Animorphs #55: The Prologue

Chapter 20

I knew I didn't have much of a chance. I was injured, perhaps fatally; I couldn't know. I could barely see and hear. My arms felt weak and slow. And there were about twelve Kelbrid surrounding me. But I wasn't alone.

I saw the movement in the tree above me. Gold with black spots. A clever face. Long claws and sharp teeth. A leopard. Jeanne.

I had expected her to be there. I knew she was smart enough to use her leopard morph to get the jump on the Kelbrid.

In the moment before she dropped, I realized the mistake. The Kelbrid had no eyes. They didn't rely on sight to find their prey. And they probably used more than hearing. The whiskers were some sort of sensory organ like a bug's antenna or a snake's tongue. They knew where Jeanne was. And they were baiting her.

She dropped onto the nearest Kelbrid. At least, she tried. The Kelbrid jerked his stinger up with incredible speed. She landed right on it. Skewered like a leopard-kabob.

The Kelbrid carelessly dropped her and came for me. They all did now. I had nowhere to go and no more allies.

They took their time, tightening the ring. All they had to do was wait, really. I didn't know if their poison was deadly or just sickening, but it would finish me off sooner or later. Already I could barely stand. Real Kelbrid probably would have rushed me, eager for the fight. The Yeerks knew who I was and weren't about to take that chance.

((Jeanne,)) I said. ((Jeanne, if you can hear me, you need to demorph. He cut your stomach open. I'm going to get us out of here, but you have to demorph.))

I forced my mind to focus. I didn't have much more energy. The morphs of the day were catching up with me.

I leapt and grabbed a tree branch above me. I swung myself over the heads of the Kelbrid Controllers. I landed near Jeanne. She was shrinking as I watched. Not quickly, but at least she was demorphing.

I scooped her up. I could barely lifter her. She shrank, but I got weaker too. The poison and the exhaustion were growing as my rage shrank. I was literally sick and tired. But I had a job to do.

I jumped as high as I could and landed in a tree. I stumbled my way through the boughs of the forest trees. Hork-Bajir were specially designed just for this. It was difficult with my ailments, but I managed.

The Kelbrid followed below me. I couldn't outrun them, but I didn't intend to. Soon, Jeanne was her human self again. As long as we stayed in the trees, they couldn't get us. The Kelbrid may have been superpredators, but they couldn't climb. I was glad.

I shrank back to my human form. My hearing returned, but that was it. The exhaustion blurred my eyes and dimmed my brain. I could barely lift my arms. I wouldn't be able to morph again.

"Tobias," Jeanne said. She had already started morphing to hawk. "Tobias, you must morph. We have to escape."

"Yeah, I'll, you know..." I said. I tried to focus on the hawk, but I couldn't. It was too much. Too many morphs too quickly. I couldn't make it and I knew it.

I felt strong arms lift me up. I looked around and realized it was a Hork-Bajir.

((Just rest, Tobias,)) I heard Cassie's voice say. ((We'll get you to safety. Just rest for now.))

I don't know how long she carried me or how far. Truth be told, I fell asleep. I woke up in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by pine trees. Jeanne and Santorelli were sitting on the ground, watching me. I didn't see Cassie.

"I think I'm ready to morph again," I said. I was shocked by how weak my voice sounded.

"You need to rest," Jeanne argued.

"No time. We have to get to...to..." I couldn't think of the place.

((Alcatraz,)) Cassie's thought-speak voice said. I guess she was up in bird morph, keeping watch. ((We have to get there before the One does.))

"Why?" Santorelli asked. "What's at Alcatraz?"

"Not what. Who," I answered. "Sun Tzu: know your enemy."

"I don't get it," he admitted. "Who's at Alcatraz that the One wants?"

((Our greatest enemy,)) Cassie answered. ((The Yeerk named Esplin 9466. The one we always called Visser Three. The One wants to free Visser Three.))