Disaster had shaken the world at its roots, calamity had nearly brought them to their knees. But time and time again, the world proved itself strong. After each blow, it would rise and pick itself up to move forward. Death had loomed over them like a dark cloud, and at one point living itself seemed hopeless. Yet they survived. They persevered. By the grace of the gods, they had come through. But this time it was different. At first it didn't not seem frightening; a mysterious land emerging out of the sea, from the mists. This was not the first time in which new lands had made themselves known after years of being hidden away. Sidhiel, the land of the high elves–and then Onnen, the land of the ancients. Kavala was not unique in that aspect, and its beauty drew curious travelers like butterflies to nectar. 

Naija had finally been able to come back to her native homeland of Abed when the strange land emerged from the rumors of men on the sea. She had parted ways with Gale, a young girl she had befriended in her time seeing the world. They had been close, like sisters, until Gale left in search of finding a way back to a land beyond this world–the land she called home. It deeply saddened the minstrel to see the young dream-walker go, but it would be selfish of her to ask for Gale to stay. Eventually she received word from her family that the dangers in Abed were now over, and she could at last safely return to them. Abed was stirring with the latest news surrounding this unknown kingdom. From those who had seen it, they claimed it possessed wealth and riches beyond all imagination. Gold was common and silver was valued as next to nothing. Pearls were common adornments like beads, jewels of great sizes studded the fountains and bridges, and all prospered beneath the rule of its king. There were many who came seeking gold and treasure, others who came for a new life, and those who simply came out of curiosity–not unlike herself. 

There were quite a few terrible rumors circulating the Blessed Isle about the gleaming city among the glowing testimonials. People disappearing and failing to return, wary individuals claiming that the disappearances were actually kidnappings or worse. It was hard to tell what was fact or fiction, so Naija felt the only way to know for sure was to see it for herself. She promised her parents and sisters that she wouldn't stay long, and she would return after learning what fantastical tales and music the land had to offer. From the descriptions brought back by sailors, the attire and culture seemed to share some similarities with Abed. What was especially curious was that the name of Kavala was not found in the history of the Blessed Isle as far as she had searched. Not even the old storytellers or fortune tellers could give an answer, straight or otherwise.

Within a few hours she sailed across the sea and was now inside the base level of the city. As she did not come with a group, Naija spent her time admiring the clity's artwork and exquisite architecture. When one of the local citizens offered her some sweet cakes made with lotus seed paste, she thanked them and took one. The taste and texture of it was delicate and aromatic. It was similar to some of the sweets which were so popular at home. Just thinking about it brought back childhood memories of spending the summer in her grandmother's house. When the long days dragged on, naana would make chilled coconut jelly sprinkled with some toasted sesame seeds for her and her sisters to eat. Savoring the cake as she walked, she stopped to stare out at one of the city's many lotus ponds whose surface was dotted with golden blooms. 

"In Abed, they say the golden lotus symbolizes the attainment of true enlightenment." She mused to herself. When she thought of Kavala, such a flower was fitting for a place that was peace and harmony personified.  

Hidden amidst the dense exotic foliage of the flowering bushes and trees of the garden, Zaya was crouched low with her ears flattened and pupils wide. Her bushy tail was tucked, twitching nervously and it was clear from her body language that she was greatly distressed. She had followed Naram onto a ship which sailed over the sea, then they walked off it onto a pretty white sand beach. She had been busy smelling and inspecting every little thing while the nomad would remind her to come along or not to run ahead. They eventually made it into a big city with a gate that almost reached the sky. Everything seemed to be in two colors, white or shiny yellow. The ground which they walked on was very clean, no dust or dirt to get on her paws. There was this overpowering smell of flowers that was in the air everywhere, something that wasn't present when they were in the jungle or on the beach. Every now and then she would raise her tail high and look about, trying to find out where the smell was coming from. There weren't flowers in the streets where they were walking, so this was very strange to her. 

She remembered watching a female wearing loose cloth come towards them with a plate of food on it. There were also cups made from the same shiny material as the buildings. Her human talked with the female who was smiling and seemed friendly, so he took some of the food she had and had a drink. As the female and the nomad began to converse more, she told him about their kingdom and that he was an 'esteemed guest'. Guests were welcomed to a great party she and others dressed like her were holding in the gardens, and they followed her there. As they walked, Zaya noticed her human was walking further and further ahead of her and wasn't checking if she was behind him as often as before. The cat had to quicken her pace just to keep up. When she meowed to get his attention, he would turn to acknowledge her for a moment, but then got distracted by the female. Once they arrived at the garden, Zaya realized what was creating that strong flowery smell–it was the yellow flowers in the water, hundreds of them. The smell was too harsh on her sensitive nose, so she tried to sit as far away from them as possible. But the nomad or the other people didn't seem to notice. 

