Chapter 13
Anemo’s two-week sleep actually lasted less than an hour. He wanted to gather his thoughts, to find some logic in the utterly incredible and fantastic events that had burst into his life without warning, notice, or anything to prepare him for what he would eventually call the adventure of his life.
Perhaps the universe had finally given him what he had asked for so many times in his feverish searches for inspiration. Perhaps this whole mix of mythology, history, and magic was nothing more than the answer to his requests... or maybe it was just a dream, a nightmare from which he would bound to wake up...
He went downstairs to the living room, grabbed his laptop, and sat straight on the rug, just in case the furballs showed up. His fingers typed rapidly: cat transformations, transformation portals, cat deification, white cat, spell...
Everything the search engines found was read quickly in a whispered voice... To an outsider, Anemo looked possessed.
That was how the furballs found him, typing and whispering as if reading incantations, completely captivated by the information coming through the ether into his house on Ether Drive. Silently, they formed a circle around the laptop, and Anemo immediately placed his left hand on the white cat’s neck.
"You won't believe this!" he said in a low, slightly raspy voice. "Look at what it says here: 'Cat transformations (feline metamorphoses) occupy a fascinating place in the world's mythologies, oscillating between the sacred, vengeful spirits, and black magic. In most cultures, the ability of a being (god, demon, or human) to shape-shift into a cat is closely linked to mystery, femininity, the afterlife, and the invisible world.'"
"How thr-thri... thrilling, Anemo! Read us some more."
Upon hearing Siroco's words, Mistral, with all his "Parisian" upbringing and elegance, reacted immediately by cuffing the youngster over the head.
"Better be quiet, kiddo!"
"But I didn't say anything offensive!" the youngster defended himself.
"Offensive or not! Be quiet and listen to what it says there!"
"We thought it was only in Egypt, but... it says here that:"
"'Japanese folklore is probably the richest in legends about feline transformations, collectively known as Kaibyō (supernatural cats): Bakeneko ("The Changing Cat"): According to legends from the Edo period, if a domestic cat lived for a very long time (over 100 years), became extremely heavy, or let its tail grow too long, it gained magical powers. Bakeneko could transform into human form, learn human language, walk on two legs, and, in some obscure stories, devour its owner to take their place in society.'"
"Don't worry, Anemo, we are not like that! I swear on my fur and on all my kibble... and on my liver. I swear!" Siroco intervened, risking a few more clips over the head.
"I can swear to that too. Je te jure! We are peaceful and have no magical powers!"
"Let him read!" squeaked Aeolus, always eager for more knowledge.
"'Nekomata: A much more aggressive and malicious variant of the Bakeneko. When an old cat transformed into a Nekomata, its tail split into two. These creatures metamorphosed into large women or mountain demons, controlled the dead like puppets, and caused fires.'"
As if on cue, all three cats looked at their tails for a few seconds and then breathed a sigh of relief, in unison.
"I haven't transformed into such a thing... go to Egyptian mythology... that definitely has to do with me!" whispered Bise.
"'Egyptian Mythology: The duality between the lioness and the cat... In Ancient Egypt, feline transformation was not seen as a curse, but as a divine manifestation of the gods' moods: Bastet and Sekhmet: Initially, the great goddess Sekhmet was depicted as a fierce lioness, a symbol of the devastating fury of the Sun. In the myth of her taming, to protect humanity, the god Ra soothes her, and her fury turns into gentleness. Thus, she changes her shape, becoming Bastet, the cat-headed goddess, protectress of the home, fertility, and pregnant women. The Great Cat of Heliopolis: The Sun god himself, Ra, transformed into a giant cat (Mau) to decapitate the serpent Apophis (the demon of chaos) under the sacred Ished tree.' We need to step up our research here, but I don't understand how this transformation was possible here in Ireland. Why the collar activated here, and why specifically with Remi. Look at this! Chinese mythology, Philippine, Norse, pre-Christian European mythology, and even Christianity—all have something to say about cats and their magic. Wait... look here! It even talks about Ireland!"
"'In Irish folklore, legends about cat transformations or those closely linked to mystical felines are part of an ancient tradition of metamorphosis, earth magic, and supernatural shiftings. Here are the most famous legends and motifs from ancient Ireland:"
"1. The Cat-Witches of Connacht (The legend of the Cruachan Cave)
The most famous Irish legend about feline entities terrorizing the region is linked to Oweynagat (The Cave of the Cats) in County Roscommon, considered in ancient times to be the 'gateway to Hell' (or the world of the Shí / the fairies).'"
"Ohlala, I'm getting chills!" Mistral interrupted. "What you are reading there is meant to be read around a campfire where hikers compete in telling horror stories. The fact that you are now reading about our island..."
"Ours? I thought you were Parisian, Mistral..." Aeolus immediately put the black cat in his place.
"I am a Parisian born in Dublin, mon cher! Is that a problem? You are an insufferable nuisance! You're lucky I'm far too noble to eat mice..."
Mistral stood up and, with all the dignity of a "Parisian born in Dublin"—Dublin 15 Clonee, to be exact—settled himself on the windowsill to watch the sky, where Noel's pigeons were doing their training flight, accompanied by the trainer's whistle.
"Maybe I'll ask Noel for political asylum... he is so jovial, and he doesn't even chase away those stray cats that terrorize the neighborhood. They are larger and much fatter than me, and nobody makes any remarks about their 'imposing stature'. C'est la vie! There is really nothing I can do," he thought, while the others continued debating the mythologies of the world.
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