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The Sky Takes Them — Chapter 51 — Scott Alten’s Raiders of Trog

Xarens raid Kurii Mountain to reclaim what belongs to Scott Alten and his raiders… Time for Jolan’s Return!

A Collaborative effort by Medium.com/@toddhammerrick and Medium.com/@evelyngaede

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Chapter 51

Scott Alten slid off the back of the xaren he called War Eagle. “Just one quick look around, report back to me.” War Eagle parted the rooftop of Jon Bruce at Salina.

Watching the huge bird rise with wings spread was a majestic sight that never failed to leave his heart full with appreciation that such a powerful bird had chosen him to bond with. Twenty of his flock took flight, falling into a V formation.

‘Berto.’ It was a silent thought, received in a mind far distant. ‘Are the Kurii still involved with their orgy?’

‘Oh yeah. It’s not going to end soon.’ ‘Jolan with several other slaves are in the lake, guarded by four young Kurii.’ ‘Things here won’t be changing anytime soon. Rescue her while you have the chance.’

Berto half-hoped Scott’s mission failed. He wanted to see Jolan again but if there was even a small chance she could escape Kurii mountain he had to let her snag it, accept that they were fated to be apart forever.

As Scott’s xaren, War Eagle neared the foothills of Kurii mountain he spotted Gruff’s flight bird, a creature War Eagle had nursed a grudge for quite some time. So long of a time, there was no way he’d pass up this heaven-sent opportunity to obtain a bit of payback.

Without warning War Eagle zoomed in on Gruff’s bird Axel. Taken by surprise, the attacker held advantage, but Axel adjusted fast, swooping low to turn, he circled back to catch War Eagle’s tail in his talons. Both birds squawked with loud war cries heard many miles away, heard at the Kurii camp, but so faint, those splashing around in the lake failed to hear it.

The clash in the sky lasted the tiniest ahn, just time enough for War Eagle to nip one of Axel’s wings, the feather group needed most to navigate flight. The injured bird headed for land to a soft nest of prairie grass often used to nest at night.

As War Eagle nipped Axel’s wing another xaren caught his leg with a sharp wing cut. That wound would get infected if Axel didn’t get a poultice made of seaweed on it soon.

The last thing Gruff and Axel saw as they dropped from the sky was twenty enemy xaren swooping across Kurii lake…

Xarens clouded the sky. Scott Alten’s War Eagle was the strongest, possibly even the fiercest of xarens. When those who served the Raiders flew, they flew as a flock in strict Military (<) formation.

Holly didn’t look up—she hadn’t heard the silent approach. Not until the flap of his wings brought a breeze. Zephyr’s shadow caused her to cringe. He swooped down and though Holly had scrunched her neck and pulled her shoulders up as if warding off a snowball the xaren didn’t need neck or shoulders for a solid claw hold. He pulled up not risking death to this target.

All of the Birds were strong and fast, all but the babies were known to cover 350 miles in less than an ahn.

“Move. Now.” Even the command felt urgent but soft, a caress to calm, deep radiant warmth to energize. The command didn’t come through words or language… perhaps body language. Message sent through a gentle shove.

The message was urgent enough to encourage speed but not panic.

Holly had heard of these legendary creatures but never thought she’d actually see one. When at last she did open her eyes to brave one quick glance, she didn’t see Zephyr — impossible when she dangled from his giant claws. But she saw others.

There was Amanda and Erin — staggering out of the pond, water dripping from their hair. Looking around, chaos was everywhere, impossible to take it all in, impossible to understand what was happening. Under attack? By who?

Or — could it be instead — a Rescue off and away from Kurii Mountain? But who?

With water dripping from her hair Amanda looked like a swamp creature. She had been several feet distant from Holly, the water hindered the effort to reach shore, but she did it, clomping out of the shallow depths of lake, feet like concrete blocks, hair hanging in strings down her face… like seaweed… water dripping, creating a water-veiled gaze… mesmerized by a magical sight, leaving her for one moment oblivious to the DANGER her body was screaming to warn.

“What are they? Kurii?”

“Not from the sky! It’s Xaren! BIRDS!”

Amanda couldn’t hear all that was said and hadn’t been on Trog long enough to understand what xarens were, or what danger they posed, swooping down from the sky. What she could understand and register well enough to react was the panic in Erin’s voice.

“Don’t fight them, Amanda! They move so fast you won’t have time!” Erin had grown up on Trog and knew the xaren species well, had even flown on one, curled up in a basket safe as a baby in the womb.

One command came in a burst of conscious thought.

It was a xaren called Rusty, hovering directly above. ‘To the knoll! Go! Go!’ A voice that came tense, metallic… electricity through her human brain.

The air changed — that too seemed charged, sparkled with unfettered electricity. The grass flattened in a widening circle as xarens began to zoom close to ground, dropping out of the sky like large stones.

Amanda looked up, saw large talons pick Holly up.

‘I’m outside my body, aware I was running… now I’m not… but still escaping. I have no active participation in the initiation or execution of my own escape!’

She was screaming but so were all the other women bathing at the lake that afternoon.

