Three Not So Little Cats

No smut - 3k words

"Thanks for the hoodie, Seren," Jimin said as she took the hoodie off of her. Her body, accentuated by her tight shirt, once again bares itself to me.

"No, keep it on." I said.

"It's fine now, Seren, nobody's around to ogle." She said, scanning the dim halls of the Archive. "Well, nobody else but you," she teased.

"Oh I wouldn't dare ogle at you," I said, playfully and exaggeratedly craning my neck to look everywhere except at Jimin.

Jimin's laughter echoes on the empty halls. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, eyes glinting with mischief, "Says the guy who asked for a video call while I shower last night," she teased.

"That was a joke —"

"Jokes are half-meant," Jimin counters immediately.

"Fine, but what did you mean by 'maybe next time' Yu Jimin?" I bit back.

For a split second, Jimin looked flustered, her eyes darted around as her mind racked to come up with a witty comeback. Then as if nothing happened, her composure returns — and even amplifies. She leans against the reception desk to further emphasize her chest to me and said seductively, "Oh you'd like that wouldn't you, Seren Vale?"

I stiffened and averted my eyes, "I..." I stuttered, "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't," I wanted to go for the cool tone of reply, yet to me, my response seemed creepy rather than cool. 

Fortunately, Jimin giggled, "Then maybe," she continued, her fingers grazed my arm — and I felt all my hair stand on edge. "Maybe I'll let you watch — in person," she purred, the temperature inside the empty Archives spikes up and I swallowed another lump in my throat.

"You're dangerous, Yu Jimin," I whispered, my breath heavy and my brow sweating.

Jimin giggled again, "You started it, Seren Vale, you should be able to keep up," she teased as she withdrew her hands on my arm.

Just then, the doors of the Archives creaked opened — and I groaned in frustration – because in came Hwang Yeji, Shin Ryujin, and Lee Chaeryoung.

"I thought you're only watching me during the day?" I grumbled as the trio walked towards us.

"So did we," Ryujin replied.

"Apparently the night shift wasn't informed of your... 'change in schedule', so, we're here instead," Chaeryoung said, the only one who seemed visibly unannoyed.

"Don't worry, Seren, we don't like this as much as you do," Yeji remarked, clicking her heels on the tiles with impatience.

"So," Chaeryoung mediated. "We'll just find a table far away and we'll try not to disturb you," she bowed then pushed her companions, choosing a spot far from the reception area yet still visible.

"So, first impressions," Jimin chirped.

"Chaeryoung is obviously the calmest one," I said. "The other two seem..."

"Uninterested, borderline hating you," Jimin finished.

"Gee, thanks," I replied. "Though I can't blame them, I'm a nobody."

"Well, Seulgi thinks you need the protection. She must have some serious trust issues either with Joohyun, or vampires in general," Jimin suggested, leaning back on her chair. She arched her back to stretch, and her curves were accentuated once again — and I ogled.

"You're ogling, Seren," Jimin chuckled as she stopped stretching.

I pivoted my head in embarrassment, "Told you, you should have kept the hoodie on," I quipped nervously.

"Would that stop you?" She teased, propping her elbow on the desk and her head on her hands.

"It's a deterrent," I quipped back to which Jimin only giggled.

"Say, don't you find any of them pretty?" Jimin gestured to the trio. Yeji had her feet up a table, Ryujin laid her head on it, and Chaeryoung was sitting normally.

"They are pretty alright, but..."

"I'm prettier?" Jimin teased.

I looked at Jimin in the eyes, "Yeah," I replied, "you're prettier." I said nonchalantly which I thought Jimin didn't expect. She blinked twice, cheeks flushed as she leans back flustered in her seat.

