The message from the stars was very long and complex, but contained instructions how to decode and parse it incrementally.
There was an image, of a very cute furry creature. And a text, which loosely translated said:
"Send cat pics please!'
Píp the cat was intently watching a school of fish dancing in the water under the quay while she listened to Ból's stories of the forests of Dimkarat. Their voice existed only for her and did not disturb the fish, so she did not mind.
We could just take a quick look, we'd be back by dinner. Ból said, while intently watching all the fish in the harbor. The voice in Pip's head was drenched in hope and excitement.
"You said it's thousands of tree-lengths away?" Píp looked up, confused.
Yes, in this realm it is, but we are not bound here. There was a smidge of uncertainty in the words.
"Bóóól..." Píp's tail began to twitch.
See, you are now very much like me. Certainty. But you are young. Young for a cat, very young for a spirit. These last words felt incomplete.
"...aaaaand?"
Well, you are a cat. Which makes everything they hesitated more interesting.
"Back by dinner, you say." Píp cocked her head. "Solifan bought fish yesterday, and since he doesn't eat meat, it's going to be good dinner."
Ooooh, have I told you of the river trout? Images of rushing water and rainbow scales came with the voice.
Píp's ears stood attention and her pupils grew.
"Fresh fish, now we're talking. So how do we get there?"
Píp the cat was intently watching a school of fish dancing in the water under the quay while she listened to Ból's stories of the forests of Dimkarat. Their voice existed only for her and did not disturb the fish, so she did not mind.
We could just take a quick look, we'd be back by dinner. Ból said, while intently watching all the fish in the harbor. The voice in Pip's head was drenched in hope and excitement.
"You said it's thousands of tree-lengths away?" Píp looked up, confused.
Yes, in this realm it is, but we are not bound here. There was a smidge of uncertainty in the words.
"Bóóól..." Píp's tail began to twitch.
See, you are now very much like me. Certainty. But you are young. Young for a cat, very young for a spirit. These last words felt incomplete.
"...aaaaand?"
Well, you are a cat. Which makes everything they hesitated more interesting.
"Back by dinner, you say." Píp cocked her head. "Solifan bought fish yesterday, and since he doesn't eat meat, it's going to be good dinner."
Ooooh, have I told you of the river trout? Images of rushing water and rainbow scales came with the voice.
Píp's ears stood attention and her pupils grew.
"Fresh fish, now we're talking. So how do we get there?"
Píp the cat was patrolling the rooftops of the city, stopping occasionally when something caught her eye. With her was, as always, Ból, the forest spirit.
You should tell him. Ból's words manifested in Píp's mind and carried a feeling of urgency.
"But he loves me as he knows me." Píp's tail twitched. "I don't want anything to change right now." She was now perched on the edge of a roof, watching the busy street below.
Ból filled the air around her and Píp arched her back, her hair standing up.
"I won't fall." she hissed. "Not again."
Sometimes it's not in your hand. Ból gave her space.
"I've thought about it, you know?" Píp's gaze returned to the street. "Could you take it back? Make me as I was?"
Yes, I can. Do you want me to? It would be like nothing ever happened. The words were tinged with an anticipation of sadness.
"No. Never. I'm perfect."
That's such a cat thing to say.
Píp the cat was patrolling the rooftops of the city, stopping occasionally when something caught her eye. With her was, as always, Ból, the forest spirit.
You should tell him. Ból's words manifested in Píp's mind and carried a feeling of urgency.
"But he loves me as he knows me." Píp's tail twitched. "I don't want anything to change right now." She was now perched on the edge of a roof, watching the busy street below.
Ból filled the air around her and Píp arched her back, her hair standing up.
"I won't fall." she hissed. "Not again."
Sometimes it's not in your hand. Ból gave her space.
"I've thought about it, you know?" Píp's gaze returned to the street. "Could you take it back? Make me as I was?"
Yes, I can. Do you want me to? It would be like nothing ever happened. The words were tinged with an anticipation of sadness.
"No. Never. I'm perfect."
That's such a cat thing to say.
"I will not let you out, you lost your guardian charm again!" Solifan the wizard crouched beside Píp the cat and tried to stroke her, which made her flee under the wardrobe. She would be cleaning cobwebs and dust from her coat for days. Solifan sighed and sat on the floor. The worst part was when she gave up, sad and defeated.
Then the yowling started.
The worst part was when the yowling started.
"Spirits guide me." he whispered, giving the words a tiny bit of power. He let his head fall back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. Strong, wooden planks made up the bulk of it. The building had been masterfully crafted, using the wood-grain like art to draw strong lines across the surface.
"Too bad that they are all dead." Solifan's eyes traced the lines, while Píp cried.
Memories of other dead wood crept to the surface. Whole forests, splintered and broken, drained of life, just to feed a war machine. Echoes of anger made his hands clench. He remembered the pride of standing up for something meaningful for the first time.
And he remembered a name.
Ból
It was the kind of audacious idea that can make a fortune. Combine a widely loved concept with a just as widely loved item. What could go wrong?
Pre-opening sign-ups filled up in minutes.
In practice, though, they couldn't make the cat library work.
"They won't stay on the shelves."
It was the kind of audacious idea that can make a fortune. Combine a widely loved concept with a just as widely loved item. What could go wrong?
Pre-opening sign-ups filled up in minutes.
In practice, though, they couldn't make the cat library work.
"They won't stay on the shelves."
"I will not let you out, you lost your guardian charm again!" Solifan the wizard crouched beside Píp the cat and tried to stroke her, which made her flee under the wardrobe. She would be cleaning cobwebs and dust from her coat for days. Solifan sighed and sat on the floor. The worst part was when she gave up, sad and defeated.
Then the yowling started.
The worst part was when the yowling started.
"Spirits guide me." he whispered, giving the words a tiny bit of power. He let his head fall back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. Strong, wooden planks made up the bulk of it. The building had been masterfully crafted, using the wood-grain like art to draw strong lines across the surface.
"Too bad that they are all dead." Solifan's eyes traced the lines, while Píp cried.
Memories of other dead wood crept to the surface. Whole forests, splintered and broken, drained of life, just to feed a war machine. Echoes of anger made his hands clench. He remembered the pride of standing up for something meaningful for the first time.
And he remembered a name.
Ból
"The Dark Lord has taken over our land. What do we do?"
"Learn from the goblins."
"What? Those useless little-"
"Takes skill to mask rebellion as incompetence."
"What?"
"They know His reign will end. For now, they persist and resist."
"Oh."
"Also: remember every moment of joy is a victory."
