Chapter 8
The Red Clan
Ozin had taken a few Morflon and embarked on a covert journey. He wanted to save Morriah but he knew he could not do so without help. Thus he packed a few things and headed somewhere he knew he would get help. He left the Alpha tribe with three Morflon. Within days, they had already passed three other tribes. While they were in the bush, they heard some noise. They knew they were being followed. They stopped and began to sniff, their ears and fur standing up as they growled. Just then, Ozin heard a faint noise in the bush and he hurled his spear in that direction. Someone screamed and sprang out of the bush. It was Gaiel.
'You almost got me!' he shrieked.
Ozin was glad he missed. He heaved a sigh of relief.
'What are you doing here?' he asked Gaiel.
'I overheard your plan to rescue my father', Gaiel replied. 'I want in!'
'No!' Ozin yelled. 'Go home!'
'Please!' Gaiel said. 'I can handle the heat. I mean, I was able to follow you unnoticed this long.'
'I noticed someone was following us moments ago', Ozin said. 'What I do not know is why I could not make out your scent till now.'
'I have been following you for at least two days and you only noticed me moments ago', Gaiel said. 'At least give me some credit.'
'Does your mother even know where you are?' Ozin asked. He was really concerned.
'I told her I was going to see a friend in the Lambda tribe', Gaiel replied.
'That is not acceptable', Ozin said. 'You know what we are embarking on is dangerous. None of us might even make it alive. Euphina has already lost your father, why do you want to put her through this?'
Gaiel was silent.
'Right now, your family needs you as the eldest male', Ozin continued. 'Lila and Kayne need an elder one to look up to, to inspire them. You owe them that responsibility... now head home.'
Ozin and the other Morflon left Gaiel there. Gaiel knew Ozin was right. He just stood there thinking about what Ozin said.
Ozin and the Morflon had not gone far when they heard Gaiel scream. They knew something was wrong. They traced the noise and saw some Morflon had abducted Gaiel. These Morflon painted the left side of their entire body red.
'The Red clan!' Ozin exclaimed. 'Get them!'
Ozin and his Morflon chased the members of the Red clan who worked their way seamlessly through the woods. They were fast and hard to catch up with. Ozin, on seeing he could not catch up, tossed a rock at one of them who in turn was sent to the ground. He was one of those holding Gaiel, who had been gagged and bound hands and feet, thus, as he fell, Gaiel fell as well. The other members of the Red clan stopped to help their comrade and secure Gaiel for themselves as Ozin and his Morflon caught up with them. They immediately drew out huge daggers with jagged edges. Everyone was roaring and growling. A fight immediately ensued.
The members of the Red clan were brutal and fierce fighters. Ozin and his Morflon were equally skilled but they were outnumbered. After a quick bout of bone cracking and bloodletting, the Red clan finally subdued Ozin and the others. They were made to kneel down as they bled from their bruises and stab wounds. The members of the Red clan laughed as they surrounded Ozin and his Morflon. They grabbed one of Ozin's Morflon and slit his throat to the utter shock and trepidation of the others. They sprinkled his blood all over themselves and even drank some of it.
They grabbed the next Morflon for the kill. This Morflon was able to sight a wasp hive a few steps away. He pushed the Red clan member about to slit his throat and they both fell on the hive. The hive immediately broke and red wasps flew out in their thousands swarming the area. Everyone fled, apart from the two Morflon who fell on the hive as they were immediately stung and became unconscious. The wasps split into groups, each group chasing each Morflon as the Morflon went their separate ways.
Ozin, Gaiel and their comrades were able to regroup after close to an hour. Somehow, they were able to ward off the wasps.
'You see why I said you should not come along?' Ozin asked Gaiel who was silent and recovering from what just happened. 'These parts of the forest are dangerous! You were lucky to have survived... we all were! Those Morflon who attacked you, they are called the Red clan. They are bloodthirsty lunatics who only know the dance of death. They have perfected the art of slaughter...! We were lucky to have made it out alive! And those wasps, one sting resets your entire brain and you become like a baby, you cannot talk, you cannot walk, and you cannot think... you become pretty much a vegetable.'
Ozin then turned to the surviving Morflon and said; 'I can understand if you want to go back...'
'Certainly not', the Morflon replied. 'You didn't force us to come along. We came on our own accord... look, we want to rescue Morriah as much as you do... our comrades did not go down for nothing... we did not come all this way for nothing... Let me finish what I started, let me embark on this mission with you... if we die, it will be an honour to die by your side.'
Ozin was impressed. For a while, they stared at each other.
Miles away, in the Morr king's palace, I was staring out the window of my room, lost in thought when King Sett walked in.
'I knocked but you did not respond', he said to me. 'How are you doing today? I hope you enjoyed the banquet yesterday?'
'Yes I did', I replied. 'Thank you.'
