Max Stone and the Lost Star of Zirdon (8 page)

CHAPTER TWELVE

‘FOR ZIRDON!'

Altusa summoned his army of Tigral warriors, all mounted on their Fight-Cats, eager for battle. With the Star back on Zirdon, new hope rushed through their veins, new strength for the battle ahead. Max clung tightly to Boctamus on the back of Mannuk. The army moved out and sped across the open plains towards the crossing of the Zagger Zee.

As the army thundered across the open space, herds of grazing dinosaurs scattered, worried at so many sabre-toothed tigers advancing at one time. Max looked at these and saw that they were indeed straight from his dinosaur book at home. There were the large beasts with heavy armour, along with smaller animals that moved as fast as gazelle or antelopes.

As the river came into view Altusa called out. ‘Look, the Swaveb Tribe', he pointed to the flotilla of small boats that sailed the waters of the Zagger Zee.

They sped down towards the banks of the river where they met friends of the Swaveb tribe as they tied up their boats and stood on the banks of the river.

Altusa jumped off the back of Srana, his Fight-Cat and saluted Mar-Hoc-Seia warmly.

‘Greetings old friend, glad you have made it'

‘Greetings Altusa' replied Mar-Hoc-Seia, ‘it is a truly great sight to see you and your warriors of the Tigral Tribe.'

Boctamus helped Max down from Mannuk, clutching the precious box tightly under his arm.

‘Max!! You made it and I see you have brought quite the army with you' Mar-Hoc-Seia smiled.

Max smiled at the old alien who he noticed was holding a club. He also saw that Yan-Ho held an axe and that all of the Swaveb Tribe held a weapon of sorts, be it club, axe or shovel. And Max thought to himself, they looked quite ferocious.

‘We have seen no sign of the Kaemon Klann' Mar-Hoc-Seia said to Altusa ‘ have you?'

‘None' he replied, ‘although I suspect that they may be lying in wait for us.'

‘Wise counsel' said Mar-Hoc-Seia, ‘how do you think we should proceed?'

Altusa thought for a moment, and then called to his son, Tomac. ‘Go with caution and see what lies ahead of us.'

In a blur of Lothius's white fur, Tomac was off, bounding across the bridge and off into the distance. They all held their breath as they watched him crest the small hill. At the top he paused for a few moments, crouching low and then came back down.

When he returned he spoke to Altusa.

‘They have formed their army into a circle around the Stone of Azul'

‘So they lie in ambush for us then' said Altusa ‘how many did you see?' he asked.

‘I guess there are nearly 200 of them father, but more may lie in wait behind the Stone.

Altusa surveyed his own army, perhaps three hundred strong with almost as many of the Swaveb tribe. ‘So we outnumber them.'

‘That may be so' said Sey-Mar who had just joined the group ‘but they are bigger and stronger than us? It is madness to fight them. We of the Swaveb Tribe are not meant to fight' the old farmer was wringing his hands in worry.

‘They are bigger and meaner than us so the balance may be theirs'.

Mar-Hoc-Seia stood beside his friend, ‘but they fight out of fear of their leader, Sey-May.'

‘And' said Altusa ‘they do not fight for Zirdon. We will ride to meet them.'

Altusa called Max to his side. ‘You are the only one who may return the Lost Star to its rightful place and what we ask of you is a nearly impossible task.'

‘I'll do it' Max said without hesitation. Altusa placed his hand on Max's shoulder, smiling at the bravery of the earth boy.

Without any more words he mounted Srana and held a hand out to Mar-Hoc-Seia and pulled him onto the back of his mighty Fight-Cat.

Max climbed onto the back of Mannuk behind Boctamus while Yan-Ho paired up with Tomac. Each of the Swaveb tribe teamed up with a Tigral warrior.

Max could see the worry written all over their faces. Being so close to the huge Fight-Cats was a daunting prospect but they held their nerve; they were here to fight for Zirdon.

