowers at the umbral landscape as though all his 
   problems were its fault.
Jayson shakes his head at Nigel. "Can't help you with that."
The waters on this side are even higher, if that's possible. The river seems 
   to loom over the landscape and the evening sky on this side is clouded and 
   angry in the distance. The tree that had been standing in water on the 
   Realm side has fallen over here, and the tree with the damaged limbs in the 
   Realm seems to be weeping here, although it looks uninjured.
Nigel heads towards the hurt tree with a look of distress. "Oh, this is *not* 
   good. Jayson, check for Taint? Salem, Shades-rhya, keep an eye out for 
   blobby things trying to eat us? I'll see if this poor guy's already awake."
Jayson nods, as he shifts up to near-man form. He scans the area with furrowed 
   brow, trying to sense any wyrm-taint in the area.
Salem grunts an acknowledgement as he shifts upward into Glabro form. Fingers 
   turned thick and meaty flex restlessly at his sides as dark eyes watch the 
   environment with glowering suspicion.
JJ Malone shifts up as well, jaw tightening so that pointed teeth are bared 
   briefly at the honorific given to him. He pulls out his gun, though, and 
   takes up a spot opposite Salem, scanning avidly.
You have shifted to Glabro form.
Shades mutters barely audible. "No one make any loud noises, by the way."
Salem grunts.
Nigel steps close to the tree, growing with each step. Once in full war-form, 
   he pauses with a hand almost resting on the bark, and asks ~Earth-child, 
   soil-drinker, are you awake? To help you, we need your wisdom.~
Nigel shifts into Crinos form.
The tree does not respond, at least, not visibly.
Jayson shudders visibly as he scans the area. His fists clench and unclench as 
   the chilling sensations of the wyrm's presence soak his spirit. The results 
   of his task are obvious, but he speaks them anyway. "I'm getting wyrm all 
   over the place, here."
Nigel grunts slightly. ~I'll try to make this fast, then. While I chant, 
   Jayson, could you move widdershins around me, and howl each time I signal?~
Jayson nods, moving slowly and watching Nigel for his signal. From time to 
   time, his eyes dart nervously to the area around them.
Nigel crouches, sinks fingers and toes into the soil, closes his eyes and 
   begins a deep, guttural chant.
After an indeterminable time of chanting, the river ever looming, a low 
   keening sound rises from the tree, and it shudders in its watersoaked 
   earth. In the fountain, a slim feminine shape rises from the waters there. 
   And around some of the more distant trees, small shapes scurry out to stare 
   at the Garou.
Then, in the river, a whirlpool slowly begins to form.
Shades's attention focuses on the whirlpool, having been facing that way, and 
   mutters, "'Ware the river."
Salem's scowl only deepens, a curl of lip revealing pointed fangs. Graceful 
   despite his bulk, the Ronin shifts his weight, turning to face the river, 
   eyeing it suspiciously.
Nigel looks at the river once, then turns away with a quick curse and 
   addresses the tree. ~This pain, this taint--what can ease it? What must we 
   do?~
Jayson glances towards the river, but most of his attention remains on Nigel 
   and the tree, trusting the others to keep tabs on any impending danger.
Shades snaps a little louder, without turning around himself, ~Keep a lookout 
   the other way, Salem.~
Salem eyes Shades for a moment, and then grunts and moves to one side, 
   positioning himself to watch for enemies from the other direction. His 
   fingers continue to flex restlessly, and his teeth remain bared.
The tree continues moaning softly, and then under the moan, there are words. 
   *I hurt... the sap no longer runs through my fingers...*
Shades continues to scan the riverfront and the movement in the foliage, 
   trusting to Salem and the other two to guard his back.
Water touches the feet of the river guardians, just barely. It's cold, almost 
   icy.
Nigel bends his head. ~Your fingers were hurt by people who feared the river. 
   Fools, who did not know what they were doing. I apologize for them. If we 
   could help the river return to normal, I would be able to come every day 
   and help you heal.~
Shades dances back a couple of steps, growling softly for the wet feet.
Salem bares his teeth like a dog and glares daggers at the water.
