————

When the bright glow of the ritual slowly fades away, we find ourselves in a spacious room; it's illuminated by oil lamps and even a few magic crystals, hanging in iron frames fixed into the wooden pillars which support thick beams of the high ceiling. Multiple tables and chairs were moved out of the way, some of them now stacked by the walls. As if the residents were preparing for a hurricane I can see many people carrying planks, and nailing them to the many windows. Long benches were propped at an angle against the already boarded frames, barricading them. -The place looks like a hive of activity.

Long counter near the doors and a bar behind make me think this might be a tavern, or an inn of some kind. There are stairs leading to another floor right beside the counter, so it's likely the latter. People running up and down the narrow staircase, moving food and various other items from a room behind the bar. A kitchen maybe?

-What is all this commotion about? I spread out my senses. -Oh, this looks bad.

Well, they were seemingly very busy earlier, but now everyone stopped what they were doing and stares in my direction. There is a lot of people here, what the fuck? Another demon worshiping cult that messed something up? Doesn't look like it... Circa isn't foolish enough to summon me in a place with this many people.

Just what would—

With the last of the blinding red light gone and retreating inside the formation, I get my answer -Well, fuck.

"Meow?"

*Nya!? That fool!

Back arched high, tail shooting up and bristling, my heckles rise and I *hiss! at the complete fool while baring my fangs.

"You fucking fool—!" I start cursing the moron for being an idiot. *Nya! -I let out again in my frustration, at the end of the barrage of curses. What is he thinking, giving out my name in a room full of bystanders. "...what did I tell you!" I glance around, but no one seems to have realized about what just happened, no understanding showing on anyone's faces. Only more confusion and some shock -We might have dodged the bullet here, this prank of mine may have caused some misunderstandings - I hope, but things look to be fine. No one around strikes me as a mage or secret cultist. For fucks sake...

-Now what should I do?

Jarred - as that's who actually performed my summoning this time, took a step back under my frustrated verbal assault. But some realization about what he did, likely found its way under that empty skull of his, if the apologetic expression on his face is anything to go by.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to exp—" He starts proving how much of a fool he really is.

"It's fine!" I stop him before he can finish the sentence. The black fur on my back settles down. "-Told you not to summon me where there are people around, what's the big idea?" With my eyes narrowed at him, I try to lead him on. My posture relaxing when the worst is seemingly averted.

The faces of the people around the room are priceless, I can see a young girl getting her ears covered by an adult - her mother I guess based on both having blue hair.

This sorry excuse for a summoner isn't all that stupid apparently, and catches on fast enough after only a moment of confusion. "Again I'm sorry but– this is an emergency! There was nothing else that I could do... We need your help." He explains in a hurry. A pregnant woman hesitantly makes her way toward him, but stops a few steps away when we glance at her. Her sky blue eyes wide in fear and concern as she supports her belly.

-Oh yes you do, I can feel them coming... Damn it all what did he just get me into? I reach deep into the earth with my magic, trying to gather as much power as possible and sucking up ambient mana.

A loud crash! coming from outside signifies that they are out of time. Should I keep this form up? -This may actually spare Jarred some questions and future problems with the church. But it seems like he expects me to save them, and I'm not confident in fighting like this - it's still something new.

> Animal Form: Take on a form of an animal. Requires you to be familiar with the form of the creature you shapeshift into, and having previously taken in its essence with an adequate ritual. This counts as a transformation and to all you appear as a normal animal, but those with strong instinct or specialized skills may realize or uncover your true nature.

I can give it a try. -Damn, it was supposed to be a prank to get one over Circa, for making me worry. To see the look on her face after she summons me like this...

-You owe me for this you fool. This really wasn't the best time to get summoned, but maybe I will be able to get at least some answers - the presence outside feels somewhat familiar after all.

"Alright, but what's in it for me?" I sit down on my hunches, long lustrous tail coiling in front of my paws - its tip whipping and tapping the floor as I focus on the power slowly gathering below. Triangular ears move to pick up the sounds of battle going on outside. -This is still business.

"Me— my friend please, this is not the time! Those things are almost inside..." He almost did it again. This fool...

"Then let's make it fast, maybe start by releasing me from the circle-?" I point out that even if I wanted to help, we are still 'trapped' by the ritual. " -Also bind me to the realm, you know how right?" He actually froze at that, his eyes clearly uncertain. -Heh, the fool is only now having second thoughts? We could actually break out of this pitifully botched formation with ease - it does nothing to prevent me from extending my influence outside, but I will have questions later, and for that time will be needed.

