The Fist of Hope

[kenrios]

Hello people, This is a story that I am writing about the Felarya universe. I would like your opinions, suggestions and corrections (English is not my primary language so please have mercy.)



The Fist of Hope
By Kenrios





















Prologue Part 1: The Despicable Neko
The city of Negav was a fairly normal city if it were not for its architecture. Its buildings were made of the most diverse forms, although above all a construction style based on structures with enormous symmetrical forms on the roof and stone arches as doors and windows predominated. Most of the houses were crowned with tapestries, furniture, or beautiful flower gardens. However, as in all cities there was a side of the city in which everything was not "flourishing". The Lower Negav was full of bad smells, garbage and others that denoted the marginality of this side of the city. Faced with the influx of people who entered through its dimensional gate, the city also housed a fairly large group of people with criminal tendencies. The Black Market was located in what was known as "The Underground" which was basically a place where you could get all kinds of merchandise or pleasures for the right price and it was also below the surface of Negav far from the control of the Police.
Jelena, the neko, spent her entire life living on this side of town, surviving as best she could. She commonly took care of small jobs for black market merchants or sold them some sort of merchandise that she got from some unfortunate honest merchant from whom she stole.
"Everything is to survive"
At the time, however, she had enough money to make the purchase of her life. So she went to a place deep in the city and approached what looked like a house whose door was guarded by two strong men. Upon seeing her, one of them asked her:
"What do you want neko?"
"I've come to speak to Mr. Rathz," Jelena replied, trying to use the most innocent tone she could.
"What for?" Asked the same guard in an angry tone.
"Business," the neko gave simply.
Following this she showed a bag full of coins to the guards, who without further delay let her pass.
She kept walking down a long corridor that was lit only by a row of conveniently placed artificial lights. In the light of the lamps it could be seen that Jelena had beautiful red hair with two ears of the same color in a feline shape. The neko had beautiful features and her human body had a sensuality that made her impressive to the eye. Her breasts were cup-shaped and broad. Covering this part, she wore a light green skirt and her bottom part wore a black short that had two pockets and highlighted her front and back femininity. Below her back hung a reddish tail that moved as she walked down to her ankles.
When she reached the end of the corridor, another guard checked what she was carrying and opened a door that led to a room in which quite lively music was played and there were several pairs of humans dancing and having drinks. In some places Jelena observed that there were some Neko women who moved sensually dancing for some humans settled in large armchairs and while they danced they smiled at their “partners”. Some of them had small ones that hung from their breasts or from the bottom of their bikinis. The "couples" then opened their mouths and licked the tinies or simply put them in their mouths while they savored them or simply broke the delicate thread with their teeth and swallowed them, further increasing the excitement of the dancers.
Jelena got turned on by every second that passed while she watched these "sexy scenes." But she was almost reaching the end of the huge celebration hall and on that side were two more guards who checked her again and then let her pass. As she passed through the door, she met a man with black hair and whose beard was thick but clean-shaven. He wore a jacket that had a purple flower on its lapel. His features were dark in color and contained a sinister look. He had a scar on his face stuck to his cheek.
As the neko entered, the human raised his head.
“Wow Jelena,” he said with a smile, “I didn't think to see you so soon. What is on offer?"
"Hello Mr. Rathz", the neko replied with a smile, "This time I am not here for work but as a client."
"Ohhh" said Mr. Rathz widening his smile, "I see. This really is a novelty. "
"I have money to pay for the service." Jelena continued, ignoring the man's assertion. "I would like the special"
“This is the first time that a neko from the Lower Negav has asked me for this service,” Rathz said without giving up his mischievous laugh, “But hey, I suppose business is business. Show me what you have darling. "
Jelena gave him the bag full of coins and he held it with one hand taking it and with the other measuring its weight. His face lit up with an expression that denoted greed.
“Very good, very good” he said satisfied, “it is enough. A pleasure doing business with you. Wait here."
The man got up from his office and went through a door in the back. Jelena stared at her former boss's office. The neko was surprised by his attitude of leaving her alone in that space that surely kept important things. Either he was very self-confident or he was very foolish, but she didn't want to do anything that would tarnish her business with her former boss.
After all, it was the purchase of her life. A long-awaited dream.
In two minutes, Mr. Rathz came back in and sat down at his desk. He started jotting down some notes and finally handed Jelena a piece of paper.
“Give this paper to the guard at the door of this office. He will guide you to the place. Or do you prefer to do it at home? "
“My house is not a private space. Besides, it is almost never in a fixed place. You know me, Mr. Rathz, ”, replied the neko, smiling.
"In that case, enjoy it.", Said the man, shaking her hand.
Jelena left the office through the same door she had entered. At the entrance she handed Mr. Rathz's note to one of the guards. He stared at the paper for a few seconds and automatically turned to the right of the room, indicating for the neko to follow him. In it there was a door that had some multicolored lights at the entrance and in its center was a huge drawing of a heart that had VIP written in gold letters in the middle of the door. The entrance was guarded by two men: a neko and a human. The neko in question was tall and of medium strength. As she stood in front of him, Jelena gave him a seductive smile to which the cat-man did not respond impassively.
The guard accompanying her handed the paper to the human guard and he observed the neko.
"Is there a VIP room prepared?" asked the guard accompanying her.
"Yes" said the human smiling. "It seems that this time we have a special client."
"That's right" replied the guard beside her without saying another word.
The neko guard then opened the door for her with keys that he had on his waist. The door opened and Jelena stepped inside. Before closing it, the cat man said:
“You have an hour. Have fun. ”.
When he closed the door, Jelena turned and in a hallway she found a human woman watching her. When she noticed that the neko's gaze fell on her, she bowed respectfully.
"My lady. Please come with me ”, she indicated.
Jelena followed the woman down a corridor that had several glass doors that were reflective in such a way that it was impossible to see what was going on inside. Although there were small moans and screams of terror in some of them. Apparently the glass prevented the prying eyes of people, but did not completely muffle the sounds inside. Suddenly the human woman stood in front of a door and extended her hand from which a bright light came out. The hand was pointed at a kind of metal box that had the door on the right side. At this there was a click and the door slid slowly to the side.
Upon entering the living room, Jelena saw that it was a room that had a huge heart-shaped bed and in front of it there was what looked like a small toy town. Inside the city there were little people walking through its "streets."
They were a mix of neeras and tomthumbs, two of the smallest species of Felarya. The first were humanoid beings that were approximately two inches tall and had mouse ears and a tail of the same species that hung below their waists. The latter were basically small humans who were the same height as the Neeras.
When they realized that the door was opened, the tinies looked there and some began to scream in terror, others simply knelt down and began to sob. Jelena noticed that some were trying to escape the perimeters of the "city" but some kind of magical barrier repelled them.
The human woman turned to Jelena and whispered:
"Have fun. If you have a problem press this button on the door and I will come. "
She then withdrew, closing the door.
Jelena looked out over the small town and smiled. This was what she had been waiting for.
She then approached the bed and sat on the corner which was the heart-shaped tip of the bed right in front of the mini-city. Then she stretched her feet to the front showing her sole to the little ones.
"Are you comfortable?" She asked them smiling.
"What do you want here?" One of them asked angrily. He was apparently an older man with a beard that hung down the sides of his face. His hair was black and his body had a medium shape and somewhat stocky. However, he did not have clothes like all the citizens of the place.
Jelena watched this little boy for a few seconds and said with a malicious smile:
"It is not obvious?"
The tomthumb swallowed hard.
"No, I don't know," he said trying to play dumb, even though he knew this wouldn't work in the long run.
The neko then leaned her face over him and said:
"Well if you don't know, I'll show you," she said with a malicious smile and grabbed the little man with his long-clawed hands.
"Nooooo! Let me go, you bastard! ”His victim yelled at her.
Jelena brought him to her face and put the tip of one of the fingers of her other hand on his lips to silence him. Then she gave him a sigh.
