RIPE & DRAGGERS

PROLOGUE

Mid summer night while walking home, a Jauro-bear crawled out from a shrub unto the clay path along the river. These Jauros rarely wander at night, much less in a cool summer breezy evening like now which makes one wonder; there has been no Jauro-bear sighting in years and yet here she is in front of them.

Bob and Gener looked at it blankly from 20 feet away.

Tired from night fishing, they wouldn't even notice the peculiarity of the bear's breast-cuffs.

The Jauro is military breed. Both trained to obey and devour. Its eyes fierce of instinctive attack to unidentified subject. With no master to command her, she will leap at any moment. But then again the two boys just stood there blinking their eyes to her gigantic posture. No sign of immediate threat to make her pounce. They just stood there motionless.

The moon casts their shadows while the cool breeze continuously sway to make the two kids more sleepy as they are an hour ago.

Bob couldn't hold it and started to yawn.

And as expected, the facial gesture of the boy alarmed the Jauro-bear, so it leaned back and deeply growled showing her sharp teeth.

Gener blinked and slowly realized amid his floating mind what he just saw, "regiment stance..." he murmured.

Bob by his side over heard him, and knowing that his friend is well versed in Brahman Drills gave him an idea. He knows that Gener may only be 10 years old but he is a profound scholar of The Brahm War Regiment Standards. He could easily make captain if he enters the academy in two years time.

To impress his friend, Bob decided that he will trot the beast himself.

"kabal-alahuna!!" he shouted in his full kid-voice, trying to copy how a Jau-captain would command a squad to cease an attack.

The Jau-military shout instantly woke Gener into a scary freight. His eyes wide as the moon glowering above them, he could not believe that his friend suddenly exploded in such manner.

Bob you idiot, her commands are voice imprinted, you will only provoke her... He said to himself frustratingly.

Gener tried to pull his friend's shirt to tell him that he made a stupid mistake, but it was too late.

The bear's eyes glowed bright blue and its rear legs dig deeper into the clay. Gener instantly knew that the beast will jump to attack, and it did.

In a fraction of a second the large animal is mid-air covering the night sky along the bright moon with it. The bear caste a shadow to them both that all went dark around them.

Bob gaped in amazement at how such a huge beast could leap so high in a silent and agile way. The animal's broad structure with fore legs and claws stretched-out in flight could reach their necks before they know it.

It is a swift kill.

But Gener reacted much faster.

His Agimat sprung as the bear flew and he leaped in unison catching the beast in mid-flight, with a left hand swing to the jaw, catapulting the animal sharply towards the river bed.

Gener's slap to the bear's face made a tremendous sound that echoed to the hills nearby. Equally seconded by the animal's thump as it hit the ground like a cannonball. And when the dust settled it was obvious that the bear is unconscious, however alive and still breathing.

Due to the sudden loudness of what happened, the ringing in Bob's ears made his heart beat a little faster; while his friend slowly walked to the sprawled beast and just stood in front of it for a moment. Looking at it quietly.

Slowly, the ringing fainted and everything is calm again as it was a few seconds ago.

Gener just stood there, looking at the bested beast. And it took a few more seconds before he turned around to face his friend Bob, and say..

"I'm ripe."