‘Turn to your right a little. We’re at the tree,’ Fea said, guiding the Aurochs herd toward her.
They kicked up little dust as they were walking. Bandria looked contrite when she ambled up to the tree.
‘I’m sorry...’ she started, but stopped before trying to explain.
‘Let’s be on our way, shall we? Good eats and plenty of water at the oasis, but it’ll take two days to get there. The last pond is up ahead. Drink your fill, and then when evening comes, we will power through the desert to the first oasis. Running fast, we might be able to make it in one night,’ G-War explained.
He jumped from the branch, landing softly on Bandria’s head, taking care to keep his claws in. As much as he considered the Aurochs’ panic to be her fault, he had a nagging feeling that somehow he contributed to it. The cow ducked her head and Fea launched herself into the air, landing between the great creature’s eyes and walking as only a ‘cat could walk effortlessly up an uneven surface.
She also took care not to expose her claws, having learned the hard way how sensitive Bandria was. The King of the Aurochs, on the other paw, wasn’t bothered by a little thing like pain. But he was unique among all the creatures of Vii. ‘It’s okay, Bandria. Onward, friend, follow the Hawkoids’ lead.’
Bandria trotted to the front of the herd, head held high. She looked to the sky where the Hawkoids circled over the last watering hole, and she started to run.
***
Braden engaged the manual drive in order to ease the hovercar between the trees. Oasis Zero One had always been welcoming. It was where Braden met a part of the AI that he later learned was Holly, and that Old Tech was alive and well.
He parked the hovercar in front of the small building where they had to check in. They opened the doors and everyone hopped out. The ‘cats sniffed, crouched, and raced in different directions. The twins headed for the lake, where they found the water perfectly suited for swimming. Micah waded in after them, but only to her knees.
Braden entered the building, was warmly greeted by the hologram, and was told which two rooms would be theirs. He asked the young woman to have towels delivered to the beach, thanked her, and she disappeared. He took a deep breath of the air conditioning before going back outside. It wasn’t as hot in the oasis as it was in the desert, owing to the water and trees, but it was hot enough.
A bot rolled past him carrying four towels. It was waiting on the sand when he arrived. “I thank you, good sir!” he told the mechanical creation. It disappeared back the way it had come, and Braden took a seat in the shade and leaned against a palm tree.
“I think you do too much lounging,” Micah said over her shoulder. Braden wanted to disagree, but couldn’t. He stripped to his shorts and ran for the lake, diving in a massive belly flop next to his partner. The twins squealed and went under.
A ‘cat’s scream signaled a kill. Klytus with first blood. Shauna answered mere heartbeats later.
“All is right with the world,” Braden said while wiping his eyes dry. Micah glared at him, fists on her hips and water dripping from her clothes. “Almost right.”
“Watch them,” she told him and worked her way ashore, where she stripped and wrapped in a towel. She laid her clothes across the tops of nearby bushes. Before she could turn around, a bot whipped by and swiped them.
‘I can watch them,’ Aadi offered as he slowly hovered from the trees, across the sand, and over the lake.
“Your clothes will be back before you know it. There’s a swimsuit in the bag.” Braden pointed to the hovercar.
“G and Fea are out there, in the desert, and we’re in here playing.” Micah’s expression turned dark. “All is not right with the world.”
***
The Aurochs herd ran through the night following the wagon tracks from Braden and Micah’s last trip from the north. The cattle and wagon had left an unmistakable guide that would lead any traveler directly to the oasis. G-War didn’t need to open any of the rooms, which was good because he couldn’t enter them. That privilege was reserved for human hands.
The ancients weren’t accommodating to their sentient creations. Another burr in the ‘cat’s paw.
Come dawn, the Hawkoids leapt from the Aurochs where they’d gotten little sleep and winged their way to the northeast. They circled near the horizon before lazily returning.
‘You are close, my friend,’ Skirill said. ‘The oasis is not empty. Braden and his family are already there.’
‘You didn’t expect them to take your leaving lightly, did you, my big scruffy man?’ Fea purred.
