The first big storm of the season came with no warning. A week or so after James helped to remove the skunk smell, the weather changed. James and JJ both brought their trucks into town and had a plow hitched up to the front. It was better to be safe than sorry.
We had only gotten a few light flurries so far, but snow was snow and it could change at any time. The horses and cows each stayed in their respective buildings, content to wait out the season. The sheep kept trying to escape, but they were generally easy to herd back inside.
The biggest obstacle for the weather was actually Talia. She was old enough to walk, but hadn’t mastered the practice yet. Even with a light snow, it was dangerous to bring her outside, lest she run off on her own and fall. James brought her to visit, often multiple times a day. She had even learned an extra word.
“Doggy!!”
“Good job, Tali. Those are the doggies. Can you say ‘Charlie’?” James would ask.
“Doggy!!”
“How about ‘Pickles’?”
“Doggy!!”
“That’s alright, honey. You’ll get there.”
James would pat her head and set her down to let her play. She was still in the phase where she wanted Daddy to carry her everywhere. She was also still in the phase where she wanted to chase the puppies.
This week was a very special week, as Talia would turn 4 years old on Friday. She didn’t really care, but everyone else was very excited. They were planning a big party somewhere in town with cake and balloons and other various birthday surprises.
That meant that on Friday, the farm would be empty. Not that I would ever take advantage of the situation like that, but it meant I was in charge. That was the pecking order around here: First James, then JJ, then Talia, then me. Well, technically, it was Apples before me, but Apples didn’t really care and just wanted to lounge in the hay and eat treats.
That meant I would have to patrol the borders more throughly than usual to make sure there were no wayward visitors. The squirrels were in hibernation, other than the stupid skunk that ruled the Dungeon, so they shouldn’t be too much of an issue. I still hadn’t figured out the mystery of the white truck at the end of the driveway, so I had to keep an eye out for that. Other than that, there were the usual rodent invaders, though they had also slowed because of the snow.
As I was contemplating my duties and trying to escape the barn to be free of Talia’s reign of terror, my new sense of smell picked up on a subtle new aroma. I was a deep cerulean blue, and it was so faint I thought it was just the sky at first. It was overcast today, however, so the subtle hue was more apparent than it normally would be.
I activated [Track], hoping that the mere presence would be enough to lead me back to the source. Thankfully, the skill took and the radiating an aura of blue condensed into a thick line, swirling and twisting off toward the east. That was the direction of the Dungeon, the wheat fields, a few pastures, and some of the silos.
I ran toward Pickles, leading Talia away from the barn door. If I was going to investigate, I would have to distract her. Dashing around behind the smaller pup, I knelt close to the ground, trying to get out of Talia’s sight line. She saw Pickles and grabbed him around the neck. There, that would occupy her for a bit. I scooted out the door while James was distracted by petting Apples.
Following the swirling blue line was easy. It followed the main path, for the most part. The closer I got to the point I would need to turn off, the stronger the scent became. It was unique, almost a musk. There were subtle hints of freshly cooked fish and disappointment. The blue grew deeper, with sparkling teal lines interspersed throughout once I had passed the last of the silos.
It led directly into the wheat field, but I exercised caution for once in my short life. The encounter with the skunk was still fresh in my mind. I did a lap around the field to make sure I wasn’t being led back into the Dungeon. No matter the angle I approached from, the thick cord of coruscating color still led me into the fields.
There was nothing for it. Instead of trying to sneak around, though I was rather stealthy, I decided on a different path. Activating [Herding Bark] as quickly as my jaw let me, I infused a sense of panic and fright as best I could. The blue and teal shifted, growing brighter and brighter, and the line thickened on the far end of the field.
I raced over to that side, ready to meet whatever had invaded the farm and somehow avoided my territory markers.
The wheat rustled, providing an ominous dirge to the big reveal. The stalks shifted. Something was coming.
From between the stalks of wheat strode the most pompous and haughty animal I had ever seen. It was orange-brown, with subtle stripes that ran the length of its body. Its coat was gossamer, almost glowing. An arched back contrasted the silky exterior and raised head, as if the world itself was not good enough. Stepping was not good enough for this creature. It almost pranced as it moved. I felt the lesser being just having witnessed its majestic form.
I activated [Scan] quickly, before it got away.
>>Scan Complete
>>Name: Felix
>>Title: The King of All
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>>Class: Feline Founder
>>Level: 72
>>Run.
It took a moment for me to comprehend what I was seeing. A cat? Why would I have to run from a cat? Surely something was wrong with the [Scan]. Even if it was Level 72, what was a cat going to do?
