Ar’Zul

THE STORM WALL

The storm had grown larger.

For three days, the sky over northern Ar’Zul had remained dark.

The clouds moved slowly across the horizon like an enormous black wall.

Lightning flashed inside them.

KRAK.

Then thunder rolled across the jungle.

BOOOOOOOOOOM.

The people of Ar’Zul had begun to prepare.

The Gorilla Clan had reinforced its tree settlements.

The Panther Clan had strengthened its cliffside cities.

And Korrakai Crossing—the merchant city between the two territories—had prepared for the worst.

But while the clans prepared for the storm…

the Snake King prepared for war.

⸻

THE CITIES PREPARE

High within the trees, Gorak stood before the Gorilla Clan.

The massive leader had become accustomed to moving with one arm, though the loss had permanently changed him.

His new fighting style was different.

More compact.

More controlled.

He no longer fought like the warrior he had once been.

He fought like something new.

He stood before the gathered people as the wind moved through the enormous branches.

WHOOOOOOOOOSH.

“Listen to me,” Gorak said.

The Gorilla Clan grew silent.

“The storm will come.”

A distant flash of lightning illuminated the sky.

“The winds may destroy homes. Trees may fall. Rivers may rise.”

He looked across the platforms and bridges.

“When the storm arrives, no one stays outside unless ordered.”

A young warrior raised his voice.

“What about the villages below the canopy?”

Gorak pointed toward the reinforced shelters.

“They will move to the protected platforms.”

His voice became deeper.

“And hear me clearly.”

The entire clan watched him.

“During the storm, we do not leave anyone behind.”

The warriors nodded.

“Not the elderly.”

He paused.

“Not the children.”

His eyes hardened.

“Not the injured.”

The Gorilla warriors struck their fists against their chests.

THOOM.

THOOM.

THOOM.

Gorak raised his remaining hand.

“We protect one another.”

The clan answered with a unified roar.

“FOR MBA GA!”

The sound traveled through the trees.

RAAAAAAAAAAAH!

⸻

Far away, on the Panther cliffs, Kaela stood before her own people.

The wind whipped her black hair around her face.

The storm was visible behind her.

The dark clouds had begun to swallow the northern sky.

Kaela looked toward the city below.

The Panther Clan had reinforced the cliffside paths.

Rope bridges had been replaced with thicker supports.

Buildings had been secured against the wind.

Rock walls had been reinforced.

Water channels had been dug to prevent flooding.

Kaela walked along the edge of the main settlement.

“Everyone returns home before the storm reaches the cliffs,” she ordered.

A Panther warrior bowed.

“And if someone is trapped?”

Kaela turned toward him.

“Then we go get them.”

Another warrior looked toward the horizon.

“What if the storm is too strong?”

Kaela’s golden-green eyes narrowed.

“Then we find another way.”

She looked across the city.

“Strength is not just surviving alone.”

The wind grew louder.

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH.

Kaela raised her voice.

“We protect the clan.”

The warriors answered:

“FOR KAL’ZAR!”

Their voices echoed across the cliffs.

⸻

KORRAKAI CROSSING

The merchant city had become the most important settlement in the former Snake territories.

It had also become the most vulnerable.

Unlike the Gorilla settlements, Korrakai Crossing did not sit high in the trees.

Unlike the Panther cities, it was not protected by cliffs.

It stood in the jungle between them.

If the storm caused massive flooding or destroyed the buildings, the civilians would have nowhere to go.

Doran Stonehand and Mira Nightclaw had refused to allow that to happen.

At the center of the city, workers had been constructing a massive underground shelter.

It was not a true fortress.

It was not large enough to house everyone indefinitely.

But it was strong.

Thick stone walls had been built beneath the ground.

Wooden support beams reinforced the ceiling.

Storage areas were filled with food and water.

Medicinal supplies were organized along the walls.

Several entrances had been constructed so that civilians could reach the shelter from different parts of the city.

Doran stood inside the main chamber.

He looked up at the reinforced ceiling.

“Will it hold?”

A Gorilla builder beside him looked nervous.

“It should.”

Doran stared at him.

“That was not the answer I wanted.”

The builder swallowed.

Doran sighed.

“Build another support beam.”

The builder nodded quickly.

“Yes, Commander.”

Doran turned toward the entrance.

Mira stood there.

Her long dark braid moved in the wind.

“You are going to reinforce the entire jungle if you have enough time.”

Doran looked at her.

“Is that a problem?”

“It is if you forget to eat.”

Doran grunted.

“I ate.”

“When?”

He thought for a moment.

“Yesterday.”

Mira stared at him.

Doran looked away.

“I was busy.”

Mira shook her head.

“Gorak is going to be angry when I tell him.”

Doran’s expression changed.

“You would not.”

Mira smiled.

“I absolutely would.”

⸻

THE CHILDREN OF KORRAKAI

The storm preparations continued throughout the city.

But Doran and Mira understood something important.

Walls and shelters could protect people.

Only knowledge could help them save themselves.

So they gathered the children of Korrakai Crossing in the central square.

The children came from both clans.

Gorilla children.

Panther children.

