Echoes of the Lost Elf-Chapter 36 - 35 : The Cat (Nywraith to be honest)

The group walked through the dimly lit alleyways, leaving the black market behind. The air was thick with the scent of damp stone and the distant chatter of the city's nightlife. Despite the night's intensity, Adriana still had a gleam in her eyes.

"That was fun! Let's do it again sometime!" she declared with a grin.

Everyone stopped and turned to her, their expressions a mixture of disbelief and exasperation. Even in the low light, their stares spoke volumes—What kind of princess even says that?

Zephyr, ever the one to speak his mind, muttered under his breath, "Maniac princess."

"What was that—?" Adriana started, her tone sharpening.

"Meow."

A small voice interrupted, drawing their attention downward.

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There, standing in the moonlight, was the same Nywraith from the auction. Its dark fur blended into the shadows, but its eerie violet eyes gleamed as it gazed up at them.

"...Think it followed us?" Leon mused.

"Looks like it," Kael muttered.

The Nywraith padded forward with silent steps and stopped before Historias, staring up at him expectantly. Then, with surprising agility, it leapt onto his knee, balancing with practiced ease as if it had done so countless times before.

Historias regarded the creature for a moment, his golden eyes calm. Without hesitation, he lifted it and cradled it in his arms. The Nywraith gave a satisfied purr before climbing onto his shoulder and then settling atop his head.

"So... what do we do now?" Zephyr asked, watching as the small creature curled up like a crown of shadows atop the silver-haired elf.

"Should we take it with us?" Leon added hesitantly.

Kael frowned. "Come on, be serious. That's an A-rank monster."

"Not yet," Historias said, his voice smooth and decisive. "Besides, unless someone already knew what it was, they would mistake it for an ordinary cat. Its nature was only revealed because they announced it."

The group exchanged uncertain glances.

"Wait..." Adriana narrowed her eyes. "You're saying you're keeping it?"

Historias continued walking ahead, the Nywraith still perched comfortably on his head. He gave no further explanation, as if the matter had already been settled.

The others trailed behind him, whispering amongst themselves.

Kael glanced over at Zephyr. "Now that I think about it... he did get really mad when he saw the Nywraith being auctioned."

Leon furrowed his brows. "Yeah... and that's pretty unusual for him."

Then, suddenly, the realization dawned upon them.

"He likes cats."

The silence stretched for a beat.

"...Wait." Zephyr blinked. "Are you telling me he destroyed an entire underground auction because of a cat?"

Leon and Kael exchanged looks before nodding in unison.

Adriana stared ahead at Historias, who walked with an air of composed elegance, completely unaware of their discussion—or perhaps simply pretending not to be. The Nywraith yawned and stretched lazily atop his head, as if it belonged there.

"...Unbelievable," Adriana muttered, rubbing her temples.

.........

As they approached the academy gates, a guard stepped forward, eyeing the black-furred Nywraith perched atop Historias' head.

"Hold it right there," the guard said, arms crossed. "You can take the cat in, but you'll need to fill out some paperwork first."

Historias sighed, tilting his head slightly as if contemplating the very essence of bureaucracy. "Must we?" he asked, his voice carrying the weariness of someone who had lived through centuries of unnecessary formalities.

The guard remained firm. "Rules are rules."

Zephyr leaned over to Adriana. "You think he's actually going to do it?" he whispered.

She smirked. "Knowing him? Either he'll find a way around it, or we'll be here all night."

Kael crossed his arms. "Or he'll just sign it and pretend it never happened."

Meanwhile, Historias gazed at the papers like some ancient tome containing forbidden knowledge. He plucked a quill from the guard's desk with a resigned sigh. "Very well," he murmured, "but only because I pity the system you serve."

Meanwhile, the others stood there, staring at Historias in disbelief.

"He's actually doing it..." Kael muttered.

"Not just that," Leon added, nudging Zephyr. "He's complaining, but he's still going through with it. He must really like that cat."

Adriana crossed her arms, smirking. "So, let me get this straight. The ever-composed, unfazed Historias Vaelcrest just willingly signed paperwork... for a cat?"

Zephyr let out a low whistle. "This is history in the making. We're never letting him forget this."

Historias, seemingly unfazed by their reactions, continued filling out the forms at an excruciatingly slow pace, as if every letter he wrote drained his very soul. The Nywraith, entirely unbothered, lazily curled its tail around his neck.

Leon whispered to Kael, "You think he destroyed that auction because of the cat?"

Silence fell between them.

Then, realization struck.

Leon, "I thought that was a joke, you mean that's actually true?"

Kael paled. "Oh... oh no. He really did."

Zephyr chuckled, shaking his head. "So let me get this straight—we just tore apart a whole underground auction, made a bunch of enemies, and caused absolute chaos..." He grinned. "Because he couldn't stand to see a cat get sold?"

