Immunity Fire

Chapter 10

Zain stormed into the grounds and rushed up the staircase around the tree. He sprinted across the canopy bridge towards Albert Troxley's doorway. He banged his fists on the door repetitively and loudly.

"Mr. Troxley! Mr. Troxley!" Zain screamed, not caring about whether he would wake the camp up or not.

As Mr. Troxley finally opened the door, "What the devil child!" He had a night hat and a white gown. "Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

"I'm sorry Mr. Troxley, but this is very important!" Zain replied.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the Demising Grounds Mr. Kenilworth?" Mr. Troxley frowned and crossed his arms.

"There is an emergency in the Demising Grounds! There's an injured giant cheetah on the beach with lots of cuts and an injured leg. It was attacked by two large leopards; they had glowing red spots..."

"I'm sorry what?! Did you say glowing red spots?"

"Yes."

"Did the cheetah, by any chance, have glowing spots too?"

"No."

"Take me to the cheetah!" Mr. Troxley commanded.

A few moments later, Zain took Mr. Troxley to the Demising Beach and found the injured cheetah.

"Oh, my devil!" Mr. Troxley exclaimed.

"Can we help this cheetah?" Zain asked.

"We can."

Zain was relieved.

"This is no ordinary cheetah. It is the Flashing Cheetah. It is a creature with the power of quick speed, telepathy, and light. Whenever they are about to use their power, their spots glow blue. But their powers are only for a limited time only. Sadly, these creatures are endangered because their riders are capable of breaking their trust."

"Riders?"

"Yes, a cheetah entrusts a rider with the power to communicate through the mind telepathically. Unfortunately, riders manipulate the cheetahs just so they can gain their power, which is why they are an endangered species."

"They are given powers?"

"Yes, but if the cheetah trusts it, it will give a small elixir of its blood and the rider would have to drink it and they shall gain the same powers as the cheetah, but also for a limited time; but only once a day."

"It was attacked by two leopards with glowing red spots, what are they, and why would they want to kill it?"

"Those leopards you saw were Hounding Leopards. Hounding Leopards are not creatures you can tame or befriend. They are vicious and bloodthirsty monsters; that is what they live for; to kill. They kill for bloodshed in order to survive."

"You mean like when a vampire kills people with bloodshed as a way of living?"

"Sure, something like that. Whenever they are in battle or about to attack their spots glow red; the same when a cheetah's spots glow blue when they use super speed. I think the cheetah was getting chased by those leopards until it ran out of energy so it couldn't escape from the wrath of the leopards. Then, the leopards scratched its spots and injured its leg; now that its spots are ruined and has an injured leg, it doesn't have the power at all until it is fully healed."

"How long will it take for it to heal?"

"At least three months."

Zain gasped in concern for the cheetah.

"It's okay Mr. Kenilworth. It will live. You did great coming to me tonight. The cheetah would have died if you didn't come and find me. You were brave to find a way to save the cheetah's life."

"I'm not brave!" Zain modestly replied, "I'm a coward. I don't know how to take care of a cheetah; nor do I even know how to defend myself." Zain nodded his head down.

"Sometimes, the bravest thing to do is to not do it alone. You are braver than you think Zain! You just have to believe it. You tried to face the leopards no matter how terrified you were, you were afraid what would happen if you left the Grounds like you shouldn't have done for a selfless cause; to protect an innocent, misunderstood creature. I believe that, deep down, you are braver than you think. Okay, I am going to take this cheetah into my shelter and make an elixir for it. I think you should stay here and continue with your punishment."