Cat Out of the Bag Page 16

  One by one, the robots began to short out, the water damage interfering with their mechanical systems as attack after attack wore away their strength. Mythril recovered from his moonbeam spell and began to use his stardust, disintegrating each mech he came into contact with even as they attempted to recast their shields. They were too slow and couldn’t recover in time. When the last one fell, there was a great cry of excitement from the summoners. Avalon approached and winked at me.

  “Well done, young summoner. You have achieved your third level of expertise with your dragon and your avatar.”

  “But the battle against the Landlords is far from over. They must leave this planet once and for all.”

  Chapter 31

  The summoners moved as a unified force toward the Imperial city. We rode on the backs of winged horses, phoenixes, griffons, giant birds, and dragons, moving with such a force that I felt as if nothing could stop us. It was as if we had fought the greatest battle of all time and had won. Nothing could stand in our way. When we reached the capital, we were met by Imperial guards, and for an instant, I thought they would stand against us.

  “You have defeated the Landlords’ mechs,” the guard said. “They no longer have any strength to protect themselves. What is your wish?”

  “We want the Landlords to leave this planet and never return,” I said, raising my voice above the din.

  “We cannot order the Landlords to leave. We have made an unbreakable agreement with them. But you are free to make your own demands.”

  “And we will,” I said.

  The guards showed us to the Landlords’ stronghold, and the force of summoners landed outside their gates.

  I cleared my throat. “I am Mango Mew, representative of the Sho’kin. We have defeated your mechs, and we are here to finish the job. If you leave this planet, we will leave you in peace. But if you do not, we will be forced to do to you what we did to your guards.”

  We stood waiting at the gate, expecting to be attacked by more mechs or by the Landlords themselves. But nothing happened. For long moments, we waited. I sat astride Mythril, wondering what I would do if they refused to leave. We would have no choice but to break down the gates and kill them all.

  I let out a deep sigh, tired after a day of fighting. I was about to suggest to the summoners that we break down the Landlords’ walls when a great trembling rose from the ground. I leaned back, ready to be attacked by more robots, but to my surprise, they never came.

  Several small spaceships rose from behind the gates and ascended into the air. I was dumbfounded by the turn of events. I never expected the Landlords to give up, but they were out of defenses and knew when they’d been beaten. The ships slowly gained altitude then turned and propelled through the atmosphere, disappearing into the sky. I hopped off of my dragon and sank to my knees, my heart pounding. It was over.

  “Congratulations, Mango,” Avalon said, helping me to my feet.

  “They’re gone. They’re really gone.”

  The summoners around me began to cheer, dismissing their creatures as they hugged each other, laughed, and spoke in excited tones. I had never met most of them, but they had come and risked their lives to liberate my people. I would never forget what they had done—it was beyond friendship. It was a kind of loyalty I didn’t even understand, and my gratitude for them was boundless.

  “I don’t know how I will ever repay you,” I said, a tear running down my cheek.

  Avalon reached out and took me into her arms. “You don’t have to pay us back, Mango. You are one of us, and we take care of our own.”

  “Plus, everyone wants to make friends with a dragon summoner,” Vex said. “Especially a well-traveled one.”

  “I’m anything but well traveled,” I said with a laugh.

  “I imagine that that will not be true for long,” Avalon said.

  “I bet you can get Serious to open portals for you anytime you want,” Moira said. “And you can discover new lands.”

  “Anything within reason,” Serious said.

  “I believe a celebration is in order,” Avalon said, her eyes boring into my soul.

  “We should eat more of the human food and drink more of their ale,” Moira said.

  “For once, we agree,” Vex said.

  I didn’t want to remind her that she and Moira agreed more often than not.

  “Where is the best place to eat in this city?” Vex asked the Imperial guards, who were still hovering above us in their ship.

  “I believe the Imperial Palace is the best place to eat in all the city,” one replied. “And you have all been formally invited to join the Imperial court for tonight’s celebration of your victory.”

  “Even better!” Vex said.

  The Imperial guard led us through the gates and into the palace, and we were shown to quarters where we could all rest and recuperate from the battle. Garments were provided as well as refreshments and places to sleep. I was too amped up to relax, but I did change into a party dress on Vex’s insistence. She told me I didn’t want to dress like Moira. And Moira told me I didn’t want to dress like Vex. They were both right—I wanted to dress like myself.

  Luckily, there was clothing tailored for a Sho’kin of my size and that fit my personal taste. I chose an orange dress made of gauzy fabric and a pair of black boots with short heels. I brushed my fur and applied some makeup before a servant came to show us to the dining hall. I felt prettier than I had in quite some time.

  The Imperial palace was full of beautiful furnishings, decorations, and an air of luxury. The walls were draped in gold and ivory, and the floors were burnished marble. Inside the dining hall, chandeliers glistened with delicate crystals, and the light glinted off of the golden plates and cups. Two long tables were set out for the summoners, and at the head of the hall sat the Imperial court. The Emperor and Empress of the humans sat in their thrones, gazing down at us curiously. We were invited to take our seats and enjoy the food and entertainment.

