‘I know, he’s pushing the change at a faster rate. It’s mostly out of spite, possibly also to punish Flug for this plan. If not all of us. We have to find someone quick, or at least ease him more to our way of thinking.’ Casper answered, keeping her eyes on the road.
‘The effects will overtake her until she is nothing but a shell. Acting quickly is the only thing we can do, unless you have a better plan.’ A new and better host was the best way to coax him, but he was the sort to act out of spite if Azura’s changes were anything to go by.
‘I supposed he would kill her before a final switch was made,’ his words filtered into her mind as their thoughts mingled. After all, being that petty was something Aku could relate to and likely what he would have done if he was Black Hat. Certainly, they weren’t all that different.
‘Flug possesses a toxin with the ability to incapacitate creatures such as myself and Black Hat, but he is convinced this will kill Azura…’ But at this rate, it appeared as if death was closing in on her either way.
Aku didn’t like the way Azura was looking and sounding. Her graying skin and sharp teeth had him especially concerned. However, speaking up about it would most certainly give away his position. There had to be another way to communicate without being overheard by Black Hat.
Casper, with her ability to see and speak to creatures of darkness, was his best bet for being heard. So Aku began to concentrate on making his unspoken thoughts as loud as possible and focused on “pushing” them into the head upon which he sat, which happened to be Casper’s.
‘Casper,’ he thought as loudly as he could. ‘She is doing poorly. Respond if you can hear me.’
Casper, startled, had swerved a bit before righting the van’s path on the road. “Shit!”
“What the hell was-”
“Nothing! I thought I saw a squirrel.” She lied flawlessly, relaxing again. The van once more going silent.
‘I can hear you, that scared me!’
Aku’s sounds of frustration translated clearly through what he now knew was a shared connection.
‘FOCUS!’ he chided, his thought-voice sounding just as rough and irate as his spoken voice. However, he couldn’t help being pleased with this small victory. At least she could hear him.
‘You are not someone I thought would scare so easily.’ This was the closest thing she was going to get in terms of an apology from him. Aku’s thoughts went on, ‘As I was saying, Azura’s condition is growing worse. Her skin has grayed and there are changes in her features.’
The Shogun of Sorrow 