“Let them think what they liked, but I didn’t mean to drown myself. I meant to swim till I sank — but that’s not the same thing.” ― Joseph Conrad
Play began in the second half as Nathan kicked the ball from the midfield area to Kyle who lofted a long ball towards the opposite goal area with his team down by a goal. The boys raced in the direction of the goal. “Stay clear of those nasty cats Nate!” Kyle urged. It was Shadow however who caught the attention of the wildcats. He raced ahead of the pantars with unsuspected agility toward the soaring ball. The ball bounced ahead of him before he reached it. Two pantars immediately were on him. Before Kyle could yell “Watch out!” Shadow stopped the ball with his lead foot. At that precise moment he instinctively ducked as the two leaping pantars flew over his crouching body. They collided and tumbled in a violent rumpus. As quickly as his previous move Shadow regained his upright posture and gently kicked the ball with his foot ahead of him towards the goal. Before the ball advanced too far the giant lizard spun gracefully as his tail slapped the ball with force to the opposite unattended corner of the goal. The boys looked at each in disbelief before celebrating the remarkable goal.
“You let Gurga score a goal!” bellowed the incensed Dark Master. “You let the cretan score a goal!” Shadow was proud of his accomplishment. He strode by Cato who glared at him. “I hit rocksss into wata like that all the time,” Nathan and Kyle exchanged impressed expressions. Shadow returned his attention to Cato. His charcoaled almond eyes seemed to smile as he expressed “You can call me Gurga if you want, but my name is SSShadow. Don’t you forget.” Irate, Cato turned to the gathered pantars. “Don’t let that imbecile touch the ball again.”
The game settled into a classic match of defensive strategy. The pantars mindful of Cato’s edict were preoccupied with where Shadow was on the field. That attention gave Kyle more room to operate. He moved to the fullback position where he could help defend the goal. Several times he recovered the ball swatted by the pantars. On each occasion he sent the ball to Shadow who was smothered by three of the pantars. Two other times he kicked the ball well beyond Nathan’s reach.
“Kyle, don’t be nervous I’ve seen you pass the ball better than that,” Nathan expressed as Kyle’s kick soared well out-of-bounds.
“One of those poor monkeys already was destroyed because of me, I’m not going to be responsible for letting that happen to you too.”
As time began to expire late in the game Kyle picked off a pass attempt to a pantar opened wide on the opposite corner of the goal. He dribbled the ball forward until an a second advancing pantar came racing down on him. Kyle spotted another pantar covering Shadow with his back to the ball. He kicked the ball and hit the pantar square in his back as Kyle sidestepped the approaching pantar near him. He preceded to recover the self-pass moving the ball into the offensive half of the field. Nathan ran wide open ahead of him drawing the attention of one of the pantars. With another pantar positioned in front of him Kyle faked a pass to Nathan as he deked the pantar in front of him who swatted the air instead of Kyle’s head. Kyle had maneuvered to the front of the goal. He lifted the ball in the air leaping as well to avoid the enraged swat of the recovering pantar he had alluded. With his back parallel to the ground Kyle sent a spectacular bicycle kick toward the goal. As time expired in the game the ball hit the edge of the rock that made up the far side of the goal. The ball careened into the field as Kyle crashed to the stone field surface.
“That ends the game,” announced Cato. The wildcats regarded Kyle with a look of respect as they strode to Cato’s attention. “I didn’t believe that there would be a flag at the end of the game. Now we will play our own game pitting one of the small creatures against the other.”
“The game can’t end in a tie,” Kyle protested, “That’s why there isn’t a flag yet,” the other animals hesitated awaiting Cato’s response.
“Enough! I have had enough of your mouth.”
“We have to play the overtime,” Kyle was desperate. Nathan grew concern as he witnessed Kyle’s anguish.
“It’s sudden-death overtime right Kyle?”
Cato looked at Nathan suspiciously, “Sudden-death overtime?” he inquired.
“That’s right, that’s right,” Kyle exclaimed. “The first team to score wins and produces the captured flag.”
“And the sudden death?” Cato inquired his arms folded at his chest.
“The losing team is executed of course,” Nathan joined in. Kyle’s expression was concerning, but Nathan continued. “What did you think we were playing for all along? We play this game all the time where we come from. Once the entire team was hanged from the same tree. Why just last week another team was shot by a firing squad. That one was really amazing.” Kyle rolled his eyes at the extent Nathan’s description took, but Cato’s curiosity was stirred.
“So you kill the creatures who lose?”
“Of course,” Nathan expressed his heart-rate escalating.
“Prepare then, for sudden death and that will be the end of it,” Cato announced addressing his pantars. “These creatures will not win this game!” the Dark Master screamed.
As the teams separated for the overtime Kyle walked next to Nathan, “That’s a desperate plan Nate,”
“Yep,” Nathan replied, “But I’m getting used to desperate in this place.”
