Chapter 3: Unsettling

  With the rain comes a picture perfect scene accented by a lovely rainbow arching across the Ria Lima sky. White sand beaches and distant mountains painted in multitudes of green from the vast array of trees and foliage that grows there begin to come into sharper focus as they advance nearer. Io purrs deeply as she is reunited with her home, Ria Lima.

  Home…

  Glass sculptures stand upon the beach, catching the morning sunlight and bending it into a beautiful prism of colors. Each monument is of a felina from long ago; famous warriors, craftsmen, entertainers and former kings and queens.

  Beaches and ocean waters are crowded with swimsuit-clad tourists, detracting from the natural beauty of this true paradise.

  Kiro takes Io’s hand, helping her disembark onto a long pier that stretches far into the ocean. Io lets out a sigh of relief. Finally, firm ground. The journey had been rough.

  A mysterious figure with a dubious air about him appears before them, dropping to one knee and leaving Io to wonder who they’re bowing to.

  “Shadow…” says the cloaked man. “I have procured an apartment in the red light district in town. Welcome to Pierro Costa, my lord.”

  Io looks at Kiro with a quizzical expression, as Kiro replies, "Good work. Did you gather all the documents I have requested about the missing members?”

  “Yes, sir. It is all gathered in the apartment’s library.”

  “Very good.”

  ”Thank you, my lord.” The man smiles and bows again.

  “Are you important, or something?” Asks Io.

  Kiro puts his pointer finger upon his chin, thinking for a moment, before replying, "I don’t feel important. I have simply acquired respect from the Ravens.”

  “What is a Raven? Like the bird?”

  “They are a branch of the reconditioning program focusing on espionage and information gathering. I have saved the lives of quite a few by now.”

  Kiro turns to the man, who is still on one knee, awaiting further instruction. “You have done well. Take the rest of the day off and enjoy Ria. Leave us now.”

  “Yes sir, thank you sir.”

  The Raven then suddenly disappears, startling Io. “What!? How did he do that?”

  “That is called hyper acceleration, or hyper excel for short. There are three speeds, but that was the first level. It’s a technique that allows the wielder to bend surrounding people’s perception of space and time when moving, allowing them to look as though they disappear. All assassins master this skill, and must in order to rank higher.”

  “Bullshit…” says Io.

  Kiro disappears, causing Io to furtively glance in all directions, until she feels his gaze behind her. “I hate when you do that,” she sighs. “Please, don’t do that around me.”

  “I’m going to do whatever the fuck I want. You’re my slave. Remember that,” Kiro replies haughtily.

  Io lets out a lengthy sigh, ”Yeah, yeah. But I am a person too, not just an object,” she replies, trying to keep some sense of dignity still intact.

  “The weak are all objects to be used by the strong.”

  Io blinks at him, looking for a chink in his thought’s armor, yet finding none. He truly believes this. Unbelievable. No wonder he is buying slaves. Kiro starts walking, ordering over his shoulder, "Follow me. We must get to our ‘home.’ Don’t forget, you are my guardian and therefore have a duty to act… motherly… in public.”

  “My ass, I am! I don’t know how to be a mother!”

  Kiro halts abruptly and whirls on her, ice in his voice. “Learn…”

  ***

  Another boring day in the life of the princess of Ria Lima. Most people want what they can’t have; this is especially true for Jak Rory. And what does she want?

  Freedom.

  Jak’s days consist of studying, learning etiquette and searching for her future rich husband. Her entire life is scripted, each moment by design, everybody treating her like a polished gem that can break with even the slightest amount of pressure. Little do they know, she thinks to herself, she is a diamond, requiring vast amounts of pressure to thrive, to grow.

  Jak has silky smooth black hair, with black felina ears and an especially long black tail, something Jak is particularly proud of. Her skin is of caramel, complimenting her big, almond shaped green eyes.

  Jak is supposed to be heading to her morning private school, but, today, she must skip in order to witness a specific larva going through metamorphosis, becoming a beautiful butterfly. Today is the day. She knows it. And she must witness this glorious transition.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Jak is the antithesis of what a princess is expected to be: she loves books, bugs, plants and flowers. She also loves to read about magic and alchemy.

  Wearing her red school uniform, her blue aura flows out from her body, thick and smoky, like a fluorescent cloud. The aura wraps around her like a tornado, as she begins to Shift into her feline form.

  She stands in the Blue Palaces’ courtyard, staring up at the twelve foot high fence that stands in her way. Gradually, her form lowers as she fully morphs into the form of a black panther within the haze of her own aura density.

  Jak feels her muscles tear and grow, as the strength of a big cat seeps into her limbs. Through the aura cloud, out jumps panther Jak, now scaling the fence with ease, leaving her uniform laying on the ground of the courtyard below her. Avoiding the guards, Jak weaves her way through obstacles with pure strength and agility.

  Her fur manipulates the sun, creating rainbow-like colors that shimmer upon her black hair. This is freedom. She hops through treetops and darts through crowds, until one jump accidentally lands her on top of another felina in the crowd. The girl shouts in surprise as she is unceremoniously tackled by Jak. She has beautiful golden hair, and is walking with a young boy, probably her son, though Jak can’t be certain as he is concealed in a cloak.

  “I’m sorry…” exclaims Jak breathlessly, as she helps the girl to her feet. But before a response can even be mustered, Jak is already gone, running her way through the streets yet again.

  She heads into the forest surrounding Ria Lima’s capital city, leaving the paths and heading deep into the forest towards a specific clearing.

