The Hovering Ingress: The Hidden World

Chapter 35

Failure

One Ninth Sune Later

Raid panted as she landed, the feeling of the heat surrounding her wearing her down. No, she couldn't give in to the temperature, not just because she has a good coat of fur now! Sighing, she looked up to the giant volcano in the middle of the land, where everyone of her 'kind' lived. Mt. Magnus, names after the legendary black flabir, a terror to all land, as this volcano could possibly be.

The ophoris groaned at the gaunt feeling in her belly. She had been unable to eat at all, and whatever little food they could find, she gave to Jasar. Fighting to get the lynxes was certainly to be harder than expected. The tom cat on her back shifted with a groan and looked around, his eyes wide at the red glow the volcanic lands gave.

"This is where they are? Where you all stay?" he asked, his mouth open and agape.

"Yes, it's painful living here, that's why everyone is eager to go out and fight, because of how hot it can be here," Raid replied, stalking through the cooled lava.

It burned at her paws, making her suppress a growl of pain. Nervously she came up to a small lava geyser and hid behind it, staring at the patrolling Sinisters. Green saliva dripped from their mouths and sizzled on the grounds as they looked around, bloodthirsty, ready to kill. Raid licked at her teeth in remembrance on how she once thought. I'm better than them now, I have tactics and good on my side, she thought to herself.

Quietly she shifted her wings for Jasar to pay attention, as he sat up and stretched.

"We're going to need to sneak past them, their bites are fatal here," she rumbled.

"O-only sometimes though, r-right?" Jasar stuttered.

Looking to the sizzling droplets of saliva, the ophoris softly shook her head.

"I'm afraid not."

A sudden roar came from the distance as the patrolling Sinisters stopped and perked up. Immediately they let out barks and roars, quickly flying off toward the sound. A sick feeling came to Raid's gut as she recognized the roar. They were off to have a sparring match. Someone was about to be killed.

Taking her chance, the ophoris ran through the field, desperate to get past the flying ophoree and to Mt. Magnus. Jasar's claws could be felt desperately holding onto her as she galloped through, looking around to find the tunnel entrance. She remembered the times when Fulgorians had been kidnapped and forced to be prisoners until they were hypnotized into serving Morfran. She knew exactly where to go.

A surge of hope ran through her veins as she came closer to the volcano, spotting the tunnel entrance. She seemed to go faster than ever. She was ready to go in and save those two lynxes! She could prove herself to the Fulgorians that they could trust her, she would have a stance against Morfran, she would be able to help the Fulgorians win!

Just before she could make it past the row of geysers protecting the outer yards of the volcano, she was blocked by a screeching flabir. No! The ophoris skid to a halt and dipped her head, staring at the scarlet feathered creature with wide eyes. It clicked its beak and tilted its head, leaning in to look and squint at the former Sinister. Then it lifted its head to screech when Raid quickly dived and locked her jaws on its neck.

The bird choked and squawked, flailing its wings as she battled with it against the ground. A sudden feeling of heat came to Raid and she realized what the flabir was about to do. Just in time she let go and jumped away, the bird suddenly bursting into flames and sending the fire after her. The ophoris dodged in time and summoned her chains, whacking the bird away.