"ESCAPE"

Part One

“Mom! Dad! I made a new friend!”

Inferno bounded inside the dim cavern, his flickering ear tufts lighting up the den as he skidded to a halt by his parents’ nest. His father was napping, snoring loudly. A quick glance around the cave told Inferno that his mother and sister were out, but he didn’t care. Joy flickered through his whole body and made his paws itch. 

“Wha—” His father lifted his head, blinking the blur of sleep from his amber gaze. “Where were you? Did you sneak out again? How many times do I have to tell you—”

“I made a new friend!” The little brown cerrien kitten swung his gaze to the gap. 

The scrawny form of another kitten—taller than him and with bigger ears—formed a tiny hole in the beacon of sunlight streaming into the cave. Wide, brilliant sky-blue eyes gazed at him. Her tail flicked behind her.

“You can come in.” Inferno waved his tail. 

The kitten didn’t step forward. She only shrank away.

Inferno bounded back to the kitten’s side. “Come on!” A purr erupted from his throat.

The gray, striped kitten mumbled something so softly that Inferno couldn’t pick it out, even when he pricked his ears. She lifted her gaze to meet the tall black and orange cerrien’s own.

“Hello.” Inferno’s father rose to his paws. Was that uncertainty in his gaze?

Inferno felt a prickle of aggravation. Things will go better this time! They have to!

But his father’s voice was friendly as he meowed, “It’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid. Come on in.” 

Inferno gave his new friend a nudge. He tried to meet the light gray kitten’s gaze and found it darting to his father’s dark green Court of Advisors hat. 

Her blue eyes widened a little more. 

“Both my parents are advisors!” Inferno squeaked. “Isn’t that cool?”

The kitten shuffled on her paws. 

“You can call me Volcano. What’s your name?” Inferno’s father tipped his head to one side, his eyes warm. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” 

He gave the tiniest shake of his head. 

“You look kinda like…” His voice trailed off before he continued. “Who are your parents?”

The kitten gave a tiny squeak. “I—I—”

“Her name is Echo,” Inferno purred. “I found her and did a really good surprise attack on her! You should’ve seen it! She had no idea I was there—”

“Inferno,” his father sighed. “What have I told you about surprise attacking other kittens when they don’t know it? Poor Echo looks traumatized.”

“It’s okay! She forgives me!” Inferno reassured him. “Right, Echo? It was just a funny game!”

Echo nodded slightly, straightening her legs as though to appear taller. “Um…I’m—I’m Echo. My parents are Feather and Aspen.”

Inferno noticed his father’s eyes cloud over. 

He’s been acting strange lately. He was talking to Mom about a missing cerrien named yesterday. In fact…that cerrien might’ve been called Aspen! They were talking about Echo’s father! Inferno watched his friend intently. Poor Echo.

“I’m Volcano.” His father shook his head slightly. “You know, your mother was part of the Court of Advisors before. She quit years ago.”

“Why?” Inferno’s eyes widened with intrigue. 

“She didn’t want to be too busy,” he replied. “She wanted to raise a family.” Compassion warmed his gaze as he lowered his voice. “But now it’s all fallen apart for her. I hope she’s okay.”

Echo stared at her paws. 

“Can she stay here for a bit?” Inferno begged. “Please?”

Volcano nodded silently.

“Yes!” Inferno gave a little bounce and turned to Echo, who was now kneading her tail with her paws. 

“C’mon! I’ll show you my nest!” he exclaimed, then he paused. “Well, my sister uses it too, but it feels like she’s never around. She’s too interested in medic stuff.” Inferno flicked his tail dismissively. “But it’s okay, because now I have you! And when she comes home tonight, maybe having a new friend around will convince her to play here more!” 

He dashed across the cave, feeling his paws stumble out of control when he tripped over his father’s tail. “Sorry!”

His father purred, his eyes rolling. “Just watch where you’re going. And don’t mess with the nests again. Your mother and I just rebuilt them.”

“We won’t.” Inferno turned his head to see his new playmate trailing behind. 

She was scanning the cave observantly, as though wanting to memorize every nook and cranny. At last she spared a glance behind at the wide, yawning cave mouth where sunlight spilled into the den and pooled in the nests. 

“You’re so slow!” Inferno purred. 

Echo turned her head back to him, blinking. At last she lifted her chin and padded towards him, nose twitching.

Inferno’s eyes darted around the cave. What might she like…?

“Look!” He finally pointed with his tail to a giant wall of art spanning almost the whole back side of the cave. On one end were clumps of trees, although they probably looked more like sticks to Echo. The other end was the world Inferno saw in his dreams: tall mountains, vast deserts, giant monsters called dragons, and strange cerriens. 

A brief twinge of pride flickered in Inferno’s chest. “This is my art! Pretty cool, huh? I’m going to explore the whole of Fintaria one day!”

A tiny purr escaped Echo’s throat.

“Of course my art isn’t that good yet!” Inferno put in. “I only just started! But I wanna draw the whole of Fintaria! Can you imagine it?”

“I hope you aren’t thinking of adding any more scratches to my walls.” Volcano sighed. “Remember what I said. You get that wall, and that wall only.”

“They aren’t just scratches, it’s my art!” Inferno growled. He turned back to the cave entrance. 

What now? 

“Let’s play outside!” he declared.

“Don’t go running off again!” his father called as he pattered through the cave entrance. “Stay where I can see you!”

