Nails dug deep, it was not letting go.
The paw was bleeding severely, but he was barely paying attention to it. Everybody was looking.
Kane was closer than ever, like a man trying to tame a beast, but the beast had no sight.
- There's a stream where I live Zelan …
Mitch raised an eye
- Kane, don't do that to yourself …
He didn't get a reply, only a sign of a paw gesturing his protegé to fall silent.
The muscle was waiting for a reaction from Zelan, he didn't flinch, he was like in a trans. Kane resumed.
- Can you hear it singing ? …
He stopped right there ; Zelan reacted. He wasn't looking distressed anymore, but depressed and regretful; The teeth were hidden, eyes looking down. He was now oriented towards the source of the voice.
While everyone was still staring at the ordeal, Kane was concentrated on removing the claws from the stump, as gently as he could, hoping not getting mauled by his relative.
But it all ended in silence
Teeth hidden
Eyes down
Body still
Zelan blinked. He turned to look at Kane. The latter eyed him with profound concern.
"I don't like this place …" whispered Zelan. It was almost inaudible
- I can find another clearing …
- No … no
Kane turned around, Zelan was being dead serious. He felt misunderstood, betrayed.
- I feel safe here
Silence
Teeth hidden
Eyes down
Body still
K – Zelan, look at me
Silence
- You need to wash that blood awa ….
- Do you trust in me ?
He resented that question, he couldn't deal with that crisis again.
- You're losing too much …
- Lin ?
Closing his eyes in frustration, he inspired heavily while Zelan plodded towards the tigress. She was now sitting with her neck hanging low, anticipating the question.
- You're family did trust me ?
"They miss you" she had to correct him. She wanted to remain optimistic. She's seen that behavior as much as Kane.
Zelan looked at her with empathy, nodding progressively in apprehension as if he was making himself feel better. He turned to stare at Mitch, the latter stopping dead in his tracks.
- Hey … If my mom was here, she'd help you climb any mountain
To Mitch's surprise, Zelan didn't reply right away. The young saber was clearly sweating.
After a 10 seconds blank, the chief looked away, gnawed by guilt.
- She wants me dead …
An awkward silence installed itself, Mitch's confusion was displayed for a good 5 seconds.
- I'm sure she meant that for dad, wish I knew him …
Kane sighted loudly, looking away, nodding in disbelief. He was back to his occupation, laying down, but he was tempted in getting back up.
Zelan didn't pay attention to what Mitch was saying, he was now contemplating Reith, who didn't know how to react.
As he approached the youngling, the latter tried to look more dignified, but it only showed more of his fear.
- Kid, if you're hungry, you can have my share.
Reith's eyes widened. Was that a trick, was that sincere ?
- T … Thank you …
The green and bronze in those pupils barely showed any reaction. Zelan was now inspecting his paw, still bleeding in small intervals.
- Go wash that right now
He still was not paying attention ; calmly licking the wound, eyes shut, body still.
Kane finally set out to get back up, he couldn't bear it anymore.
An ear flicked, Zelan heard that one.
- I want to be sincere for one thing chief…
- Leave him alone, Mitch
Looking ahead, he didn't show any reaction once again. He just stood there.
- … We'll all here for you no matter what
A spasm awakened. Zelan had a totally different posture.
- Humans you say ?
"Uh yeah" Mitch didn't expect that change. Kane was getting real tired of the problem, dugging his eyes deep in his paw.
- We're keeping the day walks to a minimum. Dawn too.
- Dawn's the perfect hour to start hunt …
- Humans hunts more than once Mitch, and Zelan … for the last time ….
Kane didn't expect it. He was looking right at him.
Teeth showing
Body still
- I forgot the last time you were this unsufferable …
Words couldn't come out, he was this stunned.
Taking a step back to process a little more, he tilted his head in frustration before disappearing in the forest.
- Diego's in a cult ? Why didn't he tell us ?
