Post by Shortee on Nov 19, 2017 20:52:23 GMT -5
Captain's Tale
Captain: A small she-cat that is mostly gray in color, but has white on her paws, underbelly, muzzle and tail tip. She has light blue eyes. Captain is a leader, but is outspoken as well as curious. More than anything she enjoys fighting and will show no mercy when engaged in a battle.
This story is based on what happens in the game of Cattails, and is being created by Shortee and ✞~Spottedleaf~✞
Prologue
Captain had always been a wild cat. She had never experienced the luxury of living with humans, but living in the forest had only made her stronger. Or at least, that's what she keeps telling herself. On a seemingly uneventful summer afternoon, Captain was hunting. She was stalking a squirrel and if she could catch it, she wouldn't have to worry for the rest of the day. Just as she was about to pounce, Captain saw something out of the corner of her eye: crimson fur. When she was about to go and inspect the spot where she had seen the red fur, a fox dashed out of the brambles, straight for her. Dread washed over her like an ocean wave, but there was no way Captain was running from this fight. Instead, she got into a crouch, and jumped at the fox. They fought for a long while, but Captain had somehow managed to drive the fox away. She paid a cost too, however, for she was greatly injured. In a daze, Captain walked and walked along a road in the middle of the night, until finally, she collapsed under an oak tree, blood slowly dripping from her wounds.
Chapter One: A Fresh Start
Captain opened her eyes to a cat with black and white fur. Surprised, Captain jumped up and hissed at the stranger. Quickly, the stranger explained himself as Coco and that he was no threat. Narrowing her eyes, she continued to let him speak. According to his story, he found her on the side of the road, unconscious and bleeding from multiple wounds. "It was nothing serious," he said to her "I just put some goldenseal on them and it seemed to have helped." Captain glanced back and found that her pelt was covered in green poultices. Captain thanked him to be polite (and also to try to get him to go away) but she knew she would have been fine on her own. Coco continued talking and even convinced her to let him teach her hunting techniques, how to forage, and how to spar. Captain insisted she knew what she was doing, but he simply wouldn't let it go. She spent the afternoon learning from him, and even though she wouldn't admit it, she did manage to pick up a few tricks from him. To end off his "session" Coco explained the different Colonies to Captain. She was about to tell him "no" when he began explaining the Mountain Domain. They were fighters and cared about their territory. Captain's ears pricked at this, and she immediately asked Coco to take her there. It took them the rest of the evening, but they finally made it to the Mountain Domain. She entered a medium sized cave. This is my home now and she could not be more excited.
The next morning, Captain woke early and stretched. Her body was sore from the scratches, but it wasn't unbearable. Captain sat up and cleaned her pelt as quickly as she could, she had to look presentable of course. After she was done, Captain left her den, only to be met by a gray and black tom. He hastily introduced himself, "Coco told me someone new had come by. My name is Leo and I am the leader of the Mountain Domain. It is your duty to introduce yourself to the other cats of the colony." Captain nodded her head and moved around him, slowly making her way to a small she-cat. He's the leader, and it's your duty to be loyal to the Mountain Domain now. He'll have greater respect for you soon, you simply need to work harder. Captain did respect Leo because of his position, but did he have to boss her around? She soon met with the small she-cat, who she found was the town's healer, Luna. How can a cat have such little confidence? Captain thought as she finished her introduction with Luna. Moving on, she met Jag next, the town guard. He told her not to get into trouble, and after they met, Captain felt the sudden need to impress him. He almost seemed to be challenging her. Her next meeting interested her greatly. Arthur introduced himself, and Captain had great respect for him already. He talked with such pride for the Mountain Domain, and spoke as if he would die for his home. Captain felt safe around him, but she continued on to Robin, a calico she cat with a simply sweet personality. Captain felt the strange sense that she would protect Robin with her life if she had to. Who knew you could feel so many emotions in one day? Captain thought to herself. She moved on to Delta, the shop keeper. Delta was friendly enough, and Captain knew she and Delta would be friends one day, but it would be further in the future. Finally she met Pebble. He seemed kind, but he was blunt. Could there be something more to this tom?
