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Finding ones way through the forest was already near impossible for some but thankfully Uzumati had learned the paths by heart since living in the wilderness as a young boy. However, the rain that had constantly been pouring from the gray skies had made previously used paths far from accessible and in a sense had not only dampened the ground but also Uzumati's mood. It was aggravating that the creek he used to simply wade through was now roaring like the largest river in Tale.

How was he supposed to cross back over and get to the village in this situation? Uzumati grunted, his frustrations easily visible in the tension of his back and the glare of his golden-green gaze. Like any wild animal the man found himself pacing back and forth, up the bank and back down the side of the bank as he tried to figure out a path across. There were some rocks but the constant rain and the choppy waters would hide such rocks at random and even he knew that taking such a path would risk being washed away from the rocks and further down river.

So exactly what was he to do? He could continue heading north towards where the bright star should be shining (not that he would know if his guess at its position was entirely accurate considering how the blanket of clouds never seemed to lessen) but perhaps if he headed far enough the waters would end and he could cross over. It would take longer, a thought which had Uzumati growling and clutching his fingers into fists, but it was his only option. It wasn't like he could simply fly over the waters...one would have to be a bird to do that and no matter how far his leaps could take him it wouldn't be enough.

With that in mind Uzumati twisted, his bare toes squishing into the muddied ground, and with great reluctance he took the first step away from his usual path and towards higher ground.

The scent of damp earth stung his nostrils. Uzumati huffed as he once again shook his damp mane of hair from his face. Normally the first rains would leave by now and he would find himself enjoying the rich smell of nature as the glistening grasses and trees would begin drying themselves in the golden rays of sunlight. Yet since the rains had refused to stop the ground was swollen and the once pleasant scents were decaying into something not entirely pleasant. Such a strange mixture of smells had the man's nostril's flaring as he tried scenting the area. He couldn't even seem to open his mouth to taste the air as all he would get was a mouthful of rain, something which he found out by first attempting and then spitting out the abundance of water later. But he was not completely without his senses and as Uzumati slipped through mud and rising waters he noticed that the forest was rather quiet.

One would assume that the creatures were hiding or had even been smart enough to head for higher ground but Uzumati found himself tense. In the chaos had something else managed to sneak up on him? Or rather was it that something was prowling just up ahead? His gaze narrowed sharply as he attempted to sniff the air once again. This time despite the pouring of rain Uzumati caught whiff of something familiar, something with a pungent tinge to the scent that make him recoil. Hunkering down Uzumait prepared to crawl forward through the mud, his movements silent as he began to track the tracker.

It seemed the chaos of the rainstorm not only was bringing floods as another predator, a witu by the odor of its spray, was hunting in his woods. The thought made Uzumati growl quietly under his breath as he stalked forward. What he didn't realize that there was another scent, one almost long forgotten, and hiding under a tree which was currently being circled by said witu.

Uzumati stalked forward through the crystal grasses. Each blade gave a tiny p***k against his bare arms and chest but rather than annoying the man the sensations gave him a sense of awareness. He was sensitive to everything around him, the thrumming energy of the storm above, the moisture of the ground that quietly squished beneath the weight of his broad body, the dampness that made the air seemingly stick to his skin like a second layer. All of those things made him feel the wilderness around him and in his heart Uzumati knew that he was home. If not for the human constraints of his own form it would be fairly easy to believe that the spirit of a witu resided behind those yellow-green eyes.

Such a spirit was especially visible now as the energy of the hunt sparked a fire in his gaze. Despite the rains which poured around him and drenched his body Uzumati found himself caught up in emotions of a man fighting for his territory. This witu was dangerously close to his territory, the home that Uzumati had made in the deeper parts of the forest that circled around the small village across the now raging river, and while he could have considered showing mercy if the creature had simply been passing through to see it hunting something in his territory made Uzumati's hackles rise.

From his angle he missed the running aldabuck and so the mystery of what exactly the witu hunted remained. However, that aspect was set aside in blind fury as Uzumati saw the witu brace itself and then leap through the air at some target. With a hiss Uzumati found himself kicking up a flurry of mud and water as he charged after the witu - fully intent upon colliding with it to stop this hunt from continuing in his territory...

It was always exhilarating to leap into the hunt. Uzumati could feel the sting of the wind and rains as they smacked against his bare skin, the sensation only fueling his inner beast more. He just had to stretch his fingers a bit more, just a little further, and then he could grasp at the sharp spines of the witu with his hands. His fixation on the witu kept his senses distracted and the bolt of magical energy hit before he could even register what was happening. All he knew was that his palms were sliced by the spines with a temporary sting of pain before something with a far worse impact than witu spines shook his whole body.

