J.H. White's Puss in Boots: Book I

Chapter Sixteen

"Bravo, Puss in Boots," a voice said from behind. Puss flinched.

"Sino?" he asked.

"I'm not Sino, you twit!"

A bolt shot out of the staff of Artephius' evil twin; Puss had no time to move out of the way. "NO!" he cried. It struck his entire body and he fell, his head cracking as he hit the ground. He closed his eyes and succumbed to death.

"YES!" the evil Sino cheered. "HE'S DEAD!" He held up his arms in victory when suddenly the ghost of the one he had just murdered whispered in his ear.

"Guess what?" Puss said. The evil Sino cowered and his eyes widened as he realized the truth.

"I'm right behind you."

Puss' sword flew through the air, as if it had appeared from the ether, and stabbed through the malevolent wizard's chest. Blood dripped rapidly from the wound, and he slumped to the ground, dying swiftly and painfully.

Puss walked over the dead body. He knelt by his fallen comrade and thanked him.

"My clone, may Dios grant you safe passage to the heavens." Puss had known the whole time that it hadn't been Sino, even back at the sight of Kitty's death. So, he had travelled a long distance to a small town, where he had found an actually trustworthy sorcerer to open a tunnel to The Netherworld. He recovered one of his clones, trained him, and sent him into the woods. It had certainly paid off, or he would be the one lying there dead.

"Now," he said to himself. "Where is that spell?" He went over to a wall of bottles and parchment, and found what he was looking for. He read the instructions aloud. "'Recite following passage and then plunge blade into thy heart.'" He retrieved his sword from his belt and sighed.

"This better work." He turned to God. "I pray that after death, I will dwell in the Holy Kingdom." He then studied the parchment for a second, and read the spell. "'Lu omni elipsor, de flori skala."

He pointed the receiving end of his weapon towards himself, and then stabbed himself in the chest. He shut his eyes and remembered Kitty's soft, tender kiss. If she walked the earth again, this would all be worth it. Then, he realized that he should be dead by now. He opened his eyes and looked down. Magical sparks healed his chest. "Why am I still alive?"

"There is no blood."

"Nothing is real."

****

He awoke in darkness, covered in sweat. He turned to the side and saw Kitty next to him. Of course; she was his wife. They had been married for two years now; she was alive. He breathed in relief. A nightmare. He pulled Kitty closer and she awoke, staring at him. "Puss, is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yes, because I'm with you, mi reina," he replied, smiling. They kissed, and it was the warmest sensation in the world. For a minute or two, there was no sound, only calm.

Gunfire unwantedly sliced through the air. They both got up, and Puss put on his boots, going over to the window. "WAR!" a cat shouted. "WAR IN SPAIN!" A grenade landed in front of him, and he was blown to pieces, his entrails splattering on the glass. Chaos was the only word for the sight outside. Mercenaries and cats in metallic masks violently took hostages and mowed down anyone who dared to fight back. Puss grabbed Kitty's paw, and they crouched below the window.

"We've got to get out of here," Puss whispered. She quickly put on her own boots, and then they ran out of the back door, trying not to be sighted. They began to break into a run, and when they were about five hundred feet away, they watched their house suddenly explode in a ball of light. Kitty started crying, deathly afraid for the first time in ages.

"It's okay, mi amor," Puss said as she pressed her head into his chest. "It's going to be okay." They gripped each other's paws tightly and headed out into the hell the world had become. 

END OF PART I