Colony

Summary
When the Age of Mammals was at the dawn, and the first early bats came, world was different. Descendants of the saurians, terror birds ruled. But soon their throne was being taken over by mammals. Strange, hairy creatures that were hiding in the saurian shadows long enough. In this unforgiving world of constant changes one rather bizarre creature, an early bat, named Raja is fighting for survival, but there is something else in the forest that is feared by all else. All but Raja who is curious about a saurian beast, beast like he never seen before, and will never be seen on this world after.

Related

 * Raja
 * Hatha
 * Oxyaena
 * Gastornis

Chapter I: Dawn of the new age
Sun raised light of the day across the forests, shunning the dark away. On the top of the tree, hidden behind leafs, was one strange creature having long arms and fingers with thin skin in between. Creature has roughly triangular head with long ears which twitched at any possible threat. This creature was an early bat, one of first of it's kind. The first truly flying mammal. Yes, this new creature will one day set path of things to come.

Small bat can only think of this dawn as the new and short time to hunt. Bat opened his wings, while morning wind lifted the light bat into the air.

Maneuvering across the trees, carefully lifting and lowering wings to help it more easily gain control over the wild wind.

As soon as his primitive echolocation notices shape of food, his prey has already lost all chances of escaping. This echolocation was also new for mammals, first time being use for simply finding family members and pray, some day will become perfect "tool of all trades".

Bat noticed something under the canopy of the tree, and lowering to find out what, powerful paw of an Oxyaena knocked him out, making bat lose control of flight and soon falling to the ground covered with soft and dry leafs. But his soft fall did not make him fell better after he saw, long cat-like face with two large fangs in front of small bat's snout.

"Well, well, well, isn't this the small snack that flew away the other day?" Said the female voice of powerful cat-like predator while extracting curved black claws.

"I really hate to remind, but it was you who jumped off, after hearing that saurian." replied the bat while struggling beneath the black paw of the spotted hunter.

"Didn't your poor mother told you that it isn't wise to talk to a much deadlier animal like that?" Said female Oxyaena while keeping her cool unforgiving voice.

"Well, she didn't live long enough, and I doubt you will once you meet the saurian that is lurking in these forests..." Small bat was obviously trying to look bald and intimidate much bigger predator that was holding him.

"Oh your just bluffing, but now I'm much more ready to tear you apart right now!"

Angry predator lifted it's paw, while black claws shined on the morning soon, ready to take them down on her defenseless prey. Small bat closed his eyes ready to fell predator's claws penetrating his body but instead in landed right near his head.

"Raja... am I right?" Bat nodded in fear. "Look... absolutely nothing in these forest would make me more happy than to just kill you, but I'm afraid those members of The Pact would not be happy if I did that. So what exactly do you know about the saurian?" Predator continued keeping calmness through the whole speech.

But bat was silent. He froze from fear of predators intimidation. "I'm waiting..." Oxyaena said in strangely happy voice.

"It's big... And, uh... I guess it's scary... and... uh... One sorcid told me it once fought off against whole pack of Hyaenodons and killed a terror bird... thats all I know off...." Raja was trying to sound as calm as the predator that still held him in her paws.

"And that is all? Absolutely all? ALL YOUR STUPID BAT BRAIN KNOWS OF?" It seemed as the Oxyaena was ready to kill him, but she calmed down. "Are you sure?"

Raja nodded in fear again.

"Fine. Remember to call me somehow if you learn something and The Pact will be thanking you." Oxyaena lifted the paw, allowing the bat to escape to the nearest tree as quickly as he could. Oxyaena was unimpressed by what she learned. Bat knew more, he just didn't want to say it. By the time the fearsome conversation ended sun was already shinning in all of it's glory, high on the blue sky, over the wet forests of Eocene; dawn of the mammals.

