Archive of Our Own

Rats. That's all he could think as he ran through the worn down pathway of the forest, his feet begging for relief with each heavy step that he took. His breathing shallow and sweat rolling down his face as he continued running, ears picking up the metallic clanging of armor from behind. Several voices behind him commanded him to stop, but still he kept going.  The foliage of the forest felt ever growing as he twisted and turned through the hollowed logs and heavy branches, feeling his cape snag through the ends. 

As Petey did a quick glance backward, a smirk creeped up on his lips as he saw that the royal knights had been losing speed and looking more visibly tired as the chase went on. However, his smile faltered upon seeing one remaining knight was still chasing him, the hybrid’s eyes burning with determination. Stocky and short frame somehow exceeding physical prowess, even with the heavy and clunky golden armor that he adorned, he was still keeping up with Petey. The half-human, half-canine hybrid was quick, quicker than he remembered, as he jumped over the fallen lumber and ducked through the heavy branches. 

Double Rats. He was gaining quickly and bridging the gap between them. As the tabby continued running, he quickly untied the little bag that was strapped to his waist. Digging his hand into the small bag, fingers grasped the stiff stem of a dried flower. Quickly pulling it out, Petey held the flower close to his mouth as he muttered a quick incantation, the deep violet gemstones on his cuffs glowing slightly as the flower began to bloom and regain its color. Giving the blooming lilac a twirl on his fingers, he twirled, the heel of his foot digging into the ground as he turned to face the hybrid. Giving a glistening smile, he flung the lilac, its stem piercing the ground in front of the hybrid, who flinched back. 

Before the knight could regain his composure to continue the pursuit, the flower began to glow brightly as its petals exploded, the smoke encapsulating the hybrid in a sea of lilac scented mauve. Quickly pulling out a rag from the crevices of his armor, he covered his nose and squinted through the smoke, scanning the horizon for any movement. The smoke stung slightly against his eyes, but through the haze, he was able to spot the ripple of movement to his right. Teeth bared, they ran past the smoke cloud and continued the chase, the striped orange tabby weaving in and out through the thicket, his image slowly merging with the foliage until he heard a faint splash. Ears perked up as he quickened his pace, the scent of the tabby nearing closer. The trees began thinning, its scent stronger with each step taken. Past the clearing, the blinding sun shone brightly, revealing that he had made it to a ravine, the turbulent waters crashing against the walls below him. He looked at the waters with intensity, hoping to spot any speckles of orange or myrtle, yet there was none as far as the ravine allowed him. 

A heavy sigh escaped his lips, shoulders sagging a little bit as he performed one more sweep through before returning back. Unbeknownst to the knight, Petey was watching through the brambles on the other side of the ravine, eyes focused on the golden colored hybrid until he was out of sight. Body tense and aching from the chase, and the various branches and thorns that had scraped his skin. As much as he wanted to walk back home, he knew that being impatient would be reckless, he was an outlaw after all. Heart beating loudly against his chest, his ears remained perked, waiting to hear any change of the forest, yet there was none. Exhaling softly, he sat down and let his body relax, even if for a moment. Removing his cloak, he ran his hands through the various vials that were strapped to his chest, until fingers wrapped around the vial that rested in the center. Uncorking the cap, he dipped his finger, feeling the cold cream against his paw pad. Gently, he ran the cream against the scrapes and cuts accumulated, wincing slightly as the cream stung through the fresh cuts. 

Petey felt his heart rate lower as he sat on the soft ground, the grass blades tickling him through the fabric of his pants. He cocked his head back, the sun’s rays peeking through the leaves of the trees. Judging by the position of the sun, he would have guessed he was soon approaching Nones. He dug into the side of his cloak, and sighed in relief as his fingers wrapped around the small bag pouch. Craning his neck above the brush, his eyes scanned across the ravine. All that he could see was the woodland that blanketed the other side. His eyes strained as he looked past the trees, hoping to catch a glimpse of the golden armor, yet there was none. The tabby slowly began to lift himself off the ground, body stiff and taking light and painstakingly slow steps backwards. Upon seeing the first trees behind him hit his peripheral, Petey dug his heels into the ground and ran into the forest. 

As the tabby continued running, the path ahead of him became more worn down, his feet feeling the familiarity of the compression with each step he took. "Wretched canine really making me go through Hell and back huh," he mumbled to himself as he slowed his pace, the thick foliage of the forest thinning ahead of him. As the thicket continued to thin out, Petey could start to see the vibrant flowers of various colors and scents bloomed out from the ground, welcoming the outlaw with their aromas. The meadows welcomed him as the overwhelming scent of lilac embraced him. Pushing through the clearance, Petey was welcomed with the field of lilacs that bloomed proudly through the sun's radiance. 

Taking a deep inhale, he let his magic flow from the gemstones on his cufflinks to the open field. With an exhale, he muttered the incantation, allowing the warding veil to waiver slightly as he stepped into the clearing, feeling the air shift as a tower came into view. A simple structure on the outside, where the grasses stood tall alongside the cobblestone framework of his house. The windows were ladled with various herbs and plants that grew in various sizes. Petey walked towards the building that he called his home, seeing that the glyphs etched to the door glowing faintly. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. 

He pushed the door open, feeling the inviting warmth of the house as he peeled off his cloak. The familiar creaking of floorboards sang to him with each step he took as he continued to peel off the outer layers of his clothing. His house was nothing special in his eyes, a simple three-three story tower that was filled with his necessities. The first floor was fairly empty, save the spiraling staircase that hugged the walls- leading up to the other two floors. Next to the entrance was a simple coat hanger, where he hung his cloak, and a table riddled with tchotchkes and his now-removed potion belt. Petey sighed in relief as he peeled off his chest plate and the belt tied tightly to his waist. Craning his neck in relief and rolling his shoulders, he shut the door closed. The center of the flooring sat a large crystal orb, its body being held in place by metallic railings, its charcoal colored rods hugging the center of the orb as the metallic framework webbed upwards into spikes. Ebbing downwards, four claw-like feet were tucked, holding the orb in place, and two wings, detailed with dew claws and each protruding digital , similar to that of a bat, stabilized the orb’s bottom half.  Pressed against the wall, where the staircase met the second floor, was an elevated seat, which allowed him access to the top of the orb.

Once fully removed of his outdoor gear, Petey stood on all fours and stretched, feeling his bones and muscles ache as he pulled on them, the tension slowly leaving his body with an exacerbated sigh. He rolled his lower spine, feeling each pop and crack as his body continued to loosen. Feeling content, he stood back up and lifted his arms up into the air, another huff escaping his nose. Letting his arms swing down, the tabby walked over to the staircase and made his ascent. 

