Chapter Three: Great Opportunities
Don't let fear stop you. It only means you're facing great opportunities.
-Erich Jao
xxXxx
They were even worse than his brothers had told him. They were literal giants, and had a gut-wrenching laughter as they danced around a huge bonfire.
They had but one patch of fur on their heads, although some had thinner fur on their arms and chests. But for the most part, their hide was quite easy to see around the cat skin tunics, making his own flesh crawl in disgust.
"I hunger!" grunted one of the bigger humans, sitting on a large wooden throne. "Boil another cat!"
One of them pulled on a glove of iron before reaching into the cage holding him, along with several other terrified cats.
Humbert screamed in fear as the human grabbed him from around the neck. He reached up to pry the human's grip off, but his hands had been replaced with paws. He was completely naked, save for his fur. The little kitten meowed for help, strangely unable to speak a real word.
The human slapped him across the face savagely, just before tossing him into a large cauldron filled with boiling water.
Humbert sat up with a violent gasp, almost throwing Toto's warm wing completely off. He pressed his hands to his heart, and tried desperately to regain his breath.
Toto cawed as sleep left him as well, and he gave the small cat a slightly irritated look. "Humans again?"
Humbert looked away in shame, but nodded. "Are you sure they really exist?" he asked in a tiny voice.
The crow sighed in exasperation. "I've told you a hundred times, Humbert; yes, they exist, but no, they can't enter any kingdom other than their own without permission from one of the royal line. Cats would no sooner invite a human to your kingdom then my kind would invite one to ours. Just trust me; the chances of you meeting a human are literally millions to one."
Humbert sighed with relief, but was still shaking as he rose from his place next to Toto on the large nest. "I'm sorry, Toto. I can't help it."
"I know. Those… brothers of yours," the crow said with distaste, stretching his wings sharply with irritation.
Humbert sighed, walking up to the mouth of the cave to look outside. The sun was starting to rise; it was time to get up anyway. "They don't matter anymore. Let's go catch breakfast, shall we?"
Toto nodded, and followed him out of the cave.
They were now approaching the one-year anniversary of their friendship. More and more, Humbert's previous life of a vineyard keeper's son was starting to feel like a distant dream. Now, his days were filled with finding food and tending to his mulberry seedlings, just outside the cave. They were now small bushes, but they had a long way to go before any fruit would issue from them.
Well, there was that, and practicing his flute. Toto could happily listen to him play for hours, if they didn't have to worry about food or caring for the mulberries.
Luckily, there was a stream that ran down the mountain, and a nice large lake near the base of it. The lake in question was always filled with very good trout and carp, which was wonderful, since that was their main food source.
"Are you sure you don't want to ride the rest of the way? Your legs are starting to shake," Toto said worriedly after they were halfway to the lake.
"I'm fine," Humbert replied immediately, even though his legs were aching terribly.
Toto cawed in sarcastic disbelief.
"I'm fine," he insisted, staring resolutely at the ground his worn and dirty shoes were beating against.
Although he tried to take care with his appearance, his clothes were definitely showing some wear and tear from living such a rustic life. The white shirt and black pants, along with the black jacket back in the cave, were turning into a nasty shade of faded grey.
"I don't want to be a burden on you, Toto. I hate being stuck in a we-"
"Someone's coming!" Toto hissed, suddenly sweeping the little cat into one wing, and moving behind a cluster of trees.
They had nearly reached the road, and there were definite footsteps coming.
Humbert cursed himself for not paying better attention. He allowed Toto to hold him against his chest, and gripped a fistful of feathers for comfort.
"… any of these peasants to find a cure for the prince?" a voice asked disdainfully as two cats came into sight, each one riding a large grey hare that was moving at a rather slow pace.
Their blue uniforms immediately declared them to be soldiers of the king.
"Who knows? But really, what choice does the king have? All the physicians and magicians are baffled, and Prince Lune won't last the week without a cure."
"True. It's such a shame; the heir was showing such promise," the first soldier said regretfully as he and his companion passed out of sight.
"The prince is sick?" Humbert whispered into Toto's wing. He didn't know much about the heir to the throne, but that didn't mean he couldn't care about him.
Humbert sighed sadly after a moment. "If the prince doesn't get better, I'd hate to see what will happen to the kingdom. There's bound to be-"
"This is exactly what we've been waiting for!" Toto interrupted excitedly, immediately snapping the back of Humbert's shirt to pick him up again.
