Loonatics: United

The Wrath of Tenebrous

Episode 125: Lost and found

Tech got onto his feet, being helped by Randy. "Duck…" He gasped and rubbed his side. "…could you teleport the ship to the lake side?"

"Uhm, I can try." Duck teleported back to the sunk ship's inside, he then swam towards a wall and got his hands over it, then he closed his eyes and began to teleport himself and the ship to the lake side, making a great effort. The ship got gradually covered with an orange light that grew from the spot where Duck had his hands on. He gasped under the water, then finally managed to teleport the ship and himself to the lake side. Duck teleported himself out of the ship. "Man…" He was recovering his breath. "That was…way harder than I thought."

"Thanks, Duck." Tech walked towards the ship and opened the main door by placing his hand on the recognition pad next to it, which was still functional, the door then slid open and a huge amount of water exited the ship.

"Dang." Lexi said. She was helping Ace stand on his feet. "Now how are we gonna move?"

"Maybe I can fix it." Tech waited for the water to come out of the ship almost completely, then he entered.

Akinyi sighed. "So, we're stranded, right? In the middle of nowhere."

"It seems." Lexi replied.

"Freaking asteroids." Duck expressed.

"Maybe I should have piloted." Rev said.

Edison sighed while shaking his head and sitting over the rocks. "What if he can't fix it?"

"He can, and he will." Lexi looked at him with a straight face.

"I was just saying." Edison replied.

Lexi looked at her boyfriend. "Hey, you okay?"

"Of course not." Ace said with a cold tone, his eyes were lost in the darkness of the horizon.

"Oh, Ace. This is just…an unexpected, we're gonna be al…" Lexi got interrupted.

"Stop saying that, you're not helping." Ace said in a rude manner. Lexi decided to leave him deal with his emotions in silence.

Tech exited the ship while letting out a long sigh. "Well…I can't fix it."

"I told you." Edison looked at Lexi.

"Shut up." Lexi replied with annoyance.

"Great, what n..?" Vale got interrupted.

"Foreigners!" A male lion said from a mound that was behind them, making them adopt a combat position instantly, except for Ace who didn't have the energy or will to do that. The lion wore a brown long sleeved, v neck T-shirt, pants of the same color and a pair of light gray boots. Three male lions were accompanying him. "What are you doing in Apilex?"

Tech hesitated a bit to answer. "Our ship crashed." He looked away as the lion's glare was highly intimidating. "And…we have no way to fix it…not here."

The lion narrowed his eyes, then walked down the mound, not getting his sight off Tech's eyes. "Where do you come from?"

"A…" Tech backed away a couple of steps when the lion got close to him. "…Acmetropolis."

The lion remained silent for a long moment while glaring around, studying the looks and glances of each one of them. "What happened?"

"Asteroids." Tech answered. "They hit our ship."

The lion nodded coldly, having returned his glare to Tech. "It's a miracle that you survived." He turned and then looked at his men, nodding at them, they nodded back and left hurriedly. "The Path of Death, we call it. Only a few have passed through that asteroid field."

"Well, my skills weren't enough to pass it, it seems." Tech said. "Are there any workshops here to repair our ship?"

The lion delayed a bit to answer. "We will fix it for you."

"Oh…really?" Tech raised an eyebrow.

"Sure." The lion said. "But it will take a while, we'll have to get new pieces and tools as well."

Tech sighed with relief. "Oh, we appreciate it so much."

"No problem." The lion said.

The men that had left returned, in an old, hovering vehicle, shaped as a trapezoidal prism. One was driving while the other two were sitting on the roof.

"Uhm, I don't know but, I think you will need something bigger to tow that thing." Vale said.

"It's not for that. We're taking you to my village." The lion replied, gesturing at the vehicle. "Come on."

"But…the ship, we just can't leave it here." Tech said.

"Why not?" The lion inquired.

"It could be stolen, or scavenged." Tech argued.

