Читать книгу The Band - PJ Shay - Страница 10

With the simple funeral concluded, Reverend Damios turned to Matakh and Meea. “So what will you two do now? I know you don’t have any other living relatives beyond your grandmother, and seeing as how she’s in a home that’s hardly an option. So will you seek out friends, or head to one of the shelters?” He gestured to the ruins of their home. “You know you can’t stay here.”

Matakh sighed. “I know, but we never really planned for something like this. I’m still reeling to catch up with everything. I’m not sure any of our friends would be in a position to take us in after all of this.”

Damios nodded. “I understand. In that case, I’d suggest heading to the Thornpeal Building. A shelter has already been established there for those who have lost their homes, and I’m actually one of the board members.”

“That’s where we’re staying, too,” Timirza offered. “We could at least have each other.”

“Either way,” Damios continued, “it’s definitely unwise for you to remain here, and I’d hate to see you out on the street. You should gather what belongings you can carry and get to the shelter as quickly as you can.”

He shook his head and looked towards the skyline of Tuthana. While it had once been among the most beautiful cities in the S’Herrin Territory, now the sky was clogged with smoke from countless fires, and the wailing of emergency sirens hung heavy in the air. “I fear that we are soon to see darker days than this. Distrust is taking hold of many people. Already those of different races have begun to doubt the intentions of others, even their closest friends.”

“But if we can’t trust our friends, who can we trust?” Meea interjected.

Damios gave a weary smile. “We must trust in the Lord, and in those we feel have earned our faith. Hold tightly to your friends, for only with unity will you be able to weather the storm of this war.”

The Reverend walked over and retrieved his hat from a nearby fencepost where he had hung it. Dusting it off and placing it on his head, he turned to the children. “Now I must be off. There are many more in need of aid, and in need of prayer. I hope we meet again. Farewell.” With that, he opened the door to his car, which had been hovering at the street’s edge, and drove out of sight.

When the car had disappeared, Meea turned to face her brother. “So are we going to head to the shelter?”

Matakh sighed and looked over the ruins of their once-beautiful home. “Well, it doesn’t really look like we have a choice. We’ll need to see if we can salvage anything useful, though. Clothes for one thing, and also materials to repair them. Fabric, thread, needles, you know.”

“And some emergency kits,” Meea added. “We have several that are unused. But what about things of sentimental value?”

Matakh smiled. “Remember that jumagium container Mom and Dad purchased several years ago? They said they were going to put some of their old things inside of it one day and bury it somewhere for people to find in the future, a time capsule. I think it’s time we used it.”

Meea grinned back. “You’re right! As hard as jumagium is, it’ll be able to withstand things like bomb explosions. And when this whole mess is over, we can just come back here and dig it up again!”

Excited at the prospect of preserving at least some possessions of value, the two lions raced towards the stairwell, Shartha and Timirza close behind them. Meea reached it first, clearing the first several steps in a single leap. But just as she prepared to spring again she heard an ominous groan, a tremor running through the boards beneath her feet.

“It’s collapsing!” Matakh yelped, jerking himself backwards from the step he had been about to take. “Meea!”

The lioness didn’t respond, bracing herself against the railing and tensing her arms before launching herself forward again. The board she had been standing on snapped as she pushed off, and within moments the remaining stairs had begun to fall like dominoes. Fortunately the push-off had given Meea enough of a head start, and she made it to the safety of the upper floor just as the final pieces fell away.

“Well, we won’t be getting up that way,” Matakh observed, nudging a board with his toe. He looked up at his sister. “Any ideas?”

She nodded. “I’ll get the emergency ladder in my room and feed it through my window. If you head out back, the rest of you should be able to climb in.” She turned and darted into her room, a cloud of dust rising behind her footfalls.

