Chapter 15
“So why don’t you explain how you transformed from my little buddy into…this?” I asked, gesturing at her.
The corners of her mouth turned slightly downwards. “Did you honestly think that I was nothing more than a little spider?”
Oh crap, was there a good answer to this question? “Ah…”
“That doesn’t matter. Why don’t you just explain what’s going on?” Lilly asked.
I shot her a look of gratitude, but she wasn’t watching me anymore. I turned back to the woman, and she shrugged nonchalantly.
“I am still a Shadow, I simply didn’t have enough energy to change my form to my normal one until those controllers summoned that Chimera. When they opened the hole to whatever dark world they pulled it from, I leeched a little energy out of it so I could change.”
“I’m confused about one thing. I thought Shadows were bred here in Triton, not summoned from who knows where.”
She nodded. “I believed the same, but I don’t know any more than you do.”
“But you’re supposed to be the person who knows everything and tells me how to win!” I complained.
“I’m sorry,” she said meekly.
I sighed and made a dismissive motion with my hand. “It doesn’t matter. I suppose Bill isn’t really an adequate name for you, is it?”
“If you want it to be my name, I do not mind.”
I grimaced. “I’d rather not call a girl ‘Bill’. Don’t you have any ideas?”
“You would not be able to pronounce my ideal name,” she replied.
“Oh? Try me.”
“Jenna.”
I raised an eyebrow and easily repeated the name. Jenna sighed. “Oh. I saw someone say that in one of your memories and you seemed to find it entertaining.”
I took a step back. “Wait, you can read my mind?”
“No! I can see some of your surface memories. Like things you find amusing and fun, but nothing important.”
“Wait, really?”
She giggled. “Nope, I’m just screwing with you.”
I narrowed my eyes at her, and Jenna shied away. “Fine. But what should we do about the next fight? This isn’t a movie; we can’t beat that monstrosity. And there’s something strange about its controller too.”
Jenna closed her eyes to think for a moment. “Could you describe him for me?”
“Well, he’s got a metal hand, and his Shadow is a huge tortoise. It killed a dragon in one move.”
She suddenly gasped, and both Lilly and I scooted closer to her. “What is it? Do you know something about him?”
Her eyes snapped back open and she stared at me. “Nope! How could I? I don’t know anything more than you do, maybe even less! But I smell food.”
I sighed, and fell back on the bed. “Way to get my hopes up. Do you think we should try to take that controller out before we fight him? Assuming he wins his next fight, he’ll probably be our next battle.”
“You’re thinking straight for once!” Lilly agreed.
“Why would you ever do that? Would you really kill someone just so you could easily advance? I understand killing during the battle, but anything else is just cowardly!” Jenna cried.
I winced. My heart was entirely on Jenna’s side, but I remembered what had happened to the last person who had decided honor and peace took the prize over the success of himself and his people.
“Look, I promise I can beat this guy! I am a strong Shadow after all. Just please don’t kill anyone for no reason!” she begged.
Lilly glared at her. “You’re a fool! Drake has finally begun figuring out how to win, and now you show up out of nowhere and try to make him back into the idiot that he was before he met me?”
“Enough! I’m exhausted right now, and I really can’t take any more of this. I’m going to try to get some sleep. Wake me up if our next fight is going to start. And Lilly, if you’re going to stay awake, could you explain our situation to Jenna?”
“What about the claw armed man?”
“We’ll deal with him when we get there,” I replied, and Jenna let out a sigh of relief.
Lilly shook her head sadly at me, and turned to Jenna. I tuned them out, and laid down on my bed to rest.