Ali Noel Vyain's Blog, page 65

Chapter 19 The Gondolier Goes After the Writer

An excerpt from The White Lion Unicorn Series Book 1: A Colony of Tiny Nekos

Leon set the pocket computer down. He sighed. All the reports confirmed that Black Wolf Unicorn had shown up with his trolley and kidnapped her. But they couldn’t track him. Leon wondered why the werewolf couldn’t let go of her.

He took a deep breath. He put himself into a lotus position and closed his eyes. At first all he could think about was how badly he wanted to be with Silver Moon. There wasn’t anyone else like her.

He was too afraid to tell her how he really felt about her. He hoped she felt the same, but he wasn’t sure. She had snubbed him, and he knew she hated to be chased. He also knew her heart had been broken. So he waited.

He reached out and saw her. She was hiding behind some rocks. She was dusty looking. She was drinking some water. Her eyes were round and wide. It was dark.

She put the water bottle back in her backpack and listened. Soon he could hear them too. Orcs. Silver Moon couldn’t understand what they were saying, but she stayed as quiet as she could. Leon nearly panicked. He could sense the werewolf was nearby.

Then he caught it. The orcs were talking again. Something about a lone, sickly she elf lost in their land. But for some reason, they couldn’t catch her. They couldn’t understand why not. The orcs wondered if she was using magic against them. There was also something about a werewolf nearby.

Leon tried to tell Silver Moon he’d do what he could for her. “Just hang on,” he thought to her.

“Please, can you come get me?”

He could feel her fear and her hunger. “I’ll do what I can to help you.”

He opened his eyes and saw two nekos staring at him. He blinked.

“Did you find her?” asked White Lion.

“Yes, I know where she is.”

“How soon will you leave?”

“Probably not until tomorrow at the earliest. My best friend has to come by first.”

“We are hungry now.”

“So am I.” He picked up his pocket computer and sent a request for a small flyer. He put it in his pocket. He stood up. “Let’s go eat.”

***************************

Loren was sitting in the living room with Leon and the two nekos. He smiled at his best friend.

“I see you have your hands full.”

“Yeah. I’m not sure they should be unattended.”

“No?”

“No, they don’t fully take care of themselves as the other tiny nekos do.”

“Yes, I heard they were different from the other tiny nekos. You said they act and talk like house cats?”

“Yeah, they do.”

“Well, I can handle that.”

“I know you’ve taken care of my cat before.”

“It’s a shame you don’t have a cat anymore. But I suppose these two will do as well.”

Leon sighed.

“You’re missing that elf. Your partner.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sure she will be happy to know her son and his sister are in good hands.”

“She is or will be when she finds out. Could you help them sign up for a class to help them learn the local language?”

“Certainly.”

Leon looked at everyone in his apartment.

“Did you get approval for a ship?”

“Yeah. I’m just waiting to find out when it’s ready.”

“Waiting is so hard.” He paused to study his friend. “My friend, I think you are in more trouble than you realize.”

“Do you?”

“Yeah, I think you need to tell her how you feel when you rescue her.”

“She knows.”

“Ah! So, does she feel the same about you?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think she knows. Her heart is still broken.”

“Oh, but you hope she does.”

“Well, she just might, but perhaps she’s too afraid to admit it. She told me she loves all of her friends. She lives with the fact that she’s physically separated from them all. She’s okay with it, except for me.”

“Oh! You must have some kind of charm over her.” Loren grinned.

The nekos remained quiet as they watched the two elves talk.

“Yeah, maybe. Or perhaps I’m just too ugly for her.”

Loren laughed. “I don’t think she cares about that.”

“How would you know?”

“I’ve read her writing.”

Leon looked at Loren funny. “What are you talking about?”

“She never writes about who she thinks is cute or what she finds attractive. But that poem about the poor gondolier who fell in love with her.” Loren pause. “My friend, she feels bad about what happened to you. She regrets being a brat to you.”

Leon sighed. “You are no help.”

“Well, it’s progress. But that former partner of hers. He’s trouble.”

“I know.”

“There’s something wrong with him if he can’t let go of her.”

“No kidding. He’s married someone else and she won’t have anything to do with him now.”

“And he seems to think he can still have her as well. That won’t do. She has to be the only one, the special one.”

Leon covered his face with his hands.

“Her words. She is the only one and the special one to you.”

Leon blushed.

“Ah! Well, now that is out in the open. You have a message waiting for you, my friend.”

Leon removed his hands and pulled out his pocket computer. “Oh, I have to go.” He put his tablet computer back in his pocket. He stood up and walked towards the door.

“Good luck, my friend.”

Leon turned back to look at the elf and two nekos. “Thanks. Good luck with those two. They have been fairly quiet, but I know you, my friend. Just don’t lose them.”

“I won’t.”

Leon left.

Loren turned to the nekos. “Well, it’s just the three of us now. What kind of trouble can we get into?”

The nekos blinked at the same time. Then they smiled.

****************************

Leon nearly ran to the Guardian hold hidden inside the city. He wasted no time in finding Sam Oranglov and Felicia. They were standing by a small flyer performing the final checks.

“Hello, Leon. I think your mission is suicide.” Sam turned to face the elf.

Leon cringed. Vampires tended to make him nervous. “But I have to.”

Felicia smiled at him. “You’d do the same for me, Sam.”

“Yes, I would.”

“That’s why I gave you extra vegan food and extra water. There’s no telling from your description how bad off she is. And the food there is bad. I hope she has a way of decontaminating the water.”

“Oh, I don’t know. She might have had something the on trolley.”

Felicia nodded. “Good luck with her. It is pretty cramped in here. I don’t know how she will take it.”

Leon looked inside the flyer. It at least had a fresher in it, but there really wasn’t much room. He frowned. “I didn’t think about that.”

“You two do seem to have a rapport, so perhaps she will just adjust.” Felicia looked at Sam.

“I hope you know what you are dealing with.”

“There are lots of orcs and a werewolf trying to get to her.”

“Yeah, and Leon, I don’t like this mission for you.”

“Why not?”

“You’re not trained in fighting.”

“But I know magic.”

“Yes, you do and you’re quite good at it. But defensive magic?”

“I know defensive magic.”

“Alright. Good luck. I hope to see you alive again.”

Leon watched Sam and Felicia walk away. He sighed. He got on aboard the ship. He strapped himself into the pilot seat and contacted the ground control. He waited for clearance for takeoff.

He sighed again. He knew it was crazy, but what could he do? He wasn’t about to let her suffer by herself. He started to hope she would marry him. That just might simplify quite a few things. The authorities would leave her alone for one.

He doubted there would be any questions as to where she could live. He’d just have to get her to sign a marriage license with him. Then the rest… well, he hoped she would eventually accept him. He knew she wanted a baby of her own. He was willing to help her with that.

He was granted clearance. He lifted the flyer into the air and flew it out of the building over the water. He smiled when he realized Felicia had already plotted a course to get him to Mordor. That wasn’t the official name as he well knew, but many people called it that. It was an easier name to say and remember compared to its real name.

It wasn’t long before he found Sam and Felicia had left him other things to help deal with the orcs and the werewolf.

He reached out to Silver Moon. “I’m on my way, milady. Just hold on as best you can.”

