“What are you doing?” Derek cried. “I gave you my word.”
“Your word means nothing to me. You came in to my home and put my family in danger…No one messes with my family!” He bellowed.
“But I…”
He found it hard to utter another single word as he watched the barbaric mutilation of his entire pack. None of them having the chance to fight back, as their will to live was stripped from them. He quickly took to the hills before he too met the same fate. Zafeen watched him as he made a poor attempt at escape.
“Fetch!” He commanded the stallions.
They took to their heels and ran after him. As fast as he was, he was no match for the uncastrated and untamed bull fighting horses of the west. They smashed into him from both sides and ramming him against each other. They then delivered one spear to his torso that knocked him down. They dragged him by his mane and dropped him next to Zafeen. He moaned and grunted as the pain sank into his subconscious.
“Finish him!” He dictated.
He then walked away and left the triceratopses to their work. They all ganged up on him. He screamed out in excruciating pain as his life slowly washed away. Zafeen had finally found peace. He sighed and took in a fresh breath of vengeance. His aching heart could now rest.
Chapter 13: Memorial.
Every single prey gathered around the stonehenge. Deers, antelopes, zebras, buffalos, doves, rabbits, hares and many more filled the entire field. All respected elders, their families, and close friends were inside the stonehenge. In front of them laid Mel’s body on a wooden pedestal. Large dried up spade-shaped leaves embroidered it. With her eyes shut, she peacefully laid to rest. In front of that massive crowd stood Kart, Jayd and Mel’s parents. Side by side, they looked up at the sweet and innocent Mel, as chatter ran through that entire gathering.
“Mum? Where’s dad?” He asked.
“I don’t know sweetheart.” She wondered.
The crowd jibber-jabbered as time went by. They all waited for Zafeen before they could start the service. The elders however grew weary. The night would soon go into its darkest hour and some of them had a long way back. They just couldn’t stick around until midnight. One of the elders, an owl, flew across the stonehenge and landed in front of Kart. She kept shifting her eyes hoping to spot her spouse make his appearance. She noticed him flap his wings and right away dove her attention to him.
“Hello there Mr Weal! Nice to see you.” She greeted.
“Hello Mrs Kart. Nice to see you too.” He replied.
“How’s the family?”
“Same as usual. You?”
“Never better. What can I do for you today?”
“The elders and I were wondering where Zafeen was. Some of us need to get back home as soon as possible.”
“Am sorry. He’ll be here soon.”
“He does know that we can’t start the service without him, right?”
“Of course he does.”
Suddenly, the crowd’s whispers got louder. They all cheered and separated, leaving a clear path to the front. In the midst of all that arousal, Zafeen made his way through them.
“There he is now.” She acknowledged.
He smiled as he greeted and bowed his head along the way. Jayd’s heart lifted up as soon as he spotted him.
“Hey hon,” he said.
“Where have you been? Everyone’s been waiting for you.”
“I was caught up,” he assured her and turned his attention to Jayd, “How’re you doing son?”
“Am fine dad.”
“Hello Mr Weal. Fancy seeing you here.” He noticed him.
“I couldn’t miss this for the world.”
“Let’s get to it then. You’ve all been waiting long enough.”
Mr Weal flew back to his seat as Zafeen got on stage and stood beside the pedestal. He glanced at Mel’s body and sighed. In his mind, he whispered a few words to her lifeless body. He hoped that wherever she is, she would find closure.
“Don’t worry little girl, your death has been avenged. You may now rest your soul and find peace in their deaths.”
He then turned to the silent crowd. They all sat back and officially waited for him to begin the memorial service.
“Hello fellow prey mates,” he began. His voice echoed throughout that entire crowd, bouncing back and forth off the stonehenge walls. “Am sorry for being late. I know you must all be tired and anxious to get back home, so I won’t waste another minute of your time. This indeed is a sad day for all of us. Not only has a family lost their daughter, but we’ve also lost one of our own. Am sorry, I failed you all.”
