Edited: Apr, 26, 2020
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Inside, Nuaka was bustling with night life. Tanned or burnt red Humans, dressed in strange layered rags, were dancing in small groups. As they hunched their shoulders, they shuffled their feet to the beat of drums. Various drum sounds came from behind stalls piled high with cloth or wooden knick-knacks shabby and outright handmade. Lanterns dangled from trees made of wire and lit stones were placed without order to make a zig-zagged path through the sand. In the yellow-gold lantern light, there were many orange-dusted houses with mud-packed roofs, or straw roofs, and windows that looked like they were carved out of the walls. Clotheslines hung from house to house invading neighbors' properties.
The Humans' particular scent of sweat mixed with food was disturbingly similar to excrement. Although unpleasant, Pinti had gotten used to the scent in Bairenshire, but Nuaka added its own flare to it. Some female Humans had perfume on so thick it almost made her choke. They also had their faces powdered and painted to such an extent, Pinti couldn't guess what they looked like without.
Pinti kept hold of her tail and her shoulders tense, anticipating some sort of belittling or derogatory comment, but it seemed as if the Humans were too busy dancing and celebrating something. Yanga pointed to a poster on an old straw house.
"It's Ganglbee Night. Like a drum festival, I suppose," he said. "Lost the original reason why we celebrate this thing. It's one of our many holidays."
Grimacing, she shook her head at the absurdity. It seemed Humans had a holiday at every turn of the week. She couldn't understand how they survived for so long if they kept having days to play. Kathula had one holiday for each season and that was that.
Yanga took her to a place where the color of the lantern light changed from orange to white, the pounding of drums died out, and Human numbers dwindled. It was only further down through the dusted streets that citizens stared and gawked at her. A small group of females in thick makeup wearing layers of rags for dresses were walking together with a young male dressed in white rags. They pointed at Pinti as she walked by.
"Look, I can't believe my eyes," said a female.
"Oh, I wish I had my AutoPic with me!" said another. "I need to take a picture!"
The male smirked. "That's a wild one. I hear they eat any meat. Even camel meat." The females made gagging sounds making the male laugh. Pinti ignored them and followed Yanga. As soon as they were out of earshot she hissed and kicked at the dusty Nuaka road.
Heizak, Huamanoas. She growled. Camel meat is good juicy meat. They are the fools for not eating them, too. Humans were famous for their camel farming because they used the creatures for travel all the time and fit ones were always on demand. Weak ones were killed the moment they were found to be unfit for travel. Their carcasses were then buried in the sand. Pinti didn't know why Humans didn't just eat them. To her, it was good meat gone to waste.
At last, Yanga took her up to an inn with a dusty sign that said "(can) Eat Food Inn Bed". He chuckled.
"Funny name, eh? 'Inn Bed'," he said, but Pinti didn't understand the joke. That was the one problem she still had with Universal language; jokes sometimes slipped past her.
As if I would laugh anyway. She scoffed. The only things she ever found funny was the misfortune of those that shunned her.
Instead of going in the front door, Yanga took her to the backdoor that lead into a garden where the walls of the inn surrounded it. Windows seemed to have been arranged so the visitors can only see the top of a single tree made out of glowing green wire. When she took a close look at the trunk, little green lights were decked throughout.
"Those are liquid lights, ever seen 'em? Some, sorcery friggin' stuff." Yanga shrugged and led the way to some stairs leading up to a door. "Wait there, I'll get Deel," he said and began to climb.
"Who's Deel?" Pinti called up to him but all he did was grin. When he reached the top, he knocked on the door. When it cracked open, Pinti craned her neck to see who he was talking to, but it was pitch black inside the room and she couldn't see who was holding the door open or decipher their whispering. Before she could heighten her senses, Yanga disappeared inside, and the door closed.
And he's just gone. Twitching her whiskers in mild annoyance, Pinti considered just walking away. Whoever this Deel was, he could well be the master of a league of Human slaves and just wanted a Kathula to complete some exotic collection. Although, she scratched the thought. Humans, as far as she knew, did not enslave each other. As far as she knew, they had not enslaved each other for thousands of years.
"Hey, blue kitty." Yanga's voice snapped her back to the present. He was poking his head out from behind the door, grinning, and beckoning to her. Before she could decide whether or not it was safe, a younger Human male came out of the door, pushing Yanga aside.
"It's okay," he said in a deep velvety voice. He held a lantern out in front of him and there was a white light near the stairs showing he had tanned skin, black hair, and light blue eyes with a hint of gray.