"It will be fine, I give you my word." The lion turned and began to walk to the vehicle.

"I…" Tech sighed, looking at Lexi, who shrugged. "Okay." He said with resignation and began to walk towards the vehicle, followed by the others.

The lion piloting the vehicle pressed a button on the console, making the doors at the side slide open. They all entered and the doors closed.

They sat down on the evenly distributed, dark gray seats. The inside was of the same color. "My name is Kufai, King of the Shujaa."

The vehicle hovered over the gray, rocky ground, passing between the tall mounds and narrow rivers. Vegetation began to show up. Tech looked at Kufai with intrigue. "So, are we staying in your village tonight?"

"Yes." Kufai replied. "We help all the lost souls."

"Well, thanks." Tech said.

Lexi's stomach growled. "Oh, sorry for that."

Akinyi sighed. "Mine's the same, girl."

"Don't worry, you'll eat when we arrive." Kufai said.

"Awesome." Duck expressed with relief.

Slam grunted, saying he seconded that.

"Do you think we can trust these guys?" Rev mumbled to Tech. "I think they're a bit too…kind. It's suspicious."

Tech delayed a bit to answer. "What other choice do we have?"

Kufai noticed Lexi's bleeding and trembling hand. "Our healer will attend you as well, lady." He glared at the others. "Same with you all."

"Oh, it's nothing." Lexi covered her hand. "Just a scratch."

"I'll take care of her." Tech said. "But thanks f…" He was interrupted.

"You are our guests now, coyote." The lion stared at him with authority. "She will be treated by our healer, as I said."

"Healer, uhm…well I have several PhDs I'm sure I can handle it." Tech chuckled nervously, looking at Kufai serious eyes. The lion remained silent, just staring at Tech. "Or….your healer can attend her, I guess." Tech looked away and scratched his nape.

"Alright." Kufai leaned against the backrest of his seat.

The path began to get steep, with rough trails. There were yellow led lamps hanging from the tall and green trees, all kinds of wild animals inhabited the place. The vehicle passed over a large metallic bridge that was built over a gigantic waterfall that led to a wide river below. The gates of a tall and strong metallic entrance began to open slowly, screeching while doing so, then the vehicle entered. The surface of the entrance was rusty and with strange symbols adorning it, same as with the rest of the buildings in the village, of all sizes and purposes, mostly for housing. Some vehicles passed by. Feline, canine, avian, rodent, people of all species were living there, dressing with clothes similar to the ones Kufai and his men wore.

The vehicle kept hovering over the wet soil and plants of the ground, until it got under a rusty awning covered with vegetation. The lion that piloted the vehicle turned off the system. Kufai stood up. "Come." The doors slid open, he then exited the vehicle, followed by them, with hesitation on their faces.

A set of gray rocky cliffs covered with plants and moss surrounded the village, with a pair of waterfalls falling from their tops. "Woah." Randy expressed with amazement.

"This is a paradise." Akinyi opined.

Kufai glared at them over his shoulder for a moment, narrowing his eyes when looking at Ace, seeing his lost glare and his weak steps. Lexi was helping him walk. Kufai glared back at the front. "Coyote."

Tech approached him. "Yes?"

"What's wrong with him?" Kufai inquired.

"Ace?" Tech glared at his boss for a moment then switched his glare back at Kufai, letting out a sigh. "He got injured, in battle. But I took care of him. He'll get better soon."

"Hm." Kufai expressed with doubt. "There is something else."

"Sorry?" Tech raised an eyebrow.

Kufai stood silent. The people around looked at them with happiness, welcoming smiles and comforting looks. Kufai brought them to the facade of a house. He knocked the metallic door. "Ely. We got visitors."

After a few moments, an orange furred, middle aged female cat opened the door. She had long, brown hair and wore a dress of the same color. "Oh, hello!" She looked at them with intrigue, noticing their wet and dirty fur and suits. "Uhm, please, come in!"