#bornofdusk

[bofflesresort]

The Lost

@born-of-dusk

Arika trudged down a well worn path through the woods in the village outskirts, clinging to her threadbare cloak with numb calloused hands. It was the third village in a row now that wouldn’t have her even in so much as a ramshackle barn, let alone lodging at the seediest tavern. Once again her beastkin features would force her to forage and seek shelter outdoors. Damn, she thought, the cold season is early this year. She pulled her hood over her pointed furry ears that sat atop her deep chestnut hair and shuddered as dead leaves crunched under her boots. The autumn twilight quickly darkened leaving Arika in the midst of eerie, cold, stillness. A clearing, I just need to find a clearing to set up camp then I’ll figure something out, she deluded herself into thinking. Perhaps it was the delirium from hunger or the chilling numbness the engulfed her that kept her from noticing the changes in her surroundings at first. The air was warmer, the foliage below her dampened, the smell was sweeter. She stumbled towards a pinhole of light that steadily grew and clarified, leaving her certain she had died in those woods. How else could she explain the welcoming sea of flowers she had found herself in? Surely this must be the afterlife. Right?

The field of flowers blew silently in the soft breeze, giving no answer to Arika's uncertain thoughts as a few startled pigeons flushed from the ground with cries of surprise. Should she look back from whence she came she'd find everything she'd passed moments ago gone, swapped with a new unfamiliar patch of forest entirely. The well worn path had now been replaced by a more temporary one of bent plant stems and flowers where someone had carelessly wandered through them. This path was headed East, toward a large brightly lit structure in the distance. It looked like the sort of fancy hotel you might see in a large city, but oddly there was only the one, as if it had been plucked from a large populous and set in the middle of this wilderness with no rhyme or reason. Nearby, in a cluster of trees to the West, birds had begun singing. However, the song wasn't the regular fluster of chirping, but a far more melodic tune. E D C G A F E D E D C G A D C B E D C G A F E D E D C G A D C A simple melody to be sure, but a melody all the same. It seemed mellow, and comforting. Had someone taught these birds how to sing this song? Or perhaps these birds were something altogether unusual. It might be worth investigating. Then again maybe... safer left alone.

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Tomme seized the opportunity to loot the sizable buffet in front of them. Into the bag went several Cornish hens, along with a number of meat and chees hors d'oeuvres. He gave a disgusted look at the veggie platter, then tossed in several bowls of soup, and a fistfull of cutlery for good measure.

Suddenly the crowd's screaming renewed with far more panic and terror than before, a giant naga the size of a man had shot onto the dancefloor and coiled the lower half of his body protectively around the tiny snake. He opened his jaws and let out a ferocious hiss, ready to take on the crowd, all at once if necessary. "Kill it! Kill it!" A voice cried out. "With what?!" Another responded, "They took our weapons at the door when we came in! You don't expect me to fist fight that, that THING do you?"

The snake man poofed out and raised his scaly arms to his sides, trying to make himself look bigger. Keep them back, scare them away. The man on the balcony strode in to see what all the fuss was about and gave a sour face at the sight before catching himself, replacing it with a soft smile while lightly strumming his guitar. Other non-humans in the crowd began preparing themselves, anticipating a fight. Some ready to defend the snake man, others looking for a way out. "Always so much drama around here." Tomme casually sighed, "I'm not sure what he was thinkin', that they'd ever get along. We neva' get involved though. Just get more trouble gettin' wrapped up in a mess ya can't do nothin' about anyway." Tomme told Arika, now tossing several desserts and a bowlful of candy into his sack.

Expecting a sizable beast to slay, Arika was stricken with disappointment and confusion when she reached the source of the chaos: the tiniest snake she had ever seen. Seriously? That’s what was causing all this fuss?? She tried to follow it as it disappeared into the crowd but had trouble keeping an eye on it. Remembering her initial mission, she opened up the bag in her pocket and whispered inside.

“Now’s your chance. I’ll keep the snake safe from a distance so it can distract the crowd as long as possible, just give me a signal when we need to wrap things up.”

