Arcanus

[8]

Bat laughed nervously, and scratched the nape of her neck.
"Did I, uh, say she? I meant he. Of course I meant he. Obviously I meant he. Like, girls have to like boys. That's how the Gods intended it. Who am I to challenge the gods?"
There was a silence.
"I don't believe you." Katrina said flatly.
Bat bit her lip. Of course Katrina wouldn't believe her. She was a trained assassin, who probably took classes in uncovering lies.
"Lis?" Bat turned to her new friend, begging with her eyes to believe her.
Lis averted her eyes to the floor.
"What's her name, Bat?"
Bat's lip trembled, and she moved her hand to grab at the gold coin that hung around her neck underneath her shirt.
Please, Kylie. Tell me what to do! I'm so lost. Help me.
A breeze picked up, parting the branches of the trees to show a path of sorts.
The grass was flattened, and sparks of black shadow sprung from the blades when they approached. Katrina reached out to touch it, but Lis pulled her arm back.
"It could be a trap!" Lis warned. "We should take a reading."
She patted her side, then realized that she didn't bring her satchel. Lis cursed under her breath.
"We'll have to remember where this is. I don't have my book of spells on me right now, so I can't take a read on it right now."
The hairs on Bat's neck stood up, and she shivered slightly.
"Are you cold?" Lis' eyes snapped to Bat.
"No- I can't exactly place what it is, but I think we're being watched."
Katrina drew her katanas. "It must be Daniel, or his minions."
There was a rustle of leaves, and a bush's branches parted.
A black cat with intelligent green eyes and white mittens stepped out of the brush.
The tip of it's tail wavered as it saw the adventurers, and it hissed, leaping fearlessly onto Katrina.
It's sharp claws tore through the leather, and it clung onto Katrina as she tried to pry it off.
"I'm a cat person!" She cried. "I don't want to hurt you, kitty cat. Please get off."
The cat continued to claw at Katrina, who promptly turned into a leopard.
The kitten slid off, and Bat leaned forward to pick it up.
It hissed, its eyes wide with fear as it tried to back off.
"It's ok, kitty." Bat said soothingly. "Come on. We're not going to hurt you."
She plucked the kitten off the ground, and cuddled it.
Li's glanced at the sky. "We better head back. It's getting dark."
They trudged back, bundles of sticks in hand, and the kitten.
Mari was nowhere to be seen as the adventurers tromped back into the cottage.
"We're back!" Lis yelled at the stairs, and dropped her sticks at the doorway. She sunk into the couch.
Katrina and Bat followed suit. The kitten was asleep in Bat's arms.
Seraphina sprinted down the stairs. "Katrina and Bat-"
She stopped, and looked at the kitten cuddled by Bat.
"Ooookay. You brought back someone else."
"Uh, it's a cat. It's like, a something or whatever." Bat interjected.
Seraphina's eyes flitted to Lis and back.
Are you seeing this? She mouthed.
Lis shook her head, perplexed.
"Okay...anyway..." Seraphina trailed off. "Um, I'll check on the shadow path in the morning, and..."
She made a forceful pushing gesture, and the sticks, stones, and leaves they had gathered all but disappeared.
"Your, uh, shelter should be directly outside, so if you step out the door you should see it...and I would, um, appreciate it if you could, ah, leave the kitten here. If you should want to take a bath or whatever-" she waved her hand at the hot spring in the corner. "There's a curtain too, so you can bathe in private, and if you need anything, come into the house and let me or Lis know."
"Wait." Katrina said. "How did you know about the shadow path?"
Lis looked sheepish. "I, uh, that was me. Telepathic powers."
"Oh." Katrina nodded as if she understood.
Bat held her arm out to Katrina. "Shall we go, fine sir?"
Katrina hid a smile, and her lingering questions. "We shall."