“The Odyssey”
By MrNelg

Act: VII

The world was a kaleidoscope. Sights flashed passed Jason's eyes as he tumbled headlong towards the ground below.

His sudden descent was brought to an abrupt halt as he face-planted right into something soft. Whatever it was, he didn't stay there, as he was bounced into the air, tumbling head over heels before striking the ground; hard. While the grass softened the blow, it still hurt. He lay there, groaning at the pain before an earth-shattering thud shook his world. The impact threw him into the air.

When the stars in his eyes cleared, he was able to make out a solid wall of gold that was an ankle. It wasn't still for long as it pivoted, and disappeared into the air. The rush of the foot as it sailed overhead ruffled his hair, and he almost gave himself whiplash trying to follow it.

A Leo was behind him. The first thing that caught his attention were her armaments. They weren't typical of the Leo's; instead, she carried a round bronze shield and curved sickle swords; weapons of the Grevyi. The second thing was her opponent; Glitch. The young Oryctolagus girl was fighting for her life. He could see the fear in her eyes, as she utilised the only defence she could against this unbeatable foe; her speed and agility.

Glitch's empty sack hung limply from her shoulder and Jason was sure she wasn't even aware of it, as the concentration in her eyes showed her focus was on the Leo warrior in front of her.

Then Jason was aware of a third thing; he had no idea where the surrexerunt petals were. Fear coursed through his veins. However, Glitch's scream jolted him out of his paralysis. Although her speed kept the Oryctolagus girl from being cut to ribbons by her attacker, it was clear that wasn't going to keep her safe for long, as her opponent was getting wise to her tactics; almost predicting were she'd be next.

The Leo took a step backwards, appearing to judge which way Glitch would run. Her foot came down with a shattering thud directly before Jason, showering him with dirt. She paused, before lifting her head high, sniffing the air; Then she spun around, her glare pinning Jason like a spotlight. Her eyes held that unmistakable look he'd seen before at the marketplace back in Tribus City; Hunger.

Glitch's scream drew his attention as he saw the Oryctolagus girl diving for him, hands stretched for him. The Leo didn't even bother looking, as Glitch dived passed her. Jason braced himself as Glitch's fingers closed around him, scooping him up as she rolled onto her feet. Encased within her hands, he heard the outraged cry of the Leo, before she moved sharply again.

{What's going on?} Jason shouted, hoping that Glitch could answer.

{We're under attack from a Leo tribe,} Glitch cried as she ran. {They haven't got the typical Leo weapons. These must be raiders!} Although she obscured his view of the outside world, he was able to peak through her fingers. Leo's were running around madly. Some were fighting, and others were trying to put out fires.

{What's with the fires?} Jason asked.

A loud roaring sound caused Glitch to stop momentarily, and Jason moved to peer through her fingers. Five Leo's – all-female - had a male bound and were applying a gag to his mouth. Once they got it in, it stifled the male's cries. The rope they used didn't look like it would hold him, but for some reason, his struggles were meek, almost as if he were afraid of what would happen if he didn't submit. He was hoisted to his feet and hastily marched off in a direction that led out of the camp.

The Leo, who was guarding their retreat, turned in their direction, and Glitch took off...

...and immediately came to a halt as a Leo warrior blocked her path. The giant female snarled as she pointed her sword at Glitch. Before Jason could even blink, he heard Glitch whisper, {I'm sorry.} Then she tossed him towards the Leo, shouting, **!

The Mammalian's eyes widened as he flew towards her, obviously not expecting this. Then her nostrils flared, and her hands snatched him out of the air. Cupping them, she held him up to her face, hunger in her eyes. Suddenly, that expression vanished as they widened with shock, before slowly lowering. Jason followed her gaze to see Glitch below, the Leo's sword in her hands and planted firmly into the Leo's belly right up to the hilt. There was fear and horror in her eyes.

He could feel the Leo's grip on him loosen as her eyes rolled up into the back of her head, and she slowly began to fall backwards.

{Jump!} That was Glitch. He never got the chance as the Leo's fingers gave way, and he just fell into free fall. The world around him spun once again, as just as before, furry fingers caught him. He waited for the world to stop spinning before looking up. Glitch's worried eyes peered down at him. {Are you alright?} Her voice trembled as she spoke.

