Chapter 4: Band on the Run

Chapter 4: Band on the Run

Den-tel and Fer-orm were running for their lives through the cave systems. Over the sound of their hearts beating and blood pulsing through their veins, they could hear tracers behind them echoing through the cave system.

"I hear water," shouted Fer-orm and they changed course sprinting towards the sound of the rushing water.

It was a complex underground waterfall system, in the dim light the two werewolves could barely make out its magnitude. They light a glow stick and held it high. In front of them the water crashed down into a large natural bowl, foaming violent but then seemed to disappear.

Looking nervously at each other they knew that they did not have any options. As werewolves they were used to being hunted, it was usually part of a game where the pursuer would end up as the prey, a blood kill, they had even spent time in the hold of their ship as prisoners having been captured and that was not going to happen again. Their newly discovered taste of freedom made their panic greater.

Den-tel took a great breath and dived into the pool followed by Fer-orm. Down they went struggling as the torrent raged on all sides around them. Further down they went, plunging into the cold, drowning would be an easier death for them. Eventually they were swimming horizontally with the water forcing them forward, and then to their great relief they were heading upwards again.

Unfortunately it was getting lighter, the surface was going to be outside of the cave system that they were escaping from. Thrust onto the surface of the water they gulped in the air, unable to take in their current situation. With great fatigue they pulled themselves out of the pool, clawing the land. They were behind the cave system so they stood a chance to put some more distance between them and their pursuers.

The jungle soon descended upon them, creepers curled around their feet, large branches hampered their efforts and the bed of leaves made an unsteady ground. They had to continue running as best they could. In their current state they had stronger muscles and stamina, they were free running dogs and could outlast human trackers.

What they could not outrun was the technology being used by their pursuers. When they eventually gave up on the cave system they sent their trackers up over the planet again, searching for any life forms. With the speed they were running the two objects were creating a heat signature that was easily traceable.

The commander watched the progress of the hunt on a screen, grinning. "They can run until they drop, that will make it easier for us to pick them up."

With the five moons meaning they had no respite from being in their condition they may have stood a chance as humans to evade the trackers. After three parsecs they slumped to the floor in the thickest part of the jungle that they could find.

Unhindered by any controls these trees had grown ten times the size of terran trees. They were full of exotic looking birds and the sounds of simple primates. On the floor were small groups of animals that looked like deer. The evolution of the dominant trees had held back the growth of the animals, this was a planet for small creatures to live in respect to the mighty jungle which was dominant. Normally this would be the perfect home for a hunting animal, but none had evolved to challenge the environment.

From behind Fer-orm's shoulder a giant net was fired, hurtling across his head and grounding him instantly. As Den-tel rose there was a second whoosh of wind and the second net took him down as well. They clawed with their teeth and claws to break themselves free. They cried for freedom.

Soon they were circled by the air trackers and each fired chemical tipped darts into the animals as they fought the tangle of the nets. Finally they slumped losing consciousness and the trackers moved in closer.

"Send down the crew, collect them and get them into the hold," said the Commander coldly. It had been a good day's business. He knew that the ship might be nearby, but he respected the fact it had not taken them on. He knew they had respected him, would have probably lost and despite a desperate situation they had not moved to become traceable. There was no point staying there as it would become a waiting game. They were capable opponents that they they could encounter another day.

As for now they had two live werewolves, a fortune in blood that could be traded with the scientists and researchers on planets where there were no regulations or limits.

Dal-kel and his reduced crew watched as the spacecraft moved away into sub-space. They said nothing, maintaining silence, too scared to communicate what they thought had happened.

After a safe distance of time they opened the communication channel and waited for noise from the planet. Just because they could not pick up any signal did not mean the two were not on the planet. Deep down they all knew that was not the case.

They stayed in orbit for a couple of days before deciding they had to move on. This would have been an ideal planet, but now it was known that werewolves had visited it would attract others, and now they had to travel many light years.

In the hold of the spacecraft the two had transformed back into humans. Battered and bruised they were chained to the floor and had to await their fate.