Theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2i4mHjxf_g
Characters:
Kylie
Antonio Emelianenko Fedor
The King's hand stroked through her fur roughly around her neck and ears, not particularly paying attention to her but to the man in front of him relaying a report. She was a trained hunter, staying still for hours was something she had been able to do since she was a young kit, but even something as the King's wandering hands threatened to break her composure. It was all she could do but sit there and take it. This was beyond her, beyond her life and her boundaries. She took this humiliation and abuse for her people.
Kylie's eyes closed tightly, as her body revealed a slight shiver as his ugly human hand slipped down and fondled her. She sat, compliant and obedient at his feet, naked for all to see. So was her fate. The collar around her neck dug painfully into her throat and his hand with the leash prevented her from freely leaving or killing him. Half starved, locked in a box when not paraded around, the poor cat was a prisoner of war. Feeling a pair of eyes on her, Kylie opened her pale caramel ones and half-lidded, glanced over to the man. She vaguely recalled he was one of the guards.
Guard Sergeant Antonio Fedor stood at brutally sharp attention. He was in the presence of the king. His pay grade did not at all warrant a summons with the king himself. It was painfully difficult to ignore the naked, mythical creature barely rumored to still exist, that just happened to be sitting beside the king's feet. He had just delivered a very surprising report. Surprising to Fedor, at least. There was a spy caught last night. Another beastfolk cat. Under torture the cat spilled his guts. Literally and figuratively. There were more than 3,000 in the Misty Forest. The king obviously thought that was impossible. Fedor thought if you wanted to commit genocide you had better be sure.
When Kylie heard what he had reported the cat paled. They did not know they lived in the trees, at least the scout had not mentioned that. The only reason Kylie had not been tortured was that the king had taken a liking to her, and took her on as his pet. Her ears flattened further then they already were, if humans treated their 'pets' this way they were worse monsters then she thought. The King tugged her collar, forcing her closer so he could reach her other breast. "We shall send four regiments in," Kosovo said quietly, his other not busy hand stroking his chin in thought. "-Each to search the four corners of that wild place so that we might find them." His gaze turned to the Sergeant. "Were you there for that animal's confession?"
Fedor tried to not swallow hard and failed. "Yes I was, your majesty." It was not his place to suggest the stupidity of sending anyone into the forest without being ready to burn it down. Between the falcons and the spiders, it was understood that the Misty Forest was completely wild and untamed. Even though it had been subjugated before, it had never stayed that way. Fedor also strained not to look at the cat girl. She was so sleek, exotic, sexy, but somehow dignified, and definitely aware she was a sex toy slave.
"I'm sure that specimen was nothing compared to this lovely bitch." The king gloated, grabbing onto her chin and pushing her head up, making her grunt in pain. He was inviting the soldier to look at her. Kylie squeezed her eyes shut, a tear leaving a dampened trail through her soft short fur. Kosovo grinned, "You should hear her squeal." Releasing her, the king settled back against his throne.
Fedor did look, and his heart twinged just a little. He was from an area of the kingdom where people treated animals with respect, especially if they were smart. Apparently the cat peoples he had been told stories about as a kid were real, could talk, and had self awareness and dignity. This was wrong.
"She is quite impressive, your majesty," Fedor guiltily relished the chance to look directly at her. More out of curiosity than sexual attraction.
Her eyes opened again to look back at him, the bronze eyes lacking the spark of life. She was slowly dieing here, but no one would notice. A servant ran into the room, hastily bowing before fidgeting in place. The king lifted his nose.
"Yes?" The servant stuttered, then, "Majesty! Word from our scouts, they have captured another beast! This one is a messenger, they demand a peace agreement and speaking privileges with you, sire!"
The king sat up, excited. "Perfect, I shall see it, in the dungeons." His gaze glanced to Fedor before he yanked Kylie's leash, locking it into a ring attached to a pillar. "Guard her while I see this beast in mans form." Flourishing his cape behind him, the king left him alone with his prize.
Fedor stepped nearer to the girl and knelt down, taking a closer look. Something seemed wrong with her. At first he thought her body had just been slim and lean, but he discovered looking at her haunches and thighs that she was once very muscular and had been malnourished. He made a sighing noise.
"What is your name?" he asked the silvery gray girl. She was acting very shy.
"Kylie." She responded automatically, her voice quite subdued. Her stomach growled pitifully and the cat looked away from him, an arm moving to cover herself. Since the king was gone he couldn't hit her for doing so.
Because his last encounter with a cat was watching it get disemboweled Fedor was stressed out just being near her. He had killed enough humans in war to stay detached but the event was traumatizing. Fedor had even tortured a person before. But never to the completely inhuman point the black cat had been. He felt guilt and suppressed it. But here she was, covering herself from his sight, like any woman would do. She was no ordinary beast. "My name is Sergeant Antonio Fedor. I am from the ocean coast. Where are you from?"
He was using usual police psychology. If he talked to her like normal he'd learn more than demanding information. That only was necessary for the enemy. He didn't see how Kylie was threatening at all.
Opening her eyes, Kylie weakly moved her head to look at him, "I was whelped in the mountains of Calethune. I had four litter mates who all died soon after birth. I am the sole surviving member of my tribe... Humans killed my family." She looked away, reciting her lineage as if she needed to force herself to remember. The cat's gaze drifted to the pillars along the back of the room, her thin form swaying before leaning back against the throne tiredly. The humans ignored her weakness, and did not care for her health.
