It's been hours, and the rain is still pouring heavily. There are no signs of it stopping anytime soon. We were starving, so Komraad had no choice but to scavenge for food. Anything would suffice, as long as we could eat and quiet the hunger pangs.
He's been out for a few minutes now. I stayed put in the cave to monitor the girl we found earlier.
She appeared to be no older than ten, her small frame radiating the innocence of a kind child. Her brown hair, cut short and neatly tied into twin ponytails, framed her youthful face with playful ease. She wore a long-sleeved white blouse, its delicate fabric now heavily stained with mud and dirt, remnants of whatever nightmare she had run through. Her skirt, a soft shade of pink, fell to her ankles, but it, too, was splattered with grime.
I had no clue how she ended up in this deadly forest, but I figured something awful must have happened, forcing her to run. Thankfully, we found her first, not one of those persistent, pesky creatures.
She cried out in her sleep, muttering pleas for help. I wished I could offer some reassurance, but for now, all I could do was wait for her to wake up and tell her story.
Komraad finally returned, completely soaked in the rain, clutching a handful of wild fruits.
"Welcome back," I greeted him, giving my tail a small flick.
"You should dry yourself first before we eat," I added gently.
"Yeah, sure. Let's save some for the girl, too," he responded. He then stripped off his leather vest to wring out the excess water and draped it near the small fire to dry.
I actually smiled watching Komraad show so much care. I'd initially pegged him as a total jerk and a man-child, but he was turning out to be pretty cool and genuinely kind. I felt myself warming up to him.
"We should remove her clothes and dry them. And by 'we,' I mean you, 'cause I'm a man," he instructed, looking determinedly away from the sleeping girl.
"If she keeps wearing those wet and dirty clothes, she'll definitely catch a cold," he added, glancing back just long enough to make sure I heard him.
"Yeah, you're right. Now hurry up and look away," I responded.
Komraad handed me his now-dried vest and told me to use it to cover her while her clothes were near the fire.
How thoughtful of him. I didn't know he was this sweet toward humans. I honestly thought he'd snap right away the second he saw one.
"I didn't know you actually liked humans," I assumed aloud.
He shrugged a wide shoulder. "Not all of them. Just her."
"What do you mean? Do you know who this girl is?" I asked, my ears twitching with curiosity.
"Yeah, I know her. She's from the village I mentioned earlier," he confirmed.
"The village in the north? The place we're currently heading to?" I pressed.
"Yeah. I've been there before. I actually used to sneak in and steal food from them," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "There was this one time someone caught me and drove me out of the village. I don't hurt people who are clearly weaker than me, so I was just about to leave when someone walked right up to me and gave me freshly-baked muffins. It was that girl."
A soft expression crossed his face. "Let's just say I'm repaying her. That was actually a really long time ago, she was way smaller back then."
"I don't know why she's here in the woods though. Maybe something bad happened to the village," he added, his voice dropping slightly.
"We don't know that yet," I responded, trying to keep the tone optimistic. "Let's wait for her to wake up and ask her directly."
We ate the fruit and rested for a while.
It was getting darker, and the rain still hadn't eased up. My eyelids were heavy, and my body felt like it was made of lead. I could barely lift a muscle. I desperately needed to nap and replenish my energy.
I stretched out with a sleepy yawn.
"You can go to sleep, you know. I'll stay awake and guard this place," Komraad suggested quietly.
"How about you? Aren't you sleepy yet?" I countered.
"I'm not. I can stay awake for a week straight without getting sleepy. Just trust me and crash already," he insisted.
"Fine," I pushed, standing my ground. "But you should rest afterward. That way, you'll have more strength for when emergencies happen."
"Gah, fine!" He relented, throwing his hands up in defeat. "Let's change shifts later. You sleep first, and I'll wake you up when it's your turn. Are you happy now?"
"Tee-hee… Good night," I answered, pleased with the outcome.
I drifted off soon after our conversation.
...
I was deep into a dream about delicious cooked fish when Komraad gently nudged me awake.
"Hey, cat, wake up. It's your turn," he reminded me.