Matakh and the cheetahs made their way to the rear sliding door of the house, stepping through the openings left by the shattered glass panels. They were just in time to see a rope ladder tumble down from Meea’s window. Timirza quickly scrambled up the rungs and slipped through the opening, followed closely by Matakh and Shartha. The boys had a more challenging time, as their larger frames were harder to squeeze through, but they managed it in the end.

As he looked around, Matakh was a bit surprised. Despite the fact that just meters away the front of the house was all but destroyed, Meea’s room was virtually untouched. The force of the explosion had shaken things up, and several of her more fragile possessions had broken, but otherwise there was no sign that anything at all had happened. He could already see that his sister had recovered her data pad, which had been knocked into a cluster of stuffed animals, and from the looks of things they would be able to salvage a good deal more.

“You really were blessed,” he told her as she tucked her data pad away into its travel bag.

“Definitely.” She reached over to retrieve her E-Z Comm, which had somehow remained in its charge port. “Timirza and I can handle getting my things packed up if you and Shar want to check out your room.”

Matakh nodded and stepped towards the door, motioning for Shartha to follow. Upon stepping outside, he was struck by the stark contrast between the cheeriness of Meea’s room and the foreboding gloom of the hallway. The door to his room was only a few steps down, black scorch marks blazing across the surface like massive scars. Taking a deep breath, he put his hand to the knob, twisted, and pushed.

Instantly, he was assaulted with the harsh scent of stale smoke, a faint haze billowing out to meet him. Flecks of ash and soot drifted through the gap, some settling onto his jacket like ticks, while others tried to find their way past the hand he had clapped over his muzzle. A horrible sinking feeling settled into his gut, and he shoved his door the rest of the way, the wood of the door frame splintering with the force. What met his eyes within was not the place of comfort that he remembered, but a scorched and tangled ruin. Charred clumps of drywall and plaster coated the floor, intermixed with stone fragments- all that remained of the fountain panel he had worked so hard to save up for. A fallen rafter had obliterated his desk, crushing it in half, and what remained was scorched almost beyond recognition. His bed had fared no better; the mattress had been incinerated, and the frame had been reduced to charcoal and lumps of molten metal. Not even his treasure chest had survived, the hardwood box now no more than a twisted ruin, its contents utterly destroyed.

A crushing weight fell on Matakh’s shoulders, and he fell to his knees in shock. It was insult to injury; not only had he lost his parents, but now everything that he had ever owned, all the reminders of better times. Tears began to leak from his eyes once more, but amidst the grief was a flash of rage, anger at the injustice of it all. He felt Shartha lay a comforting hand on his shoulder, but it did little to ease his mind.

A growl ripped from his throat, and he slammed his hand against the floor, only to feel a sharp spike of pain in his palm. He winced and pulled back, hissing in pain and frustration as he cradled his hand. But as he glared down at the floor, his eyes suddenly caught a faint metallic gleam amidst the dust. Curious, he swept his hand over the ground, blowing gently to dispel the cloud that rose up. What he saw made his heart leap with joy. It was a picture case that his mother had given him, one which held a photograph of his family that they had taken a few summers ago.

As he lifted the case up with reverence, he felt a brief flash of worry. What if the picture inside had been destroyed? But as he opened the lid, he was met with the smiling faces of his parents. The caprium alloy, famed for its resistance, had held, and the photograph within was undamaged. A giddy laugh escaped his lips as he pressed the case to his chest, giving a silent prayer of thanks for the small but bright light of happiness that now burned in his heart.

Shartha patted his shoulder. “That’s great that you still have that photo,” he said. “I’m happy for you, man.”

Matakh nodded and tucked the case into his pocket before turning to the wreckage of his room. “I guess we should see if anything else managed to survive this.” Shartha nodded, and the two began to search. It was far from easy; a layer of soot had settled onto virtually every surface like a dark grey blanket, and trying to brush it away soon proved a risky task. Shards of glass and ceramic were scattered throughout the mess, and within minutes their hands were riddled with cuts, crimson blood mixing with the dust to form a muddy brown grime that seeped into their fur. They would need to clean the wounds later on, they knew, but for the moment they simply wiped their hands off on their clothes and soldiered on.