The strangers in the loose clothes began bringing more people in, most of them from outside. Soon it became more noisy as everyone was singing, dancing, and talking with each other. Eventually they became so absorbed in their merriment that she was completely ignored. Worried, she went over to her human and began pawing at his leg. When he wouldn't look at her, she tried pulling on his clothes, trying to get his attention. Realizing something was terribly wrong, her eyes went wide and she slipped away to hide when she smelled the loose-clothed people coming back. The last sight she had of her human was of him and the others becoming sleepy, and the strange people carrying them away to a fancy building. Scared and alone, Zaya let out a low mournful cry. Her human was in danger and she needed to bring him back, but she needed help. 

The peace was broken by a cat's cry, soft but mournful like when a pet was searching for its owner. It pulled Naija out of her blissful nostalgia, and she wondered where the sound had come from. There didn't appear to be any sign of a cat in sight. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen any stray animals wandering the streets or any pigeons strolling in the city squares. At first she had assumed it was merely the Kavalans' tireless efforts to keep their city free from disease, but surely even the wealthiest of nations would own animal companions. "Perhaps it was just my imagination?" The minstrel mused aloud. Maybe the people here preferred to keep their pets at home. Allowing them to wander might cause their owners to worry should they fail to return after a while. Then she heard it again, this time not as high-pitched. Her curiosity had been piqued, and Naija was not one to ignore it when it beckoned her to investigate. Leaving the beautiful scenery behind, the Abedi woman walked over towards an area where many guests were making merry. Everyone was busy enjoying themselves–eating, drinking, and making idle chatter. Following her memory of how far away the cat's cry had been, she began to carefully look around and beneath anything that could hide a cat. 

Sure enough, she spotted two bright green eyes with pupils wide shining from under a trimmed bush. It was a lovely cat, much bigger than the strays she remembered hanging around the docks back home. Its long fur and dark striped pattern made it almost blend in with the ground. "There you are." She said with a smile. The poor thing was scared and was trying to make itself smaller, scooting deeper into the undergrowth. Naija tried to think of how she could coax the creature out without scaring it further. To build trust, sometimes food could help pave the way. She attempted to offer a corner of the lotus seed cake she had taken earlier but the cat began backing up. "Maybe that wasn't the right snack to offer. Let's see if they have any fish or meat that hasn't been cooked in spices." From her past experiences with cats, it seemed that their noses were very sensitive and didn't like smells they didn't recognize. Hopefully she could find the cat's owner somewhere around here too.

When Zaya wasn't sure of what to do, she caught wind of a new scent and footsteps coming her way. Her pupils were dilated, her paws tucked underneath her body. There wasn't much room for her to back up, and running away wouldn't be easy. She stayed still, not even moving her tail. The cat was holding her breath as the footsteps stopped right in front of her. Then, an unfamiliar face showed itself. It wasn't one of those loose-clothed people, but Zaya didn't know if this person was safe or not. Her green eyes stared back into the woman's pale blue ones for what felt like an eternity before the cat decided to burrow herself deeper. She had been found, now she had to hope this person wouldn't try to pull her out of her hiding spot. The face disappeared, then reappeared with a hand holding something. With a sniff, Zaya recognized the same flowery smell again and tried to scoot back more. She wasn't going to eat that strange thing, not when she had seen it put her human to sleep. If she fell asleep too…then who would be able to save him?