Jayson watches Nigel for a few moments, before turning his attention towards 
   the fountain and the spirit that appeared there. He approaches the fountain 
   area slowly, speaking softly to the presence there. *We are here to make 
   things right for the river again. To make her less angry. *We're here to 
   make the river less angry. Can you help us?*
The tree is moaning softly, and the water sloshes around the Garou's feet 
   gently. *It isn't safe here for you. The river creeps inside with its 
   poison blood...*
"Fucking umbra," Salem mutters underbreath as he keeps an eye out for attacks 
   from landside. The Ronin prowls slightly, tension evident in his manner.
Shades backs up a little further, muttering imprecations about his 
   beginning-to-be-waterlogged boots.
Nigel takes a step, two steps back. *It's not safe for anyone; unless someone 
   does something you'll fall like your relative. Where does the poison come 
   from? What is it?*
The tree branches shiver. *The blood. The rage, stirred by the wind. Don't you 
   feel it, within you?*
Nigel glances over his shoulder at JJ and Salem dubiously, then back to the 
   tree. *We sense things differently, Tall One. What do you mean, 'stirred by 
   the wind'?*
The tree shivers even more violently. *You do not feel the wind, taste it with 
   your fingers? It sings songs of rage and violence and the water that seeps 
   in my blood knows the song well, although it has been silent so long.* And 
   then, *His attention turns here.* There is a sense of urgency about the 
   slowspeaking tree now.
Nigel curses and steps back hastily. *Thank you. I will do what I can.* 
   ~Time's up, folks--let's move! Quick!~
Salem's head snaps up at Nigel's shout, and his eyes flick toward Shades.
Shades is beginning to move at Nigel's order, following him wordless and 
   guarding their retreat.
And indeed, there is a sense of something rising, something coming. There's an 
   almost audible hum in the air.
Nigel trots towards the spot where they first entered the Umbra. As he nears 
   the fountain, he touches a claw to his forehead in salute to the Elemental 
   there. *Ma'am*
Salem spits out something vile in Serbian and follows the Walkers, nerves 
   tight as rubber bands, just waiting to snap and let loose the rage.
Nigel shifts into Homid form.
The undine there trembles and dips her head quickly. Then she raises her head 
   quickly, like an animal scenting a predator, and melts away into the water 
   of her fountain.
Nigel's eyes stop contemplatively on his reflection.
Salem takes another deep breath, steeling himself for the grueling passes back 
   across the gauntlet.
Salem's eyes stop contemplatively on his reflection.
Shades motions to Salem, his gun out and senses honed, to go before him. 
   Jayson steps through as well.
Suddenly, all sound drops away...
Shades decides discretion is the better part of valor and with a quick look 
   around, begins the reach through as well.
Just as you slip through the gauntlet, you feel /something/ reach for you. It 
   almost closes around you, and your passage through is slow, painful, almost 
   stopped. And then, as your heart seems to stop, you're through.

---- Scene change for the action ----

Harbor Park Fountain
Contents:
Undine
Salem
Nigel
Dillan
Clean Benches
Flowers

"Close by?" Salem's dark eyes snap toward Nigel with all the good will of a 
   slavering Grendel and then pan out over the park. "Fuck. Edge is closest, 
   probably."
Dillan coughs, conveniently enough advertising his presence to the Ronin. He's 
   sitting up on top of one of the benches surrounding the fountain.
Nigel says "Fuck. They don't know me from a hole in the ground. Run get help, 
   fast as you can, while I try to get Shades through."
Salem's eyes snap toward Dillan, and within a few strides the Ronin stalks up 
   to the young Shadow Lord, one hand snapping out, rage-quick, to grab him by 
   the shoulder. "You, prick."
Nigel gets his mirror out of his pocket and peers at himself.
Nigel's eyes stop contemplatively on his reflection.
Dillan drums his fingers on his knee. He was expecting... something, although 
   not prcisely this, given his short burst of startlement. "Y'know, if you 
   want to motivate people, you gotta try a lot harder than 'You, prick.'"
Nigel seems to shimmer momentarily, and then vanishes.
Kyle makes his way down the disintegrating cement path, leaving the road 
   behind.
"Fuck yourself, you little bastard," Salem spits. "You call yourself a 
   guardian of this fucking place? Do you /know/ what kind of shit is there on 
   the other fucking side? Why the FUCK are you sitting on your ass?"
Jason makes his way through the tall grass of the south.
On cue, Kyle hoves into view by the gated entrance to the park. His cold eyes 
   almost immediately draw a bead on the commotion, and he heads that way.
Jason walks up freom the south and looks around the area, stopping before 
   getting too close to much of anything.