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The feline sauntered up to me with no fear at all and stopped just before my nose. I just sat and stared. What did I have to fear from a lesser species? Everyone knew dogs were better than cats, so the cat should be the one to run from me.
I prepared to activate [Bite] just in case, but the cat moved like lightning. Before I could even register its movement, it struck out with a paw. Nails dug into my snout, leaving a bloody gash behind. It was over before I even realized it had happened.
I [Howl]ed in pain, rubbing my face into a nearby snowdrift to ease the burning. Fire was radiating out from the bridge of my nose, becoming more intense with each passing moment. The snow helped, numbing the pain slightly and letting me regain composure.
When I recovered enough to look up, the cat was gone. There wasn’t even a scent left for me to track. It was like it just fell off the edge of the Earth.
Minutes passed while I tried to get the burning sensation under control. I realized I was far enough away from the barn that no one had heard my [Howl]. It was unfortunate, but I was on my own for the time being. Luckily, Felix didn’t stick around.
Once the bleeding stopped, the pain subsided a bit. The white ground was stained red in the immediate area. Head wounds always bled profusely, even if they weren’t all that serious. I hung my head in shame and started back toward the barn. Maybe James would have something to help.
No one looked up when I returned to the barn. Talia had moved on from Pickles and was gently petting Apples, while James read a book in the corner. He was sitting on a stool that he must have brought from the house. I hadn’t seen it before.
I walked over and sat beside him, waiting patiently for him to notice my predicament. It took a few minutes, but he eventually looked up from his book and realized what had happened.
“Oh Charlie. What did you run into this time?” he sighed.
He brought Talia home and then led me to the milk-house. Inside, there was a room set off to the side of the pumps, just behind one of the storage tanks.
The room was fairly sparse, just a metal table and a rough-looking chair. Various tools lined the walls and an old computer sat on the table. James grabbed a red and blue case from off the wall.
“Alright, buddy. This is going to sting a bit.”
He took out a brown and white tube and twisted the cap off. The gel that came out of it was thick and cloudy, but he applied it directly to the cut. The pain returned, the fire roaring to life across my nose. I squealed. I couldn’t help it.
“I know, Charlie. I know. But you need this, so it heals up quicker. What the heck did you run into, anyway?”
My only response was a drawn out whine. I was focusing on staying put. The aching, throbbing pain made me want to move, to run. It took everything I had just to sit still while James administered first aid.
“Almost done. This will heal up just fine. You might even have a scar. Scars are manly, Charlie. They tell the world that you survived, that you’re stronger than whatever you fought.”
I didn’t know what to think about that. I didn’t particularly care what the world thought. I just wanted to enjoy life. Cuts to the face were not enjoyable. That damn cat was going to pay.
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That was a hell of a reward. It made sense, considering the Level 72 designation. That also meant that I wouldn’t be completing this quest for a while. Well, future goals, I guess.
James walked back to the barn with me, chatting about nothing much at all. I enjoyed my time with James, even if I couldn’t respond how I wanted. He got the gist of it from my whines and squeaks. His monologue brought up one amazing idea, though.
“I used to go sledding when the snow got real bad around here. My dad would plow it all into two giant hills and then my brother and I would race up and down for hours. It was a great time, but there isn’t enough snow to do that for Tali.”
I loved the idea. I had been wondering how I was going to get a gift for Talia, being a dog and all. Taking her sledding seemed like just the thing. I just needed to get James to figure it out without me actually telling him.
I grabbed his hand gently in my mouth and began to pull him off toward the storage shed. It was a small area just behind the sheep’s longhouse where they kept all the seasonal tools. It also contained all the seasonal toys, as there was no reason to leave a sled out during the summer.
“Yeah, I got it. You don’t have to drag me, Charlie. Just lead the way.”
When we got to the shed, he had figured out when I meant. He took out the sled and showed it to me, raising an eyebrow to ask if that’s what I meant.
I yipped in response, then ran over to the chains that hung from the wall and tugged one off. It must have all clicked for James then, because he grabbed a harness that looked old and well used.
“You want to pull Tali on the sled, Charlie? That’s a great idea. I just hope you fit in Apples’ old harness.”
It turned out that the harness fit well, and Talia was delighted at the idea. She sat on the sled, held in place by two handles near the front. A nylon paracord attached my harness to the front of the sled and that was that. I started slow, just to make sure she wouldn’t fall off.
We made our way out into an unused pasture where the snow was untouched. Talia squealed and screamed as we picked up speed and almost fell off from throwing her hands in the air. Once she realized she needed to hold on, we increased in speed and her excitement grew to a new high.
“Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!”
Overall, it was one of the best days I could remember. Even the stupid cat couldn’t ruin such a splendid event.