The thing's mouth opened to let out a deafening sound. It was composed by nothing but rage.
Show stepped forward and hit the shadow, to see if he could interact with it.
Slap! Woosh.
The thing bounced on the ground and screeched anew. This time it leaped forward, balancing its body to dodge Show's blows, the thing was fast. As more hands appeared to hit the thing, one suddenly vanished.
Chomp!
One arm down.
Show roared in outrage. His body became bigger and the atmosphere changed. Half of it was darker than the night and the other half had the tarnishing red in Show's light-bulbs.
More pristine white spots appeared on the thing's head, more sharp teeth that had no line to follow, a mess that fit the monster like a crown, something it could defend with. Show's next hit touched the razor-sharp teeth and a second arm was chopped off.
Keith's idea could be heard repeatedly while they fought. "Kill it! Kill it!" But Show wasn't sure of the meaning hidden beneath the new challenger, thus while avoiding to lose matter, he grabbed the thing and pulled in opposite directions until he had it spread like a starfish.
"Enough!" He said, hoping it'd calm the two kids.
"Kill it!" Said Keith once more, triggering his other side's reaction, more screams.
After analysing the thing's strength, and because of the place they were in, Show understood the kid's way to express his hunger as well as the limits he had to act over it. He could not tear it apart. Nor could he destroy it with his enormous strength. He couldn't do a thing about it but restrain it temporarily.
Instead of asking the newcomer, he turned toward Keith to ask. "What don't you understand about this place being solely your mind? I can't destroy it, that's a part of you! It's the same as this little brain of yours, it'll eventually come back, and it'll evolve as well. I must say I don't want to risk anything this stupid because you will it."
As per usual, Show gave his point of view without ever seeming sorry about it.
The little monster's limbs contorted in impossible positions, they even completely bent backwards, making only the kid flinch in disgust. They began changing thickness as well, and it was too late when Show noticed how closely it ressembled a tongue, he had to let go of the thing that escaped its grip.
"It's wet? That thing..." Show said, doing his best to identify the threat as his crooked hands felt à slight corrosion.
More teeth appeared, under the things' arms, between its legs, and two canines on its forehead made it look like a demon.
"That bastard wasn't even half-shaped. It's clearly a freaking mouth with legs!" Show roared. Both adversaries moved faster, that until he noticed Keith was being targeted, Show accelerated anew to prove how bad he wanted to keep his place devoid of intruders.
The little shadow moved akin to a tongue, slipping through Show's clawed hands, it was very agile, but against a monster who's movement were as fluid as a tornado, with instant pauses amidst air, no move could be predicted. The fight continued with few exchanges, it came close to an end when walls came out of the ground to corner the little shadow.
No one was sure about who could've made them, be it Show or Keith.
Mister Show approached so fast his many hands nailed the creature to the ashy red glowing slate.
"Stop moving at once!" He shouted, furious.
The thing's very mouth had as much holes as a sponge. There was not enough margin for it to stretch. "Little one, you made it appear, aren't you able to guess what you're supposed to do with it now?" He asked.
"I tried! I can't!" Keith had no idea if the monster had any stamina left, the fight he witnessed seconds before was too fast for him to understand what was going on. Each time he focused, the thing continued its mutations, making it evolve in size as well.
When it reached the point Keith couldn't tell which monster he was most afraid of, the thing melted in the very landscape, screaming in agony all the way.
The place distorted, the red colour fought with the black one.
"Wake up little one!" Show pleaded.
Keith leaned on the ground. His black eyes wide open, he was slowly being swallowed by the ground.
The few dead trees sprouting out of the ashes turned slowly white and kept growing. Nothing could stop the hunger.
With the kid unresponsive, Show sighed, he turned toward Ardi before saying. "What a shame, it happened again. But him being able to call upon his hunger is new. I never would have thought that he'd be able to force its venue."
"That's his hunger?" The pirate asked, his eyes wandering over the white spiked place.
"No time for this, I gotta save Cowtch before the little one eats it." Arms reappeared instantly on Show's body as it disappeared into thin air.
Outside, the kid was held high up in the air, the pirate ran after the bull, making sure the rotten tag didn't fall in its flight.
Once the animal far enough, Show vanished under the kid's shirt to let go of the ferocious desire corroding his mind.
Eat! Eat anything that comes by. Make it vanish under your lips, reduce it to dust and swallow the vigor within its juice.
'He's not supposed to feel angry before moons! What nonsense is this? We've barely set a foot in Pyu realms.' Thought Ardi while he ran. His talents as a cartographer made him rethink about their course multiple times, thinking about roads he had taken once or twice in his death already.
Keith back on his feet was already awake, he ran as fast as he could, looking for a prey, doesn't matter if it'd fit his maw. On both sides of his mouth, his wounds re-opened, blood gushed out from it, each time the kid licked his elongued lips, they emitted a small amount of smoke, they burnt due to the acid in his saliva and the bleeding stopped.
Roar!
A thundering scream shook every grain of sand under his feet.
There was nothing around him but the bull running full speed hundreds of meter away.
Keith was pulled by the silver line slithering behind it, he followed the animal until they reached a forest, a little bit farther. There, more animals ran away from the zone, and fortunately, one left his meal behind.
The corpse of a gnu laid on a tilted tree. Its belly was open and its entrails had already been robbed, as well as its throat. But it was nothing the kid would care of. He jumped on the occasion to end the pain ravaging his stomach.
When the huge cat came back to finish its meal, it ran away when it saw the shadow of the one consuming its game.
Flies dared to come forward and feast as well. Keith wouldn't even blink with one crawling on his eye. He bathed in blood, stained his raggedy clothes and rampaged on the carcass.
Did it hurt still? Yes, a little. Did it relieve him? Better, he felt pleasure, the rough fur often got stuck between his teeth and the dry blood was easier to swallow at once, it was dead cold but its freshness made the meat tender.
He continued engulfing everything and before he could acknowledge the speed he ate, there was nothing left on his plate. He went to find something else to fill his belly.
This time the noise of his steps betrayed his presence as much as his gurgling breath, he was a prowling beast in the jungle, lost in his own instincts.
He tried to breath with his nose, but he swallowed one more gulp of mixed blood and snot. In the night that now covered the sky, he looked for a trail to follow. He lost track of his silver line, now entangled with hundred of others.
He saw a lonely shape in a tree and with three jumps he reached it.
The poor chimpanzee, entangled in a web of branches screamed the instant he saw the menace nearing him.
He had no claws, no horns nor a high velocity at his disposal, but he had four hands. He fought the thing that jumped on him, grabbed its arm and threw it down the trees, while he continued fighting the branch kept him stuck.
But the second time the predator came, it bit his hand and the tendons that gave him his grip strength.
Hanging from one leg, the big monkey made rough moves to slow down his imminent death.
The eyes of the kid wouldn't reflect any more light, the chimpanzee was his second meal, the human-like shape of his last victim triggered a corner of his mind, remembering him of why he was here in the first place.
He, once more, pleasured himself with the food, not wasting a nail during his night meal. Nearly reaching the end of it, he managed to slow down and regain consciousness.