Now that Captain had introduced herself, she decided to do some hunting. She had to be prepared after all. Exiting the camp to the left, she went to the North Plains. There, she caught a rabbit and a squirrel. She went further down to the River Corner, where she found a pink flower plant. I wonder what this does. Maybe Robin would like it. Captain saw a flicker in the water. She got very close to the river, her curiosity taking over, but was deceived by the waters. They swept her away with the swift currents. The currents were so swift she could not keep above water. She nearly drowned, but luckily Luna pulled her out in time. However, the next thing she remembered after trying to fight the current is waking up in the camp. Luna said to her "Finally, you're awake. You were in bad shape when I found you, but you should be better now. Oh, and I think you may have dropped some stuff." My prey! Captain thought hungrily. Without even thanking Luna, who didn't seem to care anyways, Captain went the opposite way she went before to the woods. She made some more catches luckily, and ate just enough to fill herself. She would save the rest of her prey for later. And she even found more of that pink flowering plant for Robin and Pebble. Just as she was about to head back to camp, Captain remembered something Coco told her. He said "There are territorial battles you can participate in every day for political persuasion" Taking a deep breath, Captain could see in the distance a great amount of cats. She headed towards them, thinking I can prove myself with a victory. As she got closer, Captain began to run. She raced into battle, skillfully swiping at her enemies and tactically dodging their moves. Before she knew it, she had chased away three cats and gained nine mews. What she hadn't realized, however, was that her own colony cats had been chased away. She was greatly out numbered now and was forced to retreat. Captain made her paws run faster than they ever had before, and she was back at camp before she knew it. Keeping her head high, and not speaking to anyone, Captain swiftly went into her den. She curled up in her nest and fell asleep almost automatically.
Chapter Two: Trying Again
Captain woke up to the soft sound of rain hitting against her den. Everything was blurry for a moment and she tried to blink away sleep. As everything cleared, Captain realized her den was a mess. Sighing, she made herself get up from her soft, welcoming nest, and went to work. Her whole body hurt. Her muscles were sore from trying to fight the waves of the river, her claws hurt from over using them, and she had too many scratches to count. After awhile of organizing, her den looked perfect. Well, perfect to her at least. Captain's den may look cluttered to some, but it was great for her. She glanced around her den once more, making sure everything was in order, before going out into the Colony again.
Chapter Two: Trying Again
Captain woke up to the soft sound of rain hitting against her den. Everything was blurry for a moment and she tried to blink away sleep. As everything cleared, Captain realized her den was a mess. Sighing, she made herself get up from her soft, welcoming nest, and went to work. Her whole body hurt. Her muscles were sore from trying to fight the waves of the river, her claws hurt from over using them, and she had too many scratches to count. After awhile of organizing, her den looked perfect. Well, perfect to her at least. Captain's den may look cluttered to some, but it was great for her. She glanced around her den once more, making sure everything was in order, before going out into the Colony again.
Peaking her head outside, the rain was now lightly dropping from the sky. Oh, and Coco was there too. "Coco?" Captain said, "What are you doing here?" Coco looked somewhat worried and said "Hi Captain. How are you today? Listen, there's something I want you to see. Something tells me you could help me with it. Maybe you can restore the balance. If you get a free moment, you should come to to the Sacred Temple. It's right in the middle of the wilderness. I'll meet you there." And with that, Coco vanished in a cloud of blue and white. Captain blinked. She didn't have time for his games! Whatever he wanted would have to wait. Making a small huffing noise, Captain made her way around the Mountain Domain as quickly as possible. She greeted everyone with a smile, especially Arthur and Robin, who were already becoming her great friends.
Captain decided it was time to start her day. She left her home and went into the wilderness. She spent the afternoon hunting and foraging. Not only were these items for herself, but she was able to find gifts for some of the Mountain Domain members. Captain tried to keep the Sacred Temple out of her thoughts, but it kept coming back. What if there was something important there? What if I'm really needed? But every time these thoughts came to her, Captain would just shake her head and keep looking for mice and rabbits, though this proved more difficult because of the rain.
