Sora's Quest (Cat's Eye #1)

  When next she looked up, a giant vine was rearing over her, like a hungry snake ready to strike. A thorn at the tip dripped with green poison. On instinct, Sora took her dagger and cut the vine in half. Her arm was drenched in the stinging liquid; it burned like it was on fire, and she let out a scream of pain. There was no time. She slashed again and severed another vine. Two more took its place — shing! A knife cut through the air, but it wasn't her own.

  Crash leapt next to her, his blades whirling faster than she could see. His voice cut through the sounds of ringing steel. “Where is Dorian?” he called, knives flashing.

  “I don't know!” she screamed back. The vines were everywhere, moving in, surrounding them. They were thick and slimy, curved with menace. She couldn't see Burn anymore, and the darkness was too thick to look far. She tried to raise her knife, to defend against the gathering vines, but found that she couldn’t move her arm. In shock, she looked down at the limb. The skin was red and burned from the green acid. She tried to move her fingers but couldn't; her hand felt stiff, thick, heavy.

  Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, Sora raised her other arm and cut down a vine to her left, which had been slowly crawling toward her across the ground. Now her entire side was starting to feel numb. Crash was fighting his own pocket of weeds further away. Sora wanted to stand and help, but it was becoming difficult to move.

  The vines were amassing, so thick that they were like a solid wall. Several snaked around her ankles, restraining her. She was terrified and numb; movement was difficult from the poison in her veins. Oh gods, what to do? she thought frantically, but was out of options.

  Then there was a small stirring in the back of her mind; the distant jingle of sleigh bells. Instinctively, Sora sent an order to her Cat’s Eye, something she had never thought of before; usually the necklace just reacted whenever it felt like it, with no control. She didn’t know for sure, but she had a pretty good idea that the vines were magic.

  The jingling increased, and she felt a sudden wave come over her, consuming her thoughts, pushing her almost out-of-body. She felt detached, drifting, absent. And then — flash! There was a brilliant burst of green and yellow light, followed by several other flashes, like a miniature lightning storm. Her Cat's Eye absorbed the magic out of the vines. Soon the ground around her was littered with them. She could barely make out Crash, still fighting doggedly on, and reached out her hand, wincing with the effort.

  "Over there..." she muttered, feeling the air thicken. The Cat's Eye responded to her words like a well-trained animal. Zzzzap! The vines fell to the ground one by one, limp and lifeless, like tangled ropes. Within seconds the air was clear. The battle was over. Only silence.

  And then, unexpectedly, something far larger and more dangerous dropped down from the branches, landing with a heavy thud. Sora's head was swimming and she had trouble focusing her eyes, but she could see creatures, graceful and catlike, gathering around their camp. They surrounded Crash, spears held threateningly, speaking in some muttered, growling tongue. She watched as though she were in a dream. He tossed his knives to the ground, outnumbered. The rest of the creatures moved toward her, seeing that she was in no condition to fight. The poison was burning through her veins, each heartbeat like a stab to the chest, taking her breath away. They paused, staring down at her.

  "Don’t touch her!" came Crash's voice; it sounded muffled, distant. “Concentrate on breathing!” he yelled to her.

  What does he think I’m trying to do? Sora thought. Then she couldn't even think anymore, and laid quietly, staring up at her captors, wishing she could make her eyes focus. They looked like animals, giant jungle creatures, barbaric. Where are the Wolfies?

  She wanted to ask, to demand answers from her new captors, but she couldn't make her mouth move. She closed her eyes — and didn't open them again.

  Chapter 8

  Sora woke up to pain centered on her right arm. She blinked woozily and brought her eyes into focus. Her head pounded like a morning after too much wine, her mouth dry, her thoughts fuzzy. She stared at the wooden ceiling above her. For a long moment that's all she did, feeling the blood rush through her veins, taking deep breaths to calm her stomach. Her body felt weak — so weak, like she was stuffed with cotton. Then her thoughts forced their way to the surface.