[bofflesresort]

The man paid Arika no mind, while he noticed her he decided she wasn't his problem. His priorities were elsewhere. The lady with him didn't seem to notice her at all, as if the woman had become enchanted and couldn't see anything else other than the handsome young man singing in front of her who held all of her attention. Tomme heard her from within the bag, or at least the pocket dimension magically interwoven into the sack that held all of the loot the cats had ever collected. Floating among the many trinkets and treasures, Tomme swam through the space to where the opening to the bag should be. Seems it was still folded in her pocket. He couldn't see anything from there, let alone make a plan on what to do- Brie always came up with their plans anyway. Could he come up with one? He was a tinkerer, not an idea guy. He supposed he could try. He tried calling from the currently folded shut opening, hoping she could hear, "Well, let me out and... uh... we can come up with something." He heard a commotion from outside the bag. "Oh good! A distraction. That'd make everything easier." he thought to himself. Nearby a baby dappled hognose snake was slithering along the dance floor. When people started screaming the little snake started looking around herself, trying to figure out what everyone was shouting about. Was something dangerous nearby?

She gave a few tentative flicks of her tongue when a boot slammed down next to her, nearly crushing her. She was startled and instinctively fled as quickly as she could. Other people nearby were shouting and kicking at her. Didn't they see her? Were they intentionally trying to hurt her? But why? She didn't understand and was very, very scared.

Arika remarked Tomme's reaction first with apprehension then mild amusement then with morbid curiosity when he seemingly vanished from within the purple bag she was now carrying. Rappelling down to the balcony was a trivial task; stealthily sidestepping the couple was another story. She took a chance and waited in the shadows until the man decided to strum his guitar and the woman had become sufficiently enthralled with his performance. Arika help her breath for safe measure as she crept through the doorway and into the bustling ballroom. Those cats weren't kidding, the food smelled absolutely otherworldly.

"We're in. How should we proceed" she whispered into her pocket. As excited and famished as she was, she still tried to maintain a sense of professionalism.

Their newly won victory would be short-lived, however, as a disturbance erupted on the dance floor. Arika rushed to the commotion on pure instinct with a hand on the hilt of her sword, expecting to cut down a monstrous beast rather than a common garden snake.

[bofflesresort]

Tomme looked a bit embarrassed at the idea. He'd never even held hands with a girl before- well, unless you counted his sister. He didn't. He looked like he was trying to say something and failing while Brie rolled her eyes and threw a purple sack over his head. Oddly, from the outside the bag looked empty despite an entire cat having just been put in it. "Just be sure ya don't let don't let the cat outta the bag too soon." Brieanna smirked, handing the bag over to Arika. Folded, the bag could easily fit into one of Arika's outfit's large pockets. "We'll keep lookout, don'cha worry. Just make sure you bring enough back with ya ta share!" Down below, the party was in full swing. A man wearing a smart black suit and black feathered crane mask had strode onto the balcony with a young lady in a fluffy white princess dress and swan mask. "We can get a bit more privacy out here, and away from all the noise inside." he told her with a flourish of his gloved hand, as a black guitar with red accents materialized into it. Just inside was the upper balcony level where guests stood, looking over the dance floor. Human sized robot waiters, with screens for heads and rubber tracks instead of feet, rolled along bringing out fresh platters of food to the buffet table while taking away empty ones. Little cans with flames sprouting from the top burned underneath, keeping the hot food toasty, the smell was heavenly. Small propeller driven metal balls flew about, keeping an eye on things, and tidying up whatever that seemed out of place. Everything was going well for a while until suddenly a scream rang out, "Snake! It's a snake! Snake!"

Arika set off up the stairs with her companions as soon as they sorted themselves out, trying her best to dampen her bootsteps. Amidst a sea of fine flowing gowns and sequined bodices, an elegant yet practical number stood out to her. It was like nothing she had ever seen before, but really so was everything else around her. At least she could fight in this if the need arose.

"Alright, I'm ready. The balcony will be easy enough to ascend to as long as you hold on, feel free to dig your claws in if you must."

