Chapter 34 Kobito no Otoko

As we approached the village gates, I felt a mix of awe and dread tightening in my chest. The towering wooden gates loomed ahead, reinforced with thick iron bands and topped with wickedly sharp spikes. But despite their menacing appearance, Lyn approached them with a carefree swagger, as if she were simply strolling into her own backyard.

"Hey there, boys!" Lyn called out in a singsong voice, raising her hand in a lazy wave.

Two burly feline guards, their fur glossy and their armor well-crafted, stood on either side of the gate. They wore leather vests adorned with metal plates, clearly built for both flexibility and protection. Each of them had a thick, bushy tail swaying lazily behind them, their large, tufted ears twitching at the sound of Lyn’s voice.

At the sight of her, the guards immediately relaxed, broad grins spreading across their feline faces. One of them, a tall orange tabby with a scar over one eye, leaned forward on his spear and gave a mock salute. His whiskers twitched with amusement.

"Well, if it isn't our favorite troublemaker! Back so soon, Lyn? Didn’t you just sneak out last week?"

Lyn rolled her eyes playfully, her tail flicking behind her. 

"Come on, you know I’m always out and about! Gotta stretch these legs, right?" She struck a playful pose, showing off her agility with a small hop, her feline grace on full display.

The other guard, a slightly shorter gray tabby, glanced at me curiously. His sharp golden eyes zeroed in on my filthy, grimy form, and a sharp, toothy grin spread across his face. He whispered something in cat language to his companion, his whiskers twitching. The orange tabby nodded, a low chuckle rumbling in his chest as he pointed directly at me.

My stomach dropped. Were they making fun of me? I instinctively shrunk back, my shoulders hunching as I felt their eyes roam over my mud-caked skin and ragged appearance.

But to my surprise, the guards' laughter wasn’t mean-spirited. It was warm, almost friendly like they were sharing an inside joke. The orange tabby clapped his companion on the back, and they both laughed again, though this time it seemed more like they were amused by my obvious discomfort rather than mocking it.

Lyn, catching on to my nervousness, waved her hand dismissively. 

"Oh, relax, Hermit. They're just giving you a warm welcoming." She turned back to the guards, a smirk playing on her lips. 

"Be nice to him. He’s had a rough day. Or life. You never know with these goblins."

The gray tabby guard gave me a friendly wink, and the orange tabby stepped aside, pulling open the gate with a mighty push. 

"Alright, alright. On your way, Lyn. Just don’t cause too much trouble this time, alright? Boss Cat gives us an earful each time you sneak past us. And you know how he is, only cat nip calms him down, well, Koji knows his way around him too. But hey, he's the one supplying us with the cat nip. No surprise there, I guess."

Lyn flashed them both a toothy grin, giving a casual salute.

 "No promises! I like myself a bit of trouble. And speaking of trouble, where is Koji? Haven't seen him in a while." she called over her shoulder as she led me through the gates.

"Oh, you know him. Somewhere in the village. All I know, he hasn't left yet."

"Alright, thanks for nothing guys. Smell you later."

As we entered the village, I couldn't help but gape at what lay before me. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen - a strange blend of the primitive and the advanced, as if the cat people had borrowed bits and pieces of human civilization and made it their own.

The village sprawled out before us, nestled within the natural curve of the forest. It wasn’t grand or luxurious, but it had a rough-hewn charm that immediately caught my attention. The buildings were constructed mostly from wood, with thick timber beams holding up sturdy walls. But what made them unique was how seamlessly they blended into the environment. Instead of standing out, the houses seemed to grow with the trees, their roofs made of woven branches and leaves that melded into the surrounding foliage.

Each house was adorned with small trinkets and charms made from leather, feathers, and bones, hung up to ward off evil spirits or perhaps just to show off some personal flair. I could see cat people bustling around, going about their daily business with an easy grace. Some wore simple cloth tunics, while others were clad in more intricate garments adorned with metal studs and clasps - proof of the village’s smithing expertise.

I spotted a small forge off to one side, where a muscular cat-person hammered away at a glowing piece of metal, the sparks flying in every direction. Around him, other blacksmiths worked on everything from weapons to tools. Their anvil rang out a rhythmic song, metal clanging in time with their strong strikes. The smell of hot iron filled the air, mingling with the earthy scent of the forest.

Next to the forge was a large open area where leatherworkers toiled. Huge stretches of hide were pinned to wooden frames, drying in the sun. I could see other artisans scraping and treating the hides with skilled precision, their hands moving quickly as they fashioned everything from armor to saddles. There was a rhythmic quality to their work too - like a community in perfect harmony, every movement part of the village’s pulse.

