Laf Audition part 9

And with that the bird shot into the sky, the key dangling from its talons. The startled pair stood there for a moment, not quite able to comprehend exactly what had happened, before Umbra crouched down and  tensed her muscles. Then she leapt, her paw extending into the air in an attempt to swat the Thief back down. It was fruitless - the creature was already much too high, and she landed with ungraceful stumble, contrary to her species' usual grace. Sar let out a guttural, hair-raising shriek somewhat like the amplified sound of material getting torn in two, and charged after the bird. Umbra followed, her long strides eventually outdistancing her much smaller companion, but it wasn't long before the Thief had disappeared into the canopy. Umbra stopped, panting excessively even after only have been running for a minute or so, but Sar continued into the underbrush.
"You...ya fucking little bugger, GET YER ARSE BACK HERE! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YER DOING!? I NEED THAT, YA -
Sar's shrieks faded out as she crashed further into the bracken, not at all concerned with the fact that their tormentor had vanished. Umbra stood there, shaking, her tongue lolling out. She felt woozy. She replayed the scene in her mind, trying to grasp what had happened. She'd heard tales of shape-shifters from an old lioness in an enclosure near hers, stories about a timeless thief that would toy with his victims by taking something dear to them. She shook her head, her muscles shuddering from her chase and from shock.
Then she remembered: the Thief had been carrying something around with him in his collar, and it had dropped when he shifted forms. Intrigued, she made her way back to the ravine, knowing calling out to Sar would be useless.
It was a piece of paper, rolled up and browned from age. She prodded it with her paw until it unrolled, and her eyes widened.
The paper was covered in dotted lines and messily drawn symbols. In the center of the page was what looked like a tall building wedged between two cliffs; a giant X was etched across it. At the bottom of the page, text was scrawled: I have taken something from you. If you want it back...come and find me. - the Thief
Umbra stared pensively at the paper, eyes narrowed. Across from her enclosure at the zoo, a large sign was posted along the path. The old lioness had explained to her it was a 'map' and it showed the humans where to go and how to get there. She knew how to read - there were signs all over the place in the zoo, and she didn't have anything better to do - but only a little. She thought she understood what the Thief was trying to say - to get back the key, they simply had to go to the X.
"S-sar," She mumbled, turning back towards where she'd last seen the marsupial. Then, louder - "Sar! He left something behind, come look at this!"
Still nothing.
Sighing, she picked up the map in her mouth and followed the string of insults, threats, profanity, and shrieking.
Sar launched out of one of the bushes like a bullet, causing Umbra to jolt, and skidded to a halt in front of the tiger. "HOW COULD YOU LET HIM GET AWAY!!" She yowled, her teeth bared and her yellow eyes smoldering.
Umbra looked away from the livid devil. "It wasn't my fault. I -
"Shit, shit, SHIT!" Sar began to pace, pawing at the ground like a bull. "That shape-shifting overgrown wallaby! I'll catch 'im and shred his fat arse to pieces, I'll tear out his innards and shove them in his cakehole, then I'll.. I'll..." Her eyes glowed as she levitated a branch and threw it across the clearing, smashing it against a tree. Umbra jumped back as shards of wood flew from the collision.
"Would you just calm down?!" Umbra hissed, planting a large white paw on top of the writhing devil, ignoring her seething protests. "Listen to me. We can get the key back! The Thief left a..a map behind." Sar gradually stopped squirming. She felt her rage melt into a containable seething anger, and although her low growling didn't stop she managed to sit still and stare glumly up at her companion.
"Look." Umbra pawed the map towards her friend. Sar grabbed it with her small paws, inspecting it with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you recognize it? It's the same sort of thing as that big sign in the zoo. If we follow the landmarks, we can get to the X, and that's where the key will be." Umbra explained, feeling rather proud of herself.
"How d'ya know all that?" Sar grumbled. She observed the scribbled writing on the bottom of the paper. "Can ya actually read this crap?"
"Well, I had a lot of free time in the zoo. I can't read all human writing, but I'm guessing it says that the Thief wants us to come and find him at this place in the middle."  
"Well, of course. I knew that." Sar mumbled. "But I'm not seein' any of these landmarks. How are we supposed to -
She trailed off as the map began to blur. She dropped it, staggering back, as it trembled. A soft white light like the one they'd seen as the Thief transformed began emanating off the paper.
"W-what..." Umbra squeaked, backing away as the glow grew until a blinding white flash exploded from the paper. White washed over them, consumed them; and the forest was engulfed.

