I'm not exactly sure if this is fanfiction so if it isn't, please tell me. This story was inspired by Planes and sort of meshed with Warriors to create clans, tribes, and packs of airplanes. How they got there you'll have to find out. Once again, please tell me if it is or isn't!
Taming Oil
Chapter 1
My story begins as an egg, resting in one the size of a football. I was oblivious to the world around me. So near was I to hatching that through my leathery shell I could see basic shapes moving outside. I began to gnaw at the case and I ripped through the shell. They first thing I saw was the roof of our tunnels and my mother's smiling face. Her blue-grey markings where the first color I had seen. I turned my head toward my eggshell and saw that four other round objects that lay lifeless next to my shell. I twisted my head back toward my mother and was drawn to another, smaller version of my mother. This was Regan. Regan looked at me curiously and mother pushed him toward me. He squawked a protest and tried to scurry back behind her landing gear. She gently reached down with her tough and washed the remaining eggshell off of me. She pushed the other round shapes longingly and sighed. Another of our kind rolled up to her and nodded. His grey body resembled Regan's; a bright blue underbelly with red wingtips. This was my father. They, together, were the alphas.
You misunderstand; they are the alphas but not the leaders. The leaders in our culture are called super-alphas. The alphas were the next in line if the super-alphas backed down or died. Kadesh and Lockjaw were the present super-alphas. My mother, Keeleth, and my father, Covan, were the next in line. Those in line next are the young of the alphas. If the offspring of the alphas were too young to be given the title of super-alpha then a deputy would be called. After the deputy were the hunters, then the packers, then the healers, next the packers and the Singflight, or the story teller of the pack, and finally the tunnelers.
It was when Lockjaw invited us to be warriors that we wouldn't be, officially, hatchlings anymore and today was that day. He and Kadesh now stood tall in front of us. They each wore the leader's necklaces, showing their authority. They looked proud and protective of their pack. Lockjaw started, "Today, two students will be appointed a mentor. By Greatwings' will you have made it to this day, a day for you to celebrate. You shall one day stand before him and be able to stand tall, knowing that you began the journey that every warrior takes. But only time will tell if you will succeed in this training by remaining loyal to Thunder Pack and Greatwings himself no matter the circumstances." Lockjaw turned his head so that his nose almost touched Regan's, "Do you, Regan, choose to follow this honorable path no matter what?" Regan nodded, hardly trying to contain his excitement. Lockjaw turned to me, his nose just brushing up to mine. I shuddered as he stared into my eyes as he spoke, "Do you, Roven, choose to follow this honorable path no matter what?" I gave a curt nod before releasing my gaze.
Lockjaw moved back letting Kadesh take his place. Her cold, blue eyes scanned the few warriors gathered, choosing the right mentor for us. Finally she rested her gaze on Blitz. Blitz nodded briefly while Kadesh spoke, "Blitz, I assign you by the Code of Leaders Regan and Roven's mentor. Do you think you will be able to take on this challenge?" I knew he would say yes. Despite being hatched and raised in a different pack he had forged a few of the warriors present himself and only the best of the warriors were chosen to train new warriors.
He came up to speak with his nose raised, "I accept the training of these fine students as a gift to the pack. By the end of next year these two shall be warriors this pack can be proud of." I almost let my jaw drop; I'd never heard Blitz speak without his old pack's accent.
"I believe you will," Kadesh stated briskly and coldly, in her eyes she presented a warning. Blitz was beginning to push his rank to the limits; a new mentor giving his own speech was unheard of at an apprentice's ceremony. The large warrior caught his super-alpha's warning and lowered his nose dramatically. It looked as if he had done this many times before and was pleading for her not to mention his mistake. Kadesh's light blue waving patterns light up slightly as she turned away from him. "These young students are to be trained immediately and taught about borders and the history of the packs." Kadesh flicked her rudders toward Blitz and he hurried us out of the room without looking back."
After Blitz knew we were out of earshot, he tipped his nose to us, "You two gotta tell yer mum about you bein' apprentices an' all." He looked embarrassed from his blunder still.
Regan cocked his head, "Didn't Kadesh tell her?"
The strong warrior shook his head, "Yer mum is pretty protective of ya. Kadesh knew she was gonna try to stop ya from becoming warriors if she didn't do it in secret."
