From the darkness, back toward the trees, after a few seconds, Shadowfang padded forward. He didn’t speak but returned to hind legs and inclined his head, only a fraction.
‘It’s not one Tiger, it’s all of them.’ continued Star Wolf. ‘They are on the move again, and have already destroyed six planets, that we know of, and have gone as far as killing a Space Kraken.’
‘Ha, impossible! No one has ever seen a Space Kraken let alone murdered one! They’re a myth!’
‘It’s true we all saw the beast’s head. They’d sliced it up good.’ said the Night Badger.
‘You’ve seen a Space Kraken have you Badger?’ there seemed to be no love lost between the Red Lion and the Night Badger, a question Star would ask another time.
‘Yes.’
‘Good for them, so what if they’ve been doing some hunting, and who are these planets they’ve supposedly destroyed? I heard the Lynx were gone, annoying little creatures. Who else?’
‘The Buffalo too,’ said Star Wolf.
‘Good riddance, so what if a few Space Krakens have had their dinner for the next ten millennia. If the Tigers have killed one they’ll be even fewer Krakens feeding in future. They’ve done the galaxy a favour.’
‘You don’t truly believe that?’ said Ash, he marched before the Red Lion, pointing his finger, ‘you’re not listening you proud fool! The Tigers have formed up again, if they ever really disbanded. Darkchurch is still at large and led by your favourite Tiger!’
That brought the slightest of winces, just the flicker of an eye, from the giant Lion.
‘That damn Snow Tiger must be near dead now, he couldn’t have survived the
beating I gave him and survived afterwards,’ the Red Lion’s words had lost their pointed edge, hollow and unconvincing they rang now.
‘You know that’s not true,’ Ash put a paw around the wide back of his friend, ‘the Apex Wars ceased and so did your war with Blackfire and the Winter Tiger. He went away to lick his wounds and so did you, only the Lion has more honour than those flea-riddled dirtbags. Trust me friend, the Tiger is fully armed and has resumed the Apex Wars.’
‘That’s not true.’ The Red Lion walked away from the gathered group. ‘They can’t war with the Lion’s if we do not enter.’
‘You mean to sit here and cower away!’ demanded the Night Badger.
‘You coward!’ slated Kodiak.
The rest remained quiet.
Silence prevailed thereafter.
The Red Lion gazed out upon the night sky. A crimson ripple still visible, ‘Blood has already spilt somewhere tonight. Do not make me spill more. Go.’
Ash slumped to his knees, wordless, face wide and muzzle shaking. The action sent a shiver across Star’s entire body, and yet still his senior advisor kept quiet and so did Star.
The Lion would not help him.
A band of ten would have to suffice.
‘We return to Lupenroad at first light,’ Star said, walking back toward the trees.
‘COME QUICK!’ EXCLAIMED the March Hare, bouncing from foot to foot, already yanking Star up to his feet. The piercing sunlight burst through the sparse canopy of the near dead tree, it was morning, a clear, cloudless sky, light blue in every direction.
Only that wasn’t true.
The sky was littered with small pockets of dust explosions, greyish blobs.
Destroyed worlds painted the sky, hundreds of them.
‘What on Lupus?’ asked Star Wolf as he paced around looking for some patch of sky not covered in fragments of broken planets.
‘The Tigers have really done it this time,’ said a sullen Night Badger, sat cross-legged, cradling both of his axes, ‘best guess they’ve butchered a hundred planets, so close to one hundred million animals dead. Erased from existence.’
The majority of the Band of Breeds sat with tears streaming down their eyes. Up high in the tree the gentle, heart-breaking sobs of Shadowfang haunted Star’s every waking moment.
‘There’s an incoming transmission on The Council of Worlds channel,’ said the March Hare, that’s why he was beaconing Star Wolf, ‘you must get back to the ship.’
DESPITE THE PUNISHING conditions they endured the rage they must have felt channelled itself into a quick pace, and a few ruthless kills on the way back to Lupenroad helped them make the journey back. The Lion’s open plains housed many mindless creatures, imported millennia ago to ensure they were well stocked and that the creatures could breed naturally and flourish. The volume of wildebeest ensured they managed a few easier kills, which saved their lives no question.
Upon their arrival Lupenroad housed Wolves in mourning.
Everyone looked to the sky and howled for some lost loved one, or the uncertainty now shrouding loved ones. The death toll across the galaxy would without a doubt be the highest ever recorded in the history of the galaxy. It made no sense, how had the Tigers destroyed so many planets, all at once.
