“I am coming with you,” my father said as we ate a meal of fresh fish together.

“Really?” I asked him.

“Yes. Volcanos, Mittens? I should tell Mousethief off,” he said with a grumble.

“It was my choice and he let me know of the risks. I am fine. I wasn’t even injured, just shaken up,” I replied.

“You are lucky they only declared the mission nulled. Rebel groups? Tree cults?” my father asked me.

“Well things got a bit heated. Nothing major,” I casually replied.

“Take some nice quiet investigations,” he replied.

“No,” I looked up and stated clearly. “I enjoy what I do. And I am good at it.”

“You are pushing yourself too hard too fast. No one else asked, but I saw you mission tempo. It is insane. One after another.”

“It is fine father. I could handle it. I could probably beat you now,” I replied.

“Really Mittens? Beating me isn’t a real challenge and inappropriate,” he said. I winced at that.

“I am sorry. But you are worried too much. This is my life. What about your life? Your new technician?” I asked.

“Missy, is quite capable. Not as good as Mousethief, but no one is. We get along quite well.”

“Well if you like her, I don’t have any objections,” I replied.

“Really?” he asked.

“It is fine. You are your own cat, just like me. I really enjoy my work. It was rough at times, but I enjoy it.” My father let out a long sigh and slumped in his chair. I noticed that his black fur was a shade lighter. He was going gray.

“I am going with you,” he finally said.

“What?” I asked.

“I am going with you on missions.”

“No. And you know High Cleric Maximilian will throw a fit. I have seen the open list, it is massive,” I said.

“It is boring,” he muttered.

“What?” I asked.

“I am getting the slow investigation missions. I don’t know how Mousethief does it, but he always picked the best ones. I am getting bored Mittens. Bored,” my father hissed out. I chuckled at this. “What? Don’t laugh.”

“You just want to come with me for some excitement,” I replied.

“Yes, Warrior kill me. I am so incredibly bored. A volcano. I was looking into a kiddie cult that was packing nip into pumpkins and just a criminal group that was getting high. You had a volcano. Kiddie cult,” he gestured between me and himself with his paw.

“Well you are getting older and I worry about you. You might not be able to keep up,” I replied in a teasing tone.

“Really, teasing your old cat?”

“So you are old?” I asked.

“A bit. Also, I got it cleared,” he said.

“Wait really?” I asked.

“Hmm, since you are going around on your fancy new boat, I can tag along. Really? A boat? You didn’t like the container?”

“It was good, but cargo ships weren’t going out to the island. Plus, I like the water now,” I replied.

“Whose kitten are you and where is Mittens? Really you like water?” he asked me.

“Hmm, I got a handle on my sea sickness, so it is fine. The trick is to relax your stomach muscles and not resisting the swaying motion,” I replied with the knowledge I had gotten from my skills.

“Water and cats do not mix Mittens. On a serious note, there is intelligence pointing to the Apostates moving in strength for their missions. Assassins are being paired up on high risk missions, or in the general area for support,” he replied.

“Really, even with the open list exploding?” I asked.

“Yes. Losing an assassin is much worse. Also the Covenant Church is stepping up its recruitment and several cities on the southern coast have gone under martial law. There is even talk of a draft.”

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“But I thought a war was ten or so years off?” I asked.

“That volcano set up more than smoke and ash. It was a signal. The snakes attacking the island, the Quackening, and the other events, means a full scale war not seen since the crusades is coming. Already the Covenant Church is loosening their grip on information. Plans for mobilization are being laid out,” my father told me.

“That quickly?” I asked.

“Yes. Once the Covenant Church moves, it moves. Within a year, I expect the Sixth Crusade to be called and all creatures of faith to help support the war against the snakes. The snakes are clearly stepping up their efforts as well. But will fight on the defensive, hoping to draw out our lines.”

“Then why are we attacking?” I asked.

“Better to fight over there, than here. Protect the cities and the manufacturing. The Covenant Church is finally showing its fangs after centuries of slumber,” he said.

“So, we are teaming up then. One rule, my missions, I run them my way,” I said.

“Really? I am still the Warrior’s Shadow and out rank you,” my father said with a smile. I knew he was teasing me back.

“Yes. I am also quite skilled. Perhaps a spar,” I suggested.

“Alright. Let’s see if this old cat still has some tricks,” he replied. We got up and put rubber tips on our claws and went to the training room.

“I know you improve quickly Mittens, but I am going to be serious from the start. To the first blow,” he said.

“Agreed. Don’t hold back, no excuses,” I replied.

“I won’t. I hope you do crush me. It would make me feel a lot better,” he replied.

“Be careful what you wish for,” I countered and rushed him. Setting the tempo to my pace.

