Novel Everyone's a Catgirl!

Discussion in 'Community Fictions' started by DoubleBlind, Sep 28, 2021.

  1. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 166: Hidden Body

    The sensation under my feet was…unique, to say the least. I sure as hell felt something moving beneath the ground. And yet, it wasn’t like a tremor or an earthquake. It felt slithery and smooth—like a conveyer belt was moving just beneath us.

    “Spears at the ready!” Zutto cried, her expression stony.

    “What about me?” Callie cried. She stood on one leg, her face lit with fury.

    A thought occurred to me. I wedged the handle of my axe under my armpit and pulled apart the strings on my [Cat Pack], reaching inside. Ah, there it is. Seconds later, I retrieved the sword I’d put in there so long ago. I felt terrible that I couldn’t remember the name of the catgirl who gave it to me. The family heirloom could finally be put to good use.

    “Callie!” I called, tossing the sword so that it landed at her feet.

    Despite her injury, she was quick to retrieve it. She cocked a suspicious eyebrow but turned ahead to where the sand was shifting.

    “I’m scared,” Cannoli said behind me.

    “It’s okay, Cannoli,” I whispered into her ear. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

    I had no idea if that was true. I hated not knowing where this thing was going to show up, what it looked like, or what it could do.

    “What’s the Chikara like, Zutto?” I asked.

    Zutto paused, her eyes shifting left and right. “We know very little, save for it burrowing to await its prey. We know it by its mandibles and beady eyes.”

    “The sandstorm is it digging?

    “Yes.”

    Oh, great.

    Just as she answered my question, the cloud of sand dissipated, and the outline was gone. Silence swept over the group. My knuckles went white as I gripped the axe’s shaft. My shield was close to my chest, straps tight against my forearm. It was getting harder to breathe.

    Ahhh!

    I turned on my heel with the group to see the arm of a catgirl submerging beneath the sands. One of the hunters dropped her spear and slid over to grab the hand, but she was too late. Following her loss was the crunch of bone and the tearing of flesh. The hunter dug fruitlessly at the sand.

    “Serena, come back here immediately!” Zutto bellowed.

    Serena wouldn’t listen. Fear painted the faces of the catgirls, and with slow steps, they backed away from where Serena was digging.

    “Shyla! Shyla, please!” Serena dug her hand into the dune. “I think I got her! Somebody help me out!”

    “Serena! Get the hell away from there! Now!” I yelled. “You’re going to get pul—”

    Serena stopped, her eyes widening. “Saoirse, help me!” Her arm was sucked below ground and her cries filled the air, piercing the ears of everyone around her.

    I swallowed hard as I watched Zutto and two of the hunters rush to her side, taking hold of her free arm and yanking her in the opposite direction. Another crunch came and whatever was beneath the sands, at last, released her.

    At least, it released what remained. Blood poured from Serena’s side. The entire limb had been severed, bits and pieces of muscle and bone held on by thin strands of glistening flesh.

    The ground shook as Zutto and the other hunters towed her toward us. It wasn’t like the smooth slithering before, though. This time it felt like the plates beneath us were colliding. The rumbling brought me and many others to our knees. Cannoli fell with me, and I caught her as she did, carrying her with one arm beneath her legs and the other against the middle of her back.

    Cannoli’s teeth chattered. Her hands trembled. She reached for my neck, and I stood with every ounce of strength I had, stabilizing my stance against the quaking sands. She buried her head into my shoulder and soaked my clothes with her tears.

    Shit. What the hell do we do? How the fuck are we supposed to fight this thing?

    “Bally! To the sky!” Ravyn cried, loosing her familiar into the air.

    Ball hovered over the dunes before sharply turning upward, gaining altitude with terrifying speed. Ravyn’s hands glowed with fire as Ceres and Zahra took opposite sides of her, their poleaxe and katana at the ready.

    “Matt,” Keke said with an arrow nocked across her bow. “We might have to make a run for it. We don’t have the means to fight this thing.”

    “You can’t be serious,” I said. “And leave this monster out here to swallow someone else up?”

    “You have to choose your battles, Matt. Knowing when it’s a losing battle is the first key to success.” How was it that Keke could be so calm in this situation? Or Ceres, Zahra, or Ravyn for that matter? Even at a distance, I could pick out the terrified expressions on Lara and Destiny’s faces. There wasn’t a hint of fear or apprehension in Keke’s tone.

    “We can’t run from this,” I whispered. “Cannoli, I need—”

    “Please don’t let go!” she squeaked. “I-I can’t!”

    Shit.

    “[Farsight]!” Ravyn cried. At her command, the hairs on my skin stood up and what felt like a cool breeze swept over me from head to toe. Ravyn turned to her right and pointed a few meters away. “There! It’s coming!”

    Ravyn, Ceres, and Zahra moved like lightning. The world slowed for a split second as the girls leaped away. A sizable pair of mandibles erupted from the ground where they’d been standing just seconds before, spraying sand in every direction. As quickly as they’d appeared, they vanished with an otherworldly scream.

    “It’s moving again!” Ravyn said, Ceres and Zahra reassuming their positions beside her. “There!” She pointed to Serena and the other hunters. “Get away! Fucking now!”

    Serena was still prone on the ground, pale with blood loss. Zutto was squatting next to her, trying to drag her to her feet. The other girls had abandoned the task.

    “Zutto! You must move!” Ceres screamed.

    The mandibles appeared once more, flanking Serena. Zutto jumped back, gasping for air. I froze. The twin blades sliced through the catgirl without effort, severing her top and bottom halves. The look on Serena’s face as her top half was dragged underneath by the Defiled was haunting.

    Cecilia snatched Zutto’s wrist. “You know the drill. We run! Now!” Spit flew from her lips, landing on Zutto’s face.

    “We can’t outrun it yet! We need a plan!” Callie shrieked, hobbling to Zutto on her broken leg.

    Another sickening snap. We all watched in horror as blood oozed out of the lower half of Serena’s body. My stomach twisted into knots, and I worried that at any moment, I would puke my guts out.

    “Saoirse, damn you!” screamed another girl.

    “D-Don’t say that!” Cannoli squeaked. “Saoirse watches over us. I know it! We’ll get out of this!”

    “You’re a moron!” bellowed one of the other hunters. “Let the foreigners play as bait.”

    “We leave as a group.” Zutto yanked her arm away from Cecilia. The Ejderha’s eyes were wild as she looked over us. “All of us. Together.”

    “Quiet!” Callie screamed next, hands choked up on the sword. “Shut up and listen!”

    Silence swept over us again. Sand found its way between the crevices of my leathers, tucked inside by the winds. Spots were beginning to appear in my vision. I was thirsty, and my breathing was growing dry and ragged.

    We’re going to get picked off one by one if we keep going like this. How the hell do we distract this thing?

    “Matt,” Keke hissed. “We need to leave. Now.”

    “Alright. Agreed,” I muttered. I kept my voice low. “What do you suggest we do?”

    Keke’s gaze traveled downward. “Someone needs to be bait while the others run away.”

    “[Summon Earth]!” Lara said some distance away. A string of sand circled her form, merging into a chunk of solid rock that rotated around her shoulders.

    “What are you doing?” Tristan asked.

    “I’m going to pull it out of the ground!”

    “Sister, is that a good idea?” Destiny asked with palpable concern.

    “Yes! Trust me!” After the sand completed the first boulder, it created a second chunk that hovered at Lara’s shoulders. The two large stones rotated in perfect symmetry.

    All I could do was hope she had some idea of how to solve this problem.

    “Okay! Here I go!” Lara raised her arms.

    Damn it! Not so loud!

    Just as the words escaped the [Conjurer]’s mouth, Ravyn pointed at the ground beneath Lara. Tristan went pale. They were too far for me to do anything about it, especially with Cannoli in my arms. The entire world moved in slow motion, and it had nothing to do with Zahra’s Perception.

    Tristan dove through the air at Lara.

    The ground quaked, and the Defiled rose from the depths of the sands again, its pointed black mandibles glistening in the sunlight. As it closed in around Lara, I caught her mouth moving. For a split second, it looked as if multiple sheets of rock covered Tristan’s body. The pincers clamped down on him, and—as my breath caught in my throat—the twin blades bounced against his form with a clang.

    Tristan and Lara fell into a tumble, rolling a stone’s throw away from where they’d stood. I breathed a sigh of relief as Tristan released Lara, and they stumbled back to their feet.

    “[Scorching Ring]!” At Ravyn’s command, beams of light fired down from where Ball was. I stared wide-eyed as the beams missed one by one, toasting the sand momentarily. Until, at last, one struck its intended target. “Gotcha, fucker!”

    Clicks and screeches filled the air, nearly causing me to drop Cannoli. I gritted my teeth and shut one eye as the noise permeated the air. Each of the girls put hands over their ears, save for Zutto.

    And then something else began to happen. Micro-sensations rumbled beneath the ground as the beast dove back underneath the sand.

    Oh, what the hell is happening now?

    Something was moving to my left. When I looked down, I gasped. The shriveled head of a catgirl rose from the sand. Two hollowed-out eyes looked up at me, its mouth hanging open in a frozen state of fright. The ears were chewed up, and what little strands of hair it still bore stuck out of its skull like a doll’s.

    A bead of light appeared in one of the eye sockets as legs sprouted from the base.

    “Keke—”

    Before I could even finish my sentence, an arrow pierced the monstrosity’s temple. The… thing fell over on its side, its black, stick-like legs squirming erratically out of the carved-out neck.

    As I turned to thank her, my voice caught. Dozens of the demented catgirl skulls were rising to the surface, surrounding us.

    “We need to leave! Now!” said Keke.

    “I must agree! We cannot fight this as we are!” Ceres supported.

    Callie was still wounded. Getting back to the city alone would be impossible for her, no matter how stubborn she was. Keke’s mention of bait echoed in my mind, and for a second, I thought of leaving Callie behind to give us an escape. I immediately pushed the notion aside, ashamed for even entertaining it.

    “Retreat! All forces fall back to Rājadhānī!” Zutto said, gesturing to the city.

    “We can’t leave you guys like this,” I countered. “All of us together, right?”

    “Go, you fool!” Zutto screamed at me. “I will carry Callie back to the city!”

    “Zutto—” Tristan began.

    “May Rājadhānī prosper again!” Zutto cried, shifting Callie’s arm over her shoulders. “Now run!

    I stared at her for a long few seconds. Thank you, Zutto. “Okay,” I murmured aloud. “Hang on, Cannoli. We’re going to make a run for it.”

    “Okay,” I heard her whisper into my chest.

    “Split up!” said Keke. “Confuse it!”

    Mattaku!” Ravyn said somewhere to my right, with Ball flying beside her.

    As I ran, I watched as Ceres, Zahra, and Keke covered everyone else’s retreat, slicing and shooting down the ranks of the catgirl heads rising and jumping out of the sands.

    Most of the hunters kept up with us, but Zutto and Callie were nowhere to be seen. When I chanced a glance over my shoulder, I saw them sitting together, talking.

    Why aren’t they running?

    Zutto rose to her feet with a wry smile. Callie followed shortly after. The girls stood back to back, weapons drawn. Zutto speared an approaching head, and Callie managed to slice a second one in half. Both screamed blood-curdling battle cries. My running slowed.

    “Matt!” Cannoli said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

    No. They’re buying us time. There’s nothing I can do for them now. Don’t go back, Kelmer. Don’t.

    Cannoli and I were falling behind.

    “Matt!” Keke screamed. “What are you doing?”

    I’m sorry, Zutto. I’m sorry, Callie.

    I faced forward and ran, leaving Zutto and Callie to their fates. I never looked back.

    [​IMG]
     
  2. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 167: Homeward

    Minutes passed by like years. Zutto and Callie’s distraction held—none of the rotting catgirl heads came after us, and the sound of the quaking grounds tapered off with distance. Cannoli trembled in my arms, her tears damp against my chest. Rājadhānī loomed in the distance, the dark fortress that I couldn’t stand just a few hours before was now our only sanctuary.

    Cold sweat poured down my back, and bright white spots peppered my vision. We remained in our three separate groups, with Ravyn and Keke picking off any smaller Encroachers that dared try to slow us. Ceres summoned a shard of ice in her free palm, then launched it at a threadfin that crested the sand’s surface. The crystalline bolt speared the roach straight through, knocking it free from the safety of the earth. If there was a school of them, Ceres’ immediate response seemed to deter an attack.

    That run was one of the longest hours of my life. Every muscle and joint ached, burning for me to stop. Serena’s face while she was sliced in half hovered in the corners of my vision. The sound of cracking bones rang in my ears. I thought I could still hear Zutto and Callie’s screams even as we were just outside the city. It’s just your imagination. Hold it together, man.

    When we finally reached the gates, I fell to my knees. Cannoli gingerly shifted her weight, stepping down from my arms and steadying herself with one hand on my shoulder. The others converged around me, and Keke silently pushed a canteen against my shoulder. I accepted it and took a drink just as one of the guards approached.

    “What the hell happened to you?” Kathy asked, jerking her chin toward the hunters. “And what are you doing with this lot?”

    “The Chikara… The Chikara attacked,” Taraji panted.

    “We need to see Aliye of the Ejderha.” Tristan licked his lips and caught his breath. “Immediately.”

    “Oh? Making demands now, are we?” Kathy jeered.

    “Are you deaf, woman?” Taraji snapped, stepping forward and grabbing Kathy’s wrist. “Give us passage to the Second Shell. The men and their Parties as well.”

    Kathy eyed her with clear skepticism. “The hunters are no question, but the traveling lot—”

    “Let them through.” To my surprise, it was Cecilia who spoke up for us. “Ejderha orders directly from Zutto.”

    I wish I could say I felt any semblance of victory. Or relief. But as I pushed myself to stand and brushed the sand from my knees, I felt… exhausted. The sun had tipped over its peak and began to sink in the west. I hadn’t realized how late in the afternoon it was—how long had we been awake?

    “Sanrai won’t like this,” Kathy said, but she was clearly on the losing side of the argument.

    “She would honor the request of a dead Ejderha,” the silver-haired girl spoke up. “Will you? Guard?

    Kathy’s ears drooped forward, flattening against her cropped hair. “As you wish.”

    She led us through the trickling crowds of the Third Shell, earning us a few sidelong glances and some choice words for the hunters. When we reached the gates to the Second Shell, Kathy whispered something to one of the guards posted there. The guard gave us all a long, distrusting stare.

    “You test Sanrai’s patience,” she warned.

    “Yeah. We heard that the first time. Open the damn gate,” Ravyn countered.

    With one last nod, the guard stepped aside and unhooked the myriad latches and locks that kept the girls of the outer shell away. It seemed like overkill to me, but what wasn’t in this city?

    They closed and locked the gates behind us as soon as we were all inside. Kathy stayed behind with the other guards, leaving the remaining hunters with the rest of us. We stood in a long stone hallway, and I realized just how thick the inner walls were. For a split second, I wondered how many girls were buried inside the walls. My stomach turned, and I forced the thought away.

    “Cecilia, Taraji, thank you,” Tristan said.

    Cecilia snorted. “Reserve your gratitude. Dead or not, I refuse to owe an Ejderha any favors.”

    “Come. I know where you can wait while we await Aliye,” Taraji said with a wave of her hand.

    “What if they harm you for doing this?” Destiny asked. “Wouldn’t it be better if we waited in the Third Shell?”

    Tristan shook his head. “No. That’s back where we started. Magni will go back to pretending that we don’t exist. Here, he’ll have to respond.”

    “Or Sanrai will,” Keke replied.

    “Let me handle my sister if it should come to that,” Zahra said, thumbing the hilt of her katana.

    “I’m with Tristan. Let’s take our chances staying here,” I said. “Let’s go.”

    The five hunters led the way down the corridor and back into the sunlight of the Second Shell.

    “Woah,” Keke murmured, echoing how I’m sure all of us felt.

    Every citizen we’d spoken with had talked this place up to the sky, but that still didn’t do it justice. Clear, glittering canals wound around, beneath, and through enormous homes built of stone and shimmering white plaster. Tall pawm trees provided shade at the curves of the channels and alongside the expansive walkways. Where the Third Shell was cluttered and dilapidated, the Second Shell was evenly spaced and well-maintained.

    “How can they live like this? While the Third Shell is so poor?” Cannoli whispered.

    “We work our tails off for this city. You think it’s easy to get here?” the silver-haired girl snapped.

    Cannoli flinched and whimpered.

    “Hey, back off.” I put an arm around Cannoli’s shoulders and positioned myself between them. “It’s a simple question.”

    The silver-haired girl opened her mouth to speak, but Taraji raised a hand. “Kai, let it go. Come, follow me.”

    I think we attracted every pair of eyes inside the Second Shell. Catgirls stepped outside their homes to leer and whisper. Kittens skittered away, wide-eyed, after one look at Tristan or me. Others stepped back and gave us a wide berth as we passed. All of them were well-dressed and well-fed. Not a dirty face to be seen, not even the kittens.

    “As travelers aren’t allowed past the Third Shell, we don’t have inns,” Taraji explained. “We do, however, have several dining halls.”

    “There is enough food here for such establishments?” Ceres asked.

    “Yes. Our cooks pay a premium in Bells for exotic dishes.”

    Cannoli looked like she wanted to say something. Her ears drooped against her head, and she fretted at her lower lip. I caught her eye and shook my head. This isn’t the time.

    “I’m close friends with a restaurant owner, and I will explain your situation. However, Aliye will need to find you a place to stay for the night.”

    “Thank you, Taraji. Really,” Tristan repeated.

    Taraji chuckled and shook her head. “You are not yet through this storm. If Sanrai acts on her instincts, you will wish for the claws of the Chikara.”

    Zahra growled low enough that it didn’t reach the hunter’s ears. Tristan and I exchanged a silent look.

    “The other hunters and I must report what happened to the Ejderha. It may take some time for the news to reach Aliye’s ears.” Taraji stopped outside of another vast building with colorful awnings. “I will give you one last piece of advice. Do not be penurious with your Bells in the Second Shell.”

    “Penur—” I started to ask.

    “Don’t be stingy, Matt,” Ravyn sighed.

    “Right. No problem.” Not like funds are running low, and the Quest rewards were kitten allowances.

    “I’ll pay whatever is necessary,” Zahra spoke up. “Whatever it takes to see the king.”

    “You’ll need far more luck than gratitude for that.” Taraji chuckled. “Let’s go inside.”

    [​IMG]
     
  3. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 168: Rapport

    Being in such a fine restaurant had me on edge. I felt like a pauper entering the king’s chambers. Wide eyes and gasps met us. Some of the girls rose from their seats and quickly exited past us. Another catgirl was bent over behind the front counter, looking at something. She turned around with a pitcher in her hands and nearly dropped it at the sight of us.

    A patron without so much as a blemish on her face and arms approached, her body coated with a thin layer of glistening oil. Her skin was a faded bronze, and she smelled of lemon and cinnamon. The white silks wrapped around her body left little to the imagination.

    “What are you doing?” the catgirl whispered to Taraji, grabbing her by the bicep and leading her a short distance from us.

    “I’m aiding those who deserve it,” Taraji replied easily.

    “You’ve brought outsiders here?” the high-pitched hiss only drew more attention.

    Taraji nodded.

    “They’ll kick you out… worse, they’ll kill you if they see what you’ve done.”

    Taraji shook her arm away. “You would’ve done the same if you witnessed what I just did, Ariana.”

    Ariana visibly swallowed. Her chest heaved. “I’m out of here. Don’t ever talk to me again.” My breath caught as she left. I wanted to reach out and mend their differences, but it quickly became clear just how unfit our presence was.

    “I don’t like this,” Keke murmured to me.

    “No. I don’t, either,” I admitted.

    The catgirl holding the pitcher hadn’t moved at all. Her belly was round with pregnancy, and her whole body was trembling. The remaining patrons averted their gazes and sought new tables at the back.

    Shit, did we just make a big mistake forcing our way in like this?

    I figured it was just a matter of time until the owner or one of her other waitresses made their way over to us to take our orders, so we sat ourselves down at a large table that accommodated twelve. The entire time, I watched as the pregnant catgirl set the pitcher on the counter and left out the front door.

    Soon after, another girl glided over to us from the opposite side of the room. She bore blonde hair tied in tiny pigtails at the sides of her head. Her hands were shaking as she held the pen and paper.

    “W-What can I do for you?” she asked.

    Feeling more and more like a villain by the minute.

    “Do you have water?” Cannoli asked with a sheepish stare.

    The waitress blinked twice. “Yes. One water each?”

    “Yes, please.” I wanted to jump and dance. So water did exist outside of the oases and canteens, after all.

    “And, erm, what about you, Taraji?”

    “I’m not staying. I need to get out of here and make a report to King Magni and the Ejderha,” said Taraji. She looked at me and gestured to our waitress. “This is the owner of this fine establishment, Giselle.”

    Giselle bore skin several shades lighter than many of the catgirls we’d seen in the Third Shell. Freckles speckled her face and arms, and she wore a small brown corset and a white skirt that barely covered her bottom.

    She looks a little out of place. I wanted to ask, but considering our situation, it was hardly appropriate.

    Taraji continued, “Giselle, take care of them for me, will you? If anyone asks, I put you up to it. It’s just until Aliye gets here. Understand?”

    Giselle nodded. “O-Okay.”

    “Remember what I said,” Taraji said, looking at each of us. She waved us one last farewell as the hunters waiting at the door followed behind her into the sun.

    There were a few awkward beats of silence. Then, Destiny broke it. “If you don’t mind my inquiry, what meals do you serve?”

    Giselle took two deep breaths. “W-We serve a number of u-u-unique dishes seen only on the other islands. Even if we don’t, there is… there is a possibility we can make it using the supplies we have.”

    No fooling?

    “Dragon Breath Cocktail?” I asked.

    Giselle paused, then nodded. Her smile was so obviously forced. “Yes! We can make those!”

    I had absolutely no interest in getting alcohol, but I had to ask. It began to dawn on me just how pampered the girls in the Second Shell were.

    Baka! Are you actually thinking of getting plastered? Now?” barked Ravyn.

    “N-No! I was just curious.”

    “Uh-huh.”

    No, really. I was just curious, Mom.

    “My humblest apologies, but you may provide each of us with the most affordable dish on your menu,” offered Ceres. “We do not wish to cause any undue distress.”

    As much as I was clamoring to have something much more filling and satisfying than a handful of appetizers, I wasn’t about to correct Ceres. Giselle looked like she was moments away from fainting.

    “Whatever the price is, we will oblige. Please, have no fear of that,” Tristan said with a disarming smile.

    “Okay. I’ll return with your waters and food.” At Tristan’s words, Giselle seemed to relax somewhat.

    As soon as Giselle left, Zahra spoke. “As soon as Aliye returns, we should leave. The longer we stay in the public eye, the worse it will be when we finally come face to face with Magni.”

    “Agreed,” Keke said, crossing her arms in thought. “These girls are scared of us. Just sitting in this chair is making me uncomfortable.”

    “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ravyn said, leaning on her elbow and resting her head on her palm. “This is the best damn chair I’ve sat in all week.”

    Spoiled brats, squawwwk!” Ball cried from atop his master’s shoulder.

    Ravyn clamped her hand over Ball’s beak. “Shush. We don’t need any more fucking trouble.”

    Cannoli put her face in her hands and began to sob quietly.

    “Cannoli?” I put one arm around her shoulders and rested my head against hers. “Hey, talk to me. Are you okay?”

    She shook her head.

    “The pure one cries,” Lara said with apparent concern. “Why?”

    Weird way to put it.

    “Hey,” said Ravyn, “Cannoli. What’s wrong?”

    “W-We shouldn’t be here,” she whispered through choked sobs. “I feel like we’re just making things worse. Those hunters died because of us.”

    “Cannoli, that’s not true,” Keke said, putting her hand on Cannoli’s shoulder.

    Cannoli batted Keke’s hand away, whipped her hands away from her face, and looked at Keke with red, puffy cheeks. Her face was a distraught mess of anger and sadness.

    “Yes, it is,” Cannol squeaked. “You know that, Keke! You know that. Don’t try to lie to me and make me feel better.”

    Keke swallowed, and her lower lip twitched. She bit her fist and looked away.

    Oh god, no. Not now. This is not the time for this.

    “Cannoli, hey.” I scooched her closer and gently tipped her chin so that she looked at me. “Calm down. We’ll get through this, okay?”

    Cannoli bowed her head and buried her face into my chest.

    “If anyone’s at fault, it’s me,” Tristan said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I bear the responsibility for what occurred. This was my plan, and thus, it was my fault.” Tristan drew a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling. “I’m sorry, Cannoli. No, I’m sorry to all of you.”

    “Tristan,” Destiny said with wide eyes, “please don’t do that to yourself. It’s clear that we all feel bad.” She guided his head to her shoulder and ran her fingers through his hair. “This is a troubling path we walk. Cannoli’s just hit her breaking point, I think.”

    Just then, Giselle returned with a tray carrying five glasses of water. She set them down on the table without so much as a peep, then turned around for a second tray carrying the remaining glasses. She set each of them down on the table, and as I peered through the glass—yep, that’s actual glass, not a bird skull—I caught three ice cubes floating on the clear surface.

    The mood shifted from somber to desperation. Cannoli turned away from me, snatching her share of water off the table and pressing her lips to the edge. Everyone else did the same, including Tristan and Destiny. I smacked my lips and grabbed the glass.

    I recalled one time that I caught the stomach flu as a kid back on Earth. I spent three days vomiting up anything I ate. Water, broth, chicken, noodles, you name it, I threw it up on the carpet—or, if I was fast enough, then it went into a trash bag instead.

