Flights Of Fancy
Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.
Chapter Seven: Threatening Reunions.
Mike found that Shanza's words of flying were truer then he first expected, for she seemed to cover a great deal of distance with every leap that she took. In fact it hardly seemed that her feet touched the ground. He spent most of his time leaning forward with his arms around Shanza's upraised neck, the unicorn was finally forced to slow when she entered a forest that was so thick with trees it was almost impossible to wind around them at a slow pace, never mind trying to get around them at the speed Shanza had been traveling at.
Mike realized that Shanza could probably use the rest slid off of her back to walk by her side, she was blowing sharply and her breathing was faster then normal but otherwise she seemed all right.
Mike glanced towards the trees his eyes catching sight of familiar trees, mostly pine and spruce trees but also trees that seemed strange to him. Shanza moved forward to graze on a small shrub with bright orange long leaves and as she chewed the leaves up a faint scent of cinnamon could be detected.
He cautiously scanned the shadows around the trees and bushes feeling very uneasy, he automatically heightened his senses in an effort to detect anything that might be the cause of his discomfort, but still he detected nothing out of the ordinary. Still he couldn't escape the uneasy feeling that he was being watched.
' There is a stream nearby we can rest there for a while' she informed him.
" Does anything even live in these woods Shanza? It seems so quiet. Almost too quiet." Mike asked in a whisper.
' There are many creatures and beings all over Necron, in fact it is almost impossible to do any thing without someone seeing or knowing about it. The woods and meadows an even the rocks and water have protective beings watching over them.' Shanza replied jerking her head slightly up and down as she ate and stomping a hind foot to rid herself of a small insect.
Shanza twitched her ear and turned pivoting on hind legs as she caught scent of something strong. She snorted and pawed the ground lowering her neck, while wrinkling her muzzle to show her teeth.
Mike noticed her stiffened posture a dramatic change from her relaxed grazing mode of seconds before and his hands instinctively reached for his chucks tucked into his belt.
" What is it?" he wondered his eyes scanning the forest.
' I'm not sure just a quick scent of…'
Shanza didn't finish her sentence for a large dog like animal suddenly burst from the bushes behind her it leaped at her hind legs. Shanza bucked out missing the creature as it twisted and landed on the ground avoiding the next kick she tossed in its direction by diving nimbly out of the way.
Another creature dove for her side between the front and hind legs, but Mike's chuck caught it in mid leap hitting the creature down and back at the same time.
Shanza swung her horn left to right and made slashing movements with it in the air, she stomped her hooves in a threatening fashion as a huge lean black wolf like creature came forward, its long tongue lolling out of its mouth and its eyes narrowed as it scanned the unicorn mare.
A brown creature leaped at Mike this time his chucks found their target on the head, bashing the beast to the forest floor to lay there stunned and panting heavily.
The lean black animal cocked his head glaring at the unicorn and her companion a low dark snarl escaped its throat.
Mike wondered about what these creatures were but he made a mental note to ask Shanza about it later as it was far more important to focus on where or when the next attack was coming from. He saw how lean and gaunt the creature was and knew that hunger was probably making the animal desperate and, while Mike could sympathize with the creature's need for a meal he didn't exactly plan on being the meal.
The snarl the black beast had given must have been some sort of command for out of almost every possible direction came other creatures similar in size and just as hungry looking, they let loose an eerie howl that sent shivers up and down Mike's back.
Somewhere came an answering call and Shanza raised her head up letting out a whinny.
The black beast lunged then straight at Shanza and she lowered her horn swinging it like a bat sending the black wolf creature tumbling in the other direction and hitting into a tree.
The black creature sat up slowly, clearly stunned by the impact and before it could gain its legs the rest of the pack swarmed around him tearing the fallen leader to shreds.
Mike felt sickened and went to run but Shanza he saw stood her ground, pawing with one fore hoof relentlessly tearing up the ground under her. In spite of his misgivings Mike could not leave Shanza to stand alone against these creatures so he steeled his nerve and drew upon his ninjitsu training.
' Run and they will give chase. It is better to stand ground where toshe are involved. Pack leadership is now open to whoever kills one of us first. Don't let them draw blood!' Shanza warned him in a hurry.
Mike nodded grateful for the information and also to have Shanza by his side. Strange as it seemed he felt safer by her, he felt almost as if Leo himself were here.
