Lady Lucrezia Blackwood was having the worst day of her life.

“Forgive me Alexander… But I must not have heard you clearly. It sounded like you wanted me to serve those cats.” She asked.

“You heard me woman! Get off your arse and see that the slaves are fed!” Shouted former-Viscount Alexander Blackwood.

Since his return from King Aldric’s side, Alexander Blackwood had been manic, screaming at maids, making unthinkable demands, and in general, being a dick. Though Lucrezia Blackwood was used to the last.

“I’m a Lady!--” Began Lucrezia.

Only to be interrupted by the back of Alexander's hand. The blow sent her unsuspecting face tumbling to the stone floor.

“Not anymore you're not. Feed the slaves, because our lives rest in Lady Nyota -eugh,” Alexander gagged on the title, “Nyota Green’s hands. Prepare the cats, spare no expense woman! Can you not see what the king did to me? Do you think yourself above his justice?!” Shouted Alexander Blackwood.

To emphasize his demand he stormed out of the room, slamming the door so hard it bounced open on his way out.

Lady Lucrezia Blackwood watched him go, earning no sympathy from the mercenary knights at her husband’s side, nor from the twelve felinid maids who waited on her. Three of them helped her rise, with blank looks of confusion on their plotting whiskers.

They were all her enemies. They were jealous of her, wanted to take everything she had.

“Not a Lady anymore?” Muttered Lucrezia.

Years of service to House Blackwood flew before her eyes, nine months of bearing that dolt’s heir. And twenty two years wasted. Her step-brother’s family had inherited her ancestral home, if she were disgraced now there would be nowhere to run. She would end up dead in a ditch, starved to death like a… a filthy peasant. Lucrezia held her forehead, feeling dizzy at the thought.

“My lady, are you alright? Please, sit.” Said a dark haired maid, placing a plump wingback chair near Lucrezia.

“No, I'm not you imbecile. Ah- Silky, bring parchment and ink, I must write several letters.” Began Lucrezia, turning to her other maids. “Blackie, I have no idea what madness Alexander is spewing, but we must appease him, go feed the cats. Ah, Baron Isaiah sent us a shipment of wormy bread. I was going to mix it in with the pig’s slop, but that should suffice for the cats. Use that.” Ordered Lucrezia, using the pet names she had given each maid.

They curtsied and fled, glad to be out of her presence. As if they expected her to start screaming like a banshee and trying to gouge out their eyes with her writing quill.

“Silver, who is this Lady Nyota Green? The name sounds annoyingly familiar, like some commoner who seduced a baron and thinks that amounts to a peerage!” Asked Lucrezia, beginning to write.

She still had a few ladies-in-waiting she could impose herself on, at least until whatever kerfuffle Alexander had gotten them into blew over. Best to leave the viscounty for the immediate future.

“My lady,” began the platinum haired maid, “I’m uncertain what Lord Blackwood means by Lady, but Nyota is the name of the maid Baron Green kidnapped after he and you– ah, I mean- when he was last here.” Said Silver.

Lucrezia winced at her stutter, mentally promising the cat a whipping for reminding her of the affair. Silver knew better than to mention previous indiscretions. Especially within the confines of the castle.

“Silver, go bathe the slaves.”

“Yes M’lady, which ones specifically?”

“All of them, and do not return to my side until they smell like a spring breeze.” Ordered Lucrezia.

“Yes M’lady.” Said Silver, wondering if there was enough soap in Viscounty for what had just been demanded. At least she could escape her vile master for a few days. Though, she knew Lucrezia would probably strip her naked and whip her for taking longer than an afternoon… One day Perun Taloc will return and free us. She thought, praying in a future she didn’t truly believe.

—

Liam watched the road ahead, eyes open for any sign of creatures lurking in the woods. Blackwood’s domain was very unlike his own, trees grew far taller and thicker, like the great redwoods of California. With coal black bark and a thick canopy of needles, things he had last seen in Quetzalcoatl’s vision.

Outriders moved in the vanguard, patrolling ahead of the main body for several leagues before returning. They did an excellent job of slaying beasts, and the wagons had not come under direct attack, yet.

In Liam’s hands were the reins to a pair of insectoid hulks, beasts they had roped into pulling the supply wagons to Blackwood Castle. He doubted the other eclispiarchs would be fit to travel and had decided to bring enough wagons to carry the infirm or feeble back to Mont St Michel. And hopefully half of Blackwood’s cellar.

The people of Mont St Michel had already butchered most of their horses, forcing the army to turn to their resident wind mage for propulsion. Niana had taken several days before she could be convinced to leave Mont St Michel, and she only gave in when Matimeo agreed to accompany them. Old as he was, the journey would be painful, and his magic was better suited to defending Mont St Michel than a mission of relief. But Niana had been adamant. Which is how Niana, Nyota, Rhendal, and Matimeo had come to be huddled inside a wagon.

