Chapter 4: Lost and Found
Luharon pulled the axe out of the rabbit's neck, its struggles all but ceasing as its head was left dangling from skin and fur. He wiped the head of the axe of any blood and fluid off his worn, brown breeches. The ape took a big whiff of the frigid air around him before spitting a great big yellow glob of spit on the ground.
Gruffly tying the still twitching carcass of the rabbit by the hind legs onto his belt next to two other lifeless cottontails, Luharon began hopping and hobbling his way through the rocky landscape that was coated in patches of dim green grass accentuated by dewdrops and a few trees that swayed with the buoyant breeze.
The sky was grey with swirling clouds that veiled the sun on the horizon; a stark contrast to yesterday's fine weather. Nevertheless, the land was yet to experience the crisp daybreak of the morning.
The ape was adorned in armour that was a pleasant mauve. His wide shoulders that casted great big looming shadows whenever he turned his back to the sun. His shins and the top of his feet were covered relatively nicely in thick cloth with the bonus of a couple of small spikes to give what he believed was a menacing edge.
He stepped over a small crag that jutted out of the ground, hopping over a moderately large crack that looked to go down for quite a few feet and ducked under an arch of grey stone that housed one of those red gems that the dragons were particularly fond of whenever the time suited them. Luharon made note to go back to that later.
Stepping aloft onto a bulky stone, Luharon could spot the camp and the hulking form of his noble dreadwing sleeping soundly away to the resonance of the waves in the distance positioned next to the remains of the fire he put out earlier that morning, just down the slope that was littered with crags, pebbles and old tree stumps easily as wide as himself.
Walking down the slope, careful as to not tumble downward, the rocks and pebbles cracked and crunched underneath his tattered leather wrapped feet, digging up into his soles causing him to grit his teeth.
The dreadwing perked its furry ears up at the crunching hullabaloos, lifting its head and sniffing the air with its giant wet nose. As soon as its eyes contacted Luharon, it emitted a soft squeal, much like a dog, yet it was hoarser and many times more strident to the ears. The dreadwing was easily twice if not three times as big as Luharon, and he was of average height when it came to Ape standards.
Luharon wiped a hand down his face as he freed a yawn.
"How're you doing, girl?" Luharon placed a hand on the dreadwing's neck, digging his nails into her steely fur causing the giant bat to release a soft coo.
"Hungry?" he asked, enticling dangling a rabbit from his belt.
The dreadwing stood at her full height watching the ape unscrambling a rabbit from his belt and tossing it into the air. The dreadwing caught the morsel mid-flight with a snap of her jaws, gulping down the rabbit in a matter of moments. She lowered her head down below his neck, looking up at him with wide caerulean eyes.
He shook his head, "Nay, that's all you're having for now. Took me ages to find these rabbits out 'ere," the ape affirmed, tossing the rabbits into a satchel by the smoky embers of the night's fire. The dreadwing whined, splaying its ears down.
"Don't be like that," Luharon laid his hands on his hips. "Tell you what," he stated, "why don't you tell me about that lovely new smell you discovered yesterday, eh?"
The dreadwing brightened up at this, lolling its pink tongue out. Luharon whispered into his left hand; immediately followed by a faint shimmering. He situated his hand atop the dreadwing's head, moving to her side and sitting himself down.
A crack was heard from the remains of the fire though the two didn't react to it. They sat there, content with their own company. Luharon had his eyes closed, his face expressionless. The same for his dreadwing.
A few quiet moments passed away between them, the breeze in the surrounding background soothing their wits.
"A fishy smell that smelled?" He quirked his lips down, "in the middle of a forest of all places?" The dreadwing nodded her head thrice, ears flapping.
Luharon stroked her under the chin with his right hand. "It was very strong, you say?" The dreadwing yipped, salivating considerably.
"You tried going after it but you failed to see what it was?" The giant bat whined at his proclamation, lowering her head to the ground ensuing in a weak thump of her chin hitting the rocks.
"Tell you what, Tonaska," Luharon took his hand off her head, "how about we do a little bit more scouting and find the source of it, eh?"
