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  Histock examined his counterpart closely, recognising a worthy adversary, and a dangerous ally.

  “You are an unusual Mintury society member,” said Histock after a second, “most would not risk their lives for a few soldiers.”

  Mr. Thorntreck smiled, knowing that they had come to an agreement.

  “I made sure that the escort would be kept to a minimum,” he stated calmly. “If I had waited until Mayor Petrice’s return, she would no-doubt have had a larger escort, which would have lead to only more bloodshed, I am sure.”

  There was another pause before the old grey wolf continued.

  “You too are an unusual exile… not many would risk their lives to save their comrades… regardless of the danger.”

  Histock smiled. Re-sheathed his sword and turned to walk towards the still chained exiles in the carriage.

  “Let’s make ready to go,” he commanded.

  Horrist and the other young exile moved to grab the unconscious Tomn.

  Mr. Thorntreck’s smile quickly faded. He turned before kneeling down with concern, tending to the injured female soldier near him. He was suddenly very glad that he had brought all of the first aid material.

  Many miles away in the lower city of RefugeCross, the day was just starting for the majority of Anthro lions and wolves.

  Away from the hustle and bustle of the main roads, many back alleys snaked themselves around the back end of high walled gardens and compounds.

  In one of these cramped alleys, two Anthros were talking by an open back gate.

  The morning sun was still low, and deep contrasting shadows fell across parts of the lower cityscape, caused by the many corners, uneven skyline and ancient crowded construction.

  The two Anthros lingered in the half morning shadows, talking in a hushed manner.

  “It was horrible, I never want to do anything like that again,” said the twitching nervous figure of Stevtro the potions master.

  “You won’t have to,” said the cloaked lion next to him, his impatient tone not hiding the fact that it was the smooth talking councillor Gerak. The councillor was still upset that the whole plan had gone astray.

  “Now I don’t want you talking about the incident again, particularly to me… is that clear?”

  Gerak’s voice held a threatening edge. It was necessary, so as to get through to the fidgeting middle aged chemist.

  “Of course,” said the unfortunate Anthro lion meekly.

  “I have other tasks for you to perform. I want you to concentrate on those.”

  Stavro looked more then reluctant, fidgeting with his limp tail like a cub.

  “I’m not sure about this…” he stammered.

  “About any of this… Sir,” Stavro continued, “I don’t want to be involved anymore, I just want to be left alone.”

  Gerak’s eye’s narrowed, something Stavro could see even from under the cloak.

  What was even more disconcerting for Stavro was the kind voice that came from Gerak a moment later, completely disconcerting in combination with the dangerous expression.

  “I know it’s asking a lot…” said Gerak smoothly, his caring words sounding almost genuine, and therefore completely insincere.

  “But we are all in this together,” Gerak continued, his tone turning to one of seeming reluctant resignation.

  “We must all do our part to make sure our society stays safe, our children and our values.”

  “I understand…” stammered Stavro.

  “It is a continuous struggle. You realise that we only have a limited amount of resources for this important undertaking.”

  Stavro’s face fell, subconsciously knowing were this was going.

  “And of course, we must allocate those resources to the lions we know who will assist the cause… resources such as cheap credit, contracts…”

  Gerak’s tone developed a more menacing edge, even if only a hint, driving home well enough his point.

  “Yes… oh yes,” interrupted Stavro, finding himself back peddling, “of course I will…”

  Stavro suddenly stopped dead, looking over the head of the Councillor in front of him.

  Gerak turned to see Captain Felx jumping down into the ally. The large male quickly rose back up to his full height.

  “No one in this city has to do anything against their will,” Captain Felx said in a good natured tone… at first.

  “Every citizen’s only obligation is to obey the law,” Felx added, giving Stavro a piercing glare as the scared lion backed away.

  “Captain Felx!” squeaked Stavro, backing into the gateway of the courtyard

  “Leave us!” commanded Gerak suddenly.

  Stavro didn’t hesitate, quickly closing the gate behind him.

  Stavro’s hurried footsteps could be heard as Gerak squared up to the Captain, removing his hood.

  Captain Felx noticed how Gerak’s eyes quickly flicked up at the roofline in annoyance.

  “If you’re looking for your scouts,” said Captain Felx calmly, “I’m afraid they are currently being questioned over ‘trespassing’.”

  Gerak did well not to lose his cool. Behind him, his tail flickered back and forth.

  “This could be considered harassment you know,” he threatened darkly, referring to the circumstance they found themselves in.

  The Councillor’s sharp black goatee helped to emphasise his piercing eyes, which had quickly turned into menacing slits.

  “Are you talking about me? Or yourself,” countered Captain Felx, his expression combative.

  The two lions squared up to each other, the sound of the distant waking city providing a calm background murmur. They were quite alone.

  “You are a continued thorn in my side Captain.”

  “And you in mine, Councillor.”

  “I represent the citizens of the Lion Empire, I am their voice. You should be supporting my actions. They are for the good of all ‘lions’ after all.”

  Gerak deliberately emphasised the word lion to drive home his patriotic point.

  “I represent the laws of the Lion Empire,” countered the Captain, “I am the citizen’s conscious, it is you who should be supporting my actions, for the good of all ‘Anthros’.”