Blinding white light filled his vision as his skull seemingly split in half. In that moment it seemed as if even his heart did stop before slowly deciding to attempt beating once more, a testament to the strength of the man who immediately crumpled to the ground next to the witu. His breathing ragged, his fingers numb as his body shuddered in agony, Uzumati had to wonder what type of lightning bolt had honed in on him in that very moment. Were the gods of nature angry that he had decided to fight during their stormy affair? He knew that the earth and skies were fighting, hence the floods, but he didn't realize that his interaction with a witu would deem him worthy of such punishment. Had he finally pressed too hard against the forest? Was his territory too large or....here he finally started to regain some of his senses, his blurry vision honing in on something that was speaking.

The words were dulled by the ringing in his ears but as his nostrils flared and life started to flood into his body once more as he gasped for air Uzumati recognized something. Or rather he recognized someone, "Flow...flower." He mouthed the word quietly as he remembered the silent nickname he had given to the delicate looking woman he had encountered so long ago. Not that she seemed so delicate considering those runes in her hands. He smelled magic on them, sensed the heaviness in the air around her and for a wild moment he attempted to flail away from her before tumbling backwards once again.

Perhaps it wasn't the gods who had harmed him. The realization was slowly dawning on him as he battled between being angry, wary, or in awe of the fact that the girl he had adored since first sight was once again before him.

He hated magic. Uzumati had only known it for how dangerous it was, had the vaguest recollection of it as his childhood house had burned down all those years ago, and it was those feelings that tempted him to run. But those blurry memories were not enough to completely rip his gaze away from the young woman. She was real and they were just dreams, illusions created by bad past experiences. Now that the haze of magic had died down he was finding himself again and he truly felt that he didn't want to leave. Indeed he just wanted to stay, to find out what she was doing here, and he wanted to aid her again in this storm. It was still raining heavily after all and the creeks would wait for no one before rising above their banks to flood the forests. Yet it seemed that the water was not the only thing to hold no patience for the two earthlings. Wincing in pain as he forced his body upwards Uzumati glared at the witu as it stirred. Normally he could just attack it but his body was still so heavy from the magical impact. The feeling caused him to dig his fingers into the mud in frustrations. He had to do something!

Even if it risked his own life Uzumati didn't want the flower to be harmed. He had already forgiven her for the previous attack and despite his wariness of magic she was still the girl he had met before. She had been kind then so why would she not be kind now? Still as she called for him to run the man could only frown stubbornly. Run and leave her with the witu? Instead he made certain to growl loudly at the witu in challenge. Fight me! He dared the witu with his wild gaze and as the witu prepared to charge at Uzumati he forced his own body up and out of the mud.

It would have been a bold moment had his weakened body not lost its balance to the ground as it shifted beneath him from the heavy rains. Instead of charging forward as he had hoped the man fell to a knee and waited weakly for the witu to come to him. Thoughts of something happening to the flower made adrenaline rush through his body and as his ears rang the man shifted in the final moment to meet the witu's bite with his arm. It was a painful decision, one that his still heavy body forced him to make, but it was a far better alternative to the witu's jaws closing around his throat.

A loud growl of pain and fury rumbled in his throat as he pushed against the witu and as lightning lit up the skies overhead one could see the outline of the two creatures caught in a standoff. Neither side was willing to give and, despite the blood slowly dripping down his arm, Uzumati stayed his ground as his free hand grabbed at the witu's neck.

Pain flared through Uzumati's body as the witu finally relinquished its hold on his arm. The ripping sensation of flesh was drowned out by the heavy rains that drenched his chilled body. The pain was disorienting and Uzumati lost sense of what was exactly happening. The heavy rains blurred the image of the new attacker and washed away any scent. Had another witu attacked to try and claim this territory from the weakened combatants? Uzumati felt a growl rising in his throat at the thought. It didn't matter if another witu appeared. He would fight them all! This was his territory and he would defend it to the death if necessary. What other choice did he have?

As the new creature clashed with the witu, Uzumati tried to fight off the pain that muddled his mind. Fresh blood, mud and matted fur from the witu coated his skin and clothing. In the darkness of the storm, one might mistake the figure for a beast instead of a man. In the heat of the moment even Uzumati found himself confused as the girl approached. The witu had left them but the fight still remained in Uzumati's mind and his body was on high alert. It was pure instinct that made Uzumati growl loudly in warning as the girl's hand hovered close to his wounded arm. His head whipped around as he snarled towards Padma, the lightning in the sky faintly illuminating his emerald eyes like a beast in the darkness.

