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The golden crescent moon overhead did nothing to quell Abby's unease as she laid, stomach down, on the ridge overlooking the Black Sands. In the distance, she could make out the Cloudian huts that dappled the ground, smoke curling from sandstone chimneys. And beside them, in makeshift tents, banners raised, armor clinking, was an army of Aelurian forces.

Abby hadn't understood why they were here, but Axion seemed to think it was inevitable. "Most Aelurians wanted war with the Cloude," he'd said.

When Abby asked why, he'd added, "why not? Looks like they have their chance."

But they hadn't marched on the encampment, they'd stayed, close enough to been seen by the Cloudians, a show of force meant to intimidate, nothing more. Where was Lucy? He was pretending to be King; hadn't he managed to wrangle the other house leaders?

Or -- she tensed -- had he made things worse? Had this become a Rochelle situation, where all had been fine and good until he opened his mouth and called her Dianne? And then, he'd been run from her house, and had to stand in Ean's streets until Rochelle gave him his pants back?

Lucy made mistakes, but never when it really mattered to him. And this, protecting Aelurus, saving Sebbi mattered. If it hadn't, she wouldn't have stumbled upon him so despondent on the plant shop's porch, trying to drink the truth away.

Not long after they'd arrived, Margo had run off, to warn the Cloudians of the army. Abby felt her absence deeply, it was like missing a molar on the eve of a mighty feast, but she hoped above all else, Margo made it in time.

Despite Margo never talking much about herself aside from her love and cheese and the Wizard Kellog and her hatred of Aelurian whiskers, Abby knew the endangerment of the Cloude scared her.

They were her people, and it was her home. Abby didn't want to see Margo lose that again, not after Hestor.

She'd make it. Abby shook the hairs out of her face, the ends of Sebbi's birthday gift smacking her in the cheeks. They'd be fine. Everyone would be fine. Her elbows dug deeper into the sand as she rested her head in her hands.

But, what if...what if the Shadow King found her? What if Margo decided to throw away her life in some valiant attempt at heroism? What if they never had their celebratory feast of all things cheese? What if Margo never borrowed another Wizard Kellog book from Abby? What if. What if. What if.

"Stop it." Abby blinked as Sebbi flicked her forehead. He wore a grimace, but his eyes were kind, perhaps too kind. Looking into them, made Abby feel like crying. Like folding in on herself and allowing herself to be held. She felt like she had all those times hiding under the servant's stairwell after she'd done something bad and was afraid those closest to her were about to disappear. Helpless. "She'll be fine."

"How do you—" She gulped, and something like fire rained down on her insides.

"I don't." Sebbi clenched his jaw, his gaze flitting over the ridge. One of the cottage's lights had gone out. Abby hoped it meant Margo was reaching the refugees before Gravious's forces did. "But your mind's feeding you all sorts of horrible lies, isn't it?" She nodded, lifted her head and nervously looked at her hands. She raked them through the sand, the rough granules scrubbing away a layer of flesh, making her feel red and raw. Exposed. "So you've got to feed yourself alternate lies then."

Her eyebrow quirked. For the briefest second, Sebbi's mouth tilted. A slight peek of fang flashed under the moonlight. Had he broke his sour and dour expression to smile? For her?

Her heart rattled against her ribcage at the thought. She hadn't been able to apologize to him after Oskar's-everything had moved so fast- but she was glad it seemed like things had smoothed between them. And after they defeated Gravious, and things settled in Aelurus, they'd have time to talk. To really talk. To get close, just like Abby always dreamed they'd be.

"Reinforce the positive. Shrug all that negative." He frowned, his nose scrunched, his whiskers bunching just below his muzzle. "It's something Reven taught me, after pounding it into my head relentlessly."

She smiled. "Sounds like Mimi."

At this, he flinched and realization washed over his features. "You know," he said, wading his claws through the sand at his chin, "I never thought about it like that, but yeah, you're right. Reven is the Aelurian version of Mimi."

Abby nudged his shoulder, her unease taking a back seat to the warmth of the moment. The shared exchange of words between her and Sebbi. A bright spot among the dark. "I feel for you."

"Yeah?" He flashed her a full smile, which showed off both his fangs. On any other Aelurian she might have found the sight frightful, but on Sebbi? She found it endearing. Cute, even, though she'd keep that to herself. "Well, feel for my poor ears because they get the brunt of it."

Sebbi glanced down. She glanced up. Their gazes met and a moment of silence passed between them. Abby shifted, and she'd wanted desperately to sit up and brush all this sand off her and have something to do to stamp out this awkwardness, but Axion'd cautioned them about moving too much, about making themselves targets so far out in the open. Shadows loved fighting what they thought would be easy victories.

Axion'd gone on ahead to find out where his father's army was and how much time, if any, they had.

Another cottage light blinked out. And then another, and time seemed to stall as Abby and Sebbi looked at each other. Not a word tickled the back of Abby's throat. Mimi might have found her silence impossible, but Abby was realizing when it came to Sebbi, the impossible happened quite frequently. Which meant, it hadn't very well been impossible to begin with, had it?

Sebbi was the first to break their impromptu staring contest. He cast his gaze over the ridge, and cleared his throat. "Margo's going to be okay."

She nodded and twisted a fistful of tunic beneath her hands. "And Axion."

"Oh?" The fur above Sebbi's eye raised. "You want that idiot to be okay?" He shrugged. "Sure, I guess he'll do just fine."

Abby snorted. "That idiot saved your life."

"No." Abby found herself drawn to Sebbi's face, and though he didn't look at her, his ears were held in her direction, and his hand was at the scruff on his neck, scratching away like it did whenever he grew shy. "You saved me." He turned, his gold eyes direct, brighter than the moon itself. "You've always saved me."

