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“Well, this isn’t exactly how I expected things would go,” Miska grunted, tightly clutching the black, leatherbound book against her chest as a dozen swords pointed at her.
Lying upside down against a stone wall, Miska shook off the last remnants of her tumble, the strong scent of cabbages swirling through her nose. She was surrounded. A dozen guards held her at swordpoint. Their eyes on one thing; the book.
A lone intact cabbage rolled away from the snow leopard, rolling to a stop against a polished boot. Sharp, staccato footsteps echoed against the stone walls of the alley. The guards slowly parted, revealing a towering individual. With the air of a marshal, the Captain halted mere feet away from Miska.
“You,” the Captain growled, his lips bordering on a snarl. “It’s about time your luck ran out.”
“Well, you know what they say-,” Miska began, freezing as several swords inched towards her. “Cats always land on their feet...”
“Not this time,” the Captain refuted, ripping the book from Miska’s grasp. “Archmage Erobahn will be most pleased to have this returned to his collection... As for you...”
Miska swallowed nervously.
The Captain turned away with a dismissive wave. “You will meet your end like all the rest of your... tales..., disappearing into the shadows, never to be seen again.”
He strode out of the alleyway, into the bustling street before making his way back to Castle Brackhill. As his footsteps faded from earshot, Miska turned her attention to the guards quickly surrounding her. She smiled awkwardly, holding her hands up in surrender. “Hey, come on guys, we don’t have to... you know, kill me and everything! Wouldn’t it just be easier to just, throw me in the dungeon?”
A second past as the guards prepared to strike. Miska rolled her eyes. “Well, guess I’ve got no choice!”
With a flick of the wrist, a thunderous explosion filled the alleyway as brilliant magenta smoke spilled out into the street. Maniacal laughter echoed throughout the street as Miska burst forth, her face hidden behind a strange, mechanical mask. Darting through the crowds, Miska quickly made her way to the rooftops as a guard burst forth from the cloud, pointing his sword at Miska. “GET THAT CAT!” he shouted, charging after her.
Miska looked over her shoulder as she grabbed onto a windowsill. Launching herself upwards, she quickly steadied herself as she found herself looking out across the sprawling city of Vinbonne. Her gaze locked onto the imposing castle rising out of the center of the city. One tower in particular held her attention.
That would be the tower of Archmage Erobahn, advisor to the King, purported slayer of the Dread Necromancer Stradex Kane in a single night, and little known double-crosser. In secret he had arranged to pay Miska a hefty sum upon the elimination of Stradex Kane, but upon her return with proof of the necromancer’s demise, the Archmage had simply feigned ignorance and summoned the guards to seize her. But Miska did not take kindly to those who sought to rob her of what she had rightfully stolen.
She snapped back into the moment as a crossbow bolt whipped past. Another quickly followed, burying itself in the roof tiles. Her claws rang out against the hard clay tiles as she ran. Leaping through the air, Miska twisted around, revealing a small crossbow loaded with a strange spherical object.
THOMP! The sphere went flying, arcing through the air. Instinctively Miska looked away, spinning on her feet as she continued to make her getaway. As the sphere landed on the rooftop, several guards froze in place, fearful of another smoke bomb.
For an instant, a second sun filled the calm afternoon sky. Less than a moment later, a thunderous boom shattered that calm. Miska could tell from the moans and groans that the guards wouldn’t be looking to continue their chase. She slowed to a comfortable trot as she began to wonder just how she would go about recovering Kane’s spellbook.
~~~
Three sharp, heavy knocks thudded against the door. The Captain paused, taking a moment to check his uniform for any blemishes or imperfections. Keeping the book firmly tucked under one arm, he raised his hand to knock again, only for the door to swing open. Dark, piercing eyes stared out of the dim light.
“Yes, yes, who is it? What do you want?” the Archmage demanded, his eyes narrowing on the Captain. “Oh,... its you. This better not be about that whole ‘Love Potion’ thing. I told you before, I only do poisons and de-poisons.”
“Archmage, I thought you might like to have this,” the Captain offered, presenting the book. “We managed to catch the thief who stole it and well, I imagined you would appreciate having it back.”
“Oh, oh this book, yes!” the Archmage cooed, his gnarled hands taking it with surprising ease. “Of course I missed it. Do you have any idea what someone could do with a spellbook like this?”
“No, I-” the Captain began, only to be cut short.
“Of course you wouldn’t!” Archmage Erobahn continued. “The Dread Necromancer Stradex Kane’s spellbook is capable of summoning whole legions of the dead in a single spell! It’s rumored that in one battle he and the opposing side both lost, but with just a few spells his army was doubled in size! Truly terrifying indeed! Now leave me to my burdensome duties of protecting this kingdom from the forces of darkness!”
With a thud the door slammed shut. The Captain stood in stunned silence for a moment before the door slowly creaked open.
“Actually, on second thought, could you send one of your underlings to fetch me a MLT with mustard on rye?” the Archmage asked. “But hold the tomato, I don’t want tomato. Seriously who likes tomato on their MLT?”
