The New World (The Last Delar) (5 page)

"Gonna kill a beast-gonna crush the nasty tooth-yup, yup, yup," Puddle sings to himself.

While Puddle searches for a boulder, Oskeau lies on the forest floor staring up at the sky in silence.  He closes his eyes and pictures his mother, then he curls up and cries himself to sleep.  Puddle returns with a look of satisfaction on his face. Puddle picks up the Oskeau by his foot and dangles him over the small cliff and tosses him over the edge.  Oskeau cries out as he plummets to the ground.  His necklace bursts with light and stops him just above the forest floor.  He hovers for a moment before he lightly floats to the ground.  Lying on his back, Oskeau giggles before turning his head towards the cave.

Inside the opening he sees two yellow eyes staring out at him, and two long pointed teeth dripping with poison.  Oskeau begins to wail in fear and holds his hands up, begging for help.  The Long-Tooth tastes the ground with excitement, savoring the moments before its meal.  Oskeau rolls over and tries to crawl away, but is blocked by a large bone covered in gashes from the monitor's teeth.  The baby looks up again, searching for Puddle.  He sees him high above the cave holding a stone over his head.  A look of intense fury fills the Muddler's eyes, and a burst of light shines from Oskeau's necklace towards Puddle.  Puddle throws the large boulder over the cliff.  The Long-Tooth senses something and snaps its head upwards. The beast sees only a shadow before the boulder crushes him.  The speeding stone bounces off the monitor's head and rages towards Oskeau.  His necklace bursts with life, and the boulder explodes, followed by a thunderous crack that echoes through the cave.

Puddle dances on the hill, yells, and stomps the ground in victory.

"I did it!-I-ME-am the master now!  I am the beast slayer, I am the thrower of stones!-Master of all!-Me, Me, Me.  All will fear Puddle, the great stone crusher!  Yes, Puddle the stone crusher, yes, YES!!"  Puddle beats his chest and continues his dance as he rolls around joyfully on the top of the hill.  Oskeau has not moved and looks at the dying monitor, watching the life leave the creature.  The Long-Tooth takes its last, short breaths before its eyes roll back into lifelessness.

Blood begins to run like a river, drowning Oskeau's legs in a pool of black reflective liquid.  Oskeau stares into the blood, seeing a mirror of himself surrounded by the dead beast.  He reaches out his hand and touches his reflection, creating ripples in the small pool.  Oskeau's hair blows in the chilling air, and he touches his face with a blood-stained finger.  He looks back into the pool of blood and sees Puddle staring down at him.

"Come, slave." Puddle grabs Oskeau by his foot, dragging him past the dead beast and into the cave, beginning the enslavement of Oskeau.

CHAPTER THREE

It has been ten years since Mia-Koda brought Taeau to the Menoli City.  These past years have been a time of peace and growth in the forest.  The early evening moon shines through a window, revealing Black Claw and his family sitting down to breakfast.  They eat their usual helpings of fruits and nuts, except for Little Claw, who licks a twig covered in wood bee honey.  Little Claw, a newborn, spends most of his time in the comfort of his mother's pouch.  He curiously watches his older sister, Whispers, follow their mother, holding onto her tail.  Ven, the oldest of the Black Claw's offspring, is busy trying to finish his food.

"Slow down, Ven. You will get cramps and fall to the forest floor.  Would you like that, hmm?" asks his mother.

"Stop it, Mother, I'll be fine, I'm done, can I go …"

"NO! Your bothersome cousin will still be waiting outside our door after you eat your food.  Now finish your breakfast ," says Black Claw, giving Ven a stern look.

Half Moon, Ven's mother, gives the door a tired glance.  "Is Taeau out there already? Black Claw, let the boy in."

"No, he will wait until your son is finished with his food," bellows Black Claw with authority.  His wife shakes her head and gives Little Claw another helping of honey.

"Why are you always giving him a hard time?" snaps Ven.

Ven's father stares down at him, and he quickly looks back to his food.  Quiet fills the room as everyone finishes their breakfast, until three long scratches interrupt the meal.  Everyone looks at the door.