Adriana blinked, then burst out laughing. "This just got so much better!"

Zephyr clapped Kael on the shoulder. "We are never letting him live this down."

.........

The guard blinked at Historias, then at the small black cat perched lazily on his head.

"You can take the cat in, but you'll need to fill out some paperwork," the guard said, handing him a form.

Historias stared at it. "Paperwork for a cat?" He sighed, rubbing his temple. "Surely, there are more pressing matters at this academy than tracking the arrival of stray felines."

"Rules are rules," the guard replied with a shrug.

Behind him, his so-called companions were still acting suspiciously, exchanging glances and whispering among themselves like they had uncovered some grand secret.

Historias glanced at them out of the corner of his eye.

What in the world is wrong with them?

Ever since they had escaped the auction house, they had been behaving strangely—whispering, sneaking glances at him, and barely holding in laughter.

Had they inhaled some kind of hallucinogenic powder? Fallen victim to a low-grade mind-affecting curse?

He subtly scanned them for signs of poisoning.

Leon was shaking slightly, his shoulders trembling as if he were barely containing laughter. Highly suspicious.

Zephyr had that look—the one that promised nothing but trouble. Very concerning.

Kael, normally composed, was actively avoiding eye contact. A red flag.

And Adriana? She wasn't even trying to hide her amusement anymore.

Historias sighed, shaking his head as he signed the form.

"Let's get this over with before their condition worsens," he muttered.

The guard just stared. "Huh?"

"Nothing," Historias replied. "Just hand me the next form."

............

After what felt like an eternity, the paperwork was finally complete.

Historias sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as the guard handed him the final form. "Remind me again why this is necessary?"

The guard, who had clearly dealt with far too many students trying to bring in strange pets, replied flatly, "All animals brought onto academy grounds must be registered. Standard procedure."

"It's just a cat."

"That's what they all say."

Historias decided it wasn't worth the effort to argue. He signed the last page with a flourish, handed it over, and turned to the others. "Let's go."

They entered the academy, the fresh scent of evening air mingling with the lingering aromas from the cafeteria.

After securing a table, they all dug into their meals, though everyone kept sneaking glances at Nyx, who had curled up on Historias' lap, dozing off as if the entire auction fiasco hadn't happened.

Kael rested his chin on his hand. "You know... you really went through all that trouble just to bring a cat back with you."

Zephyr smirked. "I mean, come on. We'll never let him live this down."

Leon grinned. "Right? Imagine—he, of all people, caused chaos in the black market just because he wanted to save a cat."

Adriana shook her head in amusement. "We're never forgetting this."

Historias, overhearing their whispers, glanced at them from across the table, his gaze cool and unreadable. "What in the world are you all muttering about? You've been acting strangely since we left. Could it be... you inhaled some kind of hallucinogenic mist from the creatures at the auction?"

The table went silent for a second before Zephyr burst out laughing. "Nope! This is just pure, unfiltered entertainment."

After finishing their meals, they strolled to the academy gardens and sat down, the moonlight casting a soft glow over the area.

............

Historias glanced at the Nywraith perched on his lap, its piercing golden eyes staring at Kael with an unmistakable expression of disapproval.

"No," he said flatly. "It doesn't like that name."

Kael frowned. "How do you know? You speak cat now?"

"No, but elves—particularly certain elves—are adept at communicating with mystical beasts."

Kael raised an eyebrow. "I'm an elf too, you know."

Historias gave him a vague, knowing smile. "Indeed. And yet, here we are."

Kael narrowed his eyes, but before he could respond, Adriana chimed in.

"What about Layla?"

Historias turned to the Nywraith again. It blinked once. Then slowly turned its head away, as if personally offended.

"No."

Adriana huffed. "Picky little thing, aren't you?"

Zephyr leaned forward, grinning. "Ooh, what about Shadowfang, Lord of the Eternal Night?"

Everyone stared at him.

Even the cat.

"...What?" Zephyr shrugged. "It sounds cool!"

Historias sighed. "Let's aim for something less dramatic."

Leon smirked. "How about Nyx?"

The cat's ears perked up slightly.

Historias considered it, then glanced at the creature again. It didn't turn away this time. A good sign.

"Nyx, huh?" he mused, lightly scratching behind its ears. The Nywraith purred in approval.

"Well then," Historias said, leaning back against the garden bench. "Nyx it is."

Adriana stretched. "Alright, now that Nyx is officially part of the group, what next?"

Zephyr smirked. "We should celebrate."

Leon nodded eagerly. "I say we sneak into the training grounds and see if the little guy has any powers."

Historias sighed. "It's a baby."

"So? We were all babies once, and look at us now!"

"That is not a reassuring argument."

Nyx meowed, leaping onto Historias' shoulder before settling comfortably around his neck.

Historias sighed again. He wasn't sure which was worse—dealing with his new pet or these actual children.

.............