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Quest Number: #1
Response:There was some chaos in the clan tunnels. Over the past few days, most of them had been pacing restlessly, but today, today it seemed they were running out of time.
Tanausú was walking through one of the tunnels near the medicine den, on his way out, talking with Benchara about the latest border patrols and reports of prey, important and serious matters. When something fell down the shortcut jameo to the medicine den, right in front of them, Tajogaite, dragging a red cloth that got caught on the sharp volcanic rocks, leaving him dangling in front of his mencey like an idiot. And even more of an idiot, he opened his mouth to greet his mencey and crashed painfully to the ground, the piece of red cloth finally coming loose from the rock and falling on top of him.
"What are you up to in the medicine den?" Tanausú asked with a smile, as if he already knew the answer.
“Oh! I think it's as good a time as any to ask for the night off, mencey,” Tajogaite said, not answering the question.
“And why should I give you the night off?” Tanausú asked somewhat mischievously. He definitely knew the answer, but he wanted to tease the guañoth a little and get him to ask him properly.
“Yeah! Why should they have the night off?” It was almost a protest as it came from Benchara's lips. The responsible cat didn't understand such a request coming from another clanmate. Didn't grasp the importance of what was about to happen.
“It's Carnival Friday!” a voice shouted from inside the medicine den; it sounded like Magec's.
“Carnival? That week of noise and chaos the twolegs celebrate? What does that have to do with it?”
Tanausú laughed and intervened before Airán and Magec could jump up in anger.
“We celebrate carnival too. We used to go to the border, not getting too close to the crowd, jumping around a bit to the music, watching the sparkles and colors from afar, and then returning, but Kittypet Ada has invited us to her house for the past few years. She spoiled them by dressing up and disguises, and now they're a little out of control.”
“Do they really like it?” Benchara asked, surprised.
“It's a day when you can be whatever you want, do whatever you want, without fear of how others will see you. A day when you are completely free to be yourself or to be someone else,” Airán replied, sounding enthusiastic.
“Please… can we have the night off?” Tajogaite insisted.
Tanausú laughed again as he watched the guañoth lower his ears and shrink back, making sad little eyes like a cub, pleading, “You're almost 60 moons old, stop making that face. How many of you want the night off?” he asked, entering the medicine den after Tajogaite to see what they were up to.
"Well, me," Tajogaite said.
"Magec and I too," Airám announced.
"And this year I'm joining in too," Jonay could be heard saying from an adjacent chamber.
Orahan, on the other hand, shook his head. "I don't like the noise, thank you." He continued arranging the herbs in a corner.
Benchara also rejected him, saying that she didn't like so much noise either and that someone should stay home to protect the land.
"I suppose we can manage just fine without you four for one night. You have my permission."
Everyone thanked him, except for Tajogaite, who shouted "Party!" and then became somewhat confused when he realized that he was the only one who had said that. He proceeded to thank him as well.
Benchara shook her head. She came from a much stricter clan, the nonsense of her clanmates sometimes left her surprised, and not in a good way. But she tried to understand them, and their immaturity was endearing, like innocent cubs.
Tanausú went to follow her to continue their serious and important conversation, but then Magec stopped him. "Wait, mencey! Don't you want to see our costumes this year? We've worked really hard, and I think we've improved a lot." He really looked like a cub seeking approval.
Tanausú nodded and sat at the entrance of the den, his tail a little twitchy. The truth was, he was curious. He nodded as if giving them permission to begin.
Magec was very excited. "Let's march, guys!!! Just like the twolegs we saw last year."
"We're not ready yet!" Jonay shouted.
"Airam goes first."
"I'm so embarrassed, and I can't manage to put on my hat."
"It’s a helmet!!!"
Yes, sir... Those were the warriors of the Echeide Clan. Tanausú was thankful that life was easy for now.
After a few moments, he finally emerged and stood right under the ray of sunlight that entered through the opening in the cave ceiling, like a spotlight. He wore a red cape, the fabric Tajogaite had brought earlier, metallic decorations on his legs, and he was dragging a silver helmet with red fur on top that he still couldn't put on.
