The Legend Ch. 4

                                                  Chapter Four

                                                    Ambush

         Alex shook Cog harder and harder and slapped him across the face.  He could feel the air coming from the gnome’s mouth.

         “Cognuts and fizzlepuffs,” Cog said under his breath.  “One inch in diameter should do it.”  He raised his arms as if twisting a screw.  “Got it!”

         “Cog,” Alex said, “open your eyes.  You okay?”

         Cog’s eyes flew open and he stared intensely at Alex for a few minutes.  Realization washing over him, he pulled up using Alex’s arm.

         “How long have I been out?” he asked.

         “A few hours,” Alex said.  “Are you okay?”

         “Fine.  Fine,” Cog said, reaching out his miniature hand for Alex to pull him upright.  “A trans dimensional portal spell exhausts me so much, especially doing two of them almost back-to-back.”  Cog looked around.  The shadows had grown long already.  “Time grows short.”  He dusted himself off and reached into his small bag, pulling out another silver disk, this one about the size of a silver dollar.

         Now that the worry over Cog had faded, Alex stood and glanced around at this strange new world.  In the distance, he could see immense, stone walls covered in ivy.  Crumpled stones and gaping holes in the wall suggested a battle had been fought here some time back.  Through the breaches in the wall, Alex could make out huge, stepped pyramids and cobbled walkways.  The stones of these massive structures and the paths had been broken in places and eroded in others.  Long dead trees, with ivy vines hanging from their limbs, leaned to the left or right along the walkways, like ghosts of a forgotten civilization.

         “Climb aboard,” Cog said, startling Alex from his sight seeing.

         Alex turned and his eyes grew wide from what he saw.  It looked almost like an enormous silver spider, except it only had six legs.  A silver, bowl-shaped compartment contained two black, leather seats and a console hanging from the front with shiny, colored buttons.  In the center of the console, Alex saw a screen with an animated smiley face on it.  Three segmented legs, ending in sharp points, protruded from each side of the contraption.  Cog had already strapped himself inside the machine.

         “Come along,” Cog said.

         “What is this?”

         “It’s a crawler, Rex-09,” Cog said, “but he likes to be called Rex.”

         “Rex?”

         “At your service, Master Alex,” a mechanical voice whirred.  A door in the seamless compartment suddenly appeared and extended itself to the ground forming three small steps leading up to Alex’s seat.

         “It can talk?” Alex asked.

         “Of course, Master Alex,” Rex said.  “I can also hear.”

         Cog chuckled a little under his breath at his own genius.  He considered Rex to be one of his finest inventions.

         “Sorry,” Alex said, feeling a bit odd talking to a machine.  They had computers back on Earth that could talk, but none as sophisticated as this.

         “No need, Master Alex,” Rex said.  He nudged Alex forward gently with one of his legs.  “Shall we?”

         Alex climbed the steps and sat in his seat.  The door automatically sealed up behind him.  Alex started looking around for the belts Cog wore, but didn’t see them anywhere.  He was about to ask Cog about them when they suddenly shot around him and locked him into place.

         “Take us home, Rex,” Cog said.

         “Very well, Master Cog,” Rex said.  His legs started moving in perfect synchronicity, as he crawled off the grassy knoll and toward the forest below.  The ride was much smoother than Alex had expected and quite a bit faster for a machine called a crawler.

         Alex glanced over his shoulder for one last peek at the ancient ruins before Rex entered the thick, lush forest of the Valley of Shadows.

         “What were those ruins, Cog?” Alex said.

         “The Keranian ruins,” Cog said.  “Little factual information is known about the place.  Supposedly, the great city of Kera once stood there.  Some say it was ruled by cat people, but no one knows for sure.  Kera was always shrouded in mystery.  Those who dared and got close enough to explore it never returned.  What we do know for sure is the orcs destroyed it over a hundred seasons ago.  Whatever people lived there did not ask for outside help and none was volunteered.  For all we knew, the citizens of Kera might have been a worse blight on the face of Norwind than the orcs.”

         “What happened to them?” Alex asked.

         “Slaughtered, I imagine,” Cog said. “Perhaps driven into hiding.  No one knows for sure.  The orcs are a brutal race.”

         “That’s terrible.  I can’t believe no one offered to help.”

         “Alex, Norwind is unlike Earth.  I’ve studied your planet a little.  Everyone always nosing into other people’s business.  Help may be given if asked for, but we don’t make it our business to meddle in the affairs of other’s on a regular basis, especially without being asked.  People here follow the survival of the fittest philosophy more.”

         Alex understood what Cog meant, and he supposed it made some degree of sense, but still, the slaughter of an entire race disturbed him.  Yet, he didn’t know what he would or could have done had he been here during that time.  Probably nothing.