Dillan lets out a breath and pushes off the bench. "I know precisely what's up 
   there, and s'why I ain't up there by myself. I ain't no stupid-ass chump. 
   IF you think *you* can do anything about it by yourself, go 'head. Me, I'll 
   wait for the crescent convention out rangerside figure this hit out. 
   Knowledge is half the battle, punk."
Kyle arrives at the scene in time to catch the tail end of Dillan's speech. He 
   stands a few paces back, eyebrow raised, arms crossed over his chest, 
   watching.
Salem's fist snaps out toward Dillan's head, without warning, without 
   hesitation, and far too damned fast to be human.
Jayson says warningly and with authority to Salem, "Take it easy," before 
   heading down to the riverside with a frown.
Dillan catches the fist with his face, a far inferior choice to doing it with 
   a forearm or something less likely to bleed so much. "Fuck me. S'it, 
   biznatch, I'm gonna rip your eyes out and shove 'em down your pants so you 
   can watch me kicking your ass."
The Guardsmen down near the river side are starting to notice the altercation 
   in the park; there are only a few of them, and there is a brief 
   conversation among them.
Kyle's shoulders roll slightly, and he stands a little taller, but except for 
   a wry frown he doesn't offer much of a reaction.
Salem seems more than ready. In fact, he seems disturbingly, frighteningly, 
   psychotically eager to spread Dillan's guts across the park. "Anytime, you 
   wasted little piece of shit. I'll rip your fucking prick off and shove it 
   down your cocksucking throat."
And into the middle of all this stumbles JJ, slowly shimmering into existance. 
   Clothing and flesh has long gashes in it, from front to back, as if 
   something tried to claw him back to the Umbra. He looks ten years older, 
   and blood slowly trickles down his limbs and torso.
Dillan just grins, as smug as possible as he stands, despite the blood leaking 
   out of his nose. "S'it, then. Do your worst. C'mon, take me down, you big 
   nasty bitch. Show me how tough you is. Chump." He gestures for the Ronin to 
   bring it on.
And the Ronin does exactly that. In a flash of movement faster than the eye 
   can follow, Salem lunges at Dillan, fists pistoning out one-two-three-four 
   in the time it takes for a startled onlooker to suck in a gasp, both rage 
   and an Ahroun's trained instincts fueling the blows.
Kyle stares for more than a few heartbeats as JJ appears practically in front 
   of him. He then whistles quietly, stepping around Dillan and Salem to stand 
   by the Walker's side. "Shit, JJ. What the hell happened?"
JJ Malone is panting like he just got finished running a marathon in record 
   time, bending over shakily as he gulps air. The sound of fighting grabs his 
   attention before the questions, though. He looks up and takes in the scene, 
   then sharply snaps out breathily, "Jack, can it before you blow it." He 
   waves a hand at Kyle, betraying his weakness. "I don't know."
Dillan manages to avoid the first wave of the Ronin's assault with a quick 
   leap overtop the bench he'd been resting on to start with. The ahroun's 
   rage-driven speed is more than the theurge can escape, though, and he 
   starts sucking up the beatdown. Poorly.
The Guardsmen continue to cluster nervously, watching the beating, but the 
   Curse is keeping them from investigating the violence too closely right 
   now. One of them starts speaking into a cellular phone, though.
Salem finishes off with a brutal kick toward the young Lord's knee and is 
   about to follow this up with another fist to the face when Malone's command 
   reins him in, sharply. Face contorted into a hateful snarl, he restrains 
   himself with an exertion of will and steps back.
Kyle's lip curls in a snarl as the fight draws to a stop. His cold eyes take 
   in the Guardsmen, but in the main he stays focused on JJ. "What the hell do 
   you mean, don't know? You look worse'n Dillan."
Dillan manages to sound extremely pitiful and crumple up into a bloody pool. 
   Finally, something he excels at.
JJ Malone shakes his head, exuding fear like sweat, still breathing hoarsely. 
   "Not here. Where are Jayson and Nigel."
Salem glances sharply at JJ. "He went after /you/, Malone. Back across."
Kyle's eyes narrow, but he doesn't even try to answer. Instead he looks across 
   at Dillan and shakes his head.
Dillan pushes to his hands and knees. "Punk-ass. I'll fuckin' take your ass 
   down. Someone thinks he's the fucking shit." He grips the back of the bench 
   and hauls himself to his feet, limping.
