◈ Chapter 88:

Deep deep in the forest, far away from any town or sign of civilization, Rain sat on a grassy hill overlooking an ocean of trees.

He watched carefully as a black dot flew across the distant treetops, a swooping gliding thing that dipped down amongst the leaves.

On one occasion, when it dipped below, a flurry of surprised birds took to the air. Squawking and flapping madly the flock rose up into the sky.

The black dot followed beneath, gliding across the treetops like a shark showing its fin above the waterline. The birds did not like this one bit and cawed angrily down at it for encroaching on their territory, one of them even going in for a swooping attack run, to bite and claw at the intruder.

That was a mistake. The bird came down, razor claws outstretched, and then the black dot rose up and the bird disappeared in an explosion of feathers.

More infuriated than ever the flock dove, a furious rush of feathers determined to crush this strange thing. The black dot suddenly changed direction and sprang up into the air shivering as it charged into the flock. The birds cawed with glee, the fool thing had just ended its own life! They fell on it with a fury.

That lasted all of thirty seconds as the black thing shredded through them, a shower of feathers and other bits falling to the forest below. The survivors of the flock realising it was hopeless turned and fled, their squawks of anger turning to ones of panic as the thing followed after, hot on their tails, coming in Rain’s direction.

The cluster of birds raced across the treetops and the black dot became clearer, it was one of the sets of wolf teeth, snapping hungrily at the air as it flew, like some kind of strange flying bear trap.

It bit and the stragglers dropped one by one, falling to pieces underneath the teeth, leaving a trail of falling gore in its wake. Then it was tearing through the middle of the pack and then it was almost upon the fastest, the last remaining. With an almost eager glee the teeth bit into it and the bird fell apart in a flurry of feathers, a trail of bloody bits splattering up the hill until the fang filled beak of the bird fell at Rain’s feet.

The wolf teeth swooped down and danced around Rain, giving the strange impression that the teeth were pleased with what they had done.

Rain glanced from the teeth to the spread out mess it had made.

“Well I’m not sure how I’m supposed to eat that, but I suppose it’s effective.”

Opal stood with a hand over her eyes, shading from the sun, peering out over the distance.

“Far. Real far. If you ask me that seems like a pretty big advantage don't you think? You don't even need to get near an enemy like this, you could just stand on a hill and send a pair of wolfy teeth down to bite them to bits.”

Rain nodded his agreement as the teeth pounced playfully against his leg. With a gesture the teeth returned to his mane, the form of it gasifying as it went before slipping into his fur out of sight.

“True, although I still need a view of what's happening, and these teeth aren't any good against armour.”

“Hmm. Well, what about anything else? Some other shadowy thing? You can make anything out of that stuff right?”

“Not… exactly.”

Rain concentrated and a billow of darkness rose from the back of his paw before drifting down onto the grass. After a moment it started to form up, curling in on itself, becoming sleek and smooth, forming a body, head, legs, and a tail.

The shadow house cat shook its head and blinked up at them, its eyes like pinpricks of starlight. Then it turned and began washing its paw, licking the paw pad and then rubbing it over its ear exactly as a real cat would. It was remarkable how alike to the real thing it was, even its tail twitched as the breeze ruffled its shadow body.

Opal tilted her head to the side.

“So you can make a full shadow kitty? That's something right? If you can do that you should be able to make anything.”

Rain shook his head.

“No, it’s not like that. Watch.”

Once more darkness slipped from his paw and curled down onto the grass before circling in on itself next to the cat. The darkness rose, forming, becoming solid. A miniature cow’s head began to appear, along with a miniature cow’s body. The shadows started to shudder as the cow took shape, and then, after a moment, the shadows collapsed in on themselves, the form disintegrating into a blob of misty shadow on the ground, already gasifying.

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Opal frowned at it. “What was wrong with that? Why did you stop making it?”

“I didn't, it fell apart without me doing anything, I just can't make a cow, or any herbivore at all really. I can only create things that I understand as predators, or things that are tied to being a predator, teeth, claws. It’s like I can command something to happen, but only with my natural instinct as a predator, and my instinct understands… well this kind of thing.”

The cat wandered over to him and rubbed its face against his leg affectionately. A low purr came from its body.

“That’s not very predatory.”

Rain shrugged. “Growing up in Lynthia I saw what stray cats were capable of, they ate better than me most days as they could hunt and kill any rat or bird they came across, they rarely let prey escape. It's not really the size of the predator, just that they are predators.”

“Do a Gobbo.”

“Goblins… aren't predators, at least not really.”

“Not true, we hunt stuff!”

“Sure, but you also gather mushrooms and build things, that's not very predatory.”

He petted the house cat and then noticed Opal glaring. He sighed.

“Fine, I can try.”

Rain lifted his other paw and once more darkness poured forth, pooling on the grass and then building up and up. A Goblin nearly the same height as Opal started to take shape, its limbs solidifying from shadow then detailing, fingers splitting from nubs, knife ears growing out from a blob head. The Goblin took shape, long hair spilling from the now clearly female Goblin's scalp as she shook her head and seemed to look around with curiosity, her star filled eyes luminous.