Kyle’s responding smile was effortless, “I’m sorry I got you into this,”
“I didn’t have to follow you, you know,” still Kyle’s concern was not alleviated. “That’s what I do Kyle,” Kyle looked at his cousin perplexed, “I’m glad to follow you,” they exchanged a meaningful admiration for each other sowed from the family seed, “You have to pass me the ball though. Those pantars are going to be all over you after what you just did. Between you and Shadow there is no wildcat covering me anymore”
“Okay, just be careful.”
A growing concern for Kyle as the game had gone on was that the pantars were quick learners. Their stalking instincts from hunting prey formed an effective attacking strategy. The pantars pursued the ball by sending two of the wildcats aggressively at the ball while another pantar raced wide of the attackers. With their sturdy paws the first of the attacking pantars to reach the ball would swat the ball wide enabling the lone pantar on the weak-side wing to get open opportunities on the goal. The giant sloth was distracted by the wound on his shoulder. He spent his time licking the gaping gash leaving the streaking pantar with a scoring opportunity. Kyle reasoned that he would have to risk being mauled by the wildcat in order to keep the ball out of the goal. The pantars had not yet mastered their accuracy with the ball thus overtime began with untamed assaults on the goal where the sloth was positioned. Each time however the ball was misdirected enabling Kyle to clear the ball.
It was only a matter of time however before the pantars would mustered an accurate shot on the vacant corner of the goal. During one play the attacking pantars raced towards a monkey where the ball was directed. The terrified monkey scampered out of the way leaving the ball unattended. The first pantar to reach it swatted an impressive cross-pass to the wide streaking pantar. The ball bounced softly before the racing pantar leaving the unattended corner of the goal an easy target. As the streaking pantar raced toward the ball he reared his paw in preparation to swatting the ball in the goal. Kyle reached the ball just before the pantar, the boy side-kicked the ball toward the vacant sideline. The pantar could have mauled Kyle at that point, but the spirit of fair play had been altered as the game labored on. The pantars were conflicted between their instincts and the orders of Cato. As he saw Kyle sliding to kick the ball the pantar attempted to alter his stride, but the sudden move along with his velocity caused him to lose his balance and the pantar roughly tumbled crashing into the stone corner of the goal. He roared in pain maimed on the rock floor of the field. Kyle turned to pursue the ball, but he stopped dead in his track. He approached the injured pantar who writhed in pain. He knelt near the injured cat speaking softly, “Hold still, you’ll be alright.” The other pantars raced to the assistance of their leader. They roared menacingly at Kyle as Shadow and Nathan sprinted toward him in a desperate attempt to protect him. The injured cat looked at Kyle confused. He recognized something unexpected in the young boy’s eyes, concern. He uttered a calm guttural chirp signaling to the other pantars not to hurt the boy. After a little time passed the pantar slowly rose and limped to midfield. Nathan brought an empty pumpkin filled with water to the pantar.
Cato was mad with rage. He kicked the offered gourd spilling the contents while sending pieces of the shattered pumpkin in different directions, “Finish the game,” he ordered.
Once again the ball was in play. Kyle kicked a daring pass to Shadow, that was intercepted by a pantar who raced unattended toward the goal. The giant sloth still nursing his wound moved away from the pantar and the ball leaving the goal unattended. Kyle could not reach the ball before the pantar who had an easy swat to the open goal. At that desperate moment a dark small streak scurried to the ball misdirecting it away from the pursuing pantar. Kyle was amazed when he recognized what had happened, “Hairy!” he yelled, “That a-boy.” The frustrated pantar swatted wildly as the agile varmint avoided the assault. He raced between the legs of the other pantars agitating them as well. Nathan looked at Shadow for an explanation, but Shadow just stared his mouth agape amazed and humored by Hairy’s escapade. The field was in chaos as the pantars attempted to corral the tiny creature who raced towards Kyle. Kyle was stupefied. Hairy circled Kyle three times in an affectionate prance as if he were a thoroughbred boasting about his winning race. He quickly scampered into the shadows of the cavern not before he sent Cato slipping to his back after the Dark Master attempted to kick the fleeing creature into the roaring fire. Cato had been humiliated.
The boys knew that they had reached the limit of Cato’s tolerance. Kyle sprinted to the loose ball as Nathan raced down the opposite sideline. The pantars were alert. Two of the wildcats pursued Kyle while another ran to catch up with Nathan. Kyle reached the ball before the pantars could catch him. He angled his right foot as he planted his left foot to stabilize himself. Kyle sent a long pass in the direction of his sprinting cousin. The ball soared in the air like an archer’s arrow aimed at its target. Nathan knew that he had no time to collect the ball and redirect it. The ball soared just ahead of him. He caught it on the inside arch of his right foot as he accelerated. He had no opportunity to settle the ball. The foot extended to its limit in full stride, sent a booming shot that found its mark in the upper corner of the goal. Kyle was jubilant from his distant vantage point, “We win!” he yelled just before everything went dark.