They all bowed their heads in honour of the fallen, and for one whole minute, not even a scratch was heard. The wind swayed through the distant trees and made its way through the crowd. It brushed through their fur and eased their warm-blooded hearts. Zafeen looked down and saw his son shed a tear in her memory. He gazed down at Mel’s parents, who grieved and mourned in peace, before inviting them onto the stage. They made their way to their daughter and stood beside her. They glanced at her body and Mel’s mum broke down in tears. Her spouse supported her and comforted her. She was in no condition to speak. Instead, Mel’s dad came forward and spoke on her behalf.
“Thank you all for coming to my daughter’s memorial,” he began, “My wife and I are sad that we lost her, but we feel better knowing that she’s in a better place looking down on us. Don’t we?” He looked back at his wife, who sobbed and wiped her tears away. He then stared up at the heavens and said, “Mel, my sweet dear Mel, may you take care of us all.” His wife came to his side and together they got back to their seats.
“Mr Prime?” Zafeen called out. “Would you do the honours?”
From the corner, an old and wise ape made his way to the pedestal. The colour on his fur had faded to white, and so was his beard. In his hands, he held two grey stones. Zafeen helped him up the stage and close to the pedestal. Everyone patiently watched as the wise elder astonished their unbelieving eyes. He raised his arms and chanted to the heavens. With a click of a sound, he hit and rubbed both surface of the stones against each other. This let out a small spark that lit the wooden pedestal. The entire crowd gazed at the wondrous display that laid before them. Zafeen took hold of Mr Prime and they stepped back from the burning pedestal. In the form of a holy smoke, the fire burned its way through Mel’s body and carried her to the sky. It burned through her fur, skin, and bones until there was nothing left. Mesmerized, Jayd continuously gazed into the flames as images of Mel clouded his mind.
Everyone left as the midnight hour approached. Jayd however still sat in front of the flames as they shimmered their light on the earth’s surface. The pedestal was now nothing more but a pile of ash blowing away into the wind. The dark silent night crept in and the clouds parted the sky into a pale blue horizon. He looked up and gazed at the moon. Its majestic form mesmerized him as it shone its pure light down on him. He took a deep breath of the cold air and closed his eyes. He drowned out everything around him. At that moment, it was all about him and only him. He had no concern for the rest of the world. Zafeen and Kart stood far behind him and looked on. They gave him the space he needed to drown out his grief.
Chapter 14: Flashback.
Later than night, Zafeen and his family laid deep asleep in their cave. They had had such a long night and needed all the rest they could get. They all drifted away into their dream worlds and their minds revealed to them their deepest secrets. Zafeen’s dream however was more interesting. You could tell by how restless he laid that he didn’t agree with his mind’s revelation. He mumbled unfamiliar jargons, his eyes twitched and his face turned gruesome. In his mind, the images continuously played out in their chronological order.
At Lake Guilderm, the antelopes, wildebeests, deers, and giraffes surrounded the entire lakeshore. They lapped their tongues full of its refreshing supply and quenched their thirst from the drought. The touch o
f its silky smooth wet surface inside their diastematic jaws was enough to cool down the heat of the sun. They all took turns at it after their long and excruciating migration.
“Zafeen!” a buck shouted.
“What is it Varn?” the stag replied.
“Come check this out!”
He walked over to the end of the shore, where the forest began. Varn stood at the edge and stared at the ground. The sight of rotting flesh disgusted him. It stinked up the place, as flies buzzed around it like a once in a lifetime feast.
“Looks like one of our own,” said Varn.
“What did you expect? This is the only water source for miles. Of course predators will try to take advantage of that. Hunt us when we are most vulnerable.” Zafeen replied.
“Looks like he put up a fight.”
“Just not enough.”
“Yeah.”
“We need to be vigilant. They could be anywhere.”
