Tom and Spike's eyes flew open as a the sound of a gong echoed through the mouse village.
"What was that!?" Tom exclaimed,
"That was the morning bell, it's rung by our leader telling us when to get up." Jerry quickly answered as he left his house.
"Ugh, five more minutes." Tom said before Spike pulled him out of bed, the two visitors wore one-piece pale green fur loincloths around their waists.
"Come on if we're here we can't just not follow their customs." Spike said as he dragged Tom out the front door of the little house, and when they got outside Tom quickly woke up seeing every mouse scurrying to in around their houses. And it was then Tom and Spike saw that each mouse wore loincloths the females having the chest and waist two-piece while the males had the waist one-piece. Along with that each mouse had make-up on their faces that matched the color of their loincloths each having a different design, every mouse had ruby red eyes, and finally every mouse wore the same heart-shaped jewel around their necks. The two visitors looked to see every mouse was dragging buckets of rain water behind the houses and pouring them into some sort of vat connected to the back of their houses. Tom and Spike felt their eyes land on Jerry and saw he was doing the same thing as he tried his best to pull one of the heavy buckets of water.
The cat and dog shared looks,
"Don't say it." Tom said.
"We're helping him!" Spike said with a proud smile,
"And you said it, fine let's get this over with." Tom said before he picked up a bucket with Spike following in tow. They both got to the back of the house fairly quickly and poured the water into the vat which appeared to have a large screw-on top connected to it. When they turned around they saw Jerry looking up at them with amazement in his eyes.
"How are you able to life these?" Jerry asked as Spike took his bucket that was half-full,
"It just takes a little strength, you mice need to workout a little." Spike replied as he poured the water in the tank. Jerry numbly nodded before he walked off to retrieve another bucket. And as the water was poured in your tank Spike and Tom noticed that many of the mice we're eyeing them with amazement or a dreamy gaze. Both Spike and Tom blushed at this they had never gotten so much attention (being that for their species they weren't considered any sort of spectacle) but all the mice seemed to view them as otherworldly. But eventually the two finished and Tom screwed the top on.
Jerry smiled relieved to be done but suddenly a pained look crossed his face. The mouse blushed quickly scurrying into his house. Tom and Spike followed after the mouse and got into his home just in time to see Jerry's tail slipping through the closing bathroom door.
"What was that about?" Tom asked,
"Don't know, that was odd." Spike replied and the two waited for Jerry (not knowing what to do next) and after thirty minutes Jerry came out smelling of mints as he readjusted his loincloth. Once he was done he smiled nervously at his visitors.
"Sorry, had to take care of somethin." Jerry said before walking over to the kitchen, Spike and Tom looked at one another.
"Are you feeling alright? You we're in there for a long time." Tom asked, as he saw Jerry struggle to pick up one of the boxes his tail completely limp and lifeless.
"Yeah I'm good, anyway right now we need to head to the village square for breakfast. We go there for all three meals of the day, we end up making our own meals using the food provided by our leader, we trade food while we talk to our fellow villagers, and nearing the end our leader tells us any needed information or encouragement." Jerry said quickly changing the topic,
"Alright." Spike replied him and Tom knowing that Jerry had told a little fib. The two then helped Jerry by picking up some boxes as the mouse picked up his own. The three then headed out (shutting the door behind them) and weaved through the houses. Spike and Tom watched as mice young and old walked to the village square, young mice gripped onto their parents (mainly the mothers) tail. The infant mice on the other hand we're either held by their older siblings or tied to their parents backs by a thin yet strong fur blanket.
And it was then that Spike and Tom noticed that even the children mice (infants included) had ruby red eyes.
"I swear they're so nice but those eyes are unnerving." Tom whispered,
"I know, but maybe red eyes are a cultural thing." Spike said as him, Tom, Jerry, and all the other mice made it to the village square. The town square was a large circular clearing that has stools and blankets already set up. Each stool and fur blanket was a simple brown while the blanket in the front was the largest having a bright orange color and finally in the center there was the shambles of what was once a fire. Jerry sat on one of the blankets putting his box down just as Tom and Spike did. He then began to set up his kitchen items and utensils just as the other mice and soon the place began to look like a potluck as all the mice began to talk waiting for their leader.