    My mouth and throat burned most of the time while I was sick. I was scared to eat, drink, or even move. During my extended stay on the couch, all I could imagine was jumping into a beautiful pool of water filled with ice and reveling in it like a can of soda inside a half-melted ice chest.

    Inside that glass of water, I was reliving that moment all over again.

    By the time Giselle had replaced the trays beneath her arm and turned to leave, most of us had finished.

    Giselle blinked in apparent surprise. “Oh, my. W-Will you still require food?”

    “Please,” I said without hesitation. “We’ve come far.”

    “Right,” Giselle said with a nod, then left the table.

    “I’m sorry,” Cannoli said, staring down into her empty glass.

    “Don’t be,” said Ravyn, crossing one leg over the other. “I get it. It’s fucked up. It’s not right what’s happening here.”

    “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the city’s situation,” Keke said, her head bowed. She brushed one finger at the corner of her eye, sniffing. “I’m at a loss.”

    “As am I,” Ceres admitted. “One can only hope that Magni will see reason. That is to say, if we can be so fortuitous to be granted an audience with His Majesty.”

    Her mannerisms aside, I hated hearing Magni referred to as anything else but a dictating tyrannical overlord. I understood, though, it was best to err on the side of caution and remain in his good graces for appearance's sake.

    “Let’s try not to overstep our boundaries,” said Tristan. “Once Aliye returns, let’s discuss a plan with her. If luck is on our side, perhaps we can gain an audience. If not, we’ll ask her advice on how to proceed from here.” He left the nurturing arm of Destiny and leaned his elbows on the large table. “I want this situation to resolve amicably. There’s no reason things can’t be better.”

    “I don’t get why there’s so much fuss. There’s lots of water,” said Lara. She was the only one who hadn’t finished her drink. She stared at the ice as she swirled it around in her glass. “Besides, Water says there’s a complex system underneath Rājadhānī.”

    A complex system? Like… a sewer?

    “Aqueducts?” Tristan asked, turning to look at Lara.

    “She wasn’t clear,” Lara said, shaking her head. “But it sounds like it could help.”

    “Hey,” Ravyn said, leaning over and gesturing toward the glass in Lara’s hands, “you going to finish that?”

    Suddenly, the front door slammed open. I snapped around, only for my heart to fall into my stomach. There, standing in the light of the sun, casting a long shadow upon the room, was Sanrai.

    Zahra leapt to her feet, and the chair’s legs screeched against the wooden floor. Her hand was already on the hilt of her katana, and her eyes narrowed to slits. “Sister.”

    Each of us rose to our feet, and I summoned my axe to my hand. From where I stood, I could see Sanrai had brought two others, who were flanking her just a foot away from the doorway. They bore hard glares for all of us.

    I’d seen Sanrai’s furious stare before. I knew what it meant when someone looked at me like that.

    In her eyes, we were already dead.

    [​IMG]
     
  4. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 169: Seek Guidance

    “Outside. Now,” Sanrai snarled.

    The few catgirls that hadn’t left the restaurant went silent, Giselle included. Sanrai’s teeth were bared in a growl, like a predator that had finally cornered its prey.

    “Yeah, actually, I don’t think we have to go anywhere with you,” Ravyn snapped, the first flickers of fire licking her fingertips. “Go call your King here, and we’ll reconsider.”

    “Then your blood spills here.” Sanrai took two steps forward.

    Ceres touched my shoulder and lowered her voice. “Sir Matt, let us acquiesce to her demands. If we must fight, we do not have the space here.”

    I nodded. She was right. The restaurant still had too many civilians, and I could easily see Ravyn or Destiny blowing holes into its pristine walls. “Sanrai, stop. We’ll come with you.”

    Ravyn narrowed her eyes at me and grunted. To my relief, she didn’t say anything more.

    Sanrai paused, then flashed a hand signal to the two Ejderha behind her. One by one, they left the building, Sanrai always keeping one eye over her shoulder.

    “No attacks of opportunity for us,” Tristan murmured, suddenly at my side. “I’m afraid this is about to get ugly.”

    “Yeah. The feeling’s mutual.” I looked at the girls. There were nine of us and three of them, but Sanrai was the kind of person who wasn’t going to go out without taking a couple of people with her. That was a risk I wasn’t allowed to take.

    Zahra stepped forward and placed a hand on Tristan’s shoulder. “I told you to let me handle my sister. Please, let me.”

    Tristan studied her face for what seemed like ages, then nodded. “We’re all behind you.”

    “Thank you.”

    Zahra left a pile of Bells on the table for our water, then headed our Parties outside. The tension between us was thick. We were all exhausted from the confrontation with the Chikara and navigating Rājadhānī in general. The axe was a comfortable weight in my hand, but I worried that I wouldn’t be fast enough if Sanrai struck first. From what little we’d seen her fight, her speed was terrifying.

    I swallowed hard and stepped into the sunlight.

    “Sanrai—” Zahra began, her left hand resting on the hilt of her katana.

    “You have meddled in our city for too long,” Sanrai interrupted. “The hunters returned without food, the oasis is tainted, and I have lost two Ejderha this day.”

    “Two?” Tristan asked. “Where’s Aliye?”

    “In a cage, you loathsome welp.” Venom dripped from her tongue. “For aiding the enemy in a kidnapping, then returning with news empty-handed.”

    Dammit. Both Tristan and I had wanted to avoid any of the girls suffering for what we had to do. So far, we weren’t doing so hot.

    “We don’t become Ejderha by acting as cowards,” one of the guards behind Sanrai added.

    “No, just bullies,” Keke whispered.

    I cringed, worried that they would hear her.

    “The oasis isn’t tainted,” Lara said, touching a finger to her chin. “It’s just bigger. Water grew it.”

    “A witch playing goddess is a dangerous thing,” the second guard snapped.

    “But, Water—” Lara began.

    Destiny put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. “Sister, not now.”

    “Maibe also tells me your whelp slowed progress on the Fourth Shell.” She pointed at Tristan.

    Tristan looked at the girl to Sanrai’s right. “You know that isn’t true. You were about to kill Shira, slowing your progress even more.”

    “Your little act of heroism inspired others to abandon their posts, boy,” Maibe countered.

    “You are all banished from this city. Effective immediately,” Sanrai said. “Whether I escort you out or carry your corpses to the gates makes no difference to me.”

    “Just let us speak with the King, sister,” Zahra said, her right hand joining her left on her katana. “Surely you see that the root of the issue is your vehement rejection of our petitions.”

    “King Magni only grants those he trusts an audience. None of you have proven trustworthy.” Sanrai raised her spear, holding the tip stone still, and pointed at Zahra. “I will not warn you again.”

    “You haven’t given us a chance—” Zahra began.

    Sanrai advanced, her outline a blur. Zahra unsheathed her katana just in time to collide her blade with the side of the metal tip, blocking the spear’s point from her chest. Sanrai anticipated the blow, spinning the wooden handle with the strike’s movement until the point hovered over Zahra’s left shoulder. The world slowed as Sanrai plunged forward, and Zahra reflexively pivoted her wrists to swing her katana upward to deflect the attack. Sanrai was faster, and the sharp tip of her spear penetrated Zahra’s sleeve and skin.

    Zahra let out a furious cry as Sanrai pulled her weapon back. Blood soaked through Zahra’s dark sleeve, dripping red onto the bleached stone at her feet. Sanrai didn’t hesitate; the next blow was aimed for Zahra’s heart.

    Ceres stepped forward, polearm drawn and ready. She used the range to her advantage, swinging the polearm over Sanrai’s spear and pinning it to the ground.

    Ceres put herself between Zahra and Sanrai, then cried, “[Titan of Ice]!” The translucent blue shell coating her polearm reformed as a crystalline barrier that hovered just inches from her body.

    Cannoli rushed to Zahra’s side, placing her hands on the [Myrmidon]’s arm and whispering, “[Stabilize].”

    “This is not your fight,” Zahra said, looking between Ceres and Cannoli.

    “We’re not leaving you alone, Zahra,” Tristan countered.

    To my surprise, the second Ejderha held her hands near her chest, forming a circle with her pointer fingers and thumb, then bowed her head.

    “She’s casting!” I called.

    “Water! Please! [Hydro Push]!” Lara called, pointing at the caster.

    The quiet channel nearby rippled and churned, creating a whirlpool at its center. An enormous column of water emerged from the vortex, then slammed against the Ejderha with enough force to knock her to her side. The water harmlessly splashed to the ground around her, leaving only a drenched, hacking catgirl in its wake.

    “Take us to Magni, and all of this stops,” I said to a seething Sanrai.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Maibe snatching something from her pack. Just as she lifted a throwing knife behind her head, an arrow soared to my right, piercing her palm and forcing her to drop the knife.

    “Want to try that again?” Keke called, another arrow already nocked across her bow.

    Shit! Nice shot, Keke!

    Maibe cradled her right hand in her left, narrow streams of red trickling down her arm. “Bitch!”

    “Your corpses it is!” Sanrai shrieked, unhooking her spear from Ceres’ polearm before launching herself at Tristan.

    “[Fire Pillar]!” Ravyn yelled. A wall of fire erupted at the toes of Tristan’s boots, forcing him to take a step back.

    Sanrai flinched, reeling from the heat of the flame.

    “Fall back!” Sanrai commanded her followers. Sanguine eyes bore into Tristan, then me. “The next time I see you, we’ll add your bodies to the wall.”

    The three sprinted off in the opposite direction, vanishing behind the tall buildings as they presumably made their way back to the First Shell. The firewall died down, leaving behind black scorch marks on the stone, and Ceres’ ice barrier vanished without the terrifying explosion I recalled from her last use.

    Lara toed the scorch marks on the pavement. “Earth was hoping we wouldn’t cause lasting damage.”

    “Better than Tristan getting run through with a spear,” Ravyn snapped.

    “Guys, what do we do now?” Destiny asked, fishing a golden tonic from her [Cat Pack] and handing it to Zahra. “If Sanrai returns with all of her Ejderha… I really don’t think we can take them all on at once.”

    “Especially if there are more casters,” Ceres noted. “We cannot stay here.”

    “Well, I feel like a sitting duck out here.” Tristan motioned to the empty streets and curtained windows. “Let’s at least go back to the Third Shell, and we can figure something out.”

    We all silently agreed, turning to make our way back to the gate.

    As we walked, Ravyn rekindled the conversation. “I say fuck him. Let’s go back to the cunt and tell him that if he wants Magni so bad, he can come get him.”

    “I don’t think that’s a great idea. You said it yourself. Cailu won’t be as nice about it,” I replied.

    Zahra sipped from the bottle Destiny had given her, rolling her wounded shoulder with a frown. “This is my fault. I was simply not fast enough.”

    “Even if you had managed to take her down, there’s no guarantee we wouldn’t be in the same spot,” Tristan reasoned. “Sanrai wasn’t open to conversation. It seems she doesn’t want a peaceful resolution.”

    “Plus, if we did make it to Magni, there’s no guarantee that he’ll leave with us for the meeting. It’s not like we can force him out with all of his guards watching,” Keke added.

    As we moved through the tunnel, the light grew dimmer until a handful of torches lit the path. I thought about our options and continually fell short of an answer.

    “I am curious, do you believe Aliye’s caging sentence was handed down by Magni or by Sanrai?” Ceres asked.

    “Does that matter?” Destiny wondered.

    “It may.” Ceres adjusted the straps of her armor while she spoke. “With Sanrai’s efforts to keep us away from the First Shell and the possibility that Magni does not know we are here, one must wonder who is in control of Rājadhānī.”

    “How did I not think of that? That’s an excellent point, Ceres.” Tristan nodded.

    While I agreed, I was still with Destiny on this one. Between Sanrai and Magni, it didn’t really matter who was in charge. Either way, we were facing a leader who was adamant about keeping outsiders away.

    “So, then, even if we decide who needs the convincing, what should our next steps be?” I asked. “I feel like they won’t listen to anything that isn’t brute force.”

    “Why don’t we find Agni and sleep on it? We can set up camp and figure it out from there,” Tristan suggested.

    “Assuming she’s still around,” Keke added.

    “I still have enough food to make us a nice supper, too,” Cannoli chipped in. “It’s easier to think on full tummies.”

    Kuso. It’ll be more comfortable than sleeping on the splintered boards in this dump,” Ravyn agreed.

    “Yeah. Alright,” I agreed. “Back to the desert with us.”

    I hope the Chikara sleeps at night.

    [​IMG]
     
  5. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 170: Tranquil Walk of Peace

    I felt like someone knocked the wind from my sails. It’d been a few minutes since we left the Second Shell, and as much as I wanted to immediately put this place behind me and take my chances out in the desert, there was no way we’d last more than a day without Agni. We kept at a brisk pace the entire time we walked, craning our heads like a pack of zebras awaiting the lion’s pounce.

    Beads of sweat had collected on Zahra’s forehead. Cannoli and Destiny flanked her, keeping a close eye on the puncture. Zahra was adamant about walking without help, but Cannoli’s gentle hands never left the [Myrmidon]’s good arm.

    “Matt, Zahra should really rest,” Cannoli said.

    “As soon as we find Agni,” I assured her.

    “Please keep her fluids high. Even a small puncture wound in this climate can endanger her,” Ceres advised.

    “Do you need another tincture?” Destiny asked, the worry building on her face. “You’re sweating more than any two of us.”

    Zahra shook her head. “I will be fine. I just need to rest. My sister…” Zahra sucked in her lips, and angry tears collected around her eyes, refusing to fall.

    I couldn’t imagine she was too thrilled about her recent family reunion.

    The eyes of many drew upon us, whispers following in their wake. As we journeyed from tent to tent and building to building, we inquired as to where Agni may have gone. Every answer was a mixture of half-hearted grumbles and shrugs.

    “I haven’t seen her since yesterday,” one catgirl admitted without even glancing at us.

    “What was she doing?” I asked.

    “Beats me.”

    “Can you try and think a little harder?” Even I could hear the impatience in my voice.

    The silver-haired catgirl turned around, and when she did, I saw she wore an eyepatch over her right eye. A long, X-shaped scar ridged the skin beneath it. “Don’t take that tone with me.”

    “Finally got you to turn around,” I said, crossing my arms. “We got here a few days ago. She heads a bunch of gigashanks. See her anywhere?”

    A pause followed. “Maybe. What’s it worth to you?”

    God damn it. I’m sick of this place.

    My toes curled. Fury boiled in my veins. “I don’t have anything to bargain with. I just want—”

    “Then it sounds like it’s not my problem.” She turned back to her stack of boxes and began to point at each of them, mumbling.

    “You know what?” I started.

    “Please,” Tristan said, stepping forward. “You won’t see us again. We just don’t want to die out there.”

    The girl looked at us over her shoulder with her good eye, narrowing it at Tristan. “You leaving doesn’t pay the tax, boy.”

    Zahra tossed a handful of Bells onto the counter. Her cold expression spoke volumes.

    Eyepatch scooped them into her palm. “She left yesterday. Said she needed to visit the oasis. Planned to make some dealing with the Ejderha there.”

    There was no way we could go back to the oasis. We all knew that. Agni hadn’t been there when we kidnapped the hunters, so we agreed that she likely had to leave for some reason or another.

    “What if the Chikara—” Keke began.

    “She probably had a gigashank with her. Let’s continue as if she’s safe,” Destiny interrupted.

    I had to agree. Some positivity was something we all needed.

    “Thank you,” Tristan said to eyepatch with what I knew was a forced smile. With a hand against my back, he turned away from the catgirl and guided me away, muttering under his breath. “Let’s get out of the city. Word might have gotten out about what happened with Sanrai, and the Third Shell is rough enough to start with.”

    “I have a hard time believing any of these girls already know what’s going on,” I argued. “It’s every catgirl for herself out here. I doubt she’s any different.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I could see how they affected Tristan. I regretted them instantly. “Sorry. You’re right. Let’s get out of here.”

    With that out of the way, there was little we could do within the Third Shell. An immense relief washed over me when we exited through the gate. It was a lot like the sensation one felt pulling a splinter out of their foot.

    I couldn’t wait to be rid of this place.

    “So, what now?” Cannoli asked when we were out of earshot from the crowd. “I’m worried about Zahra’s arm and running into the Chikara again.”

    Zahra adjusted her posture and gestured for Cannoli to remove her hands. Then she stepped forward, wiping the sweat away from her brow. “I know it bothers you, but if Agni is nowhere to be found, perhaps we should reconvene in Madhyam before our next plan of attack. I can lead us back. Destiny’s potions are doing the trick. I have enough supplies to get us to my mother’s.”

    “I have a hard time believing that,” said Keke. “We struggled even with the supplies Agni brought along. We’d also be on foot instead of mounts, which doubles our travel time.”

    “We can hunt during the night,” said Zahra. “There is no Encroacher I haven’t faced out here.”

    “The fucking Chikara could eat us alive,” said Ravyn.

    Buried in the sand, squawwwwwk!” cried Ball.

    “Whatcha all doin’ out here?” asked a voice behind us. When we turned around, it was Agni, accompanied by a gigashank. “Ya ain’t all leavin’ yet, are ya?”

    Oh, thank God. Praise be.

    I fought the urge to fall on my knees and kiss the ground Agni stepped on. As much as I tried to put on a brave face, I was fully committed to the idea that this would be my new grave. Perhaps my head would join the Chikara’s legion of head spiders.

    Destiny and Cannoli closed the distance in a flash. They each took one of Agni’s arms, flanking the gigashank tamer and muttering sweet thank you’s.

    “Uh, a bit dramatic, eh?” Agni asked with obvious discomfort.

    “We’ve been to Hell and back,” Ravyn growled.

    Tristan frowned. “I believe Zahra’s right. Heading back to Madhyam to heal and discuss a new plan would be better than burning through our supplies while we sleep outside of Rājadhānī.”

    Agni frowned. “Really? Truly?” She turned around with Cannoli and Destiny still attached to her arms. She stared for a time, then turned back around. “I take it your journey here didn’t bear fruit, eh?”

    “That’s putting it nicely,” spat Ravyn.

    “We have to rethink our position here,” Tristan said, shaking his head. “There’s no way to get in there as we are.” Sighing, he pinched his chin between his fore and thumb fingers in thought. “I made too many jumps too fast. I should’ve been more careful. It’s time to step back and observe the situation more closely.”

    “No,” I said, glancing at him. “I don’t think we should get involved any longer. We’re just making things worse.” I’d been away from my island for longer than I’d actually spent time on it. We couldn’t drag Magni kicking and screaming out of his tower without starting a war. We needed to go home. I walked over to Agni. “I’m sorry we couldn’t do more, Agni.”

    “Ah, don’t worry about it,” she said, shaking her hand. “I wasn’t expectin’ nothin’.” For a second, she gazed at the gigantic tower in the distance. It loomed over us like some mega death weapon, primed and ready to wipe out all except those who resided in Rājadhānī. “This island’s in a bad way. Been thinkin’ of movin’ over to one of the other islands.” She looked at the girls attached to her arms. “What are your islands like?”

    “Oh, oh, oh! I would love to tell you all about Ni Island!” Cannoli cheered.

    “Please, allow the residents of Shi Island to accommodate you some time!” said Destiny. With her arms still wrapped around Agni, she turned toward Tristan. “That would be okay, right, Tristan?”

    Tristan blushed. “Y-Yeah. That would be fine. We would be happy to have you, Agni.”

    Agni’s smile widened. “Well, sounds like I’ll be payin’ ya’ll a visit real soon here, then.”

    “Matt,” Ceres said so only she and I could hear. “Are you quite sure this outcome is to your liking? Should we not acquire outside help to assist in our endeavor? Pray, do not allow me to enforce my opinions upon you. However, my heart hurts for these people.”

    I wasn’t sure how to respond to that at first. To have gone through what we had, leaving was the safer choice. Sure, it would’ve been nice if all four men could have a, uh, summit, as Tristan called it, but would we even want to work with someone who puts catgirls in the walls, hangs them from cages, and refuses to talk to us?

    “I won’t say anything one way or the other right now, Ceres,” I said. “But to be honest, you and Zahra could’ve lost your lives back there if Sanrai and the others pushed us any harder.” Ceres bowed her head. “Maybe we’ll come up with something better, but for the time being, we need to pull out. I’m not willing to put you and the others in that much danger.”

    Ceres smiled. “I understand. It gives me great joy to know that our lives are so important to you. I pray we are able to give the residents of Ichi Island similar solace.”

    “Same here.” Though I doubt we ever will.

    After a brief conversation on where we’d meet, Agni returned to Rājadhānī to replenish her supplies for the trip. As kind as she was, she did express that her repeated assistance would not come cheap. Zahra and Ravyn were the first ones to offer their Bells.

    Kuso. I’ll pay anything to get the fuck away from this dump.”

    Once we agreed upon seating arrangements, Agni fetched her gigashanks, and we were on our way back to Madhyam. I don’t know what it is about traveling back the way you came, so maybe it was just my imagination, but the ride to Madhyam felt quicker already. Agni was adamant that it would still be a few days before we arrived back in Madhyam, but honestly, I didn’t care. I was just glad to be away from Rājadhānī.

    Night fell, and we pitched the tent. The entire time we worked in silence. It seemed like no one really knew what to say about the situation. I felt awful, like I was abandoning these people.

    Agni, Ravyn, and Lara worked on the fire while Tristan, Ceres, and I set up the tent. I was surprised that I barely had to think about it—my body just went through the motions. If my dad knew that I could pitch an effective tent, he’d be picking his jaw up off the floor.

    I took my spot on a tarp beside Zahra, and set a bowl of soup beside her. She’d been staring at the fire for some time, her gaze miles away. I’d been there, and I’d always appreciated someone bringing me back to reality.

    “How’s the arm?” I asked.

    Zahra shook her head. “Better. Thank you for asking, Matt. If I’m being candid, knowing that my sister tried to kill me weighs heavily upon me… as does my defeat.” She rolled her shoulder slowly, staring at the sheathed katana in front of her. “What about you?”

    I shrugged. “I’m getting by, I guess. Still angry about what happened in Rājadhānī, but trying not to let it bother me.”

    Zahra nodded. “You’re not alone. Of that, I assure you.”

    I stirred the contents of my bowl in thought. “Did you want to talk about what happened?”

    “I must confess…I wagered that I would confront Sanrai, but I never imagined her hatred ran so deeply. Our mother was convinced that, deep down, we still held a familial thread. A foolish thought, maybe.” She sighed through her nose, her gaze rising to meet the dying fire. “And, despite all my training, she’s still my better. I never stood a chance.”

    “Try not to think about it like that,” I said, nudging the bowl of soup closer to her. “It’ll drag you down. That’s why I never got dates.”

    Zahra turned her head toward me, frowning. “Dates? What do you mean?”

    “Erm, what I mean is, you can’t compare yourself to others. Not even family. Only to yourself.” I chuckled and delivered a portion of the soup to my mouth. “We did everything we could, given the situation.”

    “Wise of you to say.”

    I gestured to Ceres at the opposite end of the tent. “You can thank her. Those were her words, not mine. She spoke them to me while I was on my deathbed.”

    Zahra wore a gentle smile. “She seems a wise woman. Level-headed.”

    “A little too level-headed, I think. You didn’t hear that from me.”

    Zahra chuckled. “Your secret is safe with me, Matt. Thank you.”

    Keke suddenly appeared, returning from a brief perimeter scouting. “We’ve got company.”

    “Who is it?” Tristan asked.

    Keke shook her head. “I don’t know. I can’t see from here. It’s too dark. But I can hear them. Two, maybe three sets of footsteps?” She looked at me. “Matt, come take a look with me, will you?”

    “Sure,” I said, setting my bowl down. “Are they moving fast?”

    “I can’t really tell. Their steps are erratic.” She looked at Ravyn next, frowning ever so slightly. “Ravyn, can you come out too?”

    Ravyn held up a finger, chewing on her stew. “Mattaku.” Setting her bowl aside, she brushed the sand from her dress and joined Keke.

    We took about ten steps from the camp before Keke stopped and pointed.

    “Well, at least it’s not the Chikara,” I said, squinting.

    One tall shadow walked toward us at a comfortable pace, flanked by two others. They were at least three or four hills away from us, and with how dark it was, I could’ve easily missed them if Keke hadn’t pointed them out.

    “More travelers to Rājadhānī?” Keke guessed.

    “Who the fuck travels at night like this?” Ravyn asked in a whisper.

    I swallowed. Something about the central figure seemed familiar to me. It made me uncomfortable. They moved at such steady paces that they seemed almost robotic. With them being two dunes away, I looked at Ravyn.

    “Ravyn, get the others. Something’s off here,” I said.

    “Bally?” Ravyn’s parrot flew in a brief circle before swooping into the tent. The parrot squawked a few quiet chirps, and soon the others joined us.

    “Make sure you’re all still in [Combat Mode],” I said.

    As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized why the figure’s gait was so familiar. After the three silhouettes descended the last dune toward us, I could see them.

    A man with pointed ears and blonde hair strode toward us in brilliant silver armor. To his sides, two catgirls—one of which we’d been confronted by in the past.

    They stopped a few feet from us, and the man offered his hand.

    “Matt,” he said with a casual smile.

    The word barely escaped my lips. “Cailu.”

    [​IMG]
     
  6. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 171: Soulless

    “You’re distracted.” Kirti rolled a smooth, red stone along the backs of her knuckles, watching Cailu with her intense orange eyes. They reminded Cailu of the autumn leaves of his previous world. “Well, you’ve been distracted for a while now, I believe.”

