Chapter 172 On The Prowl

"I am not her," Listenia growled, and I shrugged, putting my hands up to the side.

"You were pretty violent when I first met you. I am just making sure that we are still on the same page. I am putting a Goddess that has no power or strength in your care while I deal with other things. Unfortunately, right now, I have things to take care of, but this is a problem that needs to be dealt with. I am asking that you help me with this," I explained, and Listenia nodded, reaching slowly around to touch my tail.

I smiled, and it grew, swishing forward to wrap around Listenia, pulling her into me. Listenia placed her hands on my chest and then rested her head on me. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"So, what do you think of my look?" I asked, and Listenia looked up with a smirk.

"I happened to like Cat Folk, but I have never seen one with a tail as white and fluffy as yours. It feels amazing to be wrapped up with it. I am really excited to be able to curl up with you tonight after training," Listenia said and broke away from me with a beautiful smile.

"I am glad that you like it, but I am going to have trouble getting around now," I said with a sigh.

"You are Ophiuchus, right?" Listenia asked, and I sighed.

"Yes, but don't call me that. It sounds like you are horking up a throat slug. What about me being me?" I asked, and Listenia giggled.

"Yeah, it is an interesting name, but legends talk about you having a cat form. You could get around like that, right?" Listenia asked as we headed up the stairs, and I thought about it.

It made sense, and I had been a cat in my dream with Tallia.

"Galio?! Oh! There you are! Oh, you are so cute!" Listenia exclaimed as I was suddenly looking directly at the stairs from the ground.

Listenia scooped me up and started to pet me, and I melted like putty into her arms. This feeling was so nostalgic that it almost hurt, making me purr loudly almost immediately.

"You are an easy one to please like this, it seems," Listenia giggled and rubbed her face into me. I was in heaven, and all thoughts of doing anything else flew out of my fuzzy cat ears as they were scratched.

Listenia carried me back upstairs to the main floor, and I basked in the attention that she was giving me. That was until she set me on the floor.

"As much as I would love to sit and stroke your fur, I need to open my shop for customers. I can also hear people on the other side already," Listenia said as she walked over and unlocked the door, and opened it.

On the other side of the door was a group of women.

"Did you see Galio?"

"No, I am just letting one of my cats out. If you are not buying anything, get off my steps so people that want to buy things can enter," Listenia growled, and the women skittered away.

I walked over to the door and looked up to Listenia to give her a meow of thanks before I bounded out of the door to run down the street.

I quickly needed to get to the side and hop from the ground to crates and barrels to avoid getting stepped on. I thought that it was going to be strange being in the form, but it was like I had always been a cat. I saw a few groups of women that were searching around and steered away from them.

I headed north and ran along the manor wall to get to the north gate. I had never been this way, but I knew where it was. I jumped off the manor wall when I reached the much taller north wall and ran to the gate that I could see.

Once I got there, I almost stopped to report, but then I remembered that I was a cat. No one would care about a cat coming or going, and if I could keep this secret for a while, it would be a good way to get around.

I ran past the guards but slowed down as I saw all the tents that were either set up close to the wall or leaning up against them. The tents stretched out almost twenty feet from the wall, but they went for what must have been a mile in the other direction.

Had this really just been under my nose the entire time? Why were all these people living out here like this?! I mean, I understand there is no way to fit them all in the city, but what I was seeing out here looked like shabby war camps. The looks on the people near me made it seem like that was the case.

The sun was still up, but this side of the wall was already more than thirty feet deep in the shadows. I decided that I would spend the rest of the evening walking around and talking to the women gathered here.

I needed to get a better picture of what was going on in Bramma. Every story has two sides, and no two people tell the exact same story.

I still would say goodnight to Eliza, but I might end up getting back later than I had hoped. I was just on the other side of the wall.

"Have you ever seen a cat that white?" One of the guards asked, and I looked back to see very average-looking guards that I had not met. "You see that?! Here, Kitty, Kitty!"

I resisted with all my urge not to put a paw over my face and turned to run off and disappear into the Easterner's encampment.