Extinction

by Korza, Jay

  His head was almost out but his right leg couldn't move. As the sack dried and hardened, it had started to twist around his leg. He pulled and clawed but couldn't get free. He was so tired now, so lacking in energy. At least he was breathing but that was a small comfort if he couldn't fully escape the sack.

  He suddenly felt a nibble at his trapped foot and he strained to see what was going on. The little runt was trying to chew his trapped foot. He couldn't believe it; the little guy was trying to make sure that neither of them got out alive! He growled and barked angrily at the runt but there was nothing else he could do.

  ~

  The runt looked around and saw how much farther he needed to go before he could escape. So much chewing left; he didn't think he would make it. He watched his stronger brother give up and die right next to him. If his brother gave up, what chance did he have?

  He decided that being the runt didn't mean he had to die like a runt. He was going to fight, until the end, no matter what. He resumed chewing and looking for paths that had already been established by his litter-mates. The problem was as the sack dried it constricted, hardened and became much more difficult to chew through.

  He felt a strong vibration off to his right and was able to turn enough to see one of his brothers struggling to get free. Part of the sack was quickly drying and constricting around his brother's ankle. He wasn't going to make it.

  The runt looked around and saw a possible pathway for him to get out. The sack was still moist in that direction and there were obvious gnashed areas in it where a few others had already chewed through. He might be able to make it that way.

  Might be able to. He didn't like the way that made him feel. He was certain that his brother wouldn't make it out and that he only might make it out. Without any more thought, he made a decision.

  He began to claw towards his brother and chew with everything he had. When he reached his brother's ankle, he started to rip at the sack tangled around it. A few bites ended up nipping his brother but he couldn't help that now. He wanted to make sure at least one of them made it out alive.

  The runt heard his brother growl and bark and immediately knew that his intentions were misunderstood. He kept chewing and clawing until he could feel the ankle becoming less encumbered. Then in a snap, it was free and his brother rolled from the sack and rolled over on the ground, completely exhausted.

  The cub looked back to the runt still trapped inside the sack and realized what his brother was trying to and ultimately succeeded in doing. The runt had sacrificed himself to save his brother. And the runt continued to claw and move his jaw, trying to chew the sack, but it was obvious that his attempts would fail.

  The rest of the litter was standing around their defacto alpha, watching the runt make his last few attempts to free himself. The would-be alpha jumped to the sack and was going to help his brother but was stopped by the first brother. The alpha growled and made his intentions clear. He must do it on his own.

  The would-be didn't even need to think about it; his primal instincts kicked in and he lashed out. He was weak, very weak and hadn't been resting like his alpha brother had been after he first emerged. His first swipe was easily ducked and the alpha countered with a light bite to the would-be's belly. No damage but enough pain to show that he was serious.

  The would-be was also serious and knew he was prepared to kill one brother to save the other. A simple show of force and resolve wasn't going to be enough and he didn't have the time or strength to commit to an all-out fight. He feigned an attack and when his brother went to a guard position, the would-be rolled away and latched on to the sack and begin to tear at it from the outside.

  He had made several openings in the sack before the alpha was back on him and trying to make him stop. The would-be latched on to a chunk of the sack and told himself not to let go no matter what. He added his front claws to the attempt and tried to dig at the sack with all his might.

  The alpha couldn't let his decision be challenged, not this soon after emerging. He went for the throat and latched on. He didn't want to kill his brother but he was willing to hurt him, badly if necessary.

  The would-be was directing all of his energy and all of his focus on saving his brother, so he didn't last long against the alpha's attack. He was pulled away after having made some progress in his attempt. When he was able to right himself once more, he was faced with the alpha staring him in the eye and growling a warning. Enough!

  The would-be was trying to think of his next move but had a sinking feeling he had already made his last. As he looked beyond the alpha, he saw the rest of the litter making their own move. They were coming together and working to free the runt. With their combined effort, they had their brother out in just a few seconds.

  The alpha looked back and was enraged with what he saw. They had defied him; they had made their own decision and saved a weak brother. A runt even. With the act already done, there wasn't much he could do. Shirkas weren't punitive by nature so he had no plans to hurt any of them for what they did. He would just accept it for now.

  The would-be and the alpha walked together to their litter-mates, now a pack. They looked at the runt, who didn't seem to be breathing. The would-be got down on all fours and nuzzled his brother. No reaction. He licked his brother's face. No reaction. He laid down next to his brother and curled up with him. If his brother was going to die, he wasn't going to die feeling alone. The would-be watched as the rest of the pack joined him on the ground, surrounding and protecting their runt brother, giving him warmth and hopefully peace.

  ~

  The would-be wasn't sure how long they had been laying there but the alpha was getting impatient, pacing back and forth and looking at the setting sun. When darkness came, so did the predators. The pack had been lucky that their birthing sack hadn't been found and eaten by the creatures of the forest and the alpha didn't want that to change now that they were born.

  He sensed this was a delicate time for the pack and he didn't want to lose his standing. Instead of a forceful order, he tried his best to make a heartfelt whimper. I know what he did for you, but we have to go.

