Chapter VIII
Dash opened his eyes and blinked a few times. He looked around. He remembered stumbling into his chamber, but he was certainly not there now. Where am I? he thought.
Dash lay on cool blades of bluish grass. As he turned his head he could see a cave about fifty yards in front of him. The cave was set into a rock wall. As Dash swiveled his head he could see that the rock wall completely circled the small area of grass he lay in. There was one large oak tree near the cave. He tilted his head up and saw that the rock wall went up as high as he could see, vanishing into light and a thick mist that hung overhead. So I'm in some kind of underground grotto, Dash thought. Have I been captured? He stretched and yawned. Dash remembered feeling very tired before, but he wasn't anymore. He stretched once more and stood up.
There was a waterfall that crashed down from the mist high above. It splashed down into a small pool of water next to the cave. Dash saw something dark swimming in the water. He watched for a moment until the creature climbed out and shook her fur. It was a wolf, but not just any wolf…
It can't be… Dash thought. That's…
"…Shasta?" Dash asked aloud.
The wolf swiveled her head and smiled at him. "Just going to stand there and gawk all day Dash?" She asked.
Dash's heart leapt into his throat. He didn't care how impossible it seemed to him. Dash immediately took off running for the gray wolf.
The wolf just stood there as Dash rushed at her. She smiled when he barreled into her and the two of them rolled down the gently sloping hill beside the pool.
The gray wolf came up on top as the two slid a few feet through the grass at the end of their tumble. She giggled and leaned down to lick his nose.
"…Shasta?" Dash asked again.
The wolf smiled and nodded. "Yeah Dash, it's me." She said.
Dash reached his paw up and touched her cheek, tears brimming in his eyes, making it hard to see. "I… I can feel you."
Shasta's smile widened and she turned her head sideways to rub her cheek against his paw. "I can feel you too Dash." She said.
Dash's eyes widened. "Am… did I die?" he asked.
Shasta smiled and shook her head. "No, you're very much alive, sleeping back in your chambers."
Dash sighed and his ears fell against his head. "So… this is all just a dream then." He said softly. He looked away from her.
Shasta giggled and turned his head back to face her with her paw. "No Dash, this is no dream. I'm real, you're real."
"…but how?" Dash asked. "…and why?"
"Aniu sent me." Shasta said. "A great evil is approaching the clan and you have some things in your past you need to take care of if the clan is to survive."
A confused look crossed Dash's face. "…like what?" he asked.
Shasta smiled and licked his cheek. "…like me."
Leaf stepped over a broken log and looked behind him to see the others of his unit fanned out through the woods. 4th Unit had drawn patrol duty today. They' been relieved of guard duty this morning and this should be their day off, but after a hard night fighting the Lightning Clan 2nd Unit was in no shape to walk patrol, so Leaf had conceded to switching places with them. It meant that he had to pull double duty for one day, but that wasn't too big of a deal, 2nd Unit had been in combat last night and was exhausted. Leaf would rather be sure someone alert was walking patrol.
Suddenly a large crash filled the forest.
Leaf dropped to his belly and his ears stood straight up, swiveling back and forth to catch the smallest sound. He quickly glanced behind him to see that the rest of the Unit had done the same. Leaf looked back forward and saw a large form heading toward them. What in the name of Aniu is that? he thought.
The creature stood as a wolf, but was three times the size. It had three heads, red eyes and two legs like an insect sticking out of its midsection. A long curved tail arched over its back, at the end of which sat an equally long, curved and extremely sharp looking blade of bone.
The creature walked forward, it's every step shaking the ground around 4th Unit.
A deer leapt up from its den in a nearby thicket, startled by the foreign sound and bolted away.
