“The herd’s coming,” he replied, fully alert.
“What do they want now?” Said Varn.
He was still upset that his morning sleep was ruined.
“Probably just another heated argument over whose fawn it is.”
“Again? What’s wrong with them? Can’t they just mate responsibly? Jeez!”
“Maybe you should tell them that.”
“Maybe I will.”
The herd finally stood before them. However, this time it was different from their usual cases. The does sniffled and sobbed their eyes dry as the stags pitched their cases. It was hard for Zafeen and Varn to understand either one of them.
“One at a time!” Zafeen shouted.
They calmed down, and each one of them spoke their mind.
“They came in the night...”
“…and attacked us in our sleep…”
“…We barely made it out alive…”
“…We’re all that’s left…”
“Whoa! What are you all talking about?” Varn cut in.
“Predators!”
“Wolves!”
“They came in the middle of the night…”
“…in our own homes…”
“…and attacked us.”
“You were right.”
“We should have stood by you when we had the chance.”
Zafeen couldn’t believe his ears. They had all succumbed to his will after nature bit their tongues off. He gazed at their enraged cold-hearted souls, and thought to himself that maybe he finally had a chance at retribution. Hope came back to him once again when he stared at the army standing right before him.
“What do you think? Are they enough for a retaliation?” Varn curiously asked.
“It’s a start,” he gladly replied.
“What about the ones who can’t fight?”
“They’ll have to migrate to the south, closer to the ocean. It’s safer there.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing?”
“Trust me. When am done with them, they’ll be begging for mercy.”
Zafeen’s quest began. Before, he was just an ordinary orphan brought into a life he was not accustomed to. He lived among different species and was always an outcast. Nevertheless, he soon made a name for himself and was no longer that same outcast. He became a rebel, and an inspiration to all preys. All because he single-handedly started a revolution.
“Would you look at that. Guess you were right this time Saber.” Hunter whispered to him while they hid behind the raised rock.
“I warned you he’d be a problem.” He replied.
“Yeah well, don’t get too cocky about it yet. We still have to find out what he’s up to before we actually do anything about it.”
The clouds obscured the moon and concealed this sudden revelation to the preys gathered at the field. Saber and Hunter peeked at them and spotted the famous stag. He instructed and commanded everyone in place. They all seemed focused on their course for they blindly followed and listened to his every word. Saber refused to let this go on any further and was eager to ruin his plans. He couldn’t just sit by while his kind was unjustly eradicated.
“Speak for yourself, am going in.” He silently growled and emerged from behind the rock.
“You idiot. We still need more info.” Hunter held him back with all his might while Saber insistently pushed on.
“Are you kidding me? Look at that. What does that look like to you?” He pointed to the preys.
“A friggin’ revolution.”
“Exactly, and am going to put an end to that right now.” This time he pushed on even harder, trying to escape Hunter’s grip. His mind only focused on the preys.
“Are you crazy? Edgar specifically said that we observe and report back to him, remember?”
“Screw Edgar, am not doing this for him. Don’t make me regret having brought you along.”
“I only agreed to come with you because I was bored, and I craved excitement.”
“Well then, what’s more fun than ripping their scrawny little guts out?” He enticed him.
“Not messing up, that’s what. Let’s just wait before making any rash decisions.”
He finally managed to calm him down. However, the red molten river still coursed through his veins, and enraged thoughts filled his mind. By now, all the scratching and clawing during their heated argument had burrowed the ground beneath them.
“Who’s the new guy?” Varn asked.
“I don’t know. Never seen him before.” Zafeen replied.
The creature walked towards them, with his eyes red as the planet mars. Characteristically, he had a muscular neck and a large bony head with protective ridges over his eyes. His fur was generally shorter around his body, but on the neck and head, grew a curled woolly mane. He was the same height and size as a male buffalo, but stronger due to his additional pectoral muscles. Moreover, just like every prey warrior, he had thick long horns. They curved outwards in a flat arc, rather than upwards in a lyre shape.
“Are you the one that’s been going around spiting in nature’s face?” He spoke in a masculine voice.
“Who’s asking?” Said Varn.
“My name is Elton. Am looking for the one they call rogue.”
“Well look no further my good man.” Zafeen replied. “What can I do for you?”
“I’ve heard so many great things about you. It’s an honour to be standing here before you.” He praised him and bowed his head in respect.
“Thank you, but there is no need for you to bow. We’re all equals here.”
“I’ve travelled miles from the far west to be here. I want to join your army and fight by you.”
“Everyone is welcomed to join our course.”
“Thank you sir.”
“This is our revolution camp at the moment. You’re welcomed to stay here as long as you want.”
Suddenly, a pigeon, a dove, and a parrot came flying in. Their hearts paced while they continuously hyperventilated. They uniformly shouted out only one word, “Sir!” When out of breath, they would deeply gasp for air and let out a loud unbearable shriek.
“Calm down fellas! Calm down!” Varn pleaded.
“Sir,” the parrot began in a slow mellow take, “There’s a problem in the north.”
“What problem?” Zafeen worried.
