Episode 16 - The meeting

I sit so I can see the eyes of these wolfmen, which are rounder than that of Catmens, but also friendlier.

“I was enjoying the company of those four Catmen! What do you want?” 

His tone does not fit his unkind eyes and I can see his lips twitch as if he wishes to snarl, baring his sharp fangs.

“Sorry about that. But, it was my power that allowed you to jump so purrfectly.” 

The Keeper of the Bar comes down to the table with the four fairies, each carrying a bowl of milk. He hands over a bowl to the Wolf and l. 

“Special Milks to the jumper and his four friends…"

The Keeper looks at me. 

"... And a new blue one, to this one” 

One of the Fairies gives a nod right after having set down the bowl. I’m relieved, having noticed a strong fog flowing from the other milks.

“If you wish to speak to me, my friends shall also hear it. You shan’t have me alone.” 

The four females are waved back over, the one with the hat pushing me into the chair next to him.

“Move Princess-sister.”

“Shall we cheer, in the old language?”

“Skål!” 

Following our shared cheer, and having chugged from his bowl, the Wolfmen leans back and watches me for a moment. 

“Why don’t you all introduce yourselves to our Princess?”

The one with the pretty flower dress begins…

“Okay. I’m Diana, it’s nice to meet you!”

Unlike the immediate response of the first, the next to speak is cautious, the one with the green amulet. Speaking slower, it’s clear that she’s thinking carefully about her words - or lack thereof. 

“I’m Digna…"

“Hi I’m Dillian. Look what I got from the male at the bar!” 

The third one holds out her hands, a little red-fur Mously staring out with wide eyes.

“Dillian. Put the Mously away.” 

The fourth, with the leather, turn towards me with cold eyes. 

“Diva.”

I nod at the four in acknowledgement, then turn back to the Wolfmen. 

“I’m looking for some help.” 

I try to imitate my Trollfairy’s large eyes. I need to get this over with quickly. What I didn’t expect was for him to burst out in laughter.

“A great Catmen Princess… needs help from me… a Wolf!” 

He laughs, holding his stomach and bending over as tears form in the creases of his eyes. 

“A Wolf!”

He’s not funny at all. Then again, Trolling might’ve laughed too. Speaking of, where is my little Trollfairy? Before I can look for him, the four sisters strike up conversation again, the Mously running between Dillian’s paws on the table. 

“Don’t you think it’s strange you’d just get that, Dillian?”

“I think Diva has first rights. I believe he’s trying to buy you. You shouldn’t trust so easily.”

“But it’s just a pet.”

"Dillian, it is a Red Mously!" 

I am looking at my two wolves, Vipor still has the Red Mously. I trust my wolves know what they are doing. 

“You should keep the red Mously for now, it might come in handy.”

“Thank you for understanding, Princess!”

Now that they’re quiet, I continue…

“I wish to go through the mountains and enter the magic forest.” 

The Wolfmale sit forward again, the four cats are quiet. 

"What quest do you have in the magic forest if I may ask?" 

I have to trust him, but I do not know of the others, do I trust them as well? I look around at them, they all have kittens eyes and are waiting on me. They will do what he commands so if I win, I will also win them. 

"My quest is simply… I need to take the Black Scroll to the Magic Tree and speak to a fairy that will take me into something it calls space and time."

"That's is not a quest for a Catmen Princess, the Black scroll has been quested to the Fairy princess, only the Sorceress and the fairy princess can enter the tree."

Trolling lands in front of me as I wait for a response, so I take to petting him.

“I’m a good helper.” 

I smile at him and wonder where he has been. No matter.

Suddenly… a fur naked orange Ligormale jumps on our table, goes around like a wild animal and shouts… 

"I am a black cat!" 

"I am a black cat" 

Trolling laughing very loudly, so loudly that the Ligor stops. 

"The black cat does not think you are funny" 

Then the Ligor jumps away to the next victim. 

Trolling begins to emit the painful sound and everyone in the Milkbar holds their ears. 

The table shakes and Trolling turns into the Monster-dog. 

