- - - - - - - - - - - -
"Did you know that wizards are all given animals to be their familiars?"
"Andel, that's not true," Lori smugly laughed. "You just made that up. Why would wizards waste their time with pets, and what's a familiar, anyway? Seriously, you read too many stories—"
"Seriously? That's weird! Pets are for little kids, I think. I mean, what's a grown man want a pet for, anyway?" Linnie laughed.
"You idiots! Wizards use their familiars, uh, to help with... well, magic stuff."
"Like what?"
"I don't know, I'm not a wizard!"
Lori slapped Andel on the back of the head. "You don't know anything, man. Is it just any animal? Ha... imagine a wizard, and behind him is a big fat cow... or a pig. That's not magical at all, that's just dinner!"
"Yeah, if I was a wizard, I'd definitely just eat my familiar..." Linnie said.
"Hey! I bet even a pig could be a familiar. But I'm pretty sure it's usually a cat... at least, that's the animal the wizard had in the story."
"I don't think I've ever eaten a cat before... wait, actually, I have! Or was that a fox...?
- - - - - - - - - - - -
"Oh, yeah, Andel did tell me about that," Linnie thought.
"Hey guys?" he asked. "I thought all wizards had familiars. How come you don't have one?"
"Familiars?" Alwyn said, looking at Aliza. They both laughed.
"That's something from storybooks, Linnie. Why would wizards burden themselves with a pet? It's not like they can be used for that much."
"What!? Familiars aren't real...?"
"Damn you for lying to me, Andel! This is why you're dead! Was that too far? I'm sorry... please don't haunt me."
"They were kind of real at one point. It's true that wizards can bond with animals to the point where real communication is possible, but, like, what's the point? It became kind of a fad when Alwyn and I were kids, but it's always short-lived. No one wants to take care of a pet, especially a familiar. They always get egos, and become way more demanding than a normal pet."
"Didn't you have a parrot?" Alwyn laughed.
"No, uh, it was a crow. But..."
"Forget it, I don't care!" Linnie said, ending the conversation.
He was quite disappointed. He had even made a vow not to eat it once he got one, but it seemed like he wouldn't be getting a familiar. Maybe he was lonely?
At night, though.
"Meeeow."
"Go... YAAAWWNN... away..."
"Meeeooow!"
The cat swatted at Linnie's face, trying to get him to wake up. He opened his eyes to see the black kitty hovering inches from his face.
"Huh? A cat?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes open. "What're you doing out here?"
"Meow!"
"I'm trying to sleep, alright? Bother someone else, or wait until morning..."
"It's clear the kitty wants me to follow it, but I'm no idiot. Am I curious? Sure I am. But you know what they say... curiosity killed the cat. But I'm not the cat here...? Exactly. That's why I won't give in to my curiosity. I'm a human. Curiosity never killed the human because they never gave in."
He rolled over, closing his eyes again. To his surprise, he actually heard the cat heading towards Alwyn and Aliza. Soon after, though, the footsteps were walking back in his direction.
He rolled over, whispering, "Go away! Shoo! Wait—what are you doing with that!? Put that down!"
The cat held in its mouth Alwyn's brimmed hat.
"Meow...!" it meowed, running off into the darkness of the forest.
Linnie looked around, sighed, and clawed out of his sack. He bolted after the kitty and into the trees, swallowing away any fear he had of the dark.
"I really shouldn't be doing this...!"
He spotted the cat's flicking tail from behind a tree. "C'mere kitty kitty! Come back!" he called out. "Please? Pretty please? Pwease? Pwease come bwack wittle kitt—"
All of a sudden, Linnie lost his footing, falling into the pit. He braced for the impact of the ground, but it never came. The wind didn't stop rushing, and the darkness swallowed him whole. He felt for the sides of this endless pit, but only felt the air around him.
"HEEEYYY!!! HEELLPP!!!!! Help...? Oh, I'm going to die."
Linnie's poncho flapped in the wind, and he got an idea. He slipped it over his head and held the corners in his hands, causing it to blow up into a parachute.