“Lake…Guilderm … is …” He stammered.
“What about the lake?” Zafeen grew impatient.
“It’s infested.” The dove cut in.
“What do you mean infested?”
“The predators have taken over it. No prey is able to go anywhere near it anymore.”
“It’s the crocs and alligators fault,” the pigeon added.
“That’s it. This time they’ve gone too far. It’s time to put them in their place!” Zafeen poured out all his anger.
Everyone at the camp cheered in unison and chanted his name. The tropical trees surrounding them provided great acoustics that echoed all through the forest. However, Varn was the only one who seemed less confident. He whispered to his brother and they both retreated further into the woods.
“What’s wrong?” Zafeen asked the minute they were out of sight. He watched him pace himself uncontrollably. “Everything okay?”
“No! Of course everything’s not okay!” Varn exploded. “Are you insane? What the hell are you thinking?”
“Whoa! Calm down! Am doing what’s best for all of us.” He defended.
“And you think matching a bunch of untrained soldiers into predators’ land is what’s best?”
“I know you don’t agree with my methods, but they’ve given me no choice. You and I are the same. We’ve both lost people closest to us. Don’t you wanna make their names great? We can once and for all get rid of these pesky parasites.” He reasoned with him.
“Committing a mass suicide isn’t making their names great Zafeen. If mum and dad were here, they would agree with me.”
“Alright, w
e’ll do it your way.”
Side by side, they gazed at the stars and shared a moment. They let all their troubles dissipate as the wind brushed through them, and their minds connected as one. The night was peaceful and quiet. It was one of the most beautiful nights they had ever seen. They basked in the full moon’s radiant light while a shooting star burned fast through the sky. They both secretly made a wish. Unsurprisingly, they both wished for the same thing. A wish they both knew was impossible to have; their parents back. That’s when they heard an alarming disruption from the camp, followed by a loud roar. They hurriedly got to their feet and sprinted in its direction. They stormed back into the camp and spotted a coyote and a sabre-toothed tiger aligned back to back. Surrounding them was a rally of pissed off preys blocking any chance of escape. The aroused crowd randomly shouted and cursed.
“I told you this was a bad idea.” Hunter growled.
“Can it, Hunter! I don’t need any more of your smart-ass opinions right now!” Saber simply laid it down to his face.
The crowd grew impatient, and like a crazed monkey, they reached out for a piece of them. Suddenly, they all turned silent the second they noticed Varn and Zafeen. They glanced at them as they made their way through to the two predators.
“What’s going on here?” Zafeen anonymously asked. “Why aren’t their heads on a platter yet?”
“We found them lurking around the base!”
“They were spying on us!”
“We were waiting for your orders.”
Zafeen mischievously smiled when he observed how intimidated by his presence the predators were.
“I know them,” He whispered to Varn, “They’re the same predators who attacked us at the lake a month ago.”
“Oh yeah! You’re right. That’s why they looked so familiar.”
“You gentlemen seem to be a long way from home.” He glanced back at them.
“Am not afraid of you.” Saber growled. He looked around and noticed how everyone carefully anticipated his every move.
“He talks! He actually talks!” He taunted him and the crowd reacted.
Saber felt so disrespected that the murderous look in his eyes heightened. He slowly drifted off to his dark place.
“This is a waste of time,” said Zafeen, “Get rid of them.”
He started walking away and that’s when he heard a loud roar. His back was turned and couldn’t see the sabre-toothed tiger pouncing at him. He turned around just enough to spot him over his head. Everything slowed down. He closed his eyes and welcomed his fate. All of a sudden, he heard a loud thump and the ground shook. However, he just stood there, still waiting on the strike but nothing happened. He carefully opened his eyes and spotted Elton standing right in front him. He held his ground and stood between him and the intruders. He flashed his flaring nostrils at the predators.
Zafeen looked to the side and saw the tiger groaning in pain while the coyote stood by his side for comfort. That’s when he finally realized what just happened. His beating heart calmed down. Hunter was mad that his partner in crime was wounded, and so he roared at Elton. This provoked him even more. With his hooves sunk deep into the ground, he lowered his head, exposing his tough un-maimed horns. He rubbed his right hoof against the ground and drove all his energy to the back of his body for support. This gave him the much-needed force for his attack. He huffed and puffed while everyone cheered him on.
“Elton! Stand down!” Zafeen commanded.
He looked back and met Zafeen’s disapproving eyes. He bowed his head and took one last glance at the predators before slowly backing down.
“What do you think I should do?” He addressed the herd.
“Kill ‘em!” They all chanted in unison.
“You heard ‘em.” He glanced at them.
Hunter and Saber became worried as they watched the entire crowd chant uncontrollably. Their bulging eyes almost turning dark with hate as the evil consumed them all. They calculated every loophole of escape they thought they had and recalculated it repeatedly until they were certain. However, each time they did, they would only end up with one conclusion, dead.
“Let them go!” Zafeen suddenly commanded.
They all abruptly went numb. They glanced back at each other in and whispered in utter disbelief.
“What are you doing?” Varn whispered.
