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Lorif and his men had gotten situated in the city, resting their gear and weapons in special rooms for them, most of them staying in the Prince's palace while others were spread out throughout the city in groups of 10, each holding accountability for the other. Lieutenant See was off on first shift, watching the streets so he could sleep well.

The bedrooms were amazingly well made, gorgeous embroidery decorated the bed-covers. There was a nice large window nearby allowing him to listen to the cheers and celebrations of the city. It seemed some celebration was going on for the rest of the month. He would have to learn a bit about this stuff. Before he could go to bed, a knock came on the door.

The cat who walked in was a fairly tall one, white fur with green accents rimming his face with delightful markings in the Sahelian language. His nighttime robes were made of a simple material, standard cloth of green and white coloring like his fur and lightweight material that was perfect for the hot weather, almost see-through. It didn't look too fancy or rich, in fact it looked like something Lorif could buy with his own money. Not at all expected of a rich and powerful Prince. He had a kind face, almost always smiling with delightful green eyes and a calm voice of a songbird.

"Captain Lorif? Are you awake?"

"Yes actually. Caught me just before I called it a night." The cat shuffled into the room silently, as if every step would deafen him.

"I apologize for my poor timing but I have had a marvelous idea! My ideas often come to me in the night just before rest."

"Well I'd love to hear it. Prince...?" The feline gave an embarrassed chuckle, before giving a polite bow.

"I am the Prince of Rites, Master of the spirit, culture and faith of this lovely city. My name is Sovurub, but I ask that you call me Sovu." He had such a pleasant way of speaking, light and comforting like no other.

"Alright Sovu. What is this idea?"

"Ah yes! I was wondering if you would accompany me and my brother Rasi to the city garden tomorrow morning."

"The city garden?" Lorif asked in surprise. "You... grow your own food here?"

"Yes! We are quite good at it as well. Rasi has what many would call a green thumb! Very skilled."

"But I thought this was a desert city. Is it an oasis?" The Prince chuckled before wiggling his fingers.

"Magic!" He said proudly. Lorif nodded. Of course magic. "It allows us to make our own river that goes through the city. The Siell." Lorif found himself repeatedly astounded by the creativity of this city. Where he came from, Mana stones were mostly used for magical spells, wizards and witches and communication. He heard people use them for other practical things like lighting and water but he'd never seen it.

"Well... I don't know if it's a good idea to still be leaving the palace with the city in such a way." The Prince suddenly took a stern pose, as if taking offense.

"Nonsense Capitan! We have an important ceremony coming soon! The Mahajrahn will be in but a short week! Rasi must ensure that the crops have not been affected by any... any cruel and cowardly actions. The people and the event depend highly on the food!" Lorif sighed. He knew nothing of this "Mahajrahn" but interrupting the cultural festivals of the people would surely lead to some issues down the line. Besides, something told him even if he refused, Sovu and Rasi would still go. It would be better to keep an eye on them in that case...

"Alright alright. I will go. I'll bring some extra men to watch the streets and make sure your visit goes without issue."

"Ah! Thank you! Thank you so much. Rasi will be incredibly happy to have the extra protection! I can't wait to tell him!" He seemed so ecstatic. Hopping in place for a brief moment before fixing his clothes. "Well, I will not hold any more of your time. The Moons never stay long here so please, sleep well." Lorif thanked him. The door closed gently and the Captain took his place in bed, the shine of the moons outside giving him a delightful view to sleep to.

*****

The Prince's were ready to leave the following morning. They left early, the Sun yet to make it fully above the horizon before they were ready. Despite Lorif's warnings, the Prince's remained adamant in riding out to their garden on horseback where everyone could see them, confident that the people would never hurt them. Lorif covered them from the back to make sure.

Prince Rasi was young. Quite young. While Feraci tended to age faster than Humans and have a shorter lifespan as well, this boy still seemed to be no older than a 9 year old. He rode next to Lorif while Sovu led them to the garden, smiling down at the people who greeted them as they passed. Lorif looked at the young prince and he seemed... forlorn, like he was battling a few different thoughts in his mind and none of them were good. When he passed by a woman who praised him, he put on a smile, making a thankful gesture before returning to his brooding.

"We should be at the garden soon! Can't wait to see how things have grown!" Sovu said excitedly.

"This garden is very important to you."

"Of course! The garden gives us an abundance of wonderful foods and vines for drinks! It is but one of many hearts to this city. You will understand when we get there. Rasi will show you. Right, Rasi?" The white feline looked back to his little brother who nodded before looking at Lorif and smiling. The boy said nothing the whole ride, the entire entourage soon making their way to a massive greenhouse building. The building stood taller than all those around it, banners of the two Prince's flowing freely.

