Cait-Saith, Gate of Skye
It moves into the chamber as quietly as a mouse and as gracefully as any of its kind can when strutting into a place any sane person would avoid, luckily it wasn't. The chamber was dark and damp as the last time it was here so long ago to visit the Queen of Shadows to bother her about one thing or another, and just like last time, the gate to the land beyond life thrummed and hummed with death as the crimson mist that acted as it's door silently twisted and turned like fresh blood in a cauldron, it chuckles at such a nostalgic sight before him and grins as he watches the shadows on the wall tear itself off the wall and stalks forward in the form of a hound and grows at Cait-Saith.
"Oh, come now little puppy, no need to get so uptight about little old us," the cat says with an unnerving grim as it continues to walk forward without fear, its long black tail swaying like a snake.
The hound growls and snaps at the cat, lifting its muzzle to show off its teeth.
"Bare your fangs at someone else, Hound of Ulster, we both know we are no threat to you, and neither are you to us," the cat says with a roll of its eyes before walking right past the hound, "we're just here to pay a visit to Scáthach, and a friendly one at that, for we are painfully aware that even at the height of our power we could not harm your teacher, foolish hound," Cait-Saith tells the shadow dismissively before hopping up the stones at the base of the archway. It frows at the swirling gateway to the Land of Shadows, it had always disliked the realm that Scáthach called home, it was far too close to Terminus if you were to ask them, but still, the King of Cats leaps into the gateway falling through shadow and time to land on the crystal floor of Dún Scáith's throne room.
It was just as It remembers it from so very long ago before it had slipped beyond the hedge to hide from the Romans that had come to their land and bound the other gods, The King of Cats walks deeper into the throne room and up the steps of the throne to jump up on the ledge that leads to the windows that overlook the crags and plateaus beneath the castle. Cait-Saith sees a curious sight from his vantage point, a large beast of scales and gold, swatting and trying to crush in its claws a smaller shadow dancing around the creature, the smaller shadow moved with practice grace and struck the beast with a crimson lance, knocking the creature back and forth In an almost playful manner.
The creature continues to struggle against the shadow, roaring loud enough for even Cait-Saith to feel its bones rattled, but the shadow just laughs before her lance ignites in the curse created by it before she strikes the beast with the spear, sending off the plateau and deep into the shadows of the crags. The shadow then turns, looking up at the castle, right at Cait-Saith, the King of Cats smiles back before jumping off the ledge and making its way over to the throne before jumping onto it, making a quick circle before laying down, tucking its paws beneath it and curling his tail around it, and waits.
It doesn't take long for the shadow to show up.
"And to what do I owe the dubious honor of hosting the King of Cats for?" Scáthach asks as she enters the room, stepping from the shadows in battle outfit with her spear in hand, a bored look on her face as she looks at Cait-Saith on her throne with distaste.
"Scátty! It has been too long! How have you been?" the cat says with a grin, its tail swishing back and forth.
"Do not call me that, Cait-Saith," Scáthach says with a glare, "I will ask again, what do you want?" she asks with a bit more heat to her words.
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Book Three: The Heir and The Champions
FanfictionIn which, we follow the Heir of the Hunt into his fourth year, where he is drawn into a tournament he didn't enter, argues with his friends, finds love, returns to a land teeming with death, and embraces the destiny he sees reflected in Fathomless B...