"Toto!" the little cat complained as the crow once again threw him into the air to land on his back.
Over the year they had spent together, it had become Toto's favorite trick.
"We'd best get back to the cave for your coat; we need to make as nice an impression as possible!" the bird explained as he quickly took to the sky.
"Wait, a nice impression for what?" Humbert demanded.
"A nice impression on the king, of course! We do want the king to agree to let you near the prince, don't we?"
"Wai-wha… you're not making any sense, Toto!" he snapped as the crow landed just outside the cave, and ran inside before Humbert had a chance to climb off.
"Well, I'm not shocked that it doesn't make sense; I was forbidden from giving you details before you needed to know them. Now, where did I put that thing?" he asked himself as the stunted kitten slipped off his back.
"I thought we were a team," Humbert pouted as he retrieved his coat from a stalagmite.
"We are. Of course, the problem with speaking to firebirds is that they speak in riddles. Ah, here we are," Toto sighed with relief, moving a large rock to the side with one large claw to reveal a small hideaway.
Humbert shrugged on his coat as he watched his large friend remove a single item from the hidden nook.
It was an obsidian pendant, set on a chain that glistened just as darkly.
Humbert had seen it before, the day after he and Toto had met. The large crow had worn it in order to transport all the berries he had been stealing. But Humbert had been too distracted to notice it, thanks to the twin distractions of his first flight and his brothers' betrayal. He hadn't thought of the amulet, since he hadn't seen his companion wear it since that time.
Toto tossed it expertly into the air, keeping his head back enough for the chain to fall around his neck gracefully. He shrugged his shoulders around to make the adornment settle into place. "Of course, the irritating part about the riddles is that no one can figure them out until they're supposed to."
"Surely the riddles can't be that confusing," Humbert replied, standing on his tiptoes to guide the amulet to the center of Toto's chest.
The crow only laughed at that. "You'd understand if you ever met a firebird. Speaking of which, hold out your hands, Humbert."
Although he didn't see the point of it, the twelve-year old did as he was told.
"Whatever you do, don't drop what I'm about to give you," Toto warned him as he stretched his wings a bit and focused on the kitten's hands.
Humbert stared in disbelief as a strange black dust began to filter out of the amulet and into his hands. It collected into a solid shape, and then morphed into a simple glass vial.
He stared at the item, and held it against the light to see that it was filled with a clear liquid. "What is this, Toto?"
"Firebird tears," the crow answered, gesturing for Humbert to mount him again. "A single drop of it can heal any ailment."
Humbert felt a wild surge of hope.
"But I'm afraid it won't work for you," Toto continued in a hesitant voice. "My king made it abundantly clear that it only cures active ailments, and your disease ran its course years before we met."
The tawny feline sighed in depression, and slipped the vial into the opposite pocket as his beloved flute. "Well, at least it will turn the trick for Prince Lune. But how will we get the king to agree to allow me close enough to cure his son?"
Toto sighed. "Humbert; this is your world. I would know how to approach the king, if he were mine, but he's yours. Surely you can think of something to convince him on your own."
Humbert nodded nervously, and climbed onto Toto's back. "I suppose I can think of something."
ooOoo
Even by wing, it took them a good two days' travel to reach the capital. Humbert had never seen it before, and was slightly intimidated by the number of people that populated it.
But as they flew ever closer to the castle itself, Humbert started having second thoughts about letting other cats see Toto in broad daylight. Even from as high as they were, he was strangely certain that more than a few of the populace below were taking notice of them.
Taking notice of Toto, he should say. He probably wasn't visible from below, but a giant crow alone would be plenty to catch anyone's attention.
At least, that was what Humbert was hoping. He had a feeling that if he just walked up to the castle in his shabby state, he wouldn't so much as make it through the gate.
Flying over it was much easier, and he could plainly see people from the towers to the grounds below exclaim loudly and point up at them as they came closer.
"Where should I land?" Toto asked softly.
"The courtyard should be just fine, my friend."
Toto made the necessary adjustments, and began a dramatic spiral to the courtyard. It had been filled with cats pointing up at them, but they cleared off a generous area in the middle so the duo could land.
Humbert slid off Toto's back smoothly, and patted the bird's neck affectionately. He wanted to say something to his dear friend, but it had been so long since he had been in the presence of other cats. He was just a little afraid of speaking in front of them, even if they would not approach him.