- You're going insane Crash …
- I'm not ! The staff did warn me !
Still catching their breath, Buck and the possums escaped a near death.
- The staff is not in your hands …
- Then ask Buck genius !
- Buck, is Diego part of a cult ?
- No, love has won over hate…
- And you're insane Crash
- I'm n …
- Alright boys, let's move on
He didn't need to say it again, they were back on foot, searching for a way out of the conducts.
- There she is !
Manny didn't want to make that much noise, hoping that Peaches wouldn't notice from afar, but it was definitely her. Accompanied by Julian, Ethan, Meghan, she peeked out of the forest after a long hour of wait. The mammoth was helping himself with fruits while Shira was still cleaning herself from her previous meal. The pair was lying on the beach shore.
- Sweet ! What do we do now ?
She didn't get an answer right away, Manny was still processing beneath that light smile of enthusiasm. He seemed relieved from the looks of it.
- We go fetch her ?
- No ….
She didn't expect that answer.
- Not right away atleast ….
A moment to think ; she caught wind on what Manny's intentions were. Their was a semblance of pride in his face as he observed her daughter.
- Who am I kidding ? She looks alright by me …
- She's definitely grown for sure
- Absolutely
It really turned into an earnest exchange by that moment
"Shouldn't be that much of a difficulty to come back home" Manny chuckled
Shira could see his eyes getting all misty ; For some reason, it reminded her to inquire :
- Shouldn't we worry of the humans ?
A tad flimsy, she told herself. She could have open that problematic with more delicacy.
- Oh my … Totally forgot about that problem …
Shira could express more surprise from that sentence ; she looked at him sardonically, an expression where you could read "Are you kidding me"all over it.
- For some reason, I don't feel like they'd be in much danger.
- How could you tell ?
Manny turned to her and felt it was necessary to precise one thing.
"I'm talking about those brats …" as he pointed towards Peaches' gang
- Oh yeah don't worry … I understood that
For sure that came out pretty dry, but he grew accustomed to that sarcasm, ask Diego.
- From what I got of that human's reaction, they wouldn't dare to approach 4 Mammoths.
- "They", that's the problem, how many of them are we dealing with ?
- That's right …
Something hit her. She remembered a danger ; It was right here on this island and from that thought alone she became speechless.
- Holy … we have tigers on the loose, that's right.
- Yeah
From that moment on, Manny was shuffling with a stone in the sand, while Shira remained terrified. Anxiety was back getting the best of her, she couldn't fight back the feeling. Still looking at the silhouettes in the distance, Manny picked back the pace.
- We won't wait too long
- Yeah …
The pending silence was making new conversations less likely to emerge. He broke it.
- How are you two doing ?
She did not notice that he was looking at her this whole time. It took her off guard, she found it hard to rebound.
- Uh … Well
He didn't insist, just waited …
- He's there for me for sure …
He was still staring at her, that was making her uncomfortable.
- It's not that I don't feel disconnected from him or anything …
- You're still doing it …
- What ?
He didn't smile or anything, he still looked at her, dead honest.
- Just tell me when I make you uneasy, I could look at Peaches' instead
She couldn't tell if he was jesting or ungratefully making fun of her.
- Hey no hard feelings, but you are making this uneasy…
Teeth were shown, claws were shown, she felt humiliated. But to her surprise all Manny showed was a childish smile, as if he was contemplating the success of his prank. It felt rare and precious.
- You really do remind me of Diego when we first met
Shira took a step back, she still didn't understand the point of this joke. Manny reajusted his pose, taking a more laidback stance.
- Of course that'd make you mad, who doesn't hate those conversations ? I know I do …
"What was that all about ?" Up on all four, she couldn't get more sincere and innocent than that. Shira felt like a child again.
- Point is : that's the last time I'm making you endure this …
- … Really ?