"One more minute," I groaned, still fighting the sleep.
I was just about to drift back when the girl we rescued finally woke up.
"W-where am I? W-who are you?" She asked, looking around the cave with frightened confusion.
She looked absolutely terrified. The fear was stark in her wide eyes.
Then she looked down and noticed she was wearing Komraad's oversized vest.
"W-why am I naked?" She asked, her voice cracking with embarrassment.
"C-calm down," I assured her quickly. "We saw you unconscious in the middle of the forest, and it was raining really hard, so we rescued you and brought you here. Your clothes are drying by the fire. You should change back now. They're still dirty, but at least they're dry."
"Komraad, look away!"
The girl changed back into her clothes. I could tell she still didn't trust us, even after I'd explained everything. It was understandable, considering how traumatized she seemed, but I knew I had to earn her trust if she was ever going to calm down.
"Are you okay? Could you tell us your name?" I asked, keeping my tone gentle and kind.
"Y-you can talk?" She asked me back, completely stunned.
Ah, I see now. That's why she looked so pale.
"Y-yeah, I'm sorry if that surprised you, but please believe me, we don't intend to harm you," I assured her sincerely.
"Most monstrous creatures in this forest can't talk, so I was shocked that you could," she added, staring at me intently.
Ah, yeah, it's understandable that she thinks I'm a monster. I mean, look at me… I'm a cat who can talk and shoot beams out of her mouth.
Komraad interrupted our tentative conversation, his voice less rough than usual.
"Hey kiddo, what happened to you?" He asked the little girl.
"H-hey Komraad, be considerate! She just woke up! At least let her process everything first," I scolded him quietly.
"It's okay," the girl whispered. "Uhm, Mr.? H-have we met before?"
"Yeah. You might not remember it because you were still little at that time, but you gave me food before," he answered.
"Oh, I remember that! You were the food thief our chief drove out of the village," she realized, her eyes widening slightly.
"Y-yeah," he mumbled, looking genuinely embarrassed.
The girl was calming down, little by little. The paralyzing fear in her eyes was starting to fade.
"I know something terrible happened to you, and we'd love to hear your story, but if you're still not ready to open up, then it's okay. We'll wait," I offered, hoping to ease her mind. "For now, you should rest more and replenish your strength."
"It's okay. I can't sleep anymore, and I don't have an appetite either," she responded.
"I see… C-can I ask what your name is?" I asked softly.
"My name is Fae."
"So, Fae, would you mind telling us what happened to you?"
"Y-yeah, I think I can tell you. After all, you just saved my life. I am eternally grateful," she said with sincere gratitude.
...
"It all started when my grandma, the only family I had, passed away," Fae began, looking down at her hands. "She died due to old age. Everyone in the village loved her because she was kind and always there to help those in need. I was so devastated when I lost her, but the villagers were there to cheer me up and help me overcome the pain. I told myself not to give up, because as her granddaughter, it was my duty to continue her legacy."
"I was still sad about my grandma's passing, but I had to keep pushing forward. I was out in the woods looking for herbs when I found something and brought it inside the village. It was a small, helpless creature. It looked so harmless and was covered in wounds and blood, so I helped it. Our medical equipment was inside the village, so I had no choice but to bring it, though it had to be a secret. You see, my grandma was a medical expert, and she taught me everything there is to know about curing people and creatures. We make medicines and potions from herbs, so I treated the creature's wounds using the knowledge my grandma left me."
"I was going to release it as soon as it recovered, but instead, I took care of it for months in secret. I fed it and noticed it was growing significantly. It had only been a week, and it had already doubled in size. I decreased the amount of food I was giving to it, but it was still rapidly growing. I didn't know how that was possible. That's when I noticed something was wrong with the village. The atmosphere changed. Our people used to be cheerful and lovely, but now they all ended up sad and depressed."
"The creature feeds on the emotions of the people around it and uses them as energy to get stronger. The creature I took eventually grew as big as our house, and the villagers ended up getting caught and became mindless beings."
The moment she said "mindless beings," I instantly pictured zombies, and they scared the heck out of me.
