Chapter of Magic Stone: Prologue

One night...

A child of the Neko tribe returned to his underground home. It was too dark to even see the moon, but to a half-beast like him, it may as well have been the middle of the day. Sure enough, hanging from his waist was an entire bird. Its feathers had been plucked clean as soon as he caught it, of course.

The Neko tribe was incredibly weak as a species. They didn’t stand a chance against monsters, and they absolutely avoided humans. That was why they circled around areas far from their home before finally returning to their hidden cave. If a predator discovered their home, it would certainly cause grave consequences.

“Oh, you’re back. That’s a nice bird you’ve got there.”

As the boy entered the cave and walked into the hall, his grandfather greeted him with a smile. The child laughed happily as his grandfather praised him and pat his head.

Their skeletal structures were too similar to humans to describe them as bipedal cats, and they were too animalistic to describe them as humans with fur. Nimbleness was crucial when it came to hunting, so even an adult was about the size of a human child.

They meowed as they rubbed their faces against each other and exchanged scents, then began preparing for dinner. They cherished their peaceful, uneventful life, which was what they’d always fought to protect.

But that night, their life was about to come crumbling down around them...

As they sat surrounded in the glow of broken lanterns after their meal, the grandfather produced a single rock from his bag. That object was the most wondrous thing he’d ever seen. The rock glimmered in fascinating colors as light reflected off it, and the child let out a “wow” in awe.

He’d also had wine for the first time in half a year, so his mood was particularly good that night.

“Well now, why don’t I tell you of the olden days before we go to bed? This is our story that’s been passed down through the generations.”

The child still had a mouthful of bird meat as he peered into the elder’s outstretched hand, and his eyes glittered as he noticed the large object sitting there. It wasn’t very neatly cut for a jewel, but depending on the angle, one could see all the way through it. There was something distinctly ancient about it, as his grandfather said, and he couldn’t help but touch it with his little clawed paw. Then, the spot he touched glowed faintly. Seeing this, his grandfather’s mood improved further, and the elderly man laughed with a face full of wrinkles.

“Ohoho, it seems the rock likes you. Yes, our people once handled what’s known as a Magic Stone at Ujah Peak. This was hundreds of years ago.”

“Magic Stone... Hundreds of years ago...?”

The child recognized a hint of bitterness in his grandfather’s voice and looked up. Before proceeding with the story, the grandfather pushed the Magic Stone with a furry paw to change its angle. Bluish-white lights were scattered all around the cave, like stars in a night sky. The unbelievable sight made the fur on the child’s body stand up in surprise. But as he watched in amazement, his puffed up tail eventually began drooping.

“This Magic Stone is particularly special. And, sadly, it’s also the very one that led to the demise of our village...”

The child nuzzled up to his grandfather upon hearing the disquieting words, as he always did whenever he was scared. His little heart finally seemed to calm down after having his head pat.

“Legends say a monster awakened because this was discovered. Our ancestors were scattered, driven out of their homes, and humans aimed to take the few remaining Magic Stones they had.”

The reason the catastrophe occurred was still unknown. However, it was said that the ancestors had discovered the Magic Stones deep underground and took them home. Fortunately, the monster wouldn’t pursue them once they left Ujah Peak. Ever since, the Neko tribe had lived far from the land that was once their safe haven, spending their days like they were still fleeing from something.

The child couldn’t stop thinking of the folktale, even as he lay in bed. His room, which was made of grass and fur twined tightly together, warmed up as soon as he curled up there, but the story he’d just heard was looping in his head.

Why did his grandfather still keep that Magic Stone? And just what exactly was it?

It gave off a radiance full of life and was brimming with energy when he touched it. The desire to touch it again, as well as the horrifying image of the monster, kept him from drifting off to sleep.

His ancestors had met a terrible fate, indeed... But that same fate was looming for them, too. Survivors of the Neko tribe had a tendency to be targeted. Their rarity and timid nature made them valuable for trade, and some of them were suited to refining magical catalysts.

This child was quite suited, indeed.

The cave was immediately engulfed in fire. Bandits had tracked down their home and laid down a trap. The Neko tribesmen were driven out by the smoke and easily captured. The Magic Stone that had been passed down over the generations fell into the bandits’ hands, and the aged grandfather was quickly disposed of.

It took ten minutes. There was no time to even shed a tear.

The child was bound in chains, representative of the tribe’s very fate...