Star-Crossed Blades KFP

Regroup

Zara jumped out of the flames to land in a pile of dirt. The bunny squeaked for air. She turned her ears to hear a group head her way. Only for her eyes to set on a Panda carrying villagers on his back. Alongside the furious five. Her fellow dancers followed suit into the forest.

......
"We could only get half of the town. It seemed that they knew where to attack. We couldn't" Viper stopped talking as she looked at a burnt teddy bear where a child was lying next to it.

Zara glanced over to the resting child. Only for a white blanket to settle over their head.

"I know. We did what we can. But now we must move forward to another shelter with those we saved, Master Viper," she said turning away from the campfire to hide her face.

"Do you know where the others are?" Viper asked pulling medical supplies out. She cleaned the bunny's forehead and grabbed a new towel.

"All you need to know is that they're safe in a protected location. They'll find what we need and everything will turn back to the way it was," Zara said looking into the wispy flames.

.....
"So how long are we going to stay here?" Sapphire asked as Ava began to open her eyes from her sleep.

"I don't know. We're safe for the time being before it rains," Tigress said looking at the clouded skies from the small roof in the library. Sapphire got up from the floor to stretch out her limbs.

"Right. Well, then we have plenty of time for you to explain what's going on," Sapphire said before she heard lightning strike from above. She removed the cover that Tigress gave her like a blanket and placed it over her head.

"Shelter is dryer than a puddle," Sapphire said to Tigress. The feline rolled her eyes at the girl's sarcasm.

"It'll stop in a few minutes," Tigress said while pointing to the roof. Until a part of the roof fell next to Sapphire and the girl was doused in mudwater. The girl remained standing with the rain dripping on the dirt floor. 

Sapphire let out a groan.

"Okay, we need better shelter if that's how much it's raining," Sapphire said taking off the blanket. She threw off the mud from her body in chunks that slapped the floor. Tigress brought out a towel from their burlap bag to the girl. Sapphire took it to rub away the dirt smudges on her face.

Tigress towards a wall covered in vines. She placed her hand on the largest one piercing through a Panther hieroglyph. 

"If I remember, this bookshelf covered the door to the memory room," Tigress said picking up items to move aside from a mural filled with lotuses.

Ava jumped onto her feet and rushed over to a shelf.

"Oh. Wait. I think I can remember where the button was," Ava pushed against the wall and doors slid open to reveal a torch-lit hallway. The trio walked in to see books flying across a red glowing door into a black opening on the floor.

A black door flung open with tentacles pinning the books to the floor. The group jumped over the tentacles and ran down the hallway.

"I thought we were safe from him," Tigress said pulling them along down passageways. Ava then stopped in front of a door. The trio jerked to a halt.

"No time for books. We need to find the memory room," Tigress said to the feline moving runes over the wooded door.

"It'll get me there quicker. But like life. When it gives you lemons use sugar," she said with a small smile in response to the feline.

Tigress froze up with her amber eyes beginning to glisten with held-back tears. She leaned down and hugged Ava in front of the glowing door.

Sapphire turned to see Tigress crying over the Leopard. She turned away to stare at the tentacle monster dragging books on the floor. 

"I'm sorry," Tigress said to the Leopard in the hug.

"It's okay. Besides I wasn't quite ready for the responsibilities. Don't tell my mom. But I was more interested in finding the artifacts than hiding them again." Ava said with a toothy grin as she then stepped into the door. But turned to look at Sapphire's turned back.

"Sapphire! Stay Alive. I still need an interview with you," the Leopard said in a teasing tone. The girl jumped a few feet in the air and let out a nervous laugh.

"I'll do my best. But we should get going," Sapphire said panicked eyeing the slippery tentacles arching towards the. with slopping green wetness dripping on the wood floor. Ava nodded and closed the door.

 A roar came underneath their feet. A tentacle shot upwards around Sapphire's leg.

"Hold on," Tigress said grabbing onto the girl's midsection from sinking to the floor.

Sapphire kicked at the tentacle that grabbed her leg. The girl unzipped her pants for the creature to drag away below into the pit. Green smudges coated Sapphire's boxers. The feline pulled the girl into a bridal carry and ran down the hallway towards a golden door.

"This ritual is going to be invasive. Be ready," Tigress said before opening the door to an orange hue that blinded them both.