The sound stops, and Trolling the dog, runs after Dillian's Red Mously. 

The four sisters jump after the two and I will leave that catch to them. I turn back to the Wolfmale. He understands that we can now continue… 

“You can’t pass the mountain. No one can - the gate was closed when the Black Sorceress went through. Everyone knows you must sail around to the Monkeymen’s city, or all the way south to the Yarn. You can’t fly over it ‘cause there’s magic from the Wing Wolves. You can’t enter the forest anyway. There is a big Magic shield around the forest to keep in the monsters that the tree sometimes makes, and you need power from the Wing Wolf to get the shield down."

"What do you mean by monster?" 

"Something is wrong with the tree. You know the tree makes all the normal animals, but sometimes it makes some evil ones too, so the Wing Wolves have made a big shield and only they can take it down" 

“Which is why you shall take me through the mountain and to the Wing Wolves.” 

"You do not listen well do you, no one can enter…" 

"I can remove the black magic away from the gate" 

He goes silent… 

The Milkbar is going crazy, and it seems that everyone is looking at the red mously eyes. One jumps from a chair to another and back again. One hangs from lamps. A lot of them try to catch each other's tails. Another lies on the back and tries to catch the air. Fairies are trying to escape from the Catmen, who want to catch them. 

Trolling has caught the Red Mously and hammers on it, Diva being cast aside towards Dillian and Diana. She rolls over the mously, catching it and hitting the corner. The keeper picks the Trolling dog up, and walks over to me. 

"You should not let it transform in here" 

Then he begins to whisper a song to Trolling, and only I can hear the tones of the song but not the text. Trolling turns back to normal. 

Looking at him with very big eyes I am compelled to ask… 

"What did you sing?" 

"That I cannot tell you, but you know how powerful songs can be, right?"

Then he leaves us.

The females come back to the table whispering about my tail but their voices wavering in shock as the Wolfmen hits the table in response to my question directed at him. 

“I will not! I can not!” 

What will he not? Uh… the mountain right He’s as big and stupid as a Monkeymen.

“And… why?”

He takes a deep breath, eyes closed and chest shaking. 

“Last time I helped a Sorceress, I was kicked out of the mountain. They took my magic. My wings!”

All be silent for a moment… 

My ear twitches as the four Cats whisper about whether he is a Wing Wolf. Doing my best to ignore them, I continue our conversation. 

“Who was the Sorceress?”

“The White Sorceress of the Woods. I failed to help her take the Black Scroll to the Magic Tree… I didn't see that it was a fake. She died because of my shortfall.”

So that happened to me, I tried to bring the scroll, but it was fake and the Fairies took me in. I woke up again when the Furless arrived, to continue my quest…to bring the scroll to the tree. 

I don’t recall him helping me in the past? In fact I do not remember anything of that past. I decide to use his beliefs to my advantage. 

“I have heard she’s alive. The Wing Wolves gave the Fairies permission to give her a new soul, but it was old so the Fairies kept her in their world.”

“... are you certain?”

“Yes.”

“You’re really, completely sure that this is true?”

“It’s true.”

“So they’ve kicked me out for no reason. Clever!”

“Do you know where this fake scroll is? I’d like to see the writing in it.”

“It’s hidden somewhere in the city.”

I recall my conversation with the Furless. 

“I might know where it is, but I’m told you shall help me.”

“You do? But, before I help, do you have proof the White Sorceress lives?”

I stand; hop onto the fungus and take my White scroll in my paw. 

“White Staff!” 

I hold my paw out towards him as pearls of lightning flicker and dance across my arm. Staff formed, I pointed it right at his nose. 

“I’m the White Sorceress of the Woods, and in my quest I have become Princess Meow.” 

I smile down at him. I am aware of the quiet that spreads throughout the bar, as what had only been staring becomes frantic whispers.

“The White Sorceress is a Princess?” 

I hear on the next table over, imploring me to turn my eyes from the Wolfmen momentarily.

“I don’t believe you. The White Sorceress is an old Catmen and you said yourself that the soul is old too. Maybe you have taken the power from the right Sorceress” 

His eyes are focused keenly on my staff as he speaks. 

