Kraken sat on the dock at the bottom of the steep hill that Austice had built itself into, and gazed out at the docks before him while remaining perfectly still- not even a whisker twitched. Scrappy Carl yowled obscenities at him from the stern of the Zinferan merchant ship that was on its way back to its homeland.

‘That’s one problem taken care of’ the kitten thought to himself blithely as he watched the ship grow smaller in the distance. Once he was certain the boat was well and truly underway, he turned around and saw Fat Tony, sitting side-by-side with Sylvia watching him.

“Well played kit. Scrappy was gettin’ pretty puffed lately. Caught him the other night swappin’ paws with Popkins Perkins, and I’m not interested in starting a turf war just yet.” Tony lumbered his way towards the black kitten that was already the same height as Tony, though not the same girth.

“You’re growin’ pretty quick. That have somethin’ to do with bein’ a familiah or are you just gonna be one of them big cats?” Fat Tony demanded appraisingly.

“I think I’m just a big cat. My dad said he was part wild cat? At least I think he did. I was too young to be pulled from the litter so my memories are hazy.”

“Why were you pulled early?” Sylvia purred with genuine interest.

“Tavern keeper found us in his alley and drowned everyone but my brother and myself- my mum had hid us real good. Random man found us and gave me to a woman who gave me to my witch. ”

“Damn pity when that happens.” Fat Tony let out a small snort. “So listen kit, if you want to be my new runner, you gotta train with Paws first.”

Fat Tony turned and began to amble back up the dock towards land, weaving in and out of the regular dock traffic with ease despite being the approximate shape and weight of a pumpkin.

“I don’t know of Paws. What will he teach me?” Kraken asked as Sylvia shot him a flirtatious blink on his right.

“Paws is the master of stealth, subtlety, scrapping, and even human seduction.”

Kraken’s quick steps faltered as he stared in alarm at the orange tabby who had stopped to catch his breath gratefully on the cobblestones of Austice’s main road.

“Human seduction?!” Kraken could not hide his disgust.

“Keep your scruff on kit. He just teaches how to make any human like you.”

Kraken let out a yawn, and sat down feeling significantly more at ease.

“Oh that’s easy. Endear yourself to the human females and their kittens. The males unconsciously wish to protect their females and offspring, and don’t like tearing a companion from them.” Kraken explained, while casually glancing around at the many dirty trousers and skirts that swept by the trio of cats.

“That don’t always work, kit. Take it from a seasoned vet.” Tony cautioned casually.

Having regained his wind, Tony began trotting further west down the road along the Alcide Sea, making Kraken glance around all the more skittishly as he noticed the human folk growing dirtier and stranger. Some babbled to themselves, some shouted obscenities, some were half exposed on the streets.

Fat Tony made a turn and suddenly the three cats were moving back uphill. Though the narrow alley did eventually widen, and the homes gradually became nicer, Kraken still found his ears twitching at any small sound.

Eventually they found themselves outside of a home that was connected in a row with others, with a faded chipped green sign hanging above its door that was made illegible by the ravages of time.

“When someone asks why you’re there, just say Tony sent you. If Paws wants payment, tell him I got the fish for Tuesday.”

To say Kraken was apprehensive would’ve been an understatement.

The familiar could feel every one of his long silky hairs wanting to stand on end, but he fought it off. He had earned his promotion. He had to see it through.

It wasn’t every cat that sought out a gang, but he knew his witch better than the human knew himself. Fin was more involved in politics than he realized, and Kraken was not going to let the fluff-head fail. The familiar wanted his own cats to command, to find those enemy humans that were hiding in the city, and to alert his witch to their presence as quickly as possible.

Kraken pawed only once at the chipped and worn door that had probably, at one point, been painted the same green as the decrepit sign, and mewed. He waited, then repeated the action, until he found himself doing it over and over in rapid succession.

At long last the door swung open, and an elderly woman who very clearly was lacking in her vision leaned out of a shadowed house and peered around blindly.

