We started the long walk back towards camp as the last traces of evening faded into full night, the tropical forest closing in around us like a living, breathing thing. The path wound through dense undergrowth and towering trees with broad, dripping leaves that still held the day’s rain. The air was thick with humidity and the rich scents of wet earth, exotic flowers blooming in the dark, and the faint salt tang carried from the distant coast.
My tail swished freely behind me now that it was no longer trapped under the stolen armour, brushing against vines and low ferns with every step. My ears perked and twitched at every sound, the constant drone of insects, the occasional distant call of a night bird, the rustle of something small moving through the underbrush. I stayed pressed right against Master’s side, one arm hooked possessively around his as we walked, my body moulded to his like I could shield him from the entire jungle if I had to. The events in the keep still hummed through me, the silent kills, the way we had cleared it from the top down without raising a single alarm and a dark, satisfied thrill lingered in my chest. We had done that together. Just us.
The first hour passed in a steady rhythm of footsteps on soft earth and the occasional snap of a twig underfoot. The canopy overhead was thick enough that only scattered patches of moonlight filtered through, turning the path into a maze of shadows and silver highlights. I kept my cat vision sharp, scanning the trees for any sign of movement while my thoughts circled possessively around Master. The locals we had left behind in the village were supposed to be raising more fighters and using the stolen Vanguard equipment, but part of me hoped they would struggle.
If they failed, it would mean we would have to return and finish the job ourselves, more nights like this, more blood spilled side by side, more chances for me to stay wrapped around him and prove I was the only one who truly belonged at his side. I nuzzled against his shoulder once, purring low and dark, my tail giving a slow, claiming flick against his leg. Through the bonded soul I caught a flicker of his thoughts, something about whether the locals would actually manage anything useful and it made me press even closer, my claws tracing lightly over his arm.
Around the second hour the first encounter came upon us without warning. We rounded a bend in the path and found ourselves at the edge of a small, moonlit clearing where a group of large, deer like creatures with spotted coats and wide, alert ears were grazing peacefully among the ferns. There were six or seven of them, their movements slow and unhurried, completely unaware of any threat. They lifted their heads when they noticed us but showed no sign of panic, just quiet curiosity before they went back to cropping at the vegetation. The scene was almost peaceful, the only sounds the soft tearing of leaves and the ever-present hum of insects.
My predatory instincts stirred instinctively at the sight of easy prey so close, my body tensing for half a second as if I might drop into a crouch and stalk forward. But I stayed right where I was, pressed against Master, my tail stilling as I fought the urge. These creatures didn’t know how easily I could have ended one of them in a single leap, but right now the only thing I wanted to hunt was anything that dared threaten him. I nuzzled harder into his shoulder, voice low and intense. “They have no idea how close they came to becoming prey tonight. But I’m only interested in one kind of hunt right now, Master. The kind that keeps you safe.”
We moved on after a few minutes, the creatures fading back into the shadows behind us as the path narrowed again. The forest grew denser here, vines hanging like curtains and thick roots forcing us to step carefully. The air grew warmer and heavier, carrying the sweet rot scent of fallen fruit and the sharp green smell of crushed leaves under our boots. My ears kept swivelling at every new sound, the distant splash of something moving through a hidden stream, the high pitched call of a bat, the low rustle that might have been wind or something larger shifting in the undergrowth.
I stayed glued to Master the entire time, my body never more than a few inches from his, tail occasionally brushing against him in a slow, possessive rhythm. Through the bonded soul I felt another flicker of his thoughts, something about the locals and whether they would actually raise any real numbers and it made me tighten my grip on his arm, claws pricking lightly through his sleeve. If those locals failed to deliver, I would make sure we handled the rest ourselves. I would tear through every last Vanguard on this island if that was what it took to keep Master’s plans moving forward.
The third hour brought the second encounter, and this one carried a sharper edge. We had just crested a low rise when movement ahead made me tense. A small group of native Alderians, five of them, dressed in light woven clothing and carrying spears and short bows, stepped onto the path from the side trail. They were clearly hunters, with the carcass of a large jungle animal slung between two of them, its fur still damp with blood. They stopped dead when they saw us, bodies going still and cautious, hands tightening on their weapons. Their eyes were wary, scanning us with the sharp assessment of people who knew how quickly a meeting in the dark forest could turn violent. They didn’t attack or even speak at first, just watched, bodies angled slightly as if ready to move in any direction. One of them, an older man with weathered skin and tribal markings on his arms, took a half step forward, his posture tense but not openly aggressive. The air grew thick with unspoken tension, the only sounds the distant insects and the soft creak of leather as they adjusted their grips on their weapons.
