Act IX

by Alexander Gordon

  “Stop running away,” Reiko begged holding a hand out towards her. “It was fate that brought us back together like this, it had to have been. I’m the only one who can accept you, the only one you need, Star.”

  “Why do you keep saying that?” Triska sharply asked. “Why do you think nobody else can ever accept who she is?”

  “Because nobody but I could ever feel compassion or kindness towards the Bloodcat of VanEllovan!” Reiko cried out. Her voice echoed into the cavern, ringing off the walls and ceiling before fading away for only silence to remain in its wake. Everyone was staring at Reiko in surprise, except for Star whose expression was of complete horror. Reiko took a slow breath then smiled weakly at the jinx.

  “I’m sorry to let it slip out like that, but they were going to find out eventually. Besides, no need to continue your charade of being an innocent, kindhearted girl anymore. That’s just not who you are, Star.”

  Daniel and the girls looked over towards Star in stunned silence, their expressions conveying both shock and disbelief at what they just heard.

  “That can’t be true,” Alyssa softly said shaking her head. “She’s not the Bloodcat of VanEllovan. She can’t be.”

  “That wretched hellspawn is a neko,” Kroanette shakily defended. “One that was last seen on the western continent. Far, far away from our land.”

  “What the fuck are you trying to play here?” Clover demanded, taking aim at Reiko once again with a stern glare. “Star’s not that monster, she’s nothing like that death dealer.”

  “Kroanette’s right,” Alyssa agreed. “The Bloodcat of VanEllovan is a neko, everyone knows this. And that cat was a heartless murderer, even more so than the rest of her kind. She was everything Star isn’t.”

  “Like hell Star’s that demon,” Triska angrily replied, aiming her sword towards Reiko. “When Star first came to us she tried to force herself on Daniel, twice. If she really was the Bloodcat of VanEllovan she would have killed us all and taken him without a sweat. Star didn’t do anything of the sort. She put up a tough fight at first, I’ll give her that, but she didn’t fight like a bloodthirsty murderer.”

  “She saved me from human bandits the other night,” Clover spoke up. The group looked to her as she was keeping her aim on Reiko while glancing over towards Star. “I fucked up and they got me, they were going to do horrible shit to me. But she came and protected me from them. I never met the girl in my life before then, yet she still came after me. She fought well, easily taking out those assholes. But she never struck any down herself, she merely fended them away while letting her cursed aura damn those that tried to attack her. She’s nothing like the Bloodcat of VanEllovan.”

  “Bandits attacked you, Clover?” Daniel wondered. “Why didn’t you tell any of us before?”

  “I didn’t want you to get worked up over it,” Clover defended with a flustered huff. “I made a mistake and they caught me. But Star came and saved me from them, she protected me and brought me back safely. Look, there’s nothing more to talk about with it, alright? The point is Star isn’t some murdering monster, she’s a hero.”

  Daniel looked at her curiously, having a glimmer of concern hearing that the elf had been assaulted without his knowledge the other night, then turned to Star and stepped closer towards her.

  “Star, say what Reiko is claiming isn’t true. You can’t be that monster, you can’t. You’ve been controlling yourself around us, you’ve been friendly with us. When you first met the girls you only wanted to play with them. Even when your inner nature had you acting out of control you never tried to kill anyone, you merely kept them away from me. You’re not that monster Reiko says you are, are you?”

  Star took a shaky breath then slowly nodded her head with a sorrowful expression. Daniel and the girls fell silent as they saw her admitting the truth, with Clover and Triska lowering their weapons in disbelief while Kroanette held a hand over her mouth. Star looked over herself then to the group while nodding again as she slumped back.

  “You’re… the Bloodcat of VanEllovan?” Alyssa nervously asked.

  Star nodded to that.

  “You’re the mass murdering monster of the western region?” Triska said slowly shaking her head.

  Star again agreed to it with a quiet meow.

