I stared at the tiger, eyes narrowing.
She had spoken.
Her voice was clear, elegant, even. Feminine. A sharp contrast to the beastly form before me. Muscles rippled beneath her fur, but her eyes held something else, fear. Intelligence.
"How are you able to speak?" I asked cautiously, keeping my weapon in hand.
She flinched. "Am I... not allowed to?"
Her voice trembled, but there was defiance in it too, like a wounded queen refusing to bow.
I blinked, taken aback by her answer. Technically, she wasn't wrong. Just because she looked like an animal didn't mean she didn't have the right to speak. Maybe I was too quick to judge.
Could everything in this world communicate like this?
The boar yesterday didn't. It acted like any other animal. No speech, no signs of higher thought. But this one… she was different. Magical, even.
I rubbed my chin. What should I do with her?
An idea struck me.
"Hey," I said, "is it possible for humans and beasts to form a familiar contract in this world?"
She froze, ears twitching. Her expression shifted from fear to irritation.
"Beast?" she spat, her voice suddenly full of venom. "Listen well, human. I'm not just some animal. I am a mystical being. My power is enough to level a human city to dust."
I raised an eyebrow. "Hmm. Sounds dramatic."
She growled softly, but I kept my expression flat. "That kind of bluff won't scare me. So, can it be done or not? Because if not... I may as well kill you now. I can't have you stealing from me again."
Her eyes widened, and for a moment, she looked truly shaken.
A tense silence fell between us. Then, with trembling limbs, she lowered herself to the ground, bowing.
"Fine!" she said quickly. "I'll form the contract. Just... spare me."
She looked ridiculous, like a wild animal mimicking a human's desperate plea. But at least she was smart enough to surrender. I nodded, pleased.
"Good. You'll guard my home from now on. No one touches what's mine."
She nodded rapidly, almost like an obedient dog. The image was... strangely amusing.
"How do we form the contract?" I asked.
"Just drop a bit of your blood onto me," she said. "That will bind us."
I nodded, unsheathing my knife. A quick slice across my fingertip, and a drop of blood fell onto her fur.
Then everything changed.
Golden chains of light burst from thin air, wrapping around her like sacred vines. One end of the chain curled into her chest, the other pierced through me like mist and embedded itself in my heart.
For a moment, I felt it.
A connection.
A bond.
It pulsed between us like a silent thread. alive, breathing. It was real. The familiar contract existed.
Then I noticed something strange, her wounds began to close, the gashes healing rapidly. Her body grew larger, stronger, as if infused with energy. A blue crystal began to form in the center of her forehead, glowing with quiet power. And her tail... it split into two.
"You evolved..." I muttered. "Was that from the contract?"
She remained still, stunned. Her eyes were wide as if she too couldn't comprehend the transformation.
After a moment, she lowered her head.
"I will follow you now, Master," she said softly.
I nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Let's return to my home. Bring what's left of the boar."
She obeyed immediately, lifting the carcass with ease and walking beside me like a loyal soldier.
As we walked through the woods toward my home, I couldn't help but feel a small weight lift off my chest. For the first time in what felt like forever, I had someone to talk to.
No longer was I just a man lost in the wilderness, talking only to the wind and silence.
Elanoef walked slowly behind me, still in her tiger form, carrying the boar meat between her jaws. I turned to glance at her again.
"Hey," I said, "I just realized, I don't even know your name. Would you mind telling me?"
She paused for a moment, then made a small, muffled sound, her mouth was still occupied with the boar.
"Oh, right," I said, laughing at myself. "Sorry, here, let me take that."
I stepped closer and lifted the boar from her mouth. It was heavier than I expected, but I managed. She licked her lips before finally speaking.
"My name is Elanoef, Master."
"Elanoef…" I repeated, nodding with a soft smile. "Nice to meet you. I'm Adam."
"Understood, Master Adam."
Not long after, we arrived at the place I called home, a partially cleared patch of earth, a pile of logs, and the remains of a campfire. I dropped the boar beside the fire pit, exhaled deeply, then turned to her.
"Well, that's done," I said. "Now I just have to keep rebuilding this place." I wiped sweat from my brow, already feeling the heat of the midday sun. "But before that… why don't you rest? You're still hurt, I hit you pretty hard back there."
Elanoef raised her head slightly. "There's no need, Master. The wound is already healed. I can still assist you."
I looked at her, her striped fur, her four legs, and the calm, intelligent eyes watching me. I hesitated, scratching the back of my neck.
"…But how? I mean, you don't exactly have hands."
She tilted her head as if she could read my thoughts. Then, without any warning, she said gently, "Would you like me to take human form, Master?"
My eyes widened. "You can do that?"
She gave a soft nod, then stepped back.
And in the blink of an eye, her form shimmered, like heat rising from desert sand. Her body twisted, reshaped, reformed in a graceful dance of shifting light. Fur gave way to skin, her long feline limbs bending and shrinking into the shape of a woman.
In just seconds, she stood before me, tall, graceful, with smooth, pale skin. Her long black hair flowed down past her waist, the same dark hue as her fur had been. Her eyes remained that brilliant, icy blue.
And she wasn't wearing anything.
I blinked rapidly."W-Whoa, okay. You really can transform. That's… impressive."
"I thought this form would be more useful, Master," she said calmly, completely unbothered by her nudity.
"Yeah, it's useful," I muttered, "But, uh… let me make you some clothes first, okay? Then we can work on the house."
She tilted her head, curious. "Very well, Master Adam."
I nodded quickly, already scanning the area for some spare fabric or hide I could use. I had no idea how to sew, but I figured a makeshift robe was better than… well, this.
"Alright," I murmured to myself. "Let's start with a tunic or something…"