Her rejection of the crumbly food led to the hand moving away and footsteps walking out of sight. Zaya's ears twitched as he heard the steps grow further and further away, and she was on full alert. This was probably a good time to change her hiding place; that person already knew she was here. What if the woman brought more people? Would they take her away? Sneaking out, she climbed up a tree by digging her claws into the ridges of the rough bark. She soon settled herself onto a large branch that had thick foliage dangling over it, her dark coat camouflaging with the color of the tree. She tucked her tail, and stayed still as she surveyed the area from a higher vantage point. This place was much, much larger than she initially thought. She could see the layout of this place clearly and all possible ways leading out. There was the building her human had been taken too, the tables with food and people, and the big pond with the flowers that irritated her nose. She saw the person who had tried to give her the crumbly food earlier, and saw the woman moving around the food tables as if searching for something. She didn't seem to be sleepy or sluggish like everybody else, so maybe she could get her to help…

But first, she had to lead her away from this place–away from the loose-clothed people who might try to interfere. Those people were dangerous, and she didn't want to be seen by them. Zaya didn't like the look in their eyes, and there was something about them that felt wrong. They also smelled very strongly of the flowers, and she now understood that anything with that smell was a bad thing.

After finding some cooked white fish, Naija took a plate and carried some back to the place she had seen the cat. "Here kitty, kitty! I brought something different this time. Hmm?" The minstrel noticed the cat was gone, and looked around. "Where did it go?" She thought she had only been away for a few minutes, but in that span of time an animal could easily disappear. She set the plate down in case the cat decided to come back to eat it, and began to search. The poor thing was skittish, maybe if she could get it to trust her she could help find its owner. As Naija began to move away from the main festivities, she stopped beneath a lush laurel tree to think when she heard rustling above. A leaf fell down, and she looked up, widening her eyes. "Oh there you are!" The bright green eyes she had seen earlier now peered at her from above, and she could see the cat more clearly. Was the cat stuck? Cats were good climbers, but coming back down was easier said than done. She watched as the cat shifted in its spot, and reached up with her arms.

"Do you need help coming down? I'll catch you!" The cat looked back, as if hesitating. She smiled back, doing her best to show that she meant what she promised. The beautiful striped cat looked around, seeming like it was sizing up the situation. It shuffled back a bit, then at last–it jumped down. Naija quickly caught the cat in her arms, surprised that it was a bit bigger than she had initially thought. But it was safe, and the cat slid down to the ground now that it was off the tree. Now back on solid ground, the cat purred and began to rub against her legs. Headbutting her hand, its tail was waving as it became very affectionate. "Aww…you're such a dear, aren't you?" Crouching down, she gave the cat a scratch behind its ears and patted its back. She felt a sort of warmth and happiness that was different from the blissful feeling she experienced when reminiscing of bygone memories. She remembered that she had come to this kingdom to learn of its culture to share with her friends and family back in Abed. So far, she had only seen its art and its cuisine. In her haste, she had forgotten to take note of their traditional instruments and music. 

After a few minutes of cuddling, the cat jumped up and started to run towards one of the many luxurious villas that surrounded the banquet grounds. "Wait! Where are you going?" She called out, then quickly followed after. The cat was fast on its feet, and she had no idea why it had taken off so suddenly like that.

Zaya watched as the woman walked back to her previous hiding spot, and was walking around looking for her. She waited patiently until the Abedian woman stopped under the tree she was in, and then shifted on the branch. Doing so, she knocked a few leaves down, and then the woman looked up at her. They stared, eye to eye for a few moments. Zaya felt confident that this person was someone who would trust her, and wasn't too far affected like the others. The woman smiled a natural smile, and held out her arms as if saying she could come down. It was a motion Zaya knew well, as Naram would perform the same action whenever he discovered she had tucked herself up into a high place. After ensuring her footing was secure, she prepared herself and then took the plunge. If the woman accidentally dropped her, at least she would land on her feet. Caught in the woman's arms like a small child, she looked into the woman's eyes before wriggling her way out. With her four feet on the ground, it was time to undo what was bewitching this person here.

With a long, drawn-out purr the cat began to brush herself against the woman's legs. Zaya began to work her magic, dispelling the effects of the lotus the woman had consumed. While the arcane influence was removed, she then implemented her own feline charm to prevent it from taking hold of the dark-haired traveler again. When the spells were complete, she turned to run towards the fancy building she had seen the robed people take her human to. Every few steps she would glance over her shoulder to check if her new ally was behind. They needed to act quickly before they were noticed or stopped. If they failed, they might not have another chance to do this again. Taking greater strides, Zaya deftly climbed the steps to slip into the tropical estate through one of its open windows. 