We slipped into our parents' room, one of the most pleasant rooms the camp had to offer. It had a small, natural stream running through the middle and a notch to store prey in. Mother was lapping water from that stream at that very minute. Regan tapped her wing. She turned and we explained what had happened. Mother just stared at us, shock in her eyes, "Both of you?"
Regan rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mother. How many times do I have to say it? We are both going to be warriors. Training starts today."
"Regan and I will be fine. It's not like we're going to be thrown into battle right away, Father and Lockjaw would never allow that, and besides, the pack needs warriors."
She gave us one last longing look before nodding, "Yes, Roven, I know the pack needs warriors. Just… be safe. There are dangerous creatures out there past the tunnels."
Blitz had been listening just outside in the tunnels, "You two gotta begin training and nows the best time ta start." He lead us to the outside… the real outside, with trees and sun and grass, things we'd only heard of from the adults. I wanted to touch everything, and the smells… there was a freshness in the air a tunnel could never allow. The colors were bright, not the dimly lit grays or silvers of underground. The color was so bright that at first I had to squint before my eyes adjusted fully. Blitz's chuckle startled me, it sounded clear and different. I turned to see amusement in his eyes, "I forget how much the world out here amazes you apprentices. Ah, how times have changed. We used to live outside without fear of the twolegs. I miss that." I could see Regan gave him a baffled look when he started to explain. Blitz went on, "You got a lot ta learn. But before ya go off explorin' ya gotta know how ta fight."
Blitz was making us look like fools as he lifted off the ground, seemingly weightless. We hadn't had much practice flying in the tunnels. The most we could do in there was glide a bit, if the roof was tall enough. The big silver and gold warrior's mouth was open as he tasted the air. "Yer lucky, no twolegs have been 'round here lately. They've been a bit too curious recently. I'm guessin' that their huntin' for us."
"What's a twoleg?" Regan asked, echoing my thoughts.
Blitz smiled. "You'll learn soon enough," he paused for a moment before, "Alright, ya gotta be able to fly first before we can do any of the other training." He began to show us how to fly. He said that at first we'd have to take off of a grassrun, or a long strip free of trees used to takeoff. As we got more experienced we'd be able to take off almost vertically as Blitz did.
It took days and days of trying before I managed much more of a glide. "Alright now," Blitz inculcated, "Nose up, ya gotta get yer flaps down. Ease off the pitch… good, good," he'd say. I flipped through his instructions as he watched with eagle's eye my every move. His teaching was harsh and repetitive and it worked. All of a sudden the wind caught under my wings. I was up! All of Blitz's teaching was paying off and snapping together for me. The great warrior's eyes lit up with success, "Good job, yer gettin' it!" I glanced down at Regan whose eyes were trained on me better than Blitz's. He smiled and encouraged me on.
Later that month we had learned a good deal of flight tricks from Blitz but still nothing of the twolegs. "When are we gonna learn about those… what do you call them?" I asked one day before training.
"Twolegs," Blitz informed, "You'll learn 'bout them soon enough. They're dangerous creatures. They've been livin' side by side with us for years now, not botherin' us. But now I'm not sure what's goin' on. They've been tryin' ta shoot us lately."
"Shoot us?" Regan asked, questions forming behind his eyes.
Blitz sighed, "I'll explain it at a different time, now is the time for yer first battle practice."
"If ya lousy airplanes want to fight then get yer nose up!" Blitz growled to us shortly later. His bright gold markings flashed as he circled us. "You gotta be faster if ya want ta escape the bullets flyin' at ya." He slammed his wings into ours sharply, "Ow!"
Blitz looked disgruntled, "You two wouldn't last a day in battle. Yer sloppy on yer turns, over correcting yer banks, an' slow on yer straight-aways. Ya gotta use yer landin' gear, its good fer knockin' yer adversary. Use his weaknesses and his strengths against him! Ya got it?" He came at us again, this time faster. We split and slammed his wings. He snorted as he knocked me into a roll. "You guys stink at this," he moaned. He swung his nose toward the ground and motioned for us to land.
"How… how did we do?" Regan panted.
Blitz looked like he hadn't moved at all. He was relaxed and breathing deeply with his wings folded, "Like I said before, you guys stink at this. But don't worry, you're gonna get better." He let us rest a few minutes before snapping his wings out and barking, "All right, time fer more practice!"