‘What do they want?’
‘To know what you’re doing, or maybe help in your quest, or something as simple as showing you that they believe in you.’
‘Rubbish,’ G-War snorted. ‘They want me to be a sedate house cat lying in a box.’
‘I’m sure that’s not what they want. You’ll get the chance to find out, my furry little love monster. I expect your kids are there, too. You’ll get to see them again.’
‘Those two,’ G-War started, but didn’t finish his thought. He was happy they didn’t turn out like their mother, a domestic cat. He had no complaints, but felt like complaining, so he stayed quiet, sulking from the top of the Aurochs’ head.
‘It’s getting hot out, maybe we can finish tonight,’ Bandria suggested.
‘Skirill, is it much longer, or should we seek shelter?’ G-War asked.
The Hawkoids flapped their wings and sped toward the herd. The swooped low before climbing high into the air. They flew to the sides and then turned back toward the oasis. After they were specks in the sky, Skirill answered.
‘There is no shelter. Your only choice is the oasis. There is water and great fields. You will want for nothing once there.’
‘Did you hear, Bandria? Did they all hear?’ G-War asked, even though he knew the answer. He had made sure that they heard. ‘It is time to shorten the time that we are under this brutal heat. Run, you great creatures, but not fast. We need to reach the oasis before the sun climbs too much higher into the sky.’
Bandria set the pace, her breathing ragged from the strain, but her efforts paid off. The oasis soon appeared on the horizon, looking like a mirage, but unerringly, they cut a line toward it.
***
‘Hey, Ess and Zee,’ ‘Tesh said, happily munching on a brownie. Braden and Micah swiveled their heads as they searched the sky. Two great figures descended quickly, backwinging to land softly in the sand. They waded into the water and drank deeply before throwing water on themselves and ruffling their feathers.
“My friends. Tell me that G-War is right behind you.” Braden waded into the water to be close to the Hawkoids.
‘The herd is on its way, but they are only the first.’
“The herd?” Braden wondered.
‘The Aurochs and the Hillcats have partnered to travel north to Ankhmar.’
“The Aurochs and all the Hillcats?”
‘Almost all. The Golden Warrior was compelling in his plea for unity. He delivered it valiantly. You should be proud. He sounded like you.’
Braden furled his brow as he cupped his hands and splashed water on the Hawkoids’ backs to help cool them down.
“He sounded like you,” Micah repeated. “That doesn’t sound like a mutinous ‘cat. That sounds like someone who is trying to help.”
“Maybe. We’ll see when they get here. We better clear the space. The herd will need easy access to the water. They’ll be thirsty running in the daytime. It’s probably been a while since they had a drink.”
Braden hurried to the hovercar and moved it behind the maintenance building. They gathered their towels and waited. The Hawkoids flew into the trees, landing on top of a shorter one to remain in the shade.
They ruffled their feathers one more time, leaned against each other, and were soon fast asleep. They hadn’t even bothered to hunt. Once the ‘cats arrived, there might be nothing left to hunt.
Reconciliation
The Aurochs slowed to a walk. They could smell the humidity in the air. They filed into the oasis and without bothering to look around, they headed straight for the lake. Braden, Micah, and the twins stayed out of their way. Shauna and Klytus had climbed a tree and were watching from overhead. Only forty head, a mix of bulls and cows. Braden only counted a dozen ‘cats.
G-War and Fea moved to the cow’s back as she waded in and stuffed half her face into the water.
“Don’t drink too much to start with. Just enough, let it settle, and then drink your fill,” Braden advised.
Bandria bobbed her head, but kept drinking. She finally lifted her head and slowly moved out of the way of the others. Once clear, G-War and Fea jumped down. Micah bent down and Fea rubbed past her face and body, getting a good ear scratch for her efforts.
G-War looked at Braden. ‘What’s up?’ the ‘cat asked.
“I’m just trying to figure this all out.”
‘There’s nothing to figure out. That last jaunt into the south has proven that you have failed all mankind. Someone needs to save humanity from itself, and that someone is not you.’
