Grandeur Defector

XV

No one woke him up; they didn't need to. A raindrop fell on his nose, startling him awake. It was almost dawn by this point.
The days seem to go by so fast now.
Soft raindrops begin to fall, the clouds above heavy and thick with water. Thunder rumbled overhead, the beating drum of Mother Nature awakening the jungle flora for nourishment. The tree-line evergreens swayed, the wind picking up. Truffles sniffed the air, suddenly alerted to a scent he knew too well.
Smoke.
Smoke-?

Crack...boom!

There's lightning and thunder. It must be a bad storm.
Everyone was still asleep, or too groggy to process what was going on. Truffles eyed the tree line worriedly, smelling the air again.
Something's wrong. I know what the smell of smoke smells like, there's nothing else like it.

Crack.

The... The lightning! It set the trees on fire!
In the distance was a fire burning, blazing towards the camp without ceasing. The flames grew taller and more bright as the winds picked up more. Small licks of fire began spreading to the trees around it, the source a destroyed, dry tree completely burned to a crisp.
FLASH FIRE!
Without getting authorization to do so, he walked up the wooden steps and made his way into the main camp. Hardly anyone was up and about, still asleep in their tents. Truffles searched for the familiar tent he knew, then stepped inside.
Flippy was sprawled out asleep, snoring gently to himself. Truffles didn't have time to stop and think; he tapped Flippy's shoulder, becoming increasingly more nervous.
Flippy groaned in protest.

"Flippy, something is wrong."

Flippy rolled over, facing Truffles sleepily. He yawned, dismissive.

"Truffles, everything's fine."

Truffles gripped his friend's shoulders hard, shaking him awake. Flippy's head shot up in bewilderment and annoyance.

"F-Fire," he tried again, his voice panicky.

Flippy stared at Truffles, not registering what he was saying.

"Fire?"

CRACK... BOOM.
The lightning overhead burst into sudden noise, and the rain grew more rough as the minutes dragged on. Both of them flinched, the fur along their spines sticking up.

"Fire??? TRUFFLES, FIRE?"

Truffles couldn't handle his own rising anxiety anymore, the fear swallowing him whole.
"YES, FIRE!"

Immediately Flippy stood up on his feet, wobbling. He grabbed his clothes and hastily put them on, not bothering to cover his boxers or the scar on his tent. He turned to Truffles, wide eyed.

"Go get Warren, blue tent on the right."

"I-"
But what about you? You need to get out of here too!

"Run Truffles, RUN!" Flippy yelled in fear, and Truffles darted out of the tent on his command.

Crack... BOOM.

The sky lit up, almost as bright as day, lighting his path as he frantically searched the camp. He heard Flippy leave the tent behind him, screaming for the Animalia soldiers.
"WAKE UP! FIRE!"

All around him, people exited their tents confused and sleepy. Many of them wore angry expressions, but seeing Truffles running through camp stifled their confusion. A mile away, the fire burned more intensely, getting closer. As he ran, birds of paradise, crows, and insects fled from the tree line in a panic retreat to survive. Wild monkey's hollered as the trees burned brighter, their lungs filling with ash. Truffles took a right, looking for the blue tent. It was next to the large tent he'd been interrogated in; he didn't hesitate, running inside without knocking.