On the second floor, laid against the barren flooring was a simple straw bed, loosely covered by a thick woolen blanket. To the right of the bed was a small wooden table, a handful of books piled lazily on top of each other, and a small wooden crate filled with his winter clothing. The wicked candle that Petey had used the night before for his reading was now unlit, the used wax pooled to the bottom of the candle holder. Petey looked out the window, the view of the lilac fields and the forest blanketing the earth and expanded through the horizon. The sun emanated brightly. He looked back at his bed, then back through the window. The warm air pushed through the small opening, feeling his drowsiness growing ever present. He shook his as he gave in to his needs and walked over to the bedding, and plopped into the bed, feeling the straw crack and compress under his weight. As he curled up against the blanket, he let his eyelids close as he let the warm atmosphere drift him off to sleep. 

~~~~

“Huzzah, I got it!” exclaimed Petey, snapping away from his slumber, eyes brimming with glee.” How could I have not thought of this sooner,” he seethed as he hastily got off his bed and ran up the stairs to the third floor. Upon his ascent up the stairs, he scanned the room.  Several small tables and stools were scattered across the area, each table littered with parchment papers, dried quills, and various unfinished projects- gears and cogs lazily placed inside their mechanical shells.  Flushed against the wall was the fireplace, unlit due to the warmer weather, various vines and herbs grew alongside of the ledge of the fireplace, the hanging vines swaying slightly from the occasional gust of wind that made it through the chimney’s entrance. On the left side of the wall, several bookshelves pressed against the wall, its shelving bent from the various leather-bound books that filled its crevices. To the right of the fireplace was a large cauldron, empty and covered with a fine layer of dust on its rim. Past the cauldron were several cabinets of various sizes that were all closed- save for the various plant life that made home on top of the cabinets.

Through the open windows, he could see that although still illuminating the room, the setting sun was looming lower past the horizon. He quickly paced around the room, illuminating the oil lamps one by one until the room glowed softly from the scarlet sun and the flames of the lamps. Once fully illuminated, he ran to his bookshelf, hands running through the leather bound spines, feeling the natural wear and tear of the books. His hands stopped at a black bound book. Pulling it out, he firmly grasped the book and walked over to the table. The spine cracked as it opened, revealing several spells and incantations written across the worn pages. Petey flipped through the pages, examining each word until he found it. 

"Of course! If I want to get rid of that pesky Royal Guard, what I need is another me! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!" He exclaimed, staring at the page before him: 

"Clone:

Casting T̵̙̗̣͒ï̶̛̥̹̟͂̉m̴̘̰̬̩̭͛é̷͕͠ͅ : If starting by the time of Vespers, the Cloning process will be done before Comploine

Components Needed: A ~~d̴͍̹͇͗i̸̱̣̙̼͑ȃ̵̫͑̌͝ṃ̸̘̭͗͐̅͘͘o̸̰̹̜̾̿̂ͅn̶̨̛̻̒̐d̷̨̃̓͑̉̚~~  worth at least ~~1̵̮͉̫͛̀̚0̸̨̲͇̅̇͜ͅ0̵͖̟͋0̶̛͙̈́́̚~~  gp, at least 1 ~~c̵͇̠̹̄͊̀̎̕u̶̯͎͍͒̈́̓͌͗b̴͎̼̥͚̺̈́̆i̶͖̤̽̔̽ć̴̡̙͔͍́̄ ̵̡̤̈́̈́i̸̤̝͍͖̅n̴̖͔̗̙͉̏̑̈́̈́c̷̰̦̈͂h̷̼̘͚̺̺͒͊̍͌ ̴̢̬͛̂o̸̧͎͉̯͊̋͘͠f̸̢̭͎̼̭̒͝ ̴̧̛̮͋̈́͋͐͜ͅf̸̟̗͈̬̂̓̓ͅl̵͍̩̹̄͌͐͝͝e̵͚̦͂s̸̮̙̃ȟ̴̢̤͂̆̓~~  of the creature that is to be cloned, which the spell consumes. A vessel worth at least ~~2̴̢̩̣̯̪̽̽̓̎̚0̵̫̋0̵̛͖̭̱͇̜̏0̴̧̺̏̆̌̍͘~~  gp that has a sealable lid and is large enough to hold the creature being cloned, such as a huge urn, coffin, mud-filled cyst in the ground, or crystal container filled with ~~s̵̽͘͜a̸͍̅̓͐̾l̸͇̣̟̑̍͜͝ͅt̴̟͈̀̇͛̽̊ ̶͓̎͘w̸̧͖͠a̶̧̓͌̽̂͠t̴̩̼̠͋͑̒͜e̸̛͕͚̲̖ͅ~~r̷̳̦͓͝ "

Petey stared at the writing and sighed in frustration; Necromancy alone was not within his wheelhouse, but with the scriptures damaged and faded due to time, it made it nearly impossible to decipher the exact ingredients listed. No matter, he thought to himself as looked up from the book with determination. He was going to get a clone one way or another. His studies of alchemy gave him the understanding that in order to create something powerful, it must require an equal amount of energy and supply in exchange. In his case, he would need to gather enough energy and magic to supply life. 

Petey scanned the page once more, attempting to decipher the broken texts. Forehead scrunched as the words slowly began to form through the smudges. Quickly pulling out a loose leaf of paper, he grabbed his ink and quill, hastily dipping the end into the black liquid. "One diamond worth at least 1,000 gold pieces....At least one...of the creature that is to be cloned...so something of mine....A vessel...minimum value of 2,000 old pieces.....urn, coffin, or crystal container filled with....water?" he muttered to himself as he messily scribbled what he thought was the right ingredients to the parchment paper, the quill scratching against the fibers. He sighed in frustration, as much as it would benefit getting a clone, the process of constructing one was already proving to be too tedious. However, determination overcame his frustrations as he quickly paced around the room. 

Grabbing the green-stained goggles that were laying on a rogue table, he quickly strapped his around his head, the goggles resting on top of his head, the familiar pressure of the straps welcoming him like an old friend. His first priority was finding a vessel. He quickly scanned the room, glancing at each large container that cluttered his room, yet despite their sizes, felt that their value was not up to par. His eyes fell to the cauldron. He pondered- It was big enough to fit a fully sized body, and the iron ore used to create the cauldron was worth much more than he could afford. 

Perfect, I'll just use the cauldron as my vessel, he thought to himself, making his way to it. Petey marveled at the cauldron, and took another quick glance at his surroundings. The vast spacing of the room, although providing ample room for a powerful spell, was filled to the brim with his valuables- ones he could not risk losing. 

Petey made his way to one of the cupboards and opened its doors and rummaged through the contents until he pulled out a single golden wire. He began to bend the wire into the shape of a cup with a long shank on its end. Pointing towards the cauldron, Petey let his magic flow from the gemstones to his hands . The cauldron began to groan as its feet began to lift off from the ground, until it was hovering off in the air. A simple levitation spell, but luckily required no concentration. 

Petey began walking, leading the cauldron down the stairs, the metallic husk occasionally clanging against the cobblestone wall as they continued their descent. Pushing the doors open, the tabby guided the cauldron until it was hovering over the lilac fields.

Setting the cauldron down at the open field, he broke the incantation, a sigh escaping his lips. Looking at the setting sun, he knew that he would be unable to start before the time Vespers would begin. Digging his heel into the ground, he spun back to the direction of his tower. “A Diamond worth at least 1,000 gold pieces,” He muttered to himself as he walked up the stairs back to the third floor. Opening the shortest cabinet, revealing various gemstones of various sizes, facets, and color. He quickly began shuffling through the rubies, emeralds, amethysts, and zirconias, but was unable to find a single diamond, let alone one worth that much gold. As he dug toward the bottom, he sighed in frustration, not a single diamond. Petey racked his brain, recalling that his various dungeon excursions have led to bountiful gems, including diamonds. Banging his head against the counter, he let out a groan. He knew he wouldn't have sold off the diamonds, they were far too precious of a material and essential for various high level spells and potions. 

Where could he leave such valuables? He scrunched his face until realization hit him. The tabby swiftly stood up from the floor and ran down to the second floor. Hitting the bottom step, he made his way to the bed, pushing away the straw from its usual resting place. Swiping away the loose bits, he stared at the wooden floorboard as he pulled out his all-purpose tool that was tucked away in his cufflink. The tool was simple and sleek, its intricate gold linings running along the edges of the metal tool. A single matching gemstone was pressed against the side of the tool. Petey looked at the tool, letting his magic energy flow from his gemstones, the familiar warmth enveloping him as he felt the tool click and shift until it formed into a key. Pressing down, the wood began to crackle with his magic as he pressed the key down into the floorboards. His magic still flowing, he turned the key, and the outline of a small door appeared as he pulled the key towards his direction, the door creaking open. The entrance sighed as the dead air escaped its enclosure, a small plume of dust rising. Quickly waving the dust away, he peeked at the hidden compartment and examined its contents: A lute, once painted in vibrant colors, now sunbleached and cracked due to the passage of time. Several small bound journals. 

Petey sighed, shifting the personal belongings until he found it, a lumpy and tattered satchel. Wrapping the strap around his hand, he tugged at the bag, feeling his body lurch slightly at the sudden weight of its contents. Once pulled out of its hiding spot, he set down the satchel next to him with a heavy thud. Quickly unclasping the straps, he opened the bag to several what he was looking for. His eyes glistened with glee as he examined each raw mineral until he found the perfect diamond. It was roughly the size of his fist, but was unpolished, increasing its worth to what he’d imagined it to be past the 1,000 gold coin requirement needed for the cloning spell. Shoving the satchel back into the hole, he closed the door, feeling the magic radiate once more as he turned the key back into its place, watching the lines vanish as he pulled the key away. 

Petey quickly ran down the stairs and out the door, setting the diamond down next to the entryway as he quickly pulled out bent gold wire and pointed back at the cauldron. He wiped away the sweat that had accumulated above his brow, muttering the incantation of levitation, the familiar warmth of the gemstones now burning hotter as more magic was being exerted out of him. Walking slowly, he guided the cauldron to the side of the tower, where various large barrels of rain water rested. He rarely had to use the rain water due to the various streams that riddled the forest, but having rain water for spells and emergencies was never a bad thing for the tabby. 

With the ease of his magic, Petey was able to fill the cauldron with the rain water. A breath of relief as he now had two of the three main components of the spell ready. As he moved back, Petey glanced over at the beckoning moon, the glowing orb glimmering softly against the darkening skies. From his best judgment, it was already past the hour of Compline. 

Setting down the cauldron back in the middle of the lilac fields, Petey broke the spell as the cauldron groaned from the weight of the water, its feet digging into the soft soil. 

“Now for the final ingredient,” he began. “A piece of me.” With determination, Petey moved his hand to his face, feeling the whiskers tickle his pads. He twirled one whisker around his finger. Closing his eyes, Petey hooked the whisker to his finger and yanked with as much force as he could muster. His skin tugged and a sharp pain shot through his cheek as he ripped the follicle off. Rubbing his cheek, Petey looked at the cauldron and tossed the whisker into the depths. 

Taking a deep breath, Petey felt the gemstones at his cuffs begin to warm, his ears and tail twitching at the familiarity of the magic as it began to envelop him once more. Petey closed his hands and clasped his hands together as he began to draw more energy, syphoning it to the vessel. His body felt hot, every hair on his body stood as the magic crackled around him. And there he stood, every minute passed by slowly as he continued focusing on the spell. He could hear the water boil, the cauldron ache and groan as the diamond smashed into the metallic walls. But he remained focused, each muscle in his body begging for relief, sweat rolling down his forehead. 

Then he heard it: a crack.

Was there supposed to be a crack? 

Before Petey was able to make the conclusion for himself, the cauldron itself pushed itself deeper into the ground as the force of the vessel breaking projected into the night sky and the thick smoke blanketed the open field of where he stood. Petey quickly covered his mouth and nose as the smoke erupted from the cauldron. He stood there shocked by the outcome. As the smoke thinned, he creeped forward to the cauldron, the soft heat radiating as he inched closer. His hands lowered as they reached towards the rim of the broken vessel. Peeking forward, confusion covered his face as he stared at the now-broken vessel. 

“What?” he muttered. “Where is it? I did the spell correctly….right?” He questioned, as he peered lower into the dark entrance. Ears remained perked as he tried to listen for a breath, a twitch, any indication that his spell had gone right. Breath hitched, he listened. The only noise filling his ears were that of the creatures of the night. Crap, he thought as he stood up straight and growled in frustration. This spell was useless AND I’m now down on dia- 

His thoughts were cut off upon hearing something new. Quickly turning his head, he gripped the cauldron, and that's when he saw it. A figure shifted inside the cauldron. Petey cocked his head in confusion. Maybe he was imagining it, but the figure appeared much smaller than he anticipated. Petey looked up at the sky, seeing the clear skies, but the moon was nowhere to be seen, a New moon. Clicking his tongue in frustration, he quickly ran to the side of the tower and unlatched a lantern from his hook. Skirting back, he held the flame high up above the bowl, and as his eyes adjusted to the light, he was shocked to find that his spell had worked, sort of. Lying on the bottom of the cauldron was a small tabby kitten, eyes closed and curled up, Its chest moving up and down rapidly. Against the flames, he could tell that the fur was the same as his- bright and vibrant as the setting sun with the soft brown stripes running down his fur. 

He continued to stare at the kitten, mind swirling. He had done the spell according to the book, yet why was there a kitten on the cauldron, and not an adult copy of himself? He covered his mouth and face scrunched, doing his best to recollect what he remembered about cloning spells- of what his master taught him. 

The kitten let out a groan, causing Petey to whip his head back to the cauldron. Leaning the lantern to get a better glimpse of the kitten, who was now stirring in their sleep. He stood there as the kitten opened their eyes, shades of emerald green reflecting brightly against the flames of the lantern. Their eyes made contact, bodies motionless. 

“Papa?” 

“Excuse me?”

“Are you my Papa?”

Petey stared in disbelief, his tail twitching behind him. He had succeeded in making a clone, for it looked like him, smelled like him, and even talked how he used to. But why was it an adolescent at best? His hands gripped the rim of the cauldron as he continued to stare at the child in disbelief. He gulped, the kitten’s eyes looking up at him with an expectant look. 

“Uhh- No kid, I’m not your papa,” he stated coldly, grimacing at the young entity before him. 

“You-you’re not my papa?” asked the kitten, his bottom lip quivering as the tears welled up on his face. 

“No you are not, you are my clone!” Petey sneered. 

The kitten stared at Petey’s face scrunched up as he let out a wail, his voice echoing through the night sky. Oh god,  He thought as his mind began to spiral. What should I do? I want my whisker back- I want my diamond back. Petey placed his hands on his head as the kitten continued to wait. “I want my life back!” he screamed, his own voice booming into the twilight sky. 

The kitten continued crying- the high pitched sobs piercing through Petey’s ears. In his newfound irritation, he shot his hands forwards and covered the sobbing tabby’s mouth. “Shh!,” He seethed, eyes glaring at the smaller’s own eyes. “Okay fine, I am your papa, but you just need to be quiet- Do you understand?!” 

Silence. Petey’s gaze never left the kitten’s. “I’ll ask you again, Do you understand?” 

The kitten nodded. 

Sighing in relief, Petey slowly removed his hands from the kitten’s mouth. His irritation shifted to confusion, unable to process what his next steps would be. The creature in front of him was clearly a spitting image of him- but much younger, and on top of that the creature had enough sentience to formulate sentences and feel emotion. But why did it call him Papa?

“Papa, can you get me out of this?” asked the kitten, his paws reaching and barely grasping the lip of the cauldron. Petey looked at the kitten, his hands hesitantly reaching out as his fingers wrapped around the small figure. His fingers pushed through the tangerine and rust striped fur, feeling the warmth radiate out of the small body as he pulled the kitten tabby from out of the cauldron and set it down to the ground. 

“Thank you Papa,” smiled the kitten as he began walking to Petey’s home. 

A small growl of frustration escaped his lips. “For Oghma’s sake, I’m not your- Nevermind. I’ll deal with you in the morning.” 

The tabbies made their way back to the tower, the sun had now completely set and was replaced by the moon, its soft white glow illuminating the dark sky. The fireflies awoke from their slumber and illuminated the darkness along with their celestial sisters, each humming their warm glow as Petey and the kitten entered the tower. 

Petey, now feeling exhausted from his overexertion of magic, rubbed his eyes as he walked up the stairs, the bed calling to him like a siren. As he got to the second floor, his gaze was fixated at the curled up kitten resting in the middle of his bedding. 

“Oh no you don’t,” he huffed as stomped his way to his bed. Grabbing the kitten by the scruff of his neck, he pulled him out of the bed. “You are not sleeping in my bed, got that?” He sneered, his tail twitching and ears pulled back as he stared at the hanging tabby.

“But I wanna sleep with you Papa”

“No you are not! That is my bed,” Petey retorted. “You are going to sleep in your own bed.” 

The kitten darted his eyes around the room. “But there's no other bed.” 

The tall tabby sighed in frustration as he set the kitten down. Walking over to the crate, he opened the latch and dug through the fabrics, pulling out a faded woolen blanket. Quickly unfolding it, he laid it down next to his bed and got to his knees. Petey dug into the bedding and pulled out several handfuls of straw, allowing a small pile to build up until he felt satisfied, and messily wrapped the straw with the woolen blanket as he constructed the makeshift bed. Grabbing the makeshift bed, he set it down across the room, as far away as possible from him. 

“Here you go, you have a bed now.” He said flatly, pointing at the clump. “Now go to sleep.” 

“But I want to sleep with you Papa.” 

“No you are not.”

“Yes I am.” 

“No. You. Are. Not. End of discussion.”

“But why?” 

“Because I said so”

“But why?” 

“Because I much prefer sleeping by myself.” 

“But why?” 

“BECAUSE I SAID SO!” 

“Okay, Goodnight Papa!” 

Petey stared at the kitten, dumbfounded by how annoying it was to have another being in his presence, let alone one of a child. Grumbling under his breath, Petey walked back over to his bed, quickling adjusting the bedding and plopped himself onto the bed. Crossing his arms, he stared at the dark ceiling, allowing sleep to slowly envelop him. 