Magec then appeared with a dark grey hat and brown fringed decorations on his legs and helped his mate put on his helmet. They explained that it was Ada's idea, that she had said she wanted to see them dressed like that. Tanausú didn't understand the reference, but agreed that this year's costumes were better, probably thanks to the materials Ada gave them.
Tajogaite was simply wearing bright pink sparkly sunglasses he stole from a tourist and a very tacky and gaudy child-sized floral shirt he stole from one of the shops on the beach avenue. He said he felt cool, and Tanausú didn't want to ask any more questions.
Finally, Jonay came out with Gara. He was holding some papers with drawings in his mouth, which he left in front of the mencey before posing like the characters in the drawing. A girl with a red dinosaur, and Jonay was dressed like the girl.
"Also Ada's idea?"
"She gave me the comic. She said that since it was mostly drawings, I should understand it without knowing how to read. But the idea for the costume was mine. Do you like it...? It's my first year, if you want, I can skip it and I'll stay and help you..."
"No, no... Don't worry, Jonay, don't worry, you can go. I think it's great that for once you're having a good time with the others."
"Thanks!!!"
As Magec adjusted the helmet on Airám's head, they paused with one of those smiles that can't possibly mean anything good. "You know what we could use, buddy? More sparkles!!! We could go ahead and see if Ada has any of those shiny disc strips."
"Or those glittering sparkles in powder!" suggested Airám.
"Chief! We left early to see what we could find to improve our disguises."
"Okay, but don't drive poor Ada crazy," replied Tanausú.
"Impossible, she's already crazy," added Airám as they both ran off through the tunnel to the exit.
The rest said goodbye to Tanausú and left shortly before sunset. As usual, they quickly arrived at Ada's house, but since the street below her balcony was crowded with twolegs and they couldn't get in that way, they went to the front door, where she was waiting for them and let them in, up the stairs and into her house.
The cat had set out bowls of cat treats and water bowls, some with water and others with milk or fresh juice, the closest thing to the parties her owner threw with his friends. She invited them in. From her balcony, they could see the entire street where costumed twolegs passed by, dancing, playing drums, and with glittery floats. It was a noisy spectacle, an acquired taste, Ada called it, but once you got used to the noise, the sight before them and the rhythm were intoxicating.
No one understood Ada's costume, for a change. She said it matched her owner's, but now he was busy and they had the whole house to themselves.
If they seemed hyperactive in the eyes of Tanausú and Benchara, Ada made them seem calm in comparison. She began reciting everything she had learned about the origins of Carnival and Canary Islands customs and sang and jumped until the music started outside. She almost knocked over the pot of catnip, a disaster.
They all spent the night jumping and watching the bright, colorful costumes. They sat and lifted their front paws to imitate human dances, though in the end they didn't look anything like it, but at least they had a good time.
Airán decided to try the catnip, and somehow, he licked Magec's forehead, practically proposing to them, though he later denied everything and blamed the plant.
As the night wore on, Tanausú approached the few remaining clan members in the tunnels, especially Orahan.
"You said the noises bothered you?" he asked gently, but Orahan knew immediately something was up.
"Yes, a lot, why?"
“It's going to get really noisy soon, and caves with openings in the ceiling are going to echo. The lights can be annoying, too, and again, these openings aren't helping. If you want, we can try to cover the opening with some of the cloths the others left behind or find you a quieter room for tonight.”
“Is the noise going to be that serious? Up to here?” Benchara asked, surprised.
“Quite a bit. It doesn't bother me, but if you don't feel comfortable… The tunnel itself has very rough walls and ceiling, so it doesn't echo much. But it would be better to at least cover the ceiling hole just in case.”
Orahan nodded and began gathering cloth.
“I'll gather branches and stones to hold it still and cover it a little more on the outside,” Banchara offered, running to help.
It didn't take long for the medicine den to be more or less isolated from the lights and noises outside, enough for Orahan to rest. Once everything was ready, Tanausú headed outside.
“Mencey! Where are you going?” asked Benchara, who was resting, crouched next to Orahan.
