Meet Me in the Jungle (Patreon Extreme)
The jungle was a very hot place to be. It was ironic in a way, the heat so unbearable but no amount of perspiration would help out due to the obscene humidity. The day had progressed to where the sun was at its highest point and the surrounding flora was alight with the activity of bugs, birds, and feral animals. While various creatures went about their daily business among the vast greenery, there did come an unnatural sound.
With a metal ring and a flash of steel, a large machete came down and cleared away some brush in one clean stroke. Branches and plant material fluttered to the ground and was trampled over as the one wielding and tool came through into a small clearing. The individual paused in her hacking to survey the new area, glancing around behind thick, sight enhancing goggles. Taking a moment to sink the blade back into its nylon scabbard, gloved paws came up and shifted the goggles up onto her forehead to reveal a pair of beautiful, inquisitive eyes.
Despite what many might have thought, this woman had gone quite a bit further than most others had thought a girl could be capable of. She enjoyed laughing at the frightened faces of the men that called her crazy and refused to join her expedition in the same breath. Having spent most of her life beneath the thumb of the developed world's male presence, she was honestly quite relieved to find herself no longer in the presence of the rest of her team.
She wiped the back of her paw against her eyes and gave a heavy sigh. She was a big cat that should have been used to this kind of a climate and region, but truth be told she couldn't stand it. Being a jaguar, her fur was particularly luscious and contrasting in the constant green and brown landscape. Her body was strong and curvaceous. Thick thighs and a toned rear end showed a lifetime of hiking and adventuring. Her arms were just as intimidating, having been forced to get through some of the toughest terrain on the planet, it would seem the only thing that hadn't changed through her life was her trusted machete.
She began to wonder into the clearing a bit further, her paws reaching up and gathering her long golden hair into a ponytail before suddenly stopping as a sound of crunching branches rang at her back. She turned slightly, her emerald eye slits narrowing as they searched for the perpetrator. It wasn't obvious at first, but a dark figure watched her from the shadows. It shifted out from behind the canvas of large plants and vines, revealing to be a smiling panther that was similar in shape and gender to the jaguar.
Relief flooded the yellow cat's body and she relaxed her form as the newcomer approached. "Seshna, you scared me!" she laughed and rested both paws on her wide hips. Her voice was low and booming, having with it a powerful edge that was most often used to command others.
"Sorry to have startled you, Tasha, but I wasn't expecting to be so late," the black furred feline commented as she came closer. There was quite a size difference between the two girls, Seshna being a few inches shorter and not nearly as muscular. She also might have been seen as significantly younger, though still an adult.
"Better late than never, I suppose," Tasha mumbled and stroked a finger at her chin. The two wore very similar clothing, extra strength shirt and shorts that were meant to be used for such excursions, along with nylon strapped backpacks brimming with essentials. In all, their clothing reflected the hot nature of the jungle, shorts and button up T-shirts allowed air to try and cool things down.
Seshna sauntered up to the other big cat and smiled apologetically. "Is this the farthest you've gone? We're in some pretty tough territory, I'm surprised you haven't been deterred." The jaguar laughed and crossed her strong arms over her bust.
"Please. I've been in worse places on this Earth with a much smaller reward," Tasha explained, trying to maintain her confidant disposition but after a while she lost her smile and rubbed at her cheek. "But truth be told, I'm glad you're here. I really don't know where to go next."
"Oh, that's the easy part. We're in so far we've crossed over to where the golden orchids bloom," Seshna said and stepped off and approached one side of the clearing. "Legend has it that Orak'Katoa's temple has so much gold that it seeps into the environment and taints some of the plant life." Tasha followed close behind as the panther suddenly dove back into the heavy bush, her eyes searching across the ground for a while before suddenly stopping.
"There!" Seshna exclaimed excitedly and pointed. Tasha followed her finger and found a rather beautiful orchid sticking up from the exposed root of a tree. It was a bright, golden hue, and in the shadow of the surrounding vegetation it seemed to emit an unnatural glow. "And another!" the panther shouted again. Tasha turned her eyes up and saw there was indeed another, and beyond that a third. "They will lead the way to Orak'Katoa's temple."
As it turned out there was quite a few of these strange flowers, but they weren't bunched up or out of place. No, even as the jaguar shifted she could see that the golden orchids were forming a makeshift trail along the trees. The patterned cat couldn't believe her eyes, she had never seen such a scene in her entire life. She had come across plenty of temples and ruins in her time as an explorer and nothing had even come close to portraying any sort of magic. This was definitely eerie to say the least.
"Well, I guess we continue on then," Tasha boomed and grasped her machete from its home and began forward. Seshna fell in behind, making sure to stay close. It was very strange how these glowing plants formed a near perfect trail, going in one direction as far as the eye could see. They never deviated and clumped together, just one bud after another in an almost pattern. "So what's the deal, Seshna?" the jaguar called out behind her as she hacked a way through some vines and thick flora.
Read the full story here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/meet-me-in-9290621