Their work was not in vain. Shartha managed to recover Matakh’s data pad from within the ruins of the lion’s bed, and to their relief it had escaped with only a few slight scratches. His E-Z Comm was similarly undamaged, and Matakh quickly tucked it into his pocket. But the true surprise came when Shartha began sifting through his friend’s ruined desk. As the cheetah let a handful of ash slip through his fingers, he saw a flash of silver, one which he quickly realized was a coin.

“Hey Mat!” the cheetah called. “Come look at this!” He held the treasure up for the lion’s inspection. As the dim light of the room flashed across the coin’s lustrous surface, Matakh gasped in amazement.

“I-I don’t believe it. It’s the Centennial Anniversary of Peace Commemorative that the fox gave me!” He lifted the coin from Shartha’s palm and held it aloft. Even through the faint patina of dust, the beautiful engravings seemed to shine brightly, and the sight sent a surge of warmth through Matakh’s soul. “That makes two special things that made it through the fire.” He slipped the coin in the same pocket that held the picture case, smiling as he felt it settle.

“Well, I haven’t found anything else out here,” Shartha told him.

Matakh smiled. “It’s alright. What I do have is more than I expected, and all that I need.”

Dusting off his shirt, he walked over towards his closet door, which was buried beneath a mountain of wooden beams and plaster chunks. He gazed at the space for a few moments before turning to his friend. “It looks like the door held, so I’m willing to bet that everything inside of my closet is still intact. I know I had some clothes in here, along with my survival pack.”

“That just leaves getting to it,” the cheetah observed. “Which means we have some digging to do, as well as some heavy lifting. Those beams are going to be a pain to move.”

“Which is why we’ll work together,” Matakh assured him, before wrapping his arms around one of the boards. “A little help?”

Shartha rushed over and grasped the wood just below Matakh’s hands. “On three. One… two… three!”

Both of them tensed their arms and pulled as hard as they could, their claws digging into the board as they heaved. For several moments they strained, seemingly without making any progress. Then Matakh felt the beam give slightly, and a small avalanche of plaster dust fell away from the door. “Keep going,” he gasped.

Suddenly, the beam seemed to break away from an unseen obstacle and came sliding free, the sudden release in tension sending both of them falling on their rumps. Without the beam to support it, the mound collapsed, a cloud of dust billowing up around it. The two cats coughed and covered their muzzles, batting their hands in an effort to clear the air.

“Good work,” Matakh told his friend. “It looks like just plaster’s left. No sweat.” He stood and began shoveling away clumps of debris, Shartha moving to help him. In less than a minute they had cleared away the pile completely, leaving Matakh’s closet fully exposed. Just as Matakh had hoped, there didn’t appear to be any signs of fire damage or cracks from the falling rubble. Taking a deep breath, he took hold of the bronze handle and gently swung the door open.

As he had hoped, the closet was more or less intact. The shock had sent many loose articles flying, but his clothes were undamaged, along with several pairs of shoes, his suitcase, and his survival kit. Matakh picked up the kit first, slinging the strap across his shoulder, before opening up his suitcase and starting to pack away his clothes while Shartha gathered up his shoes. Before long the case had been filled completely, just barely able to contain all of the clothes that the boys had managed to save.

Despite everything that had happened, Matakh found himself smiling as he zipped the bag closed. “You know, it’s good that I at least have clean clothes to wear. At least this way I won’t be running around in the same dirty rags for who knows how long.” Shartha nodded in agreement.

Their search completed, the two boys went back out to wait for their siblings, Matakh dragging his suitcase behind him. They found Timirza and Meea standing in the midst of a small collection of bags and totes, all filled to the brim with treasures from Meea’s room. Matakh briefly felt a pang of envy, but he suppressed it immediately. ‘It’s not her fault that my room was destroyed,’ he berated himself. ‘Don’t start complaining about something nobody had any control over.’

