The guards swarmed the island around us like a pack of ravens gathering around their prey, their spears were elongated and pointed directly at us. The spears themselves had blue quarts on their tips, sharp as a knife, with a soft tint of blue humming inside of them, I instantly guessed they had some sort of magic in them.
I couldn't tell what it was, and Sybil wasn't exactly speaking right now. All the Grimalkin's had expensive coats that covered their whole body, and extended down to their legs, or should I say paws?
The soldiers had Kasa-style sombreros on their heads, it hid their faces, and I couldn't get a good look at them. We were surrounded and it seemed like there was nothing we could do.
The police Grimalkin wore red and blue, what I can only describe as a Yukata, it looked very breathable.
Some of them had exposed shoulders, I could see their white and black skin.
I didn't notice at first, but they weren't exactly focused on us, I guessed outsiders weren't their main problem right now, instead when I followed their line of sight, they weren't looking at us, but instead, all of the spears pointed at Emi.
I looked back at her, her expression was a combination of mortified and perplexed in fear, as well as extreme dread, she was afraid, she was afraid for her own life.
Then I heard movement from behind the police Grimalkin, a soft walk towards us, a man in a black yukata with a sword at his side, and a red inline underneath, his chest exposed. He looked up from his Kasa and finally spoke.
"What is a mutt like you doing in Grimalkin's sacred land?!" his eyes were sharp, yellow behind that half-moon iris. His fur was majestically all black. It was a little weird seeing a cat like that stand on two legs, his demeanor seemed compassionate and mighty, and he carried himself with a sort of elegance and grace that was unmovable, he was not amused we were in his presence, he had a little bit of a belly, but otherwise he looked like a pretty strong cat.
Emi was quick to respond.
"Grimalkin treaty was abandoned a hundred years ago! Grimalkin lands belong to all of us!" she screamed in quick succession, ready to defend her right.
A spear flew beside me, towards Emi, in the blink of an eye, she was pinned to the flag pole. It didn't hit her, barely grazing her, making her hang from her right shoulder, it didn't even give her time to react, she just hung there frozen. But she managed to speak again.
"Grimalkin's worked against -" She stopped herself and suddenly realized her mistake, her eyes seemed to lose all hope, and she looked down and let herself hang, she had been swept up at the moment and remembered that we had been sent 100 years in the past. I was starting to get the picture of what was going on here. I couldn't believe it.
"Have you given up girl?" said the black-furred grimalkin.
"Have you lost all fight in you?" said the black cat.
Emi just ignored him, and let her gaze go to the floor.
The black swordsman suddenly extended his paw to the floor and a magic circle activated, he was floating in the air, pink petals from the sakura trees spinning around him, he flew over towards us, flying over the pond, and landing softly in the grass island we were on, he completely ignored us and went straight towards Emi.
He prepared his sword, and pulled it out from the sheath, at sword length, he gently made Emi look up at him, pushing the tip towards her neck, using it to lift her chin.
"You shan't ignore me," he said with the most calm voice I have ever heard, but it was demanding and confident at the same time.
"I am Kuro, the leader of this village," he said. Emi scoffed and just pouted, she pushed her eyes towards the bottom left. He gently pushed his sword and made Emi gasp. The blade was sharp, and glistening with the water beneath us.
"Huh- Curious," he said almost with a hint of genuine. He pushed the sword again, Emi gasped, it didn't hurt her, but it was slowly pushing more and more inside her fur.
"I've never been so disrespected in my life," Kuro exclaimed.
"Better get used to it," said Emi with a rage of fire burning inside her, then smiled, a crazy kind of smile.
"What do you find funny about this situation? Am I not a reasonable man for asking our kind strangers to explain themselves…" he paused.
"I honestly just wish to know how the lot of you came to be here, if you're travelers from another realm, we're more than happy to give our kind food and lodging, and her accompanying guests of course, even if they're mutt," he used that word again. My brows burled and my anger was visible. I've had enough of this chump. Who did he think he was?!
Dragan restrained me by holding both my shoulders. I squirmed for him to let me go, but he calmed me down a bit.
Kuro paid no mind to me and went back to Emi.
"Dearly beloved, all you need to do is answer my questions."
