By this point, Dash and Catrina have established a domination of the boards that goes all but unchallenged, with only a co write and more Feena co writes (and one solo Feena bit) to break things up.

However, there's still some pretty good writing on this one from all four participants! After the meeting with Blahking, this's the first co write between Sebastian and Whiteclaw of this mission. See if he can change her mind about leaving- and what's she going to think of the news on the attacks.. not to mention the news on the Orb of the sun?!

Lots going on in this one- dig in.

The Kingdom lay in ruins. Smoke boiled up into an overcast heaven as if the two were one cloud Here and there fights still occurred, but the spirit and the body of the Kingdom had been broken.

On this bleak tableau stood two figures. Prince Blahking surveyed the damage with a grim face, his gilded armor dulled from use and abuse- although that did not concern him now. He turned to the other figure, and when he spoke it was with the same calm demeanor that belied the emotion boiling inside him. “This is what I feared…this is why I wanted her controlled- or at least watched. This is what you assured could never happen!”

Sebastian Dash surveyed the scene with wide eyes, panting from the exertion of a losing fight, Bad Beats hanging loosely in his grip. “I…I did not believe. I did not think she was capable of betraying us…of betraying me. She said she loved me…” He dropped to his knees, Bad Beats falling from his hand.

Catrina woke, and gently disengaged herself from Feena's embrace, trying her best not to wake the lovely bunny. She had had some fitful sleep, and even more fitful thoughts, and had come to a decision. Pulling on her bikini she quietly took up her sword belt and sneaked away from her friend, having decided that her leaving the KOKOL would be the best thing for all of them.

She moved quickly through Seaside Town- well, as quickly as that maze of streets and alleyways would allow her, and soon found herself in sight of the South Gate. From here it would be simple to head down past the Wandering Tree and further, eventually coming to the lands where she had first met Dash, and then… what?

She had meat now, should she just buy passage back to her home? Take up residence in Aldara- perhaps see if she could find any of her family?

One thing at a time kitten, she chided her self, and stepped off toward the Gate. But as she stepped off she saw a couple come through, adventurers by their look, laughing and enjoying each other’s company…even sharing a kiss.

She watched the couple as the moved off int the Town proper, and thoughts came to her unbidden. Don’t you have family here now? Along with visions of the people she had met here: Vivace, Vixen, Feena…

Dash….

But then she though of Blahking. Would he see her love for these, her friends- her new family, as outweighing her natural ties to her brother? Her presumed ties to that monster that mated her?

No.

Catrina could see where Blahking was coming from, really she could. And with the baggage of those two, any number of friends was no help.

So, in the end, her best move, for her friends, was to turn her back on them.

As Catrina took a step toward the gate some movement caught her eye. When she looked in that direction she redoubled her pace, then broke into a full run. Dash was approaching her, and he was the last person she wanted to talk to right now…mainly because he was the one she wanted to talk to the most.

Security had been upped at the gate, and Catrina growled as she waited as other travelers were checked going in and out. She kept looking over her shoulder, seeing Dash getting closer and closer until she knew she couldn't get away. She left the gate, meeting him with a growl. "Please don't try to talk me out of this, hon.'

Dash smiled thinly. "Wouldn't dream of it, kitten."

Catrina could not look him in the eye, could not face him as she told him this. Her tail hung limp and her ears were flat against her head. "I...I'm leaving.... I'm going back down south...maybe further...where you'll be safe from me..."

"Safe from you?" Dash reached for her paw, seeming relieved. "If anything, I'm relieved you'll be safe down south."

Catrina looked up at Dash, and he could see the tears welling in her eyes. Her tail gave a tiny twitch. "You...you want me to go?"

Dash gave her paw a squeeze. "I want you to be safe.. This isn't a very safe place for kittens.. I told you that."

Dash smiled inside as he heard her growl. "I can take care of myself, Dash! And if I had the option I would stay- the Murri-dan are like nothing you've ever faced before! But..." Her ire fell again, and Dash frowned inwardly. "...they won't trust you while I'm around."

"Well, it's hard to look after myself, and keep you safe, too, Cat.. But don't worry.. I'm sure there's only a few of them.. right?"

She smirked at this remark. “Perhaps, but they don’t work like a regular army. They’ll establish a breeder colony- and they breed like….well, like rats. As for their number now…Well- How well have you done against three Felines so far?”

Dash frowned at this. Not just the image of his enemies... but the notation of 'three' Felines. "So I might be outnumbered, but don't worry. I'll go down fighting.. I'm just glad you won't be around to see it. I can't imagine you having to live with that image, standing by me, helpless, with me surrounded."

Dash could see her body inflate, filling with ire even as her ears perked and her tail twitched angrily. When she looked up the fire had returned to those blue eyes, and she growled. "HELPLESS? What you think they can ....' She smirked, and the fire quelched a bit "Sebastian Dash...YOU are a bastard!"

"Hey, I'm not saying you can't fight.. That's why I hope you'll going through Border Town.. in fact, promise me you'll wait til day time to go through.. I don't want you running into any mariachi calaveras.. but wouldn't you rather be safe then dying by my side against the . . ."

"All right! All right!" Catrina closed her eyes, sighing, knowing what Dash was up to now. When she spoke, it was in a smaller voice than Dash was used to." Why do you want me to stay?"

