"You! Aaah!" KuliKuli felt a pulsating pain in her cranium, beating heavily enough to rival her panicked heart. Immediately she fell to her knees, crumpled up in a pathetic state as she could do nothing but hold her head to prevent it from bursting. The sounds and pleas of her friends and family screaming beside her turned into a deafening ringing that silenced everything around her. Her sight of Felix asking her what's happening, helplessly watching her undergo this change soon became a clotted vision of bck and red. She was shaking heavily, her limbs spasming and twitching, her tails erratic and thrashing, the fur on her body standing up on edge like quills.

  Poor Felix stayed by KuliKuli's side, cradling her in his arms and rocking her through this process. It was all he could do, just holding her in his arms proved dangerous as her exposed cws nicked and cut at his chest incidentally. He refused to budge, kissing her forehead and brushing her hair in that familiar petting that would leave her purring herself to sleep in his arms before. But when he looked around her with eyes pleading for help, he was met with the sight of her siblings stepping back in fear.

  Na'Vi fell beside her, mouth agape with terrified eyes, her voice depleted into a staggering mess of denial. "No, n-no."

  "What's wrong? Why aren't you helping her?" He asked with a shaky voice, holding his breath as a shadow fell upon them. Emyri had swept in from above, falling back into the pit to quickly come to the aid of her daughter. She fell to one knee and locked eyes with him, pcing her paw over his head.

  She offered no words of comfort, no answer to his pleading. Though her daughters stayed back, Emyri leaned in and embraced KuliKuli from behind. She would rest her chin over KuliKuli's shoulder, whispering a soothing melody into her ear. Felix found himself staring at first, but a gnce from the Nekomata was enough to remind him to continue comforting her daughter once more.

  KuliKuli was a red-faced mess, feeling her sweat pour down her face like raindrops as she shook her head back and forth. Though she squeezed her eyes shut, she could not prevent the fshes of vivid imagery emerging in her mind, each introducing a stronger emotional pull from her erratic state. Just his voice alone brought her to her knees as she found herself living through contorted visions in her mind, twisted and tainted yet eerily familiar. The memory of herself on all fours, staring hungrily at a sickened mouse dropped into her cell, her stomach growling and lurching with a desire to satiate its week-long hunger. Another sight, this time she was peering through the cell bars, her cat ears picking up every sloppy sound of something sticky and wet as she watched a rge man, hunched over and feverishly sawing away at something out of her view.

  A new memory with KuliKuli chained down with a rusted contraption forced around her neck, with each attempt to sh and contort her body to pry away from her restraints being met with a prod or poke of a dagger into her ribs and under her arms. Her body would relive each and every memory, but it was then that the voices of her mother were heard. Her soothing melody would make the images melt away, awakening her as she looked up from the arms of her mother and the embrace of her mate. Though Felix looked relieved, Emyri seemed painfully familiar of what her daughter had just recovered from with a painful look of sorrow and acceptance.

  "What just happened?" Felix asked, turning to Emyri for answers.

  Emyri merely gazed above him, with Felix following her line of sight to find Perdilius standing at the ledge with a proud grin.

  "Remarkable, the wounds have taken their toll. Yet the effect has kept hold despite its months of absence. Gods above, thy blesses me with this discovery today." He pressed his hands together in a prayer, leaning over as his eyes wandered from one cat girl to the next. "For the journey is near its end, thy beasts within my grasp. Come, let thy voice be heard. Sing, sing, come sing with me. Let thy song run far and high. May the gods hear thy song, so that they may fill my heart with love."

  KuliKuli began to raise her head slowly, hesitant as she met Felix's eyes as they begged her not to look up. She caressed his face to comfort him, but her eyes continued to wander until she found Perdilius. Though her body had composed itself, she was left feeling fatigued and sore as she clung unto Felix's arms to keep herself from colpsing. With how her nostrils fred and her cws would extract themselves fully, she had to concentrate on combating the lingering sense of dread which caused her survival instincts to overexert as if she were on a life-or-death situation.

  She carried on, refusing to look away from this man haunting her hidden memories as she faced her fears.

