The old decayed tree never shown who lived in it for years after the cat entered. The children told ghost stories about those who live inside the unhallowed grounds. They say if you get close enough, you can hear the howling of the damn. The sounds of breaking bones. Shattering and curses being spat form mouths not meant to grace their beautiful world.

So, when the tree does open one day. With children outside. When a tall man walks out carrying a cackling skull, they screamed.

Those with wings flew. Those with magic became unseen of vanished back to their beds. The more normal of them stared with fear. Like deer staring at a predator for the first time. Fear is all they knew.

“Was it needed to scare them?” The man looked down to the skull in his hands. Tilting it so it is facing him, looking him in the eyes. t

“Kekekeke, Young apprentice, have I still not taught you the value of a good prank? Kekekeke. The faces of fear! It moves my heart! Well, if I had one!” The skull’s mouth moved, rattling the skull in the young man’s hands. The teeth clacking as it talked and shook in sight of the children.

“This is more along the line of tramatzing. If we are going to scare the children.”

One of the magically gifted children hide by not being seen. It does not help the poor girl as a equally unseen force sets it hand on her shoulder and whispers, “Boo.” This. Of course. Causes the girl to scream, run home, and hide under the covers.

The young man flicks his wrist. A skeleton hand that is simply hovering in sight simply appears. Both the young man and the skull laughs. There cheerful laughs become haunting nightmares, childhood traumas that shape the rest of these young monster’s lifes.

~~~

I smile at the old man’s skull.

“Don't you dare sonny.”

My smile grows. I hold it out at arms length than drop it. I punt it as far as I can with the force of my human body and assistance of the wind spirits. His skull goes quite far. Easily clearing the other side of the village. I chuckle wide a wide grin as I fix my clothing. Simple black mage cloth form back in the days where the old man actually had a pair and could actually get drunk. I never took a look at the village besides to hunt or play with those things that looked like things I wanted to hunt.

I was simple and happy back than. Now this fucker who thinks he is the king of pranks has taught me. I am aware of everything around me. Borrrriiinnngggg.

I walk the path to my mother’s house. Yes I still think of her as my mother, even though I know she is not. At some point I communed with the soul spirits and turned back in what I would call my true state.

A beautiful cat with midnight black fur.

I hoped up into a window of her home and begin to purr. It is odd how much different each home smells. One of life and flowers, the other of alcohol decay and pranks gone wrong. So...Many...Pranks…. I am glad I buried his big toe bone under my favorite bone depository. I would love to see his headless body stumble through the streets looking for his head!

My mother opens the window with a wide smile and wraps her arms around me, “Hello there Ebony, I have not seen you in quite a few winters.”

“The old sack of bones would not let me outside. I had to make a trap, tie up his body, detach his head, and open the tree myself once I learnt enough about the spirits.” I lean into her soft and warm body. Ohhhh I missed this. I love being petted and pampered and fed.

“Well, do you think you can go out into the world now, my child?”

“I cooouuulllllddd… Or I can stay here for a bit! With you! …. Please?” I give her my best big eyed look. Ears back and just a hint of begging. It almost always works. Unless your that damn bag of bone that would never stop talking. Not a wink of sleep for however long we were in there! I miss sleeping and eating!

“...You are lacking knowledge on some subjects. Flyson probably taught you much about magic. But I think you need to be tempered.” My mother gently sat me on the ground in a spot that the sun is shining on. I let out a purr and curl up in it, enjoying the warmth along with talking to the fire spirits. They love to make things warm, and I love to be warm. It is a purrfect match!

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

They also like to speak with the death spirits and decay spirits around me. Apparently they make up most of the parts of the green necrotic fire that I use to use to hunt or just flared up. I also have to barter with them using my mana but my form is held together by mana and the only way for me to gather it is by killing, eating, or residing in blighted land for a period of time.

But I do not mind. The forest is full of prey. And I would love to hunt again.

A few hours later a knock comes from the piece of wood that my mother considers to be the front door.

My mother answers it. I look at the door to check who it is while keeping most of my body in the sun. It is the guy with the many tails and ears like mine. He is… I thought I kicked him farther than to be found in a few hours. I will the soul spirits to change my form into human once more. It is odd how they will only let me switch between the two.

“Kekeke, thoug- wait save me! Monthroll! Elswood! He is a savage!” I grab the damn skull and turn to the forest and punt it once more with a VERY satisfying thump of it hitting a tree far away.

I turn back to my mother and the many tailed man, “That always feels great!” I smile widely at them.

“Already can turn human like, can you young nekomata?” The many tailed guy smiles at me. He is old looking. Like, this is the first thing I have ever seen that actually looks old. I only know what age is through the hazy memories of being an actual cat. Very hazy. I only remember a face very clearly, everything is like looking through a dirty pond.

“The bag of bones wouldn't stop talking till I could.” I shiver. I remember turning human first time. I disassembled him and put his body in a bag and took a nap. Of course I was unaware that his damn undead put him together while I slept. I have never been wet before. But I hated it.

“That… Sounds like a unique teaching method.” The old man smiles awkwardly at me. I walk past him and curl up on the flood. Too tired to turn back to a cat. This body can be more warm, the sun feels nicer on skin.

“That is the young spirit. Powerful even though he is young. I am proud to call him a son.” I love being praised by mother.

Why do I call her mother? Because she fed, petted, slept, and so much things that I felt like a mother would do out of care and love.

She says a lot about nature and stuff but I think she has been lonely. The few walks that I went on when I lived with her I never saw someone made out of wood like she is. I saw plenty of things though. Not a single human.

“Ebony, wake up Ebony.” I feel my shoulder being lightly pushed around. I turn my head to look at my mother. Of course this is when I notice it is very dark and late out, “Hello there my Kin. It is very nice to see you, let us move to the bed?” I nod and stand up. Of course the bed is up a flight of stairs so those wake me up a bit. Her bed is huge, easily fitting us.

I lie down in it. My mother lays as well. Both being human and a cat feels natural and right so it is easy for me to sleep once more.

