‘Don’t make me come back there,’ G-War interjected.
“Is that really a thing?” Braden whispered to Micah. “What would he do if he came back here?”
Micah pointed at the white scar on Braden’s forearm where the Golden Warrior had emphasized the pain Braden had put him through.
“What? He’d physically punish me? Even my parents didn’t spank me.”
‘Maybe they should have,’ G-War replied. ‘Now stop thinking so loudly. You’re distracting me.’
Braden smacked his lips as if getting ready to say something, but he didn’t. Micah touched his shoulder as they walked, while keeping her other hand on her blaster. Braden did the same. G-War was right again. They didn’t need to be distracted.
At the top, they’d find the Hillcats, or as they were known by some humans, Hellcats, for the ferocity of their attacks on prey. Braden had seen G-War kill too many humans. Without remorse, he had ended their lives. Braden had done it too, as had Micah. If the Golden Warrior was successful, they wouldn’t have to do it again. That made it all worthwhile.
They could raise their children in a world without such violence. Braden’s eyes narrowed as he took in his surroundings. Exceptional clarity came to him as his body prepared for battle. He could see the smallest details, classifying them as threat or no threat, safety or danger. He changed the way he moved, staying on the balls of his feet. Micah mirrored his movements as the tension grew.
G-War was first to enter the area where the Hillcats made their homes. Five ‘cats stood shoulder to shoulder. No others were in sight.
‘Watch yourselves,’ G-War called out. ‘There should be hundreds of ‘cats here.’
‘The wayward prince returns once again,’ an older voice broadcast over the mindlink. ‘You have no authority here. Take your mob of vagrants and leave.’
‘You know that I am Prince Axial De’atesh, and you know that I will not leave without that for which I came.’
Fealona stood by G-War’s side. Her muscles rippled and her head swiveled as she watched the trees for movement. She knew what ‘cats were capable of, the duplicity, the self-serving nature.
‘There is no challenge by combat anymore. There is no way for you to take control. We don’t believe what you believe, and that won’t change.’
‘What do I believe?’ G-War asked.
‘That we can live in the world of men. And other unsavory creatures, judging by those with you.’
‘And that is where you are wrong, and where you have led the Hillcats down a path where our true nature is denied. Allow yourselves to feel the freedom and power that ‘cats enjoy. Now is the time to take our position as the leaders of the world of men, as leaders among the sentient races of Vii.’
‘You even talk like them. It is most unbecoming of a ‘cat,’ the old voice spat in disgust.
G-War growled and his hackles raised. He slowly moved forward, turning sideways as he approached.
‘You would dare attack an old man?’ the ‘cat asked, no hint of fear in his voice.
‘I would dare cast you aside to live with your own shame. You have the ‘cats serving you when it is man who should serve us. You hold us back. Your dominance has ended.’
‘Has it?’ the old ‘cat said.
Braden’s arm raised of its own accord and a beam laced into a tree branch where a ‘cat had appeared. The newcomer snarled and jumped away. Micah fired in the opposite direction, denying another ‘cat the opportunity to loom over them.
Brandt bugled his dismay, shaking the trees with the power of his voice. ‘You will listen to my friend,’ the King of the Aurochs boomed over the mindlink.
“I’m not sure that was helpful,’ Braden whispered out the side of his mouth.
The Golden Warrior stopped his posturing and strode directly to the old ‘cat. When he reached him, his paw flashed, slapping the other in the top of his head. The old Hillcat winced, his ears back as he snarled. G-War slapped his head two more times and then ran into him, bowling the old ‘cat over.
‘I’m not going to hurt you, as long as you stay out of my way. Your time here is done.’ G-War stared down the other four members of the ‘cat ruling council. They each looked away.
Hillcats appeared from the bushes and trees where they’d been waiting. They formed a solid circle around the Golden Warrior and his army.
“Looks like we may be outnumbered,” Micah said as she assessed the situation. She removed her sword and held it in one hand with her blaster in the other. Braden pulled his second blaster and tried to pick a target, but his stomach churned at the thought.
