The hunt, the sacred rite where hunter and prey put their lives on the line. The winner would get everything, the type of bet that you either won or died trying. On the outskirts of Magnolia, quite close to the East Forest, there was a collection of farms, and one, in particular, was famous for its large and beautiful sheep. Sheep were obviously quite useful prey to hunt, and when she stumbled onto their grazing ground Y'shtola thought she had caught a jackpot. Just one of those giant sheep could serve her for weeks of meat, and their wool could easily be used to sell to the local merchants, and if she was fortunate enough she might even be able to find some use for their bones.

Of course, the Wild Neko had perfectly prepared her ambush, soundlessly dashing amidst the tall grass, finding the perfect spot to ambush her prey from. It was a clear trajectory toward the beast... Pulling the string of her bow backward Y'shtola took a deep breath, and then soundlessly unleashed the arrow upon her target.

Soundlessly the arrow zoomed through the air, hitting the sheep perfectly in the neck as it collapsed onto the ground with a loud cry. Of course, the remaining sheep started to rush away in a panic while she darted over the fence and approached the corpse of the sheep she had hunted when everything went wrong...

Loud barking followed as Y'shtola swiftly got back onto her feet from her crouching position, a shepherd's dog rushing toward and barking threateningly at the girl. "Go away! I caught him first!" She said with an equally threatening tone, her tail standing upright as she hissed at the dog, the poor beast letting out a little whine as a tall man approached her. "What's the meaning of this?!"

Seeing the corpse of the sheep and the arrow lodged in the side of the creature's neck he was quick to figure out what happened, and so were the other two men who joined him soon afterward. "I hunted this sheep, and that dog tried to steal my bounty!"

Oh boy, the farmer was furious at her words. "Bounty?! You just killed a sheep I spend months raising! Do you realize what the punishment is for poaching?!"

Her eyes narrowing into a glare Y'shtola took a step forwards while addressing the man. "Poaching? I was HUNTING that beast! I succeeded and so the bounty of the hunt is rightfully mine!"

Oh boy, things were clearly starting to heat up, the hissing Wild Neko and the three angry farmers stirring quite a commotion! "I don't know what part of Fiore you came from Neko, but what you just did is nothing short of poaching! you hunted my property!"

Of course, that didn't come over well for Y'shtola who growled in protest. "There is no such thing as property when it comes to the hunt!"

Under a dove grey sky, the colours of the world don their winter coats, each hue darker and richer than before. The path below her sparkles and crunches, like sugar underfoot, and the coolness brings her right into the moment of life. Though the flowers sleep and the trees show their lofty arms once more, a smile plays upon these particular cold lips. For as much as she enjoyed autumn, she loved the winter. For every perfume of the of the meadow, there is the earthy loam of the newly-lit forest floor. The air is frozen lace on her skin, delicate and cold, like winter waves on shallow sand.

Though the winter had been long, the first signs of spring grew boldly, as if commanding the warm weather to come all the faster. It was as if the teeth of winter had shattered and the kiss of a new season approached.

In the middle of the forest was a young female, clad in a white top and short black yoga pants, despite the cold temperature around her. Once again, it was the day of her training. The sound of her fists colliding against the trunk of the tree echoed through the silent vicinity. It was almost as if she had been obsessed with training recently—her yearn for power only grew stronger each day. Beads of sweat cascaded down her forehead and the sheen of perspiration that lined her temple became more pronounced each second.

Exhausted from the strict routine of training she had given herself, Snowflake decided to finish her practice with a jog back to the way to her apartment—or so she assumed. With how awful her directional sense was, it was to be expected that she would end up some place she wasn’t familiar of and indeed, she truly did. The farms stretched before her like a great quilt of golden, brown and green squares held together by the thick green stitching of the hedgerows. The verdant green hills rose and fell like giant waves on a gentle ocean and was dotted with animals. It was then her silvery orbs settled to a scene she wished she hadn’t noticed.

Three men crowding around a young girl, and all of them appeared furious for some unknown reason. What in the world was happening? Surely, she hoped it wasn’t a situation where the female was getting kidnapped by these old men. Tipping her cap slightly over her head, she rushed her way into the scene. ”Whoa, whoa. What’s happening?” The first thing that caught her attention was the dead sheep lying on the grass with an arrow straight through its neck. Next were the pointy ears whose owner was no other than the girl that was being targeted by the farmers. They were almost similar to the ones Chelvaric has—almost, but no, it was different. The ears resembled that to those of a cat than the elves.