In one ill timed charge the pack of toshe lunged for Shanza and Mike.
Shanza went up on hind legs just far enough to come crashing down striking one toshe under each fore hoof. Her horn swung to the left sweeping away the toshe who were closing in on that side. While Mike kept his chucks whipping and hitting into the beast from her right.
Meanwhile as Shanza's fore feet touched ground she bucked out with her hind legs trying to strike the toshe who were hoping to attack from the rear.
Moving swiftly through the trees a new pack appeared and each of the new toshe unerringly picked out one member of the other pack that hadn't yet been taken down the air was filled with loud barks and angry growls as the two packs clashed.
Every once in awhile one of the toshe would break loose and lunge for the unicorn and Shanza or Mike would send them toppling back, or kill them.
Mike could see easily that the newer pack though maybe not as strong in numbers was stronger in strength and was also well fed it didn't take long for the weaker pack to give way to the stronger pack that had arrived as the starving toshe went slinking off with tails between their legs. The other pack had been desperate from hunger but this pack looked far more dangerous to Mike and he braced himself for a long battle, for it was clear to him that this pack had just won rights to the meal and all they had to do now was kill it.
XXXX
Leo looked towards the mountain range that he was drawing near after almost a day of travel, the grass he'd been using for camouflage was starting to thin, in fact there wasn't much vegetation of any type that he could see near the base of the mountain range.
He had headed to the south eastern direction feeling that Skye might have had the right and crossing through the smaller worm territory would be far better then passing through the larger of the territories.
He had seen that the mountain range to the South East was closer to the water but in the opposite direction it jutted quickly inland, while he still hadn't seen any thing that he could remotely even call a dragon, he had seen numerous large birds soaring high up in the sky.
It was getting hotter and drier the closer he got to the mountain range as well and he often had to stop to wipe his brow from sweat. He paused and found a rock that might be useful to sharpen his swords. He decided that he might need his swords sharp, not knowing what to expect ahead, so sat down to tend to the matter immediately while considering a few things.
Skye had informed him to look for Tira, though the Catafly had not told him who or what Tira was, or even where he might find Tira. Either way it seemed he would have to go over this mountain range to find his brothers or Tira for that matter.
He licked his lips and swallowed a bit as he sharpened his katanas wondering where the closest drinking water might be found. Once he was satisfied with the job he had done on his weapons he once again started to travel towards the mountain base. Thankful for the short rest he had.
He reached the base of the mountain range his eye looking at the loose dirt and shale that would slip easily under every footstep. He shaded his eyes against the late sun and glanced upward trying to see if the treacherous footing at the base continued but from where he stood and the light, it was difficult to tell. Carefully he began the climb using his ninja skills and training to be light on his feet and move quickly.
The rocks that did break loose under his feet didn't have time to pull Leo with them. Leo concentrated and focused one step at a time until he gained a small ledge where there was just enough room for him to stand and take a breather before continuing the arduous climb.
Suddenly he thought he felt a gust of wind close to his back and carefully turned to see a large dragon, or it certainly seemed large to Leo, since he had never seen a dragon of any size before this, almost hovering near by smoke rising from its nostrils and a long forked tongue flickering in agitation as it took deep breaths.
Leo stared at the creature, so far it seemed to be figuring out if perhaps he was a part of the rock or not, Leo knew the slightest movement could betray the truth and seeing the size of the creature and recalling the words of the cataflys about how destructive dragons could be, Leo carefully and very slowly reached over his shoulders to draw his swords.
The dragon saw the gleam of the katana as they were brought to the front and he let loose a mighty roar suddenly shooting upward on its leathery wings, the tail swung at the ledge as if to knock Leo off.
Leo ducked trying to dive out of the way of the tail he had to leave the ledge his sudden movement sending rocks and dirt tumbling below Leo instantly dived back to the ledge knowing he couldn't protect himself on the loose footing of the mountainside.
He stood in a defensive posture his back to the wall of the mountain, katanas at the ready to strike if the dragon drew near enough to allow him a blow.
The dragon swung back around coming in from the left and spat something out of its mouth. Leo not knowing what it was sheathed one of his katana, and made to climb while holding on to the other one, he moved out of reach just as the acid hit the ledge he'd been standing on, the acid ate the rock away leaving behind only loose shale and dirt.
