Cat cafe crashers

The square with the coffee house and Inquisition headquarters was on the other side of the old town, but before we went there it was agreed that we would first eat something. A coffee house mainly serves desserts after all. We stopped by a roadside stall to purchase some roasted chicken wings to share, and set off to the other side of town.

On our way there we noticed that the streets were narrower, and opened up onto tiny marketplaces left and right. My sense of smell was attacked from all sides by freshly cut fruit, meat, and fish while the odor of stale beer came wafting out of taverns. Despite it being so busy, there was a comforting atmosphere in the air . The streets were filled with people, you would almost think there was a festival going on with how dense the crowd was.

I went first, pushing people out of the way while Chiyo hung onto my shirt with one hand. After what felt like an eternity we arrived at the edge of the old town and came onto the square we needed to be at. Compared to the cramped streets we were previously in, with its buildings all packed together, this was like a different city in comparison. To our left was the coffee house we wanted to go to.

It was a large establishment, taking up most of the side of the square, with arches running along the ground floor to create a place to sit outside but still shield one from the elements. The smell of coffee immediately permeated the air as soon as we left the alleyway behind us. Chiyo happily sniffed the scent and a comforted look spread across her face.

To our right was the Inquisition headquarters which looked just like a prison, complete with watchtowers and windows behind metal bars. Its most impressive feature was the 400 foot tower rising from the above the front door, but its purpose was a mystery to me. I stopped myself from dwelling on the Inquisition too much and went through the arches, into the coffee house. Chiyo, who couldn't contain her excitement, went in first.

“Come kitty kitty!”

She made clicking noises as she crouch-walked across the cafeteria like a hungry goblin. While she was busy embarrassing us, I went over to the counter to order a black coffee for myself and one with cream and sugar for Chiyo.

After I got my order I picked out an empty table, carefully moved one of the chairs on which a cat was sleeping, and took another chair. I went to sit without Chiyo, who almost bumped into another customer while chasing a cat, and patiently drank my coffee while waiting for her.

Eventually she turned up again with a triumphant grin on her face. She was holding an angry looking flat-nosed cat by the armpits, which made its lower body seem very elongated. She swung it around as she sat on her chair and deposited the cat onto her lap.

“See what I brought? It’s a cat!” She declared.

“I can see that. Hurry up and drink your coffee, I think it’s lukewarm already.”

She leaned in to take the coffee from its plate and took a sip. Her face became one of pure ecstasy.

“Fwah~ this really hits the spot! I can’t believe I survived for almost a whole week without a drop of coffee. Hey, let’s buy a whole bag of coffee beans so we can drink some on the road. Now if that isn’t an idea!”

I had thought it to be impossible, but her face became even more triumphant. I had to concede that it was a good idea however. I went over to the counter again to buy a bag of beans.

The cat on Chiyo's lap climbed onto the table and started licking at her coffee. It made a bitter face and tried to leave, but that wasn’t what Chiyo had in mind. She grabbed the cat and put it back on her lap.

“Oliver, come sit on my side, this might be the last chance you get to pet a kitty cat!”

With a sigh I moved my chair next to her and gently scratched the cat behind its ears. It no longer tried to run away, and was now purring softly. Cats aren’t all that bad after all. A sudden wave of bliss came over me as we sat there together petting an ugly cat. I almost wished for that moment to go on forever.

While I was entertaining the cat, I looked around the room. The walls were made of wood and were covered in framed drawings of cats, ranging from crude children’s doodles to professional prints. The space was two floors tall. Wrapping around the walls of the second floor was a mezzanine, with a set of stairs by the door leading up to it. Then I saw someone sitting in the corner of the room I hadn’t previously noticed.

On the person’s table was an assortment of sweets laid out. Cakes of all colors and sizes, cuberdons, macarons, and more. I looked to see who was stuffing their face with all this sugary sweetness, and was horrified. Sitting there was a woman in casual clothes, with brown hair up to her shoulders and bangs that reached her eyebrows. The witch hunter from yesterday.

I tried play it cool, but our eyes had already met. She guiltily wiped her mouth, and thought for a moment. Then she got up. Despite her casual attire she had a rapier still strapped to her belt. This could get dangerous.

“Hey you two! I recognize you. You’re that shady couple from yesterday. This can’t be a coincidence… no, you two look way too much like the description of the witch couple that’s been spread. Identify yourselves!”

The grumpy cat leaped off of Chiyo’s lap, but she didn’t stop the animal this time. She was frozen in shock, just like me. I had no idea what to say. With panic starting to rise up inside me, I took a deep breath and tried to recollect myself.

“We’re just two travelers who have come to Indestria to see its beauty. This shop came highly recommended to us, and we decided to give it a try. If you think we have anything to do with that vile witch, you’re sorely mistaken. And what about you? Who are you?”

The woman’s eyes narrowed.

“My name is Amélie Drakenwald, I’m a first rank witch hunter under Inquisition employment. Now that you know my name, it’s time to get to the bottom of this. Show me some identification.”

We’re going to make a run for it.

I made that much clear to Chiyo with just my eyes.

As harmless as Amélie appeared in her long flowery skirt, I knew that she would defeat us in a head-on duel. I could feel it. She warily approached us.

Chiyo and I both jumped up from our chairs and bolted towards the door. Before we had made it a third of the way across the cafeteria, I could hear the sound of her rapier being unsheathed behind me. A fraction of a second later a blast of air hit me in the back and sent me flying forward.

The strength of the gust was too great to have been generated by a normal person’s slash. Amélie was using an enchanted weapon, weapons like these had played a big role in winning the Great Holy War.

I tumbled and hit my head on the wooden flooring, but Chiyo came to the rescue. She stopped and lifted me up by the arm, and we continued running while the cats scurried away in all directions. Amélie was already preparing her next attack. She thrust her rapier in our direction and a powerful jet of air shot out of it. I jumped aside right on time and the table in front of us got hit. It blew apart in a rain of wooden chips and splinters.

Amélie wasn’t playing around. If that gust of air were to have hit me, I would’ve died. Any doubt in her mind about our identity had been cleared up.

When we were almost at the exit, Amélie unveiled her next move. I heard a sweeping sound behind me and both Chiyo and I were pulled on by a strong force. The air was sucking us backwards. The witch hunter was intent on not letting us get away, with whichever means necessary.

I turned to Chiyo and stretched out my hand.

“Get us out of here!”

“As if I’ll let you!” Amélie had heard the reports of Chiyo’s teleportation magic, and blew us away from each other with a vertical slash of her rapier.

I dove across the counter to hide with the bartender, while Chiyo ran to the stairs leading up to the second floor. She had successfully separated us.