Toboe had managed to grab a hold of one of the blue things. He didn't like the way they felt or tasted, and the fact that they didn't have a scent was downright bizarre and terrifying. It was like they were defending themselves against shadows. How could you fight off something like that? The enemy he had tossed aside only came back after sinking into the ground a bit.

By now, even Toboe couldn't waste energy whimpering like a puppy. He was growling and snarling just as much as Tsume was now, though he was still just on the verge of blind panic. He tried to grab the blue shadows, but they were just too fast. He could feel them cutting him, and while none of the injuries were deep, they were accumulating very quickly.

Toboe's instincts were telling him to run. He shook off a shadow that had jumped on to his back and he charged at a shadow in front of him, intending to grab it, throw it out of the way, and make a break for it. When he snapped at the damned thing, it zig-zagged back and around to catch Toboe in the side. As it did so, Toboe was able to clamp his jaws on its head, and he threw it to the side.

"Tsume! C'mon!" As much as he wanted to flee, he wasn't leaving his friend behind.