Hiding behind the trees, the predators preyed on the poor defenceless creatures. They patiently waited and held back any desires or misguided thoughts that would jeopardize their mission. They had but one goal and one goal only; feed. Even though they were outnumbered, they were confident that a team of sabre-toothed tigers, coyotes, and jaguars would get the job done.
“What’s our strategy out there Edgar?” A sabre-toothed tiger asked, as he looked at the jaguar standing right beside him.
“What do you think Saber? Same as usual. We kill ‘em all.” He growled.
“I seem to recall that turning out bad last time.”
“That’s because we weren’t prepared. This time however, we are ready for ‘em.”
“Seriously Edgar, we need to think this through.”
A coyote stepped up to the front and stood beside Edgar and Saber. He waved his smile around.
“Looks like the big guy is worried again,” he whispered, “It’s always the same with you Saber. You wanna feed and yet you refuse to do what’s necessary. We are predators, it’s in our nature. Get used to it.”
“Am not against the whole killing thing Hunter, I just don’t agree with our methods. It seems too extreme.”
“That’s enough out of you Saber. We do what we do to survive, got it? If you don’t like what we do, you could always leave. But if you choose to stay, then I suggest you shut the hell up and do what you’re told.”
At the lake, Zafeen and Varn kept watch while the others rested before moving on to greener pastures. They laid asleep on the shore as the kids played nearby. Suddenly, it got quiet and the kids vanished. Zafeen and Varn looked around and couldn’t spot either one of them.
“Where did they go?” Zafeen worried.
“I don’t know. They were just here a moment ago.”
“Something’s wrong.”
He focused all his senses in every direction he turned and couldn’t even hear the wind. The lake’s waterfall now flowed smoothly. Even the chirping birds had turned to a life of silence.
“Varn, wake the others. We need to leave.” Zafeen cautiously whispered to him. “Now.”
“What about the kids? We can’t just leave them here.”
“We don’t have time for that. We’ll come back for them later.”
“They’ll be dead by the time we get back.”
“Varn! Unless you wanna end up like them, I suggest you get everyone the heck out of here.”
Varn hurriedly ran and nudged them up. All of a sudden, the predators came charging in on all fours and the preys made a run for it. They sprinted from all corners and pounced at every prey they spotted. They strategically separated the weak from the herd as the preys misguidedly ran in every direction. Their fear apparently led the way. Their hearts furiously bit against their chests and the adrenaline rushed through. This made them run even faster than they ever could. They barely escaped unscathed as Zafeen and Varn safely guided them out. Suddenly, Zafeen froze when he abruptly heard a familiar voice.
“Zafeen! Snap out of it!” Varn yelled a few hooves away. “We gotta go!”
He drowned out every hindrance until he could only hear one voice. This took him back to a memory he had sworn never to revisit. Back when he was just a young orphan fawn who had lost his parents. The only thing that kept him going was the sound of his one true enemy. That moment when he challenged his father at the umbrella tree. He could still hear his voice loud and clear as he unleashed his beasts onto them. The thought of finally ending his tyranny and silencing him forever was very pleasing to his uneasy mind. The thought of finally wiping that stupid ignorant smug off his face was all he ever desired. The opportunity now stood right before him as the fog cleared up and the dust settled. He finally saw his marred face. The sun’s laser rays shimmered in his eyes and reflected straight to his heart like a sniper rifle.
“Kill ‘em! Kill ‘em all!” Edgar commanded.
Zafeen watched as his own kind bled dry. He slowly walked towards them and let his anger seize control. However, Varn immediately jumped right in front of him and blocked his path.
“Are you insane? What are you doing?” He wondered.
“Get out of my way Varn!” He commanded.
“I can’t let you do this. It’s suicide and you know it.”
“I need to do this Varn! I really need to do this!”
“Then let’s do it right brother. Let them have this one.”
His persistence finally paid off. He managed to calm him down and together they retreated to the outbacks of the plains.
“You see that! That’s what am talking about!” Edgar boasted. “Eat up boys, you earned it.”
