Ham-Ham the Wandering Black Hamster

Book 1: Journeys

Arc: The Meaning of Power, Chapter 13: Calm Before the Coming Storm

Previously: Ham-Ham had just convinced the townspeople that there was more to situation regarding the Felion than the idiots previously believed. He now makes his move to prepare for the coming events.

The next day, Ham-Ham immediately went to the outskirts of the town back to where he left Zanbar. There, he found the Felion sleeping.

"Zanbar, wake up."

"Hmm, oh black hamster, you have come back."

"Zanbar, I have important news, the town of Guoy was attacked by the Felion again. They were driven off, but we managed to find out that that they are being controlled."

"That's impossible, such noble and honorable creatures such as us cannot be controlled."

"Whatever you may think, you're wrong. I managed to scan one of the Felion during our fight with them. Their natural energies inside their bodies is yellow like yours, however, the Felion that attacked us had red energies mainly concentrated in their heads."

Now wide-eyed by this revelation, Zanbar started to get worried, "T-t-then that means there's someone that can control an entire tribe of F-f-f-f-f-felion!"

"Listen, I think it's better if you go report to Ferona and come back with what she says."

"Very well," spoke a very shaken Zanbar.

As Zanbar left, Ham-Ham took out The Tome of Thunder and began to look through it once more, like he did before his fight with Plaguren. Ham-Ham knew that he would have to increase his defensive and offensive power. Although his lightening armor was good, it only worked well against close combat fighting. He needed something that would work against spells and projectiles. For offense, his black lightening was good, but it could only injure a Felion.

As Ham-Ham flipped through the book, he really didn't find any spells that could help him and he could not read some of the words in the book.

"Arrg, None of these help me." Ham-Ham flipped a few more pages until,

"Wait, these abilities will be enough I think."

The spells that Ham-Ham found were lightening shield, lightening fist, and lightening cannon.

Timeskip, 2 hours later when Ham-Ham finishes his training

Ham-Ham returns to the town of Guoy and was alarmed when he heard some shouting. Instantaneously, Ham-Ham rushed back into the town only to see the Felion that was unconscious, to be back up and was prowling around the townsmen. The Felion suddenly perked up when he heard Ham-Ham run into the town and walked up to him.

"Thank you young elder for getting out of that horrible mind control."

"Ah, so you were being controlled, do you know by who?"

"My memories are fragmented from that mind control, but I shall try to tell you what I know of. Before that, let me introduce myself, I am Jeal, the youngest son and child of the leader of the Northern tribe of the Felion."

"Wow," this revelation shocked the crowd.

"Yes I am, anyways, I guess you can say it started a month ago. I'm not sure what happened, but one of your kind asked to have a private audience with my father. After that, my father began to act weird and slowly the whole tribe became odd. The last thing I remember clearly was talking to my father before I was held down and saw a hamster and after that, I saw red."

Ham: "This could be very bad actually."

Gan/Jeal: "Why?"

Ham: "The hamster who is controlling the Northern tribe is an elder. I can't think of anyone else doing this because of what Jeal remembers. Also, we don't know the level of this elder besides that they are powerful since they can control an entire tribe of Felion."

Gan: "S-s-s-so what can w-we do-o?" (shaken voice)

Ham: "This puts us in a tight spot, but for now we will have to wait on word from the Western tribe before we make any permanent plans. We can still boost up the town's defenses for now."

Jeal:"We may actually have a chance if we get help from the Western tribe. If we ban together, then we can subdue my tribe while the young elder takes care of the unknown elder. Hopefully we can resolve this quickly before the other two tribes and the Council of elders are also pulled in."

Ham: "Oh, by the way, my name's Ham-Ham."

Jeal: "Interesting name young elder, it makes my salivate thinking about ham(purrr)."

"Okay...," says a freaked out Ham-Ham.

Scene shift - somewhere north of the Town of Guoy

Unknown elder: "Hmm, there's one missing, well no matter. I will have them sweat it out for a few more days and then make them submit to my rule. I will show off my genius to those Elders/elders who dared look down on me."

Scene shift - somewhere in the forests

Ezmerelda: "Sache, so what will we do now?"

Sache: "Hohoho, we will let my young disciple take care of it, if not we will jump in. So what do you think of him Ruin?"

Ruin: "I just can't believe that your student is so powerful in just weeks. He has the power of an master level and his skill level is rising very fast. However, I don't think he can beat the elder who controls the Northern Felion Tribe. Ham-Ham's opponent is someone who is at the Grandmaster level."

