[First in Genre, Action/Adventure - The Shadow Awards]
[Best Heartbreaker - The Shadow Awards]
Alema (aw-leh-may) is the dominant male of a small African wild dog pack, dedicating every day of his life towards his family. He has remained blissfully...
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Alema felt numb.
The smoke from the riding-beast began to clear, but the foul-scent remained, imprinting on Alema's nose and tongue as he reeled back. The whole world had turned silent and dim. The leaves of the shrubs had stopped rustling and the guinea fowl had stopped calling.
He silently sat back on his haunches, eyes stubbornly positioned in front of him. His vision adjusted out of focus until everything blurred together, like blood running through water.
Blood and water. They were two separate things until they blended and morphed into one. One liquid that maintained life when drank and one that brought death when spilled, melded together. Bloody water. Watery blood? Which one was it? Alema couldn't decide. What would one call such a deceiving mixture?
Kamaria would know. Perhaps he should ask her.
Alema could hear Kato saying something but the words felt meaningless and vacant, a bout of noises rolling off his tongue. He wished that the dog would stop talking and let him enjoy the blissful silence. Kato, always the one to step all over Alema's tail. Or was that Zuberi? Maybe Esi? Which one was which? Alema didn't care. All he wanted was peace.
"Alema!"
Alema turned to the dog that had called his name, whoever that was, and pricked up his ears with interest. "Yes?" What did they want?
The stranger dog slowly transformed into Kato. Kato's face was plastered with worry as he tried to maintain Alema's attention.
"Is he okay?" came another voice. Esi. Alema recognized it this time.
Alema's eyes felt raw, and he realized that he had forgotten to blink. Why were the three dogs clustering around him? It was annoying. Alema wished they would leave. The only dog Alema wanted to be with was Kamaria. Where was she? Alema looked around the clearing in confusion. Why did she leave? He sniffed the air, but the only scent remaining was foul and murky.
"Where's Kamaria?" he asked.
Zuberi suddenly looked very concerned. "Alema, the upwalkers took them. Just now. Do you not remember?"
"Oh," Alema said. The word was much more of a whisper than a statement.
The three dogs pressed themselves against him. The image began to form in his mind of the riding-beast and the upwalkers, but his family was not in that picture. "Was I there when they were captured?"
Esi shook her head. "No, I was the only one here. You, Kato, and Zuberi were looking for help." For once her voice lacked the subtle scepticism and scorn that normally accompanied it.
Alema slowly nodded. "So, so, you were here? When the upwalkers came?"
Esi nodded once.
There was a drawn out silence before Alema continued. "Tell me what happened," he told her. "I want every detail."
