CHAPTER FOUR

Luisa slammed into a cold stone floor. Winded from the fall, she wheezed in stale air. Her eyes adjusted to a sudden brightness. Panic seared her senses. She was enclosed, the walls around her were curved glass, behind them rough rock.  She was in a glass tank. Looking up she saw the dark top stone glowing blue with her outline, before it faded black and sheen.

She heard a crack of a drum behind her and, still on all fours, she hurled her body around to see what it was. A small glass door, ringed in decorative brass, and beyond that… Her eyes widened with the scene that stood beyond.

Before her stretched a huge underground cavern. Burning torches adorned the walls, casting a golden light that lit the cavern’s soaring height. The cavern was packed with catlike creatures that sat at long tables stretching far into the distance. Luisa looked out at the thousands of expectant cat-like eyes fixated on her in silence. They were wearing clothes and those that stood did so on their hind-legs. They were a height not dissimilar to her own; between four and five feet tall. A congregation of the creatures to her right made some jaunty movements. One at the front beat a small drum twice more, and a demonic orchestra began to play. Still on hands and knees, Luisa scrambled to the far side of the glass wall like a trapped animal.  The tune came to Luisa’s glass cell half-muted.  Her ears were filled with her own loud heartbeat and ragged breath. 

This can not be happening! 

There was more movement in front of her, one of the creatures flapped its arms, standing alone on a stage behind a podium, the crowd switched their focus from Luisa to this one.  It hobbled over to the orchestra, and waving its arms, in one paw held a walking stick.  Luisa was shocked to hear human words leave its mouth,

“Stop! Stop!”

The orchestra stopped haphazardly. The creature, stood stooped for a second panting. It turned, and leaning heavily on its stick hobbled towards the door of Luisa’s glass tank. It took the few steps up to the tank door, the weight of ten thousand pairs of eyes on its every step. Luisa could now see it up close.

The cat had white shaggy fur, and wore a cloak which was a similar dishevelled off-white. Its large grey eyes were encased by a pair of wire rimmed glasses.  It rapped its walking stick three times on the tank door and peered at Luisa.  In hushed tones it asked,

“May I come in?”

Luisa stared aghast the creature, still pushing back against the glass,

“Are you going to eat me?”

As she spoke, her words were amplified by the tank, which pumped the question out loud to the entire audience. This caused a loud hubbub from the crowd shattering the silence. She looked back to the old cat and he looked wounded, his eyes pouring into Luisa’s own.

“No! Of course not!” he whispered and with desperation gestured again to the brass door handle.  Luisa, seeing no option, nodded, and gave her assent for him to enter.

The white cat entered and gave a short bow.  Straightening his stoop and squaring his shoulders he said,

“Princess, I am Abbot Kincold, abbot of the catains, steward of the royal line. It is my honour to give you guidance throughout your reign.” His words echoed loudly through the cavern,

Luisa’s mind reeled.  What did he just say? Princess? Reign?

The abbot caught her look. He dropped his voice while speaking quietly his words avoided the amplification device of the tank,

“Princess… excuse my impudence… you have completed all the royal rites,” he pointed up at the stone, “on the other side of the dysk?”

Luisa shook her head desperately, the abbot looked incredulous,

“You have done some preparations for your duty?” 

Luisa’s voice was very small,

“No.”

 He whispered in a hiss, “Well I take it you have your coronation speech prepared for the catains?”

Luisa raised a hand,

“Look,” she whispered, her voice cracking, “I don’t know who you think I am… I, I’m not anyone, I just want to go home, if you just let me go, I’m not going to tell anyone, anything, please…” 

The abbot closed his eyes and put his paw to his brow,

 “Oh rats’ breath,” he murmured.  He opened his eyes quickly and fixed them firmly on Luisa,

“It’s not quite as easy as that Princess. Please, complete the coronation, and once in your quarters I’ll explain everything the best I can.  Please understand, no one here is going to hurt you and you will be sent back from where you came, very soon.  Now rise and cease from wounding my poor soul.”

Luisa felt she had little option, and with the abbot’s calming words her panic had subsided to a functional level of extreme fear. She stood.  The abbot smiled, showing yellow sharp teeth,

“Good, now may I be so bold to ask your name?”

“It’s Luisa” She croaked and wiped some snot that had run down her nose with the sleeve of her pyjamas.  She stood awkwardly, feeling exposed. The abbot nodded and taking a deep breath he turned to face the crowd and boomed,

“Catains! Behold! The long wait is over, we are guided once again! Behold Princess Luisa, our sovereign, commences her reign on this blessed day!”

The crowd was silent for a moment. Somewhere a catain clapped once, twice, then another joined, until it caught on into a huge round of applause.  The abbot shuffled forward, and gestured to Luisa to do the same.  Luisa walked forward through the gilded door into the golden light of the cavern.  She stood outside the tank and looked out at the crowd, the catains stood from their stools, each one smiling and clapping.

The abbot raised his paws and the applause gradually died down, as it did another hubbub broke out. The crowd reacted as a group of catains cut their way through. Younger catains clambered onto their mother’s shoulders, female catains gossiped and exclaimed excitedly as this group passed through. As they got closer it became clear that they were dressed differently from the others, their outfits were rugged and they were heavily armed with an array of swords.

The group approached Luisa and the abbot in formation. 

Three catains strode forward from the rest until they were standing directly in front of Luisa and the abbot, then as one, the whole formation knelt.

The catain in the centre of the three raised his head slowly. He had thick gold fur with red flecks. His eyes shone a brilliant yellow, and Luisa felt her fear evaporate in their honesty.  He spoke softly,

“Princess, I am Finn. Leader of the scougers. We are the sworn guardians of Cataindar.”  

 He gestured to his left to a jet-black catain with bright blue eyes, and a long sword strapped across his back,

 “This is Darcius,” The catain bobbed his head,

 He gestured to his right,  “and this is Thorne.”

Thorne dipped her head in respect, showing a deep scar that ran across her right eye, a long line of pink skin under her tortoise-shell coloured fur.

“We three are the leaders of the scougers.”

Luisa looked at Finn blankly, the abbot nudged her gently to respond. She nodded,

“Umm, thank you.”

Finn dropped his head and together the scougers stood and backed away in a graceful sweeping motion, the catain crowd erupted into a frenzy of applause. The abbot stepped forward again,

“Catains! The long wait is over, our sovereign is here!  Now eat and celebrate her arrival!”

  A great cheer went up, the orchestra struck up and the catains began their feast.  The abbot turned and looking grimly at Luisa, gestured to one of the doors that lined the cavern’s walls.

“Let us go princess, there is clearly much we should discuss.”        

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