by P. L. Smith
THE FIREJACK WAR
Book I
P.L. Smith
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental. Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written consent of Farmboy Logic LLC is strictly prohibited.
Published by:
Farmboy Logic LLC
May 2014
FarmboyLogic.com
Copyright © 2014 P.L. Smith
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 1940868033
ISBN-13: 978-1-940868-03-5
DEDICATION
To three very special women- Darlene Albisu, Martha Platt, and Nancy Guntly-Smith- for helping to find all the things I missed.
Table of Contents
DEDICATION
THE FIREJACK WAR: BOOK I
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XIV- Epilogue
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Wayward Prey
Chapter 1
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
THE FIREJACK WAR: BOOK I
CHAPTER I
Lethan's claws dug at the rash on his forearm. The sun was making it worse; it was beginning to ooze.
Last time I go running through a forest of poison oak for a filthy rabbit.
It had been an unsatisfying meal. He could go back to the village, but not yet. Not until the next Luna. It was getting more and more difficult; each of the villages was beginning to expect him, to lie wait for him. The last time had been close, too close. He had barely made it out with the lifeless body of the Yuman child. The kill had thrilled him and done more to feed his hunger than the actual consumption, which unfortunately had been interrupted.
Lethan had seen torches being lit and heard loud voices following after him. He had run all through the night until the bright moon had disappeared below the tree line before he stopped to devour his, then cold, meal. But it was young and tender and its sweet flesh calmed his ravenous gut. When he was done, his demon had been satisfied.
The delicious memory only reinforced how unsatisfying the tick covered rabbit had been. Maybe he'd catch a young stag after this worthless summoning. That would help calm the aching hunger, at least until the Luna, when he'd have to feast again. More torches, more spears, but more flesh.
The pads of his feet plodded over the soft loam of the forest, dewy leaves clinging to his heels. He pushed past branches of dense pine, allowing the sharp needles to rake his arm, providing him with a blissful sense of relief to his itch.
The way cleared a bit, and he loped down the hill, letting his weight carry him downward. Lethan's girth caused his breath to come in gasps at the small amount of effort and sweat trickled down his furry chest. He glanced up at the sun piercing through the high branches.
Damn it all. Already midday. Guess they'll have to start without the last of the Lycans.
****
In the clearing, the summoning had already begun. Dagan was speaking slowly and intently. Lethan eased in behind a couple of Elapi stags, so as not to be noticed, their huge mass of antlers somewhat obscuring him. They glanced at him out of the corner of their eyes, sniffing his scent in disgust.
"Good day," he whispered with an overly friendly smile.
But they turned their heads back to Dagan. Lethan supposed he didn't blame them. If not for the sanctity of the ground on which they stood, he might attempt to sink his teeth into one of their necks. Lethan suddenly realized Dagan was quiet, and when he looked up, the massive Minotaur was staring at him. He sank back a bit, wishing he had heard what was just said. Finally, to his relief, Dagan continued.
"War is upon us. These small attacks have become far too frequent. The Queen has amassed an army. The last scout reported that her hive is ten thousand strong and now she has declared war on the Foresters of Redtree. She means to have this land and eradicate all who thrive within it."
A hushed silence settled over the clearing. Dagan slowly panned his gray eyes across the crowd. Lethan felt his heavy gaze once again, and it unnerved him.
He felt a pang of guilt at the memory of the last Luna, and the fear that Dagan somehow knew struck him in the gut. The blood hastened through his veins as he struggled to look anywhere but at Dagan.
Lethan's shoulders sagged in relief as a Centaur finally broke the silence.
"How do you know of this Dagan? Why would the Firejacks want war now?"
Lethan couldn't tell, but he thought it sounded like the pompous leader of the centaurs, Calypso.
"This is Cahrin!" Dagan's voice bellowed as he gestured, and a Yali goat stepped meekly forward. He was small, barely more than a goatling.
"Cahrin reached the forest last night. His herd was grazing upon the highlands. Yesterday at day break the Firejacks attacked the herd. Cahrin tells us the Firejacks had weapons, the likes of which I have never heard of. They attacked without mercy, killing all; most were still sleeping at their beds. Cahrin had been on the edge of the meadow when the attack took place. He was able to hide in a mud wallow, masking his scent, while his entire family was viciously murdered upon the highlands."
Lethan's eyes flicked to the small goat. A tasty looking meal on any other day, but today the image of the little hair ball, nose-deep in a mud bog, quivering like a mouse, actually amused him.
"If we don't stop them, the rest of us will meet the same fate."
"This is a Yali problem, not a Forester problem. The Firejacks have not attacked the Centaurs. So we see no reason for involving ourselves in this squabble."
"This is not a squabble Calypso! Did you hear me? Ten thousand Firejacks. What do you suppose she plans on doing with a force that size? Hmm? An army a fraction of that size could wipe out every Yali herd in Redtree. No, she will not stop with the Yali. I believe she means to kill all the Foresters, Centaurs included. We have to send a force to the highlands and put a stop to the Firejacks and destroy these war weapons they've created."