*************************

Silver Moon sat on the ground with her back against a large rock. The orcs were far away for the moment. She could sense the werewolf coming closer. She tried to block him and the orcs as much as she could.

But it wasn’t easy. She could hear them faintly. At first she had been very dizzy, so she stayed low to the ground. It had helped. None of them had found her. But she had to keep moving. She had found some water. She was glad she had the tablets to kill off what would have harmed her. But there wasn’t enough food.

She did had some belly fat, but she didn’t know how long she would be able to hold out. She kept playing with pure white light to protect herself from the werewolf and the orcs. She was tired, but she couldn’t sleep. She tried to keep drinking as much water as she could.

She knew her son and his sister were safe. For that, she was glad. She was still scared. All she knew was that she wanted to live. For a moment she felt Leon reaching out to her. She could feel him around her wanting to protect her, but knowing he couldn’t.

She felt comforted. She crawled away from her spot. She knew the orcs were on the move. She would have to move or else they’d find her. She clutched her backpack strap in her hand and dragged it after herself.

***********************

The ship’s computer let Leon know he had arrived. He used the scanners to check out humanoid lifeforms. He found a few hundred orcs, one werewolf, and one elf. The scanner showed him the orcs and the werewolf were getting closer to the elf.

He frowned. He flew to where she was. Without any warning the computer told him there were high levels of psi energy. He checked the screen. It was coming from Silver Moon. By that time he was flying right over her.

He could see the pure white light emanating from her. “Wow!”

The orcs were driven back. The werewolf was surrounded by orcs. He howled. The orcs turned to the werewolf. Leon opened the hatch as he flew lower.

“Milady! Get on board quick!”

Silver Moon opened her eyes. She saw the flyer nearby with the open hatch. She could see the back of Leon in the pilot seat. She pushed herself with her hands off the ground. She was dizzy, but she ran into the ship and collapsed on the floor. She still held the strap of the backpack.

Leon closed the hatch and flew off. She lifted her head up and climbed into the other chair. She let go of the backpack. She watched the screen which showed the orcs surrounding the werewolf. The screen soon showed the werewolf was dead.

She gasped.

“Milady? Are you alright?”

“Leon…”

“I see it.”

She pulled out her water bottle and drank what was left of it.

He glanced at her. He set the flyer to automatically fly back to Elsewhere in the hangar. He turned to face her. “Milady, there is plenty of water and food. Let me fix you something.” He stood up and took a couple of steps to the pantry.

She watched him fix her a bowl of soup. He set it down on the table between their chairs. He took her water bottle and prepared her some tea. He gave her the cup of tea.

“Eat. You should start to feel better. It’s concentrated nutrition. It’s okay if you go to sleep afterwards.”

She continued to stare at him.

He held up both his hands. “I’ll let you sleep. You look exhausted.”

“I am.” She blinked and looked at the food on the table. She picked up the spoon and began to eat the soup.

Leon sat down in the pilot’s seat and kept an eye on her and on the board. He let the other Guardians know he had her and that the werewolf was killed by orcs. He glanced at her. She was eating slowly. Her hands were unsteady.

She looked up at him. She briefly stopped eating. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Where are White Lion and Claira Jaen now?”

“In my apartment.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I knew they had no place to go. I volunteered to take them. You’re welcome to stay at my place. It has three bedrooms. The nekos are sharing one, so you can have one to yourself.”

“Oh, okay.” She resumed eating.

He watched her eat. He tried to read her face. He thought she had taken it well. He knew she needed time. There was no one in the way now. He knew he could keep her safe. He just hoped she would trust him and not feel so afraid.

“Are they alone in your apartment?”

“No, my best friend is looking after them. I suggested they go to school to learn the local language. They both readily agreed. Loren should have signed them up.”

“Sounds delightful. Perhaps I should take that class as well.”

“You and I have work to do.” He paused to read the message from the Guardians. “But I’d be happy to help you learn.”

“Okay. Good. I have to warn you, I do better with reading than I do with listening.”

“So, you’re one of those learners. Not a problem. I can find plenty for you to read.”

Chapter 18 The School is Disbanded

An excerpt from The White Lion Unicorn Series Book 1: A Colony of Tiny Nekos

The school had done well. Many of the nekos could now read and write. Many had gone on to get jobs. Then they took their families and moved into their own apartments. It had happened in a matter of months.

By this time there were only two left. They sat in their room they had shared with Silver Moon Unicorn wondering where she was. They weren’t sure of where they were going to go next. They had just gotten the notice that they needed a new place to move to.

They continued to stare at each other. They blinked at the same time. They were too afraid to speak. They were told when they had left school that day, the Guardians were aware of the situation. The nekos, who were even more different than the other tiny nekos, weren’t sure of what to do.

They heard someone in the hallway, but they continued to sit and stare at each other. The door opened. They turned their heads to face the door. They blinked at the same time.

An elf stood at the door. He wasn’t much taller than Silver Moon. “Claira Jaen, White Lion?”

“Yes,” they both answered.

“Pack up your things. You’re coming with me.”

The nekos slid down to the floor and picked up their things. The elf watched them as he walked into the room.

“I hope you’ll be okay at my place.”

Neither neko said anything.

Leon sighed. “None of us Guardians know where Lady Silver Moon Unicorn is.”

White Lion gasped.

“I’m sorry.”

“Mama’s in trouble!”

“I know.” Leon covered his face with his hands.

“She’s alone!”

“Yes, I think you’re right.” He let his hands drop back to his sides. “White Lion, please pack up her stuff as well. We’ll take it with us.”

White Lion finished putting his stuff in his suitcase and zipped it up. He turned to Leon. “Will you go looking for her?”

“Yes… yes, I will.”

White Lion nodded and then gathered up his mama’s things. He put them in her suitcase and zipped it closed. Claira Jaen finished packing as well.

“We’re ready to go.”

“Okay, I’ll take Lady Silver Moon’s suitcase. Follow me.”

Leon grabbed Silver Moon’s suitcase and walked towards the door. The two nekos followed behind him, suitcases in hand. They walked out into the hallway and down the stairs. Soon they were on the cobblestone streets.

No one spoke as they wound their way through the labyrinth known as Elsewhere. Other people on the street smiled at the nekos. Some even made comments about how cute they were. Leon made it to his apartment building. He unlocked the street door and waited for the nekos to pass him. They waited in the hall as he closed the door.

“This way. Just a few flights up.”

They followed him without comment. The elf stopped in front of his apartment door. He unlocked it and opened the door. He walked in with the two nekos in tow. Leon closed the door as the nekos stopped and looked all around.

“You may share a room, if you wish.”

The nekos turned towards him. They both nodded.

“Okay, this way.” He led them back to the bedrooms. “This room is mine, but you two can have one of the other ones.”

The nekos looked at both rooms. They chatted in their language. Then they picked the one that was next to his. They pulled their suitcases behind them.

Leon put Silver Moon’s suitcase in his room. He sighed. He stepped out of his room. “I hope you two will be comfortable. I don’t know what all you’ll need, so you may have to tell me.”

The nekos nodded.

“You two can go to another school where you can learn the local language. How does that sound?”

“Great!” said Claira Jaen.

White Lion frowned. “What about mama?”