We got better but Blitz was still not satisfied. "You gotta be faster," he stressed, "an' I think I got a good way for ya to improve." Blitz gestured us to wait while he disappeared into the main tunnel. When he returned a few minutes later he had two warriors and Lockjaw with him. "We're gonna go on yer first hunt," he smiled. "This is Isolde, and this is Talca," Blitz introduced the two new warriors, "There's one more plane who's comin' with us." Lockjaw nodded to a third warrior still concealed in the tunnels. The shadowy figure's scent was very familiar but somehow muddled. The large plane slowly pulled himself out of the tight space. He had to fold his wings to get out of the entrance. As soon as his nose stuck out of the entrance both Regan and I gasped but not because of his great size but because we knew him. Our father stood tall before us with his nose pointed toward us.
Lockjaw took one look at our faces and snorted, amused. "Your father is coming with us," Lockjaw said, "He is going to rate your skills. As you know, he is the alpha after all and an alpha's job is to rate students."
Father gave his father a warning look. "Don't scare my sons," he cautioned. He flipped his head toward us again, "I'll be rating you, yes, but it won't be as important for you as it will be for Blitz." He pressed his nose caringly against mine, "You'll also learn about the other packs and our territory borders."
Before taking off, Lockjaw warned us about the other packs, rogues, and grizzlies. "You'll have to keep close during certain spans of the journey. Rogues and loners hang around Bolder Ally, grizzlies are often times hunting in Thickest, and we must keep watch for twolegs and trespassing packs."
"This is the Mud Pack border," Lockjaw explained as we passed over the few trees over the river that ran through our territory, "They're known for living near Bentwing Lake and sharing territory with Golden River Pack and the Tribe of Rogues," He stopped and hovered to sniff the air awkwardly. His lips curled into a growl, "Those no good Mud Packers!" His elevators snapped down and his nose dipped into a dive, "We're going to teach those cow heads a lesson not to trespass on our territory.
Blitz slowed to fly side by side with me, "What do ya scent?" I sniffed the air and a rich earthy scent reached me. I told him. "It's normally not that strong and we're not that close to their border. We'd better help rid our territory of intruders," he said warily.
Talca's growl came to my ears like one of the twoleg cars and when I looked down I saw a plane that could only be an apprentice. His mud brown blotches and black tail were odd and his scent reeked of earth, mud, and marsh. Regan looked at me with the same thoughts going through his head. "What are you doing, apprentice?" Isolde's scratchy voice called with such menace that it made me and Ragan jump.
In the intruders eyes flashed fear and regret. He caught himself and regained his composure. His nose lifted up higher than it should when any super-alpha was around. "I'm not an apprentice," the plane informed, "I'm a warrior."
Father's green eyes were staring, boring into this seemingly young, stuck up warrior. "Mud Pack didn't teach you well," He growled, peeling back his lips, "or you would be more respectful of our leader." The small warrior stood with complete calm as our group of seven surrounded him, snapping and growling.
"I'm not from Mud Pack," he said evenly. Lockjaw signaled Talca to move in. The young warrior screamed as Talca grabbed his wing in her mouth and bit down. "I'm from Golden River!" he yelped, trying in vain to hide his pain through his voice. Oil was trickling down his wing as Talca bit harder. "I swear I wasn't doing anything wrong I just..." Talca bit harder and I looked away, surprised that Talca was so strong. She looked weaker than she really was.
"You'd better have a good explanation, Goldie," Blitz threatened, "or your times of trespassing are over." I saw Lockjaw motion for Isolde to move in closer in case things got worse.
"Look, I thought I'd explore this part of the woods because… because…"
"Well," Lockjaw prodded with a sharp bark.
"I'm supposed to be hunting," the plane cried through clenched teeth, "I was sent by Ryoka and Altan. They said there was a good herd of deer on the north side of our territory and I chased them into yours, sorry."
"What's your name?" Lockjaw hissed.
"I'm Mukessi. Now will you please let me go?" He beseeched. Talca loosened her grasp but was stopped when Lockjaw flicked his ailerons. She tightened it once more. Mukessi's eyes brightened with a fresh wave of pain and his jaw clenched tighter. He looked as if he was going to faint.
"Mukessi," Lockjaw mused, "I've heard that name before. Ah, you're that warrior who killed Gorgon last year. You won't kill anyone else by the time we're done with you."
Mukessi looked horrified, "That wasn't me! That was a plane from Mud Pack."
"Sure," Lockjaw said wryly, not believing the young warrior. "You've killed many, Mukessi, and I've been meaning to get my wings on you." I'd never known Lockjaw to be so hostile. It made me feel uncomfortable to know he could be this way. Regan looked ruffled, too, as if he had seen a ghost. "I'm sorry, Mukessi, but your time of killing is over. You're never going to touch one of my pack members again."
