Booo-ooooom!

  A fsh of lightning lit up the densely clouded night skies, it's fierce roar echoing throughout the grassy hills below. Winds swept across the forest, threatening the blow the trees right out from their roots. Atop the grassy hills sat a lonely cabin facing a modest barn house, it's wooden structure groaned as it struggled to withstand the storm. A dozen chickens jumped around in a frenzied panic, fpping their wings helplessly as the storm loomed over them. The cows raised their heads and stomped their hooves, frantically running along the wooden fences searching for a way to escape the stable.

  At the bottom of the hill stood a fleeting glow of yellow light, carried by a brown cloaked figure. His horse hurried across the cobblestone path, huffing loudly by his riders insistence. Upon their arrival, the young man hopped over the fence and guided the animals into the farm as quickly as he could. The chickens were difficult to navigate, resulting in him grabbing them and flinching as they pecked his arm in return, only for him to bring into their coup within the building. One by one, they would nestle into their nests and poke at their wings, nervously turning their heads around as they settled into their homes.

  Once the animals were safely returned, the young man guided his mare to her stable when a fsh of light struck nearby, met with a thunderous echo. His mare stood on her hind legs in a panic, yelling out as his owner reached out and brushed her fur. Once she settled back on her hooves, her owner pulled his hood back, exposing his messy brown hair. His dark chocote eyes met hers as he hugged her head, stroking her fur and whispering a melody in her ears to calm her down. He held her close, feeling her heart beat coming down from its frantic beating and his mare began to soften in his care.

  "Good girl." He kissed her head, offering a comforting smile before guiding her into the farm with the rest of the animals. He closed up the two windows with a tch to secure them, and then hung up his ntern to give them light. All was well when the winds whistled loudly and a sudden crash came from around the house. He sighed heavily, reaching for his ntern once more but not before using its oil to leave a few candles for the farm.

  He braced himself before pushing the heavy wooden door ajar with just enough space for him to slip through. Closing it behind him, he ventured around the house to find the source of the noise, coming across the ruins of what use to be the owners tool shed. He dropped the ntern beside his foot, dragging his hand across his face with a pained groan.

  "By the gods, Auguste will not be pleased to learn of this." He shook his head, resigning himself to figuring out a solution for this camity by morning. He flinched and raised his arms, shielding himself from the icy sting of hard rain hitting his face with the ferocity of such intense winds. It was a force so strong, he feared that if he stayed a moment longer he would find himself scooped up like dead leaves in the fall submitting to a chilling breeze.

  The ntern beside his leg tipped and began to roll down the hill slope when he quickly lunged back to catch it in time. Without it's warm glow, he would find himself standing in the bck of the night with no guide to his sight except for the brief fsh of lightning.

  He was not properly dressed to brace the dangers of such a storm, for he made do with a shroud of heavy bnkets wrapped around him and kept sealed in with a chain link of a brown cloak, his employer's property, so that he wouldn't freeze as soon as he stepped outside. When he heard the boom of thunder so close to the cabin he stayed in, he was deathly afraid that the barn had been hit.

  Nevertheless, he expected the cattle to be howling and stomping about, their milk would taste sour for the next few days no doubt. Still, as he pushed himself up to his feet, he was at least grateful that it was the tool shed that was struck down as long as none of the animals were harmed.

  BOOO-OOOM!

  He flinched and looked away, recoiling as a fsh of light lit the skies before it's familiar howl echoed over the trees and into the darkness, spooking any wildlife struggling to remain safe and dry around. There was nothing left to do but make haste back to the cabin for him. The farmhand quickly wiped the rain from his eyes when his ntern caught something in the wreckage at his feet.

  Something which stood out from the rubble of splintered wood and rusted metal, spttered with mud and drenched under rainfall. His eyes squinted and he knelt down, keeping the ntern close to his face as the light guided him to identify this object hidden under some of the wooden frames and tools. Extending his arm out, he began to shuffle and pull apart any debris in his way until his fingers fell upon something warm and... fuzzy?

