Chapter 33

Debriefing

Everything was dark, it took a few second and a few blinks for my eyes adjust to the dim light of the unusually usual mysterious light of cavernous glow.

But I could tell there was a little stream beneath me, most of it roaring behind me. I have been here before. The stream of fate.

Now, where I stood it was a little trickle. Where had all the water gone?

I walked forwards through the tunnel of fate, the stream continued, and kept going for a little bit until it came to a larger pool with other streams cascading down.

There were many exits, many flooded through, but one kept trickling down its path. I ventured through that one.

Someone was on the other side. He stood up, having taken a vial full of the water, “Just as I thought,” he said, mixing it with something else, smelling it, etc. “It is my potion.” He looked up at me, “You are one lucky Feline.”

Winston the Wizard!

He had disappeared before I had a chance to say anything. But I kept walking, wondering if that little potion from him really is about to save my life. I thought about the little necklace Poseidon had given me. I lifted it up, down here it was swimming, actually moving its arms and tail fin as if it was really in the water. I unlatched it and put it down into the little stream of fate. It started happily swimming around and finally give me a spin and a jump, swimming off down the stream.

I came to a larger cavern. It seemed to be for me. There was a meeting.

Ares stood up from the table. She looked at me, shrugged, “Hmm,” she breathed curiously and came my way. “There’s something different about you. But I can’t tell what.”

At the table was the usual congress of Ancestors. They started talking about me.

“She does look a bit worn out.”

“You don’t think she’s…”

“Shush. Don’t tell her that.”

I was as curious as they were.

“The stream continues,” Ares said.

“Then why are you here?” I replied.

“That’s something I’m wondering as well. I guess to make sure you make it down there.” She pointed down stream. Down where my fate continues.

“We’re examiners,” one of the Ancestors at the table said, feebly trying to make a laugh.

I said, “Don’t worry about that. I can make my own decisions.”

He replied, “But to go out there again, into all that chaos, the war is over, the Ancients have all been ended, the fear is gone, and you will be the most famous Feline, the most famous Xeno for generations to come.”

“Somehow I don’t think so.”

“Then try your luck, the stream continues, as Ares said.”

I did try my luck.

The path kept going and I walked on and on. For what? Was I trying to reach the end of fate?

I pondered my existence. What will happen next?

Many steps later a voice talked to me. The non existent light dimmed and vibrated as it talked.

“You’re not safe.” It said, seeming to come from nowhere, as in everywhere. “I like the game you played. You do it well, with style I haven’t seen in many a years. A ragged band of primitives come to stop the almighty Ancients. Even they are futuristic in the field of bioengineering today. An impossible task, and even more impossible to kill one, but you made it look easy. Not to worry, I cleaned up your friends and family. They’re just where you are, safe underground, motionless, probably spread into hundreds of pieces, completely unrecognizable. No one would know they were even there, ever.”

“Who are you?“ I shouted. “Where are you?”

“Haha, my little friend, I would never tell you that. Even if you were alive. I’m just the one behind this planet, running their little games from backstage, you’d never guess, much less be able to find me. I’m even right in the middle of it all, yet no body can find me, not even your Ancestors.”

“You turned my King against his own village.”

“A king? Is that who he was. A stupid little pawn. He wouldn’t even do what I said.”

“So it wasn’t him. It was you.”

“Of course. One has a little fun here and there. But he was worthless anyways, trying to spoil my plans, no thanks to you.”

“What are you trying to do? Kill everyone? Turn everyone against their own kind?”

“Ha, no. Not at all, it’s just a game. And now that I lost quite a few, I could use your help, you’re strong and relentless. You make a good knight, a Queen even, maybe to replace the king, Dakur.”

“The Ancients were all yours too?”

“Yes of course. And thanks to you, you lifted their bonds and got the ball rolling. It was a good show, a short one, as you handled it very well. Well played.”

“I’ll never—.”

“No need to rush. There’s time before it’s all over, it won’t even start again for some time. I have them running around like mad and they all think it’s themselves.”

“I will never join you. You won’t even show your face.”

“Nobody has seen my face in a very long time. Nobody on this planet to be precise, and nobody will. Not until it’s over.”

I started running down the very dim path that was the tunnel with a trickling stream. The voice laughed, diminishing as I ran forward. The lights came back on, and the stream continue, growing little by little. And he was gone.

