The Nekomata that appeared in front of them stood her ground, maintaining a fierce stare as she bared her fangs to Yohan. The numerous guards stepped back in shock, whispering to each other in bewilderment as even Larson softened his grip on Reta's wrist, something she immediately noticed. Janette couldn't help but to stare, her mind scatter-brained with numerous questions. But with the hold Yohan had around her waist, she was reminded of the situation they found themselves in. There were so many witnesses watching them as several mothers held their sons and fled the scene, and a growing audience stammering and gossiping around them. Janette felt her heart sink as she realized that today may be the last day they return to Farmer's Den.
Yarson formed a smile that stretched from ear to ear, tilting his head with a sharp whistle as to remind his men to compose themselves. Three other guards ran in a hurry to surround Syri, armed with their spears at the ready while they waited for his command. Janette felt her heart skip, her eyes briefly widened as she recognized the trembling composure of Syri's legs and paws.
Yarson licked his lips and pulled Janette away, shifting so that he was in front to face Syri. "So, seems you did have something to share before, or someone. Hmm, William!"
One of the guards stepped in to his side in an upright posture. "Sir!"
Janette pressed her hands to his chest, struggling to push him away. Yohan hardly paid her any mind, pulling her hands away and tightening his grip on her arm with his grubby fingers digging into her soft skin. "Check her description, she has the white fur. She on the list?"
William dug into his belt and pulled out a folded note, scanning its contents and glancing back and forth between the writing and the girl. "Silver fur, freckles, green eyes. She matches the youngest."
"Good! Father wants this one alive, understand!" His eyes fell back on Syri with malicious intent. "But that doesn't mean we can't break a few bones if you give us any trouble, beastie. Your sisters, where are they?"
Syri's eye twitched, darting from one man to the next. Her tails coiled around her waist like a furry white belt and her claws were retracted safely for now. But the quiver on her lip as Janette groaned in pain was enough to spark an idea in Yohan's mind.
He shrugged and wrapped his arm around Janette's neck, pulling her to him as she yelped. Her eyes looked to Syri in a cry for help, causing Syri to stumble forward. She pulled her head back in time, feeling the cold metal against her chin as one of his men pointed his spear to her neck.
"I'm being generous here really, we can take you in like we did with the other one. Your sister I believe, she certainly had a tolerance for pain. I wonder if the youngest can withstand the same."
William stepped back, observing the Nekomata's fur standing on end, hearing the subtle growl through her fangs and spotting the claws pop out from her paws. "Er, Yohan?"
"She wouldn't. Whatever ties she has with this broad, it's enough to see her flinch when I make this one squeal." Yohan explained with a smug look, adjusting himself and pulling Janette by her hair. "See? It's like holding on her a leash, makes sense since she exposed herself for this one."
"Leave her alone." Syri uttered with a fiery glare.
"Or what? Ye gunna lash out with yer little claws? Cry out and meow?" He scoffed, hacking and spitting to the side. "Restrain her, we can use her as bait. William, send word to Father Perdilius. Let him know we've found them."
"Them?" He replied with a puzzled look.
"They're siblings, and Nekomata's travel in packs. If she's here, it's likely the other two aren't far off. Maybe our lovely guests here can spare a moment and give us a chat about their whereabouts."
One of the men lowered his spear and reached out to her with a trembling hand, slowly inching closer to grab her.
Syri turned her head and her tails whipped out as she spun around, slapping the spearheads away and shrinking into a white blur. As the other two men stabbed their spears into where her waist would be, a small white cat dashed between their legs and jumped up, clamping her paws into Yohan's face. He dropped Janette and stumbled back, screeching as she treated his face like a scratching post before dropping down and slipping beneath the carriage. Janette fell to the floor, rubbing her bruised neck.
From the other side of the carriage, Larson reached for his short sword when a swift kick to the groin left him straining on the ground holding his family jewels. Reta twisted her waist and aimed her elbow through the opened visor and cracking the guard's nose, sending him on his back. When a gloved hand clamped down on her shoulder, she twisted his fingers and folded his arm over her shoulder, launching him into the next soldier coming towards her. She turned and narrowly dodged a spear directed to her face, wrapping her arm around the shaft and landing a glowing fist into the guard's head, caving the side of his helmet as he dropped to the ground, lifeless.
