Footsteps trampled around the bushes where we were hiding. There was a pincer strike so we had to split up. Gab and I don't know what happened to Shade and Jake, but we can only hope they managed to escape. We are outmatched and in serious danger. The best thing we can do is at least get out of the forest.
"Split up and fan out. Those two couldn't have gotten too far."
"Shouldn't we be going after the kitsune? I say that's more of the prime target than those kids."
"No, if they realize why they have a magic beast, who knows what they will do? Besides, do you want to disobey orders from Horace? We've seen what he is trying to summon. Best to stay on his good side."
Sounds like some infighting in the cult. Not that it would help us right now that is. Gab tugs at my tail and ushers that we leave immediately. We gave it a few moments as the footsteps grew distant in many directions. Only then when they were really far did we dare venture out in the open again.
Sticking low to the ground, we bounced between shrubs and fallen trees until we got to a small drop and fell down the pathway. Clinging up against the wall, I look at the young tiger like cat, "Okay... so what do we do now? We can't fight back like this."
Gab thinks things over for a moment before an idea lights up in her head. "We need to find a stash out here. I remember stealing an ornamental dagger from someone's house before, it should be good enough for now." I nod in agreement. "A weapon is better than no weapon. Anything else with it?" She shakes her head, "No, not unless Jake has some weapons stashed somewhere I don't know about. Either way, let's get going before they find us."
Not wanting to disagree there, we both continued to sneak our way through the area. Every now and then we had to stop and stay still when some of the cultists got close. It got more nerve wracking when some started searching bushes.
Gab and I held our breathes when we saw hands pierce through a bush and was about to open it until the sound of a firey burst echoes in the forest. The hands retract, "What was that?" The footsteps walk away from the bush a bit, "Oh hell! Is that a fire?" The footsteps immediately sprinted away from where we were. Gab and I let out sighs of relief as that was way too close. "Guess we aren't that far from the others. Sounds like they are putting up a fight."
Poking my head out of the bush and sniffing the air, I can catch a whiff of smoke from wherever the woman ran off to. "Smells like it too... I hope she doesn't accidentally burn down the forest." We both get out of the bush and Gab starts looking around. "So... the night we went and destroyed that one jerks room. Was that you two we saw running into the forest?"
I look at her as she keeps on searching the area. "Yeah... sorry about that. Shade and I didn't know you two were gonna be in the same house we were robbing." Gab shrugs her shoulders and begins walking towards some fallen trees in the distance. "Eh, don't worry about it Kitsuno. It was a mere coincidence after all. But did your sister have to shoot a fireball inside the house?" At least she is not realizing the fact that we were technically stalking them. "Shade's still learning how to control her magic. Two years ago she found out how to transform one day when we were at a park. Luckily nobody was around when it happened."
Gab's tail perks up as she dashes over some logs. I follow quickly and she starts digging through some rubble. "Yeah, that would have been something for the public to see. Keep an eye for me will you, the dagger is underneath this stuff." Nodding as she gets digging, I peered back and forth to make sure no one saw us. "So, aside from magic and being thieves, what else do you two do?"
The question was unfortunately simple to answer. "Survive. Shade and I have zero clue where we are. Have been like this since we were thirteen." Gab dislodged a chunk of wood and threw it to our left in another pile of rubble. "No family either huh?"
"No. No family at all. Except each other." She slows down on her digging and looks back at me. "When we escape, maybe we can talk my brother into heading north pass the border. I'm sure we can get a fresher start up there than continue living here. This place sucks." Looking at the cat as she unearthed some stuff from the rubble, she pulled out a small blade no bigger than eight inches in length. The handle was covered in mud and the sheathe it was in was faded from age.
"There we go. Now if one catches us, we have a chance to at least parry back an attack or two. Okay?" Gab then notices my gaze as it was focused on something. "Kitsuno? What's wrong?"
Moving forward in the rubble, I dug through it and pulled out an object. It was the statue they stole from the pawn shop. "Kitsuno, I don't think that will help us."
Her words didn't reach me. My attention was fully on the statue. Now that I can see it in person, rather than a faded black and white picture. It was of a tall woman in white robes with a black line around her waist, presumably a belt of some sort. But, what was pulling my full attention was her facial features and ears. Light blue hair running down to her back, silvery white fur...
"Kitsuno!" My attention is snapped back to reality as Gab was shaking me. Quickly looking around I saw that there were four cultists and the two painted thugs surrounding us.