Sache:"Hoooo, I think you'll be quite surprised, that child has even more potential to be unlocked. He has the potential to achieve what I failed to grasp all those years ago."

Ez/Ruin: "Hahh?"

Sache: "Don't listen to this old man's ramblings. This will be a good stepping stone for my student."

Ezmerelda: "Yes it will be, however, I'm more worried about Plaguren and the Black Shadow. The remnant power and vile energy from Plaguren is enough to match any Grandmaster elder."

Ruin:"I agree, if Black Shadow is the same one as from the past..."

Sache:"Don't worry too much, the very nature of the land is not trembling in fear yet. We have time until the Black Shadow tries to enter into this world once more."

Scene shift - back to Ham-Ham and co. in the late afternoon

As the townsmen of Guoy were busy fortifying the town's defenses, a sudden ominous feeling came over the town. Jeal was the first one to be put on guard, and it was a good thing too since he saw numerous yellow blurs approaching them.

Jeal: "Hamsters, hurry and arm yourselves, we're under attack!"

Unfortunately, the warning was slightly too late. Numerous amounts of Felions were already in the town and attacking hamsters with reckless abandon while also damaging various pieces of property. Only a few hamsters managed to arm themselves with random sorts of weapons, however, by then dozens of hamsters were already injured before the townsmen began any sort of resistance.

Meanwhile, Ham-Ham was busy in the tavern with his friends when he heard the noise outside.

Ham: "Damn, I didn't think there would be another attack so soon. Rai come with me and Leliel stay with Lilis and stay safe."

Leliel: "Be careful okay?"

Ham: "Of course," says Ham-Ham with small smile.

When Ham-Ham and Rai went outside, they saw numerous hamsters injured, but thankfully, only a few hamsters were dead. It wasn't long before several Felion saw the two and attacked them. Ham-Ham wanted to finish it up as soon as possible in order to help the townspeople, so Ham-Ham just decided to fire a bunch of super charged black lightening at the Felion. With the Felions unconscious, the two made their way into town square, where the majority of the fighting occurred. Ham-Ham knew what he had to do in order to turn everything around.

"Everyone, aim at their heads in order to knock them out, that should get rid of the mind control," shouted Ham-Ham. With those words and Ham-Ham and Rai leading the charge, the townspeople and Jeal began to knock out the seventeen Felion that attacked the town.

Gan: "Phew, that was the biggest attack yet!"

Rai: "It seems like we have less time than we thought. We need to have Western tribe come with reinforcements or we're done for."

Ham: "Yea, I'm just waiting on Zanbar for now."

Gan: "Say you wouldn't happen to know any healing spells or anything of the like would you?" Ham-Ham and Rai look at each other before saying

Ham/Rai: "Umm, I only know combat spells/ I only know plants and animals, not how to use them..."

Jeal: "I'm a Felion, what do you think?"

Gan: "Pah..."

As they walked and gathered the injured, they saw Leliel and Lilis already beginning to treat some of the injured. Leliel perked her head up and waved at the group before treating more of the injured hamsters.

Gan: "Well Ham, it seems like your girlfriend certainly knows how to treat people."

Ham-Ham instantly blushed, although you couldn't see the small blush from his black fur.

Ham: "She's not my girlfriend, we're just friends," although Ham-Ham didn't say it very convincingly.

Rai: "Oh, are you sure, I've seen the way how you two act," said Rai with a smirking smile.

Gan: "Yes, and the way you stood up for her when I was being an idiot. Your either dating or you're so into her."

Ham: "But, but, w-we're not t-together." By now, Ham-Ham was waving his arms in denial while Rai and Gan were laughing at how fun it was to tease Ham-Ham. Ham-Ham could hear Jeal rolling in the ground in laughter. While this was occurring, Leliel could only stare at how weird they were acting, but Lilis just said, "Guy stuff".

All the fun and laughter had to end when Ham-Ham sensed Zanbar approaching the group and at a very fast speed too. Zanbar reached Ham-Ham in order to tell him the news from Ferona.

Zanbar: (insert heavy panting)"H-Ham-Ham, Ferona has mobilized the Western tribe, it will take them two days to get here."

(Insert heavy panting)

Ham: "Okay, hopefully before they attack and why are you panting so much."

Zanbar: "I ran all the way there and back at top speed."

By then, Zanbar fell over unconscious because of how hard he pushed himself in order to cover four days of travel.

Ham: "Gan, we need to strengthen the town's defense even more, especially if we're actually going to fight in the town."

Gan: "Will do."

Unknown to them, the next two days would be relatively calm despite the tension that is building by the second. That tension will all be released in the third day when the storm finally comes.