User blog:Redknight910/WWYD Nekomata SmartProtagonist

My first instinct is to help the wounded nekomata, patching up her cuts and bruises.

"Okay, so let me get this straight, you just said a band of hunters kidnapped your sister and her husband to harvest her tails?" She nods as she starts looking around. "And they call me a poaching son of a bitch." I mutter. Knowing what kind of situation I'm about to get into would help, so I ask her about the hunters as I prepare some tracking spells.

"W-well, there were five of them, dressed from head to toe in leather gear, I-I think two of them had bows and three had swords? Or... was it the other way around?" I pull a hair from her head, earning a swipe from her.

"Need it for the spell." I state, dipping the hair in some powder. "You're blood related, so it should be enough to give me a rough guess...." I light the powder and watch the smoke start to glow.

"Locate: Sister of source. Closest target." The glowing smoke wafts up for a few more moments, before flying into the distance. "Come on, it won't last long." I pick up the nekomata and start running though the woods, bow out and at the ready.

I follow the trail to a small camp, where five figures are standing before a sixth, their captives left against a tree.

"I told you to secure both the cats. Where's the other one? And why did you bring this man?" The voice is feminine, though I can't make anything out from below the hunters hood.

"Sorry, ma'am, she managed to escape and alert the husband. We had to bring him with us." The woman scowls.

"If you knew that, then why didn't you secure the other cat?" She growls.

"W-we did ma'am. B-but she got away using their mag-" He's struck by a solid-looking staff, sending him sprawling.

"I didn't enchant those goggles so that you could be fooled by simple illusions. Go and get that other cat, before she gets back to the village." The four hunters still standing all dart off, missing me and my new companion by a few meters, thanks to the dark shadows of the night. The woman goes over to a cauldron, seemingly preparing some ingredients. I quietly make my way to the captives, of which only the catgirl notices my approach.

She subtly tries to alert her husband, who jumps a little at the sudden action of his spouse. As I draw my knife to cut the bindings, an arrow lands in front of me.

"I do not like intrusions." Looking up I spot the woman, a pair of glowing yellow eyes hidden beneath the hood. I dodge out of the way of another arrow, before returning fire. As my arrow reaches her her entire being folds into her cloak, darting to another branch and firing on me.

I duck behind another trunk, keeping keen watch on the branches around me. I spot movement and fire, striking a large bird, before ducking another arrow. This continues, until I realise how far I'm getting from the camp, the glowing fire much farther than I expected it to be. That's when I realise it's getting further as I watch, the distance increasing exponentially the longer I look.

"You'll never save them." Comes a threatening voice, mocking me from the branches. Then the world swims around my vision, and I have just enough time to duck the woman's knife slashing at my throat. I tackle her, knocking the weapon from her hand and throwing her to the ground.

"Should have looked into oni horns, lady." I say as I knock her out with a blow to the head. I turn to the couple, only to find them already untied, the two nekomata embracing while the husband looks around nervously.

"Alright, happy reunion, yay, everyone's free, but we need to get the fuck out of here, before those hunters come back." Without the crazy witches magic I work out where we are in short order, having hunted this area a few times, I find the clear tracks that are going to be quiet, thankfully not running into any of the other hunters.

We make it back to town just before first light, and report the criminals to the guards. They thank us for the information, and even promise a bounty if they can catch them, which the other three allow me the honor of claiming in full.

"We can't thank you enough for saving us." The man says, giving me a solid handshake. "We are in your debt." I smile, trying to play humble as I accept the thanks.

"Well, I'm just glad someone dispelled that illusion before I ended up slit and gutted. Crazy witch like that, who knows what she might have done to my carcass?" That just makes everyone uncomfortable.

"Y-you're... um... welcome?" The single nekomata says hesitantly.

"Well, we should be on our way." The other says, pulling at her husband. "Again, thank you so much for rescuing us. I can't bare to think of what the mage would have done with us." The two go, the other nekomata considering following for a moment, before turning back to me.

"So... do you have a missus?" She asks, smiling cutely. I chuckle and ruffle her hair.

"Maybe, why don't you find out?" Her smile widens into a grin.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Well, you'll find out if you can keep up." I take off into an alley, making sure not to hide myself too much for the poor girl. She is still wounded, even though the sound of paws on rooftops follows me the whole way home, and through my house into my bedroom. Monsters. So predictable.