foresight and your considerable intellectual prowess." The ogre preened under the praise and the seed of a plan sprouted in Kasha's mind. He heaved a tragic sigh. "I suppose I've made the effort for my master in vain. I've been outflanked, and will neither gain him what he sought, nor be able to return to him."
"That is a shame. You will make a satisfying meal, if it's any consolation."
Kasha tipped his head in acknowledgment. "Somewhat gratifying, under the circumstances. Ah, well. I've had a long life. Even the mountains crumble eventually."
"Well said."
"I can't help a few nagging bits of curiosity, though... "
"Oh?"
He slid off the chair and set his hat on the seat. The ogre's eyes narrowed, so Kasha explained, "I'd rather you didn't eat the hat, if it's all the same to you. It was a gift and not part of my claiming."
"Of course. I understand." The ogre waved his claws for him to continue.
"I've known a number of ogres throughout the centuries, though certainly none as accomplished and powerful as you. I've heard that"--he nearly said older ogres, but caught himself in time--"more experienced ogres are able to change form. Is this true?"
The ghastly smile grew indulgent as the monster steepled his fingers. "Quite true, little pretty. I suppose you'd like to see?"
"If it's not too much trouble."
The ogre's chair squealed in protest as he rose. He slipped out of his jacket and stepped to the middle of the room where he presumably had more space. The air around him shivered, as if the chilly room had developed a sudden heat shimmer. He raised his arms, the lines of his body blurring. A moment later, a black lion the size of a grizzly bear stood where the ogre had been.
The floorboards trembled when the lion roared, and Kasha let out a convincing squeak of fear as he leapt to the top of the black lacquer buffet.
The lion chuckled, a horrid, choking sound. "Poor little kasha. You're not as brave as you pretend, are you?"
Kasha made a show of shaking down his fluffed-up fur and cleaning his paws as if he were annoyed with his skittish reaction. "I was simply surprised. Of course, it's easy to shift to something so big. It's a simple thing to pull mass and magic to you to enlarge your shape. A lion. Naturally, a lion would be easy. I'm sure it's much harder to change form to something smaller, like a rat. Where do you put all the extra mass? How do you hold onto the disparate components until you take your own form back?"
His irritated commentary earned him another chuckle. "It's not so hard once you've reached a certain level of expertise," the lion growled. "A rat? Don't insult me. I can do far better than that."
Again, the air shimmered, the lines of the lion's body growing indistinct. Kasha kept his gaze glued to the shifting form, waiting, every muscle tense. When a shrew finally sat on the carpet where the lion had stood, he discarded all attempts at conversation. With a low growl, he pounced, landed directly on the shrew, and broke its back. While this didn't kill the ogre, it certainly slowed him down, giving Kasha time to devour him.
The shrew squeaked, trying to wriggle out from under his paw despite the broken spine. Kasha had to tamp down hard on his natural inclination to play with his food. Any delay would give the ogre a chance to heal and shift again. He bent his head and took the tiny, squirming body into his mouth.
Great Raiju, ogres taste worse than they smell.
He crunched through the skull and swallowed the body whole.
"And that, I suppose, is that," he said to the now-empty room, quite pleased with himself.
He turned, thinking he should open a few windows to let in some fresh air. A sharp pain lanced through his stomach. I guess ogre doesn't agree with me.
Though he tried to ignore it, the pain increased as he walked toward the window. On his third step, he collapsed to his knees, gasping, clawing at his midsection with both paws. It felt as if a heated stone were expanding inside him.
"That is a shame. You will make a satisfying meal, if it's any consolation."
Kasha tipped his head in acknowledgment. "Somewhat gratifying, under the circumstances. Ah, well. I've had a long life. Even the mountains crumble eventually."
"Well said."
"I can't help a few nagging bits of curiosity, though... "
"Oh?"
He slid off the chair and set his hat on the seat. The ogre's eyes narrowed, so Kasha explained, "I'd rather you didn't eat the hat, if it's all the same to you. It was a gift and not part of my claiming."
"Of course. I understand." The ogre waved his claws for him to continue.
"I've known a number of ogres throughout the centuries, though certainly none as accomplished and powerful as you. I've heard that"--he nearly said older ogres, but caught himself in time--"more experienced ogres are able to change form. Is this true?"
The ghastly smile grew indulgent as the monster steepled his fingers. "Quite true, little pretty. I suppose you'd like to see?"
"If it's not too much trouble."
The ogre's chair squealed in protest as he rose. He slipped out of his jacket and stepped to the middle of the room where he presumably had more space. The air around him shivered, as if the chilly room had developed a sudden heat shimmer. He raised his arms, the lines of his body blurring. A moment later, a black lion the size of a grizzly bear stood where the ogre had been.
The floorboards trembled when the lion roared, and Kasha let out a convincing squeak of fear as he leapt to the top of the black lacquer buffet.
The lion chuckled, a horrid, choking sound. "Poor little kasha. You're not as brave as you pretend, are you?"
Kasha made a show of shaking down his fluffed-up fur and cleaning his paws as if he were annoyed with his skittish reaction. "I was simply surprised. Of course, it's easy to shift to something so big. It's a simple thing to pull mass and magic to you to enlarge your shape. A lion. Naturally, a lion would be easy. I'm sure it's much harder to change form to something smaller, like a rat. Where do you put all the extra mass? How do you hold onto the disparate components until you take your own form back?"
His irritated commentary earned him another chuckle. "It's not so hard once you've reached a certain level of expertise," the lion growled. "A rat? Don't insult me. I can do far better than that."
Again, the air shimmered, the lines of the lion's body growing indistinct. Kasha kept his gaze glued to the shifting form, waiting, every muscle tense. When a shrew finally sat on the carpet where the lion had stood, he discarded all attempts at conversation. With a low growl, he pounced, landed directly on the shrew, and broke its back. While this didn't kill the ogre, it certainly slowed him down, giving Kasha time to devour him.
The shrew squeaked, trying to wriggle out from under his paw despite the broken spine. Kasha had to tamp down hard on his natural inclination to play with his food. Any delay would give the ogre a chance to heal and shift again. He bent his head and took the tiny, squirming body into his mouth.
Great Raiju, ogres taste worse than they smell.
He crunched through the skull and swallowed the body whole.
"And that, I suppose, is that," he said to the now-empty room, quite pleased with himself.
He turned, thinking he should open a few windows to let in some fresh air. A sharp pain lanced through his stomach. I guess ogre doesn't agree with me.
Though he tried to ignore it, the pain increased as he walked toward the window. On his third step, he collapsed to his knees, gasping, clawing at his midsection with both paws. It felt as if a heated stone were expanding inside him.
Similar Books