I came into a big cavern once again, the same meeting, the same table.

Ares stood up from the table. She looked at me, shrugged, “Huh,” she breathed curiously and came my way. “There’s something different about you. But I can’t tell what.”

“I’ve found who’s behind all this madness.”

“Have you? Tell me who.” Ares said with slight urgency.

“I…I don’t know.” I tried to think. Who was it, there wasn’t a face, no name. I couldn’t even start with a clue.

I told her of the voice and the strange things it said.

“Well then, it looks like the war isn’t over.”

A Talpa came up from the end of the stream, walking slowly, looking as curious as I did. He spotted me. “I thought you’d be down here. Come, we’re waiting for you.” He was dressed in beads of dark brown porcelain, a Talpa’s skull as it’s centerpiece. He looked a bit hazy, like the Ancestors did, but I couldn’t tell in this light, which there’s still wasn’t much of.

I followed the Talpa, leaving the congress of the Ancestors behind.

After a few turns and a near verticals climb I came to another underground cavern. No lights, just Talpas and a few Xenos lying around, some huddled near others lying on the floor.

The hole I climbed out of seemed to be right underneath someone. I tried to push through, but I seemed to jump and became the one lying on the floor.

Roland and Farrow were the two closest, looking down, kneeling on the floor. They both looked up, startled as soon as I had jumped. I had tried to keep pushing up through the hole, but now finding that there was no hole beneath me.

“You’re alive!” They both shouted.

I tried to give to hug them but already, I had failed, feeling the constriction of bangs, bruises and cuts hours after they had been received and the adrenaline all gone.

I groaned.

Roland and Farrow stared, amazed I was now breathing and with my eyes open.

“I thought we had lost you.” Farrow said.

“What happened? I thought…” I tried to recall, I know I had been carried away by Dakur, then there was the missiles, and Dakur started to eat me.

Farrow reminded me of that, then picked up where I blacked out, wriggling and trying to escape the clutch of Dakur. “Then,” he continued, “some missiles had been shot from the enemy ship, straight at Dakur, but I knew you were there with him, and so did the rest of the Aves watching the fight. So the few of us left had swooped down and diverted the missiles, yanking on them with our claws. They exploded only twenty feet away from you, but how you survived his bite, it’s impossible.”

“Actually,” Roland continued, “I saw what had to be done, I shot my arrow far and true, I know that an arrow to the base of the neck paralyzes anyone and anything, and by my skill, I shot that sole arrow, paralyzing Dakur and saving your life, if I was quicker I could have saved you faster, true. But, if I was any slower, Dakur could have chomped down on you with his full force, ripping you to shreds like I had seen him do to that Ursine.”

I was amazed. Anyone would be in disbelief and very skeptical of the truth, Aves diverting missiles and an Equine shooting one deadly arrow, half a mile, while in full gallop, into the base of an Ancient’s skull, paralyzing him and saving the most important Xeno to date.

It took all my effort, but I sat up and hugged the two of them. “We’re starting our next mission tomorrow. Where’s Clyde?”

“Whoa!” Roland said. “You’ve got to heal up before we go anywhere, relax, take the time to rest in your laurels.”

Farrow seemed to take it another way. “Wait, what’s the next mission? I thought we’ve finished.”

“Let her rest, Farrow. You Aves are so pushy.”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

I closed my eyes, the pain and exhaustion crept over me. “I can tell you tomorrow.”

The next day I woke feeling the same as the day before. Though, there was much more liveliness besides me, the damaged Xenos were all awake, trying to laugh and tell stories between moans and groans of soreness.

Farrow and Roland stayed in the same room as the rest of us, though they weren’t so bad off as the they could have been. They still had bandages wrapped around themselves. Roland legs were singed as well and many other places, and Farrow had a few singed feathers and a bandaged wing.

“Are you up to it?” Farrow asked, despite Roland’s look warning him not to.

“Of course I’m up to it, I just have to get better and I’ll be off. You can come if you’re willing to sacrifice a whole lot. I don’t think my records of keeping people alive would help in any drafting campaign.”

“I mean, are you ready to tell us what it’s all about?”

“Oh, I guess so,” I replied, “but you won’t like it.”

