Smallcats ◭ Living Myth ◭ Book 1

Chapter Four. "When Only Given Half, One Would Want More."

  Dew flicked his tail absently as he listened to Myphoon drone on about the old times. The veteran was kind enough to spend time to talk with him, so he was grateful, at the very least. He looked up and noticed that the sun was starting to set, the sky turning oranges, reds, violets, and dark blues. I guess time passed faster than I thought it would, he thought to himself. He didn't get any more patrols for the day and had spent it relaxing and chatting with the cats that stayed at the base.

  "So... I've always known that humans avoid strays, but exactly why?" he meowed, returning to his conversation.

    Myphoon purred, "Oh, that? Heh. It's a gruesome story. Better ask Toothle to tell you about it. Long story short, we may have caused some harm to one of their families in revenge, and for some reason, it's left them wary ever since." The blind tom paused for a moment, then continued. "Y'know, I used to be a pet. I left because life on the streets seemed more... more like an adventure."

  Dew nodded in agreement, briefly looking back to the blind Bengal tom. After a moment, he glanced away from Myphoon and glanced at the fake candle which was flickering constantly in front of him. It was the only thing that stood on the table other than themselves, and it seemed to calm, almost.

    "Is it just me or is this candle relaxing to look at?" Dew meowed, not taking his gaze away from the light.

    "Heh. You're right, kind of. If only it were real... That reminds me. The bonding ceremony for Furius and Fenanda will be starting soon. I'm going to get myself a little snack," Myphoon mewed. The tom leaped off of the table, heading towards the prey pile calmly as if he knew where he was going. Even though he was blind, it appeared that Myphoon had easily learned to navigate the base.

    Maybe I should get ready. The ceremony's starting in a few minutes. Sitting up, Dew began to groom himself, his tongue swiping neatly over his gray and white fur. After a couple of minutes of cleaning, he looked at his fur in satisfaction. He stood up and padded over to the edge of the table and leaping down swiftly and gracefully. When his paws made an impact onto the stone floor, he felt a small jolt of agony. The trek earlier that morning had done its damage onto his feet since he wasn't used to walking so far.

    Twitching his whiskers, he began to make his way towards where the ceremony would be held. It was left to where the Prey Pile was, and from the distance, he noticed that already candlelights were lined properly. They sure did prepare well. He fluffed out his fur as a chilly breeze swept by. The rooftop where the base was placed was rather small, and to the left of it was a larger and taller building. Dew recalled Myphoon calling it the main building, and that this one was a lobby.

    Shrugging the thought off, he padded past a few rows of patio tables, the hidden garden where Aeriality stayed, and the Prey Pile. Along the way, cats were following him, or still grooming themselves. "Soarians! Gather for the bonding of Furius and Fenanda!" the sound of Aeriality's yowl rang through the entire base.

    Dew flicked his ears at the call as he reached the Bonding Ceremony area. The candles were placed in parallel lines, making a walkway. At the end of the walkway was a rectangular prism made of glass, most likely a ceiling window. Roses were placed on either side of the prism, placed in clay pots. Six candles surrounded the window, and a wobbly square-ish archway made of metal blocks, bricks, and a wooden plank. "They definitely prepared this well," he meowed to himself.

    "I know right? The Candles team spent most of the morning and afternoon trying to find enough! You would not believe how many candles there were in this one place--" Dew yowled and fluffed out his fur again, hissing. However, whoever scared him was only Mistea. "Oh by the Creek of Thrines, I'm so sorry!" He rolled his eyes at her playfully, flattening his fur.