Critter Shape

Panel 1: Jackal floats underwater with her cloak aloft behind her. She squints and holds her hatchet in one hand. A large, eel-like amphibian with feathery gills, a horn on its brow, and unusual teeth swims past her behind her cloak. Closer to the surface, a giant frog swims, its belly transparent enough to see its internal organs.

In the lower right, Jackal’s stat bar shows she is level two, with ten out of sixteen hitpoints, and is over halfway in her experience meter to leveling up.

Panel 2: Some force magically pulls Jackal upward through the water.

Panel 3: Jenver catches Jackal by her hands to pull her up out of the water. Jackal looks bewildered.

Panel 4: Jenver holds Jackal to her chest with one arm and squeezes her cheeks with the other hand. Jenver grins at Jackal and says, “A lil pup out past its expiration date. Cute lil thing. When night has you, you’re my creature.”

Panel 5: Zoom out and we can see the rowboat on the river where a sparrowfish holds Sarah’s face, preparing to suck out her eyeball. Sarah struggles and grimaces.

On the shore, a giant grub comes out one tunnel and down into another. A skeletal ghost hovers, glowing in spectral flame, and Treon approaches.

Jenver has set Jackal down on the ground, crouches, and pets her head. She says, “It’s not night, but let’s take a peek at your critter shape, dead girl.” She turns Jackal into a dog, specifically a cardigan corgi.

Panel 6: Sheepishly, Treon walks up to Jenver and says, “You probably think I’m an idiot, ha.”

Jenver grins, holding corgi Jackal in her arms, and says, “Ha, yep!”

Jackal whines. She still has scars on her face and what skin shows is sickly green. Her fur is creamy white and dark brown brindle.