Surviving Zombies Was Easier Than Raising Beast Cubs

Chapter 85: Chapter 85: The Cubs Nearly Died Proving Mama Was Right

Warm air breathed through the crack beneath Nilo’s feet.

Once.

Twice.

Nilo crouched lower.

His little black ears tilted forward.

The crack was too thin for his hand, but it stretched beneath the hanging roots and disappeared into the rear wall of the new sleeping hollow.

Something was under there.

Something large enough to breathe.

Nilo placed his cheek close to the stone.

The air smelled wet.

Old.

Wrong.

He lifted one tiny finger and was about to push it into the opening when voices drifted through the short passage.

"Miko, no. That one Kairo."

"But Miko hungry."

"You already eat two."

"Two small."

"They not small."

Nilo’s ears moved.

Food.

The dangerous crack immediately lost half its power.

He stood and hurried out of the sleeping hollow.

Near the family cave entrance, Kairo and Miko sat around a broad leaf. Between them was Tilla’s recovering mink cub.

The little mink had shifted into his human form.

He was called Tavi.

Tavi was just as tiny as the panther cubs, with soft brown hair, large dark eyes, small round mink ears and a thin brown tail curled beside him. His body was still a little weak from sickness, but his cheeks were finally gaining some softness.

Tilla had given them pieces of roasted sweet root before leaving to help Nahla.

Tavi carefully divided the last piece into four uneven parts.

Miko stared at the biggest one.

Tavi noticed.

He quickly moved it toward Kairo.

"Kairo oldest."

Miko’s mouth fell open.

"Miko smallest."

Tavi blinked.

"Yes."

"Smallest need biggest."

Kairo immediately covered the piece with his hand.

"No."

Miko threw himself across the leaf.

Kairo pushed him back by the forehead.

Tavi watched both brothers struggle, then quietly slid one of the smaller pieces toward Nilo.

"For you."

Nilo sat beside him.

"Thank you."

Miko stopped fighting and looked at Nilo.

His golden eyes narrowed.

"Why face like that?"

Nilo touched his own face.

"What face?"

Kairo studied him.

"Thinking face."

Miko leaned closer until their noses almost touched.

"Bad thinking?"

Nilo shook his head.

Kairo lowered his voice.

"You hear old males talk Mama?"

Nilo’s ears fell slightly.

Earlier, two former Riverbone elders had been standing near the central roots, speaking loudly enough for half the tribe to hear.

They said Swanly had frightened everyone for no reason.

They said she wanted power.

They said she had failed to prove Riverbone was unsafe.

One had even laughed and said Soren would soon become tired of allowing a fox female to interfere with tribal matters.

The cubs had heard.

So had Soren.

The white snake had been resting on a raised stone nearby with his eyes half closed.

He had looked bored.

He had not been bored.

He had seen the first elder smile when Swanly’s plan failed.

He had seen the second glance toward Garran before agreeing.

He had noticed which males shifted closer to the former leaders and which ones quietly moved away.

He remembered every face.

If Riverbone weakened later, those were the people most likely to betray him first.

Soren said nothing.

Let them think he was not watching.

Small snakes survived by hiding.

Large snakes survived by allowing prey to walk closer.

Kairo crossed his little arms.

"They talk bad Mama."

Miko’s cheeks puffed.

"Stupid old males."

Tavi’s ears flattened nervously.

"My mama says no call elders stupid."

Miko looked at him.

"Your mama not hear them."

Tavi thought about that.

Then he whispered, "Maybe little stupid."

Kairo nodded with satisfaction.

Nilo looked back toward the sleeping hollow.

Warm air.

A crack beneath Riverbone.

Maybe a hidden place.

Maybe proof.

He lowered his voice.

"The ground breathes."

Three tiny faces turned toward him.

Miko looked under the leaf.

"Ground alive?"

"No."

"Then why breathe?"

Nilo pointed toward the family cave.

"New sleeping place. Crack under wall. Warm wind comes out."

Kairo immediately stood.

His roasted root fell from his lap.

"A tunnel?"

"Maybe."

Miko jumped up.

"Go see!"

Tavi’s little tail puffed.

"No."

The three panther cubs looked at him.

Tavi swallowed.

"Mama says no dangerous places. Tavi still healing."

Miko patted his shoulder.

"We only look."

Kairo nodded.

"Find proof for Mama."

Nilo’s golden eyes brightened.

"If tunnel goes outside barrier, infected enter."

Kairo’s little face became serious.

"Then Mama right."

Miko lifted both fists.

"Mama always right."

Tavi looked toward the path where Tilla had disappeared.

