Chapter 9 Thieving Cats

Drying myself with pyromancy turned out to be far easier than I expected. A controlled flame flickered across my fur, evaporating the water without leaving so much as a singed whisker. It was strange, this new power of mine—instinctive yet foreign. Still, I couldn’t deny it was useful. And fun. I snuffed out the flame with a flick of my paw and straightened up.

The camp was still buzzing from the feast. Cats sprawled out with full bellies, others bickered over scraps, and a few groomed themselves contentedly by the dwindling fire. It was an idyllic scene, really. But I couldn’t let them enjoy it for too long.

Time was running out.

I stood on a nearby crate, raising my paw to call their attention. “Listen up!”

The camp fell silent. All eyes turned toward me, some groggy from overeating, others curious. I scanned their faces—my cats, my loyal followers—before I took a deep breath.

“I have an announcement to make.”

The cats straightened, ears perked and tails flicking. They knew I wasn’t the type to gather them for small talk. Good.

“First,” I said, “I want to apologize.”

A ripple of confusion passed through the crowd. Apologize? From me? I was Kaiser, the one who always had a plan, the one who always came out on top. But this was calculated. A monarch who knew when to admit fault was a monarch worth following.

“I’ve put you all in great danger,” I continued, my tone steady. “This heist… the Golden Apple… I tricked you into it. I made it sound simple, but the truth is, we’re in deeper trouble than you realize.”

Scruffy piped up from the crowd, his gruff voice carrying over the murmurs. “What do you mean, great danger?”

Nice assist, Scruffy. I gave him a small nod of approval before I turned back to the others. “The Golden Apple isn’t just some valuable trinket. It’s miraculous. It grants power beyond imagination. Magic.”

To emphasize my point, I raised my paw and summoned an ember—small, yet bright enough to draw gasps from the crowd. The flame flickered, about an inch long, dancing like a living thing in my grasp. A few cats recoiled; others stared in awe, their jaws hanging open.

It finally registered to them how big this was.

“This is pyromancy,” I said, letting the ember glow brighter. “Magic. I gained this power because I ate the Golden Apple. And we stole it.”

For a moment, there was silence. Then Demo blurted out, “So what? We can just outrun them, right? We’re cats. Fast, nimble… untrackable.”

I smirked. “You think so?” I turned to Chunky, who was sitting near the back. “What do you think, Chunky?”

Chunky shifted uncomfortably. “Demo’s wrong. The elves have excellent hunting and tracking skills. They’ll catch up to us sooner or later, no matter how fast we run.”

The other cats murmured nervously. I could see the fear spreading like wildfire. Good. Fear was useful. Fear meant they’d listen.

“Exactly,” I said, my voice cutting through the noise. “Running isn’t enough. Staying here isn’t an option. The Felor Guards will figure out what happened soon, and when they do, they’ll put a bounty on us. We’ll be hunted like vermin.”

Daisy, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. “So what’s the plan, Kaiser?”

Ah, perfect. Time to dangle the carrot.

“Don’t worry,” I said, letting my voice drop into a tone of calm reassurance. “I have a plan.”

The cats leaned in, their eyes fixed on me, desperate for answers.

“We move to another city.”

The words hung in the air like a bomb. For a moment, no one spoke. Then—

“What?!”

“Leave the city?!”

“That’s insane!”

The camp exploded into chaos. Cats yowled and hissed, their panic rippling through the crowd. A few were already talking about splitting off, going back to their old lives. I expected this. Change was hard, and cats were creatures of habit. But I wasn’t about to let them scatter.

“Quiet!” I roared, my voice booming with authority. The ember in my paw flared again, casting shadows across their startled faces. “Do you think staying here is safer? Do you want to wait for the Felor Guards to find us, drag us off, and throw us in chains?”

No. Forget chains.

“Do you want to be turned into a soup?!”

That shut them up.