Chapter II: Echoes of the forest
Sun was already at it's full glory, giving light to even darkest parts of the dense jungle. At this time Raja could no longer hunt for food since predators are already awake. He instead hides in canopy branches looking down to the ground, who seemed like a totally different world to him. Giant black predatory birds scourged the forest floor for any sing of food. Their favorite mammalian prey is still hiding beyond the bird hunting site. Up in the trees, Raja was only reminded off the mighty Oxyaena that stalked him. And why does it wants information about that saurian so badly? "Only time will tell." Raja thought. He has seen the saurian twice, and once even talk to it. He never knew saurians we're so big, this one seemed like he can touch the sun with the tip of it's powerful jaws. Even though all predators we're on the run for food, forest was still quiet. Eerie sounds that usually creep around the forest are not present. One of the terror birds lifted it's head, trying to sense something.

Something big was coming, big enough to scare away the giant flightless birds. They squawked and run off as fast as they could go. Sound of a primitive horses scream filled the ears of a small bat hiding in the trees. No wonder there was no sound. Saurian is on the hunt. More screams echoed as the beast, of a time long before, grabbed any pray on it's path. Trees fell down, even the nature seemed to fear this mighty predator. Raja did not move. He wanted to see the beast again.

He both feared it and was fascinated by it. But what if she may not be so grateful when she let him go last time they meet. Should he fly away or stay. "I'm going to regret this!" He thought. Sounds of the beasts we're closing in. Tree fell as the mighty head rose out of the trees, holding a small horse like animal in it's jaw.

This time Raja was sure he wanted to fly away, but in all his fear, he slipped off the branch and fell on the ground. He felt cold saliva of the beast dripping on him. He rose his small head to see two yellow, predatory eyes locking on him. He noticed that the small primitive horse was already gulped down in one bite. But saurian beast did not move.

"Hi... Hatha... what brings you here..." Raja said with a quiet fearful voice of an insect looking up to a hungry bird.

Silence that filled the air was soon broken by the voice that came from strong saurian jaws that simply replied: "Hunt!"

Chapter III: Tyrants that ruled
Raja was still on the ground, looking up to two yellow eyes of a saurian, watching the small bat with a cold, predatory stare. "So... Hatha... didn't expect to see you so often lately... I didn't expect to..." Raja was scared now, than anytime before in his life. Saurian "Hatha" was quiet. Quiet as a stalking, ambushing predator. "Did I scare you?" Female saurian asked with a more soothing voice. Raja was afraid, but not sure why did she ask him that. He knew he was going to get eaten so asking questions would be pointless. But he answered: "Yes, yes, you scared me... a bit..."

Hatha lowered her head for a better look at a strange small mammalian on the floor. "Did we already meet?" Hatha asked, turning from a predator to a curious little animal.

"Yes, yes, we did, at the stream... you saved me! Remember I'm Raja the bat!" Raja now saw hope. Maybe the saurian will remember him. "... and your Hatha, the tyrant saurian!" He continued.

"I didn't ask for my name, but I do remember you! Seems we meet too often lately. I hope this won't become a habit." Hatha had a curious voice that seemed strange when such a big animal talked.

"So did you really?" Raja asked with excitement. Thus was finally a chance for him to learn more about her.

"Really what?" She was a bit annoyed by this stupid question.

"Really fought off bunch on felids, ate a whole terror bird, and is it true that Pact tried to kill you numerous times, but you always won?" Raja started talking as a child would talk about his new present.

"That was long ago... when I was younger and stronger... I don't remember who tried to kill me in the past. It was so much of them. You have luck you little fur-ball your born as a mammal!" When Hatha was saying this, Raja heard a sad voice of a lonely animal of a life in pain.

"Hey, Hatha, you should watch out. I think the Pact wants to... well..." Raja wasn't sure how to say what he learned earlier that day from an Oxyaena. "...kill you..."

"I know..." Hatha turned to side showing numerous scares threw her body. "Life is cruel... I can deal with it... Can you?"

Raja wasn't sure what to say. He remembered hearing about bloodthirsty saurians who killed whole packs of felids, leaving none alive, not even cubs, but when looking at a hurt saurian, talking in pain of her past, he felt sorry. "... But what will you do Hatha?"

"What can I? I am the last of my kin, maybe I should join them..." Hatha was not intimidating or deadly as she seemed when Raja first time saw her.

