Saving humanity by killing witches; how was that any different than what I was doing? Cat was asking me to stay the course, wasn't she?

So why did I hesitate?

"I don't think it's a good idea for us to join forces; sorry."

I had my gun in line, but Cat ignored it. With a shrug, she told me, "Well, an uninformed decision is no decision at all. How about you take a look around, see my operation, and then decide?"

Cat was letting me walk? The castle was more than just some kind of prop?

Shale bowed. "I will escort her mistress."

"Full access, Shale. She can see everything she wants to. See that she comes to no harm here."

"It shall be done."

I had to ask. "What happens if I shoot her?"

Cat turned to me. "She will run again, and you'll be on your own here. You'll probably survive to go home, but I can't guarantee it. If you manage to kill her... well I'll be cross."

Right; cross. I hadn't yet, and I was pretty sure I didn't want to see Cat cross. I holstered up.

"Fine. Where are you going?" If someone else was going to escort me, it was a given that Cat herself was leaving, and I'd be unlikely - or not allowed- to follow.

"Back to discuss a few things with your friends. Don't worry, I won't hurt them. I told you I wouldn't, didn't I?"

Oddly enough, the word of a witch actually did make me feel a bit better. After all, it wasn't as if she couldn't have killed most of them before. Maybe even Gloom, if he was alone. Despite his assurances on Cat's strength, I still thought he could pull a win at least. If he couldn't we were in trouble.

Cat vanished with a soft pop, and Shale turned to me. "I await your pleasure."

I took some comfort in how nervous she was. "My pleasure?"

"I am not to guide you, only escort you. You may go where you wish."

I guess that made sense. "I want to go to the castle, then."

Anything that I needed to know, I'd likely learn it there. If Cat really did sleep there, like I thought.

"The path will lead you right to it." Shale responded, pointing to the right-most path that appeared to lead away from the place.

"Where does the left lead?"

"To a lake," Shale responded. "It is a tranquil place, but rife with... wildlife, shall we say."

And didn't that sound ominous. "Dangerous?"

"To you, perhaps. It is hard to say. I am never molested there."

That sounded a bit like frustration to me.

With a shrug I started down the indicated path; there was no reason to really fear; if Cat wanted to she could have just left me here with no guide. She still might just leave me here, but my best chance of a way out lay in going forward in some direction, might as well be this one. At least Gray was with me, staying silent and playing possum, hopefully forgotten.

Well, he was moving, walking behind us, but that wasn't the point.

More importantly, his fleet was also following us. Cat hadn't been concerned, even though she could probably see them. I was pretty sure I could reduce that castle of hers to sand if I wanted, but if Cat was willing to leave me here, she wouldn't be happy if I wrecked her house - I really didn't want to be left here, wherever here was.

The feeling only intensified when I started spotting the wildlife. Not at all timid, no fear of humans, and everything just slightly off, the deer had golden fur too. We stared at each other a moment before it took berries from a bush next to me and moved on placidly.

I resisted the urge to shoot it, and it was harder to do that than expected. Something about a lack of healthy fear annoyed me. And that squirrel just looked all kinds of wrong.

A fork in the trail, and Shale took the right.

"Where does the left lead to?"

"A caterpillar ingesting hallucinogens. My master is a fan of the classics."

"Right." I had no idea what she was talking about, but it sounded awful.

Down the path we went; the sounds of the various creatures that were either just ignoring us or shadowing us made my hands itch.

"Don't worry little one, they are harmless."

Says her. "I've seen squirrels go feral and kill people before - nothing is harmless."

Shale turned and gave me a look. "Point taken. Would you settle for 'so unlikely to hurt you that you don't need to spray them all over the forest'?"

I nodded. I could be reasonable.

"So, who's the newbie?" A voice asked cheerily from way too close.

I could be reasonable, I didn't actually fire.

A girl was behind me, small and blonde with pigtails and a summer dress that looked old. She held a small tattered cloth doll, it's little hand in hers. She was cute, and floating several feet off the ground, and didn't seem concerned to find a gun at her nose. She reminded me of Ana.

