~~~~~~[
1,836 words ] The next day we set out for our new adventure, the sun high in the sapphire sky. The white-tipped edge of my new scarf ruffled in the wind. A voice followed on the air currents, telling me my destination. With a quick word to our guard, Hatroclus and I packed up and started on our way, with the soldier trailing behind.
~~~~~~Roads of beaten dirt, grass, and leaf clutter came and went, but my fatigue never ceased. Every paw step felt heavier the closer we got to our village destination. My neck drooped and my tail went with it. Hatroclus offered to slow his pace, but I brushed off the request, trying my best to ignore the pain. Over hills and through valleys we went, spending the rest of the week traveling. Along the way, we set up campfires and told stories from our kittenhood. I learned my guard's name was Stoic Crescent, and he was fairly new on the job. We laughed, we cried, and we remembered together. Day after day, we grew closer.
~~~~~~Of course, with every success came another challenge. As the sun came up, Hatroclus's warmth left my nest, stirring the dream fog from my head. I lifted my head up, feeling the cold seep onto my fur-flat cheek.
~~~~~~"Where are you going, my dear?" His golden eyes looked back, looking expectantly at me.
~~~~~~"I just thought I'd gather something simple for breakfast," he replied, softening his gaze and turning back towards the tent entrance. I let my head loll back into its dent.
~~~~~~The sun climbed higher and eventually, my body felt rigid and stiff enough to force me fully awake. I padded out of the tent, stretching on my way to the center of our camp. A faint sound peaked my interest, and I swiveled my ears toward it. The audio was unnatural, not a common forest sound. It became louder, and I could make out panic and terror. I froze, my blood running cold as I realized it was a yowl. Feline.
~~~~~~The chaotic brushes of leaves against fur and paws came next as my love ran through the foliage. Hatroclus's peaceful eyes were awake with a rush of adrenaline and he barreled past me. A growl and heavy, heavy steps followed. I was still frozen in place, my mind merely comprehending movement, not processing anything more. Crescent came out of nowhere as the bear broke through the last line of plant defense.
~~~~~~The caniform creature bared its massive fangs, swiping at the form of Crescent. He dodges to the side, the bear claws meeting only air. A feline swipe to the side, and growl from the bear jolts me awake as another massive paw comes at me. I roll to the side, and jump into action. Stoic Crescent continued to bait, swipe, and flee. I wond my muscles up and leapt onto the bear's back, digging my claws in and bitting the hide as hard as I could. The uneven, furry brown ground beneath my paws shifted, as skin rolled over muscle and bone. I lost my footing, claws ripping out of the fur, and my ribs crashing against the ground. Another yowl came from behind me. A creamy white shape jumped over my airless body and Hatroclus came into the battle.
~~~~~~My eyes widened as my lungs searched for air. Hatroclus had never been gifted at battle, and now was certainly not the time to practice. I forced my big paws under me and I launched myself at the bear again, silently praying to Morganus. My love slashed and clawed, barely escaping the bear's swipes. Each time, he was slower and slower. Breathless, I turned to find him in the flurry of action, only to see a spray of red. The world spun as I followed the trail of scarlet. It ended on a body. My paws moved by themselves toward the figure on the ground. A light flashed above me, blinding the surrounding fauna, including me.
~~~~~~A high-pitched ringing came into my ears as I blindly stumbled in the same direction, tripping over the body. My muzzle landed in the still-warm fur, comforting me little. The forest's natural ambience faded out. The sounds of Stoic Crescent and the bear followed suit. Vaguely, the sound of a ripping treebranch came from somewhere behind me. I didn't open my eyes as I lifted my head from the fur. The world around me was fuzzy, out of focus. Not important. I opened my bronze eyes just enough to see Hatroclus in front of me. A claw felt wrenched in my heart, then...black. My vision further blurred as the memory of a pain on the back of my head drifted away.
~~~~~~My mind's eye showed me a purple-misted figure smiling down on me. Morganus.
~~~~~~In the aftermath of the battle, I awoke to a sore and swollen body. Hatroclus was curled up in the corner of my tent, body wrecked from the scurmish. His soft, delicate stomach had been slashed; a light pink scar twisted over the once beautiful fur. Stoic Crescent checked on my often, bringing food and herbs to help with numbness. I noticed his ear had been torn, but I didn't bother mentioning it, my mind swimming with Hatroclus. After a week of constant rest, we had to keep moving. The nights on the road were tiresome and sprinkled with accounts of that day. A blinding purple flash had driven the bear away, and Stoic Crescent had managed to pack Hatroclus' wounds to stop the bleeding. I knew Morganus had helped us, but my eyes were glazed over with numb thoughts and mundane feelings.
