The Winter Tiger Read online

  ‘Supreme work, Firestone, leave me with the prisoner.’

  ‘As you wish. General.’ Firestone bowed and disappeared.

  ‘So, Elm Wolf, is it?’ The Winter Tiger tapped his claws across the open cell doors, the sound echoing off down the tunnels. An incessant drip from an overhead pipe, jutting out of the wet mud, must’ve been torture in itself for the Wolf sprawled out in the corner. ‘Don’t be shy. I’m not here to hurt you, I have some questions for you, and if you answer correctly I will show mercy.’

  Elm Wolf let a slight growl escape, before settling on a gentle whimper, as he turned to regard the Winter Tiger. The Wolf’s long muzzle was battered and even in the dim firelight from the corridor Winter could see the bruising and lacerations.

  ‘Kill me,’ was all the Wolf muttered.

  ‘All in good time, darling.’

  AFTER AN HOUR WITH the giant Wolf, so big he was almost on a level with the Winter Tiger himself, Winter retreated to the private room he had within the dungeons. It was a meagre room, no more than a twenty-foot square hole dug into the wall of the earth. Though the thick, woven carpets and lavish awnings depicting battles from Tiger history gave it an elevated status in comparison to the squalid conditions the prisoners resided in.

  Winter sat on a pile of Duck feather cushions, enjoying the comfort of their softness, as he washed his front paws in a bowl of now tepid water. Glancing into the water, which was now thick with blood, he saw his rippling reflection, a tired face greeted him.

  A gentle tap on the creaky wooden door interrupted him.

  ‘Yes, what is it?’ The Winter Tiger wanted an hour or two of rest after the frustrating efforts with Elm Wolf. A Wolf he was now convinced must have Werewolf blood in him. Tigers knew all too well the power of Werewolves. The stories told to them as youngsters were of Wolves twice the size of a fully-grown Tiger roaming the jungles inland from Tigrefell. Of course, this was nonsense, the Werewolves didn’t have spacecraft’s thousands of years ago. How would they have got to Tigris? They were a primal race, before the Universal Beacon gave thought and dexterity to numerous species across the galaxy. ‘Come in damn it!’ Idiot.

  A lean Tiger, too skinny for Winter’s liking, poked his bulbous head around the door. Firelight danced across his rodent-like features, his whiskers constantly twitching with his nose and upper lip. It was either a nervous habit or he was on drugs. ‘The Rhino is awake.’

  Winter wouldn’t be resting anytime soon.

  Perhaps his chat with the Rhino would prove more useful. He wasn’t annoyed with Elm Wolf, if anything he admired the strapping youth for not revealing anything of real importance. Sure, he sang songs of Wolf activity, but he was a smart Wolf revealing mountains of information to Firestone, who took it at face value and didn’t probe deep enough. Elm Wolf knew nothing of Star Wolf’s next moves, which was smart from the young Wolf. Winter looked forward to their next encounter.

  It was time to up the stakes.

  ‘I’ll be out in five minutes, see that he doesn’t fall asleep again.’ Winter stood. ‘And see him well fed and watered.’

  ‘Right away, General.’ The intoxicated Tiger departed, probably thinking he was safe, which was foolish because later, when Winter left the dungeons to return to Tigrefell, he slit the Tiger’s throat. He never did catch his name, it wasn’t important.

  IT WAS ALWAYS PRUDENT to keep the hulking Rhino fed and watered before a conversation, otherwise he might just charge the bars of his cell again and once his kind got moving they were nigh on impossible to stop. Catching him in the first place had been one of Winter’s greatest achievements. The Rhinos were an elusive and small species. Ceratotherium, their homeworld, was a sparse and desolate wasteland. Scorched grass lay in every direction and little in the way of industry existed. So few of their ancestors were touched by the Universal Beacon and as such they never posed a real threat to the Tigers.

  Still, if Winter could turn one Rhino to his cause he’d have a near-invincible soldier who could best anyone laid before him. Not many creatures knew or believed Rhinos even had walking, talking animals. Many took them for a primal planet left untouched by the Universal Beacon all those millennia ago. Winter knew otherwise.