~~~~

Petey let out a quiet groan, shaking his head slightly as he cracked his eyes open as the morning sun filled the room with its radiant yellow glow. Shifting slightly against the bed, he felt a warm lump pressed firmly against his side. He stiffened. Petey’s breath hitched slightly as he craned his neck, eyes lowering as his gaze was met with the curled ball of the striped kitten, the soft vibrations of the smaller’s rumble reverberated against his abdomen. For how long had the kitten been curled up on his bed by his side? 

Petey slowly lifted himself from the bed, trying his best to not wake the slumbering body. Once up successfully, he swiftly made his way up the stairs and headed straight to the bookcase, pulling several handfuls of books from their shelves and onto the table. The hard thud of the books hitting the table echoed across the quiet room, but he paid no attention as he grabbed the top most book and rapidly flipped through the pages, examining each word with fever, hoping to find a glimpse of what went wrong the night before, yet each passage about cloning had become too faded due to age, or had been scribbled off by the masters before them, adding their own illegible notes throughout the pages. The same incomprehensible notes spread across the pages of the books: This spell grows an inert duplicate of a living creature as a safeguard against death...It remains inert and endures indefinitely, as long as its vessel remains undisturbed...if the original creature dies, its soul transfers to the clone… It was the same thing he had learned from his own master, yet none could tell him why his clone was that of his childhood form.

Closing another book in frustration, he let out another sigh, feeling that his answers would remain unanswered. Picking up another book from the stack, he opened it and began scanning once more, the same potion, with the same ingredients, and the same notes that were scribbled senselessly on the sides of the passages. That’s when he felt it, a small hiccup in the running of pages. Petey’s ear twitched as he traced back the pages until he stopped at the section that. Wedged securely against the binding of the pages, was a folded piece of parchment. His fingers tugged at the parchment, feeling some resistance, but eventually gave in to the force. Petey unfolded the paper, seeing the familiar penmanship of his old master; Scrum. He winced slightly, remembering the name of the now-dead artificer, but kept on reading. His eyes lit up as he continued reading the scripture. 

Upon casting the spell, the clone shall form inside the vessel used, and the clone will grow into full size and maturity after 120 days. However my studies have shown that you may also choose to have the clone be as a younger version of the same creature by breaking the seal, as long as the vessel itself remains undamaged. However, by breaking the seal, the spell is now considered null, and the process would have to be started once more.

Petey stared at the paper, the realization hitting him all at once. He had performed the spell wrong, yet how was there a partially successful outcome? Furthermore, what did he do differently that would cause the clone to gain sentience? From his understanding of his master’s scribbles, the clone would essentially be in a catatonic state until his death. 

“Oh no, Mystra please help me,” he groaned to himself as he slammed the book shut. Despite his prayers, the next few days had been a challenge for the artificer. The privacy that he once had was now gone. Everywhere he turned, there was the miniature clone, following his every step. Secondly, the clone was hungry and frequently demanded to be fed. Petey sighed in frustration as every time he had to go into his own supply to feed the clone. Thirdly, the clone was creative, but it resulted in his stockpile of graphite and parchments being used for the clone’s drawings, often presenting him with small assortments of drawings. 

“I made this for you Papa,” he would say, face beaming with pride as he handed the artificer the stacks of messily drawn depictions of them together. As the clone walked away, Petey would roll his eyes and place the stack of drawings to the table and continue to scour through his various textbooks, hoping to find some kind of solution to his new problem. 

He would spend all hours of the night reading and flipping through the papes of the various texts that his master had left behind, yet he was unable to find any kind of spell or physical means of destroying a living clone, for each had stated that killing a clone would be through destroying the vessel or killing the clone before the original dies.

He snuck glances at the sleeping clone, mind contemplating before shaking his head. Petey may be an outlaw, but he was no villain. Sighing softly, Petey continued to flip through the pages until his eyes stopped at a certain casting spell: 

‘Magic Jar:

Casting Time: 1 minute

Components: A reliquary or some other ornamental container worth at least 500 gold pieces

By casting Magic Jar, you place the soul in the vessel, leaving its body lifeless. The spell ends when you send the soul back to its original body, leaving the receptacle empty. When you transfer the soul upon casting, the original body is, as near as anyone can tell, dead. If the container is destroyed or the spell ends, the soul immediately returns to its body. However, If the body is more than 100 feet away from the soul or if the host’s body is dead when attempting to return to it, the soul dies. 

He read the page once more, a scheming smile spreading across his face. He technically wouldn’t be killing the clone, but if there was a soul inside the small tabby, then the spell would work. However, if the spell is rendered useless, then he would know that the clone is simply but an empty husk, only alive due to its impersonations of human speech and emotion. 

Petey swiftly got off from his sitting position and began to get dressed. He knew that out of all his assortments of trinkets and magical ingredients, he would not possess a reliquary- let alone one worth at the very least 500 gold pieces. He flew down the stairs as he slipped on his cloak. Hands reaching for the handle, he heard a voice behind him.

“Papa, where are you going?”

Petey turned his head to find the half-awake clone standing at the foot of the stairs, tiny paw rubbing its eyes. “I am going to the Kingdom,” stated Petey matter of factly as he adjusted his cloak, smoothing out the fabric as it clung to his neck. 

“Can I come with you?” 

“No you cannot, the outside is very dangerous and where I'm going is no place for a thing like you.”

“But why are you going, Papa?” 

Petey clutched the hood of his cloak tightly as he could himself getting more irritated. He inhaled deeply, letting the air expand his lungs, and with an exhale, he felt himself become more grounded as the air left his lungs. He turned to face Li’l Petey as he forced a smile across his lips. “Well, if you must know. I have to get more bottles and ingredients because someone decided it would be a fun idea to lay in the middle of the floor while I was carrying such valuables.”

“But why now, Papa? It’s dark outside”

“Because,” Petey seethed, his irritation growing. He took a deep breath as he opened the door. “Because frankly, clone, I need some alone time.” He turned away and shut the door behind him. Shivering slightly at the night air, he made his way through the field, breaking past the barrier and made his way to the Kingdom. It was fairly late into the night but he figured that if he rushed a little bit, he would make it in time to explore the dark corners of the night market. His only goal was to find a reliquary worth enough to seal the soul of the clone and rid him of this obstacle. 

Petey sighed in frustration as he began to make his journey to the Kingdom, the dark forest providing him with perfect coverage in case of any unwanted guards or other creatures of the night. 

As he reached the split path, Petey determined that going through the ravine would be too much trouble for now, so he changed his trail, walking downstream where the decline. The journey was always a bit longer doing downstream, but he would much rather preserve his magic for when he would need it.

Hopping over the river bed, Petey continued to make his way forward, the thicket of the forest ever winding, but he was confident. The scent of the forest, the shape of the trees, the pattern of the moss as they grew in each available surface- He was all far too familiar with it. After some time, Petey could make the soft silhouette of the castle’s outlinings. As he neared, he could also hear the clanging of metallic uniforms. 

As he finally reached over to the clearing, Petey crouched down, his head barely above the bushes, eyes scanning around for any opening that would allow him to go past the Kingdom walls, his tail swishing behind him. His gaze shifted between the two guards that were walking closer to each other, they nodded to each other, they crossed each other's paths as they continued marching. A smile spread across his face, there was his opening. 

His gaze darted between the two guards and quickly stood up, ready to dash and climb up the wall when he felt a tug of his cape. Looking down, his body froze at the sight of the small clone standing before him. 

“Wait, what are you doing here?” Petey seethed.

“You said you were going on an adventure, and even though you told me to stay in the tower, going on an adventure so I wanted to join you” 

Petey stared in disbelief. Here he was in the outskirts of the Kingdom, several Royal Guards patrolling the area, and now there was the clone on his side. His frustrations were becoming evident as his tail thrashed behind him. Sneaking glances between the kid and the guards, Petey sighed in frustration. 

“Listen kid,” he began, reaching over to his left cuff and removing the gemstone. Crouching lower underneath the brush, he pulled the smaller tabby closer to him, fiddling the kitten’s clasp of his coat until he felt the gemstone fall into place. “You should not be here at all, but since there’s nothing I can do about it at this moment, you are going to listen to me very carefully. This place is riddled with guards, and if they capture you or me, it can mean a very unfortunate outcome for us. So for now, you are going to stick very close to me while we get away from the scene.”

“But why Papa?” 

“Because It’s not safe for someone like you”

“But why?”

“BECAUSE I SAID SO!!!” Petey screamed. A small gasp escaped his lips as Petey quickly covered his mouth, realizing that his volume had been much louder than anticipated.  The furs of his body stood straight as he heard the faint ‘what was that’ from the Royal Guards. Then came the barking. Shit.

“We gotta go!” hissed Petey as he dug the ball of his foot into the dirt, grabbing the clone by its hand and made a dash through the foliage.

Petey’s heart began to race as he tried his best to navigate through the thick foliage while keeping a firm grip on the clone behind him. But he knew that the small clone was slowing him down, for he could hear the clanging of armor growing louder with each step they took. His mind began to race as he glanced back at the struggling kitten. Would it be better to ‘accidentally’ let him go and to save himself? 

His eyes looked back, his fur standing on their ends upon seeing the threatening glare of the hybrid Royal Guard, face filled with determination as he quickly closed the gap between them. In his fear, he let go of the clone and ran as fast as his body would let him. 

“Wait Papa!” screamed the clone as it struggled to catch up to the artificer. But Petey didn’t care, his heart beat aggressively against his chest as he continued to weave in between the trees. His breathing fast and shallow as he began to hear the familiar clanging of armor. His panic rose when he felt a slight tug of his cloak, then the pressure was suddenly gone. Then came the sound of a heavy body hitting the ground, metallic armor clanging echoing through the night air. Everything in him told him not to look back, and so he didn’t, running through the foliage until he disappeared into the night, alone. 

~~~~

Greg’s sense of smell never failed him, especially when it came to the artificer. So when during their night patrol heard the familiar bass of tabby, he sprung into action. The heavy armor clanged against each other as he ran to the source. Then came the smell, the familiar scents of lilac and gunpowder growing stronger with each heavy-footed step he took. He scanned the foliage, spotting the movements of the artificer. Baring his teeth, he started barking, warning the artificer that he was coming for him. He could feel his heart beat loudly against his ribcage as he pushed through the foliage, following the familiar scent that alluded him every time. Greg was determined to capture the artificer once and for all. 

His armor crashed and screeched as he ran past the foliage, not caring about the low hanging branches. The scent became stronger as the sounds in front of him, seeing the silhouette of the lanky tabby. All that he could hear and see was the artificer, his gaze fixated on the figure in front of him as they continued to weave through the trees, distance between them fluctuating. 

When he felt that he was closing the gap between them, Greg extended his hand outward, fingers mere centimeters away from the flowing cape, his fingers barely grasping at the hem of the cloak.

Suddenly, just as he could feel his fingers wrap around the cloak, his foot caught on to an uprooted branch. He felt his balance shift drastically, the wind rushing through his face as his body made contact with the ground, his body recoiling against his metal armor. 

A groan escaped his lips, quickly recovering from his fall, hoping that the artificer hadn’t gotten too far away. Rapidly getting up on his feet, Greg began to run once more, hoping to track down the scent of the outlaw. His ears perked up, hoping to hear some indication of his enemy, but he couldn’t pick up anything. The artificer's scent also disappeared, and no matter which direction he sniffed at, the smell of lilacs and gunpowder had dissipated from the night air. 

Greg sighed in frustration, kicking the dirt as he slowly made his way back to where the rest of the Royal Guards were. Finding his way back was much easier, as his stocky frame left a clear path of destruction in his haste to catch the artificer. 

Slowly making his way back, Greg murmured to himself, feeling frustrated that Petey was so close within his grasp, yet it was his own clumsiness that let him get away. The armor felt heavier with each step he took, unwilling to meet Sir Clarence and the rest of the Knights empty handed. 

That’s when he heard it; It was very faint, but very distinguishable. It was the sound of a crying child. His ears perked up as he walked closer to the source of the crying. Stepping over stones and protruding roots. 

There it was, a very small tabby cat, curled up into a ball, face scrunched as tears ran down its face. 

Greg froze for a second, this is the first time he’s encountered a child in the forest, let alone one this late into the night. He crouched forward, his snout sniffing and inspecting the child. He couldn’t quite put it, but there was a familiarity with the kitten before him. He could smell the faint scent of lilacs, parchment paper, and turpentine. 

He leaned closer and continued to inspect the child, the sniffling of the kitten being replaced with soft giggles. The kitten tabby opened its eyes, and their gazes locked together. Greg’s hands wrapped around the tabby and carrying him gently, made their way out of the foliage and back to the Kingdom. 

