"Before we begin, as always, we must kneel before the One whom we celebrate tonight. Please bow your heads as the Priest sends our praise and gratitude through our prayers."
Normally, this side of the island was nothing more than a well-cultivated field, but tonight, it was transformed into a carnival. Before the games, however, came prayertime. A golden statue of Lako-Lako was set in the center of an elaborately designed stage specifically made for this event. As the multitude of precious gems carved into the stage's front dazzled in the moonlight, the priest solemnly recited the prayer in his booming voice for all to hear. To the right of the statue sat a paunchy Ctarl, and behind him sat a few females, all dressed in their finest cloth. Off the stage were the participants of the festival. While the well-to-do lowered their heads while sitting in their cushioned seats, the rest kneeled down to the ground.
Aisha observed all of this behind a tree which provided a suitable distance so that she would not easily be seen. After identifying the thunderous voice as the property of Lethin, the priest in her school, she looked to see if she could recognize anybody else.
It was clear to Aisha that the man on stage was the festival's main sponsor, but she was unable to put a name to the face (or the belly, for that matter). Her problem was solved when a moderately loud grunt sounded throughout the field. He was Alstus Momluka, one of the planet's wealthiest people, owner of two large multiplanetary corporations which controlled a sizable amount of production of local and exported goods. He was known to mingle with government from time to time, resulting in the purchase of two of the easternmost Pylarine islands - this island Malstus, and its twin Letha, where he ran his businesses. For all his fame, the man remained quite mysterious (some would say shady). Perhaps tonight was an effort to change his image as well as display his generosity to his employees.
Aisha then directed her efforts off-stage, but she would have to move to the opposite side, as she could not see any of their faces. On her way there, some guards played a round of ulsta (a poker-like game). Not wanting to disrupt them, she quietly tiptoed behind them. A vine got caught onto her foot, and she tripped and fell. Luckily, the guards thought it was a woodland creature, so they continued their game, leaving Aisha to scurry away from them.
"That was too close," she muttered to herself as she ran towards the unoccupied game tents.
As she rounded the corner, she found herself in trouble again as she bumped into a figure, covered in black. Before Aisha could react, the figure covered her mouth and dragged her towards one of the tents. The little Ctarl-Ctarl struggled to break free, but it was all in vain as they reached the tent's interior.
Only a few rays of light seeped into the tent. Although most feline Ctarl-Ctarls are able to adjust their vision to their surroundings, that fact did little to aid Aisha, as her captor's entire body was still concealed.
Before Aisha was released, her abductor put a finger to her lips, motioning for her to keep quiet. Afterwards, the mask covering the person's face came off, revealing a brilliant pair of grayish-green eyes.
Aisha's own turquoise eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. She looked the figure over, and determined that yes, it was indeed who she thought it was. She ran over to her kidnapper and tightly wrapped her arms around her plumpness.
Before any words could be spoken, about five or six guards opened the tent's entrance. The tallest one (presumably the captain, since he was dressed differently from the others), stormed inside with his comrades following behind, snatching the rest of the mask off Nani's face.
"I believe you have something that belongs to Lord Momluka," he growled as the rest of the guards shackled Aisha. Nani did not fight; she simply held her hands out for the captain to cuff.
The solemnity of the atmosphere was shattered when the guards marched towards Momluka, with Aisha and Nani in tow. Everyone turned to look at them, including Misao and Lyxiana, dressed in their best clothing.
"Mother! Father!" yelled Aisha in vain once she spotted them. They simply looked on.
Once the guards reached the base of the stage, Momluka cleared his throat and strutted towards them. He reached out to Nani's cherubic face and cupped her chin in the palm of his sizable hand, then slightly raised it to get a better look. A slightly psychotic smile distorted his facial features. The moon's fiery glow cast a gleaming glare on the whites of Momluka's fangs, but it had no effect on Nani. Aisha struggled even more to break free, but the increasingly viselike grip of the captain's hold threatened to cut off her circulation.
"I'm not surprised at all, sister," declared Momluka with a snort. Silently excusing himself, he continued. "The last time I checked, you were not invited. In fact, you shouldn't be breathing now," he muttered in his faux sophistication, glaring at Lyxiana.
"SISTER?!?!" gasped Aisha in shock.
After a brief pause, Nani whispered, "Yes, it's true."
"DID I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO SPEAK?!"
A surprisingly swift backhand sent Nahine slightly dazed to the ground, causing a slight gasp to come from the crowd.
Aisha could not take any more of this treatment. And she would not take any more.
From out of nowhere came a furious wind from the west, where the moons were situated. Every torch was blown out; every candle extinguished, leaving only the light of the three satellites. A shooting star passed near them, and a massive brightness from the sky was created. The three moons of Lako-Lako had aligned.
Down below on the ground, Aisha started to tremble and shake violently, causing the guards to release her. The crowd's attention was now back on her as a seizure ripped throughout her entire body.
