Sons of Mau

Sight-Wise

Sensations. It was like floating on top of the water without getting wet. Miu saw crystal waves lapping his paws, his perspective shifting. Where was he? Mist drifted along. He saw spokes of green through the cover. Heard the sound of water drops. A figure appeared in front of him. Miu didn't recognize her, and found he couldn't move, or even speak.

She approached him, and reached out to touch his chest. It started burning. Light lit up the area, and the mist cleared. He stood on an island, on top of the strange milky water. Plant-life surrounded the pool. The she-cat's eyes were closed. She removed her paw from him and opened them a little, staring at the water.

Miu felt a sense of vertigo.

She closed them again. "Not yet."

"What?" He found his words.

"I am Li Shou." She smiled, her eyes still shut.

"I am..." Miu's voice trailed off. "Who am I?"

"You can't know just yet." Li Shou placed her paw back on his chest. "Do you feel that? Remember that feeling. Don't you ever let it go. Don't release it for even a moment. You mustn't ever. Understand?"

Miu's every bit of being shook at the burning. It was raw, and warm, and powerful. He managed a nod. He didn't understand a fragment of what was happening, nor remember anything to help him understand. But he felt that what the she-cat was saying was important.

A wind started up in the place. Li Shou's fur waved back and forth. "We will watch you. Be strong."

The pool's waves became violent. Miu felt the gradual release of the paw from his chest. Light filled his eyes. The noise went to an ear bleeding silence. And then the illusion of vertigo, and falling, and recall.

The world came back to him all at once.

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The world came back to her all at once. Hope was above her, face full of motherly concern.

"Oh dear. Tally, are you alright? You blacked out soon after Miu did. "

She blinked. Her right eye watered. "What?"

"Miu. We were hoping he wasn't carrying a plague from Jumblefuss. It seems just a coincidence."

Tally sat up and clutched her eye. Probably just some dust. "How long was I out?"

"Several hours."

"Whose Miu again? It could be anyone if he was coming from Jumblefuss."

"White. Black ear and a tipped tail. Funny fellow. Your best friend?" Hope giggled.

Tally scowled. "Oh. Right." She rubbed her eye, then promptly cried out. Everything went blue, and then she was standing a top the hill by the seer's hut. Sacha was talking to her. The vision blurred, and she returned, standing by Hope.

"Are you alright?" Hope touched her softly.

"Yeah." Her eye felt normal again. "I just.. had an odd vision."

"What'd you see?" Hope was concerned. "I thought Sacha told you to rest your powers."

"Yeah, but I wasn't trying to see anything. And it wasn't anything special either. I was just talking to Sacha by the hut, that's all I saw."

Hope smiled kindly at her. "Perhaps you should go see her. She might have a better understanding than you do. Maybe you're putting strain on yourself without trying."

Tally agreed to go. That oversized kitsch was still there. She glared at him. He had no response. No shame at all. She ignored him.

"Sacha, can I ask you something?" She looked painfully in Miu's direction, hoping she'd dismiss him.