“Hey!” she said later, “There's no need to offend. You see, this is my first time eating a tomthumb, so I wish this was nice. I always wanted to know what it was like to have one in my mouth. All the nekos have told me that you guys taste better than rats and you are very sweet. Let's see if it's true. "
Saying this Jelena raised the tomthumb above her head and opened her mouth. Seeing this, the tomthumb began to scream desperately as he watched in terror the immense cavern full of strands of saliva, a pink tongue and white teeth that would soon be his destiny.
Some tinies of the mini-city also began to scream and beg, but the neko was hungry and was also excited by this new sensation that she would soon experience.
Jelena then deposited the tomthumb on her tongue head first and closed her lips around his waist. His screams trailed off the moment he stepped into the damp cavity. He began to desperately kick against the lips of the neko who sucked on his legs while flashing a satisfied smile.
The neko began to move her prey inside her mouth, testing their taste with her tongue. It was something sweet, but at the same time it had salty touches. The perfect mix.
Inside the neko's mouth the little one moved trying to get out, but every time he tried to get up, the movement of his tongue and the amount of saliva it was covered in made it impossible. Without further ado the neko pushed him with her tongue down his throat and swallowed him with a Gluck! The wonderful sensation of the little man sliding down her throat as she struggled to fight caused the neko to groan in satisfaction.
“Awwww!” She said later, “Oh my, this is the best I've ever had! It is simply irresistible! "
The tinies then began to sob and some to shout expletives. One of them caught the neko's attention.
"Damn bitch! You ate my husband! ”She screamed.
Jelena noticed that the woman was holding a baby in her arms. She suddenly pouted and gave the woman a smile.
"Ohhhh, what a cute baby!", She said in a singsong voice, "Is this your son?"
"Yes!" The woman yelled angrily, "She's the daughter of the one you ate!"
"Awww! How cute! ”Jelena said in the same singsong voice, ignoring the screams of the woman holding him. “Oh little girl I feel sorry for you! Your dad was too delicious for his own good! "
"Spit it out, please!" The woman said crying as she knelt, "I beg you!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't make myself vomit," Jelena said with a pout on her face, "But I can do something else."
The neko lifted the woman to her face as she began to scream in terror.
“Ohhh come on!” Jelena said, “Don't you want to meet your husband again? He is now in his new home; it is your duty as a wife to be by his side. "
"Please no!" The small woman pleaded with a terrified tone, "At least let my girl go."
"Do you want your daughter to stay in this world without parents?" The neko asked sarcastically, "Or is it that you don't see how much she misses her father?"
“Please don't do it!” the little woman exclaimed desperately, “It's just a girl! This is not fair!"
“Isn't it fair?” The neko asked smiling, “Isn't it fair to eat the food you paid for? She is food just like you, and after all it's your fault. "
The woman closed her eyes and began to pant heavily. She was terrified to the extreme and her heart was pounding unable to believe the reality of what she was facing. The neko without paying attention to this continued her sarcastic speech.
“Yes, it is your fault. After all, you gave birth to your daughter in a place like this just to be food. "
"No, not me ...!", The woman began but the neko opened her mouth and put the woman with her daughter on her tongue, completely enclosing her in the mouth.
The neko then gave a satisfied smile with her closed lips as she enveloped the woman in saliva, tasting her. The little woman still terrified was screaming incessantly for the life of her daughter. Although her screams were muffled by the neko's mouth, even those in the mini-city managed to hear them as small moans of terror. Realizing this the neko pushed the small woman down her throat with a quick flick of her tongue. The tomthumb woman then couldn't help but slide down her tongue as she used both hands to hold her crying little daughter.
Without further delay the neko swallowed accumulated saliva that contained the taste of tomthumb women with a loud Gulp! The woman did her best to keep her arms close to her body to at the same time hold her daughter so that she did not fall down the neko's esophagus as she walked down the fleshy, wet tunnel feet first.
When she reached the woman's stomach, she fell into a sitting position with a plop! in the middle of a puddle of liquid while the baby was still crying. The little man who had eaten earlier upon hearing his baby cry let out a howl of raging anger and frantically threw himself against the fleshy wall, striking it with his fists and feet.
“Damn psycho monster! Spit on my daughter, damn bastard! "
The neko then put her left hand on her belly while flashing a satisfied smile.
“Wow, this feeling is wonderful! It tickles. "
The man's incessant blows to her stomach funneled some air into her throat and the neko then burped.
"Buuurp!"
Seeing this monstrous and inconceivable act, the little ones of the mini-city began to raise their fists and shout expletives. The anger on their faces contrasted with the cries and screams of the women. Some knelt down and covered their faces with their hands. They couldn't believe such monstrosity and disregard for the lives that had just begun.
This experience that for the little ones had been terrifying for the neko was wonderful. She had never felt anything like this in her life and the feeling exceeded even what she had been told. No wonder some of his breedmates hunted the little ones outside the city even outside the range of the Eye of Isolon. It was a wonderful and unique sensation as she tasted them and they struggled in her mouth. But the best part was when they moved down her esophagus and reached his stomach. The tickling they did there as they battled their inevitable fate was simply fantastic.
But Jelena, for now, didn't have to risk leaving the city. She had all the little ones she wanted right here.
Her eyes then looked towards the mini-city and when she saw the furious expression of some tinies, she said:
“Oh come on don't be like that! Now the family is reunited in their new home. Well at least for a while until they got the rent. "
As she said this creepy phrase with a smile, the faces of some little ones changed from fury to terror.
"Well, I guess it's time to continue with my special dinner tonight." Jelena said and touched her lip with one of her fingers, "Umm they say you little mice are even more delicious than little men."
Saying she bent down to catch a terrified neera who tried to escape from his clutches. He hid inside one of the houses and got under some stairs that led to the second floor of the small structure.
"Awww come on! Don't make this so difficult, "she said to the little boy with a seemingly annoyed tone" Accept your fate. Anyway, you will end up in my tummy one way or another. At least choose the easy one. "
The little neera didn't want to go out, he was too scared. He had curled into a ball as he tucked his head of brown hair between her knees and squeezed it with his hands. The roof of the house then opened with a loud crack as the neko's hand reached for him and grabbed his tail pulling him out as he groaned in terror.
Jelena watched him for a moment as she held him upside down by his tail. He was a young man who looked to be in his twenties. He kicked and moaned unable to articulate a single word and not even able to open his eyes.
"Hey darling!", The neko said while smiling, "Come on open your eyes! Don't be a coward. "
The neera said nothing and kept shaking like mad, kicking and shaking his body. The neko then pouted, apparently somewhat annoyed.
“Hey little one, come on!” Jelena told him in a somewhat disgruntled tone, “Problems are faced by looking straight ahead. You can't just ignore them. Also, this will be a real honor. You will have the opportunity to enter a place where none of your class has ever been. It is a warm and comfortable place, like a spa. You will be able to relax while becoming part of this sexy body. Come on look at it. "
The little neera opened his eyes for a moment as the neko undressed and showed her huge breasts.
Despite himself, the little neera felt the blood rise to his face, flushing. This evidently did not go unnoticed by the neko who gave him a little giggle.
"Awww, how cute!", She said in a singsong voice, "You've never seen one this big, right?"
The neera then covered his face in shame with Jelena's words.
“I definitely can't get enough of you little ones!” She exclaimed in a sexy voice, “They're so cute, cuddly, and delicious!”
Hearing this, the neera removed his hands from his face and his eyes widened as he contemplated the terrifying sight of the neko's mouth and especially the fleshy tunnel that preceded her uvula. Three tomthumbs had recently disappeared through the same hole and soon he himself would follow them. The neko released his tail and he fell headlong onto his tongue which gave him an inward thrust with the tip. The fleshy, saliva-wet organ never stopped tasting it, sending its flavor to the neko woman's taste buds. The boy did not move he was too terrified. Wherever he looked he saw only darkness and some white spots that he guessed were from the fine teeth of his predator.
Jelena tasted this mouse boy and her eyes widened as his sweet taste seeped off her tongue. She shook it a lot with a satisfied smile.
"Umm!" She groaned in delight.