         He’d been so busy talking to Cog; he hadn’t even noticed the forest that now surrounded him.  Steep, tree-lined hills, covered in moss, encircled him.  Some of the trees had fallen and started to rot already.  Thick underbrush covered the ground, but Rex didn’t seem to have a problem trudging through it.  Off to his right, he could see a moss covered hill with a crystal blue waterfall splashing through a hole in the bank near the top.  The water cascaded down, sprinkling a clear pool with a fine white mist.  Strange bird calls echoed from the tops of the trees.  Alex occasionally heard the skittering of some small creature in the bushes, clearing out of Rex’s path.  The valley’s beauty enchanted Alex, but he still had an eerie feeling about this place.  The shadows sneakily relocated themselves at their own discretion, giving Alex the strange feeling of being watched.

         Cog noticed Alex staring all around apprehensively at the forest.  “Don’t worry,” he said.  “This place isn’t called the Valley of Shadows for nothing, but it is all illusion.  At least that’s what I think.”

         “What do other’s think?” Alex said.

         “Silly superstitions and nonsense,” Cog said.  “Weary travelers told tales of this valley and surrounding forest being the hunting grounds of the cat people of Kera.  Supposedly, they would lurk around in the tree tops snatching up unsuspecting travelers as they passed through.”

         “And you don’t believe that?”

         “Not really,” Cog said.  “Besides, the city of Kera has been destroyed for over one hundred seasons.  Any cat people who might have done that are long gone I’d guess.”

         “You’re probably right,” Alex said, relaxing a little.

         “Regardless, old Rexy will take care of you,” Cog said, patting Rex on the side.

         “Thank you, Master Cog, for your vote of confidence.”  Rex spoke for the first time since their journey had begun.

         “Yeah,” Alex said.  “I guess it’s just the shifting shadows freaking me out.  On Earth, shadows only move as the sun does.  These make me feel like I’m being watched.”

         “No abnormal life forms within our vicinity, Master Alex,” Rex said, displaying a radar type screen where his face had just been.

         Alex glanced at the screen but couldn’t really determine anything from it.  “I’ll take your word for that, Rex,” Alex said, but still the feeling of being watched lingered.

         Maybe if he could manage to take his mind off the shifting shadows around him.  “So my mother awaits us where we are going?” Alex said.

         “Where we are going is a few days journey,” Cog said.  “Tonight, hopefully, we’ll be staying in the village on the other side of this valley.”

         “But she is there at the end of our journey, right?” Alex said.

         “She is there,” Cog replied, and quickly changed the subject.  “Splendid waterfall, don’t you think?”  Cog pointed to another waterfall ahead of them.

         “Beautiful,” Alex said.  He knew Cog wasn’t telling the whole truth about his mother, but he decided not to push it for now.  After all, he didn’t really know the gnome very well yet, and he was his only guide in this strange land.

         “Cog,” Alex said, noticing for the first time he still wore his pajamas and had no shoes, “where will I get clothes here?”

         “My goodness,” Cog said.  His eyes grew larger than normal.  “I was in such a hurry to get you out of there, I completely forgot about those.  No matter.  We should be able to get you some in the village.”

         “I hope…” Alex started to say, but a loud growl behind him brought his words to an abrupt halt.  He jerked his head around and saw the most hideous creature he’d ever seen advancing quickly upon them.

         “Orcs!” Cog said.  “Initiate escape procedure!”

         Alex couldn’t divert his eyes from the fearsome beast behind him, and now that one had been joined by two more.  They were gigantic wolf-like creatures, but much bigger than any wolf Alex had ever seen.  An elephant was about the only thing Alex had ever saw he could compare to them in size.  They had shaggy black fur and glowing red eyes.  Fangs jutted out of their pointed snouts.  Alex could see the foamy saliva dripping from their mouths as they ran, and sitting upon them could only be what Cog had referred to as orcs.

         “Hold on, Alex,” Cog said, grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him around to face the front.

         A glass shield shot up over the top of the crawler, as Rex commenced escape procedure.  His legs retracted so fast they seemed to disappear.  Alex’s world turned upside down, as the sphere that was now Rex began rolling at an immense speed across the forest floor.  Rex dodged trees and rocks that stuck up from the ground.  He bounced over fallen trees that could not be avoided.

         Alex glanced around for an “oh, shit” handle like some trucks and cars had back on Earth, but he didn’t see one anywhere.  Instead, he grabbed his seat belt and held on for dear life.  The knuckles on his hands turned white from the grip.

         And still they came.  He could hear the growls of the creatures behind him growing louder despite how fast Rex moved.  Then suddenly, Rex began to slow down.

         “What’s happening?” Alex said.

         Cog shrugged.  “He must be running out of power.  He’s not meant for very long chases.”