It wasn't long before the king burst out of the castle and nearly ran to them.
Although Humbert had never seen him before, it was impossible to mistake him. His long fur was the traditional lavender grey, and his eyes spoke both of fire and ice. Even if that hadn't been enough to confirm the king's identity, the royal gem was on his brow. The shadow of a third eye was within, long rumored to give any monarch the power of foresight.
That rumor was immediately crushed as the tall king stopped a good twelve feet away. Humbert could plainly see the tired confusion on his face, and a small amount of awe as he stared at the large bird.
Then his gaze slowly shifted to Humbert, who had never felt quite so small before in his life.
"Who are you?" the king asked bluntly.
Humbert took a deep breath through his nostrils for courage, and bowed deeply as the crow did the same. "Your majesty; my name is Humbert Ivan Garrington, and this is Toto Biggens. We have overheard that the prince has need of our services."
The king's tired mismatched eyes brightened at that. "Are you doctors?" he asked hopefully.
"No, but we can cure the prince, if you would be so good as to let us," Humbert responded politely.
The monarch sighed sadly. "I've been told that by almost every physician in the kingdom, and all of them were adults that couldn't deliver."
Humbert bit back his temper with effort, and bowed again. "Your majesty, I can cure your son. I offer you my head if I fail."
The king looked speculatively at him for a long minute. Then, obviously making his decision, he grabbed the small cat's arm, and began dragging him towards the castle.
Toto cawed indignantly, and stepped forward to help him out. Humbert gestured for him not to, just before setting his free hand over the pocket that contained the tears. The last thing he needed was for the vial to accidentally break.
It was hard to keep up with the king's long strides, and he couldn't help but feel like a rag doll that little girls sometimes carried around. The king was being about as gentle with him as he might with a doll, but Humbert did his best to ignore the pain. After all, it simply wouldn't do to reprimand his monarch.
After what felt like a century of being dragged through hallways and staircases, the king finally stopped outside a dark red curtain. He let go of Humbert to pull back the curtain, giving the tiny kitten the opportunity to rub his arm thankfully.
There were three doctors already in the room, hovering over a covered lump on the luxurious bed.
"Have you made any progress yet?" the king snapped at them.
"I'm afraid not, my king-" one of the physicians started to say.
"Then you are all dismissed. This little one would like to try his hand at curing my son."
Humbert didn't bother to wait for the king to finish speaking before moving to the bed, although he had to climb onto it in order to reach the prince.
"But, your majesty! A filthy child?" the last doctor cried out indignantly when Humbert finally reached the heir.
The crown prince of the Cat Kingdom looked to be about his age. His real age, in any case. His mismatched eyes were glossed over, and every breath seemed to be a struggle for him. Even his short lavender-grey fur seemed to be dry and lifeless.
"I'll have you know that I'm nearly thirteen," Humbert stiffly informed the doctors as he eased the vial of tears from his coat pocket.
Everyone, even the king, stared at him in shock while he uncorked the vial.
"You are not," the first doctor hissed angrily, the oldest of the three.
"I am. You are currently looking at a victim of hurimalthia. If you three know anything about your profession, you know what that does to survivors. Now be silent," he commanded gently as he eased one hand under the prince's neck.
His head fell back slightly from the gesture, and his gasping mouth was opened just enough.
Carefully, Humbert coaxed a single drop from the vial to fall directly onto the prince's tongue.
Now, it had only been a drop, and a small one at that. But it was enough.
As soon as the drop fell on that pale tongue, the sick prince began to convulse in violent spasms, choking and gasping terribly.
"What have you done?" the king demanded in panic, just after he managed to push all the doctors out of the sick room.
"Just trust me," Humbert answered calmly as he corked the vial and tucked it into his coat pocket. Once the tears were safe, the small kitten managed to grab one of the prince's hands, and held onto it.
Although he was still convulsing, the heir held onto his hand just as tightly. He even rolled onto his side in order to grab Humbert's hand with both of his own.
"Come now," the tawny kitten whispered. "You can beat this."
The prince seemed to hear him, because the convulsions lessoned after he said that. Gradually, the gloss returned to his fur, and his breathing began to even out. Humbert sighed with relief, but did not release his hold on the prince's hands.