"I was spared. I was the only one who noticed what was going on. It was hopeless. All I could do was run away, and here I am now," she shared, trembling with renewed fear.
She started crying, blaming herself entirely.
Sob Sob
"It's all my fault! I'm the reason why everyone in the village is suffering. The chief. The villagers. Because of me, everyone is…"
"H-hey Fae, please calm down," I jumped in, trying to cheer her up. "They were being held captive by the monster, right? That means they're still alive! It means we can still save them."
"No, the village is beyond saving. The creature… no, that demon is too powerful," she countered, shaking her head. "Even if I go back, nothing will change."
"Who said you're going back alone?" Komraad interrupted, a clear flicker of hope sparking in his sapphire eyes.
"Y-yeah! He's right! We're coming with you. We'll save your village and bring everyone back to normal," I insisted, determined to inject some energy into her hopelessness.
"We were planning on going to that village anyway, so it's a win-win for us," I added with a forced cheerfulness.
Fae paused for a while, completely speechless, but the look on her face showed she was overjoyed that someone was willing to help her make things right.
"R-really? You'd do that? Y-you just met me and barely know me, but you're already willing to do so much. I don't understand why you're doing this. I won't be able to give you anything in return," she questioned, tears still welling up.
"Seeing a little girl suffer just doesn't sit right with me," I answered honestly.
"Yeah, and we're strong! That demon's no match for us," Komraad boasted, puffing out his chest.
I do sure hope we're strong enough to defeat it. We barely survived earlier. Well, we'll never know until we try. I thought, a shiver running down my spine.
"We'll go there tomorrow. For now, we should rest and prepare," I suggested.
The girl lightened up visibly and was able to eat and rest soon after.
...
Morning arrived, and we immediately prepared to leave.
"Are you sure you're ready to go back?" I asked Fae one last time, making sure she wasn't pressured.
"Yes, I'm ready. I'll lead the way," she answered, her voice ringing with determination.
We started walking towards the village with Fae guiding us. As we walked, a thought struck me, and I voiced it.
"I'm curious, if the village has been there for a long time and is pretty close to this forest, why is it still fine? I mean, wouldn't monstrous creatures be swarming that place already?" I asked.
"Our founder enchanted our village so that no monsters would ever come near it," she answered simply.
"Then why was a demon able to enter it?" I asked, confused.
"A demon is a different species," Komraad cut in, his brow furrowed. "They live in a different realm than ours. That's why I was shocked when I heard a demon was in the woods, especially a powerful one."
I see. Now I'm getting legitimately scared, but the village might be able to help me find out my identity, so I'm doing this no matter what. I've got Komraad here by my side. Things won't go wrong, right? Right???
After some time, we arrived at our destination. Fae's village was nestled deep within the forest, its wooden cottages with thatched roofs blending seamlessly into the surroundings. Stone paths wound between the homes, lined with small gardens bursting with herbs and flowers. A clear stream flowed through the village, crossing under a stone bridge, its banks shaded by willow trees. Tall, dense trees encircled the village, their canopy filtering the sunlight into soft, dappled patches on the ground. The village seemed untouched by the outside world, hidden away in a quiet, secluded corner of the forest.
"I can see the village!" I exclaimed excitedly, immediately forgetting that the only thing waiting for us was massive, house-sized trouble.
"Yeah. For now, let's try and distance ourselves," Komraad whispered urgently. "We need to observe the demon first."
"Wow, this is so unlike you," I whispered back, surprised by his sudden caution.
We had only just arrived, but we could already see the demon roaming around the village due to its sheer, humongous size. Just the sight of it had my heart hammering in my chest.
The demon loomed as large as a cottage, its immense, round body swollen and grotesque. Its limbs, thick and powerful, ended in massive, jagged claws, dark as night and sharp enough to tear through stone. Its eyes were vast, hollow voids that seemed to draw in the very light around them, like peering into the abyss. The creature's skin was a deep shade of purple, and from its brow rose two enormous, curved horns, black as obsidian. Jagged, gleaming white teeth jutted from its gaping maw, and with each breath, it exhaled thick, noxious green smoke that billowed from its mouth. Every time it moved, the ground trembled beneath its weight, as if the earth itself feared the creature's presence. I couldn't fathom how we could possibly defeat such a monstrous being.
