บท 14: Chapter 14 - Options
Outside the open window, she could see for miles. The land was unspoiled by the advances of man. Trees carpeted the hills, and she could see the faintest hint of blue water in the far distance. Stepping up on the window well, she looked to either side of the tower she was in, and saw the same for as far as she could see.
Flying to the roof, she noticed that the smell of the air was cleaner and purer than where she had come from. Could that be why Dane was getting sick so much? The news had been talking about how world pollution was climbing and nothing they did seemed to help. Would she ever make it back there?
Kitty paused on the roof, thinking about her past ten years. Touching the necklace around her neck, she decided to make the most of her life. She wasn't sure she wanted to go back, even if she could. Not that she wouldn't miss Dane and Kiterina, or all of the animals, including Shep, but this was a whole new world, just waiting to be explored.
There was a demon king she could go vanquish, and magic! There was honest to goodness magic here! And, judging from the reactions of the mage and his apprentice, the people here would be scared of her. She wouldn't have to worry about the specialized hunters with their darts, coming to take her away to the black market.
Behind the tower, opposite the direction the window had been facing, she could see a quaint village on the side of a valley, several miles away from the tower. She could see farmers tilling their fields with animals and people riding horses, with crossbows and swords on their belts. Her heart picked up. She knew so much, from the other world, that it didn't seem these people knew about. She could get rich very quickly, and powerful, if she played her cards right.
Though, with that thought, she remembered how evil people could be, and decided to lay low until she understood a bit more about this world. She may not be the only monster out there, and what if the demon king was actually a demon? She didn't really believe in a god or a devil, but maybe this world had them?
Hearing a noise to her right, she turned to see a young man, trembling with intense fear, as he scaled the rooftop, crawling towards her.
"Don't you know it's dangerous to be on the roof of a tower without wings?" she asked, laying on her side and watching him inch his way towards her.
"My Master wishes to speak with you, if it please you, chosen one…" he stumbled over his words, his voice barely audible from all the squeaking he was making.
"What does he want?" Her tail was swishing in excitement, and she glared it into being still. It was getting better at listening, but it still had its moments.
"He wishes to speak to you about your reward, per the prophecy…" His voice trailed off as he got closer to her, and saw the long sharp claws she had on her hands.
"It wouldn't be a trick, now would it, where he tried to capture me?" She knew how wizards in the stories worked. This one didn't seem as smart, but she wouldn't put it past him to try something.
The boy went to open his mouth, but a gust of wind, just strong enough to brush his hair to the side, stole his voice, and he hugged the roof tiles as if his life depended on it.
With a sigh, she couldn't leave him to have a heart attack. Grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt, she hoped it was strong enough to hold him, and decided as she heard a rip, to wrap her arms around him as well, and flew, rather clumsily, to the topmost window.
Setting him down, rather unceremoniously, she perched on the window edge, and shook her stray feathers back into order.
The mage was standing there, his hands raised in preparation to cast something. Kitty didn't give him a chance, choosing to dive off the window towards the ground. He would have to run to the window to cast after her. She turned her wings, sending her flying around the tower, out of his line of sight, and sped up. It was almost dark, and she wanted to investigate the town before he could spread the alarm of her escape.
Pausing in some trees, she decided to wait until full dark before continuing. If the people reacted towards her, the same way the mages had, she would probably get chased out of town with a few arrows sticking out of her. Maybe she could find a barn somewhere to sleep in, on some nice hay. It wouldn't be as nice as her bed back home, but she had a feeling she wouldn't find a bed like that here. Unless she looked in the king's home, she imagined all the furniture would be rather primitive.
A figure was walking along the road beneath her, towards the mage's tower. As he got closer, she saw that it was a young boy, maybe six or seven, wearing a tunic that was torn and dirty. Judging from his gaunt frame and thin face, he probably hadn't eaten in a while. Emotions were tearing her apart as she watched him draw closer. She couldn't decide what to do.
Blinking a couple of times, she decided there were two options before her that she was willing to take. The first being to befriend the boy, and learn as much as she could about this world, and the second, to let him continue on, unmolested.
As the boy drew up underneath her, she had just about decided to let him continue on, when he paused and leaned against the tree. He was breathing hard, as if he had been running a race, and as she watched, his stomach rumbled loudly. Clutching his belly, he slid to the ground, and pulled his knees up. He was resting his head on his arms, when she finally gave in. She couldn't save all of the kids in this world, but she could save one.
"You sound hungry."
He looked up slowly, to see her laying on the branch above him, looking bored. She watched as he nodded, not even the smallest hint of fear on his face. Diving off the branch, she barely touched his upturned face with the softest of touches before pouncing on the rabbit that was hidden in the bushes on the other side of the road.
Holding it up, she heard horses coming from the tower, at a fast clip.
"I prefer a more private location for my meals, care to join me?" She moved up next to the boy, and when he didn't seem able to stand on his own, she scooped him up and took to the air. It had grown dark enough, those coming from the tower wouldn't see her as she flew away from the village, heading deep into the woods.
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