[REND] B2. 9.2 - Who Eats Who?

(Author's Notes: Minor edit towards the end of the previous chapter. I removed the part about Adumbrae Kelsey feeling fear because she wouldn't think that, given her view that this world is a reflection. I just changed it into Erind's thoughts about eating her.)

Would I get stronger after eating Kelsey? Scientists hypothesized so. It was common knowledge that an Adumbrae consuming others led to becoming a strong enough base for a Purple Bloom.

Now, I didn’t want to be a Purple Bloom. Motherhood wasn’t for me. But maybe eating a single natural Adumbrae wouldn’t push me in that direction. I swear that it’d just be Kelsey, and no other, after this. Well, maybe more… if it’d indeed make me more powerful. Such a dangerous world out there. It was prudent to do everything I could to survive, right? Prudence, prudence.

I have to find Kelsey first, I thought, drool pouring like a waterfall through my fangs. My predator brain had merged with my desires, making both difficult to stop. I was fixated on eating Kelsey.

She had trailed blood along the narrow corridor outside. The cramped space meant I couldn’t dodge her bullshit ability. I half-expected getting teleported back to Overdrive’s room, but nothing happened. There were conditions to her power. Was it constrained by a certain distance? Did she need a line of sight?

I reached the stairs and dropped to all fours, almost flying as I climbed. Getting to the upper basement in a second, I saw Kelsey standing on top of the next flight of stairs. She mimed pushing down.

No space to evade. I slammed my claws into the steps, bracing for impact.

The invisible barrier smashed into me, pulling my claw out of the concrete. I hit the floor of the upper basement. Three more barriers came down. I destroyed them all, a powerful punch for each. Kelsey disappeared without using her teleportation ability to send me elsewhere. The circumstances probably didn’t allow her.

I had also confirmed that her invisible constructs originated from her. They couldn’t simply materialize next to me. And it seemed that she needed to know where she was sending them, meaning I could see her too. I just had to watch her arms to figure out what her constructs would do.

I ascended to the ground floor, sniffing the air for my prey. She couldn’t hide even if she took a bath in vinegar or something. I could hunt her all over Marsh Row if need be.  

The fur on my arms sensed movement from my sides. I instinctively jumped up. Detecting a shift in the air below me, I realized Kelsey caught me with a basic trap. I tried to twist mid-air to avoid the rising barrier, but I couldn’t do much to maneuver. It sent me up, into the chandelier dangling from the ceiling.

Company expense, I thought as Overdrive’s chandelier shattered as I slammed into it. Glass shattered, and the intricate metalwork deformed.

As I fell, a second barrier rose to sandwich me between the ceiling. I held onto the ceiling like an overgrown, hairy spider and scurried away to avoid the third slam. Or was that the giant hand? I was sure something was there, but it didn’t impact the ceiling.

No more attacks followed. I looked down at where the scent of Kelsey oozed strongest.

She stood at the top of the staircase to the second floor, looking up at me. Her lower jaw clicked into place. Dark purplish flesh covered the exposed bone, followed by the same color skin and glittering scales. With enough of her mouth regenerated, she gave me a smile.

Quite fast regeneration, but not up to par with mine.

“Care to talk?” Kelsey asked. “Fighting benefits neither of us, won’t you agree?”

This bitch… She was behaving like how I imagined an Adumbrae would, so I wasn’t holding it against her. A bit amusing, actually. It tickled part of my raging brain.

If I chased Kelsey, she’d retreat into the hallway of the second floor and push me out of the narrow space. Maybe she could even teleport me again. But she should also know that she’d run out of space to flee to in this building.

Going outside would be worse for Kelsey. The fact that she stayed in the building was proof of that. The open space would give me a lot of room to evade. Her teleportation shenanigans, however that shit worked, wouldn’t stave me off for long. That must be why she gambled on talking it out with me again.

“Kill me, and you’ll also kill your friend’s sister,” the Adumbrae said, no longer referring to herself as one with Kelsey. She was finally using the hostage card.

I growled in response. I didn’t really care about Myra. If this Adumbrae wasn’t going to be my ally, she’d better be in my belly. That was a good rhyme.