"I know a way inside the village besides the main entrance. We can use that instead," Fae suggested, pointing toward a hidden path.
We followed her, and she led us into the village without the demon noticing us.
The closer we got, the more menacing and heavy the atmosphere became. My heart was pumping so fast it felt like it would burst. Just getting nearer to the village felt suffocating, like my lungs were about to pop.
We entered the village and were utterly shocked by the sight in front of us. The villagers' eyes were glowing purple, and they were walking slowly, like mindless zombies. They didn't look physically hurt or dead, but it was sad and painful to see these innocent people suffering like this.
Fae stopped abruptly, frozen in place after seeing her neighbors and friends in agony. Guilt and regret washed over her face.
Fae started crying silently until Komraad grabbed her shoulders firmly.
"Snap out of it, kiddo!" Komraad commanded, trying to calm her down.
Sob Sob
"I... It's all my fault... I…"
"Fae! Do you remember why we're here?!" I reminded her sharply, needing her to focus. "We're here to save them! So pull yourself together right now!"
"Wait for us here. We'll defeat the demon and save the village no matter what!" I added, putting every ounce of determination and firm resolve into my voice.
Fae stayed put while Komraad and I slowly approached the demon.
"Hey, cat, what's the plan?" Komraad asked, sounding surprisingly serious.
"Ohh... I thought you'd just jump in and start fighting," I muttered, genuinely impressed. "I'm surprised you're willing to follow a plan."
"I don't care anymore. Time to get serious," he responded, keeping his focus on the behemoth.
"I know, I know. We'll take this seriously and free the villagers from its grasp," I confirmed. "So, here's the plan," I added, leaning closer.
I whispered the strategy to Komraad, and we took action as soon as we finished strategizing. Komraad positioned himself directly in front of the demon while I was preparing my beam of dark energy for a surprise attack. Basically, we were doing the same plan as before: luring the prey to its doom.
Komraad let out a powerful shout to grab the demon's attention.
"Hey! You big pile of meat bag! Over here!"
The demon noticed him, immediately turning to attack. Komraad dodged its sluggish movements. The demon was slow, but its strength was unbelievable. It destroyed a house in a single swing. The demon kept attacking him, but Komraad was able to dodge all of it while simultaneously leading the strikes away from the captured villagers.
Nice! Keep doing what you're doing, Komraad! The plan is working!
Komraad successfully led the demon directly toward the spot we had talked about. My beam was ready to be released. I flew directly in front of the demon's face and fired. It was a direct hit. Half of its face was gone, and its shoulder and right arm were completely obliterated.
"We did it, Komraad!" I cheered, jumping for joy.
I was celebrating when Komraad suddenly interrupted me, his voice tight with alarm.
"Don't celebrate yet. Look closely. It's regenerating," Komraad warned, his face drenched in sweat.
"W-what do we do now?" I stammered, fear creeping back in.
"There's no time for a plan! Just attack it while it's still down!" Komraad yelled.
He leapt high into the air, ready to strike, when the demon suddenly released a huge cloud of noxious green gas, enveloping the entire village.
"This is dangerous! Komraad, don't breathe it in!" I shouted in a panic, covering my own mouth and nose.
Komraad just stood there, frozen in place. The demon was trying to force him into becoming a mindless drone, but he was fighting hard to reject its influence.
"Komraad, fight it!" I screamed.
"Grrr…"
Komraad bit into his own arm, the pain allowing him to snap out of control, but it was already too late. The demon had recovered and completely regenerated its body. Before he could even dodge, the demon attacked him with full force, sending him flying to who knows where.
"Komraad!" I yelled, panic overwhelming me.
I-I hope he survives that.
The demon's next target was me. I had just used the only powerful attack I knew, and it had been useless. All I could do now was run away.
