Valor stretched his wings, as he made his way home. He did not mean to go that far away. He hoped Tarka wasn't going to be upset with him, after all, he knew Tarka didn't want him to be too far away from the house, especially after she explained to him what he was.

Entering the house, he alerted his return, glancing at the bags on the counter. No one responded. He approached the bags, and gave them a sniff, finding Tarka's scent still very fresh on them. Why didn't she respond? "Tarka?" Valor called, approaching her room and knocking, quite loudly, too.

Still nothing. "... Tarka? You alive? If I don't get a response, then I'm entering." Valor warned. He knew Tarka always responded when he returned, and if not, then she was asleep, but with how loud he knocked? Tarka was plenty a light sleeper, she would've woken.

Without a response, Valor opened the door, his gaze immediately snapping towards Tarka's nest.

It was empty.

That shouldn't be the case? Valor knew Tarka had yet to feed the chickens, and put away the canned foods, and Valor knows Tarka doesn't trust him to feed the chickens by himself yet. Something had to have happened.

Looking around at the state of the room, he noticed lots of things missing from their usual spots. Tarka's brush wasn't on the vanity, the blankets that adorned her bed were on the ground, and her closet was wide open and the boxes that filled it were tipped over and ransacked.

Fear, and guilt twisted in Valor's gut as he slowly entered the room, sniffing around Tarka's bed. Her scent was still fresh, but beneath that, there was another, even fresher scent. He couldn't tell what it belonged to, or who, but it was obvious it didn't belong there.

His wings flaring, Valor looked for any signs of blood. Was Tarka hurt? He couldn't let her get hurt! Not after all she's done for him! He owed her his life, quite literally!

=^-_._-^=

"Denni? Have you seen your little sister?" "Yeah! Some guy knocked on the door, and I told him 'Valery isn't home, and you're not welcome!' But the guy said he was working at our schools, and that I could get expelled if we didn't go with him, he promised Lua and I icecream if we went! But I refused, I told Lua to stay here, but she didn't listen and she went with the guy, and he promised to return her before you got back. Is she not here yet?" Denni asked, the young kitten cocking his head.

Dammit! Lua wouldn't be missing right now if he just never got that job in the first place! He could've still been home, he could've done something! "Do you know where he took her?" He asked Denni, as the mostly white cat thought. "Well, he said he was going to take her to the icecream place, so maybe there?" Denni unhelpfully offered.

No, that couldn't be it. "I'll just... get the police." He decided. "Oki, Valery!" Denni exclaimed, scampering off to his room to play by himself.

Lua was kidnapped, and right now, there were no leads. For the life of him, he would never let this happen to his family ever again.

=^-_._-^=

Valor's breathing staggered as the memories came back, he sat down, tears brimming in his eyes as he covered his frame with his wings. Why was it always those he cared about? Those he promised to protect!?

He would find Tarka. No doubt about it. He would make sure she was safe, he would make sure she was alive, no matter the cost.

Valor couldn't go through it again. He couldn't lose someone ever again.