  “You can’t be,” Clover argued in shock. “You can’t be that bitch. She soaked that region’s land with blood, she was a heartless demon. You can’t be her.”

  The jinx nodded while lowering her head in shame with closed eyes.

  Daniel’s voice failed him as he stared at Star in disbelief. Everyone knew about the Bloodcat of VanEllovan, how she was one of the more infamous monsters in the world. There were human outlaws and criminals that were well-known throughout Eden, those that committed horrible atrocities and corruptions, and the same was for the monster community as well. And of all the monsters that had forged a name for themselves in the world from their grave offences, the Bloodcat of VanEllovan’s title was stained in blood by great measure.

  “Star, please say this is some sort of joke,” Kroanette pleaded. “The Bloodcat of VanEllovan was a Darker One in her own right, she slaughtered countless monsters and humans, even children. You simply cannot be that accursed cat, I refuse to believe it.”

  “I told you, Star,” Reiko solemnly spoke up. “They’ll never accept who you are. This human, he could never feel anything for a monster like you. No human ever could. Those like us, those who have taken the lives of so many, we could never coexist peacefully with them. All we have in this world is each other.”

  Star broke down crying and turned her head away, her mewls of sorrow echoing into the cavern as she stepped further away from the group.

  “Star!” Daniel called out. The jinx looked back to him with tears dropping from her cheeks, the look on her face conveying only heartache and despair as she once again came face to face with the cold reality of her past. Star took a shaky breath then gave one last long meow, her tone showing the pain she was feeling quite well, then took off running into the cave. After a few steps she warped further ahead into the darkness, vanishing from sight completely.

  “Star! Don’t leave me again!” Reiko wailed before flying off after the jinx.

  Daniel and the girls watched them go, all stunned and nearly breathless as they wrapped their heads around what they learned. Slowly the girls turned to Daniel as he took another step forward, his mind trying to fight the very idea that Star was a world-renowned killer and not a kindhearted, playful jinx that she had appeared to be with them.

  “Star… you can’t be that monster. You just can’t.”

  Chapter 12

  The Bloodcat’s Shadow

  In the world of Eden there were very few things harder to escape from than one’s own past. Granted, running away from lustful monsters or marauding bandits could be a challenge many would end up failing, however even then the odds were still with them compared to escaping their own shadow. It may be just painful memories that never rest, or perhaps sins they committed that were unable to be forgotten. The cold truth of where they came from and what they had done was often unavoidable, no matter how far they ran or how well they hid themselves in the world. Facing their fear, regrets, themselves even, was a difficult task and for some may be impossible.

  Sometimes the person they were was more of a monster than most could imagine.

  *****

  Running swiftly among the illuminated stones of the underground cavern and the corpses of swarm that were clustered near them a jinx was making haste with hair and tails flowing swiftly behind her. Star nimbly leapt and weaved about, vaulting over dead monsters and boulders as she blindly ran away from those she knew would only show hatred and disgust towards someone like her. Though it wasn’t the lack of light that obscured her vision, as her sight in the dark would rival that of an elf quite easily, rather it were the tears that had not stopped coming forth despite how many times she wiped them away. Where she was going was anyone’s
guess, even her own, as she ventured deeper into the grotto filled with the bodies of swarm, shadows creeping around softly glowing walls, and the echoing mewls of a forlorn jinx.

  Warping up atop a perch she leapt forward over a pit, again teleporting further ahead with her magic as she covered a great distance very quickly like she was always able to do. While running away from the group she had stayed with in The Outerlands memories again started to cloud her thoughts, fleeting glimpses of a town burning in flames passing by instead of a rocky cavern that was actually around her. The screams of people echoed loudly in her ears, the sight of blood and smoke flying through the air causing her to stumble with her steps in an attempt to avoid them, and a haunting howl of a cat roared over all while sounding painfully familiar to the girl.

  Star shut her eyes and meowed in sorrow, her feet slipping from a rock below and sending her down into a puddle. The cat shakily got up on her hands and knees, eyes only seeing a pool of blood that she was leaning over while the voice of herself from days long past continued to ring in her ears, along with another.

