Under the Burning Sun:
The Beginning of the End

~ Act I – The Tsufuru Invasion ~

~ Chapter One ~

Age 710, Summer Season

Aleguu carefully trekked through the lush forests of her tribe's expansive land. She was alone, although it was not unusual for the five-cycles-old girl to venture off on her own. As a matter of fact, it was not unusual for any cub of that age to wander through the forests without adult supervision – so long as they remained within their tribe's territory. But as the chieftain's second child and only daughter, Aleguu's safety was of greater concern than that of other cubs and therefor she was not often allowed to leave the safety of the village alone. That didn't stop her from trying, however. And today was one of many incidents where she had managed to sneak off without detection.

The small girl came to a slow stop and crouched down low to inspect the ground at her feet. She brushed her spiky black bangs away from her eyes in order to get a better view, momentarily revealing a distinguished widow's peak – a family trait inherited from her father's lineage. She studied the soggy leaves that had blanketed the forest floor during the previous harvest season, discovering a single indentation in the otherwise undisturbed debris. The leaves had been matted down into the soft soil laying underneath in that one particular spot, a spot that was too obscure in shape to identify the creature that had created it. Aleguu set her dagger down beside the print and gingerly plucked a fragile, half deteriorated leaf from its rotting brethren. She brought it to her nose and drew in its scent. It smelled of earth and decomposition. But it also held the scent of her prey. When she caught the odor she had been hoping for, a smile spread across her pink lips and the tip of her tail twitched in excitement.

I almost got you now, she thought with glee as she discarded the leaf and retrieved her dagger, a weapon crafted of bone and wood. She rose back up to her full height – which was not very tall at all – and adjusted her leather trousers back into place. The leggings had been passed down to her from her older brother Vegeta and she had yet to fully grow into them. Her fur-lined tunic had also been inherited from her sibling, but that didn't threaten to fall off of her like the trousers did. Her father had suggested to her several times that he could have new clothing crafted for her, clothing more befitting of her gender. But she was adamant about wearing her brother's outgrown attire; she absolutely adored Vegeta. She wrapped her tail around her waist to secure her pants and then quietly stalked away in the direction her prey had headed.

High up in a tree, Vegeta lounged in the crook of a branch and its trunk. He lay on his back, left foot against the trunk, right foot hanging over the side, both arms behind his head, and tail wrapped around the branch beneath him to secure him to his perch. His eyes were closed as he relaxed in the cool morning breeze that served to alleviate the sultry day. The climate during the summer was typically very hot and because it followed the constant rains of the monsoon season, it was also very humid. Vegeta preferred to relax in the forest far from the village on days like these, feeling that it was far too hot to do his chores, even if that day's chores were meant to help prepare for that night's festivities.

The eight-cycles-old cub contented himself with the sounds of the forest. The leaves whispered to one another as they danced on the soft wind. Birds sang to each other and insects buzzed lazily as they carried about their business. A gently flowing brook somewhere nearby, but out of sight, gurgled serenely. If there was any one activity that Vegeta preferred to do most, it was doing absolutely nothing while soaking in the sounds of nature. But the relaxation he had been enjoying was about to be shattered into pieces.

"Oi, Vegeta," came the voice of his male companion from above him. "This is boring! We should go do something."

Vegeta sighed with annoyance. "Oh? And what should we do, Nappa?"

The older boy was quiet for a moment as he tried to conjure up an activity that his younger friend wouldn't object to. Nappa typically relied on Vegeta to do the decision making, so when the latter had left it up to the former to make a suggestion, he was at a loss for ideas.

The prolonged silence drove at Vegeta's curiosity and eventually prompted him to open an eye to look at his comrade. Nappa was hanging upside down by his knees from a branch slightly higher up than the one Vegeta was lounging on. His arms were crossed and his head was bowed in concentration, but had the effect of making him look like he was pouting rather than thinking. Under the reverse effects of gravity, the taller boy's short, dark brown hair hung limply from his scalp. His face was starting to turn a deep red, either from the blood rushing to his head or from the level of concentration he was committing to the act of deep thought.

Vegeta laughed at his friend's appearance. "Nappa, your head is going to explode if you do not stop that!"

The nine-cycles-old cub's expression shifted from concentration to one of confusion. Stop doing what? his expression seemed to say. While Vegeta continued to chortle, Nappa righted himself and instantly the color of his face began to return to normal. The younger boy's merriment eventually died down.

