<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
The tree spider moon cat glared down at the noisy creatures. Their disturbance had driven off several tasty bats which the moon cat had been stalking. One of the creatures had climbed out on a branch that was too small for it, and the other was precariously close to the edge of the ground. The tree spider moon cat climbed silently down towards them, invisible in the darkness. The noise from the one on the branch increased and the moon cat flicked its ears in annoyance. The cat dropped onto a branch directly above and behind the one that stood near the edge. The cat''s eyes went wide as it prepared to strike. The noise from the branch creature stopped suddenly, and the ground creature paused whatever it was doing to look over at the branch creature. Perfect.
Holding on with its rearmost pair of limbs, the tree spider moon cat struck out like a snake. It wrapped its front paws around the head of the creature and bit down on the back of its skull. Its claws sunk deep into the creatures face as it screamed. The moon cat tried to shake the creature and break its neck, but it proved too tough and heavy for that. The creature staggered sideways, away from the giant vine, and the moon cat latched its next set of claws into the creature''s shoulders. The creature swung its arm back and struck the moon cat in the side with something very hard. The cat yowled in pain and ripped its claws from the shoulders and down the back of the creature. It screamed again but continued to swing back and hit the moon cat. The cat abandoned its grip on the vine to tear into the back of the creature with six sets of claws. The cat released its bite on the back of the skull and tried to reach around to the side of the side of the neck so it could bite through an artery. The creature landed a glancing blow on the top of the cat''s head. The moon cat yowled in pain and sprang away from the creature. The creature screamed one last time as the force of the eight limbs of the moon cat shoved it past the edge of the patch of pebbles.
<hr>
Chaney stared down into the abyss in open mouth shock. The guard was dead. His scream had cut off suddenly, leaving Chaney alone in the dark and silence. He hung off the branch for long minutes. He was eventually shaken out of his stupor by the sound of heavy breathing from above. Chaney looked up and saw two white glowing eyes. One of the eyes was squinting, but both were staring right at him. Against the ceiling of misty rainbows, Chaney could make out the shape of a large cat. A brief scratching sound startled him. The cat above him moved, briefly blocking the light from the squinting eye. The scratching and motion repeated a few times.
Is it grooming itself? Chaney wondered. His arms were getting tired, but he didn''t want the cat to attack him next, if he got back onto the pebbles. Eventually he had to make a decision. I either get back on the ground, or I fall to my death. He thought. Maybe it won''t care about me. I''ll keep my eyes up so it can''t sneak attack me.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Chaney shuffled his arms along the branch. The cat paused its grooming. Chaney paused his shuffling. They stared at each other for a few moments. The cat resumed its grooming. Chaney resumed his shuffling. Chaney had to swing himself a bit to get his feet back on the ground, but he managed to get both feet firmly on the pebbles before his arms gave out. He looked up as he stepped slowly towards the portal. He couldn''t see the can anymore, and that made him more nervous. His foot hit something that wasn''t pebbles. He glanced down, but his nerves forced his eyes right back up before he could make anything out. He bent down slowly and felt with his hand. Metal. He picked it up and felt it with both hands. The guard''s hook. He must have thrown it back onto the patch of pebbles as he flailed and fell.
The patch of pebbles was small, so Chaney was less than a stride from the portal. The giant vine was like a wall on one side of the portal. A wall that suddenly decided it wanted to be a tower and shot nearly straight up into the space above. Chaney watched a few patches of pebbles drift around vine branches and leaves. I don''t think I can go back to the main floor yet. The burning thieves are probably still there. Chaney thought. If I go back out, I''ll have to sneak around the floor to try and hide. Chaney glanced at the portal. I can''t stay here either. They will send someone to find out what happened and I can''t fight them here, I''m as likely to fall as be killed. Chaney weighed his options.
Chaney sighed and shook out his arms. He held the hook above his head to hopefully ward off an attack from the cat and began to climb the vine. He got on top of the short horizontal section of the vine without being ambushed. That should be a blighted good omen. He thought sardonically. Maybe the cat will invite me into a cozy den fetch me a blanket. Grumbling, he climbed higher into the vine. He stopped when he couldn''t make out the patch of pebbles below him anymore. He perched in the space between two branches that continued upwards. He would stay here until... he wasn''t sure how long he would stay here. He would have to leave eventually and just risk running into more thieves before he could exit the dungeon. He frowned to himself at that thought. Nothing stopping the thieves from leaving the dungeon. If I get out of the dungeon, I''ll still need to move carefully through the forest to get home.
<hr>
The tree spider moon cat looked down at the odd creature. It hadn''t fled from the moon cat, neither had it tried to attack the moon cat while it was tending its injury. The cat thought that this creature might have been hunted by the other creature, and that was why they had been making so much noise. The moon cat just had a good feeling about this creature and didn''t understand why. The cat relaxed and kept an eye on the creature and on anything that might try to sneak up on either of them.