The Sky Demons Part Two: Quest

Chapter Eleven- Like cats and dogs

Kayira- Like cats and dogs 

“Kayira, this, this is-”

Ketsuo halted, as if he couldn’t quite bring himself to continue. The rompo had disappeared into a particular section of wild forest, marked out by wooden charms hanging in multitudes off of almost every available branch of the rowan trees that formed the border. I listened to the clack of the wooden charms in the wind and felt that anger again, felt that desire to find each and every one of the people responsible and make them pay.

“Yes,” I said, “this is the Dead Forest.”

“This- this is sacred land. They’re hiding in here? How dare they. How dare they,” Ketsuo stammered, his voice sinking into a growl.

“That’s impossible,” said Brutus, “whoever is controlling this rompo of yours is playing a trick on you, the forest is too hazardous for anyone to permanently hide out within it.”

“Oh, but they can,” purred a voice. I spun to face the direction it had come from, but found no-one there.

“Up here, dearie.”

I looked up. Sitting high in the branches of one of the rowan trees was a huge black cat with a plume of white fur on its chest. It stared down at us with wide yellow-green eyes and smiled a cheshire grin. On its head was a circlet of what looked like yew wood, decorated with poppy flowers.

“I am Cat Sìth, great and powerful sub-deity of the Dead Forest. Or you could call me Cat Sidhe if you please, either works.”

“Sub-deity?” asked Ketsuo, “there are sub-deities?”

Cat Sidhe’s eyes narrowed; the cheshire-cat smile disappeared from his face and I felt like smacking Ketsuo upside the head.

“Sub-deity,” Cat Sidhe repeated, “Everyone always fixates on that part. Never mind that I’m still powerful enough to obliterate them, sub or not. It’s not even as if I rule over some unimpressive, plain habitat like Cu Sìth: the deity of the moors. That damn arrogant mutt- you know he has servants braid his tail?”

Oh, Ketsuo had definitely hit a nerve.

“I don’t see why he got to be made a deity while I was given the title of sub-deity; even though I take on just as much work as he does. I think it’s a canine thing,” he hissed, side-eyeing Ketsuo, who- as the only canine deishani present- seemed a bit shocked. “The majority of people always seem to prefer dog look-a-likes.” The cactus cat yowled, whether in agreement, against it or just because he felt like it I have no idea.

Cat Sidhe purred at Brutus, “Oh, you have a feline familiar. I like you.”

“Excuse me,” I said “but I believe you called us here saying that you could help us?”

“No,” mewled Cat Sìth, “I called you here so that you could help me. By now I understand that you are aware of the organisation’s habits: stealing wild creatures, subjugating them, y’know the evilly evil type stuff. Well, they set up a base in my territory, meaning that the creatures under my protection are the ones that most often come under attack.

Now if I could I would have just waltzed in there and murdered them all, but we deities must abide by certain laws when it comes to the more sentient beings, you know. Sure, we can talk to you, influence your actions, kill one or two of you if we must. Exterminate entire groups? That’s a definite no-no. You creatures are far too wide-ranging in your habitats, so we can’t place you in the realm of any particular deity- had to put you under the control of a special species-specific deity instead and she’s the only one with the freedom to punish as she pleases. Except she won’t, because of this whole ‘free will’ idea she has or some rubbish, hence our troubles right now.”