Arika knelt down to be at the cats' level and hunched over slightly. As she eyed them expectantly, it quickly became clear that she meant for them to cling to her as if to ride piggyback. She had no sign of climbing gear in her possession, not even a rope! What the cats could sense though was a slight pressure in the air followed by a faint tingling in their stomachs that evoked a sense of weightlessness. This was definitely magic. But of what sort?

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Brieanna considered the suggestion and tapped her chin a bit in thought. "Might be better if just two of us go. Easier to slip in two cat burglars than four. But who should go? While I'm the most agile-" "Oh, I could go this time! I don't mind. I'd really like to help this t-" Bleu interrupted while getting up from the staircase, before accidentally slipping on a small floor cleaning robot he hadn't noticed rolled in front of him. The robot made an annoyed beeping sound, and several higher beeps as if it were giving the cat what for before rolling into a slot that opened in the lower paneling of the wall. Brie cringed, and looked like she was about to say something before thinking better of it. "You know, you've... got the best eyesight little bro. Best at... noticing things. Yeaaah, uh, you're a good lookout, and we're gonna need someone to keep an eye out and make sure no one gets too wise about what's up. Think you can do that?" She asked. "Y-yeah Brie, I promise I won't mess up again." Bleu tried to convince her, picking himself off the ground. Brie turned her attention back to Arika and explained, "The dry cleana's on the third flaw. You could head there with Tomme, and find somethin' that won't make ya stand out so much. Then if you's wanna try an' drop down, there's a balcony on the floor just below, connects right to the bawlroom. Only issue ya might run into is if it's closed- Tomme's the one with lock pickin' skills, and he can make sure the two of you's ain't stuck out there. Just make sure you bring enough ta share when ya both get back outta there." Brie requested. Tomme was busy getting some sort of bag from the grey cat and turned around to to Arika. "Ready to go miss? Hope you don't mind takin' the stairs. Easier to slip in that way. You'll see." He explained with a smirk, looking forward to the chance to show off.

Arika listened intently to what the trio of cats explained of their current situation with a steely serious expression. After being briefed on the situation, she easily shifted into “mercenary mode,” mentally considering their options with efficiency and speed. She hardly resembled the awestruck fish out of water from just moments ago.

“Very well, I admit that my specialty is swordsmanship but I assume you’d prefer to avoid violence if possible. I could serve as a distraction for the mark while one of you pickpockets them but that might raise suspicion quickly. We could also exploit some compromised aspect of security. If there are balconies that are likely to be empty or unguarded I could transport you three up. My only terms for payment are a share of the food.”

[bofflesresort]

The lady calico gave a huff of frustration. This wasn't the first time people had difficulty understanding her through her accent. "Why don't you give it a try, Bleu?" She asked the bluish grey cat. "Oh, well uh... Okay Brie." he stammered a bit nervously, "Well that ball that's happening, we were hoping you could get us in with your ticket." He gave her a good look up and down, noticing she wasn't dressed in anything that looked like party attire, "I'm guessing you don't have a ticket either, though." "That's just great." Brie huffed, her tail twitching from side to side as she started thinking up a new plan. "You've never been here before?" Bleu asked warmly, "I, uh, I've heard that happens a lot. People get lost, and somehow end up here. Which is really weird, since this is an island! You'd think they'd remember swimming. Did you go swimming?" "Could'a taken the ferry. Lots'a people get here that way." the orange cat added. "Listen, we still might be able to get in." Brie interrupted, "Thing is, we got a bit of a... reputation. This lady... what did'ja say your name was? She's a new face, and if we play our cards right we could sneak her in, nobody bein' wiser. "Oh! She could dress up like a waiter! No one tickets the waiters." Bleu suggested, "And if she had one of those rolling carts with a table cloth on top, she could wheel us right in!" "Yeah, great idea." Brie responded with a tone that sounded like she thought it was anything but. "Real great idea. Not sure if ya noticed, genius, but all the waiters are robots. So unless you can make her look like a robot... Tomme!" The orange cat gave a smirk, and shifted his attention to his sister, eager to hear what great caper his sister had in mind, as Bleu sheepishly looked down at his paws. "Tha cleaners on the second floor has lots'a unclaimed stuff, if you can sneak in there I'm sure you could find something more appropriate for tha occasion for her to wear." Brie suggested. "Easy as catnip." He nodded, tossing a toy wind up mouse from paw to paw. "Now we just need a ticket to get'cha in. With so many tickets floating around, one's bound to go... missin'." Brie explained with a flash of her eyes, "All we need is a target. And a distraction." She explained, looking at the crowd still outside the entrance, waiting to get in. "There's a few I could easily swipe from... That wiza'd lookin' fellow has his hangin' right out of his pocket. Wouldn't need too much of a distraction to make sure he doesn't see me. And that witch ova' there? Glasses thick'a then Coke bottles! I doubt she'd see much. Hmmm... That snake lady's should be easy to swipe too, she's not even watchin' her hand bag." Brie suggested, looking at possible guests to pick pocket. "So, which one ya gonna distract?" Brie asked, turning her attention to Arika, assuming she'd go along with this.