         Before Alex could speak again, he noticed through the glass top of the crawler the huge feet of the shaggy beast galloping along beside them, as Rex turned him upside down once again.  He heard the guttural growl of the orc, and suddenly a huge dent formed in the side of the crawler.  Alex felt the crawler leave the ground and fly through the air.  It landed with a heavy thud that made Alex’s teeth rattle.  The top flew open and the seatbelts retracted.  Alex and Cog tumbled out of the tilted crawler onto the ground.

         Cog jumped to his feet and scampered toward some nearby bushes.  Before Alex could follow, the orcs surrounded him.  Alex sat on the ground, petrified with fear.  He could do nothing but stare up into their hate-filled faces.  His heart hammered within his chest and the world still spun.

         “Want da gnome?” one of the orcs said.

         “Leave him,” the larger of the orcs replied, as he climbed off his shaggy beast.  “Da boy do fine.”  The orc walked over to Alex and stood before him.  “Git up, boy.”

         Alex could see the large, spiked maul hanging at the orc’s side.  This was the one who had sent Rex spiraling out of control and obviously the leader of this hunting party.  Somehow he managed to stumble to his feet.  Standing, he barely came as high as the orc’s waist.

         “So tiny,” the orc who had spoken first said, “barely a bite.”

         The orc standing in front of Alex let out a bellowing growl that rang off the surrounding hills of the valley.  “Gruk, want him living.”  He reached down and picked Alex up by his neck as though he weighed no more than a feather.

         Alex could smell the orc’s foul, hot breath.  Rotten eggs mixed with fresh horse manure were the closest comparison his mind could make to the stench.  The orc’s grip threatened to crush his throat.  Alex turned his head the best he could from the stench, and out of the corner of his eye he saw a shadow drop down from the tree tops.

         “Drop the boy,” a sensual, yet demanding, female voice said.

         The orc turned with Alex, his bare feet dangling, still in his grip.  Alex couldn’t believe what he saw.  The cat people did exist.

                A young woman, with the head of a lioness, stood facing the orcs.  She appeared svelte, yet athletic, but small in comparison to the orcs.  Her eyes were large, round, and golden.  Her body covered with warm, light, short, brown fur.  Short whiskers extended from her lion-shaped nose.  Brindled black stripes covered her arms, shoulders, back, legs and feet.  A silver, chain mail halter fit snuggly around her ample breasts.  A short skirt, made of the same material, wrapped around her waist.  Chain mail cuffs covered all of her forearms and shins.  She wore no boots, gloves or helmet.  However, a brown, cloth hood and cape hung down her back almost to the ground.  From the top of this hood, Alex could see a quiver full of arrows sticking out.  A sapphire pendant hung around her slender neck.

                The orc, who still held Alex, took a step toward her and tossed Alex like a rag doll to one of the still mounted orcs.  He pulled his spiked maul loose from his belt.

                “Hold boy,” he said.  “I kill kitty.”

                The orc swung the heavy maul at the cat woman, but she moved too fast for him.  She ducked under the swing and turned a flip through his legs.  Before the orc could turn, she had up righted herself and pulled the fourteen inch, ornate sais from where they hung at her hips.  The orc growled in frustration and turned to strike again, but before he could, the sais punctured his thick throat three times in a matter of seconds.  Blood, as thick as syrup, oozed from his wounds.  The cat woman didn’t wait.  She jumped into the air, spinning, and kicked him square in the face.  The orc stumbled backwards, life fading from his eyes.  His maul fell to the ground, and he quickly followed.

                The mounted orcs looked at their fallen comrade and then each other.  Their mission had been to capture the boy, not to kill this crazy woman, and they had him.  They kicked their mounts in the side and darted away; the rider-less mount followed behind them.

              The cat woman snatched her bow from her back and notched an arrow.  It sailed true, forming an arc, heading for the orc who carried Alex.  A few errant strands of failing sunlight, that managed to seep in through the thick foliage of the tree tops, lit the arrow up before it sank into the back of the orcs head.  The sharp, triangular tip of the arrow burst forth from the middle of the orc’s wide forehead, spraying bone chips onto Alex’s hair.  The orc lost his grip on Alex and toppled off the back of the beast.  Alex lost his balance and fell right behind him.  He rolled a couple times on a soft bed of moss before coming to a stop.  After regaining his balance, Alex climbed to his feet and knees, but a foreboding growl stopped him.  He looked up and saw the snarling mouth of the beast he’d tumbled off of only inches from his face.  Alex leaped back from the beast.  Before the creature could charge him, a rain of arrows landed between them.  The fiend raised its head and growled at the approaching cat woman.  It turned back to Alex for one last look before pursuing the one remaining orc, who had decided fleeing was better than dying.

