Cougar Bear's Body

[Stoner Shadow Wolf]

Felled in an Epic Battle

Cougar Bear is hungry. Cougar Bear is ready to hunt.

Cougar is a proud warrior, simple minded, straight forward, but above all, he is defined by his strong will, determination, and persistence.
As much a lone wolf as any skinwalker.

Cougar had been lounging around a remote mountain lake near Mt. Olympus, in the form of a cougar. he was content to relax after a raging battle with a Wereram, honing the abilities of his Weretiger body.

He devoured the ram man at his own request, too a proud warrior to face defeat.

Cougar Bear is hungry, Cougar Bear is Weretiger.
He starts off but stops short of the mountain valley ridge, thinking he should work in his new body.

He didnt take long to shape shift into his new Wereram body. he tested it out, got the hang of it, exercised off the vertigo and...

He is in search of an easy meal, but a picky eater, he wants to have meat. the easiest prey he knows of around here is humans. they live in tribes at the foot of the great mountain.

Down the mountain he goes, traveling quickly as a Wereram.

He is gleeful of the new body, as he is of any new body. but more, he is gleeful because he won this body in a challenging fight. his Weretiger body suffered a lot of damage in that fight. it was torn up and dying; he had to heal it most of the day. Also a good reason to choose his new and virginal body for a test ride.
It was perfectly suited to the contours of mountainous terrain with all the comforts and conveniences of anthropic mobility and accessory.

In his haste and enjoyment, he passed quickly by a raging battle and he had completely forgotten to hunt the human village and passed into the more flat and rocky terrain that led into a desert valley where the Orcish tribes had settled.

He was now aware that he was much closer to the orcish wastelands than the foot of Mt. Olympus, where the human villages were scattered about.
Now, however, he was starving and suddenly aware of it. he slowed down to a halt and shape shifted into his weretiger body.

Not yet completely healed, but it would serve it's purpose in gaining food from the villagers. This wasnt always as tasty as human, but the Orcs admired warriors and would feed worthy adversaries. Their choice in meat was usually good enough for Cougar. His spot at the dinner table was already reserved, they just didnt know it yet.

Cougar Bear approached the outer walls of the Orc village and waited.

After several minutes, an entourage of warriors and a fair skinned female orc with barely any clothing greeted Cougar Bear, the Weretiger.

The largest orc spoke "Ho wanderer, what brings you to our village?"
"I am great warrior, far from home. I looking for food and for fight!" He responded promptly. The 'home' part was a nomad's lie, but it generally warmed people from all races to his requests for food.

The large orc looked him up and down and balked "You fight for food! You look like PUNY warrior, you a girl?"

Cougar Bear knew how to gain their respect.

He had speeds as a weretiger. this was one of his preferred bodies because it was his fastest.

He was much too fast for them.

He spun into a crouch, whipping the orc in the shins with his tail and following up with a sweeping kick with the remaining inertia of his spin. it was just enough to throw his balance off.

In the time it took his 3 partners to respond, he had already gone airborne with a flying kick. his heel was rapidly descending upon the closest backup grunt as the group leader looked up from his fallen position.

He cried out with rage and readied himself, low to the ground.

In the time it took for him to stand up and barrel after him, Cougar had already broken his first grunt's neck, and knocked another one out with a hurricane kick.

"Two on one not fair. for you!" Cougar taunted, his back turned to the larger orc.

His mockery infuriated him, just as intended, although to better effect than expected and intimidated the other who turned and ran, furthering his taunt. Cougar took out the third grunt by clawing into his back and severing his spinal column at the neck.

The initiation of Cougar's last attack prompted the orc berserker to charge.

As Cougar dismounted the falling corpse, he is rammed into the air from behind.

He takes advantage of his feline reflexes and turns to face his opponent.

The berserker was still following through with his heavy launching ram as Cougar landed gracefully on his feet and leaps into a dash.

The brutish orc sees Cougar Bear charging him and prepares a two handed clubbing fist.

Cougar leaps at the orc's face. the orc swings his mighty arms upward at him.

