I abruptly woke up; my eyes snapped open.
Something was off. Not wrong... but bad enough to make me wake up. I was getting vibes... Like something just popped out and scared you so your body sends out adrenaline.
Darvire noticed me. "You're awake?"
"Something happened to Cati... They were fine when I fell asleep..." I paused, trying to figure out the feelings in my gut. "Something... attacked them... But they're fine... I think."
"How do you know?" Darvire asked, amazed.
"The Bonds... when we're separated, they're stronger." I sighed. "Imagine they're like a bow string. Cati at one end and I'm at the other. The farther we're a part, the taunter the string. And when something happens--like if someone plucks one end of the string--there's a vibration the whole entire length. If something went bad for Cati, I get the vibes from her... Does that make sense?"
"Partly... yes I think so."
"I just don't know if they're alright..."
"Then we better hurry then to find out." Darvire said.
The forest flicked in and out of view faster then before (like an old movie tape), making me almost nauseated to the stomach.
The little twangs of vibes lessened as we got nearer to Cati and Unknown Third. I had opened up my link again, but theirs were turned off. My mind absently ran through a comment made of what seemed long ago... Darvire said he used to help dress his little sister... I wonder what she's like... They must all be beautiful... I was about to ask...
As a wild war cry of a wild cat ran through the night. My voice stuck in my throat.
Darvire had felt me tense up. "What's wrong?... its only a night beast."
I shook my head, "That's what you think." I said. I squirmed a bit. "We have to stop."
"Why? We're almost to Cati and Unknown Third."
"You just have to--" But my words were cut off as I was flung into the air and carelessly rolled through bushes.
A different cry ran through the air; fierce and terrifying; and it almost sent a chill to my bones. I knew the cry, and often was grateful its killing song was not sung for me.
But now it was.
My wounds throbbing painfully, I got up, preparing for them. There were five: 4 men and one woman. All were from southern countries. Two were relatives, the other siblings, and one loner. They all were black at one point. Their fighting talents and sense of balanced matched their feline characteristics.
That was why the Mistress kidnapped them to mutate all into ferosioius cats.
Abiodun and Demissie were father and son. We didn't exactly get along back at the Deman'eraz base, but we weren't enemies either. Abiodun (meaning fighter) is a man of his late thirties. Or I should say, WAS. He is now a sleek killer. The same with his son, who's name meant 'One who destroys'. They were said to be from the rainforests. Both stand 7ft tall, their legs mutated to those of a large feline. Hands have pads and claws that come out between. Black hair covers their body like that of a panther. Their faces have a promenant feline features with the mouths to match. They both had tails, and you all know where they are. These were the two first experiments of cats, and so they lacked many human characteristic they once had. Oddly, the two were more human in brains.
The siblings were different from these two. They might have looked more human, but their brains lay with their muscles. All had the lower legs built like a cat's. The eldest, Sundyata, was as wild as his name (who meant Hungry Lion). He was as huge as a body builder on steroids. His sandy hair was a wild mess that surrounded his head and shoulders. His eyes were round slits, his ears were of a lion's, and his mouth held an insane amount of sharp teeth. Sand colored hair covered his lower arms and legs and his lower torso. He too had a tail; a lion's tail. His nails of his hands were actually claws. He stood over 7 ft tall and was covered in odd, tan colored tattoos. His younger brother, Gahiji, the hunter, was built like Sundyata, but looked more like a cheetah.
Winda, the one who hurts, was the last of the five. She was tinier, and probably the youngest, but yet their leader.
She was small, nimble, quick, clever, and had no defined cat characteristics. She was the last of the experiments. She was just in the limbo line of feline and human. Winda had a wild mane of brown hair that covered up her very cattish ears. Her face was one of a young woman, but when she opened her mouth it changed. Brown hair fringed the sides of her face, the back and sides of her neck and receded down her body. She was naked but for the fact the hair covered up the necessary parts. Her hands were different. The hand part was elongated a couple more inches then normal so if she crouched down, she could run on all fours without arching her back. She had extractable claws in both her hands and feet. Winda was known for the killing cries. The others just mimicked hers, but you could always tell when it was Winda yowling: it was like a panther howling like a wolf with an eerie echo behind it.
And I was looking at her now.
"Winda..." I said, as if we were in a formal meeting. "What a pleasure." She looked like a crazy Amazon warrior cat lady.
She leapt down from the tree above me to land softly on the ground. "Ah, Lith." She looked over me, with a half hidden curious look. "You look awful dear." You could see her canine's as she talked. "Sorry we had to meet in these circumstances."
