An Ally on Mars

Due to the relatively lower gravitational force on Mars, my strength was magnified many times compared to that which it was on Earth. Deimos and Phobos did little to help illuminate the lichen filled dead seabed that stretches out into the darkness surrounding me. Having just arrived and not actually knowing I was on Barsoom with it's two moons hurtling across the sky overhead I my military training instinctively had me attempt to scout out my location. Trying to move about at night was awkward and dangerous. Unaccustomed to the lower gravity I was getting banged up and bleeding from my attempts to just walk, so I settled down where I last had fallen and waited hoping daylight would fall upon this alien landscape.

Daylight did arrived and the frost that covered everything slowly evaporated, the shimmering white expanse that surrounded me dissolved into a mottled gray-green. The step I took in my attempt to set out and explore sent me hurtling high above, up and over the darkly shadowed broken rocky landscape. Gaining agility with every bound, I proceeded on to where I knew not. My immediate goal was to get out and beyond this endless dead seabed without battering and bruising myself too severely in the process.

It was hard to tell on my first day of travel on Mars as it all was quite new and odd, but I could not fight off the sneaky suspicion I was being watched. This feeling was surely fostered by the low rumbling sounds coming from out beyond the distant boulders. I set out to make a beeline to anywhere but here.

My mode of travel was bounding haphazard jumps that generally took me forward. I needed to focus and pay close attention while airborne to the terrain and rocks below me in order to prepare for the preferred  clean two point landing. This gave me only a split second to glance out to determine a path, but in those glances from the corner of my eyes I'd swear I saw movement. Where I had particularly open areas to land in I took the opportunity to turn my head to look around at the apex of my bound but I saw nothing; only the still lichen covered boulders that extended on out into the hazy shimmering horizon. I knew I needed to press on in haste because if there was something out there, I couldn't be leaving it a scented bloody trail to stalk me any better, or provide it a more  conspicuous spectacle in the sky to target and attack.

It was only later that I was to learn the name of the hideous beasts that were stalking me as foothills finally came into sight through the red barsoomian haze. The banth were all about in a feeding rage and closing in.

This eight-legged beast is the most ferocious carnivore which roams the low hills surrounding the dead seas of Mars. It is almost hairless, having only a great, bristly mane about its thick neck. It's long lithe body is powerfully muscled, its enormous jaws are equipped with several rows of long needle-like fangs, and its mouth reaches to a point far back of its tiny ears. It has enormous protruding eyes of green. My only hope was to find high ground in the near hills where I might best position myself to wage a proper defense.

I had bounded into the rocky hills not seeing hide nor hair of any of the stalking beasts. Much to my avail I had little time to wonder what dissuaded them from following when the assault began. Odd blue humanoid creatures with mouths and hands like octopus and bodies that were a cross between human and kangaroo.

I made my way up a rocky mound to find Tars Tarkus there fighting off the lot of them. With his 4 limbs and 2 legs standing  9 feet tall he was getting the best of them but they were not letting up. He saw me and we had no time to quibble. He tossed me a side arm and I fought for my life.