The Exiles

by Sven Grams

  Trex was only somewhat convinced, and ran after Sara through the crop field; the long thin stems of the wheat-like plants came up to his neck.

  They approached the melon tree. It stood alone in a small grass clearing next to a track. Coming closer, Sara suddenly stopped. Trex ran up beside her. Ahead, a large animal had just raised itself onto its hind legs. Its powerful front paws were tucked up in front of it so as to get a clear view of who was approaching.

  The animal could best be described as strange cross between a meerkat and a giant possom here on Earth.

  Sara and Trex knew it as an ossum, an animal that weighed up to about thirty kilograms.

  The animal’s large, dark eyes looked out from a long wide snout, flanked by large floppy dog-like ears. Other than its face, which had short fur, the ossum was covered with a long shaggy coat. This longer fur went all the way down the length of its large, powerful tail, used for stability as it sat up on its hind legs. This ossum was a older, and was not happy to see Sara.

  Trex looked worried. Though Sara had an ossum who was quite friendly, they were still as large as the two cubs, and stood just as high when they sat on their hind legs. This ossum did not look particularly friendly to Trex.

  ‘Does he know you?’ asked the lion cub.

  The ossum sniffed the air, growling a little.

  ‘Yes, but he’s mean,’ replied Sara, her tone almost as sour as her expression. She had not planned on this.

  The wolf cub could see that the ossum was tied to the kaltisa melon tree. He had obviously been put there to guard it. The tree was not that tall, with strong old branches reaching out from a single point on the massive trunk in a flat ark, making the tree look like a large umbrella with its wide flat leaves.

  Trex looked around with growing concern. ‘I don’t think they want anyone to take the melons.’

  ‘Stupid Rukkt.’ Sara referred to the ossum by name, ‘Ms Satlisons would give us the melons if she was here. He’s only there to stop other animals from taking the melons while they’re away.’

  Trex did not know what to say.

  ‘I want a melon,’ persisted Sara, kicking at the dirt.

  Trex scratched the back of his head, unsure of how to respond.

  ‘You can sneak good!’ The wolf cub suddenly turned on the lion.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Yeah, I’ll distract it and you climb the tree.’ Sara clapped her hands with enthusiasm.

  Trex backed away a little, his tail showing between his legs as his round fury ears drooped.

  ‘You’re not scared, are you?’ Sara mocked. She could see the uncertainty in the lion cub’s large brown eyes.

  ‘No I’m not,’ replied Trex.

  ‘You’re a fraidy lion,’ Sara teased.

  Trex breathed in, puffing out his chest. His ears sprang back to attention.

  ‘Let’s go,’ he said confidently.

  Rukkt the ossum could no longer see the two cubs in the longer grass. They had been down wind, so sniffing the air didn’t help. The ossum had about ten metres of rope that tied him to the tree. He prowled the edge of the boundary, occasionally jumping on his hind legs to try and see them.

  The ossum suddenly smelt something. Turning, he could see the wolf cub had circled behind. The ossum chased Sara back.

  Just out of reach, Sara had a large stick and was teasing the animal, ‘Nia nia nia!’ she shouted. ‘You can’t get me!’

  The ossum growled and yelped as it strained against the rope. Sara ran back and forth.

  ‘Splotch.’

  Hearing a strange noise, the ossum suddenly stopped, and turned around.

  Trex was in the tree, one of the ripe melons had fallen when he was out on a branch.

  ‘Trex, look out!’ shouted Sara in alarm.

  Quick as lightning, Rukkt bounded back towards the tree, his long tail bobbing behind like a strange counterweight. Jumping onto the tree’s side with all fours, the powerful animal scurried up the thick trunk.

  Trex was still out on a limb when he saw the animal cutting off his exit. Panicking, Trex simply threw himself from the branch, jumping the few meters to the ground. The lion cub landed on all fours on instinct, absorbing the impact well.

  The ossum raced down the other side of the trunk. Trex backed away as fast as he could from the growling creature

  ‘Hurry, hurry!’ yelled Sara, as she came running towards them in concern.

  The ossum had unwittingly shortened his lead by running up and down the other side of the tree and Trex was just out of reach.

