Chapter Ten

It has been two months since I started using the Voice of the Night. It wasn't as good as the Voice of Nature apparently; but don't let him hear it otherwise the Voice will complain nonstop; because it can only be used at night and, for been level one, at new moon and full moon at that. 

But at least he helped as promised. 

He first made us train together a lot inside the cave to increase our chances of survival out there, from our stealth, sneak, to other things as well, such as Presence Sense, and that was one of the most useful ones since we could sense a presence around us even in the dark or in our blind spot, quite amazing really, even more if combined with my stealth. 

One thing though we learned with practice is that is far more difficult to evolve magic, and even more at each five level gained. For the time being we kept hunting down slimes, more for the resistance increase than experience really, and goblins and small monsters as the cows from before as food source.

My brother got better and better at long raged attacks, and I as well got better at concealing my presence and making surprise attacks. 

That's when it came.

It camee!!!

My first evolution!!

No Hell Form yet though, sigh.

It appears that, as far as everything is in this world apparently, the evolutions that appear as an option depends on your status, abilities and some hidden requirements, such as body and mind conditions, as well as elemental usage.

I did not understand that quite well, but soon got busy with the evolutions options to forget about that completely.

They weren't amazing yet, but as the first ones it would be the difference between heaven and hell for my future, it makes me feel like I'm choosing my course in college now.

Here they are:

Metal Hell Hound: Your basic appearance is changed, the fur modifies into a metal armor. Increases defense and resistance, as well the physical strength.

Downside: Is more visible for it shines in the light, and is heavier and louder, making it difficult to move without been notice. Swimming will be impossible. 

  Ok, definitely not this one, is the total opposite of what I'm looking for, and another beacon type hey.

Next:

Poison Hell Hound: Your basic appearance is changed, your fur will become purple or green. The fire produced by your body will expel deadly poison, as well your bite, fur and meat. Gains Poison Resistance and Elemental Poison, the strength and deadliness of the poison will depend on the level of the ability.

Downside: Loses Shadow element, gains Poison instead, and it is unable to turn the poison off.

What?! Hell no! It was good until the downside, but totally ruined it for me as I would end up poisoning my brother and everyone surrounding me! Would it be inviting trouble wherever I went?! 

Beep, rejected. 

Next.

Magical Hell Hound: Your basic appearance is changed, you will get smaller and weaker physically. However, your MP points will double, as well as your capacity to learn and evolve magic.

Downside: Weaker body and less SP and HP.

Hm… this is somehow good for my brother, though is worrisome that his already small body would get even thinner, hm. Something to think about later.

Next ~ ~

These two ones are the ones that make me undecided for which one should I choose from:

Platinum Hell Hound: Your basic appearance will mostly stay the same, however your basic status will double, and unique evolves will be available in your next evolution.

Downside: Your monster crystal will appear outside your body, exposing your weakness.

And:

Lighting Hell Hound: Your basic appearance is changed, you will grow horns and your fur will became sharp to the touch. Will add Lightning as an Element and Electric Resistance, and will increase one of your status.

Downside: You may not choose which status it will increase, and your level will reset.

I don't feel very comfortable thinking that I could have a weak spot exposed, but going through my line of thought I did not intend to even be seen, putting it all t stealth, so been hit whatsoever is outside my perspective. But both would be a gamble, hum…

And I don't care a lot for the reset level, as low as we still are, but not choosing the status bothers me. If it goes to the MP it will be useless for my current line of thought, and nonetheless, Lighting uses MP, and as low as it is is already used up for my skills with Shadow. So it would be incompatible anyway. 

I wanted to wait and ask the opinion of the Voice of the Night, but the moon was still far away from the right spot and every day that I didn't choose I started to get more and more anxious, even more since my level got stuck at five until I make a choice. 

So I needed to choose today, and now.

My paw is scratching the floor while I'm thinking the pros and cons. 

At the end I choose the Platinum one, intrigued by the future available evolutions. With satisfaction I see my status go up:

  HP: 280 -> 560

MP: 60 -> 120

SP: 475 -> 950

Hell yeah! I tried to stand to tell the good news to my brother, but the ground starts to spin and my vision blurs as I end up hitting the ground, hearing his voice from what seemed to be very far away as I pass out.

