FSE

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Chapter 1

Katra woke up with her head pounding, dozens of wounds on her body, every one of them throbbing, and, yes she was tied to a chair with each leg strapped to one of the chair's legs and her hands behind it. She kept her eyes closed as she opened her senses. She felt how hot it was, and humid, too. The sweat from her body slid into open cuts and burned but she pushed it to the back of her mind; pain was something she was accustomed to.

She smelled sweat and gun metal, which meant she was definitely still in the company of her captors. A set up, she could barely believe she'd been so stupid. No, not stupid, careless. It was carelessness that had gotten her captured by one of her most volatile competitors in her line of work. Of course, anyone in her line of work was at least a little volatile. Assassins tended to be that way. But Julio Ramirez, or Falcon, as he liked to be called, was bad news even in the assassin world. It wasn't that he was good at what he did, quite the opposite actually. The problem was that he didn't like anyone to be better than him and he had enough money to guarantee a death sentence to whom ever he chose. So, the million dollar question was, why was she still alive?

She finally risked trying to open her eyes. Of course all her weapons were gone. Her throwing daggers, her short sword, her twin daggers, her specialty blade that she had hand crafted, and, her favorite weapon of all, her chain scythe, had all been removed from her person. They'd been very thorough, removing all of her black clothing so as only her black muscle shirt and tight black pants remained. She wasn't an overly muscled woman, but she could see the ones in her arms straining from being pulled back and tied so tightly. She was in a concrete room, no bigger than a standard jail cell with one small window, barred of course, and an even smaller light bulb hanging from the ceiling. They were the only furnishings besides the chair that she sat in. There was a single door in the far right hand corner. Between her and the door stood four of Falcon's thugs, fully armed and smiling at her once they realized she was awake. One of them moved to the door and opened it, then spoke softly. A moment later a tall Latino man with well groomed black hair and a white snarl of a smile strolled through the door. He was dressed in a specially tailored white Armani suit that made his tanned skin stand out even more. Any normal person wouldn't see the rat that he really was as he presented himself like this. Thank goodness Katra had never been normal.

"Katra Voltaire..." he purred with self satisfaction. "How wonderful to see you."

She coughed and had to clear her throat before she could speak. "Wish I could say the same of you. Where are we?"

"You're in my private residence in the beautiful Malaysian jungle. Do you like it?" Falcon asked sarcastically.

"Well, I wouldn't recommend it as a five star resort, that's for sure. Or maybe it's just the company that's the problem." Katra smiled even though it tore the cut on her lip wider.

Falcon frowned as he walked closer to her. "You should feel honored that I even bothered to bring you here."

"Well, while we're on the subject, why did you bring me here?" Katra looked up at him coolly. There was no fear or panic in her face and it angered Falcon, she could tell. Falcon was a man that was used to having people cower before him. To have someone, especially a woman not be affected by him bothered him on some egotistical level that Katra couldn't fathom.

"I brought you here to prove to everyone that the legendary Katra Voltaire, the Kat, is nothing more than a silly little girl playing with big toys and big boys." He chuckled at his own joke while looking down at her. It made him feel powerful to be above her, to see her tied up and helpless before him. This assassin, this woman, was feared by so many, but not by him, never by him.

Katra raised an eyebrow. "Everyone, or just your son?" It was well known in the assassin community that Falcon's son admired Katra, and the work that she did, and that in its self was enough to set Falcon off.

True to form, he backhanded her causing her vision to blur for a moment. "Don't even speak about my son you bitch. You know nothing, you are nothing!" Falcon was determined to prove to his son that he was the best in the business, not some stupid whore who looked good in a black cat suit. Tonight was his night, the night he regained his son's respect. He was roused from his triumphant thoughts when he realized that Katra wasn't giving him the reaction he'd hoped for. Anger, fear, hatred; these were things he expected to see on her face, but not humor.

Katra just smiled up at him, licking the fresh blood off her lips. "Oh come on Falcon, the boy needs a role model to teach him the ways of an assassin, considering his dad is too much of a coward to do his own dirty work." She watched as his face turned a very interesting shade of red and he spun around looking around the room for something. Then he went to one of his goons and drew a blade, Katra's blade in fact. It was the one she had hand crafted herself. It wasn't fancy, but it was practical. The hilt was form fitting to her hand with a rubberized grip while the blade was about six inches long with the metal extending through the pommel and into the handle for better support and balance.