‘There’s a transmission Star, we haven’t listened yet,’ said a member of the crew, a
Wolf more sheepish in demeanour now, and Star couldn’t blame him.
‘Play it across the ship’s speakers, but wait until everyone is outside, I want everyone, including the Lions to hear this,’ said Star Wolf.
Outside in the huge air hangar, stood on the cool concrete, Star regarded as many faces as he could. In the most part he watched the Lions, whose smug faces betrayed fear beneath, they wanted to hear the message too but kept to their work around the landing bay edges, pretending to be aloof. The galaxy wasn’t their concern after all, they were safe on Leo; the impenetrable planet had never felt more insecure, Star had no doubt.
‘Good morning everyone I’m so glad you could join me on this auspicious occasion. I think we can all agree it is a beautiful sight in the sky this morning.’ Star shuddered at the sultry tones of the Winter Tiger, the confidence in his voice diminished Star - and looking around everyone else - to nothing more than a scared little pup.
‘The time of the Tiger is here once more, no longer will we sit idly by and watch inferior races parade around as our equals. If you think you’re our equal you are more than welcome to step up and stop us, we would relish the challenge,’ Star felt as if every word was intended for him, a personal taunt, that took him back to the crystal caves on Ranae.
‘Because we’re sporting creatures we’ll tell you the how, I’m sure this is the question plaguing many of you – though I must say the number one question should be,’ Star knew the priority question, why, ‘why? And yet it won’t be, your vanity and ego wants to know how things work not why they work. Anyways, I digress, the how is simple. Years of methodical planning and more AWB’s than you can imagine. Do you have any idea the lengths we’ve gone to? To plant, disguise and then detonate a hundred and eleven AWB’s? No, and you never will because you’re weak and lazy,’ still the words felt like a private conversation meant for Star, which the galaxy listened in on.
‘Still, AWB’s are done with now in the galaxy, we have none left and nor does anyone in the galaxy,’ Star didn’t believe that for a second. ‘Besides of great concern for you all should be your lack of food.’ The Winter Tiger chuckled, and Star turned around to witness sheer terror manifest on every creature present, expect for a select few. The Night Badger’s face was gritted so tightly Star thought he heard a crack, and creepier still the way the March Hare and Scarlett Fox just stared, as if daydreaming, void of any real expression. Even Kodiak, Bloodhound and Shadowfang displayed a degree of fear.
‘The supply planets for all carnivore planets have been surrounded by our battleships and are now off limits, no more Sheep, Chicken, Pig, Rabbit or any other tasty treat you so desire. Should a ship move within fifty miles of any of those planets it will be gunned down immediately, without hesitation or warning. Supply runs to some of the vegetation planets will be permitted, we have no need for all of these and besides what meek little creature is going to stand up and challenge us but be warned sever
al of the vegetation planets are guarded and the same rule applies. So go on, show some courage and try to provide for your planet. You may not need to today, tomorrow or in five years time but eventually you will, and we’ll be waiting. Oh, and in the interest of fairness I lay down a challenge for Star Wolf, supreme ruler of Lupus, head of the House of Wolves.’
All eyes spun to Star.
‘Star Wolf, if you can track me down and best me, the Tigers, on our honour will return half of the carnivore planets. That’ll give you a sporting chance for what’s to come. Good luck galaxy. Good luck, young Wolf, you’re going to need it.’
And with the gauntlet laid down the transmission went dead.
Clarity found Star’s mind and he immediately asked the burning question, ‘so now you’ve heard that, what say you Lion? Will you join us?’
Eerie silence greeted the question.
Star sighed, it was worth a try, his new goal would end in his death anyway, so what did it matter if no Lions would join him?
‘You know what, I think I’ll join you, Star Wolf,’ bellowed a voice from the entrance. A Lion shrouded in sunlight entered the hangar, flanked by a larger Lion and a Lioness.
Blackfang, Goldtooth and the Red Lion walked to stand before Star Wolf.
The Band of Breeds was complete.
It was Star’s time to fight back and make himself worthy of a song.
A song of Wolf and Tiger.
Notes
I hope you have enjoyed the first novel in my new series, Songs of Star & Winter, as much as I have writing, creating this world and telling the story. There is much more to come...
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Star Wolf: A Space Opera Fantasy (Songs of Star & Winter Book 1) Page 19
