by harvestberry » Tue May 07, 2024 6:09 pm
Four spotted paws trudged against the sandy loam beneath me, bogged down and tired. It was hot tonight, even for a desert; I had never experienced nighttime heat like this before. Nonetheless, I continued, winding through clumps of sage and dodging tall ocotillos. I was a cat on a mission, deployed with a promise to my group that I would find them a new home, a home with food and water. A home that could feel like home, rather than the oppressive and arid world from which I had left. And I would find it for them - after all, I was their god, their divine leader, born of the god of the world and the god of the dark. When I held their wishes and dreams in my freckled paws, all of their pleas magically came true. And this was a plea I was determined to fulfill. Not because so many of my followers begged for it, no, but because it was a gripe I also had with their current territory. Before long, the wintery scent of another cat, suffocating and piney, flooded my jaws. I sped up a bit, hoping to avoid the passing stranger, but my thick fur was quickly invaded by the temperature, and I was forced to return to a walk. A rustle echoed through the night next to me, and I went rigid, turning my head to the source; a large mottled tomcat, rising from a saltbush. “Greetings, I do not come bearing harm.” He spoke with an even, respectful tone, bowing his head - as if he could sense my divine abilities. I took a moment for analysis, looking the stranger up and down and checking his scent once more to discern his origins before clearing my throat.
“Greetings. Name?” I kept my voice curt and succinct, not fond of trying to be friendly with this cat. He looked a bit surprised, offended, even, flicking his ear with confusion.
“Solmani, and yours?” He spoke once more, remaining suspiciously peaceful towards me. I narrowed my eyes; his voice carried a light accent I’d never heard and his name was no word from any desert naming conventions, and for a moment, I considered chasing him away. But it was hot and I was low on energy, so I had no choice but to reply to the red and black tom.
“Khusuf.” With my name spoken into the dark, I turned, continuing on.
Solmani followed, granted slightly behind, but following nonetheless. As irritating as it was, I couldn’t deny the convenience of having a companion; two sources of food, easier lookouts and skirmishes with other travelers, and a shield to throw at predators, just in case. I humored him in light conversation, made my powers apparent to him, and yet he didn’t leave. I found that we actually agreed upon many points, and the stories from him about the area were valuable. I became especially intrigued when he mentioned a nearby clan, rich in resources.
Our plan was supposed to be foolproof. I had the ability to raise spirits from shadow; my group’s oracle had predicted moons ago that there would be an eclipse on that night, which would have given me enough darkness to raise an army to attack. It was simple, to be executed swiftly and succinctly, with no catches or drawbacks. Solmani would go in and distract the clan, I would raise an army, and we would ambush the clan to claim their land and resources. The day arrived; the shadows of the leaves surrounding us were crescents, splattered across the dried up ground, and I sent Solmani ahead to introduce himself and utilize charisma to lull them into false security. However, I found that, when the sun went dark, I couldn’t bring forth any spirits. Like a low-quality flint striking a dull stone, I tried over and over to spark my soldiers, but to no avail. I managed to get one spirit, a single stoic specter, and I attempted to convince it to help raise more spirits before the light returned. At this time, Solmani happened to return; confused by my delays.
He was trailed by an overcurious apprentice, who we both failed to notice. I spoke too loud, attempting to get my plan through to the stonefaced ghost, and the apprentice turned tail, fleeing. The clan emerged from their camp; and they believed that Solmani was stopping me. They thought he was on their side. Utterly ridiculous, that’s what I thought when they cornered me against an unsteady acacia tree and dragged me back to their camp, tossing me into a long-dead bramble den after ridiculing me for being an “evildoer” in the center of their shabby camp. I often looked to Solmani for help - my companion stood silent, watching. They assigned him as my guard, the wretched traitor. For a moon, I didn’t look him in the eye; I watched from my prison as he assimilated to their life. Their disgusting, fake life over-reliant on “friendship” and other principles founded by a delusion of safety in numbers. It made me feel sick, truly, seeing my companion turn his back on me, leave me to be humiliated before these cats as a villain when he was no better. But oh, he naively sought reform - my view of my companion grew harsh.
Three moons later, an anomaly occurred; yet another day when the sun went black. Solmani came to me that day. In the thick of the chaos, he tore open the back of my prison, guiding me out. He tried to continue traveling with me, make amends; I gave him a piece of my mind. A cruel, unfeeling piece of my mind. He turned, returning to those weak clan cats with shameful loyalty. When I returned home after several long, waterless moons of traveling, I found myself rejected by my own followers over my fruitless mission - and I shall never forgive Solmani, the traitorous fool, for my ruin shall forever be his fault.
Last edited by
harvestberry on Wed May 08, 2024 2:39 am, edited 2 times in total.