JJ Malone mutters. "Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit. Why'd he do something that 
   stupid," he says wearily, and although he looks at where they originally 
   reached with out-and-out fear. "We can't just leave him there."
"Boy, you're a living example why Darwinism is a piece of crap," retorts 
   Salem, snapping a Look back at Dillan.
The Guardsman with the phone closes up the phone and puts it away, gesturing 
   to his men to move away from the park.
Jason backs up slowly, having already faintly heard a little too much, and not 
   particularly wanting to get caught.
Dillan coughs, and leaves a bright red gob on the grass. "And you're an 
   example of the biggest bitch I ever seen. Chump fullmoon thinks he's all 
   the shit for jackin' a crescent. Oo. You're big. Got a small dick to make 
   up for." He hobbles off to Kyle, wincing.
Jason picks his way south, into the overgrown meadow.
Salem's face twists angrily. "Keep a fucking civil tongue in your mouth and 
   you wouldn't fucking get the piss beaten out of you, idiot."
JJ Malone snaps in a white-hot anger that is a brittle mask to the fear, 
   "Dillan, just shut the fuck up for once in your life, will you? And you, 
   too, Salem, or I'll blow both of your fucking sparrow-headed brains out." 
   With that, he stalks purposefully down to a protected eddy of the river he 
   knows about without a backward glance.
Kyle's fist lashes out towards Dillan's shoulder. "Shut the fuck up. Fer 
   Christsake, boy. You been beat. Take it like a man." Without even looking, 
   he faces JJ, then follows. "Lead the way."
Dillan stops to lean against an elm tree before making it to Kyle. "Fuck that 
   noise. Chump came up talking shit. Ain't no way I get a cap for it, JJ. Pop 
   him twice. Needs something to fill that dome up."
Dillan makes it a bit further, and gets fed by Kyle. Wince.
Salem snarls audibly, the sound far too lupine for comfort's sake, and 
   abruptly turns to follow and fall into step with JJ, walking like a cache 
   of dynamite just waiting to go off.
JJ Malone, once he reaches the sheltered spot, shudders, grasping together the 
   shreds of his will to begin reaching across once more.
JJ Malone's eyes stop contemplatively on his reflection.
A ripple of Umbral wind swirls about you, and the Gauntlet parts.
JJ Malone seems to shimmer momentarily, and then vanishes.

Umbra: Harbor Park
Contents:
Sun-Bringer
Ash
Nigel

Salem appears in a swirl of wind and light.

Sun-Bringer's desc:
It's a bird. A really big bird. A really big black bird with a nasty-looking 
   beak, looking around with what you could almost swear looks like a spark of 
   intelligence in its eyes. This raven has a full four-and-a-half foot 
   wingspan, its feathers dark as night without much color variation at all. 
   Its beak looks sharp, as do its claws, lending credence to the folktales of 
   ravens biting off fingers.

The two Garou cross the Gauntlet painfully. There is a whipping and a 
   shrieking in the air, and the river seems to be spraying upwards. The 
   water, when it hits, burns. The fountain spray has stopped and the water 
   has withdrawn from the basin, and there is something monstrous flowing 
   across the landscape. It has the head of a great fish and the rolling body 
   of a frog..
JJ Malone is panting again when he reaches this side, but the sight of the 
   great monster has him up in his breed form in an eyeblink, and bellowing as 
   loud as he can, ~SEER!~ as others might use a name to call someone.
You have shifted to Crinos form.
Salem's rage snaps free of its chains with a screaming, incoherent howl, and 
   in a surge, the Ronin's body bursts upwards, all fur and claws and mindless 
   hate, lashing out in a Wyrm-thralled frenzy at the nearest available 
   target. JJ.
The great creature had apparently been heading after something else, but when 
   Salem screams and attacks JJ, its course changes, heading directly for them.
Kyle appears in a swirl of wind and light.
Dillan appears in a swirl of wind and light.
Watching the Get come through the Gauntlet is like watching a pot of water 
   come to a boil over a candle flame. He slowly shoves away the tendrils of 
   the barrier, emerging like a newborn infant on the shadow side.
Arlen appears in a swirl of wind and light.
Shades snarls instinctively in answer as he whips around and catches Salem's 
   state a moment before the Ronin slams into him. Fury rising but still under 
   control, the Glass Walker beats even the rage-driven Salem to the punch, 
   literally, smashing fists aiming for tender spots, even as massive jaws 
   seek to clamp onto the throat immediately.
