Star League -The Last Zomban 2 Awakening

SL-TLZ2 Chapter 1 Felline Marroo

A soft breeze drifts across the moonlit plain, the tall grass sways to the north with each passing gust. Myrrg breathes a sigh of relief. The wind will make it easier for the pack of wildcats hiding within to make it safely to the forest beyond. They move at a crawling pace away from the towering black wall that terrifies them so and the eyes of the fully staffed watch spire above, who would be alerted by now to look for them.


"Be cautious," he warns in high speech, a language spoken above the range of normal hearing. He speaks to them as he would a pack of lits. Correction...This scared pack, mostly elders, is acting like lits. "If you make one wrong move...if you ruffle the grass...they will shoot you dead."


There. That silenced them. "Down!" he orders. As one the pack drops on their legs, ready to spring at the first sign of trouble. A search light sweeps over the plains and over them.


The intensity of the light stings his eyes, even from behind; the heat of the light warms his skin. His hairs stand on end. Five seconds later, it passes over. Myrrg counts to five and orders the pack to move and begins counting anew the time before the next pass.


The forest is so close now he can taste its fragrance. Just a little further...A startled cry drifts through the wind. Myrrg's breath stops.


"Watch where you're going!"


"Shut up!"


San and his mate! Damn it! He instantly regrets his choice of company. I should have sent them all with Chuk, but the council must survive. I just wish they weren't so slow! That's why there is distance between us.


He stretches his senses to hear a response. "Everyone stay still!" The search light drops on their location. He drops quickly to the ground as low as he can go.


"Ouch! You stepped on my tail!"


"Move your tail!"


Too close together, the terrified elderly couple stumbles over each other. The grass ruffles.


A high pitched electrical whine sounds a full second before a yellow bolt of light sizzles into the center of the lighted area. The elders disappear in an explosion that leaves a smoking crater in the ground. Myrrg's body is assaulted by the shock wave that sprays him with dirt and rock; his exposed body parts numb with his hearing. That was set to full power! They aren't messing around!


Seconds later, a barrage of laser bolts rain down on the grassy plain. He gasps. "They ran!" His heart rate increases as his anger builds. "Those fools ran!" He shakes debris out of his fur. "Cowards! I've got to buy them time!" ...with my life. I hope they live to appreciate this!


He roars full and loud and jumps above the grass. The spot light shines on him and a single laser shoots into the grass where he disappeared underneath. Good. Focus on me. He turns and runs the opposite direction, roars and jumps into the open again. They lock on and fire. He runs back the other way again. I wonder how many made it to the woods?


They anticipate his move. The next shot barely misses his head. Good. Now they shoot behind him.  He sits perfectly still. Laser fire burns across the field in the opposite direction. Myrrg stays low and runs into the forest.


He laughs at their stupidity. Laughter makes him feel young again. He used to love the zigzag game as a lit, played in a field like this one. Maybe it was this one. Who knows? He feels safe and slows his pace when the tree to his left explodes and then a tree to his right. The fools are still shooting at me! Dive! his inner voice screams and he hits the ground. Intense heat passes over his body and the tree ahead erupts into flames licking up into the highest branches.


He scrambles backward and jumps aside as the tree groans and cracks and falls to the ground where he just lay. The burning trunk shakes the ground when it crashes down spraying smoke, dirt and burning embers in his face. Myrrg rubs his face on the ground and sneezes continuously. He becomes disoriented. The heat is increasing, the fire spreads quickly. He picks a direction and runs and prays the fire breaks will contain it.


A terrifying roar echoes through the trees blending in with the burning wood. It is clear and unmistakable. The Solids are coming. His stomach turns to lead. Unlike the stripes or the patches, the Solids are larger than most Felline with huge muscles that can rip anyone apart with ease. They are said to run as fast as light, but that's not true. Either way, these monstrous Felline from the north are bred to kill. He had first caught scent of them before he was dragged out by his...


The roar echoes closer. The sound is menacing and its meaning is clear: We have four scents. We are coming for you! He swallows hard. Four! There are three survivors...I have to find them!


He sniffs the air. Thee sneezing continues and he starts to worry. I can't smell anything but smoke! I...smell blood. He sniffs a leaf and then licks it. Definitely blood. This way...


In a thick stand of trees he finds the last three of his pack. Davo sits back against a tree wincing in pain from an obvious wound in his right fore paw. He is yelling at Petres, who stands erect above them pumping his fists.


