Chapter 33

  Regret - Bond

  Bond watched Link stand there, defying the dragon, and his heart was strangely warmed. How could this easily killed creature, that was so much smaller than him, stand up to a dragon?

  Bond had agreed to go with Conquest and his band of rebels when they came and told his family, "Join me or die." At first, no one would believe that an animal would kill another one of their own kind. They had heard of Conquest's rebellion, his killing of other animals, but not their own. A gorilla killing a gorilla was impossible to imagine. Yet, when Bond's father stepped forward and refused Conquest. Conquest immediately took his knife and killed him. As his body dropped, Conquest gave the order again. "Join me now or die."

  Bond stepped forward. He didn't want to die. Even though his mate had grabbed his arm and said, "Don't, don't." Bond shook it off and moved to join Conquest. He did not want to die. He watched Storm on Conquest's command kill his family.

  He had told himself that his family had been foolish. Now, as he looked at the carnage and cruelty that was taking place around him, he knew it was a lie. Bond thought that his mate and the rest of his family were the lucky ones. Yes, they had died, but they had not participated in this. He shook his head, trying to forget it all.

  No, he told himself, no, I made the right choice. He knew as soon as he thought it, it was a lie. No, he corrected himself, it's time to see the truth.

  Bond looked around and took everything in—the dragon commanding Link to surrender any information, the sounds of gorillas yelling at other animals, the moans and cries of those same animals, the cracks of whips. He could smell the ointment he used to enslave those same tortured creatures. Bond saw the dead bodies of animals littering the ground, and blood was everywhere. Yes, his death would have been preferable, but he kept walking.

  Bond knew that he couldn't let this small bull elephant be killed by this army. Bond didn't know where to take the elephant. Should he take him to the elephants that would soon be moving the bridges? No, that would mean death. Bond knew the gorillas who were in charge of moving the bridges. This elephant surely wouldn't have the strength to do that. They would beat him to death. If he took him to the place where he would be on the front line, charging against the talking elephants? No! Bond was sure that that would be just as bad.

  For a moment, remembering the words Link had said. "You've been praying the wrong things. Ask the Creator to help you."

  Bond made a decision. He would pray again. Yet what good did that do? The Creator did not answer the last time. There was nothing when he prayed in the desert. No sign that he could see. Nothing was telling him that the Creator was going to help him.

  He looked around and paused. The elephant pausing behind him.

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  Bond whispered, "I'm so, so sorry."

  Bond felt alone. All of his family was dead. None of them chose to join Conquest, and no one in Conquest's army, even though they were all gorillas, were people that Bond would consider friends or family. He had told Link that Storm had no friends, but he didn't either.

  Bond shook his head and looked toward the heavens, "I just wish I could make a decision. Where is the best place to take this elephant?"

  Maybe there's a way I could help this one escape? he asked himself. Yes, it would mean his death, and he knew that, but he couldn't do this anymore.

  "Creator, why didn't you?" At that moment, Bond lowered his eyes from the sky, and the words caught in Bond's throat.

  Bond saw the fencing in front of him, holding some of the elephants. It was there he found his answer. He had prayed to the creator in the desert, and he thought all that he got was a stupid dream. A stupid dream about a pointy white stick. In front of him, holding two groups of fencing together was that white stick. He remembered the dream. In the dream, the elephant beside him was playing catch with the otter. It was insane. It was suicidal. But in that moment, Bond knew that this elephant was a talking elephant.

  Bond grabbed his knife and then cut the bond guide rope around the elephant's neck.

  "I don't know. This may be the dumbest thing I've ever done, but I can't keep doing this. I've got to take a chance even if it means my death."

  The elephant looked at him, and in that moment, Bond was reassured. He knew he could see it; this elephant was one of his own, a talking animal.

  The elephant immediately moved forward and grabbed the right white stick and pulled it, from where it was holding the two fences together.

  They were just a few feet apart, and Bond asked, "I don't even know your name."

  The elephant looked back and gave him a smile and said, "Max."

  Max stood on his back legs and looked back at Link. Bond looked back and could tell that the dragon was getting ready to pounce. He had done this before to crush someone who annoyed him.

  Max yelled out. "Link," The otter looked to Max, and their eyes met, then Max let loose the stick.

  "Catch!" Max said, and in that moment, Bond wasn't sure that he had made the right choice. What could a makeshift spear do against a dragon? What if Link didn't catch if but instead the stick stabbed him? Bond pushed the doubts from his mind. He had made a choice knowing that it would mean his death, because this life was wrong.

  Bond watched the stick fly through the sky, and to his amazement, Link caught it. Link placed the flat end of the stick down on the platform with the pointed end up and held onto it.

  In the same moment, the dragon, who had already begun his leap, launched into the air.

  The most amazing thing happened: the dragon landed on top of Link and then let out a death cry, which filled the valley.

  Silence reigned for a second, then the voice of Max yelled out, "For the Creator."

  Max immediately dropped back down and began to tear apart the fencing. Bond, having made his decision, came up beside the elephant and began helping Max tear apart the fences.

  As they began their work, from the trees around them came the cry. "For the Creator and the Forest of Animals."

  Bond saw a multitude of birds of all sizes leap from the trees and drop upon the gorillas and begin freeing their non-talking relatives.

  Bond saw Conquest jump up beside the dragon, who was now unmoving, and no light filled its eyes.

  Conquest shook the Dragon, causing the creature to fall off the edge of the platform. The dragon was so large that it knocked Conquest to the ground first, and then it landed on top of him.

  As the dragon fell, the body of Link was revealed. He was covered in blood, but alive. The stick was no longer in his hands but embedded in the body of the dragon. The otter struggled but stood and raised a paw into the sky, and though he could not hear it Bond was certain he yelled, "For the Creator!"