Tonaska squealed, bouncing off the ground nearly sending the ape off his feet.
"By the Pit, calm down!" The ape bellowed, putting his arms out, swaying from side to side before eventually falling over hard on his bum just barely stopping himself from sitting on his own tail.
Tonaska chirped and went along to vigorously lick his face. Luharon grabbed her by her black horns and tried to push her away, but the bat just pushed back harder.
"Alright, stop! Stop, stop!" Luharon cried, but he just got shoved onto his back, the dreadwing happily slurping and licking his face. The ape turned his head to the side, spitting out some of the dreadwing's saliva that got its way into his mouth.
"Ugh, alright, I'm sorry for snapping at you!" The ape relented, feeling Tonaska give one last lick up the side of his face. The bat then sat on her haunches, letting Luharon sit up and wipe himself down. She tilted her head and let a high-pitched chirp.
Luharon gazed out into the sea, patting off any remainders of saliva that clung to him. He spat off to the side.
He hmphed, "Well, no stretch like dawn for the everyday brawn." Luharon shot his attention toward his mount, "Tonaska!"
The dreadwing abruptly stood straight. Ears perked, head shooting up.
"We're huntin'."
The hollow trunk of the tree hugged Andrew. His elbows squarely against the bark. His legs were numb, and his hands were doused in pins and needles. Not even a yawn escaped him as he sluggishly opened his crusty eyes.
He groaned almost immediately, rubbing his eyes to make them water. His throat was parched. His bladder was fit to explode. His muscles throbbed with a dull ache and so did his ears. To make matters worse, it was quite wet outside.
His slow and battered mind nearly failed to catch on to his predicament. Though it was too real to suggest otherwise. He was still here. This place. This unknown place.
It was disheartening.
Grabbing the bark of the tree, Andrew dragged himself out of the trunk, landing on the ground with a wet thud. He sighed, scratching his scalp. Picking himself up, Andrew flicked a fly that landed right around his unwashed hands. He found the entire situation hopeless. No phone. No modern technology for who knows how many kilometres, and cheetah people that wanted him dead for whatever reason.
He felt his bladder combusting and morphing inside him.
Andrew winced, going off to relieve himself. A big fluffy bush nearby was ripe for it.
What was his family thinking right now? He thought as he began, were they frantically looking for him? His friends were probably wondering what in the seven circles of hell were happening, seeing as they practically watched him pop and go. He was bound to be somewhere in the world. Andrew whispered a small prayer to himself, asking God for protection as finished up.
He didn't know what to do. In the middle of a forest with absolutely nowhere to go. He bit his lip, making his way back to the hollow tree. He sat down, feeling dampness rise into his trousers from the ground. He contemplated, idly twiddling his thumbs.
There was a lot to think about.
Goggles clutching his head and his hands wrapped around the reigns, Luharon allowed Tonaska to the find whatever this smell was herself. They had enough time to kill before having to report back to the Scout Chapter General. He rotated his head around, scanning the lands below. A giant thicket of forest with a few clearings and some large trees. Nothing unusual or out the ordinary, except for tufts of smoke that rose lazily a few miles away. No doubt a Cheetah village.
Reporting that would be fond to his image.
Tonaska let out a chirp. Then a series of chirps. She was excited.
Luharon grinned, "What's that girl!? We almost there?!" He shouted over the winding wind.
She made no indication that she heard him, but the intention was all too clear as she began lowering in altitude.
Andrew shot his head up. What was that? He thought, puzzled. A low series of high pitched chirps, they didn't sound like any bird he had ever heard before. Curiosity began to tickle his mind. At least there was some excitement to be found out of all of this.
New things to discover. New animals to see! That's if he ever made his way out of the bloody forest. He needed to figure out a way, without stumbling into anything with hostile intent. Andrew hoped he wouldn't have to see that bat thing again, trembling at the mere thought of it.
He picked his bag out of the tree, feeling the weight of books and the like inside. He grunted as the bag settled on his back. He scanned the clearing, looking a for safe route. His hands began to itch. He scratched them subconsciously, uncaring of possible allergies or bodily reactions.