Dillan instashifts to a healing form the instant he's across the gauntlet. Any 
   pain that greets him blends in with the handful he's already got.
Arlen materializes, mirror in hand, somewhat near the fountain, in a crouch as 
   usual. She's immediately up and stringing her bow, staring about 
   not-quite-wildly.
It takes a moment for Kyle to regain his bearings, but it's a short moment. 
   His cold eyes take in the scene, and he hisses in anger at the touch of the 
   burning water. First the monster, and then the fighting Garou. His form 
   flashes upwards into Crinos and, like a thundercloud in time-lapse film, he 
   rolls towards Shades and Salem.
Dark One snarls and snaps at the Walker's beating fists, claws slashing out in 
   mindless rage. Then Shades is at the Ronin's throat, jaws clamping down and 
   blocking off Salem's air, though even so he continues to struggle and rage.
With a low rushing noise, the animate river is suddenly rushing towards the 
   Garou with the speed of water released.
Seeing Shades gain the upper hand, Thunder-Eater turns his attention to the 
   monster lurching in the water. He moves swiftly, then, to the attack, 
   circling and dodging as needed to avoid the brunt of the charge and trying 
   for a flanking assault.
Arlen, with a sense of vague hopelessness, fires an arrow at the river and 
   then starts running, away from the onrushing water.
Darkmane shifts and waits, healing from damage done earlier until he's well 
   enough to enter the fray. He watches his garou brethren from a short 
   distance, and follows Arlen's lead in seeking cover.
Shades is scored by Dark One's claws, adding fresh stripes to the ones already 
   gracing his hide, but doggedly, he retains his grip on Salem's throat, 
   trying to tangle the Ronin's limbs with his own to prevent further damage. 
   The onrushing water is ignored for the more immediate threat of a frenzied 
   ahroun.
Dark One eventually, of course, begins to lose consciousness from lack of air. 
   His struggles weaken.
The arrow strikes the liquid solidly and vanishes into the mass. Kyle does his 
   best to dodge around the monster, but it seems to lose its coherency as it 
   rushes to attack, and he can't avoid some of the liquid sloshing around his 
   calves. His claws dart out in slash-slash-slash and there are three great 
   gaping wounds in the water that ripple out to the rest of the waterbeast 
   before flowing back together again. The water is so cold that it burns as 
   it touches flesh. The water is about to pour upon JJ and Dark One.
Arlen stops, some distance away, and snarls two words, swiftly and intently at 
   the onrushing torrent. *Retreat. Now.* Dropping her bow, she stares at the 
   thing for a moment or three before moving to join Kyle.
Whether it's Arlen's warning or just his own awareness of things, Shades 
   breaks off choking Dark One to scramble up in obvious pain, trying to 
   simultaneously grab the Ronin by whatever handhold he can manage and begin 
   dragging him away from the burgeoning flood, all the time cursing fluently, 
   ~Shift down damn you or we're both going to drown,~ and the like.
Unheeding of the damage being done to him, and focusing only on the damage he 
   might cause to the creature, Kyle continues his ferocious assault. There is 
   no subtlety to the attack.
Dark One coughs and gags, long jaws working as the air comes rushing back into 
   his lungs, but the Ronin is still half-dazed, and Malone managed to drag 
   him, unprotesting, away from the oncoming water.
Lightseeker shifts upwards and moves to join the Get, dropping her bow and 
   using claws, given the complete lack of response her arrow had. ~This... 
   Better...~ she begins, slashing, ~For a real,~ she ducks, ~War party, 
   Thunderer?~
Now only mildly bruised, Darkmane rushes into the fray alongside Lightseeker 
   to help JJ and Kyle (and, indirectly, Salem, but not because he wants to).
Sun-Bringer flies down into the trees, making sure to hide himself as well as 
   possible (with all the Garous' attention on the water, this is not a 
   difficult task) before calling out at Kyle in a perfect mimicry of Pete 
   Barlow's voice, "Kyle, you're an idiot, you know that?"
The Dark One is a heavy burden for the wounded Glass Walker to bear and the 
   water washes over the ronin and JJ's feet. Kyle slashes at the water again, 
   leaving another trail of claw marks, and part of the flood turns to embrace 
   him.