    “Just let him take his turn,” Naeemah growled.

    The Party sat around a polished stone table in Cailu’s San Island residence. It was a two-story house decked with furniture and trophies he and Naeemah had collected over the years from different islands. It was more cost-effective to live with the members of his group, though at times, the house still felt empty. Like it was always missing something.

    “I admit, I’m worried about Matt,” Cailu said. He lifted the Priest from the board and studied it. I hadn’t thought this favor would lead to a pilgrimage. “This is the closest we’ve ever been to working together. And if something happens to them—”

    “You’re back where you started,” Kirti finished for him. “You tire of this world and your time in it. It’s etched in your face and your words.”

    “Kirti,” Naeemah hissed a warning.

    Cailu held up a hand. “Naeemah, Let her speak her mind.”

    Kirti awarded Naeemah a sly smile and flipped the stone into the air with her thumb. She caught it between her pinky and ring finger, and the rolling continued. It glowed with a dim aura, charged with the soul of an Encroacher. “Why don’t we look for him?”

    “That would take time,” Cailu countered, setting the Priest back down on its square. The Queen’s Gambit was a favorite of his in this otherwise repetitive existence. He preferred to play it in peace, without the din and whispers of catgirls in taverns.

    “We lose more time waiting for him, I believe,” Kirti said.

    “What about the queen? If she should call on us?” Naeemah asked, leaning back in her chair and lifting her goblet of wine.

    Kirti’s fiery gaze shifted to the [Assassin]. “You place so much value in the queen’s requests. Vicarious living, perhaps? You do so yearn for your throne, don’t you?”

    “That’s too far,” Cailu said. He picked the Saboteur from the board and replaced it on a square that disadvantaged Kirti.

    Kirti shrugged and chuckled. Still rolling the stone with ease, she sipped her wine. “I am in the business of souls, Cailu. Is it a fault to read aloud?”

    “The ability to speak and read, as you say, is not as powerful as knowing when,” he replied coldly. “You lead the point astray. I do agree that finding him may be our best option. In a favorable scenario, he could use our help. In a less than favorable one, well, at least it would put an end to my wondering.”

    Naeemah sighed, moving her Enchanter piece to flank Kirti’s Arbiter with Cailu’s Saboteur. A silent partnership to defeat one opponent before facing off with one another was a common strategy. Especially if you believed you had the upper hand on the last person standing. “If we do this, we should begin searching with his home island. Ni, was it?”

    “Yes. I think so, too. One of the girls should know where he went,” Cailu agreed.

    “There, now. Wasn’t that simple?” Kirti lifted the Myrmidon piece and charged it diagonally across the board, pinning Naeemah’s Queen between it and the Assassin. “That’s game for you, sweet.”

    Cailu raised a brow. Kirti’s set-up was masterfully executed. It was a play that neither he nor Naeemah had foreseen—Cailu’s advance had caught her off guard.

    Naeemah tipped her queen and snatched her goblet. “An early night for me, then.” It was customary to leave your pieces on the board as they stood, and the last two players had to maneuver around them like dead soldiers on a battlefield. “Let me know your decision in the morning.”

    She marched up the stairs without another word. Cailu and Kirti silently watched her until she vanished.

    “Why do you beleaguer her so?” Cailu asked.

    Kirti’s wry smile returned. “Do I need a reason beyond self-satisfaction?”

    Cailu frowned. “That’s sadistic.”

    “My, that’s interesting. Coming from you, I mean.”

    He felt his face flush. How much could this woman read into him? His past? His thoughts? Kirti was terrifying. “Let’s finish this game.”

    Cailu couldn’t say whether he was referring to their conversation or the board game.

    Ni Island was as empty as ever. The dock where the single sailing catgirl usually kept her boat was vacant, allowing Yǔ xī and her crew to easily make port. Yǔ xī’s catamaran took the entire length of one side, and navigating around the ramshackle canoe while the green-haired yokel howled profanities was not a memory he wanted to relive.

    Once they’d docked, Cailu instructed Yǔ xī to wait with her crew on the boat, as he didn’t expect his investigation to take long. At least, he hoped so.

    According to Cailu’s iPaw, Junonia was the closest city to the port, meaning someone would have had to see Matt leave or return at some point. The iPaw didn’t relay anything beyond major cities and known landmarks, which left them knocking on doors and scouting businesses themselves.

    As the white-washed homes and buildings came into view, Kirti smirked. “Has a Defiled ever set foot on this place?”

    “The Defiled threat is notoriously weak on Ni Island,” Naeemah said. “We have not been here in years.”

    “The island went without a man for over a decade. It’s a wonder that it still stands,” Cailu murmured. “There is a strong possibility that the number of citizens in one place correlates to Defiled sightings. A theory yet unproven.”

    “What you’re saying is, Matt got off easy.” Kirti snatched an insect from the air, crushing it between her forefinger and thumb. “Or, that’s what you’re thinking, anyway.”

    Cailu worked his jaw but said nothing.

    Precious few catgirls roamed what seemed to be Junonia’s marketplace. A handful of wooden stalls were set up for business alongside more white buildings with colored awnings. Smoke billowed out of a chimney at the far end of the market, and the building’s wooden door was held open by a leather strap around its handle.

    “The blacksmith, I would wager,” Cailu said, pointing toward the smoking chimney. “Let us begin there.”

    The catgirls that made their afternoon shopping rounds spotted him and stepped aside, staring and leering with wide, curious eyes. One bold enough to approach tip-toed to his right.

    “I wouldn’t,” Naeemah warned beneath her mask, eyes piercing into the young woman’s.

    The girl turned and bolted, her tail between her legs.

    The blistering heat inside the smithy was overwhelming as soon as they stepped inside. Caliu felt trickles of sweat dribble down his skin from beneath his armor while beading at his hairline. A woman with cropped black hair and a tail cut short worked at an anvil, whistling in time with her swings against the axe she refined.

    “Excuse the intrusion. I have a few questions,” Cailu called over the hiss of the coals and beating of metal.

    She turned to face them, her features half-masked in the dim light. Cailu noticed a large chunk missing from her ear as if something had bit it free. Her whistling stopped.

    “I’m not open for new business,” she said, her voice sharp with anger.

    Cailu chuckled. “I assure you, if I wanted anything made, it wouldn’t be from here.”

    The blacksmith crossed her toned arms across her dark sleeveless top. “The hell do you want?”

    Kirti sauntered up to the counter, then leaned forward. Her glowing eyes narrowed, studying the smith’s face in the darkness. Her mouth parted in a brilliant grin, her expression one that made Cailu wary. “My, my. What a coincidence.” She licked her lips.

    “Your tail’s on fire,” the woman said darkly, pointing to the end of Kirti’s ember-tipped tail.

    “As is your heart,” Kirti replied evenly. “Though mine isn’t any cause for concern.”

    “Um, excuse me?” a soft voice called from the door.

    Cailu turned to find a short, very pregnant young woman with brown hair and bright blue eyes. She blushed beneath her freckles and pulled one arm over her chest.

    “I-I was just wondering if you had any news of Matt,” she murmured, barely audible.

    “That is exactly why we are here. Let us speak outside.” The thick air was stifling. Cailu glanced over his shoulder, irritated by the blacksmith’s lack of manners. “It seems etiquette is not all lost on this island.”

    The smith made a strained sound between a chuckle and a cough, then returned to her work.

    “What’s your name, child?” Kirti asked as they stepped back into the sunlight.

    “S-Saphira,” she replied, touching the long braid wrapped over her shoulder.

    “When was the last time you saw Matt?” Cailu asked.

    “He was here just about a week ago.” Scooping her hands beneath her stomach, Saphira’s blush deepened. “I know that’s not a long time, but when I saw you come into town instead of him, I was afraid something bad had happened.”

    “Was anyone else with him?”

    “Another man. From Shi Island, I think? The girls with him were dressed like Ceres.” She shook her head. “Sorry, you probably don’t know Ceres. They wear really cute black dresses with aprons.”

    “That sounds like Shi Island,” Cailu colluded. Which meant that Matt had at least found one man. Good.

    “His last stop would be Ichi, then,” Kirti summarized, more to Saphira’s benefit than anyone else’s.

    “Magni,” Naeemah growled. “It’s a five-day ride from Kandota to Rājadhānī. Potentially a week if they traveled on foot.”

    “Surely he wouldn’t be so foolish as to do that, would he?” Kirti asked, amusement glittering in her gaze. “Navigating the desert without a knowledgeable guide is suicide.”

    “I can only hope not,” Cailu admitted. Matt’s approach to Nyarlea still had Cailu wavering on his reliability. But it was a risk he’d poured too much time and effort into to stop now.

    “Assuming they reached Rājadhānī, the next step would be speaking with Magni. It’s too early to say whether he’s run into an issue with the king, as travel alone would occupy ten to fourteen days.” Naeemah used ‘king’ as if it were profanity rather than a title.

    Saphira flushed, and her eyes filled with tears. “He’s not in danger, is he?”

    “Only one way to find out,” Kirti said with a shrug. “Nae and I could lead us to Rājadhānī in a fraction of the time. We know many tricks to traveling the sands.”

    “Do not call me that,” Naeemah hissed.

    The sound made Saphira jump. She took a half-step back, then looked at Cailu. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

    Cailu shook his head. “That will be all. Thank you, Saphira.” Giving her false hope that they would bring Matt back would do little to improve her situation, so he ended it with a curt goodbye.

    As they made their way back to the boat, Kirti took one more look at the shrinking Junonia and shook her head.

    “You leave footprints and scars in more places than you realize, Cailu,” she said. “You would do well to tread lightly.”

    Cailu was unable to hide his grimace, so he hid it behind a hand brushing the sweat from his forehead. “Your myths and riddles are not becoming, Kirti.”

    She tilted her head toward her shoulder in a half-shrug. “Better than the venom Nae spits.”

    “Once more, and I will cut you to shreds,” Naeemah snapped, unsheathing her daggers from the belt around her hips.

    Kirti laughed, stretching her arms high into the sky and yawning, like a housecat in the afternoon sun. “Our reunion on Ichi Island will be most interesting indeed.”

    [​IMG]
     
  7. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Side Quest: Portia on Deck

    It felt like not a single damn fish in the ocean wanted to bite lately. Portia’s bare feet hung over the dock, her fishing pole cast as far beyond the wave breaks as she could manage. Her tackle box sat next to her, filled with hand-spun lures—mostly hers, two were by her pops, but she didn’t dare use them—and a spread of different baits. Pops’ harpoon rested behind her, just within arms reach should [Fishermen’s Sense of Danger] activate.

    Five years it’d been. She missed him every day. All time did was make it easier to fall asleep at night and leave the bed in the morning. Elona made a habit of checking on her, frequently bringing her food and ensuring that there were enough supplies in the house. That job should have fallen to Portia’s mother, but her grief over her lost husband forced her final steps into the ocean, never to be seen again.

    She looked at her forearm and traced the fresh ink with the tips of her free hand. A traveling merchant with a background in skin painting had dropped onto Ni Island a month before, offering her services and wares. It had hurt like hell, but the anchor bearing Pops’ name brought her a small amount of solace that they wouldn’t be apart forever. Emilio. One day, the waves would carry her back to him, like Mom.

    For now, here she was. Fishing beside her father’s boat. She’d recently found rot at the base of the mast but didn’t have the Bells or carpentry knowledge to replace it. More than likely, she’d have to cut it off, store the sail, and use the rowers they kept for emergencies full-time until she could afford a new one.

    “Everything’s gone to shit since you’ve been gone, Pops,” Portia murmured to the boat. “What in Saoirse’s name did the Royal Guard want with you?”

    There was a bit of coin in ferrying girls to San Island. Enough to pay Elona and keep the cookfire going. She wasn’t comfortable enough to make the trip to Shi or Ichi yet. As it was, the fishcats were crazier every time she saw them—some even leaping out of the water and into her boat. Emilio had taught her how to spear them with a harpoon, and she could take two at a time now instead of finding herself overpowered by one when she was a kitten. Still had the scar to prove it. But if she was coming back to Ni on her own and a whole swarm attacked? She didn’t stand a chance.

    As every day passed without a new man showing up, more and more Ni Island girls were leaving in favor of the other islands. She’d taken a handful to San while the others preferred to wait for the monthly Nyarlothep merchant ship or the heftier boats that sometimes swung by from Shi and Ichi. She liked the latter, as it gave her a chance to talk shop with other sailors. The merchant ship usually docked on the other end of Ni Island, and she didn’t have much of a reason to bother traveling that far.

    The sudden swelling of the waves snapped Portia from her idle daydreaming. She looked up to see a large vessel headed toward her dock—a catamaran by the looks of it. As opposed to her single-hulled boat, this one had two with a hell of a lot more room for passengers between it. The sailing speed was impressive despite the gentle breeze in the air. As remarkable as it was, the damn thing was headed to the same side of the dock as her sailboat.

    “Shit!” Portia leaped to her feet and fervently reeled in her line. To her immense relief, [Fisherman’s Sense of Danger] didn’t trigger, and her lure returned unharmed. She set the pole on the dock and frantically waved her arms over her head. “Hey! Not that side!”

    A dark-haired girl at the wheel shielded her eyes and spotted the hopping Portia from a distance. She looked from side to side at her catgirl crewmates, pointing and muttering instructions. The boat jibed, veering against the wind and stopping a few meters from where Portia stood, perpendicular to the dock.

    “Yǔ xī, have we arrived?” a deep voice called from below deck.

    “Almost.” Now that she was closer, Portia could see the girl’s hair was a deep black that shimmered blue in the sunlight. “It’s just, er…”

    “Just tie up on the other side! What’s the problem?” Portia called.

    A pale young man appeared beside Yǔ xī with hair the yellow of the feathers in many of Portia’s lures and pointed ears. Portia blinked. Yeah, those were nothing like Pops’ ears; these were long. He wore polished silver armor emblazoned with a golden emblem, a red cape flapping behind him.

    “We took damage on the port side on our way over. One of my girls needs to check it out,” Yǔ xī called.

    “You could have warned me that you were comin’!” Portia cried. “Coulda forgone this whole shit show!”

    “You have quite a mouth on you for a kitten,” the man stated, his stare cold.

    “I’m not a kitten!” She was thirteen, dammit. Old enough to be on her own for five years. “Just pull forward, and I’ll sail out and let you dock.”

    “You couldn’t simply pull your canoe onto the sand?” he asked, gesturing to the beach. “There’s plenty of room for such a tiny boat.”

    Canoe?! “That would damage the rudder on my boat, you chowder-headed bastard!” That insult was a favorite of her father’s, though it tasted bitter-sweet on her tongue. “Just wait a damn minute.”

    He glowered down at her but didn’t say anything else.

    Portia tossed her harpoon in her boat, untying it from the dock and raising the anchor. The wind was in her favor, and she opened the sail to an easy breeze. Even if it was a short spurt of sailing, the first few seconds after leaving the dock always made her heart race and set her troubles free. Though, this time it was cut short by the yellow-haired man calling out something about moving faster.

    Wonder how fast he’d sink in that armor.

    Once she’d skirted her boat around the catamaran, Yǔ xī steered their ship into the empty dock. Portia followed soon after, retying and anchoring herself on the opposite side. She picked up her harpoon and hopped out, closing her tackle box and collecting her fishing rod.

    “Where’s your island’s man?” The man in armor had collected himself and stepped away from the catamaran. A dark-skinned catgirl with long black hair tied high on her head stood beside him, her lower face masked in black.

    Portia flinched. “Dead. You’re five years too late.” Her ears twitched with irritation. “What do you want with him?”

    He sighed. “Though it means nothing to you, I wished to discuss a potential pact. I see that is not to be.”

    “Too bad. No man here. Just us catgirls to defend ourselves.” Portia raised her harpoon to prove her worth as a fighter. Though, the truth was that she was still a novice compared to Emilio.

    “This island looks abandoned. What are you defending yourselves from?”

    “Roaches, obviously,” Portia snapped. “And there are plenty of people still here. They just live in the cities.”

    “Alright. Where’s the nearest city, girl?” he asked, wrinkling his nose. “I’d like a meal before we leave for San Island.”

    “Wait. You’re San Island’s man? Cailu?” Portia laughed, a sound that echoed from her belly to her throat. “That’s rich.”

    The masked girl beside him narrowed her eyes, her hands shooting to her hips. Cailu held a hand up, staying her. “Why do you laugh?”

    “Every time I ferry a girl your way, the others in port gush over you. You don’t look like much to me.”

    He sneered, annoyance flashing in his gaze. “You will lose that tongue if you continue to waggle it.”

    Portia let her laugh die out before continuing. There wasn’t a single part of him that was like her father. He had no sense of humor, no warmth in his gaze, no patience for the unexpected. Emilio had warned her about men like him. In the depths of that unbreakable façade, there were almost always a few chinks in the armor.

    Despite the frustration on both of their faces, Portia flashed them a winning smile and readjusted the tools in her arms. “I’ll tell you what. Let me put my gear away, and I’ll show you to Junonia. Less wandering around for you.”

    Cailu searched her face for a long time, then nodded. “If you lead us astray, Naeemah will take your tongue. Understood?”

    She had to stifle another laugh. Did he ever breathe in all that heavy armor? “Sure. And, when we get there, why don’t we play some cards?”

    “I’ve a fair hand at card games,” Cailu replied, allowing some of the tension to leave his neck and shoulders.

    “Great, I’ll be right back.” Portia dashed back to her house, replacing all of her tools in the small storage closet in the kitchen. If he was as rich as he looked, she just might be able to win enough Bells to fix her sail after all.

    I’ll keep fighting, Pops. You don’t have to worry about me.

    [​IMG]
     
  8. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 172: Scarlet Terror

    It was something else to see Cailu again. Every emotion in the book washed over me. On more than one occasion, I’d struggle to recall his features. Honestly, there were times I’d forgotten he was even an elf—though I had Ravyn and Ball to remind me of his “knife ears.”

    “It surprises me to see you… Ravyn, was it?” Cailu said. “You didn’t seem a loyal type.”

    “And you still haven’t learned to mind your own fucking business. Surprises for everyone, Cailu,” Ravyn snapped.

    Cailu the Cunt!” Bally screamed overhead.

    Cailu narrowed his eyes. “Charming.”

    The unfamiliar catgirl to Cailu’s right smirked. Naeemah shot a furious glare to the sky.

    We returned to camp, and Ravyn stormed back into the tent without another word. Keke moved to join Cannoli, and Ceres looked up in interest, but Cannoli quickly averted her gaze. Lara perched in the sand next to the fire, her lips moving as if she were whispering her secrets to the licks of flame. Zahra sat a few steps back from Lara, oiling the blade of her katana. Destiny huddled closer to Tristan but was left alone when he stood, eyes wide and hands resting behind his back as if Cailu had called him to attention.

    “Who is this?” Cailu asked flatly, looking at Tristan.

    “Tri—” I started.

    “Tristan Erato,” Tristan interrupted, offering his hand. “You must be Cailu. Matt’s told me much about you.”

    Cailu briefly looked at me, then back at Tristan before offering a gloved hand. Their difference in stature was immense as the two of them shook hands. “Cailu Raloquen, first of his name. A pleasure.”

    “The pleasure is mine,” Tristan said easily.

    “I cannot stand on ceremony, so let’s make this quick.” Cailu looked at me again, crossing his arms. “I must congratulate you on acquiring Shi Island’s…” he paused, glancing at Tristan. “Man. However, I must ask—why are you pitched so far away from Rājadhānī? Surely you’ve been to the capital by now.”

    “We were forced to retreat. Temporarily, mind you,” Ceres said as she moved to stand beside me. “A minor setback.”

    “I believe that I asked Matt,” Cailu said with a hint of irritation.

    I tensed, but Ceres was the picture of grace.

    “My apologies,” Ceres said with a slight bow.

    Cailu looked back at me. “Now. Why are you not closer to the city?”

    I cleared my throat. “Cailu, what are you doing here?” As much as I hated answering questions with questions, his tone with Ceres had me on edge. In addition, Ravyn’s warnings from earlier worried me. The last thing I wanted to see happen was Cailu burning this place to the ground.

    “It’s been months. I wished to see how far you had come along,” Cailu said with what felt like a forced smile. “Considering your acquisition of Shi Island’s man, I must say I am impressed.”

    Acquisition? Tristan isn’t a piece of gear. “That’s in no small part to Tristan and his Party.”

    “Your methods aside, it seems you’ve run afoul with Rājadhānī.” Cailu’s tone changed, and the friendly facade vanished. Something dark flickered in his gaze, and his mouth pulled into a thin line. “Magni is a rakefire. I intend to see that this meeting occurs, no matter what it takes. Now, if you would, please answer my question.”

    My heart skipped a beat, and my mind ran a mile a minute. I wanted to say something snarky in reply, especially with that challenging tone. But I’d never seen such a serious look on his face before. He has a history with Magni, then.

    “As Ceres said, we just had a setback,” I said. The fire crackled, granting Cailu’s armor an almost holy glow. I stepped in front of the flame to block the light.

    “We were kicked out of the city,” Keke said, surprising me. She returned to my side, looking up at the tall elf. “The inner shells want nothing to do with us, and their warriors are bullies.”

    “Ah, just as I remember,” the woman I didn’t recognize said on his right. Her skin was dark, littered with splotches of white in streaked patterns. Her tail and ears didn’t seem to have any hair or fur, but it was difficult to say for sure with so little light available. Rings of gold like those of her eyes wrapped around her limbs, her fingers, her neck, hell, even her toes. The word “Wild” came to mind. She continued, “As the wind blows, so too does the sand. I suppose it will only be a matter of time before our home is buried beneath the sands, huh, Nae?”

    Naeemah shot her a glare, yanking her mask down around her neck. “You’ve truly a death wish?”

    The stranger’s sharp smile widened. “Come now. At least introduce me first.”

    Cailu sighed. “This is Kirti, my Party’s [Witch Doctor]. Pay her no heed. Tell me what happened at Rājadhānī.”

    “Rude,” Kirti murmured as she toyed with a glowing pair of red and blue rocks between her fingers.

    I didn’t like it—did anyone enjoy admitting their shortcomings?—but after the first few sentences, Tristan and I spilled the whole truth of the matter. Cailu hummed and nodded while we laid our tale bare, making occasional comments here and there on our mistakes and room for improvement. It felt less like I was talking to an ally and more like I was reporting to my manager.

    “And that’s where we’re at,” Tristan said once we’d finished.

    “I see,” said Cailu. “Appear, iPaw.” The device manifested in his hand, and after a short time, he frowned and looked up at me. “We need to talk about your progress. I will be frank with you. I am amazed that you managed to survive up to this point. I expected you to at least have your Second Class by now.”

    “He’s been working on your little project,” Keke said in my defense. “Cut him some slack.”

    Is this what it looks like when your girlfriend sticks up for you in front of your dad?

    Cailu opened his mouth.

    “What are you planning to do now that you’re here?” Tristan cut in before Cailu could admonish Keke.

    Cailu paused. “That depends on the rest of you.” His hand rested on the hilt of his blade. “I think it would be in our best interests to work together. These Ejderha sound unreasonable at best.”

    “That doesn’t even begin to explain it!” Destiny exclaimed. Her sudden outburst had us all turning to face her. “I have never met such an irritating group of unreasonable, uncouth scum as them! I swear they want to dig their own graves! Relish in it, even! Their actions are inconceivable!”

    To my surprise, Cailu chuckled. “Then we are in agreement. Despite our strengths and numbers, we must figure out how to circumvent them first. Do you know what Class Sanrai is?”

    “The best source of information that we have on the Ejderha’s leader is her sister.” Tristan looked to his right. “Zahra?”

    Zahra continued to polish her sword, glancing in Naeemah’s direction. It seemed to me her mind was in another place. “When we trained long ago, she spoke of becoming a [Crusader] or [Battleguard]. I know not which she chose to devote herself to.”

    “What Skills has she used?” Cailu asked, nearing her.

    “None that I’m aware of. She’s never called out her Skill names,” I admitted.

    “Wise woman. Does she believe in Saoirse?” Cailu asked.

    How would we know that? Ring her doorbell and try to convert her?

    “Everyone does,” Cannoli said with wide eyes. “Everyone must.

    I scratched the back of my head uncomfortably, looking to shift the conversation away. But Cailu spoke before I could.

    “There are many who decline to practice Saoirse’s commandments,” Cailu said, turning his head toward Cannoli. “Do not make such presumptuous claims.”

    “Watch it,” I said, growing defensive. What the hell, man? This isn’t the friendly asshole I knew. This is just the asshole.

    “It was meant in good faith. If she does not wish to accept my counsel, she will learn the hard way.” Cailu shrugged.

    “You’re every bit the man I’ve heard, Cailu.” Zahra resheathed her katana and raised a brow. The [Myrmidon] didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by Cailu.

    “I’ll assume you meant that as a compliment. I would like to avoid digressions.” He gestured with his hand. “It seems I must defer to you on Sanrai. What of her faith?”

    “No, she was not religious. Not that I’m aware of.”

    “All [Crusader]s are required to take a test of faith issued by Nyarlothep’s enclave. Considering how you’ve described Sanrai’s actions and intentions, I find it unlikely that [Crusader] is her calling. Of the two named possibilities, [Battleguard] is more likely.” Cailu moved his finger across the iPaw, nodding to himself. “This Chikara. You say it summoned decomposed heads from the ground. What did they look like?”

    “The heads of catgirls,” Tristan answered, narrowing his eyes. “No two heads looked alike from what I could tell.”

    Cailu’s gaze landed on me. “Yeah, just as he said. Each one was unique,” I said.