Meea turned to her brother, a bright smile on her face. “We’ve packed up everything I need, Matakh. What about…you?” Her words trailed off when she saw Matakh’s lone suitcase, and her smile faded. “Is that all you have left?”

He nodded wearily. “It looks like my room was a lot closer to the blast. It’s pretty much just a pile of rubble, but we did manage to find my comm and data pad, and I still have plenty of clothes. Oh, and this.” He held out the picture case and opened it for her to see, a smile blossoming on her face once more.

“That’s great that you at least have that photo. But what about your coin collection?” she asked.

Matakh just gave her a soft smile. “Well, most of the coins were lost, but…” He reached into his pocket with one hand, pulling it back out clasped around something. “This was still intact.” He opened his fingers to reveal the coin hidden within.

“Isn’t that…” she began, looking at the coin in awe.

He nodded with a smile. “Yes. It’s the same coin that our little fox friend left me the day we first saw him.” He returned the coin to his pocket. “You know, I may have lost a lot, but I still have some of my most treasured possessions with me, reminders of the people I love. I’m thankful for that, at least.” Meea nodded in silent agreement, wrapping her brother in a warm hug that was happily returned.

As the siblings separated, Matakh indicated to the multiple bags. “I’m guessing you found some things to put in the capsule?”

Meea nodded and unzipped a leather satchel. Inside were several photographs of their family, as well as a few albums and a good deal of her personal treasures. Matakh could see the glint of her martial arts medals and trophies, and he felt his heart swell with joy when he saw the wood carving that he had made for her when they were cubs. “Great choices, sis. Now let’s find that capsule and get these loaded inside.”

The four friends walked towards the stairway, with Meea leading the way. She had turned to look back at Matakh for a brief moment and was just about to step down when Timirza suddenly leapt forward. “Look out!” she yelled, grasping Meea’s arm and pulling her back, just in time to prevent her from tumbling forward into empty space.

“Ai,” she groaned, clapping a hand over her muzzle. “How did I forget that the stairs were down? I was the one who broke them!”

Matakh chuckled and gave her a reassuring pat on the back. “Don’t worry, Mee. You had other things to think about. Let’s just be glad that Timirza stopped you before it was too late.”

Meea nodded. “You’re right.” She looked at Timirza gratefully. “Thanks for that.”

The cheetah grinned broadly. “No problem.”

“Well, what are we going to do now?” Shartha asked. “I really don’t want to have to crawl down those ladders again, especially not backwards.”

Matakh chuckled good-naturedly and gave his friend a gentle shove with his elbow. “Scaredy-cat.”

Shartha shot him an irritated look. “Who says I’m scared?”

“Oh, come on,” the lion goaded. “We all know you’re afraid of heights.”

“It’s not that I’m scared of them,” the cheetah asserted, coughing awkwardly. “I just get kind of nauseous when I get up too high.” Matakh just shook his head and suppressed a chortle, while Meea and Timirza both started giggling.

“Anyway,” Matakh said as he got himself under control, “Shartha does have a point. We’re not going to be able to climb down with all these bags. We’ll have to find another way.”

Meea reached into her emergency kit, rifling through the contents for a few moments before pulling out a rappelling cable launcher. “Will this help?” she asked.

Matakh nodded. “It’s perfect.” He chuckled. “Even Shartha should be alright with this.”

“Shut uuup!” the cheetah complained, but he couldn’t help a small, exasperated smile.

Meea aimed one of the anchoring pins at the ceiling and fired it into an undamaged rafter. The jumagium head penetrated into the wood with ease, several flanges extending to secure its hold. After tugging on the cable a few times to make sure it was secure, the lioness hefted a few bags over her shoulder and hopped over the drop-off, letting the cable play out behind her. A few feet above the ground she squeezed the trigger, slowing her fall and coming to a graceful landing. Once she was sure of her footing, she let the bags slip from her shoulder before releasing the handle, letting the cable rewind. “Heads up!”