Fedor ground his squared jaw for a second. He wanted to learn more than all the hate their two races apparently had for each other.
"Humans? No two humans are alike you know. I'm going to tell you a little secret. Can I ask you to keep it between us?" Fedor leaned in. He didn't much look like the rest of the castle guard, who were of paler skin and often blond hair. Fedor had black hair and an almost bronze complexion, quite light but hued an ashy brown.
Her ears perked a little as her interest peaked, this human seemed... different then the others. "Yeah...?" Her energy sparked her eyes, as she now looked at him,
really looked at him.
"Kylie I am a ranking officer in the defense of this kingdom, understand? This is fairly low rank. My orders now dictate that I guard you. But that doesn't mean I can't play nice. And the real secret, that I want to tell you is I am not an imperial, or a man born of this kingdom. My father was a coastal man. Different race, you see. Many died defending the coastal town, but the royal navy defeated a force, which my uncle participated in. My people were forced into treaty. I am not like those men who treat you with harm." Fedor inched a little close, still just sitting on his haunches, about a foot away from her.
Her eyes blinked, then looked away once more. "I understand," She replied softly, one of her hands slipping over her belly. "You are like me, except I cannot blend in like you." And you are free. "Do you have some food?" Kylie asked, her stomach growling again. "Humans do not realize I need more then milk."
Fedor grimaced. He really did hate this part of his job. He not only had to keep up appearances, he had to play both sides. He had to learn exactly where the bulk of the cat population was, but he had to pretend like he was going to rescue her. Certainly not now he wasn't. He set his face a little more warmly and pulled the only food he had on his person. A strip of jerky, a still slightly moist biscuit, and some dried fruit. He technically had more of the dried fruit than anything else and hoped she could eat the food that originated more than 250 miles away from the middle plains and the Misty Forest.
She declined the fruit and bread, but accepted the dried meat. The soft fur of her paws brushed his palm. Kylie did not say anything after she received the meat, sucking on it gently. Her nose then twitched, "The king is back," and hastily stuffed the meat into her mouth, gagging a little. It was very well that the small amount of substance bought her a few days of life. The king didn't care that she was starving to death.
Fedor froze. It was a momentary knee-jerk reaction. But it was so quick and slight, he hoped Kylie wouldn't notice. The king was supposed to be away for much longer, but the idiot either didn't trust Fedor with his current favorite toy. Despite the sergeant directly telling him so, the king stayed too close and completely threw off his plan.
Always known for thinking on his feet, Fedor leaned in so close, he could have kissed Kylie. "Your cell is going to be moved from the kings room to the dungeons solitary block. It will be cold, and maybe wet, but I will be able to bring you food and a blanket to keep you warm. Tell no one I told you this." he said all this at a fast whisper then returned his voice to natural speech.
"I suppose then I'll be returning to my post," a slight pause and he winked at her. The doors opened and the king as well as the kings bodyguards and one of his advisers reentered. The adviser was informing the king he shouldn't play with the kitten so much right now. By the time the doors had fully opened Fedor was on his feet and standing over Kylie, between her and the king.
Kylie stared at Fedor. She was too dumbstruck at what he had just told her that the king narrowed his eyes. She was covering herself. Without warning he backhanded her across the room. Kylie scuttled behind a pillar, swallowing the food that was in her mouth and crouching low so she appeared small and weak. "Bitch!" He shrilled, then moved to hit her again, but stopped himself and straightened his arraignment.
Fedor felt just as helpless as Kylie. He also felt the kings reaction was way over the top. However, such was the nature of good cop bad cop interrogation. Thanks to the sergeant she would be spending 12 hours out of the kings reach and under Fedor's supervision. He spared one last glance at the pitiful cat and figured she'd make it alive for six more hours. Then he would be in control of the situation. At least for the night of every day.
He begged his leave to the king, bowed low, and returned to work, which would be sitting at a desk and writing a planned interrogation plan he still probably wouldn't follow.
Later that night two soldiers carried a four by four cage, Kylie's sleeping quarters down to the dungeons, where they opened it and dumped her into her new cell. This was was a bit larger, a little damp and filled with rats. The cat quickly disposed of them and even fed the cat in the cell next to her some through the bars. They had beaten the messenger to within an inch of his life.
The dungeon was far enough below ground that it was difficult to sense the time of day. It was early evening when Kylie was transferred and it was nearly midnight when Sergeant Antonio Fedor stepped down the stone stairwell into the small cell block. Kylie and the ambassador were alone there. Fedor stepped into the small hallway and stopped in front of the thick iron bars of Kylie's cell.
Kylie was in the corner, her long tail wrapped protectively around herself. Both cats were fully naked, yet they weren't embarrassed, not that the male could be, he was still partially in a daze from his earlier beatings. Her eyes were still dull, but brightened a tiny bit when she saw the human. So lacking kind attention, she warmed up to him easily. Her brown eyes reflected the light of the torches at him and she greeted him with a small nod.
