Cambrie crouched silently in the small hole she had found. The hole was under a pile of debris, left behind by her ancestors who had built the buildings that were now their home. They were in an upper loft, with a limited view of the large main room of the building below. There were half a dozen buildings nearby that consisted of her tribe's realm. A half dozen, decaying buildings, standing on the border between a fallen and collapsed city, and an unmapped wilderness.
Beside her was her brother, Del. They held their breath, hoping the slayer wouldn't find them. Cambrie felt Del flex his claws silently in and out, as if anticipating having to battle the slayer. She nudged him softly, urging him to be still.
Her brother's warm, soft fur provided little comfort, as the thought of the invading stalker sent a chill down her spine. Her heart jumped inside her chest, as she saw the invader creep into sight on four short, thick legs. Each leg ended in a long-fingered claw. It's body was long, and tube-like, and was covered with short, dark fur. It had a long, thick tail that ended in a point. A thick, muscular neck swung it's head from side to side, as it sniffed the air for it's prey. It had a long, rounded muzzle filled with rows of sharp teeth. It lumbered slowly and silently into the room, displaying the patients of a hunter.
This was the third night the slayer had entered their realm. The first night, Thom, the tribe's leader, had tried to defend the realm by confronting the invader. Thom, who had been a fierce warrior and a strong leader, was slaughtered with an ease that had shocked the community. The second night, the invader had attacked a large female, Nala, and her male companion, leaving the realm with the male in it's jaws.
Cambrie and Del remained still, wondering who was going to be the night's victim. They could sense the slayer moving in the room below them after it disappeared from sight. Suddenly, it must have picked up a scent, for it swiftly began to move. It slid into another hiding spot in the large building. Cambrie and her brother heard a commotion coming from the spot the slayer had entered. Within seconds, the slayer came out, carrying the body of Nala, the female it had wounded the night before. Without hesitation, it raced toward the door of the building, and disappeared into the night.
"It must have smelt her blood," Del whispered. "Nala had been bleeding since it had wounded her yesterday."
"Shush," Cambrie scolded. "It may come back."
"It won't," Del said. "It's only taken one victim each night. We have to do something to stop it."
"What?"
"I don't know," Del replied. "But if we don't it will keep coming back until it kills us all."
* * *
The next day, the members of the community gathered in the large room of the biggest building. The members were scattered about the room, many lost in their own conversations.
"We have to do something to stop it!" Del insisted, shouting over the voices. The groups fell silent as they all turned their attention toward Del.
"Are you now the leader, now that Thom has been killed?" one of the adult males, Kres, shouted. The fur on his back stood on end, making him appear larger then he was. He showed his sharp teeth as he spoke. "What makes you think you can lead this meeting?"
"I don't care who leads the meeting!" Del shouted back.
Cambrie tensed. Her long, pointed ears inched back on her head, and her claws began to come out of their sheaths. She prepared to try and stop the battle between Kres and Del, or leap to her brother's aide if need be. Better to be killed or driven out, as long as she was with her brother, than to remain alone with the community.
Del continued, before Kres had an opportunity to react. "Our concern is the beast! The stalker! It has entered our realm three times, and three times it has taken one of us without much resistance!" Cambrie was relieved that Del had never ruffled his own fur, which he would have done if he was accepting Kres' challenge.
"How can we resist?" one of the large females asked loudly. "It easily slew Thom! And Nala! Nala was a match for Thom, and the slayer fought her and her young male at the same time! Together, the two of them weren't a match for the beast! What can we do?"
The murmur of voices started to rumble across the room, as conversations started up.
"We must do something!" Del shouted.
"What?" Kres demanded. "We don't even know what the beast is, exactly! I have hunted in the wilderness many times, and have never encountered a creature such as that one" His fur had returned to normal, the threat of battle lessened.
"It is a hunter!" a female shouted. "A killer!"
"We are hunters and killers, too!" Del shouted. "Do we not slay the herd animals? Do we not kill the plant-eaters?"
"It's a predator from the wilderness!" Jok, one of the older adult males shouted. The fur on his face was graying, and he stood a little more stooped than the others. Jok was a fierce warrior and an excellent hunter. He could have been leader, if Thom hadn't been stronger. The room fell silent, as all the members of the community listened. "I've seen other predators when hunting in the wilderness, though not exactly the same as that one. There are all different kinds loose in the wilderness. It doesn't matter to them if we are hunters, as they are. Everything is prey to them. Occasionally, one of our hunters never returns. Perhaps this beast, or others like it, are the reason why."
