The Hovering Ingress: The Hidden World

Chapter 39

Play Dead

Three Sune Cycles Later

          A growl echoed in the cave, startling the female lynx awake, wildly looking around. She looked to see Jasar and Marsh running up to her, their fur bristled and their eyes wide. They moved with her cautiously behind the cage where Xengu stood, her eyes wide and her ears alert. Favi looked past the bars in confusion, then widened her eyes as she saw a familiar set of ruby wings with gold lining. Flattening her ears against her head, she snarled.

  "Sh- shoot, I'm saying shoot. That's Blaze over there," she whispered to Xengu hastily.

          Xengu didn't take her eyes off of the flabir as she chirped and shifted her wings, looking around.

  "I already don't like her."

          Favi's heart pounded against her chest as she watched the two guards at the entrance walk into the room and start searching for them at the call of the bird. They let out growls and rumbles as they sniffed the ground and tried to find her. Her tail bristled and she looked to Xengu with worry. All the panther did was furrow her eyebrows and nod nervously. Quietly the lynx took a deep breath and she started her way down the slope of the cage to the guards.

          Blaze lifted her head abruptly when she saw her and hissed to the two guards, urging them to come back. Favi froze in place as the flabir stalked up to her with her head low and her wings spread out. She watched nervously as the bird neared her warm beak to the lynx and nipped at the soot in her fur.

  "It seems that I have been told wrong about felines, that they have the common sense to clean themselves, unlike those wretched dogs," Blaze hissed quietly.

          The two Sinister guards said nothing as the bird tilted her head and squinted into the lynx's eyes. Favi stood there in fear, breathing rapidly as the bird continued to circle her before abruptly lifting herself.

  "Yet, there is no doubt that this is the one Morfran wants to fight tosune. Take her to the battlefield!"

          Two more Sinisters stalked into the room and came up to the female lynx, who coward way from them. She looked back desperately to the cage, hoping for help when Blaze stepped in the way.

  "Oh, don't worry princess, they won't hurt you. Besides, even if they did, your friends wouldn't be able to save you anyway."

          Nervously Favi started taking steps away from the flabir when she suddenly screeched and flared her wings. With a yowl, the lynx tried to sprint away, only to be roughly grabbed by the scruff and thrown onto one of the Sinisters' back. Landing on the uncomfortable skin with a 'whack', the lynx urgently sat up and panted, looking around anxiously.

          Blaze cackled and did a strange dance, flapping her wings and hopping about before stopping and gave small giggles. The way she stared at the fearful lynx seemed to be filled with utter amusement, along with a hint of smugness.

  "I look forward to seeing you scuttle across the ground. Let's hope scuttling will keep you alive!"

          With a finalized laugh, the bird took flight and soared away, flapping her wings and scattering a few of her feathers. Favi quivered where she sat, feeling the ophoris holding her turn toward the exit to the cave and start walking. Being taken through the tunnel system was mostly familiar. The same cracks in the walls, the same burning ground, the usual Sinisters fighting within the halls, it was starting to become normal.

          Now that the lynx thought about it, was Xengu coming here a form of catalyst to the start of the 'training'? Quickly Favi shook her head. No, Morfran specifically told her that it would be a few sune cycles before she would fight. He couldn't possibly have been able to figure out when Xengu was coming!