Tiger's Realm - Chapter 1

         Metal Tiger sniffed at the air cautiously, while his eyes searched the dense jungle foliage. His muscles tensed, and the fur on his back stood up; the humans were close. Drawing his knife with one clawed hand, he crept forward silently.

         His ears twitched at the sound of a snapping twig ahead and to the right of him.

         Metal Tiger hunkered down in a crouch and darted towards the noise with unnatural stealth.

         The man did not have time to make a sound as Metal Tiger slit his throat and pulled him to the ground.

         Wiping his knife and returning it to the sheath on his belt, Metal Tiger sniffed the air again. The stench of his victim’s blood made it harder to track the others. Metal Tiger slunk deeper into the jungle, trying to get a better idea of where the men were hiding.

         He stepped out into a clearing, expecting to see the men camped there.

         A rustle of leaves from all sides alerted him to the ambush just before it was sprung.

         Burly men came rushing in around Metal Tiger as he loosed his sword from its sheath.

         They too drew swords, "Careful men, tigers are almost as tough as bears."

         The men cautiously circled Metal Tiger, looking for an opportunity to strike.

         Metal Tiger Snarled at the men, "Only five of you? Leave my land now and I shall allow you to live a little longer."

         The men paused as light glinted off the shiny chrome that covered half of his face, one green crystal where his eye had been, began to glow brightly.

         "Sir! It's Metal Tiger!" said one of the men as he backed away.

         "Stand your ground men, this is our chance to be heroes." commanded the first man.

         Metal Tiger smiled, bearing his long sharp teeth, some of which were chrome too. He pointed to the apparent leader of the group, "I will slaughter your men, but you I will spare."

         The first man pointed his sword, "Attack!"

         All five of the humans came at once; Metal Tiger swung his sword wide, slowing three of them.

         Ducking, he rolled back to the side, behind the man who had rushed from behind.          Metal Tiger's sword slid up between his ribs and he fell to the ground with a satisfying thud.

         The other four collided where he had been; Metal Tiger jumped to his feet and held out his sword.

         "Only four of you now."

         The men charged with raging screams, Metal Tiger slashed a shallow gash across the chest of their leader while ducking aside.

         With a swift turn, he leapt at the nearest attacker, driving his sword into the man's stomach.

          Another attack forced him to withdraw, leaving his sword in the man.

         Metal Tiger swung his clawed hand at the leader, slashing his cheek while ducking a vicious blow.

         "Only three of you left now."

         Metal Tiger grabbed the sword of the first man he had killed and leapt aside as a sword hit the ground where he had been only seconds before.

         "I'll have your disgusting head mounted over my mantle before the day is out!" screamed the first man.

         The three remaining men approached more cautiously this time and Metal Tiger fell back with their methodical assault.

         One of the men thrust forward and Metal Tiger grabbed the blade of the sword.

         He grinned and pulled the sword, refusing to let go, the man was pulled past Metal Tiger and into the jungle.

         The man let out a quiet strangled cry and stood motionless.

         The other two attackers stepped back, fear evident in their expressions.

         "What magic is this?"

         Metal Tiger snarled, "This is my jungle, everything here protects us from the likes of you! Only two of you left, do you really want to die human?"

         Metal Tiger snapped his sword up quickly, slicing a gash in the leader's leg. The other man dropped his sword and fled back the way they had come.

         The leader was bent over, holding his leg, blood and sweat covered his face.

         "Do you see how foolish it is to come here? To attack me in my home? We will never submit to your slavery again! Leave us alone and you will live, but if your people persist then I promise you we will leave this land and exterminate every human from here to the great mountains! I let you live this day to deliver my message to your leaders. Do not tread on my land again!"

         The leader nodded weakly and stumbled off after his remaining man.

         Metal Tiger turned to the man who was frozen in place behind him, "You have stepped on a Bloodbush, you are paralyzed and it will slowly devour you over the next year. Eventually you will become nothing more than a plant statue.  Although I hate all of your kind, I would not wish this on anyone. When I release you, the toxins will take a few hours to leave your system. Once you can move again, I expect you to go back to your land and never return. Remember my mercy this day, but do not mistake mercy for weakness, and do not expect it if you return."

         Metal Tiger took hold of the man's shirt and pulled him back into the clearing, dropping him roughly on the ground. Tears welled in the man's eyes, but he could not move.

         Tiger strode off through the jungle towards the large mountain in the centre of his land. He walked quietly through the dense leaves and vines, wrapped deep in thought.

