I was bundled up in a parka. I didn’t like it since it made it hard to move as I liked. But the freezing cold winds were brutal. How any creature lived in this cold was beyond me. After more discussions with my father, he was going to take the lead at the start.

After thinking on it for quite a bit. I had decided he should take the lead at the start. He had more experience than me and I would be an idiot not to trust him. While it was technically my mission, succeeding was more important than being in charge.

Walking down the gangplank, I could see ice forming on the various surfaces and had the claws on my hind paws extended so I didn’t slip. The cold carried up into me. There was a small town filled with bears. They were massive, at least eight feet, or over two meters. The adults stood taller than my father by a head and towered over me.

I also noted that all of them had belts with knives on them and some had swords as well. It was clearly a martial culture. “Covenant Church,” a large white bear greeted us at the bottom of the gangplank. He then spat to the side. The Metalshark was technically flying its flag, the sun and the sword.

“I am Warrior’s Shadow Tom Cat. You know why I am here,” he said while glaring right back at the bear.

“The supposed cult,” the bear rolled his eyes. “Nothing is going on. Just a bunch of cubs getting some stupid ideas. We put them in their place. We don’t need any help cleansing anyone. We just want to be left alone. We pay our taxes and raise no armies or religions. What else do you want from us?” the bear growled out his question.

“There is more. The Covenant Church is mobilizing for a war against the snakes,” my father challenged.

“Snakes. What snakes?! Look around? Are there snakes in this frozen hell we have been driven to?” the bear waved his paws. I noticed he had claws just like us cats.

“We aren’t leaving with an agreement that you will send a twentieth of your population for mobilization,” my father said without blinking an eye.

“We are barely hanging on. You want to take the best, the strongest of us? And what will the Covenant Church give us? More false promises. More frozen wasteland in the middle of nowhere? I say no. If we are going to die, then we will die as proud bears,” he said and crossed his arms.

“It won’t even be a fight, we have guns. And since I am here, you Ancestral Spirit has no chance. I get it. The cats lost. The bears lost. We have to live in the world as it is, not how we want it to be,” my father challenged. There was a silent staring contest.

I stepped forward. “Perhaps a challenge. If we win, then you agree to the Covenant Church’s mobilization. If we lose, then we leave. We can’t promise more won’t come, but you will get more time and make life difficult for us,” I said. The bear looked at me.

“What is this, a second smaller cat. You are barely big enough for a stewpot. A challenge. Dressed in parkas and shivering. What can you even do?”

“Name your challenge, and I will win,” I replied.

“And if I don’t?” he asked me.

“I will one bear at a time and leave you for last. Then I will move onto the next settlement and the next.” The bear turned to my father.

“This cub speaks for you?” he asked my father.

“Mittens does,” my father replied.

“Fine, there will be a meeting of our Ruling Council. The terms can be set there. I am Akiak, the leader of this port. Be welcome in the name of my ancestors. Let no harm be done to you, and you do no harm to others during your stay,” Akiak said.

“Thank you Akiak,” my father replied.

“Two days. That is how long it will take to send word and gather our Council to speak to you,” Akiak replied.

“And the cubs who were doing the cult?” I asked.

“What, it has been dealt with?” Akiak replied. I shook my head. My father looked at me. He knew the issue just as well. But I couldn’t let Akiak leave and not think it had been resolved.

“They will need to come before your Council and us. The fact we are here shows it isn’t just some kids playing about,” I explained. It might be called a kiddie cult, but that didn’t mean we could just leave at the word of Akiak.

“And what do you think you will do?” he asked.

“You agreed to the laws of the Covenant Church. Heresy is death. All materials need to be handed over along with some creature that will take responsibility to come back with us,” I replied.

“To be crucified or skinned,” Akiak growled.

“I won’t lie. Most likely. But it is either that or all of you. And you know you can’t win,” I countered.

“But there would be two less cats at the very least.” The bear spat to the side again. “Fine. The council will answer for the crime of heresy and a creature will be held responsible and handed over.” I nodded at that.

“Your understanding is appreciated. We will be back in two days,” I said. Akiak just turned away with a scowl. They had been beaten down quite heavily over the centuries. Being driven this far North to land no one wanted. Once Akiak left we went back into the boat.

I then went to the control room and told Mousethief to move us out of port for two days. Better to not risk an incident while we waited. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the bears tried to sabotage our ship. Better to remove temptation. Being out in the middle of water instead of at a pier, made it much harder for the bears to attempt any sabotage.