"We should go hunting!" Nappa finally suggested.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "No." He really didn't feel like doing anything strenuous. If he had, he would've stayed in the village and be put to work.

Nappa protested. "Why not? It would at least give us an excuse for coming out here..."

The shorter saiyan sat up and looked his friend in the eye. "Did it not occur to you that we do not have the proper weapons with us for hunting?"

"Well, no-"

"And if we make a kill, how will we get it back to the village? We are too far away to carry anything back by ourselves."

This time, the older boy did pout and looked away from his companion. "Then you think of something," he grumbled. His tail lashed in annoyance. He didn't understand why Vegeta could be so difficult sometimes.

The cracking of a branch echoed through the forest, catching the attention of both boys. They were instantly quiet. For a moment, they were filled with mixed emotions of curiosity and trepidation. They feared that they had been discovered in the midst of their unapproved jaunt into the forest. Stealthily, they shifted their positions high up in their tree so they could turn in the direction of the disturbance. Emerging from a thick copse of trees about a hundred feet away, emerged a small girl.

"Well, damn," Nappa commented softly as they watched the girl-cub carefully pick her way along an invisible trail. "She has got to be a better tracker than half of the hunters and the warriors combined." He was truly impressed that at such a young age, the girl had developed a keen sense for tracking her prey. It was as if she had been born with the ability.

"Quiet," Vegeta admonished. "She has not found us yet."

They silently watched as the girl paused by their tree, forty feet beneath them, and then continued onward until she disappeared into another cluster of trees. As soon as she was out of sight, Vegeta relaxed back into a recumbent position as if he were completely unconcerned about the girl. He was mildly annoyed that she had successfully followed them this far. He thought he had concealed his and Nappa's tracks well enough to prevent this very situation. The girl often stuck to him like tree sap, so it was rare that he could ever get a moment away from her. Because of the sullen attitude he felt over his failure to avoid her (and the girl's uncanny success at finding him), he didn't bother to stop her from wandering off on her own.

Nappa, however, didn't share his companion's lack of concern. "Vegeta... Do you think it is okay to let her wander away?"

The flame-haired child waved away the other one's concern. "She will be okay." She shouldn't have followed us out here, were his actual thoughts.

Nappa remained skeptical, likely due to Vegeta's flippant reassurance. "Are you sure?"

The younger boy opened his eyes and sat up. "Yes! She made it all the way out here on her own, right? If she can do that, then she will be fine."

The taller cub started to cave into his friend's persuasion, but voiced one last protest. "The Chieftain will not be happy if something happens to her..."

"Then my father should not have allowed her to wander off."

But Vegeta realized that that was a weak argument. His father, the chieftain of their great-tribe, was a very busy man. And on a holy day such as today, it meant that he was far busier than usual. He couldn't really fault his father for being unable to watch the girl every single moment, thus allowing her to slip away as soon as the opportunity had presented itself.

Vegeta's thoughts were interrupted by a stone ricocheting off of a space along the tree trunk in between himself and Nappa. Puzzled by the disturbance, the boys looked downward to find the source of the projectile and discovered that the girl had returned. She was looking pointedly at them with a triumphant expression. She had another stone in her hand and had been ready to throw it as well, but ceased as soon as the boys' attention had fallen upon her. She dropped her remaining ammunition.

Vegeta scowled. "Aleguu! Did you just throw a rock at us?"

"Noooo..." she drawled. "I threw four at you. Only the last one came close to hitting you."

He sighed. What an annoyance. "Go home, Guu-ber."

The girl's gleeful expression soured. "Do not call me that! My name is not Guu-ber!" She stomped her foot as if to emphasize her command.

Vegeta rolled away from her, putting his back on his branch once again. "Why are you out here anyway?"

Aleguu's pout melted as she remembered the purpose for her voyage. "I came out here to find you."

"And so you have. Good job. Now you can leave," he patronized.

She ignored him. "I came to tell you that father is very sore at you. He was looking for you earlier. And Nappa's father was looking for him, too. You two are really going to get it when you get back."