Inferno snorted. “He has no idea what fun is!” He paused to make sure his new friend was following, and found her padding more slowly after him. 

“What do you want to play?” he asked. 

Echo mumbled, “What—what games do you like?”

“What if we’re explorers!” Inferno squeaked. “We can explore the world! Just like my drawing!”

“How would we do that?” Echo tipped her head to one side. “Your dad said not to go far.”

“We can’t be explorers if we’re stuck in one place!” Inferno mewed. 

Echo gasped, as though she didn’t quite understand. “Aren’t you worried about getting in trouble?”

“It’ll be fine!” he assured her. 

Why didn’t she understand? Hasn’t she ever explored anywhere in her life? 

“Wait until we come back and tell my dad about all our adventures! He’ll be so impressed?” His mind raced. “What if he thinks it’s so cool that he takes us on a journey outside the territory!” He bounced on his paws. 

“But…what if we get hurt?”

“We won’t!”

“How do you know that? What about the dragons and cerriens from other tribes from your drawing and—”

“Are you scared?” Inferno narrowed his eyes to tease Echo.

“No!” Echo’s fur bushed out, standing on one end as she withheld a hiss. “I’m just saying. Your dad—”

“Nothing bad is going to happen to us!” Inferno interrupted. “We’re adventurers! We’re the bravest cerriens ever, and we'll conquer every feat thrown at us!”

She can’t deny something so cool! She won’t wanna be friends with me then!

“But your dad will be mad at us.” Echo shuddered. 

“Trust me! He’s never mad for long—”

A sudden noise disrupted his words. Inferno pricked his ears, his tail flicking up when he heard the sound of his father’s snoring. 

“No way!” he exclaimed. He felt excitement buzz in his chest. “My dad’s asleep! Now we can get away unnoticed! We might even be back before he wakes up. Then he won’t need to be mad!” That was so lucky! It’s like the world wants us to go on this adventure!

“O—okay.” Echo lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for?”

“For getting in the way of your adventure. I’m sorry.”

“You apologize too much!” Inferno waved his tail playfully and turned to the trees ahead. “Let’s go!”

“Maybe…” Her words trailed off into nothing, her thoughts seemingly going with them. 

“Come on!” Inferno bounded ahead, paws fizzing with excitement. 

I don’t think Echo has had a single adventure in her life!  I need to show her how fun it can be!  

“I wanna see the moor!” he shouted over his shoulder.

The patter of paws followed him. 

“I heard there’s Maliterrians invading our territory!” Inferno declared. “We’re going on a quest to ward them off!”

He paused in his tracks as Echo let out a squeak.  “Maliterrians?”

“Not real Maliterrians! They’re just part of the game.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“You say ‘sorry’ so much!”

“It’s rude not to.”

“But you don’t have to apologize that much!”

"Do you think there are patrols out?" Echo parted her jaws to detect any other cerriens scents. "What if we get caught by one?"

"We won't get caught!" 

She didn’t reply. She was gazing out between the tree trunks. “Do you think Bramble and Aspen are out there?”

“Of course!” Inferno lifted his tail. “They wouldn’t leave without you! I’m sure of it!”

“But what if something bad happened to them?”

“I’m sure they’ll come back,” Inferno mewed. “Our tribe is full of elite, brave cerriens that would do anything to save them!” Inferno fumbled for a way to change the subject to something more positive, and an idea soon flickered in his head. "Actually, what if we look for them ourselves?"

"Ourselves? Are you sure?"

"Yeah!" Determination surged through Inferno. "I bet we'll find them!" He scanned the forest around them. "Do they have any favorite spots?"

"I—I don't know. I—"

"Let's go!" Inferno trotted forward, tail high in the air. This'll be something she'll really want to do!

"I think something bad happened to them," Echo mewed. "I don't think my dad would just disappear like that, and if Bramble found him, he would've come home by now, right?"

"Maybe he's still searching!"

"I just don't think this is a good idea. If Bramble and Dad were in danger and we found them, we might end up in danger too. Can we please—do something else?"

Inferno felt a wave of guilt wash down his pelt. This is only making her sad! There had to be something to distract her...

I know! “Let’s race!”

Echo perked up, her eyes suddenly gleaming like crystals and her ears lifting upwards towards the sky. "Okay!"

“Three—two—one—go!”

Inferno pushed off with his paws and dashed through the forest, swerving trees and scrambling over roots and rocks alike. Joy fueled his limbs, and he felt the sunlight flash on and off his back like a lightning storm as the tree flicked past him. He glanced behind him and saw Echo just at his tail, sky-blue eyes glowing with exhilaration. Even after several moments, Inferno’s paws weren’t even tired, and he was breathing as naturally as if he’d been napping innocently on a summer’s day.

I could run like this forever! Inferno thought. He wondered if Echo felt the same way.

“How far are we going to run?” Echo puffed. 

“As far as we want!” Inferno leaped over an overarching root, paws pounding as he landed a tad clumsily on the other side. He scrambled to his paws, his pelt growing hot with embarrassment.

Echo skidded to a halt, nearly crashing into him.

“Are you okay?” she panted. 

“Yup!” He launched himself forward and kept running. “Come on!”

“Wait for me!” Echo squealed.

***

“Look! There’s the Leader’s Mound!” Inferno peered between the trees, gazing at the massive striped gray and tan mound towering as tall as the tallest trees in the forest. 

The two kittens had now slowed down, strolling side by side through the woods. 

“Isn’t it so cool! I can’t wait to see it up close one day!”

