Brilliant, pulsating white ones intertwined with a half-dozen sizzling yellow strands.
The giant cat’s eyes widened in surprise as it stared straight at the pattern. Nikalys ignored it entirely, continuing to wave his arms and shout at the lynx.
She released the tangle of strings, urging it at the golden-brown cat. The moment she let go, a searing pain ripped through her head, accompanied by a tiredness that was deeper and more complete than any she had ever experienced.
With a soul-wrenching scream, she went limp and collapsed, unconscious.
Chapter 11: Shapechanger
A blinding flash paired with a concussive boom filled the campsite. Nikalys flew backwards, straight into the thicket of fingerprick bushes. He screamed as hundreds of sharp thorns scratched, tore, and punctured his flesh. The thicket grabbed hold of him, suspending him in the air, and trapping him in its brambles.
He lay that way for a few moments, groaning in agony. Forcing his eyes open, he realized he could not see anything. The flash had blinded him. A tinny, persistent ringing filled his ears. He tried to move, but any movement only pressed the thorns deeper into his flesh. He yelled for Kenders, but could not hear his own shouts.
He blinked furiously, trying to clear the cloudy blackness blocking his eyesight. Slowly, his vision returned and he spotted the soft glow of the fire. Whatever had just happened in the glade had left the flames untouched.
He looked left—sending sharp shots of pain through his body as he did—and spotted the vague shape of a person embedded in the thicket beside him. As his eyesight recovered further, he saw for sure that it was Kenders lying in the brambles, her body a twisted heap. Dark, wet patches covered her shirt and skirt, spreading larger by the moment. Blood, rich and crimson, dripped from her hands and legs. Deep scratches and gashes covered her face, neck, and arms. Her jaw hung slack. Her mouth was open, her eyes closed.
“Noooo!!”
As his shout cut through the night, he realized he could hear again.
A pained mewling from the campsite drew his attention back to the fire. He instinctively turned his head and gasped at the pain as fingerprick thorns dug deeper.
The lynx stood before Nikalys, shaking its head as if something was caught on its whiskers. After a moment, it stopped, tilted its head to the side, and looked at Nikalys. It blinked once, slowly, and then turned its gaze to Kenders. The cat padded forward, striding unhurriedly to her.
Furious, Nikalys shouted, “Leave her alone!”
The cat paused a moment, glanced at him, and then resumed its walk toward Kenders. It brought its nose down to her bloody body and sniffed a few times.
Nikalys struggled to stand, intending to shove the massive cat from his sister, but the wracking pain of the thorns prevented him from doing so. He was helpless.
Dropping back into the brambles, he screamed, “Fine! Go ahead, eat us, you overgrown barncat!” Despair overwhelmed him. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Everyone’s dead.” Perhaps he would get to see his family in Maeana’s hall.
The lynx turned its watchful gaze to Nikalys, sat down, and tucked its chin to its chest. A moment later, it began to shimmer, to shift. Nikalys’ eyes went round.
The cat’s white-tufted ears retreated into its head and the ruff of fur along its neck shrunk as if growing in reverse. The giant paws twisted and morphed, each section thinning, growing longer. Strong, lithe front legs grew muscular and began to take the shape of arms. All of the aspects of the fearsome lynx disappeared, replaced with features that were unmistakably those of a man.
In relatively short order, Nikalys watched the largest lynx he had ever seen transform into the largest man he had ever seen, crouching in a form reminiscent of the cat sitting on its haunches. Once the shift was complete, the man stood upright.
Nikalys gaped. The man had to be a full seven feet tall.
The giant’s
The giant cat’s eyes widened in surprise as it stared straight at the pattern. Nikalys ignored it entirely, continuing to wave his arms and shout at the lynx.
She released the tangle of strings, urging it at the golden-brown cat. The moment she let go, a searing pain ripped through her head, accompanied by a tiredness that was deeper and more complete than any she had ever experienced.
With a soul-wrenching scream, she went limp and collapsed, unconscious.
Chapter 11: Shapechanger
A blinding flash paired with a concussive boom filled the campsite. Nikalys flew backwards, straight into the thicket of fingerprick bushes. He screamed as hundreds of sharp thorns scratched, tore, and punctured his flesh. The thicket grabbed hold of him, suspending him in the air, and trapping him in its brambles.
He lay that way for a few moments, groaning in agony. Forcing his eyes open, he realized he could not see anything. The flash had blinded him. A tinny, persistent ringing filled his ears. He tried to move, but any movement only pressed the thorns deeper into his flesh. He yelled for Kenders, but could not hear his own shouts.
He blinked furiously, trying to clear the cloudy blackness blocking his eyesight. Slowly, his vision returned and he spotted the soft glow of the fire. Whatever had just happened in the glade had left the flames untouched.
He looked left—sending sharp shots of pain through his body as he did—and spotted the vague shape of a person embedded in the thicket beside him. As his eyesight recovered further, he saw for sure that it was Kenders lying in the brambles, her body a twisted heap. Dark, wet patches covered her shirt and skirt, spreading larger by the moment. Blood, rich and crimson, dripped from her hands and legs. Deep scratches and gashes covered her face, neck, and arms. Her jaw hung slack. Her mouth was open, her eyes closed.
“Noooo!!”
As his shout cut through the night, he realized he could hear again.
A pained mewling from the campsite drew his attention back to the fire. He instinctively turned his head and gasped at the pain as fingerprick thorns dug deeper.
The lynx stood before Nikalys, shaking its head as if something was caught on its whiskers. After a moment, it stopped, tilted its head to the side, and looked at Nikalys. It blinked once, slowly, and then turned its gaze to Kenders. The cat padded forward, striding unhurriedly to her.
Furious, Nikalys shouted, “Leave her alone!”
The cat paused a moment, glanced at him, and then resumed its walk toward Kenders. It brought its nose down to her bloody body and sniffed a few times.
Nikalys struggled to stand, intending to shove the massive cat from his sister, but the wracking pain of the thorns prevented him from doing so. He was helpless.
Dropping back into the brambles, he screamed, “Fine! Go ahead, eat us, you overgrown barncat!” Despair overwhelmed him. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Everyone’s dead.” Perhaps he would get to see his family in Maeana’s hall.
The lynx turned its watchful gaze to Nikalys, sat down, and tucked its chin to its chest. A moment later, it began to shimmer, to shift. Nikalys’ eyes went round.
The cat’s white-tufted ears retreated into its head and the ruff of fur along its neck shrunk as if growing in reverse. The giant paws twisted and morphed, each section thinning, growing longer. Strong, lithe front legs grew muscular and began to take the shape of arms. All of the aspects of the fearsome lynx disappeared, replaced with features that were unmistakably those of a man.
In relatively short order, Nikalys watched the largest lynx he had ever seen transform into the largest man he had ever seen, crouching in a form reminiscent of the cat sitting on its haunches. Once the shift was complete, the man stood upright.
Nikalys gaped. The man had to be a full seven feet tall.
The giant’s
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