Chapter 1The character Zig Zag appears courtesy of Max Black Rabbit (with permission), and is his intellectual property. Sheila Vixen©2008 Eric W. Schwartz (with permission). All other characters©2008 DarkeRaven unless otherwise stated
Under African Sky
The hot sun burned her back and only added to her discomfort. Raising her head Susan looked around. Nothing for as far as the eye could see. No trees, no shade and definitely no water. The stone in her mouth had helped, but she desperately needed to find water………and soon. “In another day it won’t matter she thought to herself “I won’t make it in this heat” Wincing in pain she leaned on her makeshift crutch and staggered to her feet. Her left ankle had been badly sprained in the fall, but at least it wasn’t broken. Her body was covered in cuts and bruises, a combination of the fall and the cave-in. “How did I get into this?” she asked herself for the umpteenth time. Reaching a paw into her tattered and torn shirt she retrieved an object wrapped in the hide of some animal long since vanished from the earth. Satisfied that it was safe she returned it the protective area of her bosom and painstakingly continued on her journey. “Got to get home” she thought. “Got to make them pay”. Susan glanced down at herself, “Man I am a mess” she thought as she readied herself to continue. If anyone she knew had seen her in this current condition they would have been shocked. Susan was almost nineteen, eighteen and a half to be exact. She was of medium build, with slight muscle tone. Her white and yellow fur was stained brown from the mud and dust. Her brown shoulder length hair was tied back in a ponytail. She was dressed wearing a pair of dirty lime green shorts, mudded white T-shirt and brown hiking boots. Her clothes were tattered and torn from the fall and her T-shirts right sleeve had been torn away to make the bandage around her left ankle.
Movement in the grass just to her left caught her attention. Paws closed around the upper shaft of her crutch. She paused, but only for a moment, “WHAM, WHAM!, WHAM!” Susan brought the crutch down on the head of the grass snake. As each blow found it’s mark she screamed “You bastards, you #$%%^$ bastards” Throwing the stick to the ground she collapsed in a heap. The veld echoed with her sobs, she might have given her position away, but she didn’t care anymore. It was a long twenty minutes before she continued on her way again. The snake she had placed into the small bag on her back, her supper for today. As the vultures circled overhead, Susan continued on her way. She staggered through the long grass, her mind returned the events of the last few days. The events responsible for her current predicament. Slowly her surroundings faded, leaving her back in base camp, surrounded by her friends and companions as they waited for the Cheetah to speak.
Terchious turned and faced the group, a dozen faces stared back at him. In a typical Afrikaner accent the Cheetah addressed the group “Okay everyone, on behalf of Rand University I welcome you volunteers and students to what we call base camp” Looking around Terchious acknowledged the return greetings and nods.” Today we have a long hike ahead of us before we reach the main archaeological site situated in the ruins of Masechane, legendary City of Diamonds. Once there you will be divided into groups and join the other teams already at work there. Okay everyone grab your gear and meet back here in twenty minutes. Make sure you have everything you need and don’t forget the insect repellant, sun block and water canisters. It is going to be hot today and I don’t want any of you getting ill.” The group looked at each other and then back at the archeologist, their faces all lit up with excitement and anticipation. Terchious chuckled “Well? What are you waiting for? Lets go” he yelled. The assembled group broke up as each member hurried to get ready.
Themba Sekatsi grinned “going to be long day Bawana, a long day indeed” Terchious looked at the young masculine Kudu. Themba was Terchious’s right paw man and leader of the group of helpers from the nearby village. Being the son of the tribal chief, Imzimela, Themba was set to take over the tribe when his father passed on. The boys of the Induna tribe were helping Terchious by carrying the equipment and supplies needed to the archaeological site. The load was heavy and the young Induna boys were strong and eager to earn their pay. On the last trip one of the volunteers approached Terchious and commented about the endurance of their young Kudu helpers. “I have never seen anything like it” he had said “I am glad you hired them, I doubt I would have been able to carry even half the load that they do.” Terchious was indeed glad he had hired the Induna boys, not only were they his carriers by day, at night they took turns in guarding the campsite and keeping the wild animals at bay.
It was just past six o’ clock when the small group of volunteers and their native helpers departed from base camp. The air was crisp and cool, and the sky above clear. Susan looked about her in awe. The suns rays were beginning to appear over the distant mountain range, and in the sky above all sorts of birds were taking to the morning sky. “Watch where you step” Terchious shouted from his place in the front of the pack “Plenty of snakes and scorpions out at this time of day” Susan shivered and nervously focussed her attention to the ground in front of her. To be bitten by a snake or stung by a scorpion this far from civilization was life threatening. Though they each carried anti-venom serum kits, it was not guaranteed to prevent shock or death. The rinkhals, puff-adder and grass snake were amongst the most dangerous in Africa.