As thoughts of Coco still kept coming and coming, Captain finally found something to distract her. A daily battle. Without hesitating, she ran into the mass amount of cats, distinguishing them only by their scents. She struck at every Forest cat she saw, but once again, her fellow Mountain cats were all chased away. The remaining cats began to close in on her, already knowing they had won. Captain stared at them a moment before turning around and fleeing. She heard paw steps behind her and looked back. They were right behind her! Panic overwhelmed her as she felt the teeth of a cat barely miss her tail. Looking over her shoulder again, she kept running. Captain locked eyes with a brown tom, his blue eyes filled with excitement. Captain couldn't look away, and suddenly, the terrain had stopped her. She had ran into a rock, and it had cracked open completely, revealing a Power Paw. Captain scrambled back up after falling and took the Power Paw without hesitating. Her health had been restored, all scratches were gone, and she felt stronger. The Forest cats were to shocked to continue chasing, and Captain made it home with her prey and herbs looking as though she was the strongest cat in the Mountain Domain. She felt like it, too.
Chapter Three: Courage
Captain woke up to another sunny day. She began her morning like she did every morning. She stretched, groomed herself, and then left her den to say “good morning” to everyone. The grey and white she cat had a reputation to build with her new home, after all. She went to Luna, then Jag, and then Arthur. As soon as he saw her coming, he gave her a smile and said "Honor above all. That is the way of the knights of the Mountain Domain, Captain. We must ensure that we are living faultless lives so that we may righteously lead our domain to glory.” Captain paused for a moment, taking his statement to heart.
Captain continued to Robin, who greeted her with a caring thought, "Have you been fitting in alright around here? I hope so. A lot of the cats think that the Mountain Domain is rigid or inhospitable, but I've found it to be quite the opposite. I think you'll agree after you live here long enough. Make sure you get to know everyone here, ok? They're good cats. Even Jag." Captain chuckled and replied “Of course I’m fine, Robin! No need to worry about me. And I’ve been making friends.” She flicked her tail in a friendly way and moved on, feeling Robin’s stare on her pelt. Captain said hello to Delta and Leo. As she went on her way to hunt, Captain thought about what Robin said. Was she fitting in? Was she making friends? She thought so, or at least hoped so. Trying to clear her head, Captain hunted. She was improving from her time in the Mountain Domain.
As Captain climbed up a small hill, she could see another border skirmish taking place. She hadn’t been fighting as well as she wanted, and was a bit apprehensive about participating in the battle. After a quick moment, Captain took a deep breath and raced over to help her fellow Mountain cats. If she wanted to fit in, she needed to help with anything and everything. As she tumbled into the mass of cats, Captain recognized the scent of the Forest Colony. Not them again! She felt her claws snagging the pelt of those Forest cats, and couldn’t help but smile slightly as she saw fur flying in the air. Before she knew it, she could only see Mountain cats left. Accidentally speaking out loud, Captain muttered “We won?” She looked up as she heard a chuckle. Her eyes met those of an orange tabby tom with amber eyes. “It seems you’re getting the hang of it, Captain.” He nodded to her, and then took his patrol elsewhere.
Captain looked around at the scene where the small fight had taken place. A little bit of blood had stained the grass, and clumps of fur were littering the ground. It was almost hard to believe that seconds ago, more than ten cats had been there. As Captain gazed at her territory, she saw a green, leafy plant. She walked over to it and let its scent reach her nose. It smelled amazing! She quickly plucked it from its place and put it away. She would have to ask someone, perhaps Luna, what it was. Captain felt like it was a bit of a reward for what she had done today. Moving on, she smiled to herself, until she heard the screeching of battling cats once again.
