Subterra Heart

Chapter 19: Connor Rocha

"And how'd you get your name?"

Bastet yawned. Her tail flicked lazily. "I chose it, of courrrse," she said. "From yourrr own ancient storrrrrries. The ones your kind have long forrrrgotten."

She started grooming her paw, clearly uninterested in this line of questioning. Connor sat on his haunches, twirling the Anai knife between his fingers. He was thinking about what Bastet had told him so far. It sounded as if Fenrir and Rourke were just barely managing to keep a hoard of Dwellers from descending on Heart. And Fenrir wasn't a huge fan of people like him. Connor needed to get out of here. He didn't know how much stock he should put in Bastet's words though. She'd yet to give him any reason to trust her.

After a long moment, Bastet's ears twitched, and she barred her teeth in a feral grin. A stone clattered somewhere off in the darkness.

"Well, Connorrrrr," she said, "It seems you have a prrrrroblem."

A chill ran up Connor's spine.

"Problem?" he said, but Bastet didn't elaborate. Instead, she flicked her tail and trotted out of sight. Connor was about to follow when he heard a rumbling from above. It was quiet at first – just a subtle sound of rock grinding against rock. He glanced up, but it was too dark to see. A sudden spray of pebbles peppered his face, and he scrambled away from the rubble pile. His hand still gripped the Anai knife.

"Good luck," he heard Bastet call.

Rocks were tumbling down, pelting him. Something had disturbed the rubble pile, and he couldn't see for shit. Connor ran back toward the statues, where he could still make out the thin yellow light that came from his helmet. A sudden something hooked in front of his foot and yanked it back. He fell. Landed on his elbows. Rolled over fast enough to bring up the knife. There was a sickening shriek of metal against metal, and another knife slid down his arm, cut his shae band, past his face. Nicked his ear. The band fell off with a dull thud.

A knee was on his chest, sinking into his sternum. A hand clamped around his neck. Nails dug into his skin, tasting blood, crushing his windpipe. Hot, fast breath rattled into his face. Connor swung his knife. It met with...nothing. Whatever had pinned him was gone. Just gone. He sat up, coughing and rubbing his neck. His arm and the ear that'd gotten cut both stung. They were starting to feel hot and wet.

"The hell?" he gasped. His heart was pounding. His shae band was gone, and its light had gone out. He pawed at the ground, trying to find it, but no use. The wiring in the band had probably been cut. He grabbed the lighter in his pocket and flicked it until it gave off a little blue flame. But the light was weak. Nothing to see here – not anymore.

A few moments ticked by, and still nobody returned to attack him. He looked at the flickering light and sighed. The lighter held hardly any kuar. He'd have to be careful about keeping it on for too long.

Meow.

Connor turned. Bastet had perched herself atop one of the naked statues a few meters away. She was mostly a shadow from this distance, but Connor could still see her tail twitching. The flame of his lighter glinted off of her narrowed eyes.

"Well, that was unexpected," she purred, "I like unexpected."

"Great," grunted Connor, getting to his feet. His voice was all raspy now. It hurt to talk. Blood was starting to dribble down his neck and forearm. Hopefully the cuts were shallow. He shoved the Anai knife through his belt. "Thanks for nothing. You gonna explain what the hell just happened?"

Bastet chuckled. "It seems yourrrr frrriend does not like being used by Fenrir," she said. "It is unusual, but humans do occasionally trrrrry to resist. That will not last long though. I expect that she will rrrrreturn to kill you soon."

"What's she gonna do, eat me?" he grumbled. "There's got to be plenty of other things to go after down here." Bastet was one of those things that came to mind. Damn cat turned tail and ran at the first sign of trouble. She was lucky that he still liked Bug.

Bastet seemed to ponder his words for a moment. "Hmmmm...perhaps," she said. "I have not hearrrrd much about Fenrir's pets eating otherrrr humans. Do rrrememberr though, you arrrre a thrrrrrreat. Fenrir might have something interrrresting in storrre forrr you."

Connor shook his head. This was beyond ridiculous. Here he was, outside Heart, talking to a cat about how his pharmacist's little sister was trying to kill him. He felt a bit nauseous, but he pushed that aside.

"Well that's just fantastic," he said. "Can you at least give me some good news? Maybe – oh, I don't know – directions back to the city or something like that?"

Bastet leapt down from the statue and arched her back. She didn't bother to come any closer to Connor. "Of courrrrse," she purred. "My rrrrats have explorrrrred this place farrrrrr and wide. But, human named Conorrrrr, can you trrrrust me? I am, afterrrrr all, a Dwellerrrrrrr."

"Nope, not at all," said Connor. "But either way, I'm up shit creek. Just hold on a second." A sudden thought had struck him. If Tess did try to come back for him, he'd want some extra protection. He trekked over to the statue near Bastet and knelt at its feet. The fine, silk-like mail that he'd seen earlier still lay there. It glittered against the blue flame of Connor's lighter. Bastet took a subtle step away from him. She wouldn't look directly at the lighter, but she was watching it carefully. Connor made a mental note of this before extinguishing the flame and slipping the mail over his shoulders. It hung loosely over his frame. 

He meant what he'd said to Bastet. He had every reason not to trust her, and he'd need every advantage he could get. If the cat was afraid of fire, so be it.

"Ok, cat," he said. "Lead the way."

And with a flick of her tail and a flash of pointed teeth, Bastet pranced off into the darkness with Connor close behind.