He was much taller than Yanga and he wore a white puffy shirt, a chain necklace with a ruby at the end, and black pants that were torn at the edges. His feet were bare, which was a bit unusual considering Human feet were more sensitive to the hot desert sand.
"Well," He gave a lopsided smile, "You weren't lying." He handed the lantern to Yanga who pushed past him down the stairs. As the young male neared, Pinti backed up, bristling and unsheathed her claws. She had been around her fair share of deceiving Humans and this one was not going to fool her.
"Don't worry," He held up his hands which were empty, "I won't hurt you. I'm Deel Cortavaan, the one you're looking for. I'm searching for the Scepter of Tamido."
This one? Pinti eyed him up and down. Such a ragged Human could not be looking for ancient relic. And for what? He reached up to touch the ruby on his necklace.
For riches, of course, she thought.
"Yanga, can you keep a look out?" Deel said.
Yanga scratched his neck. "You're gonna do it here?"
When Deel nodded Yanga shrugged with a sigh as if in defeat. "Alrighty. I'll keep watch-a-roo then." He went around to the back of the stairs where there was a bit of an overhang under the artificial tree.
"Let me show you why you can trust me." Deel's voice was level and not an ounce of fear was coming off his body as Pinti bared her fangs at him, but curiosity was sparked in her and he was still her only hope for getting the Scepter of Tamido.
"Not only am I actually Kathula. I am also Shaman of Jurana Clan."
It took her a while to understand his words. Recognition sparked in her brain and she bristled. Jurana was one of the four Kathula clans and she had known a survivor from there, but the young male had told her the only other survivor was an elder and she died before they could escape. How this Human knew about Jurana was a mystery. Not a single Human she had ever met mentioned any of the clan names.
Deel smiled. "Ever since the attack, I used this to disguise myself to hide from my Saboteur."
He glanced at Yanga who waved his hand and nodded. Deel took his necklace off and soon a puff of dark blue smoke enveloped him.
Sorcery? She bristled as her nose caught lemongrass and honey until it was just honey. A bushy indigo tail poked out from the smoke. Her heart was racing as he transformed into a Kathula. When the smoke cleared, before her stood a Kathula male with indigo fur and dark blue stripes all down his leg and on his tail.
Dark blue bangs covered one eye and when he brushed his bangs aside there was his Lunar marking. As she regarded him, she realized with a jolt that this could well be the illusion magick of a Sorcerer. They could do anything with their magick. She couldn't trust him this easily. As if he could read her mind, he made his mark glow and hers warmed in response.
Pinti's eyes widened and she let her guard down. One of the many things Kalis had taught her was that only Kathula Shaman or Shamala could make each other's marks glow if they were nearby.
"A real survivor?" She could hardly believe there had been others.
Deel nodded. "My father helped me escape," he said, and his voice sounded higher than before. His nose twitched and he blinked his eyes rapidly. "I camouflage myself among Huamanoas to avoid discrimination. Only Yanga here I trust with my secret." He licked his paw and slow-blinked at Yanga who gave a shrug while a smile played on his lips.
Deel sniffed the air and his face clouded with concern. "Are you alone?"
The word 'alone' was a trigger to her tear ducts, but she wouldn't let it get to her. Shoving such negativities to the back of her mind, she nodded. "Escaped from bandits just a few hours ago," she said.
Deel's eyes lit up. "Well, don't you worry anymore. I can lend you a helping hand, er paw, or whatever." He chuckled. "Tomorrow, I'm leaving for Syaraize to compare notes with a friend of mine. He's been helping me search for the scepter." His eyes turned vacant as he stared off into the distance. He muttered something she couldn't catch and shook his head.
"You should come with me." He smiled. "Oh, Yanga, you know it's my last night."
"Yah," Yanga gave a long sigh, "well, if you need anything from me, ya know where I am, but I sure am going to miss you, Deel." He slapped Deel on the back.
"Take care, old man." Deel grinned after slipping on the ruby necklace and turning back into his Human disguise. Yanga made some slurred comment she didn't quite catch, but Deel was chuckling so she could only guess it was some kind of Human joke.
Once Yanga left, Deel climbed back up the stairs. Pinti didn't know what to make of him. On one paw, she was glad that the one searching for the scepter was a Kathula like her. On the other paw, she couldn't understand how he could live like a Human or befriend one so readily. Humans always had a motive behind their seemingly nice façades.
"What did you say your name was?" He called.
"Pinti." She prepared herself for the usual comment on her name meaning, but it didn't come.
"Pinti, why don't you wait in my room while I get one for you?" He disappeared inside, leaving the door wide open. She hesitated for a moment, staring up at that enticing doorway. Only momentarily was it shrouded in shadow when a yellow-gold light came on and bled out the window and onto stairs outside. Deel poked his head out.