  ‘Lookout!’ yelled Sara again, stopping by the base of the trunk.

  Struggling against the tight rope the ossum turned. Sara was now in reach.

  Her eyes became as large as saucers and she screamed as the ossum raced towards her.

  ‘Eeeek!’

  Sara turned just in time to wave her stick. The ossum growled, snatching it in his jaw. The ossum tore it out of Sara’s grasp. Sara lost her balance and fell onto her tail.

  Spitting the stick out to one side the ossum advanced on the cub.

  Sara scurried backwards hurriedly.

  Finding its lead further shortened and unable to advance further, the frustrated ossum ran frantically back and forth around the tree trunk. The angered animal only managed to twist the lead further together until he could only move a short distance. Squirming in defeat, the ossum continued to growl at the Anthro cubs.

  Trex made it back to Sara, who still sat frozen in shock.

  ‘That didn’t work,’ said Trex angrily. He looked over at the melon that had fallen from the tree, squashed on the ground.

  ‘Well… he’s stuck now at least,’ Sara said. Standing up, she dusted off her green skirt.

  ‘But we can’t get to the trunk anymore,’ said Trex, his disappointment apparent.

  None of the large branches of the melon tree were low enough for them to reach.

  Sara didn’t want to give up. Looking around with renewed determination, she could see that there was a loose plank of wood against the fence nearby.

  ‘Give me a hand,’ she instructed, moving off towards the fence.

  The two cubs returned, dragging a large wooden board behind them.

  Rukkt continued to growl as he watched them struggle to lift the plank.

  With one quick check to make sure that the ossum was really tied up, Trex scurried up the plank while Sara held it in place. Rukkt could only circle on the spot and growl while Trex picked the fruit and dropped it to the waiting wolf cub below.

  While holding three good melons, Sara’s attention turned to the ossum. The animal had stopped growling and was now whining. Sara suddenly felt sorry for the poor animal. Trex appeared beside her, another melon in his hands. Sara could see that Trex’s melon had a yellow stem, meaning that the fruit was very overripe.

  ‘You can’t eat that one, it could explode if we open it,’ she warned.

  ‘I know,’ said Trex, his young voice taking on a dangerous edge. Trex removing the yellow stem from the melon.

  Kaltisa melons ripen from the inside first, their gas built up to such a pressure that they eventually explode, sending the pulpy centre and seeds flying; the only real way to see if a melon was overripe or not was to look at the stem, assuming that it was still on.

  Trex gave the ossum an evil look; the animal had scared him half to death moments before.

  Sara eyes travelled from Trex’s scary face to the ossum, suddenly knowing what he had planned.

  ‘You can’t do that!’

  Sara stepped between Trex and Rukkt.

  ‘Why not?’ protested Trex, ‘that stupid ossum almost killed us.’

  ‘It’s not his fault,’ countered Sara, ‘he’s only doing what he’s supposed to do. We’ve got our melons, let’s go.’

  Trex’s eyes darted from the whining ossum to the worried face of Sara. She was still clutching the large melons to her chest. Looking at the animal once more, Trex could see that Rukkt was now harml
ess.

  ‘Okay,’ agreed Trex reluctantly, feeling a little guilty. Dangerous melon still in hand, he walk back to Sara’s family’s property.

  Sara turned to the ossum again. He was sitting on his hind legs, peering at Sara with his large dark eyes, his floppy ears down and his large tail wrapped around him. Sara suddenly took a melon over to a nearby rock. Breaking it into two halves, she placed them just in the animals reach. Picked up the other melons, she ran after Trex.

  The ossum sniffed the halves and then ate the refreshing pulpy centres gratefully.

  Trex and Sara found themselves back at the small creek on Sara’s farm’s side.

  Finding a nice bolder to sit on under a large tree, they ate the two good melons. Trex’s over-ripe one was left nearby on the ground

  ‘I don’t believe you gave him a melon,’ said Trex, still annoyed with the wolf cub. Sara didn’t reply.

  ‘Well, well, what do we have here?’ said a voice behind them.

  Both cubs turned to see Sara’s older sister, Fera, leaning against the tree. The female wolf had just reached adolescence and was much larger then the two cubs.

