Forsaken Z (Story)

Chapter 5

Z walked through the forest alone, blood staining his paws. He killed something only a few minutes ago. It was tagging along with him too long, and it got really annoying. Not to mention by nightfall it was noisier than ever. He flicked his ears toward a bush rattling sound, his cream colored companion slipping out from behind the lush plant. "Did you get the crow?" She asked, sliding up beside him. "Never saw me coming." Miuky rolled her eyes. "Your stench is the reason it followed us in the first place. If you didn't smell like rotting carcass it wouldn't have bothered us so much!" She huffed, looking up at the sky. Z didn't look at her, his blistering gaze was on the horizon. "It seems we need to cross an open field, no trees for cover." He commented, flicking his tail at all the bushes and trees around them, his black patterns catching the pockets of light filtering through the last of the canopy of trees. Miuky nodded in agreement. "First we should stop and get a drink at this river first. Unlike you, I care if I get dehydrated!" She teased him, skipping up to the small stream, her creamy fur catching the small breeze that whisked over the land. Z was hesitant to follow, he didn't need water at all. He didn't even know if he was thirsty or not, or what it feels like to be thirsty. He guessed that his voice sounded cracky again, water would help that wouldn't it? He crouched down on the soft grass beside her, lapping up water with his tongue, secretly enjoying the slight pleasure it gave to his tongue. After Miuky was done with her refreshment, he washed his paws and whiskers. Miuky screwed up her nose. "Just wash your whole body, or the maggots will get to you." She said blankly. "Haha... Your so funny.." Z replied grumpily, his pelt prickling with slight irritation. Reluctantly he dunked into the cold water, surprisingly finding himself paranoid about how he smelled. The water lapped at his soft belly fur. He crawled out after a few seconds, pelt dripping the cold liquid. He shook his pelt out, getting a yelp from Miuky as he sprayed her with water droplets. They walked silently into the field, feeling the wind pick up to gusts as they left the trees. Z kept looking around, slightly nervous of the sudden exposure. Miuky glanced at him, reflecting the same feeling in her eyes. "Where are we going?" She asked, making Z pause. "I have somewhere I need to go." He replied simply, not caring to clarify. Miuky blinked at him a couple times before speaking again. "And where is that?" The question made Z stop walking altogether. "My old home."

After a long time of walking, and many complaints of aching paws from Miuky, they reached the edge of Z's old home. It looked like a field of ashes with the occasional charred black log, that gradually got more common the farther you looked. Small gusts picked up some of the ashes, scattering the remnants of his home up into the air.
Z staggered backwards, his eye widened with shock. "They burnt it all..." He murmured, a hint of a wail in his raspy voice. Miuky looked at him, her eyes full of confusion. Z didn't bother to explain, he only raced into the cold ashes, searching for something. Sadly he couldn't remember the landscape, all the trees he had walked under for many years, just gone. Everything was gone. Z raced over the charred valley, not even stopping to the yowls from Miuky behind him. He skidded to a halt, sending ashes into the air, making himself cough as he breathed in some of it. He gazed upon a view that did not please him in the least. He was on the hill he was the first night they attacked him. His radiant green eye narrowed as he looked upon the village. Past it was a shack, it looked forever abandoned, the same shack where his worshipers were. He heard panting as Miuky caught up. "Wow! You run fast!" She gasped, cream fur fluffed up and clogged with charcoal bits and ashes. Z only flicked his ear in utter acknowledgement. The wind howled in the air making his ears sting with cold. "We are heading there." Z said, pointing his tail to the shack. He wanted to know if his colony of praisers were still there or if they were vanquished for helping him. Miuky and Z crept along the village wall, staying low. "Hey, Sirus! This reminds me of my favorite nursery tale!" His companion purred, walking beside him. "Oh yeah? And what one is that?" Z whispered back quietly. "It was the tale of this guy! I forgot what his name was but he haunted this village and ate bones from the graves! He also drank polluted water and ate icky food!" She blabbered to him. Z stifled a laugh. They made a legend about him? And since when did he eat bones of dead cats? "Don't be silly, that's just folklore." He said, shaking his head a little. The townspeople exaggerated way too much. Miuky huffed a sigh, staying silent until they left the outskirts of the wall that towered above them, and closer to the shack. Each paw step uneasy.

They eventually reached the shack. The closer Z got, the more he saw how broken and dusty it was. The wall was missing boards, and it seemed dull and quiet. Splinters of wood littered the ground around it. Z stopped at the door and looked inside, Miuky at his side. He narrowed his green eye and looked through the gloomy darkness. It had the same appearance as the outside. But a figure of a cat was in a corner, solemnly mourning over something. Suddenly the unknown cat whipped their head in their direction. "Who's there?" Hissed a familiar, feminine voice to Z's ears. Who was this? Unhesitatingly Z stepped into the worshipers old domain, pelt hidden in black and gray. "Who are you. What's your name?" Z asked, trying to keep his fur flat. The figure said nothing. After a short while Z repeated it again, accept this time with a hiss. The stranger shrank back before stuttering, "M-my name is Lilly..." Z blinked his good eye. "Hello Lilly. I came back, its me-" he paused before he said his name. "Its me Sirus." He didn't want Miuky to know his identity yet. He quietly let his former worshiper to know who he was. Almost instantly after he said Sirus, Lilly bolted up. "I knew you would return!" She purred, racing up to him. He could make out her rattled fur and skinny frame. Her ribs shown beneath her unkempt pelt, her eyes were dull as if she hadn't slept in days. Lilly glared behind him for a moment, straight at Miuky. "Who's she?" Lilly hissed. Z glanced back at Miuky, surprised to find that Lilly's sharp words didn't phase his cream furred companion. "Hiya." Miuky said, lifting her tail in greeting. Lilly looked from Z to Miuky, then to Z again. Lilly hissed and took a step toward Miuky, her face full of malice. "Don't think about touching my lord!" She snapped, making Miuky twitch her whiskers. "Oh, take a chill berry hun." She mocked Lilly, smiling. Lilly was about to attack when Z quickly stopped her with a paw. He shook his head simply and Lilly obediently stood back. "What happened to everyone else?" Z asked her, looking around the ruined place. The white furred female sighed, sitting down as if this would take long. "The mayor sent guards here to make us regret our decision of helping you. He.... He killed Gale as a sign of his anger, and confined everyone else to their homes. I escaped thankfully." She finished with a sweep of her tail. Z felt anger prick in his pelt. "I won't stand for this blasphemy!" He hissed, anger shadowing his judgment. It wasn't his worshipers fault, it was his. He hated this villages guts, he hated them badly. People had hurt him long enough, and with no empire on his side. A thought came to him like a spark. "Follow me." He hissed, stalking out into open air. "What are we doing?" Miuky asked, concerned. Z looked back at the two cats following him. "We are taking them back!"