"S-Son of a-" Yarson wiped the blood off his forehead, glaring angrily with claw markings scattered around his face and cheeks. "Loose the dogs!"
"Aye!" One of the guards answered back, as he and his friend dropped their leash. Both bloodhounds sprinted forward, one digging their front paws as they crawled under the carriage, and the other climbing above it and pouncing on Reta. She raised the spear just as its mouth bit into the pole, grinding its teeth and spitting its drool over the wooden shaft. Pushing the bloodhound back, Reta spotted Larson reach for his sword and quickly jumped back, planting her foot on his head and using him to launch herself into another guard, pressing the butt of her spear against his chest. Larson turned and raised his hands in fear as the bloodhound crashed into him, climbing over his fallen posture before snapping its jaws near Reta's feet. This caught the horses attention as they whined and started to toss and buck around, stomping their front hooves and scaring the dog back. It retreated with a whimper while keeping sight of Reta before growling and pouncing once again. This time she was ready, smiling and rolling out of the way as the poor dog crashed its head against the wooden wheel enough to shake the carriage, putting itself to sleep.
The second bloodhound growled and barked loudly, struggling to squeeze under the carriage as a terrified Syri curled her tail away from its jaws. Looking around, she saw nothing but metal boots dancing all around before a few bodies hit the ground either motionless or groaning in pain. When she spotted Janette looking scared and on the ground, she narrowed her eyes and rushed to her. The dog was eagerly awaiting for her to leave her hiding spot, following behind her as the two ran into the crowd. Some of the woman screamed loudly and held up the hems of their dresses, climbing on crates or pressing into walls to avoid to ravaging dog. Its large size did not hinder its speed, as Syri began to worry when she scampered up over wooden fences only to turn the corner of a house and spotting the bloodhound as it cut her off. She jumped over its snout and held onto his back, hopping up into a window sill as the dog rolled over. It followed its tail before slowing down, pressing its nose on the ground to track her scent. Syri took this moment to her advantage, taking a second to assess her surroundings and frantically looking around.
A metal pipe stuck out from the ground with a horseshoe around it. A low growl made her realize that her break was up once the dog hopped up to catch her, knocking the wooden windowsill down. She slid along its back and caught the leash in her teeth, furiously kicking up dust behind her as she made a dash for that pole. The bloodhound was inches away from her tail, chasing her around as the two spun in circles until she felt it push its snout against her side, sending her rolling on the floor. She changed back into her Nekomata form, panting hard as her lungs felt like they were on the verge of bursting. She looked up and kicked back against the floor, crawling until her back pressed against a wooden fence. The dog yelped as it recoiled back from its lunge, shaking its head and struggling against the pole as its leash wrapped around it firmly.
She kept her eyes fixated on the way it stared at her, frightened by its hunger toward her. Some of the younger boys were staring at her in a mixture of fear and curiosity, watching her from a careful distance. A few men held rakes and shovels while pushing their families back, with some of the wives running off with their children in their arms, hiding behind closed doors.
Syri wiped the sweat from her brow, scooting her knees to her chest and hugging her legs with her tails wrapped around her waist. She closed her eyes to avoid the way others would look at her, rocking in fear. She felt cold, she felt alone. This wasn't what she wanted to happen, she wanted to go home, to be back in the comfort of her family and friends.
"Hey." She opened her eyes and looked up to see Janette kneel down, reaching out to hold her paw. "Are... are you hurt?"
She couldn't speak, perhaps she was still out of breath or maybe she was still in shock. She could only shake her head no.
"Come on, we need to go. Right now, can you walk?" No verbal replies, just a slow nod. Janette helped her up, keeping her steady and holding her tight. "It's okay, I'm scared too. Let's just leave, okay?"
"Okay." Syri replied back, following her as the two calmly walked back onto the main road where her carriage stood waiting for them.
