Stalling

"Janette! Janette turn this thing around! I'm not leaving without her!"

"Not a chance! If we go back there we're done for!"

KuliKuli scrambled to climb over the wagon, being pulled back by Felix with his arms at her waist. "Let me go! We have to save her!"

"KuliKuli."

"Please! Please let's go back, please!" She begged, turning to face him with pleading eyes. "Please Felix, I don't want to lose my family again."

"We-We can't." He replied, his eyes equally as mournful. "She wanted this. Said it was to give us time."

"Felix..." She looked down, watching the numerous trees pass by, the wind grazing by. She could feel his hand on her paw, squeezing her fur tight as he held her close and patted her back.

Emyri grunted as she was thrown to the ground, reaching at her side. Before her, Perdilius hissed lightly as he felt the wound on his neck, a near fatal slice having failed to his advantage. Wiping the blood away, he gave the command for his men to keep calm and surround them. Behind him, Reta began to rush forward, stepping lightly and raising an arrow up high to his head. A dagger was thrown in her direction, cutting her palm and the arrow with it. She recoiled and turned to face the hunter, shaking his head in return.

Perdilius turned around and glared his eyes. "You are neither monster nor from here, what is your stake with this?"

Reta shrugged. "You're an asshole? Kind of all I need."

She reached for her bow and swung it hard, striking his chest and making a strong thud sound. Her eyes widened as she lifted the bow dangling as it snapped in two, with Perdilius flashing a grin.

"Not the brightest fighter, are you? You should stick to hiding."

Reta frowned and tossed her weapon away. "You should stick to preaching at a damn choir yelling hallelujah."

From behind him, Emyri had recovered on her feet thanks to Na'Vi. Both girls glanced at the hunter who seemed to keep a bit of distances from the battle, while several soldiers stayed forming a circle around them. Emyri winced when she touched her side, it felt tender and stung when the cool air touched its surface. Perdilius cleared his throat and stretched his arms, turning to the mother and ignoring Reta behind him.

"You know, making that sacrifice was a bold move. I quite admire that, how far a mother would reach for her children. Do you think a child would do such a thing for their mother back?"

Emyri grunted, pushing Na'Vi back and revealing her claws. "If my girls are smart, they'll know what to do without me."

"You've that much faith in them, touching."

"Well, they'll be a lot safer when you're gone!" She cried, charging on all fours to be intersected by two possessed Nekomatas. Na'Vi dashed in and kicked the two girls away, looking up to block a swipe from the third one when Perdilius whistled hard.

"Girls, to me."

The girls looked back and hurried to his calling, sitting on their butts perched and comfortable next to him. "Sit down and watch, I won't mind the exercise. Hunter, keep watch. Somehow I doubt you would intervene if I had given the order to join."

Leone stepped back as did the rest of their men, giving room to the man and the two Nekomatas. Reta kept quiet and took a few steps back herself, her eyes scanning the area for something to latch onto. The hunter approached her and made eye contact before they both turned and watched.

Emyri and Na'Vi kept themselves low to the ground, with the mother slowly circling around him on all fours. Perdilius combed his hair back and sighed. "It was brave doing this to give them a chance to run, but that's all it is, a chance. You know I'll find them."

"Any chance is worth taking."

"Indeed. You also know that I don't need either of you alive, but keeping you will grant me leverage and give them a reason to come to me instead. Of course, I could use you the way I use my pets. Wouldn't that be quite the reunion? Yes, I think that would make for a fine alternative."

Na'Vi growled at his remark. "You're not laying a hand on her or any of them!"

"Because your words hold so much weight to them I think I would just give up or suffer your pout and whining. I would stay put if I were you, child."

"Child!?" She called out, running up at him.

"Na'Vi, don't!" She didn't listen, only hate and regret filled her mind with red as she leaped up at his face with her claws bared. He did not miss his chance, gripping her waists and flicking her into the dirt ground bouncing off from her back with a strong force, knocking the wind out of her. Emyri ran up to her and rolled her on her side before jumping back and away from his charging fist. She stumbled back on her feet, slowly rising up as they locked eyes.

"Kids are so easy to fool, give them a reason to be angry and they lose all reasoning."