His voice mirrored her fear. {Please, never do that again.}

{I'm sorry,} she said, as her eyes darted all around. Her ears were erect and turning in all directions. {It was the only plan that came to mind.} Jason leaned over the edge of her fingers to spy the Leo on the ground, blood pooling out from the sword in her belly. Turning back, he could see the horror in Glitch's eyes once again.

{That's the first time you've killed someone.} He didn't say it as a question, but her expression betrayed her response. {Where was our camp?} Jason asked, {we've lost the surrexerunt petals, and even if we win or lose, I'm not going to last very long without them.} Glitch shot him a quick, worried look before darting her head up again.

{I... don't know,} she confessed, {I just ran as fast as I could. I-I- didn't th-ink...}

{Relax,} Jason urged, {you're not going to solve anything by panicking. That's the Sapien motto; Keep calm and carry on.} He could see her relax somewhat. {Now, assess the nearest threats and look for an escape route. Once we find someplace safe, we can make our next move.} Her eyes shot all around the camp.

{There,} she said softly, and within the next second she was bounding off through the camp. Suddenly, she screamed, and before Jason could even react, Glitch collided into something enormous and yellow. Once again, he was sent flying through the air to hit the ground. Thankfully the tall grass cushioned the impact, but it still hurt.

Glitch's scream of terror chased the pain away and opening his eyes; he saw his Oryctolagus friend on the ground. Looming over Glitch was a Leo, pinning her with one hand while the other held a bronze curved sickle sword raised high above, ready to strike.

A roar pierced the air, and the Leo turned, just in time to see another Leo leaping at her with a blood-stained enemy weapon in her own hands. The Leo assaulting Glitch quickly swung her sword up to block the strike, and there was an ear-splitting clang. Jason gasped as he recognised the profoundly scarred Leo that save them. Although her opponent blocked her attack, Rhahq put both hands into the blow, and she was able to push the weapon aside, before leaning in to deliver a headbutt. With a shattering crack, the Leo assaulting Glitch was sent reeling.

Rhahq shot Glitch a hasty glance as she snarled, {run!} Then she paused. Her gaze spun back and stared at her. Jason's eyes widened with realisation as he saw that the eyes of their guide were not focused on the Oryctolagus girl but him.

There was a flash, and Rhahq was sent stumbling backwards, blood gushing from a gash across her abdomen. Both Jason and Glitch screamed out a 'No,' as their guide hit the ground, clutching at her wound while her opponent climbed to her feet. Holding a hand to her bleeding nose, the Leo steadily approached their guide, before raising the sword above her head.

Glitch must have been right beside her. She kicked out with both feet as hard as she could, landing a savage blow directly on the Leo's left knee. The Leo screamed in pain, dropping her sword as she collapsed to the ground, cradling the abused knee. Jason saw movement beyond Glitch and turning, spotted Rhahq struggling to her feet. She could only manage to crawl, but she raised the sword above her head and struck down on the Leo's neck, severing the head from the body with one stroke. Jason went rigid as the head bounced and rolled passed him before disappearing into the grass.

Both Glitch and Jason lay there on the ground, heavy breathing being the only sounds audible over the din of battle, which appeared to be lowering in intensity. A sudden crash made Jason turn, and he saw Rhahq lying on the ground, blood pooling from beneath her.

Glitch was on her feet and beside her in an instant. She rolled her over and winced at the wound. {How is she?} Jason asked.

{Bleeding,} Glitch answered. She eyed the Leo's clothing, before tearing off one of her pant legs. She balled it up and pressed it hard into the wound.

{Oh no.} Jason looked up as a new voice suddenly appeared. He blinked in surprise as he recognised the Sciuridae. He was panting heavily.

{Where have you been?} Glitch snapped at him. He looked unimpressed.

{In case you've forgotten, I'm a healer, not a warrior. I've been doing the same thing as you; fleeing for my life.} Glitch's eyes widened.

{You're a healer,} Glitch cried, {can you save her?} He knelt beside the Leo.

{Let me see.} As Glitch removed the clothing, he leaned in to examine the wound. ***, he muttered. {The wound is deep,} he said, {I can close it, no problems, but there has been internal damage as well.}

{So fix it,} Glitch cried. The Sciuridae pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply. The tone of it told Jason the Mammalian had been down this road more times than he'd cared.