    Cailu brought a gauntleted knuckle to his chin, flickers of firelight catching his face. “First, let us dispatch the Chikara.”

    “I get that you’re a big guy and all and the savior of Nyarlothep and yadda yadda, but I don’t think ya get it. The Chikara kills anythin’ and everythin’,” Agni said, rounding the tent and passing the fire. She’d been tending to the gigashanks and hadn’t caught the first half of Cailu’s arrival. “I ain’t gettin’ within three miles of the thing, friend.” She reached up to throw an arm around Cailu’s shoulders.

    Naeemah’s form blurred. In the blink of an eye, she had Agni’s wrist in one hand and a knife at her throat.

    “Then don’t,” Cailu replied, his stare impatient and cold.

    “Saoirse’s tits. Put me down, snake,” Agni blustered, hand clenching in Naeemah’s grip. “A warning would have been nice.”

    “This is your warning. The only one,” Naeemah hissed, then pushed Agni toward me.

    I caught her, and the fiery woman shouldered me off, murmuring profanities as she returned to the tent.

    “The head of the Chikara would make an excellent bargaining tool to secure an audience with Magni. Surely you all see that,” Cailu continued, as if his [Assassin] hadn’t just tried to murder our guard.

    “I really don’t think we can kill it. Not at our Level,” I said, frustrated with Cailu and his Party treating the rest of us like misbehaving dogs.

    “I could do it,” Kirti said, smiling. No. That wasn’t a smile. Not in the traditional sense, anyway. I hadn’t seen that expression in some time, but I recall Celestia wearing a similar make. I got the sense that she looked at this island like a game. As she spoke, her smile settled into indifference. “The Chikara subdues the souls of those it takes, making them its own. If one can reclaim the souls, then the Chikara loses its puppets, and the Defiled is forced to fight using its main body.”

    “How do you know that?” I asked.

    “Wouldn’t you like to know, boy.” She giggled.

    You know, I’m getting tired of this ‘boy’ thing. First, Ravyn, and now you.

    “What if it decides to run?” asked Keke. “Defiled aren’t stupid. If it realizes that the odds are against it, it could run away to fight another day.”

    “I will call upon Earth,” Lara said with her usual air of whimsy. “I almost had the Defiled last time, but I needed to protect Tristan.”

    “Could you force it above ground?” Tristan asked.

    “If Earth is happy that day. He’s aggressive and territorial. He and Water get into arguments a lot here, so sometimes I must be careful who I call upon because then they get angry at me.” Lara sighed. “Which frustrates me. I get that Earth is proud and strong, but so is Water. Just in different ways. I think that if they were to talk it out and really just assess their—”

    “Thanks, Lara,” Tristan said, gesturing for her to quiet down.

    “Very well,” Cailu said, frowning at Lara. “Then Lara will force it above ground in the event the Chikara chooses to flee.”

    “What if we run into their morning hunting party?” I asked. “As we said, we’re not exactly on great terms.”

    “It changes nothing,” said Cailu. “If they choose to engage us, then we dispatch them. Simple as that.”

    “Could we not approach that possibility from a more diplomatic viewpoint?” Ceres asked, her hand draped across her chest.

    “That opportunity left when you decided to hold them hostage,” Cailu argued. “Your blunder will not jeopardize this mission, I assure you.”

    Gee, thanks, Dad. You’re the greatest.

    “Naeemah and Kirti suggested we travel the desert at night, much to my dismay,” Cailu continued. “However, seeing as you are, I will not impose our standards. Tired bodies are the most useless kind.” Cailu’s stare traveled a short distance from our tent. “We will assemble our tent across from yours. If anything is amiss, pray, do not hesitate to inform me.” He placed a hand on Naeemah’s shoulder. “Stand watch.”

    “As you say,” Naeemah said.

    “We will reconvene at first light,” said Cailu. He waved over his shoulder as he left, Naeemah beside him.

    Kirti turned and began to walk away. After a few swaying steps, she turned her head, staring at Lara. That same sinister smile stretched across her mouth, and without another word, she strode her way over to where Cailu and Naeemah were putting up their tent.

    That woman is bad news.

    [​IMG]
     
  9. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Side Quest: Yomi's Reconciliation

    Yomi lived an eternity between Latali arriving at her bedside and when she fully woke next. Erratic scenes flashed before her like blurred paintings intertwined with pitch-black nothingness.

    She couldn’t decide which was worse—the unpredictable moments of awareness or the long stretches of silent solitude.

    Any time Yomi resurfaced from the depths of unconsciousness, a sharp, searing pain flared below her navel and branched across her lower abdomen. Her fever raged, making it hard to draw breath, and her throat was too dry to scream. Any sound that did manage to escape her lips was a hoarse moan, muffled beneath the whispers of attending nyannies.

    But between the fever dreams and hallucinations was the cold, dark silence. She’d never been trapped in anything like it before. Most people didn’t remember falling asleep until they woke up the following day. And yet, Yomi experienced every second she spent in that tenebrous space, blinking rapidly in hopes of finding even one speck of light to latch on to, only to find nothing. Every limb and digit was numb as if all that existed was her head in a black box. More than once, she’d wondered if she were dead—then, eventually, she’d open her eyes and return to the fever.

    It was during one of these prolonged periods of darkness that She appeared.

    A brilliantly blinding light that cleaved through the shadows like a thousand sharpened daggers. Yomi fell to her knees, holding her arms over her head as the glowing figure approached.

    “Stand, Yomi.” Her voice rang in Yomi’s ears and burned her chest. Despite the lack of walls, her timbre echoed as if they stood in a cavernous expanse.

    Yomi pushed herself to her feet, squinting her eyes to get a better look at the dazzling form.

    Ivory hair trailed to the woman’s hips, just above two full tails that swept up the gentle curve of her back. Narrow white ears rotated toward Yomi as she turned, tiny feathers breaking from the edges of her fur and vanishing outside of her aura. Multiple layers of white and sky-blue silk draped over her alabaster skin, hanging loose from her shoulders, hugging her waist, and flowing around her ankles. Thin chains of gold punctuated by dozens of sapphires dripped from her hair, around her neck, her wrists, her thighs.

    The most striking piece of all was her mask. A magnificent work of art crafted of pure gold, with intricate swirls and reliefs carved into the metal. A large sapphire was set between where her eyes would be. It covered the upper half of her porcelain face, leaving only her ruby-red lips bared.

    “Saoirse,” Yomi whispered. She’d only ever seen the goddess’ likeness in the Temple of Nyarlothep and a few scatterings of sketches. [Priest]s and [Bishop]s held their tomes close, refusing to share them with outsiders. Especially those who practiced outside of Saoirse’s teachings. Now I must be dead. “Are you here to condemn me?”

    The corners of Saoirse’s perfect lips dipped into a frown. “Your immortal soul is no longer mine to judge, Yomi of Nyarlea.” She pointed to Yomi’s midsection, her clawed fingers longer than any catgirl Yomi had ever known.

    The runic symbol around Yomi’s navel awakened in a pale, violet glow. She dropped her stare and quickly covered herself with her hands, realizing that she stood naked before the revered goddess.

    “You are… intimately familiar with your masters,” Saoirse said, dropping her hand. “You turned your trust from me long ago.”

    Belial… Yomi hugged her arms tighter around herself, wrapping her tail over her thighs. “What is it that you want from me?”

    Saoirse stepped forward, her feline-like feet and toes clicking against the ground with her advance. “To help free you from your guilt.” She touched Yomi’s chin, lifting her eyes upward. “You may have forsaken me, but I am more forgiving than the denizens of hell.”

    A comforting warmth rocketed through Yomi’s veins at the advent of the goddess’ touch, flowing from her face to her toes. A dozen fond memories triggered simultaneously: wrapping up inside a soft blanket in front of her fireplace, the many nights spent laughing with Ravyn, the safety of sleeping next to Finn. Image after image flashed fervently across her eyes while tears fell down her cheeks. She stepped back, yanking her face from Saoirse’s fingers, and furiously wiped at her eyes.

    “You mistake forgiveness for torture,” Yomi murmured, sniffing back sobs.

    “Granting you comfort is torture?” Saoirse’s twin tails flicked behind her with irritation. “You would prefer to see all that you regret?”

    “I’d prefer to wake up from this dream.” Yomi shook her head. “From this nightmare.”

    “Yomi of Nyarlea, you deny my existence at every opportunity. Do you not desire freedom from your shame? Absolution of your sins?” Saoirse waved her hand, and behind it trailed another of Yomi’s memories—hanging in the air for all to see. Yomi hiking over the beaches and clawing through the forests of Ni Island, only to be rejected by Matt once she found him.

    “He won’t forgive me. There is no freedom,” Yomi bit back, averting her eyes from the scene.

    “There is, child.” Saoirse wiped the air clean, resting her arm at her side. “You must confess.”

    The flickers of warmth left by Saoirse’s touch vanished, leaving behind the cold stillness Yomi had come to associate with this place. She swallowed, then repeated, “Confess?”

    “Yes. In doing this, you put the needs of others before your own. Help Nyarlothep understand the sanctity of a union.” Saoirse steepled her fingers, the gold chains around her wrists swinging languidly with the motion. “Do not allow the future men to suffer as Matt has.”

    “You suggest freedom in death?” Yomi trembled. Her once numb body went weak with fear, and she fell to her knees. Her teeth chattered, and she squeezed her eyes closed. This is just a nightmare. That’s all it is. I just have to wake up. “They will kill me.”

    “Yomi, this is—” Saoirse began once more.

    “I can’t leave Ruyah alone!” Yomi cried, shaking fingers clutched around her arms. She didn’t know if Ruyah had lived through the birth or whether she was still in the clinic. But she had to hold on, had to believe… “This isn’t real!”

    “Your impudent denial has been your undoing, child,” Saoirse murmured, her words sharper than a dagger against Yomi’s skin.

    “Go away!” Yomi screamed. “Leave me alone!”

    Saoirse shook her head, then vanished, leaving only a burned outline in Yomi’s vision. Yomi screamed again.



    “Miss Yomi, I’m right here,” a familiar voice beckoned from Yomi’s bedside. “You’re going to be all right.”

    Yomi blinked a half-dozen times, gasping for air as she slowly awoke. As her vision focused, she recognized Latali, the [Hermetic] that had seen her on the first night, and a fretting Jesna at the edge of the bed.

    “Your fever broke, and your breathing is steady,” Latali said, holding a cool cloth to Yomi’s forehead. “How do you feel?”

    The pain in her abdomen had subsided, leaving only a dull, throbbing ache that echoed in her lower back. She was covered in sweat, fatigued, and her mouth was drier than the Ichi deserts, but she was alive.

    “Ruyah… Where is she?” Yomi moved to sit up, and Latali placed a hand on her shoulder and fluffed the pillows on the bed.

    Glancing over to Jesna, Latali jerked her chin toward the hallway. “Jesna?”

    “O-oh! Of course! Miss Miral!” Jesna called. “She’s awake!”

    The silver-haired [Priest]’s footsteps sounded down the hall, then she stepped inside the room, cradling a small, sleeping bundle in her arms. “Little Ruyah is a sound sleeper, dear. That’s a lucky sign.” Miral smiled wide, then carefully handed the swaddled kitten to Yomi.

    Yomi pulled her kitten close, tears welling in her eyes. Ruyah had silver hair tipped with a brilliant red. The kitten yawned wide, then blinked sleepy, heterochromatic eyes at her mother. Green and brown—one color from each parent. Her tiny ears flickered toward Yomi with curiosity, and she cooed something unintelligible.

    “Congratulations, Yomi.” Latali rubbed Yomi’s back, smiling at Ruyah. “You did well.”

    Kissing Ruyah on the forehead, Yomi held her daughter to her breast, letting the tears flow free.

    [​IMG]
     
  10. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 173: Brimstone

    By the time I’d returned to the tent, Ravyn was already asleep. I admit that I was relieved. I’d been wracking my brain for the right words to say, and I couldn’t come up with anything that would make her feel better. All I could do was hope she understood the situation we found ourselves in. Ball was perched on a small pot, courtesy of Cannoli. He looked up at me, cocked his head to one side, then resumed preening his feathers.

    Is the bird angry with me too?

    I took a spot between Keke and Cannoli, and thanks in no small part to the exhaustion of the day, I was able to fall asleep without issue.

    I must’ve been more on edge than I thought because the mere sound of Cailu’s muffled voice was enough to wake me. I sat up, rubbing my eyes and looking around. All of the catgirls were accounted for in the tent—save for Agni.

    “Make haste,” came Cailu’s demanding voice. “The sun will not wait.” Cailu’s footsteps grew distant.

    “The sun will not wait,” I mimicked in a mocking tone under my breath. “Get over yourself.” I heard a snort to my right. Ravyn had sat up while I was distracted. “Good morning. Sleep well?”

    “Not even a little,” said Ravyn.

    Keke mumbled beside me. “Already? Nooo. Why?” I smiled and bent over to give her a kiss on the forehead. Her eyes fluttered open, and she sighed. “There aren’t enough hours in the day,” she whined.

    One by one, the girls began to wake. We gathered our things and filed out of the tent. Sure enough, Agni was out front, talking with Cailu. He wasn’t wearing the armor from last night. Instead, he wore a tan doublet and long, brown trousers. They were a bit on the baggy side and frayed at the edges. His sword, now a sharp contrast to the new outfit he wore, hung on his left side.

    Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen him out of armor.

    Still, even without the shimmering plate, Cailu’s muscular shoulders and arms easily filled out the doublet.

    Jesus, did he pool everything into Strength?

    “Oh, hey, Matt!” Agni said with an easy smile. “Cailu and I were just discussin’ payment!”

    “Oh boy. I love talking about finances,” I said with obvious sarcasm in my voice.

    “Don’t we all,” Cailu said with a chuckle.

    Is that a bit of the friendly asshole I’m used to? The Cailu I saw the night prior was not a man I wanted to get to know.

    “Pray, mind not the finances we discuss at current,” Cailu continued. “Your tab has been paid.”

    What a generous god. “Thanks,” I said, scratching the back of my head.

    He smiled easily. “Now, let us speak of today’s agenda.”

    It was a much lengthier conversation than I would’ve liked. Cailu sure did like to take his time in explaining things. At the very least, we had a plan. I wasn’t sure how well it would be executed, but I wasn’t in any position to complain.

    After a quick breakfast tossed together by Cannoli and Ceres, we packed up camp and set off.

    “We grow closer,” Kirti said from the back of a gigashank. Her, Naeemah, and Agni had taken one of the shanks together. It was a tight fit, but with Cailu’s sudden appearance, we didn’t have much of a choice. The gigashanks were clearly struggling, and so we had to stop every so often. But it didn’t seem like Agni minded. In fact, she was absolutely beaming. I had to wonder why.

    Cailu’s sweet, sweet cash, maybe?

    “There,” Kirti said, pointing over Agni’s shoulder.

    Agni made a gesture over her shoulder, one hand still firmly held on the reins. Our gigashanks came to a stop. Kirti and Naeemah got down from the shank. Cailu, sharing a seat with Zahra, dismounted from his and both he and Zahra followed.

    “Alright, off we go,” I said to Keke and Cannoli behind me. To my left, I could see Tristan, Ravyn, Destiny, Lara, and Ceres descending from their gigashanks and striding over to where Cailu’s girls stood.

    Cannoli swallowed. “I’m scared, Matt,” she admitted. Even though her hands were balled, I could tell she was trembling. Her white knuckles and blanched face didn’t help. I really needed her to stick to the plan this time. I couldn’t carry her around in my arms.

    I jumped off of the gigashank, approaching it from the side and taking one of Cannoli’s hands. “Hey, it’s going to be okay,” I whispered, looking her in the eyes. “He might be a prick, but Cailu’s a terrifying force to be reckoned with. He’s been in Nyarlea for… god, I don’t know how long. A lot longer than me, though.”

    “I know,” said Cannoli.

    Keke got off the gigashank next, taking to my side. “It’ll just be like all the other times we went out collecting food. Everything will turn out fine, you’ll see. I promise!” Keke smiled and put her hand on top of Cannoli’s hand, ruffling her hair playfully. “Just stick close to me. I’m going to stand far away, anyway.”

    “Yeah, listen to Keke,” I said next. “She knows what she’s talking about.” Keke and I shared a look and nodded.

    “I’m glad to have such wonderful people in my life,” Cannoli said through a forced laugh. She drew a long, shaky breath, then jumped off the gigashank with her hand still in my grasp. She let go and brushed some of the sand off of her dress. “Okay. Let’s go!”

    Kirti stood at the top of a dune, her eyes scanning over the endless expanse of the desert. I couldn’t help but feel she was in her element. The entire time she watched, it was without a shred of fear, emotion, or concern. “Apathy” was the word that came to mind.

    After a time, Kirti flicked her pointer finger into the air. A neon-green flame came to life at the tip. “Go,” she said. The flame hovered away from her finger at a snail’s pace. As it grew more and more distant, it became smaller and less vibrant until it just vanished. Kirti crossed her arms.

    “Now what?” I asked.

    “We wait,” she said, her gaze planted firmly ahead of her.

    Cailu was still wearing his doublet behind Kirti, alongside Naeemah. I was going to ask why he wasn’t in his armor until I realized he’d be cooking himself alive in something like that. Still, he seemed under-dressed for the task. Confronting the Chikara again in anything less than adamantium armor made my stomach turn.

    “When it comes to the battle, focus on preservation,” said Cailu. He adjusted the cuffs of his overly detailed doublet. “Do not do anything unnecessary.”

    “The fuck,” Ravyn spat somewhere on my left. “We can take care of ourselves just fine, cunt. Just look after yourself.”

    Fuck off, squaaawwk!” Ball flapped his wings while perched on her shoulder.

    “Then die for all I care,” said Cailu. “In your last moments, you will remember what I said. There will be no other to blame for your blunder. Not this time.”

    At that, Ravyn’s face darkened, and her mouth drew into a thin line.

    Not good. I opened my mouth to speak, but Ceres was quicker.

    “Sir Cailu. I understand you speak with consideration for the safety of our group at large. However, I cannot condone your choice of language toward my friends.” Her words drew Cailu’s stare. “Your attitude toward us as a whole is abhorrent and disrespectful. Please refrain from speaking of Ravyn’s life as if it were a flame to be snuffed out.”

    Cailu and Ceres stared at each other for a time. I frowned, mentally pumping an arm and cheering for Ceres’ remark. Eventually, Cailu turned back to look at the sands before them. “My apologies,” he said.

    Holy shit, did he really say sorry? To a catgirl?

    Of all the times in my life to be without a smartphone, it had to be now. What I wouldn’t have given to capture this moment on camera. I raised my hands, prepared to clap. Keke went wide-eyed, pushing my arms down and shaking her head.

    I know, Keke. I wasn’t going to. It was a reaction. But I was so god damned tempted.

    “You can take that apology and shove—” Ravyn began.

    An unsettling sound interrupted Ravyn’s retort.

    Kirti sniffed the air, giggling. Well, “giggling” wasn’t the right word. Maniacal cackling, I think, is a better term for the noise that escaped her throat. “It has come,” she said, biting at the tip of one of her nails, eyes glittering with anticipation. “Oh, but there are so many of them.”

    “You’re sick,” Naeemah said with a frown.

    “And I’m all yours.” Kirti laughed again before hopping down the dune, smoothly gliding through the sands. Cailu and Naeemah didn’t follow.

    “Wait, what is she doing?” I asked, stepping forward.

    Cailu raised his hand above his shoulder. “We stay here. For now.”

    “Okay, fine, but what is she doing?” I asked again.

    Cailu turned toward me. “Circumventing the Chikara’s forces.”

    “By herself? That was the plan for distraction?” I’m not about to watch a single catgirl solo the Chikara, am I?

    Kirti sneered. Folding her hands behind her back, she walked forward with exaggerated steps. Like a woman knowing full-well you had a crush on her and adding that extra swing to her hips. It was the kind of saunter that spoke miles long of her confidence and excitement.

    The ground trembled. The sudden shifting of plates beneath my feet caused me to gasp.

    “It’s comin’,” Agni said.

    “I’ll light it up with all I’ve got, Tristan,” Destiny said next to Tristan, rolling one of her bottle grenades in her palm.

    “I know you will. As soon as the heads are gone, you know what to do, right, Lara?” Tristan asked.

    “Yes, yes,” Lara said as if she were half-asleep, nodding. “Earth is eager to rid this creature of its bosom.”

    Those are words.

    And then it happened. A single head rose from the sand next to Kirti. She turned her gaze toward it, flashing a sadistic smile. Then another behind her. Another at her side. Soon, severed heads surrounded her from every angle.

    Cailu motioned for us to get down on our bellies, and so we did. I could barely see what was happening.

    A handful of rotting heads scuttled toward the [Witch Doctor], their spindly legs clicking and clacking like a pair of twigs repeatedly struck against each other. She bent to one knee, her hand on the ground. A larger figure swarmed beneath the sands, circling her like a shark in a pool.

    The entire time I watched, all I could think was, What the hell happens next?

    Two simple words left Kirti’s lips. “[Release Captive].” A choir of howls permeated the air. Flames of bright green rose from the eyes and mouths of the decapitated heads. They fell in droves, thin legs twitching one final time before going still.

    “What are those?” I whispered.

    Cailu shuddered, and his reply was cold. “Souls of the dead.”

    A second Spell sounded from Kirti. “[Soul Trap].” The flames stopped midair as if tethered to the ground. She held up a large, smooth rock with her free hand. From where I hid, it had the same dark green coloring as an emerald. When she raised it high above her head, the facets caught the sunlight and glittered like a diamond.

    The eerie flames—no, the souls—raced into the rock with terrifying speed. It was like watching a vacuum. The howls grew louder with each one that entered the stone. When the last soul was inside, a flash of green covered the sands, blinding me.

    A roar followed.

    “Now!” Cailu cried. The man was on his feet and down the hill in seconds.

    I leaped to standing and followed him. To my left, Ceres, Destiny, Lara, and Zahra were already descending the dune.

    When we reached the base, Lara was the first to speak. “[Summon Earth]!” A disfigured sphere of rock and roots manifested a couple of feet away from her face, circling around her.

    Cailu rushed to Kirti’s location, feet crunching against bone and mangled flesh, positioning himself between her and the figure beneath the sands. “[Toe the Line]!” Cailu whipped his sword across the sand in front of him, carving a blue-white light in the sand. The ground quaked as the Chikara moved toward us. Without warning, it stopped before the glowing line.

    Like some sand dolphin demon, the Chikara turned to its right, then breached the ground. It was an abomination among abominations. For the most part, it shared its resemblance with an ant lion. Large, bulbous back, gigantic mandibles, and tiny, spindly legs.

    On the underbelly, however, it was a different story. It looked as if someone flayed the jaundiced skin of a catgirl, stretched it at all angles, then fused it to the bottom of the beast. Every limb was recognizable, and her head dangled free. I grimaced.

    “[Summon Earth]!” Lara cried again. A second, haphazardly-made ball appeared opposite of the first one she summoned.

    The Chikara’s figure moved swiftly through the sands toward Lara.

    “[Provoke]!” I yelled. The Chikara continued its momentum. It was a vain attempt, but I had to try.

    “[Fire Ball]!” cried Ravyn.

    Fire and arrows rained down upon the mass that was quickly reaching Lara’s location. My axe gripped tightly, I ran toward her. Destiny was standing beside her, a molotov readied in her hand.

    I wasn’t going to make it.

    The Chikara’s upper body rose from the sand to strike Lara. My breath caught, and the notion of throwing my axe came to mind. No! Not with the girls there! I restrained myself, putting every ounce of strength I could behind my sprint.

    “Hey, cunt!” Ravyn screamed. Cailu turned his head toward her. “Get ready to block!” Cailu frowned. “[Displace]!” As soon as the word left her mouth, Lara and Cailu switched positions.

    “Damn you, Ravyn!” Cailu bellowed. “[Iron Wall]! [Bulwark]!” He held his shield in front of him, and the Chikara’s mandibles caught his shield in a vice.

    Something snapped. As I watched, I saw cracks appear in the Chikara’s pincer-like mouth. The Chikara screeched and reeled, diving back into the sand.

    “Blasted creature!” screamed Cailu.

    “Earth is ready!” said Lara. With her hands held out before her, palms up, she continued. “[Summon Earth]!” A third oddly-shaped sphere hovered around her. The three clumps of rock and root reassembled themselves to form a triangle, tethered together by a yellow-orange light. “[Roaring Stalagmite]!”

    No earthquake I’d experienced on Earth was ever this bad. The ground shook with a severity that knocked me off balance. Everyone, save for Cailu and Lara, was on their bellies. If I listened closely enough, I swore I could hear the ground under me cracking and exploding.

    What the hell kinda spell is this?

    The ground stopped trembling. Like the sudden stop at the end of a roller coaster—one second you’re flying through the air, and the next second you’re done. Then, a sound like air being sucked through teeth echoed across the dunes. When I saw the Chikara again, it was speared atop a spire of stone that soared into the sky.

    Green spittle sprayed from the puncture point and its mouth. Now that I could see the Chikara in all of its unholy glory, I noticed something. The splayed catgirl was still moving. A muffled scream bubbled and inflated the Chikara’s underbelly with every breath she took. The spear of stone had managed to pierce the Chikara—and by proxy the catgirl—through the stomach.

    I watched in horror as the catgirl drew its last breaths from under the Chikara’s body, sickly green blood pooling around her mouth before dribbling down the length of Lara’s attack. It seemed everyone else was just as disturbed as I was, as we all stood there, quietly watching the Chikara until it eventually stopped moving.