Vegeta opened his eyes halfway as he listened to his sister's warning. If he was honest with himself, he knew that his absence would have been noticed sooner or later. He had simply expected, or hoped, that they wouldn't be missed until later. Much later. And now he felt guilty, too, because he had dragged Nappa along and now his comrade was in just as much trouble. But the flame-haired boy suppressed his guilt. If their absence had already been noticed, then there was nothing he could do to change it. He would worry about his father's wrath when they returned to the village and not a moment sooner.

"Oi, Vegeta, maybe we should head back," Nappa suggested with a hint of concern.

The shorter cub ignored his partner-in-crime. "Aleguu?"

"Yes, big brother?"

"Did father send you out here to come find us?"

His question was met with silence. He turned over to look down upon the five-cycles-old girl. Her gaze was averted as she avoided the question. He knew his sister too well to know what her aversion meant. It meant that she had been made aware of having made a blunder, but was unwilling to admit to it.

"He did not," Vegeta concluded.

Aleguu's eyes snapped up to meet her brother's. "No, but when I heard that he was cross with you, I wanted to find you so that you would not be in as much trouble."

"But he does not know that you have left the village, does he?" Vegeta continued to interrogate.

"No," came her meek reply.

The younger boy growled with agitation, but with his adolescent voice, the sound was hardly threatening. "Damn it, Guu-ber. Father is going to blame me when he learns that you are gone." Whenever their father's attention was being demanded by important matters, it often fell to Vegeta to be responsible for Aleguu. Had the flame-haired boy not shirked his duties, his sister wouldn't have left the safety of the village in search of him.

Feeling ashamed for her lack of foresight, the girl didn't protest the use of her nickname. "I am sorry, Vegeta."

The flame-haired cub sighed; his annoyance instantly deflating. He could never remain upset with her for very long. "Do not worry about it. You did not know."

"So you will come back to the village now?" she asked.

Vegeta appraised his sister's nervous fidgeting. He couldn't make it that easy for her. So he said, "I will make a deal with you. If you can climb up here to where me and Nappa are, then we will go back with you."

Aleguu began to pout. "But, Vegetaaaa! You know I cannot climb very good!"

"Then I guess me and Nappa are going to stay up here all day." He turned over onto his back and waited.

The five-cycles-old girl waged a war with herself. Should she go back, alone, or should she attempt to climb the tree knowing that she'd not likely reach her brother's perch? Either way was a losing situation. But after a few moments of contemplation, she decided that she should at least make an attempt to reach her brother. After all, she hadn't come all the way out here only to return without her sibling. Aleguu stuffed her bone dagger in between her hip and her tail which was coiled around her waist. Then she approached the lowest branch of the tree. She reached up, grabbed hold, and struggled to hoist herself onto the limb.

Nappa watched the girl's slow progress. Feeling a small amount of pity for her, he said quietly, "Vegeta, this is kind of mean. She will not make it all the way up here."

"I know that, Nappa."

"So why are you making her do it? Why not just go back?"

Vegeta looked as his friend. "We will head back soon, whether she makes it up here or not. I just wanted a few more minutes."

Nappa nodded. He cast his gaze downward once more to watch Aleguu as she carefully navigated the tree limbs. At about fifteen feet up, she found herself in a predicament. She had climbed to a branch that was not within reach of the branches above it. Her only choice was to either give up and climb back down, or jump to the closest branch and hope that she could grab it and climb up. The eldest boy watched her as she calculated her next move.

An unfamiliar noise from the distance drew the boys' attentions. A gentle rumble had come on so slowly and so quietly, that they weren't aware of when it had first started, and so they had no idea how long this strange noise had been occurring when they finally did take notice. The noise was growing louder and closer. And it seemed as if it consisted of two sound waves competing with one another; one was a high pitch whine and the other was a deep and thunderous growl.

Vegeta bolted upright, immediately on alert. "Aleguu, stay where you are," he commanded.

"Okay," she obeyed as she placed a hand on the tree's trunk to steady herself.

"Come on, Nappa. Let us try to see what is making that sound."

The boys climbed higher and higher. They were far more skilled at climbing trees than the young girl below and they navigated the branches with ease. There was only a moment or two where the ascension became a little tricky, but they pressed on. It was not long before they had reached the canopy, nearly 200 feet above the forest floor. So high up, the wind had much more effect upon them than it did when they were closer to the ground. Up here, the tops of the trees swayed from side to side quite noticeably, and the boys had to cling tightly to the narrow branches that held them. But from so high up, they had an almost unhindered view of the overcast sky above and the forest below.