Lorif could only guess that the white banner with a torch in the middle surrounded by stars was Sovu's and the one next to it was an all black color with green leaves scattered across it was Rasi's. Lorif stationed some men to guard the front of the building and had others patrol the perimeter while he stuck with the Prince's. The feline guards allowed them in and the halls were absolutely gorgeous. The halls were gilded and decorated with colorful flowers engraved into the very walls. The geometric architecture of the buildings reached so high the ceiling felt like a new sky, lined with the clearest glass and windows that beamed down a great warmth on the agricultural grounds below. The building had rows and rows lining it of nearly every kind of food that could be grown.

Berries, plums, apples, oranges, wine, vines, wheat, bread, corn, lettuce, broccoli, melons and more. The walls held vines of various wine berries and other delicious alcoholic winery. And even amongst all of those there were new foods that Lorif had never seen. Spices native here like Al-Cohrish, Sansan, Bilsifith, and Avrakash, salted meats, though only a few of those were here as most was in another holding place far away.

There was a grid cross-way system for the people to walk one, allowing them to tend to the crops without messing with them. The gardener and farmers here were all human, smiling upon seeing the Prince's and giving their greetings.

"My Prince's! We were worried you would not show today. The city has been a little on edge." The man had a nice smile, bright hazel green eyes and a toothy smile. The man was dressed in simple brown robes. Or maybe they were simply dirty.

"Oh please!" Sovu smiled as he helped Rasi off his horse. "We wouldn't miss this for the world! These gardens are the very breath of this city! Hundreds of thousands of people depend on all of us to keep this wonderful heaven of ours going!" Rasi nodded in agreement and walked over to wash his hands in the nearby fountain. He then ran over to the other farmhands and began assisting them with their work, tending to a particularly verdant piece of the crops.

Lorif took guard, watching over the young Prince as he did his work while Sovu did his own, the both of them pulling out some of the crops that had grown big enough to be eaten. Every now and then Rasi would pull a crop free and offer it to Lorif who would come hold it for him. He found a bucket and began to place all the crops in that instead.

"So uh... how long have you been working on this?" The boy didn't respond, as if he hadn't heard him.

"The young Prince is deaf," said one of the farmhands. He came up to Lorif and took the bucket of plants, placing it next to Rasi and getting his attention. The Prince stood up, took off his gloves and began to speak in sign language.

" __Did you need something?" Lorif gave a slight smile. He took off his own gloves and began to speak back in sign language.

" __I didn't mean to bother you." The young Prince's face lit up.

"You know how to sign! Only a few of my brothers are able to speak to me this way. How do you know?"

" __My little sister. She was 4 when she lost her hearing. Had to teach her how to speak like this." Rasi's ears laid back, nodding sullenly.

" __Oh I am sorry to hear that. To have your hearing and then lose it hurts worse than never having it at all." Rasi gave a polite smile. "I was born unlucky. Barka simply blessed me with inutile ears. But I do not let it stop me!" He chuckled and asked for a farmhand to take his spot.

" __So how does a Feraci become the Prince in charge of the crops and agriculture? I thought Feraci were strictly carnivorous?" Lorif asked. Rasi went and pulled a vine of blueberries free and held them out. Lorif took them in his hand.

" __As Prince of Niezz, my responsibility is to make sure ALL are fed in this city. We have many Humans, Humans who have their own diverse tastes in things. My kind may be limited in consumption, but my people are not." He smiled and returned to his work, Lorif leaving him alone for the time being. The gardening session would continue for some time, The guards keeping watch as the lot of them did their work. It wasn't long before most of the work was done however, proper plants picked and new ones planted, all placed into the appropriate barrels and baskets and sent off to someplace Lorif didn't know.

There was a small celebration, the farm hands all eating a bit of the prepared foods for them and drinking some of the delicious wine that the Prince's had made for them. Lorif was asked to take part in the celebration but he refused, preferring to let them have their own fun. But they would not let him go, placing a drink in Lorif's hand as he stood nearby.

"You must drink at least. Please?" the woman who handed him the glass and he smiled in return, not wanting to be rude. It was a delicious drink after all, but he refused to have more than two sips. The fun of the festivities soon came to an end however, the Prince's ready to go. Leaving their work behind, protected by the barred doors and soldiers, they took their leave. The city seemed to brighten up a bit, more people out in the streets and greeting the Prince's this time as they slowly came their way to a massive opening in the pathways. The whole area was a massive circle wreaking out into six paths that sent you some place else in the city.

