The horse kept up to his demonic heritage and carried us so easily as if he was used to something far worse.
And he went as if – well, as if almost flying.
I didn't have much time to look around at what the Fire Mountain looks like though because I had enough to do to stay on – and without too obviously crabbing claws into Viviana's clothes.
Whose idea was it, to put me to the tail? I don't remember exactly, but… maybe mine?
Anyway I somehow held on.
The closer to the mountain, the warmer it was, as if we suddenly got from November to July. The air there was quite strange – whiles of heat rushes so I couldn't even smell oxygen, whiles traces of ice cold. Our devil liked it there, he nodded head and galloped, as if he was home. He probably didn't even mind that from the bottom of his hooves clouds of smoke emerged.
,,We're on a volcano," Mort stated, as if reading my mind. On the other hand, he probably was. ,,the phoenixes are comfortable nesting here. Their eggs need warmth all the time, unlike normal bird's."
,,There's only a slight problem," Viviana said. ,,nests of phoenixes aren't exactly places you stumble upon on every corner."
,,Aah, a bit LOUDER and they will stumble upon us!" Millenia scolded them. ,,and anyway, I am getting off. I will find them better like that."
Without the horse slowing down she jumped off.
,,Wow… the ground here burns a lot," she announced.
After Viviana jumped off too – and cursed – and after a while of hesitation Mort too. The horse pawed impatiently, but I stayed sitting.
,,Can't I wait here?" I asked nervously.
,,Afraid for your tail?" Viviana smirked.
Millenia picked me up without an answer and smacked me on Mort's shoulder, then lowered to the ground.
,,That was mean!" I mewed.
It literally could be felt, how Mort rolled eyes.
The princess studied the ground, especially the places where clouds of mist flied out of and cracks. And I add; she did so carefully. Afterall, we were almost on the top of a volcano, and if it was possible, I confess, you wouldn't see me there already. Never.
,,Apart from the phoenixes, does something else live here?" master said half-loudly.
,,I do not know," Millenia answered absently, sliding hand into one of the holes almost to elbow.
,,Oh yes," Viviana said sweetly, studying her nails. ,,midday witches."
,,WHAT?"
I don't know, who said it first, but probably all of us.
,,Oh heyyy. What are you afraid of? They come out only at – whoops, midday."
As if it was an order I looked up – well we had to lose our MINDS, going here through lunch!
,,Rather be quick!" Mort said to the direction of our tracker, which had even her head in the hole by now.
,,If I could reach it, it would be quick…"
,,What?"
,,The egg."
,,There is a egg?"
Side glancing I caught some kind of movement beside the horse. It was as if only a movement of air… unfortunately, there's no wind here. And it was hot.
Now I jumped down as well and immediately pushed my hand into the hole.
,,Thanks, tomcat, but this will be tough, the egg is attached to a rock…"
,,NEVERMIND, at least it will be fast!"
,,DON'T BREAK IT!"
,,Can you be a bit more loud? The midday witches don't know about us yet!" Viviana hissed, hand on the bottle on her waist.
,,No, they do," Mort nodded head. ,,they're already on the hunt."
Now the air whirling could be seen clearly. Warmth all around us, we couldn't breathe, but there still were some traces of cold.
Now Millenia panicked as well.
,,You know what, PUSH YOURSELF IN WHOLE, maybe you'll manage better!"
I looked on her. ,,Good idea."
In a moment I was inside, where there was enough space for two.
The egg crouched in the rocks, and such so nor in, nor out, what with it now?
,,Catch!"
A bottle flied inside.
,,Break it so it will be inside… but be careful, the yolk burns like boiling oil!"
,,You tried?"
,,DO IT!" I bristled up from the tone.
The midday witches sounded impatient, they flied around like a moth around the light… but I was in fact surprised, why they didn't come closer yet. What were they afraid of…?
Oh, yes. Viviana. She had water at hand.
I don't know, where had she gotten so much of it, but I was thankful she had it, or… I don't know.
,,Do you have it?"
,,No I DON'T! Do you think it's easy for a cat to break an egg?"
,,But it's looking really bad out here!"
,,I KNOW!"
It was clear with one look outside.
It was also clear that master was standing away, on the edge of the rocks, hand outstretched, and looked from the midday witches to the clouds on the horizon (and those were some distance away).
,,Millenia, you'll have to manage alone…"
I jumped out and ran over to him, he immediately leaned down to let me jump on his shoulder.
,,It was about time!" he tapped my back.
,,Work, work."
Right after all hell broke loose.
All the midday witches flied on us shrieking, they didn't even care that on some of them water fell, which made more mist of them… well, when there was enough.
,,A storm?" I asked.
,,Rain will do, I wouldn't manage a storm here."