~~~~

The following days after the incident, Petey felt agitated. The first night was pure bliss for the artificer as he was finally able to sleep without any interruptions from the clone. The second night was a restless night for Petey. Finally by the third night, his anxieties got to the best of him, twisting and grunting as sleep refused to welcome him. 

Petey got up from the bed, illuminated the lamp on his bedside with a quick illumination spell, and made his way up the stairs. The shadows of the cluttered third floor danced as he moved across the room. His eyes scanned the dimly lit room, the scattered paintings and drawings messily sprawled across the entirety of the room. His eyes landed on the stack of papers- the clone’s illustrated stories. Walking towards the stack, he set the lamp down on the table and grabbed the first bundle. 

Through the dim light of the illumination spell, he could make out the muddled drawings, speculating that it was the duo, and almost illegible wrote the clone. ‘Me and Papa are eating dinner.’ He flipped through the next page. ‘Today it rained and we watched the clouds from inside the tower.’ The drawing is a simple depiction of the lilac fields and the tower, two orange figures watching the thunderstorm that rolled in a few days ago. He flipped to the next page; this time of the study, a tall orange figure doing magic while a small orange figure stands in the corner smiling. ‘Papa is doing magic, I want to learn too. Papa and me think the same things.’ As he turned over, he saw that the clone had written a signature, the scribbling clearly spelling ‘Li’l Petey.’

He stared at the signature. The clone had named itself after him. His mouth lay slightly agape as a wave of emotions washed over him. He couldn’t figure out what the emotion was, but the feeling that was settling in the pit of his stomach was telling him leaving the little tabby behind was a mistake, and that he wanted the kitten back. 

Setting the drawings down, Petey ran down to the first floor, his footsteps thudding against the wooden steps. Descending to the bottom steps, Petey looked over at the small table that stood next to the entrance. His eyes scanned the clutter until he found the small pouch. Grabbing it, he opened the cloth pouch, revealing clumps of bat fur. Ever since the Princess’ decree of magical wildlife preservation, finding ingredients for his casting and potions have been increasingly harder- and obtaining bat fur had almost put him in prison by the Royal Guards upon finding him. 

Inhaling, he let the magic of his cuffs exude out and creep up his arms to the pile of bat fur. With an exhale he felt the pile of fur morph into a ball, the follicles snapping quietly as he continued to pour more of his magic into the sphere. 

“Oh arcane eye,” he said. “Grant me your sight and help me find what was once lost.” 

The sphere floated over his hand and opened its eye. Blinking slowly, the arcane eye looked into Petey’s own and nodded before flying off of his hand and into the night sky. 

Feeling determined, Petey ran to where his crystal ball sat and got up in the chair. Cracking his knuckles, he spoke the incantations into the clear orb, allowing the arcane eye’s view to be displayed into the orb. Petey examined the view, feeling the pit feeling of his stomach grow heaviers as the arcane eye continued to fly over the forest’s horizon, passing the ravine, and through the rest of the thicket. 

What Petey did not expect was for the eye to move past the forest and go past the Kingdom walls. His confusion grew as the skyline began to shift from the outer rings and into the upper levels of the Kingdom, flying over the houses of the lords and dukes and making its way into the Royal castle itself. 

He leaned forward, his eyes widening as he watched the arcane eye squeeze through the gap of the entrance and breeze through the long and winding corridors as it passed and flew into the Royal Guard wing. Finally, the eye slowed down and turned to face a slightly ajar door. It squeezed through and a sigh of relief escaped his lips as his eyes were met with a sleeping Li’l Petey- curled up and covered in a blanket on top of bed. 

“Oh thank Helm, he’s safe,” muttered the artificer. However, his relief was short-lived as the arcane eye lowered its gaze, and sleeping on the floor was the last being on earth that he would expect: Dogman. “Oh, of course he would be the one to find Li’l Petey!” he exclaimed, his blood boiling over the thought of his mortal enemy being the temporary caretaker of his kid. 

The arcane eye faded as the hour passed, and Petey slouched back into his chair, the gears in his mind turning and determined to get back his child one way or another. And so Petey did just that, now knowing where Li’l Petey was, Petey would spend the better part of his day on the crystal ball and examining Li’l Petey and Dogman’s pattern through his scrying- and soon he found their rhythm. He would notice that when Dogman would be relieved of his duties, he would take Li’l Petey outside the Kingdom walls and enjoy their day in a lush meadow, the hybrid would bring with him a kalimba and play while Li’l Petey would frolic in the fields. 

Petey would realize that although Dogman was very alert most of the time, he would let his guard down when playing the kalimba, the way his body would go slightly limp and eyes would close as his only focus were the notes of the metallic keys as he played. Finalizing his plans, Petey was determined to get his clone back tomorrow- one way or another. 

~~~~

The sun shone brightly as Petey hid in the bushes before the clearing, watching and listening intently for any indications of the hybrid and his clone. But all he heard was the chirping of the birds and insects. His tail and ear twitched in annoyance as he waited impatiently. 

After what felt like an eternity, Petey finally heard the familiar sounds of barking and the high pitched noises of the orange kitten. And so he waited, the playful chatters soon dissolving into the same routine. The open air began to be filled with the reverberation of the metallic tongs of the kalimba. His eyes were fixated on the giggling tabby kitten as he neared closer to the forest’s edge.

“Hey!” Petey whispered loudly. “Li’l Petey, over here!” 

Li’l Petey stopped his running as his ears perked up, heading whipping around to find the source. 

Petey slowly straightened himself upwards as he called for Li’l Petey once more. Their eyes met and Li’l Petey began running to his direction. 

“Papa! You’re back!” The tiny tabby squealed in delight as he neared closer to Petey. 

“Hey there, kid! Of course I'm back,” he scoffed. “I would have been back sooner, but I got…err…sick. But the important thing is that I’m back and we're going back home!” Petey scooped up the kitten as they made their way back. 

“Wait papa! What about Dogman?” pleaded Li’l Petey as he squirmed against the artificer’s arms. “I have to say goodbye to him!” 

“Look kid, there's no time!” he said as he continued walking, ignoring the kitten’s protests. “Plus you’re my kid, and Dogman only did us a favor by taking care of you. He can get over it.” 

Li’l Petey deflated against Petey’s grip and as they continued their journey back home, the faint sound of a dog howling in the distance could be heard. 

~~~~

Several weeks had passed since Petey had reclaimed his clone from the Kingdom, and his life around his home had grown particular. Petey knew that the clone required food and had an aptitude for the arts, as his tables and walls were now littered with various paintings and drawings of whatever came to the little tabby’s mind. In Addition, the kitten was shown to be intelligent like him, absorbing knowledge and growing familiar with texts and runes of the various textbooks that Petey had kept. 

Within those days, the kitten had grown to become something more than a clone to Petey, he had started seeing him as his son, a version of himself that will see a better future than he ever had, and he made sure that Li’l Petey would grow up to be more successful than he ever would. Newfound fatherhood was a shock to Petey, and maybe it caused him to grow soft, but at the very least he had a new purpose. 

“Kid wake up,” Petey said as he nudged the kitten awake. The sleeping ball of fur snoozed through all hours of the day. This kid has no sense of danger, he thought to himself as he gently shook the kitten awake. 

Li’l Petey cracked open his eyes as he awoke from his name. Paws stretched out and back arched as the kitten let out a big yawn. “Good morning Papa,” grumbled the kitten in his half-sleep daze. 

“Good morning to you too. C’mon, breakfast is ready.” Petey made his way upstairs and sat down on a table, fruits, bread, and cheeses spread across the wooden plates. Shortly after, he heard the familiar thudding of the kitten’s footsteps as he made his way upstairs, fully dressed in his own replica of Petey’s clothing, the gemstone shining brightly on the necklace that adorned his neck. He made his way through the room and up the chair. Once fully sat, they both began to eat, the occasional chatters and the sounds of birds chirping outside filling the air. 

“Li’l Petey,” said the older tabby in between the chewing of his cheese. “I am going out to the kingdom today. It shouldn’t take me long so I want you to stay within the barrier because the last thing we need for you to do is to get lost again.”

“Okay, Papa,” said the kitten tabby. “Can you see if they have any more parchments, I’m almost out again! Ooh, and can you see if they have any more colors, Papa!?”

Petey let out a small chuckle of disbelief. It was one thing to feed an extra mouth, but even the laws of alchemy and magic couldn’t give him enough grace to produce a spell to satisfy the needs of the kitten with his artistic abilities. 

“Fine, I’ll go search for them, but I better not see any more drawings on the walls okay?”