"We are centuries evolved over the lesser beings. We can walk upright on two legs. I'm too old to run like them on all four!"


"You will do what you must to survive!" That was Petres. "It is still in our genetics to use four legs to run faster and we do so without indignity! Never forget what we once were! You have taught us that lesson yourself elder!" He balls up his fist and smacks his hip. "Then I will leave you here to take your chances with our pursuers!"


"You do that! I am a civilized being so go ahead and either kill me or leave me!"


Petres body stiffens and he steps toward the elder. Crouched next to Davo, Vestra is prepared to defend her father. I got here just in time he's scared and about to lose his sanity. Myrrg hits Petres in the ribs with the crown of his head and shoves him away away before he shames himself. Petres bounces off a tree and jumps to his feet with his arms swinging ready for a fight.


Myrrg, Empor of the Felline on the planet Marroo pushes himself up on two legs. "Enough! Too many have died already this night! Never hit an elder! It is the law! Without the law we really are lost!"


"This one whines like a lit!"


Myrrg stiffens. "That gives you the right to shame yourself? I know you're scared but turn that fear into strength before you lose your sanity. We are all that's left."


Petres bows his head and concedes. "Forgive me," but Myrrg already turned to Davo. Petres doesn't understand that Davo lived a life of luxury before he befriended the Empor. All adult Felline are required by law to train lits to live in the wild like the unintelligent beings of Marroo's untamed forests. Davo did not have to participate in that honor and chose instead politics and the Felline council. Many have shunned him for it but none challenged him because of his family's status in the hierarchy.


"What happened?"


"Shrapnel."


"He sliced his pad open pretty good," Vestra says. "I packed it with moss and dressed it. Like I was telling grumpy over there, he can't take much more of this."


"You have to! The Solids are coming!"


Their expressions match his own, open mouths and whiskers down. Vestra pulls her father up on two legs. "I can't run," he says desperately. "Put me up in a tree."


Myrrg shakes his head. "They have our scent. They'll find you."


"I can't run. They'll get me anyway." Davo considers his options. "Leave me. You have to get the message out."


"Out of the question!"


"You have to survive!"


Myrrg turns quickly back toward the palace. His palace! He perks his ears up as far as he can and listens. He stands stock still. Above the crackling of burning wood and the cries of fleeing animals, he picks up a steady thrumming of paws striking the ground. There is labored breath. His left ear twitches. They are closer than he anticipated.


"There's no more time! Run for the pits!" Myrrg jumps out of the trees and runs up the trail with Petres close behind.


He looks behind him and smiles when he sees Davo a short distance behind them, limping but running along. The fire spreads quickly along the trail. If they do not hurry, they will be cut off completely.


The ground shakes around him, the rumble deafening to sensitive ears. Ground quakes are uncommon for this part of the continent. He turns his head. The nightmare behind him is terrifying. At first he thinks the shadows are moving. Then he sees them: Panthros as black as night, their presence given away by the moonlight that glistens off their fur. His heart skips a beat. They are the most feared of the solid colored Felline, smarter and more deadly. They are taller and broader with a muscle mass beyond incredible.


Davo is quickly overrun. The pack leader scoops him up and throws him overhead into the pack behind him. He eyes Myrrg and runs for him. Vestra fights with emotions. Her father is dead. With his wounds she knew he wouldn't make it but still... As his daughter, the law states that she could end his life if he so chooses but he never asked it of her. He wouldn't burden her with bad memories even out of mercy and she will love him dearly for it.


Vesta sees the beast closing on Myrrg and runs to stop his advance but hot breath on the back of her neck warns her she has her own problem. She springs into an aerial sideward roll, takes out a pistol concealed on her person and blows the head off the beast now beside her. The body falls behind and replaced by another. She completes her roll and runs the moment she touches ground but he is on her in half a heart beat.


Myrrg stays ahead of the beast but it is nearly upon him. Petres sidles him, grabs a rock with his tail and strikes their attacker hard on the nose. The beast shakes it off and gets an angry burst of speed. It lifts its leg to strike down on Myrrg's hind section when two multicolored Felline jump over his head and onto the beast. That's when he realizes it is too close for comfort. One wraps around the Panthros neck while the other crashes into his legs. The beast goes down on his chin. Four more Felline run past him bearing large clubs. One yells out, "Go to the pits!"


Forest tamers! They rarely come out for anything! With new found strength, the Empor of Marroo keeps on running while the tamers beat the deadly beasts back.