  As she reaches it, the sky opens up, unlocking feelings of blissful nostalgia. She marvels at the sight before her: The early morning sun shines upon an old tree covered in blue leaves and purple flowers. The grass is long and tickles at Jak’s feet. Her aura accumulates, once again covering her body as she slowly Shifts back into her humanoid form.

  The forest slowly wakes from its slumber to the chitter of hummingbirds and the chorus of songbirds. Jak finds the small branch she was looking for and gasps in delight as she witnesses the caterpillar breaking through its cocoon and freeing two beautiful wings that shine in the light, coalescing into the most stunning insect that Jak knows of. Butterflies are amazing.

  Jak smiles ear to ear as she holds out her hand and extends her finger for the butterfly to hang onto. As it latches on, Jak suddenly feels a long needle enter her neck, forcing her consciousness to wane.

  In an instant, everything fades to black.

  ***

  The room is vast, with each window open, welcoming in the summer breeze along with the scent of freshly bloomed lilies growing just outside.

  Io heads straight for the bed in the center of the room, tosses her bag onto the foot of it and hops onto the center, stretching out. Their journey has ended. At the foot of the bed lies a wooden table with documents strewn across it in no particular order.

  Kiro immediately turns his attention to the papers, sorting through and organizing them by date, then settling in to read through the countless reports, searching for clues.

  “What are ya’ lookin’ for?” Asks Io.

  Kiro’s brow furrows as he analyzes each document. Finally, he says, "I'm searching for a pattern. Something hidden, yet in plain sight.”

  Io looks at him inquisitively, but he’s lost again in the pages, paying her no further mind. She sighs and closes her eyes, grateful for a moment’s rest.

  Pierro Costa is divided by three separate districts, the first main district houses and serves Pure Blooded felinas and their families. This is the location of the Blue Palace where the queen resides. The next district is called Midtown and serves as a home for the felina working class. This is the biggest of the three and houses the majority of the population. The third and final location is designed for housing the felinas known as Ferals. These are mutt-like felinas and are the poorest class of them all.

  The red light district is in the land of the Ferals and is where Kiro and Io currently reside. It’s dangerous here, but Kiro feels more comfortable in areas where there is higher crime. It’s easier to stay unnoticed: and it reminds him of home in the Recon Camp.

  Kiro unravels a large map and begins indicating where the abductions took place. Most of the abductions occurred in the Pure Blood district, yet many others were also reported outside of the city and in the surrounding forest.

  After some thought, Kiro connects the dots, creating the shape of a pentagram. There is just one more location uninhabited and untouched. That is where they will strike next. Could it be too late?

  “Ya’ know, the eclipse is happening soon,” says Io sleepily, as she plays with her hair and rolls onto her side. “There is a massive festival coming up.”

  “I am aware,” replies Kiro, as he finally removes his Silencer, bringing with it a powerful gust of wind and the slight feeling of… unease. Kiro does a fantastic job at hiding his presence. What remains makes the hairs stand on end throughout Io’s body. What is this feeling?

  “Are you familiar with a man named Simon Luther?” Asks Kiro.

  “Yes… he is the queen’s lead advisor. He is well respected in the upper echelons of the government. That is all I know.”

  Kiro thinks for a moment, before saying, "He has a speech coming up. I want you to try forcing your way into his inner circle. I hear he has a felina fetish… Exploit that and you will be in.”

  “Are fucking kidding me? You want me to fuck some pervert!?”

  “Not at all. Just feign interest. Men love to be shown interest, no matter their title. I want you to act as a reporter, asking him questions about his policies. Get him to believe that you are genuinely interested in what he does.”

  “I thought I was just supposed to act as your mother? Why do I suddenly have to get close to some scumbag?”

  Kiro’s tone is sharp and his voice cold as he levels his eyes on her. “You are my slave. You should do what you’re told without question.” Then his look softens and he adds, "But… I won’t ask you to do it for free. Tell me… what is it you desire?”

  “I want… revenge,” she says, as her eyes light up with the flames of rage and the vibration of trauma and torment.

  “Who? The ones that killed your family?”

  “Yes… they raped and killed someone special to me. I want vengeance! I deserve vengeance.”

  Kiro smiles as he replies, "I have done my research about you. The gang that abducted you has connections to the cult I’m after. If you pursue this man, you will get your vengeance. Simon is their leader.”

  Io considers this for a brief moment, her eyes glowing fiercely, before assuring him, "Very well. You have a deal. But what if they recognize me? What if I see them?”

  Kiro tosses Io a mask and a bag of coins and says, "Wear that when asking questions. He has a conference tonight downtown. Go and buy what you need. A camera and nice clothes are a must.”

  Io eyes the bag with a grin, tosses it up into the air and catches it before donning the mask, and asks, "Aren't you coming?”

  “No, I have to investigate these abductions…”

  “Well… what if I run away?”

  “Where would you go?” Kiro smirks as he folds up the map and shoves it into his backpack.

  “Um…well.. I have nowhere to go, but I could be rid of you and search for vengeance on my own.”

  “You have the strength to go against the biggest gang in the city alone and without any information?”

  Io’s face flushes red, before she admits, "No… I don’t.”

  Kiro leaps into the windowsill and says, "Be there at the conference.”

  “Very well,” replies Io, defeated.

  Kiro jumps out of the window and heads to the map’s designated location in the woods. Oddly enough, it’s the same direction that panther was heading when she collided with Io. Who was she and why was she in such a rush?