It was rather fortunate that Snowflake had arrived precisely when she did because it was clear that the debate was growing quite heated! One of the farmers had approached Y'shtola, causing the Wild Neko's tail to stand upright as she hissed in an attempt to intimidate him like she did with the earlier dog, but to no avail. A forceful shove and a pull had not only made her force a step backward, but her precious bow was taken from her!

"Hey give me back my bow!" The Neko protested, but the farmer who took the weapon glared at her and replied firmly. "So you can't shoot another sheep of us? I don't think so!"

It was just at that moment that the snowy maiden's arrival caused the group to turn toward her. The first to react was one of the farmers who explained in an agitated tone. "This Neko here just killed one of my sheep in cold blood! Poached right here on my own land!" However, Y'shtola turned toward the stranger and explained in clear protest of the man's choice of words. "I was HUNTING! I was searching the wild for bounty so I could eat tonight and sell the rest of the carcass but then this guy suddenly shows up and claims the wilderness belongs to him and that the prey is his property!" Who had ever heard of such ridiculousness? Ownership of the wild, and the denizen dwelling within it being someone's property? She heard that type of nonsense was often called the same thing as a Bull's droppings! "What even is a 'farm'? And give me back my bow!"

Yet it appeared Snowflake's presence was more recognized by the farmer in the back who raised a hand to his chin. "Wait a moment... A maiden whose appearance reminds one of winter... Aren't ya that new leader of Blue Pegasus? As the leader of a guild that upholds the law you surely understand we can't let this crime go unpunished."

At least it seemed one of the farmers was more willing to talk a bit more peacefully among the argument. "Either way, you're not leaving here till the Rune Knights arrive! They will know what to do with a poacher like you." Of course, the word seemed enough to trigger yet another annoyed reaction from the feline lass who remarked in annoyance while her ears twitched. "I told you already: I'm a hunter!"

Poor Snow, it appeared she would have her hands full with resolving this situation peacefully. Then again, who knew what would happen if the Rune Knights arrived, Poaching was technically considered a crime, and considering it was done on a farm that belonged to a law-abiding citizen of Magnolia... Then again, just a glance at the young lady easily confirmed any suspicions that she was in fact far from a human being, those tails and ears clearly were similar to a cat in nature...

Snowflake wasn’t that unfamiliar of the Neko kind, since Chelvaric had been one too before they had even started dating. Albeit, seeing one again did stir up some fond memories and admittedly, it did surprise her for a moment. Once she was provided with an explanation, she finally understood what was happening at the scene. At least, the poor girl wasn’t being kidnapped or bullied by these farmers, but apparently, it seemed that the Neko had hunted down one of the farmers’ production of hard work. Surely, the person was bound to receive some kind of punishment however, the Neko girl appeared as clueless as ever. Perhaps she was new to the town—maybe even the country, and giving punishment to a young girl like her wouldn’t be so fitting, would it?

Her eyebrows shot upwards when one of the farmers recognized her features. She cursed within. This was the sole reason why she didn’t wish to walk around without her white cloak concealing her entire figure. ”Uh…,” she froze for a moment, unsure what kind of reason she should come up with to excuse herself. Why did she decide to involve in this kind of mess? It had nothing to do with her from the beginning. The woman released a sigh. ”I apologize for the incident caused, gentlemen. You see, this lady is an acquaintance of mine,” she gently rested her hand onto the female’s shoulder and pulled her slightly closer to her. A hand edged into a pocket of her pants to retrieve a bag of jewels, a month’s worth of meals.

”Will this do? I’ll make sure to reward a harsh punishment for my little friend here.”

A playful smirk danced along the firm line of her lips as she dangled the bag of jewels in front of the men. Greed dominated their eyes and they exchanged a few glances amongst themselves. ”Ahem, sure ma’am. We’ll pretend that nothing happened here,” the farmer let out a discreet cough and she could see how their eyes gleamed with thirst for the money as she handed the jewels over to one of them. Her hand remained open with eyebrows raised, as if she was expecting something in return. ”The bow?” With everything sorted out well—in an intelligent but perhaps not a very virtuous way—the farmers quickly scuttled away, whispering between themselves on how they should split the large amount of jewels that they had just obtained.