Falcon walked over to her and held the blade in front of her face. "A coward am I. Well I find it rather interesting that you were caught by such a coward."

"I was caught by your group of goons there, while trying to complete a fake mission that you so generously set up for me. You couldn't even challenge me face to face Falcon, that's the sad part. So, I guess you're right, you're not a coward, you're a pussy." She growled up at him and it caused him to back up a few steps before snarling at her and throwing the knife down.

"You just don't know when to stop do you? Let's see if we can successfully shut that smart mouth of yours up." Falcon brought his fist down hard into her jaw and head repeatedly. He continued to beat her relentlessly before the chair toppled over onto its side. Only then did he back off, his fists covered in her blood as he heaved for breath. "There, now I think we'll finally get a little peace and quiet for a little while."

Katra watched from swollen eyes as Falcon turned to leave and a self satisfied smile formed on her face. One of the guards cleared his throat. "Sir, shouldn't we kill her now?"

Falcon stopped before exiting the room keeping his back to the men. "No, I'm waiting for my son to arrive. I wish to show him what happens to those who dare to think they're better than I am." With that he walked out and slammed the door.

No one moved to right the chair that Katra was in which was very beneficial to her since she had managed to land within reach of the knife Falcon had dropped. They simply stood around in a general state of unease as the hours went by. No one spoke or even moved accept for the occasional departure out of the room, supposedly for personal reasons. What Katra found most interesting is that none of the men dared to get too close. Obviously they had heard of her reputation and didn't want to chance anything. Maybe they weren't completely stupid after all.

Finally, the door opened again and Falcon re-entered the room trailed by a very frightened fifteen year old boy. The boy's eyes grew huge when they saw Katra lying in her own blood on the floor. "Dad, what did you do?"

"Do you know who this is Philip?" Falcon asked his son, but didn't give him time to respond. "This is the legendary Katra Voltaire. You see, she has fallen into my trap just like all the others do. No one escapes the Falcon when he sets his sights on them, no one." Falcon's eyes gleamed with bloodlust and a bit of insanity as he kept them on Katra, his prey. He pulled out his preferred weapon, a desert eagle self loading pistol, took the safety off and cocked it all while never looking away from Katra. "Stand that chair up boys."

Two of the men set their guns aside while the other two kept their sights on her, allowing the other two men to stand the chair up with her in it. She blinked her eyes to clear the blood from them as she looked up at Falcon, then down at his son Philip. "Don't ever be like him Philip."

Falcon pistol whipped her in the face but it was worth it, because she saw in Philip's eyes the horror of what his father was about to do. After her vision cleared again she looked straight up into Falcon's dark, hateful eyes. He smiled at her then raised the gun and pointed it at her face. "Any last words bitch?"

She nodded and smiled up at him before spitting a mouth full of blood directly into his face. The reaction was what she had been counting on. He turned his head, swearing, and the gun wavered. At the same time, Katra brought her now freed hands around from the back of the chair shoving the gun away and towards one of Falcon's men. The gun went off and one of his own men went down with a wounded knee while the others began to shoot at Katra. She brought the blade forward as she spun in the chair, dodging the shots and slicing the ropes that were holding her legs captive before standing and grabbing Falcon. She slid effortlessly behind him, so the men ceased their fire as she held the blade to their boss' throat. She backed him up to the door making sure to keep all the men, including Philip, in her line of sight. "Your mistake Falcon, was keeping me alive so long." She hissed, "You should have killed me when you first caught me."

She knew she was too weak to take on his entire compound, so she went out the door with him alive, making sure the rest of his security team saw the knife. They went from the barren cement room into a luxurious palace like home. Strange how the deranged psychopaths liked to keep such elegance near such desolation. She saw a door to the outside and went towards it. She had no idea the layout of this house, nor the layout of the land around her.

"You think you'll be leaving here alive? You truly are a stupid whore Katra Voltaire!" Falcon was livid. He couldn't believe how she'd turned it around on him again. Every time he engaged Katra it ended badly for him. She was right though, he should have killed her when he first captured her. "My men will kill you, and I will bathe in your blood!"

"Will you shut up!" Katra snapped in his ear as she pushed him onward. "I could just kill you now and you'd miss out on the blood bath entirely. Now wouldn't that be a shame?"

