Sometimes, the only way out is to trust your gut, even when it feels like it’s playing tricks on you. That constant nagging feeling in the back of your mind, the one that tells you something’s off, even if you can’t quite put your finger on it.
The journey back to my house was a silent one, with Jitters padding alongside me. His tail flicked anxiously, like he was as keyed up as I was. He’d been better company since I had found him than most humans I knew, that’s for sure. It seemed like he got it every time I asked him a question. But then again, you’ve got to phrase the question as a yes-or-no type of query. He could mean ‘meow’ for yes and ‘silence’ for no. Hold on a second. Now I’m talking crazy stuff. No way can animals understand human speech. If he could understand me, I’d be like that guy. What’s his name? The Chicken Whisperer, isn’t it? Anyway, I’d be the first cat whisperer in town, probably in the entire kingdom, or the world.
Sad to say, like all the other cats who had come to the estate, Jitters would see much the same fortune, becoming a present for my sister Alice. I’m sure he’ll like her. Alice loves cats more than I do, and she’ll be a better and more caring owner than I am. I wondered what Alice would choose from her cat’s dress collection to put on him when she came home. The Royal Robe? The Meowtical Unicorn? Hmm... I bet it’s the Fancy Fluffy Dress that fits him best.
An angry hiss.
“What’s the matter with you, pal?” I gazed down.
Silence. Jitters just continued looking ahead while trotting beside me.
After a right turn onto a short path, my small mansion stood out like a bright flame in the twilight. My mind was still discerning the oddities about the upcoming dinner later in the evening. Something was off about it. Maybe it was the way Aiden and Catherine had conversed with each other, and those expressions they had on them. It was like they were going to pull some huge surprise out of the hat later in front of the whole family. Or maybe it was just my imagination running wild again. At any rate, I wasn’t looking forward to it.
“Alfred, just make me something quick,” I said, not caring what he put on the plate. I wasn’t hungry, not really. But eating at least felt kind of normal, something to keep my thoughts from spiraling too much.
“Right away, Master Alex.” Alfred nodded and vanished into the kitchen. I sat down, Jitters watching me with those big, unblinking eyes as if he were trying to tell me something but couldn’t find the words. “What’re you looking at?” I mumbled, picking at my food. “You know something I don’t?”
Jitters blinked, and I sighed. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. I’m going mental again.”
After lunch, I decided to lie down for a bit, which seemed like a good idea. I was planless for the whole afternoon, so why not? Jitters bounced onto the bed, settling beside me. There’s something oddly soothing in his purring, like he’s trying to hypnotize me into a calm sleep. I shut my eyes, hoping to catch a few hours of peace before tonight’s inevitable farce began. But sleep wouldn’t claim me wholly. Thoughts kept galloping hither and thither to some purposeless parts of my mind until, at last, upon only a slight doze, I was confronted roughly by the most unpleasant dream.
The main mansion was on fire. Flames licked at the walls, devouring everything in their path. The crackle of wood as it turned to ash. The searing heat pressing against my skin. The portraits of my ancestors, those stern, judgmental faces, were melting away. Their eyes watched me as they disappeared into the inferno. Dead bodies were strewn all over. One of them looked like Uncle Ned. Well, if the first Stormbourne to die in a household disaster, he would fit the mold. And in the middle of it all, there was Jitters, standing in the center of the blaze, untouched by the roaring fire, looking directly at me with those green eyes of his.
I woke up with a start. Sweat on my forehead. What the hell was that dream? The room was dark, and the sun was setting already. Six o’clock. The dream was mint-fresh in my mind. I just couldn’t brush off the feeling that it was trying to tell me something. I looked at Jitters, who was snoozing away beside me. He appeared unbothered, like nothing in the world could disturb him. Lucky cat.
But I was not so lucky. The feeling in my gut didn’t seem to depart. As for the dream? I didn’t like it one bit. So, I made a decision. I was going to skip the dinner. Who needs to sit through another round of tedious converse and forced smiles? Not me. I was getting out of here. Swinging my legs off the bed, I grabbed my sword and clipped it onto my belt.
