"The Umlaut Snäkes? You brought the Umlaut Snäkes into this!? Of all the damned..."
Knox gripped the bars of the cart cage he and his companions were locked in and store Molly right in her eyes.
"We had no choice! Nevarr told us to steal their guitars or they'd kill my friend!"
Molly sighed and frowned her lips. "Look...it's already trouble enough that you came back. You even got your friends trapped with you, too! But when Hammerpaw finds out that you brung Cotton and Camille into the mix-"
"YUMYAN OWS YOU ALL!"
Molly perked up her attention to the treetops to find their leader, Yumyan Hammerpaw high up above. She and the countless other Timbercats ritualistically stood at attention as he jumped from the thick branches and landed with a solid thud.
Now standing straight, Yumyan caught eyes on the cart prison and approached slowly. "So, ya caught some trouble makers, eh?"
"W-well, um..." Molly stuttered. "It's a bit...more than that, Hammerpaw."
It was then that Yumyan got good eyes on the prisoners contained within. And after eying one human in particular, his eyes narrowed and his teeth bared. The Timbercat leader drew in to the cage bars and brung his face uncomfortably close to Knox.
"You."
Knox chuckled nervously and held his hands up.
"I can explain?"
Although Yumyan's grew quiet, his death stare didn't change. He reached for his bushy tail and slowly pulled out the object of intention, revealing his strumming axe as he held it by his side. He jabbed the sharp edge through the bar and near to Knox's eye.
"I warned you..." Hammerpaw began again.
"Please listen, Hammerpaw. I ca explai-"
"I warned you there'd be consequences for coming back..."
"The Diamo-"
"Your death won't be swift, I guarantee y-" Hammerpaw cut off again.
"Just LET ME SPEAK!"
Knox's roaring demand echoed throughout the treetop community and reached everyone present. Yumyan himself even flinched. The human calmed himself and brung his mind back down. Opening his eyes back up, Knox tried to find solid ground as he locked eyes back with Yumyan.
"The Diamond Cutters kidnapped my friend and I need help desperately. There's no one else I can go to. So if you can't help me, please just let my friends go and deal with me alone." Knox told him, his grip on the bars loosening.
Yumyan's eyes widened. "The Diamond Cutters?" He lowered his axe and turned around to no one in particular. "So they've gone and screwed with you, too..."
Knox got up. "Molly told me they've had run-ins with you all before you established a home here. I figured maybe you'd want to stop his tyranny, too. He's just...stealing away other mutes and using them for his sick colosseum battle reward system! They told me the only way to get my friend back was to steal one of the Umlaut Snäkes' guitars..."
Yumyan was curious for more. "Did you try?"
"Yes." Lute added in. "And we were on a thin, thin thread to becoming dinner! But we fought them in a music battle and earned their respect. They said they'd help us if we got more people to help..."
"And here we are..." Piercer finished, his gloved hand still rested on his cheek.
"So Cotton and Camille are involved as well? Just great..." Yumyan keeled to one knee to meet evenly with Knox. "Listen to me, as much as I want to help, I can't put my people at risk again. We've already lost some of our own to those...monsters. We even tried before...to save...someone...and we couldn't. We...no...I failed them."
"So why not put an end to it all? The whole reason you couldn't is because you were all in it alone. You're not alone on this anymore. We can beat them all together!" Knox offered, sporting an optimistic smile.
"He's right, ya know." Lute stood up with Knox and approached Yumyan at the bars of the cage. "It's not your fault for trying to do good. Most people would have done nothing. And now you all have a chance to try again. We can do this. We know it."
Yumyan looked to the ground in thought before trailing his eyes to Molly. She smiled and raised her axe.
"You know we're with you, regardless of what you say. But I'd happily accompany Knox alongside you in a battle for the freedom of the imprisoned." Molly assured him.
Yumyan looked to his hands. Slightly shaking at the memory. The memory of the screams. Of the one they couldn't save. They clenched tightly.
