Spirit Animal: Pride of the Panther

Ch. 25: Work as One

The next day, Eda was in the living room, meditating.

"So, why are you doing this?" Luz asked.

"I began to think... if humans are able to control the animal in their body, why can't I do the same thing with my curse?"

"We don't control the Spirit Animal, we connect with it." Luz said, "It's part of us, something we work with."

Eda waved her off.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, same thing." Eda said, "What I'm saying is, what if I was able to do that? I could finally deal with this curse."

"Okay, that makes sense, but do you know how to connect with your curse?" Luz asked Eda.

"It shouldn't be that hard, I connect with it all the time when I turn. Though it's more running away from it, I can work around that." Eda said as she waved her hand.

"Eda, I think you're trying to do this in the wrong way." Luz said.

"Yeah, we'll see." Eda said, not caring, "Good Night!"

Eda made a spell circle and hit herself with a sleep spell. She nearly collapsed before Luz rushed to catch her, dragging her to the couch.

"Dang it, Eda! You're heavy!" Luz complained.

In her mind, Eda was in a familiar environment.

"Let's see, dark, depressing... yep, this is where I need to be."

Eda got up and began walking around, looking for the owl curse so she can control/connect with it to make her life a bit easy.

"Alright, bird brain, where are you?"

Eda continued walking around the dark, gray void as her feet made ripples like they were in water.

'The one time I actually WANT to see that beast and he's nowhere to be seen!' Eda thought before hearing a growl, stopping in her tracks. 'Finally! Alright, now I just need to try and control it.'

Eda turned around and stood before her curse, in the form of a large and ragged owl beast with dirty feathers and hollow eyes.

"Alright, I'm here to deal with you." Eda said, "This is my body, and you won't control it."

"RAAAAAH!" The owl beast roared at Eda.

"Roar all you want but I was born in this body, loved in it, and I will die in it when I see fit! Not you!" Eda shouted at the beast.

The bird looked at her, almost as if Eda was doing this... then was smack by its massive clawed foot.

"AAAAAH!" Eda screamed as she was sent tumbling across the ground. "Ugh! You worthless feather bag."

"RAAAAAAAAH!" The Owl Beast roared at her.

"Ah, damn it!"

The beast roared as it began charging at Eda, making her run away as it chases after her!

'This way didn't work the way I hoped it would!' Eda thought, 'I need to find a way out of this.'

Eda took off running and thinking of a way to conquer the beast while outside of her body, she opened her eyes and roared as they turned pitch black!

"Oh no." Luz said, knowing this wouldn't be good.

She's never actually seen Eda's curse, but she's been told stories. Luz quickly shifted to her panther form. True to Eda's word, Luz's golden fang turned into a golden panther's canine tooth.

"Grrrr." she growled while watching Eda's twitch and fall from the couch, fending as her body began changing almost painfully!

'Alright, beast, let's see what you look like.' Luz thought.