The streets had quieted down. The chaos of the tavern square was now a couple of blocks away. I padded through a wide street; the cobblestones cool beneath my paws. This neighborhood was different—quieter, wealthier. The houses were bigger than the ones I had seen so far. I assumed these belonged to the upper middle class. Probably well-to-do merchants. The air finally seemed breathable. No more murky air full of smells of filth and booze.
As I enjoyed the peace and quiet, my ears twitched, catching a faint sound. I stopped, tail flicking as I scanned the street. Nothing moved on the street. The faint sound of shuffling came again. I would have never caught it if I was still a human. My eyes darted to the source. There, on the side of a tall house, a woman crouched on a ledge, barely noticeable in the shadows. I blinked, watching curiously. What was she doing up there?
She was young—around my age—maybe 19 or 20, with dirty blonde hair pulled into a rough braid. Her clothes were simple, a loose tunic and trousers, though her boots looked sturdy. She was doing something with the window. Her movements were quick, almost feline. A soft click confirmed it. I watched, mesmerized, as she opened the ledge’s window with a practiced hand and slipped inside without a sound.
A thief.
I ducked into an alley between two houses, my curiosity piqued. I waited with a bated breath. A few minutes later, she reappeared, this time with a small leather pouch tied securely to her waist. Her movements were confident, agile, and, most importantly—quiet. She lowered herself down from the ledge with a grace that made me envious—especially considering how clumsy I still felt in my new kitten body sometimes. She leapt to the ground, rolling as she landed, then straightened up as if nothing had happened. Everything was done with precision, telling that this wasn’t her first rodeo.
I narrowed my eyes, studying her. There was no way someone her age learned those skills without a reason. She was a thief, no doubt. But a good one, judging by her smooth moves. This girl wasn’t just some common pickpocket; she knew what she was doing. She got up, dusted herself, and moved away confidently as if she hadn’t just broken into a house moments ago.
I hid in the shadows so as not to be noticed. I assumed that she wouldn’t see me, but she did. She looked at me as she moved across the alley I was in. She stared at me and muttered something with a smile. Go away. Leave me alone. I just stared at her, hoping she’d leave me alone. I blinked, hoping she’d leave me alone. And she did... for about two seconds. She entered the alley and came close to me.
I froze, instinctively lowering my body to the ground. My whiskers twitched. Without warning, she moved closer, crouching down to my level. Her blue eyes, bright and sharp, examined me for a moment. I hissed. Leave me alone, lady. She whispered something, as if I was supposed to respond. I truly felt like a kitten then. Now I understood why most of those stray cats that I tried to pet back when I was a human acted this way. Not understanding what the human in front of you, who was several times bigger than you, was saying. And not knowing if they were friendly or wanted to harm you.
Before I could react further, her hand reached out, and I felt her fingers gently run through my fur. A strange feeling washed over me, somewhere between discomfort and contentment. She had a light and careful touch. This girl didn’t feel threatening. Still, I was wary. She again murmured something, her fingers tracing the back of my neck. I don’t understand you, woman. Suddenly, she scooped me up, holding me under my front legs with an amused smile.
Well, this is a new low. I always thought I'd be the one lifting the women, not the other way around!
I hissed again. Carefully, I hit her hands with my paws, making sure not to hurt her with my claws. I tried to get out of her grip, but she just chuckled.
The girl pulled me closer, cradling me in her arms like a baby. The smell of sweat assaulted me and I retched a bit. Do the people in this world not bath? I tried to push myself away with my legs, but her grip was surprisingly strong. I swatted at her shoulders and face with my paws, hoping she would drop me, but it was to no avail. I considered scratching her with my claws but couldn’t bring myself to do it. It wasn’t like she was trying to hurt me. She was just being… annoyingly affectionate.
Being a weak little kitten, I had no choice but to surrender and allow myself to be cradled. If I had been a real kitten instead of... well, me, she might have ended up with a few scratches. But I held back. Another reason I didn’t lash out was that, strangely enough, she had treated me better than anyone else in this world so far. Despite my struggles, she patted my head gently. I wanted to curl up in embarrassment. It was the most humiliating thing I had ever experienced in my two lives. I swallowed down the humiliation for now, not like there was much else to do except swat her hands away. But hey, revenge is like a fine wine—it gets better with time, and I’m a patient man -or cat.
Realizing I had given up, she started walking. We were moving back towards the tavern square, and we covered the distance much faster than I had on my own. The pouch at the girl’s waist jingled lightly. Soon, we were among the familiar chaos again. The number of people had decreased considerably from earlier, as the night was getting late. Most people were asleep by now, but a few stragglers remained, enjoying the festivities. A bard was still singing in front of a tavern, and a group of people danced around him, their laughter carrying in the night air.