"The cat is already out of the bag, and it's not like I can help you from here." I add while tapping a paw on the tiny rose that decorates the front of my spiky collar. I get a mental jab in return, and a dose of amusement at the situation.

He gulps visibly and many complicated emotions flash behind his eyes as he stares down at me, considering. The woman moves closer to grab his hand while staying behind him, her face worried. She looks up to him and back at me.

"Mister– cat, please can you help us. We can't offer you anything right now, but I'm sure that after-" The blonde woman pleads, with those doe eyes tearing and glancing at my small form. A very pleasant voice I must admit, but I have to cut her off.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"I will, as soon as he let's me out." I tell her fast, and then turn to Jarred, "Don't worry, I mean no harm to the people here. Better hurry though, the undead are actually already inside. Let me show you how to do if faster." This got the reaction from the people watching us from around the room. Their faces had all sorts of emotions painted on them while listening to our conversation- mostly confusion and some apprehension. But now many worriedly or with fear look towards the doors, some ran to the windows and few couples hugged each other. But there is no panic yet.

I can feel that the situation outside is turning pretty dire. The sounds of fighting are getting louder, the people by the yet unbarred windows gasp and scream when I feel a person die outside. Shouts and clang of steel reaches us, but I don't pay it much attention staring back at my summoner.

—There are children in the rooms upstairs...

"Hurry!" I give the man the final push, and he runs up towards the circle.

"I can release you, but I'm not supposed to bind your kind to the mortal realm without a proper contract. Under any circumstances-" He whispers to me.

"Do you realize the circumstances here are the death of everyone present, Including the kids above? Not much room for negotiation either, and I refuse walking this world unbound— What? Do you think letting me out could be worse for you than what lurks out there, beyond the walls?" He is deathly pale when I'm done presenting him the reality. "You gamble with your life every day - time to roll the dice." Ground shakes.

He nods solemnly, but looks down. "Alright, please don't make me regret it—" And under my instructions, proceeds to manually set me free upon the world, no time to do it the safe way. This fool...

——

"Keith! What are you doing— Keith!" Marcus can hear a woman's scream behind him, but he can't spare a moment to save the poor bastard. He is currently fighting for his life - and likely everyone else's as well. He dodges to the side as a giant hammer smashes! into the earth, sending dirt flying and causing the ground to shake.

That brave guy might have brought them some time, but paid the ultimate price for pushing a wagon filled with hay into the breach in the palisade. A fire spell from somewhere to the left -likely Carol's doing, made the thing burst into a roaring! inferno; preventing more undead from getting inside through there - but one of those many that already went through, pierced the man's chest with a rusty sword. -You need to stay in formation during a battle; It's sad that the real brave heroes always have to die first because of this rule.

Marcus had to duck under a horizontal swing of the massive weight, that sends dirt and mud that stuck to it after the previous strike flying - the strong wind that passed in the wake of the attack throwing grit into his eyes, but he pays it no mind. He can't afford to...

This enemy is not something he can take lightly. Giant skeleton easily more then twice the man's height, covered in old studded hides and wielding a hammer with a head the size of Marcus' torso. A chill of the grave flowing down from the massive undead making the grass under his feet frost over.

At first Carol sent a few firebolts its way, but the creature just ignored them - the unnatural cold emanating from it snuffing out the flames. Now she is focused on assisting the others, against the rest of the undead that made it past the walls and into the hamlet.—Leaving this old veteran to occupy the cursed thing alone. Good, since the last guy that tried to help was turned into minced meat with a backhand swing. -That was a stupid way to die Mike, I've taught you better then this.

Shit, he is not being paid enough for this.

He strikes a the cursed things knee with his spear, but again it leaves barely a scratch on the old bones, before he is once again forced to retreat away, out of the much longer reach of his enemy. -If this thing were to rampage among their group, people will start dying in earnest. Thankfully any other skeleton that tried to interfere in their duel, also met its end in a shower of splintered bones, under the wild strikes of the giant. So Marcus can at least keep its attention undisturbed...

But unlike the creature in front of him, his stamina isn't endless.

"Greg, no!" Another shout from somewhere on the right, another man down. But wasn't Greg sitting on the roof with his bow? A quick glance shows him falling down with a black arrow stuck in his shoulder. -There are now skeletal archers out there behind the wall... this is bad.

