Mostly, though, he looked like a large presa Canario, a dog only slightly less intimidating to most people than a werewolf, especially if the people weren’t familiar with werewolves. The pack was hoping that someday he’d get control of his change and be able to be mostly human instead of mostly dog7
Tibicena are tied to a mortal, a mortal who was descended from the land where Guayota's volcano had fertilized the soil the people ate from203
The other dog was Joel. If the woman’s binding magic was a robe, his were silk ties. They wrapped securely around him but did not envelop him completely. They weren’t part of him yet253
The dog’s body that encompassed him was poised on the deck, watching us, but silently. While the dog was motionless, Joel was not. He pulled and tugged at the bindings, peeling them back and leaving gaping wounds that bled behind. As soon as he cleared one place and started on another, the bindings grew back253
When it looks like a mortal creature, the mortal flesh encompasses the tibicena and may be killed as any mortal creature. When it is wrapped in the tibicena’s form, it cannot be harmed by mundane means253
Tibicenas could be killed, temporarily, if they caught them in dog form320
The tibicenas are faster than the walkers are325
The tibicena, like Guayota, was a creature of fire, of the volcano where it had been birthed328
Wounds glowed red, and something bubbled out for a moment, but it took two seconds for the holes to close328
huge and hairy328
the long, rocklike hairs that ruffed his neck rattled together332
Eyes that were a dark, sullen red that was more like garnets than rubies332
Stayed human for almost an hour340
Black, but in the strong sunlight, has a brindle pattern7
As the tibicena, smelled like brimstone and had eyes that glowed in the dark7
Didn't have much control about what shape he wore22
Denser in tibicena form that a real animal could be25
His skin cracked and broke, revealing something that glowed fiercely even in the daylight25
Eyes were hot coals that glowed like those of a hellish demon out of a comic book25
Bigger than a werewolf, and left oily black marks on the ground wherever his feet touched26
Looked as though he’d been half formed out of burning charcoal29
Mercy didn’t know how much of Joel had stayed in charge when he took full tibicena form. Joel said it was hit-and-miss. So far, the tibicena had been friendly, more or less, to anyone in the pack39
Distinctive howl that was as much a weapon as the volcanic heat under his skin39
Lion-sized, half-formed and growing39
Joel was a foggy presence in the hunting party. His actions were clear, but everything else was murky and hot-rage coated. The rage was unfocused, but I could feel the fury of it building. He let out a roaring cough that sounded more like a lion’s hunting cry than anything canine, but he refrained from making the spine-chilling cry43
Joel looked a little different every time he took on the tibicena form. It was the subject of much discussion in the pack. Zack said he thought it might be because the tibicena is a creature of the volcano, and lava doesn’t have a hardened shape. That was Mercy's favorite explanation49
Fully formed and mostly solid, he looked a little like a foo lion, his muzzle broad and almost catlike, with a mane of dreadlocks that cracked and hissed as they moved, breaking the outer black shell and displaying liquid-orange-glowing lava that cooled rapidly to black again as some other part broke open49
Joel’s lips curled back, displaying black teeth and a red, red tongue. The fringe of stone mane around his neck rippled as he shook his broad head in open threat, and it made a clattering noise, almost like wind chimes61
No human could have touched Joel when he was running that hot without getting hurt63
Fire was only one of Joel’s weapons63
Hadn't been able to stay human for longer than an hour or two until Aiden drew out the fire90
This time the tibicena was build like a wolf rather than the foo dog of his last appearance. Upright ears topped a muzzle that was long and narrow. His body was finer-boned than a werewolf of his size would have been, more like a wolf's gracile and narrow form. His tail was covered with molten hair, and it curled a little259