Chapter Four: Fitting In
Captain saw Mountain cats run away, one by one, from three Forest Colony cats. From where she was standing, she could tell they were males, very large ones too. They were sitting there, triumphant, probably ready to go on home and brag to their friends. All at once, emotions of fury and confidence blossomed inside her. Captain felt her paws leave the ground as she ran over to them, calling a battle cry on the way. Startled, the toms turned towards her, clearly confused. With that, the battle of a naïve Captain and three burly toms began. She ran at them, clawed, and then ran away. I guess these guys are used to cats running and not coming back. Each time Captain ran away, the males became even more confused than they already were. They kind of just stood there, in a daze, fumbling to claw their opponent and she darted back and forth. After she did this more time than she could count, the Forest cats ran away, scratches everywhere, still completely unsure of what just happened. Captain was breathing heavily, but couldn’t help but think that wasn’t bad for one day, as she walked back to her cave and fell into a peaceful sleep.
Captain woke up early the next day, and started her day exactly how she did yesterday. Eventually she made her way to Jag, who surprised her with saying "Huh? What's the big idea? Would you mind standing somewhere else? I'm trying to keep my eyes on the horizon. It's hard to tell if enemy cats are approaching if I'm being pestered all the time!" Captain was about to reply with a snarky remark, but then thought about it. Maybe Jag is just in a bad mood. Or maybe he’s on edge about the Forest Colony. So, Captain simply shrugged and went to Arthur, “Hey Arthur! What’s up?” Captain had begun to really enjoy her visits with Arthur and Robin, finding herself to be looking forward to it every morning. “It is plain to see that thou hast some strength of paw.” He replied, “Perhaps one day soon we shall fight together against our sworn enemies to the south.” Captain beamed at this, her blue eyes absolutely shining, “Of course! We’ll shred those Forest cats!” Laughing, she said hello to Robin and all of the others. When she got to Leo however, she was slightly nervous. “Good morning, Leo.” She dipped her head, but was confused at his somewhat distracted reply, "What news from the borders? Have you been south recently?" Captain shook her head, “No, but towards the west the Forest Colony-“Leo had already walked away. Scowling, Captain spent the rest of her day in a foul mood, hunting and doing nothing else.
Captain jumped when she heard thunder. She was having the best dream, too! She was just about to claw the ears off of a Forest cat. Groaning, she looked outside and saw rain crashing onto the rocky ground. I won’t find any prey today, and who wants to fight in the rain? Shrugging to herself, Captain decided she would finally go and see Coco. The grass was all wet from the rain, and it was disgusting. Does the Mystic Colony have to deal with this every day? Shuddering, she was glad to finally reach the steps of the Sacred Temple. She was about to find Coco when she saw a paw carved into the stone of the Sacred Temple. Putting her own paw in it, she waited for something to happen, but nothing did. Curiosity taking over, Captain looked for more paw prints. She was able to find one in each corner of the temple, and when she put her paw in the last one, she heard a little ‘ding.’ Looking behind her, Captain’s blue eyes widened at the sight of another Power Paw. She slowly walked over to it, and once she reached it, put her nose to it. It disappeared, and she felt strength flood inside her. It was late now, and Captain silently apologized to Coco as she headed home. I’ll go tomorrow.
Captain decided it was time to start her day. She left her home and went into the wilderness. She spent the afternoon hunting and foraging. Not only were these items for herself, but she was able to find gifts for some of the Mountain Domain members. Captain tried to keep the Sacred Temple out of her thoughts, but it kept coming back. What if there was something important there? What if I'm really needed? But every time these thoughts came to her, Captain would just shake her head and keep looking for mice and rabbits, though this proved more difficult because of the rain.
As thoughts of Coco still kept coming and coming, Captain finally found something to distract her. A daily battle. Without hesitating, she ran into the mass amount of cats, distinguishing them only by their scents. She struck at every Forest cat she saw, but once again, her fellow Mountain cats were all chased away. The remaining cats began to close in on her, already knowing they had won. Captain stared at them a moment before turning around and fleeing. She heard paw steps behind her and looked back. They were right behind her! Panic overwhelmed her as she felt the teeth of a cat barely miss her tail. Looking over her shoulder again, she kept running. Captain locked eyes with a brown tom, his blue eyes filled with excitement. Captain couldn't look away, and suddenly, the terrain had stopped her. She had ran into a rock, and it had cracked open completely, revealing a Power Paw. Captain scrambled back up after falling and took the Power Paw without hesitating. Her health had been restored, all scratches were gone, and she felt stronger. The Forest cats were to shocked to continue chasing, and Captain made it home with her prey and herbs looking as though she was the strongest cat in the Mountain Domain. She felt like it, too.