It was Falcon's turn to laugh. "Ah, but I know you better than that Katra. You want to get out of my home alive. I will not die this day, not while you still have hope of survival."

She knew he was right and she hated him even more for it. It wasn't that she was afraid to die, that wasn't a trait any assassin could have, but she didn't want to die there. She watched the men follow them out of the tiny room and saw that Phillip was plastered to the wall, crouched low and staring straight at her. His eyes were wild, but he kept silent, so as not to attract fire from the men with any sudden movements. That boy had potential, but he would have to struggle to become anything worth wild if he stayed in his father's tender care.

Katra had been many places in the world, but Malaysia wasn't one of them. Once she reached the door she opened it quickly pulling Falcon with her out the door. That was when she realized just how tired and weak she really was as she became aware of the people around her. Shots came from overhead and she barely had time to take cover herself, let alone pull Falcon with her. She had lost her captive and that was bad news since she had no idea where she was or where to go. So she did the only thing left to her, she ran. She left the danger of the open yard for the thick vegetation of what could only be the jungle. It was late afternoon and the humidity out in the open was even worse than in the cement room. It weighed her down as if it were a living being pressing down on her shoulders, trying to hinder her flight. The shots kept ringing out behind her and she knew she was being chased.

Katra pushed through thick foliage as she dodged the bullets that whizzed past her. She heard water to her left so quickly she darted in that direction, hoping they would loose her trail if she moved through the water. She came quite suddenly to the banks of a shallow river, but didn't hesitate a moment. In an instant she was in the water, still running at top speed. Unfortunately, the water greatly reduced her progress and she heard the shouts of the men behind her seconds before she felt the bullet hit her in the back. It blew through her right shoulder and out the front of her chest. She fell, blackness threatening to take her as the cool water enclosed her body. She fought, even with so little strength she fought to right herself in the water as the current carried her down stream. She heard a roaring sound through the splashing of the water but she couldn't decide if it was in her surroundings or within her own head. She was still groping and reaching for anything she could to anchor herself with when everything fell out from under her. She was falling, falling into darkness.

Kara was patrolling her usual route along the river right below one of the great waterfalls that surrounded her village when she noticed something on the bank of the river. Slowly she moved towards what looked like a dead body, covered in blood and leeches. On closer inspection, it was indeed a body, however, not dead. It was a woman, coughing and gasping for air as she expelled the water from her lungs. Kara sniffed the air and instantly knew the creature for what it was, a human. She growled low in her throat and readied her spear in her hands as she looked down at its rapidly rising and falling chest. It was a female, she could tell buy the shape and figure as well as the long black hair that was matted with sticks and mud. The woman opened her eyes slightly, dazed and unfocused she looked up at her. Kara growled and raised her spear to thrust it into the chest of the creature. She had been taught from a very early age to kill any and all humans she came into contact with. The female rolled over and began to drag herself from the water and it was then that Kara paused. The shirt that she was wearing was practically torn from her body, exposing the most remarkable mural of a tattoo Kara had ever set eyes upon. The scene was of a black leopard walking down the length of her back, its iridescent yellow green eyes gazing out to capture the gaze of any caught looking at it. The leopard descended on a path of rocks surrounded by the lush green foliage that Kara was already accustomed to seeing. Surely someone who went through so much trouble to bare one of the great cats upon their body could not be evil. No, there was something strange about this human, and Kara was determined to find out what. She set her spear aside and stooped down next to the woman. She reached down and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder where she saw what had to be a bullet wound. As soon as her skin came into contact with the other she felt it; magic. It coursed through this woman as surely as the air that they both breathed. Kara, now determined to help the woman, began removing the leeches and debris from the unfortunate. She used water from the river to wash the many wounds that she found and she couldn't help but wonder who could have done this to her. She noticed that the woman had passed out some time ago but was still clutching a wicked looking dagger. Having the woman wake up with that still in her hand while Kara was trying to help her, simply would not do. So with great care but surprising strength she pried the woman's fingers loose from the weapon and sheathed it in her belt. Once she had the woman somewhat clean she picked her up with an ease that belied her small frame and began to carry her back to her village. When she was nearer to the village, Kara let out a howl to let the others know she was approaching. Answering howls and roars rang out to welcome her back. As the others approached they hesitated when they saw her burden.

"Get Prince Cersin. I have something he will be interested in." Kara spoke up as the other snarled and glared at her.