{It's not that easy,} he said, irritation in his voice. {The damaged arteries are impossible to reach. I can't slip my fingers in there, and even if I could, I wouldn't have any room to operate.} Glitch turned a worried gaze back to Rhahq.

{She saved my life,} Glitch said. {There must be something.}

{I can help!} Both faces turned as Jason walked up to them. The Sciuridae's eyes almost jumped out of his head.

***! **? Glitch grabbed him with both hands.

{Listen to me,} she said, {He's my friend. His name is Jay-sun, and he's been travelling with me this whole time.} Again the Sciuridae spluttered in his language. Her claws came out, digging into his arm, and he winced in pain. {Listen to him,} she said. Once she had his attention, she indicated towards Jason, and he turned.

{You say you can't reach inside her? I can,} Jason said thumbing to his chest. {I'm small enough to climb inside and fix what needs repairing. If you can guide me, I can do it.}

The Sciuridae just gaped back at him, before licking his lips nervously. He was slow to start speaking before he said {T-then let's *... ** begin. We need to stop the internal bleeding.} Glitch cupped her hands, and stepping into them, she lifted Jason over to place him just before the wound. Blood matted the fur around the gash and Jason had to walk carefully to avoid slipping.

Jason swallowed his fear as he looked down. The Leo beneath his feet was still breathing, albeit weakly. He crouched to steady himself as he peered into the darkness of her insides. {The main arteries have been cut in two places,} the Sciuridae said from high above. Jason looked up just as the Mammalian lowered a small threaded needle down to him. Taking it in his hand, it was like a short-sword in his grasp. {Her torso must have twisted when the blow struck because the wound's themselves have rolled underneath, where I can't get them.}

Jason winced at that. He was the reason she'd been distracted and struck down. He had to do something to save her. She had saved Glitch. Jason turned and nodded back up at the Sciuridae before steadily climbing down into the wound. The world around him grew dark, wet and hot. Everything he touched was slippery. He called out to Glitch, and both she and the Sciuridae tied a small string around his waist. They carefully lowered him down as he hugged the needle to his chest. Once his feet found some footing, he got to work.

The cuts were easy to find. Even in the dark, Jason could feel along the pulsing veins until his hands abruptly vanished into them. He felt along the edges for the start of the cut and began to sew. Basic medical aid had always been a prerequisite in all survival courses. These included deep cuts, bite marks and even severed limbs. Being at the bottom of the food chain led to all kinds of accidents. Many life-saving medical techniques had been pioneered because of it.

It wasn't comfortable trying to manoeuvrer a needle the length of your arm while unable to find a secure footing in a dark space, but determination was a Sapien factor that helped them survive all life had thrown at them. After what felt like an eternity, he tugged on the string, and he was lifted out. {I'm done,} he told the Sciuridae, {you can close the wound now.}

As he started wiping the blood off, Glitch stopped him. {You smell of our guide,} she told him, {so until I can find the surrexerunt petals, it's best to keep it on you.} Jason nodded, then shivered.

{Is there somewhere you can store me?} he asked, {it's rather cold out here and if I'm spotted again, I'll be going back inside another Leo, only this time it will be permanent.} Glitch checked herself before cursing at discovering that she had no pouches. Then she eyed the blood that caked his clothes. Using her hands, she scooped up some of Rhahq's spilt blood, before wiping it all over her hands and then gently picking him up to encase him within.

{This is just temporary,} she assured him, {until we can get back to our camp, and I'll have to put you in our coin pouch.} Jason stroked her pads to let her know he understood.

Finally, the Sciuridae healer announced the operation was over. {There,} he said as he bit the end of the string off and tied it, {I've done all we can. She's lost a lot of blood. The rest is up to her.}

{Tell her to eat lots of meat and poultry if she can,} Jason called out from within Glitch's cupped hands and drawing the Sciuridae's attention. {These foods contain "Iron," which is necessary for helping the body fight "iron" deficiency "anemia."} He nodded.

Suddenly, he turned, before spinning back and hissing, {Quiet.}

Peering through her fingers, Jason could make out a group of Leo's approaching. *! He recognised the cry as their guides name. More Leo's were at their side and then soon, the Sciuridae was no longer visible.

{What's going on?} Jason whispered, hoping that Glitch's hearing would pick him up.