"I'm sorry Hatha..." Raja looked again in the yellow eyes, not of a predator but of an animal in pain.

"And I thought I'll never hear a mammal say that to me. Maybe not all of you are so bad after all." Hatha than raised her head and her body. "I hope we meet again." She turned around and disappeared in the dense forest.

Raja did not even raise from the ground when a cat-like head of an Oxyaena appeared in front of him.

"I knew I shouldn't let my eyes off you, you little traitorous mutant! Bat should never be trusted, you had a pact with that saurian, and we all knew whats the punishment for that!" While saying this Oxyaena raised it's paw showing off black, sharp claws to the poor bat.

Chapter IV: Claws of the Pact
Raja looked in the eyes of the much larger Oxyaena. But Oxyaena seemed to be pleased with the whole situation. "Tell me... bat... what we're you talking to that sauran, and maybe I won't kill you right away." Oxyaena spoke in a calm but pleasing voice, as if she was thinking on a tactic. "Me?" Said Raja, with his eyes wide open on the intimidating claws of the Oxyaena. "Yes you..."

"Well, I was uh, asking for... umm... mercy... yea, mercy! The saurian wanted to eat me and I was..." Raja was hoping he would get out of the situation if he could be just good enough at lying.

"Did some one told you you we're very bad at lying?" Oxyaena seemed to be smiling while talking to scared bat. "''What did you really talk with it?"

Should he tell the Oxyaena about the weak and hungry Hatha to save his life. He couldn't, instead he took all the bravery he had and asked: "Why... why do you... need to... know?"

Even if this was not the words the Oxyaena was hoping to hear, and even if she was the one who was asking questions, she answered, while loosing her calm voice with every word she spoke. "Because, there is a Pact of animals who don't want saurians endangering they're territories, and they want to wipe them out by destroying the eggs, but... if my species, the proud hunters, Oxyaenas can defeat a live one, we would finally get a place as proud members in the Pact!"

"And why am I so important?" From scared, Raja's voice turned from scared to surprisingly curious.

"Because..." Oxyaena smiled "...you will help us, slay one..."

"What? I can't! I... well I..." Raja was confused. He can't let he becomes responsible for killing an animal in pain.

"Why not? It is a noble thing to do, it will help thousands of mammals! If... Your not in alliance with saurians of course!" Oxyaena looked at the confused and frightened bad with a smile.

"No, I'm not!, but... She is hurt..." Small bat said with a sad voice, but Oxyaena was still smiling. "...Even better! I will let you live, because of these informations, but I promise that I will kill you if you even try to contact the saurian again!"

Raja looked with unbelief. How would anyone attack on a hurt creature in pain. "... Thats cruel..."

"So is life, why should I be any different?" Oxyaena swiped her claws through the air with anger. "I promese you, that I will kill you with pleasure if you step in my way!" Oxyaena continued, loosing her calm voice. Raja looked again at the claws of the predator with fear. But even though he was scared, he will not let Hatha die that way.

Chapter V: The silent game
Night was long, filled with screams of terror birds and felids who stalked the forest. Raja didn't know what to think, was he supposed to help the Beasts kill last of the Saurian kin and become celebrated or to warn Hatha and become hunted down to his death. He felt cold, chilling fear at the that thought. Maybe Hatha will help him against the Oxyaena pack, but she could also eat him. If he choses to warn her she will eventually grow hungry and try to eat him. He started to wonder why was life so depressing sometimes, but than he noticed glow of the Oxyaena eyes in the trees. There was about four or five of them following him. But they we're still, awaiting for Raja to make a move. But this time he had advantage of flight. Maybe he could fool the Oxyaenas and warn the saurian, but for now, Raja kept quiet as if he was sleeping.

But nothing moved over the trees. Raja, who's species is an early bat, is not a night animal, but rather being active at dawn and dusk while Oxyaenas we're nocturnal but active in both dusk and dawn. But night was almost ended and Raja was still awake. But he was so tired that he couldn't keep his eyes open. He collapsed and started sleep, but cat like Oxyaenas we're still stalking in the trees.

