How had it come to this?

The streets of Eridus were burning and a banner of our triumphant Lady: Mew-striss Nyanla, stood tall on every corner. To believe that a feline — at least a feline by most metrics — had raised a competent army and brought low the Kingdom of Urdur was almost baffling...had I not been her right hand; or was it paw?

"Nyahaha! Look, servant! Look!" Mistress Nyanla purred in a satisfactory faction, taking to the balcony with me as we watched the fire spread from building to building across the city. "This is what happens when you doubt the unassuming. We'll let this be a lesson, nyan, then we'll rebuild; to my liking, of course." She stood on her hind legs, balancing herself on the railing as she looked out over the burning city; her banded tail flicked with jubilant energy. She wore a small gown, its quality befitting any woman of power or prestige, hugging the slender features of her trim, feline figure.

While Nyanla wasn't a terrible leader — in fact, she was actually quite competent — it was hard to cope with the fact my loyalties sincerely lied with a cat. The absurdity of it all something that I'd yet to fully embrace. Sure, Nyanla was humanoid enough; she preferred walking on her hindlegs, spoke eloquently and was a prominent spell-caster. But still, it seemed wrong somehow. Nyanla and I stood alone in what was once the balconied apex of the capital's castle

"The people will find it hard to believe that they are to be ruled by a cat, m'lady." I said, nodding my head. "

She chuckled, a musical sound that made my ears twitch. "Oh, don't worry about that. The people have seen the power of Mew-striss Nyanla firsthand, and while many may question how it happened, they'll be brought to heel, nyan! Just like you were, servant." Nyanla cracked a fanged grin; her general disdain for humans was apparent and even I, her champion, was often the brunt of a joke. It made my blood boil. I towered over the tiny creature, physically overpowered her by several magnitudes, but knew the bite of her sorcery as nothing to be trifled with; Nyanla had left a terrible, lighting-shaped scar upon me when I was first beaten into submission. Beaten by a cat. Now, things were different. She no longer saw me as a threat. That was the extent of the Mew-striss's arrogance. So perhaps as I loomed over the unsuspecting feline, at the height of her ascension, would I be the one to show the petulant pussy a bit of humility. Perhaps...

"Mew-striss, I am sure that the people will accept your rule." I said, placing a guantleted hand on her tiny shoulder. "You've shown them that you can do anything you set your mind to; you've shown me that as well."

"And yet, they refuse to see that my reign is inevitable. They cannot help but fear the change, and so they fight against it. Their very nature prevents them from seeing the truth! Nyan! You humans are such complainers, nyan."

I chuckled lowly, a slow and sinister chuckle that betrayed my intentions. No longer would I be the plaything of some common cat. "Just as your arrogance prevents you from seeing the truth, Nyanla." My grip tightened on her shoulder. "That is why I will show you, dear Mew-striss." I slid my hand down to the base of her neck, gripping the soft fur of her neck as I lifted her off the ground. Her eyes widened, the light of realization beginning to dawn in their depths.

"Wh-what are you doing, servant? You forget yourself, nyan!" Tiny paws batted at the air, attempting to whisk together some spell, to stop my advances; who knew that all it took was a firm hold at the base of Nyanla's neck to break her concentration and thus limit her casting abilities?

"What I should've done long ago."