         He had been a slave for years before he had organized a group to flee human society. They came to a small isle, connected by a thin stretch of tropical jungle to the mainland.

         A hundred years ago, wizards had inhabited this land. The wizards had been the ones to create Mals, for unknown reasons. Metal Tiger had never known them; they had vanished long before he was born. It was said that the wizards were so upset over the slavery of their creations that they removed themselves from the world of man. It was a strongly held belief among the Mal community, but Metal Tiger didn't believe any human could ever feel outrage over the poor treatment of a Mal. He held to the theory that wizards had created Mal to be the servants of man, and that when they grew bored of their slaves, they had left to seek some new creatures to abuse.

         He liked the fact that they now controlled the land of their creators; that humans were mostly afraid to come here and the few that did were easy to dispatch. The human patrols into his jungle had been increasing in frequency of late. He had decided to confront them and send a message to the humans. He hoped they would heed his warning and never come here again. For him, the jungle was a tranquil paradise, filled with life and hope. Humans feared it; they found it strange and deadly.

         Metal Tiger was roused from his thoughts by the familiar sounds of the base village. The village had been built at the base of the mountain, to provide shelter for the Mals. Many had flocked to Metal Tiger's banner when the first human city was destroyed. They had burned it to the ground in their revolt, and then fled to this land. More Mals trickled in everyday; so many that discussions of a Mal city had begun. He entered the village and took in the scene, Mals raced here and there on various errands. Horses, dogs, birds, reptiles, all kinds of Mals populated this village. Some horses carried a large load of supplies up the steps of the mountain, supplies for the mals researching the wizard city at the summit.

         When the first Mals had arrived, they attempted to settle in the city. Metal Tiger had been injured by an ancient trap left behind by the wizards. His arms and part of his skull had been torn off by that trap, as he lay dying on the floor a strange light engulfed him. When he awoke, hours later, he had steel arms and the part of his face was also steel. The eye had been changed as well, a green glowing gem, but his sight was better than before the trap. Even the whiskers on the right side of his face were now shiny Metal Tiger. The rest of him was still the half-man and half-tiger that he had always been. He had ordered all Mals out of the city, and they built a camp at the base of the mountain. The researchers were in charge of discovering the secrets of the wizards. He hoped that there might be some information about why they had done this to the Mals, or where they had gone to. The Weasels were responsible for finding and disarming the traps. Many of them had died, but valuable archives had been discovered as a result of their sacrifice. Some of the Mals were learning to wield the magic of the wizards, basic incantations, but they showed promise. Metal Tiger had reached the feed tent and now took a plate just as an anxious looking rat stormed in.

         "Lord Tiger, Where have you been?"

         Metal Tiger slumped his shoulders; one of the discouraging facts of a leader was that he had lost a large degree of freedom.

         "Wiley, I felt the need to go for a walk."

         "A walk? You've been gone for hours! You can't be leaving without your guards, you're far too important!"

         "Come on Wiley, you know they can't keep up with me in the jungle. Besides, nothing has gone horribly wrong during my absence."

         "Lord Tiger, quite the contrary, there was an explosion in the city. Several of the weasels are dead! Several more are trapped inside one of the outer buildings near the castle. We're trying to rescue them now."

         Metal Tiger dropped his plate and ran out of the tent. He raced up the steps, leaving Wiley rat far behind.

         Metal Tiger arrived at the summit panting heavily from the long climb. Several Mals were digging out a collapsed part of the building. Bears carried huge boulders away from the carnage while wolves in battle armor dug the loose earth.

         "What happened?" Metal Tiger grabbed one of the wolves,

         "The weasels were disarming a trap inside, when an explosion occurred. The roof caved in trapping several that had fallen to a sub-level. We're trying to dig them out now my lord."

         "Has anyone sent for a doctor?"

         "Yes my lord, they will be here shortly. The weasels had reported finding a room full of glowing doors, which was where they were trying to enter when the explosion occurred."

         Metal Tiger grabbed a large chunk of wall and tossed it aside and started digging.

         Several hours later as the sun was setting, they cleared away enough debris to rescue the trapped Mals. Metal Tiger climbed in and started lifting the weasels out to waiting wolves. When the last of the poor creatures was out, Metal Tiger took a moment to examine his surroundings. The room was round, with a stairwell in the centre, along the walls stood 6 equally spaced doors. Light glowed under some of them, while others appeared dark. Metal Tiger approached one of the doors with light coming from behind it and cautiously opened the door. It slid noiselessly open to reveal a sunlit round room of equal size. It was an odd image though; it was like looking at something in a pool of clear water. The room beyond shimmered and shifted slightly, it appeared empty. Metal Tiger slowly poked a finger through the watery door, feeling nothing untoward, he stepped through. It was like walking through a waterfall, it felt as if he was soaking wet, yet he was completely dry. The sensation soon dissipated and he was in the sunlit room.