"We'll do it." Yumyan told the captive group. Yumyan turned around to the multitude of Timbercats that stood alert behind him. "Yumyan Hammerpaw has declared that we WILL help the prisoners. They are prisoners NO MORE! and we will stand once again in battle against the Diamond Cutters! For retribution for our lost brothers and sisters AND for the freedom and justice of those they took from others!" A proud grin snuck wide on the Hammerpaw's face.
"And we WILL win! Yumyan proclaims this so!"
One by one, the Timbercats raised their axes, shouting in agreement and unison as Yumyan turned back to the cage.
"Just so you know...I wasn't gonna kill you. None of you." Yumyan clarified. "Someone came along and...she helped me find peace with humans...not to judge them all the same, I mean. I was just gonna rough ya up is all."
Ruffles approached with the keys to the cage after being waved over by Molly. He unlocked the cage door and finally, Knox and his posse were free again.
"Okay, now I think I got an idea on how Kara must feel." Lute said, stretching his back out exaggeratedly.
Meanwhile, Knox took this time to clear things with Ruffles.
"Hey dude, I know we didn't start off on the right foot, but I just wanna know if we're cool now. Like, cool cool?" Knox held out a balled fist and smiled up at the frowning, gruff-looking Timbercat.
Ruffles continued his unreadable look at the human before retuning the gesture with a fist of his own. Knox took the initiative and fist-bumped. As Ruffled backed off to a tree to lean on, Knox was sure he saw the corner of Ruffle's mouth lift, but maybe it was just his wishful imagination. Yeah, probably.
Knox's heart rate slowed. After everything, things were finally starting to come together. He couldn't help but run into Yumyan and give him a grateful hug. Or at least try to. His arms barely came close to reaching fully around the wide form of the mute.
"Thank you so much! Thanks to all of you. I...I can't express how indebted I am." Knox pulled himself from the Timbercat who, who returned a warm smile. "I don't know how I'll even repay you all, but I'll find a way."
However, Yumyan held his axe to his heart. "No need, human. You've awaken us up from our slumber and reminded us that justice never sleeps. We've been hiding from this for too long, and we won't stand for anymore of the pain Nevarr is inflicting. So? What is the plan?"
Knox rubbed his hair and "Thing is, I've only got a rough plan idea in my head. It's going to take us all being together for it to come together." Knox admitted, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "I need you all to meet us back at the Cactus Town's entrance tomorrow morning. Just as the sun clears the horizon. We'll be there before you and we'll make sure to let Cotton and Camille know you're with us. I know you and their group don't have the best track record, but we'll figure it all out for the greater good. Sound fair?"
Yumyan and Molly looked at each other briefly before bringing their gaze back to Knox.
"Fair."
"Fair."
"Yes! YES!"
Everyone caught full attention of the short Timbercat in a mustard-colored beanie and green plaid shirt who had raised her axe high and energetically spun around in glee.
"Were going to be LEGENDS!" she proclaimed as the Timbercats around her all looked to each other, shrugged and cheered once again.
The days were moving fast.
The past three days were a blur, but they had finally did it. Knox, Lute and Piercer were exhilaratingly close to reaching the conclusion of their bid for Kara's safe return.
With his notebook open, Knox marked the seventh day out. A whole week left of what could have been remained fixated inside his head, however. If he hadn't of been able to receive the Timbercat's assistance...if Yumyan had rejected helping him...it would've been just another seven days to hope and pray.
The many iterations of what they could do to trick and work around Nevarr and his Diamond Cutter tribe was what enveloped many of the pages before. Idea after idea after idea to bridge the gap of the possibility of their failure.
He couldn't mess this up.
The human shut the notebook and slid it back into his book bag, rubbing his tired eyes as his body protested his late dwellings in the night. He eyed the katana blade next to him and gripped it, ritualistically setting it beside him on the coffee table in front of him. Wordlessly, he lifted himself off of the floor and onto the living room sofa, not spending any trouble falling asleep.
As much as he wished he could have kept the darkness at bay if for just a bit longer.
"..."
...
...
...
The beautifully and carefully crafted saya that held the katana blade lay on it's rack attached to the wall in display.