The plan was simple: get out of the forest. The way opposite that alien village was his best bet.
Andrew was feeling a bit content with it. He'd be back home soon enough.
He blinked.
There was flapping noise above.
Wearily, he looked up.
"Aw shite," his voice cracking, eyes the size saucepans. That bat thing, heading straight for him. A series of chirps escaping it.
Breathing heavily and without a second thought, Andrew made a beeline toward the edge of the clearing. He was not getting killed. Not now. Not by that thing.
Luharon pensively regarded the clearing they were approaching, the site of battle ages past it must have been, if the husk of a holy branch of the World Oak was anything to go by. They were special trees, ones the Apes worshipped. They appeared in the face of great death and strife. Usually battles. They were believed to aid the fallen warriors by forming paths to the centre of the world, where they drank, sung and ate for eternity. The Skayar Farak, the Great Hall.
An afterlife to the those who died unwavering in battle.
The clearing would be great for a new temple when they conquered these lands. He grinned at the thought. Nearly chuckling.
That was cut short however. What was that in the clearing? Some lanky thing? Red, peachy? He squinted his eyes. It was running to the edge of the clearing or trying to run. Its massive satchel weighing it down.
Luharon growled, "Faster, Tonsaska! Faster!" He wanted to see what this thing was. A new and undiscovered creature perhaps? Or was it another vassal race of those accursed Dragons? It was time to find out.
As they got closer and closer every second, the thing glanced over it shoulder at them. Ah, so it was running from them? All the better, he thought. As it glanced, it tripped over its own two legs. Luharon would've laughed at the pitiful display had it not been for the winding effectively locking his face. It rolled onto all fours, dragging itself to forest edge.
Luharon flicked Tonsaska behind the both ears with a free hand.
The dreadwing screamed a horrible relentless and unenduring wail that brought non-Apes to their weak knees. The thing in the clearing was no exception. In fact, it was incredibly sensitive to it. Great.
With one giant flap of her wings, Tonaska slowed herself down, crashing into the clearing with fervour. Luharon unmasked his goggles and hopped of the dreadwing. Pulling out the axe out the satchel by Tonsaka's side. It gleamed menacingly in the morning light. He signalled for Tonaska to stay put and to stay quiet. He turned to look at the lanky thing, before thundering over to it with righteous zeal.
It lay there, rolling and grovelling on the ground, clutching its ears in agony, tears streaming down it face, eyes shut to the world. It looked awfully pampered by its looks. Its clothes were strange, finely knit and sown. Garish colours that did not blend into the environment all. Like an adult dragon that flew in a clear sky. Its head resembled his thumb, with a tuft of fur at the top. Pale skin that highlighted blood underneath its skin.
Luharon raised his axe, contemplating whether or not to kill the thing and bring its head back as a trophy. No doubt there were more of those things out there. It was then that he took full notice of its hands.
Four fingers and a thumb.
Like an ape's.
Was this thing an ape? It couldn't be, a sick perverted version of an ape more like. Luharon was at a loss for words.
"By Durengi's paws." He lowered his axe. What in the world was this? He looked back at Tonaska and noticed her sniffing the area, most likely where that thing was wandering around. The fish, no doubt. In fact, Luharon began to smell it too over the sound of the creature's faint whimpers.
Fish, and it was stronger in that things direction. It was unlike any fish he smelled before. Deep sea, perhaps? This far inland? He was surprised it hadn't rotted.
Tonaska was soon peering over Luharon's shoulder, gazing at the ape-thing. Hunger in her eyes. Luharon grimaced, placing the axe by his side. He supposed it was better to capture the thing than it was to kill it. He felt he owed a fellow ape that much, despite how different they looked.
However, it didn't seem to be in the mood for talking as it pierced him with eyes strident with fear that came perilously close to a feral panic.
Luharon made his choice, turning to Tonaska, whispering into his hand.
"Don't eat it," he warned with a pointed glare.
Tonaska whined, head drooping low.
The last thing that graced Andrew's addled mind of terror and despair was the encroaching monkey, rising a its boot above his head. Andrew felt know pain as his mind was sent into the land of dreams and nightmares.