The Wolf, The Lion, and The Dragon - (Vol.9)

Ch.4 A Cat Most Curious

3rd Pov

Ruby and Razor tried to follow their new tour guide, but they lost it in the plains just outside the red forest.

Ruby: "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty. Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!"

Little: "Eek! Cat's hindquarters."

Little points to the red grass, a cat tail standing above the grass blades.

Ruby: "Uhh... Excuse me?"

Curious Cat: "You're excused"

It pops behind her as Ruby jumps and Little hides again.

Razor: "What the actual hell?"

Ruby: "Uh... Hello, uh, cat."

The Cat then joins both of their body parts together.

Ruby: "Curious Cat? Which one do you go by?"

Curious Cat: "Oh! I don't go by. That belongs to the days and the years. But if you are asking what I am, I am indeed a cat, most curious."

Ruby: "Of course. Heh-heh. Look, my friends and I really need to get to that giant tree, and so far, nothing we tried has gotten us any further."

Weiss: "It looks to me like we're even farther!"

Yang: "Yeah, I think that's because we're six inches tall."

Weiss: "It could be both."

Curious Cat: "The tree... Tree, tree, tree, tree... Oh course, that is most definitely impossible. You do not go to the tree. The tree goes to you unless, of course, you're me... you see."

Yang: "Not even by a bit."

Curious Cat: "Well, that's your problem. It's a matter of perspective, I'm afraid."

Ruby: "But, uh, couldn't you take us then? You'd been there before."

Curious Cat: "So why would I ever want to go back? Yes, I'm glad we understand one another. No sense it seems a sight seen."

The Curious Cat notices a yellow butterfly and pounces at it.

Owen: "For Oum's sake... Look, can you please show us the way to the tree? Or not?"

Blake: "Please. You helped Alyx when she was--"

Curious Cat: "Alyx! Alyx, Alyx? How do you know her? Are you friends of hers? Old arch enemies? No, wait, I  think I got it... Okay, no, I don't. Please tell me!"

Ruby: "Well, we don't know her personally, Just uh..."

Weiss: "She wrote a book about her entire adventure in the Ever After."

The Cat flies around Ruby.

Curious Cat: "A book?! Is it a well-liked?"

Raiden: "It's a popular children's book back where we're from. All of us read it when we were kids. Well most..."

Curious Cat: "Ooh, interesting. Please, tell me more. What did she write about? How was I portrayed? And...(sniffs) Do I smell a mouse?"

Little quickly cowers behind Yang. Blake quickly shields Little from the Curious Cat.

Blake: "Umm... From one cat to another, could you give us a minute, please?"

Curious Cat: "Oh... so they're spoken for. Well please, please hurry, I have so many, many questions."

It flies off into the tall grass in search of more butterflies.

Weiss: "Are we sure they're not the constantly annoying cat?"