Out of all the abandoned tools and weaponry, this one stood out like a sore thumb. Even through the thick layer of dust that covered it's form.
Knox approached it with a slow caution, as if it would unsheathe itself and cut through anyone not worthy of it's presence. Something he was willing to gamble with as he stretched a hand out for it in a struggle to reach it's placement. A bit higher than he was able to reach, but maybe...
"Ah, ah ah."
Knox twisted his form around to find an older male human looking back at him. He mockingly tapped a foot against the ground, but his well-intentioned smile told a contrasting story. One of understanding.
Knox retracted his hand from the sword and stood with his hands behind his back, giving the human a smile to accompany his.
"You see, I was just ah...testing how far I could reach! I seem to be getting...better..."
The adult approached and stepped up beside Knox to take the katana blade down with ease. He removed the scabbard and revealed the katana blade in all of it's shiny glory. Though the casing was completely dusty, the blade remain in practically the same shape it was left so many years ago. The human adult then eyed Knox with a smug look and began to exaggeratedly twirl it in his hands, pretending to know what he was doing.
Knox sighed in defeat. "Okay, I get it."
Laughing, the adult re-sheathed the katana and held it by his side.
"I get it too, Knox. You wanna help fight. You want to protect Elias. But you're not ready for this. Shoot, I'm not quite ready for it either, ha..." the adult pointed the sharp blade upwards as it glinted from the outside's light. After observing Knox's lowered head, he kneeled down next to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "When you're older, you'll understand the weight of this a lot more. And in time, you'll be able to handle yourself just fine."
However, Knox leveled eyes with the adult almost immediately.
"It's not just about that..."
"Then what else is it about?" the adult countered curiously.
Knox re-centered his gaze on the now-empty sword rack.
"Nothing...it's not...never mind."
Refocusing his sights on the adult, he smiled once more.
"Thanks for getting Elias out of there, Bradley. I...don't know if I could've taken losing him too. I'm really glad you were there for him."
Bradley pressed a balled-up fist against his chest lightly.
"Gotta be there for each oth-"
"Bradley! Bradley, help! They're are wol-"
The screams died as quickly as they came.
With wide eyes, Bradley gripped Knox's hand as they dashed out of the store.
Now outside, the world quickly turned upside down for them.
Kessie and Noel's brother Elias were restrained and surrounded by a total of five mute wolves. They all grinned through their growls as the pack leader stepped forward with stride. One eye appeared forced shut by a long ago-healed scar that traveled down his face. As a few other wolves began to circle around Knox and Bradley, the leader spoke.
"Never in my life have I ever witnessed humans so stupid and bold enough as to travel out in broad daylight like this. Ha, good for us, then!"
Bradley stepped forward, trying his best not to separate himself from Knox.
"Just let them go. You don't need to do any of this. We'll leave and never come back."
"We're not stupid."
Bradley blinked at the pack leader's words. "What?"
The wolf leader chuckled and raised his head high. "You're all from that crumbling burrow a few miles out, aren't you?"
The pack leader unfurled his claws and grinned, not shying from showing off his razor sharp teeth.
"Restrain our two other friends, please."
Two wolves broke from the circle and dashed for Bradley and Knox. As Bradley gripped the katana and with shaky hands, he steadied his footing and swung the blade as one of the wolves came close. The wolf easily sidestepped, anticipating the swing.
Unable to compensate for the momentum, the second wolf bone rushed Bradley as the katana fell onto the grass. Hands behind his back, Bradley's face was shoved into the ground.
"Move the kids over there. I want the adults in front of me." the leader commanded, looking into Kessie and Bradley's eyes with a mischievous smile.
"Please..." Kessie begged. "Please, don't...don't hurt us. Don't hurt the kids...they're just-"
Kessie paused as the pack leader bent down to her level and her bloodshot eyes got even wider.
"Ain't nothing fair up here on the surface, darling. Especially for low-life humans." he told, growling the last part to her. Getting extra close.
