Inflame (The Completionist Chronicles Book 6) Dakota Krout (sci fi books to read TXT) 📖

not up to you if we decide to reward you or not,” CleoCatra hissed at him. “You have saved one of our people, and now ask for no reward? You have met our people before, and they even assisted you to make an intelligent choice that impacts you today. Why do you dislike us so much that you would happily reduce our Karmic Luck to such a degree?”

“Wait, you know what Karmic Luck does?” Joe almost took a step forward, but a lazy slash from a clawed hand forced him back a step.

“There are few things we have no knowledge of. We took the day to follow you and study your struggles, and we have decided upon helping you in what you lack most. Therefore, we will take steps to rectify this weakness on your behalf.” CleoCatra’s eyes shone a deep blue and held a surprising depth of wisdom. “You may ask your questions.”

“I…” Joe was surprised to find that he had numerous questions. “You said you were a hidden race? What does that mean? Also, are you speaking about yourself using the royal ‘we’, or is there a group of stray cats following me around?”

Reputation with Occutatum has increased by 500! Congratulations on finding a hidden race! Current reputation: 4,042. Reputation rank: Ally.

“I speak for my people as a whole.” Cleo stated directly, if somewhat snippily. Joe decided not to call her people ‘strays’ again. “We refused to enter the war between sentient beings. We will not be a Unified, nor a Shattered, race. This has benefits, as well as certain… downsides; the main one being that all the others in the conflict see us as weak for our neutrality. We are not welcome in most populations, if they find my people among them. Hence, we are loath to leave our best forms and take on the appearance of others.”

“Why did you refuse to enter the fight?” The question seemed to jump from his mouth on its own.

CleoCatra took it in stride, letting out a yawn that exposed too many sharp teeth for her to be mistaken as a human. “Too much effort. None of our people want to create or go to war. Why should we, when others willingly become our servants as soon as we appear?”

Joe nodded at this explanation, since it was well known that becoming a pet to another group meant that your progress would stop, for one reason or another. “If you don’t mind me asking… what are your people called?”

“We…” CleoCatra posed proudly, “are the Nyanderthals!”

Keeping himself from laughing was a harder challenge than fighting the Zombie Dwarves in the landfill had been. Joe managed to only cough and wipe his watering eyes. “I… thank you for your offer of help. Oh, you mentioned that I had met your people before?”

“Once. You were looking for inspiration and found some of our people playing in their human forms. You joined in, and they offered you some chalk in thanks for your participation.” CleoCatra saw that Joe didn’t remember, but she didn’t seem to mind. “You likely mistook them for children, if that helps.”

“Not… no, not really. Sorry.” Joe decided to get to the point he was most interested in. “You said that you found what I ‘lack most’ and were going to help me? What exactly did you mean by that?”

“Well, human that has been blessed by the gods from your first moment here…” CleoCatra’s eyes flashed alarmingly. “We find that what you lack most is the ability to properly deal with, and learn from, failure. So, we have come here to save you by forcing the issue. You can thank us later.”

Chapter Thirty

“I mean…” Joe stared at the cat queen with total befuddlement. “Can we… not? I like not having extra failure to deal with. I’d like to go back to the point where I was saying ‘no’ to the reward, please?”

“You do not understand our decree. You think of it as a threat?” Cleo ignored him and pulled out documents from a storage device, handing them over and decisively stating, “No. We have decided that we are going to help you with these problems. These are an act of gratitude for rescuing our subject. As payment for our continuous services, we will require food and warm areas for sleeping, perhaps belly rubs if you have been extra good.”

With that final assertion, she hopped back toward the bed, a cat once more. No matter what Joe stated, asked, or demanded, she refused to leave her cat form again. “I still have questions, you frustrating feline!”

“Why are you yelling at a cat?” Havoc appeared in the opening of Joe’s door, and was watching the interaction with amusement. “They’re domesticated monsters from another Zone. Pets. They don’t speak.”

“This cat-”

*Hiss*.

The noise made Joe realize that he was about to let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. “This cat… won’t move off my bed!”

“Are you trying to go to sleep? What’s the issue? Also, we have that meeting with the third Princess; you don’t have time for bed.” Havoc noticed the paper in Joe’s hand, scooting closer instantly. He could tell that there was something magical going on here. “Was that your letter? What is it… a template?”

Joe looked at the paper that CleoCatra had thrust into his hands for the first time, noting that there was indeed a weapon template on it. However, no matter how he studied it, the details made no sense. “Yeah… I got this as a quest reward.”

Havoc took the paper and looked it over, frowning and handing it back after a long moment. “Pah. Blacksmith stuff, there. You’re gonna need to take it to McPoundy if you want to make heads or tails of it. I can tell you all about the enchantments it needs, of course, but they are all out of context. Why would this need to expand to such a degree that it requires spatial enchantments? Hmm. That aside, are you ready to go