Meanwhile, the bizarre noise had grown intense. It was so loud that the boys could barely hear each other above it. They scanned the skies. They could hear it. But where was it? More importantly, what was it? There was no sign of it, other than the deafening double pitch. The rumble-screech sounded as if it was coming from all directions, giving them no clue which way to look for it. And just when they wondered if the source of the noise even could be seen, it suddenly revealed itself. Nappa had been the first to spot it.

"Vegeta!" he hollered over the commotion. "There!"

The flame-haired cub looked in the indicated direction. A spot in the gray clouds glowed orange as if a wild fire raged in the heavens. The discoloration grew brighter and brighter until a hole opened up in the overcast blanket. Downward blasting flames of red broke through the hole and following those flames was a creature most bizarre.

Vegeta and Nappa watched in silence, in awe, and in fear as the beast descended from the clouds. Neither of them had ever seen such a monster before. The thing appeared bird-like, but it was much larger than any bird they had ever seen. It was oddly shaped, like a long and narrow triangle, it's tail distinguished by only a small protrusion. The creature also lacked feathers; it's body was sleek and smooth. It was dark gray, almost black. Its wings were oddly juxtaposed towards the rear of its body, the tips of the wings pointed skyward. And from the underside of its wings came the fire.

Frozen with fascination and fright, the cubs watched as the monster's descent came to a slow halt. The way the creature stayed aloft seemed impossible since it didn't fly like any other bird they had ever seen. It appeared to float in the sky, motionlessly. Vegeta stared at the double inferno belching from its wings. He was fascinated by their frightening beauty. He guessed that those flames explained how it could fly. Its ability to create and command fire made it terrifying.

The flames that the creature controlled shifted slightly. Exacerbating Vegeta and Nappa's horror, the beast slowly began to turn clockwise. As its front – or what the boys assumed to be its front – came around to face them, they could see a bright beam of white light being cast from its... face? mouth? eyes? The light was cast downward, illuminating a point in the forest below it. The beam darted from point to point, as if it were inspecting – or searching for – something. Was this how the monster saw things? The source and purpose of this spell of light was a frightening mystery and Vegeta wasn't going to take any chances.

"Nappa! Hide!" he instructed as the demon's glowing face came around to face them directly.

The boys ducked down into the little bit of coverage they had, hoping that the tree's large yellow leaves, though sparse at this altitude, would be enough to conceal them. They peaked through the foliage, watching as the beast continued to rotate its orientation. All the while, it kept casting the spell that created the beam of white light. The creature kept turning. Its face stared in their direction for what seemed like several horrifying moments. And then it began to turn away.

Both boys breathed sighs of relief when it appeared that the beast's gaze had passed by without directing its spell towards them. When the creature's tail end was towards them again, the boys dared to rise from their hiding place. The white light blinked off. And again, the flames shifted under its command. Vegeta tensed with this new behavior. What was it going to do now? Suddenly, the fires grew hotter and brighter and with a sonic boom that nearly knocked the boys off of their branches, the demon shot off towards the northwest, disappearing in the distance. And just as quickly, the thunder-scream that had alerted them to its presence was gone.

Vegeta and Nappa carefully descended the tree. Their entire bodies trembled from fear and adrenaline, causing them to take much longer to climb down than it had taken them to climb up. Though they were visibly shaken, they did not speak of their fright. Aleguu had remained on her branch, waiting for the boys to come down. Even though she hadn't witnessed the monster bird, she was just as frightened as her male companions. She had curled herself up into a ball nestled in the crook between her branch and the tree trunk. Her hands were clamped over her ears and her eyes were clenched shut.

Aleguu had been too scared to move. She had remained in her crouched position, shutting out as much stimuli as she could. The only thing she could do was wish for her brother to return to her safely. She was slightly relieved when the boys reached her. She uncurled herself when she noticed Vegeta checking on her. When they determined that she was physically unharmed, the three cubs continued towards the ground. Upon reaching the forest floor, Vegeta collapsed onto his rear and Nappa sagged against the tree trunk. Aleguu stood in place, trembling.

"Vegeta... what was it?" she asked timidly.