  The pack looked at him and didn't respond. The alpha knew it was too late; he wasn't the alpha anymore. He was the has-been and the would-be was now the alpha. They would follow him.

  The has-been had had several hours to think about the decisions his pack had made so far and he was actually leaning toward siding with them. The more he thought about his runt brother's sacrifice, the more he realized the strength it took to do what he did rather than try to save himself.

  He could either leave his pack for turning away from his leadership or join them under their new alpha. The has-been walked up to the group and added his body to the mound. He pushed his muzzle to the center in order to smell the runt and add that scent to his memory so he would never forget his brother.

  As he took in a deep breath, he felt a little dry tongue lick his nose. A low whimper followed and the rest of the pack became aware that their runt was not dead after all. The mound moved away so they could look at their brother and he looked back at each of them. Joyful whimpers started moving around the circle and the whimpers turned to barks of excitement.

  They needed water, food, and shelter fast. Night was already on them and the predators could be heard in the distance. Water would normally be the first thing they went for but given the circumstances, shelter was the priority. The new alpha sent out the has-been and his strongest sister to scout for shelter. The rest set up a defensive posture to the best of their ability.

  They started to think like a sentient predator and not just a tooth-and-nail predator. They had opposable thumbs to put to use. They gathered rocks and kept them nearby. Shirkas' genetic memories were advanced enough to give the cubs a basic understanding of defensive tool use.

  The two scouts returned quickly and indicated they had found shelter. The group helped the runt to his feet and took turns assisting him to the shelter. The small cave
was cool but at least dry. It would provide shelter and a defensible position with the drawback that there was nowhere to run to if things got bad. The cave was their final stand for the night, one way or the other.

  Two of the cubs checked the cave a second time to make sure that no other predators were hiding or had slipped in during the time it took the scouts to come and get the group. They didn't find any predators but got lucky and came across two prey animals that they made short work of and proudly presented to the alpha.

  The alpha grinned and affectionately nipped his two siblings, the human equivalent of a high-five or butt slap. The alpha then took one of the animals and presented it to the two hunters who had killed it. He then took the second one and placed it next to the runt. Usually the alpha ate first but this one was leading by example, showing that he thought the pack was more important than he was as an individual. Keep the hunters strong and protect those who deserved protecting.

  The runt nosed the animal back to the alpha and turned his head. No.

  The alpha gave a low growl and the runt just turned his head farther and presented his back to the group. No.

  With a low sigh, the alpha took two bites of the animal and passed it to the next cub, who also took two bites and passed it along. It wasn't until everyone had taken two bites that the runt took his share. The two hunters ate their kill without sharing. No one thought less of them for it: it pays to be a winner. Rewards were given for a reason. They had eaten more than anyone else, so they decided to take guard duty without even being directed to.

  With the front of the cave protected and the interior scouted out, there wasn't much left to do but wait for morning. Some rocks had been brought with them and a few more found in the cave. The rocks were staged for quick use in case of an attack during the night. The pack laid down together for warmth and comfort and quickly fell asleep. The final stage of emerging from their sacks was very tiring and the group didn't get as much food as they should have on their first day. Tomorrow would have to be different.

  ~

  The predator had been watching and waiting. A cave full of cubs would be a good meal, even if she only got one of them. The two on guard duty were strong and alert. Eventually they would tire and either fall asleep at the mouth of the cave or get replacement guards. The predator's primal instincts hoped they fell asleep at the mouth of the cave so she could just run by and grab one, absconding into the night with her dinner. She settled in as close as she dared and waited. Patience is what keeps you fed in the forest.

  The cub felt himself nodding off more than once. He looked at his sister and she seemed much more alert than he felt. He nudged her and motioned to the mouth of the cave and then back to the sleeping pack. You stay here. I'm getting us replacements.

  She chuffed in agreement and went back to scanning the forest.

  The predator saw the exchange and began her short stalk to the entrance of the cave. She didn't have the higher intelligence to know exactly what was happening but her primal instincts told her that something was changing and she needed to take advantage of that change.

  As she got closer, she saw the male cub leave the mouth of the cave and the female repositioned herself just a tad farther back. Guarding the cave by herself now, she wanted to be a little harder to get at if something attacked her. But the predator was bigger and her reach wouldn't be hindered by the cub's adjustment.

  Her instincts didn't let her ponder how long the cub would be alone or understand that a change of guard was about to happen; it just told her to move now and quickly. She went from a stalk to an all-out sprint in less than a second and was cresting the lip of the cave just a couple of seconds after that.

  The female cub was startled but ready for an attack. Unfortunately, no matter how ready she was, the predator was more than she could handle on her own. The first swipe of her powerful paw opened the cub's face up and knocked her almost unconscious. Had she been even a millisecond slower in dodging the attack, the predator's claws would've hit their intended target of her carotid artery and killed her.

