Abbernathy and the Cat Kingdom

(34) - E'tect Vaalsen -

Screams filled Abby's ears punctuated by quick, throaty gurgles. Feign's army was assaulting the temple. Heavy footfalls echoed off the stone, the clanking of metal, cries, horrible cries. Then, Abby heard less. Fewer screams, fewer pleas.

Oh no, she thought. No! No!

The temple was ablaze, flames lashing upward and turning wooden pillars to ash. Menna and Fraga were nowhere to be seen. The orbs had disappeared. Abby squinted through the smoke trying to see if anyone remained. Sebbi crouched beside a fallen pillar, Lucy next to him. Rock dust and splinters covered their fur. Abby inhaled, the smoke making her cough.

Lain stood next to Margo, an arm slumped over her shoulder. The small mouse-woman shook, her hand clasped tightly over her shoulder, blood trickling between her bronzed fingertips.

Abby gasped. "Margo!" Her wobbling legs propelled her toward the mouse woman. "Are you alright?"

Margo looked worn, her skin covered in dirt, her eyes a dull shade of their usual vibrant blue. "I'll be okay," she said listlessly, blood streaming down her arm. Judging by the deep gash, almost a hand long, Abby guessed Margo's bleeding wouldn't be stopping anytime soon. Margo must have sensed Abby's worry because she placed her good hand on Abby's shoulder and smiled. "It's a flesh wound," she said. "Nicked by a piece of brick that's all."

Abby nodded. Stone crunched underfoot. The ground was littered in all sorts of blown apart bits of stone and sod. A few paces away, Abby spied a jagged piece of rock covered in Margo's blood.

"We need to leave," the mouse-woman huffed. Her face winced in pain. "Fraga and the others have already fled."

Did they flee? Already?

"They left us here," Lucy said plainly.

His brother hissed. "To die. They left us here to die."

"Let's not then," Margo quipped. "I've been promised cheese if we survive." She winked at Abby. "And I'll do anything for cheese."

As they turned to run, two red eyes appeared through the flames of the still burning temple. Black armor glistened under the moonlight. A large ax was at the creature's side, trailing behind him, making a scratching sound as its blade ran along the stone path.

On the Blood Moon Commander's left stood an Aelurian Abby had never seen before. She had deep brown fur, covered in green paint that seemed to swirl and slither all along her arms and neck. She stared at them with unblinking green eyes, her lips parted in a smile. Two small creatures clad in floor-length white veils stood eclipsed by her shadow.

"The reunion was cut too short," Feign snarled flashing a dangerous smile Abby's way. "So I brought it to you."

Feign moved to the side. Behind him, wearing nothing but shabby robes, was the Queen, her lifeless golden eyes staring at them. Lain hissed and reflexively reached for a sword that was no longer at his side.

"Kamdar zendis," he spat.

Feign smirked. "Lovers brought together at last, how sweet."

"You're a disgrace," Margo shouted, hand clasped around her stone pendant. She looked at it, then at the cat-woman next to Feign, grimacing.

The cat-woman seemed to notice the stone and chuckled. "Not enough life left to use your magick, ratta parasite?"

Margo growled. "At least I'm not some necromancer." She glared at the twin creatures on either side of the cat-woman. "Razing your fellow Aelurians to use their souls to cast your spells. How weak."