“Listen, the only chance we have of survival is to leave Felor and search for a different city… The farther we are from Felor, the safer we will become…”

Sadly, my words only provoked them.

As expected, doubts erupted among the cats the moment I finished speaking.

“How are we going to do that?”

“Winter is almost upon us!”

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“Shouldn’t we be finding sleeping spots at this point?”

“And what about the monsters between cities?”

“I hate goblins… they smell…”

“You smell, dumbass.”

“But seriously, to another city?”

Their chatter spiraled into chaos, tails swishing and ears flicking nervously. I watched them, perched high above on my crate, waiting for just the right moment. Timing was everything when you were leading a group like this. Too soon, and I’d lose their attention; too late, and panic would fester.

I raised my voice, loud and clear. “Enough!”

The crowd hushed, dozens of eyes turning toward me. I stood tall, one paw held high for emphasis. “I have a plan!”

That got their attention. A plan was exactly what they wanted to hear—what they needed to hear. I had to sell this like our lives depended on it. Because, well, they did.

“You’ve seen what we can do together,” I said, sweeping my gaze across them. “With teamwork and the right tools, we pulled off the impossible tonight. We defeated adventurers, guards, dogs—and walked away with treasures no cat has ever dreamed of. If we can do that, we can survive a journey.”

“But…” one of the smaller cats muttered, ears flattened. “Winter’s coming. It’s freezing out there…”

“Exactly!” I cut in, a glint of excitement in my eyes. “Which is why we won’t stay here. We’ll go to a place without winter!”

The camp fell silent. Every cat stared at me, blinking, as if I’d just sprouted a second head. Without winter? It was so absurd that half of them looked ready to laugh. The other half looked plain confused.

Daisy tilted her head. “What do you mean, a place without winter? Everywhere has winter.”

I smirked, waving a paw. “That’s not true. You just haven’t seen the world beyond Felor. I have.”

Okay, technically, I hadn’t been there, but I’d seen a map. I knew enough to spin a convincing tale. “Felor sits in the northern part of the world. The further south you go, the warmer it gets. No snow, no frost, no freezing winds. Just sunshine and food year-round.”

They blinked at me, tails twitching in confusion. Of course they didn’t get it. Explaining geography to cats was like explaining algebra to a brick wall.

Scruffy squinted at me. “But isn’t Felor close to the equa… the equato-thingy? Why’s it so cold here then?”

“Close isn’t there,” I said quickly, dismissing his point with a wave of my paw. “The south is warmer. Trust me. And if we move now, we can get there before winter really sets in.”

A ripple of doubt still lingered in the air. I could feel it, see it in their faces. They weren’t entirely convinced yet. Fine. Time to sweeten the deal.

“Besides,” I added, holding up my paw as an ember flickered to life, “I have this.”

The tiny flame danced, casting an orange glow across the crowd. A few cats gasped. Others shuffled backward instinctively. They were quite wary and doubtfull of the flames now.

“This is pyromancy,” I said, my voice steady and confident. “With this power, I can keep us warm. I can light fires when it’s cold. I can fend off monsters. Winter won’t stand a chance against us.”

The ember flared slightly, and I snuffed it out with a dramatic flick of my paw. The silence that followed was thick, but this time, it wasn’t doubt—it was awe. I could see it in their eyes now. That tiny spark of belief, of hope.

Chunky finally spoke, his deep voice breaking the silence. “So… you’re saying we’d survive the trip? Even with monsters and the cold?”

I met his gaze and nodded. “We’ll survive. Not just survive—thrive. We’ll build something better than this scavenger life. A kingdom where we’re safe, warm, and fed. Isn’t that worth fighting for?”

Lucky stepped forward, her black fur catching the last light of the fire. “I’m with Kaiser,” she said firmly. “He’s right. We’ve already come this far. Why stop now?”

Butler nodded beside her. “We have nothing to lose. Better to fight for something than freeze in some alley.”

