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Monk let out a big yawn as they hauled themselves through the overgrown waterworks. They popped out of the other side, landing squarely on all four feet and shaking themself off, doing an extra shake of their back leg to get any mud or debris off their feet. Standing up and sniffing the air, all they could catch was moss, rotting plants, carrion, and rust. But hesitant steps forward, they smelled something more. Something warm.
They looked around, and peered over a nearby ledge, before spotting something bright green. It was too small to be a lizard, and far fluffier too. Could it be another slugcat? Impossible, slugcats didn't have fur. Why would they? Even without it some found it painfully hot! Monk tried to lean in for a closer look, but with comedic timing, they tumbled right down into the crevasse, rolling right into the stranger.
Monk was quick to get up and back off in case this thing was a threat, but it didn't seem bothered at all. In fact it seemed too busy cleaning itself to even look up. Monk noticed the lack of aggression, and sat back on their haunches.
"Uh… who are you?"
"Hm?" Its voice was like a whisper, eerily quiet yet still clear.
"Who are you," Monk asks again, quieter this time.
"I do not have a name. Though some revere me as a “saint”. So suppose that could be my name."
Monk blinked once, and then twice. Ears flicking up. Wait a second, they knew this beast! There were legends about them! Or, at least a beast similar to them. Maybe just an old mouse tale, but to them it was still quite real. "Are you the cycle breaker? Like from stories?"
"Is that what they call me?" Saint turned to face the younger slugcat, wiping loose fur off their tongue before it retracted back into their mouth. "Truthfully I don't "break" the cycle. I only help others escape it."
Monk seemed positively awestruck, clasping their paws together and excitedly circling the supposed legend before them. "Can you show me your cool power? Legend says you even took down an entire superstructure all on your own, I wanna see that!"
Though the "legend" seemed humored, they also seemed quite tired. An exhausted chuckle escaped them. "Well, I don't have all the energy I used to… but I suppose I could show you an alternative method I found."
Monk bounced about excitedly, and began following Saint as they traveled to an unmarked pipe. Blocked off by a few plants and stones, they both managed to wriggle through into a wide open space. Down below was a pool, and even the little yellow slugcat could tell that it was teeming with leeches.
Saint seemed unbothered, but the sight of so many leeches left Monk feeling quite ill. However, the so-called legend was undeterred. Across the gap, a lizard pushed its way through a pipe. A bulky green lizard, and it garbled a hiss as it spotted the two. Of course, it could not cross the water, so all it did was throw a tantrum.
The two waited patiently, before Saint jumped forward and grappled to the ceiling with their frog-like tongue. This gave them just enough space to open their eyes and channel their strength. Monk could only watch as the green lizard appeared to float up, and then down towards the leeches.
The leeches, those damnable parasites, hopped and jumped from the water with enough fury to make it look like the water was boiling. They wanted the lizard. They wanted to get it. And after a moment, the lizard was lowered into the vat. When most of the leeches grabbed on, it was pulled back out.
That was when the horror began.
Monk watched as, somehow, the amount of leeches combined with the lizard's physical form, seemed to cause a horrible reaction. Watching as the lizard jittered and sputtered, held in one floating position and yet contorting in what should be impossible ways. Limbs stretching, water splashing, all paired with the awful sound of its gurgling hissing as it writhed and tried to be free of its physical torment.
Watching this "ascension" was like witnessing a natural disaster. One far worse than rain. It looked like the lizard would never be free of it's spastic torment, until monk blinked… and it was still. Stretched out, contorted, with a few leeches dangling from it, but still.
Saint returned to the ledge, perching the horribly disfigured lizard on the other side.
"It takes much less energy to do it this way. Not painless, not pretty, but more energy efficient." Saint explained, waving a paw in front of Monk's horrified face.
Monk wasn't sure how to respond. They weren't sure there were words for what was just presented in front of them. So instead of conjuring a verbal cue, they simply fainted on the spot.
“Oh dear. It seems you feel the same as the others. I’ll have to try something else.”