"You're sure about this?"
"Bloody right, I'm sure! They had her face painted on that scroll, it was clear as day. Whoever those men are, they're looking for her!"
"Shhh!" Felix leaned in, nearly hunching over the dining table with a cautionary look on his face. "Keep your voice down!"
"For what!" Janette shouted, throwing her hands in the air. "She's right here, Felix! There's no hiding this anymore. We knew someone was after her, and guess what? They're here!"
KuliKuli sat quietly, her eyes staring at the floor, silently listening to her friends. They were invited to Janette's house, or perhaps invitation was not the appropriate word, for she urgently demanded they follow her back home. When she had arrived, she did not welcome them with a friendly wave nor did she bring any treats for them this time. The expression on her face was enough for KuliKuli to be concerned, it was in her eyes. She wasn't friendly and she wasn't there to spend the night with them.
When they found themselves in a fight for their lives against the slime, Janette was petrified, paralyzed in fear and unable to move for fear held her tight and bound her feet to the ground. But that evening, she was shaken in her soul. It was like something in her head had snapped and now she was driven by fear, panic, and an urgency to warn her friends.
Three crescent moons illuminated the mansion outside, shining its blue light upon the forest nearby. Several owls can be heard from afar hooting and staring, awaiting for their prey. Peaking through the large window in the kitchen revealed a group meeting where Janette had explained to them about the men who came to her shop, searching for KuliKuli. The Nekomata sat quietly in the opposite end of the rectangular table, with Reta leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, only Felix was responding to Janette at this time.
"You said they were going to Kershin Market?"
"Quite so, seems our night at the carnival left a big enough impact. I was hoping maybe they were looking for that snake, but when she showed me that scroll, I-I felt like somehow they knew." Janette sighed, sinking down on a chair.
Felix rubbed his face and combed his hair away from his face, agitated by the news. "Well, who's to say they'll come back?"
"Because they know about her being at the Den." She pointed at with her eyes glancing to him. "They asked around, people talked. They said they'll be coming back after."
"Well, maybe the snake can take them off us for the time being? I say we should just lay low for now, there's nothing pointing them to the cabin."
"No, but they'll know where I work." Janette huffed. "And I'm not in a rush to see them again."
"You can stay with us, or we can stay here with you. It might be some work heading back home to care for the animals, but we can work around that. Anything to keep you safe." Felix assured her, reaching out for her hand when she pulled her arm away.
"Felix, I can't. My workers have been absent for two days now, and you're not listening to what I'm telling you. Let's pretend that we never hear from those men again, then what? Do you plan to just live your life like normal again, just sneak KuliKuli around and hope no one spots her? What about that guy who's house your caring for, what if he returns? Do you even know when he'll arrive?"
He frowned. "Auguste isn't to return until several months from now."
"So you say, but what stops him from returning sooner, then what?"
"What's your point?"
"My point is that we are over our heads, my point is we are running blindly without any clue as to what we are running from and why." She pressed her hands on the table, leaning over to face him. "Think about it, some travelling showman knows about her, some armored men are ordered to find her. Heaven forbid we get a Hunter on our backs!"
"She's not leaving if that is what you're saying!" He replied sharply, standing up from his chair with an irritated look. "And running away isn't an option either. I understand that you're nervous but what do you want us to do?"
"I don't think there is much we can do." Janette chuckled nervously, placing a rolled up poster on the table. "They've been placing these up around the Den since they passed through, one of the men had this same symbol on his shoulder piece."
"What is it?" He asked, unravelling the poster and laying it for everyone to see. He raised his eyebrow as Reta stepped in close to take a look. "Some kind of yellow sun?"
"It's a sunflower, possibly." Reta commented, pressing her finger against the outer ring of the flower. "Wrapped in a ribbon which binds two palms together."
KuliKuli stared at the image, feeling her body grow cold as if a gust of wind slipped through the glass window and wrapped its icy hands around her slender arms.
"Well, what does it mean?" He asked.
Janette shrugged. "Hells if I know, it doesn't seem right to me. You ever seen a group pass through and leave banners and posters around? It feels like they're claiming the spot, and the best part? They weren't the only ones either! More soldiers have been crossing Farmer's Den with spears in hand, it's like a damn invasion! Something happened after we left Kershin, and now word has reached far enough that people are coming. They want her, and they want her badly!"
KuliKuli pushed her chair back and ran up the stairs in a hurry, leaving Felix, Janette and Reta watching her in silence.
He sighed and glared at Janette. "What the hells is wrong with you? Do you think raising your voice is meant to solve anything?"
Janette sighed and shook her head, grabbing a chair to sit back. Reta looked back and patted Felix in the arm, walking up the stairs after KuliKuli, thus leaving the two alone.