"A predator has never entered our realm before!" one of the females pointed out. Her stomach was swollen with a litter of young. Her heavy breasts sagged against her tunic.
"This one is bolder than most," Jok explained. "In the wilderness, we are as much prey to them as our prey is to us. However, few will attack something that fights back, unless they are certain of an easy kill. But, they never enter the places where we live. They don't enter our territory. There are too many of us here, and our territory is unfamiliar to them. But this one is different. It has no fear of a direct attack against another hunter or a warrior. It has discovered our realm, and now it knows it can find prey here. The youth is right; it will keep coming back for us."
"What can we do?" one of the younger females wailed.
"We only have three choices,' Jok continued. "We can do nothing, and the killer will continue to come back for us, night after night. Secondly, we can flee into the wilderness, and try and find a new home. But you've seen the strays that arrive here, looking for a new home of their own. There are few sheltered places left. And there are many more predators out there that are more apt to attack us if we are in the open. Lastly, we can stay, and try and defend our home, and kill this killer when it returns."
The room fell silent as Jok's words were considered.
"There is one more alternative," Del suggested. "One of us can journey into the ruins and find a weapon. Something from our ancestors to slay the invader."
Shouts of anger rose from the crowd.
"That is forbidden!" Jok shouted, drowning the others out. "The weapons of our ancestors are forbidden to us. They once lived in paradise, but destroyed themselves with their weapons. Don't even think such a thing again."
Chastised, Del sat down. Cambrie put her hand on her brother's shoulder, to try and comfort him after the rejection of his idea. He talked often to her when they were alone about the potentials waiting for them among the ruins.
Jok turned back toward the crowd. "We must defend our home from this invader!"
"How, old one?" Kres finally asked. "How are we to defend our home?"
"By attacking it the second it enters our realm," Jok suggested. "By attacking it together, with as many of us as can fight. By attacking it with the ferocity in which it attacks us, and slaying it as we've slain other animals from the wilderness!"
The murmur of voices filled the room as discussions began as to how best it would be to attack the invader.
* * *
The defenders were perched and ready, as the attacker slid between two of the outer buildings, entering the realm. Instantly, they fell upon it, slashing with their claws, and snapping with their teeth. The invader whirled about, throwing off the attackers. More attackers rushed forward, but the stalker fought back. Several of the members of the realm fell back, wounded from the invader's long claws or teeth. As they drew back, the beast leapt after them, forcing them to give ground. Though the creature was outnumbered, it's greater size and sheer ferocity forced the defenders to give ground.
Suddenly, the stalker snatched up one of the wounded in it's jaws, and spun about. Before anyone could stop it, it had fled with it's latest victim.
Cambrie stumbled over to Del, who was picking himself up off the ground, nursing a bleeding arm. She herself had been scratched across the stomach, but she could tell the wound wasn't deep, and if cleaned, would swiftly heal.
"Are you all right?" Cambrie asked. Del nodded, then moved past her to where Jok was pulling himself to his feet.
"Are you hurt, old one?" Del asked Jok, as he helped him stand.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Jok said, though his voice wasn't certain. He was bleeding from gashes to his forehead and chest. One of his pointed ears had been torn. He seemed a little dazed, but otherwise appeared unharmed.
They glanced around at the others. A young male that lay unmoving, near the building's wall. On old female crawled toward shelter, dragging a torn and twisted leg behind her. Another female, a younger one, sat upright, holding her wounded chest, as blood seeped from her mouth and ran down her chin. Several others suffered minor wounds.
"Look what you've done!!" Kres shouted, pointing to Jok and Del. "This was your idea, old one! And now look!" Kress staggered toward them, his shoulder and forehead bleeding from separate wounds.
"The stalker is gone!" Jok shouted back.
"But look at the results!" Kres insisted. "And the stalker still took one of us tonight! It killed two, and there are many others who are hurt, and may yet die!"
"But the stalker is hurt as well," Jok said. "He will think twice before returning to our territory."
"We shall see, old one," Kres said. "We shall see."
* * *
Cambrie spent much of the day with the other young females, as they took turns tending to the wounded, working in the gardens, and caring for the young. Del's wound had been treated, then he had disappeared. Gone hunting with some of the others, Cambrie supposed. Del often did that, disappeared for times, gone hunting. He wasn't a good hunter, though. He rarely returned with a herd animal or plant-eater. She supposed his time would come, with more practice. He hadn't had their father around to teach him, as many of the others had. Several females hunted as well, Cambrie had even done it a couple of times, but it wasn't as common among them as it was among the males.