But as all the mice talked Tom and Spike became aware that it was surprisingly quiet as all the mice seemed to talk in a whisper. Suddenly though all the mice went quiet as their jeweled-necklaces and eyes began to glow they all looked towards the path and after a moment ten mice came in carting several large boxes in a horse carriage. The ten mice then began to move the boxes onto a large bright orange fur rug that laid in front of all the mice. Once the mice we're done they scurried off to their families and everyone saw their we're eight boxes. The first box had wooden logs, the second held vegetables, the third held fruit, the fourth held milk and eggs, the fifth held seeds and nuts, the sixth was strictly for berries, the seventh held different spices and condiments, while the eight held nothing but thousands wheels of cheese stacked high.
All the mice looked at the cheese licking their lips some of them drooling. Spike and Tom looked over to Jerry to see him looking at the cheese with wide hungry eyes.
"Welcome my people." A voice said, and Tom and Spike looked at the path and saw a mouse with orange hair and ears make his way to the orange blanket. The mouse, unlike every other mouse, had dark blue eyes and he wore a one-piece dark blue fur loincloth that seemed to be made of better material then the other loincloths. And finally he wore a glowing heart-shaped jewel around his neck.
"Hello our leader." All the mice replied,
"Well you all know the drill cook up your best food and give a small portion of anything you make to me." The mouse leader said and every mouse went to work taking whatever they could all except from the eighth box that is and on the rare occasion any mice (mainly the younglings) would try to take a piece of cheese they'd be given a subtle glare. Eventually the mice all went back to their stations and got cooking and Spike and Tom watched as Jerry started a fire to make his omelet. The two visitors then looked back to the leader who was smiling talking to any passerby.
"I don't like him." Tom said,
"Me neither, where is his cooking utensils? Why isn't he cooking?" Spike asked. Jerry nearly dropped his frying pan full with eight eggs as his eyes went wide, a few mice nearby shot Tom and Spike fearful looks and Jerry judgmental ones. The mouse himself shrank under the looks,
"Guys—" Jerry started until he was cut off by a foamier voice.
"No, no, Jerry, it's fine those are valid questions that deserve answers. And everyone else, back to work you all know it's wrong to eavesdrop." The leader mouse said as he handed each mouse a wheel of cheese his eyes glowing red as he took each new wheel, Jerry gasped his pupils going back the mouse acted as if he was just caught looking at an inappropriate magazine.
"L-Leader Ripu, I-I-I didn't—" Jerry started before his leader interrupted,
"Relax Jerry, I don't blame you, they are new here so of course they'd…..challenge me. I don't mind reminding everyone why I'm the leader. Just go back to cooking and don't forget to eat your cheese." Ripu said before placing Jerry's wheel of cheese on his blanket. Jerry nodded and nervously went back to cooking as he started heating up his eggs. Ripu's eyes locked on Spike and Tom, "I hear you have a few…..questions." He said with a calm and collected smile.
"Yeah we do." Spike said,
"Well I'll answer all your questions at my home once I hand out all the cheese to my people." Ripu replied before he handed out the rest of his cheese as Spike and Tom watched. And as they watched the visitors noticed Ripu would taste a portion of the food at each mice cook station before moving on. And Spike and Tom noticed each mice would get nervous and jittery as Ripu approached. Eventually though Ripu finished and motioned Tom and Spike over in his direction but just before he left he cleared his throat gaining every mouse's attention.
"Once your done be sure to clean up, preform your duties for the day, and send the micelings to me for school." Ripu said, before he walked off with Spike and Tom following.
*
Ripu's house was two times the size of all the other mice houses, his house lacked a kitchen as the first room was nothing more then a living room. The living room had several animal skins covering the floor, as different types of chairs stood on the floor with padded seats. Spike and Tom looked at Ripu carefully as they sat across from him a coffee table (that was completely made of wood) standing in between the three.
"To answer your questions from before, I don't cook because I'm the leader and thus having kitchen utensils would be a waste on me. Also, I'm the one that provides the food, cleans it off, runs this civilization, checks the crops for out food, and created the very cheese my subjects adore. I deserve every luxury I get, not that it's my choice or anything." Ripu said, Tom and Spike shared looks at this.
"Well if your such a good leader then why are all your people scared of you?" Spike asked,
"Yeah, and why aren't your eyes red?" Tom added. And Ripu opened his mouth to answer before a knock came from his front door. Ripu got up and opened the door revealing all the mice children (infants included), and he smiled.
"Sorry gentlemen, but I must teach the children. See your way out, won't you?" Ripu said as he lead the children to the basement, the mice children all eyed Spike and Tom with wonder as Ripu opened the basement door and they all headed downstairs. The leader looked at Tom and Spike for a moment before shutting the basement door. Spike and Tom looked at each other before leaving but even as they walked in silence they both thought the same thing.
Something wasn't right.