Abbernathy and the Cat Kingdom

(38) - Goodbye, Aelurus -

Ever since Sebbi's coronation, his presence had been scarce. Abby'd barely gotten little more than a glimpse of him, as he was pulled into meetings with all the Moonborn houses to go over policy and resolve territory issues. The first thing he did in his new role, that seemed to go over well with the Aelurian people, was to disband the undead army Nocturnis had been amassing. He had the bodies burned and returned the ashes to the families, in hopes the dead would be able to find peace.

Abby thought she'd been right; Sebbi would be a good king for Aelurus.

While Sebbi had been less present than a ghost, Lucy, however, seemed to pop up wherever Abby was. In the gardens, where the dying plants had been given a second chance at life growing and gleaming a healthy green, Lucy would show up and walk along the uneven stone paths, coercing smiles and chuckles from Abby.

She knew what he was doing, and she appreciated all the effort to quell her loneliness. But Abby wanted more than ever to go home. They'd done what they set out to do; Sebbi was king, and the Shadow King had been ousted, his plans to conquer each of the Eridan animal realms made public.

Margo'd returned to the Cloude, to report to the Dawn Queen, and to give Hestor's body back to his parents so he could have a proper Cloudian burial where his soul would be returned to the Sands. 

Abby hadn't heard a squeak from their mouse companion since Lain's memory had been used to expose Gravious. And Lucy, try as he might, was running low on ways to keep Abby occupied. It had been a month since she'd been dropped in Aelurus, and while she'd finally gotten the adventure she'd always dreamed about, her heart yearned to see the familiar green waters of the Fragilli and watch the fishermen of Laos hocking Jacquer fish from their boats to the docks. She missed the bright colors the people of Laos wore and the fact that they came with slightly less hair than most Aelurians. 

Though her home had been turned to ashes, Mirea was all she had. She knew returning wouldn't be easy, she'd be alone and without a place to live, but she had to go back. She couldn't run from her problems forever, and judging by the state of her ivory slippers --muddy and with peeling soles--she couldn't just kick them in the crotch. She had to deal with this head on, and to do that, she'd need to be put back in Exul.  

The next day, Margo returned with a satchel full of Cloudian made cheeses. Abby was forced to try all of them, each one more sour than the last, but Abby was glad Margo'd returned. Her color was vibrant again, her hair bushier than before. Margo's return also signalled the moment for Abby to go home had finally arrived. 

"The king has issued a royal guard accompany us into the forest," Margo said as she slung the last of the waterskins over the back of a brown mare, three times the size of any horse Abby had seen from her world. It snorted and large plumes of smoke flew out of it's flared nostrils, like dragon's breath. Abby stepped back from the large creature, whose black hooves where the size of her head.

"Will Sebb-," Abby caught herself mid-sentence before continuing, "Will the king," she corrected, "be joining us?"

Margo shook her head. "I don't think so. He's got a lot to do. A lot to learn and--"

"Ben' nessren," a cat-man called as his turquoise robes fluttered out around him. He was walking hastily, a quill and parchment in hand, as he trailed behind a large, black-furred cat-man who wore a large, silver crown atop his head.

The king turned and growled, his gold eyes unrelenting, "I will see my brother off. And--" he said, turning and making eye contact with Abby, "her. I will see them off myself, Reven. Do you dare go against your king?"

The small, tortoise-shell colored cat-man shuddered and almost fell backward on the steps. He lowered his head and shook it furiously. "No, my lord. I would never go against the rightful Ben'nessren." He gave Sebbi one last low bow before turning and flittering back toward the castle.