The Pendulum I: Introduction
#1 of The Pendulum
The Pendulum, by Karai Crocuta
Chapter I: Introduction
Twilight came over the city, the sun showing it's last bit of brightness. Cory was looking up at the sky, watching as dark clouds invaded it from the opposite end, as if they were moving in, taking advantage of the bright orb's departure. It would rain soon.
The rubble through which the lion made his way seemed to be completely indeferent to the sunlight, casting no shadows, and reflecting only gloom. A heavy mist still lurked in the area, seeming to absorb the reflections of the drab stone and concrete that littered this area of the city, as though doom itself hung in the air.
This wasn't part of the plan, he thought. He'd lost the other members of his group - all soldiers and lions, like him, much earlier. Now, he was alone, and he still had no idea what was expected of him. They had all disappeared - vanished, really vanished - around corners and seemingly even out of plain view. Now, Cory was alone, and the only weapon he had been given - a sidearm - was little comfort.
He was no fool, though. As he moved from space to space, avoiding loose gravel and other patches of ground that would cause too much noise when tread upon, he kept a mental map of what places he had already passed through. It was easy to get lost here. He had been told that by his superior, Captain Aruma, and he believed it now that he had seen what the place was like.
The entire city was a blasted landscape of gray concrete and red brick, with only a few buildings standing now. It was supposed to have been cleaned out thoroughly of insurgents quite a while ago, but from what Cory had already seen today, he could tell that it hadn't. Someone, whether they were angry ghosts of the fallen or looters stupid enough to think there were things of value still here for the taking, had taken the other members of his squad out, and somehow left no bodies, not even any blood.
He was alone, but he was determined to continue his mission and make it to the checkpoint, with or without his squad. At least he had a compass. Following the direction of the green arrow on the little instrument, he at least had a chance of making it alive. If he got back, he would be promoted for sure - especially if he took a few enemy heads in the process.
Indeed, he had been wishing that one of them would show themselves, but the whole afternoon had been quiet - quite disturbingly so. The broken city had resumed its silence - no animals, not even pigeons lived here anymore. Only ghosts...
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"He's still moving," Aaron said quietly, his infra-red binoculars still fixed on the 'soldier' - actually not much more than a boy - who they had been hunting for almost a full day. "I don't think he's even scared," he added.
"Oh, he's scared alright," a voice behind Aaron said. "He'd be stupid not to be. Even a green cub can tell when he's in danger. We didn't leave any clues behind, so he has no idea where we are, what we are, or even if this place isn't just haunted or something."
Aaron nodded, lowering the scanner. He stretched, joints popping in his shoulders and neck. Spotted fur covered his arms and back, showing through the mesh shirt he was wearing. He was a hyena, though not as well-built as his companion. He still had plenty of power in his muscles, though, especially in his neck and shoulders, which were rather thick and stocky, as can be expected from any member of his species.
From the alcove behind him came another hyena, who looked to be a few inches taller, and perhaps ten or twenty pounds heavier. Kurt's muscles were much more defined - it was hard not to notice them, even while he was clothed. Glancing at his companion, Aaron was reminded of how handsome the other male was, especially for someone so battle-scarred.
"Tomorrow, we have to catch up with him, and take him out," Kurt said matter-of-factly. He didn't need to say it, but lately he'd been doubting Aaron's resolve on the subject of eliminating all of the enemy soldiers, even the young ones who seemed just to be out on a rite-of-passage, like this one.
Aaron frowned softly, showing his displeasure at the thought of killing such a young one. No matter how horrible the lions' actions in the struggle so far, the smaller hyena still didn't want to kill. He still wanted to spare lives when he could.
Kurt moved toward his friend, his brown paw lifting the other hyena's muzzle until their eyes met.
"I know you hate this...but I've already explained why we have to do it. They stand in our way of freedom. It was their choice to try to imprison us, and we have to fight."
"I know, I know," Aaron said, breaking away from Kurt's gaze to look back toward where the young lion had been. "But...he's just a boy. Look at him...he's all alone, now, with no friends..."
Kurt just sighed, and walked back to where he had placed his bedroll, his thick, heavy boots crunching gravel under-foot. Their quarry was several hundred yards away, now, and in the morning, they would have him.
After that, another battle would be over, and they could restock their supplies and store the weapons they had gained. After they killed the last soldier, they could bury the bodies, too, using them to fertilize what crops they had managed to plant.
It was their way of life now - dwelling in the broken metropolis, having stayed underground for months, hidden while all of their allies had been cut down or captured by the lions. Now that the armies were gone, the city was theirs once again. Now, they were the ones who made the rules, dealing out death - the punishment for enemy tresspassers.
However, even after all that they had been through, Kurt still couldn't blame Aaron for hating what they had to do. Although right was on their side, being the oppressed, their duty was grisly, and after a while, it began to weigh heavily upon one's soul - even a born warrior could not avoid being affected by the lives he took.
He reached into a pocket, and took out a pack of cigarettes, offering one to Aaron, who accepted it, along with a light. Both hyenas took heavy drags, letting the smoke relieve some of the hardship that they had been through lately.
In reality, it had been quite easy to entrap and remove individual soldiers, hiding them in well-placed niches and previously-dug holes. After all, they had been preparing for months, and they had each memorized every nook and cranny, every piece of concrete that had fallen.
After all, this city had been their home since they were little, and they weren't about to leave it undefended.
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Cory woke early the next morning, an hour before dawn. He rose, adjusting his fatigues and his backpack and making sure everything was in order. After downing a couple of food bars and some water, he did some stretching, limbering up for another day of travel.
Before he packed up his bedroll, though, he sat down, crossing his legs before him and reaching into his pocket. He sighed as his paw found the object he was looking for - a locket. Pulling it out, he examined its smooth surface once again. It was large for something meant to be worn around the neck, but then again so was the lion - at least to the one who had given the gift to him.
He held it out on its chain, letting the light play on its polished surface. It was rectangular, with a convex surface on the front and back. It sported a hinge on one side, and it's chain ran through a metal loop affixed to the top. It was simple - a trinket really, but its real value was the memories that it represented. Slowly, gingerly, Cory opened the locket, revealing its contents. He always handled the locket as if it were fragile, even though it was solid steel - literally strong enough to survive being run under by a steamroller.
Inside, there was a picture on each side. On the right, a smiling, happy version of the young lion in a tanktop and jeans. On the other, was a young jackal with surprisingly deep brown fur, showing a very rare grin on his black-trimmed muzzle. As was his ritual, Cory brought the locket to his lips, kissing the image of his best friend.
"Forgive me, David."
After that, he packed up everything, and started off again, following the direction of the compass to the nearest checkpoint. He wore the locket around his neck today, tucking it underneath his thick urban camouflage outfit.
What he didn't know, was that the enemy had risen earlier, and knew the terrain. What he didn't know, was that he was walking into a trap, not to safety. What he didn't know, was that his world - the world he thought he was there to protect - was about to change forever.