The flame-haired boy was breathing heavily from his fright. He was still trying to figure out what they had just witnessed. What kind of creature was that? What animal or beast could move with such precision, could stay aloft so effortlessly, and could fly away with that much speed? What thing possessed the elements of light and fire and could wield them with great mastery? Did the God and Goddess possess that much power? He dared not to even consider the possibility.

"I... I do not know..." Vegeta finally answered.

"It was a monster," Nappa supplied.

"No... a demon," Vegeta corrected. It was the only way he could explain to himself how such a being could have abilities that were capable of rivaling the Deities.

"I want to go home," Aleguu whimpered, her fear renewing itself. She wiped a tear from her eye with her wrist. She wanted to get as far away from there as quickly as possible. She feared that the monster might return. Or worse, that it might find them. Who knew what would happen to them if the beast discovered them?

The eldest cub was the first to regain some of his composure, pushing off from the tree. "We have to tell the Chieftain." He channeled his fear into a purpose; a duty towards the safety of their village.

Vegeta nodded and rose to his feet. "Yes. We must go back."

The trio rushed through the forest, heading back towards their village to the south. The trek back to their village was mostly a downhill journey; they traveled down the southern face of one of many mountains that served as the northern boundary of their land. Every fallen tree they had to climb over, every thicket of growth they had to circumnavigate, and every tumble they took delayed their return and exacerbated their fear. Soon, they found the creek that ran through their great-tribe's territory and followed it, knowing that it was a much easier path that would lead them directly to their village.

Nappa and Vegeta, much faster than Aleguu, took the lead. Occasionally, they would get a little bit ahead of the girl. But they didn't leave her too far behind nor did they leave her behind for more than a few moments. The boys had been spooked very thoroughly by what they had seen, and took extra precautions to make sure their youngest companion stayed within their protection. Only when the sounds and smells of their village could finally be detected, did they feel any iota of relief. The village would provide them a sense of safety.

It was late in the afternoon when the three cubs emerged from the forest. Their village lay within a large space clear of trees. The village proper sat at the southern edge of the Vegetabyl Great-Tribe's lands. Their territory was located between a wide river to the south and a mountain range to the north and west. The mountains to the north were not of the type that consisted of rocky peaks covered in snow. Instead, they were enormous rolling hills blanketed in lush and untamed forests. The range to the west however, were much taller and would often become snow covered during the winter season. Both mountain ranges were large and vast enough to serve as natural boundaries between territories.

Most of the village's open space was cultivated into farmland. A small creek – the very one that the cubs had followed home – divided the village center at the west end from the crops to the east. The village proper was devoted towards the creation of goods and services for the benefit of the village. Very few structures sat at ground level. Each of these served a specific purpose, either crafting goods or providing some form of service. Private dwellings, called diyando, were constructed high in the trees, connected to each other by a web of rope bridges and ladders.

Preparations for that night's Mid-Summer Feast were well underway. All eight of the village's fire pits were in use, smoking the carcasses of several large game animals. Dishes of various summer-ripe fruits were waiting on a giant buffet sitting beneath the shade of several trees. On another table were dozens of cheeses and loaves of bread. Wines that had been fermenting since the previous harvest season were being brought out. Felled trees for that evening's bonfire had been piled up alongside the river, waiting to be cut down into smaller pieces. In the very center of the village, the wooden sculptures of d'Jitaba Saiya and d'Mele gu Saiya had been polished. Offerings in exchange for good tidings had been left at the statues' feet.

Many of the villagers were already adorned in their festival attire. Women and girls were dressed in cloth tunics and sarongs dyed in various shades of blue and green – the colors of Mele. Men and boys wore cloth vests colored in reds and oranges – Jitaba's hues – over tanned leather leggings. Unmated females of breeding age decorated their hair with flowers to represent health and fertility. Meanwhile, unmated males wore twine necklaces accented with smooth stones to represent strength and virility.

Vegeta, Nappa, and Aleguu were still far too traumatized to acknowledge the goings-on of their fellow villagers. They ignored the flurry of activity. Greetings from some of the tribesmen fell on deaf ears. The delicious aromas that filled the air barely registered in the children's minds, despite their having missed lunch. Their sole focus was finding the chieftain and informing him of what they had seen.

The trio found him inside the salarg, the largest building of the village. It served multiple purposes; as a place where the villagers could hold meetings, as a place to gather for social events, as a place where the village leaders could have private discussions, and as a place where business could be conducted with traders from other great-tribes. In this case, it was being used for the latter.