Think, think, think... What should I do? Komraad is gone. The villagers are in danger. If I ran away now, everything we did would be for nothing.
I... I don't know anymore.
I was at my wit's end once again, dodging the demon's increasingly frantic attacks. Everything in its range was being obliterated. I was out of options when someone suddenly shouted.
It was Fae.
The demon stopped pursuing me and shifted its monstrous attention toward the girl.
"P-please stop already. You've already taken everything! I know it's all my fault…"
Sob Sob
Fae then started crying, her small body shaking. "All I did was help others. All I wanted was to be of use to someone, but why? Why is the result of my actions ending up like this?" She cried out in regret.
Sob Sob
"If you're going to hurt someone, it's me who deserves it! So please, Mr. Demon, enough already!" Fae begged in desperation.
The demon looked at Fae menacingly, its eyes glowing with malevolent intent.
If there's one thing I learned during my time here, it's that you can't reason with a monster, especially a demon like this.
"G-get out of there, Fae! It's useless! You can't reason with that thing! Run!" I shouted in despair, my voice cracking.
The demon attacked Fae without hesitation. The strike was so powerful that it generated a thick, dark smoke around them. I couldn't see anything.
"Noooooo!" I rushed toward the scene, convinced it was already too late.
Or so I thought.
The smoke faded away, and I saw Komraad. He had stopped the demon's massive hand from reaching Fae.
"Komraad! T-thank goodness!"
He had been thrown somewhere far away. I didn't know how he was able to get back here so fast or how he was able to stop the demon's attack when it could destroy an entire house, but he had saved Fae in the nick of time.
"Get it together, kiddo!" Komraad yelled, struggling against the weight of the demon's hand. "You did nothing wrong. Helping others is what makes you who you are. Don't ever change that. Not all that you did resulted in this! Just look at me! You helped me, and it resulted in me helping you! So stop crying and get out of there already!"
Oh no, they're gonna get squished!
What should I do? Why? Why am I so useless? Someone important is about to die right in front of me! If it were me in their place, then I wouldn't mind, but I won't let them die! I don't want that to happen.
"Grrrr... Ugh…"
Komraad is about to lose strength! There's no time!
I prepared my beam of dark energy one last time, desperately hoping it could at least obliterate the demon's hand and give Komraad and Fae enough time to escape.
This isn't enough. I'm going to pour every ounce of power into this attack, even if it kills me in the process.
Please, one last time, give me strength!
I was preparing my final beam when something incredible happened to me. I turned into something else. I turned into a human.
W-what just happened? Wait, what is this energy? What is this strength? My hands are about to snap!
The beam I was preparing changed into a deep purple hue and became incredibly condensed and unstable. It was so strong that the pressure on my body felt unbearable.
I-I have to release it!
The demon noticed me and, surprised by the sudden, overwhelming energy, lost its grip on Komraad.
"Komraaaaaaaddd!!! Get Fae out of there!" I screamed.
Komraad noticed the colossal energy surrounding me and reacted instantly. He grabbed Fae and ran as far away as possible. The demon wasn't fast enough to react. As soon as Komraad and Fae were out of range, I released it directly at the demon.
"Get obliterated!" I shouted.
My beam was amplified a thousand times stronger than when I was in my cat form. It obliterated the demon down to its very bones, splitting the clouds in the sky and destroying the top of a mountain behind the demon in the process.
Pant Pant
W-what was that? Did I just do that? And what's with this form? I-I'm a human? I have so many questions.
The heavy atmosphere around the village was instantly gone, and the villagers slowly turned back to normal. It meant the demon was gone for good.
Pant Pant
"Cat!/ Ms. Cat!" Fae and Komraad shouted in sync.
The injured Komraad and the crying Fae rushed toward me.
"What happened? Is that really you?" Komraad asked, looking me up and down.
"Ms. Cat, thank you," Fae said, tears streaming down her face.
"Thank goodness, you're both safe," I said with a huge, tired smile on my face.
My energy and strength were completely drained from the previous, massive attack, and the moment I relaxed and knew they were safe, I lost consciousness.