Chapter Two
Kitara, Lambert, and two older ovisaries sat around a rectangle table, the orange light of a hanging lamp overhead illuminating the otherwise dark room. The three ovisaries possessed plates filled with grass and greens, while Kitara sat with a bowl of milk and a platter of cheese.
“I’m sorry about our poor food selection,” Lambert said, gazing remorsefully at Kitara. “I know that felinynes like yourself aren’t vegetarian, so this milk and cheese was the closest we could come to your dietary needs.”
Kitara dunked her hunk of cheese in her bowl of milk and took a hearty bite. “No problem. Besides, this milk is ovisary baby formula, isn’t it? It’s sure to go down easy, then.”
“You don’t tolerate taurite milk very well?” Lambert questioned.
“I can’t recall the last time I’ve had it,” Kitara replied. “But I’ve heard that the delicacies produced on the taurite planet of Moonia are worth dying for.” She glanced ahead at the two ovisaries. “On the topic of dying for things, I’m grateful that you’re willing to host someone as dangerous as me.”
The more masculine of the ovisaries, whose gruff face possessed a mix of gray and white fur, grunted. “We know the risk of associating with an assassin like you.” A bitter look entered his eyes. “But we’re willing to bear it if it means that Salizard’s reign of terror will end.”
“Children are starving in the streets and Salizard’s fatter than a taurite lass’s bosom!” the female ovisary bleated. “I die inside every time the tax collectors arrive at our door! We can barely afford to live in this cursed city without them taking our money! I’d love to strangle that fat frog—“
“Calm down, Sheepma,” the male ovisary said. “I understand your feelings, I really do. But getting angry about it’s not going to do anything. We’ve already taken all the actions we could by harboring an assassin—and taking on a huge risk despite the two children we have.”
“Salizard’s not a frog, Mom,” Lambert said. “I hate him too, but we may as well be accurate when describing what he is.”
“I know he’s not a frog,” Sheepma said. “I just … I just …” She bit her lip, chuckling apologetically as she met her husband’s concerned gaze. “I’m sorry, Lambda. I should better control my anger … I wouldn’t want to wake up the baby upstairs.”
Lambda reached over and rested a hand over Sheepma’s. “It’s going to be okay.” He met Kitara’s gaze. “Kitara will take care of Salizard tomorrow. She’s a black felinyne—I’ve heard that they’re some of the toughest creatures in the Androniis galaxy.”
Kitara drained her bowl of milk and grinned. “That’s right! I’ll squash that overgrown lizard like a bug, so there’s no need for you to worry!”
#
The night was dark but the four moons of Carpon shone bright; the brightest of them all, the moon Kaftishe, had a faint red quality to its glow, bathing the city of Lizal in a slight scarlet tinge. The moons sat in differing positions and heights in the sky, two were only twice the size of the stars that filled the skies beside them, while Litsafeak’s sad yellow glow was swallowed by its elder sister Kaftishe.
Beneath these moons, stars, and the endless ocean of night, walked the solitary figure of Kitara. The felinyne’s crimson robes fluttered in the midnight breeze as she strode to the end of a street and stopped at the obscure corner of a towering building. The building was the only one of its kind, a lanky black sheep amid a forest of squat square homes and markets. It was for this very reason that Kitara chose the building as her meeting place—it was impossible to miss with the eye yet obscure to mention with the tongue.
For a moment, Kitara’s only companion as she stood in the night breeze at that corner was the whistling night breeze. But in the blink of an eye, a shadowy figure appeared on the other side of the building’s corner. Kitara did not look toward the newcomer, and neither did the newcomer look towards her—they stared in opposite directions, but began to speak nonetheless.
Fortunately for you, despite this asocial behavior, I can describe Kitara’s night visitor. First of all, I instantly identified her form as feminine in spite of the stealth garb that cloaked her body. I just have a sharp eye for these sorts of things. Her outfit covered up most of her body but tastefully allowed a portion of her bosom to spill forth, and from her red fur and pointy snout and sharp ears, I deduced her to be a vulpusite. This voluptuous—er, I meant vulpusite, possessed great advantages in height and femininity over Kitara. I assure you that these details are relevant to the story, particularly the latter observation—I mean no offense towards Kitara, because she makes for a great main character, but that’s not the kind of character I’m looking for. Okay, okay, I’ll get back to the story! Sheesh, learn to relax a little. That’s what she said—yes, I am really done now.