“Mommy mommy! Brush my hair!” Demanded Niana, laying across Nyota’s lap.

“Nia, is that how we ask for things?” Chided Matimeo.

“Pretty please mommy!” Called Niana.

“When you ask so nicely how can I say no.” Said Nyota with a smile.

“Yay!” Cried Niana, crawling into a more comfortable position on her lap.

“You forgot a brush Nia.”

“No! Scritches are better!” Ordered Niana, grabbing Nyota’s hand and placing it between her –new– ears.

Liam watched the two interact, eyes focused on the road but trying to remain a neutral observer. Niana was only the first of many, and he needed to be thoughtful in how they interacted now. Especially because he was counting on Niana to take care of Nyota.

But she is turning into quite the little tyrant. I wonder where she got that from? Could it be genetic, or is she monopolizing Nyota’s attention because she’s never felt loved before? Hmmm. If it’s the latter Nyota will have to work that out with her. But if it’s genetic, is this going to be how all the felinds act? CRAP! We’re going to have an awful time rehoming slaves. They don’t know how to think and act for themselves, and worse still, every decision has been made for them. Micromanaged to the Nth degree, they won’t be able to motivate themselves. We’ll have to draft most of the men, give them a hierarchy and daily schedule they can operate within. But the women… What is a Lightning Lord supposed to do with hundreds of catgirls?!

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“Hey love, why don’t you two come up here and keep me company?” Suggested Liam, calling back into the wagon.

“No!” Cried Nia stubbornly, folding her arms and looking the other way.

Matimeo would have chided her again but Nyota gave him a cunning wink.

“Well I’m going to sit next to the man I love. It would make me happy if I could also have the girl I love come with me.” Said Nyota, standing up with Nia in her arms.

“Hmmph!” Was all she got in response.

Taking the vague answer as consent, Nyota Joined Liam on the driver’s bench, settling in on the side of his mutated hand. Niana gave Liam a suspicious glance and hid her face from him.

“Nia, it hurts my feelings when you don’t get along with Liam.” Whispered Nyota, running her fingers through Niana’s hair.

“I don’t like him. He’s sneaky!” Retorted Nia, drawing a chuckle out of Liam.

“Sneaky? I don’t think I’ve ever been called sneaky… How am I sneaky?” Laughed Liam, confused at the child’s meaning.

Her only response was to stick her tongue out at him.

Such a petulant little child! I should flick her in the ear and remind her I gave her those!

*sigh*

That would only make ME the petulant child. Cmon Liam, you are a grown-ass man!

“Hey Niana, who is the most powerful person here?” Asked Liam.

“Mommy!” Cried Nia instantly.

“Mom is extremely powerful, but why did you say her instead of Rhendal or Matimeo?” Pressed Liam.

“She can heal, and shoot sparkles! And Mati said so.” Answered Niana smuggly, as if she had won some competition.

Liam smiled, and was quiet for a long moment, waiting until Niana began to purr softly under Nyota’s comforting hands.

“I think, that you’re the strongest one here Nia.” Said Liam, drawing a puzzled look from the immature eclipsiarch.

“Yes you, look ahead of us, your power has given you an army of strong warriors. My time will soon end, but your story is just beginning, Nyota will be there with you, as will Rhendal and Matimeo. But you’re an eclipsiarch and will endure far longer than any of us.”

“No! You aren’t allowed to leave!” Shouted Niana.

Nyota gave Liam a concerned look, and he could feel the eyes of the old men boring into his back. He winked at Nyota, saying in his own way ‘trust me’ and removed the glove from his mutated hand so he could offer his pinky to Niana.

“I pinky promise that I will live for as long as I can. I will use all my magic, and all my sneakiness to survive for you.” Said Liam with a grin.

Niana grabbed his whole pinky and pulled on it, like it was a slot machine handle. Liam moved his hand with hers and turned it into an awkward shake.

“Nia, as the strongest one here, what do you intend to do with your army?” Asked Liam, recovering the reins.

Niana was quiet for a moment. Her young mind processing his question.

“Help mommy. Then… find more friends. Oh, Blackwood has my sisters! I’ll squishy him and save mom!” Said Niana, her smile covering her whole face as she answered.

“Ah Blackwood, did you know he has a mom too? And a wife. Will you kill his family to save yours?” Asked Liam.

“See! You’re sneaky! I don’t like sneaky questions!” Answered Niana, sensing he had a meaning outside of what he actually said.

For a four year old, she’s pretty clever herself… Ah Niana, what has your life been like? How much pain have you endured to be this cautious?

“If you let his family live, then isn’t that what Blackwood did to you? Killed only part of your family and made the rest of you hate him?”