As Leaf watched the creature followed the deer with its center head and opened its muzzle which proved to be full of double layered, razor sharp looking teeth. The creature emitted a terrible shriek that made Leaf's fur stand on end and its eyes flashed red before a ball of flame shot from its open maw. The ball of flame whizzed across the forest and hit a nearby tree just as the deer leapt clear. The tree exploded in a shower of bark wood and flame. The tree teetered for a moment before crashing to the ground. The creature screeched again, clearly irritated at having missed its target. It followed the deer's path with its left head and the tail over it's back straightened. With a whoosh the tail blade of bone shot from the tail, trailing a thick cord of pinkish tendons behind it. The blade soared through the trees and stuck solidly into the deer's flank, piercing it completely through. The deer let out a pitiful bleat and fell to the ground, bright red blood gushing from the wound.
The creature shrieked again, this time in triumph, as it began to retract the cord back into its tail, dragging the struggling doe across the ground, leaving a smear of blood across the snow as it did so.
As the deer reached it the creature raised its insect like legs and the tips of them shot forward, pinning the deer to the ground by the shoulder and hip.
The deer cried again and fresh blood splashed to the snow.
The creature pulled its tail from the deer and retracted it back into its body as it had been before. Then it knelt its three heads down low and ripped into the deer, tearing it apart.
When nothing recognizable was left of the deer it raised its heads, now covered in blood and gore and quickly retracted the tips of its legs back into its body.
The creature looked around and then started forward again, heading the way that the 4th Unit had come.
It's heading toward the cave! Leaf thought. He waited until the crashing footsteps receded to silence before he stood shakily to his paws. I've got to get back and warn Timbre! he thought. Leaf turned to his unit. "4th Unit, we're headed back, on the double!" He called. Then he turned and ran. The rest of his Unit crashed through the trees behind him, all semblance of stealth gone. Leaf just hoped he could make it back to the Talbourne in time.
Leaf made the trip back in almost a quarter of the time it had taken him to travel from it. He ran into the clearing in front of the cave and didn't stop until he stood, breathless in the Main Chamber. His Unit ran in behind him. Leaf turned his head. "4th Unit form up!" He called.
The wolves behind him quickly fell into their places and were soon in an organized rectangular formation four squads wide behind him.
"Stand-by," he said. Then Leaf walked forward.
Timbre had heard the warning relayed back from the sentries to the guards at the Main Chamber that 4th Unit was returning and was already waiting for Leaf. "Lieutenant Leaf, you're supposed to be out on patrol, yet here you stand, explain yourself. Were you attacked?"
Leaf shook his head. "No Sir," he said.
"Then what is the meaning of your return?" Timbre asked.
"I saw a… a…" Leaf stopped.
"…a what?" Timbre asked. "Come on Lieutenant, tell me, what did you see?"
Leaf shook his head. "I… I don't know what it was Sir," he said. "I've never seen anything like it. It was three times the size of us, but looked like a wolf. It had three heads and the tail of a scorpion, legs too."
"It was in the woods?" Timbre asked.
Leaf nodded. "Yes Sir, it tore a deer apart as we watched, but did not notice us. Last I saw it was headed for the cave. It… it spit fire Sir."
"It can't be." Timbre said.
"What is it Sir?" Leaf asked.
"Well… from your description it sounds like a hunter, one of the denizens of Hell Aleu had told me about, but… but it's not possible. They're not supposed to be able to enter our world."
"This one did Sir." Leaf said. "I swear to you on the honor of my father."
Timbre was quiet for a moment. "I believe you," he said finally. "You say it was headed this way?"
Leaf nodded once. "Very slowly Sir, but the ground itself quaked as the creature walked."
Timbre nodded and a solemn gaze came over his face. "Then this is it, what Aniu has warned Aleu about."
"Has she returned?" Leaf asked.
Timbre shook his head. "No, not as yet. For the moment, it seems we are on our own to face this new threat."
"Not totally alone Sir," Leaf said. "Aniu is with us."
Timbre nodded. "That she is," he said. "We must warn Dash at once. We must make an attempt to eliminate this threat before it reaches our home."
Leaf nodded. "…my thoughts exactly Sir. That's why I turned back, ran as fast as my paws would take me."
Timbre smiled. "You did well Lieutenant. Come with me. Dash may have questions to ask you. Tell your Unit to stand-by."