"GAH!" Small bat screamed out of his sleep remembering events of the night. Oxyaenas are still in the trees. Raja opened his wings to the morning breeze and started to fly in circles like he was catching insects, but he was trying to check if the Oxyaenas we're still there.

Than something struck him. Oxyaenas very rarely hunt in groups, but never in packs. Something was going on. He flied down to the lower branches to see was anything in the trees, but there was not a sound, except one big black cricket. Raja jumped off to the ground. There was something very strange as if the whole world he thought he knew has turned upside down. He risked being seen by big vulture like birds as he flied over the trees again, but the big brown birds did not notice the small patch of fur flying near them. Even so, Raja knew that nature is unpredictable and something can happen every second. But forest was empty. Only insects we're buzzing. No cries of the primitive horses, no terror bird screams or growls of the felids.

Chapter VI: Preparation for the hunt
"Hatha... Hatha..." Soothing voice called large saurian in her dreams. "Hatha... Hatha... It's me Raja! Please wake up" Long titanic head raised from the cold rock it was sleeping on. Hatha's two yellow predatory eyes opened. Saurian sniffed the air. She looked at Raja with a cold stare. "Hatha listen! It's very important that... you see... the.. uh... how should I put this... um.." Raja never had luck in telling bad news, but Hatha was looking with a patient yet cold stare. "... You know how you told me about how you..." Raja continued flapping his wings trying to explain.

"How did you find me?" Hatha used this sentence to stop Raja's pointless mumbling and flapping.

"Well, you see..." Raja was trying to say something but nothing came out of his mouth. Hatha than replied, breaking the silence "''I'll repeat. How did you find me?""

"I was flying and I saw... a.. uh... carcass near this cave so I... No! Hatha listen you are in trouble!" Raja used all his braveness, who he had very little by the way, to finally say what he intended to.

"Only trouble I see is meeting with you every day." Hatha's voice turned from calming to annoyed and angry.

"What? I mean no! Beasts are coming to get you! And me!" Raja continued not noticing Hatha being more and more annoyed with every word he said.

"Look Raja, you are a mammal and I am a saurian. If you haven't payed enough attention at classes or mother Nature, saurians tend to eat mammals. And I don't want to eat you, but if you start talking again, I will be forced to help that Nature by killing an annoying animal such as you!" Raja looked with sadness as he heard these words. He just wanted to help. Hatha noticed small tear, gleaming in the morning sun, on the warm black rock of the cavern floor. "Oh no! Don't cry! Just don't cry, I hate crying! Maybe I was a bit harsh on you. I'm just not used to be followed by a mammal that doesn't want to kill me." Hatha was somehow trying to apologize, but a growl broke the apology. A growl of an Oxyaena.

Out of the bushes came a pack of five to six Oxyaenas, closing in to Hatha who raised from the ground roaring and showing the large blade shaped teeth. "Raja you are a shame to mammal kin." The leading, spotted Oxyaena said coming in the cave. "And as I said so much times before... You are a traitor! And traitors will die!"

Chapter VII: Bloodtears
Oxyaenas we're closing in on the large tyrant saurian, but they're leader, the same female that Raja saw numerous times, seemed to be more interested in small bat that was shaking in fear so heard some of his fur started falling away. But Hatha stood between Oxyaenas and the bat. "I don't see a reason why to kill the poor fella. We just had couple of conversations, is that considered a usual death sentence?" Said Hatha with her usual dead calming voice.

But Oxyaena replied with it's hissing voice: "Yes, talking to an enemy deserves the biggest sentence!"

"But we just meet, I don't see how can I be your enemy all the sudden!" Hatha talked as if she didn't matter, but Raja was thinking that Hatha may dug her grave by angering the Oxyaena. But Oxyaena did not seem to mind this as it has replied with a soothing voice-"''You see, there has been a time where saurians terrorized our ancestors and once we finally got a grasp of air from that tyranny we decided to fight back, simply said."

"Well, I understand that, but why do you want to kill off Raja? He's obviously not a saurian of any kind!" After Hatha said this, he noticed something gleaming in her eyes, it was a look of a hungry predator. Hatha won't go down without a fight.