That night, the stalker returned. It crept into the realm, slithering silently between the buildings, wary of another attack. Behind it followed another one, a younger stalker, identical except that it was slightly smaller.
Unprepared, and not expecting the stalker to return, the inhabitants of the realm fled in terror. Del hesitated when he saw the stalkers, his eyes aflame with rage. Cambrie grabbed him and pulled him back, fearful that he was going to try and attack the predators by himself. He glanced at her with a strange expression on his face. Cambrie yanked on his arm harder, drawing him away and to their hiding spot before the predators saw them. Once they were in their hiding spot, Cambrie held her brother, while his shoulders shook with rage beneath her touch.
"This cannot continue," he whispered.
"Hush," she shot back. "They'll hear you."
He glanced angrily at her for a moment, then turned his attention back toward the opening of their hiding spot. They were again on the second floor, and could see much of the first floor from their vantage point.
The stalkers ignored them, as they crept among the buildings. After several long minutes, they picked up a trail they had been searching for. Moving quickly, and with purpose, they went into a room and fell upon the two wounded members of the community hiding in there.
Snatching the two victims in their powerful jaws, they turned and fled the buildings disappearing into the night.
Cambrie and Del crawled from the place they had hid, when the invaders had entered their realm. Other members of the community started emerging from their hiding places as well. Sobs could be heard from some of the others, who were still hidden.
Suddenly, shouting got their attention. "So it won't come back, old one!" Kres shouted, swinging his fist toward Jok, who stood silently nearby. "Not only has it returned, it has returned with another of it's kind!"
"We didn't hurt it bad enough when we attacked it," Jok said. "If we had wounded it more..."
"There are two of them, now!" Kres screamed, his fury twisting the features of his face. His teeth drew back in anger, revealing his fangs. "If we could not hurt one, how can we hope to battle against two!"
"What would you have us do?" Jok demanded, angrily.
"I don't care what you do, old one!" Kres shouted. "You can stay here and try and defend the realm for all I care. I am leaving. There must be better territory somewhere, where we can be safe, and hunt, without being hunted."
"If you leave, you'll be prey out there to more stalkers than the two invaders we have now," Jok insisted.
"I've hunted out there, old man," Kres shot back. "How long has it been since you've gone out there? We'll just have to avoid the predators. To stay here is to prepare for certain death. By leaving, there may be a chance for survival. I'm leaving in the morning, so I can find shelter far from here before nightfall. Any who want to go with me should be ready to leave when I do, I'll not wait."
He turned and walked angrily back toward one of the buildings.
Del and Cambrie approached Jok, who stood staring at Kres' back, furious.
"Should we leave too, old one?" Cambrie asked. Del glanced angrily at her.
"Do what you will," Jok said, turning away, angrily. "I'm not the leader. Stay here if you want or leave, it makes no difference to me." He walked toward one of the other buildings, leaving Del and Cambrie standing there.
"What are we going to do?" Cambrie asked her brother.
"We're going to stay here," Del replied. "Let Kres and any who are foolish enough to follow him take their chances in the wilderness."
"I mean, what are we going to do when the beast's return?" Cambrie asked.
"I don't know," Del said quietly, looking away. "I don't know."
* * *
When morning came, Kres and those who were leaving with him, gathered near the border of their territory. Cambrie, Del, and Jok, as well as many others who weren't going, approached them.
"This is foolish," Jok said.
"No, it's foolish to stay here and wait to be slaughtered," Kres snapped.
"Where will you go? There are predators out there. You'll be killed just as sure as if you'd stayed."
"It doesn't matter," Kres said. "We'll be killed if we stay. Maybe if we leave, we can find someplace safe."
Jok hesitated. "Good luck," he said at last.
Kres' face softened. He put his hand on Jok's shoulder. "If we find shelter, we'll come back and get any who are still alive," he promised.
Jok nodded. Kres and his handful of followers left. The others watched for several minutes, until they disappeared in the jungle surrounding the realm.
Finally, after the others were gone, Jok spoke, "We should prepare for tonight," he said. "The predators will come back."