"A little jumpy, huh? That's okay."

"I'm the marksman. And you are?"

She grinned, mouthing my code name as if tasting it. "Oh sorry, I was rude, wasn't I? They call me ghost."

Shale sighed. "What are you doing out here, Ghost? You're supposed to be home. Cat told you that herself before we left."

The newly minted 'Ghost' stamped her foot in the air as if it was solid. Hm, she wasn't wearing shoes - I expected those little leather ones, polished to a mirror shine. "But home is boring! Everyone there just sits around, and no one wants to play! At least the caterpillar is fun!"

Oh wow, kid on hallucinogens... I was more than a little tempted to set that up, but knowing my luck I'd just end up babysitting the little scamp.

I pointed. "Yeah, I'm told the insect is that way. If you hurry, you might still catch him."

Ghost looked at me, wide eyed. "Oh no, I can't go see him now. You're much more interesting."

I was afraid she'd say that.

"So Shale, who is our guest?"

Shale looked as annoyed as I felt. "She told you. What you're really asking is why she's here, and that's simple. The boss is interested in her."

Ghost winced dramatically. "Oh, wow, sucks to be you. We're all here because she got interested in us."

"No," Shale corrected with a shake of her head. "Not her partner. In her."

Ghost gave me a once-over. "Really? In a witch this time? I'm not sure if that's better or worse."

Truth told, neither was I. Just how many familiars had Cat collected, over the years? I could applaud the dead witches, but the sheer amount of power represented....

"How many of you are there?"

Ghost, true to who I thought she was after only five minutes, answered without thinking. "Oh, hundreds, I think. It is hard to count us all most of the time, since we come and go."

Shale gave her a sharp look, which she shrugged off with a "What?"

Shale sighed again. "Nothing."

I was pondering being surrounded by hundreds of potentially hostile familiars. I was strong, sure. But was I strong enough for that?

Gray had much to answer for by teaching me all this 'caution' crap.I couldn't help but think that if I managed to kill a bunch of these, I'd really hurt Cat. Not for long probably, but perhaps for long enough. If only I didn't want to know what her game was.

Maybe I'd be able to figure out how to get back here on my own a little later. I didn't think Cat would overlook that detail, but if she did....

"So what are you thinking about?"

Well I saw no reason to lie. "How to gleefully murder you all."

Ghost hummed. "I can see why Cat likes you, that sounds like fun! Can I help?"

"Don't tell the girl our weaknesses, ghost. She really doesn't need the help."

ghost goggled at Shale. "Really?"

"Really. She's that strong. She almost killed me four times in as many minutes."

Ghost was not impressed. "Yeah, but you suck."

"I'm tougher than you, squirt," was the calm response.

"How can you say that when you can't even touch me?" ghost asked with a smirk.

This had the feel of routine. I'd better say something or we'll be here all day. "Girls, girls, you're both pretty. Can we move along now?"

I got two glares and one loud sniff, but Shale started off again.

"Now, we're going to reach a clearing. I'd advise you not to stare, or stop. Well, unless you want a fight that you'll probably lose."

Pft, as if. I don't lose. Much. "What against?"

Shale waved the question off. "I wouldn't dream of spoiling the surprise."

A brace of woods not long after led into a glade straight from a picture, or an old movie. Surrounded on all sides by vines that looked like something Maze would have cooked up, the field was bright, sunny, and had a gentle roll to it. The grass was knee high and slightly more yellow than it should have been back home, and the flowers were reds blues and yellows so bright they were almost painful to look at. I could even smell them from here, not that I knew what they were. They smelled nice.

And in the center, frolicking in the sun, actually frolicking if ever I'd seen it - was the largest rabbit I'd ever seen.

It had stark white fur and was staring at a small watch... while it nibbled on a skull. There was blood splattered all over it's red coat. Thankfully the skull wasn't human; one of the deer things, maybe. The top hat on it's head had a hole in it, and was lopsided.

I really wanted to say something... but I also didn't want to gain that thing's attention. The two noticed I'd stopped and turned back.

"Come on you wuss, it's only a bunny."

"Bunny's aren't meat eaters."

