Chapter 10: As Sly as a Cat

Age 29

As it turns out, Belatona was not pleasant this time of the year. The city was experiencing torrents of heavy rain and stormy weather when I arrived, as the common folk hid away in their houses, while beggars curled up in their shelters. The poorly paved, and often dirty streets were now muddy, as the only light that shone upon them came from the orange glowing windows of nearby houses.

In short, my next few hours in the city were troublesome at best and plain nasty at worst.

Here I was hoping for some sunshine in the south of these lands. It seems it was not my day, as everything was down under the weather.

Oh well. Not much I can do about this.

Not dissuaded from my purpose in this city by some irritating weather conditions, I continued my discrete activities in the city. Exploring the streets, and scouting the layout of the town, I hid in the shadows, completely unseen by all who ran past, seeking cover from the rain.

Belatona was best known for its skilled craftsmen, who gathered here to forge and create the best that the Broddring empire has to offer. Blacksmiths, jewelers, leatherworkers, and tailors could be all found here, hoping to make a living under the crushing taxes imposed by Galbatorix and his servants.

Not willing to miss such a gold mine of valuable information, I discretely entered and pilfered the minds of citizens who ran past, touching up upon my already extensive knowledge of the different arts. Following such a routine, I wandered around the city, before finally beginning to make my way towards the fortress at its center.

At times, when I was walking past the darkest alleys, I had the nagging feeling of being watched, but my senses or mind did not detect any other unnatural presences or attempts to intrude upon my mind.

Must have been my constant companion called paranoia acting up. God knows it can get loud and overbearing at times.

The fortress of Belatona, an imposing structure built with many bricks of stone stood right in the middle of the city, protected by multiple looming walls armed with sentries and guards, ready to catch any intruder naïve enough to dare infiltrate the keep. Home and area of governance for the Lord and his lady, as well as his family, it was a fortification built to protect them from entire armies of humans, dwarves, and elves.

Funny how one rider, his dragon, and a gathering of powerful elf mages managed to take it down in less than a few hours.

Spending some time circling the entire compound, I scanned its points of entry, exit, and guards. Located somewhere inside that keep was my ultimate goal for my prompt visit to this city, one which no amount of walls would stop me from completing. I would have to be careful, as while the number of guards may be reduced due to the recent defeat of Galbatorix's army, imperial magicians would certainly appear.

After gaining information about the layout of the insides of the castle as well as the routes and times of guard patrols from an unprotected mind of a lazy soldier, I adjusted my cloak, applied several spells to myself for concealment, and began a swift but discrete trek up the walls of the castle. Using one of my favorite spells, my now extremely adhesive boots would attach for brief instants of time to the walls, allowing me to vertically run-up towards the sentry towers at the top.

Before my infiltration, and several months prior, I decided to rework some of the main spells and methods to conceal myself from enemy eyes. While anti-scrying wards and multiple illusions were all well and good, I needed something more solid and even more powerful to hide completely from other mages and magic users. One of the greatest advantages any proper warrior, magician, or thief can have is the element of surprise, and his ability to remain unseen when necessary.

Initially, I played around with the waves of light, similar to what I used to create my illusions. Through the manipulation of photons and rays at different wavelengths, I was slowly working my way to making myself completely invisible by making it so that all light, no matter what wavelength, passed completely through me.

Unfortunately, like in many of my experiments with the more intricate and smaller aspects of sciences, I was limited by my knowledge of the ancient language. While I could create many complex spells easily, often by being vague in my wording, others required specific instructions that I simply could not formulate. It was irritating and vexing, as I was yet unable to directly influence the smallest aspects of our reality, such as atoms and other quantic particles.

As a result, I was unable to create a perfect spell to grant me perfect invisibility. Granted, my current version could only be recognized by small fluctuations in the background while I was moving, it was not yet as perfect as I wished it were. Alongside other minor spells to conceal the sound of my footsteps or my smell, it became my go-to method in the case where not even a trace of myself could remain.

Fortunately, in my quest to become invisible to the naked eye, I had come across quite an interesting tool that I could use. In search of a spell to absorb or interact with light, I remembered one of the most recent discoveries made in my old world, right before my subsequent death. What if, instead of using a taxing and not yet developed spell, I could make a material to act as a natural camouflage.