  As we were served, a singer walked onto the stage and began to perform a melodious aria. The sound of her voice was so enchanting that it filled my heart with the kind of longing I’d felt the entire time the Sho’kin had lived in the junkyard.

  By the time the dessert course was served, I was beginning to feel at home at the great table in the great hall with the ruling humans of the land. But there was still much to be said about what had happened and where we would go from there.

  As the plates were taken away by servants, the Empress began to speak. “It is with much gratitude that we host you here tonight, summoners. You have done for us in the last day what we have not been able to do for ourselves in a hundred years. The Imperial court agreed to host the Landlords when they arrived on our planet. We had been in debt and needed the influx of currency into our coffers, but the agreements soon proved to be a grave mistake on our part. It did not take long for the Landlords to gain more and more control of the land until the court became nothing more than a figurehead. You see, there was very little we could do by the time we realized what had gone wrong. Not only have you saved the Sho’kin, you have saved us. You have saved all of Estoa from the domination and greed of the Landlords. And for that, we are eternally grateful.”

  The entire court began to clap as they stood and bowed their heads to us. I was completely taken aback, never expecting to hear such words from the leaders of Estoa. After spending my entire life living in the junkyard, I had only assumed that the Imperial court and the Landlords were working together.

  “Mango Mew,” the Empress said, “please rise.”

  I looked around the table at the other summoners, and they all smiled and nodded at me, indicating that I should go to the Empress. I was shaking and a bit sweaty as I stood from my chair and proceeded up the aisle toward the rise where the Empress waited for me. Not knowing what else to do, I immediately fell to my knees, my head bowed in supplication to the leader. I had heard it was the appropriate way to approach the Emperor and Empress.r />
  “Please rise, Mango. Today, I should bow to you.” She clasped her hand to her heart and bowed her head, her eyes closed. “I want to give you a token of our deep appreciation. We grant you the title of Knight Mango Mew of the Sho’kin Forest. And to honor your knighthood, we wish to grant the lands of your ancestors back to your people. Henceforth, Sho’kin Forest will belong to the Sho’kin. We ask that you will be their guardian and their guide. We trust that your wisdom and courage will lead your people in all things to maintain peace and prosperity in the land.”

  “I d-d-don’t know what to say,” I stuttered.

  “Please accept our gift to you and your people.”

  “I do. Thank you so, so much.”

  “Please kneel to be knighted.”

  I sank to one knee and a page brought the Empress a jewel-encrusted sword. She held it over my head and tapped it to each shoulder, speaking the ancient invocation of knighthood.

  “Please rise, Knight Mango Mew.”

  I stood and turned to the crowd. All of the summoners were on their feet, cheering for me. A tear slid down my cheek and dripped into my whiskers. I wiped it away with a smile. I couldn’t wait to tell Pappi all about it.

  Chapter 32

  After the celebration, Serious opened the portal to Summoner HQ. Many of the summoners wanted to stay and partake in the Imperial court’s wine, but Serious said he wouldn’t be coming back to open any more portals for them if they did.

  “Come back to visit us any time you need help with anything,” Avalon said.

  “And get Serious to open portals for you so you have all of his locations, too,” Moira said.

  “You did well, Mango. You deserve to be a knight,” Vex said.

  I gave them each a hug before they stepped through the portal and disappeared into the void. I was given a place to stay for the night and for as long as I pleased. The Imperial court informed me that I had an open invitation to visit any time I wanted, and they encouraged me to come back as often as possible to report on the progress of the Sho’kin and Sho’kin Forest.

  Feeling utterly exhausted, I retired to my room, where I fell asleep in the most comfortable bed I’d ever slept in. I didn’t wake up or move an inch until the next morning, when the sun streamed through the windows and got in my eyes. When I climbed out of bed, I found fresh fruit, juice, and bread waiting for me on the table. I ate by the window, looking out on the waves lapping against the shore below.

  The Imperial palace was beautiful and comfortable and had so many amenities that I had never even imagined before, but I couldn’t wait to get back home to Pappi and the forest. Everything I had worked for, everything I had ever dreamed of, had come true. I’d accomplished it all, and all that was left to do was to return to those I loved and live out the rest of my days in peace and prosperity.

  I gave my farewells to the chamberlain and asked that he tell the Empress and Emperor how much I appreciated their hospitality, promising that I would return soon to give them a report.

  Outside, the day was bright and warm, and my heart was full. I took a deep breath of the warm, salty air and summoned Mythril to open a portal back home. I gave one last look at the Imperial palace then stepped through the portal. On the other side was our little cabin. A fire was blazing in the hearth, and Pappi sat at the table, eating raspberries and cream.

  He jumped to his feet, happy to see me. He pulled me into an embrace, and we swayed back and forth in each other’s arms, feeling the palpable excitement and relief of finding each other again.

  “Where are your friends?” Pappi asked as Mythril closed the portal.

  “They returned to Summoner HQ.”

  “What happened to the capital city?” he asked.

  I barely knew where to begin, so it all just spilled out all at once. I tried to recall the sequence of events, but my retelling came out a jumbled blur.

  “What are you saying, Mango? The Landlords have left?”

