Image: Scene break ornament. End Description.

The summer storm had finally arrived that evening and drenched Avernus in gusts of warm rain. It continued on through the night and into the morning, splashing against the windows in rhythmic thumps as the wind blew towards the house. Cat began his report.

Image: One end of the dining room table, facing the wall. Cat is sitting at the end with his laptop, looking pensive. Bluebell is sitting on the left and is looking at Cat. Asmeret is sitting on the right side, looking towards the other end of the table with a disturbed expression. End description.

“Yesterday, David Connell sent four hitmen to infiltrate the property and take Kirk Atwater. Three of them were apprehended, one was killed.” More chairs had been pulled over to the dining room table to make room for everyone. Aside from Quill, members of the Fae Study Sustainability Society were in attendance: Isra and a man named Grant Roswell, and their familiars.

Image: The other end of the table, facing the kitchen. At the end sits Grant, an older black man with the aspect of a komodo dragon. Behind him stands a dark gray horse fae with a black mane and a white marking covering most of his face. On the left side sits Julia with Yuli in her lap. She’s looking nervously at Isra, who is sitting on the right, comically slumped over and crying with her face smushed against the table. On top of Isra are two pigeon fae: Apricot and a second, black and white one. End description.

“You’re sure it was Connell?” Grant asked. His komodo-dragon tongue flicked out of his mouth.

“That’s what the evidence points to. Colby White was present- the missing staff member from the prior train incident between Phoebe and Connell. Also, Connell funded many of Dr. Morevna’s research ventures. He has the money and connections to fund a kidnapping like this and has been to Avernus before.”

Cat wasn’t bothered by the presence of familiars anymore. During his studies he’d encountered many tales of relationships between humans and their natural predators; it was one of the oldest subjects of myths. The creation of the heavens and the earth, the birth of humans, of fire- and of fae. The uncanny sight of a horse standing in the dining room still bothered him slightly. Grant’s familiar, Llamrei, watched Cat with his black eyes.

Less uncanny were Apricot and Guava, both perched on Isra’s dejected form and looking much calmer than their girlfriend.



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7.15.2023
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Remember Grant from the offhand mention of him in chapter I? No? Well I'm happy to finally introduce him, I don't think he'll be in Kata much but he plays a big role in both Julia's and Isra's backstories.