“I’ll go looking for her.”

“But you said no one knows where she is.”

“No, she isn’t responding to our messages. She probably doesn’t have any internet service where she’s at.”

White Lion bit his lower lip.

“I was going to meditate and see if I can reach her.”

“I’ve tried calling her and she’s alone and hungry.”

“Oh? I didn’t know you could use telepathy.”

“Sometimes I can with mama.”

“I see.”

“Wait, can you talk to mama that way?”

“Yes.”

“Then you could find her?”

“Perhaps. It’s not an exact science.”

“Oh!”

“If I have to leave, then I’ll have to get my best friend over here to look after you two.”

“Yes, please. I don’t know how to cook,” said Claira Jaen.

Leon pulled out his pocket computer and sent a message to his best friend. “He’ll come. I’m sure he’ll be fine with you.”

Claira Jaen put her arm about her younger brother. “I’m sure Leon will find your mama.”

“Yeah.”

Claira Jaen saw the terrace with all the plants. “That looks like a little jungle out there.” She pointed towards the doors.

The elf raised his eyebrows. “Oh, that’s my garden on the terrace. You’re welcome to look at it.”

The nekos walked out on the terrace and chatted about the plants and the view. Leon watched them. He had received a message from his best friend. Leon smiled. He knew he could count on Loren.

Leon went to the kitchen and checked his food supplies. It was clear he would need to get something for the two nekos. He realized he had no idea of what they ate. He left the kitchen and joined the nekos on the terrace.

“Hey, what do you two eat?”

“Oh, we eat lots of things.” Claira Jaen smiled at him.

“Well, I’m a vegan so all I have here is some plant food.”

“We can and do eat some of that, but we eat chicken and fish as well.”

“Great. I don’t know how to prepare that.” He paused. “You really are a couple of cats.”

The nekos giggled.

“Alright, we’ll come up with something. Just let me know when you’re hungry. We can eat out at a cafe tonight.”

“That is the easiest. People do know what to feed us.”

“Yeah. I’m going to go meditate and see if I can find out where Lady Silver Moon is. I hope you two will stay out of trouble.”

The nekos smiled at him. Leon raised his eyebrows and went to his meditating pillow in the living room. He sat down and pulled out his pocket computer. He wasted no time in reviewing what the Guardians knew about where Silver Moon was before her disappearance.

*********************

Silver Moon was out walking as she liked to do. She looked around and saw as much as she could. She found a quiet spot near one of the canals. She watched the boats. She had her small backpack with her tablet computer in it.

She was still broken hearted, but grateful her son was safe and doing well. She had grown fond of his sister, Claira Jaen. Silver Moon knew the two nekos would not want to be separated once their education was done.

She knew she’d take Claira Jaen with them. But where to go was another problem that she hadn’t figured out. She had her Guardian partner, but she didn’t know how to ask him. She hated to impose. Her writing was starting to earn her some money, but she was sure it wouldn’t be enough for her to rent a place for herself and the nekos.

She turned to continue her walk. She stopped suddenly to see Black Wolf Unicorn standing in front of her.

“There you are. I need your help.”

“What?”

“Look, just come with me.”

“No.”

“No? What do you mean no?”

“You tried to harm my son and his sister.” She tried to get around him.

He grabbed her arms. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight. You really don’t need them. You just need me.”

Silver Moon cringed. “Let go of me.”

“No, we are going for a ride.” He dragged her into his trolley. He pushed her into a chair and activated straps around her wrists and ankles.

“Hey! There aren’t supposed to be any motorized vehicles here, except for the emergency ones.”

“So what?” He locked them in and got into the pilot’s seat. Soon they were airborne. “You and I have things to do.”

“But you’re married to someone else!”

“So what?”

She gaped at him.

“We belong together. So now we will be.”

She shook her head.

“Oh, come now. Someday your son will grow up and he will leave you. You should know that. Children always grow up and they leave their parents.”

She stared at the floor. She hoped the other Guardians would look for her.

************************

Hours later, he deactivated the straps which had confined her. He smiled at her. She stared at him.

“I need to go hunt for now. You are free to eat whatever is here. I don’t recommend wandering too far on your own.”

She continued to stare.

“We’re in Mordor, my love. I’m sure you know what that means.”

She said nothing.

“Very well. You’re in one of your moods. I’ll be back. You better be here when I come back. We have unfinished business to attend to.” He left the trolley.

She watched him leave. She remained in the chair. She watched him shift into his wolf form. He ran off. When she could no longer see him, she pulled out her tablet computer. She tried to send a message to Leon.

The message failed to go. She checked the settings. Then she realized there was no wifi connection. She was alone in a dangerous place. She put the tablet away. She stood up.

She was a bit shaky. She waited as she rebalanced. Then she searched the trolley. She found some food and water. She ate quickly. She filled up a water bottle. It was hers. One of the many things she couldn’t take with her when she was forced to leave the trolley.

She put the water bottle into her backpack. It was getting dark. She had no weapons. No blades. No guns. No light swords. She could fight dirty when she needed to, but it had been a long time.

Of course that was when she was a child growing up in Mordor…

But she did know something about magic. Leon had explained to her. He had told her her psi energy levels were high. He tried to teach her meditation and other ways of controlling it so she wouldn’t cause harm.

She had been playing with pure white light as a means for healing for herself and others. She could use it against Black Wolf or any orcs who would come her way. Otherwise she would have to use evasive tactics.

Even the other Guardians could help her expand on those. She wasn’t expected to fight as some of the Guardians were. She was their writer. Words were her main weapons.

Chapter 17 More Trouble?

An excerpt from The White Lion Unicorn Series Book 1: A Colony of Tiny Nekos

Felicia made some more notes on Black Wolf. “Sam, I think we better keep an eye on Black Wolf or rather Na’athan LeBleu.”

“In case he decides to show up again in Silver Moon’s life?”

“Yes, it could be bad if he does.”

“Okay, noted.”

“Did you see his record?”

“Oh, I see it now.”

“I feel bad for Silver Moon. I don’t think she had any idea.”

“What is wrong with him?”

“I don’t know, but it sounds like he messed up with quite a few people.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”

“Apparently there are some rumors about him and his wife and their son.”

“Oh, yeah? What are the rumors?”

“That none of them are very happy. He complains his wife isn’t Silver Moon.”

“That’s not good if it’s true. I doubt Silver Moon wants him back now that he’s married to someone else. He even asked Silver Moon to marry him, but they never got around to it.”

“Right. Well, that relationship is over, unless he tries to come back.”

“Okay, we’ll have to monitor him as well as the mad scientist.”

“Ever wonder if people know we are watching them?”

“No, but I suppose it shouldn’t be too surprising. Some people are naturally paranoid.”

Felicia grimaced.

*************************

Silver Moon was out walking. She had just walked White Lion and Claira Jaen to school. Leon wasn’t working as a gondolier today and they had arranged to meet at the dock where he had left his gondola. She was walking there now.

“Milady,” Leon greeted her.

“Hello.”

He offered her his hand and helped her into his gondola. She sat down.

“How about a tour of the city before we go do some research?”

“Okay.”

“You won’t be able to see these views when you walk.”

“Yeah, and I won’t get lost either.”