"My mama says friends stop friends from bad things."

Kairo picked up his roasted root.

"Then stop us."

He walked into the cave.

Nilo followed.

Miko grabbed the remaining food and ran after them.

Tavi sat alone beside the empty leaf.

His small face twisted.

He looked toward his mother’s direction again.

Then toward the cave.

"Friends very difficult."

He hurried after them.

Inside the sleeping hollow, Nilo pushed aside the hanging roots.

The warm crack waited beneath them.

Kairo crouched.

"Too small."

Miko immediately began digging with his tiny claws.

Stone dust flew into his face.

He sneezed.

Then sneezed again.

Nilo joined him carefully.

The loose edge of the crack broke away.

A dark opening appeared beneath the wall.

It was barely wide enough for a cub.

Warm, damp air rushed against their faces.

Tavi covered his nose.

"Smells dead."

Miko sniffed deeply.

"Smells bad water."

Kairo lay on his stomach and peered inside.

Darkness.

A sloping path disappeared under the stone.

"We go little."

Tavi shook his head so quickly his ears flapped.

"No little."

Miko crawled into the opening.

"Miko already go."

His feet vanished.

Kairo followed immediately.

Nilo hesitated for one heartbeat, then crawled after them.

Tavi stared at the three black tails disappearing into the earth.

"Mama will cry."

From inside, Miko called, "Tavi coming?"

Tavi squeezed his eyes shut.

Then crawled inside.

The passage was narrow at first.

Their shoulders scraped damp earth. Roots hung from the ceiling and brushed across their hair.

Miko stopped every few steps to sniff something.

Nilo kept pushing his bottom forward.

"Move."

"Miko checking."

"Checking what?"

"Everything."

Kairo crawled ahead until the passage widened.

One by one, the cubs dropped onto a flat stone path beneath Riverbone.

Tavi landed last and immediately grabbed Kairo’s arm.

The tunnel was much larger than they expected.

It stretched in both directions beneath the tribe.

Old claw marks covered the walls.

Some were small.

Others were wider than Kael’s hand.

Bones lay scattered across the damp ground.

Not clean bones.

Some still had dark pieces of dried flesh clinging to them.

Deep lines ran through the dirt where something had dragged those bones into the passage.

Tavi’s eyes filled with tears.

"Go back."

Miko crouched beside a rib bone.

He reached toward it.

Three voices shouted together.

"No touching!"

Miko snatched his hand back.

"I only see."

Nilo walked toward the wall.

Black roots grew through the stone.

They did not spread away from Riverbone.

They grew toward it.

Toward the sleeping caves.

Toward the tribe’s water.

Nilo touched one with a single claw.

The root twitched.

He jumped backward.

Kairo stepped in front of him.

"Bad root."

Tavi pressed himself against Nilo.

"It moved."

Miko leaned around Kairo.

"Maybe say hello."

"No," Nilo said. "Not hello."

They continued slowly.

The tunnel bent upward ahead.

A thin beam of daylight entered through a crack in the stone.

Kairo climbed toward it.

Outside, he could see grass.

The outer side of Riverbone’s root wall.

The crack passed completely beneath the barrier.

His face changed.

"Infected can come."

Nilo joined him.

The opening was narrow now, but the soil around it was loose. Any large creature could dig through.

Miko looked delighted.

"We found proof!"

Kairo raised one fist.

"Mama win."

Nilo’s chest filled with pride.

Mama would not have to stand alone before the tribe again.

Those old elders would have to close their mouths.

Soren would have to agree.

Tavi looked behind them into the dark passage.

"We tell Mama now."

Miko frowned.

"Maybe look more."

"No," Tavi said quickly. "Enough proof. Very enough."

For once, Nilo agreed.

"The roots are bad. We go."

Kairo turned.

"Stay close."

They started back.

Miko walked in the middle because everyone had decided he was the most likely to touch something.

He complained about this for seven steps.

Then the ground cracked.

Nilo froze.

A thin line split beneath Miko’s feet.

Kairo shouted, "Move!"

The floor collapsed.

Stone and dirt dropped into darkness.

Miko screamed.

Author’s Evil Little Corner

"MWAHAHAHA!"

The author held Kairo, Nilo, Miko, and Tavi hostage.

"Golden tickets and gifts, readers! Send them, and I may let the cubs suffer less!"

Four tiny paws reached toward the readers.

"Please send all!"

"Save cubs!"

"Tavi still healing!"

"Miko too small!"

A white fox tail appeared behind the author.

Swanly smiled.

"Author. You dare touch my babies?"

The author dropped all four cubs.

"MWAHAHAHA, BYE!"

And ran.