One of the wolves sneered at her. "Its human, you should have killed it when you found it."

"This one is special. Now get the Prince!" She put all the authority she had into her voice as others grumbled and complained about her choice in actions. Finally, someone wandered off to fetch their prince and Kara guarded her cargo with earnest from the ill intentions of her clan. She was by far a dominant, but she knew she had rights as the captor of such a creature so she stood her ground. It seemed like an eternity before the crowd parted to admit the rather large form of their Prince.

"What's going on here Kara?" he asked her in a kind tone. Cersin had always taken care of the young wolf like a sister, and he knew there had to be a good reason for her to have gone against her orders.

Kara motioned to the human, who she had set down on the ground before him. "My lord, I have brought you this human."

Cersin looked perplexed. "Why have you brought me a human? We are to kill humans, you know that."

"This one is special my lord." She turned the woman over to reveal her back and everyone gasped as they saw the beauty that was etched into her skin. "She has magic within her my lord."

Cersin looked down at the woman with the beautiful leopard on her back and numerous wounds on her body. He crouched down and laid his hand upon her shoulder to examine the wound there and instantly felt the surge of magic as their skin met. He also felt something else, something much more primitive; the need to protect. The need to avenge her injuries surged through him with a force that staggered him. He scooped up the woman and held her to his chest. "Fetch Thatus and meet me at Kara's house." He ordered no one in particular. He didn't wait to see if it was followed but headed directly for the young wolf's home. "Come Kara, you've done well in bringing her to me."

As they arrived at her house Kara directed him into a small room occupied only by a small bed. Here they placed the woman gently on the covers. Cersin brushed the hair away from her swollen face. "Who could have done this to a woman?"

"I do not know my lord." Kara said as she brought water and a cloth to further clean the wounds.

"Cut that out Kara. You know you don't have to address me like that all the time." He smiled at her over his shoulder as he took the rag and dabbed at the bloody wounds on the woman's face. "Where did you find her?"

Kara explained where and how she had found the woman and shortly after, someone knocked on the door. She quickly went to answer it and welcomed the clan shaman, Thatus, into her home. He was one of the oldest of their kind and still he was stunning. He had long black hair with streaks of gray braided down his back while his black eyes shone with a wisdom of the ages. His body was still lean and fit, as all of her kind was, and his shapely face showed the features of his animal, the great eagle. "She's in here Thatus." She directed him to the room as Cersin moved to allow him by her side.

Thatus was silent for several minutes as he examined the woman. He too felt the magic that coursed through her, and it was this that he drew on to heal her wounds. A light glow appeared above her body and the wounds began to slowly close. "She is a strong one my prince, a warrior through and through. Whoever did this to her was either very skilled, or very conniving." The shaman turned to meet Cersin's gaze. "My guess would be the later. She has a strong spirit. I believe that is the only reason she still lives. With time, her strength will return to her though, that I am sure."

"I thought you healed her." Cersin asked.

"I healed her wounds yes, but her body is still weak. It will take time for her to regain her former abilities." Thatus explained. "Also, when she wakes, have her come see me. I wish to ask her some questions about the power that she possesses."

Cersin nodded to him and escorted him to the door. "Thank you Thatus. I shall bring her to you when she wakes." After the shaman had left Cersin turned to Kara. "I'm glad it was you who found her Kara. Come with me, we must tell your story to my father to guarantee her safety."

"Lord Dugen will not be pleased with me for breaking protocol." Kara actually cringed as she thought about the reprimand she would receive at the hands of their king.

Cersin simply smiled. "Don't worry so much Kara. My father is a fair man, you know that. Once he's heard your tale and I have confirmed her magic he will let it pass."

"I hope you're right Cersin." Kara gave him a weak smile as they left the room, closing the door behind them.

They met the king around the great fire pit in the center of the village where dinner was eaten every night as a community. He was already waiting for them as they approached. "Sit down my son, and you too Kara. I hear you have much to tell me."

They sat together for a while, each one relaying the information they had on the woman. A crowd gathered as they spoke and a great unease was in the air. One of the bears stepped forward. "We should kill her before she wakes. Such power that you have described can only mean trouble for us."

Cersin growled deep in his throat. "No one will touch the woman."

This got his father's attention. He looked at his son then, studied the protective set of his body. "What if she means us harm Cersin?"