The big guy heard me; his ears twitched my way and he turned around. "YOU'RE LATE!"

His voice sounded kind of like a train's whistle if you hit it with a hammer first, and oh my he was fast.

Shale managed to get in gront of me, arms wide, just as I was about to fire. She was facing away from me. "No! She's a guest, not food!"

The rabbit wasn't wearing any pants and was very much a male. I really, really wanted to shoot now. His abrupt stop didn't help matters, nor did the spray of blood out of his mouth as he spoke again. At least it hit Shale and not me.

"A... guest? One that isn't late for lunch?"

"Yes, an honored guest." Shale replied, arms still out and sounding cautious.

The rabbit scuffed a foot against the grass. "Aww, shucks. I'm still hungry, and it's almost tea time."

"I think I saw a Diffyr that way," Ghost said from right next to my ear, and an arm pointed to the right."

In a blink the rabbit was gone. "Thank you kind Ghost, I'll be sure to share!"

This close I heard Ghost's muttered response of: "Please don't."

This called for a drink... but I didn't have one, so I'd have to make do with a joke. "Well, he seemed nice."

Shale turned back and gave me a look, before letting her hands fall. "Sorry, I couldn't let you kill him. Cat likes him, for some reason. I think it's the watch."

Was that a counter joke? There was something here I was meant to understand, but I didn't get whatever it was. I wasn't sure whether to hope it was or wasn't.

"I might like him more if he wore pants." Not like him, but like him more; it was a fine line.

"I know, right?" Ghost sympathized with a shudder.

Not sure how i felt about being on the same page as a crazy witch's familiar either.

"Right, well let's just go before he comes back."

Shale raised a good point there. "Lead on, you know this place."

"Right." She led us out to the trail on the other side. The forest looked dark and spooky on the other side. A little too spooky - as if it was actively trying to scare. Shale proved that to be a bluff by plunging right on in, and I followed;n I wasn't the type to get scared easily. A glance behind me showed Ghost still following, and gray behind all of us, his ship prepped for judgement.

I could feel the four ships just like his, flying overwatch. ?With his guidance, I could torch this forest in less time that it took to think about it.

The trees seemed to lean in and stare at me; I looked right back. I remembered an old saying my mentor told me, from America: 'yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for I am the baddest dude in all creation.'

She told me it was a military thing. It certainly made sense here.

The ground grew swampy for a stretch, the air rank, and the sunlight little more than a fond wish. And then just as suddenly we were out, back into another clearing.

"The dark heart was kind to us today; usually it takes much longer to go through, and things can get interesting."

"Even for you?" I asked. Why not, she was chatty and I was curious.

"Cat doesn't like us getting soft." Ghost replied. I guess that said it all.

"Or bored," Shale added with a shrug, so then again maybe not.

"So what's next?" I was starting to get used to this place.

Shale shared a look with Ghost. "Nothing, the castle is next. It shouldn't take us more than another half an hour to get there. Well, maybe just under an hour, depending on our speed.

That was a hint to pick up the pace; stupid tall people and their stupidly long strides. I started counting down.

We had no further excitement and arrived at the top of the hill the castle was on just over forty minutes later.It was even more imposing up close, and carried the feel of great age, but it wasn't a ruin; the ancient stones were well cared for and carefully kept in place. the iron portcullis showed no rust, and the thick wooden drawbridge didn't so much as creak as we stepped foot on it. I could even smell the pine resin used to keep the wood fresh.

If there was anything marring the image, it was all the bird crap. I almost felt like I needed an umbrella or something.

Ghost nodded along, still getting me. "I know right? Rats with wings; we need to purge this place of them, it really ruins the look."

Just past the wall was a small village, made of small well-made cottages that looked much like the ones I saw in England and France. No wait, there were store fronts mixed in, and that looked like a stable... these were shops and services. Someone was a fan of the old life, or the classics; maybe both.

All of the shops were closed though, and the courtyard was empty. The road was paved from here, and led up to the castle proper. A castle with a very big, very sturdy door made of wood and banded iron. Something that looked more like a medieval safe vault door than something that should grace a house, no matter how big.

