Lin Chung curled his body closer to the wall, trying to avoid being spotted. He was five years old, and rather small for his age. His eyes were black as pitch, his hair a dark chocolate brown, and his skin pale from no exposure to the sun. Lin Chung's father Takeo was home from work and the poor boy was trying to get outside. His father, as his name said, was a violent man who drank quite a bit. Takeo also usually took out the day's frustrations on his only child. Lin Chung only had a few feet to go…
"There you are, you rotten boy!" Takeo exclaimed.
Lin Chung whimpered and made a beeline to the door, but he wasn't quick enough. With a painful crack, he was backhanded into the nearest wall. The little boy whimpered, hiding his eyes in his hands as his father got closer, his eyes filled with rage…
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Lin Chung sniffled as he walked through the forest. It was so peaceful in the woods, so unlike his own life…Another soft sob passed the small boy's lips as a cut on his leg gave a painful throb. Why did his father do this to him? He did his best to please him, to be the perfect son, but all he got in return was hurt.
"Stupid. I can't do anything right!" the boy growled, lashing out at a tree. He gasped, grabbing his hand in pain. "Ow! Dumb tree!"
There was a soft growl above him, making the black-eyed boy look up. What he saw made him yelp in fear and surprise. A lithe black cat was perched on the tree, staring down at him curiously. Lin Chung spun around and scrambled away as fast as he could, his heart pounding wildly. He could hear the cat following him in the treetops. Suddenly, the leg that was wounded gave way, sending the little boy sprawling onto the ground. He turned over as the cat landed on the ground in front of him.
"P-please don't hurt me! I-I can't take anymore!" Lin Chung whimpered, scooting back.
"Hurt you? Why would I hurt you?" the black cat asked calmly, trotting up to the boy and sitting on his hind quarters.
"You…you can speak Human!"
"Yes. Latimer taught me. But let's not worry about me. You are leaking a copious amount of blood."
The big black cat tenderly picked up the dazed boy in his teeth and took off at a run. Lin Chung saw the forest pass by in blurs of greens and browns. He lost consciousness some time during the trip and woke up in a soft bed. The boy sat up and looked around. He was still in the forest, but a more beautiful section he had never seen before. There were flowers and trees of every kind, surrounding him with a luscious scent. There were berry bushes thick with plump fruits that made the boy's mouth water.
"Ah, good. You're awake. Hungry?" Lin Chung looked over to see the same giant black cat that had carried him here.
"Um, yes, sir," Lin Chung murmured hesitantly.
"Please, do not call me sir. I am much too young for that," the cat said with a laugh as he gathered several kinds of berries together.
"Well…what should I call you? I don't even know what you are!"
"You may call me Rahim. I am the King of the Panthers," the cat replied, carrying over a bowlful of fruit.
"Rahim…I like your name," Lin Chung said as he eagerly dug into the food.
The Panther King laughed. "Don't eat too fast now, little one!"
"Mmph," Lin Chung replied then swallowed. "I've never tasted food like this before!"
"Ah! That's because it's the monkeys who helped me grow it. They have a way with fruits."
Lin Chung swallowed another mouthful. "My father says that all animals are cruel things that kill without thought. Why are you being so nice to me?"
The Panther's eyes narrowed. "Your father is wrong. We animals enjoy Human company. In fact, the Panthers are a medicinal people. We help to heal."
"But…I've seen Panthers fight before…"
"Ah. Indeed, young one. We can fight, but, like the monkeys, we prefer peace."
"Peace…" Lin Chung murmured softly, taking a small bite of a pomegranate.
"Yes, peace." Rahim looked at the boy for a moment. "Who did this to you boy?"
"My father," the black-haired youth murmured. "I was a bad child…I think."
The Panther King growled. "That's wrong…"
"What?"
"Nothing. Rest. Just rest, my boy," Rahim murmured, taking the now-empty fruit bowl away.
As Lin Chung lay back down, he noticed that the bed was made of moss, as was his blanket. He also noticed a peculiar lack of clothes…He shrugged it off as he snuggled beneath the moss covers, falling asleep quickly and dreaming of peace and happiness that he'd never know.
