My Werepanther System: Starting with Nine Lives

The walk down to the pond surrounded by jungle ambience— and shape-shifters, was a long one.

Rex's mind ran at a cheetah's pace. He was doubting, imagining, thinking. All while walking in Remulus's shadow.

The titanous Werecanine was peculiar. Rex couldn't get a read on him. Even so, his mind raced with inner dialogue.

"This guy's a powerhouse. He made military-grade poly-steel move like wet paper. He moves like a sports car with illegal speed mods. It's just like Panther said. WE have the power to be gods. I have that power. I've had it for two days. The giant dog-beast in front of me has had it for much longer... how do I compete with that? Why would he want me as an ally? What could I bring to the table? And why does he seem scared at times? Enraged at others?….. my brain is about to overheat."

He suddenly wished he was back in The Box— in tactics class with Imani, paying more attention to what made her mind a weapon equal if not sharper than her sword. He needed those mental tools. Especially for the junk pile of god-like figures he'd been thrown into.

Street smarts didn't work against gods.

At least he didn't think.

Then again, they didn't look much like gods as Remulus led him through the jungle bulk and the smell of clear water filled his nose.

They clung to their robes, turning with bowed heads as the two emerged from the green.

"Oh…. this is cultish….. dammit."

"Rex, I welcome you to your kind."

"Uh-huh…." Rex was unsure of too many things. His pawed feet and raised heels padded through the grass without a sound. His dark coat shimmered in perfect sync with the night sky.

Remulus growled and shook. Something about the suddenness of the movement told Rex he did so to stifle his own snarls. At the same time. One of the totem-awakener's flinched. Known only by the falling of feathers beneath their cloak.

Remulus sighed, "Dammit, Shifters, At ease!"

Rex's ears perked up, "He's military? Would make sense. This power is suited perfectly for Drift Dimensions..."

The Shifters— as Remulus called them, hesitantly relaxed.

"I guess we'll start with the flighty one."

The cloaked shifter crouched like a frog broke out into wet throated laughter, "HAHAHARIBBIT— ERHM…. I like your puns, Boss-Wolf."

"Quiet, Dart." Remulus sneered.

Dart hopped in place beside the feathered one with Dino feet.

"Back to what I was saying, Rex, this is Angel." Remulus referred to the feathered individual furthest to the right.

Slowly, she looked up. The winds ruffled her cloak and shined midnight light on her face.

She was horrifying.

Her face and jaw was stretched unnaturally in a sort of humanoid beak with built in fangs. Her eyes were penetrating discs of blue that were somehow entirely unlike Imani's even if they shared color. She was covered in a thin spread of multicolored feathers that shimmered and bristled as they held eye contact.

She looked back to the floor, fiddling with her cloak with reptilian hands tipped by claws that dwarfed his own.

"Don't mind her. " Remulus waved her off. "Next up we've got, Dart. As you know."

The cloaked individual beside Angel hopped over to him. In his bouncy movements, Rex saw flashes of his face. Cyan skin mottled by dark stripes and thick iridescent padding that looked like mushy scales. He had a wide face— and head, that filled up the entirety of his hood.

Rex would've wondered in those moments if he also looked as grotesque as the others but he was too busy flaming up and hissing defensively at the amphibious shifter.

"Back up or burn, toad." Rex snarled.

"HAHAHARIBBIT— it's so funny to see the next Awakener. How similar you are to the last. How different…." Dart cooed and flipped around, jumping forty feet in the air soundlessly on legs with calves the size of concrete blocks. "You're just as action-prone as her. But you're more inquisitive. Rebellious spirit. Sweet! We scored Boss-Wolf. You're also so much further along in your transformation. How many forms will you obtain hm…? How long since you awakened your totem, friend?"

"Why does it matter?" Rex asked.

Dart landed in front of him in a squat, "See? Inquisitive. What was it, boss?"

"Two days." Remulus replied.

