Abbernathy and the Cat Kingdom

(30) - Fraga and The Order -

The sun was unbearable. It beat down on their necks as they trudged through the forest, panting like racing mughounds. The path had grew noticeably steeper, the air thinner, and Abby found the lack of a breeze to wick the sweat off her skin, excruciating. Trees grew sparse as they moved until  nothing was left to blot out the sun, leaving their skin bare.

It didn't take long for the sun to have their way with them, leaving Abby a walking mess of blotchy, blistering skin. Margo didn't appear to be suffering at all; not a single bead of sweat trickled down her skin. Her shimmer had dulled slightly, and her footsteps were a little slower and weighted, but she seemed unfazed by their sweltering circumstances. 

The Aelurian lot, however, looked like they were paddling the same miserable boat as Abby. Sebbi swore, a lot and mopped at the sweat that dripped off his fur. He glistened, like a Jacquer fish, his mouth agape in an attempt to cool himself off. Lucy had plucked a few of the larger leaves off neighboring plants and was frantically fanning himself in an attempt to stay cool. Lain trudged on, not giving a hint of any unease he may have felt, though his grey fur was nearly black, thanks to all that sweat.

"Where are we going?" Sebbi whined, mopping more sweat off his face. His tail trailed behind him limp and lifeless as if it would be too much work to move it. "And when will we get there?" he added, a few mumbled swears muttered under his breath. He'd said them too low for Abby to hear, but she had a good idea of what he said. She'd been thinking something similar.

Margo turned around to face the miserable foursome and beamed. Even her hair refused to sweat and swelter and bow down to the midday sun, Abby noticed, as she watched Margo's black curls bounce in the breeze.

"Soon enough," Margo said in a singsong voice and without elaborating, as she always did, she turned back around and continued to glide and glisten through the rest of the forest.

Abby mumbled and found that she wasn't the only one doing so. Lucy had mumbled as the last of his large fronds tore and he was left without a fan, the sun still beating down on him. Sebbi mumbled and swore and scratched a nearby tree trunk. Abby could have sworn he had carved a very crude mouse in the tree with x's for eyes and a tongue lulling out of its mouth. Lain, though he probably would never admit to it, had mumbled, ever so slightly, as he wiped his eyes.

Eventually, the forest grew thin, black bark trees giving way to smaller scrubs and thickets that were so sticky Abby felt like she was wading in a knee-high pool of persimmon jam. The ground grew jagged and gave way to clay and stone. Their walk turned steep and the smooth terrain of the forest gave way to hills. In the distance, Abby could make out large, rust-colored mountains jutting up toward the sky.

By the time the sun was setting, and the first glimmer of the red moon shone on the horizon, Abby estimated they were halfway up a mountain. Her feet pulsed with pain, blisters forming and popping on her heels. She'd sweat buckets, and even when she felt she had nothing left to sweat, more ran from her pores. Abby was certain she looked more like a drowned rat than a human girl. But, amid all of that, they had finally arrived.

Not far off, Abby saw the glimmer of lights, watched as rope bridges swayed back and forth between rocky crevices.

Between huffs, Sebbi was able to ask again, "Where are we?"

"The Order," Margo said, her voice hushed. She looked at the distant lights in reverence and carefully started to cross one of the bridges. They followed.

"What's the order?" Lucy asked his newest bouquet of palm fronds on its last legs.

"Keldaer," Lain said, his voice too, was low and he was staring at the lights in surprise.