"Hmm, it is strange to hear scratching this early," says Half Moon, as Black Claw gets up to answer the door.  As Black Claw begins to open the door, a small boy darts into the room.  A Salali warrior stands at the entrance saluting Black Claw.  The room erupts in commotion as the two younglings, Ven and Taeau, wrestle and greet each other.  Usually Black Claw would put a quick stop to this, but at the moment he is distracted with the visitor.

"Captain, I have orders from the Chiefs . . . they request your immediate presence in the hall."

"What evil shadows the city tonight? Why do the Chiefs request me so early?"

"I do not know, sir . . . but news of a wounded Meno warrior is circulating around the guard.  I have heard that many pipes have been smoked.  I was sent straight away to find you.  This is all I can report."

"Report to the chiefs that I will be in the hall right away.  Let me gather my things and say goodbye to my family."

"Yes, sir," says the glider as he bows to his Captain.

Black Claw walks back into the room with a serious look on his face.  "What's wrong? What is happening?" asks Half Moon.

Black Claw goes to his room, followed by Half Moon.  When he returns, Taeau and Ven are throwing seeds at each other, while Whispers yells at them to stop.

"Boys! Leave Whispers alone!"

They both sit up straight at the sound of Black Claw's voice.  "Taeau . . . as for you, I do not appreciate your barging into my home uninvited.  A talk with your father is needed." Taeau looks down at the floor after he receives the scolding.  "Mind your mother, all of you.  I will see you at the end of my shift.  Be well."

With these words Black Claw leaves his home.  Walking out the door and into the early night, he takes a deep breath, then turns his shoulder and leaps into the air, gliding down through the cool night air.

"Mother, can we go, Taeau and I? We have important stuff to do," pleads Ven as he bounces in his seat on the floor.  His mother looks down at him with a smile.

"Important, huh? Is this true, Taeau?"

"Yes, Mother Claw, we have almost finished our fort." Ven shoves Taeau, putting his fingers over his mouth.  "Ahhh, ya, we got important business, but I am sworn to secrecy until death," says Taeau as he stands up and puts one hand over his chest and the other in the air.

"Well, I must not keep such important people from such important things.  You both go, have fun, and tell your mother I have some seeds for her garden." Both boys run for the door, and Ven shoves his sister on his way out.

"Ven!!" whines Whispers, but the boys are gone before Half Moon can scold them for their mischief.

Once Ven and Taeau close the door, they run down the stairs that wind around the Menoli Tree.  On the steps, Taeau looks back to talk to his cousin, but he is gone. "Ven, where are you? Stop playing around." Taeau looks up and sees Ven leap from above, head first, right for him.  Taeau is not able to dodge his cousin before he plows into him, and both boys go tumbling down the stairs.

"Ouch! You know we could get hurt that way!" yells Taeau.

"Still fall for that trick!"

"Yes, well now what are you going to do?" Taeau asks, lunging for Ven, grabbing him and pulling him back down to the stairs.  Ven punches his cousin off of him, and they both begin to laugh.

"Okay, okay. Let's go . . . did you get the stuff we need for today?"

"Ya, I got it all.  It's at my place.  Let's go get it."

"Then there's no time to loose! Come on, let's go."

"Okay," Taeau says, and he grabs Ven from behind, holding his back tightly.  Ven scampers to the edge of the steps among the high branches.  He leaps into the air, opening his arms, and the boys scream with excitement as they glide through the forest towards the rising moon.

---

Black Claw steps up to the hall.  "Sir, the Chiefs have been waiting for you, but you must be searched before you enter."

"What! I am your Captain, and I will not tolerate such an insult."

"Sir, we mean no disrespect.  The Chiefs have commanded that we search all who enter, no weapons are permitted in the hall this night."

Black Claw glares at both guards but submits.  He stands proud, raising his arms and tail into the air.  The guards pat his coat, making sure he has no weapons hidden in his fur.

"Sorry, sir.  You may enter."

Both guards grab the handle of the door and open it.  They lower their heads in respect as Black Claw walks past.  Black Claw is surprised to see so many Meno and Salali standing together in the hall this early.  They all seem to be locked in serious conversation.  Broken Wrist, Captain of the Meno and good friend of Black Claw, greets him softly.

