A neglected housecat runs away from his family and is tempted by the alluring world of the ferals, who steal from the human society that cared for him.
🏆AWARDS
1st Place - The Future Banned Writer Awards 2023, Fantasy (Score: 58/60)
1st Place - Th...
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Roman furrowed his brow. He was used to killing animals. It wasn't necessarily something he liked to do - but it was something that he was willing to do and that other animals were not. And that willingness to go further than others gave him power.
Normally, when an animal realized that they were about to die at his hands, they would beg for their life. Occasionally, they would remain stoic, as if in shock. But as he stood above this wounded, yellow retriever, a Circle of the Paw Gibbor, no less - Roman saw something he had never seen before. The dog seemed to be grinning. Was the dog delirious from blood loss? It didn't seem that way, Roman thought to himself. She seems confident about something.
As he sniffed the alley's stagnant air, Roman detected a menacing odor. His subordinate, Baldwin, lifted his head to inhale the alarming stink, as well. Roman's eyes narrowed. He turned around to face his legionnaires that had survived the initial battle with this dog. The entire group was standing in a yellow-hued circle of light cast on the floor by a streetlamp.
From out of the shadows near his parked chariot, Roman saw a black blur clamp down on one of his soldiers. The rat soldier disappeared into the darkness. The other rodents in the legion shifted their gaze from Roman to the shadows surrounding them. An eerie hush fell over the battlefield. Another rat near the chariot mustered a terrified squeak as they were also pulled into the black. The rest of the legion started to creep away from the edge of the darkness, huddling in the middle of the circle of light being cast on the ground. Fear swept through their ranks like wildfire.
From Noah's lap, Misha looked up at the toddler. She barely had the strength to smile while she whispered.
"Don't be afraid."
Roman watched helplessly as a straggler was lifted into the air by an obscured claw. A crunch echoed through the alley, and their limp comrade was tossed aside like a doll. The rats began to scatter.
"Get back in formation!" Baldwin screamed to no avail. "Do not panic!"
He turned around to look at his commander. "My lord?"
Roman began to back away slowly as his eyes darted from one corner of the alley to another.
A large shape emerged from the darkness. Its eyes glowed orange with anger as its tail bristled above its form.
"Leave my family alone," Akhi warned through clenched teeth.
Several of the legionnaires bolted from the alley in fear. Others ran to Roman's side out of instinct. Their training had not prepared them for this.
Roman's head cocked to his shoulder as the rats stood between Akhi and his tribe.
"I never should have trusted a cat." Roman stared at his former hired claw. The sound of distant sirens could be heard. Both sides stood their ground.
