Reformation

Prologue

The black striped, snow white predatory cat perched on the edge of the flat, bare rooftop, gazing out over the silent Brazilian city like a ghostly guardian. Gleaming, sharp blue eyes scanned the moonlit streets below with the silent malignity only a Bengal tiger can hold without any outward movement. But the tiger was not on the hunt; this white cat was surveying its territory.

One black tipped ear twitched.

The soft white light washed everything in its glow, so that the building faces, roofs and streets were all cast in various shades of dark shadows. Lonely street lights dotted stone streets that were mainly empty: to wander Brazilian streets at night was a gamble at best, especially in this part of the city. The patchy yellow light thrown by the street lamps dimly illuminated the weathered building faces, elongating the windows' and doors' shadows into gaping black eyes and silently screaming mouths. Everything was blanketed in a hushed, apprehensive quiet.

The tiger spun around smoothly, scanning the empty roof with ears swiveling and whiskers shivering. It's predatory senses were tingling, and it was taking every precaution.

Its padded paws were silent as it stalked slowly across the roof, the cold twinkling stars in the night sky its only witnesses. Smooth concrete underfoot, a warm humid breeze ruffling the tiger's black streaked fur; everything seemed quiet and innocent.

Suddenly, with only a slight whistle in the air as warning, a dark shape swept toward the tiger at breakneck speed. The Bengal tiger crouched, its maw open in a silent snarl, and faced the collision head on. A lean, muscled body of fur and claws crashed into the tiger, sending both tumbling across the roof. Claws flashed and limbs tangled as the two went over the edge, still connected as they fell through the air. They would have faced serious injury if not for the relatively short fall onto a lower roof separated by a narrow alley.

The two were ripped apart on contact with the roof, skidding in opposite directions, both on their feet in seconds, ready for the next attack.

The tiger faced its opponent with crackling icy blue eyes, a growl rumbling low in its throat, tail twitching with animosity. The surprise attacker was none other than another big cat: a panther. Its lean body was cloaked in short fur the color of ink, the black color giving it the appearance of a moving shadow. What gave it away was its eyes. They glowed in the dark, burning an amber orange and flickering with hatred as it stared across the roof at the defending cat. These two recognized each other.

The panther leapt into motion, bounding toward its larger enemy with claws extended. The tiger rushed to meet it, rippling muscles of predatory strength flying through the air with the intent to kill. The panther locked its jaw around a chunk of the tiger's neck, sinking its teeth in as the cats fell back onto the roof, front legs wrapped around the other in a malicious parody of an embrace. The tiger roared in pain, digging its claws into the panther's side as it writhed, trying to rip its head away. The panther's teeth tore at the tiger's flesh as it was flung onto the roof, victim to the tiger's superior strength. But its agility saved it as the panther scrambled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the flash of the tiger's swiping claws.

As the panther and the tiger tussled, taking turns drawing blood, their entangled bodies resembled yin and yang, black and white fur pushing and pulling, darkness against light.

Then the tiger succeeded in pinning the panther, slamming its shoulders into the roof, its neck vulnerable as it struggled awkwardly on its back. The tiger snarled menacingly, its claws sinking deep into the panther's flesh and drawing a yelp of pain from its pink throat.

The tiger leaned down, but instead of ripping into its neck, opened its mouth and growled the human's tongue in bestial tones. "Tell your master that the girl is mine."

It nipped the panther's ear with warning, then released the black cat and watched it scurry off of the roof and into the night.