Elemental Cats

Red Hook and Teddy watched as Tasha groaned, tossed, and turned in bed. Eventually, his eyes shot open. Red Hook instinctively grabbed Teddy and darted out of the room to avoid the wave of magic headed their way.

After the magic passed, Red Hook and Teddy poked their heads in to see how Tasha was faring. Tasha was in the middle of sitting up when he saw their heads.

"Hey."

"Tasha!"

Teddy couldn't hold himself back and ran forward to hug Tasha. Tasha accepted the hug with a slight but empty smile on his face. He wasn't injured, but his body was stiff after not moving for several weeks straight, so he groaned a little when Teddy's sturdy arms squeezed his body in a bear-sized hug.

Red Hook leaned against the doorframe as she watched Tasha console Teddy by patting his back.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Tasha."

"Thanks."

"How're you feeling?"

"Been better."

"Who hasn't?"

Red Hook looked at Tasha for a few seconds before continuing.

"I have something to tell you or show you. Yeah, showing you might be easier."

"Right now?"

"The sooner, the better."

Red Hook rarely asked things of Tasha with such urgency. She mostly let him know where he could find and attack someone related to the Starsling Kingdom. And since those targets were competition to her crew, Red Hook didn't ask for more.

Tasha felt indebted to Red Hook for several reasons, so when she asked him to come with her, he got ready and followed her. However, he was still curious about where they were going, especially when they boarded one of the smaller ships the crew used to go between the island and the city.

He would have asked Red Hook if he didn't feel that something was going on. Red Hook's face didn't look as relaxed and open as it usually did, so Tasha stayed quiet. He would find out where they were going and why they were going there eventually.

Tasha's first suspicion had been Retsy since they often went there for information. Maybe Red Hook had asked Retsy to hold on to something.

However, Tasha could only look on in confusion as they sailed right past the docks closest to Retsy's places. Red Hook didn't even look at them.

Eventually, Tasha figured out their destination. There was only one place they would arrive if they continued in the same direction they had gone in during the entire trip.

Tasha looked at Red Hook with even more confusion and wanted to ask why they were going to the Bunglehopper base. However, something stopped him. He didn't know what it was other than a feeling in his gut. Tasha sat down in silence as he waited until they arrived.

They eventually docked at the bridge closest to the Bunglehopper base.

Since it was the dock closest to their base, the Bunglehoppers naturally had defensive systems that would alert them of any intruders. Stitches and Hayar were already waiting for them before they could disembark.

Tasha had been asleep for the past weeks, so he had no idea what had happened or the relationship between the different crews. But he thought that things couldn't be too different from how they had been in the past. And in the past, a pirate leader going to the base of one of the other bigger crews was rarely met with something other than threats or violence, especially when they came uninvited or unannounced, as Red Hook had just done.

However, if they could tell it was Red Hook who came, Stitches and Hayar wouldn't be the only ones to come, and they would wait around patiently. As far as Tasha knew, Hayar was rude to everyone, even the pirate leaders of the big crews in Pirate Haven. But here she was, waiting for Red Hook and Tasha without cussing like a sailor.

Tasha was too confused to think too much, especially when Red Hook went up to Stitches and ruffled his hair, much to Hayar's irritation. Hayar didn't hold back as she slapped red Hook's hand away and began cursing Red Hook. Red Hook only laughed it off before turning to look at Tasha.

Tasha was completely shocked. He felt his thoughts slowing down to a standstill as he tried to process what had happened during the time he slept. He didn't think he had been out for that long. But maybe he still wasn't awake.

Tasha was about to fall down and try to continue sleeping. Maybe this weird dream that only got weirder and weirder would end, and he could go back to dreaming about his wife and son.

The only reason he had decided to wake up was that the dream version of his wife had asked him to. Tasha also knew he couldn't sleep forever. But dreaming about his family was better than dreaming about some twisted reality.

However, before Tasha could fall, Red Hook stopped him.

"What are you doing? Right…."

Red Hook looked at her interaction with Stitches and Hayar.

"I'll tell you what happened when you were asleep later. For now, just follow us."

Tasha decided to at least see what Red Hook wanted to show him before going back to sleep, so he followed Red Hook, Stitches, and Hayar to the center of the Bunglehopper base.

Tasha looked around at the mansions and the greenhouse in wonder. He couldn't help but think about how incredible a human's sleeping mind was since it could so realistically replicate something he had never seen before.

Red Hook smacked Tasha's head lightly since he didn't stop staring, even after they arrived.

While Stitches and Hayar went to meet Red Hook, Frank and Vaner set up a table and some chairs outside the greenhouse. It wasn't the first time Red Hook visited after the war since she liked to come over and talk with Joan while bringing Metra with her since Metra and Hayar were friends.

That was why Hayar had been so calm when she and Stitches greeted Red Hook and Tasha. It was because she was happy to see Metra again. It had been some time since their last visit, after all. It wasn't surprising, considering Red Hook's and Joan's conversations died out quicker each time Red Hook visited.

Joan only got more anxious with each passing day, and since Red Hook couldn't give her any good news, Joan found it hard to hold a conversation with anyone. And Red Hook felt too much guilt about keeping Joan from visiting Tasha to keep seeing her.

Hayar and the Bunglehoppers were surprised that Red Hook decided to visit unannounced, but it wasn't the first time, so they just prepared things while Hayar and Stitches went to greet them.

However, Stitches and Hayar had barely been able to keep calm since Red Hook hadn't brought Metra. She had brought Tasha. Hayar was disappointed at first, but when she realized the relationship between the two crews would get even better and she could visit Metra anytime she liked, she became happy again. At least until Red Hook took it too far and touched her Mosshead.

Stitches and Hayar also realized that Red Hook hadn't told Tasha anything, so they kept their mouths shut along the way.