“Come back here human!” Shig hollered, sprinting after the long haired man.

The man he’d kicked out the bank was surprisingly fast. He was running down the street, heading back towards the police station no doubt. Shig had to end him quickly, he couldn’t let him report back to Roper. But for a race that is supposed to be slower than Catkin, Shig was having a hard time keeping up. In fact he could barely keep him within sight. The man must have more aura than the normal person, using it to increase his speed. Shig could do that too. He added aura to his legs, began to run on all fours on top of that. He quickly closed the distance, pounced on the man. Like a lion catching a zebra, the predator had caught it’s prey, the latter struggling underneath the strength of the former. The man tried to punch Shig off but he easily blocked the punch. Next he tried flicking out his knife, only for Shig to swat it away. To ensure the man couldn’t escape, Shig put his claws on the man’s head, letting him know if he tried to move, Shig would snap his neck in an instant. Even if the man couldn’t feel pain, he’d still die from a snapped neck.

“Heh nice try human! None of your kind can outrun a catkin!” Shig boasted.

“You fool. Whatever happens is Vienna’s will! If I die, so be it.” the man retorted.

“You humans have a weird fascination with Vienna. You know she’s got the body of a child in your interpretation right?”

“Joke all you want cat, you won’t win tonight. Preacher Roper will make the sinner atone. You delay the inevitable.”

“Yeah yeah it’s all fate deemed by the gods and goddesses or whatever. I’ve heard enough of this spiel back home.”

Shig promptly snapped the man’s neck, the loud crack reverberating throughout the empty moon lit street.

“‘If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first’-The book of Avila verse 5’” a voice intoned in front of Shig.

Shig looked up, saw Preacher Roper crouched, so that they were eye to eye. His birdlike face, the sharp nose, narrow blue eyes, and pointy chin took up Shig’s whole field of view.

“Ah!” Shig screamed, jumped away from the man’s body to create a distance of about 10 yards between him and Roper. He quickly unsheathed his scimitar. And to his dismay, realized he was in front of the police station.

Roper straightened, glanced at the dead body at his feet.

“I suppose you know Avila, the goddess of the earth, by a different name. Venja is what you call her correct? You depict her as a catkin with red and black fur. I find it interesting how the other races alter the images of the gods and goddesses, ignoring the truth.”

Shig heard footsteps coming from multiple directions. In his peripherals he could see Roper’s congregation slowly meander their way out of the alleyways, slowly forming a circle around him.

“Your act of murder was meaningless. I will find Sarah Madison. She is the reason I came out here tonight. I care little for the war between humans and non-humans. A man of faith does not care about such temporal things. I simply want to save her soul. If you tell me where she is, you will live.” Roper proposed.

Shig tightened his sword, ignoring the sweat that came down his brow. He was completely surrounded now. If Roper had approached him earlier, he would’ve accepted the proposal without a second thought. But it was too late, he’d already decided he was going to help Sarah to the end.

“Sorry preacher, that’s not happening. You see, I hate humans. They’re rude, annoying, close-minded, and violent. They care only about themselves. But one human was different, she helped everyone, she didn’t care what race you were. That human was Sarah. If I took your offer, I’d be betraying the only human who was ever good to me. Good to all the non-humans in this town. So you won’t be laying your hands on her or her daughter. I’m stopping you, even though every bone in my body is telling me to run away.” Shig denied.

The preacher’s face was emotionless, the catkin’s little diatribe meant nothing to him.

“This is a small town. I will find her. Your sacrifice will mean nothing. May Vienna have mercy on your soul catkin.”

Roper raised his right arm at Shig, his hand forming a finger gun. A ball of purple aura formed in front of his index finger. It shot from his hand like a bullet. It appeared that it hit Shig, but it went through his body, zipping between the heads of his congregation, hitting the ground further down the street creating an explosion. Roper had just shot an after image. In the peripheral of the preacher’s right eye, he saw heads of about five followers get lobbed off. Shig then appeared on his right, his sword covered in blood.

“Die Roper!” he yelled and swung his sword hoping to make Roper meet the same fate as his followers.

Roper nonchalantly leaned back, the sword missing completely. He straightened back up, threw a punch at Shig’s face. The punch went through his body, clearly another after image. Shig was now behind him, throwing a kick. The kick hit the preacher in the back of the head, making him stumble forward. Shig attempted to follow up with another sword strike but felt something grab his arm. He looked, saw a member of Roper’s congregation. It was an old man.

“How dare you hurt the preacher!” he yelled.

Shig cut him across the face with a claw but the man wouldn’t let go. He attempted to cut again when he felt his other arm get restrained.

“You’re going nowhere sinner!” another man exclaimed.

Shig kicked him squarely in the jaw but like the old man, wouldn’t let go. Roper was in front of him now, an aura bullet aimed at his head. In a stroke of luck, Shig was able to duck the point blank shot, hearing the explosion go off behind him. He increased the aura in his arms, closed them together, making his captors slam the preacher from both sides. Shig jumped away, ran into the nearest alleyway, cutting the heads off anyone who tried to stop him. He had to ensure the fight happened on his terms, he couldn’t let himself get dragged down by Roper’s drugged up followers. He was at the adjacent street now but before he could catch his breath and think of a plan, the wooden building next to him exploded, sending him across the street. He landed on his feet but could feel countless splinters. Roper’s followers were running across the rubble, while the preacher was behind them aiming another aura bullet. Shig had to move quickly. He sprinted to his left as the preacher fired. Another building exploded, then another, then another. Roper was blowing up the whole block, caring little for the collateral damage. Shig had to get close. Use hit and run tactics. He redirected himself, began running towards the preacher, effortlessly cutting off the limbs of his followers. As Shig got closer, the preacher’s shots became more and more accurate. They were hitting the ground next to him, splashing dirt in his face. He was in front of the preacher, sword raised. He swung, missed. He could’ve sworn that he got him that time.