"I think this was a mistake." Janette began to say as she rubbed her eyes and groaned. "Since way back-"
"When you took us in at the Den? If you think we're troubling you-" Felix started to say, crossed at the implication of her words when she cut him off abruptly.
"Not that, stupid! I have no regrets helping you that day, you didn't let me finish. I'm speaking about that morning when I told you about her panic attack, and how she reacted when I asked about her past. I'm talking about how you said you would rather she forget so that things wouldn't be so complicated. You didn't want her to remember, and then I stopped to respect your wish."
Felix remained quiet, looking away as she pressed further.
"But, I should have asked again. Because I asked back then what would happen and you said you didn't know. Well, now it's happening, and yet you still don't know."
"I said I would protect her." He corrected her, standing up. "That hasn't changed."
"Well I for one believe that our best route forward is to make a change. I have been thinking about ways to help with her memory, and I may have found something. Way back when I was little, my dad bought me a magical book for my birthday. It was this neat little novel with empty pages, but it would answer any question you ask. Problem is, I don't remember where I put that thing. We can start there."
Janette stood up and walked out of the room, opening a cabinet for a bottle of wine before pouring herself a drink.
Felix had followed her. "Start there, how?"
He watched as she wasted no time in polishing off her glass in one gulp before pouring herself another. "Aaah... that hit the right spot. We start by digging more into her background, where is she from and what happened before the accident."
"You're suggesting that we go back to helping her remember? You're joking."
"Like hell I am, unless you've a better suggestion? I don't think a few days of Genki fills me with the confidence and security against a groupd of men cladded in metal. We're out of our league here, Felix. We're a farmer, a cat girl, a shopkeeper and a werewolf, not exactly consisting of the finest and mightiest of warriors here."
"That's-" Felix stepped back, having accidentally tipped something over as he glanced down to find an upturned bowl of milk. "I'll clean that... what's this?"
Janette passed him a towel. "It's a bowl of milk, what's it look like? Found a stray cat the other day, she's been keeping me company since."
"A stray, where is she?"
"I don't exactly keep a leash on her Felix, she's out and about somewhere. Must not be hungry tonight, or maybe she didn't want to be around the noise. She might be sleeping up in my room."
Felix wiped off the spilt milk before passing her the empty bowl and used towel. "I don't think it's a good idea."
"Felix." She stated, pausing when he raised his hand.
"Look, I really don't like this at all, all of it. But... damn it, I don't know what the hell else to do." He sighed and leaned against the counter, hanging his head in his arms. "We'll take it one day at a time, I just need a moment to think."
"There is one option to consider." She reached out for him as he turned to glare at her.
"No."
"I'm not suggesting we do that, Gods no. But... in case we exhaust everything... you're right, let's just try and sort this out first before we approach that." She agreed, reaching for another glass to fill with wine before passing it to him. "Besides, with all else going this bad what's the worst that can happen?"
Two floors above them, alone on the balcony stood a lone cat girl, listening to the sound of nature in solitude.
The nearby window slid up and out peaked in a blue-haired woman, curious to know why her guest opted to be outside. She paused, hesitant and contemplating before stepping out next to her. With a heavy sigh, she thought carefully of the words to come.
"Well?"
The Nekomata shrugged. "Felt like being outside, needed time to think."
"About?"
She sighed before leaning back and glancing at the stars. "About everything and nothing all at once. It's a mess."
"I see." Reta mentioned, shifting slightly. "Anything comes to mind?"
"I just want to be alone right now."
Reta stared at her from the side, nodding her head as she begun to walk away. KuliKuli meanwhile kept her gaze up into the moons, closing her eyes and breathing in. Whatever thoughts troubled her, it would take more than a few words to work through.
"I will be here if you need me, if not we can stay in silence. Just know that you are not alone." Reta said, bowing politely.
"Thank you. I-" KuliKuli paused before leaning over the balcony, squinting her golden eyes as they glimmered in the night.
"What?"
KuliKuli recoiled before wrinkling her nose and sniffing the air. "That smell, I've smelled it before. Look!"
She had pointed out into the front yard, where a white cat was spotted staring up at the two with its little green eyes. It mewed and scurried off in a hurry.
Without warning, the Nekomata climbed up on the balcony from her post and landed softly on her paws, running off into the thick black night that surrounded their home. Reta watched while speechless, her hands stuck to the balcony rail as her friend just jumped up and ran off in pursuit.
Announcement Next chapter will be available on Tuesday, same time schedule! Sorry everyone, but I've got quizzes and exams keeping me busy tonight. I won't keep you all waiting!
