by Sven Grams
Not allowing himself any time to think about what would happen if he missed, the lion youth sprang from the pole. Barely catching the walkways edge he scampered up quickly. He took a second to look around, he had not been seen, and no one was on this section of the wall for now.
‘We best get out there quickly,’ came an adult male’s voice through the doorway near Trex, ‘we don’t want the officers to see a stretch of wall unmanned at the moment,’ the voice continued.
Pressing his back to the tower’s wall, Trex froze. The doorway was between him and the outer side of the wall.
‘Wait a second, I can’t get this damn staff to transform,’ said a frustrated female voice.
‘Me’thinks you have been letting your training go my dear,’ said the first voice, mockingly.
‘I wasn’t expecting to be called-up, now was I,’ she replied in annoyance.
It was obvious from their interaction that the two knew each other. They may actually have been married.
‘Can you give me a hand?’
‘Yeah, sure,’ said the adult male.
Risking a peek, Trex stuck his head around the corner. The male guard had turned his back to help the lioness. The lioness had her eyes closed, concentrating in an attempt to transform the long wooden staff she had in her hands into a bow.
Dashing across the open doorway, Trex threw himself over the northern battlement. This section of the inner city wall was well worn from the strong desert winds coming in from the east. The worn edges of the large blocks provided barely enough handholds for the young lion to make his way down.
Though Trex would now normally have been seen by almost the entire city from his perch on the outside of the inner city wall, it was unlikely given the poor visibility at the moment due to the fog, plus most Anthros in the city were still getting up.
RefugeCross was an old city, perched on a small hill, wedged between a large river and the endless sea. This meant that the city had become ever more cramped as its population had continued to grow. Now only a small alleyway separated the inner city’s wall from the first line of buildings. As these buildings were two to three stories high in this part of the city, there was only about six meters of inner city wall that could be seen above the main city’s roofline.
The first light of the morning sun had finally made it to RefugeCross itself, the powerful rays cutting through the morning-mist with disturbing ease. Trex could literally see the sun’s rays moving down the high towers towards him. Progressing with increased haste, he lost his grip and began to slide down the wall.
Clenching his teeth, Trex dug his strong claws into the stonework, slowing his fall amongst dust and loosened stone. Down below, a few larger sections of freed rock hit audibly onto the stone paving. Having stopped his slide, Trex knew that he only had seconds to escape. Looking around frantically, his eyes focused onto the building opposite. He was now level with the flat roofline of the small stairway shaft, separated from it by only the narrow alleyway.
‘What the heck was that?’ said the male lion guard in the tower.
‘Let’s check it out,’ said his female companion.
Rushing out of the tower onto the battlement, the two looked over the northern wall’s edge. Scanning the area, they could only make out a few loose rocks on the pathway below. Both had to suddenly squint and shield their eyes with their hands in the newly arrived direct sunlight.
‘Hmmmm, check the rooftops from over there,’ stated the adult lioness.
‘I’m on it,’ said the older male guard, running down the length of the wall.
Looking out at the city, the lioness scanned for anything suspicious. RefugeCross had a multitude of building designs. Mostly the residents stuck with classical desert construction, consisting mostly of flat roofs that occasionally doubled as patios, verandas, gardens, or just extra living space. Given the cramped nature of RefugeCross, it was said that one could cross the upper city with never having touched the ground, assuming one of the residents didn’t catch you trespassing of course.
Leaning against a roof stairwell shaft of one of these buildings, just out of view of the guards, was Trex. He was panting heavily with his back against the wall. He had made it. It wouldn’t take much to slip away now.
Suddenly very pleased with himself, Trex took the time to look at the sunrise. It was actually quite pretty, now that the morning light no longer meant him getting into trouble.
Grinning at having seemingly gotten away with his little trespass, his brown eyes looked back down the lengths of the northern inner city wall. As he had suspected, the arrival of the sun had meant the end of the mist’s cover. Trex could now see along the entire length of the wall that appeared above the surrounding building with little difficulty; including, he noted, another cloaked figure which stood quite noticeable on the battlements on the far side of the council chambers.
‘What on…?’ said Trex out aloud, twisting to get a better look.
No sooner had he moved then the cloaked figure had jumped from the top of the wall. Shocked, Trex stood up, momentarily unconcerned about the guards who were still looking for him.
The unknown figure first dropped, then began to curve elegantly along the wall’s surface towards Trex.
Looking closer, Trex now spotted the rope, tied off from the top of the battlement. The figure was using it like a swing to run down the face of the wall in a large arc, reaching the opposite end of the half circle it turned to run back the other way, this time a little lower down the wall, letting out more rope as it ran.
Trex was not the only one appreciating the distant acrobatics, as an alarm bell was sounded from one of the guard towers.
The two guards from before ran towards the council chambers.
Making his own way to the nearby rooftop edge, Trex watched as the spectacle unfolded. Only now did he notice that the cloak was not a typical Lion Empire issue. Though reddish orange, it was obvious from the way it flowed that the material was different.
The swooping figure had now reached the same height as the roofline of the building opposite.
