Jingo grimaced as he laughed and said, “Your adrenal thing-a-majig did the same. There’s no way I could have fired my bowguns that many times. How long did the fight last?”
“The Zord say over nine hours. It seemed much longer,”
“Tell me about it.”
The archers looked out at the female Zord feeing their young with meat from the dead Torg, and they could hear their thoughts. The love of the mothers was clear and the joy of having babies, some for the first time, was overwhelming. The archers felt their hearts heal as they saw the joy their fight had brought to the Zord. An archer in back of the group said, “This was worth it.”
Scotty stood and faced the group. Several had to help him stand. “Any species that can love like this deserves our help. I am so proud of having fought with you to save these children. You have proven your hearts this day.”
Michael Blake said, “And you have shown us what a true heart really is. We won’t forget it.” The archers knew that even if they were not related by blood, they were now all brothers because of their shared ordeal.
Bleath listened to them and came forward, “We are taking you home. Our warriors have almost come to blows over who would be given the honor of flying you back to your communities. We have fashioned bindings you can slip your legs through to keep you from having to use your arms. We see that your arms are injured from the long use of your weapons. I will assist you to our warrior’s backs. I do not have the words to thank you for your sacrifice.” Bleath paused and the archers could feel his emotions. He took a deep breath and continued, “On the night of the next full moons we will come to speak with your leaders. Please be there to hear our words.”
Scotty looked up at the giant Zord and said, “We will not miss the gathering.”
A huge warrior walked up. Bleath lowered his front leg and Scotty sat on it as Bleath lifted him to Zreeg’s back. Scotty slipped his legs under the binding, then slipped his feet outside and hooked them in the binding. Cezee arrived and Jingo was lifted to his back. Bleath stayed and lifted every archer to the backs of the Zord Warriors. When the last had flown away, he listened to the thousands of newborns being fed by their mothers and was overcome by his emotions.
Scotty sat on Zreeg and looked up at the stars filling the night sky. He leaned back, lay on the giant reptile’s shoulders, and felt the rhythmic motion of his wings. Zreeg said, “I owe you my life, white hair.”
Scotty remained on his back and thought, “You owe me nothing, Zreeg. I would have been poorer in spirit if I hadn’t come to help you. Now I am stronger, and that is payment enough.”
“I sense you mean what you say, but you have given me my mate back. Her tortured soul has returned and she is the beautiful one I remember. I will never forget your bravery and kindness. My back belongs to you for the rest of my life.”
Scotty felt the emotions of the Zord and said, “My bowgun will always be available to defend your family, Zreeg.” The two flew in silence, feeling a bond that was forged out of great respect for each other. It would never be broken.
Zreeg screamed, announcing his coming, and Scotty looked down and saw the fire in the clearing. Suddenly he heard the three horns start blowing and saw both communities come running toward the clearing. Zreeg circled and slowly descended to the ground. Scotty arrived and Samuel came running up. Zreeg said, “You will have to help him down. He cannot use his arms.”
Samuel yelled for three young Humans and they ran forward and climbed the bindings. One carried a vine that was placed under Scotty’s arms and around his back, and two of them lowered him to the group waiting to receive him. Cegee landed right behind him and Jesa ran and climbed the vines before anyone could move. Jingo saw her coming and she threw her arms around his neck and started crying. He whispered, “I can’t use my arms to hold you, Jesa.”
She looked at him and kissed him, “I don’t care. I need you in my arms.”
Three youths climbed up and lowered Jingo to the ground. Scotty looked at Samuel and Jing, “We lost more than two hundred in the fight.” He saw their immediate sadness.
Jing looked at Scotty and asked, “Were you able to save the Zord’s newborns?”
Scotty gave a small smile and said, “The Torg did not get even one hatchling. We saved them all.”
Samuel took a deep breath and asked, “How many Torg attacked?”
Scotty said, “We estimated more than half a million.”
Zreeg said, “There were at least that number, and probably more. My leader requests a meeting with you at the next full moons at midnight, if that is acceptable.”
Jing looked up at the giant Zord and said, “We will welcome you to our communities.”
Other giant warriors were landing and the community began welcoming home the brave archers that had been feared lost. Zreeg looked at Scotty and then lifted to make room for the returning archers.
Jing asked, “What’s wrong with your arms?”
“We fought the Torg for nine hours and I fired more than three thousand arrows. I think I pulled things that I didn’t know I had.”
Two women came running up and escorted Scotty away. Samuel knew they would care for the injured warrior. Jingo was escorted away by Jesa and the two leaders knew he was in good hands.
Samuel watched the Zord fly in with their cargo of weary archers and saw the Zord’s respect for the brave Humans and Cainth that had fought for them. They waited to get the names of the ones killed in the fighting, but they both felt a sense of pride of what their warriors had accomplished. The two stayed until the last one arrived and was cared for by the waiting communities. Jing looked at Samuel and said, “Half a million Torg. Our defenses have been greatly strengthened by what they endured.”
Samuel shook his head, “I wish I could have witnessed it.”
Jing got a far-a-way look in his eyes, “Just think about it; half a million Torg.”
Jingo lay on the ground under one of the small trees next to the central clearing. Jesa was massaging oil from the halbeg tree on his four arms and he was in heaven. She continued to rub the oil on his lower right arm and asked, “Did you do as I asked and avoided taking dangerous risks?”
“Uh oh,” Jingo thought. “I’m here, my love. I must have done something right.”
Jesa looked at Jingo and continued to rub oil on his arms. “Thank the creator he listened to me,” she thought.
The archers told the community of the fight and the bravery of those that were lost. The archers adopted their fallen comrades’ families and vowed to treat them as their own. No one believed the tale that was told. Everyone just knew the story was embellished as war tales often were. Some of the teenagers didn’t believe any of it, but kept their opinions to themselves. The archers slowly healed, and finally the time for the meeting arrived.
Jing and Samuel were waiting at the fire and the two communities were sitting around them at the edge of the trees. Scotty, Jingo, and Jesa sat with Jesa’s parents and waited for the Zord’s arrival. Scotty looked up at the two full moons and the blanket of stars. He thought about how much had happened since the previous meeting and hoped the Zord would keep their word about no future attacks. As he stared at the stars, a huge number of them were blocked out. He turned to Jingo and said, “They’re here.”
Bleath and the four elders came in together this time and landed beside the fire next to Jing and Samuel. Jing walked forward and said, “Welcome back to our community.”
Bleath looked around at the gathered Humans and Cainth, then looked at Jing and Samuel. “We have come to give honor to those that came and fought for our children. What they did will never be forgotten by us. We could not see the fight taking place in the trees, but one of us was able to view a small portion of it at the end. We feel it is important that you bear witness to what your brave archers endured to save us.” Bleath looked out at the gathered communities and sent the vision Vring had given him.
The community saw a view of trees that were dodged and flown around as the one viewing flew through the forest. The vision was as real as being there seeing it happen. Then the view shifted down and the pathways leading to the community were seen; they were choked with Torg. The view flew over trees where archers were firing at huge mounds of dead Torg. Then they saw Scotty and Jingo running forward and start firing at the giant ging where the Torg had broken through to its trunk and were charging around the giant tree. They watched as Scotty and Jingo held their ground in front of the mass of charging Torg as other archers joined them. The mound of dead animals surrounding the tree was high and getting higher. Then the view changed as the viewer flew into the forest.
