Larot The Cat

Larot the foot soldier fought battle after battle. He fought to live and he lived to fight to the death. Nothing brought him more joy than riding into a village, killing the men and taking the horses and women for his own. He fought under the employ of emperors, generals and kings. He fought for as long as he could recall being alive but still, he wanted more. Larot was wounded by a poisoned scimitar during one especially bloody battle. He and the survivors returned to camp afterward and Larot's fever burned and burned. He tossed and turned in his bed, the sweat pouring down his face. He fought the fever the way he fought men in war, he fought without fear of death. He fought it until he was exhausted and he fell into a very long, dark dream. He dreamed the goddess of the underworld came to him naked riding on the back of a black goat. Her skin was pale as the meat of an apple and her hair was yellow as straw. She was nubile and seemed unaware of her nakedness. Larot draped a cloak over her shoulders. She kissed him on the cheek and tears of blood clouded his vision. "Be my servant and your soul will live forever." Larot awoke with a start. He rubbed his face and found tears of blood were in his eyes. He vowed to meet the goddess again one day and prayed to do so each night and morning. He never lost another battle. He came into wealth and retired as a rich old man. One night at the age of ninety one after eating a seven-course meal he prayed to the goddess and went to bed, he dreamed of her again. Larot looked down at his body, he had paws like a cat! He tried to speak but he could only meow. Larot was infuriated! The goddess bent down and picked him up. "You died in your sleep tonight Larot. Now you will live with me in the underworld and be my pet. Do you like the the new form I gave you?" , Asked the goddess. Larot wanted to fight her but she petted him and he purred quietly. A hundred years passed before Larot had his chance to escape. He had been communing with the lord of the underworld and praying for his mercy. Larot heard a sound coming from the forest. It was the first sign of life he had heard in the past one hundred years, it was a cricket! Larot pounced on it and sacrificed the body to the lord of the underworld. The cricket's soul paid for his transport to Serin. "Larot!" Cried the goddess, "Please don't leave me!" Larot looked back, he felt a little sad leaving the goddess all alone. She had been good to him after all. He looked up at the goddess, drawn forth by her ineffable beauty he began walking toward her as if in a trance. He stopped. "NO!" He yelled, "I'm not a cat!!" , He stepped through a shimmering portal leaving the goddess behind forever.