"The order has already been given Sir." Leaf said. "They await my command."
Timbre nodded. "Then let us go to Dash's chambers. We haven't a moment to lose."
Leaf nodded and the two turned, sprinting for the Alpha's chambers.
Timbre cleared the entry-way first, but Leaf wasn't far behind. "Sir, I'm sorry to…" Timbre stopped running.
June knelt beside her mate, who lay on the floor, his eyes closed, body limp.
"I came to talk to him." June said. She turned her head to Timbre. "I can't wake him up."
Timbre panted in the chamber for a moment, his head spinning. "What… what do you mean?" He asked.
"I tried shaking him, calling his name, nothing." June said.
Timbre nodded once and glanced down at the Alpha. For a moment worry for his friend crept into his mind. He quickly shrugged it off. "Very well." Timbre said. "The Alpha is immobilized. That… that leaves me in command."
June nodded and then looked back to her mate.
Leaf looked up at him. "Sir?" He asked.
Timbre turned to him. "We'll worry about our Alpha later. Right now we have more pressing matters." He turned to June. "Do your best to wake him, and pass on the order that all non-Defense Force members are to remain inside the cave until further notice."
"Is something wrong?" June asked.
"I don't wish to start a panic." Timbre said. "Just, please, pass on my direction. I go to meet a new threat, if we do not return… You are in charge June."
June nodded. "Yes Timbre," she said.
Timbre nodded back. "Aniu willing we will. If we do not return in one day, gather everyone and flee the cave."
June looked surprised and confused but she nodded. "Yes Timbre," she said.
Timbre nodded at her, then turned to Leaf. "Get back to your Unit, prepare to move out. I'll get 3rd Unit and meet you in the Main Chamber."
Leaf nodded sharply. "Yes Sir." He turned and ran out of the chamber.
Timbre turned to leave as well, then stopped and turned, gazing down at his friend. He looked to be sleeping. "June…"
June turned her head and looked up at him.
"…do what you can for him."
June nodded.
Timbre looked at his friend for a moment more then turned and ran out of the chamber.
Timbre stepped out of the forest and into a clearing far away from the cave. Leaf and Snap stepped up behind him, the 68 wolves of their Units gathering behind the three.
Timbre turned his head. "Lieutenant Leaf, you said it was headed this way?"
Leaf nodded. "Yes Sir. At the speed it was moving it should…"Leaf stopped as the ground shuddered beneath their paws. "…that's it Sir."
Timbre nodded. "From what you told me on our way here about how it took down that deer it seems like our only hope of stopping it is to get behind it. It may be big, but it's slow. Here's the plan. 4th Unit is up first. Lieutenant Leaf, I want you to choose your four fastest, most agile wolves and have them distract it, the rest of the unit will split into two groups. You'll lead one, the other will be led by your Corporal. You'll circle around and hit it from the rear while it's distracted up front. If we do that we might have a hope of stopping it. Snap, 3rd Unit is staying in reserve, in case the first attack fails. We'll amend our tactics and try again. It's imperative that we take this thing down, here and now. You understand your orders?"
Snap nodded. "Yes Sir."
Leaf nodded as well. "Yes Sir, but I would like to be one of the ones out front."
"That's a dangerous position Lieutenant." Timbre said.
Leaf nodded. "Yes Sir, but I am among those fastest in my Unit, I would like to be forward of the battle to be able to direct better and… well I don't want to ask anything of the wolves under my command that I am unwilling to do myself Sir."
Timbre nodded. "Very well, choose three others then. You've made your point Lieutenant. Make your preparations. As soon as that creature shows it head we move. Don't wait for a command."
Leaf nodded. "Yes Sir." He turned and walked back to his Unit. "Gerud, Unilik, Lika, you're on me. The rest of you split down the middle. First and Second Squad you're on Harrie, you'll circle around back through the trees to the right and hit it from the rear. Third and Fourth Squad on Corporal Night; you're going to do the same thing only you're circling from the left."