~~~

A scale of time goes by they call years.

Well my mother calls them winters.

Everyone here is a bit odd. Apparently eating things raw isn't normal? You do this weird thing where you hold it over fire and wait than eat it. Somehow it taste different. I think I like raw meat much more.

My mother recently has been rotting. It has been worrying me. I have tried to talk the rot spirits, trying to bargain with them to leave her alone. But the death spirits interfere. We have never used words. We used magic to speak. It is hard to explain in words but it like sharing everything. I am begging, they are final. She is dying. It makes my chest tight, I do not like it. She doesn't deserve it.

I confronted her about it. She simply told me it was time. I am not sure when I got so attached. I talked to the pile of bones about it and he told me not to try anything. It is her choice. But she is my mother.

As months go by, she took her time teaching me how to speak to the life spirits. At first they hated me. I am everything that they are not. I am dead, they represent life and the concept of living. But I think my mother did something. Now they accept me, not hate, nor love. Just accept and respond to me when I ask, they do not rush to my mana like I am use to, but they come.

My mother gave me a seed.

She told me this is her kin, her child. Something her race makes when they are near death.

Only a month later the village had her funeral. I met the man and women who took me from the stone city. Demenic welcomed me when I could actually understood him.

He took me to the side and told me a story.

It was early, early on in the history of all the races. A man did a vile act, he committed the first murder. The first sin against the gods. So, they cursed him. Made him undead, the very first of them. They cursed him with immorality, and this city is his way to make up for his mistakes.

I am smart. The First Lich called me smart. Part of being a Nekomata apparently, blessed with wisdom and intelligence on par with the eldest of dragons. There has only been four known, well five now. Damenic asked if I was ready to live among the humans for a period of time. I said yes.

I did not know many people here. The old bag of bone, mother, some of the kids that I mentally scared. Some of the adults that I mentally scarred. I liked to sleep and laze. But now I have to find a place to bury this seed. Only a fitting place will be worthy of my sibling!

The women he was with drew something in the dirt, “It is nice seeing them grow up, is it not Damenic?”

“It is.”

“So kid, where would you like to go? Like some advice?”

“I do not… Maybe close to that city of stone you two found me at? The old bag of bones told me there are not many lands of blight that the enlightened race let run out of control and it defeats the purpose of this to just nap in a warm place does it not?” The many tailed women smiles wide at me and nods.

“Go sign up in an adventure hall. You’ll met lots of people and can go kill lots of evil monsters so you can stay in this pretty form of yours.” She winks at me. Damenic sighs.

“He is not even ten women. Stop robbing the damn cradle.”

“Geez Damenic, I am being friendly. You wouldn't know that is like even if it bite you in the ass and replaced your unbeating heart.”

“Women. The spell form. The wind rubbed some dirt away. Why show off so much?”

“Fine! You do it if you are going to nit pick each and every thing I do!” She crosses her arms and makes her breast look bigger. How? She seems to stick her chest out and prop them up with her arms. The unassuming man that everyone calls elder draws on the ground. Fixing some things than I feel him push raw mana into dirt.

“Goodbye Ebony, I will find you in a hundard or so years.” That was the last time I saw my home for quite a while. The true start of my misadventure.