"Two days. And you're almost fully transformed in your panther form. That's gotta be a record. Have a look at yourself, champ! A Werepanther. So cool…. Can't wait till you get the stripes." Dart prodded, aiming to touch him with a probe-like finger. His prints glowed in the dark and stunk of chemicals.

Rex spit a small fireball at the digit.

Dart flipped out of the way before it could hit and landed back beside Angel.

"Heehehehehehe…..RIBBIT— I like you, kid. I think we'll have a good time, ain't that right, Boss-W—"

"Shut-up." Remulus said before directing Rex's attention further left, "Next up we've got the lovely Coral."

The cloaked figure stepped forward and pulled down her hood. As she did, her radiant shimmering scales faded, revealing the striking woman beneath. She was lithe and supple and illuminated with skin like that of a pearl. Both pale and somehow expressive in varying shades of moisturized glass-like beauty.

Her hair was pale gold and flowed like silk. Her nose was thin. Lips plump and pinked. He almost got lost in them. Then she spoke, and he got lost there.

"Hello, Awakener."

His ears pointed out to the side and he let out a purring sound.

She reached down slowly and grabbed his hand, "Easy, tiger."

Rex recovered— struck by the strength of her grip.

"You should…. smile…. more. It's a good look on you." She said.

"What a weird thing to say. I didn't smile." Rex thought.

He looked at her again. Truly. Without the influence of his little brother. He looked into her eyes. They were familiar. They were clouded by desperation. Crows feet around her eyes dug deep into the perfect skin. Tear streaks marked themselves into existence around her nose. Near impossible to miss. But he knew it too well.

He grew up in the far west slums of the EMRA.

He'd seen her before. Women like her. Beautiful. Soft. Attractive in all ways. Their bodies and words said one thing but the eyes always gave way to a deeper truth.

It reminded him of puppets. They danced and pirouetted until the crowd and buyers were wowed. But through the eyes he could see the strings. She was being made to perform in such a way.

And through his own eyes, he could see who was pulling at the strings.

He tore his hand free from Coral's grip, stumbling backward in remembered fear of a time when he didn't have any power or weapon to escape similar scenarios.

Attempted gang initiations.

Rival disputes.

Robberies.

Simple street bullying.

"Focus." He couldn't run. He was the weakest link. "I can't fight either. But I can think. Remulus isn't looking for teamwork. That much is obvious from Angel and Coral. But why are they not fighting back. They're stronger than me. Not strong enough? And what's up with Dart? He—"

Rex shook himself and smiled— forcing an awkward one before cringing as he remembered he wasn't much a smiler three seconds ago.

"What's the matter, kitty?" Remulus asked.

"I….. well, you know. I just graduated Primary School. We weren't allowed around women our age…. They were also bald. Nothing against bald women. I'm out of practice, man. You can't just spring a mermaid on me." Rex said before grunting and regaining composure.

Remulus's fur stood on end, suddenly making him look even larger.

Rex studied the others in the tense moments. Dart was still. Angel's cloak fluttered as something at her back fidgeted. Coral sang as she studied her nails. Eyes still screaming with desperation at him.

Remulus scented the air, "You lie."

"What?"

"You are lying to me. To us."

"How— what? That's the truth. I'm seventeen, dude. Of course I get flustered around pretty women!"

"Yes, you do. But not this one. Not here. You wouldn't have lived this long if simple pleasures could throw you off like this. I know you're lying, Rex." Remulus pressed. Sounding less playfully murderous and just murderous.

"Alright, what do you think then?" Rex said, "What's the truth? Why was I shaken just a second ago if it wasn't the hot fish girl?"

Remulus stared plainly, "You tell me."

"I tried. You refused. So no." Rex had a theory.

Remulus shivered.

Coral's quiet song took an uptick in tempo. She even pulled her lips into a smile, making him remember what she said before.

"Tell me." Remulus growled.

"No."

Remulus fell to a knee and clasped his massive canine head with his hands in a rage. He ripped apart his hood and punched a hole a mile into the earth.

"He can't take disobedience…." Rex realized.