When she had extracted every last exquisite ounce of flavor from this neera, the neko pushed it with her tongue down her throat and swallowed as the lump slid easily down her esophagus to her stomach. To her disappointment the neera didn't move even when it reached her stomach. The organ was busy beginning the digestion of its three previous occupants and which was joined the little mouse.
The neko noticed the noises her hungry stomach was beginning to make. She hadn't eaten anything today waiting for this moment, and consequently her body sped up digestion, crying out for the nutrients it needed.
“Ahhhhh”, she sighed as she touched her belly with her hand, “My stomach is so happy and I am so happy. But there are still some of you. "
The neko then began to wiggle her toes.
“Let's do something tinies,” she said with a horny look, “I've walked a lot today to get here. Even though my stomach is happy, my feet are killing me and they need attention. "
Seeing the expression of anguish from the inhabitants of the mini-city and that of fury in others, the neko stopped and continued:
"I'll tell you something. If they help my feet feel good, I promise not to eat those who do better. But don't try to escape or it won't be pleasant. "
Some little ones looked at each other in bewilderment. Then one of them, a young Neera girl with brown hair, ears of the same color and somewhat tanned skin said:
"Okay, I'll do it"
The neko's face lit up. She picked up the little woman who put on an expression that reflected some discomfort as she was held in the catgirl's hand. She then placed it in front of his left foot.
"Well, do we have any other volunteers?" she asked sarcastically as she looked at the rest.
Seeing that no one else came out, the neko made a disappointed face. She quickly grabbed a brown haired Neera woman. The action was so fast that the woman didn't have time to scream as she was thrust into the neko's mouth head first. The cat girl sucked on her feet, moved her a little and quickly swallow licking her lips.
"I repeat, are there any volunteers?" Jelena said with a frown.
She brought his face closer to the mini-city while saying these words and released a burp that echoed in the ears of the little ones as her hot and smelly breath spread around the perimeter of the small city.
That was like a spark for the little ones who began to raise their hands frantically. Jelena selected another tomthumb woman with white hair with shades of blue. She put it in front of his right foot and smiled at her.
The two women, Neera and Tomthumb, looked at her feet, which were somewhat tall for her size and were also somewhat covered in dirt that seeped between her toes and a bit on her claws. The neko began to move her feet impatiently as she said:
"Come on little girls, get started."
The neera, whose name was Lyne, began to massage her feet from the bottom, turning it over with the palm of her hands and circling it with her fingers that soon began to be filled with sweat and dirt.
"Oh perfect! Now I stink of neko sweat. "
Despite these thoughts, Lyne continued to massage the neko's gigantic foot a little higher than the soles of her feet, paying special attention to those points where she felt the tension of the somewhat inflamed flesh. These massages and the ones given by the tomthumb on her other foot sent pleasant sensations to the neko, who let out tender moans as she seductively raised a finger to her lips.
A few minutes later the cat girl grabbed both tiny girls between her thumb and forefinger in a quick motion. The neera and the little tomthumb woman looked at her somewhat distressed, although Lyne's gaze was rather one of concern.
"Good job little ones," Jelena said smiling as she showed her fine white teeth. “It's a real shame, but I have to choose which one to keep. It's a bit hard to tell as you both did great and I really enjoyed having you there. But…"
Suddenly she took the foot that was holding the white-haired girl and gave her a disguised pitying look.
“… I think the little mouse did better. So you will go to my tummy, I am so sorry”, Juliana continued with a somewhat sad but obviously sarcastic voice.
She then put it on her face, licked it a little and then sucked it off her fingers while the girl moaned in terror. After enjoying it a bit, she swallowed it with a loud sound as a lump descended from her neck until it was lost in her chest.
"Ahhhh! Delicious! ”Jelena sighed.
Seeing this Lyne gulped thinking that she might have been the one who was lowering this insane neko's stomach if she hadn't done a good job. Fortunately, she had already done this before while working for Madame Soyz's relaxation rooms. Who would have believed it? The teachings of his former protector, how to massage and relax flesh and tense mind, had saved her life.
“Very good little one,” Jelena said as she winked at her, “I think I'll stay with you. Would you like to be my little slave? "
Lyne looked at her with a concerned tone on her face.
"And what happens if I decline the offer?" she asked.
The neko did not reply with words. She simply licked her lips and clicked with his mouth.
"Of course, stupid question.", thought the neera.
"Okay," she said then with a sneaky smile.
"Oh, good!" Exclaimed the neko with glee. “You will be my toy. I will feed you and give you shelter and you will give me pleasure for the rest of your life. "
At this Lyne closed her eyes and shrugged.
"At least it's better than the alternative", the neera thought, “From slavery you escape. From a hungry stomach, no. "
Jelena took the mouse girl between her fingers and shoved her into one of the pockets of her short. Just at that moment the glass door opened and the lady who had greeted her in the hall appeared.
"I'm sorry miss, but time is up." she said in a solemn voice.
The neko stood up and quickly put on her blouse. Then she looked at the human woman.
"Already, so fast?", she asked and seeing the positive response emitted by the lady with her head, her eyes went to the mini-city. “Well little ones I guess that's it. A real pleasure to have invited you to dinner. "
Then she went down the hall to the door. When they arrived, the human woman knocked twice on the door with the obvious intention of having the door opened for him. The human guard then opened it and Jelena stepped out into the hall whose bustle had subsided a bit.
It was almost closing time for this place, apparently, so people were starting to leave. The only ones who remained were those from the "VIP" room. When the neko went to the exit somewhat disappointed since she did not enjoy it as much as wanted one of the guards -the neko- of the VIP room took her by the arm:
"Hey!" Jelena said as she turned around.
"You," he said with an icy voice, "The boss wants to see you."
"What for?" The neko asked in a somewhat angry tone.
“I don't know,” the guard replied with the same impassiveness, “But he sent me to look for you. So let's go."
He then dragged the girl by her arm to her former boss's office. The guard then knocked on the door twice with his hand. A "Go ahead!" was the reply and then the guard opened the door dragging the neko girl inside by her arm.
"Hey!" Jelena protested, "Rude." She added as the door closed.
"Sorry Jelena, my guards are usually a bit rude." Rathz said apologetically. "But do not worry. No problem. What's more, I think I want to propose you a good business. "
The neko looked her former boss in the eye as she frowned.
“Don't you think this is a somewhat bad way to treat your future associates? Business doesn't work like that, Mr. Rathz "
At this the man simply gave a sneaky laugh.
"Oh come on Jelena!" He said smiling, "It's a good deal."
The neko simply shrugged and heaved a sigh of relaxation.
"Okay," he agreed, "What is it about?"
The man then leaned his elbows on the table and clasped his hands. She already knew what that meant. Mr. Rathz was going to say something important.
“You see Jelena,” he started to say, “I have a serious problem with the supply of new merchandise. Most of it comes from the forest, but every time I send a group some never come back and nobody knows what happens to them. Always the same. They remember falling asleep for some strange reason and when they wake up one of them does not appear. My men are beginning to lose confidence and it is getting harder and harder to get new acquisitions. As you surely know these products are not eternal and rarely survive more than one night. So I propose something to you. Your stealth ability has become very famous here in the Negav. So I need you to take over the group of hunters and help them with their duties. "
Jelena stared at him. Obviously a question was imposed:
"And what do I get out of all this?"
"Well, I knew you would ask," replied Mr. Rathz with a mischievous grin, "To begin with for now, you can keep the neera in your pocket."
The neko raised an eyebrow, but continued to listen to her former boss's monologue.
“Take it as advance payment. And I'll pay you 1000 skevols for every shipment of goods you bring me. Each package must have five to reach that figure otherwise I will deduct 200 for each one that is missing. Also, for every five you bring me, I'll give you two hours of VIP. What do you say?"
Jelena raised her hand to her chin with a thoughtful gesture and immediately said to Mr. Rathz:
"Very well, I accept," she finally said.
The man then smiled at her.
"I knew it! I knew I could ... "
“However, I have two conditions,” the neko interrupted, “Number one: I will do it myself without a hunting team. I don't like having companions. Number two: I don't need you to ask or question where the merchandise comes from. Just accept it. "
"Umm, interesting," Rathz said with a grimace of his face. "Okay I accept your conditions. Is it a deal? ”He asked, holding out his hand.