Each of the streets were lined with a long line of shops that stretched down as far as the eye could see, each specializing in a different craft or skill. Lorif noticed that some of them seemed to have these pretty colorful banners at the front of them. Green seemed to be for all food type shops, Purple for clothing, Red for spices and fragrances and many more. The many contrasting smells were actually an attack on his senses. Sovu strided up to him and handed him a scarf, beautifully decorated in purple and gold.

"You may borrow it for a moment. These scents bother me as well." He laughed. Lorif gave a small smile and the Prince's continued on their path, going down a street with mostly food salesmen and women. Sovu bought a few, handing some food to Rasi who gladly enjoyed the ribbon-meat. It was a tough chewy meat that was very well liked among the Feraci.

"My Prince! One second of your time!" A woman said as she walked in front of their horses. "I swear I only need a moment! Please!" Lorif was unsure but Sovu answered before anyone else.

"Of course! What troubles you, miss?" She beamed up at him, quickly rushing over to her shop. She was a pretty woman, dark skinned with light blonde hair and green eyes, wearing a red and yellow headscarf and robes, the clothing covering most of her body and leaving no bit of skin showing. She grabbed a blue shirt from her shop and held it up to the Prince. It was... not very attractive. Lorif winced looking at it as the stitching was imperfect, the material was very thick and heavy and even the patterns seemed uneven. He looked at Sovu and for a moment he too was taken aback by its craftsmanship.

"M-my what a... lovely shirt," he tried to be nice for her sake and she definitely enjoyed that, smiling at his compliment.

"Thank you! I have been working on this for weeks and I... I really think I am getting better! But people still are not buying. Please. I am certain that if they see a Prince buying my works, they will come and do so themselves!" She looked so excited, the brightness in her eyes so powerful that even Lorif felt like buying one. Sovu smiled and nodded.

"May I first try it on? I must see if it is in my size." He stretched the shirt out and it seemed a bit oversized. The woman nodded though and Sovu placed the shirt on over his robes, the gown looking just as oversized as Lorif thought. The white furred feline tried to make it look comfortable and fairly succeeded.

But then it shrank.

The shirt shrank and tightened around the torso, tighter and tighter until Sovu felt himself unable to breathe. He tried to move the shirt off but the arms tightened kept his arms crossed over him like a straight jacket, leaving the cat unable to free himself.

From the roofs of the nearby buildings, men sprung from their hiding spots, crossbows drawn. They fired on the guards, taking out the unprepared ones as they fell to the ground, injured or already lifeless. Lorif fell off his horse, hiding in one of the nearby stalls as the locals began to scurry away in fear. Arrows rained from the sky, occasionally finding their mark as he heard horses whinny in pain and fall to the ground, some innocents caught in the fire.

Rasi was ripped from his horse, thrown to the ground before being tied up and carried away, Sovu joining him.

"<Get the Prince's to the boat! You two, Kill whoever remains!>" shouted the woman in red as she joined the others in the Prince's kidnapping. Lorif's breath was erratic as he heard the few of his men still alive cry out in pain as a sword was plunged through their chest. Lorif cursed under his breath. The death of everyone here was on him for not being more prepared. He whispered an incantation and the mana stone earrings glowed briefly.

"Ahsee!"

"Captain? Is everything alri-"

"The Prince's are under attack!" He cut her off. "Sovu and Rasi have been taken and the men I'm with were just killed!"

"What?! Where are you? I'm on my way!"

"No time! I need you to gather the other Prince's and make sure they stay in the palace! We don't know how many people are attacking or where they are. Send some guards to pacify the markets at the Speaker's stone two blocks away from the Farmhouse building. Some innocent people got hurt." He grabbed the sword at his side and crept out into the open, sneaking behind one of the men and stabbing his sword into his back.

The man screamed and dropped his sword, Lorif pulling his sword free and grabbing the other one. The death of his comrade had gotten the other man's attention, turning to face Lorif who raced at him, both swords swinging. The man was skilled but not nearly enough as Lorif was quick to overpower him and kick him back into a wall, holding a sword to his neck.

"The Prince's. Where are they?" The man spit in his face and kicked Lorif away, swinging his sword and just barely missing him. Lorif blocked and deflected each attack, finally disarming the man and then cutting his hand off. The man cried in pain, falling to his knees as Lorif trapped his head between the two swords.

"Don't make me ask again!" He commanded. The man said nothing, only grimacing and in the swiftest uncaring motion, Lorif cut his head off. Taking a breath to steady himself, he looked around and went down a street he thought he last saw them running down.

