I sat in the back of the classroom listening to Miss Softfur the vole lecture the class on history. “That was why in year 280 After Unification, or AU, the second conclave was held and formed the Church of the Covenant. The ancestral Warrior Spirit blessed the proceedings.”

“This would lead to the first crusade as the various factions of the Warrior Spirit united under a single a banner. Each conclave appointed one High Priest and would elect the Warrior’s Voice to safeguard the realm for all creatures.” The bell rang to signal the end of class. “Remember you all owe a paper on the first crusade due the end of the week,” Miss Softfur said as creatures rushed out of the classroom. I slowly packed up my book bag, not wanting to go back to the group home for the night, but knowing there was no other option.

I looked at the picture of my mom and dad, in my bag. I didn’t dare keep anything precious at the group home. It was next to an old artifact my father had given as a gift from his job working oversees. I wasn’t clear on what his job was, but it was one of the few things he had ever given me.

I wasn’t going to take a chance with the mice and vole kids that lived there by leaving my stuff out and letting it get stolen. “Hurry along Miss Mittens. Unless you want the rod?” Miss Softfur harshly asked slapping the discipline rod in her hand. My ears and tail twitched at the threat.

“No Miss Softfur, my apologies for taking too long,” I said quickly and bowed my head. Knowing that backtalk would just get me into trouble.

“Hmmpft, I would have thought a cat would be quicker.” I didn’t respond as I quickly left the classroom. Several students stared at me, but I quickly pulled the hood of my sweater up and ducked my head. It didn’t help with how large I was compared to the other young creatures at Wilbur High School.

Frank stepped into my path along with two of his cronies. I stopped and waited. “Running away? You forgot the cat tax,” Frank said as his two mouse companions laughed like it was some amazing joke. I didn’t say anything. Even though I was larger and stronger, fighting would just see me punished and possibly declawed. I couldn’t fight. That had been hammered into me constantly all my life.

“Lose your tongue, like you lost your mom?” Frank asked hatefully. I didn’t say anything. Since anything I did would just get me into trouble. My paws clenched to stop my claws from coming out. “Pfft, well no surprise she wanted to kill herself with how worthless you are.”

I let out my breath slowly and did not extend my claws. They wanted to get a rise out of me. I had learned that lesson the hard way once before and did not need a repeat. “Let’s go,” Frank said and spat at my feet. His two companions both spat at my feet as well before walking away. I felt the spit dribble onto the floor off my hind paw, marring the white hair I had around all my paws.

I made to leave the school thinking how much worse it was compared to my last school which was a private institution. At least there the teachers kept order and discipline. It had been a preparatory military and religious school. When my mom died and I was moved to the group home, I got stuck at Wilbur. It was terrible and everyone was mean.

Every time I wanted to cry, I remembered my mother’s saying she always told me when I was frustrated at how things were arrayed against me. ‘Mittens, the world hates us cats. But the only one that can truly hate you is you. They just want to see you weak and broken.’ Then she would give me a hug and comb my fur. I missed her so much.

I exited the front door and made my way towards the group home. If I was late for chores, I would be punished. My stomach hurt just thinking about that. Even though I needed more food than the other creatures, the serving sizes were the same. I couldn’t afford to miss a meal.

Once I graduated, I could join the military or find a job away from all the hate. My mother talked about how my father served. The fact that the other kids at the group home had ripped up his uniform and pawned his medals that I had kept, had hurt deeply. Now I left nothing personal unattended.

“Hey there Mittens,” I looked over to see a sheep. Why was this creature talking to me?

“What do you want?” I asked slowly. I didn’t know this creature and sheep weren’t that common in the school or the city.

“Heard you were having trouble at school. You might not know me, but I have seen you around. Name’s Fleece, Fleece the Sheep,” the boy sheep said. He looked a bit of a mess with his fur being splotchy in some places and off color. I recalled seeing around school before. He was looking a lot worse which was why I didn’t recognize him. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was trembling slightly. Probably drugs, which I was going to stay away from.

“How can you help? Last I checked, I don’t see you running a gang or anything?” I asked skeptically. I wasn’t interested in any kind of nonsense he was trying to sell me. I was not signing up with any of the local gangs, no matter how much they wanted a cat. I was committed to staying out of trouble.

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“Part of an elite club of outcasts. You know how those mice and voles get. Don’t even get me started about the shrews. They just complain and nag all the time-“

“What elite club?” I cut Fleece off since I didn’t want to be late for no reason. Let’s just get to the point.

“We can walk and talk,” I nodded at that and walked slowly so he could keep up with my larger legs. “This is all hush, hush you know. Promise you will keep quiet?” Fleece asked.

“Sure,” I replied thinking he was just trying to just talk himself up.

“The Cult of the Snake,” I almost tripped when he said that. I stopped and my head snapped in his direction.

“That is some serious shit. If you are found out, well, the Church will crucify you,” I whispered at him harshly. That was a lot worse than being declawed. Crucifixion, while rare, was not unheard of for creatures that went against the Covenant Church.