Just then, the Archives' great doors swung open once again. A gust of cold air swept through the hall, carrying the scent of moss and steel. We craned our heads as ten men, dressed in oversized trench coats with their hands tucked inside, entered. I glanced at the werebeast trio who perked up and stood. I felt a chill, something's wrong — those three wouldn't stand up if there wasn't. The air in the Archives grew heavier, the dim lights felt dimmer. I reached for Jimin's arm and squeezed softly. She got the message, or she also felt that something's wrong. She placed a hand over mine and squeezed it back, her eyes focused on the men approaching us.

The lead man, tall with scruffy wild hair looked down on us. His voice was low and full, but with a certain quirk I can't quite place, like hooves crunching leaves or gravel, "We are looking for —"

"You're not looking here for books," Yeji cut the man off. She was already behind me, all three of them were, their eyes studying the ten men, evaluating whether they can win if it came to a fight.

"And pray tell, young huntress, what are we looking here for?" The man asked.

"You tell us," Yeji didn't back down. "Does Orion know you're here? Did he send you?" She asked, low and calm.

"Orion?" I whispered as I walked behind the desk to stand beside Jimin — whose breathing is slowly getting heavier by the second.

"The Master of the Wild Hunt, Seren," Ryujin answered for me. 

"These men are fae Riders of the Hunt," Chaeryoung added.

"And they don't just randomly stumble in an ancient library looking for books," Yeji finished, fearlessly locking eyes with a man twice her size.

"It is unwise to meddle in the affairs of the Hunt, huntress," the lead Rider warned.

"Depends on your affairs here," Yeji bit back. "If it overlaps with ours, we may be at an impasse."

"Then tell us your business here –"

"We were here first, you tell us."

Shit — I thought. This woman does not back off, can't they just talk it out? Behind her, Ryujin seemed aching for a fight, she bounced in placed lightly, as if hyping herself. Chaeryoung on the other hand, watched intently, her body completely still. I looked at Jimin, she still held my hand, yet the other was reaching below the desk for the Archives' emergency alarm.

"Orion has shown interest in the boy," the lead Rider dropped like it was nothing — and I felt like my world collapsed. The fae — no, the Hunt is after me? Why? I was ready to bolt at that very moment if not for Jimin's hand squeezing mine tighter — our heavy breathings now in sync.

"Well we are here to protect the boy," Yeji countered.

"It seems we are indeed at an impasse, huntress."

"Seems like it."

A few heartbeats passed — well a lot of heartbeats since mine was beating so fast.

"I'd rather not do this here," the lead Rider remarked.

"I'd rather not do this at all," Yeji replied.

The tension grew heavier and heavier. Ryujin stopped bouncing in place and placed her hand behind Yeji. The other Riders stood eerily still. And Jimin and I are caught in the middle. My ears rang as I waited for the thread to inevitably snap — until it did.

In one swift motion, the lead Rider pulls his hand from his trench coat and with it, a green blade like a forest leaf, thin yet glimmering with a sap-green light — and he slashed across towards Yeji. Ryujin reacted immediately, pulling Yeji back by her clothes, making the blade miss by inches. Chaeryoung also acted, she sprung up and morphed, her clothes ripped off of her body as she transformed. Her arms and legs turned into a feline's as her torso extended in a lithe and slender form. She swiped her claw at the lead Rider who jerked back, yet Chaeryoung's claws grazed his face drawing green blood.

The air filled with the musk of wild fur and ozone as Chaeryoung landed gracefully on the reception desk, snarling and baring her fangs at the Riders, her front claws stained with the lead Rider's green blood. She is now a fully grown yellow big cat, with dark brown stripes on her feet and spine.

Then the Riders of the Hunt morphed, some of them grew taller as tall as ten feet, but the common thing was, their trench coats cracked — turning into a cloak made from branches and leaves and revealing armor made out of bark underneath. Upon their heads — great antlers sprout like crowns, their eyes now glowed sinisterly yellow in the dark halls of the Archives. Each of them now carry a weapon, a combination of spears and swords, all of them glowing with some kind of green sap.

