Raveen Kat
You breath in the deeply scented air of the night. The fragrant trees adorn the pathway, but their looming figures frighten you no more than the stars. The stars... they twinkle down at you, the clouds scarce more than an occasional wisp. They symbol the endless, unfathomable unknown that can be found so often in this world. Their mere presence calms you as you watch them from the dirt, and you walk quietly on your way.
You rest for a moment under a tall, smooth tree and watch the stars again through the branches. It's one of your favorite pastimes, and you sort out new constellations among the faraway galaxies. You become aware of another shape in the tree when it moves to block your view. At first you are irritated, but that turns to curiosity when you realize its feline head is also pointing toward the stars, gazing in absent wonder.
You gaze at the kat in the moonlight curiously, and he looks back down at you. His silver eyes reflect the moonlight, and you watch them thoughtfully. They seem so wise, somehow... you stop thinking about his eyes and concentrate on introducing yourself. Unfortunately, before you can, something small whams into your back. You hear a telepathic--and seemingly angry--chirp. The kat looks startled, then says, "Kokk," a bit reproachfully. The thing mind-chirps some more before floating on up to him.
You rub your back, squinting as you try to make out whatever it had been. When you can't tell and the kat says nothing more about it, you decide to forget the matter. "So... what are you doing out here?" you ask.
He grins at you and answers, "I like the night. You see, I'm a Star Raveen Kat, which means that I'm a subelement of space. I come out here to look the sky at night, because it gives me a feeling of connection with the rest of my kind. Any space subelement is honored in the night sky." He pauses before continuing. "I only wish there were as many star kats in the dimensions as there are stars in the night sky." He looks up again, then comments a bit wryly, "The night sky won't be visible for long, though."
You notice suddenly a new light, and you stare at the mountains, bewildered, until you see the faint touch of yellow. The tip of the sun bursts into view, and you yawn suddenly, missing the night of sleep that seems not to have reached you. You look up at the Star kat in the midst of another yawn, and he looks back at you silently. When your yawn clears, you give him a regretful farewell, "I'm sorry to go--it was nice meeting you. I'm afraid I need to catch up with the hours, though... good-bye!"
He smiles at your retreating back. "You're welcome anytime--thanks for the conversation!" You grin to yourself and jog into alertness as you make your way home.
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