Remnants of a Forgotten Realm: Andem, The Beginning {PREVIEW}

Chapter 2

The sound of cattle and sheep could be heard in the distance from within a small thatched cottage, just on the outskirts of the village. In the kitchen, the Rayburn was lit giving the entire building warmth. The chic cupboards full of cereals, seasonings and saucepans were the only things there to feel that warmth. A table neatly set in the centre of the room with floral designed plates carefully placed in front of each wooden chair had a small glass vase in its centre, with a small cluster of lavender flowers and forget-me-nots.

 Peace and quiet filled the house with nothing but a black cat striding his way across the window sill before choosing the spot where the sun's rays beamed in and curled up, purring contently.

 His sleek black fur reflected a deep sapphire blue in the light of the sun. A long elegant tail curled around the cat and touched the tip of his small button nose.

 Suddenly, a loud bang caused the cat to perk up with his fur standing on the back of his neck. He turned to face the door to the entrance hall and saw a girl with long brown hair rush past. The cat let out a slightly irritated moan before curling back up into a ball and tried to drift back into a peaceful sleep. However, the thundering noise of the girl's footsteps up the stairs had the cat eventually giving up on sleep and decided to see what all the noise was about.

 He gracefully leapt off the window sill and raised his tail in majestic status before slowly swaying towards the door. He peered his head around the corner to make sure he would not get trampled by a hurried girl and then daintily made his way to the other end of the cottage, arriving to a narrow - and very precarious - flight of steps. Reluctantly placing a padded paw on the first wooden step, the cat pulled away suddenly as he heard a creak escape the old wood.

 His golden eyes glanced up the stairs and he waved his tail in pondering thought before eventually finding the courage to quickly tip-toe up the stairs as fast as he could without tripping. After he had reached the open attic, he turned to look at the stairs and gave out a small 'meow' before pricking his ears left and right upon hearing alien sounds nearby.

 He turned to see the girl rummaging through drawers and cupboards, throwing clothing and other obscenities on the floor.

The cat thought it best to stay away, unless he wished to be bombarded by a pair of panties or even a book, and jumped to the top of the wooden railing running alongside the stairs, meowing at the girl so she noticed his presence.

 His croaked voice caught the girl's attention and she turned to look at the cat, showing him a gentle smile. "Not now, Cupcake." Lisola stated to the proud-standing cat as he waved his tail in the air. "Whatever it is you want I'm busy right now, so tough." she added and saw the look on the cat's face turn slightly irritated. He groaned in protest and Lisola continued rummaging through the drawers she had her hands buried in, chuckling slightly. "Don't give me that look! I know you hate your name, but tough. Mother though it suited you, so you're stuck with it now whether you like it or not!" She explained half-heartedly as she refocused on searching through her drawers and cupboards.

 "You do realise that you will be cleaning all this mess up afterwards, right?" The sound of a male's voice appeared.

 Lisola glanced back to where the cat had sat to find a young, and very attractive, Hispanic man in his place with his legs crossed in an authoritative manner.

 His unkempt black hair fell in slight waves reaching down to beneath his ears and slightly covered his left eye. The white shirt, fastened to the fourth button down, left very little to the imagination as the man’s torso was practically on show. A plain leather belt peered from beneath his shirt, holding his black trousers at the waist.