"It's not that bad," he said, trying to calm himself.

Darwin looked down at the puddle of precious liquid metal at the bottom of the shattered jar. there was a bare teaspoon left. He'd lost the rest between the cracks in the floor when the jar fell. Yes, it had fallen over. Not crushed in a tantrum thrown in poor taste.

He sighed, crying over spilled mercury won't help him. Fortunately, providence spared the sulfur.

This put his plans in jeopardy, if he didn't have enough mercury to fuel the reaction, his plan would never get off the ground.

"It's not, that bad." He repeated, trying to keep from exploding. "It is not that, Bad."

He twitched, setting off the raw nerves of his ragged ear, where that white rag had torn it off. Worse, his scars opened back up during the night, and it hurt like a bastard.

"I, Will, Kill Him." he muttered "I'll kill them all! It won't be hard! just a small push and-" He shook himself. This was supposed to be unimportant, but he could feel his blood pounding at the thought of a mere animal doing him more harm in one night than all his days in Dueling houses. Worse still, the scars from this battle would be permanent.

He could force the wounds closed with herbs, but the fight last night had exhausted already him and herbs would require another trip to get the medicine and time to prepare them.

There were clumps of burning salt in his fur, and in his fit of rage had smashed what would have been a simple scheme to regain his body.

Build a Crucible, transfer its power into the emerald for storage, and then head to The Bell Tower to activate the Grand Treasure and get his body back from that creature.

Where he'd been only One ingredient away, now he was two. A setback of infuriating proportions. Now he would have to return to the pharmacy and steal another tincture of mercury, and he still had to get the Salt he needed from the butchery as well, guarded by that little hellion called "Ivan."

The creature was more vicious than a watchdog. Blasted Cats. He always suspected there was a reason for them to be so closely associated with evil. Now he knew. They were all demons from hell.

He took a minute to calm himself. This was fine. He could fix this. It's not as bad as it looked. He yawned quietly and decided he had done enough today.Maybe there was some hidden rule that would make the demon give his body back if he could find it,

Maybe it would be easier to try placating the demon somehow. He frowned. That didn't sound like him. He never refused a challenge.

The problem he felt was that he was making an ass of himself, fighting like a cat when instead he ought to be fighting like a man. Confronting this beast with man's tools and powers. If he had his Pneuma back, he had the knowledge and experiences of his life to guide him. To mere animals, he ought to be a god!

The idea did tickle his fancy, having command over the animals within the city, spying and taking for him. Not a terrible scheme. Why didn't he think of it before?

he rolled over and winced, bitting his tongue to smother the pain. Water would be nice, clean away the salt at least.

He grumbled to himself, is this why cats are always sleeping? constant fights and running around, maybe not, but the fur made just about anywhere comfortable to lay down on. That might be the real reason.

He grumbled a little more before deciding there would be no sleep tonight. His stomach churlishly reminded him, oh right, food.

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He was planning on raiding the little shop once he had what he wanted, but in his fight with that white devil, he'd lost his chance at a civilized dinner. Darwin vaguely wondered if he should've eaten the rat after all. Though grossly disliked the idea, and put it out of his mind.

His mind drifted as he tried to think of something to eat that didn't require debasing himself by eating rats and vermin. He gave a rough purr as he thought of devouring a warm meal that didn't require him to fight like a savage to get a taste of it.

His mind wafted back to the days of care and restaurants, of ordering platters of roast chicken and vegetables. The steaming beef and gravy flowed freely as he ate. The soft loaves of bread and the smell of fresh garlic as he stuffed himself, carefree and childish. It couldn't have been more than two, maybe three weeks? And already it felt like an eternity, no, A lifetime away.

He lazily glanced at the glass pieces he'd stolen, sitting in the bowl of the spoon. Glinting in the dim light of their abandoned shelter. His mind slowly recalled the things that he'd seen when using it. The sights of hidden bedrooms, plates of fruit, the deeper tunnels of the underground rivers. The locked bakeries were just around the corner.

He stood, still tired and feeling half-dead, and slumped into a sitting position. And let out some fraction of his powers into the small glass bead.

Using his scryer powers, he found a cafe all closed up for the evening, with all his new favorites and more. Sweet tarts and scones, coffee and other parties, a small selection of fruits, eggs, ham, and sweet sausages to dine upon. Even some small roast chickens, if there were any.

He could probably take the precious efforts to enjoy himself, maybe even steal some wine from the backrooms if he was lucky. He could feel his rough tongue tickling his chops in pleasant excitement.

His lips were soaked, relishing the images before him.

Why not? He was hungry enough to eat the place out of stock if let himself Hell, he might just eat the whole town if he could. He noticed he'd started drooling and shook himself awake. Anything was better than sitting here grumbling into the night.

He left in a hurry, to see his new hunting grounds, his hunger driving him more than anything. Thoughts of the feast awaiting him dancing in his mind.

He made good time, climbing a drainpipe and racing across the rooftops where the moonlight was a half-circle of pure silver. He spotted a few other street cats meandering below and laughed at their foolishness. If we weren't above them now, well, they might have presented trouble for his nightly excursion. Like a deity looking down on mortals from their higher place on the stage.

He sneered at their lowly positions and moved to show such mongrels a taste of his powers, and so he made it rain. A great rush of waters flowed from him as it arced down into the abyss below.

He sighed in relief at the natural feeling of flowing water running under him, as the unintelligent mob of unruly felines below cried out in a surprised annoyance.

He fought the urge to haul up his trousers when he finished and sped off back on his way. Back on his journey to that blessed castle of feasts.

The arrival was soon upon him, the stillness of the streets greeting him as he came down to earth, tumbling through the air like an acrobat. He was frankly jealous of the cat's reflexive instincts, twisting in the air before landing, always feet first and with only a slight jostle.

It didn't make him immune to falling, but he did usually find a good awning to land on before he touched the ground properly. Feeling the dry stones beneath his paws, he ran over to the meat shop and again to search for a way in.

He found the lock easily forced, as he turned aside from the simple bolt with ease, granting him passage into his new dinner cupboard. He felt his nose twitch as he smelled all the various spices and meats inside, the air thick with their lovely scents of cream and coffee served in the daylight, his tongue lapping at the air for more.

He was going to stuff himself silly tonight.

He entered, full intending to fulfill that wish. Not a morsel would escape him tonight as he ate away his cares and pains. He would love a drop of liquor as well, but he was content to begin leaping towards the kitchen where leftovers from today's spread were hiding under a simply covered veil.

He approached with a saucy look on his face, drawing closer as if approaching a tempting new bride, a strange and beautiful thing to be cherished and held in loving arms.

Throwing away the simple cloth separating him from his prize, sank his teeth in and tore into it with gleeful destruction as he climbed the simple tower and stole away all the sweet morsels he found there. Consuming them, almost gladly ruining it, the once innocent display, as the pleasures of stolen bread, gave way to his incorrigible appetite. The villain enjoyed himself, and his ruinous presence in the place. An animal killing prey.

He gobbled another bite. While still reaching for the next one and more. Hurling great crowds into the pit of his stomach, dashing them on the jagged rocks of his teeth. Fire in his eyes as the beast held the world on a platter, hungry for more.