“Are we going the right way?” Echo asked.

Inferno blinked. He stretched his neck to gaze as far ahead as he could, but he couldn’t see the wide, green-brown expanse of grass dotted with gray boulders just yet.

“We’re lost, aren’t we?” Echo pressed, her ear tufts lowering and her tail beginning to tuck itself between her hind legs. 

Inferno sighed. What do we do now?

“We should’ve checked for sure before we left that we knew where we were going.” Echo closed her eyes, as though lost in thought. After a few heartbeats she opened them again and mewed, “I have an idea!” She lifted her gaze at the partly cloudy sky. 

“No!” Inferno leaped to knock her out of the way but stumbled clumsily when Echo jumped back in surprise. “Don’t look directly at the sun or your eyes could explode!”

“No, wait! We can figure out which way to go based on the sun!” she told him. “The moor is to the east, right? All we have to do is check where the sun is, and we can figure out which direction is which from there.” 

She lifted her nose to the sky once more. “See? It’s past noon, so the sun is off to that side a little.” She pointed to the left of them with her tail. “The sun sets in the west, right?” 

Inferno nodded.

“So that means we need to go the opposite way in which the sun is.” She flicked her tail to the right. “So I think it’s that way.”

“Whoa! How did you know that?” Inferno stared at her in bewilderment. Who was this cerrien?

She studied her paws. “Just something my brother told me once.” She sniffed the air again. "I think I smell a patrol in the opposite direction..."

“Then let’s go!”

“Not so fast!” 

Inferno jumped and whipped around. A tall, yellow and orange-striped cerrien, wearing the same dark green hat as his father, loomed over them. Inferno noticed Echo glancing behind her, but his mother was alone.

“Hi, Mom!” Inferno squeaked. He pointed with his tail to Echo, who had backed a step away. 

“I told you this was a bad idea,” Echo muttered.

“Mom! I met a brand-new friend!” Inferno bounced on his paws. “Her name’s Echo!”

“Gr—greetings, Advisor.” Echo glanced up at her shyly. 

His mother purred. “Oh, you don’t have to call me that, little one. Just call me Bright.”

Echo blinked, then nodded. 

Bright sighed. “What have I told you about running off?” She bent her head and licked Inferno between the ears. “Come on, we’re going home.”

“But we’re adventurers!” Inferno protested. “We’re heading for the moor!”

“The moor’s too far for you.” Bright swished her tail over Inferno’s back and ushered him back the way they came. “The only place we’re heading now is home.”

“But Rose gets to go out all the time when she’s doing medic stuff!”

“Rose helps out with the medicine supplies in one of their storage caves. She’s always under supervision and never leaves unless an adult medic is with her.” Bright’s voice dropped to a mutter as she added. “She also doesn’t try wandering off every chance she gets.”

“We’re sorry.” Echo murmured. 

“Okay.” Inferno turned to Echo. “Wasn’t that fun, though?”

Inferno caught a gleam in Echo’s eyes. She gave a tiny purr. 

Part Two

“What do you want to play now?” Inferno bounced around Echo back in the cave. “We could draw, or practice hunting, or pretend we’re fighting off fierce Scorpoterrians—”

“Er—actually. I should probably go home soon.” Echo glanced again at the cave entrance. “I don’t think my mom would be happy if I were gone for much longer.”

Inferno hung his head. “Oh…okay. Can you come back tomorrow?” 

A thoughtfulness clouded Echo’s gaze for a moment. 

“Sure.”

“It was so much fun playing with you!” Inferno flicked her gray, striped back with his tail. 

Echo nodded. “It was.” She padded to the entrance. 

"Do you need help getting back to your den?" Bright called from the other side of the den. "Is your mother coming to pick you up?"

"N—no. That's okay," Echo stammered. "She isn't coming, but I think I can make it back home by myself." She turned her head back to Inferno. “Bye."

Within a moment she was gone. 

“I wish she didn’t have to leave.” Inferno dragged his paws to where his parents and sister were sitting down to share a rabbit. 

“She’ll be back tomorrow,” his father meowed. 

“I guess.” He sat down by Rose. 

“Who was she, anyway?” Rose, a little taller than him, tilted her head down to meet his gaze. 

“My new friend,” Inferno replied. “I met her earlier today, and we played adventurers together!”

Inferno’s father flicked his tail. “Yes, and you also snuck out again, didn’t you?”

His mother rolled her eyes. “And who fell asleep while he was supposed to be watching him?” 

Volcano sighed. “That was one time!” He turned his gaze to Inferno’s. “Your new friend sounded nervous.”

“She’s just shy,” Bright mewed. “Maybe she doesn’t get to talk to cerriens very often.”

“But she seemed almost…scared of something.” He glanced nervously at the cave entrance. “She seemed fine around Inferno, but when she had to talk to me, it was as though she was scared of me.”

“Maybe because we’re members of the Court.” Bright took a bite of the rabbit. 

“I’m guessing it was your idea to sneak away.” Volcano stared pointedly at Inferno. 

Inferno nodded shyly.

“Did Echo go along with your idea?” 

Inferno thought back to earlier that day. Aren’t you worried about getting in trouble? His friend’s words echoed in his head. “She—she didn't like it at first—”

“So you talked her into it?”

Inferno glanced at his paws. “Sort of.”

“Inferno.” Volcano stared at him gravely, “Don’t try to coerce other cerriens to join in when you’re doing something you aren’t supposed to. You shouldn’t be roaming the territory on your own. It could put you, and your friend in danger.”

