Finding a Place to Belong

As I was trying to leave Jeuno, I was stopped by and Adventurer. He told me I would get hurt out across the bridge. I asked if this was the way to Windurst. He laughed and said yes but I had better wait for my family. I told him I had no family in Jeuno. He looked at me for awhile and then told me he would get me to Windurst but I would have to obey whatever he said.

Being obedient wasn�t that hard, I had been obedient for my whole life to my family and my clan. Plus, I was getting to see new things, monsters I�d never even knew existed. I was also introduced to the Yagudo. They were amazing! Giant birds that we were allowed to hunt! What surprised me the most was the landscape. Where were the trees and bushes? The heavy rains and deep, earthy smells? Mithra lived here?

The Adventurer was very kind. He did not even try to get me to travel by night; he let me rest each night and made sure I ate at every meal. Sometimes, if the prey was weak to him, he would let me help him fight. I enjoyed that part the most.

As we neared Windurst the grass plains comforted me. Mithra could hide and hunt in this grass. I was also getting very excited; these mithra had left too, I was like them. I didn�t get to see much of Windurst, as soon as we entered the city, the Adventurer took me to the Mithra part of town and to the Mithra Chieftainness. He introduced me as an orphan kitten that had been attempting to return to my clan. The cheiftainness accepted me with a nod and one of her attendants thanked him. When he left, there was silence for some time.

The court of Perih Vashai of the Azure Bow.

�You arrre not lost.� Said the attendant to her left.

I shook my head, �Why arrre yourrr eyes closed?�

�She is in tune with naturrre. She does not need herrr eyes to see the worrrld forrr what it is.� The one to her right said this.

�Where arrre your parrrents?� asked the left.

�I will no longerrr be allowed back."

Neither one responded so after a brief hesitation I asked, "Doesn�t she miss the blue sky and the starrrs? I would miss the starrrs.�

�Kahzam,� the left said.

And it was silent again. I started fidgeting and looking around. The houses were similar to the ones in Kahzam but completely different at the same time. They were longer and domed and very spread out. It did not feel like Kahzam, it did not feel like home. I think this was the first time I realized I would never be home again. I almost cried but I was standing before a chieftainness.

�You may stay herrre, kitten.� Said the right.

The left spoke, �We have a place forrr you.�

Another mithra came up and took me to one of the dome houses. I discovered I wasn�t the only kitten who had left Kahzam. There were none around my age, they were all older, and so I wouldn�t have been permitted to play with them back home. I was told they were nearly of an age to leave the House and take up work in the clan.