    Silence. Horrible silence.

    “What the fuck was that?” I mumbled to myself.

    The sound of singing steel woke me from my thoughts. Standing in front of Lara was Naeemah. I’d almost forgotten she was here. Where the hell had she been?

    A sickening sound echoed in my ears. Chitin snapped, chunks of flesh dropped from the Chikara, and the top half of its body slid away, falling to the ground and rolling toward Naeemah. She stopped it with her heel. Green blood coated her blades and a thin sheen of sweat glistened from her brow. She’d sliced the Defiled in half in the span of a heartbeat.

    Naeemah turned to Lara, eyes narrowed. “Always confirm the kill.”

    [​IMG]

    Now accessing system memory…

    Oh my goodness, you’re pregnant again?
    I am. My third kitten this year.
    Think of the others! Don’t you miss them?
    Every day. Every single day.
    Perhaps, your body—
    No. Saoirse willing, I will have a family.

    Memory storage successful.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  11. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 174: Devil Reverse

    “We only need the head,” Cailu said, toeing one of the large bristled teeth protruding from the Chikara’s face.

    Naeemah nodded. Her form blurred, and her daggers sliced deftly through the neck joint. She returned to his side and wiped the blades on her thigh.

    Cailu lifted the enormous head of the Chikara from the sand and held it up for inspection. Naeemah had carved it at an excellent length—the Defiled was immediately recognizable, and the viscera didn’t touch the ground as he held it. The worst part about it was the putrid scent of its thickened green blood, like that of a beast who’d begun decaying weeks ago, not one alive only moments before.

    “T-those rocks,” the white-haired girl squeaked—one of Matt’s—pointing at Kirti’s clenched fist. “What did you do to those girls?”

    “What I had to,” Kirti replied smoothly, revealing the shimmering green stone in her hand before rolling it across her knuckles. “Their souls turned the tide of this battle.”

    “You were serious?” Matt stared at Cailu, incredulous. “She uses souls for magic?”

    Cailu sniffed, eyes narrowing. “What else must I do for you to take me at my word, Matt?” He dropped the enormous head of the Defiled and searched his pack for a rope. “Your constant second-guessing will be your end.”

    “Good thing one of us has quick instincts then,” Ravyn said, appearing at Matt’s side before crossing her arms. “We almost lost our tree-hugger thanks to you.”

    Your what? She was baiting him. Cailu’s irritation returned as he twisted the rope around his arm. “Should you attempt an asinine tactic like that again without warning, it will be the final Spell you cast.”

    “I mean no offense, but have you considered not casually threatening these girls with every other breath you draw?” Tristan approached, frowning as he brushed the sand from his trousers. “Everyone makes mistakes, but Ravyn’s reaction was spot on. She saved Lara’s life.”

    Cailu studied them one by one. This wanton duet of Parties that were certain to have lived due to luck rather than skill. Tristan was short and thin, still carrying the bright eyes and soft face of a boy. He looked impossibly young to still be alive in Nyarlea. Then there was Matt, still so very behind in Levels and experience. So unsure of himself. Both relied on their companions far more than taking situations into their own hands. How could they possibly be ready to face what was ahead?

    You set them to this task, love. It was Fera’s voice that whispered from the depths of his mind. Have the patience to see them through it.

    Hadn’t Fera told him something similar all those years ago? When the king’s council still looked to him for guidance?

    Cailu took a deep breath, forcing the distant memories back into their respective depths. It seemed that regardless of world, time, or circumstance, he would always be the one to lead the many.

    “I will be more cognizant of my replies.” It was the best he could do. Lara’s Spell should have materialized sooner, and Ravyn should have warned him before casting [Displace]. If Kirti or Naeemah had failed him in such a way, they understood it would have meant their permanent removal from his Party.

    “Thank y—” Tristan began.

    “You have to let them go! Now!” The white-haired girl’s voice pitched high, eclipsing their conversation. “They must find peace with Saoirse.”

    Matt turned, shook his head, and jogged to where his [Acolyte] stood arguing with Kirti.

    “Foolish girl. These are not for you to command,” Kirti growled, the stone vanishing from her hand.

    “Cannoli. Hey, come on.” Matt rested a consoling hand on her arm.

    Cannoli tore it away. “No! Matt, you don’t understand. A catgirl’s soul belongs only to Saoirse. What this woman does, it’s…it’s—” she paused, hands trembling.

    Evil, Cailu thought. Kirti’s presence unnerved him. Her fearsome Spells and dangerous methods would have seen her burned at the stake in his previous world. She utilized souls to her advantage—both when she’d locked them within stones or perceived them inside their living shells. More than once, he wondered how Nyarlea had allowed a [Witch Doctor] to continue her practice while [Necromancer]s were hunted for sport.

    Kirti studied Cannoli’s face, that creeping, knowing smile twitching at the corners of her lips. She read the girl like a book. “Do you play at purity like your mother, child?” She reached forward and cupped the [Acolyte]’s chin. “I understand my truth. You’ve a long journey ahead of you.”

    Tears escaped the corners of Cannoli’s eyes. “Y-You… I-I—”

    Ravyn shouldered Matt aside before slapping Kirti’s arm away. Her fingertips glowed with flames. “Don’t you touch her again, bitch.”

    “Kirti,” Cailu called before the [Witch Doctor] could say anything else.

    Kirti’s smile only widened. She shrugged and rejoined Cailu, taking the opposite side of the Chikara’s head. “You wished to tie this to the gigashank, did you not?”

    A cold shiver slid down Cailu’s spine. He hadn’t said his intentions aloud. Kirti’s haunting smile never wavered, and the smell of death permeated the air.

    He wondered if the Chikara alone was emitting that scent.

    The ride to Rājadhānī was silent, save for the gigashank’s scaled, heavy footsteps and the constant scraping of the Chikara’s head dragging along the back of Agni’s mount. When they arrived, he had two cards to play: the trophy and Naeemah. From Matt and Tristan’s regaling of their experience, the Ejderha had forgotten their place in the island’s design.

    And, though it came as no surprise, so had Magni. Cailu believed it would take a show of power to remind them. Matt and Tristan had made it clear that violence would not curry favor with either of their Parties, so his first two attempts would be passive.

    As the city’s walls came into view, Cailu glanced over his shoulder at Naeemah. While her mask shielded the lower half of her face, the intense longing in her eyes was unmistakable. For years, she’d patiently waited to return home. Now that they were so close, a piece of him envied her for it. What he wouldn’t give to see Fera’s face and hear Heiki’s laughter just one more time…

    “So, erm, where do you want this thing?” Agni called, gesturing to the Chikara head.

    They had neared the city gates much faster than Cailu had expected. “Stop near the city, and I will carry it,” he replied. “You need only take care of your Encroachers.”

    “Yessir.” Agni saluted with a grin. “I’ll be at the Tipsy Turtle when you need me.”

    Don’t spend all of your coin on drink, woman. Cailu thought bitterly. They still needed rations and supplies to return to Kandota. “Be mindful that my payment was for the entire trip.”

    “Understood, captain. Not like they have much to drink here, anyway.” Agni hopped off her gigashank and motioned for the others to dismount. “Mostly keep to m’self.”

    “That is for the best,” Naeemah murmured. She stepped away from the enormous reptile, then paused and examined the walls. “What has Magni done?”

    “He’s been busy, it seems,” Kirti added, moving to stand beside her. “What do you think awaits us inside, Nae?”

    Naeemah blinked, and for a moment, Cailu was certain that her blade would meet Kirti’s heart. Instead, she pulled the mask away from her face and murmured, “[Civilian Mode].”

    The [Assassin]’s garb slid away, replaced by Naeemah’s seldom-worn casual clothing. While she almost always kept her hair pulled back from her face, it now streamed down her back in a river of black. A deep green silk skirt perched high on her waist, flowing outward until the hem reached the sand. The long-sleeved top of the same color cut short, bearing a few inches of her dark skin between its edge and the beginning of the skirt. Over her left shoulder rested a wide, translucent sash embroidered with intricate designs in golden thread. A heavy necklace, dangling earrings, and a thin gold chain that swept across her forehead completed the ensemble.

    Naeemah looked capable, regal, beautiful. Magni had underestimated her once, and Cailu would not be so quick to stay her hand this time if she found him unworthy.

    Zahra, the [Myrmidon] from Tristan’s party, moved to stand before Naeemah. She crossed her chest with one arm, touching her first to her shoulder, and bowed at the waist. “I prayed it was you. My lady. It’s an honor to welcome you home.”

    Naeemah lightly touched Zahra’s shoulder and turned to look at Cailu. “Remember your promise.”

    “You have my sword, Naeemah.”

    The others gathered quietly around them, looking between Cailu, Naeemah, and the reverent Zahra.

    Naeemah took one final breath, then nodded. “May the wind carry our desires.”

    [​IMG]
     
  12. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 175: Strike Back

    The thought of marching back up to the gates of Rājadhānī was more anxiety-inducing than Tristan wanted to admit. His chest tightened, wracked with worry and concern. The fight with Sanrai replayed itself several times over in his head, and countless possibilities toyed with the fabric of his mental well-being. He fought hard to wear a brave face as they approached.

    With the same care one would show with a bag of garbage, Cailu tossed what remained of the Chikara at the guards’ feet, then crossed his arms. The head landed with a sickening mushy crunch. A trail of its viscous blood left dark green spots in the sand.

    Naeemah, Zahra, and Kirti formed a line in front of the guards beside him.

    “The Chikara is no more. My cohorts and I seek an audience with the gracious King Magni,” said Cailu.

    Tristan had expected Cailu to elaborate. Instead, the [Paladin] and the ladies of Ichi Island just stood there, waiting. To Tristan, it seemed this man was accustomed to getting what he wanted when he wanted it.

    “W-W-What? How would—” the guard on the left stammered. Tristan didn’t recognize either of them. Their eyes widened as they caught sight of Naeemah. “M-My lady.” The guards went down on one knee.

    Cailu exhaled. “Did you hear what I said?”

    “Yes!” said the guard on the right. She quickly rose to her feet, mirroring the same salute Zahra had demonstrated minutes earlier. “Lady Naeemah, forgive me, I—”

    “Enough,” Naeemah said, raising her hand. “We haven’t the time for this. Open the gate.”

    “O-Of course!” said the guard on the left.

    Seconds later, the gate rose. Tristan was baffled by the influence Naeemah held over the residents of Rājadhānī. Even after her protracted absence, they revered her like a queen.

    Agni was gone in a flash, roping her gigashanks away and singing a merry tune.

    The gate shut behind the three Parties. Naeemah drew a deep breath, then slowly breathed out, furrowing her brow. “Much has changed.”

    “Seems the king has been hard at work,” Kirti said, stepping ahead of the three Parties, looking to her left and then her right. “Our people suffer inside these walls,” she said.

    Kirti’s presence raised the hairs on Tristan’s skin. There was something otherworldly and disturbing about her. Did she understand the duality of her statement? “What do you mean by that?” He had to know. Ever since she appeared, she’d put him on edge.

    Kirti peered over her shoulder at him. “The dead are loud here. They cry for release.”

    “They will find no release from a demon like you,” Cannoli hissed from behind Tristan.

    Matt motioned with a shake of his head and a finger to his lips. “Cannoli, stop,” Tristan heard him whisper.

    Tristan could see Cannoli’s jaw muscles tightening from where he stood. As questionable as Kirti’s methods were, Tristan would never have expected such words out of Cannoli’s mouth. Of all the catgirls in their Parties, Tristan felt she was the most soft-spoken and understanding.

    Judging from the look on Matt’s and his girls’ faces, they were just as taken aback.

    Kirti’s smile widened before she turned her attention back to the city.

    “Let us make our way to the Second Shell,” said Naeemah.

    “Of course, My Lady,” Zahra said.

    Without waiting for a response, the four set off toward the gate.

    “I guess we just follow suit?” Matt asked as he and his Party came to stand beside Tristan.

    “I suppose so,” Tristan replied with a shrug.

    “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” Lara said with a bit more pride than Tristan felt was warranted. “I suggest we follow them.”

    Matt chuckled. “Where did you learn that?”

    “You remembered,” Tristan said, smiling.

    “I have an excellent memory.” Lara beamed.

    “We’ll be right behind you, Tristan,” Destiny added, nudging herself against Tristan’s arm. “Perk up.”

    “Thank you so much for your support, Destiny, Lara,” Tristan said. “Let’s see what they’ve got planned.”

    “I know what they’ve got planned,” said Ravyn. “They’re just going to roast anyone who gets in their way. I know how this cunt works.”

    I wonder what their history is. There was a softer person inside Ravyn’s barbed shell; of that, Tristan was sure. He’d witnessed it personally while he and the others training beneath her back in Catania were learning to be better [Mage]s. She’d spoken with elegance and pride, somehow abstaining from swearing and showing a level of patience he rarely saw in any of his teachers growing up. There had to be more to her history with Cailu than him simply being a “cunt.”

    “The sooner we finish this, the better,” Matt said. There were clear signs of exhaustion in his voice. His footsteps left deeper imprints than Cailu. Was Matt stomping his way over without realizing it?

    Two catgirls stood at the gate. By their mannerisms and attire, Tristan recognized them as Ejderha.

    “Stand aside,” Kirti advised, rolling a glimmering stone over her knuckles.

    “No one gets in without Sanrai’s permission,” said the girl on the left. She bore fiery-red hair and emerald eyes. A piece of her left ear was missing. Chewed off, if Tristan had to guess by the ragged skin left behind. “Haven’t you lot done enough?” She tilted her head to one side, observing Cailu with a narrowed gaze.

    “Forgive the transgressions of my allies,” Cailu said, his hand across his chest. “They acted with haste, as I had instructed. I, Cailu Raloquen, offer my sincerest apologies. Time runs short. I must have words with King Magni. As a tribute, we have brought the head of the Chikara to your gates. Please, allow us entry.”

    The guard eyed the Chikara, her mouth narrowing into a thin line. “You’ve got long ears, and still, it seems you didn’t hear me. I said no,” said the catgirl.

    Cailu’s expression darkened.

    “Please. You must allow me passage,” said Naeemah, her fingers intertwined in front of her. “Nyarlothep requires M— …King Magni’s presence to see that Nyarlea prospers.”

    “Not our problem. You think taking the guise of Lady Naeemah will somehow get you in?” the girl on the right asked. Her brown hair whipped over her shoulder as she looked away, chuckling. The sunlight emphasized a scar strewn across her right cheek. “You have some nerve. She’s dead, buried by the sands that created her.”

    “She stands before you now,” Naeemah hissed. “Since when did the warriors of Ichi Island abandon their people? Their neighbors? Culture? Dignity? Tell me.”

    “Since you left, Lady Naeemah.” Leveling her spear toward Cailu, it touched the fabric of his doublet, cutting strand after tiny strand as she sat there. Tristan’s eyes widened. Naeemah’s breathing quickened. The spear had opened a small gap in his clothing with little more than a nudge. That edge would cut flesh without effort. “Leave, or suffer the wrath of the Ejderha.”

    “Our people suffer in the streets,” Naeemah hissed, her gaze dancing between the spear and Cailu. The venom in her voice was unlike Tristan had ever heard. “And you would have me leave them. We wish for a peaceful resolution, and yet you bar our path. My path.”

    “Lady Naeemah,” Zahra said, her hand on Naeemah’s shoulder.

    “Bring the one named Sanrai to me,” Naeemah said, slapping Zahra’s hand away. “I wish to speak with her.”

    “This doesn’t concern her,” the red-headed catgirl said, the spear threshing away more threads from Cailu’s attire. “Why don’t you get out of here?”

    “How dare you graze him with your weapon,” Naeemah said, drawing a dagger from seemingly nowhere. “This will not go how you think. Not this time.”

    Cailu’s face was impassible, but his hand twitched at the hilt of his sword.

    No. No more bloodshed. Tristan had had enough. “Why are you people so unreasonable?” he asked.

    No matter what position he looked at it from, he could find no reason for such atrocious acts. Catgirls were in the walls, people were starving for food, and water was rationed off like gold despite its abundance. When he thought of the miserable nights back on Earth, starving and scrounging for whatever he could find, he felt a distant camaraderie with the girls within the Third Shell.

    “Three men stand before you,” Tristan announced loudly. “Something I have yet to see recorded in any book… and yet you turn them away. The woman you revere stands beside them. And still, you push us away?” Tristan clenched his right hand into a fist and shouldered his way to the line that Cailu and the Ichi Island girls had formed. Destiny and Lara tried to stop him, but he barely acknowledged them. A red haze clouded his vision.

    “What you do here is evil! It is beyond comprehension!” Tristan continued. “You suffer under the rule of a tyrant! Your hypocrisy speaks volumes about the comforts you enjoy! People are dying, starving, destitute and miserable.” His voice lowered to a growl. Was that really him speaking? “You hold them at arm’s length, teasing them with a carrot they can’t see. Any attempts to talk are squashed by your repugnant Ejderha.” Air hissed through his teeth. “I should never have to see a child in the streets begging for coin.”

    “You speak to Ejderha, little man,” the left catgirl said, amusement on her face as if she were watching a yipping puppy.

    “I don’t care,” Tristan said. “Peace was never an option for you.”

    “Tristan, stop,” Matt cautioned.

    “Don’t fight!” Cannoli squeaked. “Stop it!”

    The brunette Ejderha clicked her tongue. “Leave, or the rest of the Ejderha will be here within seconds. You want to make a scene?” She motioned to a warhorn strapped to her belt. “You plead like a kitten, screaming when you don’t get your way. Don’t be so petulant.”

    “You have to be fucking kidding me,” Ravyn snarled.

    “Petulant?” Tristan asked, aghast. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Even after everything they’d said, everything they’d done, the Ejderha turned a blind eye. “Your people—”

    “Will survive and be made stronger for it,” the catgirl continued. “You cannot comprehend Magni’s plan. Your short-sighted anger blinds you. Years after we’re gone, Ichi Island will flourish. San and Shi will be but children compared to our might.” She rolled her tongue around in her mouth. “Your comments have simply strengthened my resolve.”

    Our resolve,” the red-headed catgirl corrected. “Now, leave.”

    “No,” said Cailu. He snatched the spear with his left hand, pointing the edge down to his side. The catgirl visibly struggled against his strength. Cailu’s expression was steeled and cold; his arm did not tremble, did not strain. It was clear to Tristan that the [Paladin] was putting in minimal effort. “The pleasantries have overstayed their welcome.”

    The brunette reached for her warhorn.

    Cailu snapped the spear’s head off.

    “[Shatter Soul],” Kirti said. The green pebble splintered into dust between her fingers.

    A flash of pale-green light illuminated the area, and screeching howls filled Tristan’s ears. The two Ejderha flew backward as if a hurricane had knocked them off their feet. Their backs hit the portcullis. A dull crack followed, and they slumped to the ground. Their eyes rolled back into their skulls, and foam erupted from their gaping mouths. There was a spark of recognition in their eyes—small but evident—and then emptiness.

    Cailu took one step forward, unsheathing his decorated blade.

    “Wait, Cailu, don’t!” Tristan screamed.

    “Stop him!” Ravyn bellowed.

    Cailu knelt and struck the red-haired Ejderha across the face with the pommel of his sword. Her body fell limp to the side. She was still barely breathing. Naeemah simultaneously knocked out the brunette in a similar fashion.

    Tristan exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. His heart hammered against his chest.

    Cailu’s gaze settled on Ravyn. “How many times will you interrupt my work, cretin girl?”

    “The fuck do you mean by that, cunt? Anyone could’ve seen you were about to kill them!” Ravyn spat back.

    “Would you have me stand there and accept a spear through the chest, then?” Cailu shook his head. “Still as dense as the day you abandoned this Party.”

    Mou ii, I swear if—”

    “That’s enough!” Matt yelled as he glared at her. “Stop it, Ravyn. This is not the time.”

    Ravyn opened and closed her mouth, clearly at a loss for words.

    Zahra motioned to the guard Naeemah had taken care of. “You move so swiftly, my lady. Even in [Civilian Mode].”

    Naeemah said nothing, her rage still evident on her face.

    Kirti stifled a laugh behind her.

    The tension between the Parties was palpable. “Everyone’s safe. That’s the important part,” Tristan tried to reassure them. “What do we do from here?”

    Cailu sheathed his blade and rested his hand on the hilt, gazing down the tunnel past the portcullis. He drummed his fingers against the sword. “We force our way in.”

    [​IMG]
     
  13. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 176: Solemn Judgment

    Naeemah’s flowing green dress reverted to the black leathers I’d grown to associate her with whenever we met. She lifted the brunette beneath the arm and dragged her away from the gate. Only two girls in the Third Shell had dared linger to watch the encounter, and Zahra had moved to warn them away.

    Forcing our way in had been precisely what we’d wanted to avoid. Ravyn had warned that Cailu’s plan would lead to this, but now that it hung out in the open, I couldn’t find a reason to protest. Tristan’s outburst had really solidified just how damn hard we’d worked to see Magni since we’d arrived. If the Ejderha couldn’t see reason and wouldn’t acknowledge brute strength, then we’d have to convince them otherwise.

    I looked at the girls, expecting any one of them to protest Cailu’s declaration. Keke caught my eye and shook her head, silently answering my question. Ceres and Destiny were busy checking the guards’ wounds. Ravyn had positioned herself as far away from Cailu as she could manage, leaning against the inner tunnel wall with her arms folded while Ball nuzzled her hair. Lara drew something vaguely resembling a butterfly in the sand with her finger. Cannoli’s gaze was locked on Kirti, a fury I had never seen before burning within.

    “Hey, Cannoli.” I touched her arm, hoping to draw her attention away from the [Witch Doctor].

    “Do not ask me to ignore what she does,” Cannoli hissed. Her ears lay flat against her head, and her tail was tucked between her legs. “Her Spells are sacrilege. Blasphemous. She traps and uses souls, Matt.”

    “I gathered that,” I murmured. “No one can tell you how to feel about it. But maybe we can hold off on a confrontation until after we get this summit over with?”

    Cannoli’s jaw worked, and her fingers clenched in her hands. Her eyes darted to Kirti, then back to me. “I…” She lowered her voice and turned her body until she faced the opposite of Cailu’s Party. “I’ve never felt like this, Matt.”

    I brushed her back with the tips of my fingers, afraid that too much contact would send her reeling. “I don’t think I have, either. So I’m not the best person for advice right now.”

    She nodded slowly, then raised both hands to her face and exhaled into her palms. “I want to go home.” Her voice was muffled through her fingers, but the words were clear enough.

    “Yeah, me too.”

    Cailu waved an arm, catching my attention, then pointed down the tunnel.

    I responded with a wave of my own. On to stage two. “We’re almost there, Cannoli. Then we can go to Abalone together.”

    I’d hoped to win even a little bit of a smile, but she flinched at the city name. “Hm.” She glanced over her shoulder, eyes resting on the [Witch Doctor] again. “I’ll try my best.”

    “That’s all I can ask. Tell me if there’s anything I can do to help, okay?”

    She nodded, then moved to Keke’s side. Keke shot me a worried look before striking up a quiet conversation with Cannoli. Ceres joined them soon after, and the tension in Cannoli’s shoulders began to ease.

    I jogged to where Cailu and Tristan had pulled ahead of the group. Kirti and Naeemah stood close behind; the [Assassin] with her blades unsheathed and her mask pulled over her face.

    “How long before Sanrai comes looking for us, do you think?” I asked no one in particular.

    “Should word reach her, I think she’ll stop us in the First Shell,” Tristan replied. “It’s likely that no one in the Third Shell will report the Ejderha down. Not even the guards.”

    “No?”

    “People will oft turn a blind eye if it is in their favor,” Cailu said. He’d retrieved the Chikara head, though I wondered if that would do us any good farther in. “These miscreants that call themselves Ejderha, per your reports, have tortured and oppressed those in the Third Shell. It is more likely they will wake with empty pockets.”

    I wanted to protest that they didn’t deserve it. But as we stepped through the corridor into the Second Shell, I held my tongue. Of course, they do. They lived in paradise while the rest of the city was forced to squalor.

    Three girls wandering the clean walkways caught sight of us. Their eyes widened, and mouths gaped. They gawked at our group for the span of a few heartbeats before turning tail and running to the nearest building.

    “You don’t think Sanrai will grab us here?” I asked. “What if we’re here to burn the place down?”

    “You already had that chance, and you didn’t take it,” Naeemah growled. “Their strongest forces will be at the palace.”

    “I don’t want any more violence. We shouldn’t need to resort to taking lives for our own gains,” Tristan said.

    Silken curtains snapped closed on the houses we passed. Someone shouted for help from far off, and silence was their only reply.

    “Our own gains?” Cailu sneered. “What of this island, boy? What of the thousands of others suffering your bleeding heart seeks to defend? You have the intelligence; now summon the mettle. Otherwise, stay out of my way.”

    And the winner for the most back-handed compliment of the year goes to…

    Tristan’s face went red, and his eyes dropped to the ground.

    I thought of Tristan standing up to Celestia on his own. Facing the horrors on Shi Island and taking full responsibility for its future. “You’re not giving him enough credit, Cailu. He’s a lot stronger than you think.”

    “Then prove it,” Cailu barked. “Both of you.”

    The finality of his words kept me silent. Pushing any harder now would be like poking an angry dog. We were all frustrated as hell and tired of Rājadhānī. The sooner this was over, the better.