I shifted immediately, my body moving a fraction in front of Master without even thinking about it, my tail stilling and my ears flattening slightly in instinctive wariness. My instincts flared hot and sharp, these strangers were too close, too unknown, and any threat to Master was unacceptable. I didn’t draw my weapon or make any sudden moves, but my stance made it clear I was ready to end them if they so much as twitched wrong. Through the bonded soul I caught Master’s steady calm, but my own thoughts were a tangled mess of protectiveness and dark satisfaction at the idea of removing another potential problem for him. The hunters didn’t advance. After a long, tense moment the older one gave a slow nod, almost respectful, and gestured for his group to move aside and let us pass. They watched us the entire time we walked by, eyes never leaving us until we were well past. I stayed pressed against Master the whole way, my tail giving a single sharp flick once we were clear, the tension easing from my shoulders only when the hunters were out of sight behind us.
The final hour of the walk was quieter, the forest starting to thin as we neared camp. The path grew more familiar, the sounds of the jungle settling into a steady background hum. I stayed glued to Master the entire time, my body still pressed close, tail swishing in a slow, contented rhythm now that the second encounter was behind us. My thoughts circled possessively around everything that had happened, the keep, the kills, the way we had slipped in and out like shadows. The locals we had left behind might be raising fighters with the stolen equipment by now, or they might be failing miserably. Either way, I was already looking forward to whatever came next as long as it meant staying right here, right against Master, where I belonged. The first hints of pale light were starting to touch the eastern sky by the time the familiar shapes of our camp came into view through the trees, tents and low fires, the quiet sounds of people moving in the predawn quiet. I pressed even closer to him as we approached, my tail curling around his leg one last time, every part of me still humming with that dark satisfaction at having spent the night removing threats and staying exactly where I was meant to be.
We finally reached camp as the first pale light of dawn began to touch the horizon, the tropical forest giving way to the familiar cleared ground and scattered tents of our base. The warship sat solid at the small dock and the air carried the faint scent of cooking fires and damp earth from the recent rains.
The other cats were already back in one piece, just as Master had hoped. Lisette stood near the central fire pit with her brown cat ears perked and her two brown tails flicking in that steady way of hers, her second in command, a quieter catgirl with a single tail and sharp eyes at her side. The rest of their scouting team looked a little worn from the jungle but unharmed, already settling in with reports and gear. Seeing them safe sent a flicker of genuine relief through me but it tangled immediately with that darker possessiveness.
Lisette had been useful out there, sure, but she was still the same one I’d had to remind of her place back in the Cattail riot. She was the leader of these cats, but I was Master’s. No one else got to stand that close to what was mine.
Master turned toward them without missing a beat and called for a meeting with the leader and her second in command. We gathered in the open area, the morning light growing stronger and casting long shadows across the ground. I positioned myself right at Master’s left. This meeting was his idea, but I was going to make sure it stayed exactly where it belonged focused on him, on what we needed, on keeping everything that threatened us at bay.
Lisette spoke up first, her voice steady as she gave the report. “We found two wooden forts. One to the north and one to the east. Both are controlled by the Vanguard. They look like outposts they’ve set up to hold territory on the island, wooden palisades, towers, basic fortifications. The north one seems larger, with more guards and regular patrols. The east one is smaller but well positioned near some resources we spotted.”
Her second in command nodded and added a few more details. “We saw supply lines running between them and the main village, plus a few patrols moving back and forth. They seem to be expanding their hold across the island.”
I reacted to that immediately, my body tensing slightly against Master as a sharp, possessive edge cut through me. These forts were new threats, more Vanguard to eliminate, more ground they were trying to claim that should belong to Master instead. Lisette had found useful information, sure, but this was exactly the kind of thing I wanted to handle for him. More enemies to clear, more territory to make ours. I wasn’t about to let her or anyone else take the lead on something this important.
I took control of the conversation, my voice low and commanding as I spoke up. “Forts? Vanguard controlled ? That means we have more to hit before they get stronger and dig in deeper. We should scout them properly and take them out, the same way we cleared our keep. Silent and fast. The locals we left behind in the village might be raising more fighters with the stolen Vanguard equipment by now. If they have, we can use them as numbers. But we lead it. Hit the smaller one first to test their response, or split up and hit both if we’ve got enough people. Master, we can finish what we started out there.”