Scientists in my old world had stumbled upon a substance they called "Vantablack", or the darkest material on earth. Made of a large variety of carbon nanotubes, it was a miracle-like coating that would absorb almost 99% of all light that it touched. In fact, it was so effective, that a normal human eye would be unable to see any 3d models or shapes in the material, as only one wall of pure darkness could be seen.

With some effort and multiple failed attempts, I was able to replicate the same effect, creating my own, less toxic, and slightly more durable version of this coating. Integrating it into my armor and traveling cloak and cowl, as well as a custom mask, used for special occasions such as this one to conceal my face, I was able to create a perfect outfit to blend in with the shadows. Able to with magic appear and disappear at will, this coating would make me the definition of moving darkness.

Anyone who would stare at me would see the dark abyss, and the dark abyss would stare right back.

Perfect for situations when one needs to get discretely get in or get out of any situation, especially when running low on stamina for casting spells.

Blending in with the shadows, hiding in the rafters, gliding from one dark corner to another, I slowly made my way into the castle, making my way straight to the dungeons. Bypassing and concealing both my physical and mental presence from any guards or magicians, my journey down each level of the keep was quick and unimpeded.

Reaching one of the lowest levels of the keep, I was met with the view of a long corridor, dimly lit by a few lone torches embedded into the walls. At its end, a strong wooden door, outfitted with several locks and protected by countless wards, further guarded by two lone guards leaning on their spears.

Using my mage-sight, I was able to see countless wards shining in the air, spanning the length of the entire hallway. Multiple alarms, triggered by the movement of individuals, as well as traps to dispatch of any who tried to walk further without permission from presumable, the owner of the keep.

I could practically hear the Mission Impossible theme begin to play in my head, as I began to think about how to bypass this fantasy vault I wish to enter.

While I could spend several minutes or maybe even hours studying and dismantling each and every trap one by one, this approach would take too much time, increasing my chances of being spotted. Instead, drawing energy from one of the many crystals I held at the pouch at my side, I began softly whispering spells to target the most obvious weaknesses and dismantle all of them all in one go.

Soon, with some initial resistance, the wards collapsed, draining most of the energy I had in my crystals all in one go. It will seem I will require a refill if I wish to continue using them in such a manner. With the wards down, I began making my way down the corridor, careful to avoid the traps that I detected with both my mage-sight and microscopic vision. Most were well hidden and concealed behind subtle illusions, but all illusions had some sort of discrepancy that could be found.

Approaching the stern guards, who were none the wiser of the danger in their midst, I decided to play around with them for a quick second. Such an opportunity would not arise again, and they would be dead anyway. Removing some of the spells I had to conceal myself, I morphed my appearance with magic to that of the eldest son of the lord, whose image I gleaned from their minds.

Startled by the sudden sound of footsteps, the guards immediately brought up their pikes, as their eyes widened slightly at my entrance. They seemed completely confused and startled by my appearance.

"My lord, what is it that you are doing here? This place is only accessible by your father, Lord Waldgrave, and no one else. How did you even get past the magical protections in the corridor anyway?" one of them cried out, obvious surprise written all over his face.

"Oh, oh pardon for me startling you. As for permission, not to worry, I have a permit. Here, come look. My father wrote it all down here for me in this letter. All properly sealed and official as it should be." I replied, inching closer as I pulled a hand into my robes, slowly drawing out a rolled-up scroll of paper.

"A permit you say. We have heard of no such decree! Show me this letter" the second cried out, obviously the senior of the two.

Before his hand could grasp the scroll, I was stretching out, it disappeared in a glint of light, as my noble clothes melted right off, revealing my dark traveling cloak. The guards did not even have time to blink before two throwing knives cut into their napes, silencing them forever.

"So long mob characters one and two. Have a nice sleep" I joked before approaching the door, carefully checking for any final wards before pushing it open.