“Yes Papa.”

~~~~

The Bustling market outside of the kingdom always irritated Petey, there were too many people, too much noise, and never the right materials he needed for his inventions, after all, magic was just another complex system awaiting to be decoded and harnessed to its fullest potential- but he could not do that without the proper ingredients for his building and casting. Tightening his grip on his cloak, Petey continued to weave through the bustling crowd. Jumping through the stalls, he haggled and bartered with each stall, slowly gathering more ingredients as his basket filled up with potatoes, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and fresh game from the morning. Wrapped in a leather cloth, Petey had also managed to find an ccrafts merchant and had bought a plentiful supply of parchment papers and a new colored pigment that the merchant said came from crushed lapis lazulis, the vibrant blue sticking out amongst the other various pigments. 

Petey looked up at the sun, finding it to be nearning Sext. He snuck a quick glance at his basket and determined it to be enough to last him and Li’l Petey for the next couple of days until he could finish another invention and try to sell it off in the night markets. 

Feeling satisfied with his run, Petey readjusted his cloak, turned his heel, and began to walk back to his home, when all of sudden his hearing picked up on the familiar clanking of golden metal. Shit, he thought to himself as the panic started to rise up, but before he could make a dash for it, the metallic clanging stopped. The roar of the crowd simmered down to a silent hum as someone coughed. Sneaking a quick glance, he could see that it was the Royal Guards escorting a single person, the town crier. Clearing their throat once more, the crier tucked their hands behind their back and took a deep inhale. 

“Hear Thee, Hear Thee,” They began. “On the third night from today, the Princess Yolay of Ohkay has announced a Ball in honorance of her upcoming crowning. The citizens of the kingdom have all been cordially invited to enter the castle, to eat, and to dance to your heart’s content.” 

With that, the crier walked away, the Royal Guard following suit. Soon thereafter, the crowd began buzzing with excitement. It was unheard of for the castle doors to open to the public, and it happening during the height of the Princess’ upcoming coronation was very much a reason to be excited for such an occasion. 

He shook his head in disbelief, while the townsfolk may have been fooled by the feigned gestures of kindness from the kingdom, Petey knew better, It was all a ploy for the people to embrace the idea of their upcoming Queen- Who already didn’t have much a good reputation due to her more ‘progressive’ ideas, and many people didn’t like change.

Readjusting the hood of his cloak, Petey turned and began to walk away from the market and made his way back home. His mind wandered as he walked through the familiar trails and passed through the same patches of foliage and mossy fields, a simple pattern of familiarity that did not require much thoughts. The sun's rays peaked through leaves of the trees above him, the lights dancing slightly as the branches shifted ever so slightly. 

Pushing the brush, Petey made it to the ravine, a solid twenty feet separating the cliffs. On the other side of the cliff resided Petey’s home. He turned his head, making sure that there were no distractions or unwarranted guests, Petey pulled out his  all-purpose tool from his pocket, feeling the magic embedded in his gemstones crackle with energy as he pointed the tool to his feet. One deep breath, and he allowed the magic to run through his body and into the tool. Crouching down, he touched his sandals with his tool, feeling the familiar tingling of energy running through the material. Straightening himself out, Petey began to walk, his feet leaving the solid ground, the flat of his foot making contact with the nothingness below him. His gemstones glowed softly with each step he took until he made it across the cliff, his feet finally touching the solid ground of the other side. 

Putting his tool back into his pocket, Petey continued his way to his home. Soon enough, the familiar scents of lilacs hit his nose as he made it through the clearing. Taking a deep inhale, he let his magic flow from the gemstones on his cufflinks to the open field. With an exhale, he muttered the incantation, allowing the warding veil to waiver slightly as he stepped into the clearing, feeling the air shift as the tower came back into view. Taking steps forward he could see that Li’l Petey was in the fields playing with the insects and giggling to himself- his bright orange fur in contrast to the soft purples of the fields.

The Kitten’s ears perked up, head spinning to see where Petey was standing  “Papa!” yelled the smaller tabby in delight, his little body running towards the taller tabby. 

Petey crouched down and set the basket down just as the smaller figure crashed into him. “Hey there kid,” he said, lifting up Li’l Petey into the air. “How have you behaved yourself?” 

The kitten let out a small giggle as he was suspected in the air. “Good, Papa!” 

Petey gave a hearty chuckle as he set the kitten down. “Well, that’s always good to hear,” he said as he picked up the basket. “Well let’s head inside and store our produce, plus I think you’ll be happy to see what else I found at the market today.” 

Li’l Petey gasped in excitement as they both made their way back into their home. 

~~~~

Both had finally settled down into their respective spots- Li’l Petey on one table, several pigments, graphites, and parchment papers littering the table top as he drew and painted to his heart's content. Meanwhile, Petey had taken to a liking of sitting on a large lounge chair that had occupied itself in between two bookshelves. He sat down and picked up a book that caught his eye a while back in his previous trips to the market square. He cracked open the book and began reading, allowing himself to enjoy the minimal silence that enveloped the room. 

“Papa,” said the kitten while painting on the parchment paper. “I miss Dogman.” 

Petey froze, his eyes moving away from the book and stared at the small tabby. “What did you say?” 

Li’l Petey looked up from his drawings, eyes meeting Petey’s. “I said I miss Dogman, Papa.” 

“But why? You have everything you need here. You have food, water, and I buy you your art supplies- What more could you want?

Li’l Petey looked down, his ears dropping downward, his little hands fidgeting nervously. “I don’t know, Papa. I just really liked that time Dogman took care of me.... Plus, he looked lonely, and I know how being alone feels like.” 

Petey stared at the kitten tabby, his heart sinking a little. Despite the clone having only been alive for not even a full lunar cycle, he had already experienced pain and suffering- mainly caused by his own selfish manner. 

