ShapeShifter's

With a knowing grin, Desiree responded. "My prior destination was the training grounds just east of the residential area and the barracks." She lifted her chin up, sizing him up like a superior might. "Would you like to spare with me? No weapons or animal form. Straight, hand to hand combat?" The woman's voice grew slightly hostile, her eyes sparkled with play though. She felt her skin crawl as she imagined for a brief moment not just tussling with him in the training grounds... Stop that now! That's against regulations and breaks every rule if he gets into your regiment! An unfamiliar voice scolded her train of thought.

She gave him a competitive look, somehow managing to grin even wider then before. "Certainly, just know what you're getting yourself into." Desiree warned, transformed into her animal form, the skinny, toned, and tall woman turning into the massive tigon before him. "Race ya!" The challenge was no sooner out her mouth then her legs thundering as Desiree took off taking to the streets as she bolted towards the training grounds.

"Oh trust me, I can." She growled eagerly, picking up the pace just enough to distance them once again. Desiree made sure she didn't give it her all though, not wanting to exhaust herself before their sparring match, and not wanting to show him just how fast she really was. Fire burned in her belly, the race was exhilarating, but something else was making her heart beat so quickly. Turning the last corner before the narrow road opened up to a lush grassy training grounds, Desiree transformed back to her human form mid-stride. Her whole body shook as she did so, having not doing many mid-action transformations in a while. They were hard after all, to be able to change her entire being whilst moving or fighting was rather difficult. Anything could go wrong for an inexperienced. The risk of half transforming before something happened was far to high for most to even think of risking... Then again, Desiree certainly enjoyed her risks, and felt like showing off.

Desiree grinned like a teenager might, feeling a weird pulse of energy as she thought of the impending sparring match. "Well for one thing yes. I need to get my troops in practice and then we can spar." She said, walking away from her towards where the 127th troops were already in formation waiting. "Commander on deck!" A man yelled, instantly salutes were raised by the thirty men. "At ease." She responded, taking up her usual position in front of them, facing them, watching them. "Today is going to be another day of physical training." If they hadn't been conditioned not to, Desiree would have heard groans of complaint from the assembled men and women. "You'll start with a mile run around the grounds in formation, twenty push-up and twenty sit-ups will then follow. After that I want you to all break off into individual groups, and begin sparring." Th orders issued, Desiree stood at attention, "Left face!" She shouted, the troops performing the basic drill command simultaneously. "Forward... March!" They started jogging in unison, the five elements moving as one as they started going down the first stretch of the grounds. Desiree nodded, and strode back over to the waiting warrior.

"Waiting on you." She grinned, taking up her defensive stance as she waited for Leo to transform back to his human form. "Unless you're having second thoughts?" Desiree teased cheekily, not understanding why she was being so playful for a change. Generally she was more serious then this, especially about fighting.

She grinned devilishly, "I see I'm not the only one who likes to show-off from time to time." Desiree remarked with a tease. Then she focused, took a breath and every single bit of emotion she'd shown earlier was gone. Her face stonewalled, barrings straight. She hadn't been training sense ten years of age for nothing. Desiree took the first step, dashing forward in a testing manner, and then dodged to the side to see his reaction.

Desiree got up without a single moment to waste. "Just testing the waters soldier." She said without any emotion, and took the advance this time for real. She dashed forward, bringing a round-house kick with it to make contact with Leo's left side. Twisting in the motion, she brought another kick right after it, floating in the air for a moment as the second attack made contact with his leg in order to trip him up. Landing right in front of him, Desiree brought a fist up, straight into the gut.

With a pained grunt, Desiree started to recover from the recent attack, and literally grabbed his arm before it made contact with her stomach. She sucked in a huge breath of air, and stilled her decent. She was literally lifting herself up from his blow. With a quick motion, Desiree suddenly twisted herself, revealing just how limber she really was, and kicked him clean in the side to land him flat on his back. She pounced with gritted teeth, and gave him a few quick blows to the face while she straddled him in order to keep him still. Desiree brought an even more powerful blow straight to his face, cringing at just how thick his skull was.

Desiree grunted again, unable to hold back any sounds other then the sharp cry of pain at the sudden impact with the ground. She struggled against his hold, trying not to show the pain that was rising at the position he held her in. She twisted herself onto her side facing him, trying to use her flexibility once again and brought her feet down against the dirt in a kicking motion to spring up dirt and into his eyes and face. Quickly she pulled herself as close as she could, ignoring the bolstering pain in her shoulder as she opened her mouth and bit into his leg. Her free arm was trying to pry his legs apart, legs kicking at his side.

Pain shot straight up Desiree's body, making her scream out and then thrash besides him. She bared her teeth, which almost always were rather fanged, and bit deeper into his leg, tasting blood rise and spill outwards. She forgot the punches, instead her hands angled so as to claw him, which began to rake down his legs. Bringing a wild fury of kicks deep into her side. Desiree almost didn't realize she could move more until it was to late. She released herself, pulling back from him quick enough to make him lose his grip on her arm. Standing with pain, she was panting hard, her right arm hung slightly. Then with a rather violent snarl, she dove back at him, barreling him over so as to position him on his back. She raked her hands down his back in order to draw blood while her whole body put pressure down on him, her legs pinned his down, refusing to let him escape her. With another snarl, though his one closer to a hiss, Desiree bit his shoulder, having to stop her clawing assault and instead restrained his arms further. She glared at him intensely, daring him to try to shake her off.

It took a moment to register, but Desiree registered it alright. She stopped hitting him, stopped kicking him and most importantly, stopped biting him. With much pain and slowness, the woman got off him, by rolling off him. She laid on the ground, panting hard and then a singular smile broke across her face. "Damn Leo. First sparring match I've gotten... Feral in a while!" She laughed, wiping sweat from her brow. Her red hair was tangled around her, making her look rather small. Then she noticed the silence and looked up around the training grounds. Her troops had stopped their spars, staring at their commander with shock and fear. She snarled as she got up and onto her feet. "Did I say to stop!?" Desiree yelled, instantly making them duck their heads and look away with guilt. "Don't make me come over there and fight you myself Jones! You too Daniels! Johanne stopped laughing or Ill take you down too!" Desiree barked at them, calling out those particularly guilty.

After she had scolded the troops once more Desiree looked at Leo happily. "Gotta say Leo, you may have the speed of a wolf, but you fight like a lion." She held out a hand towards him. "Welcome to the 127th regiment."

She grinned, "Now before I put you through hell like every other trooper, lets get patched up." Desiree instructed, waving over a stand-by medic that was across the field. She turned, starting to walk towards the medic, and fight down the surge of sadness. Get over it Desiree, the safety of the village is more important then this little attraction.