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Nia followed the sound of poetry recited by a woman in her language down a disused alleyway and around a corner.

"...Then he came out to his door again, and merrily did sing,

'Come hither, hither, pretty Fly, with the pearl and silver wing;

Your robes are green and purple–there's a crest upon your head;

Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead!'"

The words echoed off the stone walls of the buildings as she walked.

Around the corner, she found herself in a courtyard half overgrown with weeds. The windows of the low-set buildings that surrounded them were shuttered fast, paint peeling off their old wood.

Other than the poetry, the air here felt abandoned, the sounds of the city a distant hum.

Three people were in the courtyard. One, the woman reciting the poem, stood in a regal pose. She was laden with jewellery, and her clothes were of royal quality, but they gave her no more modesty than if she'd been naked.

The other two figures were on a broad stone wall that separated the inner courtyard from the outer part.

The first figure, another woman, was dressed in a similar fashion to the woman reciting poetry, but she sat gracefully, gently stroking the brow of the last figure, a man laying face up with his head on the woman's lap.

He had ginger hair, black trousers, a white shirt and high leather boots covered in strange markings. His eyes were closed, a cane held in both hands resting on his chest.

Nia looked away from them, embarrassed by the unexpected display of nudity.

The woman reciting stopped, and the man opened his eyes, looking over at Nia with a relaxed, almost dreamy expression.

"Isn't the poetry divine, Miss Nia? It's amazing what you can buy at the market, " the man said in a casual tone, the sort that a person might reserve for speaking to an old friend.

Her instincts screamed at her. He knew her name and language. Something was terribly wrong.

The man sat up, the tip of his black cane tapping gently on the stone ground.

"Forgive me, I was so relaxed I think I misplaced my manners. My name is Puss, and I'm a monster," he said, his smile drawing inhumanly wide and revealing a sharp set of feline teeth.

Nia pulled her dagger free from its sheathe and stepped back, uncertain whether to fight or flee.

He held his hand up in placating gesture. "I mean you no harm, truly. I only said I am a monster as you are a clever girl and would have figured it out."

She stayed still, unmoving, not trusting the monster. She knew he must be powerful to look so human. Her mind raced as she tried to think of how to escape him.

"Tch..." Puss said, his mouth downturned. "I hate such crass behaviour, but I doubt you'll believe me unless I demonstrate. I apologise in advance." Puss carefully passed his cane to the woman sitting next to him.

Before she could ask what he meant, he moved forward, launching himself off the wall with a kick.

He hurtled towards her, too fast to take in clearly. He passed her, a loud clap rung out behind her as his boots collided with the cobblestone inches behind.

He'd moved so fast she'd had no time to act or react.

She gulped and felt cold metal at her throat. She felt the man's presence uncomfortably close behind her, his breath on her ear as he whispered to her. "I could have killed you at any moment. If I wanted your death, I'd have no need to lure you here."

He pulled back and straightened himself before walking back in front of her, the sound of his boots on the cobblestone breaking the silence of the courtyard.

Her heart was hammering in her chest, her eyes uncomfortably wide, dagger still raised impotently.

Puss looked down at the copper knife in his hand with disgust before casually tossing it to one side, where it clattered loudly on the ground.

"You're free to go, Miss Nia." He said back to her as he walked back towards the wall.

Nia stood there entirely bewildered by this odd turn of events as Puss laid down once more on the wall, cane in hand, his head on the woman's lap.

"Uh, what?" she asked, still trying to process the strange encounter.

Puss looked over at her with amused surprise as if pretending that he'd forgotten she was there.

"Why, Miss Nia, didn't your grandfather ever teach you it's terribly rude to point a weapon at someone?"

She watched him with suspicious silence. He knew about her grandfather, her name, her language. What else might he know?

He sat back up again. "Let me put it another way. You can simply turn about and leave, or you can put that useless weapon away, and we can talk and laugh. If you do, you'll find I'm quite a delightful fellow who hardly ever bites."

The man leaned forwards on his can, slowly turning his head to the side and tapping his left cheek, "Why, if you stay, we'll be such good friends that by the time we've finished this conversation, I'm sure you'll have given me a kiss on this cheek and thanked me in a very sweet tone."