“But we weren’t in danger!” Inferno protested. 

“Not every kitten is as adventurous as you,” Bright pointed out. “Echo might have been scared.”

Inferno thought back to their race. She wasn’t scared then. 

But she did seem uneasy at first…

“You know you tend to get a little…overexcited when you meet a new friend,” Volcano murmured. 

Alarm shot through Inferno’s body, like a stone had just been hurled at him. “But this time’s different! She had fun! We had this super fun race!”

Bright sighed. “Just make sure you aren’t scaring her, okay?”

“Okay!” Inferno nodded. He felt a tremor of guilt. 

I didn’t mean to scare you. 

***

“She hasn’t shown up yet.” Inferno stared at the entrance, his tail swishing to and fro. The sun was now beginning to sink beneath the trees, its yellow and orange rays casting long shadows along the ground. He pricked his ears for any sound of pawsteps or bushes rustling that might suggest her arrival. 

“This is taking forever!”

“Be patient,” his father mewed. 

“Maybe she forgot.” Inferno lowered his head sadly. Maybe she really doesn’t want to be my friend. Just like every other time. I scared her away.

“I’m sure she didn’t forget,” Rose purred. 

“I don’t know.” Inferno curled his tiny claws into the stone, leaving white scratches. “Maybe I should go and find her!” 

There had to be a way to keep his new friend.

Volcano got to his paws. “Do you want me to come with you?”

“Don’t let him wander again!” Bright sighed. 

“I won’t!”

“Oh yeah? Last time I had you watch him, you couldn’t even keep your eyes open!”

The fur at Volcano’s nape stood on end, and he hissed annoyedly to himself, “I’m a busy cerrien!”

Inferno turned and glanced from his father to his mother as they faced each other. 

Bet they wouldn’t even notice if I left right now!

Inferno whipped back around and quietly slipped outside and around the cave. 

He parted his jaws, letting the scents of grass and wind settle on the roof of his mouth. He tasted a faint, familiar scent. 

Echo! 

He’d found her trail. 

Inferno followed it, blocking out the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling, or the tempting scents attempting to pluck him from his hunt and thrust him into another adventure. 

I can’t lose focus!

A bird flitted from one tree to the next, releasing a shrill call that made Inferno jump. 

Stupid bird! I’m on a special mission!

Finally he arrived at a wide cavern settled in an earthy clearing surrounded by oaks and ferns. But there was something strange that made Inferno’s tail twitch. 

The narrow entrance was covered with a mass of sticks and brambles. 

Echo’s family must have a weird taste in decor!

Inferno trotted closer to the strange pile, perplexed. He peered through the stems. 

How do they get in and out?

He was about to call Echo’s name when he heard an unfamiliar female voice—deep and rough, like the sharpest claw being run along stone. 

“Now listen, Echo. I’m going hunting for a while. Stay put.”

Inferno felt warmth flicker in his ear tufts as he heard Echo’s voice, but that warmth died away when Inferno sensed something strange in his friend’s tone. “Does that mean I’ll get food?”

The older voice hesitated. “If I find enough.”

If I find enough? What did she mean?

Inferno’s heart jumped as a pair of piercing pale green eyes flashed in his direction. “Is someone there?”

Inferno leaped back, scrambling to the side of the den. He sensed an ominousness in the older cerrien’s presence, like something was telling him that he shouldn’t be caught by this cerrien.

After moments—though it felt like a lifetime to Inferno—the cerrien’s voice rumbled again. “Huh. Nothing. Maybe there’s a mouse somewhere.” Her voice quieted, as though she had turned back towards Echo. “I’m leaving now.”

A single protest escaped Echo’s mouth. “But—”

“But nothing,” she snapped. “You will sit here quietly until I get back. No complaints. Understood?”

“Y—yes.”

“Good.” 

Inferno backed away a few steps as some of the brambles shifted. A massive cerrien, maybe even taller than his parents, stepped into the sunlight. She was a pale cream color, patched with white, and a large fluffy white mane surrounded her neck. The setting sun’s rays lapped at her thick pelt so that she looked like she was on fire. Her tail was tipped with a tuft of cream fur, different from the pointed tip most cerriens had. The cerrien raised her regal head, surveying her surroundings, before padding off in the opposite direction from him and disappearing into the ferns. 

Inferno waited a few moments, then scrabbled to his paws and darted for the brambles. 

“Echo!” he called through the gaps. “Echo!”

There was a shuffle of paws, then, “Inferno?” His friend sounded shocked. “What are you doing here?”

“I was wondering why you didn’t come like you said, and I came, and heard that huge cerrien talking to you—”

“You have to get out of here!” Echo’s voice climbed higher and higher in pitch. “She’ll come back soon and spot you!”

“But what’s been going on?” Inferno squeaked. “Have you been locked here all day?”

Echo’s voice finally lowered. “Yes. She’s…she’s my mother. She…when me and Bramble…” She took a deep breath. “I don’t think she likes me very much.” 

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. Even before Bramble went missing, she liked him better, but now that it’s just me, it’s like she hates me even more.”

“Hates you?” Inferno’s eyes widened. “What kind of mother hates her own kitten?”

“I don’t know what’s wrong,” Echo murmured. “I didn’t do anything bad.”

Suddenly Inferno understood. 

These brambles—they aren’t weird decor after all! Her mom put them here as some barrier, like an army would do so that no intruding forces couldn’t get in! 

