As a Cat

[Kasanda [Onora]]

Life was easier when you were a cat. It took less to feed you, and no one would recognize you. I pitied the rest of the Refugees who were forced to flee, as their faces were plastered all over town on Wanted posters. As a cat, no one had any idea I was a fire-throwing Refugee. I could live on mice the rest of my life. Yep, life was great, I thought as I crossed a street lazily, Cat at my side.

Then there was a sharp pain in my side. Unbearable. Stirring up my strength to look, I saw an arrow in my belly. How the hell had that happened?! I tried to look for my attacker, but I was losing blood fast. And blood was more valuable when you were a cat; you had less of it.

Someone had to know who I was. I tried to make a fast decision. Stay a cat, find a hiding place or someone with a heart and the will to heal me. Or I could change into a human, and fight back.

The fire in my blood begged to kill, to fight back. And as a human, the injury wouldn't be as lethal. Taking a deep breath, I willed myself to morph back into my original form. I heard shouts from the blood companions up on the roof, and the stretch of a bow.

"Not this time," I mumbled from behind ground teeth. A fireball formed in my hand, and I chucked it at the first assassin my eyes met. I glanced at the arrow in my gut for a split second; this way, the shaft was barely even burrowed inside of my skin. Wincing, I ripped it out with a sharp yelp of pain before I threw it angrily on the ground.

And then I ran, trying my hardest to ignore the pain in my stomach.

[Carey]

Ok, really, how often does that happen? I do believe I can count the times I've seen a cat morph into a human on one hand. Though there was that time I saw a donkey become a farmer....

Yeah, so anyways, I felt kind of bad seeing the cat get an arrow through it's belly and all, so I thought maybe I should help. Then I reevaluated and decided it really wasn't in my best interests. But the girl was all on her own....

Ah, hell. Stupid conscience. Back in the old days, I never would have given the girl a second look. But losing someone you love, like oh I dunno, a son, will sometimes put a new perspective on things like people.

So here I was, sneaking up behind some thug with a bow, trying to decide just how I wanted to kill him. I chose the subtle option, which unfortunately doesn't include one of my energy balls, but does include my darling little marks. Charming they are not, useful they are.

I chose to make his death a quiet one, and collected my inner power to perform said death. Then I simply shoved my fist through his nicely exposed back and gripped his heart, making sure to twist it a few times so he would die quickly and I could move on. He slumped to the floor without a sound, and I leaned over the edge of the roof to survey the scene. The girl was running, with a few rather unattractive (assassins and low-levels tend to not be gorgeous) guys running rather ungracefully after her. I grumbled and aimed a few energy balls at them, but seeing as how there was a bit of a crowd, and my targets weren't stationary, it was sort of hard to hit them just right. I wounded a few, downed even less, and began leaping across roof-tops after them. The things I do for people.

[Kasanda [Onora]]

One of the silhouettes from the roof dropped dramatically, though not by my hand. Who would be stupid enough to help a refugee, I wondered. After all, that would merit them one of those previously mentioned wanted signs as well, most likely. In any case, someone was helping me. I didn't know who. And, at the moment, I didn't really care.

Footsteps echoed from behind me, and I spared a glance over my shoulder, wishing I hadn't. More assassins. There couldn't ever just be one, or two, could there? The minimum was always five. Surveying the road around me, I tried to think of an escape plan.

My eye caught on a crevice between two buildings. My running slowed as the gears in my mind turned. It wasn't very large, but I might be able to squeeze through. And it might lead to a maze of back roads. Easier to get lost in. Perfect.

I was about to veer to the side and slip into the crack, when I stopped. Cat. Where was Cat?! I began to worry. Perhaps the assassins had finished him off, taken him because they knew I would follow... My breathing quickened as I looked around me in a panicked manner, the footsteps behind me getting louder, shouts being heard.

I didn't have much time. "Dammit," I murmured under my breath, feeling tears prick to my eyes. I always left him behind. And he always... But then I saw a small, orange head poke out from the crack between the buildings and look at me expectantly, as if wondering what was taking me so long. And then it was gone.

My running began once more as I followed. This time, with the men almost directly behind me. I threw myself at the crevice, sucking in my breath, turning side ways, and shoving my way through. I wondered if who ever had came to my aid was still willing to help, but I continued to try and squeeze between the buildings.

[Carey]

I grumbled as I ran and jumped, occasionally glancing over the roof to see where everyone was going. Thankfully the crowds began to thin, and so I was able to more accurately hit some of these idiots. And why were there so damn many? I mean come on, why do they send a big group of amateurs that almost always get slaughtered instead of one or two professionals who could get the job done without a problem.

So here I am just a runnin', when the girl and cat run between a couple of buildings. I stood on one of them and looked down at their heads, thinking quickly. So then I said a few ancient words, and the crevice sealed... or so it seemed. Anyone who came by would see a wall just like the others, but still be able to go right through my illusion. And since the men had seen the two go through that area, it might possibly not take them long to figure it out. I stayed back enough so I wouldn't be amazingly noticeable up on the roof, but still could see what was going on. The men were staring at the general area where they'd see the girl go, chattering confusedly. I just watched and waited, debating whether to start taking them out (I didn't want them coming up and finding me, but they were just standing there so easy to kill.)

[Kasanda [Onora]]

When I glanced over my shoulder to see if the men followed, I saw that the buildings were, apparently, stretched so that the crevice I had slipped through was no more. Who ever was helping me was, obviously, an expert with magic, I thought. I heard the assassin's behind the buildings yelling at one another about letting me get away, and a slow smile grew on my lips.

As I turned once more to jog pleasantly away, trying to regain my breath, I was dismayed to hear excited yells of, "Over here! It's a trick!" There were exhilarated footsteps, and then grunts as the men slipped between the buildings, presumably. My eyes widened.

Not good. My breathing quickened as I realized I had come to a complete stop in my attempt to hear what the men were saying, and I was too close to them now for comfort. Glancing back and forth quickly, I sprinted down a random back road, knowing I couldn't outrun the men much longer, but hoping to lose the men through the twists and turns of the maze-like backroads.

I just hoped I wouldn't lose my rescuer along the way.