Sorry for the delay. I got writer's block from this chapter. :( Thanks goes to Adeleidhis for helping me get out of the writer's block. :)

This chapter is rated T for abuse.

Inspiration from Alindor's speeder bike chase comes from the Beastie Boys' song "Sabotage".

*.*.*

Alindor flicked the small gold lever, attached to the small, gold, metallic toy wheel. He was bored. He couldn't help it! He chuckled, loving how the gold metal wheel spun around and around.

Alindor, for a golden house cat, hardly remembered his past. What he did recall was his parents went towards a couple of bubble portals, hoisting him inside one and then watching him leave without saying goodbye. He didn't know why, but the way they showed him kindness, in spite of what he briefly heard about his mother, was endearing. Almost like he could forgive her.

That was almost two years ago. Now, he lived with his foster mother, an Oriental Cat by the name of Eleanor, and his foster father, a brown-and-black Doberman Pinscher by the name of Farzad. Farzad was often pained by something, but it wasn't his fault. Alindor's foster mother told him Farzad suffered through a great war in the Seven Realms that nearly divided the realms.

Now, the Land of Talking Animals was covered with nomadic villages and animals who claimed themselves as chieftains until the new king arrived and saved them all from their destruction. No one knew who this new king might be. They felt sure this king must come from royalty, a royal bloodline that hadn't diminished, but was instead dormant.

A hundred years passed since the time of Jine and Tracker's reign. Jine was an Oriental Cat and Tracker a brown Burmese Cat. They were in love and sure, they had their ups and downs, but no one in this realm forgot Jine's misery, since the time she beat up Parker Dooley, the light red dragonoid who came as a dignitary for the Land of Dragons. Thanks to Jine's ridicule towards the light red dragonoid, the peace between the Land of Dragons and the Land of Talking Animals had been for naught.

No one knew where Jine, Tracker, and Parker were since they were one of those creatures who time traveled during the Great Migration of the Shapeshifters, the first of its kind. Aslan was the one who said there would be a few great migrations to come, but who knew when or where these migrations would strike. Those that remained were meant to live on and allow their families to grow throughout the centuries.

As for Alindor, he didn't know if his parents were alive. His real parents. All he knew was that his line ended with him; at least, that's what he thought. As far as he could tell, he must have had other brothers and sisters out there somewhere… unless they had children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. A hundred years in the Seven Realms had passed when he arrived.

That may be, then how come he was allowed to grow up? How come he was only halfway to becoming two in cat years and twenty-four in human years? It made no sense.

Whatever. Aslan would come to save him, tell him what he needed to know about his heritage. Maybe then, everything would be all right. Or so he hoped.

.

Alindor huffed. He couldn't take this! He'd been cooped up inside his foster parents' maroon-and-white two-story house for far too long. There had to be something he could do. Anything to get out of here!

"I need to leave," Alindor mumbled, spotting out the window the shed where his foster father's speeder bike was hidden. It was this speeder bike that could turn big or small for whoever rode it. No one would fault him for taking the speeder bike, would they?

Alindor looked this way and that, checking to make sure no one was in the kitchen. Nope. No one was around. He moved away from the dining table, away from the gold metal toy wheel, heading out the door and into the shed.

There it was. The speeder bike with its grey double fins up front and its grey metal plating protecting the bike from harm. Alindor moved the speeder out of the shed, pressing a button on the handlebars to transform the speeder into one built for house cats.

He smiled, loving this.

"Awesome!" Alindor said, hopping onto the speeder bike and taking it for a spin.

.

Alindor never felt so alive! Granted, there were times when he was allowed to ride the speeder bike. Then again, this was too awesome a trip to pass up!

The wind blew in his fur! Birds passed by as he drove the speeder down the road. He would do everything in his power to get as far away from his foster parents' house as much as possible. He would not be deterred!

He just… didn't expect a cream-colored, yellow knight cat, dressed in brown robes, riding a speeder bike, too. He could tell from the way she spoke to him that she was someone of great value and held her position well. Well, that wasn't enough for him!

Alindor turned his foster father's speeder to the next road, hoping to dodge her. He had it! He was nearing the border to the Land of Dragons… if he hadn't been stopped by the cream-colored yellow furry cat, forcing him to slow his foster father's speeder bike down.

Alindor smiled at her, hoping she would back away. That is until he saw her silver-hilted lightsaber, resting on her belt. His smile faded. He was in big trouble.

.

Farzad gently slapped Alindor across the cheek. He snarled at the golden house cat, as Alindor snapped out of his daze and massaged his cheek. Farzad looked at him, saying, furiously, "Be thankful that was a warning! You could have damaged my speeder bike!"

"Farzad!" Eleanor approached Alindor, wrapping her arms around him. She looked at Farzad, telling him off, "You shouldn't say those things to him. He's our son!"

"He is not our son," Farzad said, annoyed. He told Alindor, "You know, you're lucky you don't know where your parents are. They would be very disappointed in you, as I am." He stood up, approaching a message on the table. "I'm sending you to the druids at Paranor."

"Paranor?" Alindor asked, confused. "That Druid's Keep in the Four Lands? It's not even in our world!"

"I know, but it will give you the chance to know discipline, honor, sacrifice," Farzad said, fuming. He looked at Alindor again, telling him, "Don't return until you've learned your lesson about stealing. Stealing someone's property doesn't make it their own. It makes you a criminal." He approached the golden house cat, asking him, "Tell me: what would your father say about your behavior? You don't even know where he is, do you?"

Alindor glared at him. He didn't trust Farzad. How could he? This Doberman Pinscher already showed cruelty! Why should he ask for better?

Farzad passed the message to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and leading him to a golden-brown, rimmed portal. "The way to Paranor is through there. You'll come to the gardens. Don't be late. Bremen will be expecting you."

"I hope I never have to come back to this house again," Alindor said, furious. "That is if I ever get back to the Land of Talking Animals."

"Just go," Farzad said, softly, watching his foster son leave him and Eleanor through the portal.

Alindor took one last look at his foster mother. He sighed warmly, as only a son could do for their mother, or foster mother. "Don't worry, mum. I will return." He took one last look at Farzad, nodded, and darted through the portal.

The portal vanished, leaving Eleanor wondering if what Farzad did was wrong, that Alindor truly had a kind heart. She hoped it wasn't too painful, what Alindor endured. But then, anything was possible.