"Ugh." Nia said in visceral disgust at the thought of kissing the monster's cheek.

He looked over at her, flashing an amused smile at her reaction.

She looked him dead in the eye, "That will never happen."

He shrugged slowly, "Well, I'll not force you." He gestured to the two women next to either side of him, "All things taste sweeter when freely given."

"I'm going." She said, pausing half expecting him to stop her, but he simply nodded.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

She turned and began to walk away.

He spoke softly as she began to walk, "I've seen it all before. Every group has their weak member, the one who falls further and further behind."

She whirled, dagger raised, shocked at his words.

"I will ask nicely one last time. Put the dagger away if you wish to speak to me. My patience is wearing thin." He said, smiling, but there was a hint of something beneath it. Something dark and primal, a true predator caged behind a smile.

She knew she had to make a choice, either to put the dagger away or walk away.

She remembered how easily Puss had put the knife to her throat. Having it out was pointless.

She sheathed the blade and looked up at Puss. He was playing her in some way. She knew it, but why was what she didn't understand.

Was he after Reffy? Was Puss a minion of Griselda?

"Why are you here?" she said, giving him a determined look.

"Everyone has to be somewhere, Miss Nia," He replied smoothly.

"I know you're trying to manipulate me, but why? What do you want?"

"Can a man not simply want even a kiss on the cheek from a beautiful young lady without having some ulterior motive?" he said with a friendly smirk.

She stared flatly at him, unimpressed by his absurdly blatant lie.

He sighed. "Well, I guess you're much too clever for me to fool. My motivations are quite simple, Miss Nia. I simply wish to help."

"Really." She said sharply in annoyance at his response.

"Yes, really. There is a game being set up. It's exciting. You can almost feel it in the air. Those with power are still squabbling over their pieces, setting up the board; some have yet to even arrive. Each who sits around the board is both a player and a piece. Some like Refenial and Obit are even prizes as well, to be scooped up by the winner."

"I won't let you hurt Reffy." She said, looking at him with a cold determination she didn't feel, knowing how helplessly outclassed she was.

"You have my word as a gentleman. I have no interest in either of those children. Honestly, I'd rather not pick those pieces. They have all the attention on them, all the focus. Everyone will fight tooth and claw for such obvious prizes."

"You mean Griselda?"

"among others, yes."

A slow creeping realisation fell upon her, "You mean, you want to use me as a piece in your game?"

He shook his head, "No, you're a poor piece. Of some use now, but you're falling behind, Miss Nia." he tutted disapprovingly. "You lack the talent and the skill to be worthy."

Nia's face felt hot with a combination of embarrassment and anger at his statement.

She walked several steps forwards. "Is that all you came here to say, to insult me?"

Puss waved his hand slowly in a placating gesture. "Not at all, Miss Nia. You see, I've been watching you, watching Refenial too, and Nox. You are as talented as you are clever, but compared to Refenial, you are a warm hearth competing with a forest fire. Nox, in time, will face this reality, though his resolve is much weaker than yours. I've seen it many times before, even lived it. As the gap grows wider and wider, you will become more and more of a burden on Refenial. In the end, it can only end in one tragedy or another. This brings us full circle again to what I said before. I can help."

"How, make me titled?" She asked sceptically.

"While I could, to mark you so publically as mine wouldn't be particularly useful." He gave her a considering look for a moment before a wide grin broke out across his face. "Perhaps I could be convinced, of course. Say, if you got on your hands and knees, crawled to me and kissed my feet while swearing your undying loyalty. I'd certainly consider it then."

She looked him in the eyes as she replied, struggling to stay calm at such an offer. "I'd rather die."

He chuckled at her response, "Honestly, I'm glad you said that. It would have been so dull if you had done." He gestured to the two women with him. "Though you'd be surprised how many would."

"No, what I actually want to offer you is a chance at power. You see, as you are now, you're an uninteresting piece, nearly useless, in fact. Your only value will soon be your connection to Refenial.

The players of this game know this. I'm sure they have judged you and found you wanting. I'd say they don't consider you a threat, but that would be an understatement. The truth is, Miss Nia, they don't consider you."

"You're back to the insults." She said. This monster was so infuriating.

