Witch Doctors Inc: SEASON TWO (Ongoing)

Part 3.10

PRESENT TIME
LARAN VALLEY, KADREA

The Laran Valley's heat sticks to my skin. I wave my communications monitor in front of my face like a fan. "Can you hand me a coolness charm potion?" I ask Ruby.

"I forgot to bring any," she says.

"I asked you if you packed some right before we left," I say, annoyed. "You said definitely."

"I said defi-NOT-ly," Ruby corrects.

Murderous intent blazes across my vision.

Addy puts her mane of buttery curls between us. "No need to fight, guys! I brought enough for everyone."

"Thank goodness," Maya says. "My hair will be a black and pink striped cloud if I don't have anything to battle the humidity."

"I think your hair would look very nice as a cloud," Addy tells her.

Maya hides a smile. "Thank you, Addy."

The ground here is mostly reddish rock that sizzles in the heat, but every now and then puddles of lush green vegetation spill out of its cracks, gracing it with the shadows of kazza trees and basking ferns. The valley proper starts where the ground slopes downwards , carving a path through smooth hills of rock. The slope is very slight, and Maya tells us it will take a while to get to the bottom of the canyon on foot, but some of the passageways are too narrow to fit a cart.

We decide to have our sandwiches before we head down. Addy picks a spot under two bent kazza trees to set down the picnic cloth. I find a bit of rock that juts upwards, a little like a makeshift stool. I draw heat out of it until it's coated with a thin slab of ice. Then I take a seat.

Maya looks amused. "That's a bit extreme," she says.

"Extreme weather calls for extreme measures," I reply.

Five peppermint hummingbirds buzz around us, breathing ice into the air, but I'm not taking any chances. There's only so much ice clouds can do.

"Does anyone want some kazza jam?" Addy asks. "I bought a jar in Kazatron."

"I'll have some," says Maya.

As soon as the saffron-coloured jam comes out, three ravleet decide to show themselves.

"Walk faster," the first of the three says. "It's going to rain."

Onyx gulps down his sandwich. May I be excused? I wish to say hello to the ravleet.

"Say hello?" I snort. "You want to chase them."

I merely wish to exchange greetings.

"I've had enough of you," a ravleet announces.

"I'll feed you to the skreevar," another adds.

"What did you say about skreevar?!" Ruby runs after the bird.

The ravleet squawks and takes to the air with a desperate flapping of wings. The other two follow suit.

Onyx looks scandalised. This girl has chased away my birds.

"This is what having friends looks like," I tell him. "Get used to it."

Onyx scowls and slinks back to the picnic area empty-handed. Do not take forever to eat, he tells us grumpily. The disappearance of the orb's energy can only mean one thing: it is now inside the illyrite prison. And with Scion and the fire demon locked inside, that can only mean one thing: their ally on the outside is already here.

"Maybe it's one of the Larans," Addy suggests.

I do not think so, Adamantine. This person was also in Zilitron. He watches Addy's face, head tilted as if he's about to say something, then takes a bite out of his sandwich instead.

"We'll have to enter the prison to get the orb," I say. "I bet you Scion thinks he'll capture us when we're in there and force us to free him."

"He won't do any such thing," Maya assures me. "You'll be ready for him. You've taken him once, Lily. You can do it again."

My chewing slows. "The fire demon though. That's beyond me. And I don't think Onyx will be much help in his puny cat form."

I take exception to that, Onyx says.

"I stand by what I said. If it was a fire mouse we were up against, I'd be glad to have you by my side. But without the rest of your energy, you might as well be some stray we picked up by the side of the road."

Onyx glares at me.

"Also, if you bite me I'll chuck you into the canyon."

Maya quickly gives Onyx another sandwich. "Onyx can mask your energy," she says. "We will get that orb, Lily. We just need more info, then we can draw up a plan. Onyx, tell us more about this fire demon."

Onyx scowls. Its specialty is fire. It is also a demon. He goes back to his sandwich.

Maya sighs.

I'm not fazed, since I've given up on Onyx. He's nothing but a bag of lies with whiskers. If I'm going to save this planet, I'll have to do it on my own.