The Warlock & The Cat People, Part 1

The Warlock & The Cat People

Part 1: The Rescue


Commander Hobbes, a 6 foot tall, orange fur Vashair, (a catlike humanoid species), reached the massive tower's inner parameter. Two thousand orange furred Vashair warriors followed. Armed with short bows and swords with light mail armor. It was past sunset and countless dead elf and Vashair warriors littered the way to the Tower. Hobbes led the last wave himself and he could see that there were far more dead elves than Vashair. This was somewhat of a relief.

The siege had taken 2 weeks to get to this point.

Hobbes met no resistance. The surviving elves had retreated into the tower.
All this he thought to save one human, a Warlock. Was it worth it? Rthen was the target, and Hobbes had only met the warlock twice, the second meeting Rthen named him "Hobbes".

Rthen was summoned by Lord Inquisitor Bolt, a member of the Pantro subspecies and leader of the Vashair shock troops. In Vashair society Bolt was royalty. Hobbes despised the Lord and the Royalty.

Rthen was summoned from another plane of existence to fight for the Vashair and for years had done so effectively, being granted full control of the army and the war against the elves. Rthen had given the Vashair leaders and senior staff human names. Almost all had pledged their loyalty to him and Rthen had become a religion not just a war leader.

Rthen however had pledged his life, his existence to the Queen of the Vashair.

Hobbes was not a believer.

Hobbes commanded the "Orange men", and elite scout unit that specialized in smash and grab tactics to obtain intelligence and free Vashair prisoners. The 300-year war with the elves would have ended with the defeat of the Vashair if it was not for elite units like the one Hobbes commanded.

"Plant the charge" Hobbes yelled as his engineers, he pointed at the tower's steel double door just 40 feet away.

The engineers ran to the door and dumped a large metal box next to the door with a fuse. The fuse was lit with a torch immediately. They scrambled back to a boulder 40 meters from the tower doors.

"Fire in the hole!" Yelled an engineer.

Hobbes braced himself, closing his eyes and emptying his lungs face down in the dirt. Fuck you Rthen, he thought, and fuck you Bolt he also thought.

All the Vashair lay down against the ground covering their faces.

The explosion rocked the area. Hobbes was covered in dust and rock bits, once his sight and hearing came back, he could see a massive hole where the doors stood. He looked toward his lieutenants who were getting up off the ground, swords ready.

"I need 2 platoons, with me and a healer" Hobbes barked.

Hobbes approached the hole sword drawn, 60 Vashair "Orange Men" followed with one Orc Shaman healer. They rapidly moved down the hallways that twisted up in a spiral stairway, three abreast, eventually they came to a door, Hobbes checked his map and motioned his troops to smash it open.

The door took time to smash open but eventually was splintered with axes.

The Vashair entered. Hobbes gasped at the sight in the torchlight.
The human warlock was hung up on the wall in chains from his wrists. He was naked and had been flogged, deep cuts were visible in his flesh. He had been shaved bald as well. The loss of blood evident with a pool of dried blood on the floor. The wounds were likely fatal. He still, however, drew breath. There was a chance.

"Healer! See to Rthen! Now!" Hobbes yelled.

The Orc Shaman started to chant and point his staff at the Warlock.

"Get him down from there!" Hobbes pointed at his troops.

"No! I need to stabilize him first or he will die!" the Shaman said.

Hobbes looked around. He motioned to a Lieutenant. "Secure the tower, this will be a long night. I want the troops outside to defend the battlements."

His team moved quickly.

Rthen opened his eyes and looked down at the Vashair. He sighed. "Why?"

Hobbes moved forward looked up. "Lord Inquisitor Bolt sent me and my troops to retrieve you M'Lord." Hobbes nodded slightly.

"Your all fools, I did my part. What purpose is it to "retrieve" me. Why waste the troops. I want to go home. I am done with this universe. Where is Bolt. He would understand" Rthen gasped, breathing labored.

The Shaman continued to chant.

Hobbes smiled a toothy grin. "We need to get you out of here. I have a message for you though".

Hobbes rummaged though his bag and found a small parchment paper note.

"I remember you; you are Hobbes. Read the message. I doubt its my execution, I mean the elves were well on their way to that." Rthen stared coldly at Hobbes.

Hobbes read the note: "Rthen, please cooperate with Hobbes, his orders are to return you. We have much to discuss".
"The letter is signed Juniper Dax, the name you gave our queen. Honestly she is silly enough to waste these resources to just kill you herself." Hobbes said with a toothy grin.

"I see, I am not sure she why wants me back." Rthen slumped against the stone wall.

The Shaman stopped his chanting and looked at Hobbes, "He can be taken down now".

Hobbes motioned to his troops.

The Vashair broke the chains and pulled apart the cuffs. Slowly they lowered the warlock onto a blanket on the stone floor.