The children quietly filed into the salarg and waited near the entrance at the back of the building. Chieftain Tarve of Clan Vegetus stoically sat at the front of the salarg. To his right sat his war-adviser, Kailan of Clan Brassicas – Nappa's father. To Tarve's left was the village peace-maker, Alaria of Clan Rialaris. To Kailan's right, the elderly shaman Tabos was seated.

The four leaders of the Vegetabyl Great-tribe were bartering with three men from another great-tribe. Today, the visiting traders had come from the neighboring village to the west, beyond the mountains, from Steridyl territory. Their lands were rich in salt deposits, an essential mineral used for food preservation. But the salty soils within their territories hindered the growth of plants and any crops they planted yielded small harvests. In exchange for the salts that the Vegetabyl tribe needed to store food through the winter season, the Steridyl tribe received grains and vegetables.

When the three cubs entered the salarg, the representatives of the two tribes had just come to an agreement. Tarve sealed the deal with the visitors by shaking hands with them in the saiyan way – a grasping of each others' right forearms. The chieftain's councilors repeated the gesture with each trader. When they finished, Tarve addressed the visitors once more.

"I invite you to stay and rest before you return to your lands," he suggested. "Tonight is the Mid-Summer Feast. Join us in celebration."

After the traders expressed their appreciation, with a respectful bow, for the chieftain's hospitality, they made their way out of the salarg. The boys exchanged brief glances with each of the foreigners as they walked by. Aleguu kept her gaze averted. Usually, the cubs had a natural curiosity of travelers from other lands. But on this occasion, any interest in the foreigners was completely subdued by their fears. It was only after the traders were gone that Tarve acknowledged the presence of the three children.

"The three of you have much explaining to do," he growled.

For a brief moment, the cubs were frozen in place. The ire of their chieftain – and in the case of the younger two, their father – had them uncertain how to proceed. After that moment passed, however, it was Aleguu who made the first move. She sprung from her place and ran to her father, in desperate need of comfort.

"Faa!"

Tarve didn't deny his daughter in her moment of need and accepted her into his arms. He couldn't help but to notice how much she trembled. He ran his fingers through her short and soft spikes of hair as she sobbed quietly into his stomach. He had never seen the girl so upset before, and he was immediately suspicious. But it was Kailan who fired the question that was on the chieftain's mind.

"The girl is traumatized," the war-adviser observed. "What did you two do to her?"

The boys had followed Aleguu's path, but at a more reserved pace. Reacting to the accusation, Vegeta refuted, "We did not do anything to her..."

"It was the demon," added Nappa.

Kailan scoffed, but Tarve halted him before he could scold the boys. The chieftain observed the boys' behavior. They fidgeted with nervous energy, adrenaline still coursed through their veins. Their faces were ashen, they wore shocked expressions. Tarve noted that the boys were just as terrified as the girl, if not more so. Their fear was so obvious, that he didn't even need to brush Vegeta's mind with his own to know so. But it wasn't their fear of him or their eminent punishment that had them so frightened. Something was definitely wrong. They had seen something... Or something had happened to them...

Concerned, Tabos approached the children. Despite his age, he had no need of a staff or cane to help him get around. "What did you say about a demon?" the shaman asked. As the spiritual leader of the village, word of a supernatural being was a great concern to him.

The boys took turns explaining what they had witnessed to the best of their abilities. Having never seen any creature like the one they had discovered, they found it difficult to describe it in terms that they were familiar with. The four adults listened intently, allowing the boys ample time to divulge as much information as they could remember. But the boys found that their description of the creature was severely inadequate, based upon their judgment of the elders' bewildered expressions.

Frustrated, Vegeta finally said, "We cannot describe it well. Let me show you, Father."

Tarve nodded. He opened up the kinship bond with his son. Vegeta's experience was powerful. Sights, sounds, and scents filled Tarve's mind. His son's fear became his own. Against his will, he trembled. When the vision ended, he closed off the link and took a moment to regain his composure. Then the chieftain shared most of the details with his councilors via their pack bond, but kept the magnitude of the cubs' emotional experience from being transmitted to them. The salarg remained quiet long after the information had been shared. The chieftain and his councilors took a few more moments to digest the cubs' account.

