Chapter 2 Link
What I Listened To
“Sit. Stay. Submit.”
By: Mitis
Chapter 3
By: Mitis
Chapter 3
Master Elu crouched in front of me, his smile soft within my frightened eyes. Despite the hand scratching my ears, attempting to soothe my troubles, I continued to shake in fear, my gaze flitting from the Masters around me to Elu once again.
“Pet, don't be so worried. I just need you to be with the others to help them protect their castle. I am in no way letting them keep you. Once this is complete, we will go pirate.”
My new Master stepped away from me then, and Nappy replaced his presence, her gaze tender and reassuring. Within her hands hung a gorgeous collar, shimmering with icey diamonds. The sunlight reflected off of their bodies, and as Nappy fastened the beauty around my neck, a power bloomed inside my heart. I knew immediately the weight of my task, and the immensity of the power that had been gifted to me.
A tiger..who could use spells? Was that why the collars were so important to the other Masters?
My tail twitched curiously, realizing that Proto was nowhere to be seen. I did not see the powerful cat; the newcomer I had notice, however, was a humanoid cat, his fur golden like..Proto’s was. I looked at Nappy and the stranger back and forth, my eyes questioning.
Nappy glanced back once, before rubbing under my chin. “I see you've noticed. Yes, that is Proto my pretty kitten. Removing his collar returned him back to this..form.”
Proto chuckled and grinned my way, and I felt my muscles relax. I was surrounded by people that would protect me in the fight; I had nothing to fear. I would be safe.
I watched as Elu looked at me one last time, a sort of..unhappiness resting within his once empty eyes, before he disappeared into a Hereafter portal. I knew I would see him again after, but...shouldn't I feel some sort of..loss too?
Nappy tugged gently on my ear, and as I followed her and the newly transformed Proto, I began to forget the look I had believed I'd seen in Master Elu’s eyes.
-
We stood outside of the invisible boundary the castle contained. The main forces were littered across the castle walls, preparing for the incoming siege. Magic was everywhere, as mages and knights buffed their allies. Humans and tigers alike feasted on small morsels that strengthened their resolves and gave them immense energy required for the spells waiting to be casted.
Kyrios was roaring within the Hereafter, calling for blood, for war.
Nappy and I were with a second group, that would wait to back up the main forces after a certain time. Hopefully, the first group would be able to hold themselves and the castle strong until we raced in.
I took a small bite of food out of Nappy’s cupped hand, licking away any remains as the diamonds around my neck burned with power. The healing magic within the priceless jewels hummed against my throat, and I gazed up at Nappy confidently.
Smiling, she petted my head once before giving me a small drink, placing the rest of the items into the satchels hanging off of my saddle. Nappy swung her leg across the golden seat, until she rose high above me, settling atop my back like a prestigious queen. I was her companion, her protector, and her ally. I swore I would not let her down.
The fighting could be heard from where we stood at the edge of the boundary; an extensive line of warriors, tigers, and even bystanders, waiting for the call to arms. Soon, our group would charge into the fight, supporting our comrades from the wave of enemies.
A strong, confident voice rang within our heads; Commander Mickey raising our morale and urging the first group to stay strong, that backup was soon to arrive.
At once, the invisible boundary shattered, and we tigers roared in anger, the battle cries of the warriors above our shoulders echoing throughout the battlefield. I raced forward with our comrades, Nappy whispering incantations above me, asking for the blessings from Dahuta, the Goddess of Witchcraft; Aranzeb, the God of Sorcery; and Shatigon, the God of Defense. I purred within my head, praying to Kyprosa fervently: Please Goddess Kyprosa; may I protect Master Nappy from the clutches of you and your deathly hands. You shall not steal her life from me on this day.
We slammed into the enemies, Mickey’s voice continuously leading us to victory. My ebony eyes glazed over as screams filled my eyes, death and blood drenching the once emerald grass. The collar around my neck was ablaze, as I threw out my healing magic in a powerful burst.
"Mend.”
Tigers stood deep within the fight, and on the outskirts, Kyprosa’s power thick in the air. I growled as multiple enemies surrounded Master Nappy and I, my claws digging into the ground as I directed my energy towards her, bursting and revitalizing her efforts.
"Antithesis.”
Suddenly, I felt a sword slide into my back, between my neck and shoulder. I cried in surprise, my head turning towards the attacker, desperately healing myself in succession to stop the pain.