Timirza reached out, deftly snagging the handle before leaping after her friend. Moments later the cable rewound again. Matakh stepped forward to grab it, but Shartha beat him to it. “I’ll go first,” the cheetah told him.

Matakh grinned playfully. “You sure? I mean, it’s kind of high…”

Shartha gave him an aggravated glare. “I’m doing it.” With that, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and leapt free of the balcony. Seconds later, Matakh winced as he heard the loud thudding of flesh and bone connecting with solid floor, followed by a weak moan of pain from the cheetah. He looked over the edge to see his friend lying spread-eagle on the floor, face contorted into a pained grimace and the cable reel still clutched in his fingers.

“You know, it helps if you squeeze the handle to slow yourself down!” Matakh called down to him, trying to keep from chuckling.

Shartha cracked one eye open, glaring up at the lion. “Yeah, thanks. You couldn’t have told me that before I jumped?”

“Now where’s the fun in that?” Matakh laughed back.

“Just shut up.”

Matakh shook his head. “Fine. Hey, could you send the reel up, please?”

The cheetah chuckled weakly. “Sure. Catch!” His fingers flew open, and Matakh had to pull his head back to avoid getting struck by the reel as it quickly rewound. Grabbing the last two bags, he took hold of the handle and jumped, making sure to keep enough pressure to slow his descent. Within moments he had reached the floor, coming to rest lightly on his feet. As he recalled the cable, he smiled down at Shartha. “Now that is how it’s done.” The cheetah just shook his head in mock annoyance and stumbled to his feet, moaning and rubbing the back of his head.

“Seriously, are you alright?” Matakh asked him, genuinely concerned by his friend’s discomfort. Shartha grimaced and his legs wobbled, prompting Matakh to step forward and take hold of his friend’s arm. The cheetah just leaned on Matakh for a few moments, cradling his skull, before shaking his head slowly and straightening up.

“Uhh… Yeah, I’m just a little sore… Oooh.” He moaned, cradling his head and wincing in obvious pain. “Just give me a minute,” he finally managed to force out. “I think I need to sit down for a little.” Matakh nodded in understanding and helped his friend over to what had once been his family’s living room, gently lowering the slimmer feline into a padded armchair. “Thanks,” the cheetah said meekly. “Sorry about this.”

“It’s fine,” Matakh assured him, giving the cheetah a friendly pat on the shoulder before returning to the girls. “All right, while Shartha takes a little break, we’ll look for the capsule.”

“Do you remember where it is?” Meea asked him.

Matakh thought for a moment. “Gee, it’s been so long.” His face brightened as he remembered. “Oh, yeah! It’s down in the basement.”

“You mean down in that pile of rubble that used to be the basement?” his sister said, her lips twitching upwards in a teasing smile.

Matakh groaned and clapped himself on the forehead. “Great! I forgot all about that.” Sighing, he shook his head wearily. “Well, I guess we’re going to have to do a little digging.”

Meea chuckled ruefully. “Perfect. Just what I was hoping for.”

Matakh smiled at his sister before turning to look at Shartha. The cheetah was still holding his head, but he appeared to be in less pain than before. “We’ll be downstairs,” he called to his friend. When Shartha nodded to show he had heard, the three of them made their way to the basement door and started down the stairwell.

“Let’s just hope no more of the ceiling collapses,” Meea observed. “I don’t feel like getting buried alive again.”

Timirza turned to her in shock. “You mean you were down here when the bomb hit?”

The lioness nodded and chuckled sarcastically. “Yep. What a fun time that was. Matakh got bashed in the head by a rafter, and then half the roof caved in on us.”

“That does sound like fun!” the cheetah girl said, grinning widely.