"I hate undead!, Carol start to direct the people to—!" Suddenly a savage upward strike from his foe catches him off guard. The huge hammer too long for such an attack under normal circumstances, and never used in this manner before in their entire fight. He underestimated the sheer strength of his enemy; as the massive weapon simply gouges out the earth that was in the way and follows into a hit together with a deluge of dirt and stone.

His only saving grace being that the swing was slowed and hampered by the ground - Marcus guards with his spear, not having any other choice... And he feels the weight of the attack with every bone and muscle of his upper body. The ironwood shaft snaps, but he was already launched into the air, not event attempting to resist the force. -Damn it, I liked this spear. Such a shame...

He flies over the courtyard, and then hits a wooden wall of a house behind him - his head rattled pretty bad without his helmet on impact. *Ugh! -Shit, this is the inn— I can't let that monstrosity get close to here...

He can hear startled screams from inside the building as he slumps down to the ground, his head spinning after the blow. -There are kids inside, I need to get up. His hand shakily reaches towards the pouch by his belt and retrieves a flask of blood red liquid, his lifeline. A healing potion like this cost him a month of his wage in the army, but they are worth it.

He downs it in one gulp as he watches the approaching doom, the giant madly swings his hammer around as few people started throwing stones and tools at it, good thing nobody was stupid enough to get close. A firebolt impotently splashes over the creatures back, Caroline trying to get its attention -but it's futile, it keeps advancing towards him. Looking around while waiting for the magic to heal him up, he can see two other fresh corpses by the burning barricade - the locals that died defending their homes and families.

*Cough He wants to give orders but can't. Breathing hard he can only wait for the potion to take effect.

A black cat wearing a fancy collar, leaps out of the still open door of the inn. -Crap, they should retreat and close the damn doors. Before any undead finds its way inside— What? He blinks confused, Marcus must have hit his head too hard...

He watches as the beautiful feline just saunters towards the towering skeleton; it's big -for a cat, slim body covered in lustrous fur, it moves with grace of a perfect predator in each step - towards the cursed giant. But it is still just a cat, its so small compared to— Something keeps nagging him in the back of his mind, but he still can't focus properly after the blow.

The giant stops and it frigid aura flares up as it puts up its guard. -What in the hell?

The cat keeps walking unbothered, and the hammer is raised in preparation of a devastating blow. -Were undead also scared of cats?

Wide swing is aimed at the little animal— Explosion of earth sprays the dirt and rocks all over the courtyard; people by the window next to Marcus gasp and scream, but there was no blood mixed in with the gravel that reached all the way to the inn and pelted the stunned veteran - just before the weapon hit the ground, his eyes saw the cat simply vanish.

The powerful attack shakes the wall he is currently leaning on, trying to get up —Then with a loud *crack! the earth splits open... right under the wretched creature. Its hammer broke past the ground and seemingly opened the fissure, pulling the undead with its momentum into it and deep underground.

The cave-in must be sizeable, as the monster was swallowed whole.

"...What just happened?" He can't help but ask, then notices the cat just sitting there right next to his leg. The animal looks up at him - and he shudders seeing its black eyes; like two windows into the abyss, they seem to stare straight into his soul. A blink later those eyes are back to normal, yellow but tinted green near the middle - staring at him with intelligent curiosity.

"Use this for now, -but! I want it back after the fight." A black spear appears out of thin air and embeds itself into the ground - a beautiful but sinister weapon. The cat runs off towards the fight and Marcus, a veteran of two wars that has seen a lot in his life, can just stare after it. -Did the cat just talk? "Move it! I'm not doing everything myself!" -Did the cat just give him an order?

...

The flames that started to spread from the cart to the palisade near the breach, rise up and away from the wall in a big vortex of fire - at the same time a big slab of stone breaks out from the soil and covers the smoking hole. This swirling inferno picks up in intensity and speed; growing fast it starts to follow after the small feline as it zips around the yard, wind starts to pick up and flows into it, fanning the flames and making them glow brighter. Undead are being swallowed by the fires, sucked inside and upward by the powerful winds. People are running away from the scorching heat.

Away from the nightmare tornado of fire and bones.

Marcus sighs and grasps the spear, the healing potion did most of its job, his head clears up. -Shit, it's cursed...

—