"We saved her, healed her, and are caring for her. She will do us no harm father." Cersin seemed so sure of this fact.

"You put too much faith in honor. Not all people possess it though." His father reminded him.

"Yes, and we should not take that chance my lords." A leopard spoke this time as he stepped forward.

"She bares the mark of a leopard on her back, and you would have her killed so quickly?" Cersin asked as he stood to meet the onslaught he knew was coming.

"She is no kin of mine, and I would rather not take the chance in finding that she has some power of my family and me." The leopard protested.

"I understand your concern, but I will keep her far from you until we find out her intentions and capabilities. You have my word on this." Cersin held his hand up palm out as an offering of his oath. It seemed to please the leopard and he fell back into the crowd, but others were not so content. Growls of challenge and anger went up around the circle and Cersin prepared to defend his decision by force if necessary.

Katra woke with a start, her eyes snapping open. She didn't hurt this time, why was that? The room she was in was dark and very small but not unpleasant. How did she get here? Furthermore she noticed that she was not bound in any way. She heard the sounds of animals, growling and snarling somewhere close; outside maybe? She sat up slowly preparing herself for pain that never came. She examined her body and was shocked to find that her wounds were gone. How long had she been out? Something wasn't right though, there should at least be a scar where the bullet wound was, but there was nothing, only smooth skin. She looked around the small room that didn't even have a window. She noticed a small stool by her bed with clothes on it, so she stripped off the torn remains of her own clothes and donned the new ones. It was a black halter top and brown leather button up pants. She padded barefoot to the door and silently opened it still listening to the sounds of angry animals. Once she was in the other room she noticed that it wasn't very big either. It seemed to be a kitchen, dining room and living room all in one, but this wasn't what concerned her now, so she only glanced around. Where was her knife? She knew she had kept it when she went over the waterfall. Someone had taken it from her, and she didn't like to be unarmed in a strange place, especially with wild animals around. As she listened more closely to the sounds outside she was shocked to discover that there were voices with the animal sounds. Angry voices filled the air outside this little home and she crept to the nearest window to peek out. What she saw astounded her. Men and women were gathered in a large circle where two men were going at each other like animals. This was even more evident because the animalistic growls were coming from the men! She couldn't get a clear view of them but she heard parts of the conversation.

"You must kill her! It's for the safety of the village!"

"No! She will not be harmed."

Katra saw the two collide as they argued; teeth and claws extended like some horror movie monsters. What concerned her most though, was the talk of killing her, who she could only assume was herself. She had to get out of here, and fast. Quickly and quietly she opened the window just enough to ease through it. She knew if she opened the door it would cause too much attention to swing her way. This window was partially blocked by some plants growing in front of the house so she had a much better chance of slipping out unnoticed. Sure enough she made it and crept slowly towards what looked like a huge tent. She kept her eyes on the combatants and it seemed the one who wanted to save her was winning. Hooray for that team, she thought. She slipped into the tent and was rewarded with finding her dagger upon the table in the center of it. No one was near, so she went to it and picked it up, feeling a hundred times better when she gripped the handle. She was just congratulating herself when the tent flaps parted behind her. She spun in time to see a huge hulking form of a man enter. He took one look at her and let out a loud, ferocious growl that sounded eerily like a bear. Katra took her stance with her blade in hand just as the man charged her. Reckless as it was, it still caught her off guard and she was shoved out of the tent with a few hundred pounds of angry bear man on top of her. She screamed out her rage before she plunged the dagger into his back. The man growled but didn't budge as he seemed to be trying for her throat. She punched him hard; right in the jaw and it staggered him enough that she could get her feet underneath him and shove him off. By now the combatants from the circle had ceased and the entire group proceeded to surround her and her foe. Great, just great, so much for going unnoticed she thought with dismay. She sprang to her feet as she faced the man. He was livid with anger but more cautious this time. He seemed to pay no attention to the wound on his back and she respected him more for it. She would have to hit a more lethal area next time. A loud roar interrupted the fight and the man seemed to shrink back from this. When the tough get scared, you know it's something really scary coming at you. She spun to meet the new threat and was greeted by two very large, very lethal looking men approaching her. She took her stance but couldn't help but notice the delectable smile on one of their faces.