Fedor withdrew a set of keys from his belt. "I'm coming in. Do not try to escape or attack me. It wouldn't end well." He unlocked the gate and stepped in, closing it behind him. "We have our privacy now, Kylie." he stepped close to her. He was holding his drawstring bag again. He opened it and this time it was completely filled with jerky strips. They were salted, so he also brought a wine jug filled with water. "We have a fair amount of time. Relax, and eat."
The cat didn't move from her position, a spot of cleanliness surrounded by filth. She already looked a little better then earlier, more life in her small frame. "I don't know how you managed to persuade the king to put me down here. I am... grateful." It would allow her some time to heal from the king's... needs.
"That's nothing to be concerned with." Fedor stayed standing, mostly because the cell was supremely unsanitary. "I'm your friend. May I ask you some questions?"
Kylie just stared at him, now suspicious. Although she was still very hungry, she did not try to take the food from him. The king had beaten into her submission, and for now, it was something that kept her alive and she could not fight it.
"So shy now that you're here alone? Was the King such horrible company?" Fedor closed his eyes and shook his head slowly, head down. He tossed the bag with more than a pound of jerky in it. "I'm nothing like him. These are simple questions. Don't answer if you don't want to."
Her eyes went from the food to him, then back to the food. Finally, she sighed quietly then nodded. "What do you wish to know?" Reaching out with a slender arm, Kylie slipped free some jerky and began to suckle it like before.
"How old are you? I'm not sure how your kind counts your age, but surely you understand years."
"23, in human years." She said after swallowing some food, her gaunt stomach clearly showing the small amount of food in her belly.
Fedor crouched on his haunches like he did before so he was eye level with Kylie. "I'm 24." he smiled ever so slightly and set the water jug down next to her tail. "Do you want to ask me a question now?" he tilted his head to her. He acted very relaxed and casual.
"Why?" Kylie muttered, "Your race murdered us close to extinction, you have enslaved my people, your king has forced me into his bed, among other nameless things. Tell me why I should give a
damn about you?" There was anger in her voice, but it was faint, and weak. There was no way she would ever trust a human, as long as she lived.
"My family suffered a similar fate not too long ago. The coastal people were once called 'Copernia' and we were not part of this kingdom. We were a small city state in peace by the ocean. Very far from here. The king's father was also an evil man, and his soldiers took Copernia by force. Women were raped, homes burned, and many people died. But that was almost 70 years ago. Now people with skin like mine aren't around much anymore. Does that make me more like the king and his imperial race, or like you?" Fedor's expression was still calm.
Her nose twitched while she chewed in thought. Her long ears, which she previously kept flat against her neck lifted slightly, then a little more as she came to an understanding. "We are more alike then I first thought." She admitted, the tip of her tail flickering. Kylie still shook her head, "I still do not trust you, there is something you are hiding from me. You have ulterior motives then you are leading me to believe. Why are you so interested in me?" The cat glared at him.
Fedor's jaw slackened for a moment in surprise, but he remained in eyecontact with the cat. Her eyes were a piercing radiant bronze.
"You understand how secretive you've been," he explained. "we thought your kind had been at least 55 years dead. Extinct. I never thought, in my whole life, I'd see the brave cat that was sung to me in bed time fairy tales. And to hear you have 3,000 cats who live nearby. It's my job to question you, not to be cruel to you. Honestly I'm just curious. And they know you won't talk, so they might execute you soon. I can give you more time."
"We were secretive because we knew that if you humans found out we were still alive, that this would happen." She looked away, "Death is my freedom, since no one can give it to me." Kylie uttered quietly, "I will tell you nothing. I will not give you humans access to finish the job, and erase us from existence. Let the executions come tonight... so that the king cannot violate me again!" Kylie leapt to her paws, her hackles raised and her teeth bared. "Kill me." She growled.
Fedor expected this kind of reaction. He was gambling on her not attacking him. Not that he couldn't kill her by himself, but rather he had no intention to. "I came in here unarmed. I have no intention of killing you, nor letting you die anytime soon." even though she had reared up on him, he remained in his casual crouched position, not moving. Keeping eye contact. "Honestly it is my duty to see you remain alive. I've already given you privacy, shelter, and food for half of every day you remain here. I will attempt to do more for you but I am not in the position to decide your ultimate fate." Fedor calmly clasped his hands in front of himself.
"Also, I thought you'd enjoy some civil company. But it appears I should go early tonight. I wasn't going to ask you anything that would harm your people." Fedor stood slowly, and, amazingly, turned his back on her to leave.
Her small chest heaved in anger at his calm demeanor, and when he turned to leave the cat frowned, still gripping the jerky in her claws. Kylie didn't know how to respond to him, she had expected him to hit her, yell at her, and yet he didn't. Sliding against the wall, the cat slumped forward and began to cry. Through tears, she looked back at him... almost begging him to stay.
Fedor sighed quietly and turned around. She was utterly pathetic. He was already having doubts about his mission. Kylie wasn't just an animal, she was a person. She and her race did not deserve what was coming. "I do not approve of your treatment nor the king's policy towards your race. But these things are not my decisions." He came back closer to her again, close enough to touch her. "I don't expect you trust me yet. If it were my choice you and your people would be free. But I must know my place. I can get you some good treatment. But I am not powerful. I can't free you. Not yet."
"Not yet?" She repeated, looking at him with a small amount of hope in her big eyes.
