Italics indicate thinking
Bold is for attacks
Rear's POV
*GROWL*
I felt my stomach rumble loudly and sighed, I was starving.
"I haven't been able to catch anything in this forest." I looked around "I never had this much trouble hunting with Daddy."
My head wasn't in it, I couldn't stay focused on anything, I just knew I was off.
"I need to keep going though." I adjusted my cloak "I don't have any other choice."
I stepped through the forest into a clearing, in the distance I could see a small village but it's not like I could even buy food without money. I kept my hood up as to not draw much attention to myself as I walked around the town.
This seemed like a nice, quaint country town, nothing like the more bustling city I was from but it seemed peaceful here in a way, everyone seemed friendly and polite, it was a dreamy place.
The kind of place I imagined Camelot being when I was little.
"Hmm…" I sighed a bit "Why can't it be like this?"
I was going to just pass through when I heard people start yelling, I looked back and saw a huge wolf stomping into the village, jaws filled with sharp teeth and drooling angrily.
Did that thing follow me?
I turned around and stared it down.
"Stupid mutt." I hissed at it.
Before I could even react a pull cart came flying in with four people on it, one was an older guy, there was a younger guy with long hair, a young woman probably a little older than me and lastly was a young boy with green hair shaped like wings.
"It's him…" I said stunned as he jumped right by me and shot at the beast.
"You alright lady?" he asked.
"Lady?" I tilted my head and pulled my hood down as my ears twitched "You took one look at me and thought I was old enough to be called lady?"
The wolf slapped his arrow away as I jumped up and quickly landed on it's back.
"I'm more of a young maiden." I smiled drilling my heel into the monster's back "Now stand back shorty!"
Before I could get back in to attack the kid was already slamming the wolf down.
"He's strong." I hummed peering over at the wolf "That mark on it's tail…"
I saw a cross like pattern fade away. With the beast defeated I walked over to the kid.
"Whoa you have cat ears." He said.
"Very observant." I put my hood back up "And you have wings for hair."
"What's your name kid?" I asked.
"Percival." He said.
"I'm Rear." I shook his hand "I have a good feeling about you kid."
I followed Percival back to his friends, they said they were some sort of traveling circus act, Percival had just met up with them not far from here and was looking for his father.
"Please let us thank you for saving this place." The local chief said "What can we give you?"
My stomach then loudly growled.
"I think that's speaking for me." I said embarrassed "Food would be nice."
The village was more than happy to thank us with a feast.
"Say Donny how old are you if you can drink?" Percival asked the boy with the long reddish hair.
"Sixteen."
"We're the same age." Percival smiled.
"You're sixteen." I laughed "I can't believe a shorty like you is the same age as me."
"You're sixteen too?" Donny winked.
"Don't get any ideas bud, I'm so out of your league it's not even funny." I rolled my eyes "Anyway I'll be seventeen in a couple months anyway."
I sat down to relax a bit.
"Percival you said you looking for your father, do you know his name or anything like that?" I asked.
"He wore a heavy suit of red armor, I never even saw his face, but he killed my grandpa." Percival explained "So I'm gonna beat him up. I thought Gramps said his name was…Ironside?"
Ironside?!
I put my drink down.
"Are you really willing to do that, to your own flesh and blood?" I asked.
"I mean he killed Gramps, and he was my family too." Percival explained "I'm not trying to kill him or anything, just teach him a lesson, my family was Gramps that's what matters."
"Family is what you make it." I smiled softly.
"Are you ok?" Elva asked.
"Sorry my mind was elsewhere." I said "Don't let me get you down. Well Percival I'd be happy to lend you a hand looking for Ironside."
"Really?"
"Yes." I nodded "I have a feeling someone like that will cross paths with a black cat like me."
"Alright!" Percival cheered "Come and get me Ironside."
"I can help but I can't summon him." I laughed.
"A name like that is familiar to me." A voice said.
Magic power?
I stood up and looked around.
"Someone is coming."
I looked up and saw a man in heavy black bronze armor floating down on a shield.