Jok had thought up a plan to move rubble from the ruins of the city into one of the buildings, and use it to barricade the windows and doors. The remaining members of the tribe set about to their labors, carrying twisted and broken pieces of metal, whose purposes were long ago forgotten, and propping them against the opening of the building they had chosen. Cambrie worked with the gatherers, while Del worked with those building the barricade. She had tried to talk to him a couple of times, but he seemed distance, as if deeply troubled.
Near midmorning, Cambrie walked with some of the others among the ruins, looking for rubble to carry back to their realm, when she saw Del wandering by himself. She left the others and ran to catch up to her brother.
"Where are you going?" Cambrie asked when she reached him. "You cannot carry very big pieces by yourself. Why aren't you with one of the groups."
He glanced once at her, then turned quickly away. "I have something to do," he mumbled. "I'll be back soon. Go back to the others."
"Del, this is me, Cambrie," she said, grabbing his arm. "What are you doing here? You've been acting strange today, distant. Is it because of the stalkers. Everyone is upset..."
"No, it's more than that," Del replied.
"Then what?" she pressed. "Is it because Kres and the others left. Or have I done something wrong, something to upset you?"
"No, Cambrie, it's not you," he reached out and stroked the soft fur on her cheek. "Please go back to the others. I'll be back soon."
He turned and fled swiftly away, disappearing among the crumbling ruins. Cambrie hesitated a moment, glancing back to make certain the others weren't watching, then started after her brother. He made a direct path through the deserted city, not hesitating in his step. Cambrie stayed a safe distance behind her brother, following carefully so he wouldn't spot her and demand she go back. He never even glanced back as he made his way through the city. Cambrie thought it strange that he walked through the strange streets with such confidence. As if he knew exactly where he was going.
At last, he came to a series of large buildings that lines either side of the stone streets. Without hesitating, Del went through the open doorway of one of the buildings. Cambrie approached the doorway, and peered inside. Her brother had already disappeared into the dark rooms. Cambrie paused for a moment, then went in.
On the other side of the front room was a doorway leading to a long, dark, narrow hall. Open doorways lined both sides. There was no sign of Del. Cambrie stepped quietly into the hallway. She stood in the darkness for a moment, listening for her brother. She heard the sound of insects fluttering about in the darkness. A rodent scurried across the hall. Another noise reached her pointed ears. She made her way silently down the hall, until she reached the doorway the noise was coming from. Quietly, she peeked inside.
The room was dimly lit from sunlight coming in through windows along one wall and through the ceiling. Del rummaged through the contents of the large chamber. Debris and remains of the fallen ancestor's world cluttered the floor, piled in heaps, about the spacious room. Del would pick an object up, examine it, then return it to the pile, and pick up another piece.
As Cambrie watched, he muttered to himself, unaware of her presence. Suddenly, he put the object he had in his hands down, and spun around toward the door. Cambrie tried to duck back, but she knew she was too late.
"Cambrie! What are you doing here?" Del shouted.
Cambrie stepped into the chamber, and made her way toward her brother. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Nothing," Del said, looking away.
"I know you're lying, Del," Cambrie pressed. She felt herself becoming angry. "Why are you lying to me? What are you doing here?"
Del hesitated, looking around the room. "Look at all this, Cambrie," he muttered, his voice sad. "Look at all this. Treasures from our ancestors. Our ancestors!" His voice started to rise as he spoke. "Our ancestors who built great cities, who ruled the world, but who destroyed themselves with that great power! Now us, their children, cower from predators, and seek to barricade ourselves in our homes at night, like prey animals hiding in their den! It isn't right!"
"Stop, Del!" Cambrie shouted. "It is forbidden to seek treasures in the city!"
He waved her silent. "All these things, I gathered from this building. And there are other rooms in other buildings. Yet there is nothing I can find to protect us from the slayers."
"What are you talking about?" Cambrie demanded.
He looked at her. "I haven't been hunting every time I've left. Many times I've come into the city and searched the buildings. Looking for things that could improve our lives, make us great as our ancestors were."
"It is forbidden!" Cambrie shouted.
"I know, but I did it anyway," Del said quietly. "And it was for nothing. All the buildings I've explored, the items I've seen, and it's all worthless. It's all useless junk." He looked as if he was going to cry.
Cambrie went to him, sensing his pain, his frustration. "It's all right, Del," she said, touching his face. "Let's go back to the realm, and help the others prepare for tonight."
"Yes, yes," Del said softly. "In a moment. Please Cambrie, can you just look at what I've gathered. Let me show you a few things."
"No! It is forbidden!"
