The Coesen prequel to The Halo Series

 A whisper in the air caught Arkean’s attention but the sensation of something touching his arm caused him to move into a crouched position and had him ready to strike. The hairs on his neck stood up and his stomach buzzed with nervous energy but he saw nothing.

As far as he knew, no one was inside the cave but him and his brethren. His brethren were asleep but Arkean clearly heard someone calling out. The words were foreign but he somehow knew that whoever it was, they were calling out for help.

“Wake up,” Arkean said shaking each of his companions.

Bode got to his feet, instantly ready for whatever the threat was. Quende and Gedgi were slower to wake but after a few seconds they were up on their feet and looking at Arkean with questioning eyes.

“Do you not hear that? Someone’s calling for help,” Arkean said.

“Are you crazed, Arkean?” Quende asked, rubbing his eyes.

Bode covered Quende’s mouth with his hand, “Shhh-hush, listen. I hear it too.”

The others strained to hear what Arkean and apparently, Bode clearly heard. After a few quiet minutes, Gedgi jumped back.

“What was that?” Gedgi asked. His eyes were wide as he peered around the dark cave. The moon provided some light but not enough to see in every crevice and corner.

“So, you hear it?” Arkean took a step toward the darkest part of the cave where he found a small opening earlier. It was barely wide enough for him to squeeze through so he didn’t think much of it at the time.   

Bode used his arm to block Arkean from moving forward. “Wait,” Bode whispered, “that isn’t any language I know. We do not know what waits beyond that opening.”

“Whatever it is, it is in pain,” Arkean said, as he gently pushed his cousin’s hand away. “It calls us for help. I cannot ignore a call for help from man or animal, Bode.”