by Lara Yokoshima

Chapter 1 - Intruder

The darkness of the night was as deep as a black abiss; the sky was filled with clouds so deep not even the moon could shine to its brightest. The streets of Vadia didn’t display much action than the ocasional customer leaving a local tavern or the lights of a car wandering lost in the streets.

Inside a dark alley, however, a figure moved silently. With cautious eyes, it waits for the right moment to come out from its hidding. It patiently waited until a wobbling drunk had pass by, and moments later, it jumped at an incredible speed, going from block to block in a matter of seconds.

The aspect of this creature was strange, but common in the City of Vadia. Human form, that was for sure. But had treats that made it not quite human: big feline ears, a long furry tail, stripped dark skin, and a pair of green, feral eyes and long dark hair tied with a black string. His clothes were vagely visible as he dashed among the streets, black leather pants and jacket, and typical open gloves that showed his sharp claws. It was a rebel from the outskirts, an impure creature, a Sekmit. The creature continued its run with amazing agility and accuracy, stoping in his tracks from time to time to evade a policeman, always blending with the shadows.

Finally, after roaming several blocks, he arrived to his destination. Hidden between the bushes of the great Manor, he took a moment to contemplate the structure. The monumental building, iluminated by small lights, was a reminiscent of those expensive manors of the 20 th century.

"You can't come lower than this, Isha…," the being said to himself. They were hard times, especially for his clan. It not longer was enough to steal from small business or even a factory or two to obtain food and the few essentials they needed to survive. It seemed they needed more now, and the rich manors were a good place where to find an almost limitless abundance, like money, jewelry, and items that could be sold in the Black Market and get good profits from them. Isha stopped his train of thought and put hands to work. One member of an ally clan had given him the call that this particular manor would be almost deserted, the owner was out of town, perhaps to some foreign business meeting. This is a one-time chance, his mind insisted, while his body was slowly closing to the thick wall that kept the Manor detached from the rest of the world.

With a wicked smirk on his lips, Isha took his distance and then he gave an incredible jump that catapulted him above the 16 feet wall, including the electrified wires. He landed soundlessly over the grass, not even a second had gone by and he dashed to hide behind one of the building corners, and quickly scanned the area.

It seems I accomplished the first step , he thought while he left out a relieved sigh.

He popped his head out of the corner and looked around. It was a bit strange that such a place had no security system, after all it was a Mansion. "Tch!", his tongue clicked while he shrugged with a smirk on his face, This is going to be easier than expected.

Filled with confidence, Isha gave the first step, walking around the house, exploring and checking the surest way to get inside. But he abruptly stopped. His sharp hearing sense had perceived a weird sound, he twitched his ears towards were the sound came from. His body whirled fast, and avoided an almost soundless blue laser shot, that just brushed the shoulder of his jacket.

Isha fell on the ground, sliding, searching frenziedly from where the shot had come from. Finally his eyes spotted a small flying gizmo. An insignificant looking sphere, polished and shinny, that looked completely harmless. But a second look made Isha change his mind, when the harmless looking sphere opened a blue eye that flashed a blinding light. He didn't think more and instinctively rolled over the ground evading a small but deadly laser beam.

"What the f---?”

Without a chance to finish his curse, Isha had to roll to the opposite way to evade a new attack. He rose up quickly and dashed into the bushes, thinking he might be safe there for a little while. He quickly searched inside his jacket something that might be useful against the deadly sphere, that was approaching him with is blue eye opened, and a smaller eye, a search light, flashing the bush. Isha saw he had been found again. He jumped out, exposing his body as a target, and the sphere shoot, missing again by mere inches.

Isha's speed had saved his butt once again. He took the chance while the sphere recharged the laser beam, and the feline took a knife out of his clothes, throwing it with quirurgic precision into the sphere's eye; a small explosion followed and the sphere fell on the ground.

“Damn... I'm stupid”, he said, closing to the remains of the sphere and retrieving his knife. “I just hope there aren't anymore of those flying things around, I need to find a way in, now!"

Isha ran towards a wall with a window. Curiously enough it was half-open. This is my chance, he smiled again. He looked around searching for a way to reach the window. In a matter of seconds, he found a tree, just a few feet away from the window.

“Cool”.

Isha climbed the tree with the natural agility of a cat, and quickly he perched himself on a long thin branch, swishing his tail nervously. He jumped and landed on the cornice of the window, losing his balance a little, but getting it back immediately. He looked down gasping, while a tiny sweat drop ran over his eye brow; if it hasn’t been for his good reflexes, the fall would have been strident and painful.

Just as he thought, the window was open; enough to allow a soothing breeze wander inside the room. He pushed it slowly, to make no noise. Getting inside the dark room, Isha wondered who would have been so careless as to leave the window open. His eyes dilated, adjusting them for night vision. He walked around the room meticulously, expecting to find another of those deadly little spheres.

Finding no danger, he proceeded to search the room. But suddenly he felt another presence in the place, and stopped immediatly. His senses tightened searching for the other who was in there. It was then when Isha saw a pair of frightened, golden eyes fixed on him. Isha was startled too, because those were not human eyes. They were eyes like his own without a doubt.

Isha approached step by step, swishing his tail with curiousity. The other figure was lying on a wide bed, and reacted to Isha's movements, recoiling back as the sound of chains could be heard.

Isha stopped on his tracks. He adjusted his vision to look better the other being in the room. He held his breath, astounded…it was an almost incredible sight.