{Our guide is hugely respected within this tribe-} her voice was cut off as she too was pushed aside. There were a few frustrating moments of no response from Glitch, before she suddenly said, {Oh, it seems the raiders have left.}

{Did our side win?} Again, there was a long pause.

{Unclear,} was the answer. Jason could hear the Sciuridae shouting out over the worried voices of all the Leo's before he managed to calm them down. He started explaining to them in their language about Rhahq's condition. Judging from his hand movements, he was requesting that they not try to move her, but make her comfortable. A few of them darted away.

{Did we win?} Glitch asked the Sciuridae.

{At the moment, I can't get a straight answer out of anyone,} he replied. {This could've been a retaliation raid, a husband raid or both.} He glanced around the nearby camp, particularly the burnt Yurts. {Attacking the encampment with a sudden barrage of flaming arrows is a tactic of such attacks, as it diverts half the tribe to fight the fires. If they were after plunder, starting fires tends to destroy potential loot.} He was now staring in one direction long enough for Glitch to turn as well. Inside her hands, Jason saw a family of Leo's crowded around a male. His walking robe had been shredded to reveal a muscular frame beneath, but no one seemed to care. His children obscured his legs as they cried happily and clung to his knees, while his wives hugged whatever piece of his body they could as they wept tears of relief. The male was making reassuring noises as he attempted to calm the crowd that surrounded him while patting and stroking everyone who clung to him.

{Was he sexually assaulted?} Glitch asked. The Sciuridae shook his head.

{No,} he answered. {It doesn't look like whoever did that to his clothes got that far.}

{Can't they fight back?} The Sciuridae graced the male with a pitying glance, before turning back to Glitch.

{It's never encouraged,} he said. {Male Leo's are too few to begin with, as they only make up ten per cent of the entire Leo population. Because of this, their society can't allow males to learn how to say no; it's too essential they say yes to so many females.} He gave a wry chuckle. {Kind of counter-intuitive when you consider all things.}

All sounds suddenly ceased, and the Sciuridae turned to look up. Jason followed his gaze up, and up towards a towering form of the male Leo who stood before them; vale up to reveal his sizeable feline face. He was huge and looked tougher than any of the female Leo's he'd seen. Jason could feel the vibrations in Glitch's fingers as she trembled slightly. Slowly, the Leo crouched until he got to the closest he could at being eye level with the Sciuridae; and he still towered over him.

{You saved Rhahq's life,} he said in the trade language, shocking Jason. The male glanced down at the wounded Leo, placing a caring hand to her face and lovingly stroked it.

{I can't take all the credit,} the Sciuridae said, and Jason could once again feel Glitch stiffen as he indicated towards her. {This brave Oryctolagus helped me fix the damage,} he said. {Without her, I could never have saved your ex-wife.} Jason's eyebrows shot up. The males' large fingers stroked Rhahq's cheek fur.

{She is still my wife,} he said, {I love all my wives, even if they consider themselves a failure and a disgrace.} At these words, a few Leo hands placed themselves on his shoulder, and he nuzzled at them. He then turned his gaze on Glitch and once again, Jason felt her tense up. {Thank-you little one,} he said. {You have my eternal gratitude.} In the background, Jason could see a few Leo faces. They appeared uncomfortable with the male speaking to Glitch, but they restrained themselves.

As the rest of the Leo's returned, the Sciuridae began explaining to them what they needed to do to help Rhahq fight her blood loss. They erected a Yurt around her and saw to her comfort. Both Glitch and the Sciuridae were allowed access to the inside of the structure, though Jason could see the tense looks the Leo females were shooting Glitch. He could feel her trembling, and he couldn't help but feel more worried for her safety than his own. The Leo's returned their belongings to them, and Glitch sneaked Jason into her coin pouch before making sure to smear some of the blood on it. Then she hung it around her neck.

Inside, Jason pulled apart a few stitches that held the sides together, albeit the pouch limited his view because the stitching was tight. Outside, the female Leo's had drifted closer to Glitch, almost corralling her. The reason became apparent when the male Leo appeared. Although the females allowed Glitch inside the Yurt, they put their foot down over their husband walking in full view of her, without his walking-robe and veil. With a sigh of long-suffering, he complied.