Sar was falling. She felt branches thwack her limbs as she barreled downwards. Her fall was broken by a serendipitously-placed fern, enveloping her in tickling green fingers. She wriggled out of the plant, her head spinning, and gaped.
She was in a dense jungle, trees looming to the sky in unbelievable height and thickness. Unfamiliar bird cries rang through the trees, and the plants around her seemed huge, magnified; she felt like an insect. In the horizon rows of blue tinged mountains rose towards the sky.
She jumped as a familiar yowl announced Umbra's presence, and turned to see the same clump of ferns shudder as a disgruntled tiger walked out.
"What," Sar began, "the hell just happened?!"
Umbra stumbled and promptly flopped to the ground. She shook her head, not knowing what to say, her hackles raised and her ears pressed back against her head.
A light object fluttered down and landed on Sar's head. She let out a another shriek and whipped her head up, snapping her jaws closed around the object before she realized what it was.
She release the map, now indented with teeth marks and dripping in saliva. She backed away from it, snarling. "That ARSEHOLE! What kind of bullshit is this? How did.. what is he, a fucking wizard?!"
Umbra opened her mouth to reply, then shut it. Her eyes widened.
"I swear to god that lil' sucker is gonna cark it when we find him..."
Umbra got up shakily and walked past the slightly hysterical Sar. The tasmanian devil whirled around, teeth bared, but her snarl stopped short.
"Crickey." A slope rose up, oddly vacant of trees, until it stopped and abruptly dropped off to a nearly vertical cliff face. In the middle of the plateau a single tree was perched - or at least, what used to be a tree. It was as blackened as coal, it's middle was split in two, and its deadened branches curved out like the legs of giant spiders. It looked forlorn.
"I-It's exactly the same." Umbra muttered. She spread the haggard map out, her eyes resting on the inky sketch of what could only be the tree in front of them.
The pair walked up to the tree, Sar at a brisk pace and Umbra tagging behind with the map held delicately between her teeth. The tree's brittle branches clacked together from a gust of wind, as if applauding the two for making it this far.
"I guess others 'ave also got business with this Thief character. Look!" Sar pointed down at the expanse of green stretched below the plateau. She could spot a few other creatures making their way through the dense forest, some bipedal and some in shapes and colours she'd never seen anything like. They were all going in one direction, and if Sar squinted she could pinpoint a map in one of the nearest - a human-like grey creature with a fluffy tail, followed by a black cat-like thing - creature's hands.
"I'm guessing we aren't the only ones who've been stolen from," Umbra remarked.
"Fair dinkum." Sar snorted. "Sounds 'lot like that story that crazy ol' shiela told. About the dude who stole stuff and had all these mysterious powers...dismissed as bullshit then, but..." Sar muttered. Then she inched closer to the cliff's edge, peering down at the two odd creatures walking beneath her.
"Sar, what are you - we don't know if they're friendly or not!"
But Sar wasn't fazed. "Oi, mate!" She called out.
Umbra cringed and backed away.
The grey creature looked up. She was unlike anything Sar had ever seen - like a mix of a human and those long-tailed tree climbing creatures she remembered seeing in the zoo. The black thing that followed her was also an odd sight. Its teeth were bared in an immoderate grin and a black viscous goo appeared to be dripping from its cat-like body.
"G'day! Where ya headin' off to?" Sar inquired.
"I'm trying to find something of mine." The human-creature replied a bit timidly, not looking very enthusiastic to have company.
Sar looked back at Umbra. "See? We're on the same page." She turned back to the duo beneath her. "Had a visit from a Thief, 'ave ya?"
It was the black creature that answered. "Why yes indeed!" It's grin stretched even further. "Have you business with this intriguing fellow as well?"
Umbra's fur prickled at the sight of the black creature. She couldn't pick up the distinctive odor that told her whether it was male or female, and it seemed somehow unnatural.
"I'm afraid so. Wait right there, we'll travel with ya."
"What?!" Umbra squeaked, glaring at the marsupial. "Are you insane? I'm not traveling with that...that...well, just look at it."
"Na, come on mate. You're twice the size of the lil' bugger." She began to pick her way down the rocky slope. "You're gonna hafta stop being such a pussy - literally, heh - one of these days."
Umbra made a face, but with a sigh acquiesced and approached the cliff face. "Just let me carry you down." Sar opened her mouth to protest, so Umbra quickly said, "My legs are longer, that's all. It'll speed things up." With an indignant huff Sar clambered onto the tiger's back, but Umbra knew even if she wouldn't show it, the devil was grateful for the ride.