“You are not our enemy!” he yelled.
‘My human is correct. We are not enemies. What you must know is that there is only one planet. Long ago, we came here with the humans and through their machines, they helped us realize a new level of intelligence. Then the humans tried to destroy each other. The Hillcats hid and survived. When we ventured out again, we found humanity struggling to survive. We decided to see if they were worth helping. And I was sent. I found this one, and through him, I have helped.’
Braden shuffled his feet as he contemplated G-War’s words.
‘And he has helped me, saving my life on more than one occasion. We were never meant to live apart from the humans. Our place is out there.’ G-War pointed with his head. ‘Our place is keeping the world from tearing itself apart, and no one can do it better than us. What is your purpose here? Herding water buffalo and doing nothing?’
The ‘cats watched G-War silently. Not a leaf rustled or a stray meow. Some of the ‘cats sat while the rest stood, tails twitching.
‘You have a purpose, and it isn’t here,’ Fea added.
‘What do you know?’ the old voice returned.
‘Nice try. I was here recently enough to know that you are destroying what ‘cats are all about. They don’t even know how to hunt,’ Fea sneered.
‘Who are you to tell them what is important in their lives?’
‘I am your prince. There was a time that meant something. But I am also the one who can see clearly. I’ve been to the sky and back. I’ve been to the bottom of the great sea and back. I’ve seen more of this world than anyone else, than most even know exists. It does put me in a position to understand what must happen. The old world is returning and with it, the old ways, which means war. Next time, we won’t be spared. Whether it is one cycle or one thousand cycles, war will come if we don’t stop it.
‘You will join me in returning to humanity. You will challenge those with evil in their minds. And you will prosper, soft beds on which to sleep, human servants bringing you food and water. All you have to do in return is keep the evil from rising to power. Find it, share it, and eliminate it.’
‘What if we don’t want to?’ a new voice asked.
‘You don’t want to make the world safe for your children?’
‘They are safe here.’
‘For the moment. Have you seen the world out there? If not, then you should listen to those who have. Burying your head to the truth does not change the truth.’
‘Go away!’ came an angry shout.
G-War turned to face the gathering. A pack of bold tom ‘cats trotted out, then more joined them, and then it was a flood.
“Oh, crap,” Braden muttered as he laced the ground in front of the runners with blaster fire.
‘NO!’ cried Shauna as she jumped into ‘Tesh’s arms, quivering.
‘You will not!’ Treetis declared and bolted into the middle of the mass. Neeson was close on his heels.
Two Hawkoids dove through the trees, swooping low. Fea and G-War jumped, landing on the feathered backs. The Hawkoids dropped, bounced off the ground, and beat hard to gain altitude. Their wings drove the incoming ‘cat mob away.
A pair of ‘cats jumped from the trees. With a swipe of his horns, Brandt batted them away. When they hit the ground, they ran in the opposite direction, having lost their will to continue the fight with a creature a hundred t
imes their size.
Klytus snarled and pranced, bouncing sideways between the twins and the ‘cats of Ankhmar.
The Wolfoids hesitated, not wanting to start a fire with their lightning spears. Bounder swung his like a club. An incoming ‘cat dodged it and jumped. The Wolfoid caught the ‘cat in his jaws and threw it away, but not before it raked a line across his neck. Strider held the point of her spear downward, drawing a figure eight in front of her to hold the ‘cats at bay.
The great ‘cat melee was underway. Snarls and screams filled the air.
A Tortoid’s focused thunderclap boomed through the trees overhead.
The Great ‘Cat Rebellion
Skirill and Zyena circled, hammering the air with their wings to compensate for the weight of the ‘cats.
‘I feel it. There. Drop us there.’ With his mind, he showed Skirill the ‘cats inciting the fight. The toms next in line to lead the Hillcats wanted the status quo. The rest of the ‘cats didn’t care, but their willingness to fight showed that they could be driven to act. That was all G-War needed.
‘Ready, my love?’ G-War asked.
