Remnant Tails

Settled By Weight

"Look at how it stares with such iniquity," I heard a woman tell her friends.

For the first time in my life, I had to worry fitfully what people thought.

When I was human, no one dared go further than mocking my appearance or ignoring me. The occasional brat would throw spoils my way. Now that I was this creature, people threw trash or whatever they had to spare, though I'd be lying if I thought I didn't enjoy the food.

I jumped up to a balcony, away from casual diners.

Though I wasn't hungry this body seemed to enjoy food. I remembered Wren warning me about being a starving creature. I wasn't starving, though, I just liked to eat.

That hadn't changed at all. It was weird. Or maybe it was just too early to tell.

Thinking about being a Remnant reminded me that I had a perilous job to do.

It got me wondering whether I should play hooky or dutifully fulfill my responsibilities.

I dodged a mop and snatched the awful man's sticky bun he sat down on the balcony, spilling the sick smelling black swill he was drinking.

Oh, my! What a thrill!

I've never stolen anything before.

A woman squealed when I landed next to her and her group of buzzards. I wagged my tail and let out a vicious growl behind the bun. They all abandoned their posts without fail, and I gave an elated leap when the same mop came for me once more.

Nice try, but I don't think so.

I buried myself in a crowd of people, the occasional person squealing at their feet.

My heart pounded with excitement. Now I knew why crooks always seemed to be in such high spirits. To be unfettered by the rules men followed, even for a moment, was blissful.

In my old life, I never would've considered stealing, lest I be hauled away in cuffs like so many of the other living poor. A moment of temptation wasn't worth the risk of my family suffering. It wasn't worth teaching my brother bad morals that would only tether him down to a sinful path. So I worked hard and kept my vices strictly where my brother was concerned.

I stopped to gobble up the sticky bun.

I turned to see where my next move would be and was struck by my reflection in the mirror. I ran around in this new body and had no idea what I looked like.

I was small.

A tiny, fierce wild-cat with big ears and a tiny brown nose, my whiskers thin and stretching proudly on each side.

I growled and showed my sharp vicious teeth.

Only I was also a meek little house cat as well.

I was small and nimble with long brown fur and pale socks for paws. My green eye and brown eye were the same as always, and my white streak of hair became a dash of white fur across my head. The vines that once crossed my human face was now a railroad of lighter fur going down my new body, reminding me that Wren told me it wasn't completely gone.

I got a good look at the collar and saw that it was what made me look tame.

It was my tail that made me look demon. Though it wasn't quite two tails, the split was awkward, and the green jewel set before the split was stunning. More beautiful than an emerald and more precious than a diamond.

It was magical.

Important, some instinct told me.

My very presence was proof that I was no longer human.