The tension between Hatha and the Oxyaena pack was growing with every move or word. For Raja it seemed like air is becoming heavier. As soon as Hatha stopped eye contact with one Oxyaena, the feline predator jumped to attack, only to get knocked out by Hatha's jaws. Even though Oxyaena is strong, Raja could hear it's bones crunching as it hit the rocky cavern floor. Soon as one of Oxyaena pack hit the floor, others jumped on Hatha. She managed to shake one off, but there we're still four more. One of deadliest features of the Oxyaenas are they're claws and teeth, and Hatha just learned how painful they really are. As much as she tried to shake them off, bite them, she couldn't, the pain was just too strong.

But Raja was ready to try to help her. He flew in the air and bite one Oxyanea as much as he could, but the thick fur stopped his teeth from biting into skin. It was like fighting sword with a toothpick. But Hatha managed to get one of the dreaded predators in her jaws, crushing every bone from the body of poor Oxyaena and throwing it on the ground. As soon as she could get the Oxyaenas off her back she grabbed Raja with the her jaws and jumped out of the cave towards the bushes and trees. Raja thought for a second that Hatha was trying to eat him, but instead she was saving him. But it was hard for little bat to release that he was in jaws of a saurian filled with blood and saliva unharmed.

Chapter VIII: Desperate measures
Hatha than stopped, sniffed the air and spat out Raja, who was covered in blood and saliva that had a smell of rotting animals. "Hatha, whats the matter, why did we stop?" Raja asked, while trying to take off the saliva from his fur. "I'm smelling a river." Hatha answered while concentrating on the trees that lied ahead. Than she turned to Raja-"Can you fly?"

Raja was thinking of how stupid is this question "Uh... yea." But than Hatha turned over to another direction. It as if she didn't care about small bat behind her. "Wait! Where are you going?" He tried to call her, but she didn't respond. Hatha just left him. Maybe she was trying to protect him, by making sure that Oxyaenas will find only her instead both of them. Or maybe she just didn't care.

As much as Raja would like to fly to the Hatha, he couldn't. His wings felt heavy as if they we're glued to the ground. Than he heard something. It was like a deep growl up in the trees. It seemed like a felid except it was deeper. Raja couldn't see anything even with the echolocation, but his instincts told him to concentrate in that spot for any give-away sound or movement. But again there was nothing. Nothing scared Raja more than being totally helpless, and he was just that-helpless. But he didn't know that his brown and black fur blended him with surrounding as if he was just a fallen leaf. Loud chirps and calls filled his ears, and that meant that predator that stalked him was gone. But where? "HEY! BIRDS!" Raja called them loud. A small blue bird jumped from the canopy tot he lower branches"What do you want bat?" Bird said.

"Have you seen what was in the trees? Was it some kind of predator?" Raja tried to talk to the bird as loud as he could!

"Yea, I saw it my self. Was like a felid just larger. It was siting on a branch and muttering something to it's self." Bird answered.

"Thank you! Whats your name by the way?" Raja asked the bird. "Names Branch!" Bird answered loudly to Raja.

While talking to Branch, Raja realized that his wings felt light, like two leafs on the wind, again. He opened them and started to fly as fast as he could, but low trees, bushes and branches took all the flying skills Raja had. He must try to help Hatha even though he didn't know how. As he was thinking he didn't notice a large branch in front of him. He fell to the ground again. But this time he saw something over the leafs, he saw three Oxyaenas closing in on something. He knew what it was. But he heard a waterfall, a very powerful waterfall. This could go in his advantage as he can fly, but Oxyaenas can't! He took time for a deep breath, and flew towards an Oxyaena, but he just hit the thick fur.