The Sciuridae gave a few more orders to the females before he approached Glitch. {I'm going to head back to our former camp area on the pretext that I can't find one of my medical instruments that you have been keeping safe for me,} he said softly. {I can use that opportunity to find your friends' surrexerunt petals.} Glitch nodded. {Do you have any idea where the remains of your sack might lie?}

{The most likely area is where they found my belongings,} Glitch answered. She looked over at the pile they returned with, her trusty travellers sack no-longer there. {I don't suppose that my heroic actions would warrant a reward, like a new travelling sack?}

{That shouldn't be too difficult,} the Sciuridae replied with a smile. {You helped saved the former head of this family. If not, the husband should have no trouble pressuring his wives into accepting your request.} The Sciuridae then approached one of the females and explained his plight to her. She frowned in response as she cast a quick and suspicious glance over at the pile of Glitch's possessions before giving a single nod. As he started leaving though, she barked something to someone, and as Glitch turned to watch him go, Jason saw that he now had an escort.

Glitch had gained an escort also, a young female who never once took her blank stare off the Oryctolagus girl. The rest of the family soon joined them in the Yurt. Observing them, Jason saw that they were mixed in age. Young girls were ranging in age, from toddlers to adolescent teens. They took orders from everyone. Then there were the adults who gave out all instructions. One female, in particular, appeared to be in charge, and she seemed to be concerned for their guide the most. Finally, there were the older females. They just seemed to exist from the looks of things. They didn't give orders, and no one gave them any, but they did appear to be cared for by the younger daughters of the family.

To Jason's surprise, there were a few boys; Three in total. Like the big male, they too wore walking-robes and veils. They were young, with the oldest possibly just a few years younger than Glitch. They were curious about Glitch, but their sisters made sure to position themselves between the boys and the Oryctolagus girl, keeping them barricaded from her.

The Sciuridae healer returned sometime later, casting a sorrowful expression Glitch's way. Even inside the pouch, Jason could hear her sigh. Jason couldn't help but shiver. Having blood smeared all over him wasn't going to last forever, and without the surrexerunt petals, he would be at the mercy of every predator who could smell him — providing that these Leo's didn't find him first. Jason turned away from the hole in the pouch to think. There had to be something he could do. He refused to accept coming this far in his journey to fail.

The pouch shook as Glitch sat down. Jason returned to the hole to see that everyone was setting up food. {What's going on?} Jason asked.

{It was early dawn when the raiders attacked,} Glitch answered. {It's breakfast time.} For the first time since his capture by the Procyon's, he glanced to his wristwatch. It was Five in the morning.

{I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help to your little friend,} the Sciuridae said softly. {Is he going to be okay?}

{I don't know,} Glitch answered. {Jay-sun needs those surrexerunt petals, or the Leo's are going to sniff him out.} He could sense Glitch turning to look towards their wounded guide. {And without our guide, we're effectively stranded here.}

{Not so,} the Sciuridae healer answered. {The Clan elder has agreed to lend us two of her best warriors to see to our safe passage for the remainder of our journey. Once we reach the city of Juu Mwisho, we might be able to find something that can act as a substitute.} He was silent for a few seconds. {Can your friend hear me?}

{I can,} Jason said softly. Glitch's ears picked up his reply, and she answered for him.

{You saved our guides life. I would not have been able to reconnect those arteries as you did so skilfully. You should be proud of yourself.} Jason smiled.

{She saved Glitch,} he answered. {I had to repay the favour somehow.} Glitch was silent for a moment before relaying that to the healer. Jason had meant what he'd said. He didn't want to save Glitch because he'd be dead without her. No, he cared for her; Like a friend. When the Sciuridae spoke again, his voice seemed distant.

{In my long career as a healer, I've lost track of the number of patients I couldn't save because of inoperable situations.} He was silent for a while. When he at last spoke, his voice was full of strength. {It feels so good to beat the odds finally.}

Food was passed out, but Glitch couldn't sneak anything to Jason because of all the eyes on her. Although he was unable to see much, Jason could feel the hostility aimed at the young Oryctolagus girl. The males soon had to raise their veils, much to every female's rancour as eating with them down proved impossible.

{Try not to look at any of the males, if you can help it,} the Sciuridae advised. {To the Leo, the inner sanctum of their home is a very private place. They are not happy about you being inside with their males. You might get ejected from the Yurt in-spite of your heroic actions.} Glitch nodded her head so vigorously that he felt it inside the pouch.