"Come on, I know the Huamanoas well here. I'll make sure they won't do anything to harm you."
He's Kathula, She reminded herself, and I trust my own kind, don't I? No Kathula had ever wronged her. Not even Kalis despite her overpowering character and how she faulted Pinti for everything bad that happened—some of which Pinti agreed with.
Besides, he knows something about the scepter. Nodding, she decided to trust him for now. Sheathing her claws, she rested her foot on the cold metallic stair. When she put her weight on it, it made creaking sounds. One by one, she went up and all the while still doubting herself whether she was trusting this strange Kathula too soon.
Her doubts disappeared when she stepped in through the backdoor. The entire room was decorated Kathula style as if to remind him of home. Stones were placed by the entrance door, dried herbs hung from the ceiling while some had been meticulously sorted by leaf, stem, and root on the floor to use for potions. The floor also had small mesh bags and when she focused on the scent of one, she smelled lavender or vanilla or nasturtium. By the window, leading off to a balcony was a desk piled high with parchments and scrolls written in modern or ancient Kathula tongue.
"I play it off like I'm some crazy Huamanoa who wants to live like a Kathula to better understand them." He smirked and adjusted a stone just so that it made a neat circle at the foot of his cot. "Jurana have rituals for arranging stones for a good sleep to be had," he explained.
"They let you live here?" Pinti said, surprised they wouldn't just kick him out. Deel nodded and went to lock the backdoor and unlock the front.
"As long as I pay. My friend in Syaraize helps me financially." He opened the entrance door and the scents of food, Human sweat, beer, and hard alcohol wafted into her nose and mouth making her feel hungry and nauseous at the same time.
"Wait here, I'll get the inn keeper to get you a room and get you food. We leave tomorrow." He glanced at her over his shoulder. His grayish blue eyes dilated and turned into a dark blue. "It's gonna be fun, Pinti!" he said in a higher voice than before. "You'll like it in Syaraize!" He wrinkled his nose and grinned.
"No!" he squeaked and quickly shook his head, cursed something incomprehensible, and left.
"Heizak, what was that?" Pinti muttered in her native tongue and closed the door. It was like he was a normal adult and suddenly turned into a child. She wondered if that was just his act of being a crazy Human, but he didn't have any reason to do it with her.
Hoping he wasn't actually crazy, Pinti sat on the cot and waited for him to return. She glanced over at the parchments and scrolls, staring at the squiggles of ancient Kathulan. The thing with ancient Kathulan was that it was never a written language so when Kathula finally decided to write it down, it often varied from writer to writer how things were spelled out if at all. It was all confusion until some Kathula decided to make everything uniform and created the written Kathulan language.
Which is what I speak, but I don't speak the stuff that's written. She sighed in annoyance at her own language. If only I could clearly read this jumble, I could just be off without that crazy Huamanoa-Kathula hybrid. Pinti squinted at the small print and the large print, but only got a few words which she could still be reading wrong.
The door opened and Deel poked his head in. "So, they have fresh camel meat, will that do or something else? I'm trying to—"
Camel meat? Really? She signed with her tail and sighed when he didn't go away. It's fine.
"Um..." Deel said. "I said, so they have fresh camel meat and—"
Was he just messing with her? Pinti twitched her whiskers. "I said, 'it's fine'."
"Oh, yes, right. You did. I haven't used it in a while so," He shrugged, "a little rusty I guess." A few minutes later, Deel returned again to tell her he had gotten her a room, and the inn keeper had agreed to 'let the kitty eat at the table'.
"Thank you," She sighed. "I guess," she added in a quiet voice so he wouldn't hear. He didn't have to relay what the Human said exactly especially because it had a derogatory word in it. Kathula were not the same as cats.
We walk on two legs, we're as tall as Humans, we talk, and we have a culture. She pursed her lips at all those clear differences. We're smarter, too. Pinti made effort to pick up Universal language quickly because she didn't want to be treated as non-intelligent just because she couldn't speak Universal.
As Deel took her to her room, they passed a young female Human who took out her AutoPic to blatantly take a picture of Pinti without her consent. She bristled and bared her fangs but all she got was a laugh and the pointing of fingers. Before more Humans could gather to ogle at the sight of a 'blue kitty' or a 'human-sized floof', Deel had arrived at her room.
"That's mine?"
"Yeah—"
Pinti shoved passed him, closed the door, and locked it. She didn't want Humans up in her face until dinner.
"Uh, okay, I'll come get you when they're ready," Deel called and left.