[1] Awoken {The Forgotten Five Series Spirit Animals}

Prologue

{Long Ago}

Briggan, Uraza, and Jhi walked into the paradise that Tellun had created in a short time. Essix landed nearby on a tree branch.

Tellun stood in front of the tallest tree as Carbaro, Dinesh, Suka, and the rest of the Great Beasts.

Except for Kovo the Ape, Gerathon the Serpent, and Mulop the Octopus, who had elected either not to come, or to participate from afar, which is what Mulop decided to do.

Briggan looked around. "Whatever happened to Arrow and Eliga? Or to Tusker, Tricolipe and Fang?" He asked, his voice a deep rumble. "I miss Tricolipe." Carbaro said and Uraza nodded. "Me to." The Mighty Leopard murmured under her breath. "They were forgotten."

Tellun said. "But that is impossible." Essix said, flying to where she could perch on Jhi, the Mighty Panda's shoulder. "No it isn't. Look at the Evertree." Halawair said in his cold and calculating voice and Essix looked to see 5 dark wounds on the side of the Evertree. "They died."

She said and Tellun nodded. "In service of Erdas. Instead of allowing Kovo and Gerathon to get their tailsmans and control them, they separated them among us all and they sacrificed themselves for us."

Tellun said, his voice somber and serious. "We asked Gerathon and Kovo to stop the Bile but they refused, and now they are using the Devourer to spread it across all of Erdas. The Conquerors have begun to take our tailsmans. Mine was stolen as they slaughtered my giant pack slaughtered without mercy."

Briggan said and he growled sharply. "Mine was stolen while I was going to check to see if it was still there!" Uraza roared furiously, pacing next to Briggan. "Mine was stolen while they cut through the beautiful Bamboo Maze in Zhong."

Jhi said in her musical voice. "Whatever happened to the decision not to intervene in human affairs?"

Carbaro said lazily. "That was before the Conquerors stole our tailsmans, invaded our habitats, killed animals in our homes, and enslaved them!" Briggan snapped, his growl and annoyance evident.

"Do any of you honestly believe I love war?" Jhi asked. "I don't. I hate war, even as an absolute last resort. I despise war but what I despise more is enslavement. Slavery takes away our most fundamental right."

She said and stood up to her full height and Essix took off, landing in a branch. "Free Will. Take that away and we're nothing. We don't have any rights, to do anything."

She said and Briggan paced, his eyes glowing cobalt blue. "Tellun please. Surely you have seen the visions I have. This day will end in darkness like the world hasn't seen before."

He said and Tellun looked at the four beasts who were to fight today, with their siblings or not. "I side with the majority of the council."

And the three landbound Great Beasts took off. Essix soared up and found the winds pushing against her. The Beasts drove their way forward. Briggan threw his head back and howled as his Great Pack rejoined him, rejoicing at the return of their Alpha.

Strangely, a girl with a mink on her arm ran with the wolves. The Greencloaks rejoiced, and take heart at the return of the Four Great Beasts who helped them.

Uraza and Briggan hit the Conquerors like whirlwinds, Briggan howling with his Great Pack. Briggan lunged straight for Kovo and he pushed him down, but didn't kill him. His mandate from Tellun was to maim but not to kill.

Uraza went for Gerathon, but the Serpent struck, twining her long body around the Mighty Leopard.

Essix watched until she dove and pointed her talons at the giant saltwater crocodile, her talons slashing at the crocodile's eyes but she was forced to dodge when the Crocodile swung it's armored head.

Suddenly Kovo stabbed Briggan in the throat multiple times, following it with a slash and more stabs. Kovo retrieved his club and lunged for Essix and he brought the club down hard on the Great Falcon's bones.

She reached out with her senses and found that Jhi, Briggan, and Uraza were already gone and Tellun had arrived. "Rest for a season Noble Falcon, you've served Erdas with your life as a Great Beast and you will serve her again." He said.

{Present Day}

Lenori was waiting in the Great Hall of Greenhaven, thinking, when suddenly a vision came to her.

A large, Great Beast sized Mountain Lion with an arrow like mark on its left hind leg in Eura.

A large Great Beast sized Chimpanzee in Amaya.

A large Great Beast sized, Tiger out of Zhong, standing next to the other Great Beasts.

A large Walrus as large as five horses in Artica with the Ardu and tusks as long as Dinesh the Elephant.

For Nilo, it was a large Rhino, as tall as Arax the Ram and as thickly built as Rumfuss the Boar.

Suddenly Lenori was back in the Great Hall of Greenhaven. "Olvan." She said, running up to the quarters of the Greencloak leader. "We must send Greencloaks to Eura, Amaya, Zhong, Nilo, and Artica. The Five Forgotten Beasts will rise again."

Lenori said, gasping for breath after running hard up the stairs, all the way to his quarters. "Okay. Tarik will retrieve the Mountain Lion and his partner. You will retrieve the Rhino and his partner. I will retrieve the Chimpanzee and her partner. While we are off on those missons, Berthon will retrieve the Tiger and his partner." Olvan said.

"Okay." Lenori said, catching her breath back and standing up straight. "Now go. You must prepare your ship for travel." Olvan decreed and she nodded and bowed slightly and walked out of the room.

She released Myraim, her rainbow ibis spirit animal and hummed. She felt peace flood over her and through her, deep into her bones.

She felt as if peace was a part of her, and not something that was separate and often just out of reach.