KuliKuli rubbed her eyes as her ears rang loudly. She shook off the dust staining her fur and hair, lifting her head to find that she had jumped to cover her sisters from the bst. The result left a few bruises on her back and arms, but Na'Vi was okay. She was coughing and rubbing her head, both Nekomatas locked eyes as they sat over Syri and briefly inspected her. She was curled up in a ball, her paw covering her shoulder with blood dripping from the stab wound she received.

  Felix lifted himself up as a piece of debris fell off his back. It took a minute for their hearing to recover, only then were they able to discover the source of the explosion. A horse carriage pulled up as a hooded figure wrapped in a brown cloak to disguise themself jumped off and picked KuliKuli up by her arm. Na'Vi hissed and raised her paw when the figure shot her hand up and pleaded her to stop.

  "Don't-Don't! It's me, it's me!" Na'Vi was perplexed at first, cws hovering in the air as she contempted whether to attack or not.

  It was KuliKuli who recognized her voice. "Janette?"

  "Shhh, yes but don't say it so loud." Janette whispered, picking Na'Vi up and shaking her hooded head. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you guys would be back here. If I did, we wouldn't have-"

  She froze as soon as she spotted Syri whimpering on the ground. Kneeling down, she ran her hand along her arm to inspect her wound. "Not too bad, but it might need sewing. Syri, Syri?"

  Syri nodded her head back, ears flickering as her tails coiled around herself. When she looked up to see her, her eyes swelled up and she reached up to hold her hand. Janette nodded back before looking to KuliKuli and Na'Vi. "Help me here."

  The girls agreed and lifted their sister up by each arm as Janette pointed for them to walk into through the shattered brick wall. There, they were met with a shorter figure at the front bench holding the reins and struggling to move her head around with an oversized hood that sagged over her eyes. A small hand the size of a child but with the age of a woman in her middle age kept the floppy hood up from concealing her sight.

  "Oi! Put er' in de back an' make haste, we ain't gut much time!" The short figure barked out in a rough yet feminine voice.

  Na'Vi and KuliKuli didn't bother to react, doing as they were told and carrying Syri into the passenger wagon. Janette stayed behind to help Felix. A piece of rock fell from the caved ceiling and struck the ground beside them which made Janette shriek and pull away. Shaking her head, she pushed through her nerves and hugged his arm to pull him to his feet.

  "Hey." She greeted him briefly, looking around them. "Can you walk?"

  Felix was coughing hard, his fist beating his chest as he shook his head. "Yes, just... winded." He coughed again.

  Just then, he raised his head and yanked his arm away, pushing Janette off him. She fell back and hit her head, squeezing her eyes as she yelped in pain. KuliKuli and Na'vi spun around, spotting what just unfolded. Felix had pushed his friend out of the way as he took the impact of the door, loose off its hinges after the bst, kicked down and crashing into him. He fell forward, pinned down by the metal door over his back as he balled his fists up to bare through the impact. As he struggled to stand up, a metal boot stomped onto the door on his back to force him down. His eyes shot open as a sword pierced through the ground so close to him that he could see the reflection of his eyes staring back through the metal.

  Leone wiped the blood dripping over his left brow, gring angrily at the cat girls. As soon as Janette stood up, he spotted her but seemed indifferent by her presence, choosing to keep his eyes on his targets. He removed the brooch holding his cape, letting the dark cloth crumple into a pile beneath his feet.

  "You," He muttered, licking his chapped lips and spitting the dust that collected on them due to the bst. "Are proving to be a pain in my neck, mademoiselle. You remember what I warned you about?"

  "Don't!" KuliKuli cried out, running towards him and freezing as soon as he pocked the sword against her mate's cheek.

  Felix squeezed his eyes shut, grinding his teeth and finding it difficult to breathe with the added weight of the hunter standing over him. "D-Don't do it!" He shouted, coughing repeatedly as his lungs felt like they shriveled up with each gasp.

  Leone turned his head as they heard footsteps hurrying to their position. He closed his eyes and breathed in slowly, looking down at the man and observing him. The way his hand cwed at the stone ground in a poor attempt to crawl away, and the way he kept his eyes closed to avoid looking at his beloved. He raised his head upon hearing a women cry out as she swung a broom handle only for him to catch it easily. Janette blinked and let go, retreating slowly as he shook his head at her and tossed the stick away.