I entered a small room, lit up by yet another collection of torches held by sconces in the walls. Walking forwards, scanning everything with my magical sight, I approached the farthest wall, where only one single object drew my attention. In front of me, propped up against the wall was a set of silver armor, glinting in the torchlight. Crafted with multiple impressive designs on the chest plate and helmet, this armor seemed more like a fine piece of decoration rather than an outfit for battle.

My attention however was not focused on the armor, which appeared dull and boring in my eyes. No, it was on the long green spear, with a barbed head, hanging beside it. Compared to the armor, the spear seemed to hum with magical energy, creating an eerie feeling with its jade and emerald color as beautifully carved vine etchings rose up its shaft.

Beautiful beyond anything I ever imagined, this marvel of smithing, was now mine, ready for the taking. One of the strongest weapons of Alagaësia, hidden away by a family that does not even understand its use or danger. Dangerous beyond compare, no wards could stand against it, as any dragon should tremble in fear in its presence. One strike and their blood would begin to flow, boiling the ground as it's touch.

Grabbing it from its place on the wall, making sure that no other protections remained, I began to make my swift exit, strapping the weapon to my back. I would have to be even more careful than when entering the keep, as it certainly did not help me remain discrete. Gliding and running across the shadowy ceilings and walls of the castle, I escaped through a barred window, cut open with a whisper in the ancient language.

Making my way to the courtyard, I scaled the walls before jumping right off the battlements, entering the shadows of the closest alley. Behind me, I heard a horn blow with all its might from the top of the keep. It seems the guards had discovered my visit, as soldiers rushed to the battlements. Those patrolling the streets also began to rush in the direction of the keep.

I need to leave this city quickly, lest I am discovered and confronted.

Running from shadow to shadow, constantly checking my back for any signs of pursuit, I made my way towards the walls of the city. Running at incredible speeds around corners, I would appear as a blur to anybody who happened to spot me in the darkness of the night. The same feeling of being watched returned, as my paranoia was working at an all-time high.

In my haste, I almost ran into several shady figures as they were walking by. Jumping from wall to wall, I approached the edges of the city. In a lapse of concentration, I knocked down the cart of what seemed to be a farmer selling his vegetables. Struck with no little amount of force, the cart overturned, as its contents spilled out.

"My Cabbages!" I heard in the distance, as the anguished and appalled voice of the now identified cabbage vendor rang out behind me.

Lowering my cowl as I approached the guards in front of me, not yet aware of the events that occurred in the keep. Briskly walking past, I blended in with a group of traders of livestock who were coming into the city after a long day of work outside its walls. As twilight fell and the gates began to close, I slipped away into the dark, carrying the one weapon Galbatorix should fear strapped to my back.

Mission Successful. My escape may have been noticed but I will be long gone from Belatona by that time. There is nothing else this city has to offer.

Perhaps one of the riskiest ventures of mine till the present day led to one of the greatest rewards I could have ever asked for.

Audentes Fortuna Iuvat.

Or as the uneducated would say, fortune favors the bold.

Age 29- Several days later

Walking through the lush forests of the empire, I continued my path forwards. It had been almost three days since my heist, and I had yet to encounter a single sign or trace of pursuit. Immediately after my escape, I had taken refuge in the forest, covering my tracks, and going further into the wild. Feeding of caught rabbits and other small animals, I made my way east, in order to reach the next destination in my journey.

It would seem, however, that in my haste to make myself scarce and escape from civilization, I had found myself slightly lost in the woodlands, unable to find my next destination. As it appears, I would have to spend quite some time in search of the one place I wish to go to.

Walking through the groves of trees, I would marvel at their twisting branches and wide trunks. While nowhere near as impressive as those found in the forest in Du Weldenvarden, or even those of the Spine, they were still long and thick, concealing much from the view of a normal observe. Squirrels and other critters would often hop from branch to branch, searching for food and whatnot.

As I passed yet another fallen log, my senses began to ping, as I felt another presence in the area around me. It was the same feeling I had in Belatona, only much more prominent and stronger than before. Wary to project my mind outwards and fall under the risk of enemy attack, I instead used my acute hearing to pick up the slightest of rustles in one of the branches of the trees behind me.

"It seems you are lost young elf. You know If you don't know where you are going you might end up someplace else."