"Calm down woman. You're as jittery as a hare." The smiling one said casually as they approached her. He was very attractive in a carnal sort of way. He was around six feet four inches tall with a lean but built and chiseled body. His skin was tanned but she sensed it wasn't his natural skin color, but that of a man who was out in the sun constantly. His black hair was cut longer in the front than the back so that it framed the most amazing eyes she had ever seen. They were gold, not hazel, but gold, like that of the great tigers she had seen around the world. Strange that she should notice so much about this one man when the one standing beside him looked almost identical except for his hair.

"Well when people try to kill me I get a little touchy, sorry 'bout that." She snapped at them as she reprimanded herself for staring too long. "Who, or should I say WHAT, are you?"

Both men smiled now but only the one had that appeal to him. "Calm yourself, Brody was just defending the clan. He did not know if you meant us harm or not." The older one spoke this time but it did nothing to ease her.

"Yeah, well ever heard of asking first?" She barred her teeth at Brody, as they called him then quickly turned back to the two in front of her.

They chuckled at this. "Bears aren't known to ask questions of their enemies. They attack first and ask questions later. Tigers however, are much more intuitive when they are facing a possible foe. My name is Dugen Jobai, and this is my son, Cersin Jobai." The man extended his hand to her. "If you mean us no harm, then no harm will befall you."

She hesitated, looking from one to the other. "What do you mean by bears and tigers? I know you're not human, but what are you?" She had left her fighting stance but her body was still ready to spring into action if the need arose.

"We are shape shifters." Dugen replied simply.

Katra's eyes went wide. She had heard many stories about the shape shifters, but never had she seen any. "Well that explains a lot." She thought for a moment looking at Dugen's hand that still waited to greet her and finally nodded her head. Lowering her dagger she stepped forward and gripped his hand shaking it firmly. "Well, nice to meet you then Dugen Jobai, my name is Katra Voltaire. I guess it's you I have to thank for being alive huh?"

Dugen shook his head. "No, that would be Kara, my son Cersin, and Thatus." He motioned for a woman to step forward. She had long white blonde hair and beautiful sky blue eyes and was only around five feet four inches tall. She had a very shy appearance, as if any attention caused her distress. "Kara is the one who found you and brought you back to the village. Thatus, our shaman is the one responsible for healing your wounds, and my son is the one who is responsible for keeping you alive."

Cersin spoke up then. "Thatus wishes to see you when we're done here. He wants to ask you questions about your magic."

Katra was taken back. "My magic? He's the one who healed me right?" She had to tread carefully around this subject for she didn't know how much they knew.

Cersin simply smiled knowingly at her. "There's no need to hide it, we felt it as soon as we touched your skin. You have magic within you. Thatus simply wants to know what kind."

"Yes, please do tell my dear." A deep voice came from the back as the crowd parted for him. An older man with graying black hair in a tight braid came forward. His face was chiseled in such a way that it reminded Katra of a bird, proud and fierce.

"You must be Thatus?" Katra inquired and when he nodded his head she sighed. "Yes, I have magic in me, but it is dormant right now. I have not gone through my awakening yet. I am what's known as a magus."

Thatus' eyes grew wide as he gazed at her with respect and wonder. "It has been a long time since I have met a magus. Please, come, we have much to talk about." He motioned to her to follow.

Katra hesitantly followed the man and was trailed by the two larger ones. "You know of the magi?"

"Oh yes, I know all the great legends of powerful magi who have accomplished seemingly impossible feats in the name of the Earth." Thatus explained as they neared a small house. They entered and Katra was instantly greeted by the smell of sandalwood and other medicinal herbs.

Cersin spoke as they entered the house and sat down. His curious gaze remained on her as if he were stalking prey. "Katra, why do you have a leopard on your back? It's beautiful, but perplexing."

It was Katra's turn to smile as she replied to him. "The leopard is my spirit animal. This is how I chose to honor her."

"Spirit animal? What does that mean? Can you change into a leopard then?" Cersin asked with increasing curiosity and what seemed to be eagerness.

"No I can't change into one, but when my awakening occurs and I can access all my powers, I will be able to call upon the spirit of the leopard. Her strengths will become mine and I will be able to summon spirit cats to me to aide me in battle."

"What about live leopards? Will you be able to command them?" This question was asked with caution.

"If they are near, I can request their aide, but I do not command the leopards. I simply ask for their strength and hope they will find me worthy."