~~~~~~My paws met the soft soil with every step up the mighty, grassy hill. I finally reached its crest and my breath stopped. Before me lay a starkly different scene. The village was dotted with charred wood buildings, crumbling from age and use. Bonfires roared in the town square, burning horrible smelling objects. The stench caught on a breeze and was lifted to my nose. I held back a gag as Hatroclus arrived beside me. He gasped and his soft ears went back, mouth agape. Crescent didn't bother looking.
~~~~~~We headed down the bright green hill, slowly approaching the dark village. The ground underpaw transformed from soft, long blades, to pointed chips of rock. A few villagers looked up momentarily from their work. I strolled through the buildings to reach the town square, braving the stench to make a point.
~~~~~~"Ask them. Ask them what they burn," whispered the immortal voice in my head. I sized up the bonfire, feeling the unholy heat radiating off of it.
~~~~~~"What do you burn, villagers?" I boomed, my eyes serious. An elderly looking cat rose from the woodwork of villagers and limped over to me. He had scraggly ears and limbs, fur matted in all directions. One eye donned a gloomy cloud: blindness.
~~~~~~"We burn our last sacrifices, stranger, for our patron, Garic, has forsaken us. But that is no concern of yours; you are a visitor. You can leave whenever you wish."
~~~~~~I narrowed my eyes in question, and beckoned him with, "Why do you believe this?"
~~~~~~He then offered my eyes his leg. A cold jolt ran through me as I gazed on the horror.
~~~~~~An enormous canine fang was lodged in his upper leg; infection clearly ran rampart through his body. My own felt numb as my mind raced, eyes growing ever wider.
~~~~~~"It was almost two moons ago when it started. First our meager flocks, then our grains. And that's when our patron went silent. Our Oracle felt his connection go quiet, then the wolves came." Ice flowed through me once more, replenishing my terror. "He's described it to us as Garic wants to help, but something holds him back. Clearly some wrong has been committed on our end, we all thought. So I had everyone confess their wrongs and trespasses. Nothing changed. The wolves kept coming. They ate our remaining livestock, trampled our small farms, and
ravaged our families." The tom's eyes glowed with trauma as he recounted the last moons.
~~~~~~An old she-cat slowly walked up to the matching tom as he broke down in violent sobs. She guided him away, gently whispering to him. I turned my body and squared off the townsfolk, looking at their frail conditions.
~~~~~~One thought passed through my mind...
~~~~~~I'm not alone.~~~~~~After the scout had returned with the den's location, I got to work with the troops. By asking around and reassuring felines, I'd managed to understand that before the plague and famine, the town, Ophigar, was a robust outpost, ruled by a wise lineage. The strongest among them had wanted to fight against the wolves, but were inexperienced leaders. I rounded up the fittest and explained my plan.
~~~~~~Hatroclus stood quietly beside me as I barked my orders and ideas to the soldiers. The first group would draw the wovles out; the second would go in and look for vulnerable. Then this, then that, I said, until they understood and worked through the knots. Weapons were polished and armor resized as anticipation for the next day rose. The soft, white tom cat kept glancing at me with a slight smirk.
~~~~~~After the bulk of the work was done, I met Stoic Crescent in between two buildings: our camp. He'd set up three king-sized tents and got a fire going. I nodded politely to him, but padded past the cooking dinner and into my tent. Heaving a sigh, I paused, sensing a presence behind me.
~~~~~~Hatroclus looked up with his golden eyes and smiled warmly, clearly adoring my sight. Any emotional mark of his previous injury had left.
~~~~~~"What?" I questioned with a slight laugh. He was often a confusing tomcat to me, never ceasing to be baffling.
~~~~~~"You're just so happy, 'Chilles... I was getting worried on the journey here. You were scaring me...to be honest. You were so distant from me, but now you're more you than ever. The way your eyes light up when somecat asks a question. The way you direct them all towards one goal..."
~~~~~~I looked at him, confused. I hadn't felt any different about my changed circumstance. I merely saw it as the right thing to do. The thing Morganus wanted me to do. Even if I hadn't had the god parroting on my shoulder, I would've helped the Ophigarians. I understood their pain, their hopelessness, and I could finally fix it.
~~~~~~"You're strange, you know that, my love? You notice the details that others gloss over. You change the perspective of something so seemingly simple." He smiled wider and laughed, padding over to a bag in the corner of my tent. He teased out a willow bark lyre, etched in gold. I followed the feline as he sat down on my nest, beginning to strum a sweet melody. I curled up in front of him, my back to the tent flap, as I listened, entranced.
(Banging my head against my desk /j why is this so long. trying so hard to make it dramatic, but it sounds dumb in my head :sobbing:)
