Ar’Zul

THE STORM OF THE THREE CLANS

THE STORM OF THE THREE CLANS

The storm arrived after sunset.

At first, the jungle only whispered.

The leaves trembled.

The branches swayed.

The ocean beyond the island became dark beneath the clouds.

Then the first thunder rolled across Ar’Zul.

BOOOOOOOOOOOM.

The sound traveled through the jungle.

The civilians of the Gorilla Clan stopped what they were doing.

Children began crying.

Parents pulled them closer.

In the Panther settlements, families gathered inside their homes while warriors checked the final reinforcements.

In Korrakai Crossing, the merchant city had become a maze of preparations.

Wooden beams had been placed against doors.

Rope bridges had been secured.

Emergency shelters had been opened.

The underground bunker had been stocked with food, water, and medical supplies.

But none of the preparations could stop the sound of the storm.

The jungle trembled.

BOOM.

BOOM.

KRAKOOOOOOM!

Lightning split the sky.

For one brief moment, the entire island became bright as day.

Then darkness returned.

The civilians looked toward the jungle.

Something was moving.

⸻

THE FIRST SHADOWS

Two warriors walked through the outer streets of Korrakai Crossing.

They were part of the mixed Gorilla-Panther platoon.

One was a Gorilla warrior named Barek, carrying a heavy axe.

The other was a Panther warrior named Talen, carrying two short blades.

Rain struck their armor.

PSSSSHHHHHH.

Barek looked toward the dark trees.

“Storm’s getting worse.”

Talen nodded.

“Keep moving.”

They continued down the path.

Neither saw the figures hiding between the trees.

Then lightning struck again.

KRAKOOOOOOM!

For half a second, the jungle became bright.

Two Snake Clan warriors stood behind the patrol.

Their bodies were pressed against the darkness.

Their weapons were raised.

Waiting.

Watching.

Preparing to strike.

Barek continued walking.

The Snake warriors stepped forward.

But another figure was watching them.

A Panther warrior hidden beneath the branches.

Her name was Rava.

She had been stationed on a nearby rooftop as part of the city’s night watch.

The lightning revealed the Snake warriors.

Rava’s eyes widened.

She did not hesitate.

Her hand moved to her belt.

She threw.

FSSSSHHHH!

The blade flew through the rain.

THUNK!

It struck one of the Snake warriors directly in the throat.

The warrior staggered backward.

The second Snake warrior turned.

Rava dropped from the rooftop.

“ATTACK!”

The second Snake warrior disappeared into the darkness.

Barek and Talen spun around.

“What happened?” Barek shouted.

“Snake warriors!” Rava yelled.

Then she turned toward the city.

Her face changed.

She understood.

This was not a random attack.

This was the beginning.

Rava sprinted toward the alarm tower.

⸻

THE ALARM

The storm roared above the city.

Rava reached the alarm tower and grabbed the rope.

She pulled with all her strength.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!

The alarm echoed through Korrakai Crossing.

Every civilian froze.

Another pull.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!

Then again.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!

The city erupted into movement.

Doors opened.

Warriors grabbed weapons.

Families rushed toward the shelters.

Children began crying.

A Gorilla merchant shouted:

“THE SNAKES!”

A Panther warrior yelled:

“GET EVERYONE TO THE BUNKERS!”

The mixed platoon began forming defensive positions.

The Gorilla and Panther warriors stood together.

For the first time, they were not fighting one another.

They were protecting the same city.

⸻

GORAK

Far away, Gorak was helping reinforce a home.

The storm had become violent.

Rain poured across the jungle.

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Gorak held a large wooden beam against the side of a house while two civilians secured it.

A frightened child stood nearby.

Gorak looked down at him.

“Stay inside.”

The child nodded.

Gorak turned back toward the wall.

“More rope.”

One of the civilians handed it to him.

Gorak pulled the rope tight with one hand.

The beam locked into place.

CRACK!

The house shook from the wind.

The civilian stared at him.

“Thank you, Leader Gorak.”

Gorak nodded.

“Get your family inside.”

Then—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!

Gorak froze.

The alarm.

Another blast followed.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!

His expression hardened.

The merchant city.

Gorak looked toward the distant darkness.

The alarm continued echoing through the jungle.

He grabbed his weapon.

The shorter hammer he had been training with hung at his side.

One arm.

One weapon.

One purpose.

A civilian stepped toward him.

“Leader, should we send warriors with you?”

Gorak shook his head.

“No.”

“Why?”

Gorak looked toward the storm.

“Because I don’t know how many enemies are waiting.”

He tightened his grip around his hammer.

“I will not lead more people into danger until I know what we are facing.”

The civilian stared at him.

Gorak turned toward the jungle.

“Stay inside.”

Then he disappeared into the rain.

⸻

KAEla

High above the jungle, within the Panther Clan’s cliffside city, Kaela sat among a group of children.

The storm shook the stone walls.

RUMBLEEEEEEE.