Inside there were plenty of hiding places for a cat her size. Large glazed terracotta urns filled with palms and small trees, dark wood furniture, big woven baskets, stone statues of people, and richly embroidered rolls of cloth hung from the walls gave her spaces to take cover. One she saw the woman she had rubbed her scent on come in, she began to search the place. Using her nose, she tracked down her human's scent in and out of the rooms. The people here had taken him quite a ways into this building, so that would mean she would need to be cautious. Using her power, her pupils narrowed as the auras of those currently residing in these halls became visible. She could see where the dangerous people were walking, and was able to plan her stealthy progression bit by bit. She took care to point out places for the short-haired woman to hide too, so they could stay together. The hallways were eerily empty when there weren't the loose-robed people patrolling them. When they were close to one of the rooms, Zaya snuck inside to check if the nomad was there. There was that flowery perfume in here as well, and that made her scent tracking more difficult.

The cat led her inside a grand building built from rosy pink marble, with elegant columns decorating the outside. She felt somewhat nervous, as if they were trespassing. But there was no turning back now; they had to keep going. The minstrel wondered to herself why the cat wanted to come here, but it must be for an important reason. Was the cat bringing her to its owner? She could only guess. When they were inside, the cat instinctively chose to hide and then Naija understood. They weren't supposed to be here, and they absolutely must never be caught. It was strange, as she didn't think the Kavalans were the kind to be hostile to anyone with how welcoming they had been. But the instincts of beasts often held some truth to them, so she placed her trust in the cat. She took off her shoes so she would make less sound, and luckily there were decorations that were large enough for them both to hide behind. When she heard someone walk by, she would hold her breath and shut her eyes–hoping that they would stay undiscovered. When the cat determined the coast was clear, they would move on to the next hiding place. 

It was times like these where she wished she knew how to speak the language of animals, maybe then she could ask the cat what it intended to do. But she found herself chasing after it when it ducked into a room, and she hurried in hoping they wouldn't run into anyone there. Inside was a sumptuous bedroom, as grand as the furnished accommodations of the Padmaja Bathhouse itself. Silken sheer sheets as a canopy for a mahogany bed, luxurious cushions of embroidered fabric and shimmering tassels. There was a heady scent of potpourri and perfume, so thick that it made her cough. "I can hardly breathe in here–even with the windows open." She then noticed there was someone resting on the bed. Startled, she backed away and began to apologize. "Oh! I beg your pardon, I didn't know that this room was occupied–" It was then that she realized the person was fast asleep, and that her words had fallen on deaf ears. There was a man clad in traveler's clothes amidst the pillows, sprawled out and in a deep slumber. The cat leapt up onto the bed, and padded towards him.

Naija thought the cat was merely curious when it suddenly smacked him with a paw–right in the mouth! "Stop! What are you doing?!" Rushing over to restrain the cat, the tabby-patterned feline managed to get a few more punches in before the minstrel pulled it off the bed. "No, bad kitty! You shouldn't go around hitting strangers!" Part of her was worried that he would wake up and draw the Kavalans' attention, which was the last thing she wanted now. Turning the cat around so they were facing each other, she looked into its eyes. "Why did you do that? That's not very nice." 

Zaya leaped onto the bed to see if the sleeping person was her human. It wasn't, much to her disappointment. She leaned closer and sniffed the man's face, only to pick up the same traces of the flowers. There was no point in leaving this person here, so Zaya did what she had to do. Raising a paw, she began to rapidly bat the man's face with as much as her paws could gather. Keeping her claws retracted, she vigorously applied magic to dispel the effects of what he had eaten. Luckily she had gotten a few good solid smacks before a pair of hands grabbed her midsection, and hauled her off the canopy bed. She was given a light scolding by the Abedian woman, but then her ears twitched as she heard the sleeping stranger stirring. With a groan, a Mamlak man slowly sat up rubbing his cleanly shaven head. Satisfied with her work, she wriggled free to get back onto the ground. This person wasn't affected by the magic from the flowers anymore, and now he was free. But she wanted to make sure he wouldn't get himself trapped again, so she began to purr loudly and brush against his hand to place a minor charm spell onto him.

The man looked down at her and smiled, giving her a scratch behind her ears and back of her head. No longer drowsy, he was slightly confused as to what was going on. "Oh, my head… Where am I? What is this place?" He checked to see if all of this personal possessions were still present, and to his displeasure he learned his staff was not with him. "Blast! My ebony staff–it's gone! Who are you and why are you here?" The man asked the Abedian woman before him. "We're in some sort of villa not too far away from the garden where guests were being brought to. I just arrived here not too long ago, maybe the servants brought you in?" The man looked them over, noting that they were not dressed in the same clothing as the Kavalans.