- Oh you're still mad at me …
- Of course I'm still mad at you, I still want to gut you right now
Silence again …
But it wasn't long before the two of them burst in laughter
- You caught up, glad to hear
- Oh, trust me, I'll need time before coming up with a lamer joke
It just became natural for them to bite at each other.
- You know, it was quite funny and simple at the time when it was only the three of us …
She was definitely all ears on this now
- You'd make fun of Sid atleast twice a day, you'd get a pretty rich conspiracy emerging every new campfire meal. It was a nice routine … And then you got Diego
Pause
- I'll always remember that one time where he was this distant from us – mind you it was one of our first nights together, a while ago – he just was this antisocial ; isolated on that tree not far from our spot. You'd have Sid calling him to join but he woud just lay there, looking at us …
She was deeply ingesting every word of that story, now back lying on the sand.
- You can never forget that look – It's still itched in my brain, you could still see it - … And then you had that kid.
She lifted her neck, curiosity spiked.
- A real trouble in it's beginnings. The energy in that little thing was scary
A light chuckle
Teeth hidden
Body Still
- But specially, there was a moment with that human …
- Oh, a toddler ? Okay …
- Wait a minute
Manny's focus was broken, he was looking at her
- He didn't tell you this ?
- Well no
- Oh … Thought he would
- What is it ?
He took a minute before telling her this
- You'd be frustrated to hear this but …
- What ?
- Easy there … I was saying that it'd feel more rewarding if Diego told you this story.
- You can't leave me hanging !
- Well I just did
That juvenile smile came back, she was really eager to make him sing no matter what.
- What makes you think he'll tell me ?
- He will
- That's way too personal to share …
- Oh trust me he will
- When ?
- At the right time Shira
Biting her lip, she gave Manny that single sour eye before trying again
- Ok here's something else : what makes you so sure he'll tell me ?
It just looked like Manny waited for that inquiry to happen, all warmful.
- Because I've never seen him look so vulnerable before…
She felt that, it was like she was experiencing the same thing Diego did that day, even if she had no idea what caused it.
Fragile eyes
Teeth hidden
Body still
- I can wait
The mammoth liked that, but he tried pushing one last time just for fun.
- You know when was the last time he felt that much ?
- Don't …
She actually hesitated, ate back her words then reiterated
- Go on …
- When he met you
She took a hard hit, looked away
Teeth hidden
Body still
- That's a nice feeling …
She was on the verge of having a meltdown, but she managed to stay prideful. Dignified, but good. Melting, but still warm.
- You are really lucky to have found each other
She nodded apprehensively, looking at the horizon.
- … That's all I'm going to say
Blank
But it didn't take long
- Isn't that a whale ?
- Where's that little friend of Peaches ?
A loud noise occurred
A collapse
A cry for help
A voice hindered
- Diego ? Where are you ? I'm stuck in here !
Ellie didn't get a reply. Her whole body was trapped under rubble, she couldn't see a thing.
- Diego ?
Still nothing.
She could feel some pain in some areas. It was most definitely bleeding, but she could shake it off, or so she thinks.
With some motion of her trunk, she tried to get some rocks off her head so she could see something.
She managed to remove one, but another piled up instantly back on her. Ellie started to get fed up ; reusing her trunk, she was prepared to put in a maximum effort….
A cry for help
She stopped everything she's been doing and caught a tiny glimpse of light through the rocks. She could see Diego from afar.
- Diego !
Still no reaction, she couldn't believe it.
Before she could utter anything else, she witnessed a tiger at its most primal.
Teeth sunk
Prey bleeding
Body still
Diego had his huge canines dug deep into a juvenile capybara, bleeding profusely. He was waiting for the animal to stop draining.
She couldn't say anything, it was the first time she witnessed such a thing
Eyes locked unto the animal, he finally withdrawed the teeth to start gutting the carcass.
But he stopped midway and looked right at the rubble.
Dead eyes
Teeth Showing
Body Still
Silence
Those eyes, dear god, those eyes, help me
O please help me
Please forgive me