The murmurs spread through the crowd, but this time they were different—less anxious, more determined. Slowly, the other cats began to nod, one by one. Even Demo, grumbling as usual, muttered, “Fine. But if we run into goblins, I’m not fighting them. I hate goblins.”

“Deal,” I said, suppressing a grin.

I turned to Lucky, Butler, and the other squad leaders. “We leave at dawn. Gather what supplies we have left—food, blankets, anything that’ll help us on the road. We’re heading south.”

They nodded and scattered to organize the others. The camp buzzed with renewed energy as cats began to pack up what little remained of our supplies.

I climbed back onto my crate, looking out at the ragtag group I’d managed to rally. A bunch of strays, thieves, and misfits—but they were mine. My loyal subjects, whether they realized it or not.

The Golden Apple had given me a gift—power and the chance to dream bigger than ever before. No more alleyways. No more scraps. We were going to build something better.

I flicked my paw, and a tiny flame appeared once more, its light reflecting in my eyes.

“South, huh?” I muttered to myself, grinning. “Let’s see what this world has to offer.”

Winter could try to stop me. Monsters could stand in my way. But I was Kaiser. And nothing would keep me from my throne.

I raised my voice, commanding attention over the low murmurs of the gathered cats. “Who here speaks horse?”

For a moment, silence hung in the air, and then Butler raised a paw. “I can.”

Excellent. “You’re with Daisy and her Squad D,” I said, pointing at the both of them. “Secure us some horses. Negotiate with them. We’ll need at least four horse wagons.”

Butler and Daisy exchanged a glance witha flicker of understanding passing between them. Without a word, they bolted off into the shadows, Squad D trailing close behind. They’d handle it. Butler had a knack for getting things done, and Daisy… well, Daisy was persistent if nothing else.

Turning back to the chaos of the camp, I signaled for Lucky. She didn’t need words to know what I wanted. With a flick of her tail, she began sorting through the mountain of stolen goods we’d piled up. Magic knick-knacks and trinkets spilled onto the ground as she worked, separating the junk from the essentials.

We had six Magic Bags now, and we couldn’t afford to waste them. Four were emptied, the loot crammed into the remaining two bags. Those two would carry the most valuable items—artifacts, potions, and whatever else we couldn’t leave behind.

I turned to Scruffy, Demo, and Chunky, who were lounging nearby, half-listening to the commotion. They perked up when I called their names.

“We’re on thief duty,” I announced, my voice sharp and commanding. “Squads A, B, and C will each carry a Magic Bag. Our mission is simple: we’re going to rob Felor of its food. The granary, the farm, the bakery—everything! Spare no one! This is for survival, for our future.”

Demo’s eyes widened. “You mean… just take everything? In broad daylight?”

It was still night, duh~?

I meant… I get what Demo menat figuratively.

“Yes,” I said firmly. “Speed is key. No need to be stealthy. If you’re caught, you’re on your own—no one’s coming back for you.”

Chunky frowned, his whiskers twitching. “That’s harsh, Kaiser.”

“It’s reality,” I shot back. “This isn’t a game. If you want to eat tomorrow, you’ll do what needs to be done. Got it?”

Scruffy nodded, his usual lazy demeanor replaced by something more serious. “Got it.”

Demo grumbled but didn’t argue further. Chunky let out a heavy sigh, but even he couldn’t deny the truth of my words.

I took a deep breath, letting the weight of my words settle over the group. “This is for survival. For our future. So now, my cats… move forth and let’s be thieving cats!”

The camp erupted into motion, the squads dispersing into the city like shadows. I watched them go, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nerves. This was the riskiest move I’d made yet, but it was necessary.

Lucky returned to my side, her golden fur shimmering in the moonlight. “They’ll pull it off,” she said, her voice steady. “We’ve trained for this.”

I nodded, my gaze fixed on the horizon. “They’d better. Everything depends on it.”

This was it—the turning point. Either we’d leave Felor with enough supplies to survive the winter… or we’d leave behind those who couldn’t keep up.