Nine lives

History

I am creature of the night. I am as strong, fast and agile as a cat. I am three thousand years old. Who am I? No one knows, until now...

I have been called many different names by many different people. A monster or a blemish upon this earth some have said, to others, a miracle of nature. But my true title is known only by myself, Lucif. My name originates from the name Lucifer, or also known as the devil or the light bearer, because we share a history of sins. My name also resembles the hiss of my parent, an African jungle cat. Allow me to explain.

Precisely three thousand and five years ago, a magician, whose name I do not speak, started experimenting with human genetics. He longed to dramatically improve humans and thought to do so he must join a human with the most highly evolved animal his time. That animal happened to be an incredible feline that prowled the African jungle. After capturing an unsuspecting cat with his extraordinary powers he started the gruesome experiments. I do not know how, due to the fact I only picked up bits and pieces of the story, but the madman succeeded and created his perfect creation, me. Half human, half feline, I seeked revenge for my curse. I was hell-bent on getting back at that bastard, so I did. At the ripe age of two, already matured to my fullest, at least physically, I slaughtered the son of a gun on my birthday. It gave me satisfaction and contentment for the following year, but the curse still followed me, cat ears, a tail, retractable claws and minuscule whiskers dotting my tan face. I stayed in the shadows for the first hundred years, not risking exposing my true nature. Did I mention I quite literally, unlike urban myth, have nine lives? They helped me sustain my prolonged longevity. But my past three thousand years have brought to me very little joy. I often relate better to fellow animals than to the so called civilized humans. Although their discoveries and inventions still baffle my highly superior mind, their morals have become worse as time has eroded them. I now live in a lively forest in Europe, the whereabouts I care not to mention. My feline nature often overcomes my human, so I have no difficulty catching my own food. I do not stay hidden due to my physical traits, because I can retract, although painfully, my cat features back into my person, but because I have a history for murdering the more observant humans who question my identity. Due to my unfortunate lack of wisdom in my early years, I often interacted with humans and had to eliminate their doubts the only way available to me, which was to eliminate their very existence. In the past millennium my options have expanded. I say this because not only I posses great agility, strength, speed, knowledge and wisdom but I have recently acquired the ability to sense lies. Since I have roamed the earth for such a long time I have learnt not only speak every language known to man but also many so called animal languages. I often communicate with the animals near my emplacement to ask them for threats; I started to take note that in mating season the animals would lie to me regarding their young's hiding. Not long after there was a sort of indicator in my head that told me if something said was false or true. I believe that this might have been a bit of dark magic on the magician's part or some odd evolution process my person is undergoing. Either way I wish not to thank the madman for anything. After a few dozen years in the same forest I now feel it is now the time for change, for I can feel it in the air. My near future is pregnant with opportunities.