  Where am I? she wondered, remembering the attacking vines. Her head pounded and her right arm was in agony. She wanted to roll over and go back to sleep; she was all too ready to slip back into unconsciousness. At least the bed was soft. Bed? How was that possible? Sora sighed. I suppose I should get up and look around.

  The sound of a door slam disturbed her thoughts. She looked toward the noise and found herself staring at a wooden door, set flawlessly in the side of a room that could have been carved out of a tree. She blinked at the smooth walls — no boards or panels, no brick or mortar. Just smooth wood. Then she looked back at the door. The sound of voices drifted to her, but no language she had ever heard before; she couldn't even begin to decipher it. It didn't sound human at all.

  Sora sat up and grimaced, then leaned over the side of the bed, gagging. She heaved several times, trying to vomit, but nothing came out — saved by an empty stomach. Gods. She had never felt sicker! Trying to lift her arm, she found it wrapped in thick bandages from elbow to wrist, which tightly constricted her movement. There was a similar bandage around her ankle where the vine had stabbed her. Sora put a hand to her pounding head and wondered how she could still be alive.

  The sound of footsteps and muttering voices drew closer. She tried to stay calm. Should I hide under the bed? Her eyes combed the room: no closets, no windows, no route of escape. Not even a desk or table to duck behind. Then there was the rattle of keys just outside the door. She didn't have any time to prepare. She grabbed the covers, holding them to her chest like a shield — then the wooden door swung inward.

  A creature stepped in. It only slightly resembled a human.

  Sora was so stunned that she dropped the blanket. She never could have prepared herself for the beast who entered the room. He (she thought it was a he) wore sandals and a white robe cinched at the waist with a wide tan belt. She stared at his feet, which were more like giant paws. It was easier than staring at his face, which terrified her — she had to stifle a gasp, her eyes wide in disbelief and horror. The creature's head and tail were that of a tiger, long teeth protruding past his lip. Thick, clawed hands hung at his sides. By what she could see under the robe, his entire body was covered in orange and black fur. He was huge, towering almost a foot taller than Burn, completely filling the small bedroom. This beast made the Wolfy mercenary look normal in comparison.

  So this is a Catlin, Sora thought calmly. It was the only explanation. The beast either grimaced at her or smiled — she couldn't tell with those huge fangs. She hoped it was a smile.

  "Human," he said in a low, grunting voice, more of a growl. "Can you walk?"

  "Uh...." Sora didn't really know how to respond. She felt terrible, but whether or not she could actually walk was unknown. She didn't want to stand up and collapse on this fellow — he'd probably eat me — then again, she didn't want to sit around staring at him either.

  Rather than answering, Sora decided to stall for time. If she was about to be eaten, she might as well get some answers.

  "Where is this place?" she demanded boldly. "And what have you done to my friends?"

  The Catlin stared at her with slitted eyes. His teeth pulled back into a snarl. Sora sat back despite herself — maybe that was a mistake.

  "You can walk," he confirmed, his eyes flicking over her. She couldn't read his expression; he had a cat's head, after all.

  "Well?" she heard her voice squeak, then cleared her throat. "What about my friends?"

  He continued to look at her, as though considering her for a snack. "You are in our shriekal, our colony," he finally answered. "The others are here too. The... the trespassers are in con-con-" the Catlin paused, licking his lips
awkwardly. Sora felt unimpressed. He certainly doesn't sound smart. Then she realized that his mouth wouldn't allow him to sound the words properly. She wanted to smirk.

  "Con-tain-ment," he finally managed.

  "Containment?"

  "Yes, and your pro-tec-tor is in the cells."

  "My what?"

  The Catlin looked rather flustered and made several yowling sounds under his breath before continuing. "The dark one, the one who threatens without words." Oh, Crash. "You are lucky to have such a pro-tec-tor."

  Lucky he's locked up, maybe. "Protector, that's what you mean." Sora nodded to herself. "So they're all okay?"

  "Yes."