After what felt like forever, the tremors ceased, and only a sigh could now escape the prince's lips. He opened his eyes tiredly, and looked straight at Humbert. "Who… who are you?" he asked in an exhausted whisper.
Humbert smiled with relief, and did as much of a bow as he could manage on the bed. "I am your loyal subject, highness."
"Lune? Son, you're all better?" the king asked anxiously, running around the bed to wrap his arms around his heir.
"… Yes, Father. Just a little tired is all."
"Will that go away?" the monarch asked Humbert sharply, although his large eyes were flooding with tears of relief.
The stunted kitten nodded firmly, since Toto had warned him about the after affects of the tears. "All he'll need at this point is a hot meal and a well-earned rest. After that, he'll be as good as new."
"I am a bit hungry," the prince admitted, although he never took his eyes off of Humbert.
"I'll get someone to bring you your favorite dish, son," the king promised, impulsively embracing his son and kissing his forehead.
"Father…" the prince complained while looking embarrassed.
Humbert was immediately reminded of when his brothers had grown too old for hugs. He sighed from the melancholy thought, and brushed it away.
The monarch ignored his son's complaints, and kissed his forehead one more time before gesturing for Humbert to follow him out of the room.
The three doctors were just outside, and glaring at the little kitten hatefully.
"All three of you can go back to your posts; this young cat has served me better than all of you," the king told them bluntly, laying a heavy hand on Humbert's shoulder to guide him away from the rooms. He barked orders at servants, mostly concerning a nice meal for his son and escorting the remaining doctors out of the castle.
Before he knew it, the king had led him back out to the courtyard.
"My people, there is good news at last! The prince has made a complete recovery, thanks to this young cat!" the king boomed in his deep voice.
There was an immediate cheer from everyone, even the guards. Toto managed to catch Humbert's eye, and give him a sly wink from his new perch on the wall.
He smiled back a little nervously; the crow hadn't told him what they were supposed to do from here.
The king gently turned him around so that they were facing each other. "You saved my son's life, young one. Name your reward."
Humbert blinked twice in astonishment. "I-I didn't heal your son for a reward."
The king laughed at that. "What you did it for doesn't matter; my son's well again because of you. Come now, name anything you'd like."
Humbert looked desperately at Toto, who only shook his head with a smirk.
The young kitten groaned. He was on his own for this one. "Your majesty? Is it at all possible for my friend to be protected from all cat kind? I worry for him, now that we're out of hiding."
"Consider it done. Anyone that harms your bird will lose his head for it. But isn't there something else I can do for you?" the king nearly begged him.
Humbert gave another glance to Toto, but no. The crow was still leaving him to decide the reward.
He thought long and hard. "Your majesty, would it be possible for my friend and I to receive a permanent home?"
Although he had many fond memories of the cave, it was definitely not the best place to ride out a winter. He had found that out months ago.
The king grinned happily at the request. "Oh, I can do better than that. Guard!" he commanded, snapping his fingers at a nearby soldier.
The green-furred cat approached and saluted his monarch.
"Give me your sword," the king commanded; an order that made Humbert incredibly nervous.
The guard did as he was ordered, and retreated slightly as the old king faced the kitten again.
"What's your name again?" he asked curiously, still a bit wild with happiness.
"Humbert Ivan Garrington."
"Kneel, Humbert."
He did as he was ordered, despite the nervousness building. Everyone in the courtyard looked on with bated breath, perhaps the entirety of the royal court. The king very gently touched each of his shoulders with the tip of the sword.
"Rise, Humbert von Gikkingen, Baron of Piaal."
'But that's not my name!' he thought in a panic, but he could barely hear his own thoughts over the tumultuous applause that followed his new title.
Congratulations poured from noble after noble, even as the king looked on from a slight distance.
It was almost like a dream, only more ambitious than anything he had ever dreamed up. The most he had ever aspired to be was a strong hand for the family vineyard.
He somehow managed to lock eyes with Toto again, trying to see if he had chosen correctly.
Judging from the knowing smirk on his good friend's beak, he had chosen his reward perfectly.
xxXxx
A/N; Although there are diseases and disorders that can leave a person looking like a child for the rest of their lives, I couldn't find one that matched Baron's symptoms. So I made one up!
On another note, InYuJi did another fanart of All I Have Needed, and it's great! Mephistopheles is sufficiently creepy, and Haru's singing 99 Bottles of Beer! Go look it up; you'll rofl until it hurts!