Back on route

The wagon had come to a full stop, as numerous footsteps followed by the shine of familiar metal armor approached them. Syri looked up as they were surrounded by several soldiers, followed by the sound of clapping hands to her left. Turning around, she was met with Perdilius, grinning and applauding at their return. At his feet stood the 'tamed' Nekomata cat girls sitting up with their heads observing them, their eyes eerily calm and unnerving with an empty expression. She noticed they weren't blinking and felt her skin crawl as Perdilius approached them.

Raz let go of the reins and jumped off before standing straight and saluting Perdilius in a strange manner with his hand to his breast. "Good morning sir! The hunter and I have returned with the Nekomata's you seek, sir."

Perdilius shook his head, laughing quietly with a permanent grin on his face. "Welcome back, Raz. I had worried you would be killed once they believed to have escaped. Why is my hunter sleeping on the job, Raz?"

"Not sleeping, sir. Just... well-"

"Spit it out." He slithered over to the rear of the wagon, his eyes latching on to the partially embedded dagger in Leone's side. "I see, may the gods place mercy on you, dearest hunter, and reward you in the afterlife for doing their bidding. You've done well, can you manage?"

Dimyri jumped off and walked up towards him. "He needs medical attention, someone who knows how to remove the-hey!"

She yelped as she was dragged out of her path rather harshly by one soldier, before he crossed her arms behind her. Another one stepped in and tied up both of her forearms together. This left her arms cramped and deeply uncomfortable, with the slightest tug pulling a nerve on each arm.

Syri gasped and leaned over, shouting, "Stop it, you're hurting her!"

With the notion of a finger, his men reached in and pulled her by both arms. Panicking, Syri fell over to the floor with both her sisters shouting at them for this treatment. One soldier pulled away and shouted, "She's changing! Get the box!"

Without wasting another moment, they retrieved a tiny cage when one man raised his hands up, revealing Syri hissing and trying to bite him in her cat form. She was waving her paws around, thrashing and yelping when she was stuffed into the tiny confinement before her cage door was locked by a key. KuliKuli herself had also been pulled aside, arms cuffed behind her in a similar fashion as Dimyri's. She was dragged away before finding herself face to face with the man responsible for the turmoil in their lives.

It took a lot of mental will power not to spit or lash out at him and his stupid grin being within reach of her, had they not held her arms she wondered what kind of damage she would do to him, and worried if she were to lose control to her anger had she been released.

"Nityri, so nice to see you again."

Her lip twitched, eyes glaring at him in return. Perhaps keeping a tight lip would be the best response, she figured.

"You would refuse to believe it but I did miss you, your absence left a gap that I have found difficult to fill in. It's so good to see you alive and well for the ritual to take place. Had your life been taken away, I would fear if the ritual would be as effective anymore. Well, no need to trouble myself with what-ifs. Come, we've taken long enough."

Leone struggled out of the wagon as the other men walked by, grunting as his grip slipped and he fell back. Raz approached him and showed his hand for reach, pulling him up. "Don't be so heartless, help this man!"

Several of the other soldiers turned and glanced at each other before running in to join them, helping the hunter on his feet with his weight supported by Raz and another. Up ahead, it looked as though Syri and Dimyri were being lifted into a familiar carriage they had seen before, with the golden flower on the side. KuliKuli felt her spirits drop as she was pushed onto it, her ears lifting momentarily when she heard a welcoming voice.

"KuliKuli!"

"Mom!" She smiled, looking around to see Reta tied up as well. "You're still here!"

"Yea yea, don't get too excited." Reta snorted, raising her head in a subtle nod and a small grin. "Good to see you in one piece."

"W-Where's Na'Vi?"

Both women pointed behind her, before she received a rough push from behind and a loud voice demanding she crawl to the back where her two sisters were being kept. Once she joined them, she found her friend curled up at a corner before shuffling her way towards her, making quite the rattling noise.

"Na'Vi, are you okay?" It was a stupid thing to ask, she looked bruised and had several purple marks on her body, as well as her cheek. She opened her eyes and smiled, you could see the pain she carried inside being tucked away as she forced a smile through that pain. Was it the pain she felt from the injuries or from the heart, KuliKuli couldn't tell. All she knew was that her friend was badly hurt, and holding her paw made her smile.

"-ey." She spoke in a rashed voice with a whispering tone before coughing loudly, curling up even more. Her tails tightened their hold around her legs, KuliKuli gasped when she noticed one had a large purple bruise to it.

"Na'Vi... what did they do? No don't talk, just stay quiet and breath. I'm here." She said, doing her best to brush her hair. Na'Vi nodded and closed her eyes, smiling. For just one moment, the beating she had received was worth it just for this.

Turning around, their was anger in her eyes and a growl that struggled to be kept in any longer. "Wh-Who?"

Emyri hung her head with a look of pain, leaving Reta to explain. "A lot, really. She kept putting up a fight and managed to claw at one guy's face, so he and his buddies grouped up around her and just... wouldn't stop."

She saw the telling look in her eyes and shook her head. "Nothing like that, none of them did anything like that. They just kept kicking... they wouldn't stop. He said as long as she was alive then go ahead... I'm sorry."

She hung her head and felt her breathing start to rise, her older sister scooting in to have KuliKuli lean on her side. DImyri had to use her tail to brush her hair, while keeping quiet because well, what lie could she make to help her feel better at this time?

Back outside, Leone gritted his teeth as he was settled at the front of the carriage, with Raz at his side keeping a watchful eye on him. "Where are the damn helpers?"

He shook his head. "You have only me as your healer, so stay put."

Leone growled, leaning his head back in pain. "Dozens of men and only one healer."

"That it is, accept it or reject it. Either way, hold still." He pulled out the cork from a small battle, shaking it upside down as its contents spilled onto a folded clean rag. Once satisfied, he moved in and pressed the soiled rag onto his wound, with the hunter hissing back. "Those herbs fixed you up around the blade but I'm more concerned about the internal bits."

"That's good, at least you've a head between your shoulders." He remarked.

"We will be moving soon, make yourself comfortable."

"Noted."

Perdilius approached the carriage and stepped inside, two of his men joining him with small animal cages in hand. Once they entered, the man holding the door open closed it before shouting, "All in!"

"Let's get moving!"