G-War blinked slowly. Braden hung his head. “Damn, G. You might as well just slash my arm. That’ll hurt less.”
A black and orange paw lashed out.
Braden yowled in pain as he jumped to his feet.
‘Well?’ the ‘cat asked.
“Well what?”
‘Does it hurt less?’
“No! It hurts like hell.” Braden gripped his arm. It was one of the deepest slashes the Golden Warrior had ever given him. He pressed on the wound as blood dripped between his fingers. Micah produced a handful of numbweed. “You must be angry.”
‘I pity your misguided confusion, your faith that humankind will do the right thing even though they have evil in their minds. You don’t see what I see. It’s time that it stopped.’ G-War sat up straight, eyes fixed on Braden.
“It’s time for the bleeding to stop,” Braden complained, wincing while Micah applied the numbweed, pressing it into the wound to remove the pain and speed the healing. “What would you have us do?”
‘More ‘cats to watch over the people. And that is where we are going, recruit ‘cats to place strategically, wherever there are human settlements. ‘Cats with all the Free Traders, to check in when they pass through. I want ‘cats to take their rightful place in keeping the peace.’
“It’s like the pure heart test, G. I don’t think there’s any better service we can perform for humanity. I’m with you all the way, but crossing the Great Desert is nothing to be taken lightly. We’re coming along.” Braden sighed as the pain started to go away. “And don’t scratch me anymore!”
‘You know I can’t guarantee that. Sometimes—’ G-War held one paw in the air and a single claw extended fully. ‘—you need a good scratching to bring you back to reality.’
“And sometimes you knock stuff off tables for no reason whatsoever.”
‘It’s my way,’ the ‘cat admitted. ‘Shall we?’ G-War looked at Fea.
‘Yes, my delectable piece of man candy.’ Fea’s tail stood straight in the air as the pair trotted toward the fields. The other ‘cats were nowhere to be seen, probably already on their way in search of rabbits or unwary birds. Bandria followed the ‘cats, her big brown eyes sparkling at the sight of the greenery.
Aadi floated into the middle of the crowd, politely greeting each of the Aurochs by their name before moving on.
Braden accessed his neural implant. ‘Holly, don’t let the bots go after the Aurochs as they tear up the fields.’
‘Yes, Master Braden, that is a standing order throughout the land, as much as it pains me to see the destruction left in their wake.’
‘But the fertilizer, Holly. Their bodies make it better than anything else. You should be able to regrow the crops bigger and better than before.’
‘That is what you keep telling me,’ Holly replied.
Braden wasn’t sure how to take that. “Is everyone against me?” he asked. Micah shook her head and laughed.
“What makes you ask that?”
“Holly is giving me grief.”
“That means he likes you. We probably need the manufacturing facility to produce a bunch of barrels that we can fill with water. They need to be shaped to ride comfortably on the side of an Aurochs.” Micah could see a shape in her mind. She formed a mental image and shared that with Holly.
‘I’ll get on that right away, Master President. When do you think you’ll be leaving?’
‘Thanks, Holly. I have no idea, but we should probably wait until the others arrive, however many the others consists of.’
‘I shall plan for double the number we have now. That means twenty-four barrels for eighty Aurochs, which is an absolute minimum.’
‘With forty-eight barrels, they won’t have to be so loaded down and then they wouldn’t have to run so fast.’
‘I’ll work as quickly as I can, but the production will take some time. The oases are not configured for mass production.’
‘I understand, Holly. Do your best, which will be good enough as it always is. We can ask for no more.’
Braden closed the window before his eye and blinked until he could see into the sunlight. His thoughts troubled him. He knew G-War was right, but he didn’t know why.
***
Young Tom looked up from his forge to watch Neeson walk away. The ‘cat had mysteriously told him ‘good-bye,’ and nothing more.
“Wait!” he called and dropped what he was working on. Sweat poured from him as it always did. He grabbed his mug on the way and slopped water into his mouth as he ran. “Where are you going?”
