The Hovering Ingress: The Hidden World

Chapter 54

Departure

Two Sune Cycles Later

Olwen sighed and groaned as the sune rays phased into her room, covering her eyes as she sat up in her bed. Quietly she looked to the calendar in her room that had a basic summary of all that had happened recently. For many sune cycles on the first part of the ston cycle, the big words 'NOTHING' went over the boxes before the fateful cycle of the marked bifers arrival. Then little words of sentences filled those boxes up until tosune.

Begrudgingly, Olwen got up from the bed and walked over to the calendar and took the marker that snapped to the mirror beside it. In the box, she wrote 'They left.' and closed the lid. The snow leopard flicked her ears back as she put the marker away and stared at the words. They repeated in her head over and over. They were leaving. They really were.

A small sigh escaped her as she walked over to her bedroom door and walked out to her sister's bedroom, knocking on the door. Immediately she could hear grumbles and groans inside, along with some shuffling and stumbling. Seeing Xengu's usual sleepy gaze, Olwen gave a soft smile to her. Judging by her scars and ninth sunes old gashes and scrapes, she had a really rough time wherever the group started out in.

"Hey, last cycle, remember?" the snow leopard rumbled.

The winged panther simply gave a small nod before turning back and letting out a chuff to Marsh, who grumbled and started waking everyone else up. Quietly Olwen nodded and started down the stairs when suddenly Xengu took her by the arm a little roughly. The snow leopard whipped around when she found that the panther dipped her head to her.

Xengu seemed to not like Olwen after the many times the snow leopard had tried to ask about her wings, but when the group had finally opened up about them a bit more, she seemed less grudging. Though, it was only a bit more that they had revealed. Something else was still hidden.

Quietly Olwen continued down the stairs as Xengu went back to the others and walked into the kitchen. She walked over to the fridge and took out the paper sacks she had prepared over night when the others were asleep. Seeing them go with no food would have been hard on her. She had seen orphans out on the street before. It was heartbreaking to see them in such a way. It was hard to know that her sister could have ended up like that...

Letting out a sigh and shaking her head, Olwen leaned against the counter, thinking over the past sune cycles with these felines. After some convincing from the others, she had learned that how Latif was acting was not normal. That he was... hypnotized in some form of fashion. It was strange to her because the understanding of hypnotism was not completely changing someone's nature but forcing them to do something that they couldn't do on their own will.

Sighing, the snow leopard had also learned that the felines weren't just themselves alone. Marsh and Latif were brothers, not evident from their markings at all but from their green eyes. Favi had a sister named Belle, Xengu had a brother named Takeo, and Jasar had a mother and sister Lisa and Gess. From how close the group was, they were a makeshift family on their own.

"Alright Olwen, we're ready," Favi called as the group walked down the stairs.

The snow leopard perked up and quickly took the paper sacks in hand and came up to the group. They gave her bewildered gazes to her as she gave a sack to each of them.

"I kind of thought about it and the idea of you guys going out there with no knowledge about where food might be was just... sad a bit. And it is horribly close to winter here, I don't want you all to starve out there..."

Quietly the others accepted the bags and nodded their heads, letting out rumbles and purrs of thanks. With that, they could move on outside, heading off into the town streets and out toward the forest toward the south. Olwen trailed behind the group to make sure they were okay as they went off toward the forest. Reaching the edge of the town, the group stopped and turned to the snow leopard.

"Thanks for taking care of us back at your place, we kind of needed that," Favi said, nodding her head a little.

"Yeah, I wish we had something to give back to you," Marsh mumbled.

"You being here was good enough," Olwen purred, shaking her head. "The past four searings have been boring."

"Even then, we should have something to give back..." Jasar trailed off a little.

"Honestly, just take what she's given, she could have easily rejected us on the streets," Latif sniffed.

The others glared at him in silence while Olwen sighed and scratched the back of her head.

"Well, you all should get going, I don't want you to waste time standing around when you could be traveling to your destination."

The others nodded quietly and hugged the snow leopard goodbye before heading into the forest. Olwen watched the group go before quietly rubbing away some tears and turning toward the town. She would have continued on when she heard a strange rumble. Confused, she quickly went to run into the shrubbery.

She knew this was a dumb idea, considering strange sounds were best meant to be left alone, but she just had to check. Sneaking through the shrubbery, Olwen brushed through leaves and small particles of snow as she came up to a strange figure she could see in a clearing. Realizing she was close to the group of felines, she quickly stopped and looked to them with wide eyes. Xengu looked around with slit eyes, almost as though she was guarding the others as they came up to a clearing.

The snow leopard lowered herself to make sure that the panther couldn't spot her, more over hoping she wasn't going to be spotted considering there wasn't enough snow to hide her well. Lucky for her, the winged feline didn't notice her as she quit scanning the area and looked up to the figures the group stood before.

Quietly Olwen continued forward and widened her eyes as she came to see large beasts towering over the bifers through the leaves of some foliage. Two strange fluffy beasts stood next to a red bird that seemed to have flames surrounding it.

"Are you all ready?" one, a female asked, without moving her mouth at all.

"You bet! We need to get to Frosten most certainly, and we're ready for it," Favi announced.

"Alright, well climb on, we'll try to make this journey shorter with flight."

Olwen watched with wide eyes as the bifers climbed onto the creatures as they lowered themselves. All she could do was stare in awe and interest before yowling as she was thrown back by the whoosh of air that came from the creatures' wings. Quickly, she stepped out into the clearing to watch them go, her mouth agape.

Quietly she flicked her ears back before running back through the forest to Snowfall Town. She didn't care of the alarmed bifers and humans at her quickly running through the neighborhood to reach her home. Entering into her home, she ran up the spiral stairs and burst into her bedroom, panting and looking around. A travel bag, where was it?

After digging through her closet, the snow leopard got out a bag and started taking some valuables and put them in. Serkils, a metalize, as well as some pictures. Olwen looked around her room once more before putting a blanket into the bag as well and moving toward her bedroom door before stopping. Quietly she looked back to her bedroom and to her calendar.

Setting down the bag, she walked up to it and took the marker from the mirror. Quietly she wrote her final message to the calendar and put the marker back quietly. She stared at the message before going back to the bag and picking it up, quietly opening the door and leaving the room. 'They left, but so did I.'