They sank their sharp carnassial teeth into the flesh and tore it up into pieces before finally devouring it. They dug deep into that venison, not even sparing a single slice for the greedy hyenas who might pass by. However, Saber didn’t seem too thrilled about it. His mind was so troubled that he ate without haste. Hunter noticed his sudden shift in behaviour and informed Edgar. He had already joined the rest when he walked up to him, irritated by his weak-minded heart.
“What’s wrong now? Don’t have the heart to even eat what’s already dead, or did you suddenly become a vegetarian?” He taunted while everyone laughed.
“Mock me all you want Edgar but someday someone will shut that pie hole of yours.”
“What did you say?”
“You heard me.”
Saber stood up and met his gaze. Hunter rapidly sprinted over and stood in the middle of them.
“Come on guys. We’re all friends here.” He intervened.
Saber was so sick to his stomach at the mere sight of Edgar that he turned around and walked away.
“Yeah, that’s right! You better run!” Edgar cowardly shouted.
“Come on Edgar,” Hunter insisted.
“You’re so full of it Edgar, you know that?” Saber abruptly spoke out. He then turned back around and faced them. “You were so caught up in your own ego that you never noticed the deer staring you down.”
“What are you talking about?” Edgar asked.
“The stag that stood watch and warned the others…”
“So…What about him?”
“He stayed back when everyone fled and kept glaring at you. He almost came right at us.”
“What’s one puny deer like him going to do against a mighty pack like us. He wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Yeah.” Hunter agreed.
“Maybe but he might still prove to be a problem.”
“If you’re so worried about it, why don’t you take care of it.”
He then turned his attention to the slowly decaying carcass.
The sun set in the outskirts of the plains region. The antelopes gathered before a raised rock in an open field, where both Zafeen and Varn stood. They had a complete view of the entire herd. Silence enveloped the place.
“We need to do something about these predators.” Zafeen addresses them.
“Who said we have to do anything about it?” An anonymou
s antelope shouted, letting his voice be heard.
“What would you rather do? Sit back and do nothing?”
“That’s how things have always been! It’s nature!” Another anonymous antelope joined in.
“Then let’s teach nature a few lessons of our own! Let’s show it that we won’t just sit by and be wiped out of existence! Let’s prove that we’re not the weak links anymore!” He preached.
They all stared at him with disapproving looks. None of them agreed to any of his crazy suggestions. In fact, they saw him as rather foolish for even thinking of messing around with the forces of nature. They had never thought of retaliating before, and why would they? To them, fighting back was only just a false belief placed in their minds by mother nature. She would then take them down and laugh in their faces.
“Why should we listen to you? You’re not even one of us.”
“Come on everyone,” Varn defended him, “He’s much more one of us than any of you. My parents left us both in charge. He’s authority is no different from mine.”
“He can go and lead his own kind then. We don’t want him here.”
They all shunned him and walked away. Zafeen and Varn stepped down and watched them disappear into the horizon.
The new day dawned as Zafeen laid sleepless in his cave. His mind continuously revealed to him the beast in his life in vivid colours. It didn’t even spare a single chance for him to get any shuteye. The image hunted him all through the night and rage took over his entire sense of being. However, that wasn’t the case for Varn. He slept soundly, and worked up quite a snore storm all night. He was peaceful and at ease with himself. He had no worry in his heart. The sun now pierced its rays from the farthest east corner and lit up even the darkest parts. The moon was partly visible in the sky, but as the sun rose, it vanished into space.
Suddenly, Zafeen heard a loud ruckus heading their way. From the sound of it, it seemed to be a large crowd debating amongst each other. He quickly got up and woke Varn up. He reluctantly opened his eyes and longingly yawned, filling the entire cave with his disgusting morning breath. He got up and stretched out every muscle in his body. He staggered over to Zafeen with his eyes still drowsy, and sat beside him outside the cave.
“Whaaa…aaat’s…gooo…ing…ooon?” He continuously yawned after every syllable and word he pronounced.