"We'll give you our stuff, we'll leave, just don't hurt her!" Bradley offered desperately as he wrestled in his bid to escape the wolf that restrained him.
Pausing, the leader slowly turned to Bradley, and then the shaking human children that watched not far away.
And then back to Kessie.
"Ya know what? It's not enough."
Before anyone of the humans could protest, the pack leader jerked forward and locked his jaws tight around Kessie's throat. The sharp scream echoed throughout the area as her struggles grew stiff just as quickly as she had attempted them.
"Nooooo!" Bradley screamed tearfully as Knox and Elias looked on in an unspeakable shock.
The wolf leader released the freshly deceased Kessie from his iron grip of his maw and grinned as the blood of his victim coated his teeth and jaws. He stood stagnant for a moment, as if relishing in the pain he was causing. Through the sobs of the remaining humans, he called out his next order to his pack mates.
"Kill the other adult. No one's off limits. Have some fun."
Knox and Elias couldn't even scream anymore. The watched as the wolf that held Bradley yanked him up and raked a claw across his chest. The other wolves were quickly upon him.
Knox looked on in a trance, as if he couldn't do anything but look. He watched as two more people he cared about were ripped from him. Again. Again!
Then he looked to Elias, who was the only thing left. He wouldn't let it happen.
Knox eyed the katana that lay freely on the ground not far from him.
He wouldn't lose Elias.
Leaning forward, the wolf that watched over them didn't connect the dots fast enough as he brung his head back, connecting it with his maw. The wolf yelped and was too late to stop Knox from diving for the katana. Just as Knox rolled around, he met the wolf's pounce as he unsheathed the sword just in time for it's blade to enter through it's chest.
Knox wasted no time, pulling the sword out with as much strength as he could muster. He turned with his teeth clenched so hard that it hurt. The tears traveled freely down his face. And then he charged for the pack leader, blade held high.
He didn't remember how he did it.
All he remembered was a screaming pack leader as he clutched his last good eye and fully lost his precious sight.
All he remembered was raging at the last few wolves that hounded after him, leaving the shredded corpse of his good friend Bradley.
All he remembered was being on top of the pack leader in a heartbeat, bringing the hilt of the katana down on the wolf leader's teeth over and over, breaking them and leaving few to spare.
He remembered Elias pulling at his shirt and crying out in pleas for them to leave before anyone else came for them.
He remembered picking out one of the pack leader's teeth and running with Elias as they looked back one last time at the carnage that held the truth.
That there was no mercy for the wicked as there was none for the weak.
Knox gripped the tooth in his hand and ran with Elias through the heartbroken tears.
!
Knox trembled and shook, trapped in the non-fictitious retelling of his deepest memories. His hand was wrapped rigorously around the necklace that suspended a wolf's tooth.
But this time, he remained asleep.
The sun was due to cross the horizon any minute.
Knox observed it's warm, tame glow as it very gradually grew with intensity. He and his rag-tag group waited in anticipation to the Timbercat's arrival as they stood by the Cactus Town's entrance, hoping they wouldn't show too late.
"No-shows, of course." Piercer said, test-stretching his relatively new bow.
"Ugh, be patient, archer dude. The sun hasn't even crossed the horizon yet." Lute said as he stopped strumming his lute briefly.
Knox got up from crouching and stretched his legs. "Guess it's time to let Cotton and Camille know we're back. I'll go, you two stay here in case they get here before I get back. I won't be long."
"Alright." Lute responded, strumming another chord.
"Don't get eaten." Piercer commented.
Lute looked at him in disbelief.
"Seriously, what's with all the sudden snarkiness?"
The Archerat's mutual expression was unchanged.
"I have a habit a saying things off the top of my head when I'm bored. Sorry."
Knox walked past the first building they had crossed since the last time they came through. He internally cringed at what would have happened had they not convinced the snakes to spare their lives. And it was there he paused, sure that at least a few of the Umlaut Snäkes we're at least now just waking up.
"Do snakes even sleep like us?" Knox wondered quietly as he looked around for a awoken soul.
"Hey, you!"