  Hovering the ntern over his find, he was greeted with a wounded stray cat with a white coat, decorated with patches of brown around its body. Pcing his hand over its chest allowed him to feel its breathing, this cat did not belong to Auguste as far as he was aware, so where did it come from? He felt around it's brown ear, seeing it flicker before spotting a nasty gash at the back of its head. It was bleeding, the cat was unconscious and appeared to be lost.

  Without a second thought, he scooped his hand under it's body like a shovel before cradling the stray in his arm, shielding it under his cloak as he hurried back across the hillside. He was careful to follow the cobblestone path, any misstep and he would find himself sliding down and possibly bringing further harm to the poor cat, while losing his only source of vision with the ntern held in his left hand.

  The night would be long and cruel but with the added company he would find himself feeling a bit less isoted as he arrived to the doorstep, stomping his boots to kick away any mud before stepping inside. Once indoors, he shed away the many yers of bnkets around his shoulders as they crumpled into a sloppy wet mess on the wooden floorboards. He pulled his bare feet away from their rubbery confines, scooting the boots aside before making his way to the firepce which sat patiently to greet him with its warm embrace.

  He was a young man, recently growing into early adulthood at a perfect age for developing muscle growth and committing his life to hard work. Perhaps if he had been raised in a typical vilge under the guidance of a parent or guardian, he would have followed such a path as many of his age have before. Such was the way of life for those living under the welcoming css of poverty, regardless of whatever origin one would have, their fate remained the same. Every day was a struggle to find work, every passing day was a greater struggle to find food.

  Their were other means of survival, some not often legal, and for those who were caught with possessions that were not there own would meet a punishment befitting for a thief. The day he bared witness to a thieving hand parted from the thieves forearm was when the message was made clear to everyone present, and he held no desire to meet the same fate anytime soon.

  No, he needed to work to survive. It was no different to the life of a sve, a thought he came back to from time to time. A sve had no rights but would be fed twice a day, sometimes three times a day. A sve would be given shelter to sleep under, they would know what was expected of them daily and doing a good job would sometimes grant you a day cking any unpleasant reactions from the owner. Sometimes.

  He cradled the young cat, humming to himself as the wind howled beyond the cabin walls around them. Here, they were safe from the storm, kept warm and dry next to a healthy fire. Its fur remained soggy and cold, he could hardly feel its heart beat when he kept his palm pressed against its chest. Growing concerned, he removed his tunic and wrapped it around the cat, keeping it warm and scooting closer to the fire as he began to shiver from a swift chill on his back. He had seen owners with pets before, creatures under their ownership mistreated and tossed around for sport, beaten and cwed simply out of entertainment.

  His eyes narrowed as those thoughts ignited a spark in his mind, swiftly undone when he noticed the cat's tummy begin to rise. When he stroked it's head, the feline sneezed on his palm and he moved it away before shaking his head with a grin. What an odd way of thanking him, he thought to himself as he held it's wet paw until it ceased its constant shivering.

  He rocked his arms back and forth, cradling the kitty as if it were a child in a mothers grasp. There was no colr ying its cim and a brief check told him it was a female cat. What was it up to, stowed away in the shed out in the back, or was it desperate for any shelter it could find under the storm? He was certain this animal was lost, lost and without a home to go to for safety.

  That settled it for him, his decision had been made. Perhaps now, his nights will feel a lot less lonely when he was done tending to the animals.

  To his surprise, the cat stuck her tongue out and flicked it against her nose. He smiled and began rubbing her tummy, making her paw at his hand pyfully as he chuckled. It looked silly with his patchy tunic wrapped around her body, like an adorable cat burrito with her head and front paw exposed.

  "You know, I have always wanted a pet of my own. Someone who could depend on me, and not in a forceful kind of way. I could certainly use the company if you would grant me the privilege of such, little thing. I think I will name you... KuliKuli."

  KuliKuli, has a nice melody to it.