And children from families who had once belonged to the Snake Clan.

They gathered around Doran and Mira.

The sky above them was gray.

The wind had become colder.

Mira crouched before the children.

“If something happens during the storm, you must know where to go.”

A small Gorilla child raised his hand.

“What if we are at home?”

“Then you go to the nearest safe route.”

Mira pointed toward the eastern road.

“This path leads to the main bunker.”

She pointed toward a stone stairway.

“This one leads to the northern shelter.”

Doran took over.

“And this path leads to the western emergency shelter.”

A Panther child raised her hand.

“What if the roads are blocked?”

Doran looked at Mira.

Mira nodded.

“Then you use the alternate routes.”

The children began repeating the directions.

“Eastern road—main bunker.”

“Northern stairs—northern shelter.”

“Western path—emergency shelter.”

Doran nodded.

“Again.”

The children repeated it louder.

“Eastern road—main bunker!”

“Northern stairs—northern shelter!”

“Western path—emergency shelter!”

Mira smiled.

“Good.”

Doran looked at the children.

“Now we are going to practice.”

The children groaned.

Mira raised an eyebrow.

“Do you want to practice when the storm is here?”

The children immediately stood.

“No!”

“Then move.”

⸻

Doran and Mira led the children through the city.

They showed them every route.

Every shelter.

Every emergency path.

Every place where the ground was high enough to avoid flooding.

Doran taught the children how to move heavy debris.

Mira taught them how to remain quiet and observe their surroundings.

The two leaders had become teachers.

And their training had begun to change them as well.

Doran had begun learning from Mira.

He had spent his life believing strength solved most problems.

Mira had taught him patience.

Observation.

Timing.

Doran had begun teaching the Panther warriors under his command how to use strength more effectively.

One Panther warrior had begun training directly under him.

His name was Riven.

Riven was a young Panther warrior with a thin scar across his jaw.

He was fast.

Extremely fast.

But he had a habit of rushing into danger.

Doran had been trying to teach him patience.

“Again,” Doran ordered.

Riven charged.

Doran stepped aside.

Riven stumbled.

Doran tapped him on the back with his stone gauntlet.

THUD.

Riven fell face-first into the dirt.

Mira watched from nearby.

“Subtle.”

Doran looked at her.

“He is learning.”

Riven lifted his head.

“I am learning that you enjoy throwing me into the dirt.”

Doran nodded.

“That too.”

⸻

Mira had also taken on a Gorilla warrior as her student.

His name was Barek.

Barek was young, broad, and powerful.

He had the strength of a typical Gorilla warrior.

But he was too direct.

He attacked whatever stood in front of him.

Mira had been teaching him to think before he moved.

Barek charged at her.

Mira sidestepped.

Barek stumbled past her.

She tapped the back of his knee.

He fell.

THUD.

Barek groaned.

Mira looked down at him.

“What did you do wrong?”

Barek looked up.

“Everything?”

Mira smiled.

“Good. You are learning.”

Doran crossed his arms.

“Your lesson was better than mine.”

Mira looked at him.

“You threw your student into the dirt.”

“He learned.”

“He learned that you are heavy.”

Riven laughed.

Doran turned toward him.

“You want another lesson?”

Riven immediately stopped laughing.

⸻

For the first time, Gorilla and Panther warriors were not simply fighting beside one another.

They were learning from one another.

The Panther warriors were learning the strength and endurance of the Gorillas.

The Gorilla warriors were learning the speed and strategy of the Panthers.

And from that training, something new was beginning to form.

A warrior unlike either clan.

A warrior who could strike with the strength of the Gorilla.

And move with the speed of the Panther.

The future of the alliance was being created in the training yards.

But the storm was coming.

And no one knew what else was moving in the darkness.

⸻

THE SNAKE KING’S PLAN

Far beneath the Hollow, the Snake King stood in a dark chamber.

The sound of water echoed through the tunnels.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

His advisors stood around a stone table.

Veyra, the Keeper of Venoms.

Narek, the War Master.

Sura, the Shadow Seer.

The Snake King had spread a map across the table.

The map showed Korrakai Crossing.

The Gorilla territory.

The Panther territory.

And the network of tunnels beneath the former Snake lands.

Narek studied the map.

“The storm will make movement difficult.”

The Snake King nodded.

“That is why we move during it.”

Veyra looked at him.

“The city is heavily guarded.”

“Not during the storm.”

“They have mixed patrols now.”

The Snake King looked at her.

“How many?”

“Enough to make a direct assault dangerous.”

Narek pointed toward the map.

“We cannot afford to lose many more warriors.”

The Serpent King stared at the remaining forces gathered behind him.

The Snake Clan had already lost most of its people.

Every warrior mattered.

Every death weakened them.

A direct attack would be suicide.

The Serpent King slowly pointed to the map.

“We do not attack the city.”

Sura looked at him.

“Then what do we attack?”

The Serpent King pointed to the roads.

“The storm.”

Narek frowned.

The Snake King continued.

“The rain will make the jungle dark.”

The storm would cover the sound of movement.

The wind would hide footsteps.

Lightning would blind the guards.