Chapter Three: Courage
Captain woke up to another sunny day. She began her morning like she did every morning. She stretched, groomed herself, and then left her den to say “good morning” to everyone. The grey and white she cat had a reputation to build with her new home, after all. She went to Luna, then Jag, and then Arthur. As soon as he saw her coming, he gave her a smile and said "Honor above all. That is the way of the knights of the Mountain Domain, Captain. We must ensure that we are living faultless lives so that we may righteously lead our domain to glory.” Captain paused for a moment, taking his statement to heart.
Captain continued to Robin, who greeted her with a caring thought, "Have you been fitting in alright around here? I hope so. A lot of the cats think that the Mountain Domain is rigid or inhospitable, but I've found it to be quite the opposite. I think you'll agree after you live here long enough. Make sure you get to know everyone here, ok? They're good cats. Even Jag." Captain chuckled and replied “Of course I’m fine, Robin! No need to worry about me. And I’ve been making friends.” She flicked her tail in a friendly way and moved on, feeling Robin’s stare on her pelt. Captain said hello to Delta and Leo. As she went on her way to hunt, Captain thought about what Robin said. Was she fitting in? Was she making friends? She thought so, or at least hoped so. Trying to clear her head, Captain hunted. She was improving from her time in the Mountain Domain.
As Captain climbed up a small hill, she could see another border skirmish taking place. She hadn’t been fighting as well as she wanted, and was a bit apprehensive about participating in the battle. After a quick moment, Captain took a deep breath and raced over to help her fellow Mountain cats. If she wanted to fit in, she needed to help with anything and everything. As she tumbled into the mass of cats, Captain recognized the scent of the Forest Colony. Not them again! She felt her claws snagging the pelt of those Forest cats, and couldn’t help but smile slightly as she saw fur flying in the air. Before she knew it, she could only see Mountain cats left. Accidentally speaking out loud, Captain muttered “We won?” She looked up as she heard a chuckle. Her eyes met those of an orange tabby tom with amber eyes. “It seems you’re getting the hang of it, Captain.” He nodded to her, and then took his patrol elsewhere.
Captain looked around at the scene where the small fight had taken place. A little bit of blood had stained the grass, and clumps of fur were littering the ground. It was almost hard to believe that seconds ago, more than ten cats had been there. As Captain gazed at her territory, she saw a green, leafy plant. She walked over to it and let its scent reach her nose. It smelled amazing! She quickly plucked it from its place and put it away. She would have to ask someone, perhaps Luna, what it was. Captain felt like it was a bit of a reward for what she had done today. Moving on, she smiled to herself, until she heard the screeching of battling cats once again.
Chapter Four: Fitting In
Captain saw Mountain cats run away, one by one, from three Forest Colony cats. From where she was standing, she could tell they were males, very large ones too. They were sitting there, triumphant, probably ready to go on home and brag to their friends. All at once, emotions of fury and confidence blossomed inside her. Captain felt her paws leave the ground as she ran over to them, calling a battle cry on the way. Startled, the toms turned towards her, clearly confused. With that, the battle of a naïve Captain and three burly toms began. She ran at them, clawed, and then ran away. I guess these guys are used to cats running and not coming back. Each time Captain ran away, the males became even more confused than they already were. They kind of just stood there, in a daze, fumbling to claw their opponent and she darted back and forth. After she did this more time than she could count, the Forest cats ran away, scratches everywhere, still completely unsure of what just happened. Captain was breathing heavily, but couldn’t help but think that wasn’t bad for one day, as she walked back to her cave and fell into a peaceful sleep.