“Foxxess,” Kitara whispered. “Is Bunnie alive?”
“Yes,” Foxxess whispered.
“She didn’t give me the signal,” Kitara said. “I can’t commence the operation without the signal.”
“I’ve spoken with her,” Foxxess said. “She’s being pursued relentlessly by the Elite Guard, but I managed to exchange information.”
“She’s the leader of this mission,” Kitara said. “She had a primary role in the assassination because of her species. Now that she’s on the run, will one of us have to take charge?”
“No,” Foxxess said, narrowing her eyes. “She told me that the assassination will take place tomorrow. She’s always had keen instincts. She knew that today wouldn’t work with all the security that was there. And she warned me … Salizard is stronger than he appears.”
“Hmph,” Kitara scoffed. She gazed directly into the red orb that was Kaftishe. “I’ve sought refuge with the family of our informant. I told them I’d easily dispatch of Salizard, but there’s been this dread within me that I just can’t quiet.”
“Then quiet it,” Foxxess ordered. “You are a powerful manifestor, Kitara. Controlling your emotions is vital to your success. That’s where your power comes from.”
“Right,” Kitara said.
Foxxess turned away. A black scarf draped over the shoulders of her ninja outfit waved in the wind. “Da and Grampa will be extracting us as soon as the mission is complete. I’ll be off. It does us no good to linger here.” She vanished in an instant.
#
Two lacertyles in elegant orange robes blew trumpets with every ounce of air in their reptilian lungs. They stood just below the throne of Salizard, who watched their energetic display eagerly. His slimy eyes somehow seemed crueler than usual as he looked to the banquet table once the trumpeters finished their introduction.
“I welcome all who understand their place in my ecosystem!” Salizard declared. “The events of yesterday were a pathetic, disgraceful attempt to upset the natural balance of our society. However, today brings the birth date of the most important individual on this planet—me, King Salizard the Magnificent!” He looked around the royal court expectantly. “You may clap now.”
Enthusiastic clapping echoed throughout the room as courtiers went out of their way to prove their adoration. Of course everyone clapped! Under a system where a psychopathic maniac is somehow allowed control despite being just one individual, the only option is to clap! If I was a vulnerable creature with a fleshy body capable of feeling very real pain, I would be clapping harder than anyone else! And yet … and yet, Kitara didn’t clap. Fortunately, Salizard’s attention was elsewhere, but the black felinyne just had the guts that smart and/or more servile individuals lack. That’s main character material right there. All our side characters were clapping harder than seals at a circus!
Speaking of side characters, Lambert turned to Kitara, a concerned look on his face. “Are you ready?”
Kitara nodded, then flicked her eyes toward a peculiar item lying on the banquet table nearby them.
Lambert’s eyes slid toward Kitara’s object of focus .... and he made a choking sound as his eyes filled with unspeakable horror.
A third, reptilian gaze fixed upon that same object. King Salizard gestured at the banquet table. “My Elite Guard may have yet to catch the assassin Bunnie, but we’ve prepared an adequate example for her as to what happens when you upset my ecosystem.”
Lying on a large silver platter was Happy, her eyes closed, an apple in her mouth.
Several courtiers gasped and recoiled—and quickly silenced their reactions for fear of upsetting the king.
“Anyone who opposes me will end up on the bottom of the food chain!” Salizard proclaimed. “This wretched rabbit who sought to intercede for an assassin will be punished justly for her crime by being eaten alive! I’ve had my royal apothecaries administer a poison that paralyzes her body but leaves every nerve intact! I command all of my loyal servants to each take a slice from this traitor’s body!”
Lambert flinched.
The courtiers looked around with worry. One of them picked up a plate, fork, and knife from the banquet table and stood there dumbly.
“Get to it!” Salizard commanded. “Or you’ll suffer the same fate!”
Lambert met Kitara’s eyes. “Is it time for the backup plan?”