Roland said again, “Leave her alone, we haven’t even finished debriefing. You can hear that everyone is already in the middle of their debriefs with each other, can’t stop that. Plus we have to get the story straight if we want to tell our children.”

“Fine,” said Farrow, “so debrief away. I’m sure it went something like: the Equine led everyone into battle, the Equine did the most damage and assisted in every kill if not deliver every fatal blow, then at the most opportune time, saved the leader and ended the battle.”

“That’s pretty close, but you forgot about all the preparations, that we saved every single Xeno that’s still alive and, the most valiant point: that because of me and the nature of the Equine, we had the most Xenos on the field, we’re the most committed.” Roland finished it emphatically, punching his bravery through.

Farrow rolled his eyes and walked away, finding better company with a group of Dryads.

“So, Huntress,” said the Equine, “please debrief. I know I was with you most of the time but I hurried off to help with a few shots of arrows, slashing enemies a couple of times and came back to pick you up again before you got in trouble.”

That’s my friend Roland.

I told him the battle from my eyes. Farrow had come back now that I was talking again and they made all the right expressions in the right places and even added some good remarks for myself. I left off at the point I blacked out and finished with telling them I woke up here. “By the way, where are we anyways?”

“Underground.” Roland said, smartly.

“The Talpas took care of us,” Farrow explained, “managed to find most of anyone still alive and brought them here.” I was about to asked the ones who died in battle, but he continued. “The others were put just below ground level. Don’t worry about missing them, the whole field is marked with stone piles showing where anyone was buried.”

“So what happened to the Ancients?”

“They’re still up there, though at this moment I think they’ve been tied up in case any magic resurrection takes place. The Talpas and a few others are digging fire trenches.”

“We’re going to burn them?” I stated more than asked. I knew that was the usual thing to do.

“We’ll probably get everyone together to go up to the surface tomorrow to do it.” Farrow said, “We wouldn’t want anyone to miss that.”

“Right,” I said. “But another question, how come you can all see in here, there’s no lights.”

“The Equine have always been able to see in the dark.” Roland said proudly.

Farrow rolled his eyes. “I did my research and asked that same question. The Talpas have it as their natural ability, but they can make it into a potion.” He started smiling. “And, as we’ve just made history and killed the Ancients, the Talpas have awarded us all with it, though they said you had already had it, which makes me suspicious.” He raised an feathery eyebrow.

“I’ve had my encounters with the Talpas before, they saved my life once, and before that, even gifted me with their potion. It seems they knew I needed it. Now that I think of it, it seems a lot of people knew about me before I knew of anything, even anything about Xenobia in the first place.”

“That’s because you’re the Huntress of the Felines, we all know instinctively, as if it’s an inborn knowledge that we must please the Felines, especially the Huntress, or else the wrath will be on the whole tribe.”

“Maybe.” I said, pondering the truth of that statement. I don’t feel like I need to be pleased or else I’d kill everyone.

“But,” said Farrow, “I also know there are other magic potions and whatnot from other tribes, Xenos and Pre-Xenobia-natives. Aves have a fairytale about the fairies, wind nymphs, sometimes, they’ll give the ability to fly to someone who finds them. But for the Aves it’s pretty useless, unless it would make us fly faster and more agilely.”

“And nobody, but nobody, has the element of surprise like the Equine. And it’s not something that can be taught or made into a potion. If we did, the Xeno taking it would still lack the finesse of a real Equine.”

“Precisely,” Farrow said resentfully and rolled his eyes again. “But there are others. I think the necklace you have would be something from the Dryads.”

“I can speak with them and the Hamadryads in their language.”

Farrow was surprised. “And there’s also stories of Fire Nymphs, that are said to be the cause of every fire, even a simple match wouldn’t light without one being around, not to mention their ability to walk through fire. That’s why nobody sees them, they’re in the volcanos and large forest fires, right in the middle of the flames, so you can’t see them. Then, there’s the Pisces and the Water Nymphs, the Ice Nymphs, I’ve figured out that the Earth Nymphs are the Talpas, and Tree Nyphs are Dryads and I’m sure there’s many more.”

I was surprised, I didn’t know of half of them except the few that I had met. “But, no.” I told Farrow, “We’re not going on a Nymph chasing adventure. As much fun as that may sound. The war isn’t over. Another Ancient spoke to me.”