Fedor closed his eyes. "You must always hope for the best, and prepare for the worst." Taking a chance, he reached out and touched the top of her paw. "I do what I can. I wish I could do more."
It took all her willpower to not pull away from him. "I prepared for the worst when I was captured," Kylie looked away, "I received much more then I thought possible. The worst thing now they can do to me is torture, then kill me." She shook her head, her large ears wobbling. "I wish they would," She added, almost in a whisper.
Fedor winced, he hadn't expected her to be so spiritually broken. That made everything he was trying to do a little harder. And even so, it honestly hurt him to see something so beautiful and special so faithless. He pressed his hand on her paw a little harder. "How could you value your life so little?" he leaned in further. He wasn't giving her the opportunity to look away. "Does your culture allow for such self pity?" when she tried to look away again he squeezed a little harder still. "Perhaps it would calm you to change the subject. Would you like to ask me some questions?" Fedor let go of her hand and sat all the way down, getting comfortable. He sat cross-legged in front of her, and relaxed. He was leaning forward slightly, making the three golden medals dangling from his brown-green uniform chest hang in the air and jingle slightly.
"I do not." Kylie said a little annoyed that he would force her to look at him. The fur around her cheeks suddenly darkened, and the cat cocked her head a little, staring at his hands. Then, "I actually would like to rest, if I could. Being in that small box for the last few months... well, it was hard to sleep in there." She withdrew another piece of jerky and chewed it while she waited for him to reply.
"By all means," Fedor sat back up and stretched. "Honestly I assumed you cats were nocturnal and you might have rested before I came. There's an old Copernian saying that says 'To assume is to make an ass out of you and me." he stood, then looked down. "You might want to reconsider tonight, however." His slightly accented voice stayed calm, even slightly warm. He wasn't supposed to dive into the hero role this quickly but he couldn't have let her starve. "When I leave I must take the water with me. Also anything you could hide food in. Do not worry. I can bring almost a pound of jerky a day. Also, I may be able to bring fish. But you must eat and drink while I am here for the time being."
"-it doesn't matter." Kylie pushed the rest of the food and water away from her and her tail wrapped further around herself protectively. "I couldn't sleep because the king's needs would not let me." Kylie muttered, hatred in her voice. That anger was relayed back to the human, whom she now glared at. "If you are trying to find my people through being kind to me, you are sorely out of luck. I will never betray my people... I will take our secrets to the grave if I must." The cat was being completely honest and let him see a small insight into her stubborn personality.
"I'm sorry if what I'm about to say offends you. The king was getting brave with you. He assumed because you were submissive that you weren't dangerous. You could attack the king almost freely if you chose to and the guards would be outside. To be honest I told them you were capable of assassinating his majesty. So I convinced them to throw you down here. Here where I have some authority. For all the prison security know I may be raping you right now. But I'm actually giving you food. Keeping you alive. I got you every night in freedom from the king. He still may keep you around, but only with guards or magistrates present." The somewhat moderate sized human Antonio stood just under 6 feet tall. The king was muscled but in his early forties and not in extreme shape. Fedor was in his late twenties and very chiseled. His plain uniform molded fairly tight to his torso. It was early spring.
"So you will be down here, and the king may not come nigh near noon. You honestly could spend some mornings here. But I am in charge here now. So I can keep you safe while you are here. I suspect you won't be raped anytime soon."
"And I thank you for this, I really do." The cat's voice had softened, but she was still resolute. "You cannot expect me to betray my people just for my own comfort. That would make me a monster." Her ears fell flat against her neck again, "I refuse to sink to that level." Kylie turned herself more towards the wall, her eyes on the barely moving chest of the messenger in the opposite cell.
"Do you know him?" Fedor looked at the unconscious cat in the other cell. It looked like he was just passed out, which was okay. "I should hope I don't have to find a way to treat him if he is too badly hurt."
After a period of silence Kylie shook her head. "I lived a mostly solitary life before I was captured. They beat him pretty bad, but he managed to eat earlier and was awake for a while. If his tail is still moving, he's okay." His was twitching, but not much. If Fedor had noticed earlier in the throne room that Kylie's hadn't moved at all, where as now the tip tapped the ground slowly. She owed Fedor her life, though, she couldn't admit it to herself or him for that matter.
"I'm glad to hear it." Fedor encouraged her to eat more and not horde the food. His mind kept returning to the silky feel of the fur on her paw. He started wondering absently what her tail might feel like. He sat back down again. She kept her legs crossed and her tail over her chest. "I'm sorry I can't give you clothes yet. Maybe soon. Till then you need to be patient. I'm working as best I can."
"I don't expect anything from you, human. You have already given me more then I had ever thought a human could give." She had said that honestly. Kylie couldn't return her gaze to Fedor and instead blinked her brown eyes, losing herself in memories. "Unlike these frilly human woman you dote around that I have seen at the king's parties, I do not need much." Kylie suddenly blurted, lifting her teeth at the memory of the females gawking at her like she was on display and blushing at her nudity. The cat flushed in slight embarrassment at that and folded her arms around herself, trying to find comfort.