He closed his book and set it on the table. Petey got up from his chair and walked over to the sulking kitten. Kneeling forward, Petey ran his hand through Li’l Petey’s head, ruffling his fur. “Don’t worry kid,” he began. “I’m sure it’ll all turn out for the better.” 

~~~~

His mind wandered, his body leaning towards the window sill, the evening air blowing softly and tickling his fur. A heavy sigh escaped him, his brow furrowed at the words Li’l Petey said to him. Dogman was lonely, a feeling he was all too familiar with. Petey to some extent could sympathise with the Royal Knight- fitting into a mold that society placed them to, forever expected to play their roles without ever knowing what may be outside of their cage. Much how Li’l Petey had freed him from his own cycle, had his child done the same for the hybrid?

His mind continued to race. As much as he felt that he was giving Li’l Petey the necessities to ensure his proper development, would things truly be better for the kitten if Dogman had been introduced to the picture? From what his scrying eye had shown him, Dogman had more than enough to properly take care of a child, plus being a high ranking member of the Royal Guard would grant Li’l Petey certain privileges that he had not grown up with, such as a proper education, more variety of foods, and most important of all: safety. 

Petey sighed in frustration. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew that his rationale led him to the same conclusion: Li’l Petey would have a much better future if Dogman was in the mix. But then it raised the question, where and when would it be best to approach the hybrid without ending it in a game of cat-and-mouse. That’s when it hit him: The Royal Ball, such an event filled with commoners would lead the Royal Guards to dress more appropriately and less intimidating for the general crowd.  Determined, Petey began to construct in his mind the perfect plan.

And so, two nights had passed, and Petey had spent most of his time constructing the perfect outfit to infiltrate the ball. The array of golds, myrtle, and black mesh had been cut, sewn, and trimmed together several hours of the days and nights, his fingers pricked various times as he threaded the needles. But he remained determined. 

Finally the third day rolled around, and Petey sat on the floor, marveling at his craftsmanship- a simple cotton gown, dyed green to match his usual color scheme, the hems and seams covered with golden lace. The top of the dress was a simple square cut, the black mesh being used to extend and cover the chest and neck of the outfit. Lastly, a small mask that was created by Li’l Petey, simple in design yet matched the gold of his lacing, and on the end was adorned with dark green feathers and a small magical purple gemstone on the corner. Glimpsing out through the opening, he could see that the sun had begun to descend to its hour of Terce. 

Petey stood up and walked down to the second floor, seeing that Li’l Petey was curled up on his bed, chest rising and falling rapidly as he was deep in his slumber. Moving forward he knelt down and shook the kitten awake. 

“Mmm, Papa?” yawned the kitten, his fur ruffled and eyes still mostly closed. 

“Hey kid,” said Petey. “I just want to let you know that I’m going to be heading out.” 

“Where are you going Papa?”

“Well, I thought about what you said a couple days ago, and I want to go out to talk to Dogman- Just to see how he would feel about an arrangement,” Petey said diffidently. “Before you say anything, it’s just a talk, so we don’t know what the outcome will be, but I am willing to try. For your sake.”

He leaned forward to give the half-awake kitten a small hug. He held onto the kitten tabby for several seconds before letting him go. “I don’t know how long I will be out, but there’s already purified water in the water pouches, food is in the storage containers if you get hungry. And remember, do not go out past the sanctions of the barrier.”

“Yes Papa,” responded the kitten, his head resting back to the bed, allowing for sleep to wave over him. 

A small huff escaped his nostrils as a smile crept up on his face. Straightening up, Petey walked back upstairs and bagen to remove his outer clothing. Reaching down, he grabbed the dress and began to put it on, allowing the fabric to cling tightly against his bodice, the sleeves billowing out as they bloomed towards the ends. The mesh top had hugged his chest and neck snugly, hiding the stripes of his body. He clasped the buttons on the front of the dress, fully securing the garment to his body. Petey fixed the hem of the dress, allowing the fabric to flow and billow as he gave a small twirl, feeling satisfied with his work. 

Walking across the room, Petey opened a small chest. He opened it to reveal various chains, different metals, rings  and began to rummage through the chains until he pulled out a simple double-chained necklace, the color of the gold matching almost perfectly to his golden accents. He unclasped the chain and wrapped it around his neck, feeling the cold metal press against the mesh and fur. 

Petey rubbed his bare arms. He looked around the room and spotted his cufflinks. As much as he wanted to wear the cufflinks- they didn’t really work well with his disguise. But he also didn't want to go outside his home without some kind of magical protection. 

Petey made his way through the small chest on top of one of the drawers. Quickly opening the chest, Petey rummaged through the trinkets until he pulled out a simple golden chain necklace, the small metal plating of the pendant missing the centerpiece. Wrapping his fingers around the pendant, he swiftly moved to an open table. Grabbing the cufflinks, Petey grabbed the gemstone and used his magic to pry the stone apart from the cufflink. With a quiet groan, the gemstone separated from its home. Giving it a twirl, Petey pushed the gemstone to the pendant, allowing his magic to flow once more, mending the stone to the metal plate. 

Picking up the pendant, he examined the makeshift ornament. Feeling satisfied, he wrapped the chain around his neck, clasping the chain together and feeling the weight of the gemstone tug slightly against his neck.

He examined his outfit and couldn’t help but admire his craftsmanship. While he was one for flashiness, he debated if wearing a dress was the best idea. Glancing back through the window opening to see the sun’s position. He figured it was too late to change now, so grabbing his all purpose tool, and slipping the mask over his eyes, Petey made his way down the stairs. He glanced over the sleeping kitten once more before continuing his flight down and out the door. 

He made his way through the clearing and gave one more glance over the tower, clutching his pendant tightly as he walked past the barrier, and made his way through the foliage, walked over the ravine, and pushed through brush, and continued to make his way through the terrain until he came across the well used path that led to the Kingdom. 

Lifting his dress slightly, Petey followed the path, each step bringing a new sense of anxiety through his mind. But he had already made it this far, for it would only be going through the gates that would be the hardest part, but even with his cloaking spell, would it be enough to bypass the guards?

“Ma’am?” said a voice, causing Petey to break from his thoughts. He whipped his head to the source of the voice, finding that a carriage had pulled up next to him, a rotund, anthropomorphic cat sitting at the driver’s seat, his fingers wrapped tightly around the reins, the horses whinnying softly. 

“Ma’am?” the big cat repeated. “Do you perchance need a lift?” 

Petey stood there for a second before snapping back into place, nearly forgetting that his cloaking spell affected the way he was being perceived, and mixed in with the gown, it was only reasonable to assume that other people saw him as a lady. He contemplated his options quickly, giving the Russian Blue cat a soft nod. 

“Why yes, I would greatly appreciate a ride Sir…er…” 

“Jim ma’am. But people call me Big Jim,” he chuckled as he got off his seat. He opened the carriage door, revealing it to be empty. He extended his hand outward, offering his assistance in getting Petey into the carriage. 

Petey took the other’s hand as he got into the carriage, allowing himself to relax a little as he sunk into the cushions of the seats. The carriage shifted and bounced slightly as Big Jim got back up to the driver’s seat. Looking back, Big Jim gave Petey a curious look. 

“Where are you headed to miss?”

“I’m heading over to the Kingdom for the Ball, but I would be just fine if you got me past the entry point.”

Big Jim gave a hearty chuckle. “Nonsense ma’am, If it’s to the castle you are going to, I shall take you there with no trouble at all.”

Petey felt slightly uncomfortable by the sudden kindness he was receiving from the stranger, but he allowed himself to relax slightly as the carriage began to move.  

The tabby was pleasantly surprised through the checkpoints, as when they heard that Petey was going to the Ball, they simply nodded and told both anthro-cats to enjoy their time, and let them pass through the gates with no trouble. But he was even more surprised by the smoothness of the ride, the journey to the castle taking far less time than what he had planned out. 

Soon enough, the carriage stopped at the steps of the castle, and Petey couldn’t help but be slightly entranced by the torches and the bright red floral arrangements that aligned the steps leading up to the main entrance. 

The carriage door opened and Big Jim’s hand extended itself. Petey took the hand and stepped outside of the carriage, finding that the cobblestone floor had been covered by a long velvet carpet. He turned to face Big Jim, giving him a small curtsy and handed the bigger a small stack of gold, despite their protest. 

After Big Jim left, Petey turned to face the entrance of the castle. His heart thumped loudly against his ribcage, despite being here for simple intentions, he still had an inkling of fear that his cloaking spell would waver. Well, he thought to himself. I’m already at the entrance, there’s no point in going back now. 

Taking a deep breath, Petey began ascending the stairs, hearing the sound of music and laughter growing louder with each step he took. His heart began to race as the wide arches of the entrance became more visible. Reaching to the top of the steps, Petey was welcomed by two Royal Guard members, both wearing Cream colored and Red tailor-made suits. Giving the guards a small curtsy, Petey stepped through the arches and was immediately bombarded with a cacophony of sounds and smells. The entrance was cluttered with various members of the Kingdom, all adorning themselves with their fanciest gowns and suits, the colors each clashing with one another. 

Weaving his way through the crowd, Petey navigated his way through the corridors. Judging by the increasing volume of the orchestra and the density of the crowd, he could only assume that he was heading in the right direction. 

At the heart of the music, Petey pushed his way through another set of wide double doors, and was met with the brightly illuminated ballroom. Several people were lined up against the walls, each of them holding foods and drinks of various kinds, each individual laughing and chattering gleefully. In the middle of the ballroom was an elevated platform, in which an ensemble of musicians took the stage, each playing their instruments with precision. Surrounding the platform were various pairings, all dancing in unison to the beat of the musicians. 

Eyes scanning the ballroom, his gaze crept up the set of stairs that hugged the wall, and sitting at the very top was Princess Yolay, a member of the Royal Guard, and Dogman himself. Petey couldn’t help but admire Dogman’s change of clothing- Usually he only ever saw him in the reflective golden armor, but for this night Dogman was dressed under a more formal attire. 

Dogman was wearing a white button-up shirt that covered his neck, a pair of dark navy pants, and knee-high black leather boots. His bright blue outerwear was laced with gold around the hems of his coat. Gold plated armour rested on his shoulders, polished and reflecting the light of the ballroom. Pinned to either side of his coat were two golden medallions, tied to each other by thick woven threads. His billowing blue cape, shades lighter than that of his coat, nearly touched the floor, meere inches hovering over the ground. His face remained stoic and vigilant as he examined each pair that walked up the stairs to greet the Princess. 

Petey made his way through the ballroom and climbed up the stairs slowly, feeling his anxieties rising once more. His mind began to race in ways to have a moment alone with the hybrid, yet he could think of none. He glanced up to find that he was not far off from reaching the top of the steps. 

Then it hit him. It was a foolish idea that would not guarantee him alone time with Dogman, but it was worth a shot. Steadying himself, Petey made it to the top of the stairs, and gave the standard curtsy to the Royal figure. “Your honor, such a lovely ball you are hosting.”

Princess Yolay smiled brightly at Petey. “Thank you, the pleasure is all mine,” She said humbly before turning her attention back to the next pair standing behind him. 

Straightening himself out, he snuck a glance at Dogman, who was staring right back at him, his nose lifting slightly, as if inspecting the air. Petey stood there, gathering up his courage, feeling his heartbeat against his ribcage. Dogman’s gaze shifted to the pair behind him. 

Okay now or never, he thought to himself. 

Petey coughed lightly, catching the attention of the Princess and Dogman. He gave a small curtsey to Yolay, acknowledging her once more before beginning. “I do apologize for the abruptness Princess. But I do wish to have your permission to dance with the Knight: Sir….” Petey paused- He had realized that he never bothered to learn the hybrid’s name throughout their entire feud. 

Princess Yolay’s eyes shifted between Petey and Dogman, a small smile spreading across her face. “Of course, I suppose I can spare you Sir Gregory for a few dances.” 

Greg looked at Yolay, his face furrowed with concern and eyes darting between Petey and Yolay.

“Oh go on Gregory,” smiled Yolay, shooing the Knight away. “There are plenty of guards around, and who are you to deny a beautiful young woman from a dance? Plus, you’ll take good care of me, Right Sir Clarence?” she joked, her elbow lightly jabbing at the guard next to her. 

Greg’s gaze from Princess Yolay wavered, his shoulders slumped slightly as he turned to face Petey. A sheepish smile crept up Greg’s face as he extended and offered his hand. His eyes snuck a fleeting glance at the Tall tabby before his eyes darted back down to the ground. 

Petey couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight, the usually confident and strong-headed hybrid now stood before him nervously. Taking Greg’s hand, they walked down the stairs and made their way to the dance floor. 

It’s all part of the plan, Petey thought to himself as he placed one hand gently resting on Greg’s shoulder while the other was interlaced with the other’s hand. He could feel the Knight’s hand sweat and fidget nervously as they began to dance. Their movements were clunky and staggered as Greg tripped over his own two feet, embarrassment flushing his face as he looked down at the floor.

“Do you not know how to dance Sir Gregory?” asked Petey. 

Sagging even more so, Greg shook his head no as his face lowered and ears drooped. 

Petey stared at the hybrid, his mind conflicted- On one hand it was hilarious to him that the Knight was incapable of dancing, but on the other hand, he felt some pity and didn’t feel that it would be worth to embarrass the stumbling Knight, especially not since he was was here to speak with Greg. 

Petey feigned a smile, and let out a silent chuckle. “Here, Sir Gregory,” he began, grasping at Greg’s hand firmer. Petey leaned forward, his mouth centimeters away from the other’s ear. “Just follow my lead,” he whispered as he began to lead the dance, his left foot slid smoothly against the slick, marble tile. Greg followed suit, his own right foot sliding forward, pressing their bodies closer together as they soon began to move together in unison, their movements following through the tempo of the strings of the harp and violin. 

Their movements were slow at first, their steps hesitant yet determined to follow up with the crowd. Petey’s hand tightened as they glided across the dancefloor. Petey’s dress and Greg’s Cape billowed softly with each step they took, feet interlacing within one another as they twirled with the elongated hum of the violin. 

Greg’s arm that was wrapped around the other’s waist began to loosen its hold, the soft humming of the crowd being drowned out as Greg stared into the tabby’s eyes- well rather the white cloth that covered his eyes. 

It felt that it was only them in the dancefloor, the music slowly fading out and the brightly lit ballroom illuminating both the figure’s in the soft yellow glow of the flames, their gazes never leaving each other as they continued their clockwork waltz. 

The performers ended their song, and the crowd applauded, breaking the pair from their trance. Petey let go of the Knight’s hand. Grabbing his dress, Petey gave Greg a small curtsey. “If you excuse me, I need some refreshments.” With that Petey walked away, not allowing Greg to say anything. This was not part of his plan, he should have simply pulled Greg away from the dance to reveal himself, but he got caught up by the flashy decor and the music. He weaved through the excited crowd, making his way out of the ballroom as he stepped into the long hallways. 

This should have been so simple, Petey thought to himself, walking rapidly through the long corridors, its walls decorated with various paintings and tapestries. Petey continued walking through the Long hallways, the music fading out with each step he took. His mind continued to race, unable to find clarity through the nauseating views of golds and reds that embellished the halls. Pulling out a fan from his pocket, he whacked it open and began to fan himself, feeling the small beads of sweat roll down his forehead. Taking a left turn down the corridor, he found himself nearing a set of doors. Striding forward, he paced faster until reaching the wooden frame, and pushed. 

The night air rushed past him as he pushed the doors open, providing some comfort to the stuffy castle. Petey stepped out of the doorway and into the night sky, finding himself on a balcony that oversaw the streets of the Kingdom. Pacing forward, Petey leaned forward, his arms resting on top of the stone terrace. His hands reached for the mask, fingers gripping the edge of the leather as he began to pull it away from his face. 

Just as the mask was about to leave his face, Petey heard a pair of footsteps. He quickly placed the mask back in place and waved his fan, pretending not to hear the soft thudding of the heavy footed person behind him as they neared. 

Petey turned his head as the footsteps stopped, and was shocked to find that it was Greg standing at the archway of the door. His face was soft and stoic as his eyes fixated on Petey. He continued to walk forward, his cape billowing softly as he made his way to the tabby, stopping when he reached the balcony, standing mere feet away from each other. 

“Sir Gregory,” choked out Petey, hiding his mouth with his fan. “What brings you out here, shouldn’t you be at the party? And not concern yourself with a commoner woman like me.” 

Greg looked at Petey with an unamused expression, and  began to pat his suit. A muffled crinkle could be heard as Greg shoved his hand to the inside of his outerwear and pulled out a small folded piece of parchment paper and a thick rod of stone- graphite from what Petey was able to deduce. Unfolding the parchment, Greg laid the paper on top of the stone balcony and began to scribble something down. His tongue poked out from his maw as he continued to write across the parchment. 

Once finished, Greg handed the paper to Petey, there it read: 

It concerns me when it comes to you Petey, what are you doing here.

Petey read the note twice over, his eyes widening at his name being messily sprawled on the parchment paper. “Rats….How did you know it was me?” Questioned Petey. “Wait…You knew it was me this entire time?!”

Greg shrugged his shoulders and took the paper from Petey, turning it over and writing his response. He gave the note back to Petey. 

It was kind of obvious from the beginning. Plus you smell like gunpowder and lilacs. No cloaking spell powerful enough could hide your scent from me. What are you doing here?

Petey stared at the note, the  shock unable to be hidden from his face. Petey crumpled the paper and pulled off his mask, eyes never leaving Greg’s own gaze. 

“Okay you got me, It’s me Petey,” He sighed as he waved his arms dramatically. “There was a reason I came to the Ball,” he resumed. “Don’t worry I didn’t have any nefarious plan to ruin the upcoming Queen’s coronation.” 

“You know,” Petey began, his eyes scanning the horizons of the kingdom as the streetlamps softly illuminated the “Li’l Petey says he misses you.” His gaze shifted downward, his hand fiddling the hem of his sleeves, the nervousness building up inside him. He swallowed- feeling how dry his throat was feeling. “Dogman- I want to apologize, It was not right to take my son away from you, especially when I could see how well you were treating him. On top of that, I deeply regret now what I did a long time ago,” He said, eyes glancing at Greg’s neck. “I know that words of apologies can’t undo my spell, but I’m hoping that my past doesn’t affect your view points in Li’l Petey,” he finished. His ears twitched as he heard the other shifting next to him. 

Petey shifted his gaze to face Greg, who was looking back at him with curiosity, his figure leaning against the marbled terrace. His hands continued to fiddle with the gold-laced hem. “Dogman,” he gulped. “I would like to make a proposal that would satisfy both of us.” 

Greg’s ears perked up slightly, his head tilting slightly. Their eyes met, Greg stared at Petey’s eyes intently, hoping to catch a glimpse of what Petey was about to say next.

“If you are open to the idea- I think it would be best for us to share custody of Li’l Petey. I would keep Li’l Petey for four nights, we’ll rendezvous, and you get to keep him for 3 nights. Of course, if anything happens we can always discuss chang-”

Before Petey was able to finish his sentence, he felt Greg’s arms wrap around his waist as he was lifted off the ground and spun around. His body stiffened as the world blurred together, his eyes looking down to see that Greg was sporting a smile so wide his canines were showing, yet there was only pure unbridled joy painted across his face. 

“Put me down you mutt!” Screamed Petey, his hands pressing against Greg’s shoulders, attempting his best to pry himself off the overly-excited hybrid. 

Greg set Petey down, his face now red with embarrassment as he readjusted his suit. Petey, now slightly flustered, attempted his best to straighten his dress, readjusting the pendant around his neck.

“Don’t ever do that again,” hissed Petey. He ran his hands down his dress, smoothing out the wrinkles and fixing the minute details of the accessories that decorated his outfit. Huffing loudly, he turned his attention back to Greg. “As I said, I would very much like to have a mutual agreement of giving Li’l Petey an adequate life. I may be his father, but I am still an Outlaw, and I fear that my style of living is not the best way of raising him.” 

Greg, wanting to say something, pulled out another piece of parchment paper from his inner pocket. He unfolded the paper and set it down on the top of the thick railing, his hands moving quickly to write down his thoughts. Mere seconds later, Greg straightened himself out and handed the parchment to Petey, who took the paper in his own hands and looked at the writing. Messy and barely legible, Petey looked at the inscription and read the message. 

I like that idea very much, Thank you. 

Petey stared at the simple sentence and handed the parchment back to Greg. “There’s no need to thank me. I’m doing this for Li’l Petey.”

Greg simply gave Petey a small smile in return. Tucking the paper and graphite back into his inner pockets, he extended his hand to Petey. 

Petey looked at Greg, confused by the gesture. “What? You want us to continue dancing?” 

Greg’s smile widened as he shrugged his shoulders, his outstretched arm never wavering. 

Unbelievable, Petey thought to himself. However, It wasn’t every day that he got to enjoy the nightlife of the ball scene, let alone one issued by the royal family. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his mask and put it back on over his eyes. 

“Well, since you’re offering,” he said, his own hand reaching forward and accepting Greg’s. “How can I say no to a few more dances while the night is still young.” Striding forward, the duo made their way back into the music and lights of the Ballroom.

