Each branch creaks as Cass’ full weight leans forward to gauge his surroundings. His eyes scan the edge of the water until he sees massive fresh footprints leading away from the water. He takes a moment to double check he is alone. ‘No sounds, no stomping, and the water is still. I think it’s safe to go.’ 

He scans the water for Cold Star herbs and finds a small cluster about twelve feet from him. They faintly glow like moonlight flickering beneath the waves.

Cass readies himself before leaping from his perch and diving into the water toward the Cold Star herb. With the precision of an olympic diver, Cass sinks into the water with barely a sound. He moves into the cold murky depths, with only the tiny light reflecting off the Cold Star herbs to guide him.

Reaching the herb, Cass begins plucking them from the root and placing them inside his pocket. The herb is no bigger than a clove of garlic. As he finishes, he feels the water sway unnaturally and a chill runs down his spine as he looks up and sees a glowing orange eyeball staring at him.

Unable to avoid the beast quickly enough, the massive beak of the monster slams down on Cass’ chest as it lifts him out of the water and into the air.

Cass claws at its face, ripping chunks of fake feathers and bits of metal as his claws scrape along its beak. The beast screams through its semi closed beak, rattling Cass, but then it settles into a calm pressure. 

“Not gonna work this time!” Cass said as he began to claw at the beast’s eye but only scraping the lens.

“Oh? Pretty impressive that you adapt so quickly. Let’s see you adapt to this.” a voice from behind the beast spoke and then the beast plunged Cass back under the water.

After a few minutes, Cass is raised back out as he continues to claw at the jaw of the beast hoping to dislodge it from its joint.

“Can’t be having that, I suppose you’ll have to drown.” the voice says coldly as Cass is plunged back under the water. 

Cass keeps clawing at the joint but is quickly losing consciousness. It’s growing colder and darker. ‘Smiley, assimilate this guy already.’

Voice only, ‘It’s very dangerous to mix cyberware like that. You may not recover from it.’

‘I’m gonna die anyway so do it already!’

‘So be it.’

Cass grabs the beast’s beak and begins to assimilate it. In the corner of his eye, a yellow caution sign appears then disappears, a red sign, and finally a black one that reads “assimilation mutation accepted”.

It feels like an orchestra playing in the distance as the sound waves flow over Cass’ body. Remaining in his cheetah form, his eyes turn bright orange as if they were glowing and his chest feels as if stinging fire needles are stabbing him in the lungs before settling and the water calms itself.

Once again, the beast lifts Cass’ limp body from the water. “Oh good, he’s dealt with. A horrible business but I can’t abide theft.” the voice calls to the beast as they head back to shore. As it nears the shore, Cass springs awake, grabs the beast’s jaw and screams right into its semi open mouth. The scream echoes in Cass’ throat until it escapes his mouth and shreds apart the beak of the beast, dropping Cass.

Landing on his feet, soaking wet and pissed off, Cass lets another scream build up in his throat until his chest begins to glow and releases it straight into the open mouth of the beast. Cass watches as the entire swan-like beast blasts apart, revealing a small houseboat at its heart.

“Come out here or I’ll just blow the boat apart too!” Cass says with the echoed vibration of his new power to back it.

A small shuffling sound comes from a nearby tree as a small, old, and big bearded fisherman comes out. “You blew away my home!”

Cass looks at the deshelled house boat then back at the old man. “Shouldn’t have tried to kill me.”

“I tried it the nice way but you wouldn’t stop so I did what I had to do. The locals were destroying this place before I got here. I felt like it was my job to protect it.” the old man looked upon his destroyed house with immense sadness.

Loud stomping sounds ring out from the far side of the lake as four more goose-like machines, led by an all black one, made their way into the water and toward the pair. All sadness melts away in an instance, “why did they have to show up now.”

The all black swan comes right up to the shore, turns and stops. The wings of the swan extend into a staircase as a man walks out. Tall, surly, broad shouldered, with fishing gear on and eyebrows so thick, you can’t see his eyes.

“Eugene! What did I tell you about harassing people!” his voice boomed as if it were projected from a megaphone.

“Oh come on Bob! He was definitely taking the Cold Star herb!” 

“And so what if he was! We don’t own the lake. I’d likely beat some sense into you but it looks like you lost enough today.” Bob says as he gestures toward the destroyed swan before walking up to Cass.

“I’m really sorry about him. We are traveling fishermen from a town not too far from here. He gets paranoid and territorial with the lakes we visit to get supplies and fish. He’s old. I hope he didn’t do too much damage.” Bob says as he looks at Cass’ chest but sees no wounds.

“Promise to never let him operate one of those again and I’ll let it go.” Cass says as he extends his hand.

Bob firmly shakes his hand then gestures to Eugene’s boat, “it’s not like he can even if he wanted to. Alright Eugene, you’ll ride with me back to town.”

Eugene protests for a few moments but eventually backs down and leaves with Bob but not without a final bloodcurdling murderous stare as the wings close back up.

“I will kill that old man.” Cass says as he stares daggers into the swan.

Smiley appears next to him, “Don’t you think you are overreacting?”

“I never forget an attempted murder.” Cass says as he turns around, checking to make sure that the herbs stayed in his pockets and heading back toward Crem.

Cass sees a small mushroom cap come running out from the trees and run up to him. “Holy cow! I thought you were gonna die for sure. How are you a cat person now?”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence. It’s a thing I can do.” Cass can barely say before he begins to convulse as light pours from his eyes, mouth, and ears. Flowing out as both forms vanish and Cass reverts to his base form and the convulsing stops.. The light seeps into the ground as it moves away like moles in the dirt.

Crem looks like he’s about to be sick, “Is that supposed to happen?”

“No. That was new.” Cass says as he picks the herbs off the ground that fell when his jacket vanished.

Smiley appears upside down in front of Cass, in a cross legged position. “I warned you. You overloaded the system and crashed. Lucky for you, as you grow accustomed to the changes, it should be safe to do. Eventually.”

“I never want to feel that again.” Cass says as he stands up, walks through Smiley, and hands Crem the herbs he wanted. 

“Thanks!” Crem says as he starts to walk away before turning back around. “I know this may be intrusive but, you have a spellbook, don’t you?”

“What makes you say that?”

“Crazy powers aside, I’ve only seen one other person do what you do. Our leader over at the Troop De Fungi. His name is Portobello. If you come with me, I can introduce you.” Crem gestures to follow him. “It’s not far from here.”

“Not much to base off of.” Cass says as he stares at Crem. Crem rolls his eyes, “okay, fine.” he walks up to Cass and hands him one of the herbs and it turns slightly yellow then picks it up and it returns to its whitish color.

“Fair enough, I suppose.”

Smiley floats next to Cass. ‘It’s either a trap or a trick.’

Cass shrugs and follows Crem, ‘I doubt it’s a trap and don’t you find it interesting that he knew I had a spellbook. Maybe this portobello has one. It’s a lead at least.”

“I hate detours. The sooner we get into Necropolis, the sooner we find the others but if this is a lead then why not.” Smiley says before he disappears again.

“Alright Crem, I’ll take you back but then you introduce me to your leader and then I’ll consider us even.” Cass said as he caught up to Crem.

“Oh, you won’t regret it. The Troop is great! You’ll love them.” Crem says as he skips along.