  As it was, she was in no shape to fight and was dragged from the cave with ease. The much larger predator had the cub in her mouth but was unaware that her blow had not hit its mark. When she saw the spray of blood and the cub go limp, her instincts told her that the job was done. Time to take the cub to a tall tree, hide her kill high up in the branches, and see whether she could come back and grab one more cub before the night was over.

  ~

  The has-been woke from sleep at the rough nudge from his brother who had been on guard duty. One eye opened and he looked to see the cub standing there, deciding who else was going to get woken up. With a second cub picked, he nipped her rump because a simple nudge didn't seem to work too well on the last cub. She gave a small yelp and quickly got up to face him with her teeth bared. That worked much better.

  The two newly awakened guards started to walk towards the mouth of the cave and had gotten close enough to see a huge predator grab their limp and bleeding sister. Without hesitation, the has-been took off at a dead run towards the attacker. The predator was normally faster than the Shirka cubs could hope to be but she was slowed by having one of them in her mouth.

  The has-been's sister was faster than he was. She passed him and slowly began gaining on the predator. As they ran through the forest, the has-been was vaguely aware of the fact that they hadn't sounded an alarm at all. The rest of the pack was probably still back in the cave sleeping. He couldn't stop now and go back; he would be leaving his sister without help and there was no way she would win the fight they were about to engage in. His own breathing was hard and fast so he couldn't let out a good loud howl for help but he did the best he could do between ragged breaths.

  The cub that had woken his reliefs had already joined the sleeping group and was trying to stay awake to wait until his sister joined them. She was taking forever. Did she decide to stay with them for added protection? He would give her a few more minutes before he dosed off.

  As his eyelids got heavier and barely still open, he heard a faint howl. At first, he thought it was a cry for help from another newly emerged pack because it was coming from so far away. But the second, even fainter howl, struck him as familiar and he knew it was his brother, the has-been.

  All fatigue forgotten with a surge of adrenaline pumping through his body, he jumped up and gave several loud and commanding barks. Get up! Danger! We need to go!

  Without waiting for a response, he took off towards where he thought he had heard his brother calling from. The rest of the pack got up and followed without question. The runt was tired but the food he had and the rest, along with the shared adrenaline surge, was enough to get him up. For being so small, he was actually one of the pack's faster runners and was close to the lead in no time.

  The cub in the lead was just running on instinct; he didn't quite understand what it was telling him but he didn't stop to argue with it or think about it. He was rewarded with a strong scent of his pack members who had passed through this area before him. The scent had blood mixed in it along with another he hadn't smelled before.

  His instinct gave him another nudge, this one in the opposite direction. His instinct told him that the new smell was bad, something big and strong, something that would surely kill him. This time he ignored his instinct and listened to his heart instead, that told him to keep going no matter what.

  As the cub closed the distance to her much larger target, she began to realize that she would have to do something once she reached it. She faintly heard the barks and howls from the rest of her pack, so she knew backup was on its way but still not all that close. She would need to slow the predator down so they could catch up with her. Alone she wouldn't win, but the pack should be strong enough if they could only get there in time.

  The predator didn't have a tail, so she was aiming for one of its legs. She just needed to close the gap by a meter and then she should be able to grab it. The plan was simple
: bite and hold, don't let go no matter what. Her brother, the has-been, was close enough behind her that he would be able to add his teeth and claws to the fight within seconds as long as she didn't let go.

  She felt the foot of her target graze her muzzle as she closed the distance. Add just a little more speed, she wouldn't have to maintain it but for a few meters and she knew she could hold out that long. The gap was closed and when her head was directly alongside the striding leg of her opponent, she adjusted to her right and closed her already gaping jaws around the upper part of the predator's leg.

  It took a few strides for the much larger animal to realize that she wasn't going to be able to shake the cub from her leg. Those few strides had moved them close to five meters farther and her passenger was hanging on through the pounding it was taking.

  The predator had two choices at this point: drop her food and run away or stay and fight. Hunger and safety were two very strong instincts that often conflicted with each other. Both were directly related to survival, which was the strongest instinct of all and impossible to fight in and of itself. Hunger was the winner today, even if by only a small margin.

  The predator dropped her food and whipped her body to the right, nearly avoiding the trunk of a large tree. The cub attached to her left leg was not so lucky, as planned, and was thrown into the tree so hard that a piece of its fruit fell from one of the higher branches. That should take care of her passenger. But to her surprise and regret, it hadn't.

  The has-been saw his sister clamp down on the beast's leg and a smile crossed his muzzle. He let out a short but supportive bark to let her know that he was right behind her. When the predator swung right, the has-been saw her drop the injured cub to the ground in a heap. The has-been passed over his sister without checking her; she was either dead, dying, or not and that wasn't going to change so he pushed on towards the known threat.

  As his other sister was slammed into a tree, he saw the predator look back towards her own leg to look at the clinging cub. That moment of inattention to the has-been gave him the chance he needed to choose exactly where he wanted to bite. The neck wasn't an option as it was turned away from him, so he went for the soft underbelly and bit down. At the same time, he raked his claws across the animal's chest.