Once they were all mounted Altusa gave the order to move out.

The Fight-Cats bounded over the distance to the top of the hill

‘Just over this hill, Max, lies the Stone of Azul, the rightful home of the Lost Star,' Boctamus called back to him as the wind rushed by. Max felt butterflies in his stomach, not knowing what lay ahead but he was determined to be brave.

They covered the distance quickly, the Fight-Cats stretching their legs at full run.

When they reached the top of the hill Max drew his breath. There before them stood the full force of the Kaemon Klann army. As Tomac had described, they formed a tight circle of three warriors deep around the Stone of Azul.

The Stone itself was huge and towered high into the sky forming a sharp peak at the top. It glittered a faint blue in the afternoon sun and it was speckled with sparkling Kerlang stones and multicoloured gems giving it a magical air. Max could easily see why they held it in such high respect.

Once the soldiers of the Kaemon spotted the Tigral warriors and their mounts at the crest of the hill they hissed and snarled. They looked like a brutal bunch with their sharp jagged blades drawn and their huge reptilian tails swishing. Max swallowed hard trying not to let fear get the better of him.

Altusa sat proudly on the back of Srana and called to Max, Boctamus, Tomac and Yan-Ho: ‘We shall meet them head on, face to face, and draw their army from the Stone to the battle field. This will create a space at the back and it is there you must try to gain entry and return the Lost Star.'

They shook hands, reaching across the backs of the mighty Fight-Cats and bid each other well in the battle.

Tomac led the way and he and Yan-Ho, along with Boctamus and Max, moved to the back of their army and circled around off to the left.

Altusa turned to face his army, knowing they would be nervous in facing such a vicious foe. He stood high on the back of Srana, Mar-Hoc-Seia still behind him, and drew his sword. He called to his warriors summoning their courage.

‘Today' he cried in a voice full of pride, ‘today we fight for Zirdon.'

A great cheer rose from the Tigral and Swaveb tribes.

‘Today, brave warriors of the Tigral and Swaveb tribes we fight a great battle for our homes, for our families. W
E FIGHT FOR FREEDOM.
'

He thrust his sword high into the sky, the sun bouncing off the blade ‘Today' he shouted at the top of his voice ‘we will drive these lizard dogs from our home and forever banish them from Zirdon!!'

The warriors cheered loudly shouting their battle cries.

Altusa launched ahead pushing Srana forward and cried into the air ‘ AIIIEEEEE'

As one they charged down the hill while the Kaemon Klann hissed and roared.

Altusa drew his bow and this was a signal to the other Tigral warriors to draw their bows. They advanced further and as one released a shower of silver-tipped arrows that formed a dark cloud over the Kaemon Warriors. It rained down upon the lizard warriors and many of the Kaemon fell to the ground under the attack and many more were wounded. But still the Kaemon army did not move.

High up on a rocky outcrop on the Stone of Azul
KRÄÄXOR
, leader of the Kaemon Klann, watched as the Fight-Cats raced forward carrying the warriors of the Tigral and Swaveb Tribe on their backs. He was impressed with their show of numbers, but he had a surprise in store for them - one they would never have expected and would send them scurrying back to the hills.

He turned to
DRÄÄGNOS
, now stripped of his army command after his failure to catch the fleeing earth boy, and stood at his leader's side waiting for his every command.
KRÄÄXOR
spat out an order.

‘Release the wretched creatures,' he barked.
DRÄÄGNOS
nodded and waved his sword as a signal to the soldiers below. Suddenly, hundreds and hundreds of Screechers poured from their hiding place behind the Stone of Azul.

They rushed past the Kaemon warriors who held their circle formation. Some of the Screechers paused to inspect the bodies of the fallen Kaemon warriors to see if there might be a meal, those with silver-tipped arrows sticking out from their necks, but the snarls and hisses of the Kaemon Lizards made sure they kept moving forward, towards the army of Zirdon.

