One Soul

Chapter Eleven: The Unexpected Goodbye

Calypso washed the kitten and brushed out its patterned fur with a brush, careful not to pull too hard. It mewled as if trying to say thanks. While it wasn't opposed to any of the group, it seemed especially fond of Calypso. And while it looked young and sickly, the kitten carried itself with a mature air once it was cleaned. 

"Callie, what are we supposed to do? We're basically on house arrest and we might have the key to stopping the spread of the plague!" Norene grumbled, yet another quill pen snapping its tip in her aggressive grip. Calypso looked over to see piles of makeshift goops and liquids she was trying to use as a replacement ink, to no avail.

"Hey, Norey, it'll be okay," Solomon reassured her, sitting cross-legged next to her and handing her another quill. He appeared to be reorganizing his state-sanctioned medic apprentice bag and playing with the glucoat in his hands. Earlier he had tried to repair, or "heal", the broken quills without success, the closest he got broke again within a minute. "The queen said she can see anything in the past, right?"

"Yeah, that's the problem," Norene sighed again. "Only, like, elite souls give the owner abilities...like you. I've got a weak soul, that's why I like books so much. Now I can't even enjoy reading because the ink on the pages is going to give me the plague."

Sol reached his hand over to press a comforting grip on top of her own, which was shaking a little. "Is it your grandmother? Because, um, when I checked on her in the tent? Her plague symptoms weren't as bad as the others. I mean, I know it looks bad but the mental toll wasn't...her brain was more active. It's kinda hard to explain but..."

Norene smiled slightly. "No, it's okay. Thank you, Sol."

Calypso picked up the kitten's paw, playing with it slightly. Then she frowned, examining something on its toe pad. "How come this stain won't come off?" She rubbed it a little, remembering scrubbing it with soap and water earlier. "I know this isn't part of your paw normally, you're just meant to be a ruddy brown..."

"Princess, with all due respect, I think we have more important matters than cat paws-wait!" Solomon rushed over, examining the paw. A bead of sweat trickled down his face even though the room was cool, his face turning pale with each second. "T-this substance...it looks like...ink? Norey, you didn't touch the kitten's paw at all, did you?"

"N-No, I didn't-" The kitten hissed, then, retracting itself from the humans examining its paw. Norene flinched, and Solomon drew in a sharp breath as its claw struck a small scratch on his hand. Calypso rushed to try and grab it, concentrating hard on grasping the elusive, darting figure without hurting it. Something like a spark, a friction-caused zap happened between her fingertips and its fur. Then, it stumbled, swerving and staggering around the room like it was dizzy. In a very humanlike gesture, it raised a paw to its head as if trying to quell a severe migraine. 

Then, a voice. Weak and raspy, though you could tell it was once warm and rich. "Princess!"

Calypso stepped forwards. "M-me?"

The cat proceeded to try and talk, each word sounding like a strained effort. Norene rushed to her set of faux-inks and tried to copy it down, though every other word was interrupted by a hissing meow. "He's got m-...-taking over-...-stain, permane-..-targeting the stronger souls-...-controlling all of Ouránia-...-must stop-...-pri-...-this form slows but-...-soon! It's m-...-remember-!"

And with that, the kitten's eyes bugged out and it choked, as if its very breath was cut off, and collapsed onto the ground. "Sol!" Calypso cried, rushing over to scoop the kitten into her arms, minding not to touch its paw even though she was seemingly immune from her time on Pandora. "On it!" The brown-haired boy replied, his hands already glowing like candlelight and extended over the figure.