Night and Harrie nodded. "Yes Sir."
"Form up. Execute on my movement." Leaf said.
The two wolves nodded and began to get their squads in order.
Leaf turned back around.
"What about us Sir?" Lika asked.
Leaf turned to the thin gray wolf. "…we're the distraction." He said. "I've picked you three because you're fast and nimble. We have to do our best to dodge that thing's attacks while our brothers and sisters circle around to take it down."
Lika gulped.
Leaf smiled. "Oh come on now Lika. You've been benched a few times because of your size, were complaining about not getting any action? Well now your size is a plus…" He turned his head back to face the treeline on the other side of the clearing. "…and you're going to get plenty."
Lika nodded. "Yes Sir!" She said.
Leaf heard the shuddering thunder growing louder and suddenly the Hunter's muzzle emerged from the trees ahead. The young Lieutenant turned his head and saw that his Unit was ready. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Then he opened them again. "…let's move." Then he darted forward and over the small bank in front of them. The three wolves he'd chosen followed close behind. They stopped a few feet into the clearing.
The hunter stopped and looked at them.
Leaf tilted his head upward and howled.
The creature roared and it's tail straitened.
Leaf dropped to his belly as the tail blade whizzed over his head. He rolled to the left and back up to his paws. "Spread out!" He called to the others.
The other three wolves put some distance between them and began dodging the various ranged attacks that the creature began to throw at them.
The two squads that Leaf had split his unit into moved along the clearing, careful to be silent as they began to flank the creature.
Corporal Night knew he had to get into position quickly, his Lieutenant and friend was in mortal danger until they engaged this enemy. …but he also knew that if he rushed it and alerted the creature to their presence too quickly everyone could die. It killed him to leave his friend in danger, but he knew he must move slowly and carefully.
Unilik leapt to the right, narrowly dodging a fireball that exploded into the ground, showering him with dirt. The concussion from the blast threw him to the ground. He quickly rolled to the left and came up on his paws. A whistling sound filled his ears and he felt an explosion of pain in his chest. The orange wolf stumbled back and looked down to see a blood red tendon extending from the creature into his chest. He swiveled his head to the side and saw that the tendon emerged from just behind his shoulder and led to a bony spike lodged in the ground. His hearing was strange, filled with a static like roar. As if his head were under water. His legs threatened to give out on him and he looked up to see Gerud take a fireball in the side.
The wolf dropped to the ground and howled. Then another spike shot through the air and into his muzzle. It emerged from the back of his head, stuck in the ground and quickly retracted. Gerud's body trembled a few times and then he fell still.
Unilik faced the creature again and coughed. Blood ran spattered the white fur of his muzzle and dripped down his chest.
Leaf turned away from the explosion as the fireball struck Gerud and heard the howl of pain cut short. He saw Unilik standing there, in shock. The creature retracted it's spiky leg and as it re-entered Unilik's body it tore the wolf in two at the middle. The top half pun up and out into the clearing. The back simply fell to the snow.
Leaf looked at the hunter. His unit had to hurry.
Corporal Night came around the back corner of the hunter then and stood up straight. "Charge!" He yelled.
Third and Fourth squads charged forward out of the tree line.
First and Second stormed in from the right.
The hunter growled in anger at having been outsmarted by the wolves.
As the first few wolves reached the hunter's flank the great muscular tail of the creature sweapt down along it's side and sliced through them like butter. The first wolf to get struck was lucky, he only lost a leg. The other four were less so, one lost her head and two others were bisected in mid leap.
The air filled with growling and yelps of pain as the wolves of 4th Unit swarmed around the hunter.
The hunter's horrible tail swooshed down again and again, cutting great swathes through it's attackers. Harrie, the wolf in charge of the first and second squads, strayed a bit too far to the front of the hunter and received one of the spiked legs through his neck as a result. He fell, gurgling blood, to the snow.