  ‘Tuskbane, it’s good to see you up and about. I hope your meal was satisfactory? If there is anything I can get you please do not hesitate to ask.’ Winter strolled in front of the cage entrapping Tuskbane, mindful to stay out of reaching distance. ‘I trust your quarters are acceptable?’ he kept his tone aloof and talkative. The Rhino inside the cage merely grunted, which was a start given the number of Tigers he had already maimed and savaged since his capture. ‘I can look at moving you to a larger cage if required?’ Winter hoped Tuskbane wouldn’t request this, he was taking a gamble being so accommodating but thus far all of their conversations had been one way and he somehow needed to get the Rhino talking.

  The Rhino grunted again, it was hard to tell if it was an acceptance at his current conditions or a request to move. Winter took a punt on acceptance. ‘I’m glad to hear you’re being treated well.’ Which brought an angry reaction from the Rhino. He slammed his upper right hoof into the steel bars. Winter didn’t flinch, which oddly brought another grunt from the Rhino. He respects strength.

  It was time to play on the enormous beast’s vanity, a tactic that always seemed to work, much to Winter’s disappointment.

  ‘I understand your frustration at being held captive, but you must accept you are the most formidable creature we Tigers have ever encountered. To let you roam freely across our world would incite terror amongst our population. I have no doubt you are the strongest creature in the known galaxy.’

  ‘That goes without saying.’ A deep rumbling response from the Rhino, the first words Winter had heard the Rhinoceros utter during his captivity. ‘But one day I will escape and kill you all.’

  ‘And to what end? What purpose would it serve?

  ‘I get to kill you,’ snapped the Rhino.

  ‘And then what? You live on our world alone? That sounds a rather maddening way to live, what if I can offer you something better?’

  ‘Such as?’ The curiosity practically burst out of the Rhino. He had sat up, leaning against the mud wall in the back of his cage. His enormous grey belly was covered in mottled fur, slick with sweat, and he rested what were the biggest arms the Winter Tiger had ever seen across his belly. The Rhino’s cage stank of faeces and urine and the enormous brown shorts he wore were covered in brownish-yellow stains. The beast shuffled when he noticed Winter staring at his shorts.

  ‘A new wardrobe for starters.’

  ‘What need have I, Tuskbane, for such basic things?’ The Rhino spoke well, proud words of a creature not used to failure or servitude. For him to join Winter’s ranks he would have to believe he was the master of his own destiny. The Winter Tiger had learnt that mistake with General Modela. The Gorilla was a troublesome creature and bitter, an accident waiting to happen.

  ‘A creature of your grandeur shouldn’t live in squalor and rags, that’s not how you lived on Ceratotherium, is it?’

  ‘What would you know of it?’

  ‘I’m the one who brought you here.’

  Tuskbane leapt to his hind legs, surprisingly agile for a big creature but he was unable to fully stand upright and thus couldn’t fully charge the bars. It didn’t stop him from leaning forward and getting as close to Winter as he could. In the dim firelight, which flickered across his wide face, Tuskbane’s nostrils flared. The Rhino’s long, powerful ivory horn scraped on the ceiling as he swayed his head side to side.

  ‘You misunderstand my intentions, you glorious creature. I want you to be my champion. The leader of my armies in wars to come, why sit on a barren wasteland wasting your talents?’

  ‘Then, why didn’t you ask me first?’

  ‘Would you have listened to a Tiger wandering up to you?’ Tuskbane grunted and sat back down. ‘I apologise for the crudity of bringing you here, that was not my
intention. I want to help you excel and reach your full potential.’

  The Rhino cocked his head, ‘Go on.’

  Winter smiled, the firelight from the torch in the dungeon corridor danced across his black and white features, he had his creature. Even if the Rhino didn’t know at that precise moment.

  6. The Hunt

  With the planet cannons well underway it was time for Star Wolf to venture off Lupus and do some probing into the truth of the Winter Tiger’s fateful message. It was time to see if any of the food planets were impenetrable.

  Star had spent a lot of time on Lupus, roaming the gorgeous and near-endless forests. He already missed the smell of fresh pines and morning dew. Lupenroad was a hot metal box full to the brim with warriors and body odours were the most commonplace smell. The black of space was striking to behold but even the expanse of scattered stars became monotonous to him.

