Lightning Strikes!

by skytearer

"Yah!" SkyTearer, my Shadowed Shoyru, slammed feet-first into the wall. I stared at him.

"What the HECK are you DOING?!" I asked.

He grinned at me innocently. "Wolfstar and I are doing karate for the Battledome Tournament!"

I looked over, and saw Wolfstar, his Stone Lupe brother, pounding away at ANOTHER wall. OK, maybe I'd better back up. I'm Rachel. You may've known me from a different Battledome tale. I'd gone against Akachukman with my Zafara, Dannarath, SkyTearer, who you already know, Kaaliatarq, a Peophin, and Laurreal, an Aisha. Both Laurreal and Kaaliatarq now belong to a different owner. I now have Danna, Sky, Wolfstar, and Jafessakna, a Skunk Lupe, who is very stubborn by the way. VERY.

"MOOOOOOOM!!" Jafess yelled. Her yellow eyes were furious.

"What? Keep your voice down, Dannarath's asleep!" I snapped.

"Sky and Wolf won't stop banging the wall! I can't hear A Cybunny Tale!" She whined. I moaned.

"OK, OK. Sky, Wolf, keep it down, Jafess can't hear the telev--" I stopped. SkyTearer and Wolfstar were gone!

***

"Okay, take it easy, Mom!" Dannarath said in alarm. Her purple coat gleamed as she looked up at me.

"They can't have gone far!" I looked up, horror dawning on my face. "Horkba."

The girls reacted instantly. "MOM! Horkba's imaginary!" They were referring to an ancient god, a creature of storms and fury.

"No." I gestured outside. A violent thunderstorm raged there, snapping trees in half like they were toothpicks. CCCHIRKK! Lightning struck! Bare inches beyond the window where I watched, a burnt and blackened patch of ground lay. And beneath that ground, was a tunnel. With a scrap of stone-colored fur, caught on a root. Wolfstar's fur.

"I'm going out there," I announced, pulling on my jacket.

"MOTHER!!" They screamed in unison.

"NO!" I glared at them.

"I'm going, and that's that. But one of you can come." The girls looked at each other reassuringly. Danna sighed.

"Jafessakna'd better go. She can see in the dark. I can't."

I smiled slightly, and hugged the Zafara. "That's very grown up of you."

Then, Jafessakna and I stepped outside, into the tunnel. It was dark in there. Very dark. I was extremely glad that Jafess had a Magic Torch ability. But, a few moments later..

"Oh, no!" It was Jafess.

"What is it?" She pointed. Before us was a fork in the tunnel. I winced.

"Jafess, you go left, I'll go right, OK?"

The Lupe nodded, and handed me the torch. She herself activated her Night Vision ability.

"Bye, Mom."

We split up. It turns out I'd taken the correct tunnel division. And I wished I hadn't. Before me was a pagan scene: a blazing fire, an iron cauldron, and, worse, much worse, Sky and Wolf. They were unconscious, suspended over the pot. A coconut-man held a knife, ready to slice the rope and send them into the boiling water. Three others with long spears lounged nearby. Another coconut was chanting.

"Oh Pango-Pango, oh Horkba strong, take this offering, this sacrifice, and calm this wild storm! Oh Pango-Pango, oh Horkba strong..."

I got fed up REAL fast. "Shut it, you coconut-creature!" I yelled, stepping into the room. It turned to me, empty eyes angry, mouth grinning.

"Oh, Pango-Pango, oh Horkba, what shall we do with this intruder?" It yodeled to the cavern ceiling. A deep, stormy voice sounded, from somewhere nearby. "Finish it." "YAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" The three coconuts lunged at me, their spears low. I had NO clue what to do...then I remembered Wolf and Sky, practicing their karate. Perfect! I attacked! WHAM! One coconut was down, the image of a fist plastered onto its face. The other coconuts shrilled their rage, and charged again! I swiftly vaulted away from their spears, and balanced, poised, ready...THUNK! I threw the fallen coconut-man's spear pointblank at one of the creatures. He fell, clutching his chest. (Do they even HAVE chests?! Oh, well.)

The remaining nut-head roared furiously. But I didn't hear him. "Drop the sacrifices! DROP THE SACRIFICES!!" The priest-coconut yelled. The one with the knife obeyed, and SkyTearer and Wolfstar were falling, straight for the water... "Gotcha!" Jafessakna! She leapt over the fire, and cauldron, and grabbed her brothers. For a moment I wondered how she'd cleared the danger so easily...then I noticed that the coconut-priest was down, and a muddy paw-print was on the top of his head.

"Grr!" Jafess snarled at the remaining two coconuts -- the one that'd been attacking me, and the knife-wielder. She lunged, and the knife-holder was knocked unconscious, a result of her heavy wolf-like paw smashing into his head. I followed her example, and the last coconut was down. I lifted Wolfstar onto my shoulder.

"Grab SkyTearer, wouldja?" The Lupe nodded, and grabbed the Shoyru. But, a moment later-- "There they are! Get them!" At least 25 more coconuts poured into the room! And then... And then I woke up.

"Mom!" SkyTearer was whacking me, trying to wake me up while I was sleeping.

"Get up! It's time for my karate lessons!"

The End