A Nova Short Story (II): The Day The Strays Met

  Now that we have explored the relationship between Nova and her servant and her daily shenanigans, you might be curious about how they found each other. How did an emotionally dysfunctional drunk—

  Oh, that’s not in the script? Sorry.

  Using some good old-fashioned narrative time travel, let's peek into the princess’s background, beginning with the day she was left behind.

  The runts of the litter are rarely treated kindly. Last to be fed, ignored by the mother and eventually left behind. Though Nova was perfectly healthy, she fell behind her family one day and was left alone in a squalid alley.

  To survive past infancy, Nova needed more than just food, shelter and water. She needed luck, but as fate would have it, she had none. The food was inedible, the water slick with a foul scent. She grew weaker every day, and eventually, she ran out of strength to hunt.

  Things got worse when Nova woke one night to find massive shoes looming over her. The same putrid stench that saturated the air filled her nostrils, and the ground trembled beneath the giants' heavy steps. One shoe prodded her frail body, then delivered a harsh kick. She cried out for help, but her small voice was lost among the towering figures above.

  Nova met the gaze of a giant whose crooked smile sent chills through her. He swayed on unsteady feet, sneering down at his tiny victim. Defenceless, she could only stare at her death in the face. Just as the drunk giant was about to set his foot down, his body was yanked back. A mighty crash followed as he toppled onto the ground unresponsive.

  Nova cautiously peeked out from under her paws to discover the other giants who had tormented her now lying in a motionless heap. Only one remained standing, swaying and staggering with the same drunken movements. Her unexpected saviour. Like the others, he reeked, but there was something else—a subtle difference that only her keen nose could detect.

  One of the unconscious giants stirred, catching the attention of the one who brought them down. He lumbered over and unhinged his jaw, ejecting a waterfall of mystery liquid all over his face.

  Nova’s hero shuffled forward in her direction before tripping and falling mere inches from her face. His body toppled sideways and back, crashing loudly into the trash cans. Nova let out a frightened mew, curling into a ball. She unfurled only when she was sure that it was quiet all around.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Weakly standing on all fours, Nova tottered towards the giant’s shiny shoes, taking a careful sniff before walking on a bit more to lie down next to his legs. At that moment, she finally realised what was different.

  Her hero was like her. He stank of loneliness. It smelt vaguely of the burnt things the giants puffed and tossed onto the ground. Unbeknownst to her, he also had a black, eyeless snake, which slithered up from his finger. It caressed her, careful not to wrap its barbed body around her. She raised her head to call out to him, but was suddenly overcome with immense pain. Sensing her distress, the snake started smacking its owner awake. The tipsy giant cracked a beautiful eye and studied her. They were dark but with specks of brilliant green. The giant groaned, the sound making the ground beneath her feet shudder.

  Despite wanting to curl up next to the giant, Nova could not muster the strength to walk. She started trembling, the result of severe hunger and thirst. The snake wrapped itself around her and enfolded her in the giant's warmth.

  Darkness overcame her as she was swaddled in soft fabric.

  ===

  In the present day, the heroic giant cares for her, keeping her warm and feeding her. As time passes, she understands that she goes by the name ‘Nova’. He keeps talking to her in soft, gentle tones and never leaves her side. The putrid smell wanes and fades as he spends more time with her.

  Nova does not understand what he says most of the time, though she has come to know a few names. One thing she notices is that whenever he talks about certain people, his eyes will soften, but afterwards, he will not mention them for a long time. It is the same two names that get repeated, and he spoke of one slightly more than the other. The smell of loneliness is strongest when he brings them up.

  Through it all, Nova listens quietly, meowing occasionally to remind him that she is there for him, as he is for her. Although he never shows it on his face, she thinks that he is happy to have her around.

  She is also grateful to have him around, too. After all, the giant is like her.

  As Nova grew, she learnt how to use his love for her to get what she wants. A few purrs in the kitchen to get the extra slice of cucumber, dilating her pupils to sit in his lap while he worked and a few more minutes of rubbing her face against his leg to get upsies. She now has the giant chasing her tail all the time.

  The giant is hers to keep, and he is to serve her till death do them part.

  There we have it, the story of how the giant and the kitten found each other. What brought these two lonesome souls together? Some say fate, others chance or perhaps it was simply the eyeless snake.

  Who knows?