Chapter Four, Forest Scuffle
Thanks for everybody that has commented, viewed, etc on the story so far. I know it has been a while since I posted the next chapter. As usual, let me know if you like/hate something, see somewhere I can improve, or just feel like chatting.
The quiet snap of the branch brought me wide awake. I strained my ears, listening for more.
Snap.
Either this was a very clumsy deer, or something else was out there. I put a paw over Star's muzzle and nudged her awake. "Hey, there might be trouble. Stay quiet." Star came awake quickly, tensing. I moved away from Star as quietly as I could crawling over to peer out from under the drooping branches of the tree we were camped under. I gave the dwindling fire a grimace. That was definitely giving us away. I thought about snuffing it out, but figured that would just alert whatever it was out there that I was on to them.
Reaching the edge of space the branches made as they drooped down to the ground, I took one and slowly rose it up to peer under. It was still raining outside, the slow type of rain that is good for growing. It was very dark outside, the rain clouds obscuring the light from the moon. I was in luck however. Whoever was out there brought along a light, it was glowing with a dull yellow color. It was unfortunately very close to us, maybe 100 yards. I could not see how many of them there were. It was entirely possible that they were spread out anyways.
I crawled my way back to star and gave her the news. "I think we should split up, though I doubt we will have time put our clothes on. I'll be the distraction. Take the book and my clothes and clear out as fast as you can. Is there anything nearby we can meet up at?"
Star took a moment to respond. "I think there is a little pond with a small waterfall about a mile to the east," she said quietly.
I crawled over to our gear. I wrapped the book in my clothes to help protect it from the rain. I bundled up Star's clothing and motioned her to come over. She rose to a crouch and padded over taking everything. "Be careful Cygnus," Star whispered. She leaned close and gave me a quick kiss on my cheek and stalked close to the tree limbs, waiting.
Taking three slow, calming breaths, I walked out of the confines of our makeshift shelter into the cool rain. I would be soaked in minutes, but at least for the moment the rain would bead off my white fur to keep me dry. I proceeded to sneak as quietly as I could towards the light source. I made it to within 20 or so yards when my right foot snagged on a root I swore was not there a moment ago. Falling is not something you can do quietly. I heard a cry of alarm from the being holding the light source. Before I knew it, the ground beneath me started to writhe like it was alive. I tried to get to stand up, or at the very least crawl away, but I was stuck fast. I bellowed in challenge, hoping to draw eyes to me and give star a better chance of escaping.
I managed to break my right paw free, and grabbed my axe. I took a couple careful swings, severing the vines that were holding me. I scrambled out of the mess, and ran smack into a brick wall of a cat. The yellow light let me see it was a tabby cat, with layers of thick muscles everywhere on his body, and taller than I was easy. The tabby grinned down at me and kicked me hard in the stomach. I rolled a few times away to my back, gasping in air. At least he did not kick me a little bit lower, that would have sucked a lot.
The tabby sauntered towards me, just like a cat toying with it's prey. He aimed another kick at me. This time I was ready for it and caught it, twisting as hard as I could. The tabby fell to the ground, but it did not stop him from aiming his other foot and planting another painful kick to my head. I stayed on my back, letting the stars clear from my head. This was not going very well, I thought to myself just as another figure approached from the other side. She was a very pretty looking dingo, dressed just a set of hide moccasins, a necklace filled with teeth from an assortment of animals that reached down like a mardi-gras decoration to her petite breasts, perky from the cool rain, and a small cape of feathers. She bent over me, while I was still trying to get my brain to work again, commanding some nearby vines to anchor my arms and legs to the forest floor. I tried to struggle, but this time I had zero leverage to break any of the vines.
"Hey beautiful, what's up?" I asked the dingo, putting on my best smile. I was rewarded with another kick in the face. My head jerked to the side painfully, the taste off blood in my mouth. I noted while my head cracked to the other side the light source was helping the tabby up off the ground. The owner of the light was a little stick of a leopard, maybe 5 feet tall and nothing but skin and bones. "Gee, nothing like kicking the crap out of a lone wanderer."