“Don’t worry.” He assured him.
Hunter and Saber were mostly confused, but who would be stupid enough to pass off an opportunity like that. Side by side, they slowly retreated. However, the herd gazed at Zafeen and refused to let them pass. He gave them a cold stare and they immediately backed down. Saber and Hunter passed right through them, overlooking their judging eyes. They growled in every step they took and finally made a run for it through the field, and into the woods. The herd now turned their attention back to Zafeen.
“Nice work guys! That was pretty believable!” He said.
Suddenly, they all bursted in laughter and he joined them. Varn was beside himself with astonishment. He racked his brain and tried to figure out what was happening.
“What’s going on?” He asked.
“Sorry Varn, but all this was part of my plan.”
“What do you mean part of your plan?”
“We knew the predators were spying on us, so we came up with a plan to scare them off.”
“What about when the sabre-toothed attacked you? Was that part of the plan too?”
“Actually, that was unexpected. Luckily Elton was there.” He explained and turned to the bull. “Thanks Elton.”
“How come I wasn’t part of your plan?”
“But you were. You did exactly what I expected, you had my back. That’s why I can always count on you.”
“Thanks.”
“Alright everyone,” he addressed them, “Funs over. Let’s get back to work.”
They all dispersed to their respective quadrants, chatting their mouths off. The moon shone overhead as midnight finally kicked in. The stars were now partly visible as the clouds patched the sky. Zafeen and Varn retreated to their bunker, and together they formulated their strategy against the predators. It looked to be a very busy night for them.
“Edgar…Edgar…Edgar…” Hunter whispered.
He laid sound asleep inside the pit with the entire pack surrounding him. Hunter persistently nudged him while Saber stood beside him. They both called out his name and hoped to reach his unconscious mind. He drowsily opened his eyes and yawned, letting out a soft roar. He focused his sight and spotted both Saber and Hunter staring down at him. He stretched out and finally met their gaze.
“This better be important.” He whispered.
They quietly jumped out of the pit, walked through the forest and emerged by the lakeside.
“Okay, what’s all this about?” He growled.
“We did as you said,” Saber began.
“Yeah. We sneaked into their lair until a certain somebody almost got us killed.” Hunter interrupted and glared at him.
“What are you looking at me for? You better take those lazy eyes off me before I rearrange your face.”
“Make me.”
The two abruptly went at it in their inappropriate stare down. They growled at each other while their hot breath steamed up the cold air of the night. The rage popped out every vein from their neck.
“Alright! If you two are done playing around, I’d like to hear what you found out.” He roared, unable to take another second of their bickering. “Anytime now.” He grew impatient.
“Saber was right,” Hunter began.
“About what?”
“About the preys, they are retaliating. They are building an army to overthrow us.”
“What? Is this true?” He looked at Saber.
“Yes, it is.”
“Preys? Beating us? This is insane.”
“I know what you mean.”
Suddenly, a faint and deep masculine voice came from the lake. They focused their attenti
on in the wavy water. A blurred image shimmered in the moon’s reflection and two creatures emerged from its depths. One was a large ferocious aquatic reptile. He had a long snout with massive jaws and sharp teeth. Bony plates covered his entire body. The second one was characteristically the same, except he had a shorter and broader snout. Together they stepped foot on the dry land, crunching the sand beneath their feet. They made their way to the unhinged fellow predators.
“Looks like they’ve got a big problem, don’t they Al?” Said the crocodile.
“They sure do Orc, but we’re here to fix it.” Said the alligator.
“You? Help us? No offense, but I’d rather bet on a seal than the two of you.” Edgar said disrespectfully.
“How about an army of us?” The croc said, waving his mischievous smile around.
Just then, an entire family of crocodiles and alligators emerged. From the depths of the lake, behind the trees, and camouflaged as a rock, they came out and surrounded them.
“This might actually work.” Edgar smiled at the thought of the preys being skinned alive. The sound of their screams soothed his restless mind.
“You’re not actually considering this?” Saber asked.
“Of course I am.”
“Them? Fighting for us?” Hunter detested.
“They’ll not fight for us. They’ll be the decoys and distract them long enough for us to finish the job.” He whispered to them and mischievously smiled back.
Hidden in the shadow of the night, the dove overheard their entire conversation and flew over to the camp. He landed right next to Zafeen and Varn, who busily kept watch of the recruits. Out of breath, he informed them of the predators’ dire plans.
“What are we going to do now?” Varn worried.
“We do what we’ve been training for, we fight.”
The sun’s hot rays blazed through all the lands, seas, and oceans. The radiant flowers blossomed and unveiled their majestic petals to the world. The day seemed rather beautiful for a picnic as the birds chirped away. Unfortunately, today’s schedule could only be summarised in one word, war. The predators wasted no time invading the preys’ camp. Just as they had planned, team B was first at the scene, with their snouts flaring the field. However, not a single prey was in sight. Therefore, they signalled back to team A hiding behind the trees.
“Is that our cue?” Hunter asked. He was so eager to pounce on some delicious yet tangy preys that his mouth drooled with anticipation.