King Sett noticed I had a sad face as he came closer.
'Why the long face?' he asked. 'Has anyone done anything wrong? You know I will deal with such a miscreant.'
'No your highness', I said. 'No one has wronged me.'
'Then what is the matter?' King Sett asked. 'I do not like it when my guests are sad. It makes me sad'
'I have been wondering', I said. 'Why? I mean... do not get me wrong... I appreciate all you have done for me, the clothes, the food, the room... it's just that I do not know where this is leading to. Why are you being so nice to me?'
King Sett was rather surprised by my question.
'Do you not enjoy the special treatment you are getting?' he asked.
'Most definitely', I said.
'If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done so a long time ago' he said, for he knew that was what I was afraid of. 'I only want to extend a hand of friendship, one which the Morflon obviously do not have. You saw the way they gave you up.'
'I came on my own accord', I said.
'Only because they demanded it', King Sett said.
'Actually', I said. 'It was you who demanded it.'
'I merely suggested that they bring you in exchange for their brother', King Sett said. 'I never forced them to do anything. I just exploited their wickedness. And you should be glad I did... you do not know the Morflon as much as I do.'
'You two creatures do not get along', I said. 'What made you mortal enemies?'
King Sett sighed.
'It started many cycles ago', he began. 'During the reign of the immortal Trinidos; some scruffy, appalling creatures that had close semblance to us, except they lacked wings and elegance, came before the king and his court. They said that they were Morflon and that they had come to seek their long lost 'brothers'... You see, the Morflon are descendants of some of our ancestors that were banished several cycles ago. They mingled with other lowly creatures and thus their offspring lost their wings and had some other subtle differences from us...
Anyway, the Morflon traced their roots and wanted to associate with us. The immortal Trinidos was benevolent enough to let them dwell with us. However, the trust was betrayed when it was rumored that the Morflon were responsible for a foiled attempt to usurp the throne. This failed attempt had led to the death of Trinidos' wife. Such treachery! The immortal Trinidos was never the same again. He became ruthless. He had them captured and enslaved. For many cycles after that they worked for us and whilst living under the harshest conditions, they grew in number and strength. Several cycles after the death of Trinidos, they finally summoned the courage to revolt. It was easy for them to rebel against us then,
we had stopped working and had become lazy as the Morflon did everything for us. They looted from us and fled into the woods where they have remained up till today.'
I was surprised. I knew they looked alike, but it never occurred to me that they could be related
'Was that when you built this fortress?' I asked.
'Yes', King Sett replied. 'You see now that they are not to be trusted. They betrayed us, they betrayed you. It is in their nature.'
We both took seats.
'Enough about us', he continued. 'Tell me about you... I know virtually every creature of the forest so I can tell you are not from these parts.'
'Yes', I replied. 'I am not from these parts. I was brought here by a cube which I was made to understand is the Trans...'
'Transporter', King Sett said, finishing my sentence.
'How is it possible?' he thought aloud. Turning back to me, he asked; 'Where is it now?'
'I didn't see it again when I got here', I replied.
King Sett looked at me in awe. He paused for a while as he was lost in thought.
Ozin and his crew went back to get their comrade who had been stung by the baby wasps. The other Morflon carried him on his shoulder as they headed for the Rho tribe. Gaiel was restless.
'We've come this far' he said to Ozin. 'You could at least tell me where we are headed.'
Ozin looked at him in shock.
'You mean you do not even know where we are going?' Ozin asked.
'Let's just say I didn't get to hear the full details of the mission', Gaiel replied.
Ozin shook his head.
'We are going to the Rho tribe', Ozin said. 'We should be there any moment now.'
'Isn't that the tribe of smugglers and illegal traders?' Gaiel asked.
'That is just a misconception of the uninformed', Ozin replied. 'It is true that they smuggle most of the time, but not every item they trade in is illegal, most are just rare items.'
'But other tribes do not think highly of them', Gaiel said.
'True', Ozin replied. 'But they are not bad Morflon. The members of the Red clan, those are the bad ones. The members of the Rho tribe just like to do things differently, that's all... do not get me wrong, I do not support illegal trade, and I am not saying that they are all doing right, but sometimes, creatures fear and loathe things they do not understand or things that do not go their way and that is the case between the Rho tribe and other Morflon tribes.'
As they walked on, Gaiel suddenly noticed a booby trap. Ozin had unknowingly triggered it. Gaiel immediately sprung and pushed Ozin away. They both fell as a massive log swung over them. The log narrowly missed them. Ozin, Gaiel and the other Morflon started looking around cautiously. They had barely moved further when Gaiel set off another trap. This time, a cage fell over them and covered them. Alas! They were trapped. Before they could do anything, a number of creatures completely covered up and wearing masks surrounded them, each of them aiming a crossbow at Ozin and his crew. They had leaves and dirt all over them to camouflage with the forest.