"Well, well, well... who do we have here. Seems we'll take two dragonflies with one hit." Raja knew who's voice is this. It was the female Oxyaena he meet so numerous time before. "Now, finally I'll have pleasure to kill you!" She told with a voice, like a child with a new present. Oxyaena opened her jaws wide showing long feline teeth. Seconds felt like hours as jaws of feline predator came closer and closer, until Hatha grabbed the Oxyaena by the leg. She roared in pain as Hatha's long teeth bite threw flesh and bone. Oxyaena was than lifted in the air and slammed to the ground. Raja flied towards Hatha gratefully. But than, she fell to the ground as she was tired and weak. Two Oxyaenas left run away. "Hatha? Hatha are you alright?" Raja looked towards the weak saurian.

Part 2: Flying beneath the rain
"Did you notice that it's getting a bit gray?" Said a bat to another.

"Gray? How do you mean?"

"The sky. It's gray!"

Two early bats stood beneath a tree. Unlike bats of today, these ones are a bit more primitive. They have longer snouts and longer ears. When they are forced to moved on the ground, they use quick, but long jumps. But they evade falling to the ground. However, these bats we're slightly younger than Raja and we're far less careful.

"Thats because it will rain." Said a bit larger, white bat.

"But I have a bad feeling..."

Before small, female could say something, a loud roar struck over the skies. It was a roar of a predator. A predator called thunder. Something small fell from the sky. Thunder struck a bat. Similar to two Early bats but something seemed different.

Bat on the ground, tried to rise up, but amounts electricity struck threw his body, dulling his muscles, and making him fall again. Two white bats took a good look upon the, seemingly, dead bat. "Is it alive?" Said smaller one. "I don't know..."

Chapter IX: Newcomer
Raja woke up. He turned around him fanatically. Raja was in some kind of a cavern. It was strangely worm inside the cave, even though, it had a steady breeze of fresh air. Rajas eyes we're still blinded by the flash of lightning, so his eye sight was pretty murky at the moment. He could fell the cold rocks beneath him, but he could t see them very good. It seemed he was very weak. Than a thought struck him. He remembered Hatha, and the battle. He tried to find food, but a lighting struck him. He heard voices. "Am I dead? Is this how death fells like?" He muttered and gibbered to him self. If someone could see Raja in this poor state, he could aether feel sorry or be freaked out by the small brown bat on the cavern floor.

Raja saw something white in front of him. To crazed Raja it seemed that it was something divine.

"How do you feel?" Said a soothing voice. Raja tried to answer. His words we're muttering nonsense-"I'mgh fineh. T... th... t... thanks ffoo..for aksing... I mean asking! Yea... asking!" His vision cleared a bit. He saw a something that looked like a white bat. What would a bat do in a cave? He must be dead. Rather that or hallucinating. Raja closed his eyes and opened them again. His vision was cleared. He was in a red cave with some kind of hieroglyphic scripture on the walls. Sticking out, was a white bat, not very different than Raja, standing in front of him. Raja knew very well that the white bat was a female.

"Whats your name?" Female asked.

"Me... I'm ah... um... My name is Raja!"

"I am Q of the Colony." Female answered with cold, yet soothing voice.

Raja looked. He was surprised with the answer. He never heard such a simple name. "Excuse me... can you say that again?" "I am Q of the Colony. Q is my name, and I, just like any Early bat, live in the Colony." She said again.

"Whats "the colony"?" Raja asked. He almost never saw another bat in cycles.

"Colony... it is where we live in numbers. Together we offer protection to each other." She said. It was than, when he noticed that "Q" was different... Somehow...

"Follow me. I shall explain you more..." Q unfolded her wings. Raja did the same. It was confusing to meet an Early bat after so many cycles.

Chapter X: The White ones
Raja followed Q blindly. She was a bat, but she was different. Raja couldn't say how but he just felt it. Then he noticed that he was not alone with Q in the cave. There we're thousands of bats flying around or hanging from the cavern walls. They weren't all white like Q. Some we're dull gray or brown. There we're even black bats. But they we're all strange. Strange in many ways to Raja. Bats we're very quiet. Raja decided to brake the silence:

"So Q... Thats a very strange name. I haven't heard of that one before... though I lived in exile for long time..."

White bat turned towards Raja. She seemingly smiled, but she didn't answer, only continued to fly. Raja was a bit annoyed. He tried with another subject:

"So are there more colonies like this one?"