"Is that so? That does not bode well for us then. The last thing I remember was being seated at a banquet table, then given food and wine. It seems they did not search me, as my staff is the only article I own that is missing. Which way did you come from?" The woman pointed to the door leading out of the room. While they talked, Zaya heard footsteps approaching and began to paw at the woman's leg frantically. They all looked towards the door and went to hide. The man pretended to be asleep on the bed again, his back facing the entryway. The woman took cover behind a large earthen pot bearing a dwarf cycad, crouching low so she wouldn't be seen. Zaya dove under the bed, scooting far back to blend in with the shadows created by the voluminous silk sheets draping well below the mattress. A Kavalan man briefly glanced inside, saw nothing out of the ordinary, and continued walking away. When no more footsteps were heard, everyone cautiously peered from their places. There was an unanimous sigh of relief.

They had managed to avoid another close call, much to their relief. The Mamlak man quickly got off the bed and they regrouped. "Let's work together, we need to see if there are other people in here and help them get out. My name is Naija." She held out a hand towards him. The man shook it, and returned her gaze. "Nazcali, it is good to know one is not alone in this strange land. That staff of mine that was taken was a memento, and though I can cast magic without it–the fact they confiscated it means they are trying to take away weapons so people cannot fight back. I cannot shake the uneasiness that I have knowing this." He then looked towards the cat and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, this is the cat who led me to you. She seems to be searching for something or someone, maybe her owner?" She explained, just in case Nazcali thought the cat was hers. The man didn't question her further, and they began to venture deeper into the villa. If it weren't for the current circumstances, this villa would have been the idea place to relax and unwind. But now it was like a maze where they didn't know what they would find. 

They found more rooms, many of them empty. Naija was worried when she saw them, wondering where their previous occupants were now. Or maybe the festivities had only just begun, and thus there weren't as many guests yet. It was quieter now, but that made the atmosphere all the more unnerving. The cat had been diligently leading them all this time, but she suddenly stopped. With eyes wide and ears moving about, the minstrel wondered what she had discovered. The cat then bounded towards the first closed doorway they had seen, and pushed itself against the wood. Pawing, it turned to look back at them as if asking them to try their hand at opening it. Naija hesitantly approached and pulled the latch, but it didn't budge. It appeared to be locked, with the only way to look in being through the keyhole. "It won't open. Nazcali, do you have anything that could unlock it?" The man shook his head. "I have never been a thief, and I doubt what I have with me can do the job." Her heart sank into her stomach. Unless they found the key, they would have to leave this area behind and hope they could find a way in later. Part of her was curious about what laid on the other side, but the other was worried they would uncover something they shouldn't have.

From the conversation, Zaya learned that the door was locked. She had initially asked with pleading eyes for the two humans to open the door, as she didn't have fingers to grasp the latch. But if a lock was the only thing between them and the inside, then that was no problem. Standing up on her hind legs, she gently patted the lock with a paw. With a little magic, the mechanisms inside began to turn and the door popped open with a click. Leaning against the door, she widened the gap with her weight and went in. The door revealed a storage area of sorts, not very big but enough to fit cleaning tools used by servants to keep a big place like this tidy. She immediately began to dig through everything, sticking her face into every basket and bucket. In her browsing, she knocked some things off the shelves and uncovered a very long stick made of dark, nice-smelling wood. It didn't make her nose irritated and she had the urge to chew on the small end, but decided that could wait for now. 

Pulling the long stick out, she resumed rifling through the storage area until everything was turned inside-out. "My staff! So this was where they put the things they take off of their guests. There are many other weapons here too, quivers and bows, swords, even shields." The tall man with the dark complexion said. Zaya wasn't paying attention, as she caught a whiff of a familiar smell that she knew well. It was the scent of her human! Furiously she dug around until she uncovered a bow, which she immediately grabbed with her mouth and dragged out. She found the arrows and arrow-bag he used too, but that was all she could find from him. As it pained her to know that he was taken from her, at least she knew there was a high possibility that the nomad was somewhere inside this building.

There was no time to lose, she had to find him soon. With a new trail, she pulled her human's belongings towards the two people and ran towards where she felt the scent was strongest. Her heart beat fast as she saw another closed door. Was he in there? She could only hope…