    Only one guard stood at the gate between the Second and First Shell. She leaned against the stone wall, arms folded across her chest as she watched our approach. Her silver hair was cropped short in the back, but her bangs fell down to her shoulders. Smooth, bronzed skin without a single scar or blemish peeked out from her loose attire. Leather pauldrons and faulds were her only armor, surrounded by sheer silks and fabrics that wouldn’t provide much cover in a fight.

    “Huh. There’s more of you than we thought,” the guard said, sizing us up one by one with her yellow gaze. Her eyes fell on the Chikara’s head, and a wry smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Nice trophy. Too bad killing it was the wrong choice.”

    “Why’s that?” Keke asked, stepping up to my side.

    “That thing made it harder to escape the city. Scared the girls out of their minds.” She smacked her lips and shrugged. “Ah, well, what’s done is done.”

    I frowned. Who wants to lose free labor?

    “Let us into the First Shell,” Cailu demanded. No more niceties from him, it seemed.

    “Oh, yeah, go on in.” The guard jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “They’re itching to meet you.”

    Naeemah’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

    “Exactly what I said.” She lifted her spear from the wall, twirled it once in her palms, then slammed the butt into the sand. “I’m not your problem.”

    “Then why the other two Ejderha at the last gate?” Tristan pointed behind him. “They wouldn’t budge.”

    “I’m just the messenger. Take your questions to the woman in charge.” With one last jerk of her thumb down the unblocked corridor, she sighed and circled around our group. “Enjoy your stay.”

    “What an interesting turn of events,” Kirti noted, watching the guard leave.

    “I don’t like this,” I heard Naeemah hiss to Cailu.

    “Nor do I.” Cailu threw the Chikara’s head to the side, then summoned his sword and shield.

    “All we can do is keep going,” Tristan murmured. “Finish what we started.”

    “Yeah. Let’s stay on our guard.” I followed Cailu’s example, calling my axe and shield to my hands.

    We made our way through the torch-lit corridor, weapons at the ready. Keke, Naeemah, and Kirti’s ears rotated in frantic directions, and I found myself squinting into the dim lighting. Dammit. I can’t really help out here.

    Just as the tunnel’s glowing outlet came into view, the torches went out, leaving us in pitch black. There was the sickening sound of flesh giving way to steel, then a scream. My heart skipped, and my breath caught. Cailu cursed beneath his breath.

    “[Illuminate]!” Cannoli cried.

    “[Holy Force]!” Cailu shouted simultaneously.

    Lara fell to her knees, Sanrai’s blood-soaked spear pulling free from her shoulder. Her sanguine eyes glittered in the white lights of Cannoli’s staff and Cailu’s sword.

    “You will never leave this place alive,” Sanrai snarled.

    We were surrounded. By every last Ejderha left in Rājadhānī.

    [​IMG]
     
  14. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 177: Shadow of Eyes

    There wasn’t time to acknowledge what was happening; the scene happened in flashes like a strobe light. The lights going out. The Ejderha surrounding us. I watched as Lara fell to her knees, the faint light reflecting in the blood pooling beside her. She had her hand against her shoulder, tears in her eyes.

    “La—” I started.

    “Lara!” Tristan screamed and rushed forward, putting Zahra to his right and Destiny to his left.

    “I’ll burn you alive, you filthy wretch! [Enchant Bomb]!” Destiny screeched. Her bottle grenade was already in the air by the time I understood what she’d done.

    Sanrai pivoted to her side, knocking away the bottle with the butt of her spear like a professional baseball player. Gasps followed as the bottle came careening back toward Destiny.

    “[Convert Force]!” Lara gasped, her hand extended. A blue-white light flashed around the bottle, instantly extinguishing the flame within.

    “Behind!” I heard Cailu bark. The sounds of clanging metal followed as Cailu’s party engaged in combat behind us.

    Zahra shouldered her way past Tristan, drawing her katana and catching the inert bomb in her spare hand. She passed the bottle back to Destiny, her stare glued to her sister the entire time.

    “My own sister continues to fight me,” Sanrai said, bemused.

    Lara groaned, crawling across the stones on her hands and knees behind Destiny and Zahra. Sanrai stamped on Lara’s ankle, raising the point of her spear to the center of the [Conjurer]’s back. Zahra advanced on her sister; katana gripped at her side with the intent to kill.

    “My sister died a long time ago!” Zahra bellowed.

    At that moment, my lungs filled with cool air as the world around me slowed. Each time this effect of Zahra’s swept over me, I understood it a little better.

    While my body couldn’t move very quickly, my eyes were uninhibited. And so I took in my surroundings as best as I could. Destiny and Tristan stood beside one another, Zahra ahead of the pack. Lara reached for her sister, her face captured in agony. Down the hall—at least as far as the light would allow—I could see four, no, five Ejderha. Two of them, a few meters away from Sanrai, had their hands extended. Spellcasters, most likely.

    I couldn’t see the remaining two Ejderha well enough to see what weapons they wielded.

    Time resumed its normal pace. “Tristan! Cast to Sanrai’s left!” I cried. With Zahra’s wide swing of her sword, a physical attack risked putting the [Myrmidon] in danger.

    There was a half-second delay before Tristan extended his hand out in front of him. “[Fire Ball]!” A great blaze of flame larger than any I’d seen shot out of Tristan’s palm, roaring as it soared through the air.

    Sanrai’s eyes widened as the blaze approached. It took up nearly half the space of the corridor from wall to wall. Sanrai leaped backward as Zahra’s attack followed through, narrowly evading the swing of her sister’s katana.

    The [Fire Ball] crashed against something down the corridor, and a disturbing scream filled the air. The effigy of a catgirl flailed, their body outlined by white-hot flame. Soon, the cries of others followed.

    “Put her out!”

    “I’m trying!”

    “Stop running! You’re going to get us all killed, you fool!”

    Sanrai held her spear in both hands, with the point at the side of her head. Despite the cries for help from her fellow Ejderha, she didn’t seem the least bit fazed. Her gaze remained firmly on her sister.

    Zahra motioned with a wave of her arm behind her. “Take Lara! Now!”

    Destiny was at her sister’s side in a heartbeat, one of Lara’s arms over her shoulder. As Tristan made to join her, I grabbed him by the shoulder, moving past him so that I stood between him and the retreating Destiny. He’d drawn blood from how tightly he was closing his fist. His stare wandered between Destiny, Zahra, Sanrai, everything.

    “Stay back,” I said. “I know you want to help, but you’re a backliner. You won’t do any good squaring off against Sanrai. Just give us some backup.”

    Destiny dragged Lara back to safety, and I caught sight of Sanrai’s handiwork. The bloodied rips in Lara’s clothing haunted me. The wound was dark and deep. I prayed that the damage wasn’t as bad as it looked.

    I hurried past Destiny and the wounded Lara, standing beside Zahra. Ceres repositioned to my right, her brow furrowed. I glanced at her polearm, grateful that at least one of us had a method for fighting off Sanrai’s reach.

    “L-Lara, hang in there!” Cannoli squeaked. Even from here, I could feel the panic in her voice.

    Destiny’s sobs filled my veins with concentrated fury. Cannoli offered gentle words to Destiny as the corridor erupted with the blood, sweat, and tears of those fighting.

    “[Pinpoint Weakness]!” Keke screamed.

    Fire and arrows soared through the air toward the targets in the back, one right after the other. A cacophony of shrieks followed.

    “We’ll keep them busy! Take her down!” Tristan said.

    Squawwwk! Burn them to cinders!

    “Your tyranny ends here,” Ceres said, her polearm extended.

    “Come,” Sanrai said, spinning her spear in one hand.

    Shit, can the three of us even beat her?

    “Don’t do anything reckless, boy!” Ravyn yelled.

    Yeah, I know. Thanks.

    Ceres led the charge, her polearm held low to the ground. I followed close behind, axe held underhanded with my shield before me. Sanrai leveled her stare with Ceres, leaning back on one leg, her spear wielded outward. Ceres stopped just short of running into Sanrai, then took one hand off of her polearm.

    “[Icicle Shard]!” Ceres bellowed.

    A single shard of ice fired from Ceres’ palm with blinding speed. Sanrai hissed as she stepped to the side, the fragment narrowly missing and lodging itself into the wall behind her. My chance arrived, and I swung my axe upward at Sanrai, hoping to catch her flat-footed. Sanrai’s wicked sanguine eyes landed on me. I struggled to ignore the chill I felt looking into them.

    The world slowed once more as I felt Zahra’s presence nearing my left. This was the perfect opportunity. My grip tightened, and I swung with every ounce of power I could muster.

    Regret filled every fiber of my being.

    Sanrai moved at a fraction of her speed, but it was still leagues quicker than any of us within Zahra’s realm of Perception. She had to be moving three, maybe four times faster than we were. I drew a deep breath, watching as a slow-motion spear headed straight for my face. Sanrai had evaded my attack seconds before it had even followed through.

    And then time resumed as normal.

    “Fuck!” I said, reeling backward and slicing at the air between us to keep Sanrai off me. Pain seared across my face from one cheekbone to the next, splitting the bridge of my nose clean open. Warm blood gushed from the cut. As I drew breath, I coughed out spittles of blood from trying to breathe through my nose. If not for Zahra’s Perception, that swing would have cleaved my head in half.

    “Matt!” I heard Keke and Ravyn yell in unison.

    Goddammit, don’t worry about me. Just focus on her entourage.

    Sanrai pulled back as Ceres swung her polearm underhanded, narrowly missing the shaft of Sanrai’s spear. As Sanrai drew away, Zahra advanced with her katana held above her at an angle, then swung. With one fluid spin of her spear, Sanrai hit Zahra against the back of the head with the blunt side, using Zahra’s momentum to send her stumbling several feet away.

    Sanrai repositioned her spear in one smooth motion, then thrust toward Ceres.

    “[Titan of Ice]!” Ceres said. The familiar crystalline barrier surrounded her, and Sanrai’s spear halted inches from contact. Ceres spun on her heel, carving the air between her and Sanrai, her blade aimed at the neck.

    Sanrai leaped backward, clicking her tongue as Ceres moved to stand in front of us.

    “Allow me,” Ceres hissed.

    I wiped away what blood I could from my face and readied back into a fighting stance. Zahra moved to stand beside me once more as Ceres, our vanguard, stood in front of us to create a triangle formation against Sanrai.

    If we could bait Sanrai into striking Ceres’ barrier, we could land a finishing blow. We’d need to be careful, though. If the barrier detonated when we weren’t ready, Zahra and I could get caught in the blast. Not that Sanrai knew that.

    At least… I hoped she didn’t.

    The three of us glanced at each other, nodding to one another. It was all or nothing.

    “[Invoke Frost],” said Ceres. A cool, icy wind blew in, covering her weapon in a sparkling blue mist. “We should attack without restraint.”

    “Agreed,” said Zahra. “[Holmgang]. [Army’s Unity].” At Zahra’s words, the edge of her blade glistened for a fraction of a second.

    We each readied into our positions and charged the leader of the Ejderha.

    The air whistled at the rotation of Sanrai’s spear. She stabbed at the approaching Zahra, cutting loose strands of black hair as the point glided past her. Ceres followed up with a sideways swipe at Sanrai’s waist, forcing the leader to hop back.

    Zahra pursued with a stabbing motion, leaving behind a small cut between Sanrai’s ribs. As she lurched backward, hissing through her teeth, I swung from the side opposite, catching the loose clothing around her shoulder. It tore away from her shoulder. We had Sanrai on the defensive.

    We formed a tight line with Zahra to Ceres’ right. So long as Ceres acted as a deterrent, there was a very real chance we could win this fight. But I knew the Spell couldn’t last forever. We were on a time limit.

    “Continue!” cried Zahra.

    Ceres went for a sweeping attack next, only to have Sanrai parry with the point of her spear toward the approaching Zahra. Gasps left the girls' throats as Zahra raised her katana to block Ceres’ incoming attack. The world came to a grinding halt once more.

    As Ceres’ polearm met the flat of Zahra’s katana, Sanrai stepped forward. Something told me I knew what was about to happen. Urging my muscles to move faster, I carved my axe through the air beside me, hoping to catch Sanrai’s weapon.

    The worst possible outcome played out in slow motion before my eyes. I watched as the spear penetrated the icy wall, then Ceres’ stomach. Agony colored Ceres’ features as Sanrai withdrew the spear, leaving behind a gaping mass of gory viscera. A hole was left in the iridescent circle where the spear had been.

    Sanrai had broken through the ice shield and retreated faster than it could detonate. When time resumed, the barrier around Ceres shattered. Magical ice covered Zahra and me from head to toe, locking us in place.

    “So easily baited,” Sanrai snarled. “Amateurs.”

    A yelp escaped Ceres’ lips as she dropped to one knee. Her braided hair came loose as red soaked her pearly-white apron.

    No! No! No! Please! Not like this!

    “Ceres! Get up!” Ravyn said, her voice cracking.

    “She’s wounded!” Keke barked, loosing an arrow in Sanrai’s direction.

    Sanrai moved her head to one side, dodging the arrow with minimal effort.

    These were not the actions of a person or a soldier. These were the actions of a cold-blooded animal going in for the kill. She wouldn’t mince words, and she cared not for the corpses she stepped over in the process.

    And there was nothing I could do about it.

    “Cailu!” Ravyn snarled. “[Displace]!”

    I blinked, and Ceres was gone. In her spot was Cailu, his shield raised with his sword held over the top.

    “[Chain Lightning]!” came a voice down the hall.

    “[Quelling Force]!” Cailu retorted.

    Lightning streaked across the hallway, bouncing off of Cailu’s shield and back into the group of catgirls beyond. Screams of agony filled the air, and as Cailu neared Sanrai, I heard him utter another Skill.

    “[Beheading Slice].”

    Steel sang as Cailu’s blade whipped through the air with a speed I could barely register. His cape billowed from the momentum, and the unsettling sound of tearing flesh, then a dull thump as Sanrai’s head hit the ground permeated my ears. It rolled, then stopped less than a dozen feet away from me, her face frozen in surprise. The Ejderha leader’s body slouched to the dirt, and the clang of her spear as it dropped seemed to ring above the sounds of battle.

    “Sanrai is down!” Shouted another Ejderha. “Collapse the tunnel!”

    “Oh, God,” I muttered under my breath.

    “Retreat to the rest of the group!” said Cailu, turning tail to join the others. “Now!”

    “R-right!” I stammered.

    Zahra and I ran alongside Cailu. My heart pounded against my chest. I weighed whether we could make a run for it, but I had no idea how we’d do that with Ceres and Lara the way they were.

    The muffled sounds of explosions crashed against the outer walls, drawing closer by the second. Cailu motioned for everyone to gather around.

    “[Sacred Ground]!” Cailu stuck his sword into the ground and fell to one knee. A brilliant white light surrounded his shield, obscuring its details. As the light grew brighter, my anxiety rose. Nothing had happened yet, and bricks were coming loose in the walls.

    I lapped at the blood trickling around my lips and closed my eyes. All of our lives depended on him. Where was the Skill? Why wasn’t it activating?

    Stone shifted between stone, and I watched in horror as the structure came down around us.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 178: Absolute End

    “Hey. You okay?”

    Tristan blinked. His vision was cloudy, and the words sounded like they were spoken through a glass window. Muddled, drowned out. There was a silhouette of a figure above him, holding out a hand.

    “You look like you’re in bad shape.”

    He felt like he was in bad shape. His energy was sapped as if he’d just run a marathon without water. A dozen questions prodded his hazy thoughts.

    Short hair bobbed around the stranger’s chin. Hadn’t someone tried to help him like this so long ago? When he was living on the streets? But, then, if he were on the streets, that would mean…

    “Tristan! Can you stand?”

    The distant memory faded, and the fog vanished, leaving behind a blanched Destiny standing over him, a bottle in one hand, the other reaching for him. Her eyes were bloodshot, and tears streamed down her face. The dust from the collapsing walls settled on her cheeks and arms.

    “I… I’m fine.” Tristan took her hand and accepted her help, gingerly righting himself to standing. What happened?

    “Drink this. Now.” Destiny clapped the bottle into his hand, then rushed back to the ailing Lara.

    Cailu knelt at the group’s center, holding his shield perpendicular to the ground. A beam of blinding light umbrellaed into a shimmering, translucent white dome encapsulating them inside. Beyond his protection were hunks of bricks and mortar, wrenched and broken from the tunnel’s collapse.

    Zahra moved to Tristan’s side. “You were out for a few minutes. A brick made its way through before he cast that Spell.”

    “And found my head, I see.” Tristan rubbed the pulsing bump on the back of his head. “How’s Lara?”

    “Lara’s stabilizing. Ceres, however—” Zahra’s gaze drifted to Matt. She shook her head. “Her condition worsens by the minute.”

    “Understood.” He uncorked the potion Destiny had given him and drained the bottle as he closed the few steps it took to get to Matt.

    Zahra moved to stand beside Naeemah, both silently inspecting the outer edge of the dome. Ravyn and Keke stood on the opposite end, similarly murmuring quiet observations to one another.

    Tristan’s headache eased with the tincture, giving way to the panic rising in his chest. How did this go so wrong?

    Ceres lay on the ground, her head in Cannoli’s lap. Cannoli stroked Ceres’ golden hair, murmuring gentle encouragements. Her skin had turned an ashen grey and glistened with a cold sweat. The wound in her stomach was bad. Worse than bad.

    “Has anyone healed her?” Tristan asked. “Potions, Spells, or otherwise?”

    Matt nodded. “Potions won’t—” he swallowed, then tried again, “—they won’t stay in her stomach. Cannoli stopped the bleeding, but, well…” His words trailed, and he motioned to Ceres’ wound.

    “Even if we had the supplies, trying to stitch her closed would welcome infection in an environment like this,” Tristan murmured.

    Ceres coughed, and a trickle of blood escaped the corner of her mouth. “M… Matt. Do not w-worry about me. Escape.”

    “I would advise listening to her. Our time is finite,” Cailu said. “If we do not find our way out of this ensnarement, we will all perish.”

    “How long do we have?” Tristan asked.

    “Less than an hour. Should my Myana deplete entirely, we will be crushed beneath the rubble.” Cailu frowned, his eyes hard. “I cannot assist in physical tasks or Skills. Any action I take will negate the effects of my Spell.”

    “Couldn’t we just feed you Myana Potions?” Ravyn asked over her shoulder.

    “The air in here won’t last,” Tristan announced.

    “Let me help your darling kitten.” Kirti sauntered to Cannoli’s side, then dropped to one knee. She unfurled her long fingers to reveal three glowing stones. “I’ve fresh sources to utilize.”

    Cannoli’s chin whipped to face Kirti and, to Tristan’s surprise, Cannoli hissed. Her usually warm, ruby eyes shimmered with loathing. “Those don’t belong to you, witch. Grant Saoirse what is rightfully hers.”

    Kirti smiled, accepting Cannoli’s reaction without so much as flinching. “You would let your companion die instead of accepting my aid?”

    “We are not in a position to judge who lives and who dies,” Cannoli snarled.

    “You say this while intending on training as a [Bishop]?” Kirti laughed. “Do you think your mother lived by such a credo?”

    Cannoli shrieked and drew her arm back, away from Ceres’ head.

    No! We can’t be fighting right now—

    Matt snatched her wrist and looked at Kirti. “Heal Ceres, Kirti.”

    Cannoli gasped, head twisting to award Matt with an incredulous stare. “Matt!”

    Matt continued, leveling Kirti’s gaze. “After you’re done, stop aggravating my girls.”

    “Which piece of finite time until death did not resonate with you, Kirti?” Cailu barked.

    “You men are so very interesting.” Kirti snickered, then chose one of the smooth stones from her palm. “[Devour Essence].”

    The rock shattered, freeing the light within. It hovered above her hand for only a moment before swirling to Ceres’ chest and disappearing into her. The [Magic Knight]’s breathing caught in her throat, and her shoulders trembled. The wound in her center pulsed with faint light, and tendrils of sinew and muscle mended over one another in quick succession. It was simultaneously the most difficult and fascinating progression that Tristan had ever witnessed.

    “I… I feel restored,” Ceres whispered as more sweat beaded on her brow. “T-thank you, Miss.”

    “Do you know what you’ve done?” Cannoli growled at Matt.

    “Cannoli… I am sorry to have caused you such pain—” Ceres stammered.

    Cannoli continued as if Ceres had said nothing. “That soul will never find peace.”

    “According to your beliefs, yes,” Kirti countered. “And now, instead, your companion will live. Judgment has been cast and exercised.”

    Matt shot Kirti a dark look.

    “Mm. Right. Master’s orders.” Sarcasm dripped from her tongue as she pocketed her remaining stones. “The chance of infection is still high. She will need further attention, or her injuries will fester and kill her.”

    “Thanks, Kirti,” Matt murmured, turning his attention back to Ceres. “Now we just need to get the hell out of here.”

    “Any ideas?” Tristan asked, hoping to change the subject. The tension in Cannoli’s face and shoulders put him on edge. She clenched and unclenched one free hand, and her tail flickered behind her in agitation. Had he ever seen her this mad? Had Matt?

    “Can we cast Magic through the barrier?” Ravyn asked.

    “No,” Naeemah replied. “Nor Skills or normal attacks.” She unsheathed one dagger from her side and slammed the edge against the barrier. The bubble reverberated with her attack, but the rocky barrier didn’t sustain a scratch.

    “Would you kindly not make my job harder?” Cailu snapped.

    Naeemah’s eyes narrowed. “[Sacred Ground]’s barrier does not take damage.”

    “No, but I can feel the pressure of your attack, as well as the pressure of every rock and brick stacked upon us now,” Cailu grunted.

    “Could I throw bottle grenades through it?” Destiny asked, pulling a bottle free from her [Cat Pack]. “We aren’t that far from the entrance, right? We just need to get rid of a little bit?”

    “That’s a good idea, actually,” Tristan noted.

    “You will kill us all,” Cailu warned. “Items cannot leave or enter this Spell, either.”

    “That means arrows aren’t an option, either,” Keke grumbled.

    “E… Earth says that I’ve asked him for help too many times lately.” Lara brushed her hand through her hair, then dabbed the sweat from her forehead on one sleeve. “He thinks this would be a deserved death.”

    That’s comforting. “Then we’ll keep thinking,” Tristan said. He was desperate to keep high spirits. The alternative twisted knots into his stomach. “There has to be a way.”

    Zahra paced from one side of the dome to the other. “My mother told me a story once, about a kitten trapped in a cave. She finds a sack of enchanted Bells, each of which grants her a wish. But every time she wishes for freedom, the Bell whisks her to another trapped cave.” She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “Wit and logic save her in the end, but I find myself running dry of both.”

    “There’s a similar story where I grew up. Just with a magic lamp instead of Bells.” Tristan dropped to the ground and drew the dome and wall in the sand.

    “Didn’t pack a genie in your [Cat Pack]?” Matt asked.

    Tristan chuckled. “Not this time.”

    “Your idle banter does little to remove us from our current situation,” Cailu said. “More ideas, if you would.”

    Baka. You hold up a shield, and it releases you from helping us?” Ravyn snapped. “What are your ideas, Cailu?”

    Cailu set his jaw, then glanced at Naeemah. “Seeing as I can do little to help and less to observe, I am at a loss.”

    As Tristan stared at the sketched diagram on the ground, he felt the same weight of hopelessness pressing against his chest. “[Sacred Ground] sounds like it doesn’t allow anything or anyone inside or out of it while the Spell is active, right?”

    “Correct,” Cailu replied.

    “So, even if I were to summon my familiar, she couldn’t slip through the dome.” Tristan sketched Desiree’s feline face outside of the dome.

    “Bally’s tried to leave twice already,” Ravyn grumbled. The blue parrot sat uncharacteristically silent on her shoulder.

    “Besides, it’s not like you’d get far. The rocks are right up against the barrier,” Keke added.

    “Then the only option would be to pile on Skills and Spells when [Sacred Ground] is dropped.” Tristan drew the wall up and around the dome. “But, the wall goes too high for even a combined effort to take out in one blast.”

    “And I believe I’m the only one who would be able to outpace its falling should we open a path forward,” Naeemah said.

    The group fell silent as the truth settled. There was no escaping this collapse. The Ejderha had played them right into their trap. Three of the world’s men and arguably its strongest catgirls would die with it.

    Matt raised his chin, and they locked eyes. Tristan found his emotions echoed in that stare—desperate, frustrated, powerless. They’d both wanted to help the ones closest to them live in a better, safer world. Never this.

    “Tristan, sorry for dragging you here, man,” Matt said. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked back down at Ceres.

    “I’d rather die trying than die ignorant,” Tristan replied honestly. “I don’t regret it.”

    “So that’s it, then? We’re giving up?” Ravyn snapped. “Roachshit. We still have time. Put your damn brains together and think.

    Keke touched Ravyn’s shoulder. “Ravyn—”

    “Death is a natural part of our cycle, girl. No need to fear it,” Kirti advised.

    “No. I’m not rolling over and dying in this pit. Mattaku. We’re better than this. Even the cunt.”

    Zahra nodded. “I must agree. There has to be something we’re missing.”

    Tristan tapped his drawing. “I don’t think—” He stopped. A soft scraping sound behind him caught his ear. A distant scratching seemed to echo from the outside of the brick enclosure. It can’t be.

    “What’s wrong, Tristan?” Destiny asked.

    Tristan leaped to his feet and marched toward the sound. Another scrape, this time followed by a thunk.

    “I hear it!” Keke shouted, rushing to his side.

    Another scratch. Then another thunk.

    Everyone but Cannoli, Ceres, and Cailu joined him at the edge of the dome. A thin stream of sunlight broke free just above Tristan’s head. Hope filled his chest, and tears threatened his eyes.