*****

Rasi was blindfolded, a gag in his mouth to stop him from screaming, squirming like mad in his attempt to free himself. The prince had gloves placed over his hands which left him unable to use his claws. He groaned and shouted behind the gag, fighting hard even with limited success. His three kidnappers came to a stop, throwing the young Prince into a carriage.

"<Don't stop for anything! The guards will be all over the city. Just lay low until I call for you,>" The woman commanded.

"<Why don't we just kill them and go back home?>" asked one of the men, making her hiss in frustration.

"<Because killing him gets us the opposite of what we want.>"

"<But wouldn't->"

"Stop wasting time! Get in the damn carriage before the guards->"

"Hey!" Cried out some approaching Feraci guards. The kidnappers cursed as one of them hopped onto the carriage, racing off and leaving the other two behind. "You two! Put down your weapons and get down on the ground!" One of them commanded. The two refused and ran off, giving the guards chase, two chasing the woman and three chasing the man.

The man ran through a market, purposefully grabbing some of the tables and flipping them over to slow his pursuers, some getting tripped up but one in particular was able to skillfully jump over the grounded goods. Pulling a whip from his side, the Feline lashed forward, grabbing the man's legs and tripping him up, bringing him to the ground. The man quickly tried to rush to his feet, grabbing the sword at his side but was disarmed when the cat whipped it out of his hand. With an extravagant flick of his wrist, the cat then gave the man a quick lash across the face, sending him screaming in agony to the ground. He was free to apprehend now.

The woman was harder to apprehend, managing to avoid the guards by climbing up one of the buildings and getting to the roof. She raced off over the rooftops for a good while, seeing the carriage carrying the Prince quickly scurrying through the city. She made sure that no eyes were following her as she slipped into someone's house through an open window. She was polite, waving hello before racing downstairs, removing her clothing and taking one of theirs instead, moving into the main street and following the crowd of screaming people, right past a few guards.

Rasi's carriage was rampaging through the city, not caring who was in the way. Guards kept showing up to try and stop it but found themselves limited in options since most would involve hurting the Prince inside. But just overhead, running along the rooftops of the buildings along the carriage route was Kamath, having been tailing the vehicle since it first raced off. He stalked it like a shadow, keeping pace with it the entire time before finally striking, leaping from the roof and landing on the roof of the cart. The driver heard this and made a hard left, going down a very bumpy street that rattled the vehicle fiercely.

Kamath held tight, running to the front of the cart and fighting with the driver. Drawing a knife from his side, the cat struck first, just barely missing his first strike as the man punched him in the face. He went for another punch but the feline grabbed his arm, using his claws to slice massive markings into his skin. The man shouted, releasing the reins for a moment and grabbing his opponent by the throat. Kamath clawed at his face but the man lifted him off the cart and prepared to throw him off.

The street they were on was beginning to narrow, not built for carts to travel through, especially at the speed they were racing. The bumpy road got worse as one of the wheels on the carriage began to loosen. Kamath continued to fight for his life, the man fighting through the pain in his arm as the cat struggled. The man dropped him and for a moment Kamath believed he'd die but dug his claws into the side of the cart, the hard wood holding him up for a moment. He held on for dear life, placing his other claws into it as he began to climb back to the top, just barely missing the closing in of the walls. The cart began to scrape against the buildings, rattling around with the young Rasi still in the back.

Kamath breathed heavily as he stood, seeing that the road was ending at a bridge over the city's central oasis, a deep lake with jagged rocks at the bottom. The man had climbed up to the top of the cart as well, ready to fight more as if unaware of the current danger they were in. Kamath didn't back down, using his slimmer frame and agility to dodge most of the attacks. He would cut in with quick jabs of his own, never staying in one place too long and never spending too much time on the attack. But this man had lost his strength. The scratches lining his arm and body had finally begun to take a toll on him.

Running out of time, Kamath raced forward and shoved the man with all his might, pushing him back into the driver seat of the carriage, just barely able to keep himself from falling. The Prince then ran to the back of the carriage, picking the lock with his claws before finally getting it open, his brother leaping out into his arm as Kamath had little other option than to jump from the cart, doing his best to make sure he took every hit against the pavement, protecting his little brothers head.

The man still on the carriage barely got back up when he saw the bridge they were going towards. The horse curved left to avoid going over but the cart, far too much momentum built up, had snapped free of its holdings, sending it overboard and crashed into the oasis down below, the man crushed beneath the weight of it. Kamath ripped off the gag and hand covers allowing the little Prince to finally speak.