  The hunter breathed in once more and stood up, stepping over Felix and allowing him to gasp for air. He had decided to spare him, or at least that is what it looked to them. KuliKuli felt a bit of relief, but it was soon ended as the city guards broke through the caved in door frame, crowding around Felix and standing to position with shields in their hands.

  One of them turned his head to address Leone. "You there, identify yourself.'

  Leone didn't turn to address him, keeping his eyes locked on KuliKuli as he dug under his colr and fished out a neckce. A silver pendant swung from the chain as the guard looked up to him with knowing eyes.

  "You're a hunter?" He excimed, the rest of the guards stepping back in awe.

  "That's right, and they are my prey. I am under contract to capture these Nekomata women."

  "What of this one?" Another guard asking, helping his friend pull the heavy door off Felix.

  "Do as you wish, he's none of my concern but he is with them."

  "Hells, look at his eyes!" Another guard shouted out, dropping Felix out of disgust once he raised his head. "He's one of the corrupted."

  Felix coughed out as he was scooped up by two guards restraining both his arms. He could feel the familiar rusty shackles reacquaint themselves with his wrists.

  "No." KuliKuli spoke in a soft voice, her eyes filled with dread. This was not how things were supposed to go. Janette ran back to them as soon as the guards had arrived, but Felix was left behind. He raised his defeated face and formed a subtle smile. She gasped, cupping her mouth as they locked eyes only for him to nod and close them in relief.

  "Kuli?" Na'Vi called out as Janette climbed up into the carriage with her. The passenger door was open and now some of the guards had sheathed their swords and began to pull out heavy crossbows. KuliKuli could do nothing but stand still in shock, facing the two rows of armored men as the front stood on their knee with a shield raised and the row behind them stood on their feet with their crossbows armed and ready.

  "Kuli!" Na'Vi jumped out from the carriage, pulling her friend back as Leone walked toward them with his sword in his hand.

  One of the guards raised his crossbow through trembling fingers, his eyes intent with focus as he held the Nekomata on his sights. Licking his lips, he bent his finger and pulled the trigger, firing the crossbow at her.

  TINK!

  Leone batted the bolt out of the way, shocking both KuliKuli and the guards who looked to him with baffled expressions. The hunter gred back at them and raised his sword to his chest. "The Nekomata are to be recovered unharmed, any who stand in my way will be cut down by my hand. Protocol five of the Hunters Guild dictates that any who stand in opposition of a Hunter's contract will relinquish their lives by the hunter. You are familiar with the Guild protocols, yes?"

  "Lower your bows, men!" Another guard shouted, lowering his own crossbow as an example. "How then shall we assist you?"

  "Detain the ones who assist them. They have an odd number of allies that do not appear to be monsters themselves, like that one you hold, her mate I believe." He expined with a cold stare directed to KuliKuli. "But them, they're mine. This one in particur, she's grown to be a nuisance. You've wounded me, I give you remarks for that. But this game of ours has run its course, the chase begins now."

  "C'mon!" Na'Vi screamed, dragging KuliKuli by her arm as the two retreated into the carriage.

  "Fire at that wagon!" The commanding guard ordered. "Steer your bolts away from the beasts!"

  "Ay!" A flurry of bolts sped passed the gring hunter, unfazed by their proximity as most of them struck into the side of the carriage as soon as Na'Vi pulled the door shut.

  Nyitzcha shouted with a sharp whip of her reins, alerting the horses to kick up their front hooves and pull them away from the fire as several guards ran to follow them by sight. Leone stood his ground, sheathing his sword and turning back inside the chapel. He paused to look at Felix with a raised brow as he stared back with a burning fire in his eyes. But the hunter did not care and walked past him as the guards whisked Felix away.

  CLANK!