Shades half-growls, half-whimpers at the additional pain, then snarls with a 
   flood of anger, ~Shift down, damn you!~ and gives a mighty tug at the heavy 
   body of the Ronin.
Lightseeker snarls, ~Chugs, get the fuck over here,~ as she slashes at the 
   thing again.
Dark One snaps, eeth clicking on the air near Shades, but the command managed 
   to get through the addled brain, and the Ronin abruptly reverts to human 
   form, practically a lightweight now compared to the gender-muddled Glass 
   Walker.
Darkmane plows into the... thing? Whatever it is, he unloads with crinos claws 
   on the assailant, delivering brutal slashes to it.
As all evidence of his damage vanishes before Kyle's eyes, as the taunting 
   comes from behind him in that hated voice, as his fellow Garou start to 
   take care of themselves, sense, or frustration, seem to take over the Get. 
   He begins to back out of the crappy waters, dodging backwards with an 
   utterly unnatural agility. ~War party,~ he can be heard to say, the words 
   shaking with barely controlled fury.
The three Garou who are attacking the flood deliver slash after slash, each 
   attack leaving a mark and then closing up again. As Kyle backs away, the 
   water surge after him, but slowly, as the thing also tries to embrace 
   Lightseeker and Darkmane. All three of the fighting Garou are utterly 
   soaked and the burning spray from the spinning whirlpool still descends, 
   although it's lighter now. JJ wrenches the now-humanshaped Salem out of the 
   way of the flood and stumbles away, the water diverted for now.
Shades unceremoniously dumps the Ronin's body at the fountain and pulls out 
   his gun, barely able to stand upright now, but not wanting to leave yet. 
   With a tone of figuring it'll be ignored, he vainly yips out a retreating 
   howl, then moves towards the escape.
~Uh, Lightseeker...~ Darkmane manages, between seemingly-ineffectual blows, 
   ~This ain't doin jack.~ he observes, each swipe of clawsproducing a similar 
   effect.
Lightseeker, as Kyle retreats, heaves a quite relieved sigh and starts 
   retreating too, snarling, ~Come on, Lord,~ to Dillan, not turning her back 
   to the river for one moment.
~Pointless,~ Thunder-Eater announces angrily, circling as best he can out of 
   reach of the beast. ~Not a claw fight.~ The tight, barely intelligble words 
   seem to be more an effort to convince himself than an effort to inform his 
   companions.
Salem lies more or less still where Shades has dropped him.
The water still moves sluggishly after the retreating Garou, slowly 
   compressing itself into a shape again.
Darkmane bounds away from the fight, heeding Arlen's words. ~No shit,~ he 
   says, replying to his packmate, sloshing his way back towards the others as 
   fast as he can.
Lightseeker mutters, ~Bind it?~ in a questioning tone, but nods fervently at 
   the Get. ~Advance preparation,~ she says, still retreating.
The waterbeast coalesces into the shape of a giant turtle and begins to 
   trundle towards the gathering Garou. The fountain is still absent of all 
   water as the elemental there hides herself from her dark brother.
Lightseeker leans down to pick up her bow, and takes the opportunity to send a 
   somewhat clumsy shot towards the turtle, then continuing to retreat. ~Who's 
   getting Bunky there?~
Still pacing, Thunder-Eater's growling doesn't subside. ~It isn't fast. But we 
   can't stay here. You all go through, I'll lure it somewhere else.~
Darkmane pauses behind Arlen, eying the turtle. ~Why don't we just lure it to 
   where some pattern-spiders can hand it some beatdown. I bet they won't be 
   happy 'bout it coming to play.~
Lightseeker's arrow goes wide as she aims it awkwardly. The turtle still moves 
   closer as the head aquires definition-- the wicked beak of a snapping 
   turtle is most prominent.
Lightseeker snarls, ~Fuck that. Wake Bunky the hell up and we'll all get out 
   of here, /now/.~
Thunder-Eater takes the time the other spend debating to drag his claws on the 
   concrete of the fountain, sharpening them. He keeps up the retreat, though, 
   careful to stay out of reach of the beast.
Shades fires two quick shots off at the turtle from way the hell back, gaze 
   falling on the dazed Ronin. Guiltily, he shakes his muzzle, and shifts down 
   to human form, beginning to reach across. As unsteady as he looks, he seems 
   to be held aloft by sheer force of will right now, pain etched deeply in 
   every line of his body.