{What kind of future will those males have?} Glitch asked.

{When tribes travel into towns to do business, it's the only time that Leo's can meet without trying to kill each other. That's when they swap their males for husbands.} He pointed to the female Leo's who were about Glitch's age. {When their oldest son is of age, they will travel to the nearest city and negotiate with families of different tribes. They will swap their son for the other families son so that daughters on both sides can have a husband. The newly acquired male then marries all the daughters of that family, no matter their age.} He smiled wryly. {Although no sex occurs until they come of age.} He then pointed to the rest of the male children. {On the rare occasion they have more than one son, the result depends on the size of the family. They can split the sisters down the middle forming a new family, or trade their extra son off for wealth.}

Jason tuned out the rest of the conversation, as he started observing the Leo's. While some cast suspicious glances towards Glitch, others were enjoying the food. Jason tensed with trepidation as the closest Leo to him, ate a massive chunk of meat off a leg-bone and swallowed it. If he didn't think of something to hide his scent soon, that would be him. His gaze turned towards one of the Leo's who carried a blood-stained Grevyi sword; no doubt claimed from one of the attackers. The Leo sitting beside her, surreptitiously cast envious eyes at the weapon, before glancing forlornly down at her short-spear.

Curious about what he'd witnessed, he asked Glitch about it, who in turn questioned the Sciuridae. {Although powerful, the Leo's understand that they are falling behind in weapon's technology,} he answered. He spoke as if he were explaining Jason's question to Glitch. {They are backwards, there's no nice way of putting it. Their environment doesn't allow them the ability to settle down at start towns and cities. This region of the Amber Continent is called the Grass Sea for a reason. There's barely any flora out here to make civilisation a reasonable option. While they do have their pack animals like those *, they have no successful crops like wheat or corn. So trying to build a small kingdom or uniting tribes into larger settlements is out of the question for them. That's why they never settle in one place for too long. They have to move consistently, so as not to use up their food supply. If not for their riding avians, they wouldn't be able to survive out here at all.}

He pointed out those who had Grevyi-made weapons. {That's why they hire themselves out to other tribes as mercenaries so that they can acquire wealth and arms to keep themselves afloat with the rest of the civilised world. That's why they come into cities and towns to trade and not to pillage. They know that they can never build the industry to make weapons that can protect them from the rest of the world. Although no army can conquer the Grass Sea, they understand the concept of progress. Weapons from the outside world are far more advanced than their own. They know there will come a day when technology won't allow the geography to protect them any more.}

He then gave a subtle gesture that encompassed the whole Yurt. {You may criticise their aggressive culture, but it has been the one factor that has kept them independent. It makes them the best warriors on the planet, thus ensuring they will keep themselves afloat as the rest of the world moves forward without them.}

Jason couldn't help but compare the Leo's situation with his kind. All Sapiens, male and female, received some form of basic training growing up, and full military training upon reaching adulthood and having every able person capable of fighting against all threats had kept their species alive. Just like the Leo's, Sapiens used the only significant advantage they had; intelligence. Being at the bottom of the food chain, it required you to discover new ways of surviving continuously. Taming avians had allowed people to journey beyond their forests to locate other tribes, new resources and better ideas. Conceiving better technologies allowed their defences to grow more formidable. Attacks from Mammalian's and animals became easier to repel, thus allowing their society to flourish.

Looking around at the family in the tent, he understood that when Mammalian's eventually discovered gunpowder, Leo society wouldn't have changed at all. It would look just as it did now; only they would be carrying arquebuses, not swords.

---

With the coming of dawn, they were ready to leave. The male Leo had organised two of his wives to guide them the rest of the way across the Grass Sea. One of them, Jason recognised as the Leo who had enthusiastically greeted Rhahq when they first arrived at the camp. When he pointed this out to Glitch, she questioned the Leo about it.

She spoke no trade, but the Sciuridae healer was able to translate. {She wants to do this because you saved her elder sister,} he said. {This is her way of repaying her debt to you.}

All around him, the camp was bringing order back to the chaos that had struck them last night. Here and there, pillars of smoke wafted across the brightening blue sky like stains on a freshly painted wall. Leo's sporting cuts, bandages and even missing limbs appeared amidst the individual families that made up the tribe. Not surprisingly, there were no males out in the open.

