Last Alliance

Chapter 1 - Raine's Messenger Paths

A silver-grey cat ran along the fence dividing the Living Quarters and the Central Command Centre. The black, war paint-like streaks under her eyes were the only part of her that didn’t flash under the Holy Light every time she moved.

Leaping up the steps, she stretched and landed on lightly on padded feet on the top step of the Command Centre. She couldn’t understand these professed Creatures of the Light. If they were truly unashamed of being part of the Light, why do they hide their bodies beneath layers of man-made things called ‘clothes’. She swished her tail and pressed her padded hands against the large birch double doors and pushed them open effortlessly. Didn’t God create them without clothes?

Her ears, with their extended tufts of wispy silver-grey fur, flicked around quickly listening out for anything out of the ordinary before entering into the building.

“You called for me, My Lord,” she asked bowing on one knee before a great white Archangel standing upon a dais with his back to her. His white robes; accentuated with golden scrollwork around the cuffs, right mid-upper arm, waist and ankles; billowed lightly in the breeze that descended from Heaven.

“I need you to send a message from me to the four Elemental Angels,” The Archangel turned and descended the dais pulling a scroll from deep with the folds of his right sleeve. “Get them to read, sign, and return the stroll to me.” He turned and walked back up the dais to where he had originally stood. “I’ll be waiting here.”

“At once, My Lord Raidreaus,” Raine stood, bowed, and promptly left with the scroll tightly held in one hand. Why not just summon them the way you summon me? she thought as she descended the steps. Doing things this way is just so long-winded and a pointless waste of time. Still… She tucked the scroll into the short, bottomless cylinder that was attached to her red leather collar and leapt down the stairs, her body shrinking back to a silver-grey cat once more. I get to see Lord Subaru again.

She bounded along the eastern wall between the white marble walls and the limestone houses that littered the ground within. Already, she was planning her first destination. Leaping up, she transformed and perched herself on a windowsill between two potted primulas.

"What brings you here?" A sharp voice barked at her from the other room. "I thought I've told you enough times to keep out off my garden!" A woman with the palest green apron walked in and placed her pruning shears on the table before coming up close to Raine. "You always get into the catnip that is an ingredient in the healing agents we use on your kind."

"I can't help it," Raine replied pulling the scroll from the cylinder and holding it out to her. "If you grew cat grass, then I'd leave it alone. But you refuse to."

The woman took the scroll and read it quickly. "Why can't he just call us in rather than get us to sign," Shaking her head, she moved over to the table and picked up a black feather quill. Dipping into the black inkwell, she quickly signed her name Tia Rainsworth. Handing the scroll back to Raine, she added "This is just a waste of time. Why did you even come to me first?"

"Because I heard you two last night during my rounds," Raine replied jumping off the windowsill and raising a paw to wave goodbye. "I figured you'd want some time to be alone with Lord Raidreaus before the others get there."

Tia's face quickly deepened to the colour of a tomato. "You feral! I ought to have you put down!" She threw a small sandbag at Raine. "Scat!"

Raine danced sideways to avoid the sandbag. With a swish of her tail and a laugh, Raine called back "I haven't told anyone. But you really should think about the noise level otherwise more people will know."

Tia ran to the window in time to see the silver-grey cat disappear around the corner. "Damn cat."

***

Raine giggled to herself and leapt down to ran along a low soot-stained wall. Tia really has a short fuse. But I can't be faulted for warning her. I mean the amount of noise they were making was enough for anyone to think Lord Raidreaus was being attacked. Slowing down, she padded carefully into the workshop. If I'm not careful, Rune will burn me.

"You here to have your claws sharpened again?" An almost bored voice called out to her. "I run the smithy, not a beauty parlour."

"I was teasing," Raine replied turning back to humanoid form. Handing him the scroll, she added "I was hoping you would make me some throwing knives I can hide in my fur." She waited until he had finished reading the scroll before continuing. "It's inconvenient that I always have to be close to my enemy to use my claws."

"I'll see what I can do for you," He picked up his quill and with rust-red ink signed

Rune Bellsringer

. "But in saying that, you'll more than likely only be able to use them in the form you are now." He handed the rolled-up scroll back to her. "I don't think I have the ability to have the weapons hide fully when you become a cat. At most, you'll look like you have metallic wings."

"I don't mind," Raine replied twitching her nose at the metallic scent that now wafted from the scroll. "It'll make them think twice before attacking me if I have to send a message outside the stronghold." She waved and shrank back to a cat.

Rune picked her up and carried her to the door, petting her the whole way. "Then come by in a week or so. I'll have them done by then." Raine purred happily and leapt out of his arms and down the path until she was out of sight. Turning, Rune smiled. "I better get to work with some preliminary sketches then.

***

Water…. Raine stared at the little pool of water. Do I really have to go in there? Sticking a paw in, she made a face. I hate water. Her fur stood more on end the deeper she sunk her paw into the pool. WATER!!!

"It's alright, Raine," A musical voice called from the depths. "I'll come to you." Raine moved away as an Angel with a glistening sapphire mermaid tail rose out of the water and perched on the edge with her tail resting in the pool. "What's so important that you are willing to ignore your fear of water to come to see me?"

"I'm not afraid," Raine snapped edging her way slowly towards the angel. "I just hate water." She handed the scroll over. "My fur sticks to me and it gets itchy. I don't like it." She watched the angel sign Methyl Watersedge and hand the scroll back. "Will you be alright being out of water for so long?"

"I'm an Angel first, Mermaid second," Methyl replied sliding back into the water until only her upper half was showing. "I can summon legs and survive on land as well as any other land creature. I just prefer the water." With a wave, she disappeared into the water.