Leon smiled. “I won’t let you get lost on the canals.”

“Aren’t some of them designated for swimming only?”

“Yes. No boats allowed. We’ll go past some of them. If we’re lucky, we’ll see the merfolks swimming in them.”

“Do elves ever swim in them?”

“Very rarely.”

Leon took her all over the city. They were lucky. They saw a few merfolks swimming.

Eventually he rowed the gondola to another pier and moored it. He offered his hand to her to help her out of the gondola.

“Now, we go see what we need to decipher.” He led her into a temple.

They looked all around. On one wall was a painting. It featured a winged lion and a unicorn under a full moon. They were both drawn to the painting. Leon stood in front of the winged lion and Silver Moon stood in front of the unicorn. Neither spoke for a while.

They glanced at each other. They pulled out their tablet computers to make notes. She wrote hers up and he drew a replica of the painting.

************************

Wilhelm was locked in a jail cell. His guards were a few tiny nekos he had created. The nekos volunteered to make sure the mad scientist would stay put this time. He resented the Guardians and now his own creations.

“I’m your creator! You should show me more respect!”

The nekos hissed and growled.

“You’re all ungrateful! After everything I have done for you!”

The nekos stared him down.

“I’ll find a way out of here. I know technology fails. It’s just a matter of time before the bars fade out.” Wilhelm grounded his teeth and snarled.

The laser bars didn’t fade. The cell was in good condition. The nekos continued to stare at him. Only their tails moved from time to time. Wilhelm threw his fists in the air.

Some time later, the power on the ship went out. Wilhelm walked out of his cell right into the nekos. Being human, he couldn’t see in the dark as the nekos could. Claire Rose and Myadin ran down to the holding cells as soon as they could. The closer they got, the louder the screaming they could hear.

The emergency lights came on and it was clear to the Guardians, they were too late. Wilhelm was dead. He had perfect slash marks all over his exposed skin. The nekos stood by quietly. Their tails jerking.

“I see. I do understand why, but now you all will have to undergo psychological and psychiatric evaluations.” Claire Rose stood facing the tiny nekos.

“Very well,” one of them answered. “But after what he did to all of us and his own biological children, we couldn’t let him escape again.”

Claire Rose nodded. “You have good reasons, but we Guardians don’t kill in cold blood.”

“If we pass those tests, may we also become Guardians?”

“Perhaps. It will all depend upon the results.”

Chapter 16 The Mad Scientist Versus the Writer

An excerpt from The White Lion Unicorn Series Book 1: A Colony of Tiny Nekos

Silver Moon was at an open mic. She had just finished reading her latest work and referred people to her website. Then she walked off the stage to sit down at a table by herself. An elderly looking man approached her.

“Hello, Ms. Unicorn. I’m a fan of your work. I enjoyed listening to you read very much.” He smiled at her.

“Thank you.”

He sat down across from her. “It must be hard to be a traveling writer and a single mother.”

“Yes, it is, but I manage.”

“Well, you’re pretty and a good writer. So, how about you and I get married? Then we can raise the nekos together.”

“What?”

“I’m the father of Claira Jaen and White Lion.”

Silver Moon stared at him.

“I had a partner whom I created. She was a cat who could walk upright.”

Silver Moon gasped.

“But she died and I could use another partner to help me raise my children.”

“Go rot in Mordor.”

His eyes got big and round and he gaped at her.

She stood up and stormed out of the cafe. She got back to the hotel and sent a message to Felicia.

Back in the cafe, Myadin approached the geneticist. “We’ve got you surrounded, Wilhelm.”

“What?”

“I’m not the only Guardian in this building.”

Myadin was soon joined by Claire Rose Lutin and several angry tiny nekos.

Myadin continued, “You’re under arrest for kidnapping and abusing your own biological children. You’re also under arrest for keeping people against their will and refusing to educate them. They have free will and you cannot claim them as property.”

“What? That is wrong! I created them. Ergo they are mine!”

“They are not property. They are people who can make their own decisions. You cannot take that from them.”

The Guardians apprehended the mad scientist and took him to a permanent cell.

The Guardians hoped this would be the last time they would have to deal with Wilhelm. But they still weren’t sure what the angry tiny nekos would do.

Chapter 15 The Mad Scientist Tries to be Father

An excerpt from The White Lion Unicorn Series Book 1: A Colony of Tiny Nekos

In the apartment Wilhelm had secured, Claira Jaen and White Lion chattered away in their language. Wilhelm couldn’t understand anything they said and it frustrated him to no end. They talked away for hours on end. They talked about growing up in different homes. They shared stories from their lives.

There were nekos who were stalking the apartment outside on the street. No one inside the apartment knew they were there.

Wilhelm couldn’t stand it any longer. “Why can’t you speak English? You shouldn’t keep anything from me!”

The nekos got quiet and stared at him.

“Well? What are you talking about?”

They still didn’t answer.

“Then stay silent! I don’t want to hear you talking like cats! You’re my children! You can speak English!”

The nekos blinked their eyes.

“Fine!” He stormed out of the room. He ranted and raved and threw things around.

The nekos listened and still said nothing. Eventually it was quiet again. The nekos looked at each other and whispered in their language. They were very careful. They had been issued small portable computers, which they could use to contact the Guardians and Silver Moon. They quietly sent out messages with pictures to give the Guardians better ideas on their current location.

They put away their computers as soon as they were done. Then the geneticist came back out to the main room.

“Still quiet. Fine. I will be going out. Don’t go anywhere. I plan on coming back.” He left and locked them inside.

They listened to hear his footsteps fading away. Then they ran to the window and looked out. They could see him on the street. They saw the other tiny nekos. They sighed and resumed their talking. They saw the tiny nekos follow the mad scientist. They pulled out their computers to see if the Guardians had responded.

They both had messages. So they responded by sending back more pictures of street signs they could see from their window. They even mentioned the tiny nekos following Him. That new information warranted a face to face call from Sam.

“Hi, White Lion and Claira Jaen. I take it the mad scientist has left.”

“Yep, he’s gone for now, but we don’t know for how long.”

“Okay, well we are trying to track him. Oh, wait a minute. Felicia just received a message from Silver Moon. It sounds like he tried to hit on her. It doesn’t sound good.”

“Is mama okay?”

“I think so. Just upset about the incident.”

“What happened? Why is she so upset?”

“Oh, apparently he asked her to marry him.”

“What?” both the nekos said at the same time.

“Yeah, he’s definitely gone off the deep end with his latest ploy.” Sam frowned. “Claire Rose and Myadin are on their way to you. Just hang tight. We’re trying to monitor and keep an eye on Wilhelm.”

“Okay, but we can climb out the window.”

“What? Is that even safe for you?”

“I’m a good climber,” said White Lion.

“So am I.”

“Well, just be careful and don’t get hurt. I know what Silver Moon will say if something happens to either one of you.”

“Okay,” both answered.

Sam disconnected and went right back to work on the latest problem.

The nekos put away their computers and then checked the window again. They looked at each other and chatted in their language about it. They looked out the window. Then they were able to figure out how to climb out the window and down to the street.

They nodded to each other and then out the window they went. They deftly climbed down to the street without incident. Then they ran back to the hotel where Silver Moon was staying. They ran up the stairs and knocked on the door to their room.