  Fera’s longer hair was jet black and she didn’t have a fringe. She swept the long, black hair behind the tuft of fur that was at the back of her jaw bone.

  This tuft of fur at the back of the jawbone was something all Anthros had in common.

  Fera took a couple of steps towards the two cubs; they were still shocked at her sudden appearance.

  Fera was wearing a short skirt similar to Sara’s, it was split on both side to allow mobility, and you could occasionally see the baggy soft short pants underneath.

  The clothes of the Anthros were worn sparingly and loose so as not to rub against the short thick fur that covered their bodies.

  ‘Kaltisa melons?’ Fera inquired smoothly.

  ‘Ms Satlisons gave them to us,’ Sara lied instantly. She was hoping her sister did not know that the neighbours were away.

  Trex nodded in agreement, his cheeks puffed out with a mouthful of melon.

  ‘That’s impressive,’ said Fera slyly, ‘considering that the Satlisons are in town visiting relatives today.’

  Sara cringed, her large triangular ears falling to the side. She’d been caught out.

  ‘You’re not going to tell, are you?’ Sara pleaded, ‘it was only a few melons.’

  Fera ignored her younger sister. With an arrogant air she swept over to the overripe melon, sitting beside it. Fera’s movements were very elegant, and by all accounts she was a very pretty wolf, the problem was, Fera knew this.

  Trex watched as Fera took the dangerous overripe melon into her hands. He took another large bite of his own melon, chewing slowly.

  ‘I don’t think I have a choice but to tell.’ Fera’s voice was laced with sarcasm.

  ‘You’re so mean!’ protested Sara.

  ‘It’s for your own good’ said Fera. She folded her arms in front of her like a school teacher, the melon still in one hand. ‘You have to take responsibility for your actions.’

  Sara crossed her arms and turned away. Her ears were flat against her head in anger. She tried to hold her tongue. Her long tail flicked back and forth. Arguing would only lead to more trouble.

  ‘But considering you have already stolen the melons… there’s no harm in me eating one of them, now is there?’ Fera gave the two a cunning smile. She knew they could do nothing to stop her.

  Trex’s mouth was full, he tried to warn Fera about the dangerous melon in her hands. Instead he caught a ‘death look’ from Sara.

  The lion simply swallowed, he then very carefully began to place the melon he was eating on the ground.

  Fera tried to figure out what the young lion had said. Ignoring him, she then leant over to crack the melon open on a nearby branch.

  ‘Bang!’

  Fera blinked, her face covered in red gooey pulp. A large section of melon dripped from her normally neat, slick black hair.

  ‘Run!’ shouted Sara, springing up.

  Trex and Sara scampered away in the direction of the woods nearby.

  Trex could see Fera giving chace, though she normally looked quite delicate, Fera was far from it.

  The two cubs did not have a chance to outrun the adolescent wolf.

  ‘Quickly, we have to climb!’ shouted Trex as they passed a tall tree.

  ‘I can’t climb!’ exclaimed Sara.

  ‘I’ll help, just go!’ shouted Trex.

  The two youngsters scurried up the thin trunk, Trex pushing the reluctant wolf cub up.

  When Fera got there she could only look up in annoyance.

  ‘Get down here you little brats!’ she shouted, wiping her face to remove more of the red mush from her fur.

  ‘You deserved it!’ shouted Sara. The wolf cub was clinging to the trunk with all fours.

  Fera was angry, and the two cubs in the tree could feel it as well as see it.

  Sara was really scared. She hadn’t seen her sister this angry since Fera had reached physical maturity.

  Fera snarled, her ears were flat and her large eyes had turned to narrow slits. She grabbed the tree trunk and a lower branch and began to shake them. The tree flexed as Fera pulled it back and forth with a strength seemingly beyond her.

  Sara screamed as she was flung from side to side. Trex also held on for dear life, his arms and legs wrapped around the thin trunk and his eyes clamped shut.

  Fera suddenly sprang up, much higher than Sara had ever seen her jump before, to grab a higher branch – the tree whipped back viciously.

  Sara lost her grip and was flung from the trunk.

  ‘Aaaaaah!’ she screamed.