“Sneaky sneak! Stop him.” Said Niana, appealing to her mother.

“Nia, there is a time to be sneaky, listen to him, he’s trying to teach you so we never have to wear collars again. He outsneaky’d Blackwood and is trying to teach you prowl in the dark, like an umbraquin.” Said Nyota, stroking Niana’s newly healed tail.

Life magic could not regrow limbs, they were too complex for mana to ‘figure out’. With bones, ligaments, nerves, and vasculature, all concepts that this world had a very tenuous understanding of. Yet Liam had done it in a half hour, going on about how the tail ‘possessed almost uniform vertebra with consistent ligaments, a single nerve, and identical tendons. Not even a hundredth as complex as an eyeball.’ As if regrowing a tail was simple. Instead of miraculous.

A confused expression crossed Niana’s face, and her ears moved in a peculiar way, widening and perking up ever so slightly.

“You want me to be sneaky?” She asked Nyota.

“Only sometimes, right Liam?” Answered Nyota, spinning Niana in her lap to face Liam.

“Thanks love, what I’m trying to say is that if you hurt someone, they will want to hurt you back. Just like Blackwood hurt you, you want to hurt him back. But even if you kill him you won’t feel any better. There won’t be any satisfaction. Uhm, I mean, if you cut off his ears that will not bring back your ears.” Schooled Liam.

“Then I’ll cut off his tail.” Interjected Niana, drawing chuckles and groans from the three old men in the wagon.

“Will that bring back your tail?” Giggled Nyota.

“No… But it’s not fair! He is evil! He should be punished!” Asserted Niana.

“Blackwood isn’t evil, I know he wants his lands to grow and his subjects to multiply. He is a product of humanity, his father taught him to seek power. To gather slaves so he was strong enough to survive. We should pity him really, he lacks the willpower to find his own way and turns to trickery or plotting to steal what he should have earned. If his eyes focused on the next dawn, he might have freed Nyota himself, maybe then Taloc would have anointed him as Lightning Lord. I did not free your mother to hurt Blackwood, I did it to heal the wrong he had done. Does that make sense Nia?” Asked Liam, hoping his long-windedness wasn’t lost on her.

“You want me to make wrongs… uhm right.” Said Niana, stumbling over her thoughts.

“Ha, yes Nia! You’re already stronger than Blackwood, I hope you’ll choose to forgive, to right the wrongs of those who are weaker than yourself. You could kill with your powers, but in doing so you would make other humans want to kill you and our family. So you must be clever and use your super-power to do what others need but cannot comprehend.” Advised Liam, sincerely hoping this conversation was landing with the young girl.

Eclipseiarchs --like all felines-- matured extremely quickly, but unlike the other felinids their aging rapidly slowed after reaching maturity, allowing them to live for centuries if they were not cut low by the sword or shackles of slavery.

“Don’t worry Nia,” Said Nyota, kissing her head. “I’ll help you be clever, pinky promise.” Finished Nyota, extending her pinky towards her daughter.

Niana tried to grab the offered pinky with her whole hand, but Nyota caught her hand. Gently guiding her clawed fingers into a fist and extending her pinky. Then intertwining their smallest digits and shook once. Liam let the conversation die there. Satisfied that he had laid a moral foundation for Nyota to build on. My last gift to Niana… Man, I didn’t realize how much I wanted kids until now. Sarah had me totally convinced they were homewrecking little spawnlings. I really dodged a bullet with her. We never would have been happy together. Thought Liam, knowing children between him and Nyota were an impossibility.

—

The week-long journey to Blackwood Castle passed quickly. With the newly formed family spending long hours in conversation together. Rhendal and Matimeo joined in, educating them on magical theorems and providing an impromptu education in magic. Niana loved these lessons and saw marked improvements in her control, though she was still new to magic and was hindered by using the only element neither man was familiar with.

Liam's heart wept love and woe in equal measure, loving his family, and knowing he would die very soon. What if… this was the life I should have been born into from the beginning. Why had Taloc reincarnated me here in the first place…? Ugh, as if anyone could comprehend God’s whims, by definition it's incomprehensible.

Yet, joy filled his heart and overflowed onto those around him, giving him a deep sense of satisfaction he’d never felt before. Niana’s attentions made Liam introspective, forcing him to address his unsettled business with Sarah. Only two months ago, he had made the worst mistake of his prior life, binding himself to a woman who’d never given him a family like this. Whatever his bond with Sarah was, it was long dead, broken across Niana’s tiny pinky.

She was a smart girl, able to keep up with his half baked philosophy lessons. Her earlier petulance faded as she watched him interact with Nyota, slowly softening until she came to idolize Liam. Molding him into a proud step father. He wished she was his own flesh and blood, but treasured her all the same.