"Don't fool yourself, Cygnus Black. We know who and what you are," The small leopard said, his voice pitched higher, like a kid who has not hit puberty yet. My eyes widened when I heard my name. How could they know who I am? The leopard waved a paw in my direction and the dingo back away from me, but left me restrained to the forest floor. The leopard walked over and crouched down next to me. "Where is the book Cygnus Black?"
I spit the blood in my mouth at him, but missed. This just was not my fight today. "Go fuck yourself, I don't know what you are talking about."
"Slith, would you please help convince this gentleman what I am talking about?"
The dingo came over, Slith I guess was her name, and straddled me, sitting on my stomach. I was distinctly aware of the fact that I was naked and she basically was also. I tried to think non-sexual thoughts, but you know how well that works. Slith bent down and put her muzzle just a fraction of an inch away from me. Her eyes were a deep brown, I found myself getting lost in them. Slith moved her muzzle the rest of the way and kissed me, hard and animalistic. I tried to move my head away but she put both hands on my head and held me there while she had her way with me. I could do nothing but literally lie there. I must say though, she was a damn good kisser. I struggled against the bonds holding me, but still I could not break them. It was about this time I felt her magic at work. It started as a tinge in the back of my mind that maybe it could be worse. I had a very attractive dingo kissing me, and the other two spectators have not done more than restrain me. They could have easily killed me. It took only a moment more before the spell had a bigger hold on me. I fought against the mind control, but it was a losing battle.
Usually in times like these I have my collar around my neck. The collar acts as a bastion to guard against mental assaults. Unfortunately, my collar was back with Star. The mental assault was over a proverbial moment later. Slith broke the kiss, leaving my mouth dryer than a desert and my breathing hard and heavy. "Thanks dear," she whispered into my ear before giving me an open pawed slap to my face. "He left the book with his companion, Star I believe is her name. She is a black lab and will hide well in this darkness I think. His thoughts were a bit cloudy, but I was able to glean as much as I could." I stared at her, getting my mind back under control.
"Leave her out of this. I swear if you hurt her ... " I growled.
Slith looked down at me, teasingly. "Or you will do what? Stare at me threateningly?" Slith let out a mirthful laugh and stood up. "Come Tede, let's go found our hero's whore." The tabby walked into the darkness with Slith.
"You were a fool to try and stop us. But while we are here, I might as well try and convince you that we are not as bad as you think we are," the little leopard said. "Think of the benefit the world will have once we summon Arkol. He will unite the world under one banner. He will abolish all of our petty feuds and useless wastes of resources trying to rule our neighbors. Think of how much progress we can make if we did not have to worry about war or politics. We could erase disease, extend our lives indefinitely, the sky is the limit so they say."
"I take it that you have never read the book then," I said flatly. "It said he will only be yours to command for a year and day."
"Then we will bind him and force him to serve longer. He was bound before, it can be done again." The leopard waved a paw dismissively at the subject. "The point is that I will rule the world."
I turned my head away, not bothering to listen to him any longer. The leopard stood up and aimed a kick to my side. It was weak compared to the others I gave a chuckle. "Don't break your paw tough guy. I wouldn't want you to rule the world and have a limp." The leopard let out a growl of rage, and made me laugh again at the lack of fear it caused me. He heard him stand up and start to mutter something under his breath. I looked back over to see what he was doing. He had his eyes closed, paws held out in front of him about a foot apart. There was a crackling of green lightning forming between his two paws. The lightning took on a deeper green as he went. His eyes opened after another minute. A grin split his face as he stared down at me. "Good bye Cygnus Black. I hope you can hold to your convictions while screaming." The lightning struck and hit me in one dark green flash.
I screamed as the lightning took me, making my muscles convulse and tighten uncontrollably. I blacked out a moment later.