On the far side of the river, back on land and away from the horrible experience of a boat, Bubbles found herself surrounded by smells both familiar and unfamiliar as other nekos swarmed over her.
Some of them checked her over for injuries, and others just seemed intent on rubbing their faces into hers. Those got two fingers to the eyes. However, Bubbles wasn't the only one that they gathered in around.
She could hear Kaia yelling and threatening as the other cats kept pulling at the succubi's tail. Looking over the gorgeous and scarred woman with brazen curiosity.
Strangely, Bubbles could see where Ninaein was.
The thief was looking a little pale, worryingly, however for the most part she was just standing there with her usual fuck-off expression. Which every single catgirl could smell was a death threat, and it wasn't just bluster. Nobody was willing to walk up to Ninaein to ask how she was.
"Enough!" A deep voice proclaimed, and the cats all scattered. The speaker was instantly revealed to be a golden-eyed hooktooth. His hair hung down his back, tangling all the way down in a dozen black braids to the back of his knees.
Bubbles looked at him in trepidation. She had never had any kind of affection for a tomcat, but she could feel the magic bleeding off him, and she knew it was more than any of them had. More than any of them, combined. As expected for a neko sporting two long and curved fangs stretching down by his jawline.
It would take divine intervention to save her if he decided to hurt her, and Bubbles had a feeling that Luna was going to be a bit unreliable about that. Especially with them so close to the apparent safe place that had been prepared for them.
She gave a little whine, as he stepped forward, raising and spinning a spear before plunging it into the rough dirt, just above the wet shoreline. "He is called the Phoenix. This is his guard, and we are here to escort those who wish passage to the homeland. Is that your destination?"
"Phoenix." Ninaein hacked and spat a loogie to the side. "He should show them some respect. He doesn't know who they are, yet. Bucktooth or not. He doesn't know who he speaks to."
Bubbles' ears went flat and she wanted to slap her girlfriend. Why could Nina never know when it was the right moment to shut the fuck up?
"She is called Sana." Her sistren said lightly and curtsied, "We flee the city, and empire. The humans have decided to kill us. All of us. Every neko. We... Are headed somewhere, but we are not sure if it is in homeland, or not. A place close by."
Phoenix' eyes lit up with a sudden respect, "You... Come from the city? You survived the butcher of the capital?"
"We did." Kaia stated flatly, her tail flicking angrily.
"There's many more that did, sweet." Rali said with more temperance, "My husband is trying to arrange safe passage for those who are still stuck behind the walls. He defends them."
"Elf." Phoenix sneered angrily, "An elf defends neko, where even our empress has fallen? I will take your tongue for this lie!"
"I wouldn't." Bubbles' pale eyes blazed into fury, and she found herself shaking as her claws came out. "Elf husband is salamander. He never forgive. He never forget... And he only able to scream angry at the grave that Bubbles will put the fucking Phoenix in if he touches any of hers! She'll take his eyes and his balls and shove them both down his fucking throat!"
She was as bad as Ninaein, herself, sometimes.
Bubbles sneered, panting angrily as she glared at the hooktooth. Her magic was as useless as ever. She was a girl, he was a tomcat. He was stronger than her, and trained with weapons where she was trained to run at the first sound of danger.
He turned his gaze to her, and the golden light filling his eyes slowly faded away. The tomcat swallowed nervously, and spoke directly to her, in a sense of awe. "What did she say her name was?"
"Her name... Is Bubbles." She snarled.
Ninaein cracked up laughing, holding her sides, "Oh, kitten. He's heard of you! Did the goddess go and tell him to fuck off? Or was it that he heard that Bubbles travels with a really fucking crazy red salamander? Who he can see fucking up humans on other shore?"
The tomcat went down on one knee, and bowed his head, whispering, "L-luna threatened him."
"He knows where they're going, then." Bubbles spat, still feeling her anger growing.
Phoenix shook his head, "He does not. He knows only that he must escort them to nearby village. It is a rattan place. We are not very welcome, there. They are... Different to us. A community where everyone has their place. Know who they are, from birth."
Bubbles felt like the anger was going to physically choke off her air supply. She nodded over at the thief, "Nina hurt. She shouldn't be moving around. Just had stupid muscle thing cut out of her and all. We need place to sleep for the night, first. And a healer."
"He knows many healing spells." The hooktooth stated and stood up. He grabbed his spear and slotted it over his back, turning around quickly, in a way that seemed like he was avoiding looking in Bubbles' direction, to her.
She looked at the others and shrugged, and started padding after the man.
Sana was the one who approached her first, snuggling up to her arm and briefly kissing her cheek. "Um... Bubbles?"
"What?"
"She still... Has her claws out." Sana whispered, "Is it because she doesn't trust tomcat not to be a tomcat?"
Bubbles shook her head, glancing at the milling nekos around them. "We with family. No cat attack another cat. Not after empress died. Not until memory of the pain fades."
"So... She just... Angry?" Sana whispered.
The neko sighed heavily, and nodded, "She angry. She's pissed at humans for taking her empress. She's pissed at humans for trying to kill her just for living. She angry that they hurt her Kaia, that they hurt her Nina. That her Edric is risking his life to save other nekos. She beyond furious. She wishes she could fuck them all up... But she just stupid street cat."
Tears started rolling down Bubbles' cheeks, and Sana hugged her arm tighter. Her sistren starting to cry with her. Memories of everything that they had seen, endured. All of it, just to get to this point.
The hooktooth in front of them began to hum, a low sound, almost like a growl, but pitched just above it. The ears of every neko around them went backwards, and the catgirls emitted an angry hiss as one.
The near-silent padding of two dozen feet suddenly became a rhythmic marching, stomping out the beat into the mud.
Bubbles looked curiously to Sana, but the woman just shrugged. She didn't know the music, either
However, surprisingly enough, Ninaein was hissing and stomping along with the rest of them. The thief's golden eyes blazing furiously. As quickly as it began, the hissing stopped.
