Corruption Isn't Always Destructive

Chapter 1

"Stupid cat. Staring into my soul like some sort of freak. I should have known it was cursed when my ex gave it to me.They probably threw it at me due to it being pure black, knowing that superstitious idiot"

The usually peaceful forest around Mt Ebott was filled with swearing, a pained yowl before a car door slammed shut and the wheels of tires loudly skidded down the road. It would have be an odd scene to witness if there was anyone there to do so.

This area was filled with vegetation and plenty of green but eerily bare of other life, not a single bird in the area or fox in the bushes, the closet human settlement miles away. It was like a blank place on any map, the area encompassing the mountain that was the source of much lore was no longer inhabited by humans, the last settlement centuries ago when stories of a demon were spoken of with fear and superstition, likely driving off the rest.

Modern humans no longer believed such things, magic a mere fairytale and yet humans were more then just logical creatures but also instinctual ones, something in their hindbrain telling them to stay away from this place.

No human alive realised the history. The blood. What vile things their ancestors had done....How anything odd was pushed away into a place where they could never be found again.

But that is the thing with human hubris, never imagining they could be wrong, that perhaps they hadn't quite sealed every abomination in their eyes or perhaps they hadn't even realised that humans weren't the smartest creature around. There were far more species out there then humans ever thought, ones who had survived and thrived after the careless actions by their ancestors.

"Meow?"

But that was then and this was now, magic draining from the land as if punishment from some higher being, mages dying out quicker as if magic itself had rebelled against their caster. But signs were still there of the ancient world, before the downfall of what had been a largely peaceful era.

A small black cat poked its head out of the dented cardboard box thrown at the side of the road with no care, meowing again in question at the dark surroundings, ears perking as if to wait for response. But none came, no dark haired human in sight or the white haired one who smelled of age and herbs.

The small creatures jumped out of the box, fur puffed up at the odd charge to the air and darting into a bush as if the cover would help. It didnt, the silver eyes darting about before darting off at random, trying to run from an invisible threat and not stopping when his fur got caught on brambles or stray branches, the small lungs struggling for breath as they kept running.

Trying to find safety in the unfamiliar land they had been dumped in.

They never saw the hole they would fall into.

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"Oh you poor little dear. No need to worry. I got rid of that nasty flower. Your poor fur! It's ok little one. I'll take care of you"

The little black cat was cradled in the fur of something that smelled like goat but walked like the humans, an odd finding but the small creature was happy to have avoided the weird feeling even if he ended up falling down a hole. This goat/two legged being smelled like his favourite human, the grey haired one whose sickness sadly took them despite all the smelly herbs in their house.

"Hmm, your CHECK says you are called 'Socks' but i hardly think thats a good name. I'll help you pick a new one, dont you worry"

The goat smelling figure was strange and said even stranger words but they talked to him like he could understand didn't try to dress him up in silly costumes then snap pictures to send to other humans.