  Around one of her outstretched arms a hand closed itself. Luckily, Trex had caught onto her wrist and was just managing to hold on to the bending trunk

  ‘Don’t let go!’ screeched Sara, her one arm flailing wildly.

  Trex clenched his teeth. The top of the tree was bending dangerously and he was loosing his grip.

  ‘Let her go you idiot,’ came Fera’s voice from below. She was ready to catch her younger sister. It was still quite a drop, and Sara looked uncertainly into Trex’s eyes.

  ‘Uuuugh,’ Sara voiced.

  The top of the trunk finally snapped. Sara fell backwards as the two fell free. Trex was able to grab a larger branch on the way down, but Sara was wrenched from his hands. Sara screamed before she fell into the strong arms of her waiting sister.

  ‘Got you!’ said Fera triumphantly.

  Sara blinked a few times, still in shock.

  ‘Get down here Trex!’ yelled Fera. The older wolf placed her sister onto the ground and held her by the scruff of the neck.

  Sara squirmed in her sister’s grip while Trex slowly climbed down.

  With ears flat against his head, Trex reluctantly walked towards the older wolf.

  Fera knelt down to snatch up the two. In one fluid motion she pinned their arms against their bodies as she carried them off, one under each arm.

  Sara’s and Trex’s legs dangled free. They could only watch Fera’s thick silky black tail swish back and forth as they were carried off.

  Trex could see that Sara was angry. He could also see that bits of melon were all over Fera’s back and in her hair.

  Sara glanced at Trex. Seeing the smiling lion cub, she couldn’t help but giggle herself. Her sister’s expression had been priceless, totally worth the punishment they both knew was coming.

  Trex and Sara suddenly began to laugh together.

  ‘You two are impossible!’ Fera said in irritation.

  - CHAPTER TWO -

  From past memories to current problems

  (The tale of Trex)

  Five years had past since that day with Fera and the exploding melon. The importance of the many events that had been set in motion so long ago were yet to be realized by all, but that would change soon enough…

  Trex, for one, was enjoying the warm breeze of a lovely summer’s night. The lion
male had just entered adolescence and was still coming to grips with the many changes he had gone through in the last year or so.

  He stood alone on a grass covered hill next to a track that travelled through the deserted open farmland around him. The sounds of chirping insects from the scattered bushes and lonely trees helped him to concentrate on what he was doing.

  Breathing purposefully, the lion youth went through his balance routine in the moonlight. He shifted his weight fluidly, swinging his arms and legs slowly in the way he had done many times before.

  Trex had grown a lot in five years; he was only about a head shorter than his uncle now, though still a bit skinnier.

  He finished his lengthy routine with a calm and deep breath. Relaxing a bit, he lay down in the meadow to look up at the stars.

  The Anthro lion male still only wore short pants with a belt. To this belt was clipped a noticeable large, gold-lined, black stone-pendant. He also wore an orange sash around his right shoulder which attached to the large pendant on his belt. The unusual orange fabric somehow gave the impression it was much larger then its crumpled form would indicate.

  In the distance, Trex could make out the lights of his destination. The city of RefugeCross was just visible over the next hill, torches and fires twinkling in the distance to provide a soft orange glow to the ornate towering structures and the central palace complex.

  Lying next to Trex was the tattered book that he had been reading before it had become too dark. Trex absentmindedly flicked through the pages until he got to the cover. The title: ‘Undiscovered country’, was just visible in the moonlight. It was an adventure story about lions, wolves, war and discovery. It was the third time Trex had read it. The young male loved adventure stories. There had been little else to do on his uncle’s farm over the last few years except to work, read and train.

  Thinking about the wolves in the book, Trex’s thoughts drifted towards memories of Sara. That day the melon had exploded in Fera’s face was the last time he had seen Sara or any of her family, despite how close by they lived. He wondered what had become of her. These thoughts fell away and he placed the old book into a saddle bag, Trex had bigger concerns.

  Life was always easier in his adventure stories, the heroes didn’t have to worry about school, or training, or what to do with their lives; it all just sort of happened to them and it was clear what had to be done, Trex envied that, but his immediate world was much less clear.