  Perdilius turned to acknowledge Syri with a subtle bow of his head. "Aah, the youngest of the three. I was much surprised to learn how difficult thou proveth to be for my men to catch you. A Monster Hunter was effective, but as he too underestimated the combined forces of your lot working as one."

  He narrowed his eyes as he spotted the fairy in Syri's paws. "That creature, to learn that even a fairy aligns herself with monsters is a discovery most disheartening. Feeble, yet disappointing, nonetheless. Why do you choose to struggle, why insist to run when thou must know that this is for the best."

  "What are you talking about?" Felix cried out, helping KuliKuli into her mother's arms as he stood up to face the priest. "What the hells do you want with us? Just leave us alone, they did nothing against you!"

  "Oh dear, the lost child has chosen to align himself with the beast." Perdilius shook his head, keeping his hands locked behind his back. "Fear not, for there is still time for you to be saved."

  "The only saving we need is from you." Felix replied shortly. "Why are you so keen on hunting them down, is it out of sport? Or some twisted method of initiation?"

  "I care not for sport, nor do I have need to prove my worth. I do this out of obligation, you wouldn't understand." Perdilius narrowed his eyes, pointing his finger to KuliKuli. "You have something of mine, I've come to collect it. That and its two siblings, they will be needed."

  "Why, what for?"

  "Honestly, would it matter what reason I have to offer? Would you even believe me, let alone comprehend my actions?"

  Felix grimaced in return, feeling the corner of his upper lip twitch in a snarl. "Maybe not, but some answers would be nice."

  As she stood back and watched, Syri raised the fairy in her paw and leaned in to whisper. "Any chance you could do your little dance to get us out of here?"

  Tootsie shook her head. "My magic works not in such way, and my dance takes time before I can kick my legs once more. Oh!"

  Syri followed the fairy's sight, discovering one of the council members watching them from beyond the broken gates. It was Alphonse who stood in silence, surrounded by four city guards wielding swords with two men on his side kneeling down, eyes squinting as they kept their crossbows ready to fire. But as the Nekomata's heart skipped, she watched as Alphone slowly put his hands over the two archers, silently gesturing for them to refrain.

  Emyri reached out with her tails tugging at Felix's leg. "It's no use speaking to him, you won't change his mind."

  "That may be, but I'm tired of wondering what caused this to start." He turned around to her. "He won't stop for this, will he? Forever persistent until he succeeds or dies trying."

  "Would you ask for nothing less?" He replied with a look of sincerity, spreading his arms wide. "I am but a humble man who has pced my faith on the gods above, and they in turn guide my hand. I've come here to change the world by righting the wrongs of our species, and it all starts with the retrieval of those three. Simply surrender them to me and you will be spared, allowed to live your life as you so wish. Think of it as a second chance of resolving your sins by doing what's right and resisting her seductive ways."

  Felix scoffed in disgust. "The st guy offered something simir, only he said I could join her."

  "But I've no need for you, you hold no importance to my pns." He excimed with a look of indifference. "You could keel over and die for all I care, it matters not. It is not beyond me to forgive all sinners as are my duties as a man of the faith, such oath extends even to you. You are not the first I've met who fell victim to these things."

  "To what?" Felix stammered, baffled by his cims.

  "Oh yes, you think you're the first? I've known dozens of ill-fated men who fell head over heels for forbidden temptresses like them. Monster girls, bah! They take what they can and throw away their mates like trash. You think what, that you've fallen in love with a creature like that? They're monsters, malicious twisted harlots with a devilish talent of reproducing with most humanoid species."

  He paused, gncing between each Nekomata and studying their scowls and seething faces.

  "Come now, don't look at me like that. We all know how this ends. I've captured most of your clutter by now, what makes you think you're special? That you can somehow get away? It was easy too, thanks to my Nityri here."

  KuliKuli's head twitched with her wincing as Emryi kept her safe in her arms. Her eyes shot open at the mention of her past name.