         Several large windows were around this room, a single door stood opposite where he had entered and a spiral staircase descended in the centre of the room. There were no decorations or furniture in the room. Metal Tiger walked to the nearest window and peered out. He jumped away quickly as one of the wolves come in through the water-door.

         "My lord, what was that?"

         "We have to leave right now!"

         Metal Tiger pushed him back through the water-door, following him through.

         "I don't understand my lord, what's going on?"

         "Get a detachment of men, I want this building guarded, nobody is to enter and nobody is to leave here. Do you understand my orders?"

         "Yes Lord Tiger!"

         The wolf snapped a salute and climbed out of the hole. He could hear the shouted orders as wolves scrambled to gather a force.

         Metal Tiger climbed out, and approached the Alpha issuing orders.

         "I also want two bears here at all times, round the clock guards. Make sure there is a full detachment here until further notice. Nobody enters of leaves that room without me personally speaking to you."

         Metal Tiger strode off towards the library where several Mals were hunched over books. Others stood at workstations, attempting to recreate the easier spells they found. He walked up to the lead researcher, a Fox named Sly.

         "Welcome Lord Tiger, What can I do for you this day?"

         "We've discovered something in the latest dig, it is significant and I need you and some of your best to come check it out."

         "How significant are we talking my lord?"

         "Enough to alter everything we have accomplished thus far."

         "I see I'll get my things"

         He walked away quickly, gathering books and items from around the room. He stopped and chatted with two other researchers and they too began grabbing things they felt would be necessary. Within minutes the three researchers stood before Metal Tiger each with a sack full of books and assorted items.

         "Follow me Sly."

         Metal Tiger escorted the trio through the passages of the castle that had already been secured and out into the courtyard. He caught the glimpses exchanged by the three followers as they noticed the detachment of soldiers surrounding the site.

         Wiley Rat now stood talking with the Alpha, nervously rubbing his paws.

         Metal Tiger walked up to the Alpha, "I will need three Mals to accompany the researchers. They will need to move about unseen. Wiley, I will also need your expertise on this."

         The Alpha called two smaller wolves forward, Wiley pulled Metal Tiger aside.

         "What use is an administrator in some magical room?"

         Metal Tiger grinned and put his paw on Wiley's shoulder,

         "My dear old friend, I meant your more illicit skills would be needed. Alpha, my orders stand, only myself and those who accompany me shall make it past that door. Any others are to be killed on site."

         The Alpha saluted and ordered the men to allow the team through. Metal Tiger was the first to enter followed by the guards, Wiley and finally the researchers.

         Inside the room with many doors, Metal Tiger explained what they were about to do,

         "It is a weird sensation, but it will pass. We need to avoid going near the windows. I also will need a guard posted by the stairwell in the center. One guard will watch the door over there. Wiley, I'm going to ask the most of you. I would ask that you sneak undetected to the level below, go no further and touch nothing. When you have seen everything down there, report back to me. Does everyone understand their orders?"

         They all acknowledged that they understood and they proceeded through the water-door.

         "Astounding!" exclaimed Sly when they had arrived. "What is this place that requires such a strange entryway?"

         "I'm hoping you can shed some light on that, outside the windows is a city filled with humans and Mals. It is not our city."

         "Truly? Can I see?"

         "Yes, but be careful not to be seen yourself. I don't want anyone down there to know this doorway is in use."

         Sly crept towards the window, ears laid flat on his head; he peaked up over the lip of the window. The fox gasped as he surveyed the city below him, it was larger than the wizard's city. Humans and Mals scurried about far below on the wide streets.

         "We need to see more of this city, and meet the inhabitants."

         "Not on this trip, all I want is a brief survey and some suggestions about where we are, and what that water-door really is."

         Sly slumped his shoulders, "I understand."

         The wolf guarding the door cleared his throat

         "You had something to input?" asked Metal Tiger

         "Well, my concern lord Tiger is the risk of attack. If the humans come through the jungle and send a force through that door, they would have a definite advantage in taking our village. From a purely military standpoint, I recommend we collapse the building and seal these doors forever."

