Janette blinked while staring blankly into the dark wood ceiling, laying back on her cot. The group had departed early that day, and now she found herself unable to rest with her mind wandering about them. Felix and Reta, she hoped they would be fine. In her rational mind, she argued with herself knowing that they can take care of themselves. But it was like suddenly she was struggling with these inner fears and doubts, praying that they would return safely.
She tossed and turned, curling up on her side then looking up to find a worried Syri watching her. Without words, she reached out with her paw and stroked Janette's hair. Janette breathed in and closed her eyes, comforted by the gentle brushing of her hair until Syri leaned in and kissed her softly on the forehead.
"Hey, who needs sleep right?" She spoke softly, holding her tight. "Co, let's get out."
"And do what?"
She shrugged, pulling her by the hand. "Don't know, anything but lay in here. Wanna go see what that small woman is doing?"
Janette stood up as she was dragged out from their hut. "You do know she's a dwarf, right?"
"Is that what they call little people?" She asked in a curious tone, "Here we call them kittens!"
"Best not to call her that hah." She chuckled, slipping into her shoes before being exposed to the outside. Their tree hut was perched as one of the higher ones, near the cages. The elevation lood over the winter fog that made traveling on foot a struggle, which in turn gave them this gorgeous view of the stars near the treetops. All three moons were creeping closer in crescent forms like smiles hung in the dark blue sky.
Syri sucked in her breathe, leaning against the pole fence with her two fluffy white tails swaying an inch above ground as she took in the view in awe. "Beautiful, isn't it? The Mothers of the clutter would tell us tales about them."
Janette rested beside her, turning her head to admire the smile on her companion. "Like what?"
"Like telling us that each of those stars are the eyes of our families watching us from above, and that the moons were reserved for the Gods to observe. I rember when I was little, my friends and I believed those were glitterbugs stuck up in an ocean that flows waaaaay above our heads. It was that or fairies, we would argue between them sotis. But Alma told us those are called stars, and then Mom sat us down and went on about how those stars are like little spy glasses for those that have passed away to peak through into our world."
Janette stayed silent, tilting her head back to gaze up at the sky where Syri was pointing.
"See how the moons look like smiles? That's when the Gods are most pleased to see us."
"Really?" Janette asked, intrigued.
"Uh-huh. So long as things are going well, then they smile. And when the ti cos, all three of them open up and show their little faces to watch us."
"I didn't erm... what are these Gods for you?" She asked.
This took Syri back, turning her head to her with a puzzled expression. "What do you an? Aren't your Gods the sa ones?"
Janette leaned back and paused. "My parents taught that there exist several Gods each carrying their own purpose to make the world function. I wasn't too privy on them, but we had built a statue molded after the Goddess of Love in our ho, to honor the prayers made to her so that I would be born."
"Oh, that pretty woman you see when you walk through the front doors?" Her ears perked up as her eyes widened with shock. "You were born because they prayed to your Goddess?"
Janette chuckled and resorted to a humble shrug. "I can't say for sure, but that's faith for you. My parents would answer yes, and so they had that statue built in her image."
"What was her na?" The Nekomata asked, her tails swaying closer to Janette.
Janette blew raspberries, planting her chin on her palm while thinking. "Desiree, that was her na. Goddess of Love, Friendship, Lust, take your pick. She had different titles based on whom you ask."
"Sounds a lot like the Gods we learned about." Syri blinked, her face scrunched up in deep thought. "But we learned about good ones and bad ones."
"Pfft, there aren't any bad gods." Janette scoffed, dismissing the idea.
"Why not?"
"Gods are ant to embody the good things we have in life, that's why." She argued.
Syri leaned in, resting her paw over Janette's hand. "But if Gods can be good, then there must be bad Gods too, right?"
"No, that's not right. Unless you an they carry out the bad stuff too? I know so religions worship Gods of the Afterlife-"
"Jay, do you believe all Monsters are bad?" Syri asked suddenly.
Janette seed taken aback. "N-No of course not."
"Did you believe that before eting my sister?"
"I... I believed they couldn't all be bad." She paused, noticing Syri raise her brow to make a point. "But why would there exist bad Gods, for what purpose? There can't be good or bad, just all good and all powerful."
"But if Gods were all powerful, then they can't be all good." Syri countered. "Because then there wouldn't be bad things in the world."
"And if Gods are all good, then they can't be all powerful." Janette responded sowhat reluctant and in discomfort before looking away. "I don't know. It would sound balanced, but that wouldn't be fair to us."
"What's fairer than having good and bad?"
Janette frowned, sinking her head as her stomach turned at the thought.
Syri gave her a soft nudge. "Hey, we don't know which of us are right or if neither of us are. It's just that our beliefs are different."
Janette sighed. "Then we have Perdilius hunting you down, and Felix and Reta haven't co back. Gods." She groaned, burying her head between her arms.
"Hey now, cheer up. I took you outside to get your mind out of those bad thoughts." Syri pouted, glancing around searching for an idea when she spotted the neighboring tree hut with a soft dim of light peeking through the door fra. "Co on, let's go see what your warf friend is up to!"
"Dwarf." She grumbled out.
"Whatever."
Janette glanced down, believing Syri to be embracing her only to realize it was her two tails wrapped around her waist. She resigned to being dragged by her eager friend down the rope bridge and towards Nyitzcha's smaller tree hut. Pulling the curtain back revealed a busy dwarf mixing away with a mortar and pestle. She stood up on a stool to reach the table, which was stacked with nurous bowls made of rock and clay filled with different colored powders and possible spices. It was hard for them to get a close look due to the abundance of cat girls surrounding the dwarf.
