Mythical Book #1

Chapter 22

"Mom!" Kalla happily yells as she enters her mother's quarters. They hug each other and then they rub cheeks and purr.

"Kalla, my dear! Oh my, you are filthy! Let's get you bathed and then you can tell me of your travels!" Kalla's mother says looking Kalla up and down.

Kalla's mom, Kanna, who has black and white fur, is the sister of the sitting Felinala Emperor. Kanna's quarters has some black marble pillars that have a few blue ivy and velvet vines growing around them, giving the room a relaxing aroma. There are fire vases esthetically put in the corners of the room providing light with a couple of Elven lanterns that are being used to fill in the rest of the light. Kanna is wearing a white dress held together with gold and black ties, and she is wearing a gold head dress showing her title and status.

Kalla goes into another room where her mother's maidens take off her armor and start to clean her fur as cats do, by licking. After the cleansing, Kalla sits in a warm bath of oils with flowers and herbs; her mom walks in and tosses in some more flowers into her bath.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Kitten?"

"How do you know Bannick?"

"Who?"

"The Fairyman that was with me when the guards rescued us."

"Oh, him! Yeah, it's been a while..." Kanna says, smiling girlishly and giving away some memories that pass through her head that she wants to keep to herself.

"Mom!" Kalla knows her mother's looks.

"Sorry my dear, perhaps you should ask him."

"But I'm asking you."

Suddenly a guard barges in, "She must come. The Elders are ready for her."

Kalla quickly gets dressed and leaves to go get Bannick for their meeting.

As she walks down the sandstone hallway, her footsteps echoing, she ponders, 'That was quicker than I would have thought. I expected at least another day before being summoned by the Elders. Hopefully Bannick is ready to go.'

Kalla rounds a corner and walks past two doors then stops in front of the third. She knocks on the thick wooden door and then enters. "Bannick, the-Oh My!" Kalla quickly turns away as Bannick and the village Nymph quickly cover themselves. Bottles of pournein potion fall and shatter on the floor.

"What the hell, Kalla! Who knocks and then opens the door without giving time for a response?!" Bannick shouts. Felinala culture doesn't always practice the idea of personal space.

"Sorry, the Elders are meeting, we need to go," Kalla says still looking away. 'Nymphs are disgusting.' As the nymph hurries out of Bannick's room her breast and wing accidentally brush against Kalla, who cringes and slightly shudders from the contact.

"Ready," Bannick informs her.

"Good, follow me. We must hurry to the Great Hall, where the Elders are waiting," Kalla says.

The hallways are constructed of golden sandstone and are lit up with torches that hang from the walls every few steps. The archways and door frames going towards other areas have intricate hieroglyphics carved in them, which describe what's down the hallway or behind the doors.

"Where's Gnor?" Bannick asks, trying to keep up with Kalla who's hustling quickly down the halls.

"He should be there already waiting for us," Kalla responds, then picks up her pace to where Bannick has to fly to keep up.

"Okay, Kalla, we're not late. Why are we hurrying so?"

Kalla stops in her tracks, turns to Bannick suddenly, and asks, "How do you and my Mom know each other? How come the hunting party that rescued us was glad to see you? How come you can speak our language?" Kalla gets more irritated after each question.