“Are you saying that Myra isn’t your friend?” asked Adumbrae Kelsey, trying to guess my thoughts. “I don’t believe you. Myra did not search for you to ask for help. You already knew Kelsey beforehand.”

I reined in my desire to attack because I wanted to hear the desperate attempt to make peace she’d come up with. And I also wanted her to beg me to spare her, though that was probably impossible for an Adumbrae to do.

Kelsey continued, “Why would you help Myra, if not for Kelsey being your friend? I’m right, aren’t I? I may be what you call an Adumbrae, but inside me is the human part of Kelsey as well. If you kill me… us… Myra won’t forgive you.”

I don’t give a rat’s ass about what Myra would think. I gave a low growl, narrowing my eyes. I couldn’t sense anything different about Kelsey. She wasn’t even moving her hands. Was this truly her last-ditch attempt to survive?

“An alliance—that was what you wanted,” she yapped, wrongly assuming that she was getting to me. I laughed in my head as she made her case for why I should let her live. “But you didn’t truly want to work with me,” she continued. “You wanted me by your side for the opportunity to fish out my reflection from the depths of my being. Myra wanted to save that sister, correct? Not me.”

I nodded upside down. If Kelsey was buying time for an ace up her scales, charging some secret ability or whatever, she’d still be at the losing end. I was getting stronger as seconds ticked, gradually transforming into a werewolf.

“I have a proposal.” She looked into my eyes, a human trick to appear sincere. “If you allow me to be with you… I can share how to keep the other you at bay. You can maintain this reality you held dear with my guidance.”

Oho? This sounded interesting. Deals like this one were what I expected from demons in stories. Which meant that I shouldn’t accept it.

I dropped down from the ceiling and landed in the middle of the first floor. I strode towards the left staircase, tilting my head side to side as if considering Kelsey’s proposal.

My actual intention was to present my changing body. I was now about a head taller than Kelsey; the curved top of her horns would tickle my hairy chin. And I was more of a beast than human, lush red hair covering my rippling muscles. My claws were mini-scythes and knifelike fangs lining my long snout dripped saliva.

The scent of my prey drove my predator brain nuts with anticipation. My jaw muscles tensed, excited to crush her skull. But I also had more control of my Blanchette side. My experience at the docks proved invaluable.

Kelsey gazed down at me from the second floor. Her smile never wavered, but she should’ve noticed that I had become more dangerous. Even if she could guess how my powers worked, she couldn’t do anything now. The damage had been done. Literally. And I was stronger because of it.

“Only I can teach you how to do it,” she said. “No one else can. The PCM? They don’t know how. Everyone else is intent on killing you. Let me reverse the table and offer the alliance.”

Annoying bitch, having the cool lines. I had to admit it was a nicely set-up callback. I pointed at my temple and then at Kelsey, questioningly cocking my head. “Ghraaor?”

“You don’t need words, for I can discern your concern. You’re thinking that what I teach you will apply to Kelsey as well, such that I will spout lies instead. It is quite simple to discern the truth of my guidance, for you’ll see its effects, your body regaining more of its humanity.”

I shook my head. That wasn’t my issue. I pointed again at Kelsey.

“Ah… I suppose that you want to save my reflection. I was right all along—you do care for her, despite your posturing. That isn’t possible. Can’t you see? If I leave this plane, then how will I be able to help you?”

I placed my clawed foot on the third step, signifying that her offer wasn’t attractive.

“It’s an unfortunate truth that you must accept,” said the Adumbrae, her smile slightly dropping.

I took another step, telling her that time was running out. Not that I’d accept anything she’d offer anyway. I was fantasizing about clumps of her flesh down my gullet.

“You have to choose,” the Adumbrae continued. “And your choices aren’t between saving Kelsey or yourself. Kill this body, and you’ll save no one. But if you let me be, you will be saved. There is no path for Kelsey to be saved. Let it be. Save yourself.”

I placed my hand on my chest and nodded.

“Good choice,” said Adumbrae Kelsey. “Does it mean that you accept me as an ally?”

Shaking my head, I continued slowly climbing the stairs. I made sure my claws raked the stone to add a sinister tone of impending doom. I gestured at Kelsey, twirling my hand.