Confusion was the initial reaction that came from the Neko as the newcomer sighed moments before providing an explanation that had caught even her by surprise. An acquaintance? Last time she checked she had never met the lady before! And as she was pulled closer she leaned slightly backward to look behind the snow-haired maiden. No tail, no ears, nope this person certainly wasn't a Neko she had known before! "Acquaintance? I don't even know what that Blue Pony guild is they are talking about--" Yet she soon found herself silenced by the lady's attempt to reach a peaceful conclusion through the use of a clever tactic that often worked: monetary bribery. The three farmers were quickly convinced by Snowflake's story, whether they truly believed it or were simply dominated by greed was a questionable matter to ponder about at best.

Yet as the men decided to drop the accusation Y'shtola was left in a mixture of frustration, bewilderment, and embarrassment. Especially when the farmers were leaving. "It wasn't like I was in need of saving..." Her ears twitched slightly while her tail wagged slightly back and forth, her gaze shifting sideways as she mumbled softly. "But thanks for getting them off my tail."

But there was still a certain matter she found important to clarify. "But I really was hunting... Who ever heard about something ridiculous like claiming parts of the wilderness as your own and to label a denizen of it as your property? The hunting grounds belong to everyone and every beast, from the smallest hare to the largest sabertooth are all as free as you and me."

The Wild Neko nodded her head in protest while she crossed her arms beneath her chest. "What even is a farm?" Yet after a moment, she inquired with a hint of curiosity in her voice. "But why did you try to help me out? Judging from how they reacted you're part of their society. Umm Snow.... Snowwright.... Snowwhite of the Blue Pony guild?" She tilted her head slightly to the side in confusion while trying to recall the lady's name.

"I'm Y'shtola, in case the name sounds weird that's because I'm a True Neko, although it seems this society tends to call us Wild Neko..." The Wild Neko mused softly as she introduced herself before looking at the three men that returned to the farm to discuss how they would divide the spoils of the bribery.

Still looking at the bow the young woman was holding the Neko's ears drooped down a little as she noticed the rough handling by the farmer had left some tears into the wood and the part where the string had been attached was partly damaged. Gods, she wasn't looking forward to repairing that, especially if all her attempts to hunt would have the same type of end-result as the event just now had done. Still, at least she got her rear out of troubles...

A sigh of relief escaped her lips—she didn’t want to be getting into more trouble than she already was in. It would be best if she quickly return back to the town and perhaps find something interesting to kill time, but what was she to do with this Neko female? With one eyebrow raised, the icy beauty studied the Neko carefully from head to toe. It was almost as if she had collected a stray cat. ”Hm, maybe. If the farmers had called the Rune Knights, you might already be in prison by now,” she tried not to sound so threatening, though she was simply just stating one of the many consequences of committing a crime. The young woman nodded in acknowledgement and gently patted the Neko’s head upon receiving gratitude.

At least it knows how to be grateful, thankfully.

”Listen, Neko girl. Hunting isn’t permitted on these grounds. These areas are for growing food and breeding animals for humans to eat. And that, is what you call a farm, my dear,” she placed her hands on her waist, still holding onto the bow the farmer had given her. ”Perhaps you could try hunting in the forest. There’re wild boars and bears for you to chase. Isn’t that fun?” she added with a smile, but without any hint of humour. Her cold tone made it clear that she would not accept any dismissal to her suggestion.

The woman began walking to the direction of the Towns Square, and away from the farm, assuming that the Neko would follow behind her. ”Well, I don’t have any reason why I decided to rescue you from the little mess you’ve caused. I just simply thought you were a tourist here. Thus, I gave you a hand. That is all.” As honest as she was, her explanation was short and simple. Her words meant the truth, although she was also partly curious as to why a Neko would be wandering around at such a place, besides hunting. ”It’s Blue Pegasus, by the way,” she added, with a slight annoyance in her tone for stating the wrong name of her guild.

”Just call me Snow.” The two shared their introductions as she repeated the Neko’s name in her head over and over again. Y’shtola. What a strange name, it was quite apparent that she wasn’t from the country. ”You are a Wild Neko, indeed,” she sighed, recalling what just happened a moment ago. Remembering that she was still clutching onto the Neko’s weapon, she ceased in her tracks and quickly handed the item back to Y’shtola.

”Do you need me to guide you back to wherever you came from?”

Having free time in her hands, she wouldn’t have minded if she were to be a tour guide for the time being and showed Y’shtola around the town. It would serve as a good purpose to kill time. ”You’re new here, aren’t you?”