Remulus cleared his throat after the horrific display of power and adjusted himself by running his massive pawed hands through his fur… hair? "Ok. Here's the deal. Rex, we've been robbed."

"We?"

"All of us. Including you."

"Uh-huh."

"This land was ours." He stepped on the grass. "This world. It's ours. Our ancestor species dominated without a second thought. By luck— and other factors, we lost it. But it's time for reclamation."

"World domination." Rex surmised. He was getting irritated at the cliches.

"No. World evolution." Remulus replied, "You're new, I'm sure Panther hasn't told you yet so I will. This is only the start." He explained while referring to the others, "We are the Totem Awakener's. The totem. A power presiding over all beast kin of our kind. Beneath us, there is the Aspect Weilders. Our warriors. Our brothers and sisters. They claim a fraction of our might but make up for it in numbers. The next step in evolution."

"You mean….. we can make other Werepanthers and Werefish?" Rex asked.

Remulus shook his head, "You cannot. That's why I brought you here. If we all begin our own separate dominions and begin summoning our hordes of Aspect Weilders, we will be at war before ever reaching our full potential. We will crash and burn as we have since the beginning."

"So…" Rex said, "You want me to swear I'll keep the Werepanther count to one."

Remulus let out a quieted excited bark, "Join us, Rex. Be one of my sworn Beast-Generals. You'll know power and wealth like no other. You'll live as a stray no more. You'll be the cat-king you're supposed to be. Beside allies. We'll right the world. No more disease. No more need to feed into this Inheritence Family celebrity-soldier bullshit! Everyone willing will have a fighting chance. The winter of wolves will bring us into an era of progress. Join my pack."

Rex watched as Remulus's eyes glowed like greedy gems in the dark. He began to froth at the mouth like a rabid dog.

He could barely hide it. His hunger. His need to impose his will. He wanted to stomp Rex into a paste. But he needed Rex to be willing like he needed air—

Remulus gained composure in the blink of an eye. His dark fur smoothed out. His eyes lowered. His maw shut with a loud clack.

Coral was downright crying. Dart was giggling. Angel looked like a demon of depression.

A true world changing team.

And they needed him.

Only…

"You won't join us, will you, Rex?" Remulus said.

It suddenly felt deathly quiet. Not a sound except the distant crackling of his jungle-fire as the exponentially growing wilderness began to landslide off the cliff behind him.

Remulus sighed before looking to the landslide and letting out a bark so loud Rex was knocked aside from the concussive blast.

It hit the landslide and blew the trees and rolling bushes to shrapnel to be found miles away.

Even more so, he blew off the top half of the cliff entirely.

Rex's ears rang. His chest pounded as fear gripped him like a constrictor serpent.

Before he knew it, a hand was around his throat, throwing him against trees and dragging him through ponds. He tried to fight but his efforts went unchallenged as his health points drained.

He swam in and out of Conciousness in a brief mauling until finally coming to.

[20% HP Remaining….]

[Nine Lives Skill Cooldown (1D12HRS59MINS)]

"Perfect timing…" Rex thought in a sarcastic daze.

Remulus loomed over him with a hand on his chest, snarling in a white eyed rage.

"You will submit, Rex! I'll come and run through every one of your lives but one on every full moon until you do! And if you spread your filth on MY PLANET! I will destroy everything you hold de—"

A siren rang out suddenly.

Remulus's ears stood up.

"Emergency alarm?! Who's awake?! Dart—"

"Moving!" Dart grabbed handful of Angel's feathers. The others did the same and began flying.

Remulus stifled his rage and sprinted through the jungle.

As he ran, Rex heard a distant roar.

"Three weeks! I'll see you then, kitty!"

Rex fell off the stone slab he was slammed against and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"I knew there was a catch…." Rex spit out a tooth.

"And I knew there was more to your powers."

Rex looked up to the blown in cliff and found Imani watching him. Speaking in a whisper, knowing he could hear her as her electronic blue eyes studied him.

"Fuck."