As that same lightning lit up the area, Uzumati found himself slowly regaining some sense of the situation. Faint recognition flickered across his expression and he found himself stumbling backwards from the Flower. Was it really just them now? His ears throbbed from the pain but he gritted his teeth and tried his best to focus. Was there anything else out here to attack them? Had he just nearly attacked her? Pain and shock crossed his features as he crouched a few feet away from the girl, warily.

She was enduring all of this with him. Uzumati swallowed roughly against the pain as he studied the other leaf earthling. Now that reason was overcoming his feral instincts the man found himself relaxing his shoulders. He was still panting, the weariness of battle showing in his gaze, but ever so slowly he was coming down from the adrenaline of the fight. Had Padma been the one to fend off the witu? Amazement lit up his eyes at the realization. She had fought for him?

Something warm tightened in his chest. What was this strange situation? Uzumati's stumbled forward, nearly slipping through the muck and into Padma, before her words registered. They had to get out of the storm. Shelter, did he know shelter? Something nearby that was higher than the rising waters. Clenching a hand around his wounded arm, Uzumati made his way towards Padma. He studied her for a moment, the rain blurring both of their features and washing dark tendrils of hair across his features, before he finally nudged his head against her shoulder lightly.

He could show her the way to someplace safe that they could hide in for now. In Uzumati's humble opinion it was a really nice shelter. Perhaps for any other earthling they may raise a brow at the sight of the hollowed out tree, but when Uzumati led the way towards higher ground he was full of pride. There it was a giant, almost ancient looking tree with gnarled roots and branches that twisted towards the skies. The most important part for the earthling man was that it rested on higher ground and had a giant hollowed out trunk with just enough room to be cozy for two people. Some furs and piles of moss and leaves made up the interior for comfort, a similar design to most of Uzumati's resting places. Thankfully it was untouched by most of the rain due to the tree's thick green foliage and wider trunk.

Glancing back towards Padma, Uzumati motioned towards the tree. This was where they could stay for now. It would keep them safe during the storm and he could strip off his wet furs and attempt to clean his wound. But Uzumati was a generous host and so he waited for Padma to climb inside first before he made any further movement.

Of course living in the wilderness left very little room for typical social guidelines. Over the years he had learned a little, but he felt that it was necessary to get rid of the damp and dirty materials. The storm and the fight with the witu had covered his furs in muck and blood. It was the scent of the witu that bothered him the most. He didn't want the scent to attract anything else in the area and so with little regard for his companion, Uzumati stripped and tossed the furs as far away as he possibly could in the rainstorm. Survival was the most important thing out here in the deep forests of Tale and not the appeal of bare skin...even if the sight of Padma made his cheeks darken uncharacteristically. Was he running a fever perhaps? No, even his heart seemed to beat a little bit louder in his ears until he was forced to look away.

Uzumati waited for Padma to disappear into the tree before taking one last glance around the area. He wanted to make certain that nothing had followed them. It was hard though to see much in the downpour and the rain was washing away most of the scents that were familiar to him. It was both a curse and a blessing since he could also tuck the girl's clothing against a tree a bit further away. Nothing too far, but something a few feet away just in case. Witu could hold a grudge after all and surely the rains would eventually break. Clearer weather may just mean another territorial bout between Uzumati and his feral rival.

Thunder crackled in the distance but other than the raging storm Uzumati found no threats. The observance lessened the tension in his shoulders and he found himself letting out a sigh of relief. The heavy rains pelted against his skin, leaving goosebumps but washing away a lot of the blood and grime. Lightning flashed against the sky as he ducked into the hollowed tree. His skin was wet, drops of rain glistening against his tanned body and his wet hair hung against his shoulders. The most distracting thing against the image was the crimson blood which still slowly leaked from the puncture wounds on his arm. Other gashes and cuts showed against his body but it was the bite which was the most severe. Uzumati studied Padma, his body stilling at her closeness, before slowly nodding his approval.

His hand drifted over his wound thoughtfully before he reached over for some tattered furs and quickly tugged them around his waist. Another fur was carefully offered to Padma before he moved closer towards the bag. While he waited for Padma, Uzumati moved his hand to clench at the wound to try to stop the blood. He was thankful to be able to plop onto the ground, his head feeling a bit fuzzy from the pain. Uzumati would normally not let another person so close but seeing Padma fighting to help him had earned her even more of his trust.