"A holy knight…already?" I mumbled.
"I didn't expect to come across a boy like you around here." He looked at Percival.
I attempted to hide my face but it seemed like I hadn't done enough.
"And he's with you."
"All of you get out of here now." I hissed and bared my fangs a bit "This place isn't safe now."
"Who is this guy." Elva asked.
"A Holy Knight from Camelot." I stepped up "Pellegrade the Black Knight."
"It's been a time since our paths last crossed Lady Rear." He said "What brings you out here?"
"Lady Rear?" Percival asked.
"Are you toying with me old man?" I pulled my hood down "Or do you expect me to believe a knight like you hasn't been told to keep an eye on someone like me? I don't know what he's playing at but I won't be mocked!"
I dropped onto all fours and threw my cloak off
I was wearing a black leather body suit but my right arm from the elbow down was covered in heavy silver metal like a clawed gauntlet while my left arm was bare.
"Form 1: Black Cat!"
My limbs lengthened and black fur covered my body and I transformed into a lithe and thing black werecat.
"A Werebeast?!"
"Get out of this place?" I purred a bit and flashed behind the knight to kick him in the back and make him stumble forward.
"Still speedy." He laughed blocking him.
"And you're still a blowhard." I got in front of him and pulled my hand back "Form 2: Lynx!"
My fur changed to a more yellow-brown color with light spots and more pointed ears.
"RAHHH!" I punched him in the chest.
"That tickled." He laughed.
"That's the point." I punched again alternating arms "You didn't forget, did you? My Magic Ability, Star Power."
"Not at all." He said petting pushed back "That's why I'll be stopping this game now."
"Not it I can help it!" I pulled back "Combo Star!"
I went to swing at him again but missed.
My combo!
I stumbled forward from the moment up and saw he was already grabbing his mace to swing.
"Crap." I hissed.
"HMPH!" Percival quickly jumped in and kicked his weapon back "Are you alright?"
"Nice moves kid."
Percival switched in and started attacking, demanding information on his father's whereabouts.
He's taking on a Holy Knight with his bare hands, just what is this kid?
Percival was actually successful in pushing him back.
"You've got potential but that ends here." Pellegrade said swinging his mace right at Percival's head.
"Form 3: Cheshire!"
My fur turned a pink and purple color with thick striping on it, quickly I crossed my fingers and Percival appeared at my side.
"Where did you go?" Pellegrade said smashing a rock.
"Have you not see my third form?" I asked "My ability now is Trick Star!"
"What was that?" Percival asked.
"It's my Magic, an ability called Star Power." I smiled "Depending on my form I'm able to access different stars of my family lineage, Speed Star, Combo Star, Trick Star, you don't know what magic is do you?"
"Not really?"
"Time for a lesson then." I said changing back into my human form "With magic more things are possible for a knight, you need to focus and feel that energy deep inside you, bring it to the surface and unleash that strength. You'll need to master magic if you have any hope of taking on Ironside."
Percival went back in and this time when he swung golden magic energy was swirling around his hands.
He picked that up so quickly.
I groaned a bit, I had changed forms and used a lot of magic despite being low on magic power lately with the journey I'd taken, I could take on Pellegrade if I nodded but right now Percival had it handled so I figured I should leave this to him and let him adjust to him magic. I knew Pellegrade used Fire magic anyway, I wouldn't be able to counter that anyway, not without my Fourth Form which I certainly didn't have the magic for right now.
I kept an eye on the fight though Percival was good at adapting to what was thrown at him, but his magic was confusing it seemed to heal but also slow, and protect, and attack.
What is this weird magic, and here I thought I had a strange Magic ability.
"Enough of this." Pellegrade threw Percival back "I'm ending this now."
"No you won't."
Donny appeared behind Percival and crossed his hands, making Pellegrade float.
"So you have magic too huh?" the black knight reoriented himself.
"We can't keep fighting like this." I said.
"Pyre ball!"
Pellegrade started emanating a sphere of burning flames.
"Speed Star!"