"I'm getting the feeling I am bothering you. If I can't ask you for information and you want none for me, I should probably go. Besides, tomorrow will be a better day." Fedor displayed a slight smile. "Get some rest. I'll see you around dinner time, if you're lucky." Fedor nodded his head at her and stepped back to exit the cell.
"Goodnight, Fedor." the cat murmured, remembering his name from earlier. She watched him shut the cells door and lock it, paying close attention to the lock before she sighed, hiding her face within her arms. The night went by uneventfully till the morning, when they awoke both of the felines to drag the messenger yowling from the cell next to her. Kylie hissed at the soldiers, but they ignored her.
Fedor was at the foot of the stairs, out of Kylie's line of sight when they hauled the small black male cat up the stairs. The sergeant's face was steely and unemotional, but his heart ached. He would draw no pleasure from this. The messenger was thrown into a small room on the next level and was savagely kicked by two guards before questioning even began. Fedor was only present to observe. There was little chance he'd be allowed to question the cat personally. Next the torture expert entered and began heating a pointed iron rod until it was red hot. Then the questioning began. The cat refused to speak, and did not respond. The expert then pressed the brand against the cats eyeball, and the resulting scream echoed through the whole dungeon. Fedor watched in grim silence.
Kylie was curled in her cell, shaking and sweating through the whole process, flinching when her fellow screamed, crying when he did not. She prayed he would not give them up to the humans.
Fedor's frustration grew as the torture expert went through the motions. Pretty soon the cat met a similar fate to the first, and died looking at his own intestines. Afterward he wrote a report saying such methods would be fruitless on the girl. He reported success in befriending her, and further postulated that the king cease contact with her. That was only in passing though. It was just after noon. The messenger held out for almost four hours. Now he was dead, fed to hounds like cheap scraps. Fedor finished writing, sat back, and drummed his fingers on the desk. Should he tell Kylie now? No, it'd still have to wait until 6pm. Besides, Fedor had an unscheduled appointment to keep.
Fedor walked in knowing full well that Kylie heard the screams. Fedor may have olive skin tones, but today he was pale. He stood at her cell and unlocked the door, swung it open and shut it behind him locked the keys in the door. "I'm sorry Kylie, but I have bad news, and worse news." he leaned against the door and looked grim and gray in the low light. It was 5:00pm.
Looking up at him, Kylie did not respond in voice. She did however have tears in her eyes, as she knew the messenger, her fellow, was dead. The cat glanced away from him to the other cell, swallowing a sob.
"If there was anything I could have done for him, it would fail. The torture... expert... he would kill me easily. I swear that will not happen to you. I pledge my soul that it is true." Antonio felt weak against the cell door. Slumping against it in exhaustion. The key remained in the lock, over his head. "No you're going to tell me how to end this atrocity." he stared into her eyes, holding her sight on him. He looked strangely unglued.
"How do you expect me to do that?" Kylie asked him, anger in her small frame. "We have done
nothing against you. It is the humans who have done this to us." The cat was angry that they killed the messenger. She was angry she was taken hostage, and then used for the king's pleasure.
Fedor glared even harder. "If you want to end up like your cell mate you can keep being a victim. I know how to protect your people, and free you, but I need your cooperation. You must be prepared to leave tonight. If you resist there's nothing I can do for you." Fedor swallowed hard and continued to pin down Kylie with his round, almond colored eyes.
"I have been prepared to leave ever since I got here," Kylie spat out. She wasn't sure if this was a trick or not, he seemed truly shaken, from what, she didn't know. Perhaps he had witnessed the other cat's last moments.
"I'm going to come back at precisely 11:45, during the shift change. That's all I can tell you. When I come, be prepared to leave immediately. I will tell you exactly what to do. Don't ask questions. If you attempt an escape, or disobey my orders, you will die." Fedor stood back up, looking away finally. He drew a big breath. Fedor dropped another bag filled with several strips of jerky and a decent sized fish, also salted. He wanted to bring it fresh, or smoked, but he couldn't risk her refusing it. Also he set down a liter jug.
"Eat, drink, leave none of the food behind. If you have any hidden possessions, place them in the bag. No one should come down here. If they do and they try to come in the cell, scream. I'll be back in 6 hours." Fedor turned, took another deep breath, and started unlocking the door.
"I don't understand why you are helping me." Kylie murmured to him on his way out.
Fedor didn't turn around. "You should understand. You have 6 hours alone to think about it either way." The sun began to set, shining a bright ray directly upon his face as he looked back one more time. His eyes were baggy and his complexion not just pale, but lined with cold sweat. "We're in luck," he smiled thinly, but his eye twinkled, almost transforming his expression to a positive one for an instant. "It will rain tonight." he slammed the door shut and turned the lock.
Hours passed, Kylie sat waiting, confused, wondering if it was a trap, and thinking up ways on how she would be able to tell. She was nervous, a little giddy, but the sorrow of her people dieing at the hands of the humans was not past her heart. She wept for them. The cat managed to sleep a little, on edge however. She was prepared to fight.
When Fedor returned, he was like a different person. He was wearing a cuirass of hardened leather. The breastplate was so boiled and coated with lacquer, it was hard as stone and was held together with fitted, stretchable segments. Over his back was a hooded cloak of a mottled and ugly brown-green color. His pants were skin tight with hard leather greaves over each thigh. His gauntlet were simply black, fine leather gloves with metal plates over the backs of the hands, ending in rounded studs over the knuckle.