"Deal!" Jelena said as she shook hands with her former boss.
Saying this, the neko turned to leave and turned on her back and told her boss:
“The day after tomorrow I will bring you the first batch. Have a good night Mr. Rathz. "
"The same for you dear," replied the man.
Then Jelena opened the door and headed for the exit.


************

The city of Pelnepi was, what one might say, "a world within another world." Located near the Shrine of the Shining Star the mini-town of the tinies was mostly peaceful and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of the Negav city. Thanks to its human guards and the guardians of the Cult of Minalca, this place was guarded so that the little ones had a safe paradise.
Cuyér, the tomthumb, did not understand why most of his little companions wanted to live far from this paradise and take risks in Negav where they could be crushed, eaten or sold as slaves. Although on paper the little ones had rights in the human city, the reality is that the tinies could not be efficiently protected by the police or any other body in charge of enforcing the law in this huge city. That is why the Ps'isol Magiocrats had declared Pelnepi the place where the tinies should go in Negav.
"If they want to risk it, it's their problem," thought Cuyér and so he let his friends know who spent the day criticizing humans for simply creating a segregationist zone in which in the long run the tinies only had the right to do what that these giants wanted.
All these thoughts flashed through his head as he walked towards his house located south of the city hall. He was already a few blocks away when near an alley he suddenly met a Neera who was running. Seeing the tomthumb the mouse girl ran towards him and stopped right in front of him.
"Please help me!" say, gasped for air.
"What's wrong?" Asked Cuyér, somewhat surprised.
"I cannot believe it! A neko is chasing me!”, Replied the neera sounding scared
Cuyér's eyes widened as he watched this brown-haired mouse girl with a terrified look. His gaze seemed genuine but still...
"A neko, in Pelnepi?" Cuyér asked somewhat incredulously.
"Yes!" The neera shouted in response, "Please let's get out here ...!"
The tomthumb looked over his head for any sign of the presence of a cat-shaped humanoid, but nothing appeared before his eyes. If something like that was chasing this neera he should be able to see it judging by their height as they were near the southern border of the city.
“I don't see it,” said Cuyér, looking this girl in the eye, “Besides, it is impossible for a single neko to infiltrate this place. We are very well protected here. Do not worry."
"She is looking for me!" Said the desperate neera, "I managed to escape from her, but please help me hide! I beg you!"
Cuyér was not a bad person and he was beginning to feel sorry for this terrified mouse girl.
“Okay!” He finally said, “Let's go to my house. You can stay there for tonight. "
"Oh thank you, thank you good sir!" Said the neera with a relieved expression on her face.
Cuyér sighed reluctantly. She didn't like the idea of bringing a stranger home, but this girl had a certain amount of dirt and sweat on her skin. She was practically naked and was evidently in need of shelter from the cold that approached as it got dark. Still, he didn't like being lied to, but he understood why she had.
"I'll keep an eye on you and if you try something you'll see what it's like to mess with a city council official," Cuyér thought.
He then took the girl by the arm and began to walk with a hurried step to get home as quickly as possible.
The little man's house was not negligible. In fact, it looked like a mini residence with wooden and glass front windows and each one had a windowsill that had some red, yellow and purple flowers contained in a kind of square wooden pot. The house was made of stone, like most houses in Pelnepi, but it had a gleaming black wooden roof. The walls were painted a nice dark blue and the wooden door had a nice gleaming mahogany color. The man knocked on the door knocker twice and immediately the door opened.
It was a little tomthumb women with blond hair and white skin. She wore a black dress that came down to her ankles with a low-cut neckline. Her eyes were brown and her eyebrows black. His expression denoted a pretty smile directed at Cuyér.
"Good evening my husband!" She said with joy, "The children were waiting for you."
"I'm sorry darling for being here at this time," the man said a little sadly, "It's that the boys got more aggressive than ever. It is difficult to make them understand. "
The woman closed her eyes keeping that smile.
“That habit of yours of proselytizing everyone. Is it that others cannot think differently from you? "
“I'm just trying to save their lives,” he said in a somewhat disappointed tone, “They keep talking bad about Pelnepi even though no one dares to leave here. They know that outside of this city they will be in danger and yet they continue to criticize. "
“Hey, hey!” Said his wife, “You know I don't like all that political nonsense. When you arrive at this house you are the loving father and the caring husband of always. Not a politician. "
Cuyér, in spite of himself, smiled, seduced by the unparalleled charm of his wife.
"Who is she?" Asked the blonde woman.
The tomthumb had almost forgotten the neera that followed him.
"Oh yeah!" She exclaimed, "This little girl says a neko is following her."
"A neko in Pelnepi?" Asked his wife, puzzled.
"She says she evaded it." The man said quickly, secretly winking at his wife. "And she asked me to take her somewhere safe for tonight."
The wife then looked at the neera with brown hair and mouse ears of the same color. Noticing how dirty she was and smeared with sweat, she immediately understood her husband's intentions.
"Very good!", she said, lowering his voice a little, simulating stealth, "Come quickly!"
The man and the girl walked through the door into a small room lit by artificial lights. At the end of this place there was a staircase attached to the right wall that undoubtedly led to the second floor of the house. Beyond the staircase, down the hall were several rooms with closed doors.
Six little girls came down the stairs, two neeras and four tomthumbs. One of the two neeras was a little girl with whitish hair and ears with shades of blue and she was the first to say hello as her tail flicked from side to side anxiously.
"Hi Daddy!" she said in a cheerful tone, "Did you bring me something?"
"Hello Meleiss," Cuyér said with a smile on her face, "I brought you a friend."
The little neera then looked past her father and saw the brown-haired mouse woman smiling at her.
"Oh and who is it?" Said the little girl with a bit of curiosity on her face.
"Well she's ..." he said as he turned to look at the neera.
"My name is Lyne," she said quickly. “I am a friend of your father. He saved me from a bad neko. "
“A neko !?”, said the little white-haired neera scared, “My dad told me that that didn't exist! That they were just bad stories to scare the children. "
"Ehmm, well ...", Lyne was somewhat uncomfortable not knowing what to answer.
"It was a joke, Meleiss, come on!" Said her father with a laugh, "To see if you were brave and not scared."
The little girl then pouted.
"Oh dad, you're so bad!" She told him as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Come on, you know I love you very much," said the father as he placed a kiss on his daughter's forehead. "Come upstairs and I'll bring you a present to bed."
The girl's innocent annoyed face changed to a bright smile. Her green eyes sparkled with happy joy. She immediately threw himself into hugging her father.
"Ohhh dad, I love you!" she said in a voice that expressed tenderness.
Then she released the father and ran up the ladder. The man followed her with his eyes smiling. Then he turned to his other children. Of the four tomthumbs, two were women who were evidently in their 20s and the other two men appeared to be nearly the same age only a few years apart. As for the neera, he was a little smaller than his brothers. His height and his young face reflected this.
"My children, how have you been?" Asked the father.

***********
The conversation with his children had gone quite well. They recounted their social and sentimental lives with complete confidence. Cuyér loved these moments with his family, which made him forget all the political and work discussions he had to have with his countrymen. Now he was in his kitchen with his wife and Lyne drinking some wine and eating the vegetable and seed dish.
They had invited the neera to lunch to see if they could figure out the real reason for her agitation after calming down. She had taken a bath and dressed in some clothes provided by Cuyér's wife. A beautiful white T-shirt with a heart in the middle pierced by an arrow and dark blue pants that reached the knee and had two pockets.
"So ...", the tomthumb's wife began, "Lyne, right?"
The neera nodded and the wife continued:
“You say a neko was chasing you. How is that?"
"That's right ma'am," Lyne said with complete poise, "It was huge and I could almost hear its drool falling from its mouth as it chased after me."
"Where was that?" Cuyer asked.
