1 Chapter 1

The mythology of the Felis

They were first written about in the stories of the lost city of Atlantis: creatures that were neither animal nor human, but something in between. They walked upright. They had the body, the voice, and the mind of a human, but they had the features of a cat: almond eyes, fur in place of their skin, retractable claws, and tails. They were strong and fierce, and they could completely transform into cats with a swish of their tails.

In Atlantis, they were worshiped as gods and known as Felis ones or cat ones. They did not abuse this power. They were kind to the humans of Atlantis, protecting them. They were the best warriors. They had the strength of the jungle cats they resembled and fought ferociously but with cunning. They were smart, agile, fast, and peaceful creatures. They lived in harmony with the humans, but then the gods fought and Atlantis was lost.

When humans returned to land, so did the Felis. But they were no longer worshiped. The awe the humans once had for them turned to fear, and fear, as it often does, turned to hatred. In a bid to keep safe, the Felis made their own colonies, away from humans. As time passed, they made their own cities, only crossing paths with humans when they had to

Most of the Felis stayed with their own kind, but some left and joined the military. Although they weren’t treated well by the humans around them, the humans soon realized what an asset the Felis were, that the more they could have on their side, the better.

Not all humans hated the Felis. There were those who fought to get them equal rights, to try and get the Felis free run of the world without judgment. The activists tried their best to make connections with the Felis, to work with them, and to break down barriers.

Many of the Felis did not trust these humans. They had learned long ago to be suspicious of their motivations. They knew that just because someone said they came in peace or said they were your friend, didn’t mean they were or that they could be trusted.

Some humans had a fetish for Felis, as it was seen as taboo to sleep with one. Some humans sought them out for photography and pornography jobs, though a lot of the Felis didn’t agree with this, feeling they were being used and not treated with respect.

The Felis were a hot button political issue. It was still being argued about whether or not they could marry humans and adopt human children. Many politicians were against it, and so were many Felis. Large groups on both sides thought ‘like should stick with like’.

One of the big arguments was whether the Felis fell under the category of human or animal, so were their rights a case of human rights or animal rights. Most people agreed that the Felis were human because of their minds, but there were some that argued they were animals, so they shouldn’t have the same rights as humans.Chapter 1

Greenville, Maine

Present day

“Lily May is sick. Started with a rash, like the others.” Anne Evans walks into Dr. Nanook Wayra’s office in the Greenville community health center.

Anne is a beautiful woman, far too young for Nanook, but that doesn’t mean he can’t appreciate the tabby-colored fur on her arms and face and her dainty pointed ears. Half-cat, half-human in appearance like all Felis, she’s a beautiful example of their kind.

They look completely different, not just because Anne is a woman, but because she is white, and Nanook is Native American, with dark tanned skin and darker gray fur and hair.

“Exactly the same as the others?” Nanook asks her. He’s got four sick kids in his center, which isn’t that unusual, but the sickness is. It doesn’t match anything Nanook has seen before, or anything in his medical books.

“Seems like it. Started with a fever and a rash, then she couldn’t keep down food, then she couldn’t change forms. Now she’s in pain if anyone touches her,” Anne says.

“Has she had contact with any of the other children?” Nanook asks.

“Not that her parents know of. I’m really worried. Nothing we give them works on any of the symptoms, and I’ve never known an illness that stops us from changing form.” Anne is a professional, has been a nurse for years. She’s seen a lot of things. Nanook knows if she’s concerned, he’s not overreacting to think he needs to do something drastic here

“I want to have another doctor look at the children,” Nanook tells her.

“Who?” Anne asks.

“Dr. Evan Kidd,” Nanook says, turning on his laptop and going to the email app. He’ll also need to talk to the elders before anything happens.