Page 56 of Catastrophe

First things first, I need to be a cat.

Stripping off my clothes, I shivered as the wind brushed my naked body, and I hurriedly packed my clothes into the plastic bag I brought with me. The sun was rising, so there was enough light to see a hole at the base of an enormous tree trunk in which I shoved the crinkling plastic bag full of clothes and covered it with surrounding rocks and leaves.

Taking a deep breath and doing a last check around, I used the last vestiges of energy to pull my human self inward and shift into my familiar fluffy form.

As I shook out my fur and stared happily at my paws stretching in the dirt, I instantly felt calmer and warmer.

Now, how to get into the building?

The metal walls of the compound reflected the early light of the day, making it look like a big shiny box, and my keen feline eyes picked up the distant figures of guards chatting as they stood outside a small door. It didn’t look like an entrance, since there was no access from a road or path. The grass clearing in front of it was only a few meters long before the grass met the forest and trees.

Maybe I can get these guards to help an innocent kitty cat?

Mischief stirred inside me as a plan formed, and I smiled to myself as I jumped up the tree and crawled across the branches toward the guards. I wasn’t the most inconspicuous of cats, but I was high enough and quiet enough for them not to spot me. When I could see them more clearly and hear their conversation, I settled on my tree branch to listen.

“He’s gone, then?” the taller man asked as he scanned the area, his stance rigid, as though danger lurked just beyond the tree line.

The slightly shorter man nodded as he leaned casually against the warehouse door and said, “Left in a hurry about a couple of hours ago.”

He wasn’t as serious as the other man, but he was still armed, and that made me hesitate in my plan. These men, hunters, knew about magic and might be suspicious enough to shoot a cat and ask questions later.

“Thank fuck for that,” the serious one muttered.

The long hair of the other guard whipped at him as the wind picked up, and he laughed. “You don’t like him. How unusual for you.”

“Fuck you.” His gaze moved from the area for the first time to glare at his colleague. “I like people.”

“Mickey, you like maybe three people. Me, my mom, and Dad.”

Mickey? It didn’t suit his serious nature. He looked more like a Michael.

Michael shrugged, but his lips twitched as his eyes turned back to the landscape. “Not my fault everyone is an arsehole.”

“I’m not listening to you rant about him for another hour.” The other man rolled his eyes and sighed. “I get it. You don’t understand where this guy has come from, and no one is letting you close enough to him to question why he has the authority he does and why we are capturing now instead of killing. Blah blah.” He waved his hands and stood up straight, staring at his friend. “But why should you be the one to ask him? We have leaders for that. They trust him, so we trust him. That’s all there is to it.”

Michael rubbed his short hair roughly and sighed, his seriousness disappearing for a moment. “It’s so easy for you, Jack.”

“Should be easy for you too, but you have a suspicious mind.” Jack’s eyebrows raised as he eyed his friend. He lowered his voice. “Probably because you can see the power beneath the masks. I’m not saying I don’t understand, but I think you just need to calm down with it.”

See the power beneath the masks? What does that mean?

Michael scrubbed his face. “There’s a lot of energy buzzing around these days. It’s making me irritable.”

He can feel magic? How? Why would he be a hunter? The vision of Fafnir in the hunter hall and Nisha’s words, rang clearly in my ear. There was a supernatural who didn’t know they were supernatural to be a sacrifice. To prove that the dragon only harmed supernaturals.

It can’t be him, can it? I couldn’t have found him so soon. And what should I do? Do I risk my plan to save him from his fate? Does he deserve it? He’s still a hunter, and would he do the same for me? Probably not.

Jack nodded. “We have a dungeon full, so I suppose it’s easy to see enemies everywhere. And did you see that dragon on the island? It was huge!”

Michael chuckled lightly. “You enjoy this too much.”

“Can’t help but admire something I’ve only read about.” Jack’s eyes lit up as he exclaimed, “You need to see the footage! I promise, your eyes will pop out of your head. The guys had to shoot it to get it to drop the titan.”

They rescued Zaide from Fafnir’s clutches? I couldn’t help but be a little relieved, even knowing my golden giant was suffering in their dungeon, but it was better than the dragon draining him. I hoped.

The mention of Zaide distracted me enough that I didn’t notice when a bird hopped closer to me. I certainly noticed when it bit my tail, clearly after some of my lovely fur for a nest. I couldn’t stop the pained yelp that escaped me and turned fast—too fast—to swot at it. But I lost my balance and fell from my tree branch.

I clawed my way onto the tree to prevent hitting the ground entirely, but I made too much noise, and it didn’t go unnoticed. I turned my head to see both guards, hands on their weapons, staring in my direction, but they hadn’t quite spotted me.

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