“I know, I know. But it is no joke. Just need more people for the ceremony. A High Apostate came through, showed us what we needed to call forth the Snake Spirit. Unleash that and teach those mice and voles a lesson,” Fleece said. He was an idiot, and his plan was even stupider.

“And then a Paladin of the Covenant Church will come in and you will all be dead. I may think a lot of things, but I keep any heresy far away from me,” I replied and began walking away from Fleece. He quickly ran to catch up with me.

“Mittens, it won’t be like that. We are super careful like. Plus, we have a scaled talisman, just in case,” Fleece said. That just made it worse. A heretical relic, was just asking for his eyes to be plucked out while his pelt was cut from his living body. The Covenant Church did not mess about and liked to make that very clear to every creature. Murder, rape, and a host of other crimes was nothing compared to going against the Covenant Church.

That was the one thing my mother made sure I understood. Don’t mess around with the Covenant Church. They don’t take prisoners or engage in half measures. I had nightmares for weeks when she carefully explained in detail what happened to her older brother and parents when they were caught while engaged in heresy.

Only the truly desperate or insane went against the Covenant Church. She made me promise never to even think about causing trouble like that. Steal, kill a creature, none of that even remotely compared to heresy. Whoever had roped in Fleece was a moron. They were all morons. Soon to be dead morons.

I wouldn’t report them, since I didn’t want the attention or the trouble. I just wanted it all to stay away from me. “Fleece, thank you for thinking about me. But I am just trying to keep my head down until I can graduate and leave,” I replied.

“You think it will be different elsewhere, huh. Well, it isn’t. It will be just as bad or worse,” Fleece said. I knew that, but I didn’t want to admit it. The crusades had shattered any real opposition to the Covenant Church. No one could stand against the might of the Warrior Spirit.

From my noble ancestors, the purple eyed mountain cats. To the great Croft Empire, of the sheep, pigs, cows, and dogs. The Empire was shattered upon the Warrior Spirit’s many blades. I shuddered to think what would happen if a Paladin of the Covenant Church came for me just like they had for all those other creatures.

“No Fleece. I am not going to say anything. But I am not playing with my life,” I replied.

“Fine, suit yourself scaredy cat,” Fleece said and turned away. He then walked off and I let out a sigh of relief. A High Apostate and a snake talisman were quite serious. I shuddered to think about what would happen with Fleece. There was no way any of that was going to end well. Better to stay out of the mess entirely.

It was still hard to deny the part of me that wanted to accept. To strike at the mice and voles. And all the other creatures that the Warrior Spirit empowered and protected. It was aggravating to be insulted, spit upon, and treated like trash. But I would endure and work hard to achieve a brighter future. No Snake Spirit for me, absolutely not.

I hurried to the group home, not wanting to be late. I made it and presented myself to the caretaker of the place, Old Whitefur, the meanest shrew one could find anywhere. Her voice snapped out like a whip. “Mittens, I hope you weren’t causing trouble.”

“No Miss Whitefur,” I replied and bowed my head, looking at her tiny feet. She snorted at that.

“I doubt it. But no matter. Take out the garbage, sweep the kitchen floor, then the dishes, and once all that is done, you can then you can start on your homework before dinner,” Miss Whitefur said.

“Yes Miss Whitefur,” I replied. I carefully set my book bag in a corner of the kitchen, out of the way but still in sight and she didn’t say anything. I quickly got to work. I carefully checked the garbage bag, making sure it wasn’t ripped. That had happened before, and I got punished for it.

“Oh, Longtooth, have a cookie,” Miss Whitefur pulled a cookie off of a plate and handed it to one of the mouse kids that had just came back to the group home. I ignored the blatant favoritism. Calling it out would just get me a lecture on making up for the sins of my ancestors and how they were all terrible murdering specists who enslaved everyone else.

I did not want to hear that lecture again. It was the stupidest pile of garbage I had ever heard of. Even if my great great great so many greats ago ancestor was a slaving piece of scum, what did that have to do with me? And how was giving more cookies to the other kids in the group home and making me do more chores, make up for my ancestors’ crimes?

Bringing any of that up, got me sent to bed with just a cup of water for dinner. So, I wisely kept my mouth shut, did my chores, and got no cookies. That was the way of the world. The mice and the other ‘good’ creatures at the top. The ‘bad’ and ‘evil’ creatures were at the bottom of the pecking order. Unfortunately for me cats ranked fairly low on that list.

I finished moving the trash outside without the bag ripping. I then went back inside and began to carefully sweep. I made two passes as Miss Whitefur occasionally glanced at me and didn’t say anything while she prepared the food. That was one thing she wouldn’t allow me to do, since she said, ‘You will probably steal it like cats stole from all the good creatures.’

I finished up the sweeping and then got to work on washing the dishes perfectly clean. I held each one up to carefully inspect it first before putting them on the drying rack. Miss Whitefur would check, and if one had even the tiniest speck, I would get in more trouble. Better to just take my time and do it right, so I didn’t get yelled at.