Hobbes knelt and reached out holding Rthen's hand. He pitied the human.

"We have met a few times. I never understood why we needed to summon you. The war was going badly, that much is true, and Bolt had explored some magic that could help that was too risky. I voiced my concerns, however, I follow orders. That said every elf in this tower will be dead because they did this to you. You're the "Rthen", we will do what you command M'Lord however the primary mission supersedes and that is to take you back to the Queen."

Rthen coughed, shaking slightly. "What happened to the humans on this planet".

"If by planet you mean the realm we are in they lost their war with the VShair, they were killed, used as food". Hobbes looked down at Rthen, still smiling.

"You know Hobbes, that's ok I suppose. However sometimes I really do think many Vashair view me as walking, talking, food."

Hobbes let go of Rthen's hand and got up. "No M'Lord, I do not view you as food. I just do not completely understand you and I lost at least 300 of my men rescuing you so please cooperate."

"Get the Rthen ready for travel. We leave at first light. I want him ready to ride by then"

Hobbes left the room and joined the battle to take the tower.

Rthen heard the Orc Shaman start chanting again and felt his muscles tighten. He did not want to go back to see the queen. She was forceful, she was in charge, she was a Vashair never to be disobeyed. She was also a controlling bitch.

Rthen had won numerous battles and slaughtered too many elves to count for queen Juniper Dax. The queen treated Rthen the way he treated his own pets' years and years ago back in his home universe. Rthen disliked being a pet.

Rthen sat up finally. He motioned to one of the Vashair soldiers, the soldier sheepishly moved over to him.
"Do you know why the Queen wants to see me?" Rthen kept eye contact as he spoke.

The soldier just bowed and moved off to the doorway.

Rthen was not surprised. It was likely he could be executed for divulging information to the "Rthen".

The Vashair were a strange civilization, at least by Rthen's standards.

When he first was summoned and met the queen Rthen thought he would be killed, strangely the queen treated him like a beloved pet. Rthen thought about that and about how getting used to fur and sharp claws and teeth was difficult. He loved the queen but also feared her.

Rthen broke out of his daydreaming, he was tired and needed sleep and a trusted bodyguard.

Rthen spoke the spell of summoning for his most stealth-like demon. Now unbound from the anti-magic cuffs his words worked, and Mirath, his Succubus demon pet appeared. The Vashair exited the room in fear.

"Master? Shall I kill them and feast on their souls?"

Whenever he summoned her Mirath would have sone catchy stupid line and this one he had heard before.

Rthen sighed, "No Mirath, just make sure I am undisturbed for approximately 4 hours. I need a nap. No killing as long as they leave me alone and do not try to hurt me. They are friends of a sort I suppose."

"Can I fuck them?" Mirath said, her leathery wings now visible.

Rthen laughed. "No Mirath, they are friends, and they would rather die then have sex with a demon. Just stand guard and be pleasant to them", Rthen curled up and tried to fall asleep.

"Why get yourself captured by the elves?" Mirath stood over Rthen a puzzling look on her face.

Rthen covered his eyes in the blanket but before he did he took a long look at Mirath, the creature was not unattractive, just dangerous.
Mirath noticed and smiled.

"They have the magic to send me back to my universe. Now let me sleep". Rthen closed his eyes.

Mirath was 5"5 and wore no clothes but a sword belt with a sword. Her nipples were larger then usual for a human female and her pubic hair was trimmed. With a toothy grin her sharp teeth and fangs were clearly visible. She wore her black hair in a ponytail. Her head had two jet back sharp horns.

"You won't be able to summon me there." Mirath replied looking away at the doorway.

Rthen was snoring.

Mirath left the room and looked at the Vashair soldiers just outside. They were visibly afraid.

"Hey kitty's. If you come in this room I will kill you, skin you, and eat you. Master did not indicate that I cannot do that therefore it's allowed. I just can't fuck you." Mirath smiled and winked at the retreating Vashair.

The Vashair left the area and moved up the passageway quickly. Their sergeant yelled "Hold the line here, do not go beyond this point the Rthen has summoned a demon to guard him!"

Mirath was pleased with herself. She stood guard at the doorway blending into the shadows. Rthen was slowly becoming easier to control especially if she shape changed to show no wings.

Rthen was her favorite warlock since he tended to not get her killed and at times would tell her stories.

Mirath wondered if she was "catching" feelings for this warlock. She signed. Rthen loved the Queen of the Vashair, she would need to eliminate her one day.

Why her master liked these cat humanoids so much was puzzling to Mirath. In her opinion they carried a stench of rotten meat and seemed to lack intelligence.

The sound of battle and the screams of dying elves faintly could be heard.

Mirath smiled. She might still have a chance to kill tonight.


End Part 1