The Realms of Animar

by Owen Black

  ***

  Dugan watched nervously as Trussil soared high above, her silhouette growing fainter with every passing second. “I can’t believe you let her do that.”

  “She’ll be fine,” Semu grunted in a deep voice amplified by annoyance. “Nothing can reach her in the air and whatever it was is probably close.”

  Suddenly a yell erupted from behind them, sending the guards scrambling to find the source while the once calm students turned into a whirlwind of chaos.

  They stumbled upon Javan whose obese frame hopped up and down while he pointed across the fields to the north. In the distance they could make out the backside of a white horse kicking up a mixture of grass and dirt as it galloped away.

  Dugan cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed, “Thane!” He then looked at Semu, uncertain of what to do next.

  “Foolish boy!” Semu roared. “Everyone stay put. We can’t separate the group. When Trussil returns we will send her to find him. Until then he is on his own.”

  ***

  After nearly half an hour Trussil returned. In a precise and seamless transition, she landed in front of the guards and morphed into her human form.

  “I thought I saw some movement in the forest but when I got closer it was gone,” Trussil said. She then realized that something else was wrong. “What happened? Is everyone alright?”

  “Thane ran off,” Dugan said.

  “Ran off? What do you mean ran off? How could this happen?” Her icy glare pierced Dugan’s heart.

  “We don’t know,” Dugan replied sheepishly. “He just galloped off north through the fields without warning. Semu didn’t want to separate the group.”

  Trussil pondered the situation and then sighed. “That is probably best,” she said. “None of you could catch him anyway. I will go look for him.”

  When she began to turn away Semu grabbed her arm. “I will go with you. There might be trouble.”

  “W-w-wait,” Dugan stammered. “I can go.”

  “I think Semu should go Dugan,” Trussil said abruptly before softening her tone. “Besides, I need you to take the students back. They like you.”

  She added a smile to warm him over and then, without complaint, Dugan turned toward the waiting children. A wave of moans spilled forth when they realized their trip had come to an end. The river would have to wait for another day.

  ***

  After a brief search from the air Trussil finally spotted something in the thick grass below, near the forest edge. Riding a warm thermal, she circled a few times and surveyed the ground, checking for danger and allowing Semu time to catch up while she descended from the sky.

  Her tiny heart began to flutter in panic as the figure grew closer. It was Thane, doubled over on his knees, with only his back visible from above. He was still and she feared the worst.

  Trussil dove to the ground and landed softly beside the boy then quickly morphed to her human form.

  “Thane? Thane are you alright?”

  To her surprise, he peeked up at her. “I found a rabbit!”

  “A rabbit? What are you talking about?”

  Thane leaned his body to one side while Trussil moved in for a closer look. There, trembling between his cupped hands, was a small white rabbit with tiny black eyes staring wildly back at her. The creature was obviously frightened and had ragged fur in places, likely from a recent scuffle.

  “Well what are you doing out here?” Trussil asked the bunny as she reached down and gently patted it on the head. “Why don’t you morph and let us help you?”

  The rabbit blinked a few times but only fought harder to try and escape Thane’s grasp.

  “I tried to talk to her but it was no use,” Thane said. “Should we keep it?”

  Trussil glanced around as she pondered the request. “Maybe she has family close by. I can’t believe this little thing made it here on her own. Perhaps we should let it go.”

  A booming voice startled them. It was Semu who had finally caught up.

  “No,” he declared. “We need to take it back with us now.”

  “Are you sure?” Trussil asked.

  “I stumbled upon the remains of a few more in the field on my way here,” Semu said. “I am guessing this one got away.” The guard then reached down and wrestled the tiny rabbit from Thane’s hands and added forcefully, “Come on boy, we are leaving. Now!”

  “It’s ok Thane, she will be fine,” Trussil said. “We need to get back. You father can decide what to do.”

  Chapter 4

  The autumn leaves rustled amongst the trees as a cold wind blew in from the mountains, tickling Thane’s spine with a chill. Javan, who had accompanied him to the woods that day, was unaffected because his skin was inherently thicker even in his human form. Rain had fallen the night before and although it was early afternoon, the forest was filled with scents stirred by the morning dew and the foliage was bursting with life as if renewed by a quenched thirst.

  In the weeks that had passed since the boys had met they had become good friends. Thane had befriended Javan soon after the newcomer’s first day of school and Thane had patiently helped his new friend learn to morph, with the reluctant agreement of the boy’s parents of course. The two had formed an instant bond although they had little in common. Javan was heavy, with a broad jaw and short, stumpy legs. Thane was tall and lean with pleasant features and a radiant smile. Differences aside, they were the best of friends and had become somewhat notorious for getting into, and usually out of, trouble.

  The boys ducked behind a large moss-covered tree stump in an attempt to remain out of sight. Not usually allowed to stray from the village without escort, on this particular day, Thane and Javan had decided an adventure was in order and to their surprise they had managed to elude the guards relatively easily. They had simply hidden in a farmer’s cart and jumped out when they had cleared the gate. Since it was not a school day they would likely not be missed for several hours. Fun was guaranteed to be had.