Darkmane hmphs. ~We leave, and the spirit stays here inside the glade to start 
   fucking shit up. What good s'that gonna do?~ He looks back to see the 
   Walker vanish. ~Great. We're fucked.~
Lightseeker shoots another arrow, somewhat awkardly but with slightly more 
   precision, and then shifts down abruptly to glabro, and shoves her mirror 
   at Dillan. ~I'll fucking get the moron somewhere else,~ she growls, and 
   then adds, ~Ever hear of a fucking strategic retreat?~
You have shifted to Homid form.
The bullets splash into the turtle's shell. It shrinks a tiny amount, but 
   moves onwards, ever onwards, step by rolling step. When it gets close 
   enough to whoever is bringing up the rear, the head suddenly lashes out, 
   wicked beak snapping.
Salem stirs slightly on the ground, but doesn't look like he's about to get up 
   to do anything else.
Thunder-Eater is the brave soul bringing up the rear; the snapping turtle 
   lunges at him and he dives to one side, leaving the creature with only a 
   chunk out of his arm and shoulder.
Darkmane jumps further back, away fromt he tortoise. ~Retreat? And give up the 
   Glade? We ain't got no-where else in the city.~ He shifts down to Glabro to 
   add his firepower to JJ's.
Lightseeker's arrow homes in on the turtle and splooshes through one eye and 
   out the back of the head. The eyehole remains open for a long, long moment 
   before closing up again.
The wound doesn't seem to slow Thunder-Eater much, though one might guess it 
   will catch up with him. Having drawn the beast's fire, he moves with 
   unnatural agility to lure it away from the others. He rapidly circles 
   around its side.
Salem gets his hands under him and onto the ground and pushes himself halfway 
   up from the ground, swearing thickly under his breath.
Lightseeker peers intently at the beast and swears. ~Fucking arrows,~ she 
   mutters, and spies Salem wakening. ~Get the fuck out of here,~ she tells 
   him, and moves to help Kyle distract the thing.
Dillan's gun keeps popping as he fires away at the turtle; the slugs barely 
   cause a ripple. Kyle and Arlen certainly manage to draw its attention, but 
   that beak moves as fast as or faster than a Raging Garou on speed, more 
   than making up for the slow legs once it gets into range.
Sun-Bringer, not seeing much else he can do, and noticing the hard-headedness 
   of the Garou, takes to the air from the trees, flying straight up then 
   winging over the city in ever-widening circles in the Umbra.
Salem gets to his knees, then his feet, still a bit wobbly from the 
   aftereffects of burning nearly all his rage and then getting choked. He 
   takes one look at the monster and scowls. "Fuck this," he rasps, and then 
   turns, dropping into the wolf shape within a few steps and loping off to a 
   (relatively) safer part of the city.
Sun-Bringer heads north, towards the strange grey streak.
Lightseeker works assidously on keeping away from said beak, slashing at the 
   thing when and if she can. Once Salem's gotten to his feet, she retreats 
   again, snarling, ~We can always retake it, Darkmane.~
"We /can/, yeah." Dillan keeps dumping rounds into the turtle, if only to 
   distract it some. "But you guaranteeing me there'l still be a Glade here?"
Lightseeker, still backing up, snarls, ~And if you're dead?~
It's /hard/ to get close to the turtle-shape. If the two attacking garou work 
   together, one of them might be able to take the beak head on while the 
   other does damage. As it is, the head whips back and forth, snapping each 
   time they now get close.
As the wounded finally make their own way off, and as it becomes clear the 
   Turtle has an upper hand, Kyle breaks off his assault, calling out, 
   ~Enough.~ As good as his own word, he also dances away from the beast.
Dillan listens pretty damn well when it's Kyle calling the retreat, however. 
   ~Fine. But we'd damn well better come back.~ He looks down at the mirror 
   and steps across the gauntlet.
Lightseeker, in lieu of her mirror, shifts down to lupus and hightails it 
   towards Edge territory.
As its prey begins to flee, the turtle, now a bit smaller than it was before, 
   begins to lope after Arlen, form slowly changing to something smoother and 
   more otter-like. She's faster, though, and can probably make it to Edge 
   territory in relative safety.
Thunder-Eater, not having a mirror of his own, runs off in search of another 
   way through the Gauntlet. Preferably someplace far enough away from the 
   beast to give him ample time to make his sluggish trip through the gauntlet.