Animorphs #55: The Prologue

Chapter 19

Prince Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. He was once an Animorph and my closest friend. My father's brother, too. He and I fought side-by-side more times than I can count. And now the One had him.

He looked like any other Andalite, I guess. I had gotten good at telling them apart, and I knew Ax better than anyone. I would recognize him in any crowd.

He was older now than he was last time we met in person. He was taller, and his tail had gotten longer, stronger. He was the spitting image of his brother, the late Prince Elfangor.

Then the One did his evil magic. A red slit appeared in Ax's mouthless face. It widened into a mouth with red, pointed teeth. He smiled at me. "Tobias," he said. "It has been a long time." He noticed Cassie. "And Cassie. I have not seen you in years."

((Drop the act,)) I said. ((We know who and what you are.))

"Yet I do not feel your fear. Why are you not afraid, Tobias?"

((The worst you can do is kill me,)) I said. ((My life is the only thing I have left. What else can you take from me?))

"I can take your planet, your friends, your home," the One answered calmly. "I can take this galaxy from those two fools, Ellimist and Crayak. I can enslave your people, the Hork-Bajir and the Andalites. I can take everything from you."

((Maybe. But I won't be around to see any of that.))

"And why is that?" he asked.

((Because to do that, you'll have to kill me first. Do you think Ax is a match for me?)) I demanded. ((Come and find out.))

"Ah, but that is beneath me," the One sighed. "No, no, I have others to do that for me."

I don't know where they came from. One second it was just Cassie, Santorelli, Ax, and me in the valley. Jeanne was circling above. I had no idea where Ricky went. Then, we were surrounded.

They were about as tall as Hork-Bajir. Their legs were like a cat's legs, bent back and with clawed paws at the end. They had humanoid chests. Their arms were strange, though. One ended in a hand with at least ten fingers; I didn't really have time to count them all. The other was a massively muscled arm. There was no hand there, only a single, foot-long blade.

Their heads were the strangest part. They reminded me of alligators. They had long snouts with mouths full of teeth. Cats ears, swept back against the sides of their heads, twitched constantly. Short whiskers, like a catfish's, dangled form their snouts. They had no eyes.

All of their body was covered with black flesh. They stood on their hind legs, but I could see that they were meant to be on all fours.

((What are these things?)) Santorelli asked me. He had finished his morph.

"Kelbrid," the One answered. "My loyal warriors. Rather stupid on their own. But with a Yeerk in their heads, quite formidable."

((Wonder how they stack up against Hork-Bajir,)) I said, looking at my bladed arms.

"You will find them superior," the One smiled. "Hork-Bajir are naturally peaceful. They lack the killer instinct to be truly formidable. But the Kelbrid are natural superpredators. They possess that drive that Hork-Bajir lack."

((Yeah? Well I'm in here too,)) I said. ((And I bet my killer instincts are more honed than your Yeerks'.))

"That may be. But you are far outnumbered."

((That's never stopped us before,)) I said. ((I'm sure you remember.))

"I have no time to reminisce. There are places I must be. Matters to which I must attend. Goodbye, myshorm. Goodbye, Tobias. Say hello to Rachel for me."

That last comment did it. I don't know what came over me. I guess I just snapped. Here I was, standing before the Yeerks, the creatures who had taken everything from me. Now, I was going to take everything from them. The time I spent as a hawk that day reawaked my predator side. I would not be their prey. Never again would I be prey.

I leapt at the nearest Kelbrid. I guess this surprised the Yeerk. The Kelbrid mind was used to creatures fleeing. The Yeerk didn't know how to react. My elbowblade bit deep into his back.

I thrust my kneeblade into his chest. The Kelbrid toppled before it had a chance to react. I turned to face the others. A rhino and a wolf came and stood next to me. I didn't know where Jeanne was. I didn't care.

((Tobias,)) I heard Cassie's voice say, ((we have to run. We can't stand and fight.))

((I'll never run. Never again!)) I yelled. I ran at another Kelbrid. By this time, the others had decided that it was time to attack. They dropped to all fours. The blade on the back of their larger arm retracted. They balled their other hand into a fist and ran.

That was a mistake. I killed my speed and waited. One came close and lunged at me. It tried to bite me with its alligator mouth. I kicked it in the face with my Hork-Bajir talon. It dropped.

A blow to my back sent me sprawling. I felt something warm flow down my back. Blood. My own. I briefly wondered why I didn't feel any pain. Then I was back on my feet.

Another Kelbrid knocked me to my side as the one who had hit me from behind closed in. I could see my own blood on his bladed arm.

I swept my tail back and forth. I cut up their legs pretty badly. They paused. I kicked one in the stomach and he fell. The other jumped on top of me. His bladed arm swung down at my head.

I blocked it with my wristblade. Then I jerked my shake-like head forward. My horns went into his chest. He dropped on top of me. Dead weight.

I pushed him off and stood up. I saw a wolf backed into a corner by four Kelbrid. I saw a rhino gore a Kelbrid only to be knocked to the ground by another one. The Kelbrid shoved his bladed arm deep into the rhino's side. I wondered why Santorelli didn't cry out. He was tough, but no one was that tough.

More Kelbrid were coming at me. They were everywhere. Three charged at me on all fours. I jumped over them. I landed on the chest of another and dug my talons in. He screamed. It was a satisfying sound. I turned and made for Cassie.

She didn't look good. Blood was all over her. Her fur was matted down with it and she was moving slowly. She was hurt badly. Again, I wondered why she didn't scream.

I stumbled suddenly. I didn't know why. I saw Cassie waver and fall to the ground. From behind me, I faintly heard something large fall to the ground too.

((It's a poison,)) I heard Cassie say. ((The stingers have poison in them. That's why we can't feel our wounds. It's an anesthetic.))

((Fascinating,)) I said. Already my mind was going foggy. I couldn't see clearly. I couldn't think straight. I couldn't hear as well either.

I struggled to my feet. Cassie did the same. ((We have to run,)) she said to me.

((I...)) I couldn't decide. The Yeerks were here again. And it felt so good to fight. I had forgotten. Had I once hated this? Impossible. This was justice. This was right.

((You and Santorelli run. Get far enough away to demorph. Go to hawk and get back to the barn. I'll meet you there. I'll hold them off.))

((Tobias,)) she said in a warning tone.

((Go! I have a plan,)) I lied.

She took off. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Santorelli get up and run off into the trees. A few Kelbrid pursued him. Some followed Cassie. Most stayed with me.

((You Kelbrid might be tough in your own galaxy,)) I said to them, ((but I'm from the mean streets of Earth. You don't have a chance.))