This time, Q turned towards Raja and answered silently - "Surely, there must be."

"What do you mean by 'must be'?" Raja asked. This time he saw that Q was annoyed by his talking so he just shut up. Raja was so eager to finally meet a bat, but now when he is in a cavern full of his own kind, just flying around, he felt bored.

Finally Q flied down, near the entrance of the cavern, and so Raja followed. He finally saw the sun hidden behind the thick foliage of the jungle. Sun seemed to burned Rajas eyes. Then he heard the soothing divine voice of Q "Where do you come from?" Even though he felt the question is stupid he also felt an urge to talk to something that is not a predator who just wants to kill him. "I... well... I come from there..." Raja pointed towards jungle. Q thank asked again "What is it like living outside?"

"Well, it's mostly about eating and getting eaten. Now I ask a question. Who are you?" Raja finally grabbed a chance to learn something about the Colony. But Q just looked at him with a slightly disturbing look.

"Did I ask something wrong?"

But this time Q answered "Oh no, I was just thinking... You see my species is called the White ones. Unlike the bats who don't live in groups, we seek safety in numbers. Unfortunately our numbers we're few so we decided to form 'colonies' with other bats. I am Quikatakash of the Colony but most call me Q. Now I ask!"

Raja was surprised by this. He lived long in jungle but he never stumbled upon a bat. Than Q broke his silent thinking: "Why we're you flying all alone in a thunderstorm?"

Raja opened to say something but he instantly remembered Hatha. He turned towards Q "How long was I sleeping? It's a matter of life and death!"

"Well, about three sun rises I think..." After what Q said Raja opened his wings and took flight. Even though Q screamed for Raja to come back, he didn't listen. Maybe Hatha was already dead. But why is he helping her? After all Hatha was a saurian... a monster. And also an only creature of the jungle that treated him with respected for a long time.

Chapter XI: Rain comes after the Thunder
Wind was getting stronger, and Raja was trying to stay in flight until he sees Hatha, but this flight took every bit of his will. At last he saw a big brown bulk near the river. He could hear Hatha's quiet breathing. When he slowly flied down, saurians large head raised from the ground, with jaws filled with knife like teeth. Raja wondered how could animal of such size and ferocity be so weak in moments such as these. "Raja? I could smell you somewhere near... Why did you come to see me?..." Even Hatha's voice was somewhat depressing. Nothing was left out of proud beast that all animals feared.

"Sorry I was gone... here I brought you some food, but they will probably be snacks to you..." Raja offered a large moth to Hatha. Unlucky moth vanished inside the abyss of the saurian jaws. Hatha looked at Raja, but instead of that predatory glare, her eyes seemed pale and weak. "It is nice to know... that I am not forgotten... As long as my kind was remembered it will rule..." Hatha couldn't even speak without loosing breath. Than Raja noticed a big piece of flesh missing from the lower part of the neck. "Hatha... your hurt!"

"I'm tired Raja, I would like to sleep now..." Hatha seemed to smile, but there we're no emotions on saurian face.

"Hatha, I've meet with a group of bats... a full colony of them. They could help you... And they're not far away. Come... please." Raja said.

This time Hatha raised up. "You think that those mammals would accept me... You think they would like having a monster that will eat their young? You think that they would want to help me? You mammals hate us, saurians." Hatha's voice had an amount of hate when she spoke of mammals. But Raja continued in trying to convincing her: "We bats say: 'Rain comes after the thunder'."

This hasn't convinced Hatha (mostly since she didn't knew what does that mean), but she had a will to survive. "If you menage to convince them to come close to me, I may come with you. But I will still hate mammals." Raja knew Hatha will come sooner or later but first he had to make something clear: "Hatha?"

"Yes?"

"We bats will accept you if you don't... well... make any trouble."