They were given riding avians this time; Three in total. The Leo's mounted their own, with the other two Mammalian's clinging to the backs of their riders. They used the third riding avian for carrying all their gear. The Leo who was doing this for Glitch insisted the Oryctolagus girl ride with her. Once they secured everyone and all their equipment, the leader gave a loud, sharp cry, and they took off.

Glitch gave a surprised squeal of fear as they bolted forward, bouncing Jason around inside the pouch. He had never travelled this fast before in his life. While avians were the fastest mode of travel, suspension railways were the quickest method of Sapien-made transport. Neither matched the speeds of these riding avians.

Their take-off had only been for show. For the rest of the day, they kept up a steady trot. When they broke camp to eat, the riding avians didn't eat at all. They didn't eat for at least three days. It was on the fourth day that the two Leo's went hunting. They came back with one of those giant, reptilian quadrupeds that everyone hunted for food. They were massive up close, and the two Leo's struggled in dragging it back.

As they came close to camp, their riding avians started squawking loudly and straining at their tethers. The Leo's dropped the carcass of the reptile a good one hundred feet from their camp, before untying their riding avians. The two creatures bounded over and tore into the massive beast with their claws and sharp beak. Chunks the size of their heads was ripped off and swallowed without chewing in seconds. Within five minutes, all that was left were bloody bones. Jason wasn't surprised that during the feast, the Leo's kept their distance.

As days became weeks, Glitch came up with a new method of hiding Jason's scent. Well, it was the Sciuridae's idea. She cut her finger, drawing some blood so that she could smear it all over him and on the coin pouch. She started this practice when about a week into their journey, one Leo questioned her as to why she smelt so strange? Using the Sciuridae, she tried to explain about her coin pouch with the blood on it, but the Leo replied that something else was mixed in with her sister's blood.

Jason concluded that the scent of their Leo guide was wearing off and that his smell was starting to return. So, smearing some of her blood onto the coin pouch seemed to quieten them down. However, they secretly cast suspicious glances her way.

Jason was grateful that, as they slept at night, Glitch kept the coin pouch clutched tightly to her chest. As their journey continued, Glitch discovered she had to continuously apply her blood to both him and her pouch to keep his scent at a minimum. The blood loss was beginning to take its toll on her. She was slow to rise as they broke camp, and inattentive during the day, much to the frustration of their Leo guides.

When they finally reached a small fort, that was a square bastion of sun-dried bricks, Jason couldn't help but feel relieved.

---

Interestingly enough, their guides continued with them. The Mammalian's of this new land was a strange sight. At first, Jason thought they were Lupus's with black fur. Upon closer examination, he saw that they had tall, pointed ears with long, narrow muzzles. Their bodies were sleeker and their tails thinner; Anubians. They wore even less clothing, usually a loincloth with wrist and leg wrappings, or just the wrappings. Only the soldiers seemed to wear more.

It was strange to see permanent structures after so long and even more unusual as they started becoming more frequent. Lone farms, then clusters, finally towns began appearing along the road they travelled. Mammalian's also joined them. Many on foot, some with wagons. Now and then, chariots raced passed in both directions. The beasts that pulled them appeared to be a less aggressive variant of the Leo's own riding Avians. Their claws and beaks were not as pronounced, and the few that were stationery were comfortable with their mammalian owners patting them.

Finally, mammalian's became a constant sight on the roads, until at long last they reached the city of Juu Mwisho.

---

Like the Grevyi city, it too was walled. Through the Sciuridae, the Leo's gave one last praise of thanks to Glitch, before leaving to conduct their own business within the city.

{How are you feeling, my dear?} the Sciuridae asked.

{Tired,} Glitch replied. {Can we find some-place to rest?} the Sciuridae frowned.

{I thought you wanted to find your kind here?} Glitch shook her head.

{Sorry,} she said. She was silent for three seconds. {I-} the Sciuridae cut her off.

{And that response tells me you're in no condition to go anywhere,} he said. {We will find someplace for you to rest, then I will look for your friends.} Glitch explained that they weren't her friends, but rather, she wanted to join them on their voyage back to Oryctolagus lands. Jason listened as the two Mammalian's went back and forth on any information that could be used to identify them before turning his gaze upon the city.