A slight tilt of her head followed from Y'shtola at the comment made by the young lady, a hand raised to her cheek as she clearly seemed confused about the statement. "Rune Knights? Are those the people in the fancy armors guarding the area?" Still, she certainly didn't understand the reasoning why they would try to throw her into prison when all she did was hunt in the wilderness. Yet the sudden gesture of kindness came unexpected, the gentle pet on her head making the Neko let out a soft purr before she realized the sound escaped her lips, a hand raised for her mouth to cover it while her face turned red of embarrassment. Gods, she had to make sure not to let down her guard again!


"Wait, humans can claim ownership of the wild?" Her eyes widened in surprise as she was told about how humans used those areas to grow domestic animals to eat, the whole system being labeled as a 'farm'. "Animals robbed of their freedom without a chance to fight back... there is no survival of the fittest on a farm..." The Wild Neko's ears drooped lightly as a sign of her sorrow yet the news about the forest did work wonders to lift her mood. "So, I AM allowed to hunt in the forest, but not on a farm? Ugg this society is getting weirder by the minute. Although, I'm glad they haven't made bears or boars domestic yet. A good cook can do wonders with boar meat, but don't try to use bear meat. Unless your cook is a master of the kitchen Bear meat's smell will kill you..." She groaned softly, seemingly recalling an unpleasant memory before continuing her explanation. "And both boar and bear hides are pretty tough, and given the right treatment can make excellent leather armor!"

But as she followed after her the Wild Neko puffed up her cheeks in annoyance. "Although I'm grateful for your assistance I still think those weird regulations of this society makes no sense. How do you even notice the difference between a farm and a forest?"

"Snow of the Blue Pegasus~ Sounds fancy!" She grinned sheepishly, seemingly amused at the name and the title of the guild, although she didn't voice it out loud that Blue Pony sounded more entertaining in her mind.

"Yep! I'm as Wild as the deepest sections of the Oberon Forest! And considering what dwells there that's a pretty wild statement of its own." Noticing Snow return the bow she whispered a word of gratitude under her breath while shaking her head lightly at the invitation for help. "I can't return to the Oberon Forest, at least not till I succeed in my mission. For the sake of all Neko I got to finish what I started..."

Still, in return to the question about her recent arrival Y'shtola nodded her head in confirmation, pulling the bow over her shoulder while explaining with a weak smile. "I actually only arrived in this area around dawn, so I guess I'm pretty new..."

With a brush of her fingers, Snowflake tossed a lock of silver over her shoulders. Above her was the sky, stretching on for eons without seeing the end to it. Clouds raced over the cobalt empyreans above and she enjoyed how fast they go, over the blazing yellow orb and other puffs of white cushions. ”Yes, they are,” she answered, clasping her hands behind her back as she continued to walk straight ahead. It was clear to her as day that Y’shtola didn’t understand how human society worked in thriving towns like these. It wasn’t as though she had ever gone hunting before, nor was she interested in the activity—it was way too gruesome for her taste.

Women are supposed to remain elegant and beautiful, aren’t they?

The question raised by the Neko caused her to ponder for a moment as she rubbed her index finger and thumb against her chin, deep in thought. How was she to describe the difference between a farm and a forest? ”A farm doesn’t have trees clustering about, and a forest does.” That was the most obvious answer that she could ever give to anyone.

”I see, you’re from the Oberon Forest,” she nodded in acknowledgement. It was one of the places that she had never been to before, including most of the western and northern region of Fiore. The assassin had her eyes on the sky again, and she fears it’s now an impulsive habit of hers to commit to the clouds when her mind was filled with thoughts. She’d tip herself a loop-sided grin as she weakly conjured up random analogies in her head; something about the blue yonder above her, and a journey too.

Coming all the way from Oberon to Magnolia must be hard, she thought. Travelling to one place from another wasn’t as easy, although the current technology had enabled them to use transport such as boats and trains. She doubted Y’shtola struggled much, seeing how energetic and eager for hunting she was—the Neko would likely never starve to death at the very least. ”What kind of mission is that?” Snowflake had been curious of the reason why she would travel across the entire country—not to mention, alone. Surely, it was none of her business, but perhaps her reason might enlighten her in some ways.