‘It’s time, my scruffy love monster.’
Skirill dove, and Zyena followed him through a narrow gap in the foliage canopy. He dodged, twisted, and flared. G-War jumped, landing between two ‘cats with similar coloring. Fea launched herself, rolling upside-down, but turning upright in time for her paws to hit the ground hard. She slid sideways before coming to a stop.
‘Hello, brothers,’ G-War said.
They didn’t bother answering. They pounced, but G-War was used to fighting. He dropped and launched himself beneath the two, slashing upwards to open the belly of one. The male hit the ground, shock on his face as the pain took over. He froze where he was. The other brother circled, keeping the injured ‘cat between him and G-War.
Fea squared off against a third tom.
‘I will kill you!’ he declared.
‘No, you won’t,’ Fea replied calmly. ‘You will try and for your efforts, you will die.’
She waited for him, knowing that he wasn’t half the fighter of her mate. Or her. She had learned while she’d been away. The ‘cats of Ankhmar didn’t know what it meant to be deadly. They had forgotten so much.
He reached in, tentatively, claws bared. Fea slapped him on the top of his head, without her claws. He dodged back and hissed.
‘You’re embarrassing yourself,’ she told him.
The Golden Warrior attacked from the side, slamming the ‘cat facing Fea to the ground where he straddled his neck and wrapped claws around his throat. ‘You shouldn’t threaten my mate,’ G-War said.
The prince’s brother attacked, but Fea caught him mid-jump. She pulled him to the ground, her claws embedded in his chest. She threw herself over his back, twisting and throwing him aside. He screeched in pain as his flesh tore.
‘Call them off and the humans will heal your wounds. They have that power. Don’t, and ‘cats will die here today. That will be the legacy you leave behind.’
The first of G-War’s brothers dropped to the ground and moaned long and low. The other brother hunched and cried.
‘End this,’ G-War ordered.
‘Do as Prince Axial De’atesh commands. He is the leader of all Hillcats,’ the brother broadcast.
‘Braden, I need you,’ G-War called.
Braden hesitated. ‘Cats continued to struggle, but one by one, they stopped. Some hissed as they backed away. They jumped from the human’s path as he started to run toward the Golden Warrior.
He slid to a stop and looked over the two ‘cats. The vicious gash across the belly was the worst. He rolled the ‘cat on its side and added copious amounts of numbweed to stop the bleeding and the pain. He broke out his needle and horsehair thread.
Micah looked to the other ‘cat. She placed numbweed into the claw marks. “He’s going to need a few stitches, too.”
Braden waited for the numbweed to work before carefully removing it and stitching slowly, taking care to only penetrate the skin.
‘Relax, my brothers. You are in good hands now, as is the entirety of our people. Together, we will rule Vii. Once you see for yourselves, you’ll understand. Until then, you will have to trust me. I have no stomach for giving orders. Once we reenter the world of humans, I will give one more and then each ‘cat will determine their own way to follow. I have my mate and a lake with a warm tree branch calling me. There are wild rabbits aplenty to fill my belly. That is the life I was meant for, as are all ‘cats.’
‘Not me!’ the old voice declared. He rushed toward G-War, who simply shook his head.
Treetis caught the oldster and dragged him to the ground. ‘Then you can stay here, but the rest of the ‘cats are coming with us.’
Fea rubbed her body on G-War’s.
Shauna jumped from ‘Tesh’s arms and ran to her father. Klytus loped alongside.
The twins tiptoed past ‘cats lounging throughout the area as if nothing had happened. Bounder and Strider held their spears before them. Aadi swam toward the King of the Aurochs.
‘I am happy that no one died today,’ Aadi said.
‘Me too, my friend. Fighting to keep the peace doesn’t seem right. Being willing to fight for it is important, but then the battle should be of wits and not horns and claws.’
‘Nicely stated, King Brandt. And that is the battle that the prince has won today for all of us.’
‘Thank you, Master Aadi. I have a question. Are we going to have to carry all these ‘cats?’