"Please," Del pleaded. "A few things are interesting even if I don't know what they are. Please Cambrie?"
She looked at him. She could see the frustration in his yellow-green eyes. She could sense the agony in his tone. Her heart ached to see her brother hurting so much. After a moment, she nodded.
She allowed herself to be led through the pile of discarded treasures of a fallen civilization. He showed her strange objects, their reason for being long forgotten, their creators long dead. After some time, she picked up a flat, square object, with a faded picture of strange beings wearing colorful garbs on the flat surface smiling at them.
"What is this?" she asked.
"It is a picture of our ancestors," Del replied. "I think."
Cambrie studied the smiling creatures. They appeared to stand upright, as she and her people did, and had two arms and legs, a nose, mouth, and two eyes, but there the resemblance ended. Their skin was pale and smooth, furless. Only the tops of their heads had any kind of hair, long hair of various shapes and lengths. Their teeth appeared flat, not sharp for tearing flesh. Their ears were small and round, and on the sides of their heads, not pointed and large. Their eyes were round, not oval, and they had round pupils, not slits like Cambrie and her folk.
"It's hard to believe these are our ancestors," Cambrie replied.
"Yes," Del commented softly. "Yes it is."
They continued to move through the rubble Del had gathered. He told Cambrie about the some of the things he found in other buildings, which he had gathered elsewhere, things which he knew little about. "I came to this room today, because this is room holds more things than some of the others," he said. "And I've just recently gathered the things from the building here. I haven't had time to study them."
"If the others knew of this, Del, you would be cast out," Cambrie said, as she picked an object up and examined it. It was long, and appeared to be made of wood, but had a thin strip of hard, shiny material running up it's length. It was the same material that the ancestors had built much of their city out of. Cambrie studied the object for a moment, and suddenly knew what it was. "Look!" she exclaimed, and pulled on the strip of shiny matter, and a long sharp blade folded out of the handle. Cambrie ran her thumb up the blade, and found that it was still sharp.
"How did you do that?" Del exclaimed, stepping closer. "I've studied things in the city for years, and I haven't learned anything! How did you know what that was?"
"I don't know," Cambrie replied. "I just did."
Del took the blade from Cambrie, and studied it. He tried to fold it back into the handle, but couldn't.
"Like this," Cambrie said, and took the blade from him. She pressed a button on the handle, and easily folded the blade back into it's handle.
"It's instinct!" Del said. "You remember because it was from our ancestors! Just like a youngster knows which fruits are good to eat, and which are not, and know the basics of how to hunt. Look at more things, see if you can find anything else useful."
They looked for some time through the room, but couldn't find anything else of value. Del had hid the blade, as well as a few other questionable things, inside his sack. Finally, Cambrie pointed out that they needed to get back to the others. It would get dark soon. They had to make sure that they helped finish securing the barricade.
"We'll come back again," Cambrie promised, a little excited now that she had discovered the blade. "When we have more time, we'll explore the other buildings, together." Del smiled at her.
When they returned, some of the others seemed a little angry that they had been gone, but everyone was too busy to make an issue of it. They finished constructing their barricades, and preparing for the night. All the entrances into the building had already been secured, except for the main entrance. As night started to fall, the members of the community went inside the building they had choose and used the rubble they had gathered to seal the door. Then, the members inside, waited for darkness to fall.
Shortly after night fell, they heard a scratching at the entrance. The scratching grew louder and more frantic, and the rubble shook violently, as the beasts sought to dislodge the barricade. Jok and Cambrie, and the others huddled together, watching the barricade. Del began to pace restlessly, his face flushed with anger.
"I hate this!" Del snapped suddenly. "I hate being caged like this. We have to find a way to kill the predators, to keep them from ever coming back to our realm!"
"How?" Jok asked. "We fought them once, and they easily defeated us."
"Then we have to kill them without fighting!" Del exclaimed. "Our ancestors once ruled without any predators threatening them! Maybe there is something in the city that can save us!" Cambrie felt herself grow cold with Del's exclamation, worried that he was about to give their secret away.
"It is forbidden!" Jok snapped. "Our ancestors nearly destroyed the world with their power!"
"But at least when they lived in it they weren't threatened by beasts!" Del shouted.
Before Jok could respond, part of the barricade started to come loose. The members rushed to force the rubble back into place, but the predators' attack against the barricade intensified, as if they sensed it's weakening. Cambrie, Del and Jok joined the others, struggling to maintain the barricade, but more rubble fell away.