"Sir, let me inform you of the events that have unfolded.  Two outer guards were ambushed by a band of soldiers led by the beast general Ush-Ka."

"Ush-Ka! Here, inside our borders?"

"Yes.  They murdered one of our guards, Runs-With-Speed, and beat the other badly, sparing his life only so he could give a scroll to the Chiefs.  We buried Runs-With-Speed facing the setting sun in the graveyard of his forefathers.  As his family mourns, word has spread and the men have become angry and vengeful.  We must calm the men and keep this quiet.  We do not want to alert the city, causing fear and rash action." Black Claw looks toward his chiefs and sees Red Fist reading the scroll to Grey Back.  Black Claw walks up to them and bows.

"Great Chiefs, I am here and await your orders." Red Fist looks down from the scroll and signals for the hall to become quiet by holding a stone in each hand and striking them together three times.  The sound echoes throughout the hall, and everyone becomes silent and finds their seats.  Grey Back, Chief of the Salali, speaks first.

"You all know of the strangers that now gather at our borders.  They have surrounded our city and have given us this scroll.  They await our answer."

"What question do they beg be answered?" cries a soldier from the rear of the hall.

"They demand our allegiance to their king, dominion over our lands, and payment for the right to live on them." These words spark an uproar of shouting and insults. 

"They murdered one of our own without provocation and then demand our allegiance?"

"We must protect the city…"

"Gather your weapons, we must fight…"

Red Fist raises his hands and strikes the stones three more times.  The hall quiets, and he takes smoking root from his pouch, packing his pipe.

"Powerful forces threaten our city." The pipe clinks between the Chief's teeth as he speaks.  "We, Salali and Meno, have lived here in peace for some time.  We have kept wars away from our borders before, but we have been lucky.  Now a war has come to us, and we can no longer hide.  We must negotiate with General Ush-Ka and his master or chance losing everything."

The room is quiet and the pipe is passed among the warriors.  A Meno soldier asks, "What are Grey Back's words on this?"

Grey Back rises from his throne and blindly stares at the warriors.  "Red Fist is wise and speaks the words of a man who has seen the sun set and the moon rise many more times than most in this hall . . . we will prepare for an attack on the city, but negotiate with Ush-Ka before any action is taken." Grey Back takes the pipe and puffs from it.  "Go to your posts.  Tell no one of this news and await your orders." Grey Back sits in his throne, and the Chiefs become silent. Soldiers slowly shuffle out of the hall.  The two Chiefs and the two Captains stay behind to smoke one last pipe and take counsel.

---

"Taeau, why do we need to stop at your hut?"

"Because today I found something, and I have to check in with my mother before we go to it."

Ven gets very close to Taeau and looks around to make sure that no one can hear him.  He lowers his voice to a whisper.  "What did you find? Is it something that will help us defend the unspeakable from them?"

Taeau stops and looks into the eyes of his cousin.  "The treasure I have found will make us invincible."

Ven starts to rub his paws together in anticipation of this treasure, letting his mind run wild with images of what it could be.  "I hope it is as good as you say becau --"

Ven suddenly snaps his head around, his ears perk up and he starts sniffing rapidly.

"What is it, Ven? What do you smell?"

While Ven tries to make sense of the conflicting smells in the air, two young gliders and a Meno youngling sit in a nearby tree, scouting Ven and Taeau below.

"Now," whispers the leader of the group, and before Ven can make out their scent, two gliders and a Meno youngling jump from the canopy.

Ven is the first to spot the gliders and yells, "ENEMIES!" warning Taeau of the attack.  There is no time to run.  Both Ven and Taeau put up their hands and fists, ready for the assault.  The younglings land and surround them.  One of the Salali gliders exposes his claws aggressively, while the Meno has his fists clenched.  The largest of the three, named Stripes, stands only steps from Ven. He is large for his age and stronger than both Ven and Taeau combined.  He has a white strip of fur crossing his left eye, which has been blind since birth.  His father is Black Claw's second-in-command, the Captain of the city's gate.