My father slashed out and while diving to the side in a roll. I rolled to the side with him. My Dance skill coming in handy, allowing me to match his movements. I slashed out and he quickly backed away as I kept up the pressure. He backed up towards a wall. He then leapt backwards. I leapt down and forward. My father went overhead, while I came up, kicked off the wall and was right behind him.

He rolled forward and then spun around. I came in low and kicked out towards his legs. He leapt backwards as I came back up to my hindpaws and rushed him once again. He moved in and struck out at me.

I twisted my paw back and twisted his paw to the side. He yanked his paw back and rushed forward slashing out with his other paw. I stepped in as well, using my arm to block his, before he slashed me. I angled my body, so instead of shoulder checking me, which was his plan, we spun around and then broke apart in opposite directions.

There was a brief look of surprise on his face. Rushing forward I kept the pressure up on my father as we moved about the training room. Fifteen minutes later, he was breathing heavily, while my breathing remained steady.

I moved in once again, striking out, and he was hard pressed to keep up with me. I increased the tempo of my attacks, and landed a claw strike on his arm. I backed off. He looked at me, amazed. “Good match,” he replied.

“Good match,” I replied back.

“You actually beat me. That…well done Mittens. I am very proud of you. To outlast me and push me that hard. So soon, which means you have kept up your training,” he told me. Well that was Mes helping me out, but I wasn’t about to say that.

“For the most part. But using your size to slam into me. Really?” I asked.

“There are larger creatures. Mice don’t get to complain, so you don’t,” he told me.

“It is fine. But you leave yourself open to a bite attack,” I replied.

“That is true, but we aren’t feral creatures,” he replied.

“I wonder how I would do against Fenrir?” I asked.

“That beast? If you beat me, then you can beat him. You want a rematch?”

“Yes.” My father chuckled at that as he recovered his breath.

“Let sleeping wolves lie Mittens. He would happily trade a severe injury just to deal one in turn.” I nodded at that. “Then you know why it is a bad idea.”

There was a knock on the door. “Come in,” my father said and Mousethief walked in.

“Tom Cat, Mittens. We are heading out right away. New mission just came in, we are taking. Up North. I arranged warm clothes for you Mittens and I let Missy know,” Mousethief said.

“Alright, let me get a shower then onto the ship?” I asked to confirm things.

“Yes.” I nodded at this and Mousethief left.

“You let him pick your missions?” My father looked at me in surprise.

“We trust each other. He gets good missions, I kill things. Unless you want to go back to kiddie cults?” I asked.

“No. Go easy on your old, weak, father,” he let out a fake moan. I rolled my eyes at his antics as we left the training room. I quickly got a shower and changed. I then made my way back out to the Metalshark. It was getting dark and the rain was coming down harder. I got on the cutter with my father just behind me.

Deck mice quickly got to work casting the ship off. As I entered the control room, Mousethief was quickly steering us out of port at full speed. I noted another female cat in the room with him. “Why are you driving? They assigned a captain?” the cat, who was probably Missy was saying.

“I am the captain on this ship. Ah Mittens, Tom Cat, welcome,” Mousethief said as my father shut the door behind us.

“Assassin Mittens, it is a good meet you,” Missy said. I carefully shook her paw.

“You as well Technician Missy.” She looked a bit ill as the ship heaved up and down. She quickly sat down. I walked over to Mousethief. “So, the mission, what are we looking at?” I asked.

“Bear cult. They are a bunch of tribals for the most part. Not much in the far North. However, they have been gathering in mass. The Covenant Church wants it delt with quickly. The Great Lizard Kingdom might be making a move, since they have a large community of bears over there,” Mousethief explained.

“Sounds easy enough. Just go in and kill them all,” I said.

“Ah, it is a bit more complicated than that. The Covenant Church wants the bears brought to heel, and agree to conscription,” Mousethief replied.

“You have to be joking,” I countered.

“No. High Cleric Maximilian was quite insistent about this. It is a threat and a reminder,” Mousethief said.

“He can just assign a mission like that?” I asked.

“I was told to take it. You know how it is Tom Cat,” Mousethief deflected to my father who was listening in.

“Indeed. Your last mission was declared null. Not a success. This is a reminder,” my father replied.

“Fine, kill some of the bears and beat the rest up,” I said.

“Hmm, that sounds like a great idea actually,” my father replied. “Bears are about strength. We can slap them down, then the situation would resolve itself. The cult will make things tricky,” my father replied.

“Why conscript them? Strength doesn’t matter much with guns,” I asked.

“Digging trenches to hide against the snakes. Bigger creatures can dig faster. Also they are very resistant to hypnosis. I think it is because they don’t have much up there to begin with,” Mousethief replied.

“That’s specist,” Missy said. We all looked at her and rolled our eyes.

“It’s the truth. Just wait and see,” Mousethief replied.