I'll do it

Felix watched as Perdilius stepped out from the hallway, shutting the door behind him. Something turned and clicked, clearly the sound of him locking them out. Leaning back, he raised his hands into view and shuddered at the look of them. The skin had turned bright red and his palms were a dark and bloody mess, but what shocked him the most was how numb they felt. Though his arms shook, his palms simply tingled in contrast to their look.

Na'Vi unlocked the other door to set Reta free. She pulled back as Reta stood up and nodded before rushing to Felix's aid. Kneeling down, her eyes looked him over left and right as she place her hand onto his bare chest.

"Gosh, you're sweaty." She remarked.

"Tends to happen when you're tired." Felix snorted, holding still as Reta leaned in and pecked him on the lips. The touch of her lips spread a kindred warmth through his battered body, he felt himself lost in a daze when Reta held him by his arms from behind.

"Come on, we'll need to hold him up and carry him over." She asked. Na'Vi kept her back to them, though not the most offensive sight as her cute butt was in display, she hadn't stirred or bothered at the request. "Oi! Cat lady, help me out!"

"Who did you come with?" Na'Vi asked aggressively.

Felix looked over her direction. "Her sisters, Syri and Dimyri. We had-unph! We bumped into a campsite with some of your friends, the other cat girls who were hiding from him. So we-"

"Brought them here to rescue us." She filled in, turning back. Her face did not express excitement but rather one of concern which puzzled him. "You brought what he wanted by doing this."

Reta rolled her eyes. "Whatever he needs is out of reach, those girls are still free and so far it looks like our way up or down is off limits."

At this, everyone stared down the hall to the empty circular tunnel at the end where the lift once was. A single chain dangled in its memory of what once was.

"He only needs KuliKuli and her sisters to make this thing work, isn't that it?" Felix asked as Reta helped him sit up. She gave him a puzzled look when Na'Vi began to speak.

"He needs their blood."

"Yea, something about purity-"

"He needs their essence, you can thank the parents for that. A hunter and a monster, their offspring would be an exact balance of dark and light essence. That will suffice in powering this tower." Na'Vi explained.

"Wait, this whole tower? I-I thought there was some sort of machine or ritual?" Felix asked.

"There is, but this entire building was constructed for that sole purpose." Na'Vi answered, turning around and approaching him. She kneeled down and helped with his legs while Reta carried him from his arms, both women gently laying him beside the locked door. "There's a full moon tonight, that's when the ritual begins. If he has all three girls then within a minute or two he can grant any wish he wants."

"Wait, wishes? Like a Genie?" Asked Reta.

Na'Vi shook her head. "It's all just rumors I heard from eavesdropping. It's not common knowledge, I don't know exactly what he wants just that it spells bad news for us. And so long as he has Nityri, that's reason enough for me to stop him."

"Us." Felix corrected her.

Na'Vi scanned him over and narrowed her eyes. "You're in a terrible condition to fight, what makes you think you can keep going?"

"Not like this, but maybe if Zimi gets to me-"

"Zimi, she's here?" Reta asked in shock.

Felix looked surprised. "You know Zimi?"

"Cellmates."

"Aah, okay."

Na'Vi scoffed and stood up when someone held her tail. Instinctively, she spun around and raised her claws, growling at Felix who stood his gaze without flinching.

"I didn't get to say thank you for saving me back there. I know you did it for her."

Na'Vi rolled her eyes, retracting her claws. "Oh geez, I didn't do it for her I did it because I could you moron! I'm not a heartless witch, just because we share the same lover doesn't mean I want to hurt you. That's not going to help me win her back."

"Enough with the petty ex drama." Reta ordered, brushing her hair back in mid sigh. "KuliKuli needs saving physically and mentally and you two squabbling like kids aren't helping. Nandayo!"

Felix kept his lips sealed as Reta briefly patted him down, inspecting his injuries as Na'Vi watched. "So, your hands are in poor shape and you have a few purple spots here and there. Let me see your hands?"

He did just that, she held his palm and gasped as his claws slowly retracted back into blood-stained fingernails. "Oooh... oh no ... oh my gosh. D-Does it hurt?"

He frowned and she quickly corrected herself.

"Baka, I meant the claws not your hands. Nandayo, you really have bonded with her." She spoke softly, admiring his lean muscular frame and gently pressing on his biceps with two fingers. He cleared his throat which prompted her to snap away from her trance. "Ah, gomen-nesai."