    “Hang in there, boys and girls! We’ve got you!” a familiar voice called.

    Jaya!

    “I told you Glitter saw them go this way! He’s the bestest!” a kitten’s voice announced. “Let’s save them like they saved Glitter!”

    “Meera! Be careful up there!”

    “I’m fine, Mama!”

    The tears flowed free. Matt wrapped his arms around Keke’s shoulders and kissed her on the top of her head. Sunlight flowed into the dome as bricks and boulders were thrown to the side.

    They were saved.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2023
  16. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 179: Ultimate Offering

    I’d never been so happy to see the light at the end of a tunnel. As more and more of the wall shifted, the stress in my muscles began to alleviate, and I cocked my head back, breathing a sigh of relief.

    “Our efforts weren’t in vain,” I heard Tristan whisper to my left.

    “No. They weren’t,” I replied, rubbing Keke’s shoulders.

    I turned to look at Cailu’s back. His shoulders visibly shifted up and down from his labored breathing. I wondered how much concentration it took to keep up that barrier.

    Thick stone bricks were piled on top of the barrier. Each one of them looked to be around a foot in diameter. A sudden thought occurred to me. They can’t clear the whole wall…

    “How do we get Cailu out of this safely?” I asked aloud to no one in particular. I had no doubt he could outrun any of us, but there were plenty of rocks above the barrier that could crush him.

    “I’ll [Displace] him,” Ravyn said flatly to my right. She tapped her finger to an elbow, her arms crossed. “I’ll switch him with a rock.”

    The group fell silent. I got the feeling everyone had their own thoughts to combat with, and if I was being honest, I wasn’t in the headspace to grapple with them yet. We could worry about them once the situation was stable.

    I felt awful that none of us could help Jaya and the others. Surprisingly enough, though, as more and more stones were moved, I could see it wasn’t just Jaya, Meera, and her mother. As many as a dozen girls had come to assist. Though admittedly, at least half of them looked well-fed and clothed. I doubted any of them had come from the Third Shell.

    “That should do it!” Jaya said, wiping the sweat from her brow. To my relief, Meera had stopped helping after the first stone had been removed. The last thing a kid like that needs to experience is unearthing dead catgirls and their beheaded leader.

    “Cailu. It’s time,” Naeemah said with a consoling hand on his shoulder.

    “Good.” Cailu looked over his shoulder at the rest of us. “Get to the farthest end of the barrier. I’ll release it, and we can make a run for it.”

    “Got it,” I said, nodding.

    “I’m going to [Displace] you with a rock, so be ready,” Ravyn said, tossing a small stone in her hand.

    Cailu nodded, and we began to huddle against the barrier in preparation. Lara and Ceres were deathly pale. A cold sheen of sweat glistened on Ceres’ forehead. Her breathing rasped and her eyelids drooped. Although she seemed past the worst of it, I’d heard stories of people getting out of surgery who died later due to infection.

    I got down on one knee beside her. “Ceres, let me carry you.”

    The tiniest hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “You are too kind.” I took her hand in mine, slowly helping her up onto her feet. Her legs trembled under her own weight, and for a moment, I thought she might fall over.

    “Easy does it, Ceres.” Once she was on her feet again, I put one hand against her back and positioned my other arm behind her knees. “Alright, you can relax. I got you.”

    It could’ve been my imagination, but I swore I could feel the warmth of her trust against my body. There wasn’t an ounce of resistance or apprehension—though it could have been from exhaustion. She shut her eyes and leaned her head against my chest.

    “Thank you, Sir Matt,” she said.

    You’re barely alive, and still the title? I stared at the leftover wound on her belly. Wet blood and dry, chipping flakes stained the front of her dress, and the scent still hung thick in the air.

    “I’m… I’m sorry I failed you,” Ceres whispered.

    “Hey, quit that,” I said. “You didn’t fail anyone. You fought great. Save your strength, and we can talk later.”

    Ceres nodded.

    “Is everybody ready?” Keke asked, craning her head over the crowd. I was the last one to arrive. Her eyes met mine, and she dropped her voice to a whisper. “Is she okay?” She gestured toward Ceres.

    “I think so,” I said, nodding. “We’re ready. Let’s get the hell outta here.”

    Addressing the group, she announced, “Then let’s do it.”

    “On three!” Tristan cried, waving. “One! Two! Three!”

    The barrier began to give, a little at a time. As if the gentle breeze blowing through the tunnel was sweeping Cailu’s magic away. As soon as there was enough room, we ran for it. Just as the rubble above began to give way, Ravyn turned on her heel and dropped the rock in her hand on the ground, shouting, “[Displace]!”

    Cailu appeared beside Ravyn a half-second later, and the two ran while the stones began to fall around where [Sacred Ground] once was.

    When the rubble stilled, cheers and applause surrounded us. I turned to see almost two dozen catgirls before us.

    “We’re sorry we didn’t do anything to help before,” one girl said as she stepped forward. Her hair was short and neon-green with pink tips. Her skin was dark but on the fairer side when compared to the girls of the Third Shell. Silks of pink and green crossed her chest, exposing her midriff. A long green sarong cut high on one side, revealing a smooth, toned leg. “My name’s Melly.” The gold bands around her wrists and ankles jingled as she offered her hand.

    “Thank you,” Tristan said, gripping and shaking her head. “Name’s Tristan. How did you know it was us?”

    “The Ejderha,” said another short-haired girl beside her. She was taller than Melly, bearing a head of blood-red hair. “Their orders were to stay inside. The only time they ever bark orders like that is when they plan on doing something really awful.”

    “It’s true what Charlotte says,” Melly said, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “It’s been a long time since they made such a fierce demand like that.” She looked at Charlotte, then back at Tristan. “Considering what happened the last time we saw you in the Second Shell, we tried to think if there was something we could do.”

    “And that’s where I came in,” Jaya said, crossing her arms with a smug smile. “Thanks to little Meera here,” she said, ruffling the hair of the kitten next to her, “and Glitter, we were able to track Matt’s scent down to the Second Shell.”

    Glitter scuttled across the sand toward me. It walked a couple of circles around me until finally crawling halfway up my calf, fluttering its wings.

    Cute when he’s quiet, if a bit disturbing.

    “Well, I’m grateful,” I said, “but I have two girls who are severely wounded.” I gestured to Ceres in my arms. At some point, she’d fallen asleep. It nearly caused my heart to leap into my throat until I saw the staggered rise and fall in her chest.

    “What’s wrong with her?” Melly asked as she approached. A gasp escaped her lips when her eye caught the wound on Ceres’ belly. “Oh my goodness, please bring her to my house.” She put a gentle hand on my bicep. “I can clean her up.”

    “Thank you,” I said. I gestured to Lara on the opposite side. “Her too, please.”

    Melly roped her arm around Lara’s and gently walked her over to where I was standing with Ceres. “Follow me.”

    “I’ll come too!” Destiny marched to Lara’s opposite side, taking an arm over her shoulders. “I can keep healing both of them this way.”

    “Alright, then.” I glanced at the other girls in my party. “I’ll be right back,” Cannoli was the only one who refused to look at me. What the hell should I do about her? There wasn’t anything I could do at the moment. Right now, Ceres and Lara needed care.

    I had to wonder what stories the girls from the Second Shell were told about us. The entire time we walked, Melly continued to converse with Destiny and Lara like old friends. Laughter filled the air between them, and I couldn’t help but smile. It felt like the first decent conversation we’d experienced since arriving in Rājadhānī.

    “Hey, Melly?” I started.

    “Yeah?” Melly looked over her shoulder, smiling wide.

    “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me. To all of us, really.”

    “Think nothing of it!” Melly rubbed Lara’s arm. “I just want to help those in need.”

    “I-I’m so sorry, Destiny.” Lara’s voice cracked. Her jovial spirits descended into tears. “I’m sorry, Earth. And Water. I’m such a failure.”

    “W-w-what?” Melly said, her cheeks growing red. “Where’s this coming from?”

    “Lara—” Destiny began.

    “I’m sorry I’m such a burden!” Lara leaned her head against Destiny’s shoulder, coughing and hiccuping through her sobs. The three never stopped walking, but it was clear from the look on Melly’s face that she was uncomfortable.

    Destiny murmured assurances, and glanced at me over her sister’s head.

    “Hey, Lara,” I said. She didn’t look up, but I knew she had to have heard me. “You’ve done great on this journey. We wouldn’t have gotten this far without you.”

    “T-t-thank you,” Lara said through choked sobs.

    “Shhh, shhh. There, there!” Melly massaged Lara’s back. “Things will get better. You’ll see!”

    By the time we arrived at Melly’s home and put Ceres and Lara in bed, I was ready to collapse. I took up a seat in a small wooden chair in the corner of her living room—which was spotless and immaculate—and leaned my head back.

    Melly was on her way upstairs with a damp rag and a ceramic bowl when I realized my mouth felt like the desert itself.

    “I don’t suppose you have any water you could spare?” I asked.

    “Of course I do!” She pointed down the hallway she was down just moments ago. “The kitchen is in that direction. Just get it out of the faucet.”

    I blinked. “The faucet?”

    “Yes!”

    “You have a faucet?”

    “Of course I do.” She frowned. “What’s the problem?”

    “Melly? Is everything okay?” Destiny called from upstairs.

    “Perfectly fine!” Melly replied, then looked again at me curiously.

    I waved her away. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it. Thanks.”

    Melly rushed back up the stairs where Ceres and Lara were resting, and I made my way down the hallway.

    The kitchen could’ve given some of the houses on Earth a run for their money. Straight ahead of me was a faucet—one of the most magical things I’d ever seen since entering the hellhole that was Ichi. A marble island stood at the center of the room, covered in cookware and spices, and brown and pink tile covered the floor. Dual sinks were positioned beneath a far window, much like the stainless steel ones I would’ve seen on Earth.

    Home sweet home.

    I walked over to the left sink, a single eyebrow raised. Beads of water dripped from the faucet and into the basin below. After everything we’d seen in the Third Shell, I admit, I had a hard time believing the damn thing would work.

    I reached forward and put my hand on the knob. It was one of those twisting metal handles that you’d see on a backyard gardening hose.

    Swallowing hard, I turned the knob, and a beautiful sound met my ears. It was the sound of clean running water. The smell of running water. The majesty of running water.

    I put my hand under the faucet, baffled by the clear liquid dribbling over my palm. I’d nearly forgotten what it felt like to have water running over my skin. Like a kid fresh from gym class, I threw my head under the faucet and drank every drop like it was my last. A chill swept over my body. My thoughts began to clear.

    When I had my fill, I turned the faucet back and leaned over the sink, my elbows on the counter. The euphoric sensation was fleeting. In its place was unbridled fury. Thanks to Sanrai and her cronies, we’d nearly lost our lives. And for what? For trying to help? For wanting to try and organize our movements, so the girls aren’t constantly dying to the Defiled threat?

    “This is all about him,” I whispered to myself. “Magni couldn’t give two shits about the girls out there.”

    I didn’t know if I could stop myself from burying my axe in his throat. Rage boiled in my veins, and the picture of Sanrai’s spear disappearing into Ceres’ stomach continuously replayed in my head.

    I couldn’t wait to meet the man who nearly killed us.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2023
  17. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 180: Royal Decree

    The wall’s collapse obstructed the view of the First Shell, creating yet another impediment to reaching Magni. Cailu eyed the enormous pile of rubble, testing his footing at the base. The baked bricks shifted and collapsed if he placed significant weight on them—it would be too dangerous for their Parties to climb.

    Hell take you, Magni.

    Naeemah and Kirti stood nearby, the [Assassin] watching Cailu’s progress while the [Witch Doctor]’s bemused gaze flickered from him to the group of catgirls that had saved their lives. Tristan and Zahra lingered near Matt’s Party, looking to Cailu for orders.

    Will I ever see the day when I no longer need to give orders?

    Cailu waved to a well-dressed young woman, presumably of the Second Shell, and she quickly padded over to greet him.

    “Tell me, is there another gate into the First Shell?”

    “No, sir. King Magni commanded that this wall be well-protected.”

    Despite living in a citadel fortified for war. Cailu sighed. “That will be all.”

    She curtsied before returning to her group of peers.

    Cailu wandered to Naeemah’s side. Within the depths of his frustrations was a needling reminder of a sadness he hadn’t expected. Naeemah would not be joining him when they left this island.

    “Naeemah,” Cailu began.

    “Yes?” She pulled her mask to her chin and waited.

    Cailu paused, crossing his arms over his chest. What was this sensation? Grief? Loss? He shook his head; now wasn’t the time. “This city is yours. Will you rebuild this wall?”

    Naeemah studied the heap of stone, then shook her head. “Every wall must come down. Rājadhānī must be reunited.”

    He nodded in agreement with her conclusion. “It is too unstable for us to cross.”

    “I surmised that as well.”

    Rubbing his hands together, Cailu lifted one of the larger stones in his arms and hauled it away. The others watched with interest as he moved it to a vacant circle of sand and dropped it to the ground.

    Naeemah caught on to his intentions, as she always had. Turning to the group of Rājadhānī girls, she asked, “Are any of you familiar with deconstructing these materials?”

    “Aye, I can do it.” The hulking woman that Matt had called Jaya raised her hand. “There’s a lot here, but I know a few girls that can help me. What’ll we do with it once it’s done?”

    “We’ll begin by rebuilding the houses for those in the Third Shell,” Naeemah replied.

    Many of the catgirls gasped. Another girl in silken finery stepped forward. “But what of King Magni?”

    “What of him?” Naeemah’s tone was flat.

    She clasped her hands, cheeks pinking as her eyes dipped to the sands. “My lady, he would never allow such a thing.”

    Naeemah looked at Cailu, who gave her the barest of nods. She turned back to the abashed catgirl. “It is not his right to say. This island is no longer beneath his rule.”

    More stunned whispers and gasps.

    Cailu returned to lift another hunk of wall. The kitten with the curious golden beetle skipped to his side and grinned up at him. Her skin, hair, and clothing were filthy, and her elbows and knees were scraped and bruised. She lifted a brick and proudly held it over her head. “I’ll help!”

    “Your assistance is appreciated,” Cailu replied.

    “Me, too.” The girl’s mother moved to her side.

    “It’ll go faster with more hands.”

    “We’ll clear this out in no time!”

    At least a dozen catgirls followed Cailu’s lead in clearing the broken wall. Jaya jogged off to find girls to help her break down and store the bricks for new building materials.

    Tristan turned to the others. Cailu caught him speaking as he circled back for the third time. “There’s plenty of water running through this shell for everyone. Why don’t we gather containers of it and set up a drink station?”

    “That’s a great idea, Tristan,” Keke agreed.

    Ravyn looked at Cannoli. Her face softened as she touched the [Acolyte]’s shoulder. Cailu had never seen the [Sorcerer] look at anything with such tenderness. “Cannoli, let’s see if the Second Shell girls have stores we can cook. I’m sure we’re all starving.”

    Food! Now! Squawk!” the wretched bird screamed.

    “All right,” Cannoli whispered and nodded.

    “Zahra,” Naeemah called from behind Cailu.

    The [Myrmidon]’s ears perked, and she snapped at attention. “Yes, my lady?”

    “I wish to speak with you.”

    Zahra’s face flushed as she marched to Naeemah’s side. Cailu watched them as they wandered farther down the wall, clearing rubble out of the earshot of the other girls.

    “Does she know?” Kirti’s sultry, meretricious voice caught him off guard.

    Cailu turned to her, awaiting the [Witch Doctor]’s preposterous response in silence.

    Kirti’s typical coy smile was absent from her lips. Her orange eyes bore into him as she searched his face. “You may bury your feelings in the depths of time, Cailu, but it is never too late to live without regret.” She gestured to Naeemah. “She deserves your thanks.”

    “Naeemah’s dedication is not without gratitude,” Cailu snapped. “Our relationship was founded on unequivocal trust and efforts—”

    His words trailed as Kirti crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows, her lips narrowing into a thin line.

    The memories he’d kept so carefully bottled away began to drip into his consciousness. Naeemah’s swift form and sharp blades in battle after battle as she protected him from Encroachers, Defiled, and rogue catgirls. Naeemah’s calm demeanor and level-headed suggestions in even the most challenging of conflicts. Her laugh when she first learned Queen’s Gambit and tried to cheat. Her glistening body clothed in steam when they bathed together.

    She deserves your thanks.

    Naeemah deserved the world. And, somehow, that realization had evaded him until it was time to let her go.

    “Never too late, hm?” Cailu repeated, eyes wandering until he found Naeemah beside Zahra.

    Kirti’s sly smile returned, and she smoothed her hands over the geometric patterns on her skirt. “You can owe me a favor later for this little tidbit of advice.”

    He grimaced. “I do not desire to owe you anything.”

    “Come, now. It won’t be so bad.” She chuckled and shrugged. “I will help the others fetch water, as I am not so suited for… physical labor.”

    Must every word you mutter sound like an innuendo? “As you wish.”

    Cailu returned to removing the debris. In time, Tristan, Keke, and Kirti had situated large vats of water with lines of wooden cups to take and drink. Ravyn and Cannoli tended three campfires, with many Second Shell girls bringing their food stores and cookware to utilize. Jaya and three others worked fervently with pickaxes and hammers, breaking down the stone, bricks, and mortar before storing them in barrels for reuse later. They laughed, sang, and talked, both shells mingling with one another as if there had never been a wall between them.

    Matt reappeared, checking in on his Party before joining Cailu and the others in clearing the wall.

    Naeemah caught Cailu’s attention just as the sun touched the horizon. “Cailu, may we speak privately?”

    “Of course.” He wiped his hands on his trousers before joining Naeemah and Zahra.

    As they made their way to an isolated area, they passed by a slurring Jaya and her howling companions. It seemed alcohol had made its way into the fray. No matter. If a pickaxe found its way into a foot or a tail, the Second Shell had the supplies to tend it.

    “This is Zahra. Her father was Krethik; the last man before Magni,” Naeemah said, gesturing to the red-headed catgirl.

    “It is an honor, sir.” Zahra crossed an arm over her chest and bowed at the waist.

    “Once the summit has resolved, I…” Naeemah hesitated, struggling to meet Cailu’s gaze. “I wish for her to take my place in your Party.”

    Cailu’s chest tightened, and his fingers felt numb. He grappled with the right words to say, and for all of his struggling, he remained silent.

    “She battled her own sister on multiple occasions to protect Tristan, and for the good of the island. I believe she would be an apt replacement.”

    No one could replace you, Naeemah. He looked at Zahra. “What of Tristan? You would leave his Party for mine?”

    “I joined Tristan’s Party to see my home restored. My mother and I both owe our livelihoods to Lady Naeemah, and your work here, I believe, will soon satisfy my quest,” Zahra replied evenly. “To be of assistance to you and my lady would be my greatest achievement, sir.”

    Cailu looked between them and weighed his options. Naeemah’s gaze was still focused just over his shoulder. “If Naeemah trusts you, then so shall I. However,” Cailu held up one hand as Zahra’s expression ignited with joy, “I will only accept your help with Tristan’s consent. Even then, you will be held to high expectations.”

    “Of course, sir.” Zahra’s smile peeked through her determined expression as she bowed.

    “You are a second Class. That must be rectified as soon as possible,” Cailu continued.

    “Whatever it takes, sir,” Zahra replied quickly. “With your leave, I will speak with Tristan.”

    “Permitted.” It was like speaking to a new military recruit. Naeemah’s suggestion seemed well-founded.

    Zahra jogged away without another word, leaving Cailu alone with Naeemah.

    “I trust her,” Naeemah said after a heartbeat of silence. “She will serve you well.”

    She deserves your thanks.

    For the first time in their history together, Cailu stepped forward and circled his arms around Naeemah in a tight embrace. Her body tensed, her arms frozen at her sides. Just as he worried that he had pushed beyond her comfort, she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest. The faint scents of lavender and cedar still lingered in her hair.

    “No one will ever replace you, Naeemah,” Cailu murmured. “Thank you for all you have done.”

    They stayed in each other’s arms, further platitudes unnecessary. Their history was carved together in their memories; their futures stronger for it.

    Cailu drew away, clinging to the echoes of her body on his. At last, she met his gaze, and he gave her a resolute nod. “Let us finish what we began.”

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2023
  18. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 181: EXEC_CHRONICLE=KEY/.

    They worked late into the night, well after the moon had peaked and set. The mood in Rājadhānī had wholly transformed with the wall’s fall, and Tristan realized just how much of the segregation between shells was perpetuated by the Ejderha. There were still some uneasy approaches by catgirls in the Third Shell, but the vast majority of the Second Shell inhabitants welcomed them with open arms, refills of water ration tanks, and fresh-cooked food from Cannoli and Ravyn’s makeshift cafeteria. Everyone joined in the fold of songs, jocund conversations, and laughter.

    It helped Tristan forget, if only for a little while, that all of them had been an hour from death.

    Keke was a speedy and efficient partner, carrying far more containers of water than Tristan could manage. He watched the levels in the enormous clay vases one of the Second Shell girls had provided while Keke took cups of water to those working.

    Many of the women he’d seen working the future fourth shell wall joined Jaya’s group, carting molds and additional materials for recycling the broken-down debris. Bricks were mixed, poured, and set aside to begin baking in the morning sun. The Second Shell girls had changed from their finery to durable leathers to help move the rubble, deliver water, or serve food. Every pair of hands was busy, and the excited energy in the air was contagious.

    “Tristan, might we speak?” Cailu was suddenly at Tristan’s side, Zahra and Naeemah flanking him.

    He’d been so focused on the water refills that he hadn’t heard his approach. “Of course.” He waved Keke down, and she returned with an armful of empty cups. “Can you watch this for a few minutes?”

    “Yeah, of course.” Keke looked between Tristan and Cailu. “Everything alright?”

    Tristan nodded. “I think so. Thanks, Keke.”

    “Alright.” Keke gingerly placed the cups on the small wooden bench they’d turned into a serving platform. She was refilling them as Cailu led Tristan away.

    They stopped in a dimly lit doorway, away from prying ears. Tristan wiped his palms on his trousers—despite assuring himself that things had turned out for the better, he was nervous. He should have been able to come up with a plan of escape in that tunnel. If Cailu intended to chastise him for it, he deserved it.

    Even pocked with dirt and sweat from hours of labor, the [Paladin] struck an imposing figure. Tristan felt insignificant in his presence.

    “Tristan,” to Tristan’s surprise, it was Naeemah who spoke first. “As you are aware, I will not be leaving Ichi Island once the citadel is reclaimed.”

    “Right.” Cailu’s deferral to her on what would happen with the walls had made the statement loud and clear: Naeemah was in charge here.

    “I would like Zahra to accompany Cailu’s Party in my place.” Naeemah gestured to Zahra.

    Tristan blinked. “Wait, really?”

    Cailu held up a hand. “It is not our intention to harm or disband your Party. Give the word, and she stays with you.”

    Why is this up to me? Zahra had initially asked to join them until they reached Magni’s castle. Their journey had strengthened their bond beyond what he’d ever expected, and Tristan felt an attachment to her that panged his heart when he thought about losing her. Still… “Zahra, what do you want to do?”

    Cailu raised an eyebrow but said nothing, turning to look at Zahra.

    Zahra crossed an arm over her chest and bowed, her long red ponytail sliding over her shoulder. “I don’t have enough words to show you my gratitude for accepting me into your Party and treating me with nothing but kindness. Even now.” She righted herself. “But there would be no greater honor than for me to fulfill my lady’s wishes.”

    Tristan nodded. She was well on her way to Third Class, and with how far behind he was, he’d just be holding her back. He smiled and gave her his best nonchalant shrug. First Ara, now this. Was he doomed to never have a static group? “Then who am I to stop you?”

    Zahra smiled, relief flooding her features. “Thank you, Tristan. From the bottom of my heart.”

    “Our Parties will remain the same in composition until we leave Rājadhānī,” Cailu said. “There is no need to tip the balance of power unnecessarily before our summit.”

    Tristan ran a hand through his hair. “How do you think that’ll go?”

    A sardonic smile quirked the corner of Cailu’s mouth; his eyes ice cold. He touched the hilt of his sword. “Who can say?”

    Naeemah’s serpentine gaze flickered with venom and her tail wavered in agitation.

    Tristan shivered. Not well. “Guess we’ll see.” He glanced over his shoulder at Keke. She had a long line of catgirls taking water, and it seemed she was tipping the last of their haul from the final ration container. “I should head back.”

    “Before you go, there is one more thing I wish to tell you.” Cailu crossed his arms over his chest.

    Tristan braced for an earful.

    “Your diplomatic work in the Third Shell is to be commended. It is clear that your and Matt’s dabbling with the citizens had a lasting effect—one that saved our lives.”

    “O-oh. Thank you.” Tristan worked to hide the surprise on his face and prayed the dim light was enough to conceal his blush. A pride he felt he didn’t deserve washed over him. “I’m glad I could be of help.”

    Cailu offered him a final curt nod. “Be sure to reserve your energy. Our next challenge will soon be upon us.”

    When Tristan returned to help Keke refill the water, he was surprised to find the section of collapsed wall half-cleared of the debris.

    “Everyone’s working so quickly,” Tristan noted.

    “I think the girls living here want this to be over just as badly as we do,” Keke replied, shifting the containers in her arms to a more comfortable position. “How was your talk with Cailu?”

    “It was… interesting,” Tristan admitted. “Zahra wants to join his Party when all of this is over. Naeemah asked her to.”

    Keke frowned. “Are you okay with that?”