So a farm was built on open grassy plains in comparison to a forest? But more often than not the fields surrounding the Oberon Forest were just as much a part of the wilderness as the forest itself was. No, the more she learned about human society, the more it bewildered her... When talking about the forest and Snow's inquiry about her being from Oberon Forest the Wild Neko nodded her head lightly. "I spend almost my entire life in the forest~ Although I was told that I was born elsewhere before my parents moved to the forest."

A hand reached for her cheek as she idly wondered where her birthplace might have been, but soon decided to disregard the thought in favor for a more important matter. Her mission was quite an important one, at least to her it was so she soon started to explain herself further, ensuring her stride was fast enough to keep up with Snow's pace. "There is a hidden corruption in this land Snow... The Neko of Nekomatana have grown soft... they lost their claws and became Domestic, and as a result, they are losing the important ties that we hold with the wild."

Yet, she had seen it herself before, the largest and most grand settlement of the Neko was steadily becoming just like the type of society she experienced today. "People should be judged by their actions and skills, their place in society decided solely by their efforts. And yes in a society like this even a useless bumkin can hold a position of immense power and influence merely because of his birthright. It is that type of mentality: where people can accomplish the things they desire without effort that gave birth to a corrupting disease that made them soft. They forget the excitement of overcoming trials and tribulations, they became weak and mellowed down to adjust to this society... And it's the same in Nekomatana... It's for their sake that I need to find out what caused this change to happen and stop it... I need to make the Neko remember what it means to be a Neko!"

It was clear that judging from the emotions in her voice that Y'shtola was quite serious and passionate about her ambition, even if she unknowingly was saying she would try to change society as a whole, something quite similar to the ambitions of a certain very ambitious man who had been the catalyst for a chain of events in Crocus.

"In order to discover the source of this corruption, I decided to venture into human society. Of course, as you seen just now it's been quite tough to even figure out how this society works, let stand even gain the cooperation of those who might know something about what is going on..." A soft sigh escaped her lips, the way her ears drooped again and her tail hung low suggested she was dejected, but just as soon as it had appeared her tail started to sway again and her ears perched upright again. "But I'll find it in due time! And then I'll save all the Neko!"

Snowflake reduced her pace slightly, just so the Neko female could catch up with her easily. She pulled her cap further downwards, concealing her face before she slid her hands into the pockets of her pants. ”Nekomatana,” she mumbled under her breath to none other than herself, assuming that it was some sort of land solely just for races like Y’shtola. According to her story, their race seemed to be suffering some kind of crisis. Perhaps they were turning into humans. It was one of her theories, albeit she doubted herself that it was true. She’d never heard any kind of situation like this, not even from Chelvaric when he was a Neko back then, although he hardly ever spoke to her about the matter.

”Do you have your claws then?”

As little knowledge as she had of other races, she knew what Y’shtola meant—the responsibility of taking care of one’s own race. She pondered if she felt the same, if she’d do anything to protect her own kind. Within her surroundings, she hardly knew any demons apart from herself and humans, well, humans are a selfish kind. That, she came across in many situations over her countless travels, which was why she barely have left any affection towards humans, excluding those from her guild. Seeing how enthusiastic the Neko was upon mentioning her ambitions, a small smile drew onto her lips. ”I hope you’ll get to save them all,” she granted some of her encouragement to the fellow Neko.

”And, have you found anything so far?”

The frosty maiden stared ahead of her, the endless sky and the grasslands stretching for miles. Her journeys were very rarely mundane as she was, at best, quite gifted in assuming a stroll whenever the times were most interesting. It’s as if there had been a compass implanted into her head that always directed the assassin to a fascinating venture in wait, where greater adversaries were seemingly wriggling in their impatience, allies bound to be part of the scheme, and she was surely more than willing to involve himself when an opportunity such as this came to present itself.

The Wild Neko nodded her head lightly in response while she explained a bit further, seemingly quite interested in talking about the subject. "Although some Neko like me live in the wild, a lot of Neko have settled in Nekomatana. It's the largest community of Neko in Fiore. According to my mother, it used to be a wonderful place for our kind to live in. The wilderness was plenty and our people were able to enjoy the way of our people in peace. It could have been considered a paradise, but then things changed..."

Walking beside Snow the Neko raised a hand to her chin as she started to ponder more seriously. "Our communities are very female-orientated... Like the Neko society is a matriarchy with a long line of Neko queens and princesses, and usually, when one finds a village you can say that the leader of said village is related to that line in some way or form. Of course, while our social system is one in which females hold primary power over things like political leadership, moral authority and the social privilege and control over property is primarily left to us..."

