Solar Song, Frozen Fate ✓ | lion girl, frenemies, frost curse

Chapter 11: Emergency Flight

Oolid's house was frozen on one side and parts were charred. To the right, the jungle was also partially frozen with Kaunlutha huddled by the arch in a strange daze, staring up at the sky and swaying. Bayah was there, too. Hikti was on the ground. It was unclear if he was alive.

Sovanna trailed her gaze to the sky where the Kaunlutha were looking and saw a black cloud with red lightning approaching.

"We need to go," the white tiger said and pointed to Taro, "go carry her."

Taro scowled, but did as he was told. Sovanna shoved him away.

"I'm not weak, I can walk. What's going on?"

"A mistake, that's what. We're going north. Vislo?"

At the call of the white tiger, Rathana turned and her face morphed into a raven, the size of a Human, with Human arms and bird feet like Taro, but the difference was the raven had a beak, and giant black wings coming out of his arm and back. He also had a swishing long feathertail that curled and twisted behind him.

"What're you looking at, pussy cat?" he sneered at Sovanna.

"You're like Taro but more bird," she said, shoving Taro away again and struggled to stand on her own again. Her legs were weak, buckling at the knees each time she tried to stand. "Let me do this," she insisted. Sovanna's muscles gave out this time. She flopped to the ground, panting and exhausted as if she had used up all her magick in one burst.

"You're slowing us down," the white tiger hissed.

Sovanna hissed back. She wasn't some sorry thing that couldn't walk. She was the rightful queen after all. Queens were strong. Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself to her feet and stuck her chin out at the white tiger who grimaced and walked off toward Tumattamaku Jungle. With a limp, she followed after Taro who was waiting. Rokki rolled his eyes beside him and walked right up to Sovanna with a snarl.

"Just as kiggi stubborn as my sister," he said and came around behind her, snatching her up in his arms before she could react.

"Savat, Rokki, put me down." She bristled all over, wriggling to be free.

"Stop wiggling around. I'll drop you and crush your bones," Rokki growled, "or leave you for Guardian bait."

Sovanna grabbed his cheek and pulled making him wince. "Put me down this instant! Instantly! I order you. I'm your kiggi queen you savat."

She would be Guardian bait any day—whatever that meant—than face this shame. What was a queen who couldn't even carry her own weight?

Rokki snarled. "Savat yourself, kiggi Praenglutha, unofficial queen, bratty brat."

"Shut your v—"

Thunder cracked erasing her words. A moment ago, it was sunny, but now the sky was covered in dark, churning clouds. Some were black with red lightning and others were blue with white lightning. The lightning zipped through the clouds, branching out like veins.

Over Rokki's shoulder, one of the swaying Kaunlutha suddenly screamed. A beam of red light spread over all of them and they vanished. The sky rumbled again with thunder. Moisture clung to fur and whisker, Sovanna sensed the rain before it came.

"Quick," called the white tiger. Ahead, her tail flicked this way and that. Vislo's feathers spiked out like a bristling feline. He fell back. At the same time, Taro grasped Oolid and took to the sky. The white tiger summoned an icy wind that froze the ground and lifted her to the sky.

Rokki grunted at the same time Sovanna did when two giant black arms wrapped around them both in a hug, squishing them together closer. The ground left her feet. She let out a squeak when Vislo took to the sky. They flew over the jungle towards the north where fog hung heavy and white, thick as stew, beyond the enclosure.