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The girl ignored all of it and entered an inn nearby. There wasn’t much of a crowd inside—just a handful of patrons sitting around, eating and drinking. I wasn’t much of a drinker back on Earth, and being a kitten now, the overwhelming smell of booze was even more nauseating. The girl nodded to the bartender, who was engaged in conversation with a client, then slipped through a door behind the bar.
We entered what appeared to be the kitchen. A couple of cooks were working away in there, and it smelled like roasted meat. My mouth watered. Even though I had eaten my fill of fish earlier, I was starting to feel a little hungry again after the long walk.
I pawed at the girl, trying to get her attention. She muttered something with an inquisitive look. Using one of my paws, I pointed toward the stove. She laughed, saying something in response. Although I didn’t understand what she said, I assumed she was asking if I wanted to eat.
“Meow.”
I gave a small meow in response, which only made her laugh again as she patted me.
"Meow?”
What are you doing, woman? I want to eat! I grumbled internally. But she didn’t stop walking, only pulling me tighter to her chest. I whacked her a couple of times on the face, to no avail. Seeing that she wasn’t going to respond to my silent plea, I gave up.
She walked to the back of the kitchen and knocked on a door. A heavy groan came from the other side, followed by the sound of creaking stairs. A heavy voice said something from behind the door and the girl replied. Soon enough, the door creaked open.
A large man, easily over six feet tall with broad shoulders, stood on the other side of the door. He glanced at the girl, then down at me. She said something, pointing in my direction, and the man gave a grunt of acknowledgment. Though I couldn’t understand the words, it was clear that he was asking about me. The girl replied casually as if explaining, and with that, the man stepped aside, letting her pass.
She descended a staircase behind the door into a small room stacked with crates and barrels—probably storage for the tavern. In the dim light, another person sat at a table. It was a boy who looked around fifteen. He was a stark contrast to the first one—smaller, wearing glasses, and holding a notebook in his hand. The table in front of him was littered with more notebooks that looked like ledgers.
The girl took a seat at the table and casually dropped the small pouch onto it. Opening the pouch, the man in glasses emptied its contents. The clinking of metal caught my ears—chains, rings, and trinkets, some of them gleaming gold or silver in the dull light. He inspected the items for a moment, while she sat back in her chair, arms crossed, looking entirely unfazed.
They exchanged words, none of which I understood, but the dynamic between them was clear. This was no casual conversation—this was business. The boy scribbled something into his ledger, and the girl nodded in satisfaction. After the deal was done, she stood up, leaving the boy to his notes. As we headed back upstairs, I mulled over the strange interaction. Clearly, this girl wasn’t just some street thief. She had connections, and whatever operation she was running, it was a lot bigger than I’d initially thought.
We moved back upstairs, and the girl stopped in the kitchen. She said something to one of the cooks, who nodded and disappeared into an adjacent room, probably the pantry. A moment later, he returned with a small bowl and a chicken leg. The girl took it with a smile and a nod, then headed out of the kitchen and up another flight of stairs.
She carried me up to the first floor, entering a small, cozy room. She turned on a lamps, these weren’t using oil and the entire room lit up. It was plain, with only a bed, a trunk, and a few books scattered about. This must be her room. It lacked the personal touches you'd expect in a young girl's space—no decorations, no trinkets, nothing that hinted at her personality or interests. Just the bare essentials.
She set me down gently on the floor and placed the bowl with the chicken leg in front of me. Then, without a word, she disappeared into what I assumed was a small bathroom attached to the room. Finally free, I stretched, working out the kinks from being carried around. The chicken leg smelled delicious, and I was over to the bowl. I dug in, savoring the rich flavor. As I ate, I felt that familiar surge of energy. A chime sounded in my head.
You have eaten a Chicken Leg.
+2 Health
+3 Stamina
It wasn't as much as the fish from earlier, but it was welcome nonetheless. I licked my paws clean, feeling satisfied. With my hunger sated, I decided to explore the room a bit.
The books caught my eye. I walked over to where they were stacked on the floor next to the bed. There weren't many, five in total. I couldn't read the language they were written in, of course, but I was curious. Were they fiction books? Or something more practical? Maybe guides on lock-picking or other skills useful to a young thief?
I pulled open the one on the top. It was also the bulkiest of all. The pages were filled with what looked like diagrams and dense text. It looked like the reference books back on Earth. Not exactly light reading, then. I flipped through a few more pages with my paw, fascinated. I could make no sense of what was written there but the diagrams were equally complex. There were circles and stars and all kinds of geometric shapes.
These diagrams look more complicated than my last relationship!
I closed the book with a sigh.
I need to learn the language of this world. As I turned back, I noticed the girl standing there with a smile tugging at her lips.
“Meow?”