Lisette spoke first, her brow furrowed. “Village ? Locals ? Keep ? We don’t know what you did while we were out scouting the forts. What happened there ?”
Her second in command nodded, looking just as puzzled. “Yeah… we were focused on the north and east. Did something go down while we were gone ?”
I reacted immediately“Don’t worry about the details. The village and keep are handled. We cleared what needed clearing while you were out. Focus on the forts now. We hit the east one first to test them, use whatever the locals have raised with the stolen equipment if they’ve managed anything useful, and make sure the Vanguard doesn’t get a chance to dig in deeper. Master and I will lead where it counts. You two can scout the north one for weaknesses if needed but we move soon.”
Lisette and her second reacted to that, nodding slowly. Lisette still looked a little taken aback by how directly I had seized the lead, but she didn’t push back. “Alright… if the keep and village are sorted, we can focus on the forts. We’ll get more details on the north one’s defences like the eastern treeline approach if you want.”
Her second in command added quickly, “We’re ready to head out again if you want fresher information before we move. Just say the word.”
A smug little thrill curled hot through me. They had no idea. While they were out playing scouts, Master and I had already slipped into the keep, cleared it top to bottom with silent precision, and claimed every inch of it without raising a single alarm. We got so much more done than they even realised.
Without a word, I reached over, took Master’s hand in mine, and dragged it firmly to my head, pressing his palm against my ears. My tail gave a slow, satisfied swish behind me as I leaned into the touch, purring low and intense. “Pet me like a good cat, Master,” I murmured, voice thick with that possessive edge. My ears perked under his hand, and I nuzzled against it, making sure Lisette and her second saw exactly who I belonged to and how much more we had accomplished while they were away.
Lisette and her second reacted to that, both of them looking a little taken aback. Lisette glanced away for a second, ears twitching, while her second shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Neither of them pushed back or asked again. They just nodded slowly, clearly adjusting to the shift in the room.
I stayed right there against Master, tail still moving in that slow, claiming rhythm, every part of me smug and satisfied. They didn’t need to know the details. Some victories were just for us.
We left the northern tower as the last traces of night gave way to a pale, overcast dawn. Master had gathered the cats, Lisette and her second in command along with the rest of their scouting team and the tiefling Serepha was already with us, her young face set in that quiet, determined way of hers. Only the goblins stayed behind at the northern tower, holding the position we had claimed. The rest of us moved as one group through the thinning treeline, the wooden fort receding behind us as we made our way back toward the motte and bailey.
My tail swished with restless energy behind me, ears perked and twitching at every distant sound, while I stayed pressed close to Master’s side, one hand lightly gripping his arm. The air was cool and damp with morning mist, carrying the faint scent of smoke and blood from the village ahead. I could feel that familiar thrill building in my chest, the same dark satisfaction I had felt while clearing the keep with him earlier. We had already done so much more than the cats realised, and now we were heading straight back into the heart of the unrest.
The walk itself was tense but uneventful at first. Lisette moved ahead with her team, her brown ears flicking as she scanned the treeline, while her second stayed close to her side, both of them alert but quiet. Serepha walked a little behind us, her tiefling tail swaying slightly, eyes sharp as she kept pace.
As we neared the motte and bailey, the sounds of fighting reached us first, shouts, the clash of iron and the low roar of unrest echoing from inside the walls. The Vanguard had abandoned the outer walls and towers entirely. No sentries patrolled the palisades. No archers lined the walkways. Their attention was fixed inward on the chaos we had helped spark back at the inn and through the locals we had pushed to rise.
The gates stood unguarded, the heavy wooden barriers half open as if someone had fled through them in a hurry. We approached without resistance, Serepha moving up beside us with a nod of confirmation.
Master gave the order for a steady formation, no one breaks apart and we moved in as one. Lisette’s team fell into line on our flank, swords and bows ready but disciplined, while Serepha took position on the other side, her expression calm but alert. I stayed right at Master’s side. The gates opened easily under our hands, creaking on their hinges like they had been left that way on purpose.
Inside, the bailey was a mess of fighting. Vanguard soldiers, still in their copper iron alloy armour were clashing with groups of locals who had clearly risen up in the night. There was only one clear way in and one way out through the main gate we had just used. The Vanguard were too fixated on the internal unrest to notice us slipping through.