“That’s so unfair!” Inferno squeaked. 

“I know, and I’m hungry,” Echo mewed. “Mom went hunting this morning and only gave me a few bites.”

“I could find you some food,” Inferno offered. 

There was surprise in Echo’s mew. “You can hunt?”

“No, but I could try!” Inferno turned around and sniffed the air. 

“Don’t! That might take too long!” Echo urged. “She’ll be back soon, and I think it’s just better if you just go.”

“But I can’t just leave you here!”

“If she catches you, both of us will be in serious trouble! And if I had to guess, I’m betting you didn’t get your parents’ permission before you came here. You don’t want to get in trouble for sneaking out again, do you?”

Inferno lowered his tail. There has to be something I can do…

“I’ll be okay,” Echo reassured him. “Just get out of here!”

“I’ll come back,” Inferno promised. “You don’t deserve to live with a big meanie like her.”

Without another word he turned and fled the clearing.

Part Three

The sky was laced in hues of orange, pink, purple, and blue when Inferno returned to his family’s wide cavern, the outside bathed in the very last of the sun’s rays. 

“Inferno, where were you?” Volcano’s frantic amber gaze shone through the entrance. “How many times do you have to be told?”

“Wait, Dad! There’s something I need to tell you!” Inferno squeaked, scrambling inside. 

“It’s far too late to play with Echo,” his father sighed. “She should be at her den—”

“She is, Dad, but—”

“You’ve had enough adventure for one day.” His mother swept her tail around Inferno’s shoulders and nudged him close to her. “It’s time for sleep.”

“But I’m not tired! And Mom, Echo—”

“You can play with Echo another day.” Bright bent her head and licked her son between the ears. “But you’re not allowed to leave the den tomorrow. Understand?”

Inferno squirmed in frustration. Why don’t they get it? It’s like all they think I care about is adventure!

“Off to the nest, now. Let’s go.” 

Inferno’s mother nudged Inferno towards the mass of moss and ferns where Rose was watching him with a teasing glint in her eyes. 

“You’re always sneaking off!” Rose purred. “Before long, Mom and Dad will have to barricade the den to keep you from escaping!”

Barricade the den! 

Was Echo okay? Had she gotten food after all? 

Before Inferno could say anything, his mother scooped him up by the scruff of his neck and plopped him gently beside his sister. 

“Time to sleep now,” Bright mewed. “No more teasing.”

“Good night!” Rose chirped, curling herself up into a ball. 

“Good night,” Inferno mumbled. 

Volcano padded over to give each kitten a lick between the ears before he and Bright padded over to their nest. 

Inferno watched them laying down to sleep, waiting until their breathing deepened. I’m not letting this go!

Finally he turned to Rose and poked her with his paw. “Rose, I need to tell you something!”

“Go to sleep,” Rose grumbled, rolling to the other side. “You can tell me about your adventure tomorrow.”

“But—”

“Shh! I’m trying to sleep!”

Inferno sighed. What do I do now? He stared at the wall—at his drawings of Fintaria. Echo’s all alone with that big mean cerrien! 

But she seemed almost…scared of something. 

His father’s words repeated themselves in his head. 

Not every cerrien is as adventurous as you. 

Inferno felt a wave of guilt. 

She’s scared of her mother. She was scared the whole time, and I barely noticed! And she had family members missing! Was she scared she would go missing, too? 

He shifted himself to gaze outside. I didn’t know mothers could be evil. 

Parents were there to care for their kittens. So why does Echo’s mother not care? My parents annoy me sometimes, but they’d never yell at me or act like I don’t exist! They aren’t evil!

Something had to be done! I can’t leave her alone! Her life at her den must be awful! She has no brother to play with, no dad, and a mom who should be taught how to be a mom!

His parents hadn’t listened. 

All they think I like is adventure. I could try again tomorrow, but Echo might need help now!

Inferno closed his eyes, remembering their race, the adventure they had together. I wish we could do that again. Away from mean parents!

Inferno sat up in his nest. I’m not waiting until tomorrow! Echo’s life in that cave must be miserable! We can go off on our own adventure! And we can look for Echo’s brother and dad too! 

Inferno carefully slipped from his nest, quietly trotted outside. 

We’re going to have the best adventure ever!

***

Inferno used his night vision, alongside his glowing ear tufts to light the path ahead. He felt warm all over, exhilaration coursing through his body. He broke into a run as he neared his friend’s den, following the scent trail he had left earlier that day. 

I’m here!

Inferno scampered to face the mass of brambles still concealing the entrance from the outside world. He glanced inside, spotting two sleeping shapes, one massive and the other small. 

Now how do I get in?

He reached out a paw and batted the stems, covered in leaves. A small pinch poked at his paw pad. 

Dumb brambles! Inferno glared crossly at the barricade as he lapped his paw to soothe the pain. He padded around the mass in a semicircle. There has to be some way…

He tentatively reached his paw underneath to poke through the leaves. There’s a gap underneath them! He purred to himself. The one time my small size is actually useful for something!

Inferno ducked and squeezed his way under the brambles, doing his best to ignore the thorns and to smoothen his pelt so that it wouldn’t get snagged. It was like a secret puzzle to get past each stem. He wove his way under, up, and around the tangle of brambles, each step proving closer to reaching the entrance. 

I bet adventurers do stuff like this all the time!

Inferno was suddenly blanketed in a shroud of darkness, only slightly forced away by his ear tufts, eyes, and tail-tip and the lights from the sleeping cerriens. 

