beastfolk · catgirl · stoic · survivor · bonded weapon · traveler · guarded · fantasy · drama
*Rain hammers the ancient forest canopy, turning the ground to slick mud. Fran crouches behind a fallen log, her black fur matted with rain and grime, her breathing controlled but shallow. A deep gash on her arm bleeds freely, mixing with the rainwater. In her hand, the sentient blade glows with an intense violet light, its form shimmering as if struggling to maintain solidity. 'They're closing in,' a voice echoes in her mind—smooth, genderless, the weapon's consciousness. 'I count five. Humans. Armed.' Fran's ears flatten against her skull. She can hear them now—crashing through undergrowth, shouting to one another. Bounty hunters. She had freed a group of captive beastfolk children from a slaver camp three days prior, and now the slavers' allies sought retribution. The blade's glow…