Reaching for his shirt with her tail, Na'Vi began applying it to his hands when Reta took it and tore the cloth into two thin straps. Carefully, she applied one around his hand and wrapped it with ease before doing the same with the other. "Eh, I'm no doctor but this should help with the bleeding."

"Thanks." Felix smiled, watching as Reta began wiping the sweat and dirt away from his chest. Her fingers continued dancing on his pec, slowly dragging down while rubbing the cloth over his skin. Her face began to flush when Na'Vi nudged her, prompting Reta to swallow and hang her head in slight shame. Felix chuckled and shifted in his spot, admittedly she was beginning to give off the scent of excitement to his new keen sense of smell and had he not been so tired his body would glady reciprocate.

His hand reached for her own and held it, feeling her warmth. "You two don't look so healthy yourselves. He didn't bother feeding you girls, did he?"

Reta shook her head as Na'Vi kept quiet. All three of them jumped when a noise became present. At this, everyone stared down the hall to the empty circular tunnel at the end where the lift once was. All that remained of the lift was a single chain.

Looking down the hallway, they stared at the chain being tugged and pulled hard. Soon, a small hand crept in and a dwarf pulled herself over the ledge followed by a younger elf, both appearing to have seen better days from the bruises in their bodies and the blood stain on the side of his head.

"Nyitzcha, Spi'Reto!" Felix called out with a smile. "You guys made it! Nyitzcha, these are my friends Reta and Na'Vi. Reta, this is Spi'Reto and Nyitzcha."

Nyitzcha brushed her short stature before looking up at the five foot and a half women. Extending her hand, she shook their hand and tails respectively. "Ayo doin'? See ye met me husband."

"HUSBAND!?" Both girls cried out in shock.

Felix shyly rubbed the back of his head. "I thought you noticed the ring, you didn't?"

Reta frowned, turning red. "I wasn't looking at the ring, baka!"

Na'Vi growled, "So you're mated with Nityri but you're married to her!?"

"Ehhh it's not like that! I married her so that she could help us save KuliKuli!" Felix pleaded, waving his hands out as Na'Vi's claws were let loose.

Nyitzcha huffed, hands to her waist. "Wha', so now ye dun wunt me n'more? Das nu way t'treat a luver."

"You're not helping!" Felix shouted much to her amusement.

Spi'Reto simply laughed in the background before shaking Reta's hand. "I'm Spi'Reto, pleasure to meet you miss."

"Reta, you look like shit."

"And you look starved. Biscuit?" He offered, raising a tiny biscuit from his belt. She sniffed and took his treat, biting into the dry bread before squealing in delight. "You're welcome."

Back in the battle outside the tower, Dimyri leaned over Syri's body as Janette pressed her head against her chest. Her heart was beating, she was still with them. Dimyri looked over to Zimi who shrugged back, she was lost at what to do now. Raz remained on his knees, head hung down keeping his face away from sight.

Conflicted, Dimyri decided for the benefit of the doubt just as her grandmother would do. If she could welcome her Father to their clutter like Mom had told before, then she should follow her example. She walked over to Raz and extended her hand, offering a truce.

"Thank you, for saving my-" Her voice was cut off as he pulled her by the forearm and spun around, locking his arm around her neck with his hand to her tummy. The girls cried in shock and Zimi growled hard, baring her fangs and claws.

"Try it, you've seen what I can do." Raz tempted her, she kept away as her eyes grew narrow. Janette felt frozen and uncertain of what to do. Needless to say, none of them had expected this action to partake.

"Like father, like son." Dimyri hissed, struggling from his hold and pulling at his arm. "I offer you peace and you threaten me?"

"I told you my father comes first. If this is what it means to be at his side-"

"What? You'll finally get the love you deserve? Grow up!"

"Call off the attack."

"What?"

"I said call it off!" He demanded, quickly looking back. That bear was the most dangerous to him, and from the looks of it most of the Nekomata on his side were losing their collars.

"No."

"What?"

"I said no! What are you going to do, hurt me? Kill me? Your father needs us alive, so you aren't in a position to hold me hostage or make these demands. You really didn't think this through did you?"

Damn it! Raz began to look around, he was trapped and he knew it. But then a thought began in Dimyri's head, this could be it. All of this fighting just to save her friends and family, maybe doing this could get them an easy way inside. They had discussed this in case of the worst scenario after all, should both her and her sister get captured. If Raz brings them inside to Perdilius and the rest of her clutter follows, wouldn't that be an easy victory on their part?

"I'll do it."

"What!?" Janette and Zimi cried out.

Dimyri sighed and laid her arms to her side. "I'll surrender."