I’m in! Whoa! This place is huge!

A tiny gray shape was curled by the back wall, vaguely lit by blue spikes and horns. The other side of the den was a large cream and white figure with light green horns, snoring loudly. 

Even when Echo’s mom is asleep, she still looks terrifying!

Inferno pattered over to his friend’s side and nudged her. “Echo, wake up!”

“Five more moments.” She curled up into a tighter ball. 

“Echo! We’re gonna go on an adventure!”

Echo slowly blinked open her eyes, blurred from sleep but glowing in the cave’s gloom. “What—?” She suddenly sprang awake, the sleepiness gone in every part of her body. “Inferno?”

“Echo, guess what?” Inferno bounced. “I thought of this really cool idea! We’re gonna go on this really cool adventure, and it’s gonna be so fun—”

“Shh!” Echo’s eyes widened in panic. She cast a sidelong glance at her sleeping mother, who had shifted in her nest. She turned back to Inferno. “What are you doing here? What time is it?”

“It’s night time. But Echo! I thought about your mom and such, and—”

“You have to get out of here!” Echo’s fur fluffed up. “What if she wakes up?”

“She won’t if we leave!” Inferno pointed with his tail to the entrance. “We’re going to leave our dens, and we’re going to go on this amazing journey! This amazing adventure! You can escape your terrible mom! Leave her behind! Then you won’t be afraid anymore.”

“Leave our dens? As in—run away?” Echo gasped, before quickly lowering her voice again. “That’s a terrible idea.”

“Why? Your mom is so mean to you, and you obviously don’t like her, do you? If we leave, you’ll never have to worry about her ever again!”

“But running away?” Echo tipped her head to one side. “We can’t just leave our homes behind. They’re our homes. They’re where we belong. What about your family?”

“What about your family! Your mom is evil, and your brother and dad are missing!”

“Your family would miss you, and you’d miss them, wouldn’t you?” Echo’s face contorted into one of discomfort.

“Yeah, but don’t you want to explore the world…?” 

Not every cerrien is as adventurous as you. 

His tail drooped. 

“I’m sorry, Inferno,” Echo mewed. “I’m just not sure—”

“I don’t—” Inferno fumbled for words. “I don’t think you’re safe here. It’s not fair.”

Echo nodded. “I guess…” Her gaze clouded in thought. “I don’t know what to do. About my mom, or anything.” 

She sat down in her nest, lowering her gaze. “I don’t think I can spend my whole life with her…” Echo lifted her head. “I’ll…try going with you.”

Yes! 

Inferno bounced on his paws again, but still taking care to keep his voice at a whisper. “This’ll be so fun! We can see the moor, and Thermoterria’s tree-dens, and the mountains, and the desert—”

“Slow down!” Echo purred. “It’ll take us ages to get that far!”

“We should go to the edge of the moor first! We never made it that far!”

Echo gave a small nod. “Okay.” She glanced at the brambles guarding the den. “How’d you even get in?”

“I found a gap underneath, then went up and down and around from there!”

Echo’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “I had to pick thorns off my fur when I got out.”

“C’mon, let’s go already!” Inferno dashed for the entrance. “Follow me!”

***

The moon was almost all the way up in the sky, poking through the treetops as Echo and Inferno padded through the quiet forest. Inferno led the way, his night vision guiding him and his fire-like ear tufts and tail tip guiding Echo. 

“If the moon rises in the opposite direction the sun sets, then it rises in the east, right?” Inferno mewed. 

“Yeah!” Echo mewed. “Which is why we should head towards the moon.”

“Wanna have another race?” 

“Okay!” Echo quickened her pace so that she was at Inferno’s side.

“Three—two—one—go!”

Both kittens sped through the forest, paws pounding in the soft grass. Inferno slid underneath an overarching root, but a shadow fell upon him as Echo jumped over it and sped ahead of him. Inferno felt a prickle of jealousy. 

Curse my shorter legs! 

At least he could run. He quickened his pace, going as fast as his shorter legs would take him, until he was slowly speeding ahead of Echo. 

“How are you so fast?” Echo said between breaths. “Your legs are shorter than mine!”

“I get a lot of practice when I’m bored!” Inferno answered. “Sometimes I run in circles around my den.”

“Doesn’t that get boring?”

“Not when you’re imagining an army of Scorpoterrians chasing you!”

Echo skidded to a halt. “Let’s stop—to catch our breath.” She began licking her ruffled pelt, dappled silver in the moonlight filtering through the tree branches overhead. 

Inferno almost crashed in the tree just ahead, stumbling on the roots. He turned to join her. “Who won?”

“I guess you did,” Echo said. “You were the last to stop. We should’ve decided where the race would end before we started.”

Inferno let out a meow of amusement. “How close to the moor do you think we are?”

“Do you see it?”

Inferno peered past the tree and into the distance. “I don’t think so.”

“Wait.” Echo paused to sniff the air. 

“What?”

“I smell a stream!” Echo trotted ahead, not once taking her eyes off the distance. “C’mon!”

Inferno followed reluctantly. What’s so cool about a stream?

He found his friend sitting upon a smooth stone resting against the bank of the water, moonlight flashing in its reflection. A bit of spray reached as high as Echo’s muzzle, but she didn’t seem to care. 

“I see little fish!” Echo purred. Inferno’s stomach clenched as she reached a paw into the rippling stream. Is she gonna swim in that?