Silver Moon opened the door. “Oh! You two are okay!”

“Yes!” they answered her and ran into the room.

They both got out their computers and let Sam know they were back at the hotel. Sam answered with a smile.

Chapter 14 To Become a Guardian

An excerpt from The White Lion Unicorn Series Book 1: A Colony of Tiny Nekos

Felicia sat with Silver Moon facing the Grand Canal.

“Why am I allowed unlimited access to the Guardian archives?” asked Silver Moon.

“Why? You’re a writer. We want you to write about us. We know you can show us as we really are. We know we’re not perfect, but too many people think we are a myth or legend. No basis in reality.”

“Do you know a Guardian named Leon, an elf?”

“Yes.”

“He told me he does some research involving symbols.”

“He does. He’s quite thorough, but he has trouble writing up his findings.”

“He told me that too. He asked me to be his partner.”

Felicia smiled. “I’m not surprised.”

“No? Well, he insisted he just wanted to work with me and not upset me. He does have other feelings for me though. Is it quite common for Guardian partners to be more than working partners as you and Sam are?”

“Oh, I don’t know how common it is. Sam and I were friends for a very long time before we ever became anything more. We worked together when we were still kids.”

“Claire Rose Lutin and Myadin are partners like you and Sam.”

“Yes, they are. I know there are others as well, but not all working Guardian partners are involved with each other.”

“Oh. Okay, but do you know anything else about Leon?”

“He’s one of the gondoliers and quite a good artist. He knows about herb lore and can make all sorts of potions and elixirs.”

Silver Moon nodded.

“You’re wondering if he’s trustworthy?”

“Yes.”

“He is. He’s a part of the ethnic group of elves who insist on having a woman’s permission before they do anything at all with her. He won’t touch you unless he has no doubt it’s okay with you.”

“Really? Then how did I end up in the sickbay on one of the ships? I know the tiny nekos couldn’t have picked me up.”

Felicia checked her tablet. “Oh, he did pick you up and carried you while you were unconscious. The doctor notes that he was hesitant about it and thought you would kill him if you knew.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. But I’m surprised he was so afraid to pick me up.”

“He had to in that case. He must know how you deal with suitors.”

“So he told me. He also said he didn’t have a death wish.”

Felicia laughed. “I think you two will be fine.”

“One other thing, how am I to support myself and two tiny nekos?”

“Good question. Hold on while I make a note and request for that. The nekos should be covered with healthcare and education, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“But they need a permanent home, food, clothing, toiletries, etc. just like I do. I’m not earning enough from my writing yet.”

“Okay, got it. Just be patient. I’m requesting to give the three of you more help. There are many Guardians here and they can influence people to give you more of a break. You are now our official bard and we want to compensate you.”

“Thank you.”

Felicia’s communicator beeped. “Sam, what is it?”

“Bad news. Both White Lion and Claira Jaen have been picked up by their biological father.”

Silver Moon gasped.

“Just what she needs— more bad news.”

“Oh? Sorry, Silver Moon. We’re looking into the clues Wilhelm left behind now. You two may want to come to the school immediately.”

“Okay.” Felicia turned off the communicator. “Ready?”

“Yeah.”

*****************************

Wilhelm walked inside the nekos’ school. The nekos were done for the day. He stood and waited for his children. He found them chatting together. He grabbed both of them and ran off with them protesting and screaming at him. Everyone heard them. The other nekos hissed and growled. Some chased after them. The teachers were shocked. They wasted no time in calling the Guardians for help.

Claire Rose and Myadin responded as soon as they could. Sam followed closely behind them. Soon the Guardians were questioning everyone and checking the area. They could see how Wilhelm was able to get in without anyone noticing. But the Guardians weren’t surprised. None of the teachers had any idea who the mad scientist was. They didn’t know what he looked like.

Moments later Silver Moon and Felicia arrived at the school to meet Sam, Claire Rose Lutin, and Myadin. Soon Felicia and Silver Moon were updated as to what the other three had found out already. The other nekos offered to help rescue the siblings. That was when the Guardians realized some of the nekos had already gone after Wilhelm.

No one was sure what the nekos would do once they found him.

Chapter 13 Scheming for White Lion and Claira Jaen

An excerpt from The White Lion Unicorn Series Book 1: A Colony of Tiny Nekos

On the ship, Sam Oranglov escorted Wilhelm to the conference room. Felicia, Claire Rose, and Myadin were already waiting and reviewing some data. The other Guardians looked up when they entered the room. Both Sam and Wilhelm sat down.

“Let’s begin.” Felicia checked her tablet computer. “Wilhelm, once again you have proven that you are arrogant and only care about yourself.”

Wilhelm growled.

Felicia glanced at him. “We have evidence that you have committed child abuse and that you have treated people as your own personal property. The nekos are people and are recognized as such. There is also evidence from your own notes that you have abused a cat who could walk upright and possibly forced her to have two children. These crimes will not be tolerated.”

“How dare you!”

“Pardon? How dare you. Your own biological son required medical attention after you stabbed him. We have testimony from the nekos about how you treated them. We have proof that you have hit Claira Jaen on more than one occasion.”

“They are mine! You have no right to thwart my life’s work!”

“You harm other people. That is not to be tolerated.”

“You’re just a damn vampire! What do you know about harming people? Don’t you need to drink our blood to survive?”

“I don’t kill anyone to get blood. I get donations so I don’t have to harm anyone.”

Wilhelm made a funny face. He glared at all the Guardians in the room. “There aren’t too many of you here. The rest of world appreciates my work.”

No one said anything. They were recording the whole session.

He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it without a word. They were displaying the evidence of his crimes on the wall screen. He saw and heard all the nekos, his creations, condemning him. He frowned. He had lost for now. But perhaps he could get his own children back sooner or later.

The other nekos weren’t as important as those two. “What will you do to me?”

“You will have to leave all the nekos alone for the rest of your life.”

“Fine. But what about my own children?”

“You’ve abused them both. They are to stay with Ms. Silver Moon Unicorn, their guardian.”

“It’s not legal! I never consented to that!”

“White Lion Unicorn has imprinted on her. We will not separate them now because there will be dire consequences. They have accepted Claira Jaen as his sister. Ms. Unicorn will look after them both.”

“But I don’t accept that! I want them back!”

“You’re an unfit father. You can’t have them back.”

Wilhelm screamed, broke his bonds and ran out of the room and off the ship.

Felicia ground her teeth. Everyone made notes. No one spoke as they turned off the recording devices.

*********************

A lone elvish gentleman stared at the image of Silver Moon Unicorn, a dark haired fair skinned elf, with her son, White Lion Unicorn, a tiny neko. The elf sighed. He set his tablet computer aside. She wasn’t too far away from him on the Guardian ship.

She had been knocked unconscious and he had carried her to safety. He knew she wouldn’t be happy to hear what had happened to her tablet computer, or that he had carried her no matter how far the distance. At least he had saved her data. He had just gotten a new tablet computer and was transferring her data to it.

He looked over at her. Her eyes were open, but she was lying still. He checked the monitor. Her vitals were good. She had recovered, but why was she just lying there and not saying anything? The monitor indicated her brain was quite active. So she must be thinking.