“I told you, I don't mind the noise and this spectacle… I won't miss it…”
Without another word, Tanausú left the caves, climbed onto the cliff overlooking the sea where he always sat, and waited calmly and patiently, watching the stars, until a long, soft whistle sounded, followed by a loud explosion and hundreds of sparks like stars shining in the sky. His favorite part of the night had begun. He covered his ears with his paws and stared in amazement at the sky, the spectacle, the lights and colors… It was magical.
Word Count: 1780 words
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Quest Number: #2
Response:
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Quest Number: #3
Response:
His silhouette was cut against the sunset as he ran, skipping over the rocks. You could see the tension in his ears and how he arched his back as he ran and jumped. It wasn't a relaxed trot; something had him upset, and seeing the mencey in that state can never be good news.
Tanausú sat at the end of the large rock, looking out to sea, feeling the drops of water splashing as the waves crashed against the cliff at his feet. It wasn't unusual to see him sitting there, watching the sunrise and sunset over the sea and the silhouette of the neighboring island, but… this time it was different. There were no fascinated glances or relaxed sighs, closing his eyes to feel the breeze… No, none of that… He was tense, his shoulders and back slightly hunched, his claws out, almost scratching the hard volcanic rock, his ears drooping, and his tail moving restlessly from side to side.
“My mencey?” Jonay spoke, climbing the rocks to approach him, but Tanausú didn't react. "Mencey?" He called again, a little more concerned, and placed his paw on his leader's shoulder, finally getting his attention.
"Jonay? Is something wrong?"
"I was going to ask the same thing. You seem absent, distracted, erm... Worried? Exhausted?"
Tanausú sighed, rubbing his temple with his paw. "Is it that noticeable?" he asked, trying to smile and relax, to pretend he was better than he actually was. "It's nothing you should worry about, just typical mencey work."
"So, as your archimencey, it concerns me too."
There was silence. Jonay knew Tanausú was very tense and worried about something. He didn't want to push him too hard and make him feel worse, but he needed to know what was going on so he could help him. She shifted, rubbing her head and side against his shoulder and sat closer to him, her head tilted as she looked up at him, and finally licked his ear to try to provide some comfort.
Finally, Tanausú sighed and spoke.
“I had a vision. One of our neighboring clans has been or will be attacked by the two-legs until not one remains, setting traps and chasing every cat…”
“Killing them?”
“No, they didn’t kill them, they captured them and… and they did something to them… something so they couldn’t have kits… I’d rather not go into details. Then they locked them up. A few lucky ones managed to escape from those cages like kittypets, but…”
His Mencey’s words had left Jonay extremely worried. It sounded like hell.
“The gods showed them to me, with great clarity, one of the clearest visions I've ever had, I suppose as a reminder of what will happen to us if we don't respect the rules of the two-legs.”
“A cruel reminder, in my opinion… And what do you think is the reason for this sudden message?”
“I found a dead blue-bearded lizard on the northern border, near the ravine.”
“Do you think one of our guañoth would be capable of…?”
“No, the Clan rules are clear and… I want to believe everyone respects them. I imagine it was a lone cat or from another Clan, who didn't know our rules. But even if it wasn't one of ours… how would the humans know who it was? They might accuse us and try to get rid of us like they did with the other Clan.”
“Why didn't you tell us anything?”
“Airám and Benchara already joined the us after losing their previous Clans. I don't want to worry anyone, I don't want them to feel like they're going to go through the same thing again.”
“I don't think we'll go that far. Relax, friend. And tell me, what's your plan?”
“I don't know…” Tanausú turned around, starting to climb down the cliff, and Jonay followed him. “For now, I'll go patrol the borders to see if I can discover anything.”
“I'll go with you,” Jonay said determinedly, and as they climbed down the cliff, Gara climbed onto his shoulder, looking curious. “We'll go with you.”
“And if we come across the intruder?”
“Then you’ll have your achimencey and his terrible demonic lizard to protect you. We can find that other cat and make it clear to them that either they respects the clan rules or they're out!”
Tanausú lowered his ears, seemed about to kick Jonay out, but sighed and let him follow. His steps were slow, his ears alert, his claws out for any sound—he was still too worried, he was making a mountain out of a molehill. Or he’d seen more than he’d told Jonay.