"Hard to do that when you have a sword at your throat," she said not wasting a breath.
"Can I assume we have a deal then?"
"Ask that slime over there, he's the one that brought us here,"
"Slime?!" said Kuro confused, he turned towards Dragan and me, Dragan smiled sheepishly and waved a friendly hello.
I crossed my arms.
"Humans? And a slime monster? What an odd party you've concocted, I must know your name," said Kuro turning back to Emi.
"I'm Emi, Emi Hozee, and we're not a party, they just happen to help us defeat a Graffe, we were showing them back to our village, you know Grimalkin code and all of that, we were just repaying the favor, nothing more,"
Kuro sheathed his blade and grabbed the spear pulling it out, Emi jumped down to her feet once again, and he placed the spear next to him resting it heavenwards. The rest of the police Grimalkin followed his lead, a large thud in unison around us.
The Grimalkin citizen also seemed to sigh in relief.
Emi found her footing.
"We're not from another realm, we're from this one, just from the future,"
"From the future?!" asked Kuro curiously.
"Time travel magic is unheard of - only one as Zome-" he paused. "I shan't speak his name!"
My ears perked up.
"We were trying to get into the Grimalkin Village, in the future it's hidden by moon magic,"
"Our Village has always been hidden by Moon Magic, this is unheard of, you must meet with the elders at once,"
"Like I said - I wouldn't be able to explain how this happened, only that slime over there can," said Emi pointing back, we waved another friendly hello, more awkward than the last one.
"What slime, I don't see any slime," said Kuro looking back at us.
"That would be me, Mr. Kuro, I'm currently stuck in this form," I explained, still a little on edge.
"That's my bad!" said Dragan bowing his head and suddenly apologizing, he should be apologizing to me why is he apologizing to this fat muscled cat? Did Kuro command more respect than me or something? I don't get it. And being so polite about it.
"Huh, well at least they have more manners than you do," retorted Kuro in this very flamboyant sassy way. But in this deep heavy voice.
"Pshhhhh, whatever," said Emi. He approached the both of us.
"What's your name?!" he asked without a single hair on his tongue.
"And you have a body sculpted by the gods," he said to Dragan, it made me a little jealous.
Now that he was standing in front of us, he was bigger than me, but Dragan still managed to tower at least one head over Kuro.
"This is Dragan, and I'm his little one," I said Dragan nodded.
"Ah! I see, little one you're gonna have some explaining to do if you want to stay in our village, Grimalkin's don't take kind to strangers, but since this Grimalkin," he pointed towards Emi.
"Has said you helped her defeat a Graffe, I supposed we are indebted to you, however don't take it to heart," his voice lowered a couple of octaves in that last line. It sort of scared me.
"No - that's a nickname, only Dragan can use," I tried explaining, but he blatantly ignored me.
"Well! These are travelers, everyone, we must accept the mutt, her human companions, and Dragan's - monster -, to our village for the time being, just until they can find a way to return to the future where they are originally from, they will meet with the elders shortly and find a solution to this problem, please make them feel welcomed in the most generous of Grimalkin's fashion," he suddenly addressed the crowd.
"Ha!" said the police corp in unison.
Maybe a confirmation that they accepted his order.
The rest of the crowd seemed to start moving back again to their normal routine, with a little worry still on their mind.
Kuro used the floaty spell again to traverse the pond.
"Dismissed," he said as he headed towards a hill, looking up, I finally noticed, a giant ornamental castle standing on top of the land. The police Grimalkin suddenly scattered, just as they had appeared here - they were gone.
Kuro looked back at us.
"You coming?" he said in a soft voice. I opened my hand trying to conjure the floaty spell, it activated with no problem, I grabbed Dragan's hand, and Emi jumped on his back, we floated with a push of air that brought us over the pond, and into the red bridge where Kuro was standing.
"Oh!" Kuro seemed impressed.
"Where I come from, doing that will earn you the title of copy-cat, our techniques are secret, and our martial arts moves are our own, don't let anyone else see you doing our magic, outsider," he said, almost snarky and belligerent but with a hint of sincerity.
I didn't know if I should be scared of him, or love him with all my heart.