Hunter vs. Nekomata

"Let go of my sister, RIGHT NOW!"

The hunter stared back at the Nekomata, his hand placed on the horse's sadle as he was making his escape. The look of shock was apparent on him, how did she manage to track him down? He was certain the diversion would throw off their scent, but it was not enough. A sloppy decision, he believed, and now the consequences were coming back to bite him. He breathed in deeply, his arm descending down to grip the handle of his blade sheathed at his belt.

KuliKuli flexed her claws as she watched his hand move, her tails barely waving side to side. In the back of her head, she thought perhaps it would be better to call upon her friends. Maybe scream as loud as she can, see if that brings them to her assistance. It would be the smarter choice maybe, but what if he takes off? He could just saddle up on his horse and flee, and maybe she wouldn't have enough stamina to catch him then. Her lungs ached and she could feel sweat drip down her head. She had only been in a fight once and had no combat experience besides that. Definitely more of a lover than a fighter, Nekomata's aren't fighters after all.

Nekomata's are territorial, and this man was taking something that was hers.

The wind whispered silently by, dragging his silver hair slightly as well as her fur. Both of them had their eyes locked onto each other, she wasn't about to let him escape now. The hunter, Leone, began to wonder that if she had managed to track him down, it will only be a matter of time until the others did as well. He can't afford to waste much time, unfortunately he lacked the tools for quicker efficiency in a combat situation. The potions he normally kept close were in that carriage, and his ranged weaponry had been left behind where he resided for the night. It became apparent that this hunter had not been readied for combat tonight and was hopeful for a clean getaway.

The lack of movement from her sister began to worry her, in time those nasty thoughts began to creep into her. She shut her eyes momentarily, silencing those thoughts before keeping them on him again. She's sleeping, has to be, and nothing more past that. Her lips began to quiver under tension.

"How dare you... how dare you lay your hands on her. What did we do to you that you come into their lives and hurt them?"

He raised his eye, her voice drawing his attention.

"Can't you just leave them alone instead of being such a big jerk?"

He tilted his head slightly at her words.

"Why don't you just leave us alone!"

The first thing he spoke to her would leave her in shock. "Nityri? I had thought we lost you. You don't remember me, or do you choose not to?"

She blinked, his words stunned her in silence. For a moment, she felt lost like the day she had regained consciousness, like the first day she could remember when she was completely clueless to her world. "W-What?"

He stood his ground with his hand gripping the handle of his blade. "No recollection, that may be a side effect perhaps. I had told him not to go through with it, I hope nothing else went wrong. I'm truly sorry about what he had you do, that was never my intention nor goal. Out of respect for what you went through, I can turn a blind eye and let you go."

"You... You can let all of us go instead-"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I have already sent the messenger for him, he knows about the other cat girls. I can tell him that they had fled, or perhaps were lost to villagers upon being discovered. I do this out of respect for you, let me go with this one in stow and I will allow the rest of you to flee. You, your human friends, and your kind. After tonight, you will have one full day to evacuate but nothing more."

She could not believe what she was hearing, is this man negotiating with her for her sisters capture? Why is he talking to her as if he knows her, what's going on? No, he was lying, has to be. I wouldn't know someone who hurts my family, I would know better than that!

"You're an awful liar, and a bad person. How dare you ask me to let my sister go just like that? How do you expect me to trust you when I find you like this, you're a monster."

Leon sighed and shook his head. "Not the first time I am labeled that. So you truly don't remember me, I fear the damage may have been worse than I predicted. Damn." He tightened his grip, more out of frustration then aggression.

"Then you only have my words to believe and nothing more. It is a gamble of course, I could be lying to you. I could take your sister and come back anyway, in fact I could just inform the villagers nearby of what their neighbor is hiding here. You don't have much power here, but understand that if you intend to strike at me, I will defend myself and strike back. You do not want this fight."

"You're the one who should be scared, you know why? Because Nekomata's are very territorial, and you are trespassing and taking someone dear to me!" She had regained her position and readied herself for a pounce.