After two days, we pulled back into port. This time a much larger crowd had gathered and there was shouting as we pulled up towards the pier. “Mousethief, get ready on the HMG. Don’t fire, unless I order it myself. Even if I am attacked,” I told.

“Got it Mittens. Don’t worry, this Mousethief has you covered,” he said. I had no doubt about that. But how much was he covering me. The scope of his skills was quite concerning. But I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t ready to confront Mousethief.

What I needed as a higher authority level from Mes so I could learn his secrets. The stupid feature was just way too expensive at a million EXP. Still, it was something that I absolutely needed to unravel whatever Mousethief was up to and to understand his skills.

I went out on deck. The gangplank was extended once more. There were loud boos and insults hurled at my father and me as we made our way back down the gangplank. Akiak was there along with four other bears standing in a row.

“Come, let’s go to our meeting hall,” Akiak said.

No one threw anything, but the shouting continued as we followed him. I looked for any guns but didn’t see any. My father wasn’t too worried either. The bears might be strong, but they were way too slow. I could tell that I would be too nimble for them to catch or stab if a fight did start.

We went into a concrete and metal building. There were oil lamps hung up for light. The five council members took a seat at the back of the room. My father and I were shown seats to one side. More bears filed in behind us, filling up the meeting hall.

“SILENCE!” Akiak roared. All the other bears shut up. “There are two matters that must be decided. Warrior’s Shadow Tom Cat and Mittens have come on behalf of the Covenant Church.” There were a lot of boots and curses.

“Fat cats!”

“Traitors!”

“Slime!”

“Shame!”

“SILENCE!” Akiak roared again. “I will have silence. We are feral creatures. We are mighty and wise bears. So we will speak. The first issue are the five cubs engaged in ancestral communing. The Covenant Church has learned of their activities. Bring them in!”

Five smaller bears that were half the size of adults, were led into the meeting chamber. They weren’t chained. Four of them appeared worried, while the one in the lead was puffing out his chest. “Panuk, you and your friends stand accused by the Covenant Church of heresy by ancestral communing. Your guilt is known.”

“But the Covenant Church is not satisfied with our punishments. And have asked a creature be handed over to them,” Akiak said. There was utter silence at that.

“I say we fight! The Covenant Church, bah! Look at how small and weak their cats are. We would crush their mice beneath our paws!” Panuk declared. “We should embrace the old ways. Let us claim our birth right.”

Akiak let out a long sigh. “You want the old ways?” he asked Panuk.

“Yes! Strength! Power! Glory!” Several bears cheered.

“Then that is what we shall do. All of you who stand with Panuk, may stand with him or leave now,” Akiak said. The other cubs looked at each other nervously. Two of them quickly ran away. Panuk spat to the side.

“Cowards. But you my brothers, we shall show them all.” The other two bears nodded, and they clasped their paws while grinning. The rest of the bears were either cheering or silent. I noticed the older ones were silent more than the younger ones.

“Warrior’s Shadow Tom Cat. Will you represent the Covenant Church?” Akiak asked him. He shook his head.

“No, my daughter Mittens will. She is their age,” he replied with a sigh. I stepped forward at this.

“Very well. Then it is settled. The rite of strength. If Panuk and his sleuth wins, then you will depart and ask no more of us. If the Covenant Church wins, then their families shall be exiled to the frozen death for allowing cubs to get such big heads and teaching them things they were stupid enough to get caught doing. Make a space!”

The bears all stood up and began moving the chairs and tables. They then stood at the edge of the meeting hall. My father stood next to Akiak. Panuk and his friends grinned at me as they flexed their claws.

This would be over very quickly. I didn’t even ask if they were willing to surrender. Things had gone too far for that. It was three on one. But no one said anything, even if it was unfair. I didn’t say anything since I wanted to kill all three of them and get more EXP.

They were idiots for poking the Covenant Church. Now they would pay with their lives. Well at least they would be quick deaths compared to what the Covenant Church would do. Better to die standing upright, than be crucified or skinned or some other horrible punishment to remind all that no heresy was tolerated.

“The fight shall be to the death. Between Mittens representing the Covenant Church and Panuk with his sleuth representing the old ways of us bears. Let the old ways decide since there is no objection. Fight!”

***-***

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