Suddenly, a clawed arm of one of the predators reached through an opening created by the shifting rubble. The claws slashed one of the community, and the member fell back, screaming. The arm continued to slash through the opening, dragging chunks of the rubble through as it struggled to get inside.
The beast outside forced it's way into the opening it was creating, until it's head and shoulders were inside. It hissed and snarled, swinging it's free arm at the defenders of the barricade.
"Get it!" Del shouted. "If it gets inside, we'll be trapped in here with it! It will kill us all!"
He rushed at the thing, throwing himself onto it's head. He attacked it with his claws and teeth, drawing blood as the thing struggled, trying to force him off.
"Let's go!" Jok ordered. He, Cambrie, and the others rushed the beast.
It threw Del off seconds before the rest fell upon it. They tore and slashed and bit the beast. The predator thrashed about, throwing them off, slashing some with it's claws, knocking some aside. The members forced back regained their footing, and joined the fray that attacked the slayer. Cambrie was knocked onto her back, but instantly leapt to her feet and rushed forward again. The invader was bleeding from a score of wounds. Cambrie leapt back into the melee, launching herself at the beast's neck. Gaining a hold, she bit deeply into the animal's neck, wrenching her head side to side as she tore the invader's flesh. The stalker flung her off as it howled in pain.
The beast suddenly started struggling to escape the hole, jerking as it pulled itself back outside.
The hole was suddenly filled with the smaller predator, who, because if it's size, was able to get into the room past it's chest. Without hesitating, the members of the community fell upon the creature, attacking it with a fury. The beast fought them off, and slipped into the room.
It slid down the barricade, and fell onto it's back. The members of the community fell upon it before it could get to it's feet, tearing at it's vulnerable underside. The beast struggled to regain it's footing, as it's intended victims threw themselves on it, tearing at it's flesh. The beast thrashed back and forth, throwing it's attackers off.
Snarling fiercely, it regained it's footing, casting an angry look about the room. It was bleeding from a score of wounds along it's back, shoulders, and stomach. It's neck was bleeding from an ugly wound along the right side. It's face was raked with claw marks from it's intended victims. Del, Cambrie and the others could see the pain in the beast's face, the weakening in it's movements. The predator and it's prey stood glaring at each other for several seconds.
A sound at the opening in the barricade told those inside the building that the larger of the two stalkers was again trying to get inside.
Suddenly, the invader lunged toward the nearest member of the community. Without hesitation, the defenders threw themselves onto the beast, trying to force it to the ground, tearing it's flesh. The creature lashed out, drawing the defenders, trying to allow it's companion time to get inside as well. The attackers fought on, their determination renewed by the animal's apparent pain, but were still overmatched by the stalker's swiftness and size.
Suddenly, Del rushed forward, a hunting cry on his lips, as he threw himself onto the creature. Cambrie gasped as she saw that he had the blade they had found in his hand. As he landed on the creature's back, he thrust the blade between the beast's shoulder blades. The beast twisted around, trying to reach its attacker. Del drew the blade out and stabbed it again and again. The creature threw itself onto the ground, trying to knock it's assailant off.
"Attack! Now!" Cambrie shouted, and launched herself onto the creature, ripping at it's throat with her claws. The other members of the community that were able to followed a moment later.
With an act of desperation, the stalker threw it's attackers off, and fled for the opening it had came in through. Del and several others, rage consuming them, pursued it, attacking it's flanks as it ran. Scrambling up the debris, the beast slithered through the hole, and escaped. The sounds of both predators vanished.
Del turned toward the others, and raised his arm, as he and several other members let out a cheer of victory.
Then, Del's arm fell and he became silent as he noted the carnage the invader had left behind. Cambrie turned from where she had been joining the others in a shout of joy, and glanced around the room. Several of the members were laying dead, fatal wounds in their chest or throat marking the cause of their death. Jok lay among them, a savage hole in the front of his throat. Nearly half of the survivors were wounded, and a good share of those wounded severely. Del himself was bleeding from a gash that ran the length of one arm, and from claw marks across his chest. Cambrie was one of the few that was unharmed, except for being exhausted and out of breath.
"Come on," Del said. "Cambrie, and you two, help me fix this barricade in case they come back. The rest of you tend the wounded."
"What is that in your hand?" one of the other members of the community asked.
Del glanced down at the blade in his hand, but didn't say anything.
