Chapter 6.
The battle, if you could call it that, hadn’t lasted more than a few minutes. By the time Chief had finished with his simian father, the sounds of the slaughter were beginning to fade as it moved farther away from the clearing.
As the Tal began their charge across the clearing, most of the simians turned and fled in panic. The few who stood their ground were quickly knocked down.
Many fled into the trees where they were momentarily safe. A few climbed high into the thin branches. Some of them fell when the branches snapped under their weight. The few who survived the fall were quickly pounced upon and died quickly.
But a few held on. The Tal tried following into the heights. But, owing to their size and lack of dexterity they soon gave up and descended to the ground. Those who remained on the ground fought bravely unarmed, but were no match for the wild raving Tal who smashed everything in their path. During the frenzy even a few Tal fell under the onslaught of their brethren.
By the time the sun broke the horizon, the slaughter was over. A few survivors in the trees continued clinging precariously to their perches, afraid to descend, lest they be discovered.
Below them, the Tal milled about aimlessly, waiting for their leader to arrive and tell them what to do next.
Chief finally arrived, carrying his staff in one hand, and a battered head in another. Triumphantly he tossed the head onto the ground in front of him for all to see.
“We are Tal! We are STRONG! This place is OURS now. We do as we please. There are none to stop us! We will. . . .”
A crack of thunder interrupted him in mid-sentence. Within moments rain began to pour, soaking everything. Very quickly he and the others lost interest in anything other than seeking shelter from the torrent.