Eyes rest in perfect sockets, almond-shapes forming as they open from behind their lids. Dry, the lids blink to moisten the pair of beautiful orbs so they can see and tell the waking spirit behind them what the world has to show them. The spirit slips and twirls like a kite's tail inside the beast, rousing the body.

The muscles bunch and relax, becoming animated. Inside, the spirit grows happier and more restless, relishing the stretching and tightening of muscles as much as the body does. Long, thin appendages stretch toward the sky, and long, thin appendages stretch down to the earth as the beast stands. A slight moan escapes as the beast ends its morning stretch, spirit thrumming as a heartbeat behind the beast's skin and muscle.

The face of the beast parted in a yawn. A moment of blindness occurred as cheeks pushed eyes closed, before the face closed again. The pale-faced beast looked out at the world. It was new today.. his world was new! This was not good. Not at all. How would his body act in this new world?

Shuddering, the beast let out a bellow. My name is Rentier! I am awake! This is my home! It seemed to announce to every being in a wide radius from his bedding spot.

It scared the spirit, causing it to black out.

The beast stood still, frozen as if it were ice.

Floating, the spirit slowly uncurled, stretching itself to fit the body once again. A gasp came forth from the beast as it took in air. This only whistled back through its body, out a pair of nostrils somewhere between human and cervine. That was also the way one could describe this beast: Somewhere between human and cervine.

Rentier stood as tall as he could have, stretching to an amazing seven feet, not including the antlers perched on his head. They had each six points and measure four feet long from skull to tip, all as deep brown as his fur. The dark ruff at his neck shivered as he let out another long call, this time announcing his passage through the forest.

Muscles propelled the beast forward, sending him headlong in to a copse of trees and thickets of underbrush. At first, the beast started running on two legs. This became more difficult as Rentier gained momentum and speed. He finally lowered his front limbs with a grunt and began to race on all four limbs. Forelimbs pulled him along while his hind limbs pushed up the dirt. Velvet streamed off of his antlers like banners as he propelled forward like a rocket.

Thunder seemed to spring away from his hooves as Rentier finally slowed to a jaunty trot, surveying the forest he called his. The cervine-sapien resigned himself to four hooves as the deer that lived here did, but retained his physique.

Rentier thought he would like this place. It pleased him.