It stopped as suddenly as it started. Aisha slowly rose and stood straight and tall. Her eyes were glazed over, and her breathing was slow and hoarse. But it got stronger, and stronger still, until her throat produced an ear-piercing scream that rose above to the heavens. Her body mass increased rapidly, until she burst out of her clothing.
The Ctarl-Ctarl child was gone. In her place was a massive white tiger cub, wearing a white collar with a golden bell attached. It was the sign of Lako-Lako.
The prowling cub glared at Momluka, then pranced over to Nani and tenderly licked her caregiver's head wound.
As the crowd looked on in shock, Momluka mumbled only three words to himself.
"It's too late."
Then, looking over at Lyxiana, his blood pressure rose and his face grew redder.
"IT'S TOO LATE!"
Misao tried to block Lyxiana, but was pushed viciously pushed aside by Momluka's hulking mass, causing the rotund Ctarl to soar several feet above the ground. Before he knew it, a tree violently intercepted his flight, and Misao Clanclan's lifeless body dropped to the ground, the back of his head shattered and covered with blood.
The wealthy businessman then grabbed Lyxiana's wrists and shook her against another tree, practically lifting her off the ground.
"YOU LIED TO ME, YOU CONNIVING LITTLE BITCH! YOU KNEW ALL ALONG SHE WAS BEING PROTECTED, *DIDN'T YOU*?!!"
Aisha started to run towards her mother, but Nani sternly commanded the cub to stay put.
However, the tiger cub disregarded her caretaker and ran towards the commotion. At full power, she dashed towards Momluka, but he stepped aside at the last moment, causing Aisha to slam into Lyxiana instead, at full power.
As Aisha turned around to face them, she saw a battered Momluka, struggling to regain his composure, and Lyxiana, motionless.
"Now see what you have done, you impetuous child," chided Momluka sarcastically as he pointed to Lyxiana. "You killed her."
As if it all were a dream, Aisha slowly reverted into her original Ctarl form. Her emotions overwhelmed her naked body and soul, and she collapsed onto the ground.
"Well, my dear, as I was going to do so anyway, I owe you some thanks. Unfortunately," he said as he looked the unconscious girl over, "I will have to dispose of you as well. See, the gods may be protecting you, but they forget, I am a god as well. Or, at least I have enough money to be one."
Momluka then pinned Aisha's body to the ground, then spread her legs open.
"Your mother was delicious, but nothing compares to fresh meat."
He dropped his pants.
"At least I'll be getting something out of this."
What he got was a monstrous blow to his face.
Once he regained his senses, what he saw almost caused him to convulse.
"Nahine," he whispered hoarsely.
She was no longer the round demure Ctarl as most knew her. She was instead a lean, agile white leopard with black spots and intense red rings around her gray-green irises.
No sooner had he uttered her name than an agile paw was placed on his throat.
In response, the leopard growled, "Did I give you permission to speak?"
Momluka felt Nani's steaming breath blow out of her nostrils and onto his neck, causing it to expel beads of sweat. Despite his intimidation and irregular breathing, he dared to open his mouth.
"GUARDS!"
Out of nowhere came hundreds of guards to surround Aisha with deadly weapons, just as the child started to rouse.
"Your move, sister."
Despite the fire that raged in Nani's heart, she knew that her vengeance for all the things done wrong to her, the lies they told her, the beatings, the hard labor, and...
None of that mattered now. Aisha needed her.
Nani removed her paw and allowed her brother to stand up. After she reverted to her original form, she announced her decision:
"Let her go. Take me instead."
"Very well. Guards! Retreat!"
They did as they were told.
Aisha lay there, too numb to even feel the slightest amount of pain.
Momluka simply said,
"Go to her."
So Nani did. Kneeling down, she gave the barely conscious girl a tight squeeze. Then she lifted her up and carried her towards the crowds.
All Aisha could remember was the ringing in her ears.
After a moment, a soft whisper resonated throughout her mind, body, and soul.
"This is goodbye, little one."
A soft, squishy sound interrupted Aisha's thoughts.
She saw nothing.
Nothing except a bloody hole at the bottom of Nani's torso.
And then another one.
And another one.
Nani kept walking, until she reached a woman in the commoners section of the crowd with deep blue eyes, like blueberries.
Dendrus' mother.
"Take good care of her," she whispered.
After handing Aisha over to Mrs. Feran, Nani took the girl's hand in her own.
Another squishy sound created a hole. This time, it went through her head.
Nani let go.
Then she crumpled to the ground.
The crowd was silent all this time. Unable to move. Unable to think. Unable to feel.
It was the same when Momluka stepped forward towards them.
The crowd feared the worst and thought he would revoke on Nani's bargain.
But, as a businessman, he was smart enough to realize not to go against the majority, so he did the next best thing he could possibly think of.
He whipped out a small flask of black liquid and drunk all of its contents. A few seconds later, he dropped to his knees as he clutched the left side of his chest. Then he slumped to the ground, a look of sheer terror upon his face.
A look that in no way matched the terror in Aisha's heart.
The silence was finally broken, after a while, when a child's piercing scream to up above broke into a plaintive cry.