“Some streets south of where we are. I hid in a kind of stone house that had some dirt that stunk and I threw something on me so that it would not find me. But I couldn't stay in the same place or it would eventually pass. So I went for a run and then I ran into you. "
This story sounded even more unlikely. To the south was the border of the city and there had to be guards or members of the Cult of Minalca protecting that part. Cuyér had been related to members of this institution who worshiped their "goddess" of good fortune and they were not bad people despite being human. Even so, the tomthumb played the neera's game. He wanted to continue winding it up to see how far it would go.
“Oh yeah!” Said the wife with a smile, “I guess it would really work. Don't be offended, but that dirt of yours really sucked. If I were a neko, I wouldn't eat you with that bad smell. "
"Good point," thought Cuyér, That smell ... nothing he had ever felt before was despicable. He knew a lot of fertilizers as most of his friends were good farmers and he had never smelled one that stank like this.
The neera didn't say anything. She went on eagerly devouring the food.
"Well ...", she said between bites, "Ehmm I felt bad about your daughter."
“Oh don't worry,” Cuyér's wife told him with a smile, “We are taking care of her for now. She is very small and also has never seen a neko. Those creatures are horrible. I have not met anyone who does not look at you with the desire to swallow you and our little ones do not have to see those ... beasts for now. "
Cuyér was amazed at the way his wife expressed her contempt for the nekos with such joy. That way of smiling optimistically even when talking about serious things or being scared was something wonderful. Maybe it was one of the things about her that he had fallen in love with and didn't know.
At that moment the neera had finished eating by rubbing her belly.
"Ohhh thanks for the food!" she said with a cheerful tone, "It was delicious."
“I think it's time to sleep,” Cuyér said, “Listen Lyne, the guest room is on the second floor next to one of my children's bedrooms. My room is downstairs so if you want I can accompany you while my wife prepares it. "
"You are very kind, thank you." Said the neera with a smile on her face.
And immediately they set off as they climbed the wooden stairs. The second floor of the house consisted of a hallway made of brown wooden planks. On the sides of this there was a stone wall that had 3 rooms, two before the threshold of the staircase and one a little further towards the end. Cuyér and Lyne went to this last room. The tomthumb stood in front of the light brown front door and took out a bunch of keys. Then he opened the door and motioned for the neera to come in.
The room consisted of two beds on each side with a bedside table that had 3 drawers and an artificial lamp made of some kind of gem that glowed in soft light.
"Wow. This house has many lights. How do you keep them on? Magic? ”Lyne asked curiously.
“We have a mini-generator of Actinite,” Cuyér replied, “And the lamps are made with gems from Mezhir. To a greater or lesser extent, this keeps the house illuminated. Every month we recharge the mini generator through the mediation of our friends from the Cult of Minalca. It's a bit of Pelnepi's facilities. "
Still, this made the neera more curious. She had always wondered how these lamps worked in some of the houses she had been in. Apparently they used some kind of light magic that needed to be recharged from time to time. Although gems of this size should not run out so quickly given their size and therefore low consumption.
As she thought about this she heard the door behind her open. She turned to look and saw that Cuyér was beginning to close it. Then there was a jingle of keys and then a click. The tomthumb had locked the door.
"Hey! What are you doing !? ”Lyne exclaimed in fright.
“You wouldn't believe that I would let a stranger run around my house, would you?” Cuyér replied from the other side of the door, “Don't worry. Tomorrow morning, I will release you and you can go. "
The neera was silent for a moment thinking about what she had heard. Then she smiled and said:
"It's okay. I get it."
"Sleep well. Good evening”, answered the tomthumb as he left.
The neera heard his footsteps as he walked away and flashed a smile. She immediately took a strange device from her pocket. It was small and square with a little red button in the middle. Lyne tapped it and a small spotlight began to flash red.
“Good night to you, tomthumb”, thought Lyne.

***********

Cuyér came to her room downstairs after glancing at her children's room to see if they were asleep. They all slept happily and the sight of them, thus so peaceful, filled the tomthumb's heart with a relative inner peace combined with tenderness. But the best part was seeing his wife waiting in the room. She was reading a book when the door opened and he appeared.
"Are they asleep yet?" she asked with her usual smile.
"Yes. The neera is in the guest room. I left her there locked up. We don't want her to do any mischief at night do we? "
"You're right. Now come here. ”, Replied the small woman as she placed her hands on the side of her bed.
An hour later.
Cuyér fell asleep after making love to his wife. It bothered him to do it with strangers in the house, but his wife's seductive smile and touch were irresistible. He was asleep so soundly that an explosive sound startled him awake.
“What the hell… !?”, he yelled startled.
This was followed by screams and screams of anguish and terror.
"It comes from above!" yelled his wife.
They immediately got out of bed and ran to the second floor. As he climbed the stairs his jaw dropped wide at what they were seeing.
A huge hole had been cut in the wooden wall of the ceiling and through this opening the head of… a neko was sticking out!
He had reddish hair, as well as her feline-looking ears. But something the neko was doing was what caused this look on the two little tomthumbs. She held little Meleiss in one of her hands as she screamed in terror with tears in her eyes.
"Oh come on little one!" Said the cat girl smiling. "It's not that bad, you're going to wake up the neighbors!"
Cuyér couldn't believe what he was seeing. He froze with fear and disbelief in his place. It seemed on board the nervous breakdown. However, something suddenly snapped him out of his sudden stupor. The neko began to say:
“Sorry girl but you are too small to be of use. Like your little mouse brother, you only serve as a snack. And I need to fill up tonight. "
Saying this she brought the girl over his face and opened her mouth. The little neera when she saw the huge open and hungry jaws of the neko began to scream and shake in her hand terrified.
Cuyér and his wife ran like a fireball toward the huge hole.
“Stop!!” the two yelled in unison.
It worked. The cat girl stopped and looked down. Seeing the two figures inside the house, the girl licked her lips and smiled. A little voice sounded from the distance that Cuyér recognized perfectly despite hearing himself far away.
“Oh look, master Jelena. They are the parents of the children. The tomthumb was the one that locked me in. ”Lyne said.
Hearing the voice of the brown-haired neera, Cuyér felt his blood boil. But the feeling was quickly replaced by one of supreme terror at the sight of his daughter screaming in the neko's hand.
"What?" The neko asked while showing an incredulous face. "They are the parents? But she is a neera. "
"She's surely adopted," Lyne said smiling.
Hearing this the neera in her hand stopped moving and looked down to meet the sight of her father. She expressed a mixture of fear with fury. Without a doubt the true face of despair. It was indescribable what the man was going through at this moment.
"Oh come on tell your daughter the truth!" Jelena said with a serious face.
The tomthumb shook his head negatively.
"No, please!" He exclaimed.
"Oh well, if you don't tell her the truth ...", she said and opened her wet mouth again.
"Stop, NOOOOOO!!", Cuyér yelled desperately, "Okay, okay!"
"You see it. It's not that difficult. ”, Jelena said smiling,“ You can't keep lying to your daughter! Come on, confess! "
All of this was obviously a fun game for the neko. But for Cuyér it was a true psychological torture. Everything this ruthless monster was putting him through was beyond horrible, if there were any words to describe what was happening.
The tomthumb, knowing that he had no other choice, looked his daughter in the eye.
“Listen, daughter!”, He began to say, “Maybe you are a little small to understand these things, but I am not your real father. You are the daughter of a friend of mine who… is very far away. I am taking care of you. "
"Then why did you tell me you were my father?" Meleiss asked with teary eyes.
Cuyér did not reply. How do you tell your little daughter that her real father had been kidnapped and never heard from again? The trafficking of tinies in Negav was strictly prohibited, but that did not mean that some violated these laws and most of the time these cases were not even solved. Outside of Pelnepi this was something that happened many times in recent times. Although it was horrible, it was a sobering lesson for all those little ones who did not want to come to live in the mini-city. But his friend was a special case. Despite having made the decision to live outside of Pelnepi, he was not a bad person and when he disappeared, Cuyér, thought he had a duty to his children who were not guilty of their parents' decision. This act of selfless love had been rewarded with the smile and love of these little ones and that for him was enough. But now… he had failed them and one of them had been eaten by this horrible beast. Not only was this enough for her, she wanted her daughter to sink into the harsh reality of these events.
