Of Cats and Men

Schwenk sat on his bed, cross-legged and pondered very long and very hard. He was no coward and the idea of running was appalling to him. But then again……..he had an opportunity to extend his career and his life. And then again…….Myra wasn’t back yet and running from the city without her didn’t feel right. Another issue that bothered him…..a lot was the missing crystal. He was losing out on two counts; firstly he couldn’t sell the crystal and make some money and secondly, the people who wanted it, thought he still had it so the heat was not off at all. Loser!

In the morning Schwenk had finally come to a decision, ‘run now come back alive later’. He packed his things and decided that, after a drink at the White Horse he catch the first transport into Skalla, a fishing town eighty miles away. He went upstairs first and knocked on the door before entering. Aurelio was up and getting dressed.

“Well?”  he asked

“I’m…..” he sighed “I’m leaving…….”

“Really?” he studied the human.

“Yes…..really…….”

“Good….it’ll be easier that way…..” he nodded

“I thought so too……..I’ll get Lani to tell Myra when she returns…..”

Aurelio nodded.

“In that case you have until sunset……and then….if I see you, I kill you. No begging, no excuses….just death……Do you understand?”

“Absolutely……..” he nodded

“Then bon voyage ……..”

“…’ bon voyage’?” he asked “Did you swallow a dictionary?”

“No….” he replied mirthlessly. “I swallowed a foreigner!”

Schwenk left and walked briskly to the White Horse. Gaynor wasn’t working this day and Schwenk felt a little sadder for that….not being able to say goodbye. He walked up the stairs to Jaada.

“Ahhh…..an unexpected pleasure, Gaston…….”

“Well…..I’ve come to say goodbye actually?”

“Goodbye? But why?”

“Problems and trouble…..got to steer clear for a while……I will return soon enough…..”

“Well let’s hope so……problems with the crystal maybe?”

“Yeah….” He sighed “..and worst of all someone has now stolen it?”

“Really? Who would want such a thing I wonder?”

“No idea, but now I have to leave……”

“Hmmm…..Aurelio found an empty space and now you’ve got to leave…..at least you’re still alive…..”

“Yeah….I know very fair bu……….How did you know that?”

“Know what?”

“How did you know that Aurelio found an ‘empty space’?”

Jaada pondered. “Must’ve heard it on the grapevine, you know what this town is like…..” she smirked.

“I do…….but not even the grapevine works that fast, Jaada…..”

The panther took a deep breath and locked the door.

“Jaada?” Schwenk was more nervous.

“You should’ve just walked away……..said nothing……you’d have been free as a bird….”

“I will go……you’ll not hear of this again…..” Schwenk gabbled.

“Too late……” she sighed. “You’ve been a nosey little human and things were already ‘touch and go’…and now you’ve made too many connections……”

“You? You stole the crystal??” Schwenk gasped

“Not me, you idiot!! I sent someone to liberate the crystal from you and your filthy hands. I’m a High Priestess, human…….High Priestess of Tyrus…..” Schwenk just rolled his eyes. From the back room two tall males came out, one a tiger and one a jaguar. They grabbed Schwenk and tied him to a chair.

“You have defiled the crystal and it is ineffective!” she said angrily.

“Sorry…..at least I didn’t destroy it like ordered……” he snapped back. “You’re lucky I don’t charge you for reclamation and storage!” he continued. Jaada strode over and backhanded him, swinging his head around and cutting his lip.

“Look Jaada….I’m leaving…..I have only until sunset until  Aurelio becomes something of a problem again…..”

“You needn’t worry about him, he’ll no longer be a problem for you……”

“Don’t harm him…….he’s only doing his job….”

“How touching? No….he won’t be a problem because it’s unlikely he’ll ever find your remains!”

“Erm….what?” he asked in disbelief.

“Go back to the library, bookboy……..it’s all there….about the crystal, it’s history……it’s defilement…..”

“Bookboy? Riiight…..OK, untie me and I’ll go look…….” The tiger growled a warning.

“Let me explain…….the crystal needs purifying and guess what……we need your blood to do that…..”

“But…….you could take a small amount…..you don’t need all of it….right?”

Jaada thought about this for some moments but before continuing.

“A small amount would work, but it just seems right…a human sacrifice……” she grinned.

Jaada, her two acolytes bustled the human into a transport and sped off, out of the city…..