~ ~ ~ ~ 

My mouth feels dry again. I try to lick my nose, but all my limbs seem to be numb and hot, too hot, with something heavy on me.

"Get off…" I whisper, coughing and repeating louder. "Get off you stupid mutt!"

My brother jumps out of me, at first startled awake, but once he recovers he starts talking and sobbing nonstop, giving me a headache already, ugh, but once I open my eyes and see his face up close and tears coming in rivers I go a little easier on him.

"Ok, ok, calm down, I'm fine." I say, softer.

He sits and tries to calm down, wiping his face with his paw. 

"What happened? For how long was I out?"

"Sob- hic-t-three days- hic."

Three days?!? Wasn't this supposed to be a simple evolution? That the hell! My brother keeps staring at me, calming down, and I snore a "What?"

"Y-your eyes, you are even cooler now brother!"

I frown, but stand and go to a puddle to check it out.

Wow, it was not a major chance, but… wow.

My eyes from brown changed to a sharp silver, brighter than the moon and with a light of their own. In my forehead a diamond shaped gem stands with the same colors, lines of black appearing in its silver structure, giving it deep and movement to it, like melted liquid silver.

I kept staring at myself for a while, but my totally empty belly brings me back to reality as my brother laughs on the side.

"Come brother, this time I brought food home."

He seemed content on doing so, so I did not comment on the dangers that it behold, after all I couldn't raise him in a bubble either. 

We ate and, satisfied, I sat next to him, answering all his questions until he calmed down to sleep. I was tired too, never thought the distress that would be to evolve, how troublesome…

However the sleepness is chased away when my long pointy ears catch something not too far from here, the sound of a stick snapping in half.

Shit, what now? We are tired, and I haven't had time to keep a close look at the dangers outside for three days. No, no way, could it be?

Shit, it has been months, give me a break!

I bite my brother's ear, keeping his mouth shut with my paw. He looks at me, confused, and I look outside worriedly. His eyes widen, and soon we are standing and sneaking out of the cave.

But my physical and stealth abilities have always been better than my brother's, that's why after a shoosh the metal net falls on him first. He tries to break free, but the net warps around closer and stronger until he even has difficulty to breathe.

You little shits!

I catch him between my teeth, jumping around as humans appeared from the shadows. Some concealing magic? I couldn't sense them at all!

After running and hopping for a while I finally notice that we are trapped with no way out. The smelly humans stand surrounding us, a group of them holding metal nets, coming closer and trapping me against the wall. 

Shit, shit shit shit, how did things get this bad so quickly?

"Brother, BROTHER! Just leave me, ok? I know you can get out of here without me. Go now!" My brother barks at me.

"Don't even think that I will-"

"You won't, you won't leave me, I know, I trust you brother, that's why you need to go, having us both captured won't do us any good!"

He keeps talking while I try to free him, biting, scratching, dripping fire on the chains, but nothing seemed to work. Bloody hell, this shitty metal chains!

"Brother! Go now, they are close! They won't kill me, you'll have time to rescue me, now go! GO!"

One of them throws a net in my direction as I dodge, growling at him, but it created enough space between me and my brother for them to grab him out of my hold. 

"You smelly humans, let go of him now!" I howl back, but this time using words.

They froze, perplexed that I could talk, and murmured between each other.

"He speaks!"

"No way! We got a rare one!"

  "Grab him, now! Don't let him escape!" 

They keep throwing nets at me, some even trying some magic to make me slower, but they couldn't even reach me. 

But as I was dodging one of the man took my brother away, out of sight and out of reach.

"You humans! Give him back! NOW!!"

It was dangerous to use Berserk Mode again, it only worked for a little while and afterwards I would be vulnerable and, with so many humans, I wouldn't have time to run and help my brother.

Shit, this is bullshit!

I gave one last look at the direction that they took him away, wanting to tear each one of them apart. Instead, I use Shadow Merge, a new skill, and enter my shadow, quickly passing through between the humans legs and reaching outside. That magic used a lot of MP and tired my body for concealing it entirely, but on contrary to Shadow Veil that only clouded my body with shadow, the other made it into shadow on its own.

With one last look behind me and a heavy heart I enter the forest to lose them from my tracks, dashing between shadows and leaves.