Sure enough, she slid from the stone into the water, her paws starting to churn as she paddled. Water washed over her back, but she kept her head high, her eyes glowing. The stream was now lit up blue by her spikes, horns, and tail-tip. 

“I’ve never swum at night before!” 

“Doesn’t it feel weird?” Inferno stared at her in utter amazement. 

“It’s cold, but the only way to get used to it is to get in quickly.” Echo watched him with glittering blue eyes. “You should get in!”

“No way!” Inferno winced. “I’m not a fish!”

“Well, neither am I!”

“Water’s too wet!”

“Isn’t that the point? At least dip your paws in!”

Pelt ruffled with apprehension, Inferno padded down and bounded onto the stone. It was smooth, cold, and damp beneath his paws, and he could now feel cold spray on his paws. “Are you sure about this?”

“It’s only water! I bet adventurers go in water all the time!”

That’s true. They were adventurers. He couldn’t afford to be scared of a little water! He carefully lowered one paw in. The surface brushed his paws. 

Wet! Very wet!

“Get in! Get in! Get in!” Echo chanted. 

Inferno leaned forward to dip his paw in further, but his other three paws slipped on the wet stone, and he tumbled headfirst into the stream with a splash. 

The cold water sent a wave of shock through Inferno’s body. He flailed his paws. Which way is up? He tried to open his eyes, but they immediately filled with water, stinging and blurring his vision. Panic filled his chest. 

I can’t breathe! I’m drowning!

Something nudged him, and Inferno’s side nudged against the stone. He could hear Echo’s voice, the words impossible to understand through the water filling his ears. 

Another nudge, and Inferno’s head broke the surface. He sucked in a breath of air, coughing and sputtering. 

“Grab on to the rock!” Echo’s eyes were wide with fear. Her soaking pelt was on the side opposite of the stone, supporting him.

Inferno reached his paws up desperately, curling his claws into cracks in the stone’s side. Echo scrambled herself onto the rock, now standing over him. 

“Grab on!” She reached out her paw. 

Inferno grasped his friend’s paw, and with a massive heave she hauled him out of the water. 

“Are you okay?” Echo’s pelt brushed against his as she crouched by his side. 

Inferno tried to answer, but it came out as a cough, water spilling from his mouth. His pelt was now freezing, clinging to his skin and dripping. 

I’m never going near water ever again!

“I’m so sorry!” Echo’s voice was wracked with guilt. “This is my fault. I should’ve never suggested you dip your paws in—”

“It’s okay!” Inferno finally forced the words out.  “You saved my life! I could’ve died, and you saved me!”

“Exactly!” Echo squeaked. “You could’ve died!”

“But you told me to dip my paws in, not to slip and fall! It was an accident.”

“But it never would’ve happened if—”

“You saved me,” he said. “That’s what counts, right?”

“Should we just go back home?”

“What? And miss going to the moor again?” Inferno exclaimed. “No way! Remember what you’d be going home to?”

Echo shuddered “I guess you’re right…”

“Now c’mon, let’s go!” Inferno scrambled to his paws, slipping again on the wet stone. 

“Slow down!” Echo pressed against him to steady his paws. She purred teasingly. “I didn’t know you’d want to go for another swim so soon!” 

She turned her head up the bank. “Let’s get out of here.”

Part Four

They stopped a little way away from the stream at Echo’s request.

“Why can’t we keep going?” Inferno complained. 

“You nearly drowned and are shivering your pelt off!” Echo purred. “Don’t you know when to take a break?”

Inferno didn’t reply. He was shivering. I don’t think I’ve ever been so cold or wet in my life!

Echo huddled by his side. Her pelt was soaked too, but she had shaken some of it off before she sat down. 

Suddenly Inferno realized how tired he was. His body felt heavy as though he was holding a whole tree on his shoulders. He closed his eyes, pressing closer to Echo’s pelt, and felt his consciousness drift away. 

***

The moon was directly overhead when Inferno opened his eyes again. He was warmer than before, with his ear tufts and tail-tip having recovered their heat. His pelt had dried in unkempt clumps, and he took a moment to lick his fur clean before turning to his friend. 

Echo was asleep on her side, her flank rising and falling gently. Her paw twitched. 

Inferno nudged her. “Wake up! We gotta finish the adventure!”

There was a flash of blue light as Echo opened her eyes. “What time is it?”

“I think it's midnight.” Inferno glanced up again at the moon just to be sure. “We gotta be close now!”

“We have to get over that stream.” Echo lifted her head and got to her paws. “Are you sure you wanna keep going?”

Inferno gave his tail a single lash. “I’m sure!” No way am I changing my mind now!

“Okay…then we’ll have to find a bridge.”

“Which way is it?” 

Echo pricked her ears, eyes narrowed in concentration for just a moment. “That way.” She pointed behind them.

“Maybe there’s a fallen tree or log we can cross,” Inferno suggested as they neared the hauntingly familiar sound of rushing water. “I hear adventurers do that a lot.”

“I’m sorry again for you falling in the stream.” Echo hung her head in shame. 

Inferno curled his tail over his back. “It wasn’t your fault!”

“It feels like it.”

“Not to me, though! Like I said, it was an accident!”

“I’m still sorry, though.”

“Oh, c’mon! We came here to get to the moor, didn’t we? Let’s focus on that!” Inferno charged forward. 

“Wait!” Echo hurried to catch up. “We have to be careful, remember?”