And the flooding would force the clans to focus on protecting civilians.

The Snake King looked toward the city.

“We do not need to defeat their army.”

He pointed to the merchant city.

“We only need to create enough chaos to reach what we came for.”

Veyra’s eyes narrowed.

“The Tide Stone.”

The Snake King nodded.

“If the clues are correct, the stone is beneath the old city.”

Narek looked at the map.

“And if it is not?”

The Snake King slowly turned toward him.

“Then we search until we find it.”

Narek looked at the small number of warriors available.

“We have too few soldiers to search the entire city.”

The Snake King smiled.

“Then we make the city search for us.”

⸻

THE AMBUSH POSITIONS

The Snake warriors began moving.

Quietly.

Carefully.

They traveled through forgotten tunnels beneath the jungle.

Some tunnels were so old that the Snake Clan itself had forgotten they existed.

The storm clouds continued gathering overhead.

The air became heavy.

The jungle became still.

The Snake King divided his remaining forces into small groups.

One group moved toward the southern road.

Another moved toward the eastern jungle.

A third group entered an abandoned tunnel beneath Korrakai Crossing.

The Snake warriors found old chambers beneath the city.

Some were flooded.

Others had collapsed.

But one passage remained open.

At the end of the tunnel stood an ancient stone wall.

A blue symbol had been carved into it.

The Serpent King approached.

The symbol glowed faintly.

HMMMMMMMMM.

His eyes widened.

“The stone is here.”

Sura stepped closer.

“The Tide Stone?”

The Serpent King placed his hand against the wall.

The blue symbol pulsed.

THOOM.

A vibration moved through the ground.

The Snake King smiled.

“Close.”

Narek looked around nervously.

“What is that?”

The Serpent King removed his hand.

“We will find out.”

⸻

The Snake warriors continued moving into position.

They hid among the trees.

Beneath the roads.

Inside the old tunnels.

They waited for the storm.

The Snake King stood at the center of the underground passage.

His advisors gathered around him.

Above them, thunder rolled across the jungle.

BOOOOOOOOOOOM.

The Snake King looked upward.

“Soon.”

Veyra watched him.

“What happens if the storm destroys the city before we can find the stone?”

The Snake King looked toward the blue symbol.

“Then the ruins will reveal what was hidden.”

Narek frowned.

“And if the Gorilla and Panther armies discover us?”

The Snake King smiled.

“Then we use the storm to make sure they never know how many of us remain.”

Sura stared at him.

“You are willing to sacrifice more warriors?”

The Snake King turned toward her.

“No.”

He looked at the tiny force surrounding him.

“We are not strong enough to sacrifice warriors.”

His eyes narrowed.

“That is why every death must belong to them.”

⸻

THE LAST CALM

The final evening before the storm was strangely quiet.

In the Gorilla city, families gathered indoors.

The Panther Clan secured the final gates.

At Korrakai Crossing, Doran and Mira completed their final inspection.

They walked through the city together.

Doran checked the walls.

Mira checked the people.

Every child had been shown the emergency routes.

Every family had been told where to go.

Every shelter had food and water.

The mixed Gorilla-Panther platoon stood ready.

Their commander was not one person.

Doran and Mira commanded together.

The platoon was made up of both clans.

Gorilla warriors stood beside Panther warriors.

Heavy weapons stood beside curved blades.

Strength beside speed.

They had been named the Stormguard Platoon.

Riven stood among the Panther warriors.

Barek stood among the Gorilla warriors.

Doran walked before them.

“The storm is coming.”

The warriors listened.

“We protect the city.”

Mira continued:

“We protect the civilians.”

Doran looked at the mixed warriors.

“And we protect one another.”

Mira raised her weapon.

The platoon answered.

“TOGETHER!”

Their voices echoed across the city.

“TOGETHER!”

⸻

Far away, Gorak stood beneath the great trees.

Kaela stood upon the cliffs.

Both leaders looked toward the northern horizon.

The storm had grown enormous.

Lightning flashed from cloud to cloud.

KRAK.

KRAK.

KRAK.

Then the thunder arrived.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.

Gorak looked toward the darkness.

Kaela looked toward the same horizon.

Neither knew that the Snake King was already waiting beneath the city.

Neither knew the Tide Stone might be closer than they had imagined.

And neither knew that something beneath the ocean was beginning to move.

⸻

THE WAITING SNAKES

The first drops of rain began falling.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

The Snake warriors remained hidden.

The wind began to rise.

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH.

The trees bent.

The darkness deepened.

The Snake King stood in the underground chamber.

Around him waited the last warriors of his clan.

There were not many.

But they were silent.

They were patient.

They had lost their homes.

Their families.

Their kingdom.

Now they waited for the moment to take something back.

The Snake King looked toward the blue symbol carved into the ancient wall.

Then he looked toward the tunnel leading beneath Korrakai Crossing.

Above them, the first great thunderclap shook the city.

KRAKOOOOOOOOOOM!

The Snake King smiled.

“The storm has arrived.”

The warriors tightened their grips on their weapons.

The darkness swallowed the tunnels.

And beneath the merchant city…

the Snake Clan began to move.