Smallcats ◭ Living Myth ◭ Book 1

Chapter Nine. "Haha. You've Failed. And Now You're Mine."

Dew opened his eyes, terror seizing him immediately. Where was he? Oh, right. On his guard post. Can't believe I fell asleep! Though, organizing the supply storage is apparently very tiring... Wait a minute. This isn't my guard post...

"No, it's not your guard post," a voice meowed. He looked up and saw a white she-cat with navy-blue eyes along with... Buzzard? "Tsk, tsk tsk. I'm already off on a bad start, dear sister."

"Hmm. Never mind... Soon he'll be..." Buzzard trailed off.

"Yes, yes. How are our parents?" the other feline meowed.

"Oh, dead. Don't you remember, Alcatri?"

"I was teasing you. Those two are long gone... However, if you're in their third and last litter, what about the second?"

"Oh, you don't want to know."

"Hmm."

Dew glanced at both of the cats, supposedly the other one was called Alcatri. Wait. THE ALCATRI? Myphoon told me about that myth... She can't be alive. She's... her parents... that's impossible! If he was correct, Alcatri should be eight years old by now, and her parents maybe ten or more. Passing the average age limit for a cat in Gemstyx... That must mean that the other realms are supposedly real!

"Oh. They're real alright. Guess how my parents and I stayed alive for so long? I was given the key to the Orean realm. And on and on about misusage when I managed to stay an extra YEAR or two there..." Alcatri meowed. She then paused for a moment as she appeared to remember something. "Right... Just in case you don't tell your little Soarians about what you've now found out..."

Dew widened his eyes as the she-cat reached forward smoothly and touched noses. Blue clouded his vision, and he gasped in shock.

Stonerye glanced at the rest of his patrol. What was Dew talking about? He knew who Buzzard was and... Oh, rat-dung.

"Flip..." Toothle hissed.

"What?" Fenanda meowed.

"Nothing that a young cat like you would understand," Toothle meowed quickly, looking guilty.

"I'm going to let that slide because I'm full-grown and past middle age?" Fenanda sighed.

Stonerye rolled his eyes as Toothle padded forward to take the lead. Fenanda had paused to pick up the rabbit as they crept toward where the sound was. When they peered over a clump of tall grass, Stonerye saw Dew, sitting there silently.

The gray and pale-white tom was rocking on the ground, looking dazed. Stonerye padded forward, leaving Toothle behind and deciding to keep his thoughts to himself. The stupid cat tried to steal Mistea! "Make friends," he says. Strut into my colony and thinking he can own everything... He growled and wrinkled his nose, starting to snarl before stopping himself. I'll deal with this pile of trash later.

"What are you doing out here, alone?" he meowed with gritted teeth. Swallow down your pride, Stonerye. Be strong.

"Tacceeeng drolleeeee," Dew mumbled, looking even more dazed than before.

"Tacoing drones?" Stonerye meowed in a confused tone. He twitched his ear as he heard Fenanda emerge through the tall grass. He turned around and noticed that the she-cat still had the rabbit in her jaws. Fenanda set down the prey carefully just as Toothle also emerged.

"Wait weren't you just ahead of her--?" Stonerye meowed, but Fenanda cut him off.

"Oh, uh, well, ah, hmm, er, huh, eee... I, uh, think Dew meant to stay "taking strolley"?" Fenanda meowed nervously. Stonerye narrowed his eyes, Weird.