We held the formation as Master had ordered, a solid line cutting into the chaos without breaking apart. The Vanguard were outnumbered here, their discipline cracking under the weight of the locals’ anger. Some were falling back toward the inner keep we had already cleared, while others tried to hold pockets of ground near the storehouse and the inn. Serepha moved up beside Master, her voice low but steady as she spoke. “They’re hitting the Vanguard hard, but it’s messy. No one’s in control yet.”
Lisette nodded from her position on the flank, her brown ears perked as she watched the fighting. “My team can hold this line if you want us to push toward the storehouse. The cats are ready. We’ve got the numbers now that we’re all here.”
Master’s order held firm as we advanced a few steps into the open ground, the formation steady and unbroken. I kept my spear ready at my side, but my focus stayed on him, every instinct screaming to protect and claim. Serepha glanced over once. “The goblins are still holding the northern tower like you wanted. No word from the eastern fort yet, but if the locals keep this pressure up, the Vanguard won’t be able to reinforce anywhere.”
Lisette’s second in command added from her place in the line, voice quiet but firm. “We can split off and hit their flank near the inn if you give the word. The cats are fresh enough after the walk back.”
Master turned to the cats and spoke, his voice calm but firm. “Just hold up your shields and swords, let the two groups tire themselves out. Although we don't have the manpower to hold onto the motte and bailey and I won't divert troops from the mainland, settles can come sure but just like when house serrean turned up in full blown rare steel, if we ever faced a real threat we'd be screwed. Luckily these are just play kingdom mercs and peasants but logically we're a vassal of a vassal of a vassal of vassal of a kingdom.”
Lisette nodded, her brown ears flicking once as she adjusted her grip on her sword. “Understood. We’ll hold the line steady and let them wear each other down. The cats can reinforce where needed without breaking formation.”
Her second in command added quietly from beside her, “We’re fresh enough after the walk back. We’ll keep discipline like you said.”
Serepha Blacktallow spoke up from her place in the line, her young tiefling face calm but sharp. “The unrest is spreading from the inn. This could work if we stay patient. The Vanguard are stretched thin already.”
We held our steady formation just inside the gates as the fighting inside the motte and bailey dragged on. The Vanguard were beginning to beat the locals back now, and it was clea, very clear how easily they were doing it. Even though the villagers had grabbed whatever Vanguard equipment they could find, they fought like untrained, unskilled peasants. Wild swings, no coordination, no discipline. They broke apart under the first real push from the armoured soldiers, scattering in small groups while the Vanguard advanced in tight, professional lines. The copper iron alloy glinted in the early light as they cut through the chaos without mercy. There was only one way in and one way out through these gates, and the fighting was contained right in front of us, the noise of clashing metal and shouts echoing off the abandoned walls and towers.
My tail lashed once behind me in irritation, ears flattening slightly as I stayed pressed tight against Master’s side. This wasn’t going the way it should. We had already done so much more than these fools could manage, and now the Vanguard were turning it around far too easily.
A dispatchment of Vanguard broke away from the fighting inside and came running straight towards us. An officer at the front shouted as they approached, trying to buy us off with desperate offers. “Join the Vanguard! Gold, ranks, power, the locals are nothing but peasants! Stand with us and we’ll share the spoils, you’ll be rewarded beyond measure!”
Before Master could respond, I reacted first. How dare they try to buy us, buy Master, like we were some cheap commodity to be traded ? I stepped forward slightly, spear raised, claws flexing as I snarled low and intense. “No one buys my Master ! Your filthy gold is an insult! I’ll gut every last one of you for even suggesting it!”
The dispatchment reacted with visible surprise, the officer’s eyes widened and he stumbled back a step, his men hesitating as they realised we weren’t for sale. One of them even muttered something about not worth it but the officer quickly tried to recover, shouting more offers while drawing his sword.
I took control right there, shouting orders to the party without waiting, my voice sharp and commanding as I kept my body angled protectively in front of Master. “Everyone hold the formation! Shields up, but be ready to strike on my word no one breaks rank until I say ! These bastards think they can buy what’s mine !”
Lisette reacted next, her brown ears perking as she raised her shield and spear in a defensive stance, voice practical but firm. “The cats will hold steady like you said. If they attack, we counter hard but I say we hear them out just long enough to see if there’s any useful intel in their desperation.”
Her second in command reacted right after, moving up beside Lisette with her own shield raised, loyal and cautious. “I’m with the leader. We don’t break formation, but if they push, the cats strike together. No risks.”