“Come on, Jitters,” I said. The little guy only just yawned and rolled over, obviously uninterested. That was strange. He generally followed me everywhere, all the more so when I wanted him to. “Fine, have it your way.”
Before leaving, I went into the kitchen to see if Alfred and Mathilda were preparing something for the evening. “Um, I’m going to town,” I said, trying hard to be casual. “I’ll get some dinner there. So you two go on and eat without me.”
A small line appeared between Alfred’s brows. “Master Alex, are you sure—”
“Sure,” I replied, not wanting to get into it. “Just... do me a favor and don’t wait up.”
Mathilda looked like she wanted to say something too, but she held back and instead just nodded. “Be careful out there, Master Alex.”
“Always.” I grinned, the smile not quite reaching my eyes, and left.
The estate’s main entrance had become my point of exit. The area seemed too quiet. Unusually quiet. Catherine’s soldiers were intermingling with the manor guards. Those escort soldiers were dressed for battle. It just didn’t feel right for them to be on high alert all the time. Normally, they would be resting in the temporary quarters set up for them. What in the world were they expecting? A parade? There, at the gate, were a couple more Silverlion soldiers, yapping with our sentries. They all came to attention as I went by, all except one, who gave me a look that made my skin crawl. It was a withering, hate-filled glance, as though he begrudged me for stepping off the estate.
What was the dude’s deal? I tried to brush it off, but that look stayed with me. Still, I wasn’t about to let some soldier ruin my evening. Off I went on foot, just sauntering along through the streets. I entered a couple of shops, not actually shopping, just trying to burn some time.
The sun had fully set by seven, and the streets were now nearly deserted. The town always seemed different at night, much quieter, more mysterious. Feeling hungry, I found a café and went in to have dinner. Nothing special about it, just an ordinary meal.
As I ate, my thoughts went back to that weird bar, the Chosen One. It had disappeared on me earlier in the day when I’d gone to look for it. It was as though it had never been there at all. Maybe it had some magical reappearing act after dark. You never know. Maybe it did. Funny things I couldn’t explain happened at times in my town, and that bar was one of the oddities.
Around eight, I was on my way. I hoped this time I would be able to find the bar. But as I turned into the supposed alleyway, it was vacant. Again. No sign of the bar. No hint that would suggest its existence at any point. “Figures,” I grumbled, more frustrated than surprised. I turned on my heels and made my way to the Royal Rose instead. It wasn’t my first choice, but it sure beat milling around aimlessly. I was going to put in some time there, maybe have a drink or two, and see where the night took me. The Drunken Stag Tavern was probably still being cleaned up after last night’s brawl, so it was out of the question.
I took a wrong turn. Or maybe it was the right one. I ended up in one of those narrow, deserted streets where the shadows seemed deeper than usual. And that’s when things got weird. Three Silverlion soldiers were darting around, looking like they were on a mission to find something, or more likely, someone. My mind jumped back to the estate gate. It finally clicked. Those were the same soldiers I’d seen chatting up our sentries. Something definitely wasn’t right.
A little voice in my head started screaming, “Run, Alex! They’re here to kill you!” But of course, I was a step too late.
One of them locked eyes with me, his gaze narrowing as recognition dawned. “There he is!” he shouted. Before I knew it, all three had their swords drawn, charging at me like they were in some kind of battle.
I just stood there, words failing me. My brain was yelling at me to move fast. Whatever those soldiers wanted, it was nothing good. Arrest, torture, or worse, I wasn’t sticking around to find out. Taking on three battle-hardened soldiers was out of the question. And let’s be honest, this fight was going to be anything but fair.
So, I did the only sensible thing; I turned and ran. Bolted, really. I sprinted down the alley like a madman, with those Silverlion soldiers hot on my heels. I had no idea where I was heading, just that I needed to put as much distance between them and me as possible. The night was creeping in, and there was no way I was letting them catch me. Not tonight.
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