Taka was truly tired and wanted to rest. He felt his life had been fulfilled in some way. He had served the witches just like he was meant to do, his purpose had been overused for so long. What had he been doing but the witches bidding anyhow? He never got what he desired and being a lackey has worn him down. He doesn't have the drive or will to continue to serve them.
Now Taka finally has the opportunity to escape the demon's clutches, no longer having to be forced to link with another witch when the other dies! He will spend this last week doing what he wants to do. Laze around even if the sun isn't out, and daydream of a luxurious rich cat life.
The soft white sock paws started to become stained in the muddy marshland he found himself in. Disgusted he flicked them. He then realized he can't use his magic to clean himself. Taka mourned the loss of his power. If only he could use his magic without having to be linked with some witch, he would have run away long ago.
It became harder and harder to walk in the mud and eventually a slight drizzle of rain came down in a freezing mist. The sun had descended leaving it dim, Taka was miserable. He slumped down in wet mud, this marsh terrain won't do, it simply won't do!
Taka hissed at the wet dirt in frustration, with a yowl he swiped at the ground. He decided to take a break in the long grass that was at least five feet taller than his cat's body. It was uncomfortable but he was used to this type of thing. Having no magic to warm himself he soon became a cat popsicle.
He had considered going back to the demons but that thought only briefly passed his mind before being replaced with all of the cons. It would be nice to die on a sunny cool day just like that past memory, but that's simply impossible with the demons.
Taka's paws shook but kneaded the giant stalks of grass not caring for his shivering body in the least. Perhaps he could turn the tides of the war if he revealed his magic fully and go to the other side, but where on earth would he find the chance to get another witch on the other side, and what are the even far off chances that they wouldn't exploit him? Taka thinks it's impossible.
He sighed through his nose and began to remember what got him here. He doesn't recall which witch started performing dark magic and left to become a demon's slave, but he once remembers not being on this side of the battlefield. He unwillingly had to follow the witch but when they died he never got the chance to choose a witch for himself, simply passed on by the dark witches, like a toy.
Resting his chin on the muddy fur of his paws, Taka huffed listlessly closing his amber eyes.
A light tap touched his nose but he didn't move thinking it was the wind or fodder, but it persisted. After a while, he couldn't help sneezing and angrily looking at the thing that interrupted his sleep. It was a blue monarch butterfly, unusually bright appearing to glow in the dim evening. Taka knew immediately it was a spell and scowled. The butterfly lingered near him before fluttering off in a simple direction, pausing in the air as if waiting for him. It was a guiding spell and Taka didn't take the liberty of following it, instead, he became tense. Who found him?
He might have lost his magic but he can still sense the pure spell the butterfly manifested from. This wasn't dark magic and having not seen any pure magic in so long Taka's tense claws gradually relaxed, he became mesmerized. His thinned out pupil dilated appearing kitten-like as he unhurriedly followed the luminescent butterfly. Some sparks of magic came off in the butterflies path and Taka in a silent peace played with the floating blue specks that hung in the air just waiting to be swatted by the cat's paw.
A muddy black cat with white socks frolicked with the butterfly trying to strike it down. Slowly the butterfly began to lose its glimmer and disappeared like a flame doused in water.
Taka inexplicably realized he had been brought away from his homemade bed and to an unknown piece of marshland he had yet to explore. A cold ice bath of realization broke him from whatever spell that butterfly done. Sending a surge of panic that thrashed his gut.
"Kitten." A low male voice shocked Taka back and an inescapable hiss was directed their way, all hair stood on end, his eyes dilating back to thin slits.
He quickly observed the male and found a bleeding mess of a warlock. Taka calmed down after observing the man, he was no threat in a state like that. But still, Taka didn't lower his guard and took paced steps away from the thing he'd been trying to avoid. Although warlocks are a very rare form of witch they are the same in Taka's eyes.