  Thane loved the woods. This was quite odd for a morph of the equine variety but he loved the thrill of galloping between the large oak and cedar trees, dodging branches and not knowing what obstacle awaited next. His passion was not without consequence, however, as he frequently strolled home with a new injury for his mother to care for.

  Not far from the boys a small group of villagers, mostly primate and human in form, were chopping down wood and loading it into a wagon to take back to the village. They were preparing for the harsh winter that loomed just a few weeks ahead, one of the few drawbacks of the region in which they lived.

  Trips to the Bluemist Forest were almost a daily routine much to the delight of the arboreal morphs and the chance to see them work was quite exciting. Thane watched with awe as a handful of agile primates used small axes and saws to chop branches with ease and, in a very systematic way, dropped the limbs down to a tall, muscular, dark-haired man who loaded the wood into a nearby wagon.

  Thane recognized him instantly for he was the other reason they had come to the woods that day. His name was Azil and he, like Thane, was a horse. Azil had taught Thane many things over the years and although he had tried to deter the boy from wandering into the woods where he worked, Thane could not resist following him about from time to time.

  Of the group, Azil was responsible for taking the wagon back to the village when it became full, a task assigned to him due to his innate abilities. Such organization was common among the people of Avryndale, as they had developed their culture in such a way that when born, the trade of an individual was determined by his or her animal form. This system worked quite well and generally was acceptable to newcomers, with the exception of an occasional complaint from a member of the milking variety.

  The boys watched in awe as a pair of chimpanzees and orangutans far above them leapt from tree to tree, obviously enjoying their habitat while they searched for usable branches. The chimpanzees were smaller and more agile, their thick black fur and bare faces contrasti
ng greatly to the long, reddish-brown haired orangutans.

  Javan sighed and whispered to Thane, “I wish I could do that.”

  “Me too,” replied Thane. “That looks like fun!” His eyes were mesmerized by the graceful way the monkeys maneuvered about the forest.

  Suddenly Javan pointed to an opening in the trees where they could see out across the countryside to their village that stood in the distance. A large giraffe with a light torso covered with chestnut brown blotches of various shapes and sizes was galloping towards them, kicking up dirt as it ran.

  “Uh oh, it’s Dugan,” Javan said quietly, careful not to give away their location.

  Thane lifted his head up from behind the stump and looked past his large friend. “We’re going to be in so much trouble.”

  The boys hunched down and tried to hide themselves more effectively as the giraffe approached the forest edge. After a few seconds Thane poked his head up and he spotted Dugan’s large, angular spotted head peering through the trees, not yet aware of their location.

  Dugan lowered his head and stepped farther into the woods, careful to bypass a large branch that blocked his entrance. The giraffe glanced from side to side and then morphed into his human form almost instantly.

  “Thane!” he yelled. “I know you are in here! Come on back with me, your mother is looking for you. She has something important to discuss with you.”

  Javan peered at Thane, contemplating what they should do but Thane remained still. He was stubborn beyond his years and not known for his eagerness to follow orders.

  Frustrated, Dugan walked towards the villagers working deeper in the woods, his bright blue tunic helping the boys track his movements.

  “Dugan!” Azil proclaimed when he looked up and saw the approaching guard. “What brings you out here? Sounds like you have lost Thane again.”

  “Azil my friend, how are you?” Dugan replied as the two men shook hands in greeting. “Indeed I have. That pony always seems to slip past me.”

  Thane stood up in defiance. Just as he began to yell out at them, Javan pulled him down.

  “I’m not a pony!” he muttered, quietly.

  The two men turned and glanced over to where the boys were hiding, detecting their subdued movements.

  Dugan laughed. “I don’t think it will take me long to find him this time.”

  The men then turned and began walking towards the boys, grinning from ear to ear.

  Suddenly, a cry erupted from the depths of the forest. Alarmed, the men turned and looked for the source.

  “That was Eryk!” Azil bellowed as he grabbed a large staff from the back of the wagon.

  The men then turned and quickly ran into the woods, anxiously picking their way through the trees in search of their friend. Above them, four primate workers followed in the trees, leaping from limb to limb.

  The boys soon lost sight of the group as the dense forest engulfed them. Thane stood up to run after them but then sensed something and stopped, now guided by his natural instincts. He looked back at Javan who was peering out from behind the stump, his large black eyes glazed and frightened.

  “What do we do?” Thane asked quietly.

  “Stay put!” Javan replied. “Dugan would put us on plow duty if we followed them!”

  Thane turned and peered into the trees, searching for signs of Dugan and the other workers. Reluctantly, he returned to his concealed spot beside Javan as fear began to set in. Together they waited.

  ***

  Dugan and Azil, followed by the primates above in the trees, continued through the forest for several minutes, stopping occasionally to call for their friend and to listen for other signs of distress. Suddenly the group stopped in their tracks, baffled by what they had stumbled upon.

  Just in front of them, seated on a thick branch about 10 feet off the ground, was a ragged, skinny, middle-aged man. His grayish hair was thin and scraggly and his attire, where it actually existed, was torn and filthy. He wore no shoes, yet seemed content with himself, legs crossed beneath him, swaying back and forth.