Our magic usually begins with questions such as these. It was enough that he concentrated; I could besides it also watch the surroundings.
Hm, Viviana was in her world. She moved among the midday witches and spurted water wherever she went, I'd almost think she's one of those water elementals I once saw.
,,Nobody will help me here?" she yelled on us, kicking away another.
,,We are doing so right now!" Millenia snapped.
,,Yes, YOU mostly! You're digging in a hole as if nothing was happening!"
,,I am here for the…"
Her face lighted up and she pulled out her hand along the bottle.
,,I got it!"
Mort turned head a bit, then back to the sky.
,,Will it take long?" this time Viviana shrieked.
,,No," Mort got out. And true, above us clouds gathered already; still thin and light, but there they are.
The midday witches were losing their patience, it was so hot in there my tail fur burned. And even if both Viviana and Millenia tried, we were low on water.
,,QUICKLY!"
I sideway glanced up.
,,Enough."
At the moment the thunder was heart master lowered hand; and the first drops fell.
,,And now let's get out of here!" He pulled the horse's bridle to him (that one also tried, he kicked around like crazy).
Millenia immediately jumped up in front of him, Viviana stayed there doing something with a bottle, although not water.
,,Huntress, not now!"
,,LET'S GO ALREADY!" I dug claws to the horse's back.
He jumped, stood on back legs and started to run to one direction, during which we all three pulled up Viviana too (we were nicely stuffed there, merely keeping on) and then we just let the horse to run along the rain as fast as he could.
…..
,,Ouuch…"
,,You don't have anything to complain about, you only have burned fur!" Millenia snapped on me.
Viviana rolled eyes, but said nothing. She was in a good mood, because she caught one midday witch.
,,Be glad I was there, otherwise you'd be all dead," she stated.
Even if I didn't like it, I had to agree she was right and heal my tail alone.
Mort didn't care much about his burns, he studied the book again. We won't get a break…
,,By the way; if father gets to know about this, my life's over, so do not say a word!" Millenia said, inspecting her burned shoulder.
,,Throw this around you, then," Mort handled her over his cape phlegmatically. ,,I don't know, what other way do you want to hide it… oh well, first something to put on those burns, then we'll go on."
,,And? Am I going too?" Viviana lifted up head with a wide grin.
,,I'll see," he snapped back.
We spent the rest of the evening trying to get rid of the burns as fast as possible, but it seemed that the only one who could do it was the horse. Midday witch burns healed badly.
At least we agreed that one or two days won't hold us back that much and insuspiciously went to dinner.
Selena almost jumped out of her skin seeing me.
,,You have a quite hard job, don't you?"
,,I had worse than burned fur." I won't be saying, what.
I too late noticed that at the table there was already Tristan sitting beside Mort's niece-
,,Tanya, what a surprise! What are you doing here?"
,,I only… needed supplies for a longer trip. And- and you?"
,,Part of the family, so he is here sometimes," Millenia smiled on her.
Tristan pushed his chair back and quickly ran out, after what Tanya excused herself and went after him.
,,And it was such a nice day," Mort exhaled.
,,Come on, are you bothered by your own niece?" Millenia poked his side, although grinning.
,,No. Not by HER," he answered and pulled his cape over her shoulders more.
….
We got out again a few days later and we got the next stop-
,,Golden lilies," Mort declared. ,,their pollen, particularly."
,,You cannot be serious!" Millenia bursted into laughter. ,,They bloom once a ten years, plus it is a prize in a magical tournament! How could you win that fairly? The strongest always gather there!"
,,Do you really think I would get so far by being fair?" he laughed for a change. ,,Don't worry. I've seen it already, so be calm. Back then there was a old friend of mine in the jury, so I had a chance to take a look behind the scenes as well."
I curiously lifted up head from saddling the fire-thing (which wasn't happy about it, but his fault).
I wasn't with Mort for that long. Yes, it was since childhood, but it anyway was at the time he looked for a familiar and even before then he had a few things done. And little curiosity is considered a good trait.
But- when he starts first, why not take the chance?
,,When was it?" Millenia questioned (yes, curiously), leaning against the fence.
This time master couldn't pretend he's occupied by something, so he only nervously scratched the back of his neck.
,,A good while ago. Mephistopheles wasn't with me yet then."
,,I confirm it!" I lifted a hand from the saddle.
,,While? How long a while?"
,,Ah, that curiosity… the privilege of women," he snorted, amused. She rolled eyes.
,,Your privilege is probably to not answer."
,,That was cruel. Did I not answer you before?"
,,Touché. When are we leaving?"
,,It begins in a week – we're lucky – so we don't have to hurry. But we could go as soon as possible so we'll know something."
Oh no… when he says ,we could go as soon as possible' that's gonna be some… bullshit again.