Meea just rolled her eyes. “Yeah? How’d you like to find out for yourself? I could probably knock some more plaster down for you.”

“Okay, you two,” Matakh cut in. “Save the bickering for later.”

“So,” Timirza offered, “do you know where the capsule was before all of this happened? We could start at that spot and work our way outwards.”

Matakh looked at her sadly and shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t remember exactly where Dad had put it. We’re just going to have to search the whole basement until we find it.”

“Well,” Meea said, trying to sound cheerful, “then we’d better get to work. The sooner we find that thing, the better.” She glanced at the ceiling furtively. “I don’t want to stay down here any longer than I have to.” As if on cue, the ceiling gave a faint but ominous creak.

The three started wading through the ruins of the basement, but they quickly realized that this task would be the hardest yet. Matakh had thought his room was a mess, but it paled in comparison to the veritable minefield of hazards that they were digging through. Splinters of wood dug into every exposed surface that they could find, and the sharp edges of glass and metal rent their clothes and left painful gashes in their skin. Within minutes, the hands of the three felines were stained crimson from numerous cuts, and their knuckles throbbed painfully from repeated strikes as they tried to shove aside the debris. At one point, they had to stop their work to remove a large shard of glass from Matakh’s hand, and not long after an exposed nail punctured the sole of Meea’s boot and into the soft skin of her foot.

The three were nearly ready to give up when Shartha finally stumbled down the stairs, still slightly shaky but otherwise recovered. “Did you find it yet?” he asked, only to wither slightly when Meea shot him an annoyed scowl.

“If we had found it, do you think we would still be digging through all of this?” Matakh said irritably. “Or does it just look like we’re doing this for fun?”

Shartha looked down at the ground, feeling very chastened, while the other three turned back to their work. But just as Matakh was preparing to heft aside the remains of a cupboard, the cheetah suddenly spoke up. “Well, you must not know what you’re looking for then.”

Matakh looked over at his friend, frustrated but also slightly curious. Immediately, he noticed that Shartha’s embarrassment had been replaced with a look of smug satisfaction, a cocky grin on his face. “Now what’s that supposed to mean?” he asked. “And what’s with that idiot smile?”

“I mean that the capsule’s been right under your nose the whole time. You walked right past it to get down here!”

Stunned, the other three made their way through the chaos to where Shartha was pointing. Sure enough, they could see the faint silvery-blue glint of jumagium amidst the dust and debris. Matakh gave Shartha a hearty pat on the shoulder, his aggravation gone in a flash. “Good work. Now, let’s see if we can get it out of here.”

It didn’t take long for the four of them to pry the capsule free from the meager pile covering it, and a close examination gave no indication that it had been damaged. However, getting it up the stairs proved to be a far more challenging task. The incredibly dense jumagium walls made it surprisingly heavy, and just lifting it was difficult. It took several minutes to finally work out the best way to maneuver the container up to the ground floor, by which time they were all red-faced and panting from the exertion. Shartha had fared the worst, having sustained a pulled bicep, but he kept silent to avoid raising the others’ concern.

After catching his breath, Matakh felt around for a few moments, finally locating the control switch for the capsule’s lid. As soon as he triggered it there was a loud hiss of escaping air as the magnetic seal was broken, the hatch flying upwards from the pressure. Recessed light strips flickered on to illuminate the well-padded compartment within, which also appeared undamaged.

“Alright, then, let’s fill this baby up,” Meea said brightly, unzipping her case and beginning to place its contents reverently inside the capsule.

Shartha suddenly held out a small tote bag, a faint blush coloring his ears. “I have a few more things for you guys,” he said sheepishly. “When I was trying to walk off the headache from my fall, I found some of your parents’ treasures in the mess.” He opened the bag and tilted it so they could look inside, and both of the lion siblings gasped. Nestled within the tote were several of their mother’s knick-knacks and trinkets, their father’s reading glasses, and the family Bible that had been handed down all the way from Kotaho’s great-grandfather. “I also found your parents’ safe,” the cheetah added, indicating to a small black box a few feet away.