Farrow and Roland both stopped and looked at each other.

“We’ll take him down,” Roland said defiantly. “Tell us where he is and we’ll kill him for you, Dawn. There’s no need for you to stress over one more measly Ancient.”

Farrow, who was much more down to earth said, “What do you mean it isn’t over. We’ve killed all the Ancients.”

“We haven’t killed all the Ancients.” I told them. “But there’s one left. One that ruled them all, one that’s still wreaking havoc in the cities and the Xeno tribes.”

“How is that possible?” Farrow asked, now seeming ruined after the upturn of winning the battle.

“I don’t know. But he’s there, somewhere. I’ve spoken to him, in my dreams, as I’ve done with Dakur,” I said, trying not to seem like a mystic. “But I’ve seen his effects, the King of the Felines suffered for years trying to overcome his powers but had no choice but to follow his orders, he even tried to kill himself, but seemingly stopped himself and failed. Whoever he is, is irresistible.”

“But what does he look like, where is he?”

“I have no idea.” I said. “Unfortunately, maybe fortunately.”

The next day I woke up and tried to walk around a bit. I wasn’t used to being in bed for so long. My dreams were strange and unpleasant. I guess Ares and Xeres didn’t have anything to say to me, or they had lost me being underground in the Talpas’ caverns. Maybe they thought I knew what I was doing, planning for the next attack. I hope I was onto something.

Painfully, I walked around. There’s wasn’t much to look at in the little cavern we were in. We weren’t even close to any underground city, apparently it’d take over a day to crawl there, so I was left with pacing around slowly catching something the other Xenos were talking about, nothing special, just reruns of the battle and some dreams of getting out of here and back to their own villages.

At some point maybe midday a few Talpas had come down from above and told us all to get ready to head up and watch the burning. I saw them all struggle as I had done to get up and move around but after an hour most of us were up and now looking out at the sunset in the great southern fields.

As I was told, there were small monuments for for each Xeno slain. No use counting, there were a lot. But I still had those with me. Some cried for them, standing over the tombstone, somehow knowing it was their friend by some landmark of blood or burns in the grass, though most of the grass was burned for nearly a mile around.

We walked for a few minutes to where the Ancients had been prepared, their bodies tied up and thrown into a mass. Their heads on pikes circling the mass of meat. I wondered how the Talpas got all of the Ancients stacked up like that. They were huge.

I walked up to the mass, looking at each one, noticing the scratches I had given the snake. The rats torn up and sliced to pieces by the Dryads. The abominable elk filleted. Dyzo cut open and having been bled out long ago.

I looked at the heads, the snake still has that blade it it’s mouth, the jaw hanging loosely, just I had left it. Dyzo’s head with eyes closed, looking calm. The Ancient’s messenger’s skull, a horses head mostly burned to the bone, with some matted bloody fur in a few places. I studied Dakur’s head the longest. It was unmarred, besides being severed from its body, the mouth was wide open, his eyes shut in pain. All of their faces motionless, capturing the last moment before death. It was carnage to the extreme, but a victory for us all.

The smell had made me leave faster than I wanted to. I thought I might have been able to stand therefor another day looking at the villains all dead, my direct enemies for the last year and enemies since I was born, enemies to all of Xenobia, since our Ancestors had come here.

I stood back of the firebreak trench while a few lucky Xenos got to carry the torches and set fire to the immortal bodies.

I watched as they all burned, the whole pile of them burned bright. A feeling of relief came off, but something still held on. The war isn’t over.

A while later, after all the cheering and dancing had died down, we walked back inside to fully recover.

Since the burning most of us had been able to walk around, the cuts and bruises would have to take their time to heal.

The next day I was ready to go.

I called Clyde. I hope he had been safe. I hadn’t seen him, or heard from him. I didn’t even check, I had my goggles off this whole time.

Clyde, are you there?

I sent a simple message. No reply.

Oh no. My heart skipped a beat, I worried. I have to find Clyde.

I asked a few Talpas if they had seen him, maybe a ship somewhere. They said they had lost track of it with all the burning business.

I ran up to the top of a hill, the sunlight tore at my eyes as I looked around, there wasn’t much to look at. I knew he had been to the north, at least that’s where he came from last time.