~~~~

And so the Knight and the Artificer kept their promise: Four days would be spent with Petey, they would rendezvous on a meadow outside of the kingdom walls, and Greg would take Li’l Petey for the next three days. And the cycle would repeat itself. The days turned into weeks, time passing by as the seasons shifted as they continued their routine. Petey would continue to have Li’l Petey on the weekdays and throughout their time, he began teaching the little tabby the rules of magic and how to incorporate them into machines. Petey would swell with pride and boast to the Knight during handoffs about how alike Li’l Petey was to him, and how he was naturally gifted. 

“Who knows Dogman, we might have another artificer in the mix,” he smirked, one hand on his shoulder as he popped his hip to the side, the other hand used to scratch his nose. 

Greg shook his head as an airy chuckle escaped his maw. The tabby had been an unexpected source of amusement and comfort for the hybrid. Going through the familiar path to pick up Lil Petey for the weekends provided something in his life that he hadn’t realized he yearned for- Family. He viewed Li’l Petey as his own son, despite how unofficial it was, and every weekend spent with the little tabby felt like a gift from the Heavens each time. 

It was a bit of an unspoken agreement that Greg would never talk about his life inside the castle walls, and Petey would never discuss his inventions and outlaw-like activities, but outside of the castle walls, they were able to enjoy their new rhythm of life. 

With their routine, something else arose with their comfortability. Their weekend exchangement soon morphed into small talk, where the tabby soon discovered that although Dogman was part of the Royal Guard, and knew how to read and write- He was never trained in sign language. Such a powerful language for those without a voice, and here was Dogman, left barren and powerless through the power of speech. 

“You know,” Petey began, tilting his head to face the ground between them, scratching the back of his neck. He cursed internally as his tail twitched, unable to hide his own discomfort. “In the dark alleys, we use sign language to communicate without speaking. If you’d like- Well, maybe I can teach you.” 

Greg stared at Petey in awe, a whine escaping his lips as his own excitement was unable to be contained as he lunged himself forward and tackled the tabby down to the ground, giving the artificer several happy licks across his cheeks. 

“Stop it!” Screamed Petey as he attempted (and failed) to push the hybrid off of him. Grabbing a hold of Greg’s forehead, he managed to push him away enough to give Greg a displeased look. 

“Listen, I’m only doing this because I’m tired of these one sided conversations- and I doubt you carry papers, quills, and ink at the ready with you wherever you go” 

Greg cocked his head to the side and gave Petey a crooked smile. His shoulders raised, shrugging at the comment. 

Petey ran his hand through his cheek, attempting to remove as much as the saliva that he could from his fur. Grimacing at the drooling liquid, he shook his hand, flinging the saliva from his hand. “Eugh,” he muttered, wiping the rest of the saliva off with his tunic. “Please don’t make me regret this.”

~~~~

The sun was shining brightly as the trio sat in the meadow, the lilacs and plumbagos swaying softly through the soft breeze of the spring winds. Li’l Petey was busy running around the plush meadows and giggling as he was chasing the grasshoppers as they jumped through the blades of the tall grass. His soft giggles felt like music to Greg and Petey’s ears as they sat together on top of the small hill. 

Greg had begun to notice that with their frequenting of the clear pastures, Petey would bring various items with him. The first time Petey had brought along an object with him, it was a lilac. Simple and delicate, the cluster of lavender colored petals had caught the Knight’s eye. 

“Well, well, well. Look who it is Mr.Knight- I got you a little something from my garden,” He said, sporting a wide and mischievous grin as he held out his hand, offering the lilac to Greg. 

The hybrid wrapped his fingers around the stem of the flower. Petey let go of the flower, his grin still plastered on his face as giggles were being stifled. Greg gave the artificer a questioning look, placing the flower closer to his face. Before he could sniff and smell the scent of the lilacs, the flower suddenly exploded, a cloud of purple smoke enveloping the Knight. Quickly closing his eyes, he tried to wave off the mauve colored smoke. 

“Haw haw haw!” guffawed the tabby, his knees hitting the ground as he doubled over. Petey held his stomach as he continued laughing. 

Greg shivered at the recollection of the event, for he remembered everything smelling like lilacs and gunpowder for several days. 

However, the more they interacted, the more personal the objects became. At first, they started with reading material, then Li’l Petey’s art supplies, in which they would spend most of the day watching Li’l Petey draw fervently of the meadows or either one of his parents. It kept Greg curious, feeling that each new item that Petey brought along was another part of his story and past that he was willing to let Greg see. 

Today was no different, Li’l Petey was busy drawing on his drawing pad, giggling to himself every now and then, and Greg stared at the forest lining. He knew that the tabby would always appear, but a part of him felt excited to see the lanky artificer. His eyes glimmered as the brush moved, and out came Petey, wearing his usual attire of myrtle and gold. His hands were carrying various books, and on his back was poking out the neck of an instrument. 

As Petey neared the rendezvous spot, he gave Greg a friendly wave. Li’l Petey looked up from his drawing pad, his face lighting up as he scrambled to hug Petey. 

“Papa! You made it!” squealed the little tabby in delight. 

“Of course kid,” Petey mused. “You know I’ll always be here.” He looked up at the sky and then back to the kitten, eyes sneaking over glances to Greg. “C’mon kid, it’s still early enough for us to stay for a while- You do have time right?” he asked, eyes fixed on Greg. 

Greg nodded his head and gave Petey a thumbs up. Petey smiled softly as he made it to where Li’l Petey was laying down, the kitten tabby now resumed back to their drawing. Petey sat down, laying the books down, and untying the strap, pulled out a stringed instrument out of his back. 

“Awroo? (Do you know any songs?)” Asked Greg, his eyes fixated on the lute that Petey decided to bring with him. The tabby was carefully strumming and adjusting the tension of each chord. 

“Huh?” said Petey, his gaze shifting upwards to look at the Knight. Greg responded back by pointing at the lute being held in his arms. “You’re interested in the lute?” 

Greg gave Petey a sly shrug and began signing. “I was asking if you knew any songs.”

“Know any songs?” Petey looked back down, his eyes scanning the bisque stained instrument, wood faded and splintered from the natural wear and tear of its lifespan. Yet the lute remained strong and waiting for fingers to press and run against the chords, hoping to play one more song for its owner and their audience. 

“Well,” he began, voice meek and a touch melancholic. “I haven’t played the lute in a very long time- But I remember my mom, before her passing, used to play the lute every day. She used to play various songs, but there was always one song that she was particularly fond of…”  His fingers fiddled around the chords, pulling on each string until his fingers found their rightful position. 

He looked back up at Greg, who was sitting up straight, hands pressed down on his legs as his eyes gleamed attentively at the now-nervous tabby.  

“Stop looking at me like that!” he hissed, face burning slightly at the attention being received from the hybrid. “Like I said, I haven’t played the lute in several years, so don’t be surprised if it sounds bad, okay?”

Greg simply nodded his head in acknowledgement. Petey, face scrunching slightly, looked back down at the lute and felt the pressure of his fingers as they tugged at the chords. The notes began to fill air with their soft and melodic whispers, each strum of the lute filling the pastures with their melodies.

And there they sat, on top of the hill. The artificer playing and humming along to the music progression. The Knight, eyes wide with curiosity as he watched the tabby earnestly. If Greg had a tail, he knew without a doubt that it would be wagging for the tabby. The chord progression slowed down as Petey reached towards the end of the song, his palm resting on top of the strings shortly after the last note was played. Petey looked up from the ground, his eyes moving upwards and coming into contact with Greg’s own umber irises. 

“What are you looking at,” said Petey, whipping his head to the side, his cheeks burning slightly. 

A light tap on the artificer’s shoulders caused him to turn his head back. Greg gave Petey a small lopsided smile as his hands moved. “You played very well. It was nice,” he signed. 

Petey simply looked at Greg, his heart beating loudly against his ribcage. Such compliments were few and far between, but reading it from the Knight himself felt different. “W-whatever,” he muttered. “Enough of me playing, I assume youre ready for your next lesson in sign language.” Petey quickly set the lute down next to him, hands reaching for the small leatherbound book that he had brought with him. Loosening the thread that held the book closed, Petey opened the book and flipped through the pages. Each page was filled with drawings of hand positions, clear instructions on how to move your hands and fingers with each word being represented. 

“It's good to see that you are remembering the basic vocabulary to carry on a conversation,” said Petey, letting the words feel more like a praise to the hybrid. He looked at the blooming meadows, at his son as Li’l Petey continued to frolic around the grasses and flowers. Petey looked back down at the booklet, his fingers flipping around the pages, until he found the word that perfectly encapsulated what he was feeling at this very moment. The blooming of the fields, the warm and crisp air, the birds chirping as they flew through the horizons. A Chapter of new beginnings. 

“Now, this word,” Petey said, pointing to the hand gestures drawn on the page of the textbook. “This means Spring.” Petey cupped his right hand in a sideways “C’ position, his other hand underneath and pinched together. Slowly he moved his hand upward and spread his fingers, emulating a flower blooming. 

Greg cocked his head to the side and repeated the motion, his grin widening as he repeated the motion excitedly. 

“Spring, I like that word a lot,” signed Greg, his movements fast and clean. “Thank you for taking the time to teach me. Words and gestures cannot even begin to express the gratitude I feel.” 

Petey looked at the hybrid, his eyes widening slightly at the sudden compliment. His cheeks burned slightly, his eyes looking down at the ground as a small smile crept up his lips. “It’s no big deal,” was all he muttered as he turned his face away from the smiling hybrid. “Plus, this is the least I can do considering all I have done to you and the kingdom…Plus, you agreeing to  take care of Li’l Petey out of your own volition is not without notice as well.” 

Greg’s smile widened. It was not a lie that he had taken the role of a caregiver for Li’l Petey, but truth be told- Despite the mishaps and chaos that Petey had caused for him and the Kingdom, he had grown to appreciate and understand the artificer under a new light. At first, he thought it was mere admiration, always witnessing the tabby slinking around and being extremely gifted at his craft. Whether it was magic or mechanics, Greg couldn’t help but stare in awe as the orange tabby’s eyes glistened with glee. Then he began to notice more of him as they continued their secret rendezvous to spend time together with Li’l Petey. He noticed the way Petey’s nose and forehead would wrinkle when he would read from the small literature book he would often bring. He noticed the way Petey’s tail would sway lazily when comfortable, or when it would twitch when agitated. He noticed Petey’s ears and how they would twitch occasionally when the breeze would tickle his fur. He also noticed his eyes, those vibrant irises that burned with passion. No jade, emerald, or diamond in Yolay’s jewel room could compare to the complexity and depth of Petey’s eyes. 

In other words, Greg had found himself smitten. Unsure of when it happened, but every moment that he spent with Petey and Li’l Petey was another memory that he treasured- It gave him the energy and determination to wake up every day and to continue his duties as a Royal Guard. But he enjoyed his own little secret. Away from the duties, away from the rules, away from society. It felt right to be where they are, just the three of them, being present. 

“Petey,” Began Greg, motioning for Petey to pay attention. 

“Yeah?”

“The kingdom is holding a festival tomorrow. There will be food, games, and a firework show at the end.” 

“Oh really now? Does that mean you have to be on patrol late tomorrow?” asked Petey, a hint of disappointment laced between the words. 

Greg shook his head and waved his arms frantically. “No, quite the contrary, I managed to convince the Queen to give me the day off.” 

Petey’s eyebrow raised in surprise. “Oh? How did you manage that oh Sir Gregory~”

“I was able to pull some strings,” He signed, his hands wavering slightly. “Plus, I may have told her Highness that I was seeing someone, and she was very eager to show her support.” 

The tabby let out a soft snort. Unbelievable, he thought. Petey had known Greg to be many things. Strong. Dependable. Caring…. But a liar was not one of them. Had Greg really found someone and seeing them without him or Li’l Petey knowing? He really couldn’t explain himself why, but he felt a slight tug of his heart at the thought. 

“Well,” Greg signed, his eyes looking away slightly from nervousness. “I was wondering if you and Li’l Petey are free tomorrow night. I would love to show you around the Kingdom and to enjoy the festival. Together.” 

Petey stared at Greg, his own face unable to hide the surprise and disbelief. He felt his heart flutter slightly and his cheeks burn slightly. 

“Yeah,” he muttered. “I suppose Li’l Petey and I should be free tomorrow.”

Greg barked happily, unable to hide his own excitement as he pushed the tabby down to the ground and began to lick his face excitedly. 

“Not the mouth Greg!” lamented Petey as he did his best to deflect the onslaught of Greg’s happiness. 