The large door swung open as we approached, and a true giant, not just a giant of a man, came out. I don't know how I knew the difference, but I did. He was more than just large, his bone structure looked different, larger in proportion to a human's, and he had a brow you could write a billboard on. His arms were too long, past his hips, and his legs seemed a little short.

He waved a meaty paw at Shale.

"I'm back Ognar, and we have a guest."

Ognar grunted and groaned; Shale pretended like she knew what he said.

"No Ognar, an actual honored guest. Cat herself brought this one in."

Ognar groaned again, and turned around without preamble, leading the way into a very big room which screamed faded glory, with then tattered carpet things and flags lining the walls, the moth-eaten and dirty carpet on the floor, and the broken weapons in display cases.

The broken weapons were old hunter weapons, I was sure. I was also pretty sure I recognized at least two.

There was also more than a few people, or familiars I guess, walking from one hall to the next, or just standing around. They all locked eyes on me the moment I entered, clearly curious. Some few looked past me; Gray was in some danger, here, cloaking device or not.

"Everyone, this is Cat's honored guest, Sasha. Sasha, say hello to everyone. Well, everyone who happens to be here at least."

"Hello." There were fewer than I expected, given the amount of time Cat had been operating. Even if more were around, it seemed I was as far from my estimate of hundreds as I could be. Maybe a hundred, tops? There were only twenty I could sense in the room, and that included Shale and Ghost.

The responses I got back ranged from half-hearted greetings to complete snubbing. I could tell that was just a front though, they all but oozed interest from their pores. Or maybe that one actually did, who could tell with slime?

Shale looked around, at a loss. "It's been at least ten years since we had a guest. You all are boring."

"Shut up, suck up."

Wow, someone was not happy. I turned to the source and found a tall silver haired woman with pointed ears leaning against the wall, her hands fingering a rather elaborate bow that looked to be carved to resemble woven vines. She was dressed in hunter's green, of course, and had one of those glove things on her wrist.

Her face was a pretty one, but it would have been better if it hadn't been set in a permanent glower, as if she'd eaten something sour and the taste never left her.

Shale sighed again; she'd been doing that a lot lately. "Give it a rest, Roth, it's over and done with already."

"You give it a rest, lackey. Some of us have more pride."

"But you still come when called, just like a dog."

Roth bristled at that and her hands twitched on her bow. Some seemed less than happy to be here. I guess I could relate.

"Careful Shale, or I'll show you my bite."

Shale brushed her off. "I've seen it before Roth, and you seem to be forgetting you can't. Something about being told to play nice with others?

The hands clutching the bow were now white knuckled. "I'll...!"

shale turned to me. "That's Rothschild, who seems to forget who owns her now. She's still a little sore over losing her first partner, even though it's been about a hundred years."

A hundred! Cat was older than any of us imagined!

"It was less than ten!" Rothschild screamed, spit flying. Or Shale could be needling the poor familiar, and I had nothing to worry about. I was glad I was far enough away not to get hit with any of that; some were actually hit by the spit, and giving Rothschild some hard stares.

Cat just appeared in front of us. "Getting to know each other? Good! I need to borrow Sasha back though, her friends are waiting for her. Everyone play nice until I return and maybe I'll bring her back!"

"Wait!" someone cried, but there was no waiting; just like that I was somewhere else.

The vertigo hit a moment later, and I fell some distance before just... stopping, while still in the air. I looked quickly; Gray was still with me, he hadn't been left behind.

Then my eyes caught Gloom's.

Gloom looked like hell; or rather, that he'd been through nine kinds of hell. His uniform was in rags, his weapons were missing, and he was one big walking bruise. The area was so trashed, I could only recognize where I was other than somewhere on the outskirts of Central. He was also alone, something that shouldn't have happened.

However, his hair was still perfect.

Oh, shit. He'd fought Cat. He'd clearly fought Cat, and she had been pristine.

"Where... were,,, you? He asked, forcing the words out with a wince.

No hand, don't curl around the back of my head, that's a sign of guilt!

"Um, you'll never believe it?"