“Not yet,” Kitara whispered. “It won’t do any good to make quick decisions based on emotion.” Her face darkened. “But I can feel her terror. I don’t want to let any harm come to her.”
“You can hear her?” Lambert questioned.
“Yes,” Kitara said. “She’s screaming for help. That monster really hurt her before he brought her here.”
The obedient courtier stumbled toward Happy and raised his knife.
Lambert met Kitara’s eyes with a panic-stricken gaze.
Kitara nodded.
Lambert raised his hands and gazed at Salizard. “Milord! We must stop this at once!”
Salizard gaped. “You dare question my decision!”
“I must inform you that there’s a traitor in our midst!” Lambert announced. He pointed at Kitara. “The felinyne is working with the assassin! Seize her at once and search her!”
Guards rushed over to Kitara and pointed their weapons menacingly at her.
Kitara lifted her hands. “I surrender!”
The guards searched her a bit too roughly and intimately to be justified, but it’s to be expected from those who serve tyrants. They have no control over themselves, so it pleases them to exercise control over others. Once their search was over, the guards produced a piece of paper from Kitara’s robes.
The first guard examined the paper and squinted at it.
“Well, what does it say?” Salizard demanded.
The first guard cleared his throat and handed the note over to someone else.
“Sorry,” the recipient said, handing the note to another guard. “I can’t read.”
“You idiot!” the third guard said, waving the note. He looked around. “Um, can anyone here read?”
“I command someone to read the note!” Salizard shouted.
The courtier with the knife nearly tripped on his robes rushing over to their side. “Allow me to assist!” He was a thin green reptilian male with a meek face and large glasses; he adjusted his spectacles as he examined the note. “This is very poor handwriting. But the words ‘Bunnie’, ‘Salizard’, and ‘assassinate’ are very clear.”
“The felinyne is clearly guilty!” Salizard declared. “She must be beheaded at once!”
“Wait!” Lambert cried. “We must extract more information from her! She must know where Bunnie is!”
“I know where the assassin is!” Kitara proclaimed.
“Why should I care?” Salizard demanded. “You’re a traitor who must be killed!”
Kitara narrowed her eyes. “I know that Bunnie will attack today … during this party. She’s hidden somewhere in the palace … and only I know where. This time she’ll bring weapons and allies that will overwhelm your Elite Guard unless they have prior knowledge.”
Salizard flinched. “Sp—spit it out then! Otherwise your head will be removed from your shoulders!”
“You must realize your powerlessness,” Kitara said. “Without my information, you will die. Bunnie and her allies will torture you and remove your head from your shoulders. Only I can protect you from that horrible fate. But in order for that to happen, you must comply with my demands.”
Salizard licked his eyes nervously. “I will not stoop to meet the demands of a vagrant like you. How can I trust your words?”
Kitara smiled convincingly. “Because I know you will be dead within a few minutes. Unfortunately, I’d be dead too if you behead me before then. I’m a black felinyne—it’s in my nature to betray others to save my own skin. That’s why we should work together, because we share the same goal of preserving our own lives.”
Salizard took a deep breath. “I will hear your demand if I consider it reasonable.”
“Very well then,” Kitara said. “My first demand is that I want to speak with you face-to-face.”
“That’s outrageous!” Saliman exclaimed, raising his halberd. “Your Majesty, allow me to behead her at once! No traitor should be allowed so close to the king!”
Kitara shrugged. “You’ve already searched me. You may bind me with whatever materials you like if it brings you further ease, but I must speak face to face in order to establish trust.”
“Hmph,” Salizard grunted. “Saliman, bind her.”
“But Your Majesty—”
“I’ve given you an order!”
Saliman reluctantly bound Kitara with chains.
“Bring her to me,” Salizard said. “Let’s see what she has to say.”
Saliman roughly escorted Kitara over to the foot of the king’s staircase.
Finally,Kitara thought.
Lambert watched all this apprehensively, then found his gaze captured by Saliman.
“My king,” Saliman said, glancing at Salizard. “What shall be done with this ovisary? He’s presented useful information, but I have my doubts about him.”
Salizard yawned. “Eh, he doesn’t seem to be useful. Kill him.”