              “Are you alright?” the woman said, as she kneeled and pulled her arrows from the ground.

              Alex nodded, checking his body for wounds.  All he found were bruises and a few scrapes.  Nothing major.  His throat ached from the orc’s grip on him though.

              “Who are you?” Alex said, finally climbing to his feet.

              “Princess Katarina,” the woman said, bowing a little to Alex.  “You may call me Kat.  And you?”

              “Alex.”

              “Why were the orcs after you?” Kat said.

              “I don’t know.”

              “I heard one of the orcs say Gruk wanted you,” Kat said.  “If Chief Gruk wants you, you must be pretty important.”

              Alex started to respond, but Cog appeared out of no where with his dagger drawn.

              “Get away from him,” Cog said.

              “Cog,” Alex said, “put that away.  She saved me.”

              “She can’t be trusted,” Cog said and stabbed his small dagger toward Kat.
Kat grabbed his wrist, forced him to drop the dagger, and flipped him on his back before Cog knew what had happened.

              “That’s enough from you,” she said.  “If I had wanted either of you dead, you would have been long ago.  I’ve been following you since you left Kera.”

              Alex helped Cog to his feet.  Cog grumbled under his breath, none too happy.

              “What do you want?” Cog said.

              “The question is what do the orcs want with this boy?” Kat said.

              “None of your business,” Cog said, and snatched his dagger up from the ground.  Kat watched him cautiously, but he slid the dagger back into this boot.  “Come, Alex, let’s get Rex back on his feet and get out of here.”

              “I’m sorry about my friend,” Alex said to Kat, and followed along behind him.  He looked over his shoulder and saw Kat coming too.

              Cog climbed all over the crawler inspecting it and mumbling under his breath.  After a few moments, he glanced up and saw Kat standing beside Alex.

              “What are you doing still here?” he said.  “I’m his escort.  I can protect him.”

              “You almost let him die,” Kat said.

              “I was looking in my bag for a means of rescuing him,” Cog said.

              “If the orcs attack again, it will take more than a bag of tricks to protect either of you.”

              “Humph.”  Cog snorted.

              “I will escort both of you,” Kat said, looking at Alex, “if you wish.  Anyone wanted as much by the orcs as you appear to be is a friend of mine.”

              “I’d like that,” Alex said.

              “Out of the question,” Cog said.  He grabbed some silver discs from a compartment in the back of the crawler and dropped them into his bag.  Then he jumped down from the crawler and grabbed Alex by the hand.  “We walk.  This thing can’t be fixed without the proper tools.”  He pulled on Alex but Alex didn’t budge.  “What’s wrong?”

              “Kat is coming with us if she will,” Alex said, looking at Kat.

              Cog took a step closer to Alex and lowered his voice.  “Alex, we don’t know her.  We can’t trust her.”

              “She saved my life,” Alex said, not bothering to lower his voice.  “I trust her.”

              Cog shook his head and finally relented.  “Very well, but I got my eyes on you,” he said, pointing his stubby finger at Kat.

              “And I you,” Kat said.

              Alex hoped these two became friends or this would be a long journey indeed.  They started walking, but Kat stopped them.

              “Walking will take forever to get to the village,” Kat said.  “I can speed things up.”

              “How?” Alex said.

              Kat squatted on the ground and leaped into the air.  Before she landed, she had transformed into a saber tooth; almost, but not quite, as huge as the beasts the orcs rode.

              “Climb on,” she said, lowering her body to the ground.

              Alex straddled her and reached down a hand for Cog.

              “No way,” Cog said, “am I going to ride that.”

              “It’s faster than walking,” Alex said.

              “Not going to happen,” Cog said, crossing his arms across his chest.  He resembled a stubborn toddler to Alex.

              “We don’t have time for this, Alex,” Kat said.

              He knew she was right.  He didn’t want to be here if the orcs returned, regardless of how well she could fight.  Grabbing Cog by the arm, he lifted him onto her back.

              “Unhand me,” Cog said.

              Alex sat Cog behind him and let him go.  Before Cog could jump off of her, Kat said, “Hang on!” and leaped into the air.  Cog grabbed Alex’s waist and held on for dear life, as they streaked through the forest.  Alex could hear him grumbling under his breath, and a grin spread across his face.

              After a few moments, Cog became more comfortable with Kat’s loping rhythm.  He relaxed his hold on Alex, and reached one hand into the tiny bag at his side.  He pulled out a disc and let it drop to the ground.

              Shortly after Kat and her riders disappeared from sight, the disc opened up into the shape of a metallic mosquito.  Its hard, plastic wings became a blur, as it lifted itself from the ground.  After inspecting both of the fallen orcs, it gained altitude until it flew above the forest.  Pointing its needlelike mouth toward the Barren Desert, it zoomed away.