Serepha Blacktallow reacted with youthful fire, her tiefling tail flicking as she stepped forward eagerly, eyes blazing with that impulsive energy. “Screw their offers ! Let’s end them now, they’re insulting Master ! I’m ready to charge if you give the word !”
Master then approached one of them directly, redstone steel sword flashing in a brutal arc aimed straight at the man’s neck.
The blade struck true but it wasn’t a clean slice through the bone. It bit deep into the flesh first, then jarred to a stop against the spine with a sickening crunch. The Vanguard soldier didn’t die instantly. He gurgled wetly, eyes bulging in shock as blood sprayed in a messy arc across the ground and over his own armour. He clutched at his throat with both hands, legs buckling as he bled out slowly, twitching and choking on his own life while the rest of us watched. It was ugly. Deliberate. The kind of death that left a message.
I reacted instantly, a dark thrill racing through me. Seeing Master do that, claiming violence so openly for us, sent a rush straight through my chest. “Yes, Master… make them bleed like that. They tried to buy you. They deserved every messy drop.”
The rest of the cats picked off the dispatchment easy enough after that. Lisette and her team moved with clean, coordinated precision, striking down the remaining Vanguard soldiers in quick succession.Blades flashed and the small group was finished before they could even fully react or try to run. It was over in moments, bodies dropping where they stood.
Serepha Blacktallow reacted with that youthful fire in her eyes, tiefling tail flicking as she glanced at the bleeding body. “Brutal. They got exactly what they deserved for trying to buy us like that. I’m ready to push if you give the word, the unrest is still going strong inside.”
We moved forward as one towards the Vanguard lines, the steady formation holding firm even as the sounds of battle shifted around us. The fighting inside the motte and bailey wasn’t chaotic anymore, the locals were pushing back hard now. Vanguard soldiers were being forced to give ground, their lines starting to buckle under the sheer weight of numbers and raw anger from the uprising we had helped ignite.
Then the cat girls struck from the south. The eighteen guardsmen came in like a wave, hard leather gambeson layered over copper iron chain mail, copper iron Barbute helmets gleaming dully, copper iron kite shields locked together in a wall. Short bows sang first, arrows thinning the Vanguard ranks before the charge hit home. Their short swords flashed in tight, coordinated arcs while the Captain at their head raised her copper iron heater shield high, barking orders that cut through the din. Lisette led them with that steady, practical fire in her eyes, her two brown tails lashing as she drove the wedge deeper into the enemy flank. They moved like a single creature, disciplined and relentless, and the Vanguard positions began to fracture under the pressure.
I stayed right at Master’s side as we pushed in from the front, my spear already slick with blood from the dispatchment we had just ended. My tail lashed behind me in raw, aggressive rhythm, ears flat against my head in focus while my claws flexed on the haft of my weapon. I fought like something feral unleashed, spear thrusting and slashing with lethal precision, my body moving on pure instinct to stay close to him, to shield him, to make sure nothing touched what was mine.
Serepha Blacktallow fought beside us, her young tiefling face shifting from cold calculation to sudden bursts of charismatic command. One moment she was calm and strategic, barking orders to keep the pressure on, the next she was laughing wildly as she drove her own blade into a Vanguard soldier’s side.
The Vanguard were encircled before they even realised it. The cat girls hit them from the south, the locals kept pushing from the front and flanks, and we drove in from the gate like the final nail. They tried to reform, tried to use their armour and training but the numbers and the fury were against them now. One by one they fell, cut down in the press. The ones who tried to rally were cut apart by the cat girls’ coordinated strikes, the ones who tried to flee found no escape through the single chokepoint we controlled. Within minutes the last pockets of resistance collapsed.We stood amid the aftermath, weapons still raised, the bailey finally quiet except for the heavy breathing of the living and the distant crackle of scattered fires. I stayed pressed close to Master, tail curling possessively around his leg even as my ears perked at the sounds of the locals beginning to cheer. The cat girls held their formation with discipline, Lisette’s voice already calling for them to secure the area. Serepha wiped her blade clean with a mercurial little smile, her mood shifting again into something calmer and more controlled as she surveyed the victory.
Lisette spoke first, voice steady but carrying across the bloodied ground. “The cats held the line and struck true. We’ve secured the southern approach and the gates. This place is ours now if we want it.”
Serepha Blacktallow added with that charismatic edge, her tone shifting from the heat of battle into something more measured. “Control of the bailey is ours. The Vanguard here are broken. We can consolidate before they send reinforcements from elsewhere.”