The flood of Screechers filled the air with their frenzied screeching and rushed forward to attack the advancing army.

They hunted in tight groups of about twenty. They split up and each group rushed a Fight-Cat.

First they circled the sabre-toothed tiger and their riders, probing for a place to attack. Two or three darted forward snapping their jaws full of needle sharp teeth and then fell back into the group. At first the Fight-Cats were confused by the heckling and the sheer numbers of them, but the trained Tigral warriors calmed them.

The Screechers filled the air with their impatient shrieks, three or four leaping at the back legs and tails, another two or three snapping forward around the paws of the mighty Fight-Cats, snatching mouthfuls of fur as they lunged and snarled.

Altusa was quick to act and gave the order for the Fight-Cats to regroup, perhaps five or six of them forming closed circles, improving their odds and making sure they covered each other's backs. All around the battle field, tight groups of the Zirdon army banded together to face this unexpected foe.

‘Hold your position' commanded Altusa, and the order rippled from group to group. The Screechers had not expected this - they were more used to hunting single prey animals and never faced such an organised sea of predators.

And then Altusa broke from his group and burst forward into the ring of Screechers that surrounded his group of Fight-Cats. He exploded into them with his blade drawn and the sharp edge finding the scrawny neck of the first Screecher he came across. Mar-Hoc-Seia swung his club covering their back and Srana, well Srana was magnificent.

‘ROOAARRR'
she cried as she snapped her powerful jaws at every creature in front of her. She strode confidently and proudly into the centre of the band of Screechers, and they were terrified. They scattered before her jaws and deadly claws. Once he and Srana had inflicted maximum damage Altusa gave the order and they retreated to the tight band of Fight-Cats.

Each of the groups followed this tactic, bursting forward into the sea of Screechers and returning to the safety of the group.

Many Fight-Cats fell after the wave of Screechers and several of the Tigral and Swaveb tribe members were lost in the frenzy of the attack.

But they pressed on, encouraged by their leaders Altusa, Mar-Hoc-Seia and Srana, who slaughtered Screechers all round them. Srana celebrated each fallen Screecher with a
‘RROOARR'
that echoed around the battle field.

The other Fight-Cats raised their voices and their spirits in return. It sent chills down the backs of the Screechers.

Soon the tide turned and Fight-Cats learned that a single snap of their powerful jaws, or one sweep of their giant paws was enough to take down a Screecher. The Tigral Warriors focussed their blade strikes at the side of the Fight-Cats, and the Swavebs swung their clubs or axes at any Screecher who leapt at their backs.

The Screechers saw dozens and dozens of their kind sliced and snapped so decided to pull back. Now they were less sure than before. The Zirdon Army grew in confidence and soon the air crackled with the sounds of crunching and snapping and of the mighty roars of the Fight-Cats. The Screechers began to scatter and small pockets of them faced the much larger Fight-Cats so they soon lost their appetite for the attack.

From high above,
KRÄXOR
watched closely and gave the order for his army to advance.
STRÄÄLUS
, now at the head of the Kaemon army on the battle field, raised his sword high above his head and gave the signal to attack.

The Kaemon warriors rushed forward and the Screechers scattered before them.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

BEATING HEART OF ZIRDON!

Max clung tightly to Boctamus while he and Mannuk circled the battle field. Tomac, Yan-Ho and Lothius powered ahead. All eyes of the Kaemon warriors lay on the Army of Zirdon that rushed towards them. When the Screechers had been released, Tomac had wanted to turn back to help out his father and the Tribe but Boctamus had called ‘NO' to his friend.

‘We must replace the Lost Star, Tomac', he called over the noise as the Screechers poured from behind the Stone of Azul.

Tomac agreed, although he did want to help the others. ‘You're right Boctamus, we have to press on.'

‘We have to find that opening' his friend said as they skirted around to the back of the giant stone and searched for the home of the Lost Star.

On the battle field the silver swords of the Tigral Warriors clashed with the jagged blades of the Kaemon Klann as the two armies collided in the warm afternoon sun.