Realizing this, Leone parted his legs and reached to grip his sheath with both hands. "This did not go well the first time, it won't end any other way. Stand down, Nityri."

"SHUT UP!" She shouted, launching herself forward with her claws drawn and ready. Her powerful legs kicked the stones beneath her, flying furiously towards him like a cat catching its prey.

His eyes narrowed and in one clean sweep, he swung his sword striking her cheek with the butt of the handle and breaking her momentum. She flew to the side, toppling over and rubbing her sore and reddened cheek while glaring at him with furious eyes. It stung, but pain was quickly forgotten in the heat of the moment.

Moving on all fours, she circled around him with haste, hoping to cut away from his sight and pouncing at him from behind. He had predicted this and despite her speed, crouched fast enough for her to swipe at air and nothing else. Scurrying to her right, she dashed in for a swipe first to his left, than another and another, only for him to dodged and evade from every angle. The way he stepped to the side effortlessly and without breaking a sweat angered her, she was blindly swinging her arms hoping to catch him soon. One quick strike to her stomach had KuliKuli double over and fall to her knees as he stepped aside and stood over her.

"I could have sliced you more than enough ways to leave you on the ground permanently. Your fighting is sloppy and you leave yourself open for a counterattack. Take my offer and stay down."

KuliKuli panted and gasped, slowly feeling herself able to breath in due time. From her peripheral vision, she could see his boots walk away as he went back to his carriage, setting more of his cargo aside. The bastard was packing his things as if she were never there to begin with!

Once he heard her moving dirt behind him, he looked back in time to find her leap at him once more. This time his back hit against the wooden carriage, the horse whining as he held her claws at bay with his sheathed sword held from both ends. She grunted and grit her teeth, he could tell she was trying and couldn't deny her strength, but it was not enough to worry him. He had overwhelmed stronger fighters before.

"You seem to be having trouble understanding, this isn't a fight it's a one sided debate. You can't win, Nityri."

"My name... is KuliKuli... and I don't care!.. I won't let you... get away with her..." She clenched her teeth and forced herself to push as hard as she could, the pain in her chest beginning to resurface. Suddenly, two tails wrapped themselves around his sword and pulled them away from his grip, leaving him open for an attack. He looked shocked as she swung her claws hard, only for him to move aside and feel something poke her. As she looked down, she realized her claws had furiously scarred the carriage and that below her he had pulled out a dagger with the tip piercing her skin, a small bit of blood beginning to form.

He pulled away without moving his cold eyes from hers. "Just the tip, you know I could have gone all the way."

Without warning he had slipped around her body, locking his arm around her neck and holding his dagger in front of her.

"This is not a petty revenge or goal of malicious intent, it's my job. I was hired to do this, if it were up to me I would not have let it go this far. I feel for you, but I can not comply with you as much as I would like to. Nityri, or KuluKulu or whatever you prefer, I leave you with this; I'm taking your sister, I promise she will not be harmed by my hands. I will deliver her to him, and if I do not hear from you or see you by the time he arrives, then I will convince him that the rest of you are nowhere to be found. Do not take this in vain, I will be punished for my failure for this. Remember, I do this out of respect for you. Do not mistake my intent."

With that, he let her go as she fell into her hands and knees. She could hear him walking away, hear his footsteps climb onto his horse, and she felt all the struggle and fight had fled her being. She felt frozen, glued onto the floor unable to tilt her head up to see him as he ushered the horse to start moving. As the wagon began to move, she felt another sting as a drop of blood fell onto the ground.

She heard her name being called and felt a pair of arms hold her, her little sister calling for her and asking if she was alright. Syri shrieked at the sight of blood and look ahead to find the dusty cloud left behind from the horse-drawn carriage, by now a good distance away from them. She could hear her sister panic and hug her tight, calling and screaming for Janette. She could hear Janette arrive, saw her sit in front of her, asking for her wounds and checking the cut on her stomach and cheek.

But she could not see herself anymore. She felt lost, alone, and afraid.