"How can anyone be so cruel?" asked Cuyér's wife angrily. "You are not a person, you are a fucking monster!"
Jelena looked at her and cynically began to laugh.
“Monster?” she laughed, “Why? You little ones are food or slaves of us big ones. it is the law of life. I did not ask to be born like that. If I don't eat this little girl, someone else will. It's better that she ended up on my belly than someone else's. After all... who wouldn't want to be part of this sexy body. "
That enraged the tomthumb women even more. Cuyér held her with his hands as she screamed and cried.
Jelena stared at them for a while. Then she turned her gaze to the girl who was crying uncontrollably. Despite herself, something inside made her feel empathy with this little neera. Perhaps because she identified with her, always alone in her world and had spent her life amidst horrible things and lies.
"Hey little ones," she said suddenly, "What would you be willing to sacrifice for this little neera?"
“Whatever!” The two exclaimed in unison. Then Cuyér told him:
“Please throw up her brother! We will do anything! "
Jelena brought her face a little closer.
"Anything?" she asked in a serious tone.
"Anything." They both confirmed.
"Good.", Said the neko as she smiled again. “I'll tell you one thing little ones. I don't really want to eat this little girl. And about her brother… I'm sorry but I can't throw it up. I've never been able to vomit on my own. But I propose something to you. "
"What?" Asked Cuyér's wife, somewhat incredulous.
“This little girl and her brother won't fill me up at all. I was just going to eat her because, as the saying goes, something better than nothing. I have already eaten some small ones tonight, but they have been digested a long time ago and I am hungry again. So I propose something to you, if you offer yourself to me as food, I will let this little girl go. "
Cuyér looked at his daughter. She was still mad at him and she wouldn't stop crying. Despite her tears, the tomthumb could see his daughter's disappointed face. He looked into his wife's eyes, who nodded with tears that began to flow from her eyes as she closed them sadly.
"Okay," he said firmly, "Do it."
Jelena stared at him seriously for a moment. She could not believe it. Were they playing with her? The determined gaze of the two little ones dissuaded her from such an idea. Still, she couldn't believe such a thing existed. She grabbed them both with her right hand and pulled them through the hole in the house.
“My daughter!” He yelled at his daughter who was looking at him, “Listen to this and listen to it well. Live your life as you can, but live. Be smart, kind, supportive, and decent. When you have a boyfriend make sure he is a good person. Do not be fooled by anyone, you will make mistakes like everyone else. They will leave a mark on you that may make you sad at first but then you will see that you will come out stronger than ever. Follow these guidelines and you will have a good life. Don't ever let anyone deviate you from that path. Goodbye my daughter "
Hearing this, Meleiss began to fight frantically screaming non-stop as the neko raised them both to her face, suspending her parents above her gaping jaws. Jelena placed them in her mouth without further ceremony and began to savor them with delight. She tucked Cuyér between his molars close to her cheeks and swallowed his wife with a thud. Then she took the tomthumb to the back of his throat and opened his mouth in front of the little neera. The father, seeing this, knowing what the neko intended, simply greeted his daughter with his hand while smiling at her. The neko then closed her mouth and gulped him with a Gulp!
Jelena then patted her belly as she said:
“Umm delicious. Nothing like a full belly to sleep at night. "
Meleiss just stared wide-eyed red from crying to a point on the floor. Surely she was thinking it was some kind of nightmare from which she would eventually wake up. But the trauma was clearly on her face. She didn't even look away from the same direction when the neko opened a purse on her hip and deposited the little girl inside. Her brothers, who were already there inside, began to cry and beg. When the little girl was placed inside, the bag was closed again, plunging its members into darkness.
The neko then started to walk. Or so it seemed to those in the leather garment around her waist. One of Meleiss's sisters was sobbing, her wails of anguish the only thing that stood out in the immense sepulchral darkness.
"What will happen to us brother?" Asked one of the male thumbs.
The aforementioned did not respond. He was haunted by everything that had happened. But the last straw was what he heard had happened before the bag was opened.
His parents had died, eaten by this despicable cat woman.
All his thoughts were focused on this horrible fact. He would never see his parents again, hear their smiles or words of encouragement. Something, however, brought him out of his slumber. A small, feminine voice began to murmur in the darkness. As if it were a litany of meaningless whispers. The words were unintelligible. Despite this, these whispers caused him fear and made his entire body shudder in an inexplicable way. Then he began to understand some words:
"They deserve ... Everyone must pay ... they died ... they have to pay, I accepted you ... now you are my friend"
Then the tomthumb got it all. It was her little sister Neera who was making these whispers. At that moment, everything was clear to him. If he was sad about what he had heard had happened to his parents then how would his sister who had witnessed it be? A wave of terror suddenly shook his being at the thought of this. His head began to ache as a chill ran down his spine. Suddenly he began to hear voices in his head.
“Do you really want to know, little brother? Well it hurts, it hurts a lot. But don't worry, now I have a new friend. She will help me find our parents and feel good. "
The brother couldn't take it anymore and shouted:
“Enough Meleiss! Stoooop it! "
Suddenly a tremor shook the bag where the little ones were and voices began to emerge from outside.
"Freeze! We are the Metropolitan Security Division! ”A voice shouted. “Put your waist bag on the ground and put your hands up where I can see them! Now!"
A second tremor shook the bag and suddenly everyone inside began to feel as if they were losing weight. They had evidently thrown the bag into the air and now it was beginning to descend. The little ones started screaming, but the movement stopped abruptly. The bag was then opened and a sudden light entered it. A head that belonged to a human poked through the opening. He had dark skin and eyes of the same color. His hair was a mix between gray and black.
"Are you alright, little ones?" He asked.
The tinies were too terrified to respond. The women just started sobbing and the brothers hugged them trying to comfort them. What most caught the attention of the human was a small neera with white hair with blue tones who was sitting with her feet next to her chest and staring at the ground. One of the tomthumbs noticed the worried look the human was giving his sister.
"This is Meleiss," he said, "It's, well ... Could you help her?"
"What's wrong with her?" The human asked with a worried tone.
He got no reply. Just a slightly scared look that was directed by the tomthumb. The human then gulped. He didn't know why, but this little girl huddled at the bottom of the bag gave him the creeps. Steeling himself, he asked her:
"Hey little girl, are you okay?"
Meleiss then reacted to this. She scrambled to her feet and turned her head towards the human. The look she shot him was sinister and her eyes were narrowed. Suddenly the tomthumb next to her screamed as he backed away.
“Her eyes…!” He said frightened, “No, it can't be! It is impossible!"
Meleiss's eyes, which were previously light green, had changed to an obsidian color in which even her cornea was black as night. Her body that was commonly clear as day had turned pale as a sheet of paper, but with a gray hue. The only thing that had not changed was her blue-white hair and ears of the same color.
Suddenly she gave him a mischievous smile, feigning innocence, which made the human's blood run cold.
"I'm fine. It's just that my friend left and I miss her a bit. "

************

The events in which the little ones were kidnapped and then eaten or sold as slaves, sex toys and others ... happened quite frequently in Negav. The Metropolitan Security Division (MSD) was the closest thing to what could be considered police in this city. However, not many people trusted it and reasons had. Over time it had become a corrupt, lazy and bureaucratic body that, far from responding to its functions, seemed many times more interested in profits than in the safety of the Negav citizens.
This time, however, the police could not turn a deaf ear to what had happened in Pelnepi. The family of an official of the city council of that city had been kidnapped and 3 children had been eaten by a neko, including the official himself, his wife and one of his adopted children.
For Lieutenant Agthor it was more than a major case, it was a real need for justice. He didn't care what the higher ups thought of the little ones. The look of terror that he had seen when he opened that bag and found the children that were left of the tomthumb, who had escaped the voracious hunger of that ... despicable cat woman, said it all. The shock caused a seething fury to rise within him. The slavers had neither a sense of humanity nor a sense of morality. They were only interested in the profits they made from the sale and enslavement of people. Every time one of these sadists was interrogated in the barracks located in the Lower Tier of Negav, the answer was simple.
"That are business."
