Shrunken

Chapter 34

Tyra hadn't entirely understood the hybrid's strange story, but tried not to focus on it too much. After their discussion, Kay immediately and rather awkwardly apologized to Seto. The sorcerer was relieved to see that she was nearly back to her old self and forgave her. Brice... wasn't so easy....

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Milky evening light flooded through the single window of the room. Even though the horizon was blocked out by the several trees of the forest, a few rays of transparent gold made their way through the trunks and onto the wood floor. A small shadow made its way across the floor, past the threads of light and into the shadow of something much larger.

Kay crept over to the wall, only a foot away (in normal terms) from the towering door. She leaned her back against it and slid down until she was in a sitting position. Her chest heaved from the dash from one side of the room to the other, but she would much rather hurry than simply walk and risk being in the middle of the floor, where she could easily be stepped on. Seto was dozing on his bunk, exhausted from using his sorcery so much, with Tyra curled up in his hand, fast asleep.

Brice had been gone for hours, but Kay knew better than to leave the room to look for him. And that meant she had to wait. After a long while, the door creaked open, a beam of light trailing through the slightly ajar door and across the floor. A furry head poked through the threshold, two amber eyes scanning the room for signs of movement.

The breath caught in Kay's throat as she pressed herself against the wall, her eyes wide with panic. Seeing the coast clear, the cat strode into the room, the dusk's fading light rippling across her brown and grey pelt. She padded around the room, her paw-steps silent, as she sniffed the premises. As quietly as possible, Kay went further into the shadows, her ears flat against her head. Starr pricked her ears, sensing the soft movements easily.

A gleam of satisfaction flashed through her glowing eyes as she dropped into a crouch, creeping up to the wall as if stalking prey. Kay felt the cat's enormous, slit-pupiled eyes on her, and without another thought, sprinted towards the door. Starr let out a soft purr of amusement before pinning the tiny hybrid to the ground with a single paw. Kay thrashed under the white paw, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Starr scoffed. "Shut up," she hissed in cat, forcing her captive's face into the floor. "I can't have any humans hearing your pitiful screams, can I?"

A growl escaped Kay's throat as she continued to writhe, her unsheathed claws no use to her since her arms were immobile. "Seems like yesterday you were in the same predicament, huh?" the cat purred.

Kay panted, exhaustion overwhelming her body from the constant thrashing, and let herself go limp. Starr felt a surge of triumph and bent her head to pick up the weakened hybrid. Kay tensed up, waiting for jaws to close on her, but instead received a loud yowl and a defiant hiss. She curled up into a ball and cowered on the floor, listening to the sounds of angry yowls and crashes. Finally, the door shut with a deafening slam and a warm surface slipped under her.

The kitsune peeked upwards to see the ticked off face of Brice, his turquoise eyes glimmering with frustration. "Stupid cat," he muttered before looking down at Kay, his expression changing to slight concern. "Did she hurt you?"

Kay flicked an ear and glanced downward, trembling slightly at the close call. "I'm fine," she replied. "Thanks for saving me."

Seto was sitting up in his bunk, rubbing his head with his free hand and blinking the sleep out of his eyes. "What just happened?" he asked, dazed.

"Cat," Brice stated, averting his gaze towards the door and scowling.

Seto groaned, running a hand his disheveled hair. "Can't a guy get any sleep around here without somethin' crazy happening?" he muttered. "Hit my head on the freaking bunk."

"Jeez Seto, you sound like me when you wake up," Brice said, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Seto ignored the comment and looked down at a very startled and confused Tyra. "Sorry," he murmured softly. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"And... there he is," Brice chimed. He looked down at Kay again, raising a blonde brow. "Has somethin' been bothering you lately? You haven't seemed like yourself 'til now."

Kay avoided his gaze and sighed. "I'm sorry," she apologized, sadness filling her voice. "I was just going through some stuff, and I didn't mean to take it out on you guys. Can you forgive me?"

Brice pretended to ponder and responded with a devilish grin. "Alright, I'll forgive you. But I'm getting you back for making me feel bad."

Kay bit the inside of her cheek. "Crud..."