I had no idea where he’d be now. I went down to procure someone to help. Maybe an Equine. No it’d take too long.

Aves! I talked to Farrow.

“How’s your wing?” It was bandaged up for some reason.

“It’s fine. How’s yours?”

“No time to joke. I need to find Clyde.” I told him.

“Oh fine, I think I’ll be fine, maybe no carrying for a while.”

“Alright, I’ll ask Roland to help too. You’ll be our eyes.”

I grabbed Roland from the tunnels and briefed him quickly while we all three shot up to the surface again. Farrow flew off, rising up and up. Almost immediately he gave a sign. I directed Roland and we were there in a few minutes.

I found the ship. Clyde had to be inside.

Hurriedly I opened it up, which wasn’t easy. Obviously it was a crash landing.

“Clyde?” I said.

No response. I climbed up to the cockpit. Really the only space in there. Clyde was there. Thank the heavens. But still he wasn’t talking.

I unplugged him from the ship. Maybe it was just faulty wiring that kept him out. Still nothing.

A few more attempts and I gave up. He was out.

Just then he turned his head, the lights flashed in his eyes. A message blinked in my goggles.

Dawn?

What. Do. I. Do. ?

Another blink.

First batteries. Second back to base.

Alright. I’ll have to charge him.

Though the way back to base is at least two days at a walk and the only way to charge him is at the base, the temple.

I climbed out of the ship, trying to figure out how to get him out as well. Nearly impossible, but I did it. I grabbed a tarp and steel cables so Roland or I, or someone could pull him back. The ship was useless now, a wing broken, circuits fried, it wouldn’t even start.

Oh, how I’ll get revenge on the Canines!

We headed back to the Talpas’ cavern and got some food, those who wanted to join me on the next adventure and who could walk, joined me. It was mostly Dryads with no home to go back to, the Equines who would be at my doorstep, just out of the jungle, and an Ursine who happened to love the fighting, and it would be his honor to return home with me. The Lizards who were still alive had said, between many noncommittal and vague words, that this was too much for them and they’d have to go home, though having killed some Ancients was definitely honor worthy. The Murids had already split and nobody knew where they were. The Pisces had both died valiantly in battle and the last Bovine was also getting homesick, away from his peaceful meadows where there were no threats but sunburn and a little dehydration.

We packed food and headed back to the temple.

I was crying most of the way back, looking at Clyde, a mangled heap of metal, I hardly know if he’ll be able to make it. Hopefully it’s just batteries. Silly, thinking that’s the whole reason for this upset.

Without any more time to recover I got everyone out and back to the Temple.

Two days later we had made it back. The Temple rose up in front of us. My beautiful home, half hidden in the mountain jungle. I kept walked and saw just past it, deep in the forest, my village…burned. Houses destroyed. And no one around.

I couldn’t tell you which was worse, seeing Clyde in a wreck or seeing the village up in smoke, already burned down. That made sense when I had earlier found a few Felines hiding in bushes keeping low and out of sight. They hadn’t managed to talk to me, nor I tried to talk with them.

The Temple was fine, though the garden wasn’t. The trees had marks of gunfire, bullets, rays and plasma where there were any.

“What happened!” I muttered out loud.

I tried not to panic yet. Not before I had time to.

I put Clyde inside and on his charging station. Nothing happened, but I gave him a message that he was there and should be able to turn it on if it wasn’t already.

Plug.

I found it and plugged him in.

I stopped and stared for a minute. Finally he came to life.

“Hello,” said Clyde.

“Oh Clyde!” I burst out and hugged him. I was so happy he’s alive. I nearly cried.

“If I am Clyde, who are you?”

My heart sank.

“I—I’m Dawn. Don’t you remember?”

“Dawn, Dawn. Searching files.” A moment passed. “The period of time between night and day before the sunrises.”

“Oh no. You don’t remember me.” My heart sank even lower. “Do you know where you are?” I asked.

“Charging batteries.” He looked around. “Garage of some sort. A hangar?”

“Nothing looks familiar?”

“Data is being reestablished. Please wait.”

“You sit there and get your circuits together Clyde. I can’t have you with a lost memory.”

“Data is being reestablished. Please wait.”

Fine. I had another problem on my hands. A big one by the looks of it. The village is gone.