And anyone who heard these guys speak could be said that they are honest traders who only cared about their business. But how can there be beings that treat people as if they were simple merchandise? Slavers have no respect for other people's lives and cynically and coldly justify their actions with those three words. They were definitely worse than the jungle predators. But even that naga, Crisis, that everyone was talking about in Negav was better than that… neko inhuman beast.
And so you can imagine what the dark-skinned, determined-faced man with graying hair felt as he waited for the prisoner outside the entrance to the barracks. She had been sentenced to exile in the jungle. It was the least expected after murdering honest people. But being eaten by predators and spending several hours being burned by digestive acids was not even what Agthor believed would be a fair punishment for the case. At least it was a start.
Even the lieutenant remembered the interrogation he had witnessed. He had to relax so as not to jump on him.
“I still don't understand why so much trouble for some appetizers. They are nothing but delicious food. You should try one and I swear you won't regret it.”, she had told the interrogator.
It had so exasperated Agthor that he could feel the blood rush to his face and warm his ears.
"They're people, you damn bitch!" he thought angrily.
Her escorts brought the prisoner in chains and handcuffs. In the hand of one of his guards was the neera who had been his accomplice. If the neko was despicable this neera was even worse. She cried out saying that she was forced ... that if she didn't, the neko would devour her. Sure.
“Don't make me laugh”, Agthor thought.
They took the shortest path to the Gate of the Watchers. But they still had to avoid the area of the city known as "Cremona Maze" which was known for its high crime and delinquency rates. Agthor did not want to risk the neko having accomplices among these criminals trying to save her from her fate.
However, they reached the place without problems. They had requested the support of battle mages from the Isolon Fist who waited near the gate. Although they rarely mixed in law enforcement matters, this time they had responded to the MSD's call. Undoubtedly, the case in question had caused a strong impact among the members of the influential Cult of Minalca and they had lobbied the Ps'isol Magiocrats for an energetic response. That is without discounting the lessons suffered by various members of the cult and some guards who cared for Pelnepi. The fact confirmed that the much-acclaimed city of the tinies was not entirely safe as claimed by the Council, but at least the wizards who ruled Negav wanted to make it clear that anyone who dared to break that security would be severely punished.
The lieutenant then went to one of the battle magicians who wore a kind of white toga with a belt that hung from his chest and that passed behind his back on which hung a staff that had a red gem. dark at its tip surrounded by a kind of gold socket that covered it.
“Greetings,” he said, “Are you two the wizards who will accompany us? We are from the MSD "
The mage looked up and met his eyes.
"That's right," replied the wizard, "Is she the ...?"
"Yes," Agthor interrupted.
The wizard then turned his gaze to the chained red-haired neko. The face of this creature did not reflect anything. No remorse, no fear, no anguish, just contempt.
"It's not my fault! She forced me, please don't take me to the forest! ”A little voice interrupted.
The magician then realized that another of the policemen was holding a brown-haired Neera woman in his hands. At the desperate words he shook her violently while saying:
"Shut up, you little shit!"
The magician then turned to his partner, who was a neko with black ears and a tail of the same color, who stared at the entire scene impassively. His features were brown and he was the same height as Agthor. His eyes were black as night and they simply stared up at his partner with a penetrating gaze.
"Léroc," he said, "How do you want to do it?"
“We will stand on either side of the group and protect the flanks,” the neko said in a frank tone, “So we will continue until we reach the edge of Eye's reach. We will drop the load and leave quickly.”
"Okay," Agthor said. “I like your strategy. We agree?"
“That's right”, the other battle mage replied, turning to the lieutenant, “I always trust Léroc's strategies. Let´s go."
They passed through the huge door that was made of some kind of metallic material. Agthor always wondered why the architects said so little about the wall. Were they hiding something? The immense wall of more than 100 feet that surrounded Negav was a marvel of techno-magic. The perfect combination of technology with magic that protected the city from almost anything Felarya threw at it. The huge cannons perched on the walls deterred any predator from trying to get too close. Well, at least the ones that weren't affected by the Eye of Isolon. To get so close to the wall the predator could not have eaten humans, nekos or elves else the Eye would practically melt his brain at that distance. The wall, a little over 100 feet high, It also possessed a series of localized enchantments that prevented the infiltration of shrunken fairies or other beings in the same state. In short, it was a strong testament to what could be accomplished when the Vishmitals, with their technology, and the Magiocrats, with their magic, worked together for the greater good.
As they passed the perimeters of the city, the two magicians of Isolon Fist took up their weapons. The wizard who had received them drew his staff and the neko wielded a somewhat strange weapon. It was a kind of staff that had two blades bent in the opposite direction like a scimitar. While the blade at the top was bent to the right the blade at the bottom point was bent to the left. The blades were covered with some kind of inscription at the top above their edge.
“Magic runes”, Agthor thought as he stared at this rare weapon.
But what was most puzzling being how easy it was to hide. The neko simply reached into a pocket of his coat and pulled out what looked like a toothpick that expanded almost mechanically into the shape it now had.
Although they were still in the dead zone established by the Eye of Isolon, none of them spoke. Everyone, from time to time, cast certain fleeting and uncomfortable glances at their prisoners, except the neko wizard who kept an eye on the jungle. Then the cat-man's companion broke the silence with a whisper directed at Agthor:
"You were the one who arrested this neko?" He asked.
"That's right," said Agthor, "How did you know?"
“I imagined it, from the way you looked at her when we were on the wall. You could tell the look you were giving him. Furious and irate. Was it that bad? "
Agthor sighed. He knew they were in the jungle and therefore he had to speak as quietly as he could. He had been looking for a pretext for a long time to vent or at least share his impressions of that neko with someone.
"You can't imagine it!", He began to exclaim but the magician signaled him to lower his voice. He then continued in the same low volume, “When I opened the bag that the neko had thrown at me in an attempt to distract me and escape, what I saw shocked me. I know I shouldn't act like this, but… there's no way someone could become totally insensitive to things like this. The tomthumbs were terrified. When I asked them how they were, they just cried with happiness or relief, I don't know. But what impressed me the most both in the place and in the barracks was that little Neera girl. You should have seen it! "
The mage did not respond hoping that the MSD lieutenant will continue his story. He simply narrowed his eyes beginning to understand his feelings with empathy.
“The first time I saw her it gave me a chill from something that I later learned was… fear.” The policeman continued.
This puzzled the magician even more. He continued to cast a scrutinizing look on his interlocutor.
"Fear?" He wondered, "What would he have to fear from a little girl?"
“Yes, fear!” Agthor continued, “Looking into the eyes of that Neera girl terrified me. I didn't want to tell anyone because it was embarrassing. I mean, why would someone like me have anything to fear from a little girl who was smaller than a doll? I've seen worse criminals who undoubtedly looked more terrifying than that little neera. But his eyes were chilling. Black all over the place and they had a grim look… and that creepy smile. "
The neko mage who until now had been listening to the story in silence and glimpsing any danger that might come from the jungle turned his gaze to the policeman.
"You say she had black eyes?" He asked suddenly.
Even his partner was surprised. Léroc commonly did not interfere in his conversations. If he parted his lips, it was because he was told to do so or because they asked him directly. But this time he seemed eager for an answer.
"Well ... yes," Agthor answered in a doubtful voice,
"But were only his pupils black?" The neko kept asking.
“Didn't you hear what I said?” The man asked in turn, “His eyes were complete black. His pupils, the cornea, it is as if he had no eyes. All it had was a black hole. "
Léroc's eyes widened.
"And where is that neera?" He asked anxiously.
That anxiety was not normal. Even his fellow magician was surprised by this apparently unusual attitude from the neko.
The policeman then raised an eyebrow while holding the wizard's gaze.
"And can you tell what interest a neko would have in the location of a neera girl?" He asked in a somewhat sarcastic tone.
"It's not obvious," said a female, singing voice.
They all turned their gaze to the neko prisoner who had said this sentence with a smile on her face.
“Oh come on!”, She kept saying when she saw that everyone was looking at her, “You just don't realize it. Those neera girls are delicious and our friend is hungry! "
"Shut up bitch!" One of the guards who accompanied her told her.