The dirt road was a mess of armed men sprawled on the ground, most of them lying unconscious. Norowa Reta hopped off the carriage just as Yohan pushed himself up to his knees, his hands reaching out for his helmet until a foot pinned his palm down. He groaned and pulled away as soon as she allowed him, looking up to be met with a brush from the butt of her spear. He fell on his side, sleeping along with his men. She looked back at Janette and motioned for her to get in.
"Should I change back?" Syri asked in a low voice, carefully stepping around the groaning men.
"No, there's no point in hiding anymore." Janette answered honestly, looking around and hearing the whispers from the other villagers as they began to share her name among the gossip. She looked up and gasped as Reta spun a guard on his back and raised her spear, aiming it to his neck. "What are you doing!?"
Reta turned to her, alarmed and puzzled. "They are witnesses, if we let them live they'll be sure to report back to their commanding officer."
"Leave them." Janette grumbled, helping Syri into the front bench before climbing up behind her. "The whole place is a dam witness at this rate."
Reta hesitated, looking at the other villagers as they held each other in fear. Reluctantly, she kicked the guard away and hopped into the carriage with the spear in her hand. With nothing left to do, Janette whipped the reins as the horses whined and scurried down the road, leaving Farmer's Den behind them.
William stepped out from hiding behind the corner of a nearby house, watching them flee. He moved in to tend to his companions, checking to see most were still alive. Several gasps were heard as another horse pulled in, with boots climbing out belonging to a figure draped in a black cloak. William looked up to find Leone approach him, his gaze scanning across from one moaning guard to the next.
"You found them?" He asked William, who shakily nodded back. "Any of them captured?"
"We spotted one, sh-she escaped with some friends. One of them named Janette, she's a local from here. The other-"
"Blue hair, I assume?" William nodded back as Leone looked around. "Tell your Father to pull his men back. Leave me to do my job, understand?"
He stepped back with a calm trance around him, climbing into the saddle and gazing down the main road.
"I've got some hunting to do."
The Nekomata that appeared in front of them stood her ground, maintaining a fierce stare as she bared her fangs to Yohan. The numerous guards stepped back in shock, whispering to each other in bewilderment as even Larson softened his grip on Reta's wrist, something she immediately noticed. Janette couldn't help but to stare, her mind scatter-brained with numerous questions. But with the hold Yohan had around her waist, she was reminded of the situation they found themselves in. There were so many witnesses watching them as several mothers held their sons and fled the scene, and a growing audience stammering and gossiping around them. Janette felt her heart sink as she realized that today may be the last day they return to Farmer's Den.
Yarson formed a smile that stretched from ear to ear, tilting his head with a sharp whistle as to remind his men to compose themselves. Three other guards ran in a hurry to surround Syri, armed with their spears at the ready while they waited for his command. Janette felt her heart skip, her eyes briefly widened as she recognized the trembling composure of Syri's legs and paws.
Yarson licked his lips and pulled Janette away, shifting so that he was in front to face Syri. "So, seems you did have something to share before, or someone. Hmm, William!"
One of the guards stepped in to his side in an upright posture. "Sir!"
Janette pressed her hands to his chest, struggling to push him away. Yohan hardly paid her any mind, pulling her hands away and tightening his grip on her arm with his grubby fingers digging into her soft skin. "Check her description, she has the white fur. She on the list?"
William dug into his belt and pulled out a folded note, scanning its contents and glancing back and forth between the writing and the girl. "Silver fur, freckles, green eyes. She matches the youngest."
"Good! Father wants this one alive, understand!" His eyes fell back on Syri with malicious intent. "But that doesn't mean we can't break a few bones if you give us any trouble, beastie. Your sisters, where are they?"
Syri's eye twitched, darting from one man to the next. Her tails coiled around her waist like a furry white belt and her claws were retracted safely for now. But the quiver on her lip as Janette groaned in pain was enough to spark an idea in Yohan's mind.