She paused for a moment, her gaze shifting upwards while she mused softly. "Nonetheless, I heard that males are not entirely excluded, and those who prove their talents or use to the village still can get elevated in standing. However, I fear that the corruption has reached even Nekomatana. The fact they are willing to lose their claws in exchange for luxury and comfort, and that men got to struggle similar to the poor in this society is enough of a sign for that..."

Yet when she was asked by Snow whether she still had her claws the Neko nodded her head firmly, extending a hand forwards to allow the claw-like appendage to grow over her knuckle. "I will never lose my claws. The day I do is the day I die. I refuse to become a Domestic Neko and forsaken the way of my kin."

Yet the words of encouragement from Snow finally brought a smile back to the Neko's lips, a short nod of agreement following. "I look forward to the day they remember their true nature as Neko. Surely if I keep on trying there will be a day that Neko will remember the way of the Neko."

Yet when she was asked about whether she had found anything yet the feline shook her head lightly in response. "Nothing significant yet. While I have learned a few things it's not enough for me to identify the source yet. However, considering the Domestic nature of the Neko from Nekomatana is similar to the nature humans show in their societies I believe the source of this corruption is associated to human society, so perhaps by investigating them further, I might uncover more... However, I heard some frightening rumors surrounding humans and their involvement in Nekomatana. Some go as far as saying there are ways for humans to become Neko in body, or in theory any other race but... If a human becomes a Neko, unless they are willing to learn the true nature of a Neko they will never become a real Neko... Imagine if someone like that gained a position of power and influence among the Neko... the thought terrifies me..."

”I see,” stated the female understandably while her eyes were on the sky once again, and she fears it’s now an impulsive habit of hers to commit to the clouds when she had nothing on her mind. At her foot, the assassin would kick at a stray pebble, watching it rotate over the dust for several turns, partly listening to the Neko’s story and the other half submerged in her own thoughts. For a while, she began to notice how conversational Y’shtola had become, constantly throwing her information about her own race. Perhaps she was thrilled to share how her communities worked back in her land.

Snowflake never had any particular affection for the Neko race, nor any other races to begin with. Truth be told, she was somewhat glad Chelvaric had lost his Neko ears, only to come with a new pair of pointy ones, accompanied by an entirely different appearance—not that she minded much and admittedly, the elf persona suited him more than she had originally expected.

The snowy sculptress quietly listened, but spoke no further or let her doubts pass her lips. There were many rumours of humans transforming into vampires, lycans and such of the like, though she has only met one of the aforementioned race; another fellow Pegasus member. Within their first encounter, they had gotten along well, perhaps due to the similar traits they had, albeit, she hasn’t been in contact with the person for a long time now. Supposedly, she was also a part of those rumours that were spreading around the country like wildfire—originally human before transforming into a cyborg. It was a decision that she never once regretted in her lifetime.

It was quite clear that when she talked about her own people that Y'shtola was prone to become more conversational, perhaps because of her fondness for the actual Neko race, or maybe because she was so passionate about her desire to return her people back to what she referred to as 'True Neko'. Her feline ears twitched lightly as they approached the city, the various sounds of people going through their everyday lives filling the air. Although a part of her was curious about this society, from the things she had seen so far her opinion had been rather unfavorable to say the least. "Then again, it's not like I expected to get this solved in a few days."

Indeed, considering how deep this corruption ran she sometimes found her thoughts drifting toward those of a more concerning nature: What if she couldn't find the source of this corruption? Or what if it was a source that she couldn't deal with? It was a thought that had drifted through her mind a few times already: What if the corruption was so strong she would have to change her people by force? Could she possibly gain the strength and allies to do so? And even more important: had she truly the resolve to make herself become an enemy of Nekomatana? Although she had said she would never lose her claws, and she disliked Domestic Neko it didn't mean that she hated them for their decision. In the end, it was all the influence of that corruption that had driven them in their current situation to begin with!

Still, noticing the upward glance of Snow toward the sky the Neko began to look upwards also, looking at the clouds while humming softly. "That one looks like a giant mouse~ And that one resembles a boar... Is that why you're looking at the sky?" A soft chuckle followed by the Neko as she took a few hurried steps forwards to stand a bit further ahead from Snow before spinning around and walking backward, her unnatural sense of balance clearly showing as she was just as quickly walking backward as she was walking normally a moment ago.