Captain woke up early the next day, and started her day exactly how she did yesterday. Eventually she made her way to Jag, who surprised her with saying "Huh? What's the big idea? Would you mind standing somewhere else? I'm trying to keep my eyes on the horizon. It's hard to tell if enemy cats are approaching if I'm being pestered all the time!" Captain was about to reply with a snarky remark, but then thought about it. Maybe Jag is just in a bad mood. Or maybe he’s on edge about the Forest Colony. So, Captain simply shrugged and went to Arthur, “Hey Arthur! What’s up?” Captain had begun to really enjoy her visits with Arthur and Robin, finding herself to be looking forward to it every morning. “It is plain to see that thou hast some strength of paw.” He replied, “Perhaps one day soon we shall fight together against our sworn enemies to the south.” Captain beamed at this, her blue eyes absolutely shining, “Of course! We’ll shred those Forest cats!” Laughing, she said hello to Robin and all of the others. When she got to Leo however, she was slightly nervous. “Good morning, Leo.” She dipped her head, but was confused at his somewhat distracted reply, "What news from the borders? Have you been south recently?" Captain shook her head, “No, but towards the west the Forest Colony-“Leo had already walked away. Scowling, Captain spent the rest of her day in a foul mood, hunting and doing nothing else.
Captain jumped when she heard thunder. She was having the best dream, too! She was just about to claw the ears off of a Forest cat. Groaning, she looked outside and saw rain crashing onto the rocky ground. I won’t find any prey today, and who wants to fight in the rain? Shrugging to herself, Captain decided she would finally go and see Coco. The grass was all wet from the rain, and it was disgusting. Does the Mystic Colony have to deal with this every day? Shuddering, she was glad to finally reach the steps of the Sacred Temple. She was about to find Coco when she saw a paw carved into the stone of the Sacred Temple. Putting her own paw in it, she waited for something to happen, but nothing did. Curiosity taking over, Captain looked for more paw prints. She was able to find one in each corner of the temple, and when she put her paw in the last one, she heard a little ‘ding.’ Looking behind her, Captain’s blue eyes widened at the sight of another Power Paw. She slowly walked over to it, and once she reached it, put her nose to it. It disappeared, and she felt strength flood inside her. It was late now, and Captain silently apologized to Coco as she headed home. I’ll go tomorrow.
Chapter Five: The Sacred Temple
Captain woke up and found that the sun was shining again, a perfect day to travel. As soon as she could, she started to go to the Sacred Temple. On her way there, she couldn’t help but admire the new and dry landscape. As she went by the river, she saw something move. Instinctively, she pounced at it, and ended up with a slimy fish in her jaws. Disgusted by it, but also very hungry, she quickly ate it. Wishing she had never done so, she continued on.
As soon as she put her paws on the white steps of the temple, she heard Coco say, “You're here. Good. Now, we just have to make sure there's no one else around... Ok, looks like we're all alone. I'm about to show you a place I've never shown anyone else. I think you may be able to help me. Follow me, Captain. Down into the Temple Ruins!" Skeptical about all of this, she slowly followed him down some steps.
He continued, “Well, this is it. The Temple Ruins. Pretty neat, isn't it? This is where I live. I don't let most cats in here, but I've made an exception for you. I don't know why, but it's like something inside me is telling me that you can help me with a small... problem... that I'm having. You see, I'm not the only one that lives here. These ruins are also the residence of a kindly nature spirit. The Forest Guardian watches over all the wilds and maintains the balance between all living things. But now the Forest Guardian is gone. Disappeared. Vanished. One day the guardian was here, the next day the guardian wasn't. The balance is broken. That's the last thing they said to me before they left. I don't know what to do. Maybe the Forest Guardian is weakening. Maybe it's a test. But I think you might be the solution to this mess. We should bounce some ideas off each other... There's an old prophecy about the Arcane Pillars that line the halls of the Temple Ruins. You can find them all around this room. They look like dark standing stones. The prophecy says that the Pillars have been endowed with some sort of power, but I haven't figured out how to activate them just yet. Maybe you know how? Listen, I know it sounds crazy, but you have to try to get them working for me. Check out the Pillars for me, won't you?”