  With the Night Badger, Shadowfang and the Scarlett Fox’s request for troops from their species agreed and imminent, Star opted to take five vessels to Pullum. It was the planet of Chickens, a mindless species, whose planet was bypassed by the route of the Universal Beacon; as was the case for all other mindless, food planets.

  Just thinking of Chickens made Star’s belly growl. Food supplies back on Lupus were already being rationed and as such would last for years. The longevity of food would be a key facet in winning the war against the Tigers, which made Star’s present plan even more important.

  If they could seize back control of even one food planet, of the meat variety, then they might be able to get a foothold in the war. Lupenroad’s warning sensors were already blaring out droning warnings across the ship’s speaker system. Star’s dashboard popped up with five Tiger vessels up and ahead, the Tigers had, true to their word, encircled the food planet. To attempt to enter was suicide. To grapple with them in a gunfight was another sure-fire way to die. The Tiger’s had the mightiest vessels in the galaxy.

  ‘Still, let’s test their resolve.’ Star sat upright in his chair before glancing to the Night Badger, the only member of the Band of Breeds he’d brought aboard the ship. The rest were on four different vessels, he was glad of the respite from constant bravado. ‘Prepare for battle.’

  The Night Badger’s attire squeaked as he shuffled atop the leather chair. ‘Now you’re talking. Give them a volley and let’s see what they’re made off.’

  As it turned out the Tigers were made of much sterner stuff than Star Wolf had anticipated. He’d ordered all five ships to open fire on the same Tiger ship. Every shot hit its mark but had zero effect on account of the shield wall that had been put up. It appeared the five ships had linked together to create a force field around the planet. Thankfully the power required to create such a shield meant the Tiger ships did not return fire as to do so would have caused them to drop the shield entirely. Pullum was a sealed off planet but one that wouldn’t be attacking any visitors.

  ‘There may be a mission for Bloodhound here, what do you think?’ Star had asked the Night Badger after the battle.

  ‘Oh, aye, any mission that might get the Bloodmutt killed sounds good to me.’

  Star had growled, a natural reaction.

  The Night Badger looked down his long nose, clearly unimpressed by Star’s aggression, and raised his grey bushy eyebrows. ‘I’m only joking.’ His words were always bordering on a throaty bark. ‘It’s a solid enough idea. He’d have to be mad or very brave to attempt to breach that shield but aye he’s the one capable of doing it. If he can find the seams of where the ship’s shields meet he might be able to slip through.’

  ‘I’ll make a note,’ said Star, already thinking about the next planet he wanted to visit.

  TWENTY-FOUR HOURS LATER and they had arrived at Agnus, the home of the Lambs. The fact the planet should’ve been called Ovium, referring to Sheep, showed what the food planet was for. Star’s stomach churned at the confusing emptiness of the atmosphere around the planet. ‘You’re certain there aren’t any Tiger ships floating around?’

  ‘As certain as we can be,’ replied the Wolf, who stood amidst a digital display, being projected from the floor. ‘We’ve scanned three hundred and sixty degrees around and sent drones to double check and nothing.’ He waved his hand around the bluish-green globe of Agnus. Once he’d finished, he stood to attention, a proud Wolf, he wore the dark grey House of Wolves uniform well.

  ‘And if there are battleships out there with stealth tech?’

  The brownish-grey Wolf stiffened his shoulders. ‘Well, the drones found no traces, so I’d say it was highly unlikely. The battleships would’ve had to have detected the drones and then moved out of their way; we would’ve potentially picked up the movements heat signatures. I cannot give you a guarantee but as close to one as our technology allows.’

  ‘Fair enough.’ Star Wolf pressed a button on his communications panel. ‘Each ship prepare a landing shuttle, and have one hundred Wolves ready to go down.’ He paused a moment, a slight grin spread over his face. ‘If anyone from the Band of Breeds would like to join us they are more than welcome.’

  A couple of expletives left the mouth of Kodiak before he refused. Star pitied the Wolves aboard the Greyclaw. Bloodhound, the March Hare and Shadowfang were all aboard Packfinder and were more gracious in their acceptance to head down. The trio of Lions declined, Goldtooth’s voice came through the communications line from Black Alpha and lost none of its venom. ‘Lions do not concern themselves with baby Sheep. This is a waste of time.’