Abby shook her head. Surely that wasn't the case. Abby hadn't done much. She'd rescued him when he was a kit, but she'd done that with Lucy too. Besides, who wouldn't rescue an animal in distress?

After that, she'd attempted to tie ribbons to his tail which he very much abhorred. She'd gotten them kidnapped and her father killed all because she took Rowland's gift.

All she'd ever done was put him in danger. If she had saved him, why couldn't he confide in her all the trouble he was facing in Aelurus? Why had he hidden his problems from her? If she was so great, she would have been able to help him then. It was only recently she'd done anything, and even that she barely understood.

Sebbi was wrong. Abby hadn't saved him. She'd just tried to, over and over again because...She gulped. Because he was, well, Sebbi. The mangy, beetle-chasing cat she'd adored since she could remember. And as long as he let her, she'd always try to save him. Love was just like that.

"Where's the mouse-wizardess?" Axion stood above them, a grim expression chasing the light from his stars. He looked like a walking, talking black hole as he gazed at the horizon.

Abby shook her head. "Don't know." The gnawing unease unfurled in her stomach. What if. What if. What if. "Haven't heard anything. You?"

Axion clicked his tongue and tugged his shirt sleeve, his gaze never leaving the Cloudian refugee camp.

"Where's your father's army?" Sebbi cut in, eyes narrowed.

Axion bristled. "Couldn't find them."

"What?" Sebbi's ears shot up, his tail arrow-straight. "What do you mean?"

Axion frowned. "I mean just what I said, your Cat-liness. Or do you need your ears cleaned?" Anger crackled in Axion's voice. It was the first time Abby'd ever heard the Night Lord speak so brusquely.

The fur along Sebbi's back bristled. "Kind of hard to misplace an army that large, wouldn't you say, Crazion?" He snarled, his jaws snapping.

Axion's lips quirked into a smile, despite the stars on his skin aligning in hard, downturned lines. "Oh, I've misplaced more important things every now and then." His voice returned to its usual upbeat cadence. "Haven't you, your highness?" Axion's eyes flicked over to Abby, before settling back on Sebbi. 

"Don't make fun of me."

"Or what?" He snickered, amusement carried in his voice, alongside a cold that made Abby shiver.

"Or I'll wring that—"

"Axion!" Abby pointed at the camp. Both Sebbi and Axion turned. "The lights are all out." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Margo must have succeeded."

A cluster of stars gathered between Axion's eyes. Sebbi tapped a claw against the ground. Abby glanced between them. She obviously was missing something though she knew not what.

"Wh-what is it?"

"It's never this—"

Before Axion could finish, the sky over them opened up. Thousands of shadlings rained from the wound, their masses shaped in vicious claws, and sharpened talons, their red eyes ablaze.

Leading the assault at the head, was a man-shape twice their size. He was all dark, save for his eyes which burned like twin suns. A long trench coat trailed the ground behind him. He strolled as though he didn't have a writhing army at his back. As if he wasn't planning to kill whatever obstructed his path.

Abby didn't have to ask to know who it was. Gravious. The Shadow King.

He paused in front of the Cloudian camp, turning to face his army. A sickle of smile cut his face, as meteors darted his skin like arrows.

"Leave no survivors!" He bellowed.

Manic laughter rose off the shadows in waves, as they swelled, crashing over one another, hungry, giddy. All too eager to destroy whatever got in their way.

Gravious started walking again, the army parting to let an enormous machine through. A large conical blade glinted under the moonlight.

"What's that?" Abby whispered, afraid even up here one of shadows might spot them.

Axion kicked the sand, spitting dirt and debris into the air. "That's," he blew out, "what father's planning to excavate his undead army with."

While Gravious continued a leisurely stride across the Sands, his shadlings picked up speed. They spread out, wide and thin, barreling toward the camps.

Movement flickered on the edges of the Aelurian forces as lights were turned on inside their tents. They were probably confused by this latest addition to the battlefield.

"We need to hurry." Axion started down the ridge.

Abby hurried to her feet, while Sebbi took his time. She glanced at him, chewing on her lower lip. Was he still recovering from the poison? Did he need rest?

Placing a hand on her head, he smiled as he walked past. "I'm fine, Abs. Don't worry about me."

"It's impossible not to worry about you," she said, returning his smile. He turned away, his fingers finding the back of his neck. She giggled.

Abs, he'd said. He finally called her Abs again. She picked up her pace so she could walk beside him, his fur brushing against her arm, keeping the cold shut out. Everything was fine. Everything would be fine.

Beneath them, the ground shook. And then, in front of them, one of Cloudian camps exploded. Huge sand clouds burst into the air. Broken beams and woven reeds were tossed sky high. Sebbi, grabbing Abby, yanked her to the ground, covering her with his body.

What had happened? The Cloudian camp was right there. And the army hadn't reached it yet. So it should still be there. That explosion must have been a trick of the eye, or she misheard, or--

She dared to peek her head out. A gaping hole in the Sands was all that remained of where the camp had stood. The ground was scorched, the sands shining underneath the moon. Abby pondered why they glistened so, until she realized the heat of the explosion had turned the sand into glass. 

She shook. A dozen homes blown to pieces. How many lives taken? 

Beside them, Axion knelt. He was disheveled, his coat wrinkled and covered in dirt. He seemed not to notice as he punched the ground.  "He's got those mages he collected in Aelurus heading the charge alongside him," he said, a self-deprecating smile slipping onto his face. Stars swirled around his knuckles. "He's serious about these crypts." He glanced at Abby, his expression one of sorrow. "Serious enough to kill everything."

Abby looked away, setting her jaw as tears threatened to fall. In the distance, she glimpsed the first flickers of a fire that was sure to spread fast. Gravious's army descended.