The War of .Zip (Working Title)

Chapter 19: Monochrome.

The attack was silent at first. The hounds simply jumped from soldier to soldier, killing them almost instantly as they did so. It took seconds for them to kill every guard inside and around the tent.

Ethan, realizing what was happening, ducked under one of the squirrel's capes for cover.

''Go.'' Omer commanded. The hounds obeyed, bounding out of the tent and unleashing their fury on the camp. ''Now, my lords, you best be off. No need to dirty yourselves with this work.'' Omer bowed to the squirrel kings as they rose from their chairs.

''Don't keep us waiting too long.'' Pillow said.

''Never. I'll finish up here, retrieve what we need from Genesis and meet you soon after.'' Omer said apeasingly.

The squirrels began to strut out of the tent then, leaving the devil to the details.

Ethan crept under his squirrels brown cape until he was sufficiently close enough to one of the tents tables to dive under it.

Then, he prayed.

He knew of none of the gods they'd worshiped in the past, nor of he gods of other fields, but he prayed for the intervention of a higher power anyway.

''What's that?'' Klara asked sleepily. The muffled screams of suffering souls. She peered over at Issac, who was already awake and upright, his paw gripping at the top of his cane.

''Something I hope it isn't.'' He replied.

Above ground, Jasper set about taking out the archers.

He was faster and more agile than the other hounds so, for him, it was almost a monotonous routine.

They'd always shoot at him first but miss. That was their first mistake.

By the time they'd loaded in the second bolt or arrow, he was but a few feet away from them.

At this point, they'd try and take aim at him but, alas, they'd fumble and either un-load the arrow or alternatively drop the crossbow.

Every time, they'd falter.

And every time, he'd snap their neck around until they died facing the way they should have ran.

As Jasper felt the satisfaction of the crunching neck joints against his palms, something caught his attention.

It was a hole no larger than himself in the ground.

As he walked over to investigate, he saw a flight of stairs leading downwards towards the seemingly empty darkness.

And then, a flames flicker illuminated the passage for a second, but it was more than long enough for Jasper's mind to bombard him with the memories of the House of Lives.

Jasper kneeled over, his body twisting about as if it were in pain even thought it wasn't.

He struggled to regain his composure but, eventually, his body bent to his will.

He stood up and, readying himself for the worst, descended.

As the battle raged on the rodent's somehow were able to retake the center of the camp from the hounds and their master.

Nicko sang out the praises from The Banter Book and his disciples followed.

Apart, they were targets for the hunt, but together they were a menacing whirlwind of blades.

Their wild slashing of blades caught many of the hounds unaware, cutting them open and rendering them unable to finish their vile work.

''Forward, for BANTER!'' Nicko cried, his rodent comrades roaring in response.