“So that’s why it took you so long to come down to the basement,” Meea said. She stood and walked over to embrace Shartha. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome,” he told her softly, a soft smile on his face.

Once the capsule had been filled completely, the four set about trying to move it to the burial site. It was only a short distance, but the weight of their load made it seem far longer. Halfway along Matakh hissed softly in pain, and when Meea looked over she could see a thin trail of crimson leaking from beneath his hand. She realized that the cut on his palm had opened up again. “You okay over there, bro?”

“Just fine,” he replied, his voice strained from the weight they were carrying. Seeing the concern in her eyes, he smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Mee. Once we’re finished you can bandage it up if you want. Just focus on the work for now.”

Meea nodded, strengthening her grip on the capsule as they redoubled their efforts. But even so, she couldn’t stop herself from glancing now and then at her brother’s hand. The sight of his blood running down the polished metal surface made her stomach churn. She wasn’t normally squeamish, but seeing her brother hurting upset her greatly.

When they reached the site, the capsule was gently lowered to the ground before the four cats reached for their shovels and began to dig. Working together, it only took a few minutes to make a hole deep enough for the capsule to rest in safely. Still, all the effort of the day was beginning to take its toll, and all four of them were sweating and panting by the time they had finished. Matakh’s hand was throbbing dully, though the bleeding had stopped, and Shartha was struggling to ignore the pain in his arm.

“Okay,” Matakh told the others as they moved around the capsule. “On the count of three, we’ll lift this up and set it in the hole. Everyone, get a good grip. Meea and I will get the back, while Shartha and Timirza take the front.” He waited until everyone was in position before nodding. “Okay. One… two… three!”

The four cats tensed their legs and lifted together, slowly and arduously hefting the capsule up off the ground. Shartha hissed as he felt the pain in his arm flare up, but he managed to maintain his grip, claws somehow managing to find purchase.

“Everyone… alright?” Matakh forced out, straining at the heavy load.

“Yeah,” Timirza gasped. “Now, let’s get this baby into that pit.”

They maneuvered the capsule over the hole, and began lowering it down slowly. But it was at that point that Shartha finally reached his limit. Without warning, the dull ache in his bicep became a blinding agony, a cry of pain tearing from his lips. His entire arm erupted into spasms, and his grip on the smooth metal surface failed. Before the others could correct themselves the capsule had tumbled from their arms and fallen directly into the pit. It fit perfectly, but they were too focused on Shartha to notice.

“Shartha!” Timirza exclaimed, taking her brother’s good hand. “Are you alright?”

“I’m… just fine,” Shartha said, his face twisted in a grimace of pain. He tried to move his throbbing arm, but a shock of tearing pain forced another yelp from him, his other hand moving to clutch at the throbbing muscle. “I just need a moment.”

“Where does it hurt?” Meea asked, stepping over to him.

“My right arm,” he replied through clenched teeth. “The upper area. I think it’s my bicep.”

Meea nodded before gingerly starting to run her fingers over the area. As she passed over the spot he had indicated, her face darkened. “This might hurt,” she warned, pressing lightly. The effect was immediate; Shartha yowled in pain and jumped away, his eyes watering.

“What was that for?!” he practically howled at her as soon as he was able.

“I just needed to be sure,” she told him. “And I think you’ll need more than a minute. I’m pretty sure you tore a muscle.”

“Great,” Shartha muttered. “Are you sure it’s not just pulled?”

“Pretty sure,” Meea replied. “I’m no doctor, but I was top of my class in anatomy and physiology. Something doesn’t feel right in your arm. And the way you reacted when I pressed down was a bit much for a strain.”

“Just what I need,” the cheetah grumbled. “How long will it take before the pain goes away?”