In just split second reactions, cougar bear squirms, airborne, around the orc's fists, reaches out with exposed claws, and wraps his forearms around the orc's shoulder and jaw, swinging around his mighty weight, but pulling in enough momentum to knock his balance over and to tear up his face.

He retracts his claws and discovers a claw on his left hand to be snagged under the orc's collarbone. The orc cringes and hollars in pain. He reaches up and rips Cougar Bear off his head. in this motion, cougar bear's claw is dismembered, his paw now malformed, but not without compensation. the orc's collarbone was dislodged slightly, his jawbone is exposed, and most of the right side of his face hangs in a bloody and tattered mess.

Cougar is flung into the ground and bounces away from the enraged berserker, breaking a rib and opposite elbow. The impact bent his elbow backwards in an inappropriate reverse bend which would bother even Trolls out of their appetite.

The orc was slowly bleeding to death, becoming light headed, but too blood lusted and berserk to cease battle short of death or victory.

A crowd had gathered at the gates of the village.

Cougar couldnt expose himself, at risk of his meal ticket, so kept face and endured the damage. In a normal hunting situation, not that he'd suffer this much damage, but in the event, he could normally shape shift into a fresh body and easily take over the fight.

Now, he had to rely on his warrior instinct and honed experience to survive.

They were at a stand off, cougar composing himself, the berserker out of breath, dizzy, still determined to fight, but vulnerable and weak.

He heaved and let loose a terrifying albeit weak war cry and lunged once more at cougar bear. Cougar's torn ligaments guaranteed extra rations after he kills their berserker. he couldnt think of much else than defeating his opponent and cashing in on honor and glory.

He spun around the attack and swiped the orc in the back, barely scratching him, but inflicting significant pain. the surface wound was sure to sting.

He was wearing thin, this body couldnt last a lot longer. He needed to end it now.

The orc spun around and flailed at Cougar, knocking him unconscious.

He gave into victory cries which evolved into hallow echoing cries of regret and agony as he began swallowing his last breaths.

The blood had poured from his body and now fertilized the clay beneath his fresh corpse.

Cougar's unconscious body was taken in to the village and attended by the village Medicine Man.

[Stoner Shadow Wolf]

Cougar was abruptly awakened by a fairer skinned female half Orc bringing in breakfast. Cougar couldnt tell what the other half was, if it was Human or Elf, or possibly, though so unlikely, Ogre, it was beyond Cougar's perceptive skills.

He was startled at first and shot up to a sitting position. "where...?" he muttered briefly as his memory started to pan things out for him.

"You took on a real beating yesterday, challenging our gate guards like that... You're either the stupidest and luckiest warrior in the plains, or you've been traveling for a long time and starving... But you got hurt very bad, you must still be exhausted."

Cougar Bear was, in fact, exhausted. so much so that he hadnt realized she said "yesterday". "But I lost today, why you feed me if i lose?"

The Orc maiden blushed a little and tittered "you killed our gatekeeper, Thug, Last evening before sunset. It is morning now."

Cougar blinked twice and got out of bed and headed right out the hut, not even acknowledging the maiden or his breakfast.

Sure enough, it was mere hours after sunrise and in the center of the huge village, Thug was laying atop his ceremonial pyre, having been prepared by the tribesmen to ceremoniously meet his maker.

A lone Weretiger stood before the entrance of a modest Orcish dwelling, staring at his most recent opponent's lifeless body.

A gentle hand rest atop his shoulder, cuing his attention. He turned and met the deep green eyes of the maiden. "You have so much power, you get up after fight like that so soon?" She said, clearly admiring him, though he was oblivious to it.
"You are strong warrior, let us honor you tonight. I will introduce you to the chieftain. It should be you to light Thug's pyre during celebration."

"It, honor." Cougar replied, returning his gaze to the pyre.

"Let me show you to the chieftain... umm..." she paused, realizing she didnt know his name yet. after he didnt pick up on her pause she asked, "What is your name, warrior?"

Cougar bear stood tall and proud "I am called Cougar Bear because i am powerful warrior. fast and calm like cougar, strong and unrelenting like bear."

The Orc girl tittered a little more "My name is Gartha, My mother was a Human, but she died here when i was very young. She used to tell me father was great warrior, but i never meet father. Now i serve our chief with pride."