The buildings at that section of the wall were a good four meters away from the wall itself, an impossible jump for a lion, and the figure was still a good three stories from the hard alley-paving below.
Above the swinging figure, guards had now reached that section of the wall. Leaning over the battlement so as to get a shot, two soldiers were already preparing to fire arrows at the swinging fugitive, while two others moved to cut the rope.
Picking up speed, the swinging figure kicked off the wall, leaving behind a small puff of dust. Letting go of the rope, it sailed gracefully through the air.
Completely stunned, Trex watched as the figure cleared the massive distance between the city wall and opposite buildings, two arrows narrowly missing the flying figure as it went.
As graceful as the leap was, the landing was never going to be pretty. Landing on a rooftop patio made of timber and cloth, the figure tore through the light fabric, hitting the rooftop awkwardly and rolling into some cane furniture. No sooner had the individual landed then it exploded from the still settling wreckage, again two arrows narrowly missed it as it leapt headlong over the low parapet and onto the lower roof level. Landing with an elegant role the figure was now mostly clear of the archers. The entire sequence had happened so quickly, as if in a blur.
Had that been a bushy tail? And that impossible jump, Trex thought to himself.
The stunned lion youth watched as the escapee jumped and hurdled its way north across the rooftops into the city centre, it then turned east towards him and the rising sun.
Trex came to a snap decision. Quickly moving off, the lion male leapt from one rooftop to the next, picking up speed. ‘Best to take each new opportunity as it comes’, his uncle had always said.
Having successfully avoiding one danger like the ones in his adventure stories had made Trex hungry for even more excitement. He was still on an emotional-high from his na
rrow escape and more then willing to put himself into harms-way again. Before the young lion was better able to think through his actions, adrenalin had long since started to flow through his system, clouding his judgment even further.
- CHAPTER THREE -
Not such a happy reunion
(The tale of Sara)
Trex jumped and hurdled his way across the different rooftops of the city of RefugeCross in an attempt to intercept the mysterious individual. Around them, the rising sun continued to clear the remaining mist.
A few stories below Trex and the mysterious wolf fugitive, the lower city was coming alive with activity.
Lions and wolves were opening businesses, goods were being set out, and all types of Anthros were already meeting in the many cafes that dotted the city area. This was the time to contemplate the new day, a time to shake lose the lingering veil of sleep.
As was typical amongst the Anthro lion race, many lions were undertaking morning exercises. The Anthro lions would meet in one of the many small lush parks that were doted throughout the otherwise cramped, but clean, inner city. The slow choreographed movements of the groups of lions of every age mixed with the low murmur of morning discussion and general sounds of a waking city. The choreographed moves of the many lions were almost identical to the ones Trex had been practicing the previous night.
It was through one of these small peaceful gatherings that someone raced at top speed, though their thoughts were anything but peaceful.
‘Stop!’ called a lion guard, sprinting into the clearing after the fugitive.
The lion participants could only watch as the cloaked figure raced past them, too shocked to react.
At top speed, the cloaked wolf knew that it could outrun any lion. This held little comfort, however, as fear began to grip its mind.
How did I get into this mess, thought the unknown fugitive desperately, they shot at me!
Turning another corner, the fugitive found itself in a narrow dead end. Not even slowing down, the wolf leapt onto a windowsill; pushing off towards the opposite wall before bouncing back and scampering up a drainpipe to get to the roof. Once up and running again, the wolf continued to sidestep objects and leap from rooftop to rooftop. The light orange cloak was fluttering violently, and the wolf struggled to keep the hood up and out if its face.
North, thought the fugitive wolf in an increasingly panicked state, head north!
This was a similar thought to that of Trex. He was now running parallel to the fellow trespasser on a nearby rooftop.
I know where you are headed, thought Trex calmly.
This was a good thing, because even running at full speed he could simply not keep up with the unknown figure. Trex concluded that it had to be a wolf, knowing that the incredible continued speed was beyond any Anthro lion.
Coming to a more open area of the city, the unknown wolf had to stop at the roof’s edge for a second to find a new way forward.
‘Lost are we?’ said Trex to himself with a smirk, he knew the rooftops well enough, and knew the wolf had just lost itself some time.
Reaching his turn-off, Trex looked back for a second at the momentarily stationary figure. Steady desert winds played with the wolf’s thin cloak, fluttering the cloth out behind it and causing it to cling to the unknown fugitive’s body… an obviously female body.
‘Damn it!’ said Trex out aloud. This was going to be a problem. Pushing away the doubt that was entering his mind, Trex turned and raced on away from the wolf.
He jumped from the roof into an alleyway at a flat run. The light orange cloak Trex was wearing was made of the same cloth as the small sash he had on the night before. The black round pendant on his chest revealed that the large cloak was, in fact, the same sash; now many times larger. As the young lion ran, his expression became more focused and the pendant began to hum soothingly.
Anyone seeing the young lion run past could have watched as the long orange cloak he wore shortened and tightened as he ran. The fabric seemed to shrink until it barely came down to the length of Trex’s short pants. The longer arms of the cloak retracted to allow his arms to swing freely leaving the former cloak looking much like a small orange poncho.