He moved silently. The small rustles he made fell underneath the wind that whooshed along the castle walls. Kylie was on the basement level, which wasn't fully underground. Her tiny window sung a lullaby of soughing wind. But it was getting steadily louder. He arrived without greeting or much noise at all, and unlocked the gate. Under one arm, he carried a huge roll of a loose, black fabric. He dumped the roll on the ground, and it made a soft, but obviously heavy, thump.
Kylie's tail twitched curiously, but she did not say anything to him either. Her stomach was still distended from her meal earlier, and there was strength in her movements. Standing before him, Kylie did not cover herself, but instead half crouched and sniffed at the air, making sure they were alone. Then her bronze eyes looked up at him, the light of the torches causing them to glow.
Fedor crouched over the roll and gestured for her to stay silent. He opened my unfolding the top, revealing it not to be a roll, but a carefully folded container made of soft, spongy fabric. What was first revealed was slightly rusted but still gleaming torture equipment.
One of her ears tilted as she turned her head and looked them over. She understood. She pointed at the devices with a paw, then pointed to the corner of her cell. Carefully, she picked one up, resisting the urge to examine it and placed it gently where she had sat for most of her time down here. Quickly finishing, Kylie's ears moved, showing some of her emotion before she shrugged at Fedor and gripped her tail. With it in paw, she lifted her hands a little so that he could wrap the fabric around her.
It was the way he intended to smuggle her out. His whole involvement with her was secret. Nobody would question him carrying her out. They'd question his outfit, sure, but he could excuse it anyway he wanted to, and he had a good one ready.
He had been ordered to continue befriending her, but had given him a deadline for confession. Seven days, far too short. And he wasn't going to watch her die. He made her put her hands down. The storm was rolling in, and the thunder began.
Fedor whispered, "These are for you to wear."
He brought out a small, slightly loose but still closely fitting long sleeve shirt, tailored hastily the day before. It fit her surprisingly well. It was somewhat baggy around her waist and arms. He couldn't help but notice it conformed closely to her bust. She looked attractive, even sexy. Once she was dressed he felt far, far less like he was with a tortured animal, and more like he was with a person. There was a modified skirt, it covered her butt, thighs, and waist, but was cut up the back to accommodate her very large tail. The fabric was soft, not armored, but would retain heat well and resist water.
"Looks good," he said, and then he motioned for her to raise her arms above her head again.
Her ears were flat against her neck in displeasure at being dressed like a human, but raised her arms nonetheless. "I could just curl up, and it would be like carrying a bag of things, no one could tell it was me." Kylie whispered before he moved towards her.
"Unfortunately not," Fedor murmured. Before he wrapped her up in the big felt fabric tarp, he got one last thing out of it. It was a jug similar to the one he'd carried water to her in. "You're not going to like this, but it's the only way to be safe." he opened the jug, which had over two liters of pig's blood in it. He splashed some around the cell, which immediately started to reek of it, as well as the other filth inside. "I'm sorry," he said to Kylie and gushed the other half of the jug on her.
Gasping in shock, the blood was cold and slightly curdled. She resisted the urge to lick her lips. It would just make her sick. Kylie shivered and wrapped her paws around herself, then, forced her arms back up, her tail whipping some of the blood with the force of its lashing.
"Don't worry, you'll be able to wash it off soon, but we must leave immediately." he raised the tarp. "I have to carry you now. Remain absolutely limp. I'll carry you under my right arm. If I squeeze you, that means stop breathing. Hold your breath until I squeeze you again." Fedor stepped in and wrapped her quickly but not roughly in the tarp. Her head and one of her arms would hang out one side, her tail and one foot out the other. Still holding her upright, he gently brushed some of the blood out of her hair and her eyes, getting it all over his hands. "Smile a little, okay, this is almost over."
Fedor grinned slightly, but inside his heart was pounding. He had a choice to make. Every option had enormous consequences. One way or another, he was going to force her to take him into the Misty Forest. She would take him to the cat village. From there, he had to decide who to betray, the kingdom, or the cats. For now, he was only concerned with how to avoid being killed by either faction. His heart weighed like a stone with worry.
He lifted her and carried her under one arm. He was not a large man, but he was amazingly strong. His breath didn't even quicken as he casually carried her out of the cell.
Like he had told her, she remained completely limp and lifeless. The toughest part about this wasn't ignoring her face constantly being brushed up against his lower back, but to keep her tail still. It wanted to moved, fought to move, but the cat won against her inner will. She had done this before, to get one of the mighty silver bears to not attack her back when she was younger. She breathed very lightly and quickly, so that she could play dead easier when it called for it.
Fedor carried her up the stairs. He passed by a still empty post at the top of the stairs, then down a long hallway. At the end of the hallway he squeezed her once, opened the door, walked a few feet and squeezed again. Then he passed through a small inner courtyard, his soft boots making almost no noise as he walked. He entered the opposite building and squeezed. As he traveled through the building, he had to stop and order a page to clean the floor behind him, sign a document, and then his direct superior, prison and southeast quarter guard Colonel Altennis. He had been inside for sixty seconds, and the colonel wanted a debriefing, as he was holding the limp body of Kylie.