The snow around the hunter and out about thirty feet was soon a bright mush as it decimated the 4th Unit. Wolves lay in heaps here and there, cut down where they stood. Most by the horrible tail blade, but some from the spiked legs and even a few that strayed directly in front of the hunter by the explosive fireballs. Those corpses were the worst, charred black and burning in the snow, some of them moved slightly, still alive and burning to death.
Night was among the last of the attackers standing. He gave a war cry and leapt atop the hunter. He crawled up on his back and tore into the creature's neck, but it's hide was so tough his teeth couldn't grind through it.
The hunter swung it's tail around and down, twisting it so the blood smeared blade struck the brave Corporal midway up his leg.
Night howled as it passed cleanly through all four of his legs and tumbled down off the Hunter to land in front of it. He rolled to his back and looked up at the Hunter's gleaming jaws. Night's legs ended in stumps halfway down to where his paws should have been, from which bright red blood shot in steady spurts, falling down to cover his body.
The hunter grinned and lowered all three of its heads. One head grabbed the Corporal's head, one latched onto his middle and another took hold of his back legs. Then they ripped in opposite directions and threw the three pieces of bloodied meat across the clearing, leaving only a splatter of blood where the wolf had lain.
This display of wanton violence caused Lika to freeze in place, transfixed by the horror occurring so close by.
The hunter looked back up and smiled as it launched one of its spiked legs. The spike stuck in the young female's side and she howled in pain, dropping to the snow. The creature retracted the spike and straightened it's tail.
Lika rolled onto her back and screamed, the snow around her red with blood as she thrashed in agony.
The hunter grunted in an evil sort of laugh as it fired its tail blade forward. The blade soared across the clearing. It seemed it would miss the young wolf completely. However, as it passed over her the terrifying accuracy of the attack became readily apparent.
The cutting edge of the blade sliced into fur and skin and neatly unzipped the young female from tail to throat in a spray of crimson. Mercifully she lifted her head at the sudden burst of main and the tail blade struck beneath her muzzle and lodged in her head.
The creature retracted it's tail and ripped the young female's head from her body, dragging it, bouncing across the snow until it finally bounced free just in front of the creature before the tail snapped back into place.
Leaf stood, stunned. He looked across the field and could see only bodies, the silence of the dead and cries of the dying the only sounds to reach his ears. He turned and looked at Lika's body. She'd been so young, so beautiful, now she wasn't even recognizable as a wolf, only a pile of shredded fur and gore marked her exit of this life.
Timbre sighed. "Leaf, fall back!" He yelled.
Leaf looked dumb struck. He swiveled his head and looked at Timbre.
"Fall back Lieutenant, that's an order!" Timbre called.
Leaf turned his head back to the hunter. Then he took off running.
The hunter fired a spike at the suicidal wolf. Leaf leapt to the left and the spike crashed to the snow. Again the creature fired but Leaf leapt again and again the hunter missed. Leaf had closed the distance between them quickly and leapt at the hunter, his fangs bared.
The hunter smiled and opened it's muzzles.
Three fireballs stuck Leaf in mid leap. At such close range the energy from all three blasts tore him apart.
What was left of him splattered across the hunter's front and to the sides.
Timbre sighed and turned behind him. "3rd Unit, up…" He called softly.
Snap stepped up beside him. Her eyes scanned across the clearing, taking in the bloody snow and the horrible creature that still stood unharmed after such a determined assault. She gulped hard and for the first time in her life, Snap's paws began to shake. Somehow she managed to keep the fear out of her voice. "3rd Unit, standing by Sir, awaiting your command."
Timbre looked out over the field and saw the hunter start tearing into the wolves that weren't yet dead, igniting a fresh set of pained yelps and cries.
Timbre shook his head. "…fall back." He said.
Snap let out a sigh of relief and nodded. She felt lightheaded. Never before in her life had fear gripped her so strongly. She turned her head. "3rd Unit, Fall back!" She said. She turned her head back forward. "Where to Sir?" She asked.
Timbre finally turned away from the battlefield. "…home," he said. "While it's still there."