“Uh, actually I do,” the Captain remarked, feeling the Archmage glare at him.
“Shouldn’t you be, oh I don’t know, captaining?” Archmage Erobahn snipped. “And maybe that’s why you’re still Captain and not the Royal Captain.”
The door slammed shut again as the Captain spun on his heels and bolted for the kitchen. A brief conversation later, the Captain returned, carrying a sandwich on a plate. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he knocked on the Archmage’s door. To his surprise, it swung open.
“Archmage?” the Captain called, cautiously stepping into the room with plate in hand.
Before he could react the sandwich flew across the room, caught by an unseen hand. As he reached for his sword, something heavy, sweaty, and grumpy crashed on top of him. A window flew open, filling the room with sunlight. The Captain shielded his eyes with a hand, making out a feline outline in the light.
“Thanks for the snack Captain!” Miska called, hopping onto the windowsill. “I never could stand the taste of tomato. Oh and take care of the Archmage! He’s sure going to be angry the moment you ungag him!”
With a smirk, Miska leapt from the window. Plummeting along the side of the castle wall, Miska tugged on a cord. The feline’s face instantly shifted from confidence to panic. She yanked harder, sending a wide length of cloth unfurling above her.
Emerging with a loud “Whomph” Miska felt her descent slow to a far more survivable speed. Holding the sandwich in her mouth, the snow leopard casually glided above the city rooftops. Before any of the guards knew what to make of it, she had vanished over the outer walls, into the wilds.
~~~
Soft whistling drifted through the air. Long, weeping willows parted the forest into rooms without end. Carried by the narrow river, a cloaked figure sat atop a log. Legs crossed, they listened to the chirping of the insects as the river whispered its secrets.
As the log crested to a stop on a sandy shore the figure disembarked. With a push of a foot the log was sent drifting down the river once more. Looking around, the figure was certain she hadn’t been followed. And with a flourish of her cape, she vanished into the woods.
The trails were nearly invisible. Some lead to hidden caches, others led to horrible traps. And only those who knew these trails could tell which was which. It was nearly sundown by the time Miska reached the castle.
Half overgrown with ivy, half ravaged by a war long forgotten, Castle Foxtalia was home to Miska. Home to her and her companions. As she approached the castle gate she heard a familiar voice call out.
“Wanderer! How did you come to this place?” a woman’s voice growled.
Miska held her arms out. “Not all who wander are lost. But I certainly once was.”
Metallic squeaking pierced the still forest air as the gate slowly rose. As Miska slid under the rusted teeth she spotted Victoria. A fellow outcast, the draconic behemoth released the crank, sending the gate crashing down with a clang. Miska bounced over to the dragoness, a smile on her face.
“I got it baaaack!” Miska declared giddily. “Though next time I’ll just use my usual tricks and not risk getting turned into chunky fluff.”
“Bixby’s invention?” Victoria asked.
“Bixby’s invention,” Miska confirmed with a sigh. “I mean, it worked in the end, just, a little more nerve wracking than expected.”
“She does like to live on the edge,” Victoria pointed out. “Either way, glad you’re back, think Rose is enjoying her dinner in the garden. Careful not to catch her on her bad side.”
“Glad to see you too Scalemail!” Miska chuffed before making her way up to the garden.
At the top of Castle Foxtalia lay a small garden of herbs and flowers. Most of the time Miska simply appreciated their presence and color. But on the rare occasion she would assist her companion Rose in the simple but dangerous art of poison. As Miska reached the garden she paused.
A single finger, clad in reddish black scales that nearly vanished into the night, signaled for her to hold still. And so Miska did. In the flickering torchlight, she saw it. A lone thread of spider silk, nearly invisible in the torchlight.
“Do you see it?” Rose asked.
Miska silently stepped under the thread, winding around the other two stretched across the stone pathway. “All three of them.”
Rose nodded in quiet acknowledgment. “Good, your eyes have not lost their sharpness. Tell me Miska, what do you bring from the city of humanity?”
As Miska approached the piscine shadow, she produced the spellbook from beneath her cloak. “The spellbook of Stradex Kane.”
“Ah, the one the Archmage swiped from you after you took his offer?” Rose probed. “I take it you made certain he knew who did it?”
“Of course I did,” Miska coldly replied, her gaze never wavering from the splash of alabaster white scales covering the side of Rose’s face. “I left your name out though.”
“You did more than enough,” Rose assured, taking the book. “Now if that pale bundle of bones wants to stir up trouble, he’ll know all too well just who he’s dealing with.”
“That he will,” Miska remarked, trailing off as she spotted a blonde feline figure down into the courtyard carrying a large cannon of some sort.
“CLEAR!” the woman shouted as a thunderous explosion shook the castle.
As the smoke cleared Miska looked down to Rose as the two stared at the now smoking hole in the side of the castle wall.
“Next time, why don’t we send Bixby?”