“Listen,” the Agthor said to the neko wizard continuing the conversation, “Right now the neera girl is in our barracks. She are being cared by a person we have designated for these cases. That girl is very traumatized and even that person we assign is making a terrifying impression. The brother says that he began to hear voices from the girl that came from his thoughts while he was in the bag and now she… "
"No ...!", Interrupted the neko as he opened his eyes and they became teary, "It is not possible!"
His fellow wizard was appalled. He didn't even know that his friend had these expressions. Léroc was known in the Isolon Fist for being a calculating and cold strategist. Almost as impassive as Thas Voidfingers, their skills in cold, logical analysis of critical situations had more than once saved them from the hungry throats of the giantess and naga they had faced in the past, but this was… different. The neko seemed about to cry. Obviously the situation of that neera had made an almost apocalyptic impression on him. But why?
Even Agthor began to notice that what was worrying the neko was not his next dinner but something else.
"Why is it not possible?", He asked, "Do you perhaps know something about the condition of that little girl?"
The neko then closed his eyes. As he did so, a tear ran down his right cheek. Then he wiped it off with his hand and opened his eyes.
“Of course I know!” He said in an exasperated tone, “Don't you get it? That neera has been consumed by the shadows! "
His fellow wizard then showed an impression of concern as he began to understand.
“But that's impossible, Léroc!” Said the magician, “Listen to yourself! The shadows do not give themselves to anyone, you give yourself to the shadows voluntarily. And that is not enough, if you do not have an affinity with the dark your body would simply have to be years in this to achieve acceptance!
“All these years studying have been of no use to you, Rufus!” Said Léroc, “I know shadows better than anyone! My family…!"
Seeing that the neko broke off with a look of discomfort that showed on his face, Agthor soon understood that the cat-man had spoken too much.
"The girl may have accepted the shadows!" Léroc continued after a brief pause. “That trauma…! She must have had an affinity for shadows and the trauma was the trigger for…! ”
Rufus then widened his eyes finally understanding what his friend was saying. But something like that was impossible or at least it had never happened before. He had seen the shadowy manifestation in giant naga, though they were very few and not totalitarian to the point that his friend spoke. In other Felarya beings said to have this affinity, like Déméchrelle, he had only heard of them, but in a little neera? Such a thing was impossible.
Agthor, seeing the immense impression of concern that this had caused on his mage escorts, began to worry. Just when he thought this neko couldn't do any more harm, now, it seems, she had unleashed an unexpected calamity. Or at least that's what he thought seeing the reaction of the two wizards. Whatever the case, the affectation of the Neera girl had gone far beyond a psychological trauma.
“Listen,” he said then, “We will leave this neko on the edge of the perimeter of the Eye and head towards our headquarters in Negav and there you will be able to see her. Obviously you of the Isolon Fist know more about magical things than we do and we probably need you. "
*************
More than two hours had passed since they had left Jelena in the jungle of Tolmeshal Forest just outside the Eye of Isolon range. They had warned her that if she approached the perimeter again, the Isolon Fist patrols had an express order to eliminate her without asking much.
The neko did not know much about this forest in which each tree was over 30 feet tall (at least the shortest) and whose foliage was quite dense. The only thing she did know was that it was teeming with giant predators who loved to devour nekos and other beings smaller than themselves.
"We're dead!" The brown-haired neera said in her bag, "They'll eat us!"
Jelena closed her bag, not wanting to hear the cries of anguish from her little slave neera anymore. Not only because it was dangerous to her but because it filled her with more worry and anguish. The afternoon was beginning to fall and they needed to find a place to spend the night and also needed something substantial dinner, different from the crap that had been given to him at the MSD headquarters.
Then she began to look at her bag.
There's always Plan B, he thought, smiling.
She began to walk towards the forest near the border of the Eye of Isolon, not wanting to be far apart to have an alternative in case a predator approached.
What the neko did not know is that practically since left Negav she was being pursued by a not exactly giant predator.
Selia was a naga of human-like stature from head to tail. His human part was that of a slender woman with white skin, long hair of the same color and yellowish eyes. White scales protruded from behind its forearms just below its elbows, as did the scales on its tail, but these were somewhat larger than those on its lower limb. The scales of she serpent tail also had a strange pattern that drew what appeared to be yellowish suns.
At first she didn't understand what that group of humans with two nekos was up to. One of the nekos was chained. The other seemed to be one of those pesky mages who cared Negav that she avoided. The others were humans who cared the neko who seemed indifferent to what was going on around her. In fact, she once saw her smiling like nothing was wrong. That was her favorite type of prey: smug and carefree.
She continued to stalk the group until they returned to the city leaving the neko in chains, free from their bonds.
Better, otherwise this would be very boring, Selia thought, feeling her stomach growl in anticipation of the food.
She saw how the neko tried to take refuge under the roots of a giant tree which formed a kind of hollow deep enough to house a human, although perhaps it was not a safe haven against other giant predators.
First, the naga made sure that the tree in question was not a dryad. Her past experiences had always made her make sure of that before acting. It was not the first time that a creature of this type grabbed her and saved herself thanks to the retractable scales on her forearms that cut like sharp knives the flesh from the hands of these female giant tree-women. Still, she didn't want to push her luck much more. After making sure, with her nose, that the tree was not a dryad, the naga launched himself silently, at breakneck speed, on her prey. She felt her, but at the last moment and it was too late. Selia hit her with a whip from her tail across the face and chest that threw her against the tree trunk, stunning her. Then the naga wrapped its tail around the body of its victim, holding it firmly. The neko began to frantically struggle in her grasp and then Selia bit her on the shoulder while injecting her stun venom. She began to notice how the neko lost strength and became limp. But then she noticed something else. Inside the bag that the neko had around her waist, the naga noticed a neera trying to get out of it. Selia quickly grabbed her with her hand and brought it to her face.
"Wow!" she said with a smile, "What a good appetizer to stimulate digestion."
She then opened her mouth wide as she placed the neera on her tongue head first. The only thing that could be seen, of the brown-haired neera, was her tail that slapped against the naga's chin. Sluuurp! The naga absorbed the tail into her mouth while the movements the neera made imprinted its flavor on her taste buds. Her mouth secreted saliva quickly before the struggles of the neera against her palate and tongue causing a pleasant sensation to Selia who was smiling with her lips closed. She immediately swallowed the accumulated saliva, taking the neera down her throat. The only thing Jelena could saw was the bulge that ran down the naga's neck to her chest. The last she would see of her neera slave.
Selia heaved a satisfied sigh as the neera fell to her hungry stomach.
"Wow, your little friend was delicious!", She said to the stunned neko, "But it's time for the main course."
Then Selia opened her mouth stretching her jaw to cover the neko's head. All Jelena saw was the immense conduit that belonged to the beginning of the naga's digestive tract and would soon engulf her. Selia then covered the neko's head with her mouth as she swallowed hard sending the neko's head down her throat. She then stretched his jaw further to wrap around the neko's shoulders and continued swallowing, pressing it into his esophagus to prevent her from escaping. Although it was an unnecessary precaution since the cat-woman was too stunned by her venom and did not even move.
As she began to swallow her torso, Selia felt a metal object fall close to her tail. An explosion was immediately felt followed by a blinding flash of light. Then everything went black.
***********
Jelena woke up little by little as she felt herself move. He could only distinguish a half-blurred face from what looked like a masked man with a black hood. The man carried her in his arms.
"What happened?" She asked, still stunned.
“Ah I see that you have woken up little one”, the man replied, “You were close, huh? You're lucky girl, the boss really wants to meet you. "
"Know me?", Asked the neko without understanding anything, "Who ..."
“You'll find out soon girl. Now rest. That way you won't be of use to anyone. "
Jelena didn't understand anything, but the dream was winning over her. Before closing her eyes she could see that the man was wearing a jacket that had a strange emblem below the left shoulder. A kind of black claw.
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The Felarya universe belong to Karbo
The characters Crisis, Thas Voidfingers, Déméchrelle, which are mentioned in the story but do not participate, also belongs to Karbo