Darting between her legs into the musky dankness of her home without a second thought, Kraken tried to put his apprehension behind. However, when the smells hit his silky black nose, the could tell there were fifteen cats just on the main floor of the house.

Some were trying to make kittens, some were grooming, some were sleeping, but none were Paws.

How he knew this, Kraken had no idea. Slowly he made his way over to a narrow set of stairs that led up to the second floor. He had to mind his paws on dusty, sticky steps as they creaked under his soft footfalls that threatened to cave at any moment. As he climbed, he passed many questionable scenes and smells that he didn’t wish to commit to memory. The small cramped house had stained wooden floors and furniture. Shredded curtains, the smell of burnt food…

Kraken felt sorry for the human that lived there.

None of the other cats seemed to care that they were making the being that provided them food and shelter live in absolute squalor. The familiar was already not thinking highly of Paws as he reached the top of the stairs.

For some reason, his instincts told him to head to the room at the end of the narrow hallway to the left.

He was almost in front of the scratched up door when three cats burst out of the room hissing and growling at each other.

The two that came out last seemed to be fighting as a team. One had funny black spots on his gray fur, while the other was a snowy white, fluffy male.

The one they ushered out was a snarling female calico.

“LET ME TALK TO HIM! STOP THAT- I WILL FUR YOU UP IF YOU DO NOT RELEASE ME! LET ME IN!” She screamed outraged as the two cats that forced her out of the room.

When the fine aged female noticed Kraken watching her unseemly behavior, she gave a courtesy hiss before darting down the stairs swearing her revenge, urine leaking from her as she went.

The two thugs turned to Kraken, their backs already beginning to arch.

“Fat Tony sent me. I’m here for training.”

The duo stared at each other briefly before turning with low growls back towards the room.

Whatever Kraken had been expecting after witnessing the sty from downstairs, it wasn’t this.

The room had wooden crates stacked to create a ledge around the entire room, with a thick carpet underneath his paws. Bowls sat atop the bar filled with mysterious liquids. Some had strange leaves floating in their depths, others a fish eyeball.

There were a series of candles lit around the room casting hazy illumination, and as Kraken regarded the scenery, he couldn’t help but notice the purrs and chirps die down to complete quiet as they all rested their gleaming eyes and whiskers on him.

“What can I get for you?” A tabby cat missing his left eye sat behind the crate. Kraken quickly realized that he was the only one that would be allowed on that side. Stepping closer cautiously, while also painfully aware that he was still being watched, he leaned closer to the tabby.

“I’m here to see Paws. Fat Tony sent me.” Kraken chirped quietly while also growing tired of repeating himself.

Before the tabby could answer, a low purr rumbled through the crowd.

“A new runner for the gang?”

Kraken’s head pivoted and his eyes locked on a cat that was black from his shoulders down to his tail, but had a snowy white face save for two strange triangles and a dot by his throat.

“I am. I’m Scrappy Carl’s replacement.” Kraken announced hoping that this would help the news spread.

“I see. Well come here, let’s have a purr hm?” The mysterious cata nnounced in sultry tones.

By the time Kraken reached the side of Paws, everyone had resumed what they’d been doing before.

“I’m Kraken.” The familiar greeted briefly.

Paws nodded slightly as he used his tail to gently swirl the bowl in front of him, that had a particularly delicious looking fish eye.

“Paws. James Paws. Though it would seem you’ve already heard of me.” The feline gently lapped his bowl, all the while keeping his bright green eyes locked on the kit beside him.

“I only just heard about you this morning.”

“I see. Well, do you think you got the claws to train with me then?”

There was a rumble of amusement in the cat’s eye that made Kraken suddenly second guess himself. He couldn’t understand what exactly about James Paws had made him aware of an underlying danger, but he found himself dwelling over it with trepidation. He knew though, that regardless of what was before him, he would do anything to ensure his effectiveness for when his witch eventually needed him.

“I do.”

“Very well then.” Paws straightened from his bowl and the tabby from earlier limped over.

“Would you care for some treats, Paws?”|

“Why not. Shaken before poured if you wouldn’t mind Brolly.”