  Emyri fell back, recovering by rolling onto her feet before shaking her paw. Her cws were starting to dull after frequent strikes with every shield and sword she encountered. Turning to her left was a street corner with a crowd of onlookers staring by, ushered away by Kershin guards as horse riders trotted by to reinforce them with gives in hand. One of Perdilius' soldiers stepped in and nded a kick to her side, sending her reeling in agony and clutching her left ribs. The number of guards and soldiers was growing out of hand, the Nekomata began to realize that this was a battle she could not win. Janette was nowhere to be found amongst the crowd, and what would it matter if she was present? The woman would be safer to feign ignorance and pretend that she was aghast as the others.

  The Nekomata staggered and fell to her knee, her body riddled with bruise marks after fending off dozens of weapons. Losing her bance to catch her breath proved to be the opening they needed as a noose was snagged around her neck. Some of Perdilius' soldiers had arrived, perhaps the same that ambushed her on the rooftops from before, and they returned with whips and snares in their hands. As soon as Emyri resisted, she felt her left paw caught in a snag followed shortly by her other arm. She yelped and hissed, revealing her fangs to startle some of the Kershin guards but her carnivore teeth would be futile against their steel armor.

  On man moved in to tighten the snare around her neck, nudging his boot under her leg to push her to the ground when a paw kicked his head down.

  "Get your hands off my mother!" Dimyri cried out, leaping down from the second-floor window where she was safe.

  Emyri fell down and coughed hard, feeling her daughter reach in as if to embrace her only to feel her teeth sink into the snare and tear it away from her. "Sweetheart, you could have fled-"

  "Not happening!" She snapped as she spun around and kicked one of the men restraining Emyri's limbs. "I'm not leaving anyone like before, not again!"

  "But it's you that they want." Emyri whispered shortly, rubbing her neck and looking up helplessly as Dimyri stood protectively around her, hissing with her cws exposed and waiting for the surrounding crowd of armed men to move in.

  Perdilius cpped his hands as he stepped out from the courtyard gates, grabbing the attention of the people as he hovered his palm to direct the monster girls. "Do you see? Do you see? This is why we are here, to save you from them. Can you all see now that the fog is pushed aside and your vision hath returned, they attack your dear Mister Dubois, and they attack you the people. So long as these monsters are amongst, you will never be safe. Keep your children locked inside, husbands stay with your beloveds. I ask but one thing from you, your safety. As for the council of Kershin, I humbly request to thee for your assistance in our mission."

  "You bastard!" Dimyri snarled much to his delight.

  "The beast, it speaks! It tempts with its body, it seduces, and it corrupts!" His voice bellowed as it echoed across the town road. "Come, come sing your song of prayers. Sing with me, pray with me, let us fill our hearts with renowned hope for a better future, a safer future for Kershin!"

  "Look out!" One of the city guards cried out, diving out of the way as a pair of horses stampeded through and pushed the soldiers away. Dimyri and her mother looked on as the passenger door pushed open and were met with the sight of their daughters ushering them to come in. They slipped inside without question, with Nyitzcha taking the reins and commanding the horses to pull them down the road in a hurry as many of the city guards ran to check on the injured men and frightening civilians.

  Raz stepped beside Perdilius as he leaned back to whisper with secrecy. "What of the hunter, did things go as pnned?"

  "Nay, the girls slipped from his grasp, but we kept the man with us." He answered shortly.

  Perdilius shrugged and adjusted his robe. "It matters not. We can use him and her to bargain."

  "Bargain, sir? The hunter is distraught, he just took his belt and fled on his own. Should we not go after him?"

  "And do what? He is doing his job, let him decide how he should accomplish his task. He must fulfill his contract, we have no reason to worry that he goes against it now, not when we are so close."

  Inside the carriage, Janette was comforting Syri in her arms while KuliKuli hung her head down in a look of defeat. Na'Vi and Dimyri were both attending to Emyri.

  "She doesn't look good. Mother, are you okay?"

  "I'm fine dear, tis just a scratch."

  "Your side is purple mom, you're in pain."

  "Ouch! Only if you graze it like so," Emyri admitted, waving her daughters paw away from her bruise mark. She tilted her head to look around before a sinking feeling formed in her chest. "What happened, where are the others?"

  KuliKuli closed her eyes tight, finding it difficult to speak with a lump in her throat as her eyes began to swell.

  "We lost."