"That is not possible" 

"Uh ya, that has happened for Mivi" 

Who is Mivi? A Sorceress? But I need to convince him now and not ask more questions, so I hold my other paw out… 

"Blue" 

Blue lightning flashing into my paw, I hear another female voice.

“Now I believe her.”

“Always so fast to believe in others, Diana.”

“Can she control two magics? Is that what I’m seeing Dillian?”

“Blue magic?”

Around the bar, echoes of Dillian’s words spread like wildfire. I turn to the four. 

“Three magics.” 

Back to the Wolf. 

“I was the White Sorceress. I got a new Cat-cats soul through this new magic, becoming Princess of the Woods. Now, my tail presents to me the joy of being High…” 

I stop, my speech disrupted by someone’s heavy footsteps and shouting as they enter the Milkbar. 

“The King is dead! The Yarn is on fire!”

Sucking in a deep breath I turn and project my voice across the room. 

“How can that happen? Who is attacking?”

“The monster has returned! A big Yellow Dragon coming down to our town!” 

Still yelling, he runs out of the bar and leaves panic in his midst. I analyse the situation carefully before taking action.

“Stop!” I command, 

“As your Princess, your safety is my greatest concern! I will protect the city until you all reach the Milk-Swamp. Follow these two Wolves!” 

I stand tall as I give instructions, ensuring that I exude regality. My Wolves bow their heads respectfully as I point them out.

“You, Wing Wolf, and your young friends will meet me at number four. Do not do anything stupid. I have been instructed to protect these four cats at all costs and so you must do the same. Else, the Dragon may be allowed to eat your heart today.” 

I feel a magic tingle in my paw as it clutches the staff, my strong intent sending light down to the Wolf’s nose without need for a spell. I think I have just given him the Sorceress Feeling, giving me more confidence in taking the White Elixir from my belt. 

“Cast this up and say ‘Shield’ in a time of need.”

“Yes, my Princess Meow. Come, my lovely cats, we must hurry.” 

And they begin to leave. I notice Diana still staring at me with her pretty eyes like a little Mously, and swinging her flower dress from side to side… 

“Why protect us?”

“Something will happen very soon, I am told to change that further. And… Diana… I know he likes you all so he will protect you at all costs.”

“Thanks. We owe you one.” 

She catches up with the others and I can hear the sounds of youthful laughter follow them. 

“He likes us!” 

It’s time for me to act like the Princess Sorceress that I am! As I pass the bar I am stopped by the Keeper.

"Princess, sing the magic out that will help you in your quest." 

The four fairies make a blue portal and they disappear to the Fairy world. I need to ask myself.. "Who is that fellow?" 

I shriek when something comes out of the portal. 

“What! You!” I scream. The Furless! But as a little kitty again. 

“Come, we must hurry.” 

As we leave the Fungus Milk she grows bigger and back to the female. We head the road, moving quickly back towards the gate. While I was thinking… 

She was just outside in a yellow time travel magic to show me how to change the future, and now she jumps out of the Fairy world as a kitten… what is going on, but there is no time to ask any questions. Her Cat-cat comes out of nowhere and speaks to her in the language of the Furless, which I don't understand. The Cat-cat jumps up on her shoulder, while I have my Trolling on my shoulder. The Cat-cat speaks to Trolling in the way of Furless… 

"Du er en god hjælper" 

As we approach our destination, her Cat-cat is gone again and she looks to the sky as she asks me... 

“Can you please cast a White Shield around the city?” 

Her voice shifts as if another female is speaking, as she slips into her own language. White light flowing from behind her casts odd shapes. Is that… a Catmen face? Does she have a Cat-cats soul with her? Her arm sparks. Crackles. Bursts in lighting. Blue Magic. In the other paw, a stringless Yellow bow shimmers into existence. An elegant pinch where a string would’ve been, summons a blue magic arrow, a sparkling magical string appearing as she pulls back. 

“It’s good to have Blue Magic right?”

The arrow shoots up into the sky… and past a gigantic Yellow Dragon...