Before his eyes the elf’s form began to change. His hands became heavily clawed, furred paws. His head changed into that of a cheetah, its powerful canine teeth gleaming, yet the troll could still make out the elf’s own features against the animal’s face. This wasn’t an illusion. Tom was bewildered. Was Shakala a shapeshifter taking elven form and now changing it? No, he didn’t sense that. Was he perhaps masked? What was this creature?