They talked for a very short while before she left to find the chieftain. Cougar had no social skills and learned only enough language to earn honor amongst warrior tribes. their conversation was brief and awkward, his experience with the chieftain would be no different.

With that, she was gone and cougar wandered the village beside himself.

The day went by fairly uneventful, the villagers gathered around Cougar to offer their admiration or gifts, usually consisting of food; small festivities spattered the village areas near the pyre.

Throughout the day, cougar participated in whatever activities, at the requests of children and other young villagers, enjoyed telling poorly worded stories of other fights he's won as a weretiger (being careful to conceal what he is), and competed in small Orc games of endurance and strength.

During one such event akin to one-on-one tug of war, Cougar was paired up with a giant of an Orc who seemed to have a fierce grudge against Cougar. His body mass was that of at least 3 grown adult Orc men, in great shape with muscles rippling from toe to forehead. His feudal sneer was as fierce as his body mass, making him appear to be thirteen times more fierce than he already was. Which was thirteen times that of an ordinary Orc!

They stared each other down, fiercly gripping their ends of the rope, eyes locked.

A Spectator, acting as referee, called the start of the match, and both contestants strained with their all. It wasnt much of a match, the giant Orc whipped his end of the rope, yanking Cougar 3 feet into the air, straight to his face in the muddy clay.

The Giant Orc Berserker laughed and boasted, bragging that "this puny werecat couldnt stand against me for a whole minute!"
Cougar, in the hospitality and good graces of an Orc village, let slide the Berserker's taunts. they werent terribly well founded, though given the circumstances of Cougar's recent victory, they werent unwarranted.

Cougar brushed himself off and stood up, the Orc towering before him menacingly, Cougar feigning ignorance, trying to act oblivious to the Orc's intimidation techniques.

This was only successful in pissing off the wrong Orc.

Before Cougar lifted his head half way to meet the Orc's fierce and angry gaze, he found himself looking up at his jaw from the ground.

Cougar's patience was overextended when he lost the of tug of war, putting up with the Orc's taunting and bragging was an enormous gesture of respect to the tribe, even if they didnt know it, but now, Cougar's thin patience had been worn thinner as it was, the final straw had been lain, this patient camel's back was broken.

Roaring like the tiger, he jumped to his feet and got in the Orc's face.

"CHALLENGE!" He snarled.

This shocked the Orc; that cougar had gotten back up was a surprise that was to be expected of fools who dont know their place, that he had just jumpped in the Face of a respected Orc champion was flat out inexcusable, but to issue a challenge under these circumstances warranted the welcome of their guest null and void.

"Your Welcome Has Worn Thin, Puny WereCat!" The Orc boomed, his voice thundering in the very core of Cougar Bear's body.

Not backing down, Cougar stepped forward, tip-toeing, narrowing the gap between their bodies, and further narrowing the already insignificant gap between their faces. He whispered "you have no honor" and stepped down, returned to his heel, but maintaining a threatening composure.

The Orc Champion roared in rage "I Accept challenge! Puny Cat is going to light Thug's pyre with his body!!!"

The small crowd that formed at the start of the tug of war had quintupled and nearly the entire village was present to witness the challenge.

The maiden from before appeared from out of the crowd and approached the two.
she lifted their arms into the air and proclaimed "The challenge has been accepted, Cougar Bear will be the next to face off against our Honored, Champion Berserker!!!"

While the crowd cheered and fawned over their champion, Gartha took Cougar aside and told him he was to meet the Chieftain, "Now."

Gartha showed Cougar to the chieftain's hut and told him to wait a moment as she prepared the chieftain for a visitor. "there's been a challenge against the champion." "what his name?" "cougar bear." "send him in."
She was gone no more than a few brief moments when an arm breached the threshold of the doorway, beckoning him to enter. Hesitant, he reluctantly did so.

"Cougar Bear!" came a warm booming voice. "Welcome to our village! Gartha tell me you great warrior, defeat Thug last night! Thug our best gatekeeper for long time!" In spite of the warmness, the generosity, the kindness emanating from the chieftain, he still spoke critically and accusingly about the circumstances."You great warrior, kill our gate keeper. you great warrior indeed, but you no earn honor. you kill good gate keeper."