Dash snort laughed. "Pissing Prince Pompadour off isn't a good enough reason?"

Catrina grinned broadly "You mean Prince Pompous A-"

"I get it," Dash said. "I can't believe he has me out here .. oh crap, I almost forgot." Dash grabbed Catrina's hand. "Come on!"

Catrina followed Dash as they rushed back into Seaside Town, trying her best to keep from losing him in the crowds. "What? Where are we going?"

"Son of a bi.." He corrected himself. "Of Boris.. I totally forgot.. I saw it.. I saw it! If anyone gets to it before me.."

*What? Dash, what did you see?" Catrina leaped over the body of one citizen who had tripped in the street, startling them somewhat as she sailed over.

"Market square," Dash explained, trying to keep his voice only high enough so her feline hearing could pick it out. "Remember the .. sun orb?"

Catrina was panting by now, but kept pace with her Dash. "I- I thought ...put back..."

"Fluffy claims he hid it, and not very well," Dash explained, "But I saw it at the Market Square!"

Catrina's legs found new life as she caught up with and began to pass Dash. "Goddess! If what you told me about that thing is true..."

"Like I said," he said, now trying to keep up with her. "And slow DOWN so we don't attract attention... it's probably as harmless as we initially thought it was.. but it's a little disconcerting that it'd be in a demon's possession, nevertheless."

Catrina slowed, matching his pace. "Oh, yeah. That was just a ruse, right? But...hmm, how much is the little twerp charging for it?"

"He's not even selling it, which's what bugs me," Dash said. "I got lucky. I was gathering supplies to deal with the situation down south.. Which I'm guessing is going to come as total news to you, but let's save that for later. He happened to knock something down setting my order up." Dash nodded towards the full backpack he was now carrying. "And through luck as much as anything, I noticed it.. Remember what Blahking said? If it was a focusing item, even if it seemed powerless at the time.. it might be useful to a demon."

Catrina stopped cold in he tracks, grabbing Dash's arm. "A demon not sell an item? Most demons I've known would sell their mother for the right price!"

Dash smiled thinly. "The right price being your first offer, in some cases.. I wonder if he's just trying to hold off to asset it's true value.. but if he isn't selling it immediately.. then he's got to have some pretty high hopes for it. Come on.. let's see if we can't talk a little pessimism into him."

Catrina nodded and hurried to the market. Soon she found herself fighting against crowds that were larger than any she had ever experienced in the square before. "Goddess- they having some sort of sale today?"

"Must have just started, or maybe they got.. urgh.. a new item in.. I don't care." Dash elbowed his way through. Though annoyed, no one was eager to tell a six foot two inch rogue with a sheathed broadsword, and a nearly as tall feline behind him not to cut in line. "I just wanna find. . . " Dash lost his voice as he realized the reason for the confused chaos.

Catrina nearly ran into him as he stopped dead/ "Ooof! Hey...keep going! What're you stopping for?"

"Ow! Why're you claws out?" Dash turned to shoot her a harsh look, then thought better of it. "And why's he closed?! This just keeps getting more ominous."

Catrina giggled, sheathing her claws. ' Why do you think they gave way so quick? See any sign as to why he split?"

Dash pushed past Arena Suzie, who was dressed for shopping, and disappointed. "Sorry ma'am.. Ah.. here's a sign.. "

Catrina looked over Dash's shoulder as her claws gave his ass a playful prick "What does it say?"

Dash winced slightly but ignored it otherwise, giving her a grave look. "Gone Fission? Urgh.. the puns in this city.."

"Hmm..the clock says he won't be back till tomorrow." She grinned "Hope it is a pun, hate to see what would happen if he HAD some fissionalble stuff here."

Dash frowned. "You make a good point. Where to now?"

Catrina thought for a moment, then growled "What about the situation down south? Since Blah humbug was so informative with me- what did he tell you?"

Dash's attention snapped back to the problem at hand. "Right! We only got the message after we'd finished talking, actually. We better move."

Catrina nodded. "Okay, I won't claw him...for that. So what's up? Goblins?"

"Goblin'ish army, anyway," Dash explained. "They've sent a 'small army' or something to that effect into the Nearby Plains.. Appearantly, they're circling one of our outposts there."

Catrina smirked "We have outposts? And any sign of Murri-dan?"

"I don't know," Dash admitted, leading them back to the exit to the town. "I didn't bother to ask. We just need to get down there, and hope we get backup."

She growled. "Great, another situation we know nothing about. And knowing if there are Murri-dan is important!"

"Why?" Dash teased. "Looking to fill out a collection of rat tails?"

She growled in a way that Dash had heard for only one other. "If they have come it's a sure bet that we'll be in for a fight! And they fight dirty!"

"Sentients?"

"Of the Dark Ones, perhaps. No other god will lay claim to them."

Dash simply nodded. "We need to get out of here. Españolola's waiting outside. Up for a ride across the plains?"

Catrina fell in beside him again, he felt one hand take his hand- and the other prick his ass again "mmm....I want to ride...."

Dash laughed. "Business first.. I could go for a nice fight about now, anyway."

Catrina laughed as well- then dug in her claws with a bit more force than usual. "I can give you that too, if you want..."

(I had fun with Dash's parts in this one, as you can probably tell.
The subtitle of the piece - "Catrina makes a decision- yeah right!" - sums it up quite well.)