Re: Part 73 - The long road
James scrambles onto Malkia's back, and the lioness springs into motion, even as Left drops down to snap up Cyan with practised ease. Massive paws devour the distance, stride after stride...
James leans low, feeling that Malkia is moving faster this time, urgency driving her onward. And a swarm of Archons, both real and Banglen-Yps imitating Archons, orbit around them, easily keeping pace.
Down from the wooded hills, and across a wide valley, avoiding the brightly lit city where Constance hunts, before bringing her prey back to the place where she feeds. Something huge flies overhead, like a metallic bird, studded with blinking lights and roaring like a great storm.
Out of the valley, and into the next, where the leaves of the trees have already fallen, leaving naked branches clawing at a sky filled with scudding grey clouds, which have the look of imminent snowfall.
Another valley. And another. And another...
More forest, and a broad river. In the distance a city broods, low buildings sprawling across the land, stretching for miles. Malkia ignores it, pushing herself faster and faster.
"I believe" she replies to a shouted query from James, "that we are long-since out of Constance's territory. But I would arrive at Amber sooner, rather than later, Jim. Ahah! This will do!" and she springs sideways, twisting in mid-air, and passing into the black, lightning split trunk of a massive tree. The Archons follow, close on her tail...
And emerge from another, similar tree, into a night-time forest, silent and still beneath a white blanket. Malkia keeps going, slowed a little by the deep snow. Wolves can be heard howling in the distance, and a light glows ahead... and then they are past it, a metal post with a glass cage on the top and a flame within it.
The lioness breath is hoarse in the cold air, and condenses in clouds of thick moisture, but still she doesn't stop.
On and on, and the dawn comes up as they leave the forest, and start out upon an open plain, where there is less snow.
Finally she scrambles up a hill, and locates a cave near the top. "I must rest, at least for a short while. We should be safe here."
James slides down and pats her shoulder. "Thank you." He turns to watch, as the Archons come in from the open air, and notices the paintings on the walls. Primitive images of men, hunting animals...