"You're sure about this?"
"Bloody right, I'm sure! They had her face painted on that scroll, it was clear as day. Whoever those men are, they're looking for her!"
"Shhh!" Felix leaned in, nearly hunching over the dining table with a cautionary look on his face. "Keep your voice down!"
"For what!" Janette shouted, throwing her hands in the air. "She's right here, Felix! There's no hiding this anymore. We knew someone was after her, and guess what? They're here!"
KuliKuli sat quietly, her eyes staring at the floor, silently listening to her friends. They were invited to Janette's house, or perhaps invitation was not the appropriate word, for she urgently demanded they follow her back home. When she had arrived, she did not welcome them with a friendly wave nor did she bring any treats for them this time. The expression on her face was enough for KuliKuli to be concerned, it was in her eyes. She wasn't friendly and she wasn't there to spend the night with them.
When they found themselves in a fight for their lives against the slime, Janette was petrified, paralyzed in fear and unable to move for fear held her tight and bound her feet to the ground. But that evening, she was shaken in her soul. It was like something in her head had snapped and now she was driven by fear, panic, and an urgency to warn her friends.
Three crescent moons illuminated the mansion outside, shining its blue light upon the forest nearby. Several owls can be heard from afar hooting and staring, awaiting for their prey. Peaking through the large window in the kitchen revealed a group meeting where Janette had explained to them about the men who came to her shop, searching for KuliKuli. The Nekomata sat quietly in the opposite end of the rectangular table, with Reta leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, only Felix was responding to Janette at this time.
"You said they were going to Kershin Market?"
"Quite so, seems our night at the carnival left a big enough impact. I was hoping maybe they were looking for that snake, but when she showed me that scroll, I-I felt like somehow they knew." Janette sighed, sinking down on a chair.
Felix rubbed his face and combed his hair away from his face, agitated by the news. "Well, who's to say they'll come back?"
"Because they know about her being at the Den." She pointed at with her eyes glancing to him. "They asked around, people talked. They said they'll be coming back after."
"Well, maybe the snake can take them off us for the time being? I say we should just lay low for now, there's nothing pointing them to the cabin."
"No, but they'll know where I work." Janette huffed. "And I'm not in a rush to see them again."
"You can stay with us, or we can stay here with you. It might be some work heading back home to care for the animals, but we can work around that. Anything to keep you safe." Felix assured her, reaching out for her hand when she pulled her arm away.
"Felix, I can't. My workers have been absent for two days now, and you're not listening to what I'm telling you. Let's pretend that we never hear from those men again, then what? Do you plan to just live your life like normal again, just sneak KuliKuli around and hope no one spots her? What about that guy who's house your caring for, what if he returns? Do you even know when he'll arrive?"
He frowned. "Auguste isn't to return until several months from now."
"So you say, but what stops him from returning sooner, then what?"
"What's your point?"
"My point is that we are over our heads, my point is we are running blindly without any clue as to what we are running from and why." She pressed her hands on the table, leaning over to face him. "Think about it, some travelling showman knows about her, some armored men are ordered to find her. Heaven forbid we get a Hunter on our backs!"
"She's not leaving if that is what you're saying!" He replied sharply, standing up from his chair with an irritated look. "And running away isn't an option either. I understand that you're nervous but what do you want us to do?"
"I don't think there is much we can do." Janette chuckled nervously, placing a rolled up poster on the table. "They've been placing these up around the Den since they passed through, one of the men had this same symbol on his shoulder piece."
"What is it?" He asked, unravelling the poster and laying it for everyone to see. He raised his eyebrow as Reta stepped in close to take a look. "Some kind of yellow sun?"
"It's a sunflower, possibly." Reta commented, pressing her finger against the outer ring of the flower. "Wrapped in a ribbon which binds two palms together."
KuliKuli stared at the image, feeling her body grow cold as if a gust of wind slipped through the glass window and wrapped its icy hands around her slender arms.
"Well, what does it mean?" He asked.
Janette shrugged. "Hells if I know, it doesn't seem right to me. You ever seen a group pass through and leave banners and posters around? It feels like they're claiming the spot, and the best part? They weren't the only ones either! More soldiers have been crossing Farmer's Den with spears in hand, it's like a damn invasion! Something happened after we left Kershin, and now word has reached far enough that people are coming. They want her, and they want her badly!"
KuliKuli pushed her chair back and ran up the stairs in a hurry, leaving Felix, Janette and Reta watching her in silence.
He sighed and glared at Janette. "What the hells is wrong with you? Do you think raising your voice is meant to solve anything?"
Janette sighed and shook her head, grabbing a chair to sit back. Reta looked back and patted Felix in the arm, walking up the stairs after KuliKuli, thus leaving the two alone.