He shrugged and wrapped his arm around Janette's neck, pulling her to him as she yelped. Her eyes looked to Syri in a cry for help, causing Syri to stumble forward. She pulled her head back in time, feeling the cold metal against her chin as one of his men pointed his spear to her neck.
"I'm being generous here really, we can take you in like we did with the other one. Your sister I believe, she certainly had a tolerance for pain. I wonder if the youngest can withstand the same."
William stepped back, observing the Nekomata's fur standing on end, hearing the subtle growl through her fangs and spotting the claws pop out from her paws. "Er, Yohan?"
"She wouldn't. Whatever ties she has with this broad, it's enough to see her flinch when I make this one squeal." Yohan explained with a smug look, adjusting himself and pulling Janette by her hair. "See? It's like holding on her a leash, makes sense since she exposed herself for this one."
"Leave her alone." Syri uttered with a fiery glare.
"Or what? Ye gunna lash out with yer little claws? Cry out and meow?" He scoffed, hacking and spitting to the side. "Restrain her, we can use her as bait. William, send word to Father Perdilius. Let him know we've found them."
"Them?" He replied with a puzzled look.
"They're siblings, and Nekomata's travel in packs. If she's here, it's likely the other two aren't far off. Maybe our lovely guests here can spare a moment and give us a chat about their whereabouts."
One of the men lowered his spear and reached out to her with a trembling hand, slowly inching closer to grab her.
Syri turned her head and her tails whipped out as she spun around, slapping the spearheads away and shrinking into a white blur. As the other two men stabbed their spears into where her waist would be, a small white cat dashed between their legs and jumped up, clamping her paws into Yohan's face. He dropped Janette and stumbled back, screeching as she treated his face like a scratching post before dropping down and slipping beneath the carriage. Janette fell to the floor, rubbing her bruised neck.
From the other side of the carriage, Larson reached for his short sword when a swift kick to the groin left him straining on the ground holding his family jewels. Reta twisted her waist and aimed her elbow through the opened visor and cracking the guard's nose, sending him on his back. When a gloved hand clamped down on her shoulder, she twisted his fingers and folded his arm over her shoulder, launching him into the next soldier coming towards her. She turned and narrowly dodged a spear directed to her face, wrapping her arm around the shaft and landing a glowing fist into the guard's head, caving the side of his helmet as he dropped to the ground, lifeless.
"S-Son of a-" Yarson wiped the blood off his forehead, glaring angrily with claw markings scattered around his face and cheeks. "Loose the dogs!"
"Aye!" One of the guards answered back, as he and his friend dropped their leash. Both bloodhounds sprinted forward, one digging their front paws as they crawled under the carriage, and the other climbing above it and pouncing on Reta. She raised the spear just as its mouth bit into the pole, grinding its teeth and spitting its drool over the wooden shaft. Pushing the bloodhound back, Reta spotted Larson reach for his sword and quickly jumped back, planting her foot on his head and using him to launch herself into another guard, pressing the butt of her spear against his chest. Larson turned and raised his hands in fear as the bloodhound crashed into him, climbing over his fallen posture before snapping its jaws near Reta's feet. This caught the horses attention as they whined and started to toss and buck around, stomping their front hooves and scaring the dog back. It retreated with a whimper while keeping sight of Reta before growling and pouncing once again. This time she was ready, smiling and rolling out of the way as the poor dog crashed its head against the wooden wheel enough to shake the carriage, putting itself to sleep.
The second bloodhound growled and barked loudly, struggling to squeeze under the carriage as a terrified Syri curled her tail away from its jaws. Looking around, she saw nothing but metal boots dancing all around before a few bodies hit the ground either motionless or groaning in pain. When she spotted Janette looking scared and on the ground, she narrowed her eyes and rushed to her. The dog was eagerly awaiting for her to leave her hiding spot, following behind her as the two ran into the crowd. Some of the woman screamed loudly and held up the hems of their dresses, climbing on crates or pressing into walls to avoid to ravaging dog. Its large size did not hinder its speed, as Syri began to worry when she scampered up over wooden fences only to turn the corner of a house and spotting the bloodhound as it cut her off. She jumped over its snout and held onto his back, hopping up into a window sill as the dog rolled over. It followed its tail before slowing down, pressing its nose on the ground to track her scent. Syri took this moment to her advantage, taking a second to assess her surroundings and frantically looking around.