“Milady?”

No answer.

He sighed and waited.

She turned to look at him. “Why are you calling me, ‘milady’?”

“Because I wish to be your partner. I am a Guardian and I have too much work to do by myself.”

“Oh, I’m just a writer.”

“You are more than that.”

“Perhaps to you.”

He said nothing as he gasped.

“Why are you afraid of me?”

“I know how you deal with suitors and I don’t want to upset you. I do not have a death wish.”

She sat up. “I see. But you don’t act like those other suitors. You don’t discount anything I say or do.” She paused to gauge his response. “I don’t know what to do with you.”

He looked back to the tablets. Hers was ready. He handed it over to her.

“This isn’t my computer.”

“No. Yours was destroyed. I managed to save your data and I was able to get you a new one. It should be able to do everything your old one did and possibly more.”

“Oh, thank you.” She checked the tablet. It was as he said it would be. “Is my son and his sister alright?”

“Yes. They are still going to school, but he’s tried to contact you already. I told him you would call him as soon as you could.”

She nodded. She sent her son a quick message. It wasn’t long before he answered her back. She let out a sigh of relief.

“Is it okay?”

She looked at him. “Yes, the tablet is fine and so is my son.” She paused to check a few more things. She set the tablet down and looked back to him. “What do you expect of me as your partner?”

“That you be your usual, feisty self. We will be doing some research and your input will be vital. I know I may miss some things. But as a writer you do know symbolism and you are observant. You’re better with words than I am.”

“Okay, I suppose it shouldn’t be a problem.”

*********************

Soon Wilhelm was hiding in Elsewhere and thinking of ways to capture his children from the silly elf named Silver Moon Unicorn. He found out she was a writer. He hated her even more for it. Who was she to think she could raise his own children? Perhaps he could be nice to her, for a time, and convince her to marry him. Then he could have his children back.

He laughed. That would be a good plan. She was a woman after all. Yes, he knew how to handle women. This one would be no different. He just had to think of what to say to her. He could be charming. So that part won’t be a problem. Yes, it was coming. He wasn’t old yet. He thought he was still young enough to charm a young elf who was convinced she was a single mother.

Wilhelm was bald. He had white eyebrows and a white beard. Not that he ever noticed what hair he had left on his body. As far as he was concerned, the special formula he had created was working for his brain. He could still think pretty fast and well. He lived inside his head a little too much.

The main thought he had was capturing his children. Then he figured he could get the rest of the nekos back easily. They were his property after all. No elf or Guardian should be in his way. The Guardians should understand why he wanted his own children back. He shook his head. They hated him as much as he hated them.

They had never understood him at all. They had accused him of harming the world’s inhabitants when he had made things better for others. Why did the Guardians hate him so much? He wasn’t sure. It was the one thing he could never understand. And he understood lots of things. That’s why he could create nekos and then make them tiny.

Chapter 12 School

An excerpt from The White Lion Unicorn Series Book 1: A Colony of Tiny Nekos

Silver Moon received a message from Claire Rose Lutin. It simply stated the Guardians had just started a school for the nekos in Elsewhere. Her son and his sister were encouraged to come to see what there was to learn. The nekos were playing in the hotel room.

“Hey, White Lion and Claira Jaen!”

“What?” they both answered and stopped playing.

“How would you like to go to school with the other nekos?”

“School? Will they teach reading?”

“Yes, probably math and history… I don’t know what else. But they want to gear it to you nekos.”

“Let’s go!” Both nekos jumped up.

“Okay, let’s go to the school and see what there is.”

Silver Moon opened the door to let the nekos out. She followed and closed the door. They ran down the stairs with Silver Moon telling them not to run. The nekos walked out of the hotel and onto the street. They waited for the elf to catch up to them.

She pulled out a map and checked where the school was. “Alright, this way.” She led the way.

It took some time, but the trio found the school. The nekos followed the elf into the building. They found the office, where Silver Moon signed them up.

The nekos got excited when they saw the other tiny nekos. Soon they were chattering in their language. Silver Moon and others smiled at the nekos. Soon the nekos were playing and wrestling in the hallway. Others laughed.

A few teachers walked out into the hallway and soon they were laughing at the sight.

“They act like a bunch of house cats!” said one of the teachers.

Silver Moon nodded. “Yes, they do. They even sound like house cats when they speak their own language.”

“Hmm… that’s not quite the same as the taller nekos. This is going to be interesting.”

Another teacher spoke up, “We need to do some assessments to see what they already know. We’d hate to waste time on something trying to tell them anything they already know.”

“I know White Lion gave some reading lessons, so some of them can already read.”

“Wonderful, that will help. Then we can check that first. Who’s ready to be tested? There are no right or wrong answers. We just want to know what you already know.”

A few nekos volunteered. It took hours, but eventually all the nekos were tested. Many could read a little bit. Some had trouble, but the teachers cheered them up by encouraging them. That was just the first day. The nekos were looking forward to school after that.

***********************

Silver Moon was taking a break. The nekos were in school for the day. She found a place on the canal to sit down and think for a while. Felicia saw her and sat down next to the elf on the bench.

“Hi, Silver Moon.”

“Hi, Felicia. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“No, I suppose not. I just was curious if you’ve heard anything from Black Wolf since he left.”

“No.”

“Hmm. Sam and I could look him up. What’s his legal name?”

“Na’athan LeBleu.”

Felicia made a note on her little computer. “Got it. Let’s see what information is already available.” She did a quick search. “Oh, this isn’t good.”

“What?”

“He has a criminal record. And he recently married someone. Oh, he has a child as well.”

Silver Moon muttered a few colorful metaphors.

Felicia sighed. “I’m sorry. I hope there aren’t any complications.”

“No chance of those. He’s got his trolley and I have my son.”

Felicia nodded. “If you need anything, just let us know.”

Silver Moon nodded and tried to smile.

************************

Silver Moon, her son, White Lion, and his sister, Claira Jaen were taking a walk out in the woods. The nekos looked at everything and ran back and forth to not lose their elf guardian.

Another elf was in the woods. He had lighter hair than Silver Moon’s dark, nearly black hair. He was fair skinned as well, and short and skinny as many of the elves of his ethnicity. He was barely taller than Silver Moon, who was not considered tall where she was born and raised. But unlike the other elves in his ethnicity, who were famous for their brown eyes, his were green. But his eyes were not the same shade as hers.

It was Leon who was off by himself to meditate with nature. He certainly was aware of Silver Moon and the nekos. He had offered her his friendship, even though he felt more for her. He was too afraid to tell her how he really felt. He just wanted her to feel safe and comfortable with him. He couldn’t do anything to her without her permission.

But how to tell her without upsetting her? He frowned. He sat down on a large rock to think it over. He had seen the reports about the colony of nekos she and her son had found. The reports also stated she had said she had felt she had been summoned to Elsewhere.

White Lion and Claira Jaen were dancing and laughing when they and his mama had reached the other elf. Leon didn’t seem to notice any of them. Silver Moon nearly gasped when she saw him. She recognized him immediately. She had remembered when she had first seen him and what he said to her.

He looked up and saw her. Neither spoke.

White Lion and Claira Jaen screamed.