Zephyr, the xaren who had been first to drop out of the sky for the mission named Pluck & Grab returned for a second swoop through the Kurii camp with wings locked and talons open. Erin reached for Amanda’s outstretched wrist and both girls ran. Didn’t think, didn’t ask questions, simply ran, grabbing Whisper’s hand as she too stretched an arm out.

‘What happened to Holly?’ ‘Dropped on Salina Island. Pirate’s Cove.’ ‘Salina? Pirate’s Cove? ’

She had to be hallucinating! Had that bird really answered her question?

Scott Alten’s xaren, War Eagle, watched all from above as first Zephyr picked up Holly; then Apache zoomed in to pluck up Amanda.

Zepher and Apache were so fast One blink of an eye and three girls were simply… gone. A flash of color… then gone.

Rusty swooped, rolled through a quick 180 to return for Erin. Velok, another xaren tried to grab Whisper but a rope lasso her to ground.

An eye-blink of time and now three girls were simply… gone.

COUNTER ATTACK

Enders had been in the shallows enjoying Diamond, the farthest thing from his mind was possible attack by Raiders or xarens. Stallion was down shore, his attention divided, lecturing Enders even as he reprimanded Kelly and Theresa, keeping both girls on their knees, making them kneel on the lakes sandy floor.

It was then that an ear-splitting simian screech ripped through the tree line. It wasn’t Gruff. Both Kurii and their captives knew that war cry and he was not on the Mountain that day, miles away, meeting another inter-galactic slave-ship.

The sound emanated from Albright and Inkabator, loud, primal, a pre-historic screech that produced shudders. “It’s a Raider’s xaren!” Screamed Stallion as Velok, a Raider’s xaren swooped in to grab Whisper, the Captive that Gruff was debating to keep.

Grumps, the xaren that carried Inkabator would not allow that to happen. He’d held a grudge for Velok for many suns and saw his chance. Cutting through the Raider flock he had eyes for only Velok, but Enders sent a commanding cry to retrieve Whisper and Diamond, a command that pulled Grumps out of Velok’s path, veered him a southerly direction that put him directly behind Rusty.

Choosing the one thing easiest to grab that would cause the invading bird serious harm, Grumps nipped Velok’s tail feathers, held them tight in his beak, would not allow Rusty to pull free. Grumps was older than Rusty but experienced in air battle. Holding Rusty back hindered that bird’s escape. The pain caused by Grumps tugging on his tail feathers took it’s toll, some feathers pulled free to float toward the ground below.

It was a serious injury causing other Raider xarens to break formation and rush to Rusty’s aid. As the other xaren supported Rusty through a hobbled retreat, Stallion on his xaren Granite lassoed Whisper. Rusty had to let her go or Stallion’s rope would pull him out of the sky.

As Rusty’s talons relax and Whisper tumbled free of his grasp, Stallion swooped in, pulled her face down between his lap and Granite’s neck. Once on firm ground, he jumped off the giant xaren, pulled Whisper down and with the lasso quickly hog-tied her. It happened so fast with no time to take a breath.

Whisper was left stunned, too bemused to voice protest or fight her way free of either Stallion or his rope as he pulled both arms behind her back then brought both legs up to meet her wrists. Her mouth was full of grass as she stopped fighting, more concerned now with cleaning the dirt and grass out her mouth.

War Eagle watched all from above. His cry of rage, revenge and worry for one of his flock came through in that one loud screech.

Erin fell from her perch on Apache, screamed as Rusty swept her up a heartbeat later. ‘Hold still’, Zephyr ordered, wings beating hard to keep them both airborn. You’re safe. We have you.’

‘Safe from what?’ Erin gasped. ‘Kurii pheromone hunters,’ Rusty answered for him. ‘They’re already moving. You cannot stay here.’

The meadow dropped away. She saw it spread out beneath them as the xarens took flight, wings flapping, carrying them high into the sky, using clouds to hide their trail.

Below, the grass rippled a pattern not caused by wind. Something more was coming.

War eagle spotted his targets. Zooming in for a second Raid on the Kurii Camp, he grabbed Berto and Jolan in the throes of doggie love. He tried to block the image of their mating from mind before his human, Scott Alten qued in to see it… but… too late. Throughout the flight to rescue the girls War Eagle’s head and ear had been full of Scott’s dialogue of directions to Kurii Mountain and Commands of how to conduct the raid.

Banking hard toward the west, Holly was still on Zepher’s back. ‘We’ve reached Salina,’ The bird told her. ‘Scott and the others will take you the rest of the way.’

Holly nodded, unable to speak, clung to his talons with every ounce of strength she could muster, frightened to see the world tilting wildly beneath her. ‘Why us? Why now?’

Zephyr didn’t answer. Rusty did, his voice a cold thread in both minds: ‘Apache will lead the way home, back to Salina where:

Scott will takes Jolan Berto will have Holly Jon Bruce wants Amanda Erin will go with Doug Brooster to alcove and impregnated. Raider babies, not Kurii.’

Zephyr finished Rusty’s explanation. ‘The Kurii aren’t done hunting humans. They’ve marked you. By his seed, Doug will reclaim you.

[embed]List: Scott Alten, Raiders of Trog | Curated by Evelyn Gaede | Medium Scott Alten, Raiders of Trog · Trog is a planet far from Earth and those abducted from other planets struggle to…medium.com

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