  "What do you pn to do now that you find yourselves here? You've made enemies of Kershin Market, this is no longer a safe haven for you to hide your furry hides in. I've hardly a need to risk my men when the cities defenses are so keen to assist in my endeavors. Even if you were to run out that gate, what would you do about your cursed wolf there? Would you resort to abandoning her?"

  "No!" Felix was startled by that voice as he spun around to see KuliKuli separate from Emyri.

  "No, we're not leaving her here!" She yelled out.

  Perdilius smiled pyfully. "So what, then? Carry her? That would prove to be quite a feat should you succeed. But you've hardly the muscle for that, a pity."

  "We'll find a way." She hissed through her teeth, turning to her siblings. "We have friends too."

  "Perhaps, but they appear to be missing. And what is this?" He cpped his hands gleefully as Alphonse stepped out of the gate, revealing himself as he was followed by more city guards. "I have my allies, where are yours?"

  Ten guards surrounded the group at once, their weapons drawn as Alphonse raised a steady hand. "Please, I would prefer if you came peacefully. Retaliation would only beget more harm, and more guards are already under way."

  Na'Vi batted away one of the gives, with Felix presenting himself in front of KuliKuli to protect her. Syri walked up to him, grabbing his arm and whispering into his ear. He snapped his head to her in shock as she nodded back, recognizing his startled look.

  "Trust." She whispered to him, keeping Tootsie safe in her paws.

  KuliKuli heard them too, gncing at Alphonse before turning her sights toward Perdilius. "My name is not Nityri, my name is KuliKuli!"

  "Yes, the hunter doth informed me of your interesting ck of memories. Might be a side effect." He shrugged, watching the guards scoop up Reta carefully in her unconscious form, pcing a metal contraption over her head to keep her mouth sealed shut. Several of them took hold of her arms and legs, counting up to three before lifting her up between them, carrying her off toward the gates. Alphonse followed behind them when Perdilius cleared his throat.

  "Sir Alphonse, I would be remiss not to remind you that the Nekomata are to be delivered alive and unharmed. Preferably alive alone will suffice. Deal with the wolf and the boy as the city permits."

  Alphonse waved his hand in acknowledgement, carrying through with leading Felix, KuliKuli and the others through the gates.

  As soon as they entered and lost sight of Perdilius, Felix reached to grab hold of her paw and gave it a soft squeeze. KuliKuli returned the gesture, keeping her head forward with an uncertain look shared between them.

  "Stop." Alphonse ordered, commanding every guard to seize their movements. He stepped around to face Felix and KuliKuli, inhaling deep through his nose. "I have to ask, why do you risk your life to protect her? She's a monster girl."

  Felix was taken aback by his brief questioning, pausing only for a moment. "I love her."

  He smacked his lips, looking away in disbelief. "She didn't seduce you or trick you into ying with her unbeknownst of her true form?"

  "No." He answered back.

  "I revealed myself to him from the beginning." KuliKuli added.

  Alphonse ughed and shook his head, his guards looking to each other with questioning exchanges. He snapped his fingers and suddenly, each guard was garroted from out of the shadows, with the exception of one. He was bopped in the head by a rge green fist, his armor cnging as he toppled on the floor at the orc's feet. One by one, the guards were taken out as Alphonse kept his eyes fixated on Felix with his hands one his waist.

  "I've studied cases like these before, but often I contempted whether it was lust or dark magic that controlled their mates. Let us hope the answer is much simpler and more retive in nature." He stated, backing away as Nihja stepped into view next to him.

  "Thanks, I owe you this one."

  "You owe me plenty." He countered, grabbing Felix by his arm. "Do me a favor, never come back. Kershin can only deal with so much excitement before winter arrives."

  "Enough with the theatrics," Nihja sighed, prying his arm off and gesturing for Felix and the others to follow her men into the underground halls. She turned back and fshed a grin to the council man. "Give Aya a kiss for me?"

  "Try not to come home so te." He rolled his eyes, leaning into his arm as the others ran off. "She wants you to tuck her in tonight."

  Nihja kissed his cheek before following the others, leaving him surrounded by a group of knocked out men as he rubbed his chin in thought.

  "Okayyy... how do I expin this?" He thought to himself out loud.