Bery's head buzzed. The world around her fell away. The stone blocks making up the houses she once knew were burned to cinders. Flames blazed all around her, and the storm continued. At the center of it all, a lone woman stood there.
Black horns curled from the top of her head, and a large red tail exited the bottom of her spine. Bery watched the woman in horror, a sickening smile gracing the girl's face.
The cat girl's eyes leapt open. She sat up so fast her head spun in circles. The blazing fires of her unconscious mind had given way to an unfamiliar room. Though, the pulsing of her head would not abate.
A gentle hand tapped on Bery's shoulder from the side. "Hey, you, you're finally awake."
The voice was as sweet as berries, and it roused Bery from her stupor. She flinched, her ears twitching. However, as she whipped her head towards the woman, the cat's eyes filled with horror. The very woman from her nightmare stood in front of her at the side of her bed.
A shriek left Bery's throat, and she jumped out of the thick white bed. "You!"
Bery clenched her teeth in pain. She nearly dropped to her knees, but the woman caught her.
"Your wounds haven't healed yet. You need to relax."
Bery felt the woman's arms wrap around her. The cat was pulled into the large chest of the strange person. I'm alive…
The events from before she fell into sleep replayed in her mind. The bandits screams filled inside of her head. The visage of a large, black-horned creature was there, and here this woman was in front of her. The woman of Bery's nightmares hugged her like it was nothing.
"No!" Bery tried pushing off of her, but the grip holding her there was too strong. None of the muscles in her body could give her the strength needed.
The voice in her ear was sweet once more. It was light and breathy. "Don't worry. Nothing bad will happen to you here."
Somehow, despite all of the pleading in Bery's mind, the voice was enough to calm the rapid beating of her heart. The continuous struggle she'd put up relented, and she slumped into the woman's arms.
"There, there," the woman said, patting Bery's back with a soft but firm hand. "You're safe with me."
Bery smelled the woman unintentionally as her nose brushed up against her. There was a mild sweet scent, but it was incredibly savory as well. It reminded Bery of beautiful red flowers she'd painted before, and the thought of paintings further calmed her, until the girl released her grip.
"That's it. My name is Valerie. What's your name, kitten?"
Bery flinched, even though she somehow knew that the woman meant no harm to her. She hated it more than anything in this world. Being called Kitten made her feel so small. It made her seem like someone who had no idea what she was doing. She gritted her teeth, finally responding.
"Bery," she said with a small sigh. "Just Bery."
Valerie pulled further away from her with a radiant smile. "Bery. I like that name."
"What happened while I was out? What about the…"
Valerie pressed a finger against Bery's lips. "There is no need for you to worry about the details right now. You are shaken, are you not? It would be better for you to rest, and I will provide those later."
"I see...But where am I?"
Valerie sighed. "Even that question will have to wait, kitten."
Bery flinched once more from the name. She bit her tongue before she could cry out. She had no idea who this other girl was or what were her intentions, but there was one thing for certain. The cat girl looked down at herself, noticing that her clothes had been changed, and bandages graced her bruised arms. While she had passed out, Valerie had saved her. Moreover, she had taken good care of her and given her a bed. But what about the dragon?
"For now," Valerie started, "you can use this place to rest. I will provide you food and drink. Just wait right here, please?"
Bery nodded reluctantly. She watched the girl take off with a smile and close the door to the room behind her.
The cat decided to take in the room now that she was freed, but it was strange. She'd never seen such an odd looking place in her life. It was composed of smooth metal, and there were perfectly curved and sharp edges. Green light fixtures provided a slight green hue to the light around her, but they didn't seem to be made up of any of the magic that Bery knew about. And these dressers.
She looked down at the small cabinets beside her bed, and they were made of the same silver metal. Small circular objects seemed to hold everything together. Though, they were nothing like Bery had ever seen before. She grasped onto one of the bolts, but still she couldn't make sense of it.
The drawer pulled open easily enough, but there was nothing inside.
"Odd."
She sat back on the comfortable bed, leaning into the mattress. It was so wonderfully comfortable, yet at the same time, Bery's mind was anything but. She was in a strange place, and she was certain that the events from before were all real.
No matter how much Bery's mind could imagine, she couldn't imagine a dragon that she'd never seen before in such vivid detail. She should be happy she was alive, and she should be happy that those thugs got what they deserved. However, the cat girl couldn't bring herself to wish for their deaths.
She sighed and covered her head with a pearly white pillow. It was so soft, but it was perfect for drowning out her quiet sobs. I should have just went back to the town.
Bery was so entrenched in her own thoughts that she barely heard the door open. She didn't have the time to stop the tears from flowing, but a part of her didn't care.
The pillow was lifted from her head, and the gorgeous woman from before was there. She sat next to the bed on a metallic chair with a loving gaze. Her deep red eyes bore into the cat.
Valerie grinned and held a bowl towards Bery. The scent of soup wafted towards the cat, causing her ears to flutter. A rumbling from Bery's tummy made the woman to grin. "You need to eat, little kitten."
Once more, Bery flinched. She sat up and wiped off her own eyes. Just because she was crying didn't make her a kitten. Just because I don't want to be a warrior doesn't make me a kitten!
Though, the cat girl couldn't deny the delicious smell wafting towards her. It was unfamiliar yet hearty. It was as if the scent alone was enough to melt the cat's heart. She leaned towards the bowl to get a closer look at the soup. Inside, she saw something that was clear with a slight tint to it. She could see noodles and some kind of poultry. Her nose couldn't resist it, and she was leaning even closer.
Valerie's hand picked up a spoon and took a healthy serving from the bowl. "Say 'ahhh'."
"I'm not…"
The woman shook her head. "There is no need to worry about stuff like that. Your arms were badly bruised. I'm just making sure that there are no messes. I wouldn't want you to spill it on yourself. It's hot."
Bery nodded and a small amount of heat flushed through her face. She couldn't remember the last time someone fed her. Was it when she was a sick kitten? The thought almost made her want to reject it outright, but she remembered that this girl had helped her. And she took care of me.
The cat opened her mouth, and the warm soup filled it. Everything was perfect. It wasn't so hot that it burned her tongue, and it was pleasant. There was a slightly salty and savory flavor coating her taste buds, and the noodles were the perfect texture. There was something slightly spicy inside of it as well, and it complemented the poultry.
Bery couldn't resist voicing her surprise. "Is that pepper?"
Valerie giggled and placed a tender hand on the top of Bery's head. "You're quite right, little kitten."
Bery's eyes widened in shock. As a painter, she'd been part of the merchant's guild that allowed her to sell her paintings, so she knew as well as anyone that pepper was expensive. The cat girl pushed the bowl away from her.
"Please, I can't eat this."
Valerie shook her head. "I have already eaten, so if you don't, this will go to waste. Besides, it's not like pepper is a rarity for me." Her voice became a bit more stern towards the end. "Eat it."
Bery bit back her complaints and allowed herself to be fed.