The tabby bowed his head behind the crates and produced a small burlap sack of dried meat that he shook, making every cat’s head in the vicinity swivel over once again.

With surprising agility, Brolly managed to send a few of the treats skittering out onto the crate that Paws sat upon. The cat deftly snapped up the treats so quickly that Kraken almost thought that they had fallen through the slats to the floor.

His nose told him otherwise.

“Shall we begin?” Paws gave him a half smirk at the young kit’s astonished face, but Kraken blinked, and nodded.

Paws was going to be an interesting teacher, he could tell.

***

Fin stood with his hands on his hips staring at the barracks, while refusing to be the one to break the silence. After a very stressful meeting regarding Mr. Thoel’s fate, he had needed this.

“Captain, could you please repeat that?” Mage Lee was still confused at what Antonio had been insinuating. Fin had guessed all too easily having recalled certain details of the night that was to never be discussed in public.

“The tenth fountain… my men found it in the barracks.” The Captain cleared his throat while glancing around nervously to ensure none of the Knights had left dinner early.

“That makes no sense! How could a fountain possibly-”

“Mage Lee… do you remember what happened when I challenged you to make that tenth fountain while we were all lounging in the ninth fountain?” Fin asked, pinching the bridge of his nose and trying desperately not to burst out laughing.

“I told you,” Mage Lee cleared his throat uncomfortably as he started. “I told you I was the Green Man, so of course I could make a tiny fountain, then I said I needed to relieve myself and the Captain said the barracks were nearest if I needed to use the facilities-”

The mage’s eyes suddenly grew round as the full extent of his memory flexed. His mouth hung agape, and Fin couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He roared in laughter, not caring who heard him.

“My men are quite fond of the new fountain in the… garderobe. No need to move it.” The Captain was looking to the rosy horizon in the distance as he tried not to display any emotion.

Fin was in the process of wiping his eyes when he straightened, and turned to face the mage who had turned a beautiful shade of vermillion.

“I’ll give you this, you mages sure can make things fun.”

Still chuckling to himself, Fin thrust his hands into his pockets and began striding back towards his kitchen while shaking his head.

Dusk was embracing the warmed Earth, with a blush along the horizon and bright stars beginning to awaken above.

As he walked in the silence, his smile slowly faded from his face, and Annika once again appeared in his mind. He hadn’t had to think about her for a few hours, but it made her reappearance all the more forceful as he looked toward his night with resigned dread.

The cook had the feeling that sleep was once again not going to be forthcoming.

*

Fin was in the process of pounding the dough on his table, the sky outside still threatening but not delivering rain, when Ruby entered the kitchen.

She took one look at Fin’s pale yet determined face, then at the dough on the table he was brutalizing, and guessed that he was not in a fit mood to begin with.

“Mr. Ashowan, with the absence of Peter you will be needing another aide. I have selected one of the maids who, as your preferences dictate, has clean hands and nails. She has already been sent to your aides outside, though I must ask what you intend to do when it rains?” She had meant to keep the greeting short, but as it often did, it got ahead of her.

Fin stopped his merciless thrusts against the dough, but didn’t turn around.

“Very well. I will introduce myself when they come in. Should it rain I will either erect a tent for them or allow them in here depending on how the lunch preparations come along.” He resumed his work but Ruby couldn’t withhold her astonishment and annoyance.

“Honestly! What in the world is so bad about them working in here with you? I daresay this room is-”

Fin turned around, and fixed his weary flat gaze on her. Ruby then saw the dark circles under his eyes, and stopped herself.

“A discussion for another day,” she ground out irritably as she then turned and slammed the door behind her.

Pounding his hand on the dough one final time, Fin magicked the bread into the nearby oiled bowl, and the tea towel to lay over top. He then opened and slammed his oven door shut with great gusto. He had pulled out the roast with its vegetables and apples simmering in its juices with enough force to make the dish slosh on his arm and burn him. He cursed tightly, clenched his fists, then took a steadying breath.

He had just picked up his knife when he felt it.

Terror. Pain. Danger.

Someone was in trouble, and they weren’t far away.