by L. Fergus
Relief washed over Kita. “He is my friend—my only friend for most of my life. I would rather die than give him up.”
“I see. I am glad he has someone like you if he is to belong to anyone.”
Kita laughed. “I think you have it backward. I belong to him.”
The boy poked his head from behind the desk. “What’s so funny? And how come she hasn’t tried to eat you yet?”
Kita motioned for the boy to come out. “I don’t think she wants to eat you, but I do think it would be best if we left. Go gather your things, and we’ll go.”
The boy nodded and opened a trunk.
“Why does he call you Fallen Angel?” said the woman.
“Because I am a wicked person who tries to do the right thing.”
“Then this is your handiwork?” The woman motioned to the barracks, and Kita nodded. “And you did this because you were asked to?” Kita nodded again. “Then why do you consider yourself to be wicked?”
You haven’t been to the other room. “I don’t. That is how others judge me. Speaking of wicked things, maybe you can provide some answers to a problem in one of the rooms. I was going to bring my scholar, but you’re knowledgeable too. Sarge, stay and protect the boy. We’ll be right back.”
The woman growled and huffed at some of her war cats. The cats moved over next to Sarge. Satisfied the boy was safe, Kita led the woman through the hallways to the slaughterhouse. The woman took in the scene without a word, following the whimpers of the man in the grinder. Kita jumped to the grinder platform and knelt beside the man.
“Still don’t have anything to say to me?”
The words tumbled out of his mouth, “The boy has the key—”
“It’s too late. I found the cat queen and freed her. Now you get to die slowly and get to think about what might have been.”
Kita stood and found the woman standing behind her.
“You!” The woman snarled. She lashed out with claws extending from the tops of her hands. She struck him across the face multiple times, then grabbed his blood-soaked shirt and pulled him toward her.
“This is too good for you, you worthless coward! I should tear you apart and eat your beating heart. No one treats me like that. No one! If your family jewels were still there, I’d rip them off and shove them into your eye sockets.” She reached around, bit off his remaining ear, and jammed it into his mouth. Grabbing his intestine, she wrapped it around his head several times. “Smell what you are, pig.”
The woman walked away, busy cleaning the blood from her fur.
“Hmmm, you may be right. There are worse ways to die.” Kita laughed at the man and hurried to catch up to the woman. “I will warn you. The next room makes this one look like happy land.” Kita opened the door. As they walked down a row of chained cats, the woman smelled each. “Are they yours?”
“No. These look like my cats, but they are not. They do not smell like war cats. This was some sick organic factory borrowing the biology of a cat as the vessel for growing meat. These poor things are not cats but meat vegetables. The best we can do is to kill them quickly.” The woman looked sickened.
Kita led the woman to the control room. “I unlocked it, but I don’t know what it means. I have a scholar who might know.”
The woman bent over the panel. Kita peeked over her shoulder as she went through the program.
“I can't find a way to kill them quickly,” said the woman. “The best I can do is cut off the food and let them starve to death. It might be quicker to cut off the hormones.”
“What if we poison the hormone supply?”
“If we had something that could poison all of them, but I haven’t seen anything that could do that.”
“Leave that to me. Help me find the tank.”
“What do you plan to do?” said the woman with a dubious look.
“I have a nerve agent. Less than a drop is lethal to a human. I figured it’s an even better ratio for a cat.”
They found a collection of tanks in the corner, and the woman identified which tank held the hormone mixture. Kita climbed to the top and undid the cap. Extending her barbs into the tank, she shot a nerve agent into the liquid until her hands went numb. After replacing the cap, she climbed down. Not easy when your hands are asleep.
“I didn’t see you pour in anything,” said the woman.
Kita responded by extending a barb from her hand as she led the woman out of the room.
“That’s an elaborate body mod. Where did you have it done?” The woman took Kita’s hand and studied it. “It’s amazing! There’s no scar tissue or anything. It's as if you were born with it.”
Kita shrugged. “It was part of my dowry.”
“Your what?”
“You should be one to talk about body modification. Yours is fantastic,” Kita said, not wanting to explain Omega.
“Thanks, but mine is genetic modification. It took me a long time to perfect. How old are you, anyway?”
“Twenty-three,” said Kita.
“Twenty-three hundred is too young to have access to technology for body mods. You’re not an original colonist, are you? I thought they were all gone.”
Ah, how old are you? “Nope, just twenty-three.”
“But that’s impossible. It must be genetic.”
Kita scraped some of the newly formed skin off her knuckles and showed her metal bones.
The woman looked at her in disbelief. “Does it hurt? Did you do that while you were fighting?”
“Just a little.” Kita blushed under her roses. “I did it back in the tunnel.”
“Those chunks of rock came from you?” Kita nodded meekly. “When did you get these body mods?”
“Not long ago.”
“You said dowry. What did you marry, a computer?”
Kita gave her an I’m-not-telling smile as they arrived at the barracks.
The boy ran to them. “Fallen Angel, you’re back! We’ve been playing a great game called Defender of the Realm. The cats are monsters, and I must hold them off and—”
Kita laughed. “I’m glad you had fun, but it’s time to go. Get your stuff.”