“Uh, why does it look like me?”

“I… don't know.”

The shadow Opal shifted her feet, rolling her toes in the grass, rocking her hips side to side.

The real Opal reached out a hand, but a giant paw wrapped around her arm stopping her.

“Careful, I don't know if it would hurt or not to simply touch this stuff… so just in case, use something else.”

The real opal pulled her arm free and rolled her eyes. Then she snatched up a stick from the grass and approached. Hesitantly, her eyes narrowed with suspicion, she slowly moved the stick toward the shadow Opal. The shadow Opal didn't respond, seemingly more interested in the world around her than the stick about to touch down. Then the stick did touch down and… for a moment nothing happened. Then the shadow Opal looked down at the stick poking her in the side. The shadow Opal opened her mouth as though to speak, and then she disintegrated, falling to mist.

“What? I’m not that weak!” said real Opal, clearly disappointed in her shadow self’s performance.

“It seems like the less pure a predator something is the weaker it is at holding a form.”

“I’m not weak damn it!” said Opal blowing a strand of hair that had fallen across her face.

“It’s not that, it’s Goblin-

“Gobbos aren't weak either!”

Rain shrugged, “It’s not like that. It’s not about being weak it’s about being a purer predator.”

Opal set her lips in a line. “If you're so sure then do a Panthara. That’s the purest predator I’ve ever known.”

Rain froze up hearing that. A Panthara? But they were so, so… But then why not? Those things were certainly predatory.

Hesitantly he reached out a paw and the shadowy substance began to take shape once more, building, larger, larger than anything he had so far created, drawing more from him, taking all of the shadowy terror, the creature becoming taller, as tall as Rain, It’s lashing scaled tail and cruel taloned legs and feline upper body taking shape, long scaled barbells whipping out behind its head as a mouth full of fangs grew. And then came its eyes. The eyes weren't starry like the cat and goblin, no, they were a solid glowing foreboding red.

Opal looked up at the thing, suddenly very nervous, this particular monster was one she had learned to fear.

The Panthara finished forming and lifted the talons on its hands up, holding them in front of its face, flexing them, examining the razors blades that were its digits.

“Uh, so should I just poke it with a stick or?”

Rain looked up at the Panthara from where he sat. Something seemed... wrong. He gestured in the direction of a stump poking from the grassy hill, pushing his will into the Panthara’s darkness, instructing it to pull up the stump.

The Panthara looked at the stump, then back at Rain. It paused, and then it lunged at him. The Panthara’s mouth opened wide in a look of glee, its talons reaching, falling upon him. Rain jerked back in surprise, falling back on the grass. The talons whipped down, about to rip and tear into him, its eyes glowing bright, mouth overfilled with long fangs about to bite down.

Rain willed the shadow to gasify but it was a little too late and the talons dug into his side. He looked down in shocked surprise, expecting to see his flesh start to break apart as the terror effect spread

Instead, the talons dissipated as they pierced his flesh, and then so did the Panthara, becoming a shadowy shape that sunk back into his fur. He touched at his side, finding a touch of blood but no more. He brought his paw up and rolled the drop of blood between thumb and index paw pad, his brow furrowed.

“That,” said Opal letting out a long breath of relief. “Was not supposed to happen I assume, what went wrong?”

“I couldn't control it at all, it completely ignored my will. That is- The form takes on something of what I’m trying to recreate, like the cat right?” he glanced down at the house cat which was attempting to curl up in his lap, paddy pawing his leg. “The Panthara was just like how a real Panthara is.”

“Really really cruel and nasty and horrible?”

“...Yes. That thing wanted nothing more than to kill whatever was nearest in the most painful way possible, and that insane desire somehow came through with it and overrode my will and any control I had over it.” Rain ran a paw over his head, flattening his ears. “I didn't realise that could happen, but maybe, maybe we just got lucky.”

“How so?”

“I was thinking of recreating myself, the species that I am. But what if something like that happened, except far more dangerous? What if I couldn't stop it? What if the shadow version of me could do what I do and control this stuff? I can’t risk that when I know next to nothing about what I am, what drives my species.” Rain scritched the house cat which was smaller than his paw, its head bounced up and down with the motion but it still seemed content. “It’s a risk.”

“I wouldn't mind two of you. But yeah, I get it I suppose, a mad version of you would probably be bad.”

Opal leaned forward to pet the house cat which was purring contentedly, but Rain blocked her hand. She scowled.

“I don't know what happens if someone who isn't me just touches this stuff, it might be the same as when it cuts. Do you really want your skin to be frightened off your body?”

“I bet that wouldn't happen.”

“It might. If you want to touch it you’ll have to find some gloves first.”

Rain pulled the shadow cat further into his lap which just seemed to make Opal all the more annoyed.

“I don't have any gloves, we're in the middle of nowhere!”

“Tough.”

Opal made an exasperated sound and stalked away just as Red and Lyra pushed their way out from the treeline at the bottom of the hill.