"We found it!" Cambrie stepped forward, answering for Del.
"Where?" one of the others asked. "In the city? It is forbidden?"
"It isn't now!" Del suddenly shouted, raising the blade. Cambrie spun toward him, shocked. "Yes! We found it in the city! It isn't forbidden anymore! The world is changing, predators are invading our territory! If we are to survive, we must change as well!"
"But our ancestors almost destroyed the world with their weapons!" one of the other shouted.
"But they weren't destroyed!" Del answered. "They survived! They survived by changing! They adapted to survive in the world they had created in their recklessness! We are proof! If we are to continue to survive, we must do what we can, even if it include taking the weapons and tools our ancestors left behind! Now, I am claiming leadership of the realm! Let those who wish to challenge me step forward!"
None stepped forward, though there was some mumbling. The blade in Del's hand had made those who might have challenged think twice.
"Very well, then! Let us repair the barricade before they return while we are still wounded!"
They quickly went about their tasks.
* * *
The next morning, the members removed enough of the barricade so they could exit the building. There were bloodstains on the ground outside the building, and a trail leading into the wilderness.
"I want the barricade prepared, so we can block ourselves in at night," Del told the others. "After it's done, drag the dead as far away from here as you can. Have any who aren't wounded too bad help. Then I want food gathered for the night."
"What are you going to do?" one of the young males asked.
"That is none of your concern, unless you plan on challenging me," Del replied. The youth glanced once at the blade at Del's side, then shook his head. "I didn't think so," Del continued. "Now, see to it while I'm gone. I'll hold you responsible when I get back."
The young male had walked away to carry out Del's orders.
"I'm going hunting!" Del shouted loud enough for everyone to hear. "I'm going to follow the blood trail the invaders left, and attack them while they are wounded! Then, I'm going to find Kres and the others and bring them home! If I don't come back, you can pick a new leader! Just remember to get rid of the dead, their blood will attract other predators and scavengers!"
Del turned and started to follow the trail into the wilderness. After a second, Cambrie joined him.
"What are you doing?" Cambrie asked her brother.
"Didn't you hear me back there?" Del said.
"I heard you. But I don't believe it. You can't kill the predators alone."
"Then I guess I'll die trying."
"I'm coming with you," Cambrie stated.
"No!" Del said sharply.
"Yes!" Cambrie snapped angrily at him. "If I refuse, what are you going to do? Threaten me with that blade? You forget who showed you how to open it. I am coming, and you cannot stop me!"
Del smiled weakly. "My brave sister. I guess I won't have to kill them alone, will I?"
"Or else we'll die trying together," Cambrie muttered.
Silently, they followed the blood trail through the jungle. After some distance, Del hesitated, pulling up short. He crouched down, warily. Cambrie followed his example, preparing to meet the predators. She could smell the predator's scent, as well as the smell of blood. They separated and made their way through the jungle, toward the source of the smell. Slowly parting the broad green leaves, preparing to fight or flee, Cambrie saw one of the predators lying on the ground.
It took only a second to realize it was dead.
She cautiously glanced around, making certain there was no sign of the other predator. The only other presence she sensed was Del, on the other side of the dead stalker.
"We must have hurt it worse than I thought," Del said, emerging from the foliage, approaching the smaller of the two beasts. "It took a while, but it finally bled out."
"Where's the other one?" Cambrie asked.
"There's still a trail," Del said. "Let's follow it and find out."
They continued along the blood trail, though the blood signs were fewer, smaller, and farther between. The trail wound through the dense forest. Once, Del and Cambrie had to hide and lie still, as another predator passed them. This one was larger than the one that had invaded their realm. It was taller, and heavier, with coarse black fur. It walked on all fours, like the predator. It's claws on the end of it's paws were nearly as large as Del and Cambries' hands. Fangs filled it's wide muzzle. It was one they recognized from their previous hunts, so they knew that even though it was vicious and deadly, it was also easily avoided as it had poor eyesight and hearing, and was slower than they were. The brother and sister remained silent, as the brute made it's way noisily through the forest.
After it was gone, they continued on their way again.
At last, they came to the opening of a den. It was a hole in the side of a hill. The opening would have been big enough for Del and Cambrie to enter, but they remained outside. While Cambrie kept a watchful eye, Del examined the opening. After he was done, he signaled to her and they moved a short distance away to talk.
"It's in there," Del said. "There are tracks and blood leading in, and no sign of it leaving. I can also smell the creature, and it's blood."