Typically if a female witch has a son they'd be as normal as a human, if that son in the future had a daughter they would be a witch. So most of the time males are just carriers of the female witch gene. But there are some cases written in history, of anomalies such as males possessing witch magic and being able to cast spells.
Somehow out of anyone he could have met in this baron marsh terrain it just had to be an oddity.
Taka hissed warningly again although it didn't seem to provoke the man's movements. He just lay there clutching the wound on his right shoulder with his left hand. It appeared to be a rather large gash, he would surely die of blood loss in half an hour. Taka wondered what scheme this bright green-eyed fellow held under his sleeve to drive him to the man. Maybe he still had some magic to trick him into healing the stranger or force him into a familiar link.
Taka's mind raced with all of the negative things and before he decided on which escape route to take the man spoke abruptly.
"What's a familiar doing here of all places?" He uttered and continued weakly, "I sense no link from you, isn't fate too great?" Seriously wounded his raspy voice was raw and cracking in at words likely due to pain. He began to violently cough blood but didn't look to want to stop talking, he reminded Taka of a dying animal. Somehow that dying beast in his head reflected himself in some way because he too was a moribund animal currently.
"Tch this 'fate' doesn't ever give me a break," Taka scoffed sitting six feet away with his bum in the grass finding he could waste some time in keeping this dying animal company until its last breath. He pawed the damp land, it wouldn't be long now anyway.
"So it talks?" The man apparently still had time to find humor. Taka's ear flickered in annoyance bringing his attention to the warlock. "If you think you can force a link I will kill you before your cheap spell even tries," Taka threatened.
"Do I look like a man who would do such a thing?" Again, a humorous remark. Taka thought he did look like a man who would do such a thing but bit his tongue back even though he desperately wanted to spout venom. This guy has done little wrong towards him, just because he is a witch and Taka despises them, he won't saddle a dying person with curses.
"Do you want to know my name? A lot of familiars do~" the man cooed like he was some big shot and Taka also should know who this fellow was. Taka had no idea and was ready to burst the ego out of the man's bubble.
"Do you want to know my name? A lot of your kind wants to know," Taka was too blunt and didn't sound like a comeback at all. He merely lowered his head to gain some warmth in the increasingly freezing temperatures.
"My kind? Have you met a warlock before?" The man coughed in a violent shake throwing up a mouthful of blood. Why isn't he begging to make a link? Taka got this anxious feeling that the man was planning something because the guy hasn't yet tried to help himself in any way.
"Aren't warlocks just witches? I don't see any difference," Taka narrowed his gaze when suddenly he made eye contact with the man's phoenix emerald eyes. Taka had never seen a color so like it, the green might have been the prettiest color he's ever seen. A lone thought said to make a link with this guy just to see those eyes every day, but Taka quickly discarded it.
"You're right we are similar but the way you say 'your kind' sounds like you speak of rotten food," the man quickly huffed in the air in painful breaths. His struggle was reaching a new stage.
Taka raised his head with a roll of his eyes, realizing this he asked, "Don't you want to be saved?"
"What about you? Without a link, you'll also die," the man peered at Taka causing his fur to raise. With a fit of rash anger, Taka hissed out words violently, "And continue being a slave to you witches!? Unlike you, I am more than willing to part from this life!" Taka huffed feeling fatigued from aggravation.
The man was silent for a while, a ring of dark green with smoldering golden flakes circled his iris, a mysterious glint reflected the deep depths. "Familiars aren't slaves," the man stated without any struggle.
Taka froze, gulped thickly, and lowered his head into his fur, looking like a gloating cat ball. Only a few seconds of silence passed before Taka sprang up with a fierce glint in his eyes that began to glow amber.
"So, if I save your ugly breath will you let me freeload until you die?" Taka spat spitefully feeling resentful, he swung around realizing it was a mistake to stay. He knew no witch would merely let him do whatever he desired.
The man's gaze followed and started slowly, "Of course, I'd even give you a castle."
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