Alaria broke the silence. "The noise that this creature emitted that you spoke of... Why did we not hear it here in the village if is that loud?" She wasn't skeptical nor did she doubt the boys' recollection of events, but she wished to better understand the creature that they had seen.

"We were not near the village," Aleguu mumbled. She had since peeled her face away from her father's stomach, but she remained clinging to his protective embrace.

Vegeta winced as his sister unintentionally blew them in. Seeing no other option, he elaborated. "We were at the north ridge."

Tarve stiffened. His concern was forgotten and replaced with ire. He emitted a deep growl of disapproval. His tail lashed angrily. "You took your sister to the boundary of our territory?"

Nappa only made the situation worse. "We did not take her with us. She followed us."

The chieftain was less pleased. "You allowed her to wander, alone, so near to our rival's lands?"

The flame-haired boy shifted uncomfortably beneath the councilors' disappointed looks. He muttered, "We are sorry. We did not know she would follow us."

"Of course she would follow you!" Kailan bellowed. "She is too young to know differently!"

"And we all can see how very fond of you she is, Vegeta," Alaria reminded. "It is only natural that she would desire to be at your side."

Aleguu attempted to come to her brother's defense. "Faa, it was my fault. I should have stayed here."

A small smile tugged at Tabos's lips. "How very loyal, that girl is. An admirable trait."

Tarve ignored the shaman's musings and continued to scold the boys. "I care not who is at fault. Blame does not change the fact that all three of you were dangerously close to enemy lands. What would you have done had you been captured? Or worse, killed? And now we must contend with flying beasts! What if that creature had seen you?"

The chieftain paused in his diatribe, taking a moment to subdue his anger. With a calmer voice, he explained, "You must not act upon your own selfish desires. You may have thought little of the consequences of your little adventure along the north ridge. But if you had been discovered, our enemies could have kept you as their hostages. They could have forced a ransom upon us for your continued survival. Do you realize the burden that could have been posed upon your tribesmen? You must consider the safety and survival of our great-tribe with every decision you will make during your lives."

The three cubs all nodded their understanding. Sensing that their scolding was now finished, the tension melted from their bodies. Nappa and Vegeta turned to leave their elders, suspecting that they still had other business to attend to. Aleguu remained behind, hesitant to leave the safety provided by her father. But before the boys could take more than a few steps, the chieftain stopped them.

"Since you two decided to abandon your duties this morning," he stated, "I have decided that you will chop the logs by the riverbank and stack them for tonight's fire."

Vegeta wanted to sulk and voice his displeasure at the punishment. But he held it back, knowing it was disrespectful towards his father and chieftain. Instead, he replayed his father's words through his head. Although none of them had gotten themselves into one of the hypothetical situations his father had described, he realized that they had created a burden nonetheless upon their fellow villagers. In their absence, their duties had likely been reassigned to someone else to complete, placing a larger work load on another person or persons. With a sigh of defeat, the flame-haired cub realized that it was only fair that he and Nappa complete the punishment that the chieftain had doled out. The boys once again headed towards the exit, but were stopped once more when they reached the door.

"One more thing," Tarve spoke. "No one here shall speak of this creature to anyone outside of ourselves. As a matter of fact, you three cubs will not even speak of it to each other. You are to forget that it ever happened. You will leave the matter for myself and my advisers to handle. Understood?"

Synchronously, the children nodded their obedience. Vegeta was not happy with the order, however. He would obey his father and chieftain. But that didn't mean he would forget what he had seen. Nor did that mean that he wouldn't be constantly on alert should the creature return.

Story Notes:
Vegetabyl – from vegetable.
diyando – a derived contraction of the spanish words buhardilla (loft) and nido (nest). It is an elevated platform, loft, or room used for sleeping, typically circular in shape.
salarg – a contraction of the spanish words sala (hall) and largo (long). A large, ground-level building/facility used for public gatherings or meetings.
Tarve – sort of an anagram of vegetable, and a mix of Tarble and Vegeta.
Vegetus – also from vegetable.
Kailan – from kai-lan, the cantonese name for chinese kale.
Brassicas – from brassicaceae, a family of plants that includes cabbages.
Alaria – from alaria esculenta, an edible seaweed.
Rialaris – from alariaceae, a family of kelp.
Tabos – from tabasco pepper.
Steridyl – from asterids, an unranked classification level of flowering plants.