We were friends back at the base. We chatted and sometimes got bites to eat together, but she had the mood swings of a pregnant woman: she would be friends with you one day--dear enemies the next. I could see which one she was now.
I shrugged. "Somethings can't be helped."
Winda looked thoughtful. "It could have been if you hadn't ran away." She pointed out.
"Point taken." I sighed and took a big gulp of air. My wounds hurt. "So what are you here for? To take me in or annihilate us?"
"Finally an interesting turn." She folded her arms behind her back. "Well, the Mistress has strictly ordered us to kill everyone but you." She smiled. "Nice, huh? You were always a formidable opponent, and I have to admit that I did look up to you. I was quite glad that I didn't have to kill you."
My blood ran cold.
Winda smirked. Her night blue eyes flashed. "You think we killed them? Not to fear dear; their blood isn't on our hands." She paused dramatically as I sighed with relief, "But it might be on the Haprie girls'."
Oh... no!!! "Those sick! Twisted! Daughters of--!!..." I hissed disgustedly.
Anger suddenly boiled up from the depths of me, cutting off my next sentence as adrenaline coursed my veins and diminished my pains. Some part of my brain told me to take control of the situation, but this new found feeling told me to let go.
It was unheard of a Special to get mad like this--we bottled it and channeled it into fighting energy. Specially for the Elite Specials. We might act mad and taunt, but never did a real rage over come us. That was why we were so good.
I gasped. I couldn't understand myself. My clenched fists unclenched, my breathing started to calm, and I spread out my legs so I was evenly balanced though out my body. A weird calm was sent through my body. One thought passed my consciousness: 'I must not get caught. I must escape. Survive.'
Distantly I heard Winda asking, "Uh, Lith? Are you coming peacefully or not?"
"Try not." I distantly heard myself saying in a soft menacing breath.
I heard when a person goes into a rage, they started seeing red.
I was seeing green.
Winda sounded huffed. "Oh, come on, Lith! The Mistress said not to kill you, but it never meant I couldn't hurt you." She paused, "What's wrong with your eyes?"
The next was all a dream.
I had clenched my hands abruptly, darted forward with a wild war cry, so unlike myself, and nailed Winda in her stomach with a fist, winding her. With a surprising force, she had flew back, the look of surprise written all over her face, and landed 20 ft in a bush.
Two loud growls around me had told me two other Cats were around. I crouched down, growling myself. I was unstoppable, powerful, and a beast myself. Nothing could stop me.
Far off, I heard Darvire yell, "LITH!!!!"
The beast in me turned and started to run with amazing agility towards the cry of help, leaping over bushes, on to tree branches, flying through leaves; repeatedly.
But I was unused to this power and didn't notice three others following me.
I broke out of dense clump of vines, and saw Darvire desperately fighting his own against Sundyata and Gahiji. He was constantly popping in and out of their shadows, landing blows, but the Cats were constantly moving, and landing more hits then he was. He was bleeding from the wounds. He didn't know how to fight these two. Sundyata managed to hit him over the head--accidently--with his tail, and Darvire spun around, unbalanced. The brothers took the advantage and pinned him to the ground with their massive hands.
"You little--!" A familiar voice screeched behind me as she tackled me from behind. We tumbled and rolled, and I ended up with my face planted in the dirt. Two pairs of rough, padded hands nailed my arms to the ground. Hands grabbed my hair and yanked my head upward. I briefly got a look at Winda's feet before a harsh blow landed across my face. A normal humans skull would have shattered on that impact; mine only smarted painfully. I tasted blood in my mouth. Winda raised my head higher, pulling hair, and straining my neck. "If you ever try pulling something like that on me EVER. AGAIN. I will do more then give you a love tap, you hear me, you wrench?!" She hissed, her breath smelt of raw meat. She dropped my head. I heard her order the other two cats, father and son, not to let me get away.
"I'm going to deal with the... thing."
I gasped a lung full of dirt.
Darvire! My self thought through to the beast outside of me. A sudden wave of rage and strength coursed through me. I got my legs underneath me, swung my arms, twisting my body upwards, spinning the Cats off my me. They went crashing into trees.
I started towards Darvire and Winda, as she walked casually towards him. She slowly drew out her long claws in one hand. Looking over her shoulder, she looked back at me with an amuzed face.
But the other two tumbled in front of me, blocking my path.
I tensed my mucles and tried to jump over the two, but they reacted too quickly, jumping up to catch my feet and slam me into the ground. My head cracked against a rock.
NO!!!!!! NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rage boiled, but it could do nothing as Winda stood over Darvire, poised, hand raised, poised for the perfect kill...
