World Of War (Arula: Three)

Chapter 2

"An inviso-cat?" Questioned Omar, his eyebrow raised as he stared at the invisible creature in Karma's hands.

"Yes," Karma confirmed. "It's invisible at that moment. That's what they can do." Karma turned and flipped her hands around, hoping that the cat would turn visible.

"Well how do you turn it un-invisible?"

"I'm working on that." Karma held the inviso-cat for quite some time and her arms were beginning to tire. She felt the inviso-cat as it rested heavily in her hands. She felt its soft fur, its slow breathing, and the vibrations of its purrs. Karma could feel its invisible eyes staring right into hers. It wasn't until Karma felt its full weight, weighing down on her when the cat shimmered into view. It started with the tail then the back legs, its bottom, up the back, down it front paws, up its neck, finally its head, and nose. The inviso-cat was leaf green with yellow and orange eyes. Its black nose twitched as it smelled Karma.

"It's bellissima,"*1 Mika said.

"Aye," agreed the dwarf. The inviso-cat purred proud and loud. It then wiggled and squirmed leaving Karma no other choice but to put it down. The cat, once placed on the ground, explored its surroundings. It went in between legs, under the picnic table, up against Hope's small legs, which she giggled at. And finally, it stopped at Angel, who was asleep while this was all happening

"Can I keep it?" Hope asked as she watched the cat inspect the sleeping Angel.

"Sure," Karma said. "As long it wants to be with you and as long as you take care of it." Mika snorted at that.

"More like Omar and I." She grumbled. They watched as the inviso-cat went nose to nose with the long-tailed fox. Angel's eyes flew open at the new smell and upon seeing the cat the fox snarled and jumped to her feet. Angel barked and began to chase the cat. The inviso-cat hissed as it ran away from the fox's viscous snaps.

"No! Angel! Stop!" Karma shouted but Angel didn't hear. The fox chased the cat around the garden until the inviso-cat turned invisible and was gone. Angel skidded to a stop and began to sniff around furiously. "Well," sighed Karma. "It looks like we won't be seeing him anytime soon."

"Can't you make another one?" Hope asked. Karma shook her head.

"Not at the moment. It takes too much of my energy as it is to make one. I'll have to do it another day when I find a place to put them. Sorry." The elf girl sighed and went over to sit on her mother's lap.

"I'm sure we'll see it again." Omar said. "He probably won't go very far." Everyone agreed and decided that it would best if everyone went back to the palace and get some sleep. Karma though, didn't immediately go to her bedroom. She walked among the castle floors until she came to the main balcony that overlooked the village. The sun was already disappearing over the horizon when Karma got there, she watched as the village streetlamps began to glow. The gates, she could see, were also closing for the night, as well were the shops around the main street. Mothers rushed their children inside and wives dragged their drunken husbands from the taverns. Dogs howled and cats yowled. Cheering and laughter could be heard from nearby get together and naughty children snuck out of their homes into nearby alley ways.

Karma rested her head on her fold arms as she stared ahead, deep in thought. Angel gently rested her large head next to her master's. "You rotten thing," Karma said as she scratched the fox's head. "You didn't have go and chase that poor cat." Angel responded by letting her long, blue tongue drip out and over the balcony wall. Karma rolled her eyes, but smiled, nevertheless. It was peaceful, she decided. Quiet even. She could stay out here all night if she could. But all good things come to end, and this was one of those things. Sighing, Karma realized how alone she really felt.

Sure, she had Omar, Mika, Dagner, little Hope, Angel, and even that devilish ferret, Shari, but something felt... well... empty. Karma frowned. Surely, she wasn't missing Earth, was she? Of course, I am, she thought. That's where my family is. But they're the only things there I have to go for. I don't have a life there, like I do here. Again, she sighed. She couldn't go back to Earth, even if she wanted to. She didn't have a portal home. She couldn't make anymore. Not in Arula at least. She had to be at Earth to make more. That's where she created them in the first place. For reason still unknown to Karma, she could only recreate the same thing if she were in the same world that it was first brought to life. And that was back at Earth.

Angel whimpered next to her, sensing her master's stress. "I'm all right, girl," Karma promised the fox. "Come on," she told her. "Let's go to bed."

----

The bed never felt better as Karma laid upon it. Its soft, warm blankets cradle her and surrounded her in warmth. Angel hopped up next her master and curled around Karma's body, her big head resting on her master's chest. The fox soon fell asleep to rhythm of Karma's breathing. Karma placed a hand on Angel's head and stared up at the moon-lighten ceiling. She too, soon fell asleep.

Darkness surrounded Karma and she found herself standing a forest. The forest was around her was dark, no light could be seen. A cool wind breezed past and around Karma as she stood there. She shivered. "Hello?" She called, but no answer returned. Karma walked on. The forest grew denser and darker as she walked. It was quiet all except for the sound of Karma's own footsteps on the darken forest floor. The wind howled and screamed. It blew Karma every-which-way. Left, right, forward, and backward. The wind blew her red hair, twirling and pulling it. The wind soon sucked Karma's breath way up to the point where she couldn't breathe. Black spots filled her vision and she down to her knees, unable to stand anymore.

The howling wind soon turned into laughter. A laughter that was haunting and evil. "You can't stop it." The wind howled in her ears. "You can never stop what coming to you." The wind howled louder and blew stronger. "You're weak! You'll never be the person that Arula needs!" Karma went down on both hands, gasping for breath. "Don't you see how weak you are? Why do you even try?"

"Stop!" Karma tried to say. "I'm not weak!"

"Oh, but you are!" The wind laughed and howled. It swirled up into the sky and surround Karma like twister. Karma gasped and covered her ears with her hands as the wind howled into them, repeating, "You're weak! You can't stop what's coming," over and over again. Karma screamed silently and soon her vision blacked completely.

A loud knock on the door woke Karma from her nightmare. She huffed and puffed, letting the sweet air fill her lungs. Angel stood up on the bed and growled at door as someone kept knocking on it. "Shush." Karma said to Angel once she found her voice that was once gone. Shakily, she stood up and went to the door. A servant girl stood on the other side. "What?" Karma snipped, even though she didn't mean to. The dream she had left her frightened. The servant girl flinched and swallowed before speaking.

"Um," she said. "Th-there's some trouble down by the throne room, miss, and Head-Council Marcus had sent me for you." Of course, Karma thought.

"Well tell him I'm busy," Karma said and went to shut the door in the servant's face. The servant girl grabbed the door before Kama could.

"But it's of great importance, Creator!" The girl said and Karma fumed at her.

"And what could be so important?" The girl twisted her fingers together nervously.

"Dwarves."

*1 "Bellissima" ~ "Beautiful"