The Hovering Ingress: The Hidden World

Chapter 25

Frosted Grass

The Next Morning

Xengu was startled awake when she heard a roar and bonked her head on the roof of the indent she slept in. It was still pitch black out. With a groan, she rubbed her head and crawled out from the space, watching as everyone else got up and looked out. Driscoll widened his eyes and stood up, nudging Nunzio to his paws. Ryder and Rasul lifted their heads and looked out, Vesna already on her paws and dipping her head. The panther grumbled and stood up, looking back as Jasar, Favi, and Marsh all looked out.

"What's causing all the racket?" Favi growled.

"I think we're about to leave," Jasar mewed.

Xengu frowned and looked out, watching as Fortune and a familiar ophoris trotted up to them.

"Masoom!" Favi exclaimed.

"You know him?" Rasul asked, looking excited.

"Yeah, he was the one who took us up to Fulgor," Jasar explained.

Rasul seemed to hardly contain himself as he leaped into the air and pranced around.

"Yes! I bet he knows everything about the lowlands then!"

"He wasn't down there for very long."

"Really? Awh..."

Xengu rolled her eyes and looked to the messenger commander. Fortune was rumbling something to the blue marked ophoris before facing the group of messengers.

"I have brought here Masoom, considering he has the best knowledge of the flight up from the lowlands, not so much downwards. But I will say, he also might have good information on the structures there, and how to interact with the other inhabitants."

"Interacting with the inhabitants of Laili Village would be just like talking to the bifers of Highland Town, right?" Ryder asked nervously.

"No, in fact they can be incredibly curious and prickly, I suggest using your words carefully. You don't know what you might reveal to them," Masoom rumbled.

"Are you coming with us?" Jasar asked, hope in his eyes.

Masoom quickly shook his head, hope quickly dying from the cat's eyes.

"No, I'm simply here to tell all I can about the lowlands."

"Will we see you again at any point after we come back?" Favi asked.

"Probably not, everyone here is fairly busy, especially with the now small lack of extra paws," Fortune softly replied.

Xengu glared at the messenger commander, noticing this was an attack on the four's wishes. She wanted to retaliate, if it wasn't for the fact Rasul soon took the stage again.

"What makes the people of Laili so prickly? Is it the humans? Are there many of them? Is their food contaminated? Is that why they're prickly? How many buildings are there? Can we climb on them? What is acceptable to do-"

Masoom reared his head back at the onslaught of questions to the point where Ryder had to put a paw on Rasul's muzzle.

"Just tell us everything you can," Nunzio purred.

"O-of course. The felines know everything about the lowlands, maybe more. You're best to ask them more personal questions," Masoom sighed.