As the last of the Vanguard fell, the fighting in the motte and bailey began to die away into a heavy, exhausted silence. The locals didn’t turn on us. They stood among the bodies, weapons lowered, breathing hard and staring at us with a wary mix of gratitude and uncertainty. No one raised a blade in our direction. They knew who had opened the gates. They knew who had helped turn their uprising into something that actually worked.
Master simply nodded at them, a calm, measured gesture that seemed to acknowledge the victory without claiming it. Then he turned and left the motte and bailey without another word, and I stayed right at his side. We had done so much more than the others realised, the keep cleared in silence, the Vanguard dispatch ended in blood, and now this. The locals had the win, but it was ours underneath.
“We could probably push or make them a subject maybe however an independent faction is likely better for us especially one on friendly ish terms,” he said as we walked away from the blood slick ground and the broken Vanguard lines.
I reacted instantly, a smug thrill running through me at his words. “As you say, Master. An independent faction on friendly terms… as long as they remember exactly who made it possible. I’d make sure they never forget their place if they tried anything else.”
Lisette glanced back at the scene we were leaving, her brown ears flicking once as she kept pace with her cat girl guardsmen. “The formation held and the cats struck clean. Leaving them independent gives us a buffer without tying up our own strength. It’s practical.”
Serepha Blacktallow walked on Master’s other side, her young tiefling face shifting from the lingering heat of battle into something more measured, her obsession with control showing in the way she spoke. “An alliance of convenience rather than subjugation. It lets us shape their direction without the cost of occupation. I can work with that, Master. We can guide it quietly if we need to.”
We walked the few hours back to the Northern Tower through the tropical forest. It was peaceful, nothing interesting happened along the way. The path was quiet, the canopy above filtering the light into dappled patterns on the ground, the air cool and carrying the scent of damp earth and distant salt from the sea.
As we arrived at the gates, the goblins were still inside the colony, playing settlers. They had done no fighting, just building and farming in their own way, small structures going up, patches of cat tail and cabbage being tended, the air carrying the scent of simple industry rather than battle. It was peaceful inside, a quiet little pocket of our claim.
At the gates, however, the Valenti Guild from Guardsville were waiting outside. They had built the Northern Tower after all, but abandoned it due to overextension, focusing instead on their efforts in Guardsville after Saltspire Island's discovery. Now they stood there in their merchant guild finery, a small group of them, clearly here for a reason but they hadn't spoken yet.
Our party went first.
I stepped forward slightly, still pressed against Master, my tail swishing with that smug, possessive energy. My ears perked as I looked at them, blue eyes sharp. "The Northern Tower is under Clan Bogclutch now. We took it after you left it empty. What brings the Valenti Guild here ?"
They reacted to that, the lead merchant, a sharp eyed Alderian exchanging glances with his companions before speaking. He went on at length about the Order of the Oak, their structure as a tiered spiritual militant brotherhood. He spoke of their culture of reverence for sacrifice, remembrance, loyalty, and quiet vigilance. He detailed their public agenda to preserve the legacy of the Eternal Hero, uphold justice, protect the weak, and maintain sacred sites, opposing tyranny and corruption.
Then he added, "Additionally, there have been raids from the east, threatening stability and our interests on the island. We seek assistance, either from Clan Bogclutch or the Vanguard or both, to deal with these threats and secure the area."
I took control of the conversation right there, my voice low and commanding as I kept my body moulded against Master's side. "We can discuss assistance with these raids from the east."
They reacted to that, the lead merchant nodding slowly, his expression shifting to something more cautious but not hostile. "Understood. We seek no conflict, only arrangement. We can negotiate terms that benefit both sides, with permanence and records in mind."
“We’re not annoying one of the largest orders in all of alderia not just locally.” And with that Master walked past the merchants. “Although do come in for some tea imported from clan embercrack in redstone hold, that’s within the kingdom of alderia for you saltspire league lot, oh and don’t mind the cats, exotic i know, i’d love to see the reaction of those posh upper classes in big cities one day. Eitherway they’ve earned some time off.” With that he pet me.
I reacted instantly, a wave of pure euphoria crashing through me the moment his hand touched my head. My tail wrapped tight around his waist, ears pressing eagerly into his palm as I nuzzled hard against him, purring loud and unrestrained. We’d done so much more. I grabbed his hand with my own claws, pressing it more firmly to my head, demanding without hesitation. “Pet your kitten properly, Master. Like a good cat deserves.”