  The primates in the trees surrounded the stranger and chatted nervously as they looked around for others.

  “Hello gentlemen,” the disheveled man said with a crooked grin. “How might you be today?”

  Dugan sized up the man seated above them. He obviously suspected the stranger was toying with them. “You had best show your morph sir. That is the customary greeting for strangers in these parts.”

  The stranger looked down at Dugan, apparently irritated by his request. “Sir, I am but a tired, lost traveler. My name is Critias and I pose no threat to you.”

  Worried about his friend, Azil ignored the man, cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled with all of his might, “Eryk!” He then peered into the woods as his voice echoed in the distance.

  After a brief silence the sound of snapping branches could be heard nearby.

  Startled by the sounds that seemed to be coming from all around them, the primates grew restless and began to shake the trees, sending a shower of colorful leaves cascading to the ground.

  “One of our friends has gone missing,” Dugan nervously said to the stranger. “We heard him yell from this direction.”

  The stranger named Critias surprised them all when a smirk appeared on his face and he then asked, “Was he by chance a mule?”

  “Yes he’s a mule!” Azil roared. “Where is he? Tell us now or else!”

  Critias chuckled gleefully, so much so that he was forced to grab a nearby limb to keep from falling. After he regained his balance the stranger peered into the woods and grinned widely, revealing his horrible, decayed teeth for all to see.

  “Or else what?” Critias cackled. “Are you going to trot on my face? Yes, you brainless horse, I saw your friend. He wandered this way not too long ago. He was heading to the river just beyond here. Stupid beast, I think he was looking for a drink.”

  Dugan and Azil looked at one another. It struck them both that the stranger had known that Azil’s morph was a horse.

  “I have had enough of this,” Azil declared. “Tell us now what happened to him or I will rip it from your throat myself.”

  Azil then tossed the staff he was wielding to Dugan. With his massive hands, he grabbed the trunk of the tree holding the stranger and began to climb. Azil was sturdy and muscular, capable of making quick work of any adversary who dared anger him. He had obviously been sufficiently provoked.

  Surprisingly, Critias seemed less concerned with Azil than he was of the chimpanzee that had wandered from the group and appeared headed toward a large pile of leaves that stood out in the distance.

  Meanwhile, the sounds of movement around them grew louder.

  ***

  The chimpanzee navigated the trees and approached the pile of leaves that he had spotted cautiously. It was far from where they normally worked and did not appear natural in origin. Curious, he whipped his long arms about, quickly clearing the leaves.

  It was then that he realized to his horror that the ravaged body of a mule had been concealed beneath. He was momentarily frozen by shock.

  Almost instantly a wave of eerie sounds unlike anything the chimp had ever heard spilled forth from the forest. They seemed to come from all directions, a sort of high-pitched maniacal laughter that made the beast’s hair stand on edge.

  ***

  Dugan and Azil glanced around frantically in response to the frightening sounds from the unseen creatures in the woods around them.

  Critias smirked. “Ah!” he said, licking his lips. “Supper time!”

  The strange man then revealed his morph when he transformed into a broad-chested brown bird with a sharp, pointed beak and long, bald neck. He was larger than most birds, although certainly scrawny for his kind.

  It had been some time since they had actually seen a vulture, let alone one as ragged as the specimen peering down at them. Dugan realized at once that this was the bird the young girl had spotted a few days prior. She had b
een right.

  Vultures were harmless on their own, although any carnivore was viewed as a threat to the people of Avryndale. The trouble was that he was clearly not alone.

  The orangutans in the trees above them began to wail, emitting a loud shriek that forced Dugan to cover his ears and obviously spooked the vulture, sending it darting to a higher branch with a squawk.

  Through the dimly lit thick trees they could now make out a number of shadowy, dog-like figures that seemed to be producing the horrific sounds that had overwhelmed them. They were yellowish-gray in color, with dark brown round markings covering their bodies.

  “Hyenas!” Dugan yelled as he looked to the orangutans in the trees above him. “Esa! Pilus! Hurry, get help!”

  The monkeys nodded to Dugan in understanding. Desper-ate, they began navigating through the trees as fast as they could, hoping to reach Avryndale before it was too late.

  Eager to feed, the hyenas were running about in all directions. Although not known for hunting in the woods, they were much more organized than most scavengers and obviously had teamed with the vulture the group had stumbled upon. Dugan had not encountered this type of co-operation from the carnivores before and he knew that it was vital that they alert Avryn.

  Azil gathered his thoughts and quickly morphed into a massive brown horse with a flowing black mane. Dugan leaped onto his back just as the hyenas descended upon them in a flock of gnashing teeth. Panicked, the horse looked about anxiously, trying to find an escape route through the trees. The unnatural sound of the hyenas grew even louder as their numbers continued to increase. Fighting them here was useless.

  Dugan swung the long staff at the beasts as they approached, trying to fend them off as best he could. Azil lurched forward, nearly tossing his rider to the ground when a hyena sunk its teeth into one of his hind legs. He kicked frantically until the hungry creature released its grasp when its jaw snapped. Several of the hyenas broke free from the attack and descended upon the wounded. Hunger outweighed pity in their eyes.