A herd of Aurochs had run to the outskirts of town moments before. Many Hillcats were with the great creatures of the plains.
‘I have to go with the others. They need me.’
“Why?” Tom asked as he caught up to the ‘cat. Since his croc injuries had been healed on board the Traveler, the ‘cat had become leaner, but heavily muscled. He was bigger than most other ‘cats. Reminded Tom of himself.
‘It’s a reckoning. I must go, but I’ll be back. The Aurochs will see to that,’ Neeson replied.
“What do you mean by a reckoning?” Tom felt like he was pleading with the ‘cat, but he wanted to understand. Neeson was a critical part of his life, especially when Zeller was gone. She was on a quick trip to White Beach and would be back within a couple days.
‘If I don’t go then I won’t be able to influence the events that could determine our future. I will return. You have my word.’
Tom couldn’t reply. He clenched his jaw as the ‘cat started to run and launched himself high, landing cleanly on an older bull’s back. The Aurochs immediately moved out, walking at first before breaking into a run. They disappeared beyond the stand of trees outside River Crook. He could still hear the pounding of their hooves.
He stayed and listened until they were gone. He could still feel Neeson’s mind tickling his. ‘I miss you already, big guy.’
‘Me, too,’ the ‘cat replied.
***
Aurochs and ‘cats lounged around the lake and on the edge of the fields. Two haggard bots worked within the rows, diligently trying to repair the damage done by the Aurochs.
“It’s been four days,” Braden said conversationally. Ax and ‘Tesh were playing with one of the bulls, hanging from his horns as he swung them over the lake.
“It gives Holly that much more time to manufacture the barrels. No one knows better than you that water is the key to crossing the Great Desert. Water and traveling at night.”
“Are we going to have any problems, Master Aadi? And do we need to drop you off somewhere to meet with your fellow Tortoids?” Braden asked.
‘Not on either account. I consider a journey through the desert to be a pleasant affair. I don’t know where my fellow Tortoids are at the moment, so searching for them would be mostly fruitless. I prefer to accompany you, if
I may.’ Aadi swam past the Aurochs and stopped to hover in front of Braden.
“Have you talked with G? Can you help me understand him better? I’ve always considered you to be the wisest individual I’ve ever met. Help me, Aadi. It’s tearing me up inside thinking how much I’ve hurt him.”
‘I don’t think it was you, Master Braden. You are the anchor in a raging sea, but it doesn’t change the storm. The Golden Warrior wishes to calm the storm so the anchor isn’t yanked and strained. I think he is looking out for you, not challenging you.’
Braden stood, wearing a big smile on his face. He grasped Aadi’s shell and pulled him close, until they were nose to nose. “I knew I asked the right person. You are the ‘cat’s meow, Master Aadi.” Braden kissed the top of Aadi’s head, despite the Tortoid’s efforts to avoid it.
Braden started to spit. “You taste like dirt.”
‘How do you expect me to wash the top of my head?’ Aadi asked, turning to swim away, his thick legs cycling through the air, the locomotion driving him and his shell.
“Leave it to Aadi.” Micah chuckled softly and realized that she hadn’t seen the children. The Aurochs were blocking everything. ‘Where are you two?’
‘We’re in the field trying to flush game for our friends,’ Ax replied. The children were as comfortable using their thought voices as they were exercising their vocal cords.
‘Are there any rabbits left?’ Micah asked.
‘Oh, yes, but they are in hiding because of the ‘cats and Hawkoids.’
‘Understandable. This is a very dangerous time to be an unsuspecting rabbit. Are Klytus and Shauna with you?’
‘They are. They’re helping us find them and they’re small enough, they can go into the holes and flush them out for the larger ‘cats. Shauna is the best at it because she’s the smallest and wiliest,’ ‘Tesh replied.
Braden turned to Micah. “I’m not sure I’ve ever used the term ‘wiliest.’ They are smarter at five than I ever was.”
‘You got that right,’ G-War snarked from somewhere out of sight.
The Great Cat Rebellion (Free Trader Series Book 8) Page 4