The Lizards hissed and snarled as they swung their blades at the Tigrals, trying to avoid the mighty jaws of their Fight-Cats.

The Tigrals held their sharpened blades with both hands and took careful aim, delivering small deep cuts, slicing and wounding the Lizard Dogs.

The Kaemon had no such finesse - they swung their blades as clubs and hacked and chopped, spinning wildly in the heat of the battle.

Altusa's blade was strong and true and he took out many a Kaemon warrior with just three deft strikes. First he cut to the side of the head, drew his blade back over his head and then struck to the other side, dazing and wounding the warrior. Once in this position he drew his sword upwards in a deadly uppercut, finishing off his enemy.

Mar-Hoc-Seia protected his back and as a lizard warrior tried to attack he raised his club in defence. This was all Srana needed as a signal and she spun around sweeping her strength through her paw and sent the lizard to the ground.

Not all Tigral and Swaveb warriors fared so well. The Lizards were a fearsome foe, and where they lacked in skill or finesse they made up in sheer strength and brutality. They used everything they had as a weapon, their heavy crude swords, their long fat reptilian tails and their jaws. Any Swaveb or Tigral Warrior that fell from its Fight-Cat and found themselves in the way of a Kaemon, soon realised that one sweep of their tail was enough to end their part in the battle.

The Kaemon were also fearless as if driven by some unseen force, some daemon that drove them on and on.

They hurled themselves at Fight-Cats and as the giant tigers rose to meet them in mid-air, they took every opportunity to sink their rows and rows of teeth through the thick tiger fur to find warm flesh. They kept biting, even as the mighty jaws of the Fight-Cats sank through the thick, scaly, reptilian hide.

STRÄÄLUS
himself was the most fearless of them all. He lunged at any Fight-Cat that attacked one of his soldiers, swinging his first blade at the Tigral warrior and the second at the chest of the Fight-Cat. He sneered at the terrified little furry aliens sitting behind them, his snarl enough to frighten them. He had been appointed General of the Army, replacing
DRÄÄGNOS
, and would see a glorious victory over these wretched creatures from Zirdon. He would bring triumph to his leader and make him proud.

STRÄÄLUS
felt the battle swing in his favour, as they pressed the enemy hard and brought down many of their numbers. From the corner of his eye, however, he could see a small pocket of foe advancing, seeking to drive a wedge down the centre of his forces. He knew that it would not be good to have the enemy separate his numbers and he instantly recognised their leader as the one who led the charge.

STRÄÄLUS
rushed forward to meet him, his jagged blades drawn and ready for action.

‘Watch out!' Altusa called to Srana and Mar-Hoc-Seia ‘this one means business' as he spotted the charging figure of
STRÄÄLUS
rush towards them. With a leap and a snarl
STRÄÄLUS
leapt into the air, his forked tongue flickering in the heat of the battle, swinging both blades at once, meaning to deliver a single killer blow. Altusa defended with his blade and with all his might held off the attack. The ring of steel echoed with the sounds of the ferocious clash and all around them on the battle field knew their leaders were locked in a deadly battle.

STRÄÄLUS
drew back as Altusa defended while Srana swept her claw across his stomach, drawing thin lines of his thick yellow viscous blood. He hissed in anger at his attacker and lunged in for another bout. This time he caught Srana with one blow and faked a dummy blow to upset Altusa's balance. He drew back again, and then lunged at Altusa with both blades, meaning to knock him off the back of his tiger with sheer force. As one, he swung his swords to Altusa's side while Altusa protected his line with his lighter blade. It became a battle of strength and will as
STRÄÄLUS
pushed with all his might. He was just out of Srana's reach and
STRÄÄLUS
thought he had him. If this one fell, soon his whole army would crumple around him.

And then Mar-Hoc-Seia rose high on the back of Srana and smashed his club into the elbow of the Lizard General.