It held the same appearance as the Grevyi city, in both architecture and society, but wealthier. Those who wore clothing had more elaborately garish designs. Chariots appeared alongside wagons and carts. While many seemed to be military, there were a few that carried affluent Anubians whom passer-bys seemed to not only make way for but show respect. Buildings were more sizeable with bright colours and even stone inscriptions.

The Sciuridae eventually took Glitch to an inn for her to rest. Jason couldn't help but cringe as she went straight to sleep once the healer had deposited her onto the bed. She'd done this to herself to keep him safe. He had to do something for her.

{Shall we go into town?} the Sciuridae asked Jason once the Oryctolagus girl was fast asleep. {We're going to have to find something to help disguise your scent if you want to be able to travel any further.}

{You're right,} Jason said.

{Are there any other flora that might work to hide your scent?}

While Sapien scents were overpowering to Mammalian's senses, the petals of the surrexerunt flower hid it due to the richness of their smell. The fragrance somewhat resembled the aroma of real musk, resembling meadow honey, with fruity notes. The air around the flower, was filled with its musky smell and could even be felt at a distance. Sapien society often used it in production of oils for fragrances to spray into forest canopies before establishing a new settlement.

{What types of fragrances or perfumes does this city sell?} Jason asked. The Sciuridae rattled off a list that Jason had to keep interrupting as to ask for a definition of. He eventually settled on a fragrance that was designed to hide the musk Anubian females emitted when in heat. The only draw-back was that Glitch was most likely going to be smelling like an Anubian. As far as Jason was concerned, that was a far better option than her always suffering from blood-loss.

They secured a small clay bottle that was the size of a ten-year-old Sapien child before procuring a new sack for Glitch's things. The Sciuridae explained to Jason that sack, being of Anubian origin, would hopefully lower Mammalian's suspicions as to why Glitch had the scent of an Anubian on her person.

Afterwards, the Sciuridae insisted on going back to the inn so that he could leave Jason with Glitch. Jason tried to argue that would take time, which could be better spent looking for the Oryctolagus caravan before it left port, but the Sciuridae insisted that Jason should be at Glitch's side when she woke, rather than risk her waking up and panicking about where the both of them were. Jason couldn't argue with that, so he agreed.

Glitch was still fast asleep when they returned. Letting Jason out onto the bedside table, the Sciuridae suggested splashing some of the oil onto his face to see if it would work. The smell was overpowering, but tilting it, Jason was able to get his hand inside and get two splashes onto his face. Instantly he let out a loud cacophony of snorts, gags and wheezes.

{Are you alright?} the Sciuridae asked.

{Yes,} Jason answered. {It's just...} "Wow, this stuff is potent!" He snorted a few times. "Maybe I shouldn't-" He couldn't remember if he finished that sentence as he suddenly blacked out.

---

The first thing Jason was aware of was the gentle rolling motion. The next was the rhythmic creaking of wood. Groggily, he opened his eyes and saw he was inside Glitch's new sack. He was resting atop cloth, artfully arranged to keep him safe from the many objects within the sack. Smiling, he closed his eyes, only to have them shoot wide open.

The items inside weren't hers.

He was wide-awake now. It was then he finally noticed the surrexerunt petals that lay scattered all around him. He mouthed a silent 'What the-?' before sitting up. The clothes that he'd become familiar with over his travels with the Oryctolagus girl were absent. Instead, they appeared more lavish and cleaned. Rushing over to the sack wall, he pried apart the knitting to peer out.

A few figures were close by and he recognised them as Lutrinae's. Then he saw the familiar blue horizon of the ocean. Carefully looking around, he saw that he was on a boat. Something enormous came close by the sack and picked it up. The handler was gentle, almost as if they knew what lay hidden inside.

Jason kept quiet. Despite the fact he hadn't a clue where he was, or what was going on, all Sapiens knew better than to start an uproar while surrounded by Mammalian predator's. Whoever had him, understood Jason needed concealment. The best option was to keep quiet until he could get some answers.

His new captor carried the sack down a flight of stairs into the ships hold. After a few moments, they placed the sack carefully down before settling themselves down beside him. Jason could do nothing but sit and wait. It was torture. His mind went over every possibility as to what had happened. Suddenly, the top of the sack opened, and Jason snapped his head up.

"You?" he cried out in surprise.

{Could you keep it down,} the Sciuridae healer hissed. {There are over thirty Mammalian's on this ship, and I'm the only herbivore.}