"Seren, Jimin," Yeji called. I looked at her and she mouthed "Run." I tapped Jimin urgently, she pressed the emergency alarm, pulled the whistle Joohyun gave her and blew it before we ran.

"After them!" the lead Rider bellowed.

"Not on our watch!" Yeji pounced, ripping her clothes to transform into a brown cat slightly bigger than Chaeryoung and with orange fur at the top of her head. She threw herself at the advancing fae who pulled back slightly. 

"Finally! Some action!" Ryujin exclaimed before crouching low, stretched, and morphed into a big cat with all black fur.

Jimin and I ran, with Chaeryoung in our heels, swiping her claws and snapping her jaws at any approaching Riders.

We weaved through aisles of books that were slashed and sliced by the fae's green weapons. Debris and torn paper filled the Archives ancient halls as the chaos of the battle rose. I held Jimin by the hand as we round a corner when I notice a flash of green in my periphery. I skidded to a stop, holding Jimin tightly as a spear thrust into the ground, barring our exit.

A fae Rider, probably ten feet tall and wielding a spear two feet taller than him now stood in front of us. We backed up, making sure that Jimin remains behind me. "Seren," Jimin shook behind me, one of her hands gripped the back of my shirt tightly while I held her other hand tighter.

The Rider raised his spear and as he was about to thrust it, a black cat pounced on his neck – Ryujin. She sank her fangs on his throat as they tumbled sidewards with the momentum.

I turned and ran immediately, dragging Jimin by her hand. Just then, another Rider appeared, sword raised and ready to strike. Our momentum kept us going — we won't be able to stop in time for this. Shit, shit — protect Jimin, protect Jimin — was my only thought. Fight back — you have to, or else....

I charged ahead to intercept. "Seren don't!" Jimin's voice was dulled to my ears as I focused on this fae Rider in front of me. She's not dying, not tonight, not on my watch.

The Rider brought his blade down and surprisingly, I blocked his arm with my left, stopping the blow on its tracks yet I felt the bones on the arm crack.

Irrelevant — let all your bones crack, so long as Jimin stays safe — but how can I beat this fae? I'm a human — or at least I believe I am. If only I had a werebeast's strength — if only I had Seulgi's strength, I can easily beat this Rider down. And without thinking I balled my other hand into a fist and with a primal roar that sounded eerily like Seulgi's roar in her bear form — I swung. I felt a surge of energy, my fist felt heavy and powerful, and as I connected to the Rider's bark armor — I felt impact like I've never felt before. The blow dug deep through his protection, cracking it and sending him flying across to the other end of the hall.

I stared back at Jimin who mirrored my shock and surprise. "Seren... how...?"

"I don't know," I said in confusion as I looked at my hand — still balled up but shaking.

A collapsing book shelf — with Yeji leaping from it — shook us out of our trance. I took Jimin's arm and ran. She whimpered, I may have gripped her arm a little too tightly. I'll apologize later — what matters most right now is she survives.

We ran until we were back at the Archives' main hall. It was unrecognizable — tables and chairs splintered, books clawed or slashed, I note six dead Riders — Yeji's team is good, I thought. But just when I was allowing myself a bit of respite, the doors swung open — and ten more Riders charged in. They didn't bother with disguises any more as they screamed while they charged. I saw Yeji being pushed back, her yellow fur matted with red and green blood – hers and her quarry's, she backed up slowly towards Jimin and I. Chaeryoung limped whimpering towards us, her front right paw bent at an angle yet she stood defiant, her fur bristling on edge as she faced the Riders who now formed ranks. Then out of nowhere, a black figure crashes on the table beside us. Jimin jumped in surprise and I turned to embrace her immediately, covering her head gingerly as I wrapped my arms around her, wincing as I moved my injured left arm. Ryujin's feline form stumbled back in position as another giant rider emerges from the aisle where she came from.

Together, they formed a defiant semi circle in front of Jimin and I, snarling and growling as the fae riders cautiously approached.

