The Land Of Purgatory

Chapter 4

"You ready to live as a wild animal for a while?" I start, then jokingly add, "Not that it's that big of a difference for you."

"Hey!" Andy protests.

Andy confided in me about how worried he was about this quest and I comforted his, but he still seems nervous. I tell him that he doesn't need to be so nervous and that everything will be ok. I transform into a snow leopard nearly identical to monie except that my paws, underbelly, and tail are pure white. Andy does the same, but his distinct feature is the gray at the bottom of his legs that make it look like he's wearing fuzzy boots.

Monie, Andy, and I begin to trot towards the cat infested village as Italia disappears in a burst of light. We walk for twenty minutes until we reach the edge of the town. Once we get further in, we see the other felines and cautiously approach them. They immediately spot us and observ us carefully as we come close.

Andy and I had argued about whether or not we should transform into snow leopards because there are none of that subspecies of wild cats among the felines; however, Monie is a snow leopard and we could put her in potential danger by bringing her and not being the same species. Andy suggested that we leave Monie at home and the bruise that was left on his arm he very much deserved. Under no circumstances would I leave my cat at home alone. He then tried to convince me again to go as another species of cat under the pretense of not wanting me to get hurt. I smacked him upside the head for that. After that he understood that the only way I would have it is the both of us going to the village as snow leopards. Now we're about to find out if that was a good decision.

The first cat, a vibrantly colored tiger, circles us warily. I concentrate on not being fearful so that I do not give off any negative pheromones. The tiger pauses in front of Monie and brushes up against her and purrs. Monie scampers back at first, frightened by the sudden contact, but then tentatively approaches the tiger and licks its ear. I freeze in anticipation, hoping with all my being that the tiger sees this in a positive light and doesn't attack Monie. After a moment, the tiger returns the action.

I'm nervous that I may make a mistake and stay away from the cats for most of the day, yet simultaneously I feel confident because of the many other quests I've completed. I see from afar that they seem to have accepted both Monie and Andy. I'm glad, but I'm still weary.

On Earth, it always took me the longest time to make friends, and when I see people like Andy who are able to make friends almost effortless, I become irrationally envious. I know that in this current situation, it's my own fault for not being with them right now, but I can't help the bitter taste in my mouth.

The sun is close to rising and the temperature rockets as the cats get ready to sleep. I understand that this is the best time to form a bond with them so I timidly make my way over to them. I specifically walk over to the tiger, but a cheetah comes my way instead while the tiger ignores me. The cheetah sniffs me shamelessly and ends up knocking me over playfully and running away in hopes of having me chase her. I get up quickly and race after her, but I inevitably fail miserably. She is a cheetah after all.

Once I'm sure that the cheetah doesn't expect me to keep following her, I make my way over to Andy and Monie. The encounter with the cheetah lifted some of the pressure I was feeling and I'm not nearly as nervous anymore. I feel as if Andy can tell because he gives me the creepiest, yet kindest feline smile I've ever seen. I attempt to discreetly knock him over, but in retaliation, he playfully wrestles me.

I'm sure he thought that he would win, but he messed with the wrong kitty at the wrong time. After his loss, he decides to go to sleep and acts quite noticeably mopey. I plop down next to him, feeling bad for hurting his pride. When he ignores me, I turn around and close my eyes. The next moment, I feel something soft and furry press against my back. I turn my head to see the Andy has been shoved over by Monie and he's just too tired to care.