  ‘Fair enough.’ Star laughed at her over-the-top aggression.

  Afterwards, it would be revealed to Star Wolf the Scarlett Fox’s silence was on account of him being asleep and no one aboard Pinewood had wanted to wake the legendary Fox. Star had some Wolves to talk to, he couldn’t help but worry about the wide berth and general fear his Wolves had for the members of the Band of Breeds, not including River, Ash and Sky. The trio of Wolves were so loyal to him, and uncomplicated, he hardly noticed or spoke to them these days.

  Leadership was a lonely pursuit.

  AGNUS REEKED OF DROPPINGS; the dark brown pellets were scattered across every uneven, damp hill. Thankfully Star had opted to wear a pair of robust, knee-high leather boots. The food planet was a mess as to be excepted but what was surprising was the complete lack of Lambs roaming around the grass fields. There were no fences or structures that would’ve kept the creatures penned in somewhere.

  ‘Something’s not right.’ Star turned to the Night Badger, who stood at his left side.

  The veteran Badger took a deep breath, rolling his neck, before removing both of his emerald axes. ‘Agreed. Something is working a foul magic on this place.’

  A misty fog drifted across the area of Agnus they’d landed on. The horizon had a scattering of tall oaks, pines and ash trees. This was a planet left to nature, the mossy grass and sporadic stinging nettles and wild thorn bushes further proof that nothing with a cognitive mind was organising the planet.

  And yet the sense of the unnatural plagued Star Wolf, his fur standing to attention.

  ‘Everyone keep comms lines open and stay sharp, let’s keep moving until we find some Lambs.’ He walked forward, laser gun out in his left paw and right paw on the hilt of his sword. After another five minutes of walking, in silence, Star and the five hundred Wolves, Bloodhound, the March Hare, the Night Badger and Shadowfang stopped.

  They all wore the same vexed expression.

  ‘I cannot hear Sheep anywhere,’ remarked the March Hare, twitching his left cheek repeatedly and tapping his long feet one after the other. The skittish Hare caused the nearby Wolves to back up a few paces. Star sensed the palpable tension wafting through his ranks. All as the fog closed in around them, thickening by the minute, until Star could no longer see the trees on the horizon; he couldn’t even see the Wolves thirty yards either side of him.

  ‘Nor can I smell any,’ admitted Bloodhound, another fidgety creature, playing with the row of medals across his naval
uniform. It wasn’t a uniform that offered much in the way of armour, though the Dog claimed he didn’t need much protection.

  ‘The very air is tainted.’ The way Shadowfang spoke in a hushed tone, almost revenant like, sent a shiver up Star’s spine. The Leopard dropped to all fours. His glorious, near skin-tight, black metallic armour rippled as he did so on account of the silvery-white seams of each individual plate, thousands of them sewn together. It was one of the finest body suits Star had ever seen. Shadowfang ducked to the wet earth, Star instinctively moved closer. With every slow step the Leopard sniffed, his head darted left to right and so it went for another twenty steps. ‘We’re not alone.’

  ‘You’ve found Lambs?’ Star asked, but his stomach lurched as he too picked up a harrowingly familiar scent. ‘Tigers!’ Star sprinted across the line. ‘Get ready! Form up. Take cover.’

  ‘Where?’ a few of the Wolves asked as they drew guns and swords alike.

  ‘I can’t see anything!’ another blurted out and so it went on for twenty seconds or more, a lifetime of panic to Star.

  ‘Quiet.’ The Night Badger shoved the nearest Wolf to him down onto all fours. ‘They’re up ahead, now let’s focus and make sure they’re not behind us or trying to outflank us.’

  The March Hare was the first to react, nodding and bolting off into the fog behind them only to return a short while later to confirm that no Tigers were in the vicinity. He drew his barbed whip, rolling it in his hand. ‘Nothing back behind us, not for a good mile at least.’

  By that point Wolves on both flanks had established that the trees, which seemed to be thickening as they pressed on, housed no Tigers.

  ‘There’s a building up ahead,’ said Ash, who’d snuck up beside Star. The old Wolf was starting to look just that. Their relentless pursuits in recent times were beginning to take their toll, Ash’s fur greyed by the day.