“You Catkin are renowned for your speed. But it fails in comparison to Vienna’s blessings.” he heard in his ear.

Roper uppercutted Shig in the stomach, sending the catkin about five feet into the air. While airborne, Roper shot an aura bullet into his back. Shig flew up the street, feeling like a bomb had gone off at his back. If it wasn’t for his aura, he would’ve exploded into dozens of pieces. Shig landed on the ground, moaning in pain.

“Ahhh” he groaned as he got up using his sword as support.

Presently Shig heard a whizzing sound approach. He looked down the street, saw three aura bullets coming at him. He dodged each one, like he was playing a very deadly game of dodgeball. Roper was now running towards him, firing off more bullets. Shig ran into another alleyway as he saw the bullets zip past, huffing and puffing.

“Come on Shig you can’t lose to humans! You’re catkin!” he told himself.

“So much pride for a sinner” Roper said next to Shig.

Shig turned, saw the preacher wind up a kick. It was too late to dodge. The kick knocked him through the wall, into the building. Inside, Shig’s body rolled across something soft, hit the ground. He shot up, saw he was in an old furniture store. An old bed covered in cobwebs was what helped lessen the blow. He was surrounded by beds, couches, and chairs. It was long abandoned given the spider webs that covered each piece of furniture. Shig smiled, knowing he could use this place to his advantage. Roper appeared in the hole he had created, casting an ominous shadow. He scanned the furniture store, no sign of the catkin in sight. The preacher began to patrol, passing by furniture.

“Hiding won’t do you any good. My congregation will be here soon, and they’ll turn this place upside down. Like Sarah Madison, we will find you.” he noted.

A rustling was heard in the back of the store by the chair section. He approached it when one of the chairs was sent flying towards him. He shot it, making it explode in the air.

“Silly. That is what this is. This is nothing but hide and seek.” the preacher stated.

“Have you never heard of guerilla fighting? We mastered the art.” Shig replied behind the preacher.

Before Roper could turn round, Shig punched him in the side, followed by slamming the handle of his blade into the side of Roper’s head. The second blow sent him over a bed. When the preacher got up, Shig was gone. He looked wildly around the store when another chair was sent his way. He shot it, quickly spun around, expecting to see Shig. He wasn’t there. Instead another chair was flung at him, hitting him in the back, knocking him off his feet. On his knees he received a kick to the face, making him slide into a bed. Visibly frustrated he got up, started shooting at everything. One by one, chairs, beds, and couches blew up.

“Can’t hide if there’s nothing to hide behind!” he yelled.

While aiming at another bed, Shig appeared in his peripheral, attempting to chop his arm off. Knowing he couldn’t pull back his arm in time, Roper took his other arm, put it across his chest, and fired. Shig dodged it by spinning around Roper who was now defenseless as both arms were aimed away from the catkin. Roper stepped back as Shig gave him a cut down his left bicep. Shig stepped in, and with his free hand, cut Roper across the face with his claws.

Shig smiled to himself, he had the upper hand now. He finished his assault with a kick, which the preacher had blocked with his head out of all things. When Shig kicked, Roper had launched his head at the catkin’s foot, stopping it before it could reach its full momentum. Then Roper jammed a finger gun into Shig’s thigh, fired an aura bullet. Instead of exploding, it went straight through his leg, creating a deep hole in the ground.

“Ah!” Shig screamed, collapsed to the ground, holding onto the wound.

The preacher grabbed his leg, threw him through the store’s front window.

Shig felt dozens of cuts on his body, feeling window shards in his fur. He began to crawl away, the pain in his leg too great to stand up.

“Where do you think you’re going sinner?!” a gruff voice exclaimed as Shig felt someone stomp his head into the ground.

More stomps followed. Shig was being brutally assaulted by what remained of Roper’s congregation, 7 in all. They yelled expletives at him, something about how dare he defy Vienna’s will, hurt their fellow members, and attack the preacher. His vision was getting blurry and wasn’t able to hear anything distinct.

“That’s enough my friends.” the preacher said, walking out of the store’s front door.

They backed off, staring down at Shig.

“I did not wish this upon you. I offered you safety. But you align yourself with a sinner, which in turn makes you one. I’m sorry for the pain I’ve brought you. If it’s any consolation, you’ll die in peace. ” he continued.

The preacher sat down next to Shig, holding the catkin in his arms.

“‘Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to another, forgiving each other, just as in Vienna she forgave you.’ -Book of Vienna, verse 45’” he whispered into Shig’s ear.

Roper hugged Shig, then wrapped his arms around Shig’s neck, putting him in a chokehold. He stood up, the catkin rising with him, choking in the process. Shig tried to fight back, tried to scratch his face but his arms were too weak.

“I forgive you. You won’t go to heaven but I hope you will find peace” Preacher Roper said, followed by snapping Shig’s neck.

The catkin’s body fell to the ground, lifeless. The preacher looked at what remained of his followers. They were injured, covered with cuts and bruises. If they weren’t drugged up they would've been unconscious long ago.

“Now my friends, we must go. We still have Vienna’s work to do.”