Chapter XII: White bat council
Raja entered the large, red cave, followed by Q. It seemed as it was reaching the sky it self. Floor was covered with a shallow layer of green water. On the walls were drawings of bats made with white chalk. On the celling we're six white bats, not so different than Q. Six bats looked at Raja with their cold stare as if he was unimportant to them. But again, his proposal was not the usual "where to find food" the White bat council gets. Raja starred for some time, while the council starred back at him, than Q quietly said to Raja: "Speak. They have little time"

Raja cleaned his throat and started. "Council of the Colony, I have been here for very short time. I know that maybe I don't have rights to ask this, but please... help me save a life!"

Council seemed uninterested as they showed no emotion or empathy, bust still Raja continued:

"There are many bats in the Colony but I'm afraid that sheer numbers would not protect us from predators lurking and waiting. I could help you find a guardian that no predator could match!" But than one of the Council member spoke:

"We do not need any guardians, spirits of our ancestors are written on the walls, they protect us. We would accept any bat in need, but not just anyone who needs a place to stay. Now leave the Council we would like to stay alone now."

Q followed Raja out of the cave. There was no breeze outside, it was warm and humid night. Echoes of the giant birds we're not heard around the cave as if the cave it self was some kind of a predator. Q was still standing behind Raja.

"I'm sorry..." Said Q. These words we're strange in some way, as if these bats did not even care. Have they become alienated from any other species and from the natural balance it self that they simply forgot about it.

But Q continued: "Can we visit your friend? Maybe I could help him somehow."

Raja tried to find the words to make an intelligent sentence. How is he going to say that he is leading Q towards a blood thirsty beast, and besides for all he knew Hatha was only friendly towards him, and Hatha also mentioned her hate towards the mammalian kind. "You know... my friend... might not be what you expect..." Raja said this as if he had his wings stuck in his throat.

"Don't worry, I'm not afraid of birds." Q replied with no fear.

"Oh, but this is no ordinary birdie you see chirping in the tree! Maybe I should go alone!"

"I know to fly when it's needed and I will not let your friend suffer because of Councils actions!" This time, Raja felt a strange feeling of fear while Q said this sentence.

"You know Q... Your far too friendly towards me, this has only been a second sun rise at the Colony."

"Your a bat in need, and thats all I need to know. Now will you show me the way or I have to find it alone!" This was one of those answers Raja was hoping he wouldn't hear.

And the sky seemed grayer too.

Chapter XIII: First and the last of the kind
Two bats flew for some time over the lush green forest. While Raja's brown, grayish fur and deep red wings blended in almost perfectly with the background while Q's white coating was visible as a blankest spot of light in the darkest night. Flight seemed to be lasting for years even though Hatha's current location was not far away from the cavern. Raja could smell the sense of the rotten meat and dead animals near.

"Why don't you fly down to that tree while I check out where is... my friend." Raja asked and Q flew down without even asking why. Than Raja flew down to the dense vegetation where Hatha has been laying. From her neck there was a large amount of crusted infected blood. Her breathing was deep like the sound of the thunder.

Q waited on the fallen tree. She expected to see a bird with a broken wing or a small mammal to come out with Raja, but instead a large lumbering beast emerged. It was a thing of nightmares for every animal and even though Q never saw a beast like this one, she recognized the deep jaws that only one kind of an animal had - a Saurian. Saurians we're remembered as nightmarish beasts that haunt dreams of the bats, felids and even terror birds.

What if Raja was a traitor? A selfish individual who had a pact with the devil, or in this case, a saurian? She tried to unfold her wings but the fear consumed every bit of her muscle as the saurian lumbered towards.

"Are you afraid?" Deep voice of the nightmarish beast filled the Q's ears. Q nodded, expecting that every second, the bone crushing jaws will end her life.

Hatha lowered her massive head. "Do you think I will kill you?" To this Q drooped on the ground. Fear was just too much for her. She started to beg for mercy but Hatha showed no emotion.

"Q! Q stop! Listen, to me! Saurian won't hurt you, just answer her question. Okay?" Raja tried to somehow help poor Q. "I'm afraid, I'm very afraid!" Q continued to scream as she never experienced looking in the face of death. After a moment or two Hatha broke the sounds of Q's sorrows: "Why?"

This question seemed so easy to answer at first but it created silence.

"I don't know how to answer..."