“Okay!” Inferno slowed his step again. 

“How about I lead?” Echo suggested. “If anything’s slippery, I’d be the first to fall in, and I can swim.”

***

Inferno inched himself across the log, his pelt fluffed out. Echo was waiting on the other side, watching him intently as though prepared to help if he dared slipped. 

Just a little farther…

At last he saw the drop just beneath his paws. He pushed off with his hind paws, although they slid ungracefully behind him, and he tumbled down, stumbling. Echo hurried to support his one side. 

“Thanks!” Inferno gasped. 

“You’re so clumsy!” Echo purred. 

“I think I see the moor!” Inferno raced ahead, joy flickering in his chest. “Echo, I see it!”

“Yay!” Echo followed from behind. 

Inferno exploded from the trees, stumbling to a halt at the breathtaking view. 

Wow!

It was a wide, grassy expanse of land, filled with hills and valleys. Clumps of black and silver boulders were scattered here and there. The grass was lined with a layer of silvery blue moonlight. Above, the white stars twinkled, and the big wide moon surveyed the land like a giant eye, guarding the moor from all who sought to cause trouble. 

Echo joined him at his side. “Whoa.”

“Isn’t it so cool?” It was just how he’d seen it in his dreams! “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

“Hold on.” Echo held her tail just in front of him. She lifted her chin, tasting the air. “No danger!”

“Yay!” Inferno bounded down the slope, Echo by his side. He relished in the wide open skies and the wind beneath his fur. So much space to run! And plenty of boulders to hide behind! Imagine all the fun games we could play here!

“How far do you think it goes?” Echo squinted as though trying to find the end, but it was lost in shadow. 

“Let’s find out!” 

They raced up and down hills, side by side, swerving the many boulders and stones that stuck out against the grassy horizon. 

“I wish we were big enough to climb over the boulders.” Inferno gazed up at the top of one as they sped past it. 

“One day we might be.” Echo replied. 

“I wonder why Mom or Dad would never take me here.” Inferno mewed. “It’s such a fun place to be!”

“Well, it was a far walk to get here,” Echo pointed out. “A far, dangerous walk.”

“It’s nothing we can’t handle!”

“Whoa! Those boulders look kinda like a cerrien’s ears!” Echo stopped and gazed up at the tall, jagged stones that cast a shadow on the kitten so that Inferno could just see her glowing spikes, tail-tip, and the tips of her horns. 

“Whoa.” Inferno paused at her side. “That’s so cool! I’ll have to add that to my drawing!”

“Inferno,” Echo turned her glowing blue eyes towards him. “Thanks for getting me out of there.”

Inferno blinked. “Well, duh! I couldn’t just leave you there! Your mom is evil!”

“I’ve…never really known any other cerriens besides my family,” she murmured. “When they disappeared—I’d never felt so alone…” She shuffled her paws. “Th—thank you—for being so kind to me.”

“Of course!” Inferno purred. “I’m happy I met you too. Otherwise I never would’ve had such a fun adventure!” He leaned to one side to peer past the boulder. “And now we can have even more adventures! It’ll be so fun, and—”

“Inferno,” Echo interrupted him. “You know we can’t leave for good.”

Inferno felt as though something had stabbed him in the stomach. “What—? But that’s—How will you—?”

“I know it’s not safe for me to go home,” Echo murmured. “My mom doesn’t like me, for whatever reason…” She paused before going on. “It’s dangerous there, but right now I don’t think there’s a clear escape.” 

She sighed. 

“It may not be good for me right now, but out there…” Echo pointed over Inferno’s head. “Out there it can be even more scary. You almost drowned today. Even if I did save you, there’s no guarantee that we’d be as lucky if something like that were to happen again. The world is a scary place Inferno. My own mother acting the way she does is proof of that, right?”

“But…but what do we do?”

“We have to go back. We’re only kittens. Dragons and evil cerriens aren’t here right now, but that just means they’re out there.”

Out there… Inferno dropped his gaze to his paws. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this, Echo. I just wanted you to escape your mother, and…”

“Sorry?” 

Echo batted Inferno’s shoulder playfully with her paw. “This was so much fun! We did escape, Inferno! Because now when we go home, I’ll know I’m not alone anymore. I have a friend who’s brave and adventurous and isn’t afraid to help. The world is a scary place, but now it can be a little bit less scary.”

Inferno purred. “I promise I’ll do anything I can to help you, Echo. As soon as I get home, I’ll tell my parents everything about her. I’m sure they’ll help you, too! I tried to tell them earlier, but they wouldn’t really let me talk. I promise I won’t stop until they know everything!”

Echo nodded. “Thank you, Inferno.” She briefly touched noses with him. “It…makes me happy that you want to help so much.”

“And I want to thank you too,” Inferno squeaked. “It feels like every time I try to make a new friend, I scare them away! They don’t like the same games as I do.” His tail twitched. “But you like them, don’t you? I’m sorry I seemed to scare you at first, but I really want to help you and be your friend! You’re super smart—with the sun thing and now all this talk about how we belong here. You can help me! We can help each other!” 

Inferno felt a surge of joy. Maybe this new friend would finally be an escape from the pattern of other kittens drifting away from him.

“Yeah!” Echo’s eyes shone. “It’s not fair that other kittens don’t like your games. I guess they are a bit scary, but they can still be fun as long as we don’t do anything without thinking much about it.” Echo turned away from the boulder and gazed into the trees. “Now c’mon. Let’s go home.”