Animalia Chronicles



“Come on, pick me!”

Kalani can hardly restrain herself from screaming. She clenches her silver daggers tightly, her claws digging into the leather. Her heart pounds in anticipation. Today is finally the day she could prove her worth.

She wants to show the other Toms that she-cats can be just as much a part of the Royal Corp as them.

To calm her racing nerves, Kalani shifts on her paws. General Zephyr, who trained them, will be the one to select who will fight today. He stares at his warriors, his yellow eyes narrowing, causing a stir of discomfort among them.

He’s focused. The orange striping of his fur and gold armor make General Zephyr appear both regal and intimidating, particularly with the scar above his left eye. You would never guess that he was a loving father of four kittens and had a mate.

“Attention,” he finally speaks. All the other felines, including Kalani, immediately stand to attention as they’ve been trained to do so many times. Their feet are slightly apart, their hands are by their sides, and their eyes are staring straight ahead.

“Casio.”

A gray-striped tom with green eyes steps out of the line, but his posture remains attentive. There is a long pause before the general selects the next challenger.

“Kalani.”

The white she-cat steps out of line, standing parallel to Casio. She exhales, realizing she’d been holding her breath, before tuning into General Zephyr’s instructions.

“In the circle.”

In response to his command, they walked towards the circle. They stood facing each other. Kalani gazed into Casio’s eyes, which were cold and emotionless. She watched the rigid muscles beneath his training attire. As he smirked, a chill ran down young Kalani’s spine.

“Shake hands,” directed the General. Obediently, they shook hands. “Raise your weapons.”

As Kaylani raised her daggers, Casio unsheathed his scythe. General Zephyr observed them, encircling them before he added,

“Everyone knows the rules. If you step out of the circle, the other person earns a point. After stepping out three times, the other opponent wins. Please, refrain from drawing blood; it’s difficult to clean up off the ground.”

General Zephyr sighed, knowing the stubborn Toms wouldn’t listen. “May Bastet rest their souls.” He shook his head and said the word the two felines were waiting to hear.

“Commence!”

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From a window overlooking the courtyard where the guards were trained, Crown Prince Xajar watched with great interest. His eyes were fixed on the movements of the fighting felines below. Xajar was shocked by the tom’s strength; he was worried that it might harm the she-cat. However, where she lacked strength, she made up for it with speed and agility. Each time the tom launched an attack, she defended herself swiftly and efficiently.

He watched as they circled each other. Then, after a moment of silence, the gray-striped tom struck, catching the she-cat off guard with his scythe blade mere inches from her neck. Xajar held his breath, thinking the white she-cat was at her end, but what happened next took him by surprise.

She arches her back, dodging Tom’s attack. Then she throws herself out of his way when he strikes again. Xajar blinks, making sure he isn’t seeing things, when someone clears their throat behind him.

Turning his attention away from the window, his amber eyes meet those of his teacher, Master Zito.

“Master Zito, I didn’t hear you come in,” Xajar says, stepping towards his teacher. The tom, with his flat face, merely smiles at his student.

“All is well, my prince. I have just arrived.”

Master Zito finds a spot on the sofa in the prince’s room and sits down, while the prince follows behind him. Xajar rings a bell on the table in front of him, and a maid enters then bows.

“Yes, Your Highness,” said the she-cat in palace maid attire.

“Please bring us the afternoon mint cream and sandwiches.”

She curtseys again and says, “Right away, Your Highness.” Then, she spins on her heels and leaves the room.

The room fell silent, and then Master Zito spoke. “So, my prince, what caught your eye in the window? I hope it wasn’t a butterfly this time.” Amusement shone in the elder Tom’s eyes.

Prince Xajar laughed at the mention of a butterfly. When he was a kitten, the smallest things could distract him. Among the most notable distractions were butterflies; there was something incredibly entrancing about them.

“No, this time I was watching the fight in the courtyard below. General Zephyr had some of his trainees in the ring.”

Suddenly realizing, Master Zito hummed, “Ah, yes, I’d forgotten that was happening today. The General is testing the trainees to determine who will become your next personal guard.”

Xajar’s eyes widened at this news. “A new guard? Why? Don’t I already have one?”

“Yes, but Sir Nam plans to retire soon, and your mother wants you to have a personal guard immediately,” Master Zito explained.

The prince scrubbed his paws over his face, his white-tipped tail flickering in annoyance. Xajar wished his mother would consult him about matters that concerned him. He wasn’t informed that Sir Nam was about to retire. Honestly, no one told him anything. How was he supposed to become the next ruler if no one told him anything?

Minutes later, the maid returned with a tray of hot mint cream and sandwiches. She set the tray on the table, curtsied, and then left the room.

Prince Xajar took a sandwich from the tray and chewed it slowly, barely tasting the honey-glazed salmon. It tasted bland, but he knew it wasn’t the chef’s fault. It was his own— he had lost his appetite. He set the sandwich down and dusted the crumbs off his hands onto his tunic, then stood.

“I’m going to speak with my mother,” he said to Master Zito, who was busily savoring his cream.

“Whatever for?” he asked.

Xajar shrugs, “I haven’t seen her in a while. I think it’s time to talk to her again.”

Upon opening the door, the prince exited the room. His mind spun from the conversation with Master Zito. If no one told him that Sir Nam was retiring and he was expected to get another personal guard, what other information were they withholding from him?

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