Chapter 50: Cat and Mouse

Tera is thrown against a tree as she stares at a strange figure in a cloak and hood. Staring at her opponent, Tera readies her claws, prepared to fight, yet she's confused as to why the figure isn't doing anything. She begins backing up slowly—after all, she's still a cat and will always exercise caution.

The cloaked figure vanishes and reappears behind her, striking and sending her to the ground. Tera quickly leaps up, unwilling to be bested, and executes a swift roundhouse kick, hoping for a quick attack, but nothing connects as the figure disappears again. She closes her eyes and focuses on her surroundings, relying on her heightened senses. Timing it perfectly, she delivers an uppercut to the figure attempting to strike from above, then spins around, landing a vicious kick to their midsection. The figure stumbles backward before vanishing once more.

Tera scans the area but finds nothing, leaving her momentarily confused before being struck in the back of the head. "Why you!" she growls, extending her claws to slash at the figure's neck, but the blow never lands as they disappear yet again.

Frustrated, Tera focuses intently, knowing this figure is toying with her, which enrages her further. She pulls out a piece of metal and eats it, activating her will technique and transforming her skin into steel. As the figure punches her from the shadows, she manipulates her body to catch their arm. She swings her claws at them, but the figure quickly evades, freeing themselves before she can rip them open.

Swiftly, Tera jumps into the air and latches onto a nearby tree, sinking her teeth into the wood and leaves. Her skin morphs into bark, with leaves sprouting from her body. She camouflages herself among the foliage, understanding that the figure's ability to vanish means they fear her claws. Now, the hunt is on—Tera is the predator, and they are the prey. She begins leaping from tree to tree, knowing their ability to hide will eventually falter.

Tera watches from above until she sees the figure reappear. She leaps toward them, driving her claws into the figure. The figure lets out a groan before crumbling into dust and blowing away in the wind. Tera stands over her vanquished foe, beaming with pride, waiting for someone to praise her. However, she hears nothing. Her face turns to slight annoyance until she realizes that no one is near her.

"Where are the other humans!?" she asks aloud, looking around. Then it dawns on her. They must've gotten lost, and they need me to bring them back to safety! Tera storms off, ready to search for her companions.

Tera quickly begins running through the forest, but the more she runs, the more she finds herself in the same spot as her battle. Perplexed, she looks around. "Wait, how did I end up here again?" She tries running again but still fails to leave the area. She stops, surveys her surroundings, and notices that all the trees look the same. She begins humming as she walks through the forest, calming her mind.

While walking, she continues humming and then singing softly until she finds Jamal stumbling around, clearly confused.

"How the hell did you find your way through the forest!?" he asks, bewildered.

Tera, equally puzzled, replies, "Momma would say when you're lost, clear your mind and you'll find your way out."

Jamal gives her a long blink, baffled that he might have to rely on Tera to escape this place. Tera smiles and continues walking through the forest, humming a strange song. Jamal, perplexed by the tune, feels like he's heard it somewhere before but can't quite place it.

As Tera and Jamal wander through the forest, Jamal finally speaks after about fifteen minutes. "Uh… did you fight anything strange?"

Tera, confused by the question, responds, "Yes, I fought someone who could disappear. The fight was kind of easy—not really a challenge. I fought someone with a similar ability once, but I had to run away from that fight because they could make anything disappear—their sound, their footsteps—making them impossible to deal with. When fighting this person, it felt like they had the same ability, but… I don't know, they felt weaker. Or maybe I've gotten stronger?" she says without her usual prideful attitude.

Jamal sighs. "I had to fight my father…"

Tera, shocked, responds, "W-wait, really? Oh… um, sorry you had to go through that."

Jamal puts his hands in his pockets. "It's whatever. I don't know if it was really him, considering he was cremated. I was more angry that I had to fight someone in his likeness."

Tera, saddened, says, "My papa was killed in combat when my tribe was attacked by a pack of werewolves. I had to flee—he told me to run." She starts to slow down. "He said, 'Run, and momma will meet you near the boats.' When I got there, it was just me and a few others. When we boarded, momma was nowhere to be found… she sacrificed her spot so I could escape."

Jamal's face remains a bit disgusted. "I see. Sorry to hear that… so why did you come to America?"

Tera pauses for a second. "Well, I was in some country called Egypt, then France, then some islands, then I found myself in the mystical lands of Canada, and eventually in America. I wandered for a bit, fought a fair amount, before getting captured, then I found myself with y'all!"

Jamal raises an eyebrow. "How did you learn English?"

Tera's face brightens up. "My papa taught me how to speak Cataneese, Dzongkha, and English!"

Jamal, now looking a bit dejected, says, "Oh, you're trilingual… that's a bit surprising…"

As they continue, they see some figures walking throughout the forest before phasing away. The two keep walking, and the more Jamal hears Tera hum, he finds himself humming the same song, though he can't quite place where he's heard it before.

As the two make their way through the forest, they find themselves in front of a strange-looking building. However, as they try to enter, something blocks their way. They both sit down.

"Let's just take a break and wait for the others."

Tera and Jamal both take a well-deserved break, awaiting the others.