Silver Moon quickly turned in their direction. She jumped in front of them as a large black wolf approached them. “Stay away from my son and his sister!”

The other elf stood up.

The wolf growled.

“How dare you! You lied to me. Ran off and married someone else and now you have the audacity to harm my son and his sister! Who do you think you are?”

The wolf readied himself to jump. Silver Moon raised her left index finger. The nekos were still screaming. The other elf could feel what she was doing.

He grabbed his tablet and checked the readings. The psi readings were high. He knew the wolf would attack. His tablet could see hers sending out bad signals. He wasted no time in capturing all data from her tablet and putting his tablet away before he grabbed both nekos.

It was over too quickly for the tiny nekos or the other elf to even know what had happened. The wolf was running away and Silver Moon was lying on the ground quite still.

“Mama!”

The elf let go of the nekos. He pulled out his tablet and held it over her and transmitted the results to the doctor aboard the nearby Guardian ship. “She’s alive.”

“Why isn’t she moving?” asked White Lion.

“She’s unconscious.” His tablet chimed. “Yes? I hope it’s good news.”

“You need to bring her to the ship.”

“Uh…”

The doctor frowned. “You can’t ask her for permission. She will be fine. Just pick her up and carry her to the sickbay. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Right.” He slipped his tablet into pocket. “She’s going to kill me.”

White Lion was shaking as he looked at the elves. Claira Jaen bit her lip. They watched the elf pick up his mama.

“Come on, White Lion and Claira Jaen. The ship isn’t far.”

The tiny nekos followed arm in arm.

It wasn’t long before they were on the ship. The doctor met them in sickbay.

“Good. Just put her there on that bed.”

The elf set Silver Moon down gently. “She will kill me for that.”

The doctor sighed. “I don’t know why you’re so worried about that. She’s unconscious. I’m sure she’d be happy to know someone cared enough to get her to safety.” The doctor made sure Silver Moon would be comfortable and started to monitor her vitals.

The elf sighed. He was shorter than the doctor.

“Oh, you must like her a lot.”

The elf made an o with his mouth.

“I see. I know your group of elves have always been good about making sure you have a woman’s permission before you do anything to her.”

He looked down to the floor.

“I think her reaction to you will shock you. Now, do any of you need anything?”

“She needs a new tablet. I think the nekos are just more frightened than anything else.”

White Lion nodded. “What happened to her tablet?”

The doctor pulled the tablet from Silver Moon’s front pocket. “Oh!” It was clearly destroyed. She pressed a button on the monitor and requested a new tablet for the writer. “We’re flying back to Elsewhere and there will be a new tablet for Ms. Unicorn. I requested they’d give it to you. I hope you saved her data.”

“I did.”

“Good. White Lion, I’m not sure when your mama will wake up, but she needs to rest for now. You can go back to school with your sister.”

“Okay. So what happened to her?”

“She used her magic to protect you.”

White Lion looked to the short elf. “I knew she was magical, but why did it make her unconscious?”

“I don’t know. Does she use her magic on a regular basis?”

“No. She rarely uses it.”

“Oh, that explains a lot.”

The doctor nodded. “I see. She probably doesn’t know how powerful she is.”

“Her psi readings were quite high. The werewolf was using some magic against her as well.”

“Oh! It was her former partner.”

“Yeah, unfortunately.”

“Okay. It may take some time for her to recover.”

“Oh?” The short elf raised his eyebrows.

“She’s not as strong and as healthy as she could be. But then again considering where she’s from, she’s better off than most of the other people are.”

He nodded. “Come on, White Lion and Claira Jaen, let’s let the doctor do what she needs to. You can talk to her later.”

“Okay.”

Chapter 11 Silver Moon Plans

An excerpt from The White Lion Unicorn Series Book 1: A Colony of Tiny Nekos

Silver Moon was dreaming and she knew it. Yet, it was a memory at the same time. She was a cashier in a giant retail store. Customers were yelling at her again about how she and other employees didn’t know where things were or what the store had for sale.

She said nothing, but stared at the customers. It was true, the store was so big that the employees, including Silver Moon, tended to get lost looking for things. Still she did what she could for them. But sometimes, that just wasn’t enough.

She woke up with a start to find herself in a strange bed. She blinked and remembered she was now staying in a hotel room. Her son and his sister were still in the hospital. His sister had refused to leave him by himself. Hopefully, today she would be able to get her son out of the hospital. Silver Moon thought Claira Jaen would want to come with them.

She got up and got dressed. She went downstairs to get some breakfast. Then she went for a walk. She found the same gondolier rowing a traghetto again. This time she got in after trying to look him in the eye. She sat down behind him. The boat rocked gently back and forth across the Grand Canal.

After they reached the other side, she waited for other people to get off the boat before standing up. The gondolier offered her his hand. She put a coin in it as she reached for the pole. Then she got out of the boat and walked away. She turned around wondering if she should wait for him. She could see him turning his head this way and that. She could hear the younger gondoliers teasing him.

She bit her lip and turned away. It would have to be some other time. For now, she had to get to the hospital to see if her son would be released.

***********************

A nurse walked in to check White Lion’s vitals. “Ms. Unicorn, the doctor will be here shortly to talk to you about your son.”

“Wonderful.”

“In the meantime, his vitals are good. And he should be fine unless he gets injured again too soon.”

Silver Moon nodded. “Okay.”

Both nekos woke up. They yawned and stretched. Soon they were chatting away in their language. Silver Moon thought they sounded much like cats. They noticed her and both said, “Meow,” to her.

“Hello, little ones. I’m waiting for the doctor to come in to see if we can leave today.”

“Can I come too?” asked Claira Jaen.

“Yes, of course.”

“Good. I want my sister with us,” said White Lion.

The doctor walked in. “Ah, so you are the writer I keep hearing about.”

“Hello.”

“Your son has given us quite a scare, but he got a blood transfusion in time. They are awfully cute to look at, but these two are unique among nekos.”

“Oh?”

“We’ve confirmed who their biological parents are. And we know for sure that the father is one of those responsible for genetically modified food.”

“Oh, great.”

The doctor nodded. “I know the sentiment. I’ve treated too many people who ate that kind of food and they weren’t always aware it was in the food at first. It was a nightmare trying to sort out what people were really allergic to. Then it got worse when they developed other allergies and couldn’t get over anything at all.”

“That is a nightmare. Why doesn’t he know about those results?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps he blinded himself and didn’t really face any of the consequences. Sometimes that happens to people. They think they do right, but fail to realize how they affect other people.”

“Where I come from, we’re taught not to worry about anyone but ourselves. We aren’t taught that we affect other people. I know it’s not true. Whether we like it or not, we do affect each other. I’m still learning how that works.”

“At least you’re learning. We have no choice but to learn it here and we learn it early.”

“You have less space, so I can see why you have to learn it.”

“Oh, your son… His vitals are good. I don’t see why he can’t leave the hospital, but please stay out of fights, Mr. Unicorn.”

“Okay.”

“I hope you two nekos won’t mind coming back periodically so we can monitor and learn more about your genetics.”

The nekos shrugged.

“It is curiosity, but also it will help us when something does go wrong. You are nekos and we know how their biology works, but yours is a little different. Those differences could be problems for us if something goes wrong. We hate to lose patients for any reason.”