Kylie held her breath, and waited to see how the colonel would respond.
Fedor explained to the Colonel that she wouldn't talk. She begged him for death, and when he refused, she threw herself at him. He was forced to beat her into submission. He then tortured her, but she wouldn't even scream, let alone talk. Altennis asked to see her.
Fedor took her limp body and held it out. Blood still dripped from her face onto the stone floor. Altennis mumbled a curse and waved him off, turning away. Fedor worried for Kylie and even though he was practically in the center of the guard offices, he squeezed her, silently praying she wouldn't gasp. It'd been almost three minutes.
She let the air out as slowly as she could, the blood bubbling over her lips. That in itself could pass as a death moan, but thankfully it was silent. Kylie breathed again, trying to make up for the air she had been reprieved of. She could do this without her chest moving, but it took effort. She was trying to save energy for their escape, and this was hard on her already weak body.
Fedor walked as fast as he could without running to get out of there. He didn't squeeze her again, despite passing by several young soldiers who snapped to attention and saluted him as he passed. He spared them no attention and scowled as he left. Once he was out the second door, he begrudgingly squeezed her again. As another squire led him his horse, he tossed Kylie rather roughly over the horses back, mounted the tall steed in one fast motion, and sped off. Once he was out of earshot of the courtyard, about 15 seconds later, he said, loud enough to be heard over the thumping hooves, "Breathe deep, and balance as you can, I'll be untying you soon!"
Kylie grunted, being constantly pushed by the hips of the horse and almost fell once before she managed to get a paw out of the bindings. Gripping the fur of the beast without scratching it proved a challenge.
Only a couple minutes passed before Fedor stopped the horse. Now the wind was positively howling, and lightning lit up the black sky. Thunder followed soon after. Rain was light so far, but the storm was only a few minutes away. It was almost pitch black and Fedor steeled himself. He could hardly see, and knew Kylie could see just fine. He hauled her off the horse, held her while he undid a simple knot, but then threw her somewhat roughly to the ground whole she was still tangled up in the tarp. She landed on her back, and before she could get free and run, Fedor pinned her down with his knee and pointed a short sword to her throat.
"We must talk. If I was you, I'd answer quickly and truthfully." the point was intensely sharp, hovering millimeters from her soft neck.
The cat hissed at him and bared her teeth, unable to do anything about him on top of her. He weighed possibly twice what she did, and was a lot stronger then her. She squirmed, perhaps possibly finding a weak spot for her to slip out of. "What do you wish to know, human?"
"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you, not unless you understand what's about to happen. You're going to guide me through the Misty Forest. You're going to bring me to your people and you're going to do it in three days or less." he sheathed his sword but remained with his knee putting most of his 180 pounds of weight on her stomach, near what he assumed was her center of gravity. "It's the only way we can end this." Fedor planted his hands on her shoulders and got in her face. Water dripped from his mid length hair onto her forehead. His eyes hovered an inch above hers. "I can't tell you what's going to happen next, so you should only concern yourself with guiding me. Besides, I am one man. I'm sure you know a million ways to kill me in that forest. But I assure you, if you try, and fail, I
will kill you." he stepped off her and pulled up his cloak. Lightning struck and flashed the area. Then the rain filled the air.
"Even if I fail, and you kill me, the forest will avenge me." Kylie spat out some excess blood and water from her mouth and got to her paws, if albeit a little shakily. Pulling the shirt over her head, Kylie gagged a little on the blood, wringing out the makeshift clothing. She stood before him half naked, letting the cold rain wash over her. When she deemed herself clean, Kylie lifted the shirt up before her and scowled. With her claws out, she ripped it in half, then again, and tied a strip of it across her breasts. Next came the skirt, which she tore off the sides so it more resembled a loincloth. "That's better." The cat growled, stretching slightly to make sure she had enough mobility. She looked a bit thinner drenched in rain, but better then she had before.
Her nose twitched at the horse, then looked up at Fedor.
Fedor nodded. He stepped to the horse, spoke in it's ear, and slapped it's ass, making it run off. But then he stepped over to a satchel he'd brought. He hoisted it, which, though not large, appeared somewhat heavy. He slung it over his shoulder, then walked back to Kylie.
"I don't imagine you want a weapon, but, just in case," he released a latch on his belt and handed the short sword out to her.
"Take it. I know some of what's in there, and I doubt you could kill anything large with agility and claws alone. It's just in case."
She shook her head, "I don't use swords, besides, it would be better if I was not armed, that way I will be less tempted to kill you." Stretching out her back again, Kylie bent over with all four paws on the ground, her long tail arched out behind her. "Follow me, human."
Fedor walked closely beside her, just enough behind that she was leading. He didn't need them to be silent, nor wanted to. Once they reached the treeline and crossed into the forest, the sound, and rain was lessened. Fedor looked to her shadowy shape. "Do your kind use weapons? Or trap? How do you coexist with the beasts of the forest?"
"Yes, yes, and no." Kylie started, her voice now calm, and devoid of any anger. "We stay away from swords, as the forest needs something that can use more more force with less leverage. We on occasion trap, but we like to hunt. And the animals defend themselves." She was uncommonly talkative now, that she was in her own element.
