hA/N: SORRY FOR THE DELAY, EVERYONE! Some stupid virus called ' ' got into my laptop (still there) and screwed over Microsoft Word. I'm using Google docs, right now. If anyone knows how to get rid of the virus for stupid, non-techie people like me, please tell me!
So, forgive the weird spacing and stuff, lol. XD
Oh, by the way, I don't own Feng at all. XD AnimeGmr101 does. I will be using her OC in my fic (with credentials, obviously) and she will be using Hoang in hers. So, yes. Let me repeat myself.
I DO NOT OWN SPIRIT ANIMALS, FENG, LISHAY, OR ANYTHING ELSE. I ONLY OWN HOANG AND POINCIANA.
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ONWARD! *brandishes random sword that pops out of no where*
Chapter Two
Oh, no.
Oh, yes!
It was a cat. She hated cats. Perhaps hate was too strong of a word, but she strongly disliked them.
It was smaller than most cats, but had an oddly feral look. Its face was very angular and its eyes striking. It's long tail swished rhythmically, as it washed its paw calmly.
Perhaps, the most striking part of it was its admittedly beautiful coat and eyes.
She (Hoang just got the feeling that she was a she; and besides, 'tortoiseshell' cats were rearely male) was very small, her pelt a striking 'tortoiseshell.' The she-cat's pelt was a striking, vibrant orange, with lowlights of black and brown here and there. Her ruff was a deep, pitch black, as were her paws. The she-cat's face was 'split' down the middle. There was a perfect line dividing the orange on the left side of her face, and the black covering most of her right face; more sooty black covered the top of her head and her ears. Her lovely, long ringed tail was a sooty brown at the lower-half of it. Her eyes were slanted, a luminescent golden-green.
"Well." The doctor, a well-groomed Euran man, crisply dumped his materials back in his leather bag, which he closed with an audible snap! "It seems you have your new friend," he said coldy, "enjoy."
And with that, he left.
Hoang sniffed indignantly. "The nerve!" she muttered. She had a rather dangerous, homicidal urge to go after that man and claw him to shreds- claw?!
She shook her head. That was… what was the cat's name?
Hoang swiveled her head towards the feline. Unperturbed, the little pretty kitty continued on grooming. Hoang stared even harder at the cat, trying to imagine a forged connection between the two.
Poinciana.
The word exploded in her head.
Reeling, she clutched her head as she fell back on the pillows.
"Whoa there, hun," an unfamiliar voice firmly said. "Take it easy now. You've been through a lot."
As her vision cleared she asked, "Who're you?"
"A friend," the voice replied.
She squinted, as if peering through a foggy haze. She still couldn't make out his (or her) face, but one, small, coloured detail stood clear.
Greencloak.
XXX
"You!" she hissed vehemently, clenching her quilty tightly.
Her mother firmly pushed her down. The worry was evident in her face.
"Yes, me," the woman calmly said. "If you'd leave us for a moment," she directed at her parents, who obliged and left the room.
She had long, graying hair that might've once been pitch-black. Despite her elderly age, her dark eyes sparkled with youth and wisdom. "I know you might have less than amicable feelings towards the Greencloaks, but-"
"Excuse me?!" Hoang angrily interjected, "Less than amicable? That doesn't even begin to cover it!"
The woman's mouth turned up slightly at the edges as she continued. "But, we'd like you to join us. The Four Fallen have been summoned by four children. The Devourer has risen, and we need your help to defeat him."
"The Fallen?" Hoang blinked, before laughing. "The Devourer? They're just fairy-tales!"
The woman replied, "No, the Great Beasts are very much real. And perhaps it's not exactly the Devourer, but a group called the Conquerors are on the move."
She paused.
"Zhong has fallen."
All the colour drained out of Hoang's face. Though she had never been to Zhong, she knew very well of its might and power.
"How do I know you're not lying?" she whispered, her voice trembling. But she knew that this woman was not lying.
The woman sighed. In a flash of light, a beautiful animal appeared. A black tiger stood in her room, pelt as black as ink, eyes as bright as the golden sun. The woman saluted Hoang. "I swear, upon my honor, that I, Lishay, am not lying to you."
Hoang scowled, her hands fidgeting. She knew there was no more beating around the bush. It was either the Greencloaks, or the Conquerors. Though she really wouldn't have prefered either (the former condemning her, the latter probably seeking her aid or death), but whichever brought the most opportunities and safety was best.
"Fine, I believe you. Hoang Kinh, at your service."
"What's your spirit animal's name?" Lishay prompted.
Hoang harrumphed, glancing at the she-cat. The cat regarded her with glowing eyes.
"Poinciana."
XXX
Hoang was too weak to walk, so Lishay had to find a horse-drawn cart. They sat in the back of the cart which was filled with straw. Lishay had her tiger in him dormant form. Poinciana warmed right up to Hoang, and Hoang had to admit, it was hard to not like the little guy as she petted the bundle of purring fur. The driver would cast a wary glance back at them once in a while.
"So, tell me about the Four Fallen. I'm curious." Curious was a bit of an understatement. She leaned forward.
Lishay tilted her head. "Connor, a Euran boy summoned Briggan. Uraza was summoned by a Niloan girl named Abeke, and Rollan, an Amayan boy, called Essix." She paused. "And Meilin, a Zhongese noblewoman, summoned Jhi."
Hoang narrowed her eyes, and practically hissed. Oh, those Zhongese people. She'd met a few at the marketplace. They were far too snobbish and snarky for her liking.
Lishay looked amused. "I suppose you don't like other girls your age?"