"Thanks…" Raine's ears drooped. "I didn't need a bath." She could hear Methyl's giggle from the pool. The angel had decided to flick water at Raine with her tail. "Lord Subaru isn't going to like the fact that I'm wet." Shaking herself, she bounded off towards the last Elemental's home.

Her fur showered drops on the ground with every step. It was a long-distance to Subaru's sky tower and she hoped that her fur would be dry by then. The heavenly wind was never rough enough to dry anything and thus clothes and other things would take half the day to dry. Sitting on the cliff overlooking the stronghold, she let the wind gently brush over her fur.

"You're wet again," A deep masculine called from behind her. "Come inside and I'll dry you." She mewed in surprise as he picked her up in a pale blue towel. "Who wet you?"

Subaru set her on a chair and placed a heater behind her. Raine stretched out and return to her humanoid form. "Methyl… I didn't want to go into her pool so she came out and splashed me on her way back in." She slid the scroll across the table to him. "She found it funny."

"I'll bet she did," Subaru replied watching her fur brush towards him and away from the heater. "Is your fur longer now?" He watched some of the individual strands break of and float along the table to settle in a line midway along. Quicking sighing his name Subaru Windsbreath, he picked up a brush and walked over to Raine. "It looks tangled."

"I've been running around all day," Raine replied, feeling the brush run smoothly over her fur. She purred low enjoying the brush strokes. "I'll have to go back to Lord Raidreus before I have any free time."

"That's a shame," Subaru pulled her close and slipped the scroll back into its container. "I was hoping to be able to cuddle up to your warmth for a while." Her ears brushed his cheek as they pointed straight up. "Come back here when you're done?"

"I'll try…" Raine replied with a purr. "If I'm not given more work, I'll come back." Shrinking down to a cat, she mewed at him and bounded out the door.

***

"Lord Raidreaus?" Raine poked her nose into the grand hall. "You here?" A giggle caught her ears. Haa… I'll come back later. She continued to hear the giggles all the way to her quarters.

Raidreaus sighed and pushed the girl away. "Nyadriel! Stop it. You're my SISTER!" He felt the girl climb back onto his lap. Her warm breath brushed against his face once more. "I'm going to be very angry if you don't stop it."

"But," she tilted her head at him in an annoying way. "You're already angry. Also, I'm just trying to save us. Our curse will kill you if we don't see each other often."

"There is no curse," Raidreaus sighed turning his head away from her. "ENOUGH!" His roar echoed through the great hall. "Go and wait for me in your room!" Nyadriel pouted and left taking his sword with her.

"You're going to need to come to me to get this whether you like it or not," she cried and ran from the room.

Raidreaus sighed and leaned over to pick up his thinner rapier and buckle it to his side. How did she get here from the Valkyria Institution? Don't they watch their patients there? I'll need to give them a firm talking when I go back.

Looking up, he noticed the silver-grey ear poking slightly in the door. "Raine," She stepped in and handed the scroll back to him. "Nyadriel is here."

"I know," Raine looked away. "I heard her earlier," Her ears flicked and she forced a smile. "I went for a walk and came back. I felt you didn't want me intruding…"

"You should have intruded," He rested his head on his hand. "Her condition is… worse. I think she may need to be sealed away,"

"Wouldn't that be difficult to do?" Raine asked tilting her head. "She's a Seer Speaker after all. She'll know what you're planning to do and speak words to harm you and anyone else who tries to seal her away."

"Depends on when she has the vision," Raidreaus motioned for her to fetch the scroll and inkpot off the table. "If she sees it now and doesn't believe it, she won't be able to speak her curse a day or two from now…" He sat up straight and gracefully wrote his order onto the scroll. "I want you to go ahead of me to Heaven and hand this to the Manager of the Valkyria Institution."

Raine's ears drooped. "But, I can't enter Heaven." She blinked when Raidreaus pulled her close to him. "I can't pass the gates unless I die." She felt him gently stroking her fur, gently tucking something into the slots on the back of her collar.

"With my feathers," he whispered in her ear. Its gentle tone made her shiver with delight. "You can pass through. Don't dally or go sightseeing. There are creatures in Heaven that tear apart those who enter who are still living. Don't meet their eyes or show fear. Go straight to the Institution and then come back. Understood?"

"Yes sir," Raine replied her ears straightening to sharp points. She bounded up the misty, pearl-white steps that slowly curved upwards behind his chair. "Should I… try to speak to Lord Admandeaous as well?"

Raidreaus thought about it very carefully before responding. "I'll speak to him myself when I return to Heaven with Nyandriel." Raine saluted and bounded up the steps and out of sight. She hated the feel of the mist on her skin. It solidified and made her fur feel damp and uncomfortable. Climbing up the last few steps, she stood amongst the snow-white mist of Heaven with the golden gates before her.

"State your business here, Living One," A hooded angel intoned as she wandered closer. His hood moved as if to inspect her up and down before adding "A messenger of Archangel Raidreaus, yes?"

Raine nodded, unable to answer. She knew the tremor in her voice would give away her fear to this angel. He pushed open a small side gate and beckoned her inside.

"You may pass," Once she was inside, he closed the gate once more and locked it with a large ornate lock. "Return here once your business is done… provided you are still living."

"Thank you," Raine replied focusing her attention on keeping her voice steady. "Please, Where is the Valkyria Institute from here?"

"That way," he pointed towards a rather dull looking building. "It is about 200 metres north from that building." Raine nodded again and bounded off quickly, keeping her eyes fixed on the dull building that seemed to suck in the light.

Prison perhaps? she wondered as she reached it then turned her direction north towards an even larger, dull-white building. They don't treat their mentally ill very well. She bounded along quickly. She could feel the lightness of death with each step she took further into Heaven. Mustn't stop. Mustn't dally. Lord Raidreaus is waiting for me to return.