The boy looked disappointed, but he seemed to know an order when he heard one. He gathered his few belongings and returned to her.
“Say goodbye,” said Kita motioning to the woman.
“Thank you for letting me play with your cats, Cat Queen.”
The woman knelt in front of the boy with a pleasant smile. “What’s your name?”
Hard to ask nicely when you have a mouthful of teeth.
“Eazor.”
“Well, Eazor, how would you like to have a cat companion of your own?”
The boy’s face lit like a candle. “You mean it?”
“As long as you promise to take good care of him and not abuse him, he will stay with you forever. Understood?”
Eazor nodded.
The woman waved over the biggest cat in the room. “This is Norway. He’s young, but he is big, smart, and strong. You will be able to ride on his back while he takes you home.”
The boy’s eyes get any bigger and they’ll pop.
The woman stood, and Kita leaned into her and whispered, “Thanks, it’ll make getting him down the mountain easier.”
“I did it so I could keep you here.”
Kita blushed and hoped her roses would hide the color.
Kita went to the desk and wrote a note on a piece of paper. She folded the letter and took her chain off to mark it. The only problem was she had no wax. As a substitute, Kita used some wet blood on the desk. It’s what they did in the old days, right?
Kita gave the letter to Eazor. “I won’t be going with you, but take this note to the village at the base of the mountain. It says that the cats will no longer bother them, and they are to take care of you. I will speak to the king about sending them food. Can you remember this?”
Eazor nodded.
The woman said, “Tell the villagers the cats will provide the
m with game for the next year while they replenish their herds. If a cat is harmed, the arrangement ends. Understand?”
“Yes, Cat Queen. I will tell them the cats are their friends.”
The woman smiled. “Good. Let’s get you on your way. We want you there before dark.”
Kita, the cat queen, and many cats escorted Eazor to the complex entrance. The woman showed the boy how to hold onto Norway so it wouldn’t hurt him. A war cat brought a pelt, and Kita fastened it around Eazor’s neck.
“There. You should be warm for the ride down.” Kita gave him a coin from her belt. “This is my marker. If you ever need anything, find a legionnaire and give him this. They will help you.” Eazor slipped the coin into his pocket.
Norway took a few steps forward with his young rider. Eazor slipped off and landed in the snow, laughing. The pair tried several more times before they figured it out and were off down the trail. Kita turned to Sarge after Eazor was out of sight. “Ready to go, boy?”
Sarge rubbed her leg, which won him an ear scratch.
Kita turned to the woman, but she was gone. Kita shrugged. Makes saying goodbye easier. She jumped and bounded along the cliff faces back the way she'd come. She’d gone a hundred yards before she realized Sarge wasn’t with her. Unhappy, Kita jumped onto an overhang to look for him. He sat alone waiting at the entrance to the cave. Kita grumped and made her way back to him. “What’s the matter? Are you afraid of heights, you big chicken?”
Sarge growled at her.
“He says it’s impolite to leave without saying goodbye or giving a name. And, he says you and he have been invited to go and play with the other cats. So, do you have a name, or shall I just call you Fallen Angel?” said the woman coming out of the cave entrance.
“You can call me that if I can call you Cat Queen.”
The woman let out a series of chuffs, growls, and mews. “The cats call me Snowy.”
“Kita. A pleasure to meet you, Snowy. I apologize for leaving; I thought you’d left.” Me.
“I’m sorry. A cat arrived with the location of the encampment that this factory supplied. I gave them instructions to attack the camp.” A fire lit in Snowy’s eyes. “I thought you would like to join us after what you did here.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Good, follow me.”
Snowy moved gracefully across the rock and ice. After slipping more than once while watching her, Kita decided she needed to pay more attention to what she was doing. Sticky hands only work when you have something to stick to.
High above the enemy camp on a rocky hillside, Kita knelt next to Snowy. The rows of enemy tents formed a wheel. Several banners whipped in the wind above a large tent in the middle. Groups of dog-men trained with spears while hog-men performed manual tasks and serviced the war machines.
Kita changed lenses and counted the enemy tents. “There must be seven thousand soldiers here. Do you think you can catch the leader? I’d like to ask him a few questions.”
“We’ll try.” Snowy called several cats and gave them instructions. They took off in different directions. “They should get the message to everyone before the signal.”
“What’s that?”
Snowy pointed to the sun. “When the sun is highest in the sky, we attack.”
How do they know when it’s at its highest?
The cats around Kita and Snowy moved out of the shadows and snowdrifts down the mountain slopes to the valley floor. Kita checked the sun. A message in her head said it was at its highest point.
In the enemy camp, Kita killed a few dog-men and hog-men, but the cats did most of the work. The fight wasn’t one-sided, though. The dog-men proved exceptional fighters with their spears, but they were no match for the sheer number of war cats. The less agile hog-men, swinging only clubs and axes, became easy prey.
During the fighting, Kita became separated from Snowy. She walked among the bodies littering the ground. It was her first exposure to the carnage of a battlefield. The dying and injured whimpered and cried out for help. Only the dead were at peace.
