<strong>Mysterious Guest<br/>Town Square Ring</strong><br/><br/><br/>A figure adorned in a black cloak approached Cheetarik from behind. Its shoulder purposefully struck his own in a light nudge before a mild-mannered voice left the darkness of its cowl.<br/><br/><em>Sitting on the bench while two miscreants make fools of our nation’s defense? This is why you are a soldier and not a general.</em><br/><br/>The entity approached the ring with slow, booted strides. When he reached the ropes, he leapt into the air, his black cloak rippling about his form like water. He cleared the barrier and landed upon the platform with a weighted thud in time to hear Tigrus’s last remark.<br/><br/><strong>Bored is the word, Beigey. Plus I think we're going to have a whole divisions worth more of <em>bored</em> in a few seconds. Want to make a dashing and dramatic run for it whilst cheered on by legions of our frothing-mouthed fans?</strong><br/><br/>“<em>Divisions</em>are unnecessary to deal with two kittens. I might have regarded your attempt to retreat a form of guerilla warfare, if it wasn’t laced with cowardice. I am all that is needed here,” the figure scoffed.<br/><br/>The guards raised their heads, their eyes shining with shock and disbelief as they immediately recognized the voice, but it couldn’t be!<br/><br/>“General Oceloto!” one of the guards gasped.<br/><br/>A paw rose from beneath the cloak to grasp a wad of the cloth. The cloak was then twisted and removed. The general made himself known as he tossed the material onto the ropes. The ocelot wasn’t wearing his black and lengthy officer’s jacket. It had been tailored to disguise the bulk that lay beneath, and here the soft-spoken cat stood before the tiger and caracal as a titan (though he was no larger than Cheetarik and the king). His muscles were chiseled against his golden fur. His abdomen was white and spots speckled his physique.<br/><br/>The guards were in an uproar of confused and awe-stricken murmuring before one of them roared in excitement, his left eye black and swollen shut and a fang missing from his chops, “Now you done it Howler! You have to fight the general!”<br/><br/>“Yeah!” another guard exclaimed. “General Oceloto’s gonna kick your orange ass!”<br/><br/>The general was silent as he warmed up for this match. He rotated his right arm, the muscles of his shoulder shifting beneath his pelt. He then tilted his head left and then right, loosening his neck muscles.<br/><br/>“The woman is also welcome to try her claws against me. I have no qualms with striking a female for there exists females just as feral in my units,” General Oceloto informed.<br/><br/>He brought his paws together, the muscles in his arms and pectorals swelled as he applied pressure to his knuckles, and they released a series of stone-like pops.<br/><br/>“I welcome you to go first. If you can knock me down with your first move, then I will take back my words and not regard you both as kittens but true warriors.”<br/><br/>The general lowered his arms and regarded the two cats before him with a determined scowl.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>The Nine<br/>Catacombs</strong><br/><br/><br/>Mother Tabitha gazed upon Leona contently. To see her stripped of her armor and standing before her bare and still fiery made an anxious spark crackle within her lower regions. Yes, she was very much like Lionessa.<br/><br/>The robed cats ushered Leonaar to the altar and next to Mother Tabitha. From beneath her robes, a golden tail holding a knife rose to her brother’s throat. The edge was pressed against his neck as the mother threatened on a calm purr, “Now, now, Leona. Be a good girl and cooperate with us. We don’t want to hurt our goddess, so if you value the impure one’s life, you’ll come lie upon this table please.”<br/><br/>There was a condescending air in the mother’s tone as she spoke to the princess as though she was but an unruly child. Her tail bore no spots, stripes, or tuft. To one with good observation skills, it was the tail of a lion.<br/><br/>“Let me remind you that we are more than willing to skip ahead in our ritual to ending your brother’s life. Do not provoke us.”