I flashed by and pulled Donny and Percival away from the flames.
"Still in the way you pesky girl." He said "Interfering in a fight between men."
"Really you wanna try that line on me?" I smirked holding my right arm out.
I was about to snap my fingers and summon my weapon when a strange pink fox walked right in front of me.
"A mutt?" I growled on instinct.
"I remember you, from the base of God's Finger." Percival looked at the creature.
"Now even simple beasts are meddling with me." Pellegrade groaned.
The fox wagged it's tail and a spell bead appeared in it's tail.
That's a teleport stone?!
Before I could even protest the beast threw the stone down and a blinding light engulfed us. When I opened my eyes we were on a massive bony spine, it was just me, Percival, Donny and the fox.
"What is this place?" Percival asked.
"I believe this is Dragon's Backbone." I said.
"I've only seen it from the bottom." Donny looked around.
"We were teleported by that fox?" I glared "This is why I hate canines."
"I just saved your hide girly, and I'm not a dog you know." The fox spoke.
"IT TALKS!" Donny and Percival were shocked.
"So it does." I nodded.
"You're not weirded out by this?" Donny asked.
"You just saw me turn into a cat woman five minutes ago" I looked at him "and I've seen stranger honestly."
"That guy's after you kid, and now that your friend got in the way him too." The fox said "You're all coming with me now, we can't have him getting his hands on you."
"Oh I'm getting to come along for the ride." I glared at the fox "How kind of you."
"I need to go back." Percival said "Pellegrade knows where my Father is."
"No he doesn't." the fox said "Their in the same group but he won't know where he is right now."
"How can you be sure?" Percival said.
"Ask her if she knows where Ironside is." He said.
"You're a little punk aren't you?" I hissed and flared my fangs.
"Why would she know?" Donny asked.
"Because Pellegrade, Ironside and myself serve the same King." I said "We are all Holy Knights of Camelot. Though I outrank those two geezers."
"You're a Holy Knight!" Donny said "From Camelot."
"I am Lady Rear." I bowed "Knight of the Inner Round Table."
"So do you know where my Dad is?" Percival asked.
"No." I shook my head "I haven't spoken with Ironside in some time, and as you saw with Pellegrade my relationship with the Knights right now is…complicated. I left the kingdom, I'm on my own mission right now, one similar to yours Percival."
"Really?"
"You're looking for your family, I'm trying to save mine." I said "Someone has…taken them away and I need the Knights of the Apocalypse to destroy the world and stop the person that did it."
I looked at him.
"I need you." I said.
"Me?" Percival said "Destroy the world."
"So the stories I was told say." I nodded "Will you help me?"
"I'm just after my dad, not destroying the world or anything." Percival said.
"Then I'll take you to Camelot, to find Ironside. Camelot is a special place you won't be able to get there without my help anyway, I'll open the path for you and in exchange you'll help me save my family."
Whatever's left of it.
"We need to go to Liones first." The fox said.
"…ok." Percival nodded "I'll do it, if it gets me to Ironside, lead the way to Liones then Mr. Fox."
"My name is Sin." The fox said.
"PFFT~" I snicked "What a stupid name."
LATER
We made camp a little while later and I saw that stupid fox.
"I don't care what your plan is." I said "I'm here for my own reasons."
"I don't care what your plan is." He repeated right back "I'm here for other reasons."
"You're just as annoying as ever you know that." I glared "I'm doing this for my parents, my family and myself."
He looked away.
"If you can't stomach what's coming then just give up now." They looked back at me "You have…questionable allegiances."
"I knew you would say something like that." I glared at him "You always do this, you act like such a brat."
"You're one to talk." He laughed.
"And knock it off with that ridiculous disguise by the way, it's laughable at best." I rolled my eyes "I'll do my thing you do yours, I'm here to get the help I need to stop Arthur and nothing more."
I turned to leave.
"Stop him…or kill him?" he asked.
"That's none of your business." I walked away.
AN
Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.
Pick Up- Chapter 7
Till Next Time!