"I have a friend who loves to do that~ Tells me that whenever she looks up at the sky she is able to let her thoughts wander and think about important stuff. Makes me wonder what she does indoors then."

A soft hum followed while she turned back around, her tail playfully wagging from one side to another, a hint that she was at least in a good mood right now. "So Snow~ Are you here with other friends of your Blue Pegasus guild? Or are you a loner like me? Well, I mean I do have friends! It's just that unless it's like a special hunt most of us tend to travel on our own. Although I do sometimes write letters to my friends! Even if they keep telling me that my handwriting is as wild as my nature~"

The demon was finally brought out of her own reverie when Y’shtola’s voice finally registered into her mind. Despite herself, Snowflake found herself chuckling softly at the Neko’s joke as she glanced back up at the clouds once again. Perhaps she was correct. Voices and boisterous sounds from the Town Square could already be heard from this distance, indicating that they were not quite far from their destination. As awful as her directional sense was, somehow, she ended up travelling to the correct loacation for once, and without any help from anyone else. The woman sighed of relief inwardly. How embarrassing it would have been for her if she were to direct themselves to the wrong place, especially when she was a frequent traveller to the town.

”Interesting. Who’s your friend?”

Snowflake felt at ease with the female Neko, mayhap due to her nonchalant and playful nature. Her bright personality shone within and compared to a cold and unapproachable person like herself, Y’shtola was almost the complete opposite to the icy maiden. ”Ah, yes. I am with another friend of mine. He was a Neko like you too,” replied the female, and her mind would immediately direct to the elf man, whom she had spent time with ever since she entered the mage world. The man wasn’t technically a friend to her, but more than that, albeit, she didn’t find it necessary to pass the details of her relationship with Chelvaric to anyone else—only if they asked. It wasn’t that she was hiding it from those around her but, she felt not a lot of people would be curious about her personal life.

The town was bustling with crowds and the streets were busy with a lively tempo as people flocked to places they were supposed to be, finding things they were supposed to do, and a silver haired woman would be there, alongside a Neko with perky ears, muddled through the crowd, unknowing of what to pursue first.

”Is there anywhere you’d like to visit?”

"W'konnala~ She and I used to share the same hunting grounds as children." Y'shtola explained with a sheepish grin while she remained to follow the direction that Snow was walking along. "Although I was the better of the two when it came to archery, she really knows her way around with a dagger." the Wild Neko mused softly as she explained a bit further, clearly excited. "There was one time when she was trying to hunt a Coeurl, they are very powerful predators but also highly valued because their whiskers release powerful electricity, so people often use their whiskers to create catalysts for lightning element staves."

A hand raised before her as she playfully swooped a hand through the air. "At some point she got pounced by one just as it released its lightning. First time I ever saw her with all her hair standing upright! But then? as the beast tried to reach for her with its jaws and she fought it back with only a dagger and her courage! To be honest, she's the type of Neko you don't want to deal with without wearing gloves... actually, make that full-body plating."

A hearty laugh escaped her lips yet the next words spoken by Snowflake made her focus entirely onto her, clearly fascinated by her choice of words. "Was? Did he undergo one of those weird rituals?" She raised a hand to her chin, seemingly thinking about the matter. "How did his mind react to it? Is he still a Neko at heart?" It seemed there was a hint of concern in her voice as if she was worried the person Snow was talking about getting hit by some form of curse, but nonetheless, it certainly was a curious something.

"To be honest I'm not familiar with this area at all..."

Her eyebrows shot upwards in amusement regarding to Y’shtola’s experience in archery. The demon had always been interested in archery, although she preferred close-ranged weapons such as swords and daggers instead of bows or guns. Call her traditional, but she found them very efficient in getting work done quickly. ”Share some of your archery skills to me, will you?” the woman commented, shoving her hands into the pockets of her pants. Learning a new weapon was always useful, especially in an era where war could be frequent and power was sought everywhere.

”That’s a creative weapon, I agree,” she nodded in agreement. Supposedly, each and every being had their own kind of weapon that they felt comfortable with—whiskers for the Neko’s friend, her own hands and ancient blade for herself; there were many things that could be considered as weapons. Even a cooking pan can be used as one. The thought made a smile grew on her lips, before she quickly regained her posture and chose to remain as the cold-hearted person she was.  

