Somewhere very far away, on a hill facing the sunset, an ash gray cobra with pale yellow eyes was curled up tight, subconsciously watching the burning sun slink below the horizon. Beside her, a dusty reddish egret clawed impatiently at the ground. His head was lowered in worry and shame. “I’m sorry,” He said softly, and crisp white oak leaf, browned with the coming fall, fell slowly to the grass. The egret grasped the brown leaf in his talon, quietly admiring the delicate stem.
The ashy gray cobra let out a huge yawn, her fangs gleaming in the intense orange light that cast long shadows behind the two figures. “What a beautiful evening,” She said contently, resettling her tail to drape across a sun-warmed rock. “Too bad it has to be spoiled by the incoming raid.”
The egret shivered, his body filling with dread. We were to battle at the peak of the gibbous moon. He thought. The moon is going to rise soon . . .
The cobra sighed. “I’m really sorry, Ochre,” She said sadly. “But we knew that this was going to happen from the very start.”
Ochre lifted his head and blinked his eyes over and over. “I can’t believe that they’ve found us.” He said, glancing at the sliver of sun left visible. “I never thought that we’d be cougar food.”
“At least we still have Co-” The cobra began, but then Ochre crumpled the leaf in his talon and threw it to the ground. “I don’t want to talk about her, Labradorite!” He snapped, clawing at the ground again. “I don’t like anything about her funny business! Allies with a different species, as if!”
“Ochre-” Labradorite said slowly, choosing her words carefully. The sun had fully set and the hill was enveloped in eerie purple light. The first stars were beginning to twinkle. “ You know we don’t really have a choice.” She finished softly yet firmly, gazing into Ochre’s eyes. “Aa agrees with her. Obsidian accepts. It might have to happen.”
“I just don’t want-” Ochre took a deep breath, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry,” He said again. “I’m really sorry.”
“It’s stupid, I know,” Labradorite said simply. “But we have to listen to our leaders.”
“Well, I guess that we better get some rest, then.” Ochre sighed. “Good night, Labradorite.”
. . .
The sound of thunderous footsteps pounding over the hill shattered Ochre’s dream and woke him up with a jerk. His eyes shot open as the first cougars leapt out from behind and over rocks and landed with thuds on the ground. Labradorite was knocked away from her bush and went tumbling down the other side of the hill. As Ochre flattened himself to battle stance and Labradorite regained her balance, the cougars formed a circle around the dark gray cobra and the reddish brown egret. The gibbous moon hung in front of the cliff face, with Venus to one side and some star to the other. The sky was a dark, river-blood blue. It faded mist into the typical night-black, where the first few stars were beginning to twinkle. With the clear skies and no light pollution, it would have been a beautiful night if not for the battle.
Ochre squinted into the darkness. The cougars’ eyes flashed, showing off their excellent night vision. Where are Tufty and the others when you need them? He thought, with a sense of utter horror and panic. “Tufty!” He cried, and a new hope flashed through Labradorite’s eyes. “We need you and your battali-”
“ENOUGH!” The cougar leader, Katana, cried, her teeth gleaming in the moonlight. “We come to fight! Even if it is not an even battle!” She raised one wide, powerful paw, unsheathed her retractable claws, and slammed it down on Labradorite’s trembling tail. This was the cue. Two cougars leaped forwards and tackled Ochre at once, sending him crashing into the wild swordgrass. He flapped his wings in one’s face and bit down hard into the ear of another, tasting salty blood. The cougar reared back in pain and lifted one paw to his wound. Ochre took the opportunity of the cougar’s distraction to slash his eyes. The cougar roared in pain and ambled away, one paw over his head. One down, one too go, Ochre thought in satisfaction. Aa has taught me well.
There was a rustle in the bushes and all heads turned. Obsidian the black cobra and her battalion of cobra, egret, heron, mongoose, and sapphire quail leapt out beside her. Ochre’s trainer and hero, Aa, was with them, shaking her crested brown head in disgust.
“Jackdaw!” Obsidian snapped, lashing her tail. “Where is your battalion?”
“We’re up here!” Tufty, the dark gray heron with a huge sense of humor flapped down from a tree branch, followed by a few others.
He flicked his wing and began issuing orders. “Slate, Cinderblock, distract the leader. Abalone, find their scout. Yes, they most definitely do have a scout, stop arguing with me. The rest of you, attac-”
His voice was drowned out as a massive cougar pushed Ochre over the edge of the cliff face and sent him tumbling down the rocky slope. He was too shocked to move, but suddenly he felt his body struggling to make adrenaline for the long way down, despite the harsh air pressure. Ochre felt a surge of fresh, utter panic. His left wing felt limp and lifeless, and the right wing, which was already badly scratched by the passing rocks , was overcome by a wave of fiery pain.
“OCHRE!” Labradorite’s scream could be heard from above, and Ochre was suddenly snapped into reality. Before his wings were fully spread, his right wing snagged on a clinging plant and he stopped long enough to look up.
It was hard to make out through the darkness, but Ochre swore he saw Labradorite, Tufty, and Cinderblock leaning over the cliff edge. “BE CARE-” He shouted, but then he was falling again, and suddenly realized he was dangerously close to falling into the ravine. He spread his badly scratched right wing out, but his limp left wing wouldn’t move. As he flapped desperately, he suddenly felt a jerk and stopped falling so steeply. He glanced up. Tufty had grabbed hold of his left wing and was using all his might to pull Ochre up. Ochre helped by flapping his right wing hard. Soon the gray heron and the reddish egret were safe on the top of the hill.
“Thank you!” Labradorite choked, pulling Tufty in for an embrace. Ochre was too dizzy and shocked to say anything.
“Jackdaw, what-” Cinderblock looked disbelieving, stone-shocked, and angry. “You seriously could’ve died, you idiot!” She lashed her banded gray tail.
“I’m fine, I’m fine!” Tufty sighed, rolling his eyes. “What matters is that Ochre is too.”
“Thank you,” Ochre added helpfully.
“You won’t be fine much longer,” A voice hissed from behind them, and they turned to see Katana standing behind them, her eyes glinting in the dark. “It’s time for you weaklings to die.”
Without warning, her clawed paw swiped and sent Ochre over the edge again. This time, though, he caught himself. Katana whipped around and leaped at Cinderblock, who bravely reared up and swiped at her much larger opponent. Tufty took to the air with Ochre and pecked at her face, while Labradorite darted between her legs. Katana stepped down hard on the tip of Labradorite’s tail and she went limp.
“DON’T YOU DARE!” Ochre cried, stabbing his beak as hard as he could into Katana’s back. Katana stumbled, and Tufty dragged Labradorite out from under her. Labradorite shook herself awake and then swiped her fangs over Katana’s leg. The cougars nearby turned at Katana’s gigantic roar. Soon, Labradorite was circled.
“YOU PUTRID, FILT-” Ochre dove forward, trying to break through the ranks, but the massive cougar who had pushed him off of the cliff yanked him back and pinned him down. Ochre tried to struggle, but he was powerless against the cougar’s strong forelimbs.
And then he was enveloped in darkness.
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