The Aurochs did not have to carry the ‘cats, as G-War later pointed out. They would ride their own herd of water buffalo, adding to the herds of men, which would then be used to help feed the ‘cats. From Breston and Seinhold in the north to Binghamton in the west, the menagerie traveled. ‘Cats were dropped off at each place to be the watchers of mankind. Braden and Micah convinced the humans to take them in, care for them.
Brandt, Aadi, and the Wolfoids were appropriately intimidating to encourage the humans to open their minds to the possibilities. ‘Cats started shaping minds wherever they went, stopping the evil before it took root, preventing the cancerous thoughts from becoming actions.
The Hawkoid Nation remained overhead, wherever the group went. “Are you all coming with us?” Braden asked.
‘No,’ Skirill replied. ‘We, too, concern ourselves with the affairs of men, and like the Golden Warrior’s people, we shall spread across Vii. If a message needs to be shared, we will carry it.’
In Cameron, the Aurochs herd walked through the city, nodding to the people as they went. Jocelyn met them before the governor’s mansion, offering a key to the city to Braden and Micah, who put it before G-War. With one paw, he swiped it aside until it clanked on the ground.
Braden picked it up and dusted it off. “‘Cats,” he muttered.
G-War’s brothers remained with Jocelyn and Leah. He challenged them to live up to their birthright. ‘You have the greatest opportunity to fail,’ he told them. ‘Or to succeed. The choice is in your hands. In all things, keep the peace.’
When they prepared to cross the Great Desert to the south, they found the hovercar waiting for them. The Aurochs herd numbered only twenty. The others had chosen to remain behind to help the ‘cats, and that meant helping the humans, too.
“Do we ride in comfort or with our friends?” Braden asked.
‘It’s hard not to take that personally,’ Brandt replied with a thunderous laugh.
“You were not made to be ridden.” Braden rubbed his behind, wondering if it would stop being sore.
‘We’re riding in air conditioning,’ G-War told them.
‘And us,’ Bounder said.
‘I wouldn’t mind either, but all of us won’t fit,’ Skirill said. Braden had lost count of how many Hawkoids were still with them.
“You are welcome to ride however you can, wherever you can. I think there won’t be any room for us, so we’ll be with the Aurochs.”
“What about those?” Micah asked, pointing to the piles of barrels which made the lake look like a junkyard.
“Maybe we send a bot after them, to reuse them as the bots like to do.”
Micah shrugged. “If we fill them, we can’t lift them. Maybe we carry them to Oasis Zero Three and drop them off with the bot.”
Braden looked at the number of barrels, grimaced, and nodded. “We better get to it. A human minion’s work is never done.”
‘That is correct,’ G-War agreed as he jumped into the hovercar and curled up in the front seat.
* * *
This is the end of Free Trader 8 – The Great Cat Rebellion
If you liked it, please leave a review – buyers look at books with a single digit number of reviews with skepticism, so please, drop a few kind words for the Free Trader:). And I’ll start Free Trader 9 as soon as I have at least ten (10) reviews of The Great Cat Rebellion.
The Free Trader will return in the ninth and final installment of the Free Trader!
* * *
Blurb:
The ‘cat is fed up with his human minions. Too much discontent. Too many malcontents. Not enough fresh meat. Drastic changes are in order, and the Golden Warrior decided that he was the right Hillcat to make them.
Can a single ‘cat rally his people to come to humanity’s rescue and guarantee the peace for all time? The Planet Cygnus VII will not be the same after this epic journey of the sentient races, a journey of discovery and friendship. Will friends support each other, even if they don’t understand why?
Join the Golden Warrior, Fealona, Braden, and Micah as they travel with friends and family from one end of Vii to the other.
Bored
Klytus darted into the brush, missing the small domestic rabbit that passed him on its way through the clearing. Shauna took up the chase. She was easily as fast, but guessing as to which way it would turn. She dodged one way to cut off the frightened creature while it jinked in the opposite direction.
Free Trader Complete Omnibus Page 161