Outcasts Fall

Chapter 1: The sands of Earth

Fracture slid through the night like a shadow, his pale brown fur blended to the deserts sands perfectly. The sliver of moon that should be in the sky was covered by clouds, a rare luxury in this biome. Fortunately, Fracture and the others would not be here long enough to fully experience the harshness of the desert, as they were just passing through on their way to the mountains and hopefully where they would erect a permanent home.

Fracture glanced over his shoulder at the others. A band of misfit Kluckz all stranded on Earth for one reason for another. Every last Kluckz on Earth stood behind on Fracture now, and it was relieving to know that only this few of his kind was stuck on this wretched planet. Many of them had grown up on Leprax if not been there for some time and they filled in Fracture on rituals, technology, and all the details of his home planet.

Bone walked upright through the sand, the only one of them that seemed comfortable doing that in such a loosely solid under footing. Destiny walked near Bone, her tail wrapped protectively around the small Scar, who was little older than 8. As far as anyone could tell from what little the child remembered was that he had been an unwanted 6th pup to a rather brutal set of parents. Raven and Crow, twins down to their coal black fur and dark blue eyes, were also young. The only way to tell them apart was by the skulls they wore, as even their scents were to similar to distinguish.

And there was one more. Fracture swung with head around in an attempt to find his last companion. Then, dimly he saw the outline of her brownish orange fur. She blended even better than he did.

"Broken!" Fracture called quietly to the Kluckz. "Have you seen anything?" Broken shook her head and responded equally quietly. "Nothing stirs in this night." Fracture nodded his thanks and took one final sweeping glance back at his friends. While Bone made brief eyes contact the others seemed unaware of the exchange.

This was not true however, but since it was about the 8th time Fracture had asked for the signs of trouble from Broken, who had volunteered to be somewhat of a sentry, they took no interest in it. Fracture just hoped they reached the mountains on this day, Scar and the twins were looking quite worse for wear and pushing the young ones farther could have disastrous results. He wanted them all to reach the mountains, and hopefully without a damaged limb or spirit.

At least every hour it seemed they closer to the looming peaks and they were keeping a good pace. Suddenly Fracture yelped as his front claw contacted with such loose sand that his foot sunk in. With his weight off balanced his other legs buckled and he landed snout first in the sand.

Hauling himself and shaking the sand from his ears, Fracture glanced around embarrassed. Bone snorted in contained laughter and Crow made no effort contain hers but the others all gave Fracture a teasing smile. He wasn't first to loose his footing in this desert, in fact he was pretty sure everyone, except of course for Bone who could keep his footing in this even on his haunches, had fallen at least once.

The sky had lightened slightly with the promise of the sunrise and already the air had become more heated. Destiny's call snapped Fracture out of his gazing. "We're almost there!" she called eagerly and bounded ahead towards the mountains.

With a start, Fracture realized she was right. In the darkness he had not seen how close they really were. The craggy peaks loomed over the assembled Kluckz and cast their shadows down on the sand. Crow and Raven howled in excitement and raced after Destiny, every other step their hind legs slipping in the sand but it did not slow them down. Although exhaustion tugged at his very fur, Fracture plodded after them, his eyes shining with anticipation.

Broken and Bone fell into step beside him and even Scar seemed to have more energy, fueled by the enthusiasm of the others. Bones ears twitched and his orange eyes brimmed with feeling under his skull mask, "We've finally made it," Fracture looked up at him in question and he continued. "At the start of the this saga, I never thought that this band of outcasts could make it. And now we're here, a safe place where we can build our colony, and live in prosperity."

While Fracture, as the unofficial leader of the troop had possessed the same doubts, he had been unable to voice them. The others needed him to be sturdy and unafraid. But Bone had voiced them for him, and while Fracture thought he may be a little ahead of himself with the living in total peace, he was right about settling down. It was time to stop running and hiding, the Kluckz needed a permanent home on Earth.

On the other side of Fracture, Broken nodded in agreement with Bone. "It is time we had a stand." She gazed upward at the sky, where the fiery sun was rising and adorning the sky with a beautiful explosion of color to drive away the darkness. She sighed as though remembering, "On Leprax, there are three suns, and our sky is pale yellow like a fires dying light. The sunrises are the most beautiful in the winter, when Omnega is the first to shine." Her eyes reflected Sol's gleam as it rose to cast its heat on the already warming sands on the deserts of Earth.

Fracture had heard of the marvelous sunrises on Leprax, and of the pale yellow skies instead of the blue of Earth. He longed to see his home planet, to see a whole city of Kluckz, where no one would think of him as an alien. But what if he was? Maybe he had spent to much time on Earth to ever be fully accepted there, but he would always dream of it. And just perhaps that dream could be accomplished, for once they settled, they hoped they would be able to build a transmitter to contact Leprax to their existence.

By this time, Destiny and the twins had reached the base of the mountains, while Bone, Broken, Scar and Fracture brought up the rear, following at a slow but comfortable pace. Fracture realized that the dark brown furred child had said nothing and he dropped back to walk beside him. Bone and Broken took a glance back then darted ahead to rejoin the others, leaving Scar and Fracture.

The young Kluckz seemed filled with sadness, and determination. "You know," said Fracture, flicking Scar gently with his long tail, "I've never been there ether." The child looked up at him, green eyes flecked with blue, his skull that of a deer he killed long ago when their journey had started.

"But you are so strong," Scar's voice quavered. Fracture's eyes flashed in pain and all the horrors and pain of his life filled his mind. Shaking his head and returning Scars gaze and the little one went on, "you never show you scared or worried. Or the fact that you've never seen never Leprax stop you from being the best or our leader."

"I'm far from the best, little one," he nudged Scar with his snout, "and you can be strong and feel pain, and be scared and worried. The trick is, you must not let it show, because then, everyone who is relying on you, will see." Scar shook his head in confusion, his ears swaying back and forth.

"Why shouldn't they see that you hold pain? Doesn't that show them you are only like them, a force they can rally behind because not only can they aspire to be you, they CAN be you?" he locked Fractures gaze as they walked.

Fracture looked startled and then replied softly, "you are far wiser than anyone your age should be. Sometimes that is best, but most want a leader to fight beside who is not like them. Stronger, that is not weighed down by what slows down others. Someone who does not let pain and sorrow and fear stop them from anything." Again his eyes flashed with memories and broke Scars gaze. "Let us catch up with the others, don't you want to reach where our new home will be?"

Scar nodded, and joy flowed across his eyes, washing away the sadness and despair in a tidal wave of anticipation. He ran ahead, bounded across the sand like it was nothing, his dark pelt popping out from the sand like a red finch in a flock of blue. He looked over his shoulder, back at Fracture and called, "thank you. For everything." Then continued his flight towards the other waiting Kluckz.

Fracture took one final look at the rising sun and its eternal glory as it rose through the waiting sky, and then exploded towards the mountains, where his comrades and their new home awaited.