Lyn caught me staring and gave me a playful nudge. 

"Impressed, huh? We may not be big like the human towns, but we know how to get things done." She puffed out her chest a little, obviously proud of her people.

 "We've got the best blacksmiths around, and our leatherwork’s second to none. And don’t even get me started on the hunting parties - those guys can take down a bear without breaking a sweat!"

I nodded dumbly, still taking it all in. It was hard to believe that a place like this even existed, hidden away deep in the forest. And it was even harder to believe that someone like Lyn - confident, skilled, and utterly at home here - was showing me around.

Feeling my curiosity bubble up, I glanced shyly at Lyn as we walked through the village. My heart was still racing from all the new sights and sounds around me, but there was one thing that had been bugging me ever since Lyn mentioned it earlier.

 Gathering all the courage I could muster, I timidly asked, “Lyn… uh, who’s this Koji you mentioned?”

Lyn’s ears perked up, and a sly grin spread across her face as if she had been waiting for this question. 

“Oh, Koji? Well, he’s sort of a friend of my dad’s. I mean, they get along when they’re not bickering, like an old married couple or something.” She chuckled, clearly entertained by the mental image.

My eyes widened, and my ears twitched with curiosity. 

“A friend of Cat Boss? What’s he like?”

 “Okay, so here’s the thing,” she began, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret.

 “Koji is a Kobito no Otoko. But you’ve probably never heard of them because they’re pretty rare around these parts. Well, around all parts to be honest. Anyway, picture this - he’s a tiny man, no bigger than my paw.” She held up her hand, palm out as if to show me just how small.

My jaw dropped.

 “A tiny man? Really?”

“Yep!” Lyn said with a nod.

 “But the best part - he’s got these adorable transparent wings that flutter like crazy when he gets mad or excited. They shimmer in the sunlight, kind of like those delicate, glittering wings you see on fairies, right?”

The image she painted in my mind had me fascinated.

 “Oh! So, he’s like a fairy?” I blurted out, imagining a cute little creature flitting about with magic dust trailing behind.

But before I could go any further, Lyn’s eyes widened in mock horror, and she let out a dramatic gasp. 

“Oh no, no, no, no!” she said, waving her hands frantically.

 “Never call him a fairy! Koji will lose his mind if you say that. He’s not a fairy!” She leaned in again, this time with a playful smirk, and mimicked a tiny, high-pitched voice, shaking her head with exaggerated seriousness. 

“I am NOT a pest like fairies!”

I stifled a giggle as Lyn continued, now fully into her Koji impersonation.

 “I’m not some fly or a bug! I’m a Kobito no Otoko, and don’t you forget it!” She waggled her finger at me, her mock indignation only making the scene funnier.

I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. The idea of this tiny man with fluttering wings, stomping his little feet and puffing out his chest in protest, was too ridiculous not to find hilarious.

“And I’m serious,” Lyn said, her grin widening as she saw my reaction.

 “He really takes offense. You should see him when someone slips up and calls him a fairy. He gets all flustered and red in the face. Like he’s going to explode or something! His wings start flapping furiously, and he’ll rant for hours about how he’s nothing like those glittering pests.”

“He sounds… incredible. I can’t believe such a tiny guy could be so intimidating.”

“Oh, don’t let his size fool you! Koji might be small, but he’s got a big personality. He’s also one of the cleverest beings around. He’s helped my dad out of some tight spots more than once. And if someone messes with him they get a taste of his needle-sized rapier.”

I blinked, suddenly even more intrigued.

 “So, he’s… brave? So tiny but brave? I was as big as my palm once but all I could do was shiver in fear and cry.”

Lyn rolled her eyes. 

“Oh, for sure! He might act like a grumpy little guy most of the time, but he’s sharp as a claw and quick on his feet - literally. Don’t underestimate him just because he’s small. That would be a big mistake.” She winked, clearly having fun with the conversation.

I smiled, my earlier anxiety slipping away as Lyn’s lighthearted banter and stories filled the air. The thought of meeting this feisty, winged Kobito no Otoko both thrilled and terrified me, but if Lyn trusted him, maybe I could too.

“Well, I can’t wait to meet him. Though I’ll make sure not to call him a fairy.”

“Good thinking,” Lyn said with a playful smirk.

 “Trust me, you don’t want to end up on the wrong side of Koji’s temper. Those wings of his? They’re faster than you’d think.”

"Come on," Lyn said, gesturing for me to follow.

 "I’ll introduce you to my dad. If lucky, maybe we even find Koji at his place. But remember - don’t embarrass me too much, okay?"