As she walked, Susan thought back to her joining the team of archeologists. Whilst completing her archeological studies at Rand University, the head of the archeological department of studies had secured the funding and rights to begin excavating a site situated in a remote part of Angola. It was believed that this ancient ruin was in fact the remains of the fabled lost City of Diamonds. Susan had jumped at the chance to further her studies and experience by joining a small select group of volunteer third year students who would assist the international team of archeologists already on their way to the “Dig”. Her parents had at first refused to allow her to accompany the team, stating that it was too dangerous for a young girl to travel in a hostile country like Angola. She had thrown her proverbial toys that night. Thinking about it now made her blush from embarrassment.
“But Dad” she wined
“Don’t you But Dad me young lady!. I said No and that is it” Hector Lionstead folded his paws across his chest and glared angrily at his young daughter. Susan glared back at her father, like him she too could be stubborn and wouldn’t back down if she wanted something “It is my career. If I miss out on this then I loose out on an opportunity to further it.” Hector looked at his daughter. The young Lioness stood about 5 foot 8 inches with a medium build. Her fur short, white and yellow in colour and her eyes crisp and bright. Susan was a splitting image of her mother Veronica with his fiery temper. Hector sighed, this was one conflict of the minds he knew he wasn’t going to win.
Susan smiled as she walked, the next day her father had agreed to let her join the expedition. Walking into Pieter brought her back to reality. Terchious had signaled them to stop and rest. “Sorry” she apologized to Pieter. The young Lion chuckled, “Welcome back Susan. You haven’t heard a word I’ve said. Have you?” Susan blushed “Er………no. Was it important?” She smiled her face blood red with embarrassment. Pieter chuckled “I was asking if you wanted to team up with me when we reach the “Dig”? If you don’t I understand” Susan blinked “You and me a team?” she blinked. Pieter looked back at Susan “Er….yea, but if you have other.” “Sure!” she cut him off. “Hell I think that would be cool. Deal?” Susan reached out a paw. It was Pieter’s turn to blush. The young lion’s ears reddened as his massive paw enclosed around Susan’s. She smiled and squinted, the morning sun shining directly in her eyes. Raising her free paw she looked up at the big lion. Pieter was roughly the same age as Susan, twenty three give or take a few months. Like most lion males Pieter had a big build. He stood approximately 6 foot. Thick arms and legs gave way to massive paws and feet. His long tail ended in a thick furry tuft. Pieter’s long brown main of hair was tied back in a ponytail. He noticed the look and smiled, his form silhouetted against the sun rising behind him. “Come Susan lets sit down and rest, there is still several hours of walking before we reach the site” Susan smiled and followed Pieter to a small flat area, where she sat down next to him. Pieter opened his water bottle. Taking a long drink he offered it to Susan. “Thanks” she accepted and drank her fill. A few minutes later the air echoed with Terchious’s call for them to fall in and continue on their way.
It was a long five hours later that the group of volunteers and their Induna helpers arrived at the archaeological site. Here leader of the expedition Dr Helmut Krieg greeted them. “Welcome everyone, My name is Dr Krieg and on behalf of our wonderful benefactors I bid you welcome. In the main tent you will find food and refreshments. Once you are all rested we will meet back here and you will be divided into groups and given your areas to work in. Until then I bid you a good day” With that he turned and started to bark out orders to the Induna helpers. “Get those boxes unpacked you lazy bastards. I am not paying you to sit around doing nothing!” Susan looked at Terchious “How can he talk to them like that?” she asked. Terchious sighed, “He is under a lot of pressure. His superiors demand results and he has yet to find them. Okay everyone lets get cleaned up. Showers are over there, and your sleeping tents there” He pointed out the various places and watched as the volunteers made their way to their chosen places of rest. Terchious turned and walked towards the Makeshift dinning hall.
Susan collapsed into her cot with a huge sigh. “I am beat” Jennifer her tent-mate chuckled “I know the feeling, the pads on my feet have blisters the size of…” She stopped at Pieter’s massive form appeared in the tents entrance. He smiled “All unpacked? We have to report to the dinning tent.” Susan growled her disapproval “just when I was getting comfy, oh well” Grabbing her hat Susan hurried to catch up with Jennifer and Pieter “Hey guys, wait up!”