Chapter 74 Catgirls Are Real Too?!
The quest didn't give him any map or locator to find the ancient city ruins, but Ryan hoped he wouldn't need one.
A short way off into the woods, there was a very small clearing where someone had left a huge pile of firewood in a heap.
"Maybe it's kindling for a campfire," he said out loud while looking at his surroundings for anyone watching.
He saw an axe laying on top of the firewood. He could smell the freshly cut wood.
"Who are you?" a voice asked behind Ryan.
Spinning around, Ryan saw two women dressed in leather standing in front of him, one of which held a spear in her hands. They both looked relatively human, except for the cat ears sticking from either side of their heads.
One seemed to be about as old as Ryan, with dark brown hair that came down past her shoulders, and wore thin red robes with long sleeves.
The other woman was much taller than the first, wearing only a few pieces of armor instead of a complete outfit, exposing large breasts with hard metal points covering her nipples. Her face was hidden under a headdress, similar to how Lizzy and Izzy wore their veils when Ryan first met them.
The armored catwoman one held up a spear and glared at him suspiciously. "Who are you?"
"Relax, ladies," Ryan said, exuding the thinnest layer of his pleasure aura he could muster.
"Everything will be alright... Just put your weapon away," He spoke telepathically to them without moving his mouth.
"What's that sound? Is there a monster near us? Oh my gosh!" The smaller one jumped, frantically glancing around.
Ryan smiled widely and shook his head before speaking aloud again, "That was me, darling."
The woman's mouth widened into an 'O', and she hurriedly indicated to the other catlady to lower her weapon.
The tall woman frowned and pointed her spear at Ryan while whispering something inaudible to the long-haired one.
The long-haired woman looked at him questioningly and tilted her head slightly.
"I'm sorry," she said in a sad voice, "but we're going to have to kill you now."
"Kill me?" Ryan asked, a grin forming on his face.
She nodded slowly but didn't move toward or make aggressive gestures toward him.
Ryan felt something amiss, but as he was about to plant his back foot in a defensive position, he was lifted off the ground and dragged backward by some unseen force that forced him through the trees.
'What is this?'
He tried looking around for who it was that was dragging him, only to realize that all his energy was being pulled out of his body along with his ability to think.
As his fatigue and loss of strength clouded his mind, Ryan watched as the two catwomen came closer until they were directly above him.
Just as the catwoman was about to bring her spear down on Ryan's head, she froze in place and... Darkness.
***
"Mistress Hannah, we've brought him, just as you've asked!" said the long-haired catgirl.
"Thankfully, you were able to divert Diana's blade right when she was about to kill the male, although he still got cut a little in the ribs."
"Yes," replied Hannah, "He was quite lucky. Perhaps it was fate that our dear friend and savior was there for us. A little help from above!" She looked up at the ceiling where The Old Man watched over everything without a word.
Ryan could hear the conversation but couldn't stir or open his eyes.
"We remain thankful that the Old Man is a source of knowledge to everyone in this world, though we still cannot see his true form," continued Hannah.
Everyone knew The Old Man existed; the people in this world just accepted it as fact, although Hannah's clan was different. They were the direct clan of catpeople who served the Xygar during their time of dominance in the Multiverse eons ago.
Ryan's eyes began to twitch.
"So," she spoke as she stared at Ryan curiously, "you're awake."
Ryan's face contorted into an expression of confusion and shock. "Who are you?"
"My name is Hannah, the tribe leader of the Catservants of Xygar," Hannah said proudly with her chest puffed out, showing off her breasts. She was barely covered by a thin piece of leather that clung tightly to her body.
"You seem to be one of the heaven's chosen. Are you here for the inheritance? If so, then it must have been fate that allowed me to find my savior... again," Hannah said, whispering the last part.
"Fate..." Ryan whispered while staring at the tall woman who stood beside Hannah, looking at him like he was something nasty she had stepped in.
"Is this how you usually greet your saviors?" Ryan asked, watching Diana glare at him.
Hannah shook her head self-deprecatingly. "No, not really. Diana here," Hannah said, pointing to the one who almost gutted him, "has had some bad experiences with males."
"Why do I feel like that's an understatement?" Ryan thought out loud.
Diana glared at Ryan, a popping sound coming from how hard she was squeezing her fingers.
"Why have you brought me here?" Ryan asked, ignoring the anger directed toward himself. "And what happened to my clothes? And where are we?"
"You could say this is your first test," Hannah said, stepping forward and kneeling down on one knee until they were almost eye level.
"The Xygar race passed away long ago and left us in ruin, but we still remain proud servants of Xygar in all their forms."
Hannah's hand reached out for his right shoulder in an attempt to touch Ryan, which caused her breast to move seductively against her chest. The look on her face suggested that touching Ryan was the highest honor a person could ever achieve.
She was about to lean in closer to make her wish a reality when a man suddenly appeared behind her, placing a palm over her shoulders, and gently pushed her back a couple of steps before she fell flat onto her butt.
"Hannah, do not touch our potential Lord," he spoke with authority.
The man spoke with the voice of someone who sounded like he should be commanding armies or maybe being the ruler of a small country somewhere. He also wore an odd outfit, made of black cloth that draped around him like a cloak.
It didn't seem like it would be enough to stop Hannah's lust-filled eyes from gazing at Ryan, but it did distract her from what she was about to do.
"But it's time to test you now," said the male, taking another step forward.