The moment Arika’s eyes adjusted to the dazzling lights of this opulent palace, she could scarcely comprehend what she was seeing. Beastkin! Countless kinsmen of all manner of shapes dressed in foreign fancy clothing, socializing freely without any sign of hiding, all appearing to be of noble status. Wherever she was, it was something out of a dream. The aroma of delicious (and probably expensive) food wafted through the air to spite her empty stomach. Strange moving sentinels of iron appeared to be guarding the entryways. And here she was in scavenged hide and cloth armor, a curved weathered scabbard at her hip. How has nobody kicked her out yet?

When Arika was suddenly addressed by an unseen figure, she whipped around to greet the three catkin in varying fashions. Still reeling from the plethora of stimuli around her, their banter and unusual accents were too much for her to process at the moment. Feline blood oath? Ticket? Grub?

“Uh, I don’t—sorry, I just arrived here and I don’t really know where or what this place is. Forgive me, but could you explain…everything you just said?”

[bofflesresort]

When Arika reached the doorway of the resort she'd see there was a celebration of some sort happening inside. Through the main doors and straight ahead was a grand staircase that led right past the usual hotel areas and up to the ballroom entrance.

Inside were a great many number of fancily dressed people- though, most notably, many of them did not appear entirely human. Fawns, naga, draconian creatures, all milling about as if this sort of thing were completely the norm. There were those that appeared human, but many of them seemed like *something* was off. All of them had tickets that they were handing to the robot guards at the doors. One thing that might catch Arika's attention in particular was the scent of a tremendous feast behind those doors, a smell that would make just about anyone's mouth water. "Hey, you. You're a feline right?" a sharp feminine voice piped up.

"Well, they look at least partly cat." a blueish grey cat added, standing on his hind legs and dressed in a hoodie unlike most other regular cats. "Listen. If you're a cat, then dat means ya pat'ta da sacred blood oath, yanno, the one where if another cat really needs somethin' you gotta help 'em out. So be a pal and share ya ticket with us. We know they got some'a tha juiciest grub in dere, and we haven't eaten in..." the feminine cat's voice suddenly turned from sassy to sad, "...I can't rememba to tell tha truth! We're just soooo hungry!" The other two followed her lead, trying to look as sad and pathetically cute as they could to pull on Arika's heart strings. "They got more food in there than they'll ev'a need, they won't notice if a little bit goes missin'. So will ya help us?"

Ah, that settles it, Arika erroneously thought, I really am dead. What else could explain such an idyllic atmosphere and such a grand glittering building. It hardly looked like any stronghold or castle she’d ever seen. And yet this wasn’t quite the afterlife she had envisioned, not according to the what she was brought up to believe anyway.

Just to be sure, the swordswoman slapped her once numb face and found that, no, that still very much stung. But if she wasn’t dead then that meant she was somewhere very very far from home. The thought filled her with dread at first but that feeling quickly changed to cautious optimism. Maybe this was an opportunity at a better life, she hoped. Sterling herself for whatever awaited her in the shining tower, she continued eastward through the field of flowers.

@bofflesresort