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Misadventures - Part Three

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Returning to the crew’s quarters, Sandro and Kasatka sought a quiet corner to figure out what they could do while Nadheera figured out a way to resolve their problem. Kasatka was only slightly grateful to be in Sandro’s ghostly form – she didn’t feel tired or hungry, even after their terrible long day, but she knew Sandro was surely thinking the exact opposite.
Sandro was sitting in one of the cots, trying to stay calm. He could feel his heartbeat in throat, trying to figure out his thoughts. What could they do in the meantime?
Finally, Kasatka spoke. “You should eat, then get some sleep.”
Sandro looked to her and blanched. He’d completely forgotten all it took to take care of a body. That meant food and sleep and… “Oh no…” He said, realizing that if Nadheera didn’t come up with something very soon, he’d eventually have to go to the bathroom… He suddenly realized that he hadn’t realized how honestly terrifying the situation was, how easily he could mess up Kasatka’s body for her.
“Y-Yes, I think I really should.” He agreed tensely, trying to offer a faltering smile. “What will you do?”
“Help explain things to the others.” Kasatka replied. “Be careful with your emotions. Get too angry or scared and you will change shape. And do not take the necklaces off.”
Her tone was so much more serious than he’d heard her before that it made him shrink back slightly. Sandro hadn’t ever seen her like that before – she was actually scary, the way she looked at him. And it was still so weird seeing an expression like that on his own face. “I don’t have much of a choice, huh?” He said, though realized that he would’ve acted the same in a similar situation. Still, he wanted to try changing shape again. Closing his eyes, Sandro tried to imagine himself changing shape.
Kasatka watched on silently, her eyebrow quirking up when he changed into, of all things, a tiny fluffy dog hardly any taller than her ankle. In spite of herself, she couldn’t help but give the smallest of smiles.
The former-ghost slumped a bit, the exhaustion surprising him. Looking up, he saw Kas’s smile and stared. It didn’t quite click until he realized that she was suddenly much larger than he. Without thinking, he tried to speak, succeeding only in letting out a high pitched bark.
Unable to help herself, Kasatka laughed – actually laughed! – and knelt down, her elbows on her knees. The smile was still there on her face. “Changing too much will get very exhausting.” She warned.
Sandro barked again, massively confused. He still couldn’t understand why she was laughing. And then it hit him, accompanied by another one of her quiet laughs. He barked again, understanding what had happened.
Kasatka straightened. “You should eat and rest.”
If Sandro hadn’t been in the shape of a dog, he would’ve pouted. He didn’t like receiving orders but he also realized he had little choice. He started forward, unsure where he was going. Then he remembered the market in the city!
Kasatka stared after him as he took off. She followed, floating along in that gliding manner that Sandro had. She had to admit, it was a nice way to travel – she could speed up without any effort and didn’t get out of breath at all. She followed Sandro as he made his way off the ship and back to the city. Ahead of her, Sandro slowed to catch his breath, realizing he couldn’t run the whole way there, his breath coming fast and a stitch forming in his side. Still, his pounding hard and dry mouth… It was a good sensation, one he hadn’t seen for such a long time.
Kasatka hung back a bit as they got nearer the city, unsure how people would react to her. Even though the streets were more populated than they had been when they first returned to the ship, nobody really gave her much mind. When someone did actually notice her, they seemed to just gaze through her. It was odd but not wholly unwelcome.
Sandro continued through the crowded streets, enjoying the smells of the market as he grew nearer. He was astounded at how vivid the smells were, wondering if Kasatka experienced this every time she was in one of her dog forms. He also noticed that, as a dog, it was far easier to weave through the legs of the passers-by. At the same time, though, he found himself preoccupied with only one thought – he wanted food, preferably meat.
A loud, shrill squeal made Sandro jerk around. Not far from where Kasatka floated along behind him was a little girl hardly older than ten, wearing a hideously frilly pink dress and clutching a sandwich in her grubby hands, bits of meet falling from between the bread slices.
Sandro started to edge away from the girl, stopping only when the scent of her sandwich reached his nose and he stopped in his tracks. He barked in the cutest way he could manage, going nearer to the girl.
From the side, Kasatka watched as the girl knelt down and Sandro padded closer, the girl holding out her chubby hand. “C’mere puppy!” Her eyes practically glowed with excitement.
Sandro paused, briefly considering if the girl wanted to catch him and take him home with her. He couldn’t imagine the effort Kasatka would have to go through to get him back if that happened. But the meat in the child’s hands kept him inching closer.
The girl tottered forward and tossed a bit of meat on the ground, grinning widely when Sandro snapped it up. Dropping some more, she inched her hand out, hoping Sandro would draw close enough for her to pet him. And Sandro did inch closer, snapping up the pieces of offered meat like he hadn’t eaten in days, which he hadn’t, really. Before the little girl could get a hand on his furry scruff, Sandro turned and took off, flying between legs until he came to a pause at a lonely stretch of the market, gobbling down the rest of the meat he’d taken.
“At most, she would only have pet you.” Kasatka announced as she approached.
Sandro hardly noticed when Kasatka floated by, focused wholly on the delicious food he gnawed on. It had been so long since he’d had food and it tasted so much better than he remembered.  In reply, he gave Kas a bark, expressing distrust for the little girl.
“Children hold little malice, especially around puppies.”
Sandro considered her words, but still distrusted most children.