In an instant, Saliman leapt behind Lambert and struck him with a vicious axe slash.
Lambert gasped as blood sprayed into the air around him. He fell facedown to the floor and blood began pooling around his motionless form.
Kitara stared in disbelief at Lambert’s fallen form. A jumble of confused thoughts whirled through her mind. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Lambert can’t be dead. We planned this out together—he wasn’t supposed to die. This is wrong. This is just wrong!
Salizard stared at Kitara with keen interest. “You look quite shocked for someone who cares only for their own skin.” He grinned. “Your emotions betray you. You were in league with him, weren’t you?”
Kitara gritted her teeth.
Salizard held out a hand. “Someone bring me a mace.”
A member of the Elite Guard handed Salizard a massive metallic mace studded with wicked spikes.
Salizard leered at Kitara. “You foolishly believed that you could deceive me. I’ve had enough of this charade.” He stood from his throne and descended the stairs, the shadow of his mace falling over Kitara’s form. “All your plots and schemes against me have failed. The only reality you face now is your imminent, painful death at my hand.” He stopped directly before Kitara, raising the mace over her head. The lacertyle king towered over the black felinyne as if she was merely a youth’s doll, obscuring her in a lake of shadows. “It’s time for you to die, you traitorous filth.”
“The only one dying here will be you,” Kitara growled.
Salizard roared as he brought down his mace.
Red wisps of fabric and clouds of dust exploded from the attack’s impact, but there was no sign that Kitara had been struck. Kitara emerged from the dust cloud and snapped free from her chains in an instant, then sprinted up the rod of Salizard’s mace with the coil of her chains in hand.
Salizard’s eyes widened.
Kitara sprang past Salizard, hooking a loop of chain around his neck and landing behind his throne with the chain sliding over the chair’s apex. She snarled as she pulled hard on the chain, yanking Salizard onto his fat bottom as the lacertyle’s eyes bulged.
Salizard choked and clawed at the chain wrapped around his neck.
“YOUR MAJESTY!” Saliman roared, rushing over with his halberd outstretched. In an instant, he severed the chain, releasing Salizard from its deadly embrace, then sprang upon Kitara.
Kitara dove out of the way, evading the lethal strike—but Salizard’s throne took the force of the blow and split into two like a chunk of firewood.
“MY THRONE!” Salizard screamed, clutching his still sore neck.
Courtiers began screaming and fleeing the room as Saliman launched a flurry of vicious swings and thrusts at the black blur that was Kitara. Kitara leapt, ducked, dove, rolled, and backflipped through the endless storm of steel, evading countless fatal attacks in the blink of an eye.
Salizard coughed, then swung out a hand with indignation. “Cowards! How dare you flee your king! Guards! Make sure no one leaves this room alive!”
A certain courtier ran over to the banquet table, picked up a knife, and pointed it at Happy’s face. He stared desperately at Salizard through his thick spectacles. “Your majesty! I am Sykoff, your most loyal servant! You may kill all the rest for their treachery, but I humbly beg that you spare me.” He glared at Happy. “I will slaughter this traitor to prove my loyalty!”
Happy’s eyes opened wide.
Sykoff recoiled. “She’s waking up!” His gaze hardened. “It matters not! I am a loyal servant of Salizard!” He lifted the knife high, snarling. “Die, traitorous filth!”
Terror filled Happy’s eyes. Her body trembled viciously on the platter, but her limbs remained motionless.
Kitara continued to evade Saliman, but she tore her gaze away toward Happy. “No!”
Saliman gnashed his teeth as he thrust and slashed at the retreating felinyne. “She’s getting what she deserves, and I’ll soon give the same to you! How dare you! How dare you force me to destroy His Majesty’s throne!”
Kitara watched in horror as Sykoff brought the knife down toward Happy’s neck. This is all wrong. I really screwed up this time. If only I hadn’t deviated from Bunnie’s plan—
Salizard’s halberd whipped through the air, skimming across Kitara’s cheek.
Kitara reeled back. Damn it! It’s too late for regrets! All I can do now is suffer the consequences of my failure. She stared in anguish at Happy.
Sykoff’s knife fell within the final inch of murder, zooming at Happy’s trembling neck.
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