feral | sting eucliffe

XIX | TCBS

Episode 19: The Caged Bird Sings!

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"HEY, Y/N! YOU SHOULD PROBABLY—" Nikos was cut off by his own yelp when his panther decided to swerve to the side, nearly dipping him in the river. Y/n snarled at that, finding amusement in the action, but also simultaneously telling him to shut up. She skidded to a stop all of a sudden, seeing an array of carts.

There was no way that all of them could squeeze through without causing a ruckus. Backing up a bit, she made a catty leap before letting her claws sink into the rooftop tiles. The other panthers followed suit, Sting having the time of his life as the wind blew back his air. He'd definitely take this over any train ride.

Chase—who was riding on Y/n—patted her furry shoulders, telling her to stop for a moment. "Nikos?" He looked to the male with a better sense of taste as well as eyesight. Blinking for a moment, he could see a large tower just a mile or two away. "Go right and keep going straight," He ordered as Y/n jumped from one rooftop to another, descending to the road again.

She leaped across the river and started running again, her subordinates struggling to keep up with her heightened speed. "Holy shit, this thing's fast." Minerva was even in awe, staring at the trail of dust and rocks the panthers had left behind them. Besides Orga and Rufus, she was one of the three stuck in the flank while Yukino was in the middle.

Sting and Rogue were after that, their exceeds flying above them while the Kyuuseishu led the entire line of panthers. Akane was just sitting sideways, both legs hanging off of one side as she continued to text on her phone, earbuds stuffed in her ears. Running past the mountains on their right, they kept their eyes on the city up ahead.

Y/n jumped over a tree easily, claws constantly digging into the ground as she managed to keep up her pace. After running some more, the panthers waited for everyone to climb off of them. Since Crocus was more of a popular city, it'd cause even more chaos if they were to bumble in with such large cats.

Letting out a sound, the panthers made a sprint towards the forest. Y/n jumped in the air, turning into a small cat to wrap around Chase's neck and shoulders. Letting her, he wandered into Crocus. One hand held his belongings and the other held Y/n's belongings as he turned to look over his shoulder, staring at the group from Sabertooth.

"Is there any place we can stay?" He blinked.

The entirety had never really thought this far, only thinking up to the point of transportation and ways to kill time. It was nearly sunset when they'd arrived, so it was for the best if they could find a good place to rest before the sky fell completely dark. "There is a place nearby," Yukino piped up. "It's called the Honey Bone Inn!"

Minerva looked towards the white haired celestial mage, "How far is it from here?" She shrugged, eyes squinting slightly as she looked around. "Maybe another two blocks or so?" She questioned, continuing. "It isn't far from Sabertooth." They all nodded, Y/n falling asleep as she clung onto Chase.

She deserved the rest. After all, she was the reason that they got here effortlessly and painlessly. Nikos eyes caught it first as he pointed to a building a few yards up ahead. "Found it." Chase looked over his shoulder, knowing the others had to return to their own homes as well. In fact, everyone seemed a bit sleepy.

"I guess we'll see each other tomorrow?"

They nodded, waving goodbye and heading their own separate ways. As the Kyuuseishu wandered over to the hotel, they bought some spare rooms, and headed upstairs to unload their things. Of course, the bought rooms that were connected by a door. Y/n's room had a door which led to Chase's, Chase's led to Nikos's, and his led to Akane's.

Setting her down on the comfy bed, Chase set her duffel bag of things beside her before opening the linked door and heading into his own room. After taking care of their own things, the remaining awake members fell asleep on their own times as well. Y/n wasn't sure when she shifted awake, but she desperately needed to get out.

Much like Nikos, she didn't like being cooped up somewhere for so long. It was a side effect of her past, in a dark way. Looking above the bed, she saw a small window. Unclasping the lock, she unlocked it as a cold rush of wind slapped her in the face. It was startling, but refreshing as she stuck her head out, eyes glittering at the sight of the night sky.

I hope Galena's okay. . .

Seeing the numerous constellations reminded her of her used-to-be little sister, the former member of the Kyuuseishu. Climbing out of the window in a feline manner, it took a while for her to remember that she was on the third floor. Y/n didn't bother to close the window, turning into a tiny bird as she flapped her wings and landed, becoming human again.

The streets were silent and her footsteps echoed down the sidewalks as she explored what she could see beyond the windows in the closed shops. It brought her comfort, knowing that this could be one of the moments that she could be capable of considering 'blissful'. She didn't have many moments like this in her life, but she was grateful for every ounce she could get.

"Shouldn't you be asleep? You did run us over here in the first place." A voice caught her off guard, scaring her slightly. Had she really spaced out that much that her enhanced hearing hadn't picked up the stranger's footsteps? Her brows furrowed. No, it wasn't a stranger. The tone was a familiar one.

Turning around, Y/n was met with a streetlight illuminating a mop of blond hair. "I did barely anything. Transportation is just one of the things I do. Besides, I don't like being cooped up in a room like that; it's unbearable." She brought her knees to her chest, sitting on the rim of the fountain as she sighed.

Sting blinked at her oddly. She did so much and she still belittles herself. A small smile crept up his lips. She was definitely an odd one.