Swiftly turning around, I was met with a wide grin of white teeth. Two large green eyes stared at me from the shadows of the branch, as a large grey cat slowly appeared in the darkness, with a grin that caused chills to run down my spine.

"Hello there. You are correct, for I am indeed quite terrible at navigating in these forests. Though, It would seem you caught me unaware, as I do not know your name?"

The cat continued to smile, with its grin reaching unnatural proportions, as its abnormally large body stretched while it lazed around on top of the branch. Its grin did not disappear, as its large tail twirled in the air. In all of the expected and potentially weird encounters in Alagaësia, I would never expect to meet a Cheshire cat stalking me in the woods, able to see past my many illusions.

"Oh, I have many names. I don't expect you to know any at all, but I suppose you can call me Kratch. What do you call yourself?" he replied, proceeding to lick one of his front paws.

"My name is Vidar, a pleasure to meet you. It may be a bit rude to ask but are you are werecat by any chance? My memory may be slightly off, but I thought you were only able to speak vocally in your human form" I questioned, observing his actions, waiting for any sign of hostility.

Scanning his mind right now would be during the best of times, unadvisable. Who knows what this eccentric character has going on in there? Best to just see what he wants.

"Why, aren't you are clever one? What else do you have in that small brain of yours, I wonder? Though you are correct, I am a werecat, but not as you would expect." He airily replied, disappearing from his spot, and reappearing on another tree branch to my right.

"Not as I would expect? What would that mean?"

"It means that I am different from the rest. You should know, you are different as well. Why, I could have mistaken you for one of my brethren, what with all that need to hide in the shadows" he answered twirling in his newfound spot.

"Perhaps. I admit my paranoia to remain unseen is quite high. Do you think that I am mad, keeping to myself, away from everyone?"

"We're all mad here. You might have noticed that I'm not all there myself" he chuckled, as he disappeared and reappeared floating in the air in front of me, his eerie grin not dropping for a second.

"That I did. Maybe I am a tad touched in the head too. Never would have thought that I would be having a conversation with an eccentric werecat today" I replied, chuckling as well. Something about the weirdness of this situation made me feel at ease for the first time in years, as my initial wariness slowly ebbed away.

"Oh, lighten up. I once had two forms, now I have one. The others called me nuts, unnatural even for them, and so I became Kratch, the Mad. Boring they were, not a hint of excitement. So, I left, leaving them behind." he spoke, whilst proceeding to float and disappear back into shadow.

"Aye, I suppose so. But tell me Kratch, why follow me. If I am not mistaken, I first sensed you all the way back in Belatona."

"That's 'cause you're fun! Anybody remotely interesting is mad, in some way or another. And you, are interesting, very interesting. Going from place to place, foiling plans, and causing havoc wherever you appear. Purrrfect entertainment!" His voice rang out from the nearby tree, seemingly coming from everywhere at once.

"So, you find me entertaining, hence why you decided to follow me. Did you see much of my escapade in Belatona?" I remarked, suddenly wary of that if a werecat found me, someone else could as well.

"Oh, you are hilarious! You must have turned as white as a mouse for a second there. Not to worry, others won't be able to find you as easily as I did. At least I think not. Though I must say, it was fascinating seeing you so easily rob those fools of the most dangerous weapon in the land. I had a nice little laugh when I learned how you dealt with the guards" the cat exclaimed, as his head popped out of the leaf canopy above my head.

"It was an opportunity I could not leave to chance. Such a weapon should not be left to gather dust on a wall."

"No, it should not. Always collect what's useful. Reject only your ignorance which you do not seem to really have. Now that our game of cat and mouse has ended, I think I will spend some more time with you if you don't mind. I have little to do these days and boredom can be so… well, boring."

"I cannot say I did not expect this, but it still comes as a surprise. There's nothing I can really do about it anyway. If I am right, you will follow me regardless, no matter what I say. Who knows, I am sure your presence can do me some good. I do have some questions though." I replied.

Like it or not, Kratch the Cheshire cat was fun to have around. He is certainly creepy but keeps me on my toes and may aid me in my path. What an interesting companion, a bit mad, a bit mysterious, one that really came right out of the blue, or well dark.