Captain stared at Coco with an ‘are you serious?’ face. He gave her a look, and she knew she had to do it. She went to her left and was greeted by a tall, gray stone. She looked back at Coco and started to say, “Nothing’s happening! This is just sil- “Suddenly, a bright light momentarily blinded them. Once the glowing was bearable, Coco said, “What did... What did you do?? What do you mean, you don't know? Look at the Arcane Pillar! It's pulsing with light! How odd... It's like it's reacting...to you... Well, this is a step in the right direction! Woah! Do you see those symbols above the pillar? What do you think it means? Maybe the pillar is trying to tell us something... Oh! I have an idea! Maybe you should go and collect all those items, then bring them back to this pillar. That might be enough to activate its power and bring the Forest Guardian back! Maybe try to place the items at the foot of this pillar? That just might work!”
The pillar was asking for one rabbit, one black hare, two squirrels, and three mice. She already had a few of these things, but scowled at the new duty that was weighing on her shoulders. She already had the task to fit in the Mountain Domain, and now she had this! She stomped out of the temple and back home. This was Coco’s problem, not hers. And who even believed in the Forest Guardian anyways? Obviously, she didn’t.
Captain woke up and found that the sun was shining again, a perfect day to travel. As soon as she could, she started to go to the Sacred Temple. On her way there, she couldn’t help but admire the new and dry landscape. As she went by the river, she saw something move. Instinctively, she pounced at it, and ended up with a slimy fish in her jaws. Disgusted by it, but also very hungry, she quickly ate it. Wishing she had never done so, she continued on.
As soon as she put her paws on the white steps of the temple, she heard Coco say, “You're here. Good. Now, we just have to make sure there's no one else around... Ok, looks like we're all alone. I'm about to show you a place I've never shown anyone else. I think you may be able to help me. Follow me, Captain. Down into the Temple Ruins!" Skeptical about all of this, she slowly followed him down some steps.
He continued, “Well, this is it. The Temple Ruins. Pretty neat, isn't it? This is where I live. I don't let most cats in here, but I've made an exception for you. I don't know why, but it's like something inside me is telling me that you can help me with a small... problem... that I'm having. You see, I'm not the only one that lives here. These ruins are also the residence of a kindly nature spirit. The Forest Guardian watches over all the wilds and maintains the balance between all living things. But now the Forest Guardian is gone. Disappeared. Vanished. One day the guardian was here, the next day the guardian wasn't. The balance is broken. That's the last thing they said to me before they left. I don't know what to do. Maybe the Forest Guardian is weakening. Maybe it's a test. But I think you might be the solution to this mess. We should bounce some ideas off each other... There's an old prophecy about the Arcane Pillars that line the halls of the Temple Ruins. You can find them all around this room. They look like dark standing stones. The prophecy says that the Pillars have been endowed with some sort of power, but I haven't figured out how to activate them just yet. Maybe you know how? Listen, I know it sounds crazy, but you have to try to get them working for me. Check out the Pillars for me, won't you?”
Captain stared at Coco with an ‘are you serious?’ face. He gave her a look, and she knew she had to do it. She went to her left and was greeted by a tall, gray stone. She looked back at Coco and started to say, “Nothing’s happening! This is just sil- “Suddenly, a bright light momentarily blinded them. Once the glowing was bearable, Coco said, “What did... What did you do?? What do you mean, you don't know? Look at the Arcane Pillar! It's pulsing with light! How odd... It's like it's reacting...to you... Well, this is a step in the right direction! Woah! Do you see those symbols above the pillar? What do you think it means? Maybe the pillar is trying to tell us something... Oh! I have an idea! Maybe you should go and collect all those items, then bring them back to this pillar. That might be enough to activate its power and bring the Forest Guardian back! Maybe try to place the items at the foot of this pillar? That just might work!”
The pillar was asking for one rabbit, one black hare, two squirrels, and three mice. She already had a few of these things, but scowled at the new duty that was weighing on her shoulders. She already had the task to fit in the Mountain Domain, and now she had this! She stomped out of the temple and back home. This was Coco’s problem, not hers. And who even believed in the Forest Guardian anyways? Obviously, she didn’t.
I hope to update it soon!