“We should return to the ship.” Kasatka pointed out and Sandro had to agree. He didn’t want to get in any trouble while he was in Kas’s form – he couldn’t guarantee he could get away. “If you want to stay out, perhaps change into something a bit…larger.” She suggested.
Sandro glanced down at himself, tempted by the idea but shook his head. Together, ghost and dog turned and headed back for the ship. Looking tired, Kasatka glanced down at Sandro. “I trust you can get back without getting in trouble.” She said, not unkindly, and glided quickly away. Still, she couldn’t help but marvel at the feeling of willing her body to move forward rather than taking a physical step. She wondered how Sandro had gotten used to the feeling at all.
Sandro watched Kasatka go, wondering about the tired expression that looked so out of place on his ghostly face – her expression on his face, he though, reminded at how strange the situation was that they had found themselves in. He considered whether he should head back to the ship or do some more exploring. Perhaps he could find something of value to steal, now that he had the ability to take things. Returning to the market, he looked at the different wares – foods and spices, strange contraptions and magic enhancers, and more. He moved closer to some of the more interesting products, giving them a sniff out of curiosity.
“Mind your noise, little shape-changer.” A richly accented voice chided from a nearby tall. Sandro turned and saw a woman sitting at a stall across the road, her eyes pinned on him – like two gold coins behind thick, dark lashes. He tried to ignore the woman but her glare kept him pinned. He gave a bark, hoping to look like just a stray puppy.
The woman’s lips quirked up into a smile and she waved one finger in a small circle in Sandro’s direction. Instantaneously, Sandro felt himself swelling inside, taking on Kasatka’s human shape against his will. The woman chuckled. “There we go, that’s better. Now, I just want to take a look at that pretty necklace of yours.” She sang.
Sandro stared at the woman with wide eyes, raising both his hands and offering a snarky grin. “Sorry, ma’am, but this necklace is precious and I don’t think I’ll be handing it over. I’m very jealous of it, see.”
“Precious, you say?” The woman drawled, one eyebrow rising delicately. She hooked a finger in Sandro’s direction, beckoning him closer. Her eyes narrowed slightly and the necklace about Sandro’s neck pulled painfully tightly against his skin before the chain snapped and it flew across the street, straight into the strange woman’s hand.
Sandro couldn’t get a word or shout out before a feeling of such terrible hunger took over his – took over Kasatka’s – body, like a beast was trapped beneath the skin and had woken up, clawing away at the inside of his ribs. The woman sat by, watching him with great interest as Sandro dropped to his hands and knees. The hunger took over every thought, scraping away at his very consciousness. In the back of his mind, he remembered that Kasatka’s necklace had something to do with her shapeshifting but he didn’t remember her ever mentioning the hunger.
“Ah, it seems you’re a little beast after all. Do tell, what are you feeling right now, precisely? Hunger? Bloodlust?”
Sandro felt hid anger flare, wanting nothing more than to show that witch exactly what he was feeling. His sense, though, kept his lips closed, letting only a strangled, muffled groan escape past his lips.
The woman stood and approached Sandro, pocketing the necklace. “Come on, little shapeshifter. I’m only curious.” She prodded.
Sandro barely even heard her words, a pulse that was not his own pounding against his ears. He let out another groan, fighting the sudden urge to rip the woman’s throat to shreds. He didn’t realize he’d bitten his lip until the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, a taste that sent the already overbearing hunger into a frenzy. It was as if he was a starved beast and a bit of meat was being dangled just out of reach. He almost wished for death, knowing it was less painful.
Something appeared just above Sandro, between him and the golden-eyed woman. “Give that back!” The voice he heard was his own and he knew that Kasatka had returned.  “You don’t know what could happen!” She sounded afraid, nothing like Sandro had ever heard from her before.
The woman grinned wickedly. “And if I don’t return your precious necklace?” Her question was directed at Kasatka, in Sandro’s body. Kasatka’s fear faltered for a moment in confusions. Did this woman know something about their predicament? Still, she needed her necklace back, needed to get it to back to Sandro before he went off and killed someone. He didn’t know the hunger she faced every day. Without the pendant, she didn’t know how long he could keep it together.
“Oh, you don’t want the boy to kill anybody?” She questioned sarcastically. “Unfortunately for you, little ghostie, I want to see what it is he’ll do. There’s not much I can do to you to lose your temper.” She replied.
Kasatka froze. “How do you know…?” Her words trailed off as she stared at the woman. Then her anger started to flare, causing loose trash and baubles from the nearby stalls to fly about. It was rare that she ever grew truly angry anymore, but the thought that this woman would allow Sandro to berserk after all Kas had done to keep that beast under control. “Give it back, now.” She growled.
“Or what, little ghost?” The woman sneered.
“Or he’ll kill you.” Kasatka replied in a terrible calm.
“While I would truly love to see him try, I think I’ll keep an eye on the both of you from affair.” She said, then pulled the necklace from her pocket and dangled it in Kasatka’s face. Kas reached for the necklace, tried to grab it, but it simply passed through her fingers. With a sadistic laugh, the woman dropped the pendant on the ground, more than an arm’s length from where Sandro lay. “Good luck, little shapeshifter.” With that, the woman gave a swish of her cloak and vanished in the lengthening shadows.
Hooray for rude people, taking your necklaces!

Kasatka belongs to me
Sandro belongs to Ankdros
Nadheera belongs to Sharkiey

Word Count: 2170
© 2016 - 2024 little-blind-mouse
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