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Lin Chung awoke to the sound of soft mewls, smiling. He'd spent nearly two months with the Panthers, and he had enjoyed every minute of it. At first he'd been confused, not understanding why Rahim wouldn't let him go back to his father and mother. Finally, Rahim had set him down and explained that what his father had been doing to him was wrong and evil. Lin Chung had gone quiet for a few days before accepting what he was told.
"Good morning, little one," the Panther Queen said softly, licking his face to clean it.
"Althea! Stop it!" Lin Chung laughed.
Though Althea couldn't speak Human, Lin Chung was learning Panther. It was interesting to learn the languages of animals. So many differences from Human…
"Morning, child," Rahim said, gracefully leaping down from a tree branch. "How was your sleep?"
"Good," Lin Chung replied with a smile. "I dreamed I was a Panther."
The Panther King looked startled. "Oh?"
"Yeah…it was so strange. I felt Human, but I was running with you and your people, keeping up with ease," Lin Chung remembered fondly.
"Did…anything else happen?"
"Yeah. My eyes felt all funny then my vision zoomed up really close to this branch and I saw all these little bugs! My vision zoomed out again, but this time it was this really weird slow motion thing…Why are you looking at me like that?"
The Panther King and Queen looked at each other then back at him, their mouths parted slightly in shock…
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Lin Chung slowly opened his eyes, his breathing slow and even. That day his life had changed yet again. Rahim and Althea had revealed to him that he possessed the legendary Panther Vision, and had begun training him to use it. The training included intense physical and mental conditioning, which took years to complete. Now, here he was all these years later, having perfected his gift, and the Panthers were in hiding and unable to see him use it. Lin Chung sighed then looked down.
"Oh! Hello little bamboo shoots! Thank you for growing! I'm sorry it took so long for me to notice you today, but I'm a bit…distracted. Can't stop thinking about my father. I have told you about him, haven't I? Hmm, I do believe I have."
Lin Chung had picked up the habit of talking with nature long ago with the Panthers. Most would say he could only monologue, but the boy knew better. There was a certain way that nature always answered, and you could understand it if you were attuned to it. He plucked one of the fresh shoots and popped it in his mouth, humming at the delicious flavor. He felt rather than saw more shoots shoot up from the ground. He chuckled as he swallowed.
"You little guys really do like being eaten don't you?" Lin Chung asked softly.
He grabbed up a few more, eating them one by one. After he was finished, he wandered over to a stream that ran through the bamboo forest to clean the sticky juices off his hands. He splashed a bit of the cool water on his face, shivering slightly at the temperature. As the water dripped down his face, he looked back down into the still water.
His childhood appearance was drastically altered. His eyes were no longer black. Instead, they were a cat-like green with yellow on the outer rim. His face was graceful, with high cheeks and thin lips that pulled back to reveal teeth sharper than any Human's. His skin was still pale, but healthily so. His hair that had used to be brown was now black as a Panther's pelt. Lin Chung rarely allowed himself to look like this. The others at Big Green would realize that he wasn't all Human.
"Lin Chung!" a voice yelled for him.
The seventeen-year-old growled low in his throat. "Great. This is supposed to be me time!"
He didn't move from his spot, instead looking in the water to make sure he altered his appearance right. His eyes darkened to black, his teeth became more Human-like, his hair lightened to a sandy gray color, and his body all around became bulkier, less graceful. Properly disguised now, Lin Chung ran a tongue over his teeth and stood up with a sigh.
"I'm over here, Mr. No Hands!" he called, hurrying over to pick the bamboo shoots.
"There you are! Commander ApeTrully's in trouble!"
'When isn't he in trouble?' the teenager thought dully. Out loud he said, "Then we must go save him!"
Lin Chung leaped onto his turtle, the only one who knew his secret, and took off after Mr. No Hands. His outward appearance was calm, as usual, but inside he was seething with annoyance and anger. He always seemed to be interrupted when he wanted to be alone. He was tired of it, but he couldn't really do anything about it unless he wanted to reveal his Panther-like demeanor and past. With an inward sigh, he resolved, yet again, to stay silent.