Lethan had heard enough; his stomach felt like it was trying to claw its way out of his body.
"A force of what? Are you planning on attacking the Firejacks with a herd of Centaurs and Elapi? Wake up Dagan! If the Queen and her Firejacks want this place, they can take it any day! There's nothing you nor I, nor anyone can do to stop it. Best get used to the idea and start looking for a new home!"
Lethan spun to walk away.
"Coward. But you can't expect much from a filthy werewolf."
Lethan tensed at coward; he turned at filthy, and pounced at werewolf. The perpetrator hit the ground as he finished his sentence with Lethan's jaws snapping at the laughing Centaur's neck.
Just as Lethan's razor-like teeth moved to close down on the struggling fool's throat, he felt a massive force propel him back, sending him sliding across the grass. He scrambled to his feet, clawing at the ground ready to kill the new attacker, but he stopped. Dagan was standing between him and the downed Centaur, who was still whimpering. Dagan's massive head was bent down, his wide horns bobbing, ready to charge. He was the one who had hit Lethan.
Lethan sat back on his haunches, his fury draining away. He allowed his own clawed fingers to unclench.
"Well?" said Dagan. "You still feel like fighting Lethan?"
Lethan stared but said nothing.
"It doesn't do us any bloody good to fight amongst ourselves. If we can't come together, we're as good as dead."
"I'm leading my Minotaurs to the highlands to put a stop to this. It will be difficult, and the fighting will be bloody. That's why, in case our assault on the Queen and her Firejacks fails, I am sending an emissary to the Yumans to rally a force of their own. They should know what's happening and that this is as much their fight as it is ours."
"What? The Yumans are nothing but stupid pink skins. As soon as you step inside that village, they'll slaughter you!" shouted Lethan, his anger still surging.
"Which is exactly why I'm sending you."
An evil grin spread across Dagan's lips, and Lethan's blood ran cold.
"What? You're kidding! They'd lynch me! I'm a Lycan!"
Lethan said his last word slowly as if Dagan might not understand, but Dagan didn't seem to notice, he just smiled.
"After the sun has set, the Minotaurs, and anyone else who wishes to join the fight, will march to the highlands. We will attack the Firejacks at dawn. Spread the word and make sure that every able fighter is here. We will stop the Firejacks."
A shiver slid up Lethan's back. Every one of Dagan's Minotaurs gave him a small bow and then departed. A few of the Centaurs and Elapi approached Dagan and offered their services in the coming battle. Dagan thanked them warmly. Lethan had seen enough; he would have no part in this, and besides, he was hungry. He turned to leave but was stopped by Dagan's booming voice.
"Lethan, would you walk with me?"
Lethan grimaced. He turned back and nodded to the hulking Minotaur, following him into the shadows of the forest.
"Dagan, you cannot expect me to go to the village! They'll kill me before I even..."
"Lethan, how long has it been? Since Lina?"
Lethan's heart stopped for a moment, memories flooding back.
"Nearly five years," he said after a moment.
"Blessed Mo-Na. That long?"
Lethan nodded.
"Time doesn't wait," said Dagan.
Lethan said nothing, just stared at the leaf littered ground in front of his feet.
"If she were here now, what do you think she'd say?"
"That she doesn't like being dead."
"That's not what I meant."
Lethan felt all the old feelings come back, the pains and memories that made him yearn to be with Lina again, in life or in death. It didn't matter. The only thing that kept him going, that kept the pain at bay, was the blood, the feeding. Yet it sickened him to think about how low he had become, how many lives he had taken, how much flesh he had eaten. Lina would not recognize the demon that now consumed her mate.
"I know what you meant."
"You've been feeding again haven't you? Not just to keep the demon at bay, but to keep the pain at bay? Every few Lunas, or is it every Luna now?"
"What is it to you? What I do is none of your concern! You may be the steward of Redtree, but you hold no dominion over me. I don't have to put up with this Elapi shi..."
"Lethan!"
Dagan grasped him by the shoulder. A fire burned within Dagan's eyes that slowly cooled as he calmed himself.
"Lethan... you and I were once friends. Lina's death not only separated you and her, but you and me as well. I care for you, and I will not stand by to watch you become consumed. I do not question you because I seek control over your actions. I just don't want to see your head on some Yuman's spear."
Lethan was silent; his chest was racked with pain and heartache.
"I know you Lethan. I know it eats at you. You're too good for this. You had it beat once. If the rumors are true, and you are the last of your brethren, you owe it to Lina to not end with a spear in your chest and a bloody child in your fists."
Lethan felt sick; the bile burned in his gut, and his eyes stung with tears.
"It's too late. It's who I am. I can't change it."
"I hope someday soon you'll see that isn't true, my friend."
****
Lethan picked at the yellow and brown scabs, causing the rash to ooze again as he watched the village through the dense pine trees. He cursed and dug his fingers into the ground scooping out a handful of the wet, dark soil. It felt good, and maybe it would keep him from picking at it.
