get used to it, well kind of. They play-fight a lot, the Taniwhas. It's just in their natures. They don't have to shift to do it, they tend to stay in human form, but it can be rough. I soon realised there was a lot they could teach me when I first visited their land. I've been a regular member of the fighting sessions since. You don't learn how to street fight dirty at Judo or Kick-Boxing lessons, but you sure pick up a few helpful hints from Taniwhas.
I took a resigned seat on the swing-bench on the veranda. I was still not up to a full-on fight after last night. The combination of lack of sleep, invaded dreams and you guessed it, three vampires in one night, one of them a level four master, had taken its toll. But, I didn't have to watch it alone for long. Mary slid into the seat next to me and started swinging her legs, while her twin brothers, Joe and Rocky - don't ask me where he got that name from, maybe he chewed on rocks when he was young - jumped into the fray.
I glanced at Mary, she's only 12. Not fully grown by Taniwha standards, but quite capable of holding her own in a fight, be it in human form or Shifter. Taniwhas are raised tough from birth, there's no namby pamby sit-on-the-sidelines characters in the Hapū. Each and every one of them is a fine tuned killing machine. Just because they look like you or me most of the time, does not mean they can't kick your arse when they feel the need.
Still, Mary didn't look like she was up for a demonstration on juvenile Taniwha prowess. “Not joining in, hun?” I asked.
“ Naw, can't be bothered. They've been at it all weekend. It's Rākaunui tomorrow.”
Oh yeah, I'd forgotten. Not a good idea to be on Hapū land when it's Rākaunui. Even the days leading up to it can be a bit tetchy, but when that Full Moon rises, it's a different world altogether.
I'd never been near the guys at that time of month, but Rick's told me all about it. You know, no secrets and all that. The testosterone goes crazy, the urge to fight impossible to ignore. The only solution is to shift and run. Run with the wind and the Hapū and the moon, it seems to be their elixir. Without it, they'd all be homicidal maniacs I think. And I hang with them? Well, they're not always like that.
The group had moved the fight further from the house now, into a clearing in the middle of the settlement. The older Taniwhas were out doing whatever it is older Taniwhas do, but a few more of the younger guys came out to watch and egg them on.
I think Rick was winning, but I couldn't be sure. Even as humans these guys can move fast. Not vampire fast, but fast enough to cause a bit of a blur. After tumbling head over heels for several rotations, they'd settled into a bundle of limbs and fists and snapping mouths. Not Taniwha snapping, but cursing snapping. Taniwhas have no problem with swearing, I guess that's where I pick a lot of my language skills up from. I'm spending way too much time with the riff raff.
Finally Rick had Celeste pinned. She growled a little at the proximity of his face. I couldn't blame her, I'd be put out to be pinned by all that barely contained male strength and dominance. Like me, Celeste does not like being out of control.
He just smiled down at her, taunting her. “You give up?”
She bucked trying to move him. The other guys, Joe and Rocky, had backed off. They knew this was between Celeste and Rick, no one else. I noticed something then, that I hadn't noticed before. An electricity in the air between them. For some reason I felt something at that. It wasn't supernatural, just human in every way. I felt a little jealous.
Which was ridiculous. Rick is my mate, a friend, nothing more. But the look that passed between them in that instant should have been private, not on display for all this crowd to see. I didn't feel comfortable seeing it myself. But that's Taniwhas for you, affection, for want of a better word, in public, is the norm.
Celeste cleared her throat slightly, a
I took a resigned seat on the swing-bench on the veranda. I was still not up to a full-on fight after last night. The combination of lack of sleep, invaded dreams and you guessed it, three vampires in one night, one of them a level four master, had taken its toll. But, I didn't have to watch it alone for long. Mary slid into the seat next to me and started swinging her legs, while her twin brothers, Joe and Rocky - don't ask me where he got that name from, maybe he chewed on rocks when he was young - jumped into the fray.
I glanced at Mary, she's only 12. Not fully grown by Taniwha standards, but quite capable of holding her own in a fight, be it in human form or Shifter. Taniwhas are raised tough from birth, there's no namby pamby sit-on-the-sidelines characters in the Hapū. Each and every one of them is a fine tuned killing machine. Just because they look like you or me most of the time, does not mean they can't kick your arse when they feel the need.
Still, Mary didn't look like she was up for a demonstration on juvenile Taniwha prowess. “Not joining in, hun?” I asked.
“ Naw, can't be bothered. They've been at it all weekend. It's Rākaunui tomorrow.”
Oh yeah, I'd forgotten. Not a good idea to be on Hapū land when it's Rākaunui. Even the days leading up to it can be a bit tetchy, but when that Full Moon rises, it's a different world altogether.
I'd never been near the guys at that time of month, but Rick's told me all about it. You know, no secrets and all that. The testosterone goes crazy, the urge to fight impossible to ignore. The only solution is to shift and run. Run with the wind and the Hapū and the moon, it seems to be their elixir. Without it, they'd all be homicidal maniacs I think. And I hang with them? Well, they're not always like that.
The group had moved the fight further from the house now, into a clearing in the middle of the settlement. The older Taniwhas were out doing whatever it is older Taniwhas do, but a few more of the younger guys came out to watch and egg them on.
I think Rick was winning, but I couldn't be sure. Even as humans these guys can move fast. Not vampire fast, but fast enough to cause a bit of a blur. After tumbling head over heels for several rotations, they'd settled into a bundle of limbs and fists and snapping mouths. Not Taniwha snapping, but cursing snapping. Taniwhas have no problem with swearing, I guess that's where I pick a lot of my language skills up from. I'm spending way too much time with the riff raff.
Finally Rick had Celeste pinned. She growled a little at the proximity of his face. I couldn't blame her, I'd be put out to be pinned by all that barely contained male strength and dominance. Like me, Celeste does not like being out of control.
He just smiled down at her, taunting her. “You give up?”
She bucked trying to move him. The other guys, Joe and Rocky, had backed off. They knew this was between Celeste and Rick, no one else. I noticed something then, that I hadn't noticed before. An electricity in the air between them. For some reason I felt something at that. It wasn't supernatural, just human in every way. I felt a little jealous.
Which was ridiculous. Rick is my mate, a friend, nothing more. But the look that passed between them in that instant should have been private, not on display for all this crowd to see. I didn't feel comfortable seeing it myself. But that's Taniwhas for you, affection, for want of a better word, in public, is the norm.
Celeste cleared her throat slightly, a
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