‘
AGGHH
?' he cried in surprise. He had not even looked at this pathetic little creature, but felt a sickening
CRAAAKK
as his elbow shattered and his blade fell from his hand.

But Mar-Hoc-Seia had reached too far and he fell off Srana's back. The Fight-Cat stepped protectively over the Swaveb leader and Altusa took the opportunity to deflect
STRÄÄLUS
's single remaining blade and swept a cut deep into his side.

STRÄÄLUS
was furious as the pain of Altusa's blade bit home and he screamed in agony. He spotted the little alien creature under the Fight-Cat and lunged at him in revenge, ready to drive his blade into the body of the fallen Swaveb leader.

This was the opening that Altusa needed. He leapt from the back of Srana onto the thick scaly neck of
STRÄÄLUS,
who screeched in surprise and tried to shake the Tigral leader from him. Altusa pulled his bow from his back and jammed the wood between the powerful jaws of the reptile, riding him like a crazed wild animal. Srana stood protectively over Mar-Hoc-Seia, as the lizard thrashed and swung his heavy tail around and desperately tried to shake Altusa free from his neck. He tried to throw his blade behind his back to stab Altusa but the skilled warrior easily dodged the strikes. Altusa kept the pressure up, heaving the neck back with all his strength until the lizard lost his balance and toppled over. There was a sickening
crrruunch
as the heavy reptile's skull met the ground.

Altusa leapt back onto the back of Srana and helped Mar-Hoc-Seia up behind him

‘Are you alright, old friend?'

‘Yes Altusa, thank you, you just saved my life.'

‘As you did for me, old friend, that was a very brave thing you did. Are you hurt badly?'

‘No, no, but I do not think I shall be able to swing the club again today, so you had best keep out of trouble.'

Altusa smiled at him and nodded, scanning the battle field with his trained eye. All around, Tigral Warriors saluted him for his victory over
STRÄÄLUS
. The growls and roars of the Fight-Cats rumbled in unison at Srana's bravery and all the Swaveb Tribe members drew strength from the courage of their own leader.

Altusa once more leapt off the back of Srana, this time to claim the blade of the fallen general. He called to his warriors, punching the air with the alien sword held high over his head as a trophy. His long white hair was dishevelled, his eyes flamed fire red and he was a true inspiration.

‘
FOR ZIRDON
!!' he called at the top of his voice.

The Lizard Warriors looked around in disarray; their general had fallen and they seemed less confident somehow.

Altusa pressed forward into the middle of them swinging the heavy blade, as Srana snarled at everything in front of her. She was now in true battle mode, her every animal instinct honed and sharpened. She snapped at the Lizard soldiers in front of her as Altusa delivered the wrath of Zirdon with the trophy blade he had won from
STRÄÄLUS
.

KRÄÄXOR
watched from high up on the Stone of Azul as more and more of his warriors fell at the hands of the Zirdon Army. He saw
STRÄÄLUS
fall at the hand of their leader, but this did not concern him. He could get more warriors and a new leader. Even though he could feel the battle slipping away, he sought another prize - a prize that would see him off this wretched planet and on to greater glory. He scanned the battle scene carefully, and then off to his left he spotted them. His forked tongue flickered excitedly as his beady eyes watched two lone Fight-Cats circling the Stone. They were seeking an entry to the Stone of Azul and that could only mean one thing.

They must have the Star.

It was hard to tell from this height but he was sure that behind the Tigral warriors sat one of the furry little aliens but on the other he was sure sat the earth boy. Where the earth boy went, he thought to himself, so too did the Star of Zirdon. He squinted his eyes against the afternoon sun and was more certain than ever.

He motioned to
DRÄÄGNOS
.

‘There, there they are' he called in his deep raspy voice.

They climbed down from their high perch and took up a covered spot to lie in ambush, their faces fixed in a snarl and their blades drawn.

‘I think I see it' cried Boctamus to Max over the noise of the battle behind them. ‘I think this might be a way in.'