Mukessi looked as though he was already dying, his markings were fading and he looked hot, "Fine, kill me, but Golden River Pack will be at your necks for it," he gasped.
"Very well," Lockjaw said, "Your pack will be maddened but Mud Pack and River Pack should be glad that you're gone." Lockjaw lunged forward with mouth gapping. He stopped just inches from his neck, still with his mouth open. Mukessi's markings had almost completely gone white in his fear. Lockjaw hung there for a moment before backing off. Mukessi looked shocked. "I can't do it," Lockjaw admitted, "I can't kill you. It's not a fair fight, you're injured and afraid." Lockjaw said this though with such a sharp tone that it sounded more like a threat than anything else. Talca let go of his wing and reveled a twisted, cracked, and bleeding wingtip. The bite ran into his flaps, bending them painfully into his main wing. Talca looked horrified at what she had done.
"So… you're not going to kill me?" Mukessi questioned.
Lockjaw looked split. "No," He finally decided, "but I can't guarantee that my pack will let me let you go. After all, the price for murder is almost always execution." Mukessi's eyes flitted between us in fear. "You're not going to get away. You can't fly, thanks to Talca." He nodded to Talca. She still stared at the intruder's wingtip with wide eyes and fear twisted on her face. She hardly acknowledged Lockjaw at all just turning and giving him a weak smile. An awkward silence between the group ensued.
Blitz was the one to break it, "Well, we've gotta intruder on our wings so why don't we get goin'." One by one we all nodded, all except Mukessi. We trotted across the ground as fast as Mukessi could go. His wing kept cramping and we all had to stop because Lockjaw suspected that it was nothing but an act. Each time was real; the plane was nearly in tears. Lockjaw began to get annoyed and was muttering under his breath the whole way. We came upon the river and stopped. "Who wants ta go first?" Blitz asked. Regan stepped up and leaped across, barley missing the edge of the bank. His landing gear splashed in the water making him jump up on the bank and shake it off as if it were mud. Blitz was next, making it in one great bound. Finally it was just me, Isolde, and Mukessi.
"I'm not going over that," Mukessi said with a groan. Isolde gave him a sympathetic look before grabbing his injured wing and leaping over. Mukessi missed horribly, splashing and flailing in the water. Now it was just me. I gathered my thoughts and leaped across my back landing gear splashed in the very edge of the river. The water was colder than it had been before. All of the other group members had amused looks on their faces as they watched me shake the water off. Mukessi looked miserable.
When the tunnel entrance came into view it looked strange and smelt as if it had been draped in a reek so horrible that it made your eyes water. Fear scent was strong as well, as if all the animals in the forest had scattered from a fire. Mukessi had a look of horror on his face. "We gotta get out of here, the twolegs are nearby," he whispered.
Lockjaw crept forward, "There's certainly twolegs scent here, but I don't know where the rest of the pack are?"
"They probably fled like Mud Pack, probably thought you were killed by them," Mukessi said helpfully.
Father cocked his head, "Mud Pack?"
"Mud Pack was attacked by twolegs recently. They all fled; every single of them. They had to retreat to a different camp," he explained.
Lockjaw however went exploring, sniffing the tunnels. "They're all here," he sighed, "No one was h…" He was broken by a loud explosion. Something streaked across the sky and hit him in the neck. More black dots galloped toward us. Mukessi stood, paralyzed with fear as all of us dived toward the tunnels. Blitz grabbed his tail. More explosions could be heard outside while we waited. When silence did break, Regan looked at me; only one thought could be in his mind: what were those?
Lockjaw's neck was bleeding badly, oil streamed down his side and his breathing was labored. Kadesh was soon at his side. She nuzzled him and supported him as they struggled to their room, no one followed. Father went to have an urgent message with Mother and Mukessi, and Talca and Isolde seemed to disappear. Only Blitz was left to explain anything to us. He looked at us breathing heavily, "I… I guess you wanna know what those are."
Blitz lead us to a room where one, lone airplane lay. His markings were streaks of dark, dark red and orange. His nose was longer than most planes' and his tail blunter. "It's time for the lesson on twolegs?" He asked in a gruff voice of the deepest note. Blitz nodded solemnly. "Well, I guess this is going to be hard but it needs to be done…"