The Torn Weft ~ COMPLET

The Gray Cat

The Grey Cat was a very special place. It was close to the Harlem River at the edge of the Bronx and was at the intersection of all communications routes (underground, train, road, waterway). Since humans had decided that certain rules applied to monsters and other creatures from the In—Between Worlds, they applied in the human dimension. For example the fact that some creatures could not stand the touch of iron, or that the full moon revealed werewolves, or even that a wooden stake could kill a vampire if driven through the heart. The beliefs themselves were absurd and few humans really believed them. But they were there and known to all so that set the limits for creatures from the netherworld. The fact that this place was at the crossroads of several paths was also done on purpose. So, to reach the Grey Cat you had to find the right metro station. One with coloured stained glass windows of a cityscape, then find the corresponding image of the grey cat and go through the service door below. This door was surrounded by voodoo magic. It required a very specific mark to open. The repulsive magic made anyone who passed by uncomfortable. If you managed to get through the door, you just had to go down a few corridors until you came to a fire door, and then it was a different world.

It was huge and underground, without a window to the outside. Dark too. After a final flight of stairs, it was the world of the Grey Cats, the other name for the Creatures. For at night all cats are grey and who could tell what was human and what was not? The Grey Cat Club was one of the only neutral places where all categories could mix in relative peace. There were Grey Cat Clubs all over the world, usually near a controlled rift. The one in New York was the first to be created, and it is to its present owner that we owe the creation of such places. The Grey Cats were not just clubs where all Creatures passing through the doors could mingle in relative peace, they were a mandatory place for all entry and exit. It was a place of census, trade and exchange of information and everything was done according to the rules of the host. Each Grey Cat had its own peculiarities but the basis was the same and each Grey Cat host, regardless of race, had to keep the others informed of population movements or every shimmering of the Weft.

At the top of the stairs it looked like a lovely place, full of 'normal' people, but all you had to do was step on the ground and everything changed. The floor was covered in glyphs and runes that made the glamorous look bad. Every creature on the Grey Cat floor came with its true appearance. The first time, the shock had been hard for Gwen. The trolls were huge and ugly, the goblins the size of teaspoons... a really peculiar and frightening fauna and flora... and the conversations, you may ask? Well, each newcomer was given a sphere the size of a glass marble which translated the words into the universal language of English. Very practical, this little ball was also used as a slate to keep track of drinks. An ingenious invention! And the one who dominated this world, the inventor of the place and the concept, was enthroned, the word was not excessive, in the VIP section, his reserved domain. His name was Sytry. Sytry was an old vampire in this world as much as in the other. He had seen the nation being built after leaving the old continent. Sytry was powerful. Everyone owed him respect. He ruled the club while remaining courteous and friendly. He was indolent and sensual by nature, as all vampires were, and anger was rare, but when it broke out it was frightening and bloody. The body Sytry occupied lived up to its reputation. Yes, vampirism was a kind of virus with a conscience that infected its host and took total control of it, but the magic of the place brought out the characteristic features: the red irises, the long, shiny nails, the sharp fangs and the excessive, almost frightening beauty. Sytry had had many a host, for although vampiric magic could prolong the life of the recipient body, it was not eternal. The body he was approaching now was magnificent: about 180 cm, supple and muscular as a dancer, golden brown hair, doe eyes under long lashes, delicate nose and heart—shaped mouth. He looked like a pure and delicate cherub... but exuded the aura of a large feline predator.