  “Your, ‘conscious’, is too subjective,” stated Gerak dismissively.

  “So is your ‘voice’.”

  The two large males leaned towards one another, neither backing down.

  Gerak continued.

  “Luckily there are others in the military who know their role. And are not deluded by private loyalties, or blinded to the danger posed by the wolves.”

  “You know nothing about Lion Empire military honour,” retorted Captain Felx, somewhat aloofly.

  There was a quick pause before the Captain continued.

  “You may believe you did yourself a favour getting Lieutenant Millan transferred here, with her history of conflict with wolves. But I know how true officers of the Lion Empire think. And no matter her personal grudges, she will always serve the ‘conscious’ first, before listening to the ‘voices’.”

  Gerak’s teeth gnashed, unhappy to see the Captain’s confidence in someone Gerak himself had deliberately initiated to upset the situation. But then again, perhaps the Captains over-confidence could prove more useful in the end.

  “We will see,” said the Councillor slyly, knowing that any idea, moral or not, could always be put in a light, or seen in an angle, to get the outcome he was looking for.

  “You are fighting a lost cause,” said Gerak coolly, taking a step back and folding his arms, “it is much easier to stir up conflict then to keep the peace. Wolves are violent Anthros. They are just looking for an excuse to fight.”

  “They are just as sick of fighting as the rest of us,” said Felx darkly, “more conflict just leads to more suffering… for everyone.”

  “We will see,” replied Councillor Gerak, in an arrogant tone.

  The arrogant nature of the Councillor struck a dangerous cord wit
hin Captain Felx, it was his turn to gnash his teeth. His ears flattened and the temperature seemed to drop a few degrees around the two. The Captain took a step forward, causing Gerak to put his back against the wall.

  Somehow, the Councillor did not lose his combative expression, despite literally having his back to the wall.

  Captain Felx put his face very close to the Councillor, his voice coming across as a dangerous hiss.

  “I’ve experienced how self righteous scum like you work,” the Captain whispered threateningly, “you don’t care for the death and suffering you cause amongst the common Anthros and those most vulnerable on your way to achieve your ‘noble’ goals. But I can promise you one thing… you will feel the pain of those most vulnerable, you will suffer the same fate as those you ‘inspire’ to act on your behalf.”

  Gerak was putting up a brave face, but his lack of response indicated that he was struggling for control behind his steely façade.

  “And if I ever get the feeling you are getting ‘personal’ again by targeting those most close to me… you will most clearly see that officers of the Lion Empire have no problem putting down their lives for what they hold most sacred. The question is… are you willing to do the same?”

  Captain Felx moved his face back, but stayed well within Gerak’s person space.

  The two males exchanged searing glares. Gerak, however, was the more intimidated, wisely deciding to leave in case he let it show.

  Pushing past the Captain, Gerak stormed off down the alley.

  Captain Felx watched him go, making sure that the Councillor felt his stare on his back until he finally disappeared.

  Before Gerak made it out of sight, however, he had to stop as a bunch of cubs came racing around the corner.

  The laughing children had to jump to one side to avoid hitting the Councillor. Some of the stragglers tumbled into the back of their now halted friends.

  “Sorry Mr.” said a young female wolf cub. The group of cubs was a mix of races and sexes, much to Gerak’s displeasure.

  Gerak let out a disapproving “humph!” before continuing on his way.

  Captain Felx had to smile, his point reinforced at an opportune time.

  “Hello Captain Felx!” called a young male lion as the group began to race again towards the officer.

  “Hello cubs,” said Felx, his good-natured smile and kind voice returning.

  - CHAPTER ELEVEN -

  The lost colony

  (The tale of Trex and Sara)

  A stiff morning breeze played with Mayor Petrice’s long blond hair as she leaned against the railing of the lead ship’s forecastle. Her concerned eyes scanning the coastline impatiently.

  Sara and Trex stood quietly nearby. They were uneasy due to the uncharacteristic concern noticeable in the senior wolf’s mannerisms.

  Sara couldn’t help but think about how easily the mind adjusted its perception so as to be able to take its surroundings for granted. Sara, like everyone else in Mayor Petrice’s immediate surroundings, eventually got so used to the older wolf’s calm, self-assured and powerful presence that they simply took it as a given thing after awhile. So much so in fact that when this self-confidence was suddenly gone, it felt like some type of indefinable hole had become noticeable to the Anthros around the mayor.

  Concern and fear began to spread over the ship like a fog.

  Trex’s eyes scanned the slowly approaching coastline. Dark smoke was clearly visible rising slowly from a clearing a little further in from the coastline. It was obvious that a village had recently been razed there.

  On the sandy coastline in front of the rising smoke, scattered debris could just be made out on the otherwise pristine golden sands.

  Trex heart sank as he realised that these were probably smashed boats.

  “Why is it taking so long?” said Sara under her breath, referring to the ship’s slow speed in the light breeze.

  Sara was effectively voicing the Mayor’s thoughts for her.

  Nearby, Sergeants Brex, Kirra and Sage Filfia all frowned, thinking the same thing.