Meea looked at the cheetah gravely. “Well, that muscle probably won’t heal fully for a few days, longer if you keep trying to use it. But if you just keep your arm still, the pain should dull in about thirty minutes.”

Shartha groaned. “Perfect. Just perfect! Now I’m no use to anybody.”

“Hey, relax,” Matakh assured his friend. “You’ve done a lot of hard work. You just need to take a little break, that’s all. There’s no shame in that. And there’s definitely no point in trying to fight your body.”

“What I want to know,” Meea asked worriedly, “is why you didn’t say anything earlier. I thought something was bothering you before, but you just kept quiet.”

“I’m sorry,” Shartha said meekly. “I probably should have spoken up. But I just didn’t want to be a bother to anybody. I mean, I already held us up when I fell, and you had to search the basement and get cut up on your own. I didn’t want to seem like a wuss.”

Matakh sighed and hugged his friend, being careful not to aggravate the cheetah’s arm. “Shar, you’re not a wuss, and you’re not a superhero. There’s no shame in asking for help or admitting when you’ve been hurt. If you’d said something earlier, we would have been happy to help you, and we could have kept you from hurting yourself like this.”

“At least the capsule fell into the hole,” Meea quipped, finally noticing the end result of the mishap. “The hard part’s over now.”

Shartha finally cracked a smile. “Yeah. And no-one got any digits crushed, either, so that’s another thing to be thankful for.”

“That’s the spirit!” Matakh assured his friend, clapping the cheetah on his good shoulder. “The girls and I will bury the capsule, and then we’ll get going. Do you need us to give you guys a ride?”

“Nah,” Timirza said. “Shartha and I came over on our Razor-Blades. We can just ride those back, since they don’t require hands to use.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Meea said.

Burying the capsule went even faster than digging the hole, even with Shartha unable to help. Once the capsule was completely covered, stones were layered for extra protection, before the rest of the dirt was mounded overtop. Shartha tried his best to help, but he quickly realized that using a shovel with just one hand was next to impossible, though he did manage to carry a few stones over.

“Well,” Matakh said breathlessly as he deposited one last shovelful of dirt, “I think that should do it.”

“I agree,” Meea replied. “Nothing’s going to be digging that up anytime soon.” She smiled at her brother. “You made a good call in suggesting we use the capsule. I just wish we didn’t have to use it at all.”

“I know, Mee,” Matakh said sadly. “But at least this way we can save those things most important to us.”

“Well,” Timirza broke in, “we shouldn’t stay around for much longer. Shartha and I need to get back to the shelter. You two are coming with us, right?”

“We are,” Meea agreed. “Give us a second to get our bikes out and powered up, we’ll meet you out front.”

The two lion siblings ran to the garage, which was still relatively intact, skirting their parents’ cars as they headed for the rear. To their relief, their hover-bikes were still nestled securely in their power sockets, and when activated slid free without any trouble. The engines hummed softly to life, suspending the bikes several inches above the ground. A quick diagnostic showed all systems green, and the two lions strapped on their helmets and quickly climbed aboard. The thrumming of the repulsors intensified with their weight, but quickly evened out again as they settled, the siblings carefully steering their way between the cars. Just as they cleared the door, Timirza and Shartha zipped over on their hover-boards. Timirza gave them a jaunty wave, while Shartha settled for a pleased smile.

“Race you!” Timirza called to Meea, before taking off on her board.

“You’re on!” Meea yelled after her, gunning the engine on her bike and flying off in pursuit.

Shartha chuckled and shook his head. “They never slow down, do they?” he joked, waving his good hand to clear the dust from his face.

Matakh laughed along with his friend. “It sure seems that way. Shall we join them, or do you just want to take it slow?”

“Definitely the latter,” Shartha replied. “The shelter’s in the old Thornpeal Building. This way.” With that, the two friends drifted off after their sisters, unsure of what lay ahead of them.