It was unlike anything Kita had ever experienced. For all the people she killed, nothing prepared her for the scene before her. This was a new point of savagery and despair. And I’m expected to lead people into this? This was her new profession. At some point, her stomach and mind must become hardened to the sight, sound, and smell. But how do I harden my heart? Is it possible? Others have done it. But can I? Can I be an effective commander and do this? Can I be effective and not do this? No. If I’m going to be effective, I’m going to have to learn. But not today. Today she was a naïve student having her eyes opened for the first time, and her heart bled for the war cats. They were innocent. Carnage such as this should be left to those who should be punished. Like me.
When the battle was over, few cats had escaped the fighting unharmed. They fought with valor and courage, and now they had the wounds to prove it. Kita carried several containers of Zidin’s healing balm, and she applied it to as many of the cats as she could. Those she could do nothing for, she put out of their misery. I hope it’s the right thing to do.
Kita knelt and tended to a cat that limped up to her. A nasty slice ran across the side of its front leg. A few feet away, a hog-man squealed and tried to reach for her when Kita healed the cat. Kita stepped next to him, just out of his reach.
“Is this what you want?” Kita showed him the container of healing balm.
The hog-man squealed.
“Why do you think I should heal you?” The hog-man pointed to his skin and then to her armor.
“You think because I’m the same color as you that I should heal you?”
The hog-man grunted.
“You believe I should show you mercy, even though you are my enemy?”
The hog-man snorted.
“Would you show me the same consideration if I was in your place?”
The hog-man squealed.
Kita shook her head. “I don’t believe you. I think you’d let me lie there in pain and agony as I contemplated everything I’d done in my life and wonder, why me?”
The hog-man shook his head.
Kita examined his wound. “I could close that if I wanted, but if I heal you today, you will only be back the next day to attack me. It’s better that you die now, so you can’t try and kill me tomorrow.”
The hog-man thrashed and gnashed its teeth.
“Death comes to us all, my friend, get used to the idea. Yours is coming quickly, so you better get used to the idea quickly.” Kita walked away from the angry hog-man. My first lesson in war.
Kita found Snowy in the large tent in the center of the camp. War cats surrounded a human in black armor on his knees. A helmet resembling a dog’s head lay on the ground. Kita picked it up. It was well made—the inside had lots of padding, and the decorative engraving was masterfully done. She'd seen this kind of work before during her time dueling in Champignon. She set the helmet in front of the man.
“I arrived just in time. The cats were ready to tear him apart,” said Snowy. “Do you want to question him? He might have some useful information.”
She sounds like she’d like that. They may still get their chance yet.
“Sure. Who are you?” Kita asked the man.
He turned up his nose. Kita’s day had left her weary, and she didn’t feel like breaking another man today.
“No answer? Suit yourself. I’ll let the cats have you.” Kita motioned with her hand, and the cats lunged forward. She walked to the tent’s entrance.
“Wait! Stop!” the man screamed.
Kita returned. Scratches and dents covered his armor while blood leaked from punctures in the plates. “You have something to say now?”
“My name is Lionello Gilles. This was my army,” he said with a thick Champignon accent laced with pain.
“Well, Lionello Gilles, you are a long way from Champignon. Why is that?”
“I was paid to lead this army. In Champig
non, I was a marquis, but I lost my district.” Gilles struggled to hold himself up on his knees.
“And what was your army supposed to do?”
“We attacked the eastern flank of the king’s camp. These fleabags helped us—traitors. What did you offer them to turn?”
Kita’s eyebrows rose. “I offered them revenge against those that imprisoned their queen. A traitor is someone who was once loyal. They were never loyal to you, only their queen.” Snowy looked away, her ears flat against her head and her whiskers drooped. “So, you’re responsible for the attack on the king’s army and the Legion?”
“The king’s men scattered like sheep before wolves. We hunted them down and slaughtered them. The legionnaires begged for mercy. The mighty Legion is nothing but a bunch of scared boys.”
Kita refused to rise to his bait. Not because it didn’t anger her; instead, she was afraid he was right. “What are you supposed to do now? And what are your long-term objectives?”
“We’re supposed to hold here and wait for further orders.”
“Who gives you your orders?”
“They come by courier, but he’s a paid stooge from one of the villages below.”
“Anything else you think I might want to know?” Kita walked away when he didn’t say anything.
“Wait! Where are you going? I’m a prisoner of war! You can't leave me here. You are required to take care of me!” Gilles yelled.
Kita turned and looked down at him. “And what compels me to do such things?”
“You are honor-bound to take care of me. It is the proper decency afforded to all nobles on the battlefield.”
Kita’s harsh laughter could split stone. She yanked him off the ground and held him above her head. “And what honor would you have afforded these cats and their queen if they’d lost? None. You would have slaughtered them like sheep. What honor did you show the king and his men when they broke and scattered? Did you break off the attack like the proper rules dictate? No, you said yourself you slaughtered them to the man.” Kita lowered him to be face to face. She whispered, “And what decency did you show my men when they begged for mercy?”