This answer seemed to please Cersin as he nodded to her in understanding. Thatus brought each of them a cup of some spicy smelling tea before he sat down near Katra. "Now dear, tell me what this awakening is."

"Do you know that legend of how the magi gained their spirit animals?" Katra asked, and though Thatus nodded, the other two shook their heads no. "Well, long ago, the magi were not so good a people. They took the powers from the Earth until it was nearly drained dry. The princess of the magi was told to drain the remaining power from the Earth for herself so that she might pass it along her bloodline. The princess saw how the Earth mourned and cried in agony. She could not do it, so instead of taking from the Earth, she gave all that she was to it, in hopes of restoring at least some of that which was taken so thoughtlessly. Even though she didn't have that much power in her, the selflessness of her act added to the power and revived the Earth. The Earth sang with joy as new life began to prosper because of the princess. So, the Earth took her into itself and revived her using the spirits of the creatures of the Earth, giving her back her life for that which she restored. Her parents were so overjoyed that they too gave to the Earth and ordered that everyone should do so. The princess had another gift from the Earth, for she bore a child, a son who's power was unmatched by any before him. On his twenty third birthday, the same age as the princess was when she gave her life, he went through his awakening. This called to the powers that were dormant within him to rise to the surface. When it did, his people were surprised, for with it came the great wolf spirit to stand by his side. The Earth had sent him to watch over the boy. As the people finally came to understand the need for balance in the world, they gave more and more of their power to the Earth, who rewarded each of them with a spirit animal. Different animals came to different people until all the great beasts were paired with even greater magi. Thus the Earth ensured the balance of power on the planet, and each magus waits the day when they are to meet their spirit animal." When she finished speaking Cersin and Dugen seemed spellbound by her tale, but Thatus only smiled.

"I must say, it does sound much better coming from a magus than the story I herad." Thatus chuckled as he sipped his tea.

Katra smiled and blushed a bit at his words. "Sorry, I get into it when I tell the story. It's because I'm waiting for my spirit animal. We know from birth which it will be but I have yet to meet her." She sipped the tea and was rewarded with a burst of flavor pouring over her tongue and through her senses. "Wow! This is really good tea."

Thatus inclined his head to her and smiled. "So, what brings a magus to our humble village?"

Cersin and Dugen seemed to perk up at this question, for they had wanted to know as well. Both their eyes were glued on the woman and Katra actually squirmed under their oppressive stare. "I was being chased. The last thing I remember was being shot and falling into the water."

"Why were you being chased my dear?" Thatus inquired further, pressing for more information.

Katra sighed and mentally shrugged. What the hell did it matter if they knew? Who were they going to tell? "I was captured by a rival in my line of work and they were trying to kill me. I escaped and thus the chase was on."

"You mean to tell me that someone did all that to you because you're their rival at work?" Cersin looked outraged as he got up off the couch.

"Well, my line of work is rather volatile anyways." Katra hid a small smile. It shouldn't please her this much to see him defensive of her, she barely knew him. "I'm an assassin. My entire family has been paid assassins for centuries. This man simply couldn't stand the fact that a woman was better than he is at what he does." She shrugged with a nonchalance she didn't really feel on the subject. "However, pretty much anyone is better in the business than Falcon."

Cersin simply stood there, clenching and unclenching his fists. "Any man who could do what he did to you at all should be gutted, much less over simple jealousy." There was a primal growl in his voice that sent chills down Katra's spine. He meant what he said and it thrilled her to know it.

Katra's attention was drawn back to the old shaman as he cleared his throat. "Perhaps Katra would like a bit more rest. I'm sure more questions can wait until later."

Cersin cleared his throat as he realized how worked up he was. "Yes, of course, I'll take you back to Kara's."

"Before we go," Dugen spoke up now, "I'd like to get that dagger back from you if you don't mind."

Katra simply smiled. "You have told me that you are shape shifters. You have sharp teeth and claws. All I have is this dagger, and you expect me to give it to you? I don't think so."

Dugen stepped forward as if to take it by force and instantly Katra was ready. Her body pumped with adrenaline as she whipped said dagger out to face him. But before he could reach her Cersin stepped between them. She was shocked to see him turn to face his father in her defense.

"Father, please, its one dagger, and it helps her feel secure. After the attack from Brody, anyone could understand her unease." Cersin sounded casual about the subject but she saw the tension in his body and knew he was ready for any confrontation.