Coldness gripped the city and the forest like an icy claw, snow had covered everything, leaving some streets and ponds frozen solid. A strip of gray light gleamed above the horizon, making it possible to see. Nothing broke the morning silence except for the occasional breeze that rustled the trees. Shinto peered out from under the covers of his bed, in the summer time he would jump straight up and make breakfast, but on a chilly winter day like today, he would do no such thing. Shinto sighed and then dug deeper into the covers where warmth would be waiting for him.
"What am I doing in this form...my black fur would keep my twice as warm..." In a blink of an eye blue light flared, and a black fluffy tail stuck out from the blankets. There was a knock at the door, it was soft, clearly not a grown up's strength. Shinto poked his head out from under the covers and slid down to the floor. He recoiled in discomfort, the rug he had placed was as cold as ice, even with fur it chilled him right to the bone.
There was a knock again.
"I'm coming I'm coming!" Shinto moaned. Again the light sparkled and he was back to human again. When he opened the door he found a little girl standing there, her green eyes sparkling.
She was dressed in a heavy orange coat and sweat jeans, with pink mittens and green earmuffs on.
"Would you like to buy some ice cream?" She exclaimed, bouncing up and down. Shinto glared at her, who would sell ice cream now, in the middle of winter?
"Uh h...no thanks.." He sputtered, rubbing his neck awkwardly. The girl abruptly broke out in tears, and dropped her box, ice cream sandwiches flew in every direction.
"" Shinto slapped his hands onto his ears. He was a seeker, not a kid who took care of kids selling ice cream in the wrong season. A seeker belonged to the dark lands. They scavenged the light and dim lands, but also kept a watch on their own town for suspicious kids who might be seekers like him. There were other jobs, but he wasn't experienced enough yet. Such as night hunter, a job belonging to cats who could blend into the darkness like a second pelt. Or a day hunter, who would still spy in broad daylight with a dark colored pelt. The little girl only wailed louder.
"Hey... um..I have..." He looked around quickly for something, anything that could save his hearing. "Ice cream!"
The girl jerked her head up and smiled.
"Thank you mister!" She giggled, and then ran away like nothing ever happened. His amber gaze stared after her.
"Who in the world let her go around like this selling ice-" He glanced down at the floor.
"Let her go around and hand out free ice cream to a kid like me?" Shinto nodded, then gathered up a scattered ice cream and quickly put them in his freezer. He laid back down, thinking about last night.
"Ochtia...I still wonder about you..." Ochtia belonged to the Dim Lands, an enemy of the Dark lands. However he felt a close bond with him somehow, something that shouldn't be there. According to the city elders, each kid had a special talent or knack that they were born with. Their talent would defend their land, and maybe even their lives one day. His father had told him again and again that he would have a special place in his land. Again there was a knock at the door.
"What the heck do you want at this hour!" He sighed. Warily getting up her walked to the door and opened it, there stood his worst nightmare, the city elder.
"Shinto come with me, now." He said smoothly. Shinto glared at him, if the city elder came to our door then something was definitely wrong.
"Why..."
"Just come with me."
"I have my rights!"
"You won't anymore."
"Look, I know I broke the waffle machine a couple days back but it was an accident and I'll pay for it!"
"I'm not talking about a waffle-"
"Ok, so I took Jenny's pen during lunch but Ill return it!"
"Shinto Draken you are under arrest by order of the council of the Dark Lands!" The elder declared. Shinto stared at him, he had done nothing wrong, except broken a waffle machine and stolen a pen, he was innocent!
"Come with me now!" Shinto ducked from his swipe and dove through his legs and pelted away, transforming into a cat he jumped down the fire escape. But a dark brown tabby streaked after him. He turned quickly into an ally, jumped onto a trash can and sprung over a wall. But the old dude was still after him, he sprinted down the building towards Black River and swiped to the edge. There was no place else to go.
"Ah ha! Just give up!" The cat croaked. Shinto hesitated, then dove into the murky water...
