They had not been figments of my imagination. I began my methodical search of the land, starting with the nearest village. No one there knew what had happened to them or where they'd gone. I took some of them to the hill to show them that not even the main fire pit remained, the soil unbroken. They offered to help me look around more, but I had already searched the immediate area thoroughly. I asked them to keep an eye out, and if they ever showed to look for me, to tell them I would be working my way north in search of them. I wove my way back and forth from the shore to midland and back, always returning to the beaches for the full moons. I met a human on the road who asked what I was. I told him I was a storyteller, but he meant my species. Had he never seen a winged cat before? I became discouraged when the human answered no. I knew there were a number of clans like mine, some with hundreds of members. What had happened to so many to make us a rarity? I told myself that the world was large and that this human had probably never traveled far from his village and was unaware of the other creatures that shared this world. I met other winged cat clans, tigers with bat wings, lions with eagle wings, but none like myself, and none of them had ever seen or heard of ones like myself. I kept searching. I dared not, for one moment, allow myself to believe that I was the last of my kind, the last of a race that had never existed. For years and years I wandered like this, back and forth, asking questions wherever I went.

Finally I knew I was nearing the end of my journey. I had found no trace of my kind, and it was very unlikely that I would. I knew the next full moon would mark the end of my wandering. I came to where the mountains meet the flat land, and at the beach at the base of the mountains I made my new home. I found the nearest village and made a point to visit it often, so as not to become a hermit. I told my stories to their children in exchange for supplies and friendship.

As one follows the mountains inland, one finds a series of caves within the rock. I spent days at a time exploring those caves. I'd wander in and out of each cave, sometimes finding human hermits and cave dwellers near the base of the hills, on the side of the flatland. The caves near the top were left empty because, as villagers and hermits told me, they were haunted by demons and devils incarnate. I was fascinated by these tales, and soon after made my way to the top of the mountains.

As I was climbing, I heard a loud roar that echoed throughout the rocks. Then I heard an angry sounding, powerful hiss that echoed the same way. I climbed to the top of a nearby rise to determine what was making the noises. I steadied myself atop the hill and looked up just in time to see a blue dragon rise from the horizon and fly away.

I made my way towards where I had seen the dragon appear, and soon I came upon a dark cave. I heard a scraping noise emanating from the darkness, like claws scratching deeply into rock. I crept cautiously into the darkness, keeping low to the ground. It was fortunate for me that I was so near the floor, because the angry creature hurled a boulder over my head and out the cave entrance with such force that had I been standing, I surely would have lost my head.

"Have the stones sinned?" I asked carefully into the darkness. I was answered by the most evil of all stares that any pair of glowing red eyes could give.

"Leave my home," the creature growled.

I was afraid, but still curious. I backed away, towards the entrance, before I spoke again.

"I apologize for the intrusion," I said, "but I heard some disturbing noises from the village, and I wondered..."

The creature didn't let me finish my sentence. It came at me, shrieking. I backed away towards the mouth of the cave with much haste, but the creature overtook me. We were now in enough light for me to tell that the creature was some kind of a bat. The bat now had me pinned. I changed from human form into cat form, which allowed the smaller me to escape the bat's powerful grasp. I flew to a nearby rise and perched there, then changed back into human form. I could still see the creature. It was retreating to the cave, still keeping me in sight. This was dangerous, I knew. I also knew that I might not escape so luckily if I antagonized the creature again. But again, curiosity got the better of me, and I glided down to the edge of the cliff where the cave entrance was. The bat, eyes glowing with anger, hissed a frightful and deafening hiss.

"Please," I said, "I mean you no harm."

"But I mean you harm," she said. "Leave here."

"Why take all this anger out on me? Am I not like an insignificant insect to you? I am not worth the energy." I took a step closer, but stayed ready to fly away quickly. "What did that dragon do to anger you so?"

The bat grumbled. "What do you know about it?"

"I saw it fly away, after I heard your loud voices echo off the rocks."

"I don't see what business it is of yours." She was still angry, but at least she was talking to me and not trying to kill me.

"Neither do I." I stepped closer. "But if it would help you to talk about it..."

"I think not, cat."

I sighed. I was hoping to hear her story, to add it to my collection. I tried another tactic.

"Are you the supposed devils that the villagers speak of," I asked.

"I am," she said defensively, yet sarcastically. "I am the culmination of everything that is unholy."

"How terrible to think of yourself that way," I said.

"No, cat, it is the truth that I think of myself as."

"And the blue one?"

She hissed again, and said angrily, "do not speak of him!" She turned to go back into the cave, saying, "I ask you to leave, now, while I am in fair temperament."

"I will," I said. "Perhaps we will meet again, when your are in a more pleasant mood."

"Perhaps..."

"I am a storyteller, and I'd like to hear the rest of your tale." The bat said nothing. "I live on the beach, should you change your mind." I turned and flew home.

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