A metal pipe stuck out from the ground with a horseshoe around it. A low growl made her realize that her break was up once the dog hopped up to catch her, knocking the wooden windowsill down. She slid along its back and caught the leash in her teeth, furiously kicking up dust behind her as she made a dash for that pole. The bloodhound was inches away from her tail, chasing her around as the two spun in circles until she felt it push its snout against her side, sending her rolling on the floor. She changed back into her Nekomata form, panting hard as her lungs felt like they were on the verge of bursting. She looked up and kicked back against the floor, crawling until her back pressed against a wooden fence. The dog yelped as it recoiled back from its lunge, shaking its head and struggling against the pole as its leash wrapped around it firmly.
She kept her eyes fixated on the way it stared at her, frightened by its hunger toward her. Some of the younger boys were staring at her in a mixture of fear and curiosity, watching her from a careful distance. A few men held rakes and shovels while pushing their families back, with some of the wives running off with their children in their arms, hiding behind closed doors.
Syri wiped the sweat from her brow, scooting her knees to her chest and hugging her legs with her tails wrapped around her waist. She closed her eyes to avoid the way others would look at her, rocking in fear. She felt cold, she felt alone. This wasn't what she wanted to happen, she wanted to go home, to be back in the comfort of her family and friends.
"Hey." She opened her eyes and looked up to see Janette kneel down, reaching out to hold her paw. "Are... are you hurt?"
She couldn't speak, perhaps she was still out of breath or maybe she was still in shock. She could only shake her head no.
"Come on, we need to go. Right now, can you walk?" No verbal replies, just a slow nod. Janette helped her up, keeping her steady and holding her tight. "It's okay, I'm scared too. Let's just leave, okay?"
"Okay." Syri replied back, following her as the two calmly walked back onto the main road where her carriage stood waiting for them.
The dirt road was a mess of armed men sprawled on the ground, most of them lying unconscious. Norowa Reta hopped off the carriage just as Yohan pushed himself up to his knees, his hands reaching out for his helmet until a foot pinned his palm down. He groaned and pulled away as soon as she allowed him, looking up to be met with a brush from the butt of her spear. He fell on his side, sleeping along with his men. She looked back at Janette and motioned for her to get in.
"Should I change back?" Syri asked in a low voice, carefully stepping around the groaning men.
"No, there's no point in hiding anymore." Janette answered honestly, looking around and hearing the whispers from the other villagers as they began to share her name among the gossip. She looked up and gasped as Reta spun a guard on his back and raised her spear, aiming it to his neck. "What are you doing!?"
Reta turned to her, alarmed and puzzled. "They are witnesses, if we let them live they'll be sure to report back to their commanding officer."
"Leave them." Janette grumbled, helping Syri into the front bench before climbing up behind her. "The whole place is a dam witness at this rate."
Reta hesitated, looking at the other villagers as they held each other in fear. Reluctantly, she kicked the guard away and hopped into the carriage with the spear in her hand. With nothing left to do, Janette whipped the reins as the horses whined and scurried down the road, leaving Farmer's Den behind them.
William stepped out from hiding behind the corner of a nearby house, watching them flee. He moved in to tend to his companions, checking to see most were still alive. Several gasps were heard as another horse pulled in, with boots climbing out belonging to a figure draped in a black cloak. William looked up to find Leone approach him, his gaze scanning across from one moaning guard to the next.
"You found them?" He asked William, who shakily nodded back. "Any of them captured?"
"We spotted one, sh-she escaped with some friends. One of them named Janette, she's a local from here. The other-"
"Blue hair, I assume?" William nodded back as Leone looked around. "Tell your Father to pull his men back. Leave me to do my job, understand?"
He stepped back with a calm trance around him, climbing into the saddle and gazing down the main road.
"I've got some hunting to do."