  “Yes, Pappi, that’s what I’m trying to say. We ran them off, and they’re never going to return. The Empress made me a knight. Can you believe it? I’m an Imperial knight! And you know what else she did? She gave Sho’kin Forest back to the Sho’kin.”

  “What does this mean?”

  “It means that no one will ever take our land from us again. No more debt, no more taxes, no more Landlords. We can live our lives in peace.”

  “This is too good to be true,” Pappi said, sinking into his chair.

  “It’s everything I wanted and everything I believed we could have. Don’t you see, Pappi? I knew it all along. I never stopped believing.” I slid into the chair beside him and reached out, taking his hands.

  He looked up at me with confusion, warmth, and a spark of understanding in his eyes. “You were right all along. I don’t know why I ever doubted you.”

  “It’s what the Landlords wanted. They wanted us to doubt ourselves and doubt each other. Don’t you see, Pappi? That’s how they stayed in power. But I knew deep in my gut that if I stayed strong and I believed in myself and in what I really wanted for you and for all of the Sho’kin, that it would come true. It had to.”

  “How did you ever get so strong?”

  “Honestly? I don’t know. But I think it was because you and Mama loved me so much. Even though you lost your strength in the junkyard, I remembered how much you loved me when I was a little girl. I remembered how much she loved the forest and loved our farm. I never forgot. It stayed deep in my heart like a glowing light that guided me even in the darkest of nights.”

  “I thought I had screwed it all up for you.”

  “Never. All I had to do was remember who you really are. And it brought us back here where we can both be ourselves again.”

  I threw myself into Pappi’s arms, and we hugged and cried. It felt so good to be together and to be home—I didn’t even mind that snot was pouring down my face and getting in my whiskers.

  Chapter 33

  I jumped onto my hover bike and made it into the village in a few minutes. I found Toby and Pepper packing up their hover bike and all of their supplies.

  “What are you up to?” I asked as I approached.

  “We’ve decided to go to the Imperial city after all. The work of rebuilding the village is not for us. We want to go into the city and bring some money home. Our parents are all gone, and there’s nothing left here for us.”

  “What about your people?” I asked. What about me?

  Toby and I had been best friends since we were kits, but I could tell that he was connecting with Pepper more and more every day. They had something between them that I just couldn’t share. Something I wasn’t ready for and maybe never would be. I had focused so much of my attention on freeing our people and getting back to Sho’kin Forest that the idea of finding a mate, settling down, and making a family had never been a priority for me. But as I watched Pepper and Toby preparing to ride away, possibly never to return, I felt a sinking sense of remorse. I didn’t regret my choices, but I did regret losing my friend. But things couldn’t stay the same. We weren’t kits anymore, and we each had to make our own way in the world.

  “We’ll send word when we arrive,” Toby said, lifting another sack onto the back of the hover bike.

  “You may have more luck in the Imperial city if you drop my name,” I said with a smirk.

  “Oh?” Pepper asked, not looking up from the bag she was packing.

  “Well, you two will be the first to know that the Landlords are gone forever.”

  They both looked up at me with wide eyes and open mouths. “What are you talking about?” Toby asked with a frown.

  “The summoners and I drove the Landlords from the planet. Then the Empress made me a knight. Can you believe it?” I jutted my thumb at my chest, feeling proud of myself. “It was hard, and there were moments when I didn’t think we would make it. But in the end, it all turned out.”

  “You’re full of crap, Mango,” Pepper said.

  “Okay, you
can believe what you want. But the Imperial court has given Sho’kin Forest back to the Sho’kin, and they have deemed me its guardian. Isn’t that amazing?”

  “Of all the people that could be the guardian of the Sho’kin Forest, I wouldn’t think they would choose you,” Pepper said.

  I frowned. Even after everything I’d done, there were still some people who just didn’t like me. I guessed I could accept that. Pepper always had been a little jealous of my friendship with Toby, even though it wasn’t quite what it used to be. I was a little angry about it, but I also understood. Maybe I would have felt the same way in her position. Still, I really wished that Toby would believe me and be proud and happy for what I had done. And practically speaking, if they did tell the Imperial court they were friends of mine, it would make it easier for them when they reached the city. “Don’t you believe me, Toby?”

  “You do tend to exaggerate, but I’ve never known you to lie.”

  “I just want you guys to be safe and successful when you reach the city.”

  “So you say the Imperial court granted Sho’kin Forest back to the Sho’kin, huh?” he asked, tying the final bag to the back of the hover bike.

  “That’s right. We don’t owe anybody anything.”

  “That is amazing, if it’s true.”

  “It just goes to show that if you believe in yourself enough, despite what everybody thinks and what everybody says, you can accomplish anything.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Toby said, leaning in to give me a brief hug goodbye.

  “Congratulations, Mango. You’re just as crazy and delusional as you’ve always been,” Pepper said.

  “Thanks, Pepper. I appreciate it.” I took her hand and gave it a brief shake like Serious had when we first met. She looked at me like I was double crazy.

  “We’d better be going. We want to get some distance between us in the forest before nightfall.”

  “Take care of yourself, Toby. If you guys ever return to Sho’kin Forest, please come and visit me and Pappi.”