Ancestors: The Other World

Chapter 7

Chapter 7
"DO NOT SPLIT UP!" yelled a panting Andrew as the shapeshifting nightmare chased after them. "My tanuki says that's also a tanuki!" called out Xin Ming. Sophie was wondering how the two managed to converse while running, since she was already breathless the moment she began sprinting.

A long tentacle extended outwards and Sophie jumped, managing to avoid getting captured. However, another 9 tentacles exploded forward, dragging the 9 of them up a building, where the creature had climbed onto.

The tentacles began to squeeze the oxygen out of her lungs as she tried to use fire, but her hands were squashed against her side. The tanuki, which had taken the form of a Kraken, was cheering gleefully.

"Master would be proud of me," he cackled. Sophie felt her body go limp and the Tanuki grew bored, throwing her onto the next building.

She groaned as she tried to sit up, but her back felt sore. "I wish I could fly, dammit," she muttered quietly as the Tanuki cackled. "I will earn the bounty!" he roared before throwing Kelvin, who hit the ground beside her, but his fall was cushioned by an air cushion his Roc probably stirred up at the last second.

Sophie managed to roll onto her stomach, wondering how she was still alive. The Tanuki cackled as Sophie tried to shoot a blast of fire, but her arm was weak and a tiny flame. She scanned the building, and noticed a few barrels sitting at the edge. They were labelled oil, and this made Sophie formulate a plan.

"Who cares if those are oddly placed barrels?" she hissed under her breath as she shuffled over to them slowly while her friends were being thrown about. Sophie also noticed how no one could see this strange fight, which was probably the Tanuki's doing.

It made things more tiring. She couldn't ask for help against a mad Tanuki who was shapeshifting into a giant Kraken and was playing around with them instead of straight up killing them. But that was sort of better.

Her arms sprawled beneath her, she slowly got to her feet and limped over to the barrels, and waiting for the Tanuki to turn around, she yelled, "KELVIN!"

She used half her might to shove the barrels towards him. He stared at her, eyebrows raising, as if to question her actions. She pointed at the barrels and then at the Tanuki. She then used the rest of her strength to move to the edge of the building whilst Kelvin pushed the barrels off the edge of the building. It crashed onto the mighty Tanuki as he howled furiously, shrinking back to his original size.

Are we burning him to death?

"Hope it doesn't scar," replied Sophie as her wings spread out. "Ah, you knew what I wanted," she whispered before leaping off the building. The wings felt strange and she could hear Sumedha screaming.

The wings were flapping, but in a really weird manner. One wing flapped before the other and sometimes it would whack her in the face. However the wings increased the amount of air resistance going against her, so she didn't plummet as fast as she expected. The Tanuki's arm morphed into a tentacle and swung at her, grabbing her and throwing her backwards. She slammed her back against the ground, letting out an agonised wail.

Rubbing her back, she got to her feet, her eyes creased and wrinkles forming on her forehead as her eyebrows curved inwards. The gnawing urge to sleep began to form and the tentacle launched at her again. She was grabbed and began to struggle, but the more she did, the tighter her grip. It was like shoveling sand against the sea.

She managed to form a small, pained smile before her palm let out a small spark and the tentacles loosened as they morphed back into a hand. The Tanuki returned to the form of the old man as he screeched, while the flames engulfed him as Jarrett appeared, and instead of controlling the water, Jarrett just dumped it onto the Tanuki, who crumpled onto the ground.