"What took you so long?!" He signed. Kamath couldn't even speak before he was gripped in a tight hug, the kitten Prince doing everything he could to fight back tears.

"I'm sorry," Kamath signed.

*****

While one Prince had been saved, the other was still being located. Sovu was away from the screaming people, the crowds having hidden away from the fighting and battles and now the two men escorting him seemed less hurried.

"Look, why don't you just tell me what your issue with me is and I can fix it?" The men said nothing. "Please? I can't help you if I don't know the problem." Still they gave no response. He huffed in response, following them without issue but every now and then a piece of his clothing would fall off, an earring here, one of his shoes, his necklace, and they seemed none the wiser. He was really hoping his plan was working...

Lorif had been racing after him, exhausted but still searching. He couldn't slow down for a moment and every few streets he would find a piece of the Prince's clothing. He would follow the trail, picking up whatever he found and before long came upon him, the Prince being escorted by what looked like two men dressed in the armor of his own men! They turned down a street and came to a river that held a boat in it, a man waiting for them. The current was strong, so overpowering that the boat was tied down by two knots to keep it from drifting away.

Lorif attacked, shoving one of the men into the river and fighting off the other one, while Sovu laughed, trying to get free.

"Haha! I knew you would find me, friend!" He cheered, trying to wrestle out of his clothes.

"Are you hurt?" Lorif asked as he blocked an incoming sword strike.

"Only my dignity. The showing of a cat's feet is highly inappropriate, you know." How a man could be kidnapped and yet still not fear for his life, Lorif could not understand. But it didn't matter. Lorif managed to push off the man he was fighting and he and Sovu began to race off.

"Hold it!" Cried the man in the boat. The Prince turned to see that he was holding a little kitten in his arms, no older than 6, crying for her mother who was being held down by one of the other kidnappers. "You leave, she dies." He pressed the knife in his hand against her throat and she coughed, the sting of the tip drawing blood.

"Wait! Alright! I'm coming," Sovu said as Lorif looked on in horror. He stopped the Prince with a hand on the shoulder but the look on his face was unforgiving. "Are you really willing to let that little girl die, Lorif?" He asked brazenly. The captain looked to see the kitten struggle, thrashing in the man's grip to no avail, her face puffy and eyes red. He couldn't. He wanted to find another way to free this situation but his guards were busy and he couldn't wait for backup any longer.

The Prince nodded and walked forward, pulled into the boat and held down as the boatkeeper lifted the girl up and held her over the water. She weighed nothing to him and as soon as she squirmed, he dropped her, the ties of the boat cut as they traveled downstream. The necklace around the boatkeepers neck glowed a bright blue as he used some magical spell to propel them faster down the canals.

"Lorif! Save the girl! Save her, please!" Sovu cried before he too was gagged and taken out of sight. The mother of the kitten raced to the canal, screaming for help as her baby struggled to stay afloat. She screamed for help and while Lorif desperately wanted to save Sovu, he couldn't leave her behind. Jumping into the water, he swam after her, the girl screaming for him. He swam as hard as he could, his muscles aching from all the running he had done. The canal dipped under a bridge and Lorif finally managed to catch up to the kitten, holding her tight as the current brought them further down the city before he grabbed at the walls of the canal, doing his best to pull himself up out of the strong current.

He pulled himself to the surface and sighed, the girl in his arms shivering and unable to let go of him. He looked down at her and did his best to console her. She was a cute kitten, grey fur and big blue eyes that truly looked terrified of everything that happened to her. Her mother came sprinting after them, graciously thanking Lorif as she took her baby back, not caring that she was sopping wet. He was just happy to see them reunited.

"Barka bless your path, sir! Thank you so much! My poor baby!" the mother cried, unable to hold back her tears. He was too tired to do anything but nod back, laying down on the floor.

"Captain?" He heard Ahsee call him. He tapped his earrings and took a breath.

"Yes?"

"I was unable to gather all of the Prince's. Prince Aziqi is with the clan Mothers and I've reports Kamath is still in the city. Is everything okay?" Lorif sighed, slowly getting up. There were some citizens who looked to see if he was okay. He assured them he was, limping his way back to the city streets.

"Double all patrols along the canals of the city. I want guards at every waterway, every exit to the city and anything the Prince's do must be protected with our best men and women. Send a message to Kamath to meet with the other Prince's at the palace. I need to speak with all of them."

"Yes sir. But... Are you okay? Did you retrieve the Prince's?" He lowered his voice to a whisper.

"They got away with Prince Sovu and I need to find him soon before something terrible happens to him."