"You put a good fight, huntresses," the lead Rider, with antlers bigger and more intricate than the rest, bellowed. "And you put up a good chase, boy," he pointed at me with his blade. "But you're coming with us."

"If I come with you, would you spare everyone here?" I bargained, desperation rising from my voice. Yeji and Chaeryoung snarled towards me in objection.

Jimin pulled on my collar and I looked at her. Her eyes were blood red from crying as she shook her head. "Don't," she whimpered.

"Forgive me, boy," the lead Rider replied, his voice surprisingly genuine on its apology. "But Orion said no witnesses."

And they charged, and at the same time — the glass windows of the Archives shattered, surprising us and the fae as men wrapped in cloaks of shadow leapt gracefully from the sills. They charged silently towards the fae who broke formation to engage. The huntresses — although each of them injured — immediately leapt back in the fight, sowing chaos wherever they can.

The lead Rider screamed in confusion, "Death Dealers! Why are you here?!"

And a voice, familiar, elegant, and cold, yet calm with unleashed rage spoke. "Because my friend called and she needed some help."

The Rider turned to see a petite lady in white robes, her head tilted dangerously as she bore her blood red eyes upon him. Jimin and I breathed a sigh of relief — the Pale Princess, Bae Joohyun has taken the field.

"Orion —"

"Orion is a bitch, and a coward," Joohyun interrupts. "Sending his riders to do his dirty work. Now are you going to leave, or are we going to fight?" Joohyun asked coldly.

The Rider hesitates, anyone would when facing the Pale Princess — but then decided he'll take the risk. He yelled and brought his blade down on Joohyun who just casually stops his strike by grabbing his wrists. She then struck the Rider in the elbow, I heard bones break like bark being crunched. And the coup de grace — Joohyun twists the Rider's arm, impaling him in the neck with his own blade. The Rider collapses on his knees before Joohyun casually pushes his body to the cold marble floor.

All around us, the Death Dealers were mopping up the Wild Hunt — they did not even let a single Rider escape. Joohyun approached us when suddenly, the three werebeasts were surrounded Jimin and I, snarling and growling defensively.

"Hold, Yeji," I said, addressing the brown furred feline in the middle, "by now I think you realize that Joohyun's not here to harm us."

Yeji's feline form shuddered, she gave one last hiss towards Joohyun before making way. The vampire rushed towards us in concern, "Hey, you both okay?"

I kept Jimin in my embrace, who was now openly sobbing in my arms, her head buried on my chest as she nodded.

"And you?" Joohyun turned to me.

"Broken arm, that's all physically, I guess," I replied, wincing in pain.

Joohyun breathed a sigh of relief. She then turned towards her Death Dealers, "Scour the perimeter, kill every Rider you can find!" She commanded — and the vampires sank down in the shadow to carry out their mistress' order.

Just then, the Archive doors swung open again — and in came Detective Kang Seulgi, dressed in her leather jacket, denim jeans, and sneakers. Her eyes widened at the destruction that met her.

"You're late, bear huntress," Joohyun taunted with a teasing smile as the three not so little cats that Seulgi assigned as my guard licked their wounds in the distance.

"Yeah. Sorry about that, missed a good scrap," Seulgi replied as she knelt and examined the body of a dead Rider.

"Your huntresses did well holding off the Riders," Joohyun remarked, and I heard a soft purr, though I can't identify who.

"Told you their good," Seulgi said as she approached them, and that was when I noticed that she was carrying a bundle of what seemed like coats. The three cats morphed back to human form and I averted my gaze so as not to look at their naked forms.

After a short while, Seulgi's hand touched my shoulder, "You both okay, Jimin? Seren?"

Jimin, still buried in my arms, was able to produce a short croak while nodding her head. I breathed a sigh of relief – she's fine, I thought, good — great, actually. Then all the adrenaline drained from my body, my eyes roll to the top of my head before darkness and silence swallowed my being.