Bump.
My heart beat hard against my chest as I realized who had breached my defenses. His hair hung in messy waves, scars riddling his once tender face. I saw no recognition in his hatred filled eyes, as he raised his sword high above my head, the killing blow inches away from being inflicted.
“Master wa-”
“God’s Whip!”
A flash of lightning dropped from the heavens as my old master was smited. His now limp body slumped to the soaked grass, and furious hands pulled out a potion from the satchel on my back.
The fighting had moved to a different wall of the castle, and I whimpered as my gaze lighted upon Nappy, her hands lifting a cold drink to my jaws.
“Shhh I have got you my pretty kitten. Drink this so we may hurry to the fight. It will be over soon. We are doing great.”
I opened my jaws as Nappy poured the soothing potion into my mouth, the wound on my back disappearing along with the pain. Replacing the potion, she swung back onto my saddle, and we charged into the fight once again, our comrades crying in victory as we pushed the enemies to Nui’s Shrine, as she blessed them with life once again.
-
I could not find Master Nappy. I was running in fright from my old friends as they chased me across the castle grounds. I was close to reaching the safety of my allies when a magic spell surrounded me, and I froze in place, my eyes frantically searching for a way out.
I was engulfed by fire and ice, poison and destruction. The pain was indescribable as I lost my life, a void swallowing my stilled heart as my charcoal eyes closed in defeat. I was lost, possibly forgotten, only a few feet from my falling allies. A chill sunk into my yearning soul, and I heard the cackling of Kyrios as I reached the boundary between Life and the Hereafter. The roars of the Crimson Army filled my very existence, the bloodlust louder than even those of my enemies and comrades combined.
Was I stuck in this world? Goddess Nui? Please, help me!
A light encompassed the boundaries of my conscious, and I felt a rush of gratitude as the blessing of Goddess Nui spirited me back out of the Hereafter, into my body that lay at one of the Shrines.
Master Nappy cried in surprise as my body filled with the light, and I stood up slowly. Her arms wrapped around my furry neck, and I could hear the regret in her voice.
“I am here my little kitten. I apologize for losing you. Thank Nui that you have been returned. Just a little longer, and the fight will be over. We have won.”
“We have won.”
-
Trumpets sang across the battleground as the Gods praised our success. Masters and tigers howled in victory, as the heavens announced the successful defense of our castle. The fight was over. We had proven our worth.
I sat on my haunches, surrounded by the overjoyed warriors. I watched as the enemies turned away from our happiness, disappearing in a defeated wave of Hereafter portals.
Two figures suddenly stood in front of me, and I blinked in confusion at a frozen..yata face? Said yata crouched down and patted my back gently, nodding with pride.
“My name is Yata King, little tiger. I merely wished to make sure you were not wounded too horribly. Please, come by sometime to see my army of adorable Yatas!”
The…man within the Yata costume stood up and gave me a cute dance before running off to join the others. A small “tsk” was heard from the other figure, and I heard a small muttering that sounded a lot like “Fucking Zherbus…”
A tall human stood above me, stark black armor shining upon his body. His grin was wide and cheerful, as he easily picked me up and hugged my furry body tightly.
“Hello there! I am Mickey (insert Mickey Mouse chuckle), I was leading us today and I wanted to let you know, thank you for helping us out today. I can tell you even enjoyed yourself hmm?”
Mickey set me back down on my haunches, and roughly ruffled my ears before winking and walking away towards the crowd of exhausted warriors.
I heard light crunching of grass in my right ear, and I turned my head as Master Nappy sank to her knees, leaning against my side. I stayed quiet as she sighed with relief, and seemed to...fall asleep immediately, her legs curling off to the side.
I purred in content, proud that I had helped protect our castle, and that I was given the opportunity to experience such a battle. The power held inside of the collars was immense, even great enough to turn cats almost into humans.
Was that possible for me?
As I gazed at the scene before me, laughing friends and family, I was hit with a sudden revelation.
This was now my family. And I already loved them.
-
To be continued
Omg this took forever!
Quick Author's Note:
1) Sorry Elu c: you gave me away haha!
2) Nappy was being a meanie so I deviated a bit from my original plans. But jesus I am glad I did change my mind.
3) The siege was SO much fun. I cannot believe I was given the chance to experience such a fantastic event.
Thank you so much for reading! See you in Ch 4!