"I think this was a mistake." Janette began to say as she rubbed her eyes and groaned. "Since way back-"
"When you took us in at the Den? If you think we're troubling you-" Felix started to say, crossed at the implication of her words when she cut him off abruptly.
"Not that, stupid! I have no regrets helping you that day, you didn't let me finish. I'm speaking about that morning when I told you about her panic attack, and how she reacted when I asked about her past. I'm talking about how you said you would rather she forget so that things wouldn't be so complicated. You didn't want her to remember, and then I stopped to respect your wish."
Felix remained quiet, looking away as she pressed further.
"But, I should have asked again. Because I asked back then what would happen and you said you didn't know. Well, now it's happening, and yet you still don't know."
"I said I would protect her." He corrected her, standing up. "That hasn't changed."
"Well I for one believe that our best route forward is to make a change. I have been thinking about ways to help with her memory, and I may have found something. Way back when I was little, my dad bought me a magical book for my birthday. It was this neat little novel with empty pages, but it would answer any question you ask. Problem is, I don't remember where I put that thing. We can start there."
Janette stood up and walked out of the room, opening a cabinet for a bottle of wine before pouring herself a drink.
Felix had followed her. "Start there, how?"
He watched as she wasted no time in polishing off her glass in one gulp before pouring herself another. "Aaah... that hit the right spot. We start by digging more into her background, where is she from and what happened before the accident."
"You're suggesting that we go back to helping her remember? You're joking."
"Like hell I am, unless you've a better suggestion? I don't think a few days of Genki fills me with the confidence and security against a groupd of men cladded in metal. We're out of our league here, Felix. We're a farmer, a cat girl, a shopkeeper and a werewolf, not exactly consisting of the finest and mightiest of warriors here."
"That's-" Felix stepped back, having accidentally tipped something over as he glanced down to find an upturned bowl of milk. "I'll clean that... what's this?"
Janette passed him a towel. "It's a bowl of milk, what's it look like? Found a stray cat the other day, she's been keeping me company since."
"A stray, where is she?"
"I don't exactly keep a leash on her Felix, she's out and about somewhere. Must not be hungry tonight, or maybe she didn't want to be around the noise. She might be sleeping up in my room."
Felix wiped off the spilt milk before passing her the empty bowl and used towel. "I don't think it's a good idea."
"Felix." She stated, pausing when he raised his hand.
"Look, I really don't like this at all, all of it. But... damn it, I don't know what the hell else to do." He sighed and leaned against the counter, hanging his head in his arms. "We'll take it one day at a time, I just need a moment to think."
"There is one option to consider." She reached out for him as he turned to glare at her.
"No."
"I'm not suggesting we do that, Gods no. But... in case we exhaust everything... you're right, let's just try and sort this out first before we approach that." She agreed, reaching for another glass to fill with wine before passing it to him. "Besides, with all else going this bad what's the worst that can happen?"
Two floors above them, alone on the balcony stood a lone cat girl, listening to the sound of nature in solitude.
The nearby window slid up and out peaked in a blue-haired woman, curious to know why her guest opted to be outside. She paused, hesitant and contemplating before stepping out next to her. With a heavy sigh, she thought carefully of the words to come.
"Well?"
The Nekomata shrugged. "Felt like being outside, needed time to think."
"About?"
She sighed before leaning back and glancing at the stars. "About everything and nothing all at once. It's a mess."
"I see." Reta mentioned, shifting slightly. "Anything comes to mind?"
"I just want to be alone right now."
Reta stared at her from the side, nodding her head as she begun to walk away. KuliKuli meanwhile kept her gaze up into the moons, closing her eyes and breathing in. Whatever thoughts troubled her, it would take more than a few words to work through.
"I will be here if you need me, if not we can stay in silence. Just know that you are not alone." Reta said, bowing politely.
"Thank you. I-" KuliKuli paused before leaning over the balcony, squinting her golden eyes as they glimmered in the night.
"What?"
KuliKuli recoiled before wrinkling her nose and sniffing the air. "That smell, I've smelled it before. Look!"
She had pointed out into the front yard, where a white cat was spotted staring up at the two with its little green eyes. It mewed and scurried off in a hurry.
Without warning, the Nekomata climbed up on the balcony from her post and landed softly on her paws, running off into the thick black night that surrounded their home. Reta watched while speechless, her hands stuck to the balcony rail as her friend just jumped up and ran off in pursuit.
Announcement Next chapter will be available on Tuesday, same time schedule! Sorry everyone, but I've got quizzes and exams keeping me busy tonight. I won't keep you all waiting!