The warmth was fading.

"We have gate keepers, they keep us safe from wild animal, from enemy tribe, but now we lose best gate keeper..." This momentary pause left cougar an unpleasant feeling, "You new gate keeper?" This was not as much a question as it was a demand, the earlier friendly expressions had drained completely from the chieftain and he now stared hard at cougar, expecting a favorable answer.

Cougar shrugged "Me no Orc, get Orc gate keeper."

The chieftain slammed his staff to the ground. "You come to village, kill gate keeper, and challenge greatest champion! You disgrace village!"

Cougar was getting excited, now he knew he wasnt leaving here without a fight.
Rather than express his excitement, he shrugged "you win honor back?"

This clearly offended the chieftain, who, in spite of his efforts to hide his offense, glared hard at Cougar Bear, brows furrowed, a grim frown painting his lips, chapped and torn as they were, the frown seemed to make his blemishes themselves grow angry.

The tension built moment after moment as the silence between them grew louder and louder. the silence was deafening by the time the chieftain spoke.

"We No Lose Honor To Puny Weretiger!" his words growing louder, "Puny Weretiger Earn Honor Back or We Eat Puny Weretiger!!"

"I kill champion like I kill guard!" Cougar shot back.

The chieftain had had more than his fill and demanded Gartha escort him out. "He be tested by champion before ceremony." He turned to face Cougar Bear, "Champion kill disrespectful Weretiger!"

Before he knew it, he was back in the center of the village, surrounded by a mix of venomous and amorous Orcish responses.

Being so much shorter than the average Orc, Cougar Bear couldn't see him past the crowd, but he hears the champion boasting somewhere. near the pyre no doubt.
"I KILL Puny Werecat With One Fist!!!" He was flexing, posing, and generally soaking in his fame and the admiration of his fellow tribesmen.
"Puny Werecat Not Stand! Puny Werecat Defeated Already!!"

Calling an early defeat to cougar bear? His ego pulsed.

"Puny Werecat defeated before Puny Werecat Make Mistake of Challenge!!"

Like gentle waters flowing from a stream into a sudden whitewater rapid, Cougar's ego flooded and surged. A snarl painted his lips though silent as he remained.

Gartha had escorted him this far, warned not to confront him before the challenge began. "Don't do it, dont give in, I can see in your eyes that you have more honor than his words show."
He either ignored her or hadnt heard her at all, for by the time she finished her sentence, he had already begun walking into the crowd, looking for the champion.

"Wait!!" she noticed him leave as her words came to closure "come back!"

He was oblivious to her calls.

"Cat no stand chance against Champion, Gorak! Gorak the Mighty No Lose EVER!" He roared, his boasting seemed to grow exponentially with each volley of egotistical pride. He slammed a huge fist against his chest, emitting a deep war-drum beat.

Cougar found Gorak standing on the middle step of Thug's Pyre, using it for his own self-celebratory soap box.

Cougar had his chance. He could defame the champion's honor so easily now! "You Disrespect Gate Keeper Thug! GET DOWN AND FACE ME NOW!"
He was indignant. He prided himself in honorable conduct, and this was a blatantly disrespectful gesture to any of the recent dead, more so of a fallen warrior!

Gorak laughed a mighty roar and ignored Cougar, returning to his gloating.
"Puny kitty cat think it know better how to pay respect!! Puny Cat NO LIGHT THUG'S PYRE! I LIGHT BROTHER'S PYRE!!!" His voice growing in volume and size as he continued his words until he was screaming at Cougar Bear.

Clearly, Gorak was not about to be brought down that easily.

Cougar Bear thought about this, realizing now why the champion had a grudge against him, realizing, now, that he was in for the fight of his life.

In spite of his passionate display of emotion, it was clear the champion had high levels of self control as to not attack Cougar Bear outright. Cougar Bear instinctively realized this meant his opponent was not only a highly skilled warrior, but greatly experienced as well. It meant he knew how to pick his battles so as not to engage in a waste of effort.

