Illiya - Taylor Neeran Chronicles #1

Chapter 24 - Natural order

One little mouse

Taylor awoke to a loud snuffling noise. Her eyes popped open to find a large pair of nostrils above her face. Hot breath rolled over her cheeks. She froze, holding perfectly still as she identified the creature. Urlock. She raised her hands and gently pushed the Urlock's snout away from her face. It stepped back, adjusting its six legs to make room as she sat up. The Urlock regarded her for a few moments, then went to inspect the drone. It reared up, its four back legs remaining on the ground. It started nibbling at the drone and Taylor yelled at it. "Shoo! Go away! Go eat something else!"

The Urlock dropped back onto six legs and trotted off a short distance, weaving through the rocks and disturbing several mice. Taylor blinked. The hill was filling up with creatures of all sizes, some milling around in the rocks, while others came over the crest and continued down the hill and into the forest below her. Three other Urlock nibbled at the grass growing between the rocks. She spotted two dozen Drazen hopping from boulder to boulder. A range of other small creatures were scattered here and there, all of them flowing downhill. A few were nibbling at the grass while their mates held their heads high in the air on alert. "What the hell is going on?"

Taylor stepped carefully to avoid the moving animals as she made her way up to the top of the hill. She froze. A Vaseth stood on the edge of the clearing, looking away from her. Taylor saw dozens of other animals leaving the forest, entering the clearing in rapidly increasing numbers, all of them flowing across the top of the hill and down into the forest below. The Vaseth ignored the creatures as they passed by. The noise level in the clearing increased as it filled with agitated animals. The Vaseth cast a glance in her direction, then ran off along the edge of the forest.

Then she smelled it, carried on the wind. "Smoke!"

Taylor turned and yelled, startling a nearby Urlock. "Char! Char! Char!"

Char came running up out of the forest and nearly tripped on a striped Sploor. He made his way as quickly as he could towards Taylor, stepping over and around the moving creatures in the rocks. "What's going on?"

Taylor shook her head. "We have a problem," she pointed. Smoke was rising in the distance and getting closer. She could just hear the crackling of the flames carried on the wind, a low mutter increasing in volume. "The lightning must have started a forest fire!"

Char looked around the clearing and at the animals. Those that had been milling about on the hill could now smell the smoke in the air and stamped their feet. Some were baying loudly.

"Not safe. We must go. The fire will come here soon. Animals will panic. Not safe. We must go now."

Taylor picked up the backpack and slung it over her shoulder. She picked up the walking stick and grabbed Char's hand. "Which way do we go?"

Char sniffed the air and watched the smoke drifting in the air. "We follow the animals, but be careful. Do not frighten. They may panic, trample you." He led her down the hill, heading away at an angle from the glinting ship in the distance.

"But the ship is over there!" said Taylor, pointing.

Char shook his head. "We must go with the animals. Not safe to cross, they will trample us."

"I'm worried they'll trample us, no matter what."

They made their way to the bottom of the clearing, Char holding her hand to steady her as they worked their way through the rocks and animals. They entered the shade of the forest and stepped out of the flow of creatures into the empty space behind a tree. The animals flowed downhill in greater numbers, each adding to the growing noise.