He struggled with his task. How was he supposed to keep the Yumans from killing him on first site, let alone convince them to join the fight against the Firejacks?
He spit.
There is no way. No way in Redtree. They're going to skewer me on the spot.
His nostrils flared and for a second he held his lungs full, and then exhaled in defeat.
Dammit. Might as well get it over with. Mo-Na? Not that you would care about a worthless flea bag like me, but do think you could... ah forget it.
The pines whipped back as Lethan pushed his way out into the clearing. Reaching the edge of a field, he looked down. His feet had been through here before, but usually at night and always on the hunt, so needless to say, he hadn't stopped to admire the strange rows of vegetation. But now he did. His eyes followed the long straight rows towards the village.
Such strange creatures.
Lethan marveled at it all for a moment and then continued, his heavy steps crushing the delicate plants as he went. He expected yells, screams, pitchforks, but as he advanced he neither saw nor heard anything. The silence made him more nervous than anything else. He was used to screams and pitchforks.
There was a circular stack of stones, knee-high to Lethan, at the center of the village. He leaned over and peered down. It was deep. He sniffed and his eyes widened.
Water. Strange indeed.
The buildings spun around slowly as he strained all his senses. He thought he could hear a hum.
Firejacks? Could they have already attacked the Yumans?
He listened again and with a sigh of relief, knew it wasn't the buzz of Firejacks. That sound strikes fear in everyone walking through the forest who hears it, forester and Yuman alike. But this sound... this sound was different. It was more rhythmical. It had highs and lows, and sometimes it stopped. Lethan decided to follow it.
The mangy and torn ears atop his head worked better than they looked. He could pick up a deer tip-toeing through the forest nearly a mile away. His ears followed the hum through the village center to one solitary building on the outskirts. It had a steep slope and a peak nearly as high as the pine trees. Lethan could see, coming out of the peak was a long spire, and on it was a golden orb.
I'll never understand these Yumans.
The closer he got to the building, the louder the hum. The louder it got, the faster his heart raced. He reached the door and held his ears close. The hum was a voice, many voices, all yelling and screaming.
Mo-Na, they're being slaughtered!
Lethan stretched out his long claws, readying himself to strike down the Firejacks before they could spear him with their toxic stingers. With a deep breath he raised his foot and kicked in the door. Snarling, he leapt into the fray.
The only thing he knew for sure was that it was dark, very dark. Then he noticed the silence, sudden and complete, but that only lasted for a moment. The intensity of the screams that followed, he had never heard or felt before. Lethan took a step back, looking around, waiting for a Firejack to come at him, but none did. He was confused. Why weren't the Firejacks attacking? But then the attack did come.
Three Yumans rushed him from the darkness, tackling him out into the sunlight. The air rushed from his lungs as his back met the ground. He struggled to get up, but the Yumans sprawled over his chest, arms, and legs, keeping him pinned. Lethan sucked in a full breath of air and, with a rush of adrenaline, surged up flinging the two Yumans on his arms ten feet away with a sickening thump. He cocked his arm ready to deal the killing blow to the Yuman pinning his legs, as three spear points touched his neck.
Lethan's eyes snapped up at the hard set faces surrounding him. He didn't breathe. He didn't move. He was trapped.
"Wait!"
But it was too late. A heavy boot connected with his head, and then there was darkness.
CHAPTER II
One eye? Okay. Oh, damn that's bright. Two eyes? Nope, that one's not coming open. Am I... hanging?
Lethan kicked his feet and felt nothing, just the rush of air past his legs. He looked up at his hands tied above him. Dried blood traced from his wrists to his elbows, matting his fur. He couldn't feel his arms, which he supposed was a good thing for the time being.
Dusk was settling in over the village square. Yumans bustled about; a group of the small ones watched him in horror and delight. Lethan craned his neck to the right to see past his swollen eye. There were men not far, tending a fire. One of them looked up at Lethan and shouted, "He's awake!"
They all gathered around him, kicking the young ones out of the way. One man, who seemed big for a Yuman, approached Lethan carrying a short, smooth stick with a heavy looking square rock on the end of it. He was covered in soot and had a heavy cow hide covering his front.
"Well dog, should we burn you alive or filet you? Hmm?"
Lethan started to speak, but the big Yuman continued.
"I think the best thing would be to quarter you and put a piece of you at every corner of our borders as a warning for every other stinking werewolf that decides to stroll into town and attack us!"
"Lycan," said Lethan.
"What was that?" asked the big Yuman.
"I... I wasn't trying to attack to you."
Lethan's throat burned from the effort.
"Lies!"
Lethan couldn't see who said it, but really it didn't matter. They were going to cut him up into little pieces, and there was nothing he could do about it.
"I came for help."
"Why would a stinking werewolf think Yumans would help him?"
Because my friend is a fool, and I am an even bigger one.
"I don't! But there are others who do. The Firejacks have gathered an army, and they are planning on killing everyone in Redtree Forest. They've been attacking Foresters. I was sent as a messenger to ask you for help. The Firejacks are building weapons, very powerful weapons. The Foresters can't fight them alone."