Knox shot his sights towards the path in between the two buildings.
"I'm just here to-"
"Yeah, yeah. We know who you are." the yellow Umlaut Snäke assured with her eyes lowered in a slight agitation. "Come with me. Cotton and Camille are already awake."
Knox wasted no time running to catch up with the snake the guided him further into the town. It didn't take long at all before he found himself in front of a sky blue building. The windows were all punched out and clear of any glass.
"Hey Cotton, Camille. Look who's finally back."
The call brung forth the two respective snakes out of their homes, slithering slowly out of the windows and in front of the human. They both looked on at him, tilting their heads to the side.
"Already?" they both said in unison.
Knox rubbed the back of his head, trying not to get to anxious.
"Yeah...already."
A bout of silence before Camille spoke up. "Sooo...you gonna tell us who's the help? Cause to be honest, we didn't think you'd find a single soul."
Knox narrowed his eyes.
"Seriously...alright. But, you're...gonna want to follow me there first. Trust me."
As Knox lead way back to the entrance, he had hoped for some time to explain with his group present. Unfortunately, the universe had other plans. Right there, front and center, were the Timbercats in their full glory. Yumyan rode upon a giant flea and the sight almost sent Knox running behind the Umlaut Snakes in bewildered shock.
"Alright, pipsqueak. Who's the-"
Cotton halted upon noticing the Timbercat's presence. An immediate and aggressive hissing followed, which prompted her followers to do the same. The two Umlaut leaders slithered past Knox and nearly knocked him over as they stopped angrily.
"You brought the primitive log pluckers!? Are you out of your minds?" Cotton screeched as she stood head to head with Molly.
"Ease it, scaly, we're here on the same business! That's why the human brought us here!" Molly asserted as she resisted the urge to pull out an axe from her tail.
"Enough!"
Yumyan got off of his flea mute and approached the two arguing sides. He walked up and placed a paw on Molly's shoulder, causing her to back off. Now in front, he looked up and locked eyes with Cotton and Camille whilst sharing an even amount of contempt in his eyes. Then they softened. He pulled out his axe and his secondary axe, laying them on the ground in front of the two snakes.
"Out of proof of good faith on our part, I'm asking every Timbercat to lay down their axes." Yumyan told his gathering as he looked back at them. One by one, they followed suit, laying their axes down in agreement with a peaceful resolution.
"I know we haven't been on the right side with each other, but this is a battle that we both can get beside. Nevarr and his naive followers have taken from us just as they have taken from you. Those that we care about This is our only true chance at finding some sort of peace with ourselves. I'm willing to put off old grudges for that. Deep down, I know you do to." Yumyan told them, his eyes baring a hardened seriousness.
Cotton and Camille looked to each other as they usually do, trying to figure if they were both on the same page. When Camille sighed and gave her a nod, Cotton knew her final stance.
"Alright. Fine. We'll give this a shot. But no funny business. After this, you leave. That's all we ask." Cotton said as she slid back with Camille into Cactus Town. She looked back and waved a tail over to them all. "Well? Come in. We can't discuss a plan of action if we can't hear each other."
Knox's group, the Umlaut Snakes and the Timbercats all rallied into a circle of sorts.
"So, human. Did you come up with anything useful? You and your friends we're the last to be there and live. I'm sure you got a look at how things operate."
Knox reached into his backpack and pulled out his notebook, flipping the pages until he reached the ones he was looking for. "Yes, I have a few ideas and a base plan, but I wanted to edit them to what you all think. We need to be on the same page with this in every way possible for this to work right. And no pun intended."
Cotton slithered closer and gave a quick look at the notebook.
"Well, can you give us a quick rundown first, at least?"
"Well, it definitely involves us borrowing you and Camille's guitars." Knox admitted straight out.
Cotton and Camille both immediately tensed up at the vague, yet simple implication.
"Kid, you either have a brilliant plan brewing up in that noggin of yours, or your desperate for more than just one potential death wish." Cotton stated as she held her precious electric guitar closer to her.
Knox smirked.
"I'm waging for the former."