  She almost cried in relief. She wanted to be with Burn, or Dorian, or maybe back home where she could run into the forest with her horse and scream until the world started making sense again. As it was, she kept a straight face as the Catlin turned toward the door. He said something in his own tongue, directed at someone beyond her line of sight. Then he turned back around to face her.

  "Our Panthera is ready to see you. I suggest you not keep him waiting."

  "Panthera?"

  "Our warlord."

  Sora nodded and scratched her bandage; the skin underneath was starting to itch. Unsure of whether to be scared, curious, or concerned, she slid off the examining table and swayed on her feet, still woozy from the poison. The room kept moving, fluctuating in and out, as though the walls were breathing. She had to put out an arm to steady herself. Come on, Sora, you can do this! her inner voice spoke up. One foot in front of the other!

  Two Catlins met her at the door, a black one and a tan one with spots, both carrying long spears and several knives; the blades were longer than daggers, thin and curved. They escorted her into the short hall and past a room where she caught sight of her bags and weapons, laying in a pile on the floor. The Catlins didn't seem too concerned with security.

  Exiting through another wooden door, a fresh breeze hit her face and Sora found herself in a place that she could have never imagined, not even in her wildest dreams. Her heart gave a startled thump. She had to put a hand to her head to stop it from spinning.

  The trees around her were the width of buildings, stretching high into the sky, disappearing into a thick fog. They were so tall that she knew she could never climb to the top of them, not even if she spent a year. There were holes in the trunks, hollowed windows that spilled golden light, dwellings and stores and who knew what else. She remembered Burn telling her about how the Catlins created their colonies, using magic to make the trees grow — it was obvious now what he meant. No trees like this could possibly be natural.

  Wooden platforms encircled each tree. Rope bridges connected them together, some as wide as thoroughfares, with clusters of vendors and wagons, small markets. As she watched, a crate of vegetables was lifted into the air on a large wooden platform, directed by an intricate system of ropes and pulleys. There were other ropes and pulleys connected to large baskets, elevators that carried Catlins from one level of the colony to the next. A few of the elevators hung off in the mist, abandoned or in disuse. The Catlins might appear barbaric, but their colony was quite sophisticated.

  They continued walking. The bridge in front of her was narrow but built of sturdy wood, tied together with thick vines. Sora felt like her eyes would fall out of her head; she could barely watch where she was going, she was too busy looking around. She peeked over the side of the bridge and saw nothing but swirling mist. She was unnerved by the drop; there was no sign of any ground below.

  "I wouldn't jump if I was you," came a higher pitched voice from one of the guards. "'Tis a long, long drop."

  Sora shivered and moved away from the side, wondering what kind of an idiot would try that — it was sure suicide. What kind of idiot, indeed?

  They walked for some time. The colony was vast, stretching on and on and on. Sora received many long, curious looks from the Catlin younglings, and soon she had a small group following behind her, jumping and leaping across the bridges and ropes. They were as agile as squirrels, with giant fuzzy paws and huge eyes. They yowled to each other and snorted, which she thought might be laughter, but she couldn't understand a word of it. Several times the guards tried to chase them away, but they always came back. The children looked a lot like large kittens and it was hard not to turn around and try to pet them, or hug them like stuffed dolls. She reminded herself that these were intelligent, sentient creatures, and she would probably get her hand bit off.

  The adults were quite different. They largely avoided looking at her, and when she did make eye contact, they would curl their lips in a snarl, then flip their tails or press their ears back in a distinctly feline way. Definitely not welcoming. The men and women walked around in different states of undress, exposing breasts, bellies and other parts. The only thing that seemed to be worn in abundance were knives. Most adults were armed to the teeth.

  In the middle of the colony was an exceptionally large tree with a huge door set in it. It was several dozen feet tall and carved with all sorts of intricate patterns. The wood was stained different colors, deep mahogany or rich golds, and even the patterns in the woodgrain matched, flowing into each other with unexpected precision. Sora had never seen anything like it, not even when masons from the King's City had come to build a new hall for their manor. No human could carve such a graceful design; it was smooth, perfect, grown out of the wood itself.