"I'm thirteen," she snapped. "I don't like kids younger than me."
"Ah. Yes." Her face softened. "I heard of your situation."
"That's nice and all," she spat, "but where were you chivalrous Greencloaks when none of the children in my village needed the Nectar?"
Lishay looked apologetic. Fiddling with the end of her cloak, she bit her lip. "We were not aware of your village. The Thousand Isles is a big place."
"Well, then. I just got lucky, huh, then?" she sneered, turning away.
She heard Lishay sigh behind her, reclining on the straw. Poinciana purred comfortingly, rubbing up against her. Combined with the gentle lulling of the cart and Poinciana's purrs, she fell into fitful sleep.
XXX
It was around nighttime when Hoang woke. They had left Eleni in later afternoon, and the next inn was far away. They had taken a few pit-stops, to bathe, drink and eat, but otherwise, they had been on the road, non-stop.
Hoang slept for the duration of the day, along with Poinciana. Why she woke up at night, she didn't know. Maybe it had to do something with having a nocturnal animal for a spirit animal.
She absentmindedly petted Poinciana. Initially, yes, she hated cats and worshipped dholes and wolves and the like. But a lot of things can change in a a few, scant hours. Despite being only not even being bonded for a day, she felt inexplicably close to the she-cat.
"So, girl. Do you have any idea how this dormant state-thing works?" she asks under her breath.
She saw Poinciana's eyes glint in the moonlight, as they blinked neutrally. "I dunno," she seemed to say.
Hoang sighed in disappointment. Mirroring her partner's displease, Poinciana churred rather angrily.
"So, Poinciana." She felt stupid talking to a cat. "You don't look completely…
domestic. Are you some part random-wildcat?"
Poinciana tilted her head, as if to say, "I think so, but I'm not sure."
"She is," Lishay piped up softly. "She's most definitely not completely domestic. Perhaps she has some jungle cat, leopard cat, or fishing cat ancestry?"
"Maybe," Hoang grunted, still not in the mood to talk with another human being. "Doesn't matter. I don't care."
"That's good," Lishay said, relief in her tone. She smiled. "Some people are simply unsatisfied with their spirit animal. Like, Meilin. She actually hates Jhi.. but I think they're beginning to appreciate each other."
Hoang sniffed in disgust. "Just another reason to dislike her. I hate- hated- cats, but do you see me scorning Poinciana? No."
"No," Lishay agreed.
"So what's with the Conquerors?" Hoang asked flatly.
Lishay sighed. She ran a hand through her long hair. "They're searching for the talismans. As for how they will help them conquer the world, I don't know. But one thing's for sure- we need to get them before they do.
Hoang scowled. "How many have you got?"
"We have the Granite Ram and the Slate Elephant. Connor... One of the boys gave the Iron Boar to the Conquerors..."
Hoang sneered in disgust.
Lishay gave her a warning glance. "Don't be too quick to judge. We lost the Crystal Bear in battle."
Hoang fumed at the rebuke. Whatever the reason, he shouldn't have jeopardized the mission!
"At any rate, they're off to the Hundred Isle to find the next one. They'll be staying at our stronghold in this area of the world."
"I'm guessing we're heading here?" Hoang grimaced.
Lishay glanced at her. "Yes; to Bael Castle."
"Great," Hoang muttered, "just great. Lovely, wonderful."
XXX
Bael Castle, Hoang had to admit, was pretty majestic. It was very Zhongese-y and Isle-y. Basically, very tropical looking. It's walls were made of mangrove and melaleuca wood, the swirling contrasting grains beautiful. Unlike Euran castles, it was only two stories tall, but was in the shape on an angular-u. The roof tiles were a stunning, jet-black, curved and oriental. Iron dragons adorned the rooftops, as if to ward away any unwanted, vengeful spirits. The greenery around it was lush and beautiful, tropical vines creeping up the side of the wall. Tropical flowers, of vines, of trees, of every imaginable variety, adorned practically every part of the mansion. Fancy, intricate, iron lattice-work fit over the round windows perfectly. The double-doors, tall and imposing, were made of bamboo, with a large, iron knob on each door.
Hoang whistled appreciatively as she hopped out of the cart. "This seems like a nicely swanky place to live.
Lishay inclined her head. "I used to live in Kho Khensit, near the Tergesh, but I moved here after the Four acquired the Slate Elephant."
Hoang wasn't paying any attention. She was busy examining a bushel of creamy, multi-coloured lotuses in a small puddle-pond. "That's nice."
Poinciana, meanwhile, was standing on her hind legs to investigate a colourful orchid that crept up the wall of the castle.
Lishay sighed. She thanked the driver, and passed him a few coins. Walking up to the large door, she tapped it crisply with a fist.
"Yes?" Another Greencloak, a young, Zhongese girl, greeted them. She stepped aside as she realized that it was Lishy standing there. "Oh! Lishay, please come in."
Lishy inclined her head in thanks. In a flash, her black tiger appeared. "Zhamin will need some food and water. Please attend to him, Feng. I will attend to our newest recruit."
The young girl, no more than eleven or twelve, poked her head out curiously. Her dark eyes were cold and apathetic as she regarded Hoang cooly. "That's nice."
Hoang whipped her head around, glaring at the girl. Stupid, nobbish Zhongese people…
Whistling, she called Poinciana over. The she-cat streaked over, tail flailing madly in excitement. Brushing her hand over her furry back, she stood up. She icily glared right back at Feng. "Yeah, I'm coming."
And stepped into her new life.
XXX
A/N: Okay, this was mostly a filler. Just to set the setting and time, and all that stuff. Action starts next chapter.