    “Can I be honest?” Tristan glanced behind him. They were far enough from anyone that he could speak freely.

    “Of course.” Keke set the containers near the canal and knelt at its edge. She cupped the clear water in her hands and splashed it on her face before taking a quick drink. “I can’t wait to have a bath.”

    “Me, too,” Tristan chuckled.

    “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. How do you feel about her leaving?” Keke asked as she dunked the first container beneath the surface.

    “Sad. Sadder than I thought I would feel. When she joined us, I figured she’d stay here once we were done. But, I’ve really enjoyed having her around.” Tristan uncapped the container and slowly lowered it into the canal. “She gets along well with Destiny and Lara, she’s level-headed, and an incredible fighter. She’s, well, a lot like you, Keke.” His cheeks burned as he made the connection. What Keke had with Matt was something Tristan found himself wanting with his Party.

    Keke grinned. “That’s nice of you to say.”

    “I mean it. Not to mention, Zahra has saved my hide more than once. I feel like I owe her a lot.”

    “Is that why you let her go?”

    Tristan flinched. Was that why? “That’s a good question. She said it’s what she wanted, and, yeah, I guess I felt like I owe that much to her.”

    Keke’s ears flicked forward, and she nodded. “From what I learned as a kitten and what I’ve seen in traveling with Matt, there are the men who take our feelings into account when they make decisions, and there are men who see us like tokens in a board game. You’re a great guy, Tristan. You feeling sad about Zahra leaving and indebted to her actions shows that you care. I think it’s good that you feel that way.”

    “Thanks. I just wish I could keep a consistent Party. Like you guys.” Tristan shrugged.

    “Well, I think you’re stuck with Destiny and Lara for life.” Keke giggled and flicked two fingers of water in Tristan’s direction. “Who else will ask Water how she’s feeling today?”

    “That’s true. Destiny’s been with me for a long, long time now.” Tristan smiled and splashed Keke back. “And I couldn’t imagine life without Lara now.”

    “Zahra’s a better fighter and person for spending time with you.” Keke filled her final container and stretched. “See? It’s just a matter of time before you find the right third.”

    “Thanks, Keke.” The tension he’d felt with Zahra’s news eased from his chest. Keke was right; it was okay to miss her.

    “Any time.” She stood and heaped the containers back into her arms. “Now, let’s get these back to our water station before they start wondering if we fell in.”

    The night pressed on, with everyone working their hardest to clear the debris between the Second and First Shells. Tristan was physically and mentally exhausted; he was sure the same could be said about Matt, Cailu, and the rest of their Party. But the knowledge that they were so close, that this would soon be over, was enough to keep him pushing.

    When the sun crested the horizon, the orange morning light enveloped the citadel at the center of the First Shell. Enough of the wall was cleared away, offering a first look into the makings of a hidden paradise.

    Flourishing trees towered over multi-story homes. Canals and ponds joined decorative pools and water fountains in every residence's front and back yards. Pathways with flowing mosaics composed of smooth, colorful glass led from the base of the wall, inviting the viewer to travel deeper into the pawm tree forests.

    “And we thought the Second Shell was bad,” Matt muttered, joining Tristan in looking over the wall.

    “Some of those trees aren’t native to this island.” Tristan shook his head, bewildered. “Now we know where the King’s Tax is going.”

    “I can’t believe they have water fountains. The girls in the Third Shell were rationed, and this place has water fountains,” Keke hissed.

    “Meaningless extravagance,” Cailu growled. “Come. It is time.”

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2023
  19. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    [​IMG]

    Tristan sat at his easel, leaning in until his nose nearly touched the canvas. A few feet ahead of him, the wall-length enchanted screen displayed a field of tiny blue flowers bending in the breeze and welcoming the blue butterflies that flocked to their petals.

    With a tiny brush and a teensy dab of paint, Tristan carefully penned the delicate outlines of the lule misre blossoms. This had to be perfect.

    Outside his door came a soft thud and a pair of whispering, giggling voices. Tristan ignored them and kept working.

    Cherishing Day was, in a word, overwhelming.

    Celestia had explained it to him the first year he arrived on Shi Island. A holiday where everyone celebrated the ones closest to them. Cherishing Day’s origins were detailed in one of the many books the school provided him with. Hundreds of years ago, Saoirse had brought gifts to her followers and asked them to carry on the tradition.

    Except, the girls in the school used it to try and win favor with Tristan. Lining the hall outside of his door with chocolates, flowers, cakes, and curiosities. Hand-written notes and signed names adorned the packages with curled ribbons. The majority of the girls were ones he’d never met, while the minority he’d shared intimate encounters with only once. A lot of them he stashed away for Celestia to give to the kittens in the nurseries. How was he supposed to eat twenty cakes by himself? The holiday felt a little… empty.

    But then, Destiny had come along. Their first meeting was etched into his memory as one of the best nights of his life.

    It was six months after Tristan was situated in Venicia’s School of Etiquette. He couldn’t sleep, so he perched at his desk, sketching a picture of the school from memory when a soft tapping came at the door. He moved to stand beside it and waited. The tapping came again.

    “Madame Celestia?” Tristan called. Celestia’s knocking generally followed the click of her unlocking the door. For her to call on him so late was out of character.

    “No. Um, my name is Destiny,” came the reply.

    Tristan paused, hand resting on the door handle. “I didn’t see your name on the schedule.”

    “Schedule? Oh, uh, no. I wasn’t… well, I wasn’t chosen to see you.” Destiny stammered through her sentences, her voice barely audible through the thick wood. “I just wanted to meet you, I guess.”

    Tristan blinked. “Why?”

    “Because if I were stuck in a room for six months, I’d be bored out of my mind,” Destiny replied, a confidence that hadn’t been there before tinting her voice.

    Tristan chuckled. “I have plenty of company.”

    “I know, but… What about friends?”

    “I–” Tristan glanced at his desk. His sketchbook and journal lie open, filled with comforting pictures and entries. The home-cooked meals he received three times a day, the sweet sounds of girls laughing and singing, sleeping in a warm bed every night. Madame Celestia was a kind matron, but they didn’t know enough about each other to be considered friends. “No, I guess not.”

    “My sister and I don’t have friends here, either,” Destiny said. “I, er, maybe this was foolish of me. I’m sorry for bothering you, Tristan.”

    It was the first time someone had used his name. Not “Master” or “My Lord.” Tristan clicked the lock on the door and swung it open. “Don’t leave. Please.”

    Destiny had already turned to walk away but spun when she heard the door open. Her dark blue hair framed her soft features, and she smiled in surprise. “Hi.”

    “Hey there.” Tristan chuckled, then gestured behind him. “Come on in.”

    He found Destiny easy to talk to, witty, and clever. They chatted about everything and nothing until the first hints of sunlight glimmered through the small, sole window high in the room.

    Night after night she returned, sneaking through the school to visit him and grant him a friendship he hadn’t realized he so desperately needed.

    When the first Cherishing Day came around, she brought him a series of inks she’d crafted using her skills in [Alchemy]. They flowed like watercolors, leaving behind stunning hues he hadn’t been able to achieve with many of the paints Celestia had provided him. He’d felt foolish and unprepared—what would be a gift worthy of Destiny?

    The second year, she’d scrounged her Bells from working at the docks to buy him a leather-bound sketchbook with Tristan’s initials stamped into the corner. TE. He had sketched a portrait of Destiny for her to keep, but it still didn’t feel like enough.

    This was their third Cherishing Day together, and Tristan was certain he’d finally found the perfect gift. Leche was Destiny and her twin Lara’s hometown. It was an expensive journey from Venicia that would take time away from her education and work. She often mentioned that she missed the season when the lule misre bloomed and the butterflies returned.

    Since his enchanted wall could show him a perfect recreation of anyone who touched it, he had suggested to Destiny that she do just that. She was giddy every time he showed her the evening skylines from Earth, but when she saw Leche laid out before her, there was so much longing on her face. It shouldn’t just be his room that she had the chance to see home again. The canvas may not have been as big as the wall, but it was a piece that she could take with her.

    There was a hard knock at the door and the sound of a key turning in the latch.

    “One second!” Tristan leaped up from his chair, snatching the painting from his easel and gingerly setting it aside. He rushed to the wall and changed it back to the sandy beach and sunshine that had become a kind of screensaver for visitors.

    If Celestia saw Leche on his wall, it would destroy the careful secret he and Destiny had maintained for years. As far as he knew, Lara and Destiny were the only two girls in the school from the countryside village.

    “Okay! I’m ready!” Tristan called, moving back to his easel and setting another half-finished painting of a school of colorful fish he’d found in a book titled Nyarlean Sea Life.

    Celestia opened the door and stepped through. “Is everything quite all right, young master?”

    “I’m fine. I was just changing,” Tristan lied easily, tapping his brush to the canvas. “What’s up?”

    “As is tradition this time of year, there are… numerous gifts outside of your door.” Celestia adjusted her glasses and sighed. “No matter how many warnings I give them…”

    “It’s all right. I’m sure the kittens love the attention.” Tristan grinned. “Can we get them to the nursery?”

    “Oh, yes. We shall wait until tomorrow.” She smoothed her skirts and clasped her hands over her apron. “There will be no scheduled visits this evening. You should not have to work on this blessed day.”

    Work is right. “That’s kind of you, Celestia. Thanks.”

    “Of course. I will have dinner delivered in two hours. Do you require anything further before I retire for the evening?”

    Tristan considered her question. She asked it every night, but this one sparked an idea. “I’m feeling pretty hungry today. Can you request they cook a little extra?”

    Celestia’s brow raised, but she nodded all the same. “Of course, young master.”

    “Thank you!” Tristan hopped up from the easel and snatched a drawing from his desk. A perfect portrait of the Madame herself. He crossed the room and handed her the picture with a half bow. “And Happy Cherishing Day, Madame Celestia. I appreciate you taking such good care of me.”

    It was the first time he’d gifted her anything for Cherishing Day. She was a difficult woman to read, and he hoped this would cheer her up. Celestia’s cheeks pinked, a reaction Tristan rarely witnessed. In his opinion, it looked cute on her and softened the stern expression she often wore. “How unexpected! Thank you, young master.”

    “You’re welcome.” Tristan wandered back to his chair. “See you in the morning?”

    “Yes. A wonderful evening to you, young master.” She held the portrait close to her chest. “And my deepest thanks once again.”

    Once the door was closed and locked, Tristan counted to thirty before changing the enchanted window to Leche and swapping his canvas out. He only had a few hours to finish before Destiny arrived.



    The soft tapping came at the door just as he’d added the final touches on the butterflies’ wings. Setting his paints aside, he hurried to let Destiny in.

    She grinned, her blue eyes shining in the dim light. She held her arms behind her and leaned forward at the waist. “Happy Cherishing Day, Tristan.”

    “Happy Cherishing Day, Destiny.” He returned her smile and stepped aside.

    “Your haul somehow gets bigger every year.” Destiny pointed to the gift-covered hallway as she crossed the threshold. “Which, honestly, is crazy that it can.

    “Why’s that?”

    “Because the suga—” Destiny glanced at him and bit her lower lip. “There just aren’t many bakeries around, that’s all.”

    He tipped his head, wondering what she had really wanted to say. But his excitement at their evening together pushed down his question. “I waited for you to have dinner.”

    Destiny glanced past him at the candlelit table. Her ears perked, and her tail flickered back and forth behind her. “Goodness! You didn’t have to do that!”

    “Hey, it’s a holiday.”

    “Thank you, Tristan! But, first, you should open your present.” She brought her hands to the front, holding a small black box tied with a blue ribbon.

    Tristan accepted the box and carefully untied the bow. “Can I be honest?”

    “Always.”

    “Yours is the only present I really look forward to every year,” he admitted, sliding the top from the box.

    Destiny blushed and raised a hand to her lips. “I’m glad,” she squeaked.

    Sitting atop a bed of red satin was a calligraphy pen carved of polished wood with a silver tip. “Woah. This is beautiful.”

    “It’s special. It was enchanted so that, no matter how much you use it, it never runs out of ink,” Destiny explained. “You can just keep sketching with it.”

    Tristan’s jaw dropped. “Destiny, this had to have cost a fortune—”

    “Shh.” She held a finger up, signaling him to silence. “Now try it out!”

    He reached forward and gently took her hand, flattening it in his palm. As she watched in stunned silence, he drew a butterfly on the back of her hand. The ink flowed free, never skipping like a ballpoint pen would on skin. It was as easy as marking a parchment with pencil.

    “This is incredible,” he marveled, twisting her hand back and forth to study his work.

    Destiny drew her hand back and studied the inked butterfly. “You really turn everything you touch into art, you know that?”

    “I didn’t have to touch you for that,” he murmured. Her blush returned, and he cleared his throat. “Can I show you your gift?”

    Destiny’s eyes widened. “You didn’t have to!”

    “Neither did you.” His mouth parched as he guided her to the canvas.

    She gasped as her gaze fell over the field of lule misre, drifting along the flight of the butterflies. With her decorated hand, she brushed a flower with delicate fingertips. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, and she blinked them away. “T-Tristan…”

    “Is it okay?”

    She playfully nudged his arm. “It’s more than okay. It’s beautiful. It’s perfect. It’s— It’s home.” Looking from him to the painting, one of her tears fell free. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you.”

    “Destiny, your visits, your companionship, your care, have changed my life. There’s nothing in this world I could give you that would repay that.”

    Destiny shook her head. “This is more than I deserve.” She turned to him and embraced him in a tight hug. “You’re more than I deserve.”

    “That’s not true,” he muttered into her hair. “If there’s anything I can do for you, just say the word. I mean it.”

    “Then just let me stay like this for a bit.” She buried her face in his shirt.

    He kissed the top of her head and hugged her close. There were not enough words he could say or paintings he could create that would convey how Destiny had single-handedly dispelled his loneliness in an entire school of catgirls.

    Tristan cherished her more than she could ever know.

    [​IMG]

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    [​IMG]

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  20. DoubleBlind

    DoubleBlind Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 182: EXEC_RIG=VEGA/.

    There wasn’t a peep to be heard. Not that we were surprised, considering the explosion that’d taken place the day prior. I doubted anyone wanted to be near the wall during or after the collapse.

    “The silence is unnerving,” Tristan said.

    “I’m sure Sanrai would have advised everyone to hole up in Magni’s citadel,” Zahra reasoned. “That is something I would expect from my sister.”

    I shared admiration and concern for Zahra in equal measure. I was sure the people of Ichi Island were accustomed to watching their own flesh and blood die by now, but still. If it were me, I don’t think I’d be able to keep it together after watching my sibling’s head get caught off, no matter how estranged.

    “I believe you are correct,” Cailu replied.

    I inhaled deeply. “Straight to the castle, then.”

    The First Shell, to use one of Tristan’s favorite words, was opulent. For starters, the paths. I’m not sure I’d ever walked on a more intricately made walkway in my entire life. The longer I stared at them, the sooner I realized that small dragons were carefully carved into the stones. The multi-colored reflections gave the impression that an ancient civilization had built these roads. With how nice they looked, part of me wondered if they were meant to be treaded barefoot.

    I almost felt bad walking on them with my boots. Almost.

    “Think we’ll find the Mall of Rājadhānī in here?” I murmured to Tristan.

    Tristan chuckled. “I don’t know. Would ‘Fashion Square’ be the rich version of a mall?”

    “You have a point.”

    Every structure, every monument looked as if it had been painstakingly designed from scratch. The homes bore a theme similar to those I’d seen on San Island. They were triangular, pointed at the tops. At the center of each roof was a four-legged dragon made of gold. It reminded me of the ones I saw in medieval-themed video games.

    “Subtle,” I mumbled sarcastically.

    “Which bit? The dragons on the roofs or the ones in the yards?” Ravyn spat.

    “Wait. The yard?”

    Now that she’d mentioned it, most homes had a garden dragon among the flora. Unlike the ones on the rooftops, these dragons were black. The detail of the scales and faces was impeccable. Just counting the ones I could see, there were a dozen. Ruby and emerald eyes reflected the morning sunlight, and their bodies glowed in the dawn.

    Garden gnomes were creepy, but honestly, given a choice between the two, I would’ve taken the gnome. I wanted to snap every one of those damn dragons in half.

    Tristan walked up to one of the black dragons, looking at it from every direction. “Polished obsidian,” he muttered, grazing his finger across the figure. “Not an easy thing to make.”

    “Or find,” Naeemah added.

    “No expense spared,” Kirti said with an air of amusement.

    “Every aspect of this king leaves much to be desired,” the [Assassin] hissed.

    “We should probably keep moving,” Keke said as she came to stand beside me.

    I looked at Cailu to my right. He drummed his fingers against the hilt of his sword, his gaze glued to Magni’s sanctuary. He hadn’t said anything since we entered, but he bore a colder stare than any I’d seen from him so far. His added silence just made me more uneasy.

    “Yeah. Let’s keep moving,” I agreed.

    The extravagance continued to shock and awe me as we continued to travel the winding paths. The number of water fountains was insane. Each of them was comically sized as well, easily dwarfing any of the ones I’d seen in Washington. On top of that, no two fountains looked identical. One had a horse at its center, another a gigashank. They came in white, black, and even red. It saddened me that Ceres couldn’t see this right now.

    “What’s that?” Keke frowned, pointing.

    Something I’d learned during my time with Shizen was that plant life was just as much part of the culture as anything else. Many of the other islands had lush, vibrant life. Ichi Island was… lacking in that area. If not for the sun and occasional pit of sand, I would’ve struggled to tell the difference between here and San Island.

    That’s why I nearly gasped when I saw what had caught Keke’s attention.

    Huddled between two homes was a house of glass interconnected by steel shafts. Beyond the glass were plants and flora of all shapes, sizes, and colors. It was an enormous greenhouse.

    “My lady!” Zahra called after Naeemah. She’d zipped past us while we were staring, making a beeline for the glass building.

    We followed, watching as Naeemah snapped the handle off the door and tossed it into the dirt beside her. The crash of glass followed, and she and Zahra entered the greenhouse just as we’d caught up.

    “Incredible,” said Tristan. “They built a greenhouse.”

    “A greenhouse?” asked Keke.

    “It traps warmth and humidity inside so plants can grow in any weather,” I explained.

    Tristan nodded. “Matt has the right of it. If done properly, you can grow almost anything you want in one. Normally, that’d be a great way to roast them in a desert, but— ” Tristan’s gaze shifted between the houses flanking the glass house. Afterward, he looked up, shielding his eyes from the sun. “Looks like they use the homes to create shade for the plants.”

    “That actually works?”

    “It must,” Tristan said, shrugging. “I’m sure they still struggle to grow anything that needs a cold temperature, though.”

    “Not if they have a [Wizard] or [Sorcerer],” Ravyn said as she came to stand next to me. She fetched a cookie from her pack and fed it to the quiet parrot. “Ice magic can be used to control how hot it gets inside, as well as the humidity.”

    I frowned. “How do you know that?”

    “Remember Felsi’s ice cream shop?” Keke pointed out. “She used magic to keep the ice cream cold.”

    “Exactly. Same magic, different house,” Ravyn replied.

    “No less impressive,” said Tristan. “I wonder how many they have.”

    “I have to see what’s inside,” Keke said, gingerly stepping over the shards of glass littered around the hole Naeemah had made. Most of us followed her inside, but Cailu and Kirti stood where they were.

    “Coming?” I asked.

    Cailu shook his head. “Is this errand necessary?”

    “Probably not.”

    He frowned.

    I didn’t want to stop Keke’s exploration, and taking a quick inventory didn’t sound like a half-bad idea. “We’ll be fast. Maybe we’ll find something useful.”

    “I will remain here.” Cailu sighed. “Time is valuable, Matt.”

    “I know. I’ll be right back.” I turned and hopped over the glass to join Keke.

    The smell was amazing. Scents, both familiar and foreign, bombarded my nose. To my left were flowers of countless colors and shapes—to my right, fruits and vegetables of every variety. Each plant was nestled into a small clay pot, not unlike the ones I would’ve seen back on Earth. I took a step forward, and I felt a minor stab of pain where my ear was pierced.

    I looked up and saw a series of poles attached to the walls, crossing over one another like a grate. Every other bar had been garnished with a tiny blue rock. A gentle light radiated from each one, bathing the area around it in a soft blue.

    “Ravyn,” I said, catching her shoulder as she brushed past me.

    Kuso! Don’t just grab me like that!” She spun on the spot, batting away my hand.

    Don’t touch Master, squawwwk!” Ball Gag screeched, spitting cookie crumbs all over me and the floor.

    “That’s right, Bally. At least you know some manners.”

    I sighed. “What is that?” I asked, pointing at the rock. She blinked, then turned around to where I was pointing. “My ear hurts. That got something to do with it?”

    Ravyn shrugged. “Probably.”

    Thanks for your illuminating reply. “Should I be concerned?”

    “Let’s find out.” Ravyn put her hand out and shut her eyes. Mere seconds passed before she spoke again. “Those are how they control the heat. There’s an ice enchantment on them.”

    Safe enough, then. “Is that something a [Sorcerer] can do?”

    “My, this is rare,” Ravyn cackled, looking over her shoulder. “In the mood to ask questions about Nyarlea for once?”

    I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.”

    “I will. But not before I answer.” She looked back up at the stone. “[Sorcerer]s can do that, yes. Whoever did it most likely has an affinity for ice-related magic.”

    “Figured that part. Is that something you can do?”

    Ravyn shook her head and approached a plant resembling a lily. “No, not right now,” she said, brushing her fingers against the flower’s petals. “Bally doesn’t know the trick yet.”

    Yet, huh? Didn’t know it was something Bally had to be taught.

    Cannoli picked through a nearby garden of vegetables and herbs, refilling some of her emptied [Cat Pack] supplies. I spied a plot of spices—ones I’d grown with Shizen and other unfamiliar sprouts. They’d be worth coming back later for, but I grabbed a handful of the ones I knew would help restore Ceres’ [Energy]. It was easy to get distracted when there wasn’t anyone or anything to stop us. I could practically feel Cailu’s weighty gaze from outside the greenhouse as I waved to the others to leave.

    Naeemah was the first to exit the greenhouse wearing a dark scowl. Zahra remained at her heel.

    I found Tristan sifting through a berry bush, plucking and sniffing dark purple spheres with interest. I clapped a hand on his shoulder. “We still have a king to overthrow.”

    “Right.” He pocketed the berry and followed me out.

    Having grown so accustomed to sand finding its way into every damn spot of my skin, my hair, and my clothing, it was weird to see so little of it here. Unlike the prior shells, the sand in the First Shell was sectioned off for aesthetic effect. Bricks placed in triangle formations contoured to the shapes of the homes and monuments. With how little sand littered the paths, I wondered if someone had made a habit of sweeping it.

    We were fast approaching Magni’s keep when something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. To our left was the spitting image of a park I would’ve seen back on Earth. It had everything—a swing set, a sand pit, monkey bars, benches for the moms, hell, even one of those weird iron web deathtrap domes. An entire jungle gym was right in front of me, shaded by ample trees and twin cloth awnings.

    What doesn’t the First Shell have?

    “Matt, are you okay?” Keke asked, breaking me out of my reverie.

    “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m fine,” I said. I gestured to the playground equipment. “Just distracted by that stuff.”

    “What is it?” The tone in her voice said she was just as confused to see it as I was.

    “A jungle gym. With enough imagination, you could do anything.” I furrowed my brow. “There must be a lot of kittens here.”

    “That looks like an obstacle course for adults,” Keke replied lightly.

    “Like I said, you just have to have enough imagination.” How long has this been here?

    When we reached the citadel's entrance, we were forced to stop at a giant door that was nothing short of imposing. Walls for what felt like miles stretched above our heads, forming a decorative arch at the top.

    “So, how do we get inside—” I started.

    “Ravyn,” Cailu said.

    Ravyn clicked her tongue. “I know what to do.” She stepped up to the entryway, motioning for everyone else to stand back. “I’m trying a new Spell that Bally and I have been practicing, so I need space.”

    When did she find the time to practice?

    “Ready, Bally?” she asked. Ball nodded and flew up to the door. “Let’s melt this gaudy hunk of metal.” Ravyn drew a deep breath and put a hand to her chest. “I call upon the scorching fires of the deep.” An orange glow surrounded Ball’s shape. “Raise your sword against those who would defy me. Grant me a fury greater than any other.” With each word spoken, Ball became brighter and more difficult to look at. Eventually, I had to shield my eyes. “[Flamethrower]!”

    An unearthly growl escaped Ball’s beak just before a torrent of fire followed. As the seconds passed, the flames grew larger and hotter. Beads of sweat collected on Ravyn’s skin, and her breathing began to shake.

    Is she going to be okay?

    After a while, I could no longer see anything past the blaze. It’d grown so large that I became increasingly concerned that Ravyn might burn herself. But then it stopped.

    Ravyn trembled, then fell to her hands and knees, gasping for air.

    “Ravyn!” I raced to her side and bent down on one knee, a gentle hand on her back. “Are you okay?”

    “I… I’m fine,” she breathed. Ball fluttered down and landed before her, returning to his usual blue hue. He nuzzled his cheek against her forearm.

    Master,” Bally crooned.

    “You did great, Bally,” Ravyn said, bowing her head.

    I rubbed Ravyn’s back, glancing at where the door used to be. A pile of orange goop sat where a great door of obsidian and gold once was. It smelled like Espada’s forge.

    Cailu strode past, observing the door. “You have my thanks.” The others came to stand behind him. The smoke made it difficult to see what was beyond, but that would soon change. Cailu tightened his grip around his sword.

    At last, the end was finally in sight.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2023