It meant that either Gorak was a mighty skilled warrior who knew, without a doubt, that he could defeat a weretiger without breaking a sweat, or that he was utterly retarded.


Cougar silently hoped for retardation, now regretting giving into his short temper.

He was caught in thought...
"Gorak, huh? sounds like a strong name, an Orc of his stature deserves no less. man look at the size of those muscles, his arm is as big as a hippo! mmmmm hippo... man im hungry... god, i havent eaten since they had a feast for lunch earlier... it's not long till sunset, maybe they will feed us before the fight?"
... He was shocked out of it when Gartha approached, shaking her head disapprovingly and spoke,
"You are great warrior, Cougar Bear, but you have committed suicide today..."

Cougar was not phased, he had an ace up his sleeve that no one was yet aware of. of course he has his choices though.

he can sacrifice his seasoned weretiger body and give the tribe back their honor, he could then shape shift at the brink of death and escape as an insect, thus preserving a potential meal ticket in the future for a different body, though rousing suspicions for generations.

He could sacrifice his honor and admit fault, but be exiled from the village, possibly not alive.

Or he could fight to the death and use every shape he's got and risk a village massacre.

His thoughts clearly enveloped him, and Gartha prodded his lower ribcage "you have second thoughts, dont you?"

"maybe third..." he responded as if in a trance, unaware of his own words, still engorged on thought. he gazed toward Gorak, but as if looking at a mountain in the great distance.

"You sure you will not take back your challenge?" she queried. Her command of language exposed her human lineage, but cougar only just noticed. "you talk good" He said somewhat sheepishly, though unembarrassed.

"You're just fulfilling your death wish, arent you? It probably doesnt matter what i say, since you're clearly listening to me as it is..." Gartha's patience was saintly, but even still, inadvertently Cougar tested it; And she was absolutely right, he wasnt even listening anyways, thinking only of the life he knows, fighting... The Fight to come...

Cougar was fed up with standing around gawking at an overly boastful Orcish Berserker. Champion or not, this showed no honor.

Cougar unleashed a long and fierce tiger war cry. He stared Gorak down and snarled "NO HONOR" He growled fiercely.

Gorak's fans had dispersed to a safe distance almost instantly. He kept a cold shoulder. "No Honor? YOU Have No Honor. SHOW ME Your Honor!" and Gorak turned slowly to face Cougar Bear. "SHOW. ME. YOUR HONOR!!!" He roared, bearing his teeth and fangs and hippopotamus sized muscles.

His arms lowered and begging Cougar to strike, Cougar's ego wouldnt ever allow him not to. he leaped at Gorak, claws first, mouth wide open, snarling.

[Stoner Shadow Wolf]

A single back handed blow was all it took to send cougar over the village walls. His ego damaged far more than his body, his mind falling apart, grinding, cracking, tearing apart at the seams; he could see only red, his skinwalker eyes overflowed with emotion and rage, burning bright crimson red, betraying his shape shifting capabilities.

He rushed the walls, rapidly clawing over them with ease, leaping at the height of the massive wooden spikes and shape shifting into a rattlesnake half way through his descent, which slowed his fall enough to land unharmed.

All eyes being on Gorak, no one noticed this feat but Gartha. Stunned, disbelieving, she cleared her eyes, and when her vision returned, there was no longer a snake but a Werecougar. Cougar Bear caught eye of her and was stunned for a moment.
He solemnly bowed his head briefly, for but a moment, and made a mad dash toward Gorak.

He was within range and leapt into the air at him before Gartha broke the shock and shouted, "Gorak!!"

Gorak turned to face Gartha in time to greet Werecougar claws. His forehead and left cheek, shreded and bloody.
His shock was long and indignant, he couldnt comprehend what had just transpired, staring at a werecougar with fierce, glowing red eyes. his lip quivered, his mind was swirling and nauseous. his voice betrayed his ferocity "who? you?" his eyes childlike. still in shock.

Cougar Bear morphed before the whole village into his former weretiger, his eyes unable to change, the intense, raw, passionate rage controlled him now.

The crowd gasped and fled in fear, Gorak's shock slowly waning, his eyes gradually gaining ferocity and rage.

