The aftermath of the battle between the two monster’s squads was only blood, and corpses impaled with weapons. Some minced, some ripped and half eaten, some blooded all over. Only the stench of blood, and crowing of the crows was dominant.


    Somewhere far off, Ryder had just rested, placing the cat under a tree – resting its body on the trunk. Its heart was beating, yet it was knocked out cold. It hadn’t even let out a purr the whole way.


    So, Ryder just decided to loot the cat in the meantime. He got a large dagger. Slightly curvy, it had a comfortable, brown-clothed grip, and glittering edge. He held the dagger in his hand, as the cat’s whiskers moved, and it appeared to slowly drag its eyes up.


    <i>Wrr… </i>The cat purred, as it lethargically opened its eyes. Its hand instinctively went to its nape, where Ryder had poked a hole with his claws. It tried to recall what happened but its memory was hazy. It looked to the right, and then to the left, as it caught the sight of Ryder’s leg standing before it.


    The cat was finding it hard to open its eyes under the sun. It squinted its eyes, shadowing them with its hand. It looked up at Ryder – the face, half torn, and a dark eye, glimmering with purple iris. It instantly gasped, and its body twitched, looking for an escape, only to be met by the trunk at its back.


    The cat looked up at Ryder. It opened its mouth, but then paused, and closed it again. It’s whiskers drooping.


    “Oh are s-you s-starting to recall now?” Ryder crouched in front of it, his half-lip slightly curved up.


    The cat’s breath became jagged, as its claws came out on its paw,"?Tú cabrón! ?Hijo de puta! Oh Se?or, sálvame!”


    It dug its nails on the trunk of the tree behind it, trying to lift itself up, slowly. Watching Ryder, glare at it with smiling eyes, was making its knees halt it from standing. Ryder pointed the dagger at it. He tilted its neck slightly, “Old s-cat,” half his tongue hissed out of his monstrous teeth, “where did s-you guys s-come from?”


    He pushed the dagger to the cat’s, white hanging beard.


    “S-If s-you don’t s-cat, s-I’ll,” he menacingly rolled the dagger over its beard, “s-I’ll s-cut s-your beard out.”


    <i>What the fuck is up with my speech? When will it get better!? </i>For a moment, his lips twitched and face tensed up.


    “Mi lord!” The old cat’s brown fur paled, as it leapt forward, and prostrated in front of Ryder – straight as a stick. “Mi lord!” Tears started to well up, out of its eyes, soaking the moist ground further, “Please, your grace, don’t cut this old man’s beard.”


    It lifted its chin up, as it rolled a reminiscing hand over its beard, “This beard…she’s been with me for long and far.” It sniffled, as it lifted itself up slightly, looking at Ryder with its big, tear-wet eyes, “She’s my only companion.” And then it shoved the white beard onto its chest, closing its eyes, as if relishing the last moments with it.


    <i>I swear I’ll –</i>


    “Se?or,” It said, quietly opening its eyes, warmly looking at Ryder, “Even when I was a spanish lad, I always patted on my beard, though it was black back then. Unfortunately, I got married, but my love for her never died. It only flamed.”


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    <i>Okay… this thing’s sick… </i>Ryder’s eyes instinctively squinted, and its lips parted in a gasp.


    “In the coming years, Se?or!... If I go to heaven… I just need her,” It pushed up its beard with its pawn again, looking at it. A tear dropped to soak, and droop the bundle of white fur, “So, just kill me, Se?or, pero leave my beard.”


    <i>This fuck– no, it’s just an idiot. A pure idiot. </i>Ryder’s nose flared, but then he relaxed. His eyes – the window to one’s soul – only glinted with pure desperation. A desperation to run away from this situation… this cat.


    “Old s-cat… s-I…” Ryder pinched his eyes, landing a hand on the ground, “s-I’m really impressed by s-your love.” He made his shoulder dance, up and down, in a rhythm, as if sobbing.


    The cat looked up. Its beard fell out of its hands, as it paused. A gleam forming in its eyes, heightened by the beautiful rays of the sun. “Se?or!” Its heart palpitated, “Se?or, are you the fellow beardman I’ve been searching for years?” It leaned forward towards Ryder.


    Ryder’s body halted for a moment, but then he just continued to dance his shoulders. Slowly, it glanced out of his fingers, staring at the old cat’s eyes, and gave a slow nod. Instantly, the cat leapt at him, as both its paws held his hand, shaking it vigorously.


    “Mi lord, I can’t.. I can’t,” Its throat clogged, as its body leaned in further and hugged Ryder. The brow fur, and weirdly grown white beard itched Ryder’s skin. He held its shoulders wanting to push it away, when his black world tingled.


    <i>What? </i>Ryder’s eyes dilated, as he instantly pushed away the cat, but it was swift. It had already dug its claws into his arm. When Ryder pushed it, the claws tore through his biceps – lacerating them.


    The cat clashed onto the tree. It coughed, lying on the ground, as it pushed it up slightly.


    “Liar, tú liar, you aren’t a beardsman!” It brandished its claws out again, glaring at Ryder.


    Ryder had his palm rubbing over his biceps, but surprisingly he didn’t feel pain. He could see chunks of his own flesh lying beside him, and blood dripping out of his wound, unceasingly. His mouth twisted, and his teeth grinded together.


    “S-you fucker, are s-you s-insane?” Ryder swung the dagger in his hands, as he stood up, and walked towards the cat, “s-you know I s-can s-cut s-your beard anytime? Huh?”


    Terror flashed in the cat’s eyes. It’s eyes shiftily looking around, helplessly looking around, finding nothing but trees, and grass. “I’ll claw your eyes out.” It shrieked.


    “Pffsss,” Ryder scoffed, half-human, half-snake tongue, flashing out from the middle of his lips. He stopped just before the cat monster. The humane body of the cat, yet its furry face, and its hairy paws, looked insanely weird. Ryder pointed the dagger over the cat, “S-stupid beardsman, s-I just need one thing.”


    The cat looked up at Ryder, glaring, but its eyes were twitching. It softly growled, flashing its fangs out, “I’ll not give you one thing, I swear on my beard.”


    <i>I swear I’ll cut this thing’s head off. </i>


    Ryder loaded the fingers of his left hand, right one holding the dagger on the cat’s head, as it swung his claws onto the tree before him – leaving its trunk ravaged at the top. The cat monster looked up, as its eyes kept firmly glaring, but its throat couldn’t help but unreluctantly gulp.


    “Next, s-it’ll be” Ryder pointed at its beard, “her.”


    The cat instantly covered the beard with its paws. Its hands twitching, finding it hard to hold the beard. “No… you won’t. I–” It paused, as Ryder’s half-humane lips curled up.


    “Oh, s-you bet!”


    The cat instinctively gasped, its hands leaving its beard, claws trying to roll over the mud, as if wanting to miraculously find an escape. It struggled to push itself back, only to be helplessly met with the robust trunk. It glanced, back at the trunk, the helplessness in its big, cat eyes evident.


    It slowly turned back to Ryder, “Mi lord… I’ll… I’ll tell you anything… just don’t kill her.” It clasped its beard, and tightly closed its eyes. “Sorry, tiger boss… I have fallen to the enemy tactics.” It mumbled to itself.


    “Hey!” Ryder called it out, snapping it out of its daze, “Tell me… where did s-you guys s-come from? And, how did s-you become this…” He eyed the humanoid, cat monster up and down, “thing.”