The dragon roared a bugling call of frustration and anger, that its prey had eluded him yet again.
Leo wondered how he could stand his ground and fight a creature who could easily avoid his weapons, and could also use abilities that he had no way of defending himself against. It was harder climbing in a hurry while holding his katana but Leo knew that it might be the only thing to stop the dragon, if it drew close enough that is, besides Leo wasn't going be easy pickings for the creature.
The dragon shot upward then barrel rolled close to the mountain about five feet above Leo, he thumped its tail into the mountainside sending a cascade of loose rocks and dirt tumbling down straight at the ninja.
As the rocks slipped and bounced down the mountain they sent other rocks and dirt tumbling in a landslide where the slightest bit of shifting would cause a chain reaction.
Leo had no way to avoid it, he couldn't get out of its way for the dragon was making another swing by insuring that the landslide covered too much of a radius near and around Leo for him to avoid it.
The dragon roared his victory as it watched the turtle got swept off his feet and taken down the mountainside, dust and grit rose in the air as the dragon made one final pass over the destruction it had caused. The dragon lowered itself to the ground as the rocks startled to settle and with one taloned hind foot he reached under a pile of rocks and dirt and hauled out the battered, unconscious Leo before returning to his home.
Marina had been following Leo and with the instincts that every cat is born with she knew right down to the moment when Leo would turn or look in her direction and she was able to avoid him seeing her. For cats can be very sneaky and secretive, as well as curious creatures, and while Leo might think that Marina wanted nothing more to do with her after his insult, and rightly he ought to.
No one insulted a cat and got away with it, after all!
That didn't mean she couldn't follow him and keep out of his sight to let him know how punished he was. Once she felt that he had truly been punished she could go forward and he would be even more impressed with her cat abilities. Then she could make him beg her and every cat loves to see a human beg. Then to finalize things she could scratch him for no particular reason what so ever and so her revenge would be complete!
Marina watched helplessly as the wyrm and Leo battled furiously and then she mewed in distress as it packed Leo off.
That wyrm was going ruin all her plans! Really how inconvenient could wyrms get? She wondered to herself.
She took to the air on her light wings her eyes blazing, and her back fuzzed up and arched as she hissed and spit in fury at the dragon's retreating back.
Don glanced out the cave opening and saw Gimod returning, a sight that didn't exactly fill the passive turtle to any mood of enjoyment. He could tell even from this distance that Gimod was, if any thing, in a more violent mood then when he had left. Don also thought he saw something clutched in one of the dragon's hind talons. As Gimod drew closer Don could make out what the dragon held.
" Leo!"
Gimod hurled Leo's still form into the back of the cavern and Don hurried over to check his brother over, he noticed that Leo was missing his belt and his katanas.
You and your brothers happen to be dragon slayers. You've come to destroy us!' he accused darkly hissing in a threatening fashion.
" No, you've got it all wrong" Don refuted sharply.
' Don't bother lying to me. You were merely a diversion while he was to sneak in and destroy as many of us as he could' Gimod insisted.
" That isn't the truth of the matter. Leo wouldn't hurt you unless you proved a threat to him first!" Don was angry at the dragon for speculating and for possibly harming Leo.
' Really now? Then tell me why did he have a dragon slayers weapon on him and draw it before I did a thing to him. What I did was only because he had proven what he was!' Gimod rumbled, ' now I know the truth and when he wakes you and him will both die a dragon slayers death.'
Don glanced up at the angered dragon not knowing how to respond or to help his fallen brother. All he knew was that things had suddenly gotten much worse.
XXX
Shanza lowered her horn as the old grey toshe stalked towards her.
Suddenly Mike saw a familiar three pronged dagger fly through the air and land between the toshe and the unicorn.
Shanza reared to full height screaming a challenge before coming down to charge, heading straight towards Raph. The younger members of the toshe pack got in front of Raph lowering their heads, hair bristling and growling ominously.
Mike realizing he had to act fast sprang to action using his training to jump up and over the ring of young toshe landing in front of Raph he pushed his brother back before spinning around to face the unicorn.
Shanza's had halted her charge but her horn came to rest right by Mike's throat. Mike gulped a little before explaining, " He is my brother Shanza. Please I beg of you don't hurt him."
TBC