Nyitzcha was grumbling to herself and struggled to reach another concoction of colored liquids in a glass bottle. One of the cat girls cupped the potion and passed it to her. The dwarf carefully plucked it from her paws and thanked her before applying a asured dose into the mix.
"Looks like you've made so friends!" Syri cheered, clapping her paws.
Nyitzcha didn't bother looking back, her bright orange hair tied back in a large flowing ponytail to get it out of the way. She smacked her lips and rolled her eyes with an audible sigh. "These dugs wisnae leavin' alane aw day, traipsin' aboot askin' whit's that sll, whit are ye daein', are ye dune growin'? Wid be easier tae jist let them watch sae lang as they followed alang in silence."
One of the cat girls tugged at Janette's leg before leaning up and whispering into her ear. "We don't know what she's saying."
"You learn to distinguish the accent in ti." She replied, the clutter parting ways as she walked up to her friend. "Shouldn't you be getting so rest? You've been at it all day plucking out herbs, shrooms and leaves."
"Aye, as much as ah hate tae admit it, this forest is fair chock-full o' guidies. Plenty o' material tae work wi'. Ah sleep in late so it's no bother." She answered, pouring two different bowls of grounded roots before cupping it and giving the mix a good shake. "Aye, that's guid. What's yer excuse, hen?"
"I have too much in mind." She paused when a pair of Nekomata climbed up the hut from nearby trees and wed to grab everyone's attention.
"They're back! The hoomie is back!" She shouted before running off.
Janette and Syri exchanged hopeful looks before following the crowd of cat girls descending from one hut to another before arriving near the bottom platform. The sa large hut where the central section behaves as a lift that drops down, the sa place where Reta and Alma had their duel. They had arrived just in ti to see the lift rising up before settling to a stop.
Alma stood at the front of the group. She looked up and offered a low smile before stepping aside to reveal Felix behind her. He was still carrying the wounded Nekomata wrapped in his shirt, causing the girls to gasp and so of the Elves to drop their things in unison. Soone growled and burrowed her way through the crowd, nearly knocking the girls aside before the bear girl Nukka appeared.
She yelped and stood up on her legs, towering over everyone by twice their height. Felix felt his legs wobble before giving from exhausting, dropping to his knees but still keeping the Nekomata safe.
"ZIMI!" Nukka shouted, her hoarse voice sounding between shock and anger. Leaning in, she gently caressed her friend's cheek with her claw before locking eyes with the human who held her. "Where did you find my Zimi!?"
"Zimi, please behave." Alma warned, stepping in and patting Nukka by her large thigh. "Zimi is safe now, we need to-"
"Safe? Zimi is hurting." Nukka whimpered, scooping up the cat girl easily in her strong arms. "She needs help, now!"
Alma sighed, sowhat annoyed but understanding the bear girl's hostility. She gave a look and a subtle nod to her son, who understood the gesture as he signaled the other Rangers to show the nurous other cat girls they brought. Suddenly, the entire hut shook with audible screams as cat girls would embrace one another. Friends or family mbers all rejoiced by their reunion, wiping tears from their faces and ignoring the dirty appearance the others ca with. It wasn't the only way to tell them apart, as the prisoners they rescued appeared fatigued and starved judging by the ribs that were showing.
Syri squealed and hugged several of the prisoners, planting kisses on their stained faces and celebrating upon seeing familiar faces. That left Janette falling on her knee and reaching out to Felix, grabbing his shoulder with a look of relief on her face. It was short-lived as she imdiately pulled away when she touched the blood behind his shoulder.
"What-What is this? You're hurt?" She gasped, her pupils shrinking in fear.
Reta limped over toward them and rolled her eyes. "He is fine, I assure you. He suffered a few penetrations from behind."
"C-Can you word that differently, please?" Felix shyly suggested, looking back at Janette. "Hey Jay. Sorry we took all day."
"None of that matters now, you're hurting."
"It's nothing, really." He dropped his head, heart sinking as his mind went back to seeing the Nekomata in chains. He had to cover her body so that they couldn't see the damage they did to her, even if they could sll the blood. His stomach churned in disgust at the thought, reminded of the view he was used to seeing in the reflection without his shirt. He ran his hand through his ssy brown hair, noticing the length had grown long enough to tickle his eyes when he hung his head down.
"Were you spotted?" She asked them.
He shook his head before addressing the question. "They saw us, of course they did. I-I had to act when I saw them. Jay, the things they were doing. Alma found them digging, mining. And I, I found them hurting."
Reta knelt down to pick him up with an arm around her shoulder. She winced, feeling the pain in her thigh. "Hush now, we live to fight another day. We can address that co sunrise. First, we heal."
"I'll see you in a mont then." Janette ntioned when Reta snapped her head around suddenly.
"No! No, not yet. Tomorrow." She reassured in a calr tone. "Rest now, regroup tomorrow."
She seed uncertain, but eventually Janette relented with a nod. Reta returned the gesture, escorting Felix down a rope bridge.
Janette watched them walk away before Syri brought her back with a paw on her arm.
"Hey, why the long face?" She asked, hugging her side. "Your friends were heroes!"
"Yea," She whispered back, closing her fist.
They didn't feel like they were heroes.
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