Rast shakes his head, “I don’t think so.”
“I think Farren called it,” Hades says, shaking his head in disbelief.
“I think you’re right,” Reaper agrees. “I think Farren called on it.”
I glance back at the creature.
It has a similar shape to a big cat except seven or eight times the size of any of the big cats or even cat shifters that I know of.
Its fangs are bigger too. The two biggest ones have to be the same length as my forearm at least, possibly even longer, and they’re completely black.
Behind those two are two smaller ones, and then the rest of its mouth is filled with smaller, deadly sharp-looking teeth.
Its fur is so dark that it looks like shadow, which would explain why it can move around without being detected, although I can feel the magic coming off him, so I’m sure that he uses that to camouflage and move silently as well.
Who knows what else it’s capable of.
I continue studying it, while it’s still and allowing itself to be seen. It may be protecting me at the moment, but it's only at Farren’s request, and I have absolutely no doubts in my mind that it is only loyal to her.
That means that I need to study it properly. I need to see if it has any weaknesses and what it could be capable of, in case it turns on me and Farren isn’t around to call it off.
When I glance back at its face, my eyes moving on from its mouth, I’m surprised to notice that sitting on top of its giant head, next to its ears, are two horns that spiral backward away from its face. These are the same colour as its fangs, but instead of being smooth like the teeth, they’re deeply grooved, they also aren’t completely black, although that is their main colour. In the grooves is a copper vein that even looks metallic. Quite honestly, they’re stunning.
It knows that I’m studying it, and the fact that it’s allowing me to and most likely knows why I’m studying it tells me that it does not consider me a threat at all.
Why would it?
Out of the two of us, it’s clearly the bigger threat.
I get the feeling that it views me the same as a house cat would view a bug, something to play with when it’s bored, but not to actually eat.
I’m pretty sure that it would kill me for fun.
That thought is entirely unsettling.
That feral part of my magic that I keep tight control over at all times writhes and thrashes like it’s offended at my thoughts, and I roll my eyes. It’s a bit too arrogant for my liking.
It always has been.
Ignoring it, I refocus on the creature.
Its body is long, still reminiscent of a big cat, with coiled muscles and looking extremely strong, its paws are bigger than my head and tipped with razor-sharp claws.
It could definitely take my head in one swipe.
Easily.
It has a mane, the same colour as its fur, and two tails that are moving lazily behind him.
The longer that I study him, the more sure I am that he’s only allowing me to see what he wants me to and that there is actually a lot more to him than this.
“I think it’s a Mors-Fidelis,” Hades says, pulling me out of my thoughts and my attention away from the creature. “It’s supposed to be extinct. I saw one when I was a child, but that was a long time ago, and it was supposed to have been the last living one. They’re extremely dangerous and were considered ancient when I was a child.”
Looking at Hades and the way that he interacts with everyone, it’s easy to forget just how old he is.
If I really think about it, it’s mind-blowing. There have already been several mind-blowing things that have happened, so I’m going to ignore this one.
“Honestly, I’m not even surprised that Farren managed to command an ancient creature and that even while she’s passed out it is still doing as she’s commanded it to,” Mayhem says with a smile.