  Sara and Trex looked up into the fluttering sails. Nature obviously didn’t feel the same urgency as everyone else on the ship.

  “We should row in from here,” said Petrice suddenly, taking a fidgeting step back from the railing.

  “It’s still too far Ma’am,” said Kirra calmly, “we don’t have enough boats to get everyone ashore at once.”

  “Then I will go ahead with one boat.” Petrice said impulsively, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

  Though these slight changes in tone were minor by the standards of every other Anthro, coming from the normally calm Mayor, they immediately spread concern.

  “Ma’am,” interjected Sergeant Brex confidently, “the coast is not secured and by all probability full of hostiles. It’s too dangerous to head in alone, if not reckless.”

  Mayor Petrice turned her attention to the smaller male Sergeant.

  Brex did well to hold his stubborn will up against the sudden burning heat which tried to melt his resolve.

  As Mayor Petrice was normally reasonable, calm and open to ideas before she took a final decisions, she was completely unused to being rebuffed.

  Sergeant Brex, however, was used to butting heads with officers and held his ground, a quite impressive feat against the powerful Mayor.

  “What is the matter Ma’am?” asked Kirra suddenly, trying to deflect her attention.

  The question had the desired effect. The grey furred female wolf hesitated for a second. She didn’t want to justify her rash actions.

  Mayor Petrice stayed silent.

  A typical reaction from most other Anthros in a similar situation might have been to get angry or aggressive, but the Mayor was too experienced for that.

  Sage Filfia suddenly stepped forward.

  “I’ll see what I can do about getting us a little more wind Miss Petrice,” said the Sage calmly, placing her hand on the Mayor’s shoulder reassuringly.

  “I am sure everyone is as eager as you to find out what happened.”

  The physical contact had the desired effect. The Mayor nodded after a second or two with a weak smile.

  It wasn’t long before her normal commanding presence began to return; much to the relief of those around her.

  “I will begin the preparations,” Mayor Petrice said confidently.

  “Sergeant Kirra and Brex, could you assist me?” she asked the two lions nearby.

  “Yes Ma’am,” replied the two, also happy to see the wolf leader return to her usual form.

  The three headed towards the main deck.

  Trex and Sara watched them go. They both then turned to see Sage Filfia take a comfortable meditative position nearby, her staff in her lap. It didn’t take long for the temperature of the air around them to noticeably change.

  “What do you think that was all about?” Trex asked Sara as they looked back out towards the coastline.

  “No idea,” replied Sara, “but whatever it was, I hope it doesn’t happen again.”

  Trex nodded in agreement.

  “Does she know someone in the colony or something?” asked Trex, thinking out loud.

  “Maybe…” agreed Sara.

  “I just hope that there is someone left to save,” Sara added, her tone ominous.

  Trex suddenly felt a twinge of worry in his stomach. Thinking of his cousin Zea, he felt more concern then just the normal compassion for the life of other Anthro.

  “Yeah… we better get ourselves ready,” he said a moment later.

  The two youngsters turned to go and gather their equipment, a sense of determination and focus taking over.

  “Here we go again,” said Trex under his breath.

  It was only half an hour later. And no sooner had the long boat hit the sand then the first female wolf soldier jumped overboard.

  Two disembarked veteran wolf warriors used their impressive emotionally fuelled strength to pull their rowboat further up onto
the beach.

  Luckily, the surf was mild against the sandy coastline.

  Trex and Sara jumped over the side of their longboat as everyone else disembarked. They waded through the knee-high sea to quickly join the others on the beach.

  The crew of the merchant ships stayed with the longboats. They looked around nervously at the scene of distraction, cloaked in a peaceful, eerie silence.

  Around the gathered wolves and lions were smashed and burnt boats. Apparently, the attackers had wanted to make sure that the colonists were not able to make a getaway by sea.

  Trex and Sara moved over to the leaders of the expedition.

  They turned as someone called out from the longboats.

  “We will wait just a little off shore, ready in case you need to be evacuated quickly,” called out Shaman Katan.

  No sooner had he said this then the nervous male wolf captain gave his sailors the order to head back out to sea, happy to be getting water between him and the unknown wilds.

  “Isn’t Professor Katan coming with us?” asked Trex to Sergeant Brex nearby.

  “The merchant Captains refused to stay close to shore without either Katan or Filfia on board,” replied Brex with a huff.

  “They’re worried about being attacked by war canoes so close into shore. He can’t out sail them in this breeze,” added Sergeant Kirra nearby, having overheard the two.

  “Apparently he was only hired to sail the rescue force,” said the small Sergeant cynically, “he cant risk ‘losing’ the ships… the coward.”

  “Now don’t be unduly harsh… none of them are trained soldiers,” countered Kirra, playing devils advocate.

  “Still,” replied Brex, “they’re out at sea… we could really have used the Shaman’s pyrotechnics if it gets nasty.”

  Sara looked around at the assembled group. All of the Anthro volunteers really were seasoned soldiers. She and Trex were by far the most inexperienced fighters there. The winged light organisation had only allowed veterans to volunteer. But then again, only veterans would be confident enough to walk around in Bear Clan territory.