Rituals? Snowflake had never heard of Chelvaric bringing them up, and if it did certainly happen, he was bound to inform her eventually at one point or another. Or was he hiding something from her? That would only mean trouble to him since she’d rather not have any secrets kept in their relationship, whether it was related to their own race or magic—especially after the incident. It was when she hid the fact of herself being a demon from her lover and truth be told, there was a reason why she chose not to tell him at first; he was a demon exorcist. Nevertheless, after she confessed, things went out of control, to the point that the demon won her over and made her kill him with her own hands.

It was a memory that she barred from both her heart and mind, though it was one that she could never bring herself to forget.

”I’ve never heard about strange rituals from him and no, he’s not a Neko anymore, unfortunately.”

To be honest, she didn’t like Chelvaric being a Neko; there wasn’t any particular reason why albeit, she’d never been fond of those animals and therefore, she felt somewhat elated when he finally informed her of his change in appearance. Although, it was something she could possibly never admit to anyone. ”Would you like to begin an adventure through the Magnolia Markets instead?”

"I wouldn't mind teaching you a thing or two about wielding a bow, although I have to admit I don't have any experience teaching someone." The Neko confessed with a sheepish grin. While she knew her way with the weapon, it was still a fact she had not much experience socializing with others, and the aspect of teaching while a curious one also left her feeling a bit clueless. How did you teach someone something that felt as natural s breathing? One could have told her she was born and raised with a box in her arms and she would likely have believed such a story. Still, despite her best efforts to push aside the thoughts of Snow's friend and his condition to the back of her mind, she found herself involuntarily thinking back on the subject. If it wasn't some strange ritual, then what could have possibly been the reason a Neko ceased to be a Neko? Even the Domestic Neko still remained a Neko physically, but for someone to cease being a Neko in both heart and body? Now that was something too terrifying for her to acknowledge. Fortunately for her it appeared Snow had decided on a new course of action, a little adventure in the form of a tour around Magnolia.

This clearly seemed to interest the Neko, who nodded her head lightly while a smile resurfaced upon her lips. "Sure! That seems like a good place to start." In the end, the market was where most of the business within a town was handled, and as a result, all sorts of people could be found at such places. If she was fortunate enough she might end up discovering another clue surrounding her search, and if not? Perhaps she could still enjoy all the sights that awaited her.

”Wonderful,” she was already glad enough to hear that Y’shtola would be willing to share her teachings of using the weapon. The knowledge would be very useful one day. Her icy blue orbs idly glossed over the vicinity, studying the surroundings. The markets were always the busiest places of the town, attracting hoards of people who’d crowd amongst themselves as soon as the morrow drew its first sunrise. They’d bargain with the merchants to give up their coins for better prices, goods were shipped all they way from the high seas, and the temperament of traders gloated around as they load and unload their galleons. The stalwart process of give and take was busy as ever, and everyone lined to keep it going, every day, even on that day, when herself and a Neko gathered themselves a crowd of stares as they passed by the stalls.

Her face wasn’t foreign—not anymore, though Y’shtola certainly was in the neighbourhood. Nekos weren’t that often in Fiore after all, and she hardly ever knew any other apart from Chelvaric and the young female standing beside her. The place was bizarre, with shopkeepers yelling at the top of their voices to attract customers and in the corner was a lost child crying after losing his mother. All in all, it was a place that Snowflake generally disliked to be a part of, although it was still necessary for her to come, especially to purchase groceries.

”Just walk around here for a bit and see if there’s anything you want to buy.”

Stalls and stalls of accessories, weapons and items filled the Magnolia streets. Pearls lined up on the counter, hair clips, cosmetics—accessories that she’d like, but she chose to not spend any money for the day. ”On a side note, what’d you like?” It was a very generic question and she wouldn’t have minded if Y’shtola answered something that was related to food, or her hobby. The demon simply wished to understand her more.

After spending at least an hour wandering aimlessly, looking at things that didn't interest her that much, she decided that she should return home to cook for dinner. Snowflake had always been a shopaholic, though for some reason she wasn't in the mood to buy anything, which was very rare of her. The accessories were cute—no doubt, albeit, none of them were that appealing to her. Shortly after, she have to bid farewell to the kitten that she'd just encountered a few hours ago. "It was nice meeting you, Y'shtola. I'll be looking forward to the time when fate decides to bring us together again."