"You asked about my motivation before. The wonderful thing about motivations is people can have many. One of mine is to keep the game playing as long as possible.

What better way to keep it going than to change the pieces when no one is looking. It will be most amusing when the mouse they dismissed becomes a lioness."

She considered what he was saying. It all made sense. She knew she was getting weaker, falling behind further and further. She doubted she'd ever be strong enough to face Griselda if she really was the Ravenous Mother.

Puss was a monster. How could she ever consider trusting his help?

"How could you help me if you're not going to make me titled?"

Puss closed his eyes in satisfaction at her question, and then a small purple crystal appeared in his hand from seemingly nowhere.

He held it up. "You can buy anything if you go to the right market. This right here will give you everything you need to be a much better enchanter."

"I don't want to owe you anything."

"And I don't want you to owe me either. I propose a simple trade. Something you can give me right now that will cost you nothing."

"What?" She asked suspiciously

"Why simply a kiss." He said, tapping his right cheek. "And a simple thank you in a sweet tone."

"You're serious?" she asked, confused by why he'd make a deal like this.

"Why, my dear, sweet girl. I am always the very paragon of sincerity." He said with a knowing grin.

She found herself chuckling at his response and quickly pulled a serious face.

"How would the crystal help me?" She asked.

He looked away from her and at the crystal. "This little crystal, well, it is something most unusual. It is a simple memory crystal. That part isn't uncommon. What makes it uncommon is that it contains fragments of memories scraped from the minds of many enchanters. Memories of their enchantments, the smell, touch, sound, taste, sight, and intent."

Nia looked at the crystal hungrily, suddenly aware of its value. The power of an enchanter was determined by their ability to visualise. Actual memories of other enchanter's work would help that more than anything else she could think of. Depending on the memories in that crystal, she could become much more powerful, maybe even keep up with Refenial's impossible speed of growth. She needed that crystal. She needed it.

Puss's hand suddenly closed, hiding the crystal in his palm.

She looked at him, confused, and their eyes met.

"Such a shame. I can clearly see you're not interested in my offer. I guess I must have been mistaken."

"Uh, hang on." She said, stepping forwards, afraid of seeing something as valuable as the crystal lost to her.

"No, no. I realise now a kiss on the cheek and a thank you was clearly much too steep a price for a bauble such as this." He said, looking down in disappointment at his closed hand.

She needed to get stronger, not be useless, to keep up with Reffy. Maybe a quick peck on the cheek and a couple of words wouldn't be so bad.

Her sense of pride fought with her desperate need for the crystal. "I, uh, um..." She spluttered.

She dropped her head in defeat, "I'd owe you nothing else but a kiss on the cheek and a thank you?"

"Not one iota more."

She scrunched her eyes open and closed, trying to believe the word that was about to come out of her mouth. "Fine."

Puss nodded gracefully and tapped his right cheek, the meaning clear.

She walked cautiously over to the monster as he sat there at complete ease.

Despite agreeing, she felt tricked, deceived in some way that she couldn't determine. Her sense of pride screamed at her every step she took towards him.

She stood before him as he tapped his right cheek again.

"Thank you, Puss," she said with a sweetness she didn't feel.

She needed this, she couldn't turn away from this opportunity, but she couldn't blindly obey either. She settled on a symbolic victory instead.

She leant forwards, gently kissing the cheek he hadn't kept tapping. She kissed his left cheek. The feeling of his soft, warm skin against her lips.

She stood up and took a couple steps back, feeling slightly awkward at the gesture.

Puss looked up at her, a look of graceful defeat on his face, "So rebellious. I guess I didn't specify which cheek. You are much too clever for me, Miss Nia."

Ka-pwww!

There was a sudden boom that reverberated across the city. Nia turned at the noise and saw a pall of dust and debris hanging in the sky near the gates of the city where Reffy had been.

She took a step away from Puss and towards the entrance of the courtyard.

"Miss Nia, don't forget your gift."

Nia turned back and saw Puss holding out the crystal.

She grabbed it as he spoke. "To use it, simply focus your soul's eyes upon it. Be careful to use it sparingly, though. It is rough on a mind to gain too many memories at once."

She nodded, not really sure what she should say and ran towards where she'd last seen Reffy.

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