His eyes crossed, he focused on Cougar. an epic battle cry.

There was a massive quake as Gorak's newly matching rage took over. He slammed his foot forward and roared, his foot initiating the miniature 10.0 earthquake, his roar so massive, carrying the shokwaves of the Earth further.

He leaped at Cougar, to cougar's dismay, as he watched the massive Orc Berserker launch himself 6 feet into the air. Rushing Cougar, just like that, pummeling his head into the earth.

In the midst of the action, Cougar's Skinwalker instincts snapped his favored body to a weaker "face" of weretiger.

Dead. In the moment between killing him and raising his fist from the crater, Gorak could feel Cougar Bear morph back into his favored body.

His clean face belied the blood and brain stained crater, confusing and infuriating Gorak. Now he was in an equally blind furor rage as Cougar and swung his stronger, right hand, hippo.

Cougar backflipped to match inertia and clawed his gigantic fist, latching on, and biting, getting an early start on eating his new body.

The crowd that had fled the city "watched" from beyond the city walls, feeling every blow Gorak landed upon the earth, feeling his every enraged step and stomp.

Gartha and few others who had fled to their homes now peered out their windows and doors or stood close beside their homes and watched the epic battle in awe.

Cougar Bear didnt get more than a thin slice of the back of Gorak's hand before he found his skull, nearly mortally crushed, between sheer forceful muscle and the dark, bloodstained, rock hard, dry clay.
He had to shape shift, to preserve his favored body, he had to morph out of it.
His ego split between his favorable body and self preservation.

He doubled back in a single leap, quadrupling the distance between he and Gorak. His blood was everywhere, his face mangled and marred, bone showing around his left eye, which protruded from his skull more than it should, his snout utterly flattened and crushed, limping in places it shouldnt.

He mewled feebly and collapsed.

His mind raced, though he appeared to have passed out. He could feel the Berserker slowly approach with each and every thudding footfall.
He could feel Gorak was no more than 4 steps away. Another thud. Three steps away and Cougar's mind was blank, he wasnt even aware he wasnt thinking, just utterly gone; Had he not been alive, had he not been so unaware, he would have though he was dead.
One more vibrating step.

His body exploded in blood, gore, bone, tissue, and all matter of living organic material as Gorak stomped him with his 1 foot wide heel.

Cougar's skinwalker instinct was so powerfully developed and honed, he involuntarily shape shifted into a flea.

Still mind blind, unaware, blacked out to all of the universe, he bit Gorak's foot and devoured blood.

The nutrients of the blood restored some cognizance and he realized, in pain, that his most powerful body had just been slain.

He morphed into an elephant and trumpeted loudly, lifting Gorak into the air upon his back, eyes red as ever.
He stood on his forefeet, raising his hind legs, throwing Gorak's center of gravity forward. Naturally, Gorak compensated, and when he did, Cougar stomped down, and flicked him with his trunk, launching him off his back. not far flung, but with enough force that he skidded into the city walls. Cougar trumpeted again and charged Gorak, in hopes to catch him with his tusk and end this fight now.

Gorak was stunned but only gently, as he rose to his feet before Cougar could even cover a quarter of the short distance between them. He lowered his arms again and readied to launch the elephant into the sky. Cougar Bear suddenly came to the shocking realization that he has tremendously underestimated Gorak's strength and realized what he was preparing to do.

Cougar jumped, breaking 3 of his legs, and launched into Gorak. As he flew, he shape shifted: into a Whale upon impact. He crushed Gorak, but knew he hadnt long, and had to think of a shape that could hold up to Gorak.

His thoughts made no progress before Gorak lifted the huge Baleen, Cougar Bear, Whale off of him, raising the skinwalker above his head; raising up a foot, stepping up to a knee, from a knee to affirm his feet upon the ground and standing up. He roared.

Cougar's blackout was fully over and he snapped back to reality, his eyes wider than ever, glowed no more.
As Gorak began to throw him off, he shape shifted into his werewolf body. The launch successfully sent him all the way back to the Human village he passed almost 3 days ago, which now lay decimated and in ruins.

The villagers outside the walls observed the flight of Cougar, the werewolf, and cheered.