Just then Tomac called out a warning, ‘Watch out Boctamus', but it was too late.
KRÄÄXOR
leapt from behind the cover of a rocky outcrop and slammed Boctamus clean off the back of Mannuk.

Max and the precious box tumbled to the ground.

Boctamus recovered quickly and took up a defensive position, drawing his blade to face the giant lizard leader. Mannuk ran to his side as
KRÄÄXOR
swung his blade in his direction. Tomac was quick to act and he, Yan-Ho and Lothius leapt at
KRÄÄXOR
.

The blur of the white Fight-Cat's savage teeth and claws deflected
KRÄÄXOR
from Boctamus and Max for a moment. But then
DRÄÄGNOS
jumped in from the side and smacked Lothius across his mighty jaw with the handle of his blade.
DRÄÄGNOS
was quick, and swung his blade and cut deep into the flesh of the white tiger's chest. A thin line of blood trickled down, staining his pure white fur while Lothius stumbled and collapsed on the ground, sending Tomac and Yan-Ho into a tumble.

Yan-Ho was first to recover and stood to face the terrifying sight of the lizard warrior, his axe in his hand

‘Ha!' cried
DRÄÄGNOS
in glee at facing such a puny foe. ‘Is this the best you have sent to face me
DRÄÄGNOS
of the Kaemon Klann?' He hissed, as his forked tongue flickered in an out and he lifted his blade for the killer strike.

Lothius was down but Tomac rose and with a single sweep he drew his sword down hard upon the reptile hand of
DRÄÄGNOS
. The Lizard soldier dropped his blade and cursed at Tomac. As he reached down to retrieve his jagged sword he swung his mighty lizard tail, sweeping Yan-Ho to the ground. Tomac had an extra second to see it coming and just barely dodged the swipe, but now
DRÄÄGNOS
was once again armed and dangerous.

Lothius was still down and Tomac moved towards him, to see if he could help revive his Fight-Cat.
DRÄÄGNOS
took the opportunity and, as Tomac turned to check on Lothius,
DRÄÄGNOS
swung his tail sending Tomac to the ground, his head banging painfully on a rock, dazing him.

‘Go, Max!' shouted Boctamus as he stood to bravely face the evil leader of the Kaemon Klann. ‘Go!'

Max was torn between staying to help his friends and trying to replace the Lost Star.

He knew he had no choice; he just had to leave them. He sprinted to the base of the Stone of Azul and there he spied a small hole in the ground, barely covered by leaves and branches. Something inside sparkled and he knew it must be it. He ran towards it, his feet teetering on the edge, but he lost his footing and fell down the hole at the bottom of the Stone of Azul. It was shaped like a tunnel and Max whizzed down the slide at a terrific speed, not knowing where he was going or what lay ahead of him.

KRÄÄXOR
saw the boy flee and snarled at
DRÄÄGNOS
‘keep this lot busy!'

DRÄÄGNOS
swept his blade at Mannuk, driving him back. He thrust his sword at Boctamus and swung his tail at Yan-Ho while
KRÄÄXOR
set off in pursuit of the earth boy and his precious cargo.

Max landed heavily, knocking his shoulder painfully off the ground. When he came-to he marvelled at the inside of the sparkling cave. He felt as if he had just fallen into the very heart of a diamond. Everything sparkled and shone, the walls and the ground were all made of Kerlang Stones and countless other gems of blues, purples and gold. These were different than the stones he had seen in the northern caves; they were harder and sharper and they glittered, sending a rainbow of colour around the cavern. Max looked around the cave knowing he wouldn't have much time. He desperately needed to find where the Lost Star should go. He thought he spied a small round opening in the far wall and moved to explore it but the ground was slippy and he lost his footing, tumbling to the hard floor. The box fell from his hand and the Lost Star rolled out.

Just then he heard a terrifying shriek as
KRÄÄXOR
came hurtling down the slide and into the cave after him.