  “Star.”

  She shook her head and screamed while trying to block out the woman’s voice.

  “Such a good kitty you are.”

  The girl stared in horror at her reflection in the blood, seeing not a scared or heartbroken face but rather one that showed no excitement or remorse for her actions.

  “I’m so lucky to have such a wonderful pet as you, Star.”

  Star mewled in sorrow at seeing herself looking back at her, the image of the cold and merciless monster she used to be slowly shaking her head in disdain at the pitiful sight she was beholding.

  “This will be your home, always. This will be your life, always.”

  The Bloodcat of VanEllovan bared her fangs with a fierce look in her eye, the sight of which caused Star to feel her heart aching from knowing that was how she used to be.

  “As a reward for such a great service you provide me, allow me to give you a special gift.”

  Star slowly shook her head as she looked to her hands, both of them seeming to be dripping with fresh blood that came from the many victims she had slain in her time.

  “You are a powerful guardian for me, Star. A jinx cannot be harmed so easily by any.”

  Looking up Star saw with frightened eyes the image of her former self now standing before her, the Bloodcat of VanEllovan herself clad in black leather armor and a long flowing combat skirt with serrated spines along the top. Sheathed at either hip were two daggers in crimson holders, the silver handles and jewel encrusted ends giving off a chilling glint amongst the darkness. Her boots were brown with black steel heels while adoring her tails were bright red ribbons tied at the ends. Hair neatly combed with a white bow set on the end while around her neck was a spiked collar that she wore proudly.

  “And with my blessing, nothing at all shall ever strike you down. This star shall never fall from my gaze.”

  Star slowly stood up while staring at the image of who she once was, the Bloodcat of VanEllovan returning the look with a vicious glare and bared fangs. There was no kindness in her eyes, there couldn’t be after all. Star remembered all too well how there was only one she used to love in the world, only one that she trusted and dedicated her life to, and only one that she acted like a kind girl towards. The one that gave her a home, food, clothing, reverence, praise, and worst of all, a curse that could never be lifted.

  The Bloodcat drew her daggers and got into a fighting stance, the same Star recognized that she used to display during her undertakings. Daggers held inversely, tails slowly swaying behind, eyes solely focused on her foe, and an aura of death and wrath that was too painful for the jinx to once again remember. The very sight of herself as such broke Star’s heart, her wishes for it all to have been just a nightmare being impossible to realize as she knew with all her being where she had come from and what she had done. The horrible memory was literally staring back into her eyes with the presence of a Darker One behind them.

  Without warning the Bloodcat warped in front of Star and rammed her dagger into the jinx’s heart, the ghostly blade causing no harm as it was only a hallucination. However the fierce look in the Bloodcat’s eyes were not, they were the very same Star used to have in hers while taking the lives of any that got in her way.

  Or the way of her countess.

  The image slowly faded away, the echoing sounds of screams and fires vanishing while all became quiet around Star. She slowly lowered her head, seeing the puddle of water at her feet with the reflection of a frightened and brokenhearted jinx in it. Standing there in the hollowed cavern Star felt as lost and alone as ever, once again facing the cold truth that she was truly a monster in Eden. In fact, she was more than that now; she was more than just a jinx with hands stained in blood. And there was no going back for her.

  “Star!” Reiko called out, her saddened voice echoing from close by. Star didn’t move from the sound, rather she just stared at her reflection that became distorted with tears falling onto it.

  “Star, where are you?” Reiko wailed as she floated by behind a large boulder. Quickly racing back she saw Star remaining still, the jinx’s tails hanging low behind her while faint mewls were heard from the girl.

  “Star, there you are!” Reiko cheered, flying out from the shadows and embracing her friend from behind. “Please don’t run off like that again, you know-”

  Without warning Star warped out from her grip, grabbed her throat, and slammed her down onto the ground below her. Water splashed aside as the harvester was pinned with the jinx tightly gripping her windpipe, the cat’s bared teeth and frustrated glare being accompanied by tears welling up in her eyes once again.

