The sun rose behind Stoneguild
Mountain and cast long early morning shadows over the lush fields below.
Magnus, leader of the powerful Pony Cats, felt the morning light rise on his
furry body. He stretched out his long paws and rolled over onto his opposite
side. He yawned and licked at his nose. He thought to himself, “I hate Mondays”,
and arched his long back up toward the blue summer sky.
The rest of the Pony Cats were
milling about the fields, some were heading toward the Desert of Feces, and
others were poking at some fish along the river’s edge, without actually
getting into the water. Magnus wiped at his whiskers and looked over his pony
cat troops. They were all a good bunch of pony cats.
There was Stumperious, the
attack Pony Cat, ferocious in battle, articulated armor crafted by the wizards
of Callowillow. He was Magnus’ most trusted Pony Cat general. Magnus and
Stumperious were pony kittens together after the great ape purge of 2784. They
had feasted together for many cycles on the birds and beasts of Cheshire
Kingdom.
Yellowdimperolon flashed by
Magnus’ view as he chased after some small ground varmint. Yellowdimperolon was
the lightening to Stumperious’ thunder. Yellowdimperolon was fast and sleek. He
was so stealthy that even Magnus was surprised at his mysterious appearances,
and always in the nick of time too. Magnus couldn’t count on one paw how many
times Yellowdimperolon had arrived at the last unexpected second to save the
day.
The ground shook as Redmane the
Blood Thirster leapt up and down at the Canary trees. He was a bit of a slow Pony
Cat but he was vicious in his adoration of Magnus. Magnus had rescued Redmane
the Blood Thirster from a terrible trap when he was just a Pony Kitty. Redmane
the Blood Thirster became the most loyal body-guard Magnus could have hoped
for, and he was a giant too.
Minxelle brushed up against
Magnus as he surveyed the Pony Cats starting their day. He’d hoped for some
adventure, like dragons or other beasts, or perhaps a nap and sitting in the
sun, or eating and then napping and then sitting in the sun.
“You’re looking well my lord,”
said Minxelle as she licked along Magnus’ nape.
“Yes. I am. As are you my Queen,”
said Magnus.
Minxelle purred lightly and
pushed up against Magnus, turning her large head over his shoulder.
“I have news Sire,” said
Minxelle.
She always had news, she was the
feline in the know and Magnus would be lost without her. She was cunning and
sly. She was indispensable and yet Magnus had a slight mistrust of her. She was
supple and seductive in her diamond saddle and tiara.
“The Horse Lords will be
migrating today. We might have a very good chance to pick them off as they
drive through Briargulch,” purred Minxelle.
“Ah, the annual Horse Lord days
are upon us. Perhaps today is a good day to get drunk on their sweet catnip
blood sacks,” said Magnus.
Minxelle lay down next to Magnus
as he rose to his full eight foot height. He mewed loudly and gathered the Pony
Cats together in a loose semi-circle.
“The Horse Lord Days are upon us
again my dear friends. We will go to Briargulch and take as many as we can. We
will then scout the lands on the Northern perimeter, even though we did that
yesterday and the day before that. We will also take at least one Horse Lord
and leave it at the base of Wizard Smoke’s lair. We all know how much that
wizard appreciates the dead things we bring him,” said Magnus.
The Pony Cats all sort of nodded
in agreement. Stumperious was staring off toward the ridge-line. There was
something up there but maybe it would just come down on its own, or maybe it
wouldn’t, but maybe it was tasty. Stumperious would ignore it for now. There were Horse Lords to obtain and that
would make for a glorious day before a nap and curling up on the sunlit
prairie.
Magnus turned toward the West.
“PONY CATS, AWAY,” he commanded
in his deep velvety voice. He darted
forward as the loyal troops fell in line behind him, unless they were
distracted by that shiny thing near the river’s edge.
Off they went into new and bold
adventures.
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