“I can see you’re a little nervous, but you shouldn’t worry. There’s no threat that can defeat us. Do yourself a favor.” He nudged the mencey, “and try to relax before that tension and stress get to you.”
“I’m fine,” Tanausú replied, shaking his head.
“I think you’re worrying too much.”
“You can never worry too much. Not when you're the mencey and you have to lead an entire clan in inhospitable lands, surrounded by threats and now perhaps invaders.”
Tanausú quickened his pace, and Jonay sighed before accelerating to catch up.
Gara flew overhead, alert to every movement, noise, and possible threat. Having eyes from the sky is a great help, but that didn't calm the mencey either; Tanausú was still worried.
Jonay went ahead, climbing a rock by the side of the road and looking down at Tanausú from above. “You can relax, my friend.” But he rolled his eyes and continued walking, Jonay at his side, advancing again. “Just because the gods have warned you doesn't mean it's the end. They're giving us a helping hand, and they want to help us. Don't you think it's wonderful to have them on our side?”
“Jonay!”
“You can relax, no one will judge you.” Jonay continued, "It can be very good to relax. The best way to show you trust someone is to relax and let your guard down," he added, throwing himself face down on the ground in front of the mencey. Okay, that was starting to seem cute, but he didn't let his guard down completely; he still had a bad feeling. "Greet the world with open arms!!!"
Tanausú tried to move away from him so he wouldn't continue bothering him, but in doing so, he got too close to the edge of the sea, and a sudden wave breaking against the rocks splashed him and soaked his fur with salt water. "You too?" he protested, looking out at the sea.
Janay laughed and went with him. For the rest of the walk, Jonay groomed his fur to remove the salt and noticed one thing: finally, the mencey was walking more relaxed.
"Look at that," Tanausú said suddenly, and when Jonay looked, he saw the challenges of what must once have been a lizard. “He’s hunted again… It can’t be… That cat…”
“It’s not a cat,” Jonay said, nodding at the top of a bush. There was a small bird. “Meet the lizard killer. An impaling bird, even if it doesn’t look like one, is a great predator.”
“So… Is it him? Is it just a bird? A bird that’s going to get us kicked out of here.”
“Don’t worry so much. We can kick him out.” And with a simple command, Gara began chasing the bird, scaring it, like birds of prey when they mark their territory, so that the intruder doesn’t return. “You can relax.”
Tanausú smiled, still tense, still looking somewhat worried, but calmer and happier.
“BE CAREFUL!!!”
Everything happened very quickly.
Jonay was thrown aside by his mencey as he jumped to fight an unknown cat that had attacked them from behind. Even so, Tanausú was also caught a little off guard, having to push Jonay aside first, and his opponent had the advantage. Within seconds, Tanausú fell to the side, injured.
Jonay got up and jumped on the intruder, and Gara swooped down on the mysterious cat to defend them as well.
Jonay was quick to pin him down. “You're from the clan the twolegs attacked, aren't you?”
“Why do you care?”
“If you need a new home, you don't have to do this. If you accept our clan rules, you can stay with us and…”
“You? You're domesticated! Pets!!! I wouldn't be part of this clan even if I were dead!”
“Then leave our lands.”
“Make me!”
Tanausú couldn't see any more; he fell unconscious.
When he woke up, he was in the medicine den, surrounded by the achimencey, healers and the red lizard.
“I'm so sorry, mencey,” Jonay said. “I should have listened to your instincts more.”
“Jonay, I wasn't worried about the intruding cat,” Tanausú replied, sitting up, and the other cat looked at him in surprise. “In my vision, not only was I shown what happened to the other Clan, but there were several scenes of Gara attacking another cat. I didn’t want to misjudge her without more information, but I was afraid she would turn on us. I’m glad to see I was wrong.” He stood and approached the wyvern. “She was just being my hero.” He rubbed his head against Gara’s and licked her shoulder to show his appreciation and respect. “I should worry less. I am the mencey, but I shouldn’t be carrying all the weight of the Clan alone. I have a great achimencey for that.”
Word Count: 1570 words
