~::Attack! Part three::~
“-horrible. I can’t believe they would sink so low.”
“’They’ would not. It is the king’s doing. And Marxius.”
“Well, we have to do something about it! And soon. If the king takes control of any other creatures, it could be disastrous for us. Muck monsters aren’t the brightest or strongest, but they’ll still be a problem. Just imagine if they get Higi or something!”
“Agreed. Let us set up some surprises for our friends. It will be a start.”
Nyoko heard the voices as he struggled to gain coconsciousness. A worried female voice. A soft male voice. His head was spinning. Where was he? What had happened? He strained to open his eyes. His whole body felt weak.
“Kira,” the male voice said after a moment, “your protégé is awakening.”
“Oh! Nyoko!” cried the voice that belonged to Kiraboshi. Nyoko felt her cool hand touch his warm forehead. “Oh, sweetie, are you alright?” she asked in a worried tone.
He couldn’t speak; he was so weak. He tried to make a sound, but only a squeak issued from his mouth. Kira patted him. “Shh, don’t worry. You’ll be alright. You were deprived of clean oxygen. Just keep taking small breaths, ok?”
Finally his eyes opened. He looked up into the faces of Kira and Akito. “Mama?” he asked wearily. Kira nodded. “It’s alright. We’re tip-top safe in here.” She waved her hand. “They can’t get in the cabin. Magic protection. We’ll be safe for the time being.”
“Wh…what happened?” the kitten asked, images flickering through his head. A wolf that he had never seen; a purple-gray blob; sounds of harsh laughter; horrible smells.
Kira sighed, rubbing her head. She glanced over at Akito.
“Weeeeell, it’s a bit complicated.”
Nyoko blinked. “…You aren’t going to tell me, are you, Mama Kira?” he asked, his ears drooping sadly. She shook her head. “All you need to know is that the forest isn’t safe anymore. You can’t wander outside alone. This is important, Nyoko. You’re a big boy now; you might think you can handle it, but a real warrior knows that he shouldn’t fight if there’s another way out. Ok?”
He nodded. He remembered how scared he was, watching that wolf come closer. He was terrified. Earlier that day, he thought he could have taken the entire world on, but now…now he felt small and weak. He knew he had work to do before he could win any fight against a real demon.
“Mama? Can…we still train?” he asked, eyes shining with new resilience. His adoptive mother smiled at him. “You bet we can. Take a little nap…we start in three hours.”