Sitting over fine linen sheet, a pure breed Bastit stared back at Isha. His golden eyes shied down when he noticed Isha was staring as well. The Bastit ears were perfectly shaped, triangle and medium sized; its hair was neck length, and looked like spun silk. The weak light of the moon shinned softly over its hair, giving it a pistachio like color. The body was…beautiful. The tail so fluffy as angora, and white as the moon beams, that was the proof of its perfect breed purity. Its clothes were odd looking, and clinged tight to the Bastit skin. After a long while of staring, Isha had no problem in deducting this was a sex pet.

“Who are you?”

It seemed the question had no effect over the other feline. He stayed there quietly, staring with piercing golden eyes. Isha felt uneasy, why the hell the other cat was not answering?

“What's wrong, Bastit? Mouse ate your tongue?”, he said in a mocking tone, smirking a little at his own pathetic joke. Receiving no answer at all, Isha was considering leaving when suddenly the younger feline spoke for the first time.

“Don't call me that...”

“Huh?”, Isha turned over his heels when he heard the flat voice of that creature, that apparently was not as scared as Isha had thought earlier. There was a silence that felt like an eternity, even if it just lasted a few seconds.

“Don't call me that... I hate that name”, was the only thing the other feline said,

“Why do you hate it?”, Isha finally answered. “You live in a world of luxury. Free meals. Free clothing. Free lodging! You are free of any responsibility.”

“But I have no free will...”

Both stayed quiet for a moment. Isha let a heartfelt laugh out, and walked to the door. It was completely absurd what that high class feline had said, since himself wished to not have the worries of bringing food and money to his own clan.

Isha left the room without saying another word, leaving behind that young lad, who could not do anything than stay because he was chained by the neck, just like any master kept a feisty pet. It seemed that the Bastit had already tried something inadequate and this was his punishment. Bah, nonsense…I have to concentrate on what I came here to do. I just hope this Bastit doesn't get the idea of yelling for help. Which reminds me…'

Isha returned to the room, and glared at the boy on the bed again. Seemed he hadn't moved a finger since Isha went out.

“Uhmm... I warn you that if you say a peep about this, I'll kill you personally, ok?", Isha threatened the other cat, that given the circumstances, did nothing more than shrug.

“I don't care. Take whatever you want”, he answered completely uninterested.

Isha was baffled by the weird behavior of this feline, he even felt a little irritated by the lack of interest he displayed. Giving a small snort, Isha went out again, roaming the house in search of any valuables to steal. The night would be long without a doubt.

As he walked around the wide halls of the mansion, Isha could not stop thinking of that Bastit. He was so weird…Why had he told Isha all those things? It was as if he didn't even care if he died in that instant. He looked really sad, thought Isha while taking out a small latex bag, and filling it with some silver chandeliers, bone china, and a few more items; the bag would expand whenever a new object was introduced. Isha's eyes closed into half slits, as he went room by room. It was also very weird this mansion had so little surveillance, like if its owner didn't care for the safety of his own household.

The Bastit left out a very soft sigh, when he saw that Sekmit of rough looks exit the room. Never before had anyone dared to enter to steal, especially by getting inside through the window of his own room. He pondered over this for several minutes. And after a while he understood something. Both felt envy for the life the other leaded. He barely smiled at that simple thought. Humans had truly created a species as complex as their own.

He laid down again on the bed, curling, and with the strange premonition that that stranger would return, He'll return…I know it, he thought again, and they stayed very still.

After collecting enough useful items, Isha finished exploring yet another of the many rooms in the mansion. But... he felt a need to go back to where that Bastit of proud appearance was. There was no reason why to go back there, he just wanted to. So he started to trace his steps back. What the hell am I doing?, Isha asked to himself as he crossed the same door from which he had exited moments before.

He got into the room carefully, and to his surprise the Bastit had not moved one inch. Perhaps the chain restrained him to stay there, or perhaps it was his own stubbornness to not move even one single muscle even if there was a thief in the place. His indifference was remarkable.

Finally, Isha decided to talk again to the perfect specimen in the room, he felt an eagerness to listen to that feline speak one more time. Interested in him so soon, Isha? You disappoint me…

His thoughts mocked him.

“Well, I am done for tonight… it was not a big deal, really" he boasted while he approached the window frame to exit the room. "Your silence will be highly appreciated, Bastit", he said and crouched ready to jump outside.

“Evania...!”

Isha was absolutely puzzled. What had that feline just said? It seemed that his tactic to make the Bastit talk worked after all, but not only that, a little apprehension lingered in that answer. Isha turned his head back, enough to give a sidelong glance to the other cat.

“What?” Isha asked.

“Evania... that's my name.”

Isha got closer, he was about to ask why he had said that when the pure breed feline answered before the question was made.

“If I need to give you my name for you to stop calling me Bastit, I will", Evania looked at Isha with those deep golden eyes, that were full of confidence. Isha laughed. This was totally unexpected. But not as much as what he heard after.

“I hope you have a safe return to your clan, Sekmit”.

Isha was beginning to lose his temper. Nobody had ever talked to him in that way, so full of confidence and without a trace of fear. Or perhaps, it was that the other cat was pretending he felt no fear, when it was really terrified. Whatever the reason was, this had left Isha puzzled. But he soon returned to his senses, not allowing himself to be bothered by this nonsense any longer. He climbed the window frame to finally exit the mansion.

“Thank you for you god wishes, Bastit”, Isha answered with a smile. “Ah... by the way, my name is Isha”, he continued, mimicking the behavior of the other cat. He jumped outside to the tree branch and scouted his surroundings. Making himself sure he didn't spot the menace of another lethal sphere like the one earlier that night, he swiftly jumped down to the ground, and then jumped over the huge fence, escaping into the silent streets.

“Isha...”, repeated Evania, he couldn't still believe what had just happened. I suppose we'll meet again… soon.