"Aha, I'm a genius!"
Linnie slowly drifted back and forth, falling down the hole. It was pitch black the whole way down, no strange items appearing out of the dark. Linnie, tired as he was, jolted awake every time he nearly let go of the parachute.
It seemed like ages before he finally felt the cold, damp ground hitting his feet.
"Brrrrrr! It's freezing down here," he whispered to himself, slipping back into the poncho. Strangely, it had no effect on his warmth.
He looked around, searching for any sign of where he was or how to escape. Shivering, he walked aimlessly through the dark. After a while, he thought he could see a small bit of light. He headed in the direction he believed it was coming from.
Soon, he could make out a very distant, but clear, source of light. A small rectangle in the distance.
"What is it...?"
He continued walking towards the light, and it became increasingly clear what exactly it was.
"A doorway? Down here!?"
It was ajar, and he grabbed the knob, pushing it all the way open. Once he stepped inside, he closed the door behind him and his shivering was immediately quelled. It was a warm and comforting place, a small bedroom. It had few furnishings or decorations.
A small desk and a wooden chair, a night table, a small circular rug, and a bed. Lying on top of it was the black cat, curled around Alwyn's hat.
"You!" Linnie narrowed his eyes. He jumped at the cat, causing it to yelp. "I'll teach you a le—oh? What's this? Oh!"
Feeling the lump beneath the blanket, he scurried off the bed, falling onto his back, feet in the air. A strange face peeked over the edge of the bed, looking down at him.
"A girl? No... what am I looking at?"
"##### ####### ####? #### ### #####..."
"W-what?"
"##. ## ##### #### ### #### #### ## ####, #### #### # ###. ###, ######### ### ##."
"I don't speak your language, lady! Girl? Shadow-thing? Oh, I'm being offensive right now, aren't I? Alwyn was teaching me about cultural respect... did he mention anything about black people? Wait, no, that's not—damn it, just, why are you so damn dark!? No, wait! That came out super wrong... I meant to ask if you're even human—I'm just digging myself into a deeper hole. I'll stop talking now. Yeah."
"...###."
"It's because she isn't human, meow."
Linnie looked around for a second, trying to figure out where the voice had come from. I suppose it should've been obvious, considering the meow that punctuated the sentence.
"Up here, meow."
"The cat... is speaking," Linnie said in awe. "How...?"
"What do you mean 'meow'? I mean, 'how'? Meow."
"Cats can't speak. They meow. Like you're doing. Only, they can only meow."
"Of course cats can speak. You're speaking right neow, aren't you? Meow."
"But I'm not a cat. I'm a human."
They stared at each other for a moment.
"Oh. That's weird, I forgot."
"### ## ### #####."
"Sorry, sorry. But why're you getting a cat to speak for you? Meow. That's stupid. Meow."
"#### ## ##, ### #### ###."
"Don't call meow dumb. Meow. Linnie, you want to get meowt of here, right? Meow."
"That's right. But why'd you bring me here in the first place? And how d'you know my name?"
"I don't kneow yoor name, and I didn't bring you here, you jumped in the hole all by meourself. Meow."
"Hey, I was chasing you!"
"You didn't have to. Meow."
"You stole Alwyn's hat!"
"Because I neowded you to follow meow."
"Can't you speak normally...?"
"I can't speak at all, meow. I'm a cat."
"Okay... so how do I get out of this place?"
"I don't kneow. Meow."
"## #### #### ### ####."
"Oh. Weow'll take the boat."
"Weow!? That's not even close to meow...!"
"There's a boat down here? Are we in some underwater cave?"
"Something like that. Meow. Weow'll follow the girl."
Linnie had nearly forgotten she was there, sitting and staring. She swung off the bed and started walking towards the door.
"But there's nothing behind there...?"
She pulled the door open, but this time, the other end was a dark beach. Some sand blew inside with the wind, and she stepped outside, motioning for Linnie and the cat to follow her.