"Do you think it bled out, too?" Cambrie asked.
"I don't think so," Del replied. "It wasn't as hurt as the other one. I have an idea, though. Wait here, and I'll be back in a little while."
"Where are you going?"
"Just wait here," Del ordered. "Make sure it doesn't leave it's den."
Before Cambrie could respond, Del disappeared into the brush. Cambrie listened to the jungle while she waited. The sounds of birds and insects filled her ears. The noise of a couple of small plant eating mammals drew her attention, as the creatures scampered swiftly up and down the nearby trees. She thought of catching one, and taking it back to the realm for some fresh meat, but knew she had to keep an eye on the opening of the den. Still, she was tired of the vegetables from their garden she had eaten the last couple of days, when the hunters had been busy preparing for the predators. She hoped one of the hunters would be able to bring one of the large, plant eating, herd -animals back to camp soon.
Suddenly, a noise drew her attention. Something was moving through the brush noisily, coming toward her. She tensed, preparing to flee or fight, depending on what was coming.
Del burst through the foliage, moving swiftly toward the den opening. When he reached the opening, he stopped. Cambrie watched in horror, as he tore the wound on his arm open, and let the blood drip heavily onto the ground and into the opening.
"What are you doing?" she asked, running to him.
"Get ready to run," he whispered. "And be silent when we do."
Another sound attracted her, as she heard something else coming toward them through the jungle. She looked questioningly toward her brother. A sound came from inside the den as something stirred.
"Let's go," Del whispered. "Swiftly. And silently."
They quickly moved into the foliage, a short distance away, where they could see the hill where the den opening was. Del held his wound carefully, not allowing anymore blood to drip. Cambrie removed some clothes from her sack, and silently bound his wound, tying the wrap tight with a string. It took a matter of seconds. They crouched among the bushes, remaining still. As they watched, the predator started to emerge from it's den, drawn by the scent of blood. It looked around warily. Noisily, the thing that was approaching crashed through the jungle, and stopped, staring at the predator.
Cambrie looked at Del, who was grinning. The large predator they had encountered earlier in the jungle stood staring at the stalker that had invaded their realm. The two angry beasts glared at each other, growling and hissing. Suddenly, they both lunged at each other, tearing viciously at each other.
"Let's go," Del whispered. "Silently. We don't want to attract their attention."
Cambrie and Del slipped quietly away from the two angry beasts that sought to kill each other.
After they were some distance away, the sounds of death long behind them, Cambrie asked, "What did you do to attract the predator?"
"I made myself be seen," Del explained. "Taunted it a little, and let it smell my blood."
"Which predator do you think will kill the other?"
"It doesn't matter," Del said. "The large one doesn't know where our realm is, and if the stalker lives, it won't be able to seek us out for a while. It will be hurt. Maybe I'll come back tomorrow and find out if one is dead, and attack the stalker while it's injured, if it still lives."
They walked for some distance through the jungle, toward their realm. As they got closer to home, Del led them off in the direction Kres had taken his followers, and they started to look for their sign. They found it after a time, a footprint in the dirt, a broken branch, and began to follow the trail left by their brethren. The brother and sister ran through the forest, swiftly but cautiously, trying to catch up to the others who had more than a day's head start.
Finally, they found the spot where Kres and the others had spent the night, under the trees. The ground nearby was trampled, and the leaves were splattered with blood.
"They weren't able to find shelter before nightfall," Del said sadly. "Other predators, it looks like a dozen of them, found them, and slaughtered them. We must return home."
"Do you think any survived?" Cambrie asked.
"I don't know," Del replied. "If they do, they'll try and find their way home, I imagine. We've got to get home and make certain the others have the barricades ready to put in place. The predators that killed Kres and the others might follow their trail to find out where they've come from."
Swiftly, Del and Cambrie made their way through the thick foliage, back to the buildings, which served as their realm, which stood at the border of the wilderness and the ruined city. A city they would start exploring more thoroughly, tomorrow.
Bio:" I have been reading Science Fiction and Fantasy since grade school. I am currently a CSR for an international Food-Packaging Manufacturing/Printing Corporation, and am returning to college through an extended degree program. I live with my wife and three teenage daughters in the Northwoods of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, where the four seasons are early-winter, mid-winter, late winter, and July."
E-mail: plbrgmn@newnorth.net
Visit Aphelion's Lettercolumn and voice your opinion of this story.
Return to the Aphelion main page.