Dusk was falling, coating the mountainous west of Asiotus in a sheet of orange light as if the forest was set ablaze. For some beasts this was a time of relief as many of their predators went to sleep and they themselves also sought out their beds. For others it was the beginning of their daily struggle, the cycle ever continued.
One of these creatures was a tiny brown bat flitting around the forest. It was too early for most bats but this one had charted himself a route through the thickest of shadows and had no time to wait either. Ultrasonic pulses, beyond the range of most animals (but not all) lighted the way for the tiny creature as it sought the local rabbit village.
This was easier said than done. The village was hidden as one might expect, most of it completely underground and although often the signal the bat received revealed a burrow on the ground it was just as likely to belong to weasels who would love a little taste of bat in the evening. So many promising burrows the bat had to pass up for this very reason, if he found one he sent an echo through it, hoping to pick up the outline of big ears. But a lot of them came back empty, which could just as well mean that the echo simply didn't reach and it was packed with rabbits further down... but the risk was too great and he just kept on flying.
After another half hour of this, the woods getting darker as the little bat flew. He shook his head in frustration and found a little branch to hang from and rest his wings a little. "Where did the mice say it was again?" Chiros said to himself, keeping his voice low enough so only he should hear it. With his thumbs the bat reached around his little pack, undoing the miniscule button and reaching inside. The bag was designed for bats, meaning even upended the pack had a little extra compartment inside it that would hold his goodies inside, although this made it quite a bit more annoying to manipulate.
"Now lets see here." The bat continued when he felt the little bone ring of the map and pulled it out. He let the map roll down, revealing the second ring, through which he hooked his free thumb, then keeping the map tout he looked it over. In the dusk his eyes could still make out the images but just in case most important features had been pressed, causing a tiny outline that the bat could reach through echo... with some difficulty. "Mountain that looks like a pine-tree to where the sun goes to sleep?" Chiros nodded, he'd seen that mountain.
One of these creatures was a tiny brown bat flitting around the forest. It was too early for most bats but this one had charted himself a route through the thickest of shadows and had no time to wait either. Ultrasonic pulses, beyond the range of most animals (but not all) lighted the way for the tiny creature as it sought the local rabbit village.
This was easier said than done. The village was hidden as one might expect, most of it completely underground and although often the signal the bat received revealed a burrow on the ground it was just as likely to belong to weasels who would love a little taste of bat in the evening. So many promising burrows the bat had to pass up for this very reason, if he found one he sent an echo through it, hoping to pick up the outline of big ears. But a lot of them came back empty, which could just as well mean that the echo simply didn't reach and it was packed with rabbits further down... but the risk was too great and he just kept on flying.
After another half hour of this, the woods getting darker as the little bat flew. He shook his head in frustration and found a little branch to hang from and rest his wings a little. "Where did the mice say it was again?" Chiros said to himself, keeping his voice low enough so only he should hear it. With his thumbs the bat reached around his little pack, undoing the miniscule button and reaching inside. The bag was designed for bats, meaning even upended the pack had a little extra compartment inside it that would hold his goodies inside, although this made it quite a bit more annoying to manipulate.
"Now lets see here." The bat continued when he felt the little bone ring of the map and pulled it out. He let the map roll down, revealing the second ring, through which he hooked his free thumb, then keeping the map tout he looked it over. In the dusk his eyes could still make out the images but just in case most important features had been pressed, causing a tiny outline that the bat could reach through echo... with some difficulty. "Mountain that looks like a pine-tree to where the sun goes to sleep?" Chiros nodded, he'd seen that mountain.
Picking up the sound of stamping Chiros began looking around, sending out a few echo's until he locked eyes on Buck. "A rabbit!" cheered the bat as he quickly stuffed his map back into his backpack. He hesitated for a moment, seeing how big the hare was in relation to him, but he remembered the mice telling they only ate leaves... He could probably hang here for a bit longer. "Searching in fact, searching for..." He finally noticed the diplomat's garb. "You!"
Almost at once the bat let go from his branch and fluttered down to Buck, landing right in front of him. The bat smiled back at the hare, even if he seemed sort of nervous. "You are the rabbit diplomat? I have a message for you, but only you." said the bat. There was something strange about his voice, it seemed more quiet although just loud enough for the lagomorph to hear the critter clearly.
Almost at once the bat let go from his branch and fluttered down to Buck, landing right in front of him. The bat smiled back at the hare, even if he seemed sort of nervous. "You are the rabbit diplomat? I have a message for you, but only you." said the bat. There was something strange about his voice, it seemed more quiet although just loud enough for the lagomorph to hear the critter clearly.
Chiros seemed taken aback by the response a little, hugging himself with his wings and obscuring his face a little as he shrunk back. Luckily Buck diffused the situation quickly and the bat opened up again.
"I... I'm not with those.." The bat stammered, his mouth kept moving but no sound could be heard until Buck invited the little creature inside. Chiros followed the hare down the bolthole and spoke again once down there. "The message is that you have been chosen... ehm." The bat began a bit flabbergasted. "To begin. There is talk among the mice that you are not too happy with the state of.. of well things." The bat looked around, making sure they were alone. "The Tyrants, you called them yourself. Is this true?"
"I... I'm not with those.." The bat stammered, his mouth kept moving but no sound could be heard until Buck invited the little creature inside. Chiros followed the hare down the bolthole and spoke again once down there. "The message is that you have been chosen... ehm." The bat began a bit flabbergasted. "To begin. There is talk among the mice that you are not too happy with the state of.. of well things." The bat looked around, making sure they were alone. "The Tyrants, you called them yourself. Is this true?"
"Chosen to know, hopefully to aid if needed..." Chiros continued, it seemed the bat was as nervous about Buck as he was about the bat. "The mice have formed an alliance with us bats and other ... prey... A secret alliance..." The bat had a strange way of talking, his voice seemingly growing distant and disappearing now and then even if his mouth continued to form unspoken words.
Chiros then nodded for some reason and now his voice was constant. "We bats know all the caves along the eastern mountains, one of these caves is large but unexplored by any predators we know of. Hard to reach by the large and we've made efforts to make it harder, you may currently be unable to reach it even."
The bat smiled then, he seemed to slowly relax. "Grismegard. The oldest bat in Asiotus told stories of great bastions of power, used by those beyond. Her stories say that even if a mightier foe exists these bastions make it so the weaker ones can live without fear... Our cave could become such a bastion, for us prey. A safe haven were not even the tyrant king can eat us."
Chiros then nodded for some reason and now his voice was constant. "We bats know all the caves along the eastern mountains, one of these caves is large but unexplored by any predators we know of. Hard to reach by the large and we've made efforts to make it harder, you may currently be unable to reach it even."
The bat smiled then, he seemed to slowly relax. "Grismegard. The oldest bat in Asiotus told stories of great bastions of power, used by those beyond. Her stories say that even if a mightier foe exists these bastions make it so the weaker ones can live without fear... Our cave could become such a bastion, for us prey. A safe haven were not even the tyrant king can eat us."