“Oh!” both nekos exclaimed.

“So, will you two come back for routine exams?”

“Okay,” both answered.

“Wonderful. Enjoy Elsewhere.” He left the room.

A nurse walked in and removed all the monitors off of White Lion. He sat up and looked at his mama.

“Are you both ready to go?”

“Yes,” they answered her.

“Okay, let’s go get some food and then go back to the hotel.”

Silver Moon stood up and walked out of the hospital with two tiny nekos following close behind. She found an outdoor table at a local cafe. Soon they had menus and water to drink. They placed their orders for food. Silver Moon ordered a vegan meal, while the two nekos ordered a meal with chicken and vegetables.

Their food arrived and everyone began eating. Silver Moon thought about what they should do next. She found herself thinking about Black Wolf. She frowned. That was done and over with. Time to just move on. At least she still had her son. Now she had his sister as well. What to do? Well, of course she would still write. She knew the Guardians wouldn’t stop her from writing about them.

She had every intention of doing so. Sometimes she wondered if they gave her unlimited access to their archives to write about them and tell the world who they really were. The nekos talked to each other in their language. People eating in the cafe were starting to notice them as were passersby.

Silver Moon had to smile. They were cute and they were getting along so well.

*************************

Silver Moon went back to where she had seen the gondolier rowing the traghetto and his gondola. It was raining and he was no where around. She noticed one of the supervisors, but she still walked over to his gondola. She saw the front wasn’t covered up and the Goddess of Victory was now facing left instead of forward.

She realized he had left someone a message as she was walking away. Then it hit her. It was for her. He was her summoner. She had no doubt about who he was now. So what did he want from her? She wasn’t sure it had anything to do with his feelings for her. She wondered if it was some kind of work he needed help with. She didn’t care if the supervisor had seen her.

Chapter 10 Mama and Son Reunited

An excerpt from The White Lion Unicorn Series Book 1: A Colony of Tiny Nekos

Silver Moon was given a room in a hotel. She had just received the news about her son. She was waiting for the hospital to call her when she could see him again. It felt like she had lain on the bed for hours without sleeping. She didn’t unpack anything at all. She cried for a while. Then she went for a walk.

She watched the gondoliers and was fascinated. It was magical just to watch them. She noticed there were no motorboats at all traveling around the city. That was when she realized her summoner was one of the gondoliers. Then she saw him.

She knew when she had seen him that he would become important to her. She just gaped at him.

He said, “Traghetto?”

She shook her head no. She watched him go and then she went walking again. She didn’t stop until she was back in her hotel room. She laid back down on the bed.

Finally, she received a face to face call from the hospital. The caller gave her excellent directions on how to reach the hospital from her hotel. Silver Moon sat up and wiped away her tears. She walked out of the room.

Soon she was out on the cobblestone streets making her way to the hospital. It wasn’t a long walk. No one hassled her once she was in the hospital. She went to where she was told and she wasted no time asking for her son. A nurse led the way to his bed.

Claira Jaen was sitting by him holding his hand. She looked up at Silver Moon. “Meow.”

“Hi, Claira Jaen.” Silver Moon walked to the other side of the bed and held his other hand. “Darling, I’m here.”

White Lion opened his eyes. “Mama?”

“Yes, I’m here.”

He smiled at her. “They had to get some blood from Claira Jaen and give it to me.”

“Oh!”

“Yeah, that needle hurt.”

“I did get the news that you two are siblings.”

“Yeah, he’s my little brother who snuck out of the compound when he was just a kitten.”

Silver Moon smiled. “He’s still a little escape artist. He tends to go off and have adventures and sometimes he has trouble finding his way back home.”

Claira Jaen smiled. “I’m glad to have him back.”

“So am I.”

“Mama, Claira Jaen can read now.”

“I don’t know how good at it I am.”

“I heard. That’s wonderful. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Guardians set up a school for you nekos.”

“That sounds good to me.” Claira Jaen paused. “An elf and a werewolf came to rescue us from Him.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, it was Claire Rose Lutin and Myadin.”

“Oh, you know them, brother?”

“I’ve met them.”

“Why is that? I noticed White Lion didn’t like to be around Black Wolf at first.”

“They’re wolves! They could eat us!”

“I didn’t think about that. Dogs are domesticated wolves and dogs do like to eat cats sometimes.”

Both nekos looked at her with a little fear in their eyes.

“There are plenty of were creatures who aren’t dangerous and won’t harm you.”

“Well, this one didn’t. He defended and helped us.” Claira Jaen let go of her brother’s hand.

“When are they going to let him out of the hospital?”

“I don’t know. They haven’t told me yet.”

A nurse came by to check on White Lion. His vitals were good and improving.

“Nurse, when can he leave?”

“Oh, it won’t be much longer now. Possibly tomorrow. They want to make sure there’s nothing else wrong. He did lose a lot of blood.”

“I know. I’m glad he’s doing much better now.”

The nurse smiled and made notes on his progress. Then promptly left.

Silver Moon sighed. “Well, that’s a relief. I don’t think I could stand to lose you, little one.”

White Lion smiled. “I wasn’t planning on going anywhere, mama.”

Silver Moon shook her head.

“It was quite an adventure this time…” White Lion went in vivid detail about his time with the other nekos. Claira Jaen added some comments here and there. Silver Moon, of course, listened with avid interest.

***********************

Leon was walking into the church to find his best friend. He had met Silver Moon Unicorn up close and had to let his friend know.

Loren smiled as soon as he saw his friend. “My friend, you are glowing.”

“She got into the traghetto and let me help her in and out of it.”

“Oh!”

“She has beautiful eyes.”

“And?”

“She snubbed me.”

“And still you like her. There is no hope for you.”

“Perhaps not.” Leon smiled. “But you know I didn’t summon her for that.”

“I know, but you still have those feelings for her.”

“What am I going to do? I don’t have a death wish.”

“No? Is she that kind of woman?”

“Yes, unfortunately for me.” Leon sighed. “There are notes about how she responds to suitors in the Guardian archives. She isn’t always so nice to them.”

Loren put his arm about his friend’s shoulders. “If you could win her over, you’d be a very lucky man.”

“Yeah, but I don’t feel so lucky…” Leon sighed. “I just asked for someone I could work with. I didn’t expect the rest of this to happen as well…”

Loren shook his head. “You’ll just have to tell her why you summoned her in the first place.”

“Yes, I will. I’ll tell her everything.”

“Now, I know you’re in trouble.”

*************************

Na’athan sat at the table. His son was screaming. His wife was busy cooking and trying to soothe the baby. The werewolf frowned. He thought about an elf and a neko who were much quieter and got along better. He sighed.

It was a memory from another time on this same trolley. He had remembered he did run off to find someone to play with. He found this woman he was now married to. She was great. He had never told the elf. At the time, he had believed she wouldn’t mind at all.

She didn’t seem to know. That’s when he decided he had to have the elf back in his life. He thought some more. Why couldn’t he have them both? It was certainly possible. A plan was forming in his mind. He smiled.

His son was finally quiet and he had food in front of him. This time it wasn’t vegetarian. Just the way he liked it. His wife sat down and ate with him unaware of his thoughts pounding in his head.