Role

Chapter 3

Shadow
Added Sun Jul 10 21:13:15 2022 at level 29:

A dark colored felid strolled forward from the shrub, shouldering the bushes
out of it's way. Something was different about this feline. He couldn't make
out any fur, just jagged lines on the edge of it's form which seemed to be
made up of a dull charcoal hide. It was difficult to tell in the shade. Where
the sun hit the creature, however, the dusky hide gave way to a misty,
shadowy substance that looked wholly incorporeal. The feline stared him down
with bright yellow eyes, slowly crouching down as it stepped fully from the
foliage, muscles coiling in preparation for a pounce, seemingly.

Again his body screamed out at him to flee, run, fight, anything. Barthomel
knew that there was another creature, however, and the one before him looked
to be sizing him up. If he ran they would most certainly attack. Instead
Barthomel sucked in a slow and deep breath. When he released the breath he
tried to let out with it the anxiety that was silently shouting at him to
act. He felt his muscles relax, but even in doing so he never broke eye
contact with the beast. It was not just a mindless beast, he could tell, but
nor did it seem to be a natural one.

The feline creature slowly inclined it's head at him, perhaps in confusion.
Thrusting it's head at him with a feint of aggression the creature narrowed
it's eyes in consideration when Barthomel did not act. Suspiciously it pushed
it's snout toward his hand and he turned his palm to the air and extended it
slowly, allowing the beast to catch his scent. A quick snort came from the
creature's snout and it suddenly pushed forward at him. He thought it was
attacking for a moment but quickly realized it was shoving it's nose up to
his breast pocket insistently, sniffing, nipping lightly at the fabric of his
tunic. Bewildered, he quickly pulled from the pocket the only object within.
It was a mintcake, a flakey morsel of sweetened bread that had a core of
candied peanuts and mint. The beast nipped it from his hand, nearly but not
quite biting him in the process. It pulled back, staring once again into his
eyes.