Kelsey stepped away from the top of the stairs as I ascended, though remaining within view of me. “Do you doubt my offer of guidance? Are you asking me to prove that I could solidify your reflection against the truth?”

I nodded, though not really caring to understand her words. I’d have to ask Spooky Erind about it the next time we meet. As for Kelsey, I was just waiting to see if she could give actual, useful tips. I’d still eat her, though. No way I could ensure that she’d stick with our alliance. Instead of the hassle of keeping my guard up all the time, I’d be happy with a meal now.

“It is a delicate and long process,” Kelsey said, already showing signs of her lies. “I can’t fully explain what you should do right now. We have to connect once again so I can assess your mind.”

Yeah, right, I thought, snorting loudly. As if I’d let another Adumbrae into my mind; Spooky Erind was already plenty. I had reached the second floor. Kelsey had retreated into the hallway. Doors to side rooms flanking her.

“I tell the truth,” Kelsey said. “You have peered into my mind and perused the memories of my reflection. You know how I, the entity of reality, came to be here. Let me peer into yours so I can tailor the solution. I swear to strengthen you as the truth on this plane.”

I stopped around ten feet away from Kelsey, crouching to fit into the hallway. Or corridor.

“There’s no cause for concern welcoming me into your mind,” Kelsey said. “You have that despicable fragment within you. It is I who should be worried, correct? There are only upsides to working with me.”

She’s right… The artificial Core did hamper my seeding somewhat. And there was also Spooky Erind, who’d certainly defend my mind. Adumbrae Kelsey might’ve assumed she could contact the ‘other me’ to take over my body, not knowing that I was telling the truth about Spooky Erind.

But it wasn’t that I’d let Adumbrae Kelsey enter my mind. Rather, I was going inside hers. I had sufficient security for this gamble… right?  

“I can see in your eyes that you’re giving this some thought,” said the Adumbrae. “What’ll your answer be?”

I continued moving forward, pulling back my lips to bare my fangs. Having an Adumbrae minion would be so much fun. If I could save Kelsey, she’d be eternally grateful to me. The saving part was the problem. Maybe Myra’s idea had some merit.

The Adumbrae’s smile disappeared. “I care for Kelsey. I saved her—you saw that.”

I nodded.

“Likewise, your truth also cares about you, the reflection. You have interacted with her, have you not? You should know that I’m not lying.”

I nodded again. The air no longer flowed in the hallway; Kelsey was setting up barriers.

“And yet, you want to eat me?” she asked. “Perhaps you… are the monster.”

I charged at her with a vicious growl. She pushed against the air. I shredded through her defenses with such brutality that the hallway exploded. The wooden walls and doors were torn apart from the sheer force of my slashes, as if a powerful hurricane passed through. In the blink of an eye, I was about to reach Kelsey. My mouth was wide open, ready to bite!

Then I was beside broken windows, looking out at the parking lot.

Kelsey had teleported me into a side room. I turned around. Through the destroyed walls, I saw her in the hallway, holding her shoulder that was spurting blood. Her arm was missing.

Actually, I know where it was—in my mouth. I managed to bite it off before she magicked me away. One arm down. One more to go. If she could control the barriers by swinging her tits or something, I’d bite them off as well.

I chewed her severed arm as I walked on all fours towards her. I wasn’t in a hurry. She seemed to have given up, chuckling while looking at me.

“Pain… A pleasant experience,” she said. “It’s not pleasant because it is painful. It is pleasant because I can feel it.”

I swallowed her mushy arm while listening to her.

“A pity that this is the end of my little foray. I wished to have stayed longer to play and explore here. It’s not meant to be. It’s fruitless for me to resist. Kill me already.”

I won’t kill you. But I’d be tearing off her limbs, and probably more, so I’d have a window of safety to transform into Pino and go mind-diving.

(Author's Notes: The dialogue tree that Erind wanted finally triggered. Too bad she could no longer talk. Not that she'd trust Adumbrae Kelsey anyway. As if the situation wasn't crazy enough, Erind just had to try something crazier to capture an Adumbrae minion. And think of the drama if Erind could manage to save Kelsey! Many thanks for your support.)