Several children huddled close together.

One young girl clutched a blanket.

“Is the storm going to destroy our home?”

Kaela looked at her.

She lowered herself to the child’s level.

“No.”

The child looked uncertain.

Kaela smiled.

“Kal’Zar watches over us.”

Another thunderclap shook the cliffs.

KRAKOOOOOOM!

Several children jumped.

Kaela calmly continued:

“Our god walks through the darkness.”

She placed a hand over her heart.

“And our warriors protect the people.”

A young boy raised his hand.

Kaela looked at him.

“What is it?”

“If Kal’Zar protects us…”

He looked toward the windows.

“Why does the storm sound so angry?”

Kaela smiled faintly.

“Maybe even the gods are angry tonight.”

A few children laughed.

Then—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!

The alarm echoed through the distant jungle.

Kaela’s smile disappeared.

She slowly turned toward the sound.

The children became silent.

Another alarm sounded.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!

Kaela stood.

A guard approached.

“Leader?”

Kaela looked toward the city below.

“The merchant town.”

The guard’s face hardened.

Kaela turned toward him.

“Protect the children.”

“Yes, Leader.”

She looked back at the children.

“Stay with the guards.”

The young girl grabbed Kaela’s hand.

“Are you leaving?”

Kaela looked down at her.

“I have to.”

“Are you going to fight?”

Kaela paused.

Then she smiled.

“I am going to make sure everyone gets home safely.”

She released the child’s hand.

Then Kaela grabbed her weapon.

The curved blade slid from its sheath.

SHING!

She moved toward the edge of the cliff.

The wind struck her face.

Rain blew across the stone.

Below her, the jungle disappeared into darkness.

Kaela looked toward the distant lights of Korrakai Crossing.

Then she began descending.

⸻

THE MERCHANT CITY

The alarm continued.

BOOOOOOOOOONG!

BOOOOOOOOOONG!

The mixed Gorilla-Panther platoon moved through the streets.

At the center of the city stood Doran Stonehand and Mira Nightclaw.

Doran lifted his massive stone gauntlet.

“Civilians first!”

Mira pointed toward the eastern street.

“Move everyone toward the shelters!”

A Panther warrior approached.

“More movement near the southern edge!”

Doran looked toward the darkness.

“How many?”

“We don’t know.”

Mira’s eyes narrowed.

“Then assume more than we can see.”

Doran nodded.

“Platoon!”

The mixed warriors turned toward him.

“Hold the city.”

The Gorilla warriors tightened their grips.

The Panther warriors lowered into fighting stances.

Doran looked at Mira.

Mira looked back.

They had trained together.

They had learned from one another.

The Panther warriors had learned strength and endurance under Doran.

The Gorilla warriors had learned speed and precision under Mira.

Now the two styles stood together.

Doran raised his fist.

“Protect the civilians!”

Mira drew her blade.

“Protect each other!”

Together, the platoon answered:

“FOR KORRAKAI!”

Thunder crashed above them.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

And the storm swallowed the city.

⸻

THE SNAKE KING

Deep within the jungle, the Serpent King watched.

Rain poured over the ancient trees.

Lightning illuminated his face.

Behind him stood the surviving Snake warriors.

Narek.

Veyra.

Sura.

And the remaining forces of the Snake Clan.

They had waited.

They had hidden.

They had studied the city.

The Serpent King looked toward the distant lights of Korrakai Crossing.

His plan had begun.

The Snake Clan had no army large enough to defeat the Gorilla Clan.

They had no army large enough to defeat the Panther Clan.

So they would not fight them directly.

They would use the storm.

The darkness.

The panic.

The city itself.

The Serpent King turned to Narek.

“Are the positions ready?”

Narek nodded.

“The southern route is occupied.”

Veyra spoke:

“The eastern passage is blocked.”

Sura looked toward the storm.

“And the western tunnels?”

“Prepared.”

The Serpent King stared toward the merchant city.

His people were few.

Their forces were scattered.

Their kingdom had been destroyed.

But tonight, the storm had given them something they had not possessed in months.

An advantage.

The Serpent King whispered:

“Let the storm hide us.”

Another lightning strike illuminated the jungle.

KRAKOOOOOOM!

For one brief moment, the Snake warriors could be seen standing among the trees.

Then darkness swallowed them again.

The Serpent King smiled.

“Tonight, we do not attack the city.”

Narek looked at him.

“Then what do we do?”

The Serpent King’s eyes narrowed.

“We make the city attack itself.”

Far away, the alarm continued to echo.

Gorak was moving through the jungle alone.

Kaela was descending from the cliffs.

The mixed platoon was preparing to defend Korrakai Crossing.

The civilians were rushing toward shelter.

And hidden in the storm…

the Snake Clan waited.

The first attack had already begun.

But no one yet knew the true target.

Deep beneath the city…

something connected to the ancient past was waiting.

And the Serpent King knew exactly where he needed to go.

TO BE CONTINUED…