"But you hunt with your claws? I haven't seen you extend them, but I hardly believe that." Fedor was more comfortable now. He was alert though. He always would be. He hadn't told Kylie why, with only the title of sergeant, the lowest officer rank of the royal army, that he held so much authority. It was because he was a war hero, decorated beyond almost all soldiers twice his age. But it was never the kingdom he fought for. He fought for his family's memory, and honor.
"You saw when I altered the clothing, did you not?" She snorted, and shook her head, though she doubt he could see
that. "I was only half extending them. Plus my teeth and jaw are much stronger then a human's." Her tail made a wide sweep behind her, lightly tapping his legs, and the foliage around them.
"I do not doubt your abilities. But I am aware of the falcons. I've seen the spiders. The castle has silver back bears stuffed and mounted. Either you use weapons, or you hide." Fedor stayed mere inches from her. He wanted to be
too close to attack. He smiled at her, trying to resume being friendly. "This is why I was rough with you earlier. I needed to be very clear, and safe."
She was rolling her eyes at this point. He hadn't seen her claws up close yet, but they were black and glinted. All warriors of her kind had their claws fused with black diamond casings, harder then regular diamonds and it was what protected their natural damage dealing weapons. "Axes." Kylie said after a moment. "Axes and tomahawks are our choice of weapons, this way we can use a great deal of force in a small environment. The falcons leave us alone, but we are much faster then the spiders. Bears... we are faster, but over a short distance they can catch us off guard."
Fedor made a mmmph sound in mild surprise. "Axes? I can see the practicality of such a weapon in the forest. But it sounds like such an unusual weapon for your race. It's not known for grace or speed." Fedor moved slightly away, not because he was trusting.
He reached beneath his cloak, over his shoulder and withdrew a surprisingly large sword from a sheath hidden on his back. It was a fairly long sword, but it was very unusual for a weapon wielded by a soldier of the kingdom. Instead of a standard long or broad sword, it was a curved, scimitar like weapon. The blade was fairly thin, but long and it steadily curved back. The grip was for two hands, and had a thin bronze hand protector looped from hilt to pommel. The blade was of gleaming, quality steel. Fedor had stepped away because he wanted to show her it. Because she was on all fours, he thought it was dangerous not to be right next to her. She could pounce from this distance. But he did have his weapon out. "This is what I have." he sheathed it again, very fast for what he was wearing. Then he opened his satchel on his side, and, now walking close to her, picked out a small, but heavy and well weighted iron hatchet. "You can use this if you want." he handed the axe out, handle first. "I brought it to cut firewood."
Kylie glanced back at him and tilted her head. The sword was impressive, she gave him that. She had been in her natural state so that she could get away very quickly, or attack him if he dropped his guard. The fact that he offered her a weapon to try to accommodate her was an unusual act of kindness, one that caught her off guard. She reluctantly stood. "Thank you." She murmured, genuine appreciation in her tone. With her paw in his hand, to take the weapon from him she raised her eyes to his, light filtering through the trees reflecting from her pupils. "Do you really want peace between our peoples?" She asked him, her voice wistful.
Fedor sighed. He liked the touch of her paw, but reluctantly let it go, handing her the hatchet. "That's a simple question that, sadly, requires a complicated answer." Fedor looked ahead, seeing almost nothing in the shaking trees ahead. They kept the pair mostly dry, but their canopy also eliminated what little light there was left. He did a good job of not letting it on too much, but he was all but blind now. His life was in Kylie's hands.
"There will not be peace. The kingdom is a culture of conquest. Your people once shamed the kingdoms army many years ago, and though the forest is simply unable to be conquered, the current king will still try. I need to know how your people can, and will resist." Fedor kept his eyes on her. "The reason this must be done quickly, is because you're not the only race left to resist the king. There are others, and they are raising their own army. With the kings focus on your people, he is distracted, and vulnerable."
"I see..." Kylie murmured back, "Three days... not much time. It takes about that to reach the outskirts of the towns." She looked away. "I am weak... I will need to rest soon. Let us see how much ground we can cover tonight. Can you run?" Her gaze went back to him, watching his face to make sure he could back up anything he said. She was fairly certain that humans had poor eyesight.
Fedor was silent for a moment, thinking. "No, no that would be unwise. I'm sure you know how vulnerable I am in the dark, and I want to move during the day. Also, it's not that I must be in and out of the forest in three days, but I must be able to signal my friends on the evening of the third day. How that is done will surely be decided by your people, not me. I am a man of the coast and sea, at the very least a man of the plains. I am not a man of the forest. Without the trust and aid of others, I will not leave this forest alive." he looked away. Besides the faint outline of trees, he could see nothing. His gracefulness hid the fact that he couldn't see roots and rocks. Running was out of the question. He already sensed the eyes of the forest upon him. Tonight they'd watch, tomorrow they would hunt.
"Please find us a place to sleep that can accommodate a fire. Perhaps you might like real human food. We don't all eat salted strips," he smiled at her.
Her eyes squinted for a moment, then, she found herself smiling a little too. "I take back my words earlier, Fedor. About abandoning you, nor trying to kill you. I... was wrong. Perhaps there are good humans in this world." Kylie attempted that as a joke. "Here, take my tail, I will guide you." The cat took it and physically placed it in his hand, then sniffed a few times and chose a direction.
Dishonor: Part Two
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