~~~~

“Papa, are you ready!?” screamed Li’l Petey from the bottom floor, the little tabby walking back and forth excitedly. When he heard that they were going to a festival, he was ecstatic. He had been unable to sleep the night before, his own mind running amuck as he asked question after question, much to Petey’s annoyance. But now as the sun was reaching the hour of Prime, Li’l Petey had already been groomed and dressed accordingly. He had been dressed in a small fitted alabaster tunic, a pair of simple pants, and a simple belt that Greg had gifted him. Hanging around his neck was the dark purple gemstone that Petey had crafted for him, equipped with simple warding and protection spells. 

“Yes, I’m almost ready,” said Petey back. But in fact he was not ready. Piles of clothing laid on the ground, yet no matter what combination of styles and colors the tabby had pulled and assorted together, none of them felt right. He didn’t want to dress too pompous or too drabby for the knight. He snuck a quick glance out the window and could see that the sun was getting close to the hours of Terce. A slight panic arising, Petey scrambled across the littered floor and quickly grabbed a pair of simple brown brais, and hastily pulled them up, tying the cord tightly around his waist. Scanning the tossed shirts, he spotted a cream colored shirt with ruffled cuffs- Simple yet flashy. He put on the shirt, adjusting the cuffs and weaving the tails together until he felt satisfied with the positioning of the flaps. Smoothing out the wrinkles, Petey ran through the clothing until he found the familiar myrtle colored vest. He grabbed the lightweight material and slid on the vest. He ran his hands up and adjusted the collar of his brais. Lastly, the finishing touch, he grabbed a belt sash, the deep violet complimenting the shade of his vest. Petey quickly wrapped the sash around his waist and tied it tightly. 

“Papa, you look beautiful!” squealed a voice behind him. Petey turned his head to see that Li’l Petey was standing at the foot of the stairs. His eyes were wide and glistening against the shining sun as his were glued to Petey. 

“You really think so kid?” 

“Yeah!” reassured Li’l Petey, his eyes wide with joy.  

Petey gave himself a look over once more, feeling a bit more confident and comfortable with his attire. Putting on his boots, he picked up Li’l Petey and both headed out the door.

As both tabbies stepped out the door, they couldn’t help but appreciate the conditions of today- small clouds scattered the skyline, but yielded no indication of rain. The sun shone brightly, but a light breeze offered solace to the heat of the day. Li’l Petey made small side conversations, talking about how he loved the pigments of the paints the Kingdom had to offer, what antics his new friends and he were up to- much to Petey’s amusement- and how his studies were going. An excessive yapping that Petey found comforting, no matter how annoyed he would get. 

The tabbies continued their walk down, the sounds of the ravine growing louder as they pushed through the brush. Petey stared in shock as on the other side, stood Greg. He was wearing simple attire- a pair of faded brown pants and tan tunic. A black belt was tied tightly around his waist, and had a pair of dark leather boots. 

“What are you doing here?” asked Petey, unable to hide the surprise in his voice. 

Greg simply barked in response, his hips swishing slightly from side-to-side from excitement. 

“Unbelievable,” muttered Petey. He knew that Greg could track him down from his scent alone, but he didn’t think that the hybrid would be willing to make the journey from the castle to the ravine to meet him. “Just give me a minute!” shouted Petey. 

Petey quickly pulled out his all-purpose tool from his pocket, feeling the magic embedded in his gemstones crackle with energy once more as he pointed the tool to his feet. Crouching down, with Li’l Petey still in his arms, he touched his sandals with his tool, feeling the familiar tingling of energy running through the material. Straightening himself out, Petey began to walk, his feet leaving the solid ground, and began to walk. 

Greg, on the other side began barking and whining, panicking at the sight of the two tabbies walking on air. He knew that magic was potent and that Petey had a strong connection with magic, but he still couldn’t help but feel anxious. 

“Calm down you mutt,” quipped Petey, a small chuckle escaped his lips as he continued his pace through the gap of the ravine. “I’ve done this plenty of times before, I know how my own magic works.” Finally, with one final step, the balls of his feet made contact with the solid ground, where Greg immediately jumped to hug the tabbies and give them both licks to their faces. Li’l Petey giggled whereas Petey began to push the hybrid off of his face. 

“Okay! That’s enough,” snapped Petey as he set down Li’l Petey and wiped the slobber off of his face. “Let’s get going now.” 

~~~~

Petey sighed in relief as they made it past the gates, he knew that his cloaking spell worked wonders, but ever since knowing that Greg was able to identify him by smell alone, he wondered if there were any indicators that would give him away. Greg reassured him that nothing would happen to him- especially not today. 

As they made their way through the streets, the crowd began to densen and the stands became more frequent. Li’l Petey had already run off and began to play with nearby children, their giggles mixing with the music of the Kingdom’s street musicians. 

The liveliness of the crowds couldn’t help but raise the tabby's spirits as he walked around with Greg, both of them stopping every now and then to inspect the goods and trinkets that they had to offer. Greg couldn’t help but buy Li’l Petey a hide-bound book, whereas Petey was later found to be haggling with a merchant for some oddball items. 

“Dried Ephedra,” smirked Petey as tossed the bagged ingredient into the air and caught it midair. “Mainly used in healing but hard to find in our region.” 

Greg chuckled in amusement, watching the tabby smirk with pride.  And so they continued to enjoy the festivities, drinking mead and eating various foods that caught their attention. Li’l Petey continued to play with the children, but never strayed too far away. 

~~~~

The skies began to darken as the crowd continued their festivities. The street lamps lighting up and illuminating the square. Petey rested on the bench as he drank the last of his mead, feeling the familiar warmth ripple through his body. He was exhausted, but enjoyed himself nonetheless. He lifted his head and saw that Greg was carrying two skewers, various charred meats and vegetables stabbed through the wooden rods, Li’l Petey was walking alongside him, a skewer on his own hand as he bit into the food. 

A small smile spread across his face as they neared Petey. Greg extended his arm, offering one of the kabobs to the tabby. 

“Thanks, Greg,” Said Petey, accepting the steaming food. Biting down into the food, letting the warm vegetables and meats melt into his mouth. Greg sat down next to him as he too began to eat the kabob eagerly. Li’l Petey sat in between the two adults as they all ate their food, watching the crowds like a set of spectators, each of them enjoying the upbeat tempo of the street musicians and the murmur of the people. 

Li’l Petey yawned, his eyes drooping as he let sleep overtake him. Petey stood up from his bench and grabbed Li’l Petey. He let the drowsy kitten rest his head on their shoulders. “Looks like the excitement of today finally got to Li’l Petey,” Petey chuckled lightly. “Plus it’s getting quite late.” 

Greg stood up from the bench and gave the taller tabby a soft smile. “There is one more thing I would like for you to see. That is if you are willing to stick around for another while longer.” 

Curiosity tugged at Petey. On one hand he thought it would be better for them to call it night and let Li’l Petey stay with Greg tonight, but another part of him couldn’t help but be intrigued on what Greg meant by one final event. 

“Fine,” he mused. “But after that we have to head back home.” He looked around the crowd and then to Li’l Petey, finally then shifting over to look at Greg. “Do you think there's a better spot we can go to? I don’t want something to wake up Li’l Petey.”

“I know a spot,” Signed Greg, grabbing a hold of Petey’s hand as he began walking. Petey held on to the tiring kitten tighter as he let the hybrid take the lead, both of them weaving through the crowd. Petey’s heart fluttered as he continued to follow Greg, painfully aware of how warm Greg’s hand was to his own. The torched flames illuminated the streets, accentuating Greg’s broad features. 

Petey’s breath hitched as a small blush creeped up on his face, but yet he did not let go. His fingers wrapped tightly against the other’s as they continued their way out of the festival’s core. Each step they took led them to the darkening pathways, the noise of the crowd fading as Greg continued to lead the tabbies through the winding cobblestone paths. Their shoes thudded softly against the cobblestone flooring as they continued their journey through the alleyways and up the stairs until Greg stopped. He let go of the Tabby’s hands and turned, face sporting a lopsided smile. 

Petey let his eyes adjust to the darkened pathway. He blinked as he turned to see where Greg had taken them. Looking at his surroundings, Petey realized that Greg had taken them to a bridge that led to the upper levels of the kingdom- but it had also provided an excellent view of the festival lights that were flashing in the distance. 

“Woah…this view is impressive,” whispered Petey, his eyes mesmerized by the flashing lights and the faint noise of the festival as the music continued playing in the distance. 

There they stood, both figures standing on top of the bridge and watching the multi-colored lights illuminate the square of the kingdom. Greg leaned forward into the parapet, closing his eyes as the night wind blew softly against his fur. Petey, feeling his arms tiring from carrying the now-sleeping kitten, walked over to a nearby bench and set the kitten down, who curled into a ball and continued their slumber. Petey looked at Li’l Petey, smiling softly and huffing lightly. Running his fingers through the back of his neck, He leaned against the parapet and stared up at the night sky, the stars scattered and illuminating the clear sky. The full moon glowed softly- the pale white glow washing over the bridge of where they both stood. 

Petey snuck fleeting glances at Greg, his heart beating loudly against his chest as he watched the hybrid smile and stare up at the moon. He shouldn’t have been surprised by their deeper relationship, but standing together away from the crowds brought a new sense of reality to the artificer. However, part of him didn’t mind it at all. There they stood, shoulders now pressed against each other’s, faces leaning closer. Petey’s face burned as he lowered his face to level out against Greg’s. Petey swallowed shallowly as he felt Greg’s breath tickle his fur. They continued to lean forward and press closer to each other until their lips were mere centimeters apart. As if time stood still, they could only hear each other’s breath and beating of their hearts. 

Then they heard it, a sharp whistle in the sky, breaking them from their trance. Petey and Greg looked away from each other, both faces burning brightly. The whistling stopped only for a second until the night air echoed with a thunderous boom, and an array of colors began to decorate the night sky. More whistling could be heard as the sky soon began to shine brightly with an array of vibrant colors. 

Greg cleared his throat and gave Petey a light nudge. The tabby turned to face the hybrid as he began to sign. “You know, this reminds me of that time you gave me a lilac and it blew up on my face.” He finished signing, a soft and raspy chuckle escaping his lips. 

Petey gave Greg a blank stare for a brief second before he dropped his head forward and let out a snort, then a chuckle. “Oh man,” He said “Will you ever stop reminding me of that? I only did it to you like twice.” Petey raised his head and eyes connected with the Greg’s, seeing only joy and affection reflecting on those cocoa colored eyes. 

Greg smiled wider as he shook his head no. His lopsided smile shone brightly through the colorful lights of the fireworks as they continued to go off in the distance. He pressed his body closer to the other’s as they turned their attention back to the finale event, their arms pressed against one another, the dim light illuminating their hands, pinkies intertwined together as they stood there on that bridge and watched the colorfully lit sky.