  “Oh dear, are you still mad at me?” Reiko curiously wondered. “I don’t wish to jump to conclusions but you seem to be royally pissed off at me for some reason.”

  Star yowled loudly at her, her enraged voice echoing out into the carven around them.

  “But my dear, they were going to find out.” Star shakily shook her head then averted her eyes from the harvester, a few faint meows being made before Reiko chuckled and gently held a hand to the girl’s cheek. “Star, you couldn’t have kept that from them. From him. They would have found out in time and you know it. Besides, it was important they were told now and for you to see how they would react. You saw the look in their eyes. They were frightened of you, repulsed by you, horrified at what you had done. There would have been no other outcome from you admitting the truth or them finding out as they surely would have. This was the only way it could have ended for you being around those people.”

  Star meowed loudly as she covered her face. She hunched back and lowered her head, crying out of sorrow while Reiko gently floated up and held the jinx in her arms.

  “You poor thing. I’m so sorry this has happened to you, Star. But it was inevitable. Honestly, how did you think it would have ended with you staying near them? They never would have accepted you for what you’ve done. That human Daniel, he never would have felt any kindness towards you.”

  Star looked up to her with whimper, her eyes conveying more than enough for Reiko to know the truth.

  “You liked him, didn’t you?” Reiko questioned. Star slowly nodded with ears drooping low. “Is that because of his desire to bring peace to monsters and man? Because he was perhaps attractive in your eyes? Please tell me why that strange person meant so much to you.”

  Star meowed and mewled softly while lowering her head, appearing to confess something dearly that Reiko showed a brief look of ire towards for a moment before a sympathetic smile came across her face.

  “I see, you thought you were in love with him.” Star meowed at her and shook her head before Reiko placed a finger over her lips. “No, you thought you were in love with him. I understand how you were led astray. He spoke about forgiving others for their sins, accepting them for how they are, and you believed he would have given you the same gift. That he could… love you for who y
ou were. Star, it’s obvious what this means. You’re lonely out here, so desperate for love that you would try to find it with any wandering idiot that preached such nonsense as he did.”

  Star screamed at her and started to swipe at her face again, hands being caught and brought down before Reiko leaned closer to the jinx with a giggle.

  “Star, this is unhealthy for you. And coming from a monster that takes the lives of others daily without a care you must see how concerning that is for me to say that to you. Let’s say that he does manage to do the impossible, that he does unite monsters and humans together in a peace never before realized in this world. That still doesn’t mean anything for the likes of us. We’re murderers, Star. Killers, ones that have spilled more blood than tears by far in our lives, ones that are most certainly going to hell when we pass from this world.”

  Star lowered her head and shut her eyes, trying to block out her words even though they were striking her down to the core.

  “Daniel Sorres will never love you,” Reiko solemnly declared, with Star slowly peeking back up at her with a faint meow. “No human will ever love you. Nobody else will truly care about you. Star, I do mean it when I say we belong together. I’m the only one that will cherish you, respect you… and love you.”

  Star’s eyes widened a bit as the harvester leaned closer to her.

  “We were made for each other, Star. I’ve always believed it. We’re both the best at what we do, killing others. Taking lives. Drenching the land in blood and corpses. You can’t run from this, you can’t deny who you are. Please accept yourself and stop running away. I’ve waited so long to see you again, I can’t bear to be separated from you now.”

  Star meowed quietly as the harvester brushed her hair aside and held the back of her head.

  “Don’t run from me, my dear Star. You deserve someone who will appreciate you, who will always stay by your side no matter what you’ve done in your life. That’s me. We’ll never have to wander this world alone again, we’ll always have each other, so there’s no need for tears anymore. Open your eyes, Star. There is only one in the world who can ever accept everything about you, and that’s me.”