Chapter 40: Cat with a Mission

Manticat soon descended from the stairs in his large Panter form ready to fight but when he saw his master's despondent state his ears lowered in pity and he went to comfort her by snuggling near her neck. He released purrs of reassurance but Ruby was too consumed by grief to listen. He activated a revitalizing spell to heal his mistress before submissively laying his head on her lap while listening to her cry knowing that there is nothing he can do or say that will lessen or remove her grief.

Ruby soon stopped her crying, she picked herself up and took a parchment and quill before scribbling something on the sheet.

Lancewell,

I am not aware if Geneva has already told you but Gallen had left her and eloped with Leanna. She is grief-stricken at the moment so she begged me to use a memory erasure spell to cast away her sorrow and I did. I erased her memories of Gallen and I might have erased a few of her other memories as well. Please take care of her. I know you are in grief as well but your sister needs you. I would have attended to her however I myself am currently experiencing some issues regarding the monsters here in the forest and I'm afraid that I won't be able to keep her safe when beowolves always prowl on my property. Take care and I wish you the best.

-Rubisviel Fyaril

She signed before rolling up the sheet and sealing it with a purple butterfly stamp. She went upstairs to get a change of clothes for her former friend before cleaning her body and dressing her up.

"Lucius, I need you to do a task for me." Ruby said turning to the cat monster who released a soft confused growl.

"I need you to take Geneva back to her brother in Rubenberg, in Rifful's hospital, and give him this letter. I'm too weak to be able to do it myself. The damage from Excalibur is lethal even for its owner especially since it's a dragon-slaying sword. I will have difficulty healing from it but I will manage. In the meantime, can you do what I order?" she asked limping towards a chair. The cat monster only nodded and went to rub his face on her leg in affection.

"Very good but you need to change your form into something more humanoid so that they don't shoot you down the moment they see you. It will be a temporary magic but it will suffice until you reach Rubenberg and accomplish your task. For once you won't be meowing at people." she released a tired laugh before caressing the head of her familiar.

"Meow meow meow." (Translation: I don't want to make you upset. I will look like him.) he reasoned with worry.

"I know but this is more important than my feelings. She was my friend, one of the greatest that I have ever had. This is the least that I can do for everything she's done for me." Ruby replied with a melancholic smile. She lifted her finger and pointed it to him. The ground below Manticat burned with a purple circle before erupting into purple butterflies that enveloped his body. He was engulfed with a purple light that reformed his build into something more humanoid until the light faded.

A contrast to his dark and feline features are his light manly physique and physiognomy. He had a beautiful well-built body from the bloom of his youth. He looked golden and ethereal with his messy sunlight colored hair and pale complexion while his emerald eyes blinked at the witch. He wore a dark hooded cloak with a black long-sleeved shirt underneath and white pants while a sword hung from his belt completing his look.

Ruby's lips twisted into a bitter smile after seeing his face.

"I wish you had gotten my face and not his. You look just like your father." she said with a brokenhearted smile. Manticat pulled the black hood lower to hide his face, ashamed of his image.

"I'm sorry mother." he apologized before kneeling in front of her and taking her hand and placing a soft kiss on it.

Ruby shook her head lightly before placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. "No, don't be. At least you inherited my heart and I can see a bit of resemblance of my mother's face in yours. She had such a beautiful yet stern face that you somehow inherited from my genes." Manticat seemed to brighten due to this as he caressed his face on her palm.

"Now you must go before the spell runs out. Fly just outside the hospital unseen and deliver her to Lancewell, you know who he is and then give him that letter. If anyone asks, you are my familiar that I sent to transport Geneva safely from the forest as I battled a hoard of beowolves. Defend yourself if you must but return to me safely, okay?" Manticat nodded before lifting the maiden into his arms. He went to exit through the door but turned back once he passed through the threshold.

"Mommy, please stay safe. Aleister would be sad if you die again. I'm sorry I let you get hurt this time. I should have never left your side, mom. I love you." he said over his shoulders before summoning his wings and taking off to fly.

A single tear fell from her cheeks due to her son's touching words, she smiled with melancholy.

"You're such a sweet boy. I'm really sorry that I abandoned you but perhaps if I didn't I would just mess up your life and you wouldn't be the way you are today."

"I feel so tired. Maybe I'll just sleep while I wait for my baby to return." Ruby mumbled as her vision turned black and tiredness swallowed her whole will. The next thing she knew darkness had already received her in its arms.

.

.

.

"Ruby. Ruby. Ruby, wake up. You shouldn't sleep in there, it's not good for your back." The maiden slowly opened her eyes due to the soft feminine voice rousing her. She yawned before fully opening her eyelids presenting her brilliant emerald eyes.

She blinked in confusion of her surroundings. She recognized the place she's in but cannot put her finger into its name. She seems to be in some sort of a library instead of her cottage. There was no broken wood or damaged furniture because of her fight with Geneva, no traces of her magical artifacts and potions, nor her magical tomes. It seems that she's been transported to someplace else.

She turned to face the familiar-looking raven-haired woman gazing worriedly at her. "Where am I?"

The woman giggled at her question, her soft serene voice making her heart flutter for some unknown reason. "We're in my mansion's library. You fell asleep while we were reading this book called How To Tame A Demon Prince by The Mischievous Her, our favorite author. Did you perhaps dream about something quite peculiar or interesting?"

The name of the woman suddenly popped up into her memory. Right, this woman is her fiance Carmilla and she's currently visiting the Karstein Castle located in Scoticia for a few days. They were reading a romance novel about a demon and a witch while leaning against each other and touching their skins in flirtatious manners until Ruby fell asleep.

"Yes, since this witch, Ruby Fyaril, bore the same name as me, I suppose I dreamed of being her in this book and the plot intermingled with my own memory that's why there are details about my life in the dream."

"That is indeed a very interesting tale. Perhaps you should narrate it to me while we have our afternoon tea." Carmilla smiled pecking her cheek.

"Or we could browse more books by that shelf. This time maybe about... something more erotic." Ruby suggested with a coquettish smile touching Carmilla's thigh exposed by the slit in her crimson dress. The ravenett returned her smile before cupping her breast and kissing her lips.

Carmilla bit her ear lobe before licking her neck, sending pleasures through her body due to her sensitivity in that specific place. Ruby pushed her fingers inside her underwear and started playing with her already salivating core making Carmilla moan. They smiled as they touched each other's body, caressing their lustful flesh aching for each other's love and warmth. Carmilla placed her lips near her ear and whispered in a seductive voice.

"Yes, perhaps we could. And maybe orgasm as well in between reading those erotic books." Ruby smiled wider due to her words and began kissing her cleavage.

"That is a very interesting suggestion."