         "I share your concern, but I also see an opportunity here. We can reverse that scenario and take the humans by surprise.  It would be a tactical error to seal these doors before we have fully explored all of the options. At the very least we maybe able to smuggle out many Mals, at best we could take this city."

         "I see now why you are our ruler, I had not thought of the advantages. Your wisdom puts me to shame."

         Metal Tiger smiled reassuringly, "Don't feel shame, your duty is to protect, and your suggestion is indeed a very good one from the perspective of your duty. I need to consider all of the options, and I value everyone’s input as it helps me to perform my duties. That goes for all of you, never be afraid to offer your suggestions or opinions."

         Wiley poked his head up through the stairwell, "You gotta see this!"

         "Sly, with me, the rest of you look around and figure it out."

         The pair followed Wiley down the steps, and into a well lit room, with no windows.

         "How is it so bright down here, there is no apparent light source."

         "Yes Sly, and that's not all, over here in the corner on this table. You too Lord Tiger, this is especially interesting."

         Metal Tiger walked over to the table and his jaw went slack. On the table was a miniature version of the known world. The great mountains surrounded the land, with blackness beyond them. Little spots of light covered the surface, and shadow covered the portion of the world where it was now night.

         Sly pointed to the western edge of the map, it was well lit.

         "This must be where we are now, since it is daylight upstairs. This is some kind of map."

         Metal Tiger stared intently at the unusual map, "That's still a very large area, miles of territory, but at least we have a better understanding of this place."

         "What are these little lights though?" Metal Tiger moved closer and squinted to try and see the lights better. Instantly, the area he was staring at grew larger, showing small versions of humans walking about a city. He stepped away, startled by the change and the map returned to a wide view.

         "That's more than a map!"

         "Amazing, it appears that concentrating on a specific area allows you to see more detail!"

         Wiley finally spoke, "Why does it not show what's beyond the great mountains?"

         Metal Tiger started searching the room, "Because the wizards who created it had never gone beyond the mountains, nobody has. This appears to be some sort of an office, I want to get the weasels in here to check for traps and then we can study it in more detail. For now, let's leave it the way we found it and get back to the others."

         Wiley and Sly both agreed and they all went back up the stairs.

         One of the other researchers noticed the trio coming back up the stairs,

         "Lord Tiger, we've determined that the water-door is a portal to travel either through time or great distances. The magic’s involved are far more complicated than anything we have studied so far, however we are confident in our opinion."

         Metal Tiger looked at the portal,"Good work, we were able to determine that it is a portal to the western edge of our realm. Though I have never traveled there, it seems likely given the map Wiley discovered. Okay, that's enough looking around for today, I don't want to risk discovery. Let's go back through the portal and come back tomorrow night."

         They all went back through the portal and climbed to the surface. Metal Tiger held Wiley and Sly back,

         "I believe we need to know more about what's going on through there. Sly, I want you to prepare a team to go back into the room tomorrow and give a good push to the bottom of the tower. Wiley, I want you to get the best trapfinder we have and get to the base before dark in their land. Once it's dark, you alone should proceed into the city and discover what you can. Avoid everyone, and if you are discovered, do not lead them to the tower!"

         "One thing, before we go lord Tiger, If this portal leads to the western side of the realm, then where do the other five doors lead?"

         "One door at a time Sly, the other doors might have residents, and I'm not ready to rush into that just yet. Now I have to go and see if any other matters have come up. I want you to keep me informed of anything you discover, I don't care how trivial you think it is."

         Metal Tiger climbed out of the rubble and headed towards the village. Descending the stairs should have been easier, but the weight of his responsibilities made the journey much more taxing. How did he wind up in this situation? Sure the humans had forced them to react, but why had he been given leadership of these refugees? He had tried to decline, but several Mals had stepped forward speaking of prophecy. Metal Tiger didn't believe in any of that, it seemed to him that Prophecy was a convenient way of forcing him to do what he didn't want to do. Prophecies were always impossible to understand until after the fact, according to the Sly, but it seemed more like they had the ability to twist the prophecies to fit their desires. Despite the dangers, he enjoyed his jaunts into the jungle, it provided him time to collect his thoughts and get away from the demands placed on him. Metal Tiger began to realize that he had only traded one form of slavery for another, being forced to look after everyone else. Honestly though, deep in his heart he wanted to do right by them and ensure their safety. He just didn't like being forced into it with obscure texts written by unknown wizards decades ago. He reached the bottom of the mountain and started towards the feed tent. Pausing briefly, he changed direction and walked into the tavern.