Wegie (Original)

Chapter 12

Sannindi had not travelled too far whenshe came across a place like none other she had ever witnessed. Instead of trees, there were giant things made of what appearedto be smooth tree trunks. The dirt turned to a thick but levelstone. Each trunk-place had a little patch of flowers andbushes in front of it. There were odd shiny monsters thatroared along the stone path, some pulling up to the trunk-places.

And then there were thethings. They stood on two legs and were tall and appeared toonly have fur at their tops. Sannindi had no idea what sort ofcreature they were.

"This must be theplace of the cats who lost their faith," Sannindi concluded.

Sneypa reasoned, "Onlysomewhere unholy could turn into a place like this; something beyondGoddess' creation."

They walked through itvery carefully, ears pricked and fur on end, claws unsheathed just incase. There came a point where they saw two cats, a cinnamontabby and a dilute calico. Sannindi thought she had seen thecalico before but she could not quite place where or if she had.

"Hey, who are you?"a voice called. It was a weird voice, one that spoke like noother Sannindi had heard.

She looked to her leftand saw a cat sitting at the entrance to a trunk-place. But thecat was weird; her fur was short and her tail was a stub. Theyellow-eyed calico was also had something around her body. Itwas very odd and confusing.

"My name isSannindi," she told her, "and yours?"

"I'm Kotomi," thecalico said, "I've never seen a cat from the forest before!"

Sannindi blinked andasked, "What sort of name is that?"

Kotomi chuckled, "Thekind you get when you are born in Japa."

"Japa?"

"South of Sia,"Kotomi explained, "Very far south in fact."

"Is that why your furis short?" Sannindi asked.

Kotomi nodded, "Itis, and it is also why I have to wear this sweater."

So the thing on her wasa sweater? Interesting....

Sannindi asked, "Is itwhy your tail is so little?"

Shaking her head,Kotomi told Sannindi, "My kind was bred to have short tails becausethose with long tails turn into monsters. They have the abilityto wield fire and bring the dead back to life, to control human beansand shapeshift as well."

"Hold on," Sannindiwas very confused, "what is a human bean?"

Kotomi looked at herwide-eyed. "Why you don't know? They're thetwo-legged naked creatures walking all around us. They live inthese dens," she flicked her ear at the trunk-place behind her.

So that was a den andthe odd creatures were human beans?

"Why are they calledhuman beans?"

Kotomi shrugged, "Idon't know. Maybe a goddess grew them in the ground like abean?"

Sneypa wrinkled hisnose, "Do they have a goddess?"

Sannindi blinked,wondering if the lesser creatures did indeed have any sort ofreligion as the cats did.

"Any way," Sannindimeowed, "the monsters, is it true?"

Kotomi nodded with muchenthusiasm, "Oh yes. My brother has blue eyes and so he cansee the monsters all the time! He was taken at a young age tobe a monk. It is his duty to rid and keep away all themonsters. Every day he chants prayers and hymns to keep them atbay, and when they do break in, he has to call upon Goddess to allowa warrior to possess him and help him fight away the monster!"

"That's amazing!"Sannindi awed at the ways of this peculiar cat.

Kotomisuddenly said, "You look like you need to rest. I can't letyou inside, I don't think my beans would like it, but you can stayin our garden. That's the flowers over there."

Sannindi looked at thebeautiful brush. "Thank you, you're right," she admitted. She walked on sore paws into the soft dirt and found asweet-smelling plant to curl under.

Before falling asleepshe heard the words "you're so close!" and felt the name Hrafnecho in her heart. But she fell asleep before Sneypa couldscold her about the connection.

A white she-cat withginger ears and tabby tail approached, holding Sannindi steadily inher icy blue gaze.

"If you haven'tnoticed, he's a Siberian," she meowed matter-of-factly, with ahint of sternness, "And you darling not only a Wegie, but apriestess. All Wegie queens tell their daughters to avoidSiberian toms at all costs. When you've attracted one, youcan never lose them, only lose yourself."

Sannindi blinked openher odd eyes. She looked around and saw the sun was not yetrising, though it would be soon as indicated by the slightlygrey-black sky.

"That was...Draumr,"Sannindi meowed aloud to no one.

"Draumr?" Sneypaasked, "The priestess who was summoned back when you were withTungl?"

"Yes," Sannindiresponded, "she warned be about Siberian toms." There wasconfusion in her voice, a look to match in her gaze.

Sneypa nodded, "Shemust have noticed Hrafn has linked with you. That's how hegot that message to you before you fell asleep."

"What?" she didn'tunderstand.

Sighing, Sneypaexplained, "Hrafn must have some special spiritual abilities. Iwouldn't be surprised if he does. That must be how he hasconnected with you in dream and in general. But, you must avoidhim."

"What's wrong withhim?" she asked.

Sneypa scratched at theground, avoided looking at her, and then his eyes met hers, "He isagainst Goddess. He wants to see her fail and fall."

Sannindi gasped.

"That's right," Sneypa reassured her, "Goddess is all goodand nothing less. She is supreme and not to be messed with; Sheis to be worshiped as she deserves!"

The calico tabbyblinked her odd eyes and shook her head, the tom who approached herfrom the Sea of Woe before resurfacing in her thoughts. He hadsuggested the opposite. What if there was truth in it?

"Sannindi," Sneypagrowled, "don't let stupid ideas ruin your mind. He wascorrupt and filled with the absence of good."

Sannindi sighed, "Butwhat if...I mean...the cats in Japa don't worship the same as wedo."

"But they stillworship Goddess," Sneypa insisted.

She clawed the loosedirt, "But you did something good for Her, and She rejected you,punished you in the most humiliating way."

"I acted without Herpermission; I got what I deserved," Sneypa insisted.

Sannindi sighed andtensed her muscles, "I'm not sure."

Sneypa growled, "Don'tyou dare turn traitor!"

Sannindi hissed, "Orwhat? You'll kill me?"

She regretted the wordsas soon as they slid off her sandpaper tongue. Offense taken,he snarled at her and then leapt away, trotting into the distance.

        She watched him go,calling out as he disappeared, "Sneypa! Wait, no, please!"