Trex was now able to reach behind his back; there he found two sections of flattened staff slung there snugly. Detaching them from their leather restraints, he pulled out the two sections of wood, each tipped with metal plates. Again the pendant hummed as the wood and metal seemingly transformed of its own will, becoming longer and thinner until each section was half the height of Trex. Clicking the two parts of the staffs together, Trex ran around another corner. He was ready.
Looking out from inside her hood, the female wolf searched frantically for a way forward. Turning towards the rising sun the figure’s features became more visible. A wild fringe of light brown hair played across intense golden eyes, surrounded by darker brown fur.
‘How did it come to this?’ Sara mumbled, feeling sorry for herself.
Her thoughts drifted back to last night, it had seemed so simple, sneak in, have a look around and get out. She should have been home by now. But then Sara had found herself trapped in a garden listening to some lovesick lion couple having a midnight rendezvous. To top it all off, someone else had caused the guards to raise the alarm. Her only good fortune had been hiding in the council chambers. At least she now knew what it was that had ruined her morning.
Sara doubted that her luck could get any worse. Taking a step, she tripped and stumbled over a discarded toy. Landing on one knee, she was shocked as an arrow slammed into the wall next to where she had just walked. The point of the arrow had broken on impact, revealing it to be a sleeping-potion tipped head.
Well at least they aren’t trying to kill me, Sara thought quickly. Overall though, this held little comfort. If she was caught, there would be real trouble, and she knew it.
Sara spotted a lioness soldier some way off on a higher rooftop to the north of the courtyard that she now bordered, the soldier was already lining up a second shot with her powerful bow.
Moving quickly, the young wolf zigzagged away from the archer across the roof. Suddenly turning, Sara jumped onto a tall palm-tree-like plant growing up from the courtyard below. The young flexible tree bent under the weight. Moving with the bending palm, Sara let go, her cloak flew up for a second before she landed smoothly on the grass. Sara sprang up immediately as another arrow impacted on the ground just near her.
The young Anthro female wolf ran to the southern entrance to the courtyard. She turned away as two guards came into the same street from the other end. Cringing, Sara ran towards her last option. From the view up on the roof she knew it was probably a lost cause. A part of the old unused outer-city walls ran through this section of town restricting access to the east.
Turning into the last exit, Sara was confronted with a dead-end, massive timber doors blocking the only other exit. Either side of her, high smooth walls where piled up with containers. Sara searched frantically for any way out. Turning, she spotted the two guards arriving to block her previous entrance, and now only exit.
‘I’m too young for this’, Sara mumbled to herself.
Terrified, Sara began to shake uncontrollably. Just able to recognize the symptoms before they took over her mind, Sara forced herself to take large slow breaths, trying to control her rampaging emotions before they crippled her.
‘Damn my luck,’ Sara said under her breath, trying to convert her fear to anger. Sara remembered one of her first lessons when she had gone to school: Fear helps you run, anger helps you fight. Concentrating on her emotions, she channelled her anger.
‘Anger makes you strong,’ she repeated under her breath, her shaking subsiding.
At any other time the pair of guards that had Sara trapped may have amused her. One was an incredibly tall lion female, her long blond hair framing a very pretty but determined expression. The second was a rather short male, dressed similarly to Trex. His scruffy brown hair and carefree goa
tee would not have looked menacing in the slightest under normal circumstances. In the current context, however, both looked terrifying to the young wolf.
‘I got her,’ said the male. He moved forward, staff in hand.
Both he and his companion’s staff had no blades attached to the ends, they were aiming to capture Sara, not kill her.
Backing away, Sara again adjusted her cloak, trying to keep her features concealed. Wide eyes focused on a windowsill back at the start of the dead-end alley. From the windowsill she could jump up to the roof. Sara spotted a number of sealed terracotta pots placed on timber boxes nearby. Desperately, she grabbed one, throwing it at the approaching guard.
Though being surprisingly heavy, Sara had no problem throwing the full ceramic pot with force.
With little room to move, the short male guard expertly swung his staff to smash the pot, deflecting the shards and releasing the light yellow powder contained inside. Rushing forward, he had to smash a further two pots before finally taking a swing at the girl.
Springing back to avoid the sweeping blow from the staff, Sara grabbed a large wooden crate nearby, swinging the solid object at the smaller guard.
Smoothly, the lion male deflected the crate away as it arced towards him; spinning the other end of the staff, he smashed the crate upwards, releasing its contents of fruit flying in every direction. The air was now chokingly thick with the fine yellow powder.
Sara’s back was now to the wall and she had no choice but to launch herself back up against it as the guard swung his staff low in an attempt to trip her up. Desperately, Sara pushed off the door with her feet to try and jump over him.
Twisting from his low stance, the lion male prepared to knock her down out of the air. Unfortunately for him, his back foot slipped on some of the recently spilt fruit, causing him to fall to the ground with a thud.
Peering into the thick cloud of powder the tall blond guard was astonished to suddenly find the cloaked wolf running towards her at full pace.