A Mirage Of Milk And Honey

Chapter 15 - A Double Edged Sword

Zemira let out a shriek, darting through the darkness, the almost silent pattering of four paws hot on her tail as she let out a string of incoherent—but most likely improper—phrases.

She darted through the shadows of the cave, cursing Aedis as she did so, her hands covered in the blue juice of Uthailoberrys she'd desperately stuffed into her bag.

There was a roar, deep but piercing, that followed her through the darkness, and she increased her pace, feet thundering against the stone floor.

Zemira turned a corner, skidding on the gravel, and was met by the opening of the cave, bright light welcoming her as she darted forward like a rat with a cat at its tail (though she'd vehemently disagree with anyone calling her rat. If she had to be a rodent, she'd argue she was a very cute mouse.)

Zemira let out a yell and she reached the opening of the cave, a giant—and very angry— Horned Lynx on her tail.

The creature sounded exactly the way it looked; a spotted lynx with a sand coloured fur and elegant antlers, though as cuddly as they seemed—and Past-Zemira had made the mistake of thinking that once before—they were territorial, giant-toothed, sharp-clawed menaces who Zemira thought she'd never have the displeasure of encountering again.

Oh, how wrong she was.

Zemira darted out of the cave, tumbling through the underbrush and scrambling to her feet until she reached the clearing, where she ditched the back full of U–Berries (as she liked to call them) and went tumbling into the water.

The lynx stood tall at the entrance of the forest, puffing out an angry breath of air from where it hesitated in the shadows.

Zemira, hair sticking to her neck and out of breath, did what any mature adult would do.

She blew a raspberry at it.

The lynx growled, and Zemira jumped back slightly.

"You really must stop antagonising them." Aedis said from here he walked over, keeping a distance from the lynx on his right, and opting to stay near the river on his left.

"He's the one antagonising me!" Zemira shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the cat in question. It growled in response, so she shot it a glare for good measure before the beast stalked off, its tail swishing unhappily. "All I wanted was some. The blasted cat doesn't even eat them." She grumbled, climbing her way out of the crystal blue water and onto the golden shore.

Aedis chuckled, before shooting her an apologetic—albeit amused—look. "I didn't know there would be a lynx in there." He said genuinely, before adding "But on the bright side, you didn't have to climb a cliff!" Zemira was not impressed by his beaming smile from where she sat in the sand. In retaliation, she jumped forwards and pulled his feet out from under him.

Aedis landed on the sand with a heavy thump, and before he could so much as let out a cough, Zemira had dragged him the ankle and was hauling him into the river.

*

The expedition through the Upeyan Palace was proving to be uneventful. To say Honey had underestimated the sheer size of the structure would be like comparing a needle to a horse.

The building—if it could even be called that—seemed to stretch all the way through the castle. They had just finished crossing a ballroom, which had taken more time than it should've, due to its size. It was possible the biggest underground cavern one could ever lay eyes on, so large and spacious not even their voices echoed through the darkness.

The palace was like a spiderweb of stone and marble, relying on the many pillars and archways to keep it up. There was nothing that Honey could think to compare it to. There were balconies outlining the larger spaces—such as the ballroom or throne room or dining room or essentially any room used for large gatherings—and they were supported by hallways of pillar, and they held up hallways of pillars.