  They headed toward it. Sora was immediately intimidated, though she couldn't say why. Nervous prickles rolled over her skin, and she began to feel a peculiar energy, like a vibration in the air. A steady throb started behind her eyes. She felt waves of emotion pass through her — bitterness, anger, fear. Each struck her like a nauseating wave. It took her a few minutes before she realized that the feelings were not her own, but came from something else, something beyond her body. She wasn't sure how that was possible. The Cat's Eye? She touched the necklace under her shirt, surprised. It vibrated and buzzed at her chest like an enraged bee, and Sora was suddenly scared that someone would hear it. She glanced at the Catlins surrounding her, but they gave no sign that they had heard anything. What's wrong with it? I hope the silly stone doesn't pop....

  She braced herself to be swiftly ushered through the massive door, but instead they paused outside, utterly motionless. It seemed that the guards were waiting for something. They shifted, tails swishing through the air, ears slightly back. Her eyes traveled up the woodgrain and back down. Then she realized — were they scared? Really? She became even more concerned. Scared of what? The Panthera? Countless images flashed through her head of a fearsome warlord, covered in battle scars and bristling with weapons. The Catlins appeared far more barbaric than the races she had met so far... what if they tortured her for information? Set her on fire, pulled out her fingernails, stretched her with a rope? Such things had been practiced back in the time of the races. She really didn't want to find out, and she looked around, hoping for an escape route — but there was none, unless she wanted to jump to her death. The Catlin children had disappeared from behind her, vanishing like smoke. The bridges surrounding the giant tree were desolate, isolated, as though purposefully avoided by the other Catlins in the colony. Sora gulped. Someone get me out of here!

  A curious tingle slowly crawled up her body from her toes to her hair. She felt as though invisible hands were running over her, searching her, trying to find her secrets. Her Cat's Eye jingled softly — some kind of magic. She felt exposed, vulnerable, and wasn't sure if the necklace could shield her or not.

  Then the massive door slowly creaked open.

  Sora dug her heels into the ground. The guards had to give her a rough shove through the doorway; otherwise she never would have gone through. She stumbled forward with a yelp, trying to catch herself on the door frame, but they pushed her with their spears, stuffing her into the room like a stubborn horse. Sora yelped, trying to resist, but it was impossible. Once she was through the doorway, the guards tur
ned around and made a hasty retreat.

  Sora turned to follow them, but the door snapped shut, sealing out all light. Alone in the dark room, she felt full-blown panic consume her, and her throat closed. Images of wild beasts and deformed monsters rose in her mind. There had to be something with her in the darkness, something absolutely terrible, but she couldn't see what. She wanted to scream. I need to calm down! she thought desperately, forcing herself to breathe, to think clearly. She had trained with Crash and Dorian; she should be able to fight. She tried to use her other senses to observe her surroundings. She listened intently, trying to hear around the pounding of her heart.... She thought she heard raspy, heavy breathing somewhere nearby.

  Suddenly two candles flared up, bursting into flame. By what Sora could tell, no one had lit them — more magic? Each was mounted on a narrow stand to either side of a grassy, matted carpet, which trailed off into the shadows. Just as suddenly, another pair of candles flared up. There was a quiet rushing sound, then the next two, then the next, until the reed carpet was fully illuminated. Very dramatic, Sora thought in numb appreciation. Her eyes followed the path of the carpet to its end, where a tall throne sat, a massive chair that appeared to be grown out of the tree, supported by woven branches. Feathers, leaves, and beautiful stones decorated the chair. And there, sitting on a blue cushion... was a gigantic Catlin.

  Sora felt her mouth drop. The beast sitting down was as tall as she was standing. A shadow covered half of his chest and all of his face so she couldn't get a clear view of him, only that he sat as still as a statue. For a moment she hoped that was all he was — just some giant statue — but she could see his massive chest move in and out with each breath. Her eyes traveled lower to his long, faded green pants; a leather strap across his chest bore a single gold dagger. All she could make out of his face were two glowing green eyes and a gnarled gold tooth.