"You would know. For someone who hates Monster Girls, you sure enjoy their company."

"I don't hate monsters, I cure them. Put them to good use, give them worth and reason."

"By ridding them of their reason. My girls look like empty husks thanks to you!"

"Your girls would have met their fates at the block were it not for me." Perdilius snarled. "You call yourself their mother, but where were you when we captured them? MiMi, come to me."

MiMi lifted her tails and crawled over, rubbing her head on his leg as he played with her ears. "We found this one protecting several others. She had been watching over them, giving them treatment, chose to stay with them rather than save her own skin. She is a woman worth keeping alive, you however are a coward."

That hurt. Emyri winced and felt her chest, her tails dropping lower and lower. "Yes, I know. I should have done better."

Both Reta and Leone looked on with open mouths as the father continued. "If anything, this sacrifice of yours is no noble act but more of a self-preserved means of regaining your honor. A rat trying to prove itself otherwise, you're pathetic."

Leone tightened his grip as he heard those painful words. Reta had meant to speak up, when she kept a parted mouth instead. Her eyes were staring not at him, but behind him. A sharp swing cut through the air and made quick work of his robe. When he turned, he was met with a flurry of swings to his chest, marking an X with every two strikes as Na'Vi expressed her own thoughts to the man.

"DON'T! CALL! HER! THAT!" She shouted, baring her claws with all of her strength until she had none left. Perdilius fell back onto one knee, panting and groaning profusely. "That woman is much stronger, braver, and a better person than you will ever be! She has given so much for her family, so much just to save even the smallest number she could. You've no right to preach of what it means to be a good mother, none!"

"No right?" He muttered, staggering back on his feet with a mess of rags clinging to him. Na'Vi stepped back, staring as he gripped his chest and ripped the white silk clean off, exposing a bulk crimson shell underneath forged of what looked like rusted metal covering his chest. "Mother is god in the eyes of a child. Tell me, do you believe in the gods?"

He stepped forward, pressuring her to swing at his face. He caught her paw this time, pulling her towards him until their faces met within inches of proximity. "Now bow."

"Uhh!" With a sharp knee, he delivered a blow into her gut folding her as her legs hit the floor.

"NO!" Emyri leaped in and swiped at his leg, successfully bringing him down before climbing on his back and raising her claw. His hand dug into her hair and pulled her down in front of him before bringing his other hand to her head. Her legs kicking at the floor, she planted them firmly before pushing herself up to headbutt him, freeing herself albeit with a bruised forehead. He did not let up, gripping her tails with each hand and kicked her back until she was forced back down.

"Don't struggle, let go. That's it, give up. It's only natural for a father to beat their child until he submits!"

Na'Vi had had enough, running in and jumping on his back, folding her arm around his neck. Perdilius yelled with a sharp cry of pain, feeling the woman pull at his neck with all of her strength. He refused to let go of Emyri, instead pulling her up by her hair and gripping her neck as well. It was a test of endurance now, who would be the first to give? Leone felt himself begin to sweat, grapping and exposing his sword before breathing hard. However, many of the soldiers began to intervene, moving in to pull her off from him. Na'Vi grunted and yelled out, but eventually her strength could not overcome theirs and she felt her grip loose the fight. Perdilius too had let go of Emyri as she panted and coughed hard onto the floor.

Reta saw this happening and hung her head down in defeat. They had intended to stop him for as long as they can, maybe permanently if given the chance. But luck was not on their side. With nothing else to do as the soldiers began to chain the cat girls down, Reta pulled the sword away from one solider and ran in to their remaining wagon, cutting two of their wheels loose before slicing at the reins and slapping the horses, freeing them as they ran off. Perdilius saw this and watched as she dropped the sword.

"Fuck you. Fuck you and your smug smuginess, your false preaching and your insane morals."

"That was stupid. Who are you again?" He asked, with Na'Vi and Emyri watching in shock as they were pulled up to their feet. Reta smiled and winked at them, raising her hands and flipping him off.

"Call me Norowa Reta, The Wolf with No Home, and you have the gods' permission to kiss my ass and hike all the way back home on foot, bitch!"