"And I have some answers, though I can't say to the question's you have… but answers, nonetheless. I will require a nap from time to time, and some liver or other meat if you have any. Do you by the way?" He floated towards me, spinning in the air, greedily eying my traveling cloak where I kept most of my supplies, well-hidden and protected.

"No, I have not yet hunted today. I can get some for you later. I am searching for some elven ruins that should be located around this area. Do you happen to know where they are?"

"Indeed, I do. How about a riddle? I wouldn't be a werecat if I did not give answers in mysterious ways, no?" he sank back, disappearing and popping back to his original spot atop one of the branches of a nearby tree.

"Well, no, I guess not. I suppose a riddle won't hurt, but it does make things slightly more irritating. Not much I can do about it. You really do like messing with everyone, don't you?"

"That I do, and you are the best to mess with yet. Let's see, let's see, hmm this one should do. What always runs, buts never walks, often murmurs, never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth, but never eats? Oooh, I like this one, yes this one is nice." He smiled, proceeding to once again stare at me with his unnaturally large green eyes. The cat seemed to be giddy with excitement, hovering impatiently, waiting for my answer.

It would have been a difficult one to solve, had I not heard it once from my mother in my childhood. Elven mothers really do know how to make your brains work, especially when they see you have nothing to do.

"Come on cat, you go to do better than that! It's a river, which if I am not wrong, I should soon find and follow to my goal. You need to work on your riddles."

If my eyes were not deceiving me, Kratch's eerie smile only got larger upon hearing my words.

"Knowing where you're going is preferable to being lost, is it not? Come along then, we'll continue our chat on the road." He popped out right next to my feet and continued to slowly float away, into the forest.

"Let us make haste then, hope you can keep up. I would not want to encounter my pursuers, for I am uncertain whether my actions went as undetected as I hoped for" I replied, beginning to follow him, observing his smooth movements in the air, as he seemed to glide from one place to the other. His neon purple stripes seemed to glow in the twilight, as yet another day came to an end.

"Haste makes waste, and so I rarely hurry. We still have a long way to go, don't drift around" he answered, as he inexplicably disappeared into another shadow before appearing floating right next to me, his tail wrapped around my neckline.

And so began our journey forwards, as we moved at a moderate pace first towards a rushing river stream, and down its banks. Engaging in idle conversation or sometimes remaining silent for hours on end, we walked in the moonlight. Kratch was mad, that much was obvious, but hidden by his madness and often quite annoying comments were grains of wisdom not to be missed.

Basking in the moonlight, he would pop out from one shadow to the next, spooking critters and other animals with his Cheshire smile, that would take several instants to fully disappear after his disappearance. He was not Solembum, nor was he Grimrr, as his behavior, mentality, and even physical appearance were slightly different from any werecat that was ever described in the books. His mysterious magic abilities to pop out from seemingly anywhere, turn almost invisible, and float in midair are really quite bizarre It would take much time to fully unravel his personality or background. A mystery for another time I supp-

"Don't let your mind wander, it's far too small to be let out on its own, Vidar. We have arrived. It would seem you are even more interesting than I thought, willing to come to a place like this. Especially considering what lies inside" he chastised, as I was broken out of my thoughts by a smack on the head with his paw.

Breaking away from my inner musings, I looked forward, as the sun began to rise on the horizon. We had traveled the whole night, and it was now the early morn, as the first birds began to chirp in the trees.

Looking down from the small hill we stood on, upon an old stone tower in the distance, I could not stop my face from adopting a grin as big as that of my companion.

"Chaos isn't a pit, chaos is a ladder" I smirked, beginning to walk forward down to the trees.

"And they called me a madman, well mad cat to be precise" Kratch sighed, following closely behind.

Author Notes:

"The more you find about the world, the more opportunities there are to laugh about it"- Bill Nye

This was perhaps both the most fun and difficult to write. Getting the character of Kratch was difficult, as he really needs to have something in him that makes him, him.

Alice in Wonderland is a wonderful story, one that I really enjoyed. You should read it too.

Please comment and review, I cannot tell you how important it is.

Take a look, and tell me what you think.

We're all mad here...