<Hahahahaha! I just love torturing Andalites!> the Visser cried, happily.
Soon, we were in the ship. The Yeerks put me inside a clear dome, similar to that of the Dome ship. I suppose this was Visser Three's personal feeding area.
The Visser galloped inside. <Hahaha! Watch closely, little one. You may be able to catch a last glimps of your pathetic people, before I completely eliminate your ship!>
I swerved my stalk eyes upward. Just then, Visser Three said <Destroy it!> and there was a horrible beam of light, causing my ship to explode.
<Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! You murderer!>
I ran full force toward the Visser. He leveled a Dracon beam at me, but I did not slow down. <Foolish Andalites always trying to avenge their people's deaths, even though they know it's too late.> He fired the Dracon beam, knocking me unconscious.
<Well, well. It looks like my little hyper aristh is awake!> he said. I tried to move my tail but it was tied down, as were my hands and hooves.
<Those ropes should calm you down. You will be able to watch more Andalites suffer. We are about to meet another Andalite Dome ship above our next target, planet Earth. This Dome ship holds my most hated enemy, War-Prince Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul. This will be the day I destroy him!>
<No one can kill Elfangor!> I growled. <If anyone will die today, It will be you!>
Just then, I saw the beautiful planet called Earth. Above this peaceful planet, a horrible battle raged. One of the Dome ships fired a Shredder at us. It was the ship to which Aximili was assigned! I focused. If I could just tell him what happened. . .
But no, we were out of range. Just then, I saw a fighter dismiss itself from that ship. Elfangor was piloting. He was heading straight for Earth.
Visser Three fired a Dracon beam. There was another beam of light, as the dome was separated from Aximili's ship. It plummeted down to Earth. I knew that Aximili was inside that dome.
<Aximili! Aximili!> I tried to break free of the ropes, but it was hopeless.
<Hahahahahahaha!> Visser Three laughed. <I destroyed your prince, your ship, and your shorm, all in one day!>
We started to fly toward Earth. Now he'd try to kill Elfangor. . .
Tsssssssssseeeeeeeeewwwwwww!
The Abomination fired a Dracon beam, slicing a gash in the small ship, causing it to lose power and plummit to the planet below. I lost sight of him for a few minutes.
When we caught up to him, he was lying on the ground beside his ship. He was almost dead.
<Hahahaha! Elfangor will die, like the weak fool he is! There's nothing more exciting then annihilating meddling Andalites when they are completely defenseless!>
<Like you did to my prince? And my shorm?> I sneered.
<Exactly!> Visser Three said, gleefully.
The Blade ship landed right beside Elfangor and his damaged fighter. I could clearly see everything that happened next.
Visser Three left the Blade ship. He stood over the fallen War-prince and started taunting him. After a few minutes, he morphed into this gigantic creature called an Anterean Bogg, and devoured the greatest Andalite hero in existance. My idol. I had hoped to someday be as great a hero as him.
I was wrong: Someone could kill Elfangor. And had. . .
<Uh oh. You're getting hyper again. I may have to use the Dracon beam again!> he threatened.
We had been in the Yeerk pool on Earth for a few Earth months since Elfangor's murder.
<You're afraid!> I said. <You could kill me at any time, and yet you keep me bound!>
<Foolish child. You are not a threat to me. There are more Andalite survivors on this planet. You will be the second Andalite-Controller.>
<You think I'm as defenseless as Elfangor, Zerlin, and Aximili. Well you are deeply mistaken.> I had figured out just then that the very end of my tail blade was movable. I turned it up and sliced the ropes holding my tail down. <I am a female. They didn't allow me in the military for nothing!>
Visser Three stared at me in shock. I started to run for the nearest exit. But just then, five Earth creatures rushed in. The sixth creature nearly made my hearts stop beating.
Aximili!
<Aximili! You're alive!> I screamed.
<Don't worry, Swanilin. I am here.> Aximili said.
The Hork-Bajir rushed at us. The strange animals started to attack them. One tried to sneak up behind me. I ducked while Aximili slashed his tail up over my head, knocking the Hork-Bajir aside.
<Thank you,> I said.
Then I heard a strange voice say, <Everyone morph birds and retreat! We don't need this fight!>
Aximili asked, <Swanilin, do you have a bird morph?>
<Only the kafit. No Earth morphs!> I replied.
I started to morph the kafit bird, a six-winged creature from my own world. Aquiring and morphing it is one of the tests for becoming an aristh.
As I watched Aximili, I expected him to also morph a kafit, but he became a strange two-winged bird. <What is that?> I asked.
<It is called a northern harrier. Now we must go!>
We started to fly toward the entrance. We flew right out of a strange Earth tree in a forest. One of the other Andalites followed us. <Where are the other four warriors?> I wondered.
<Well. . . they aren't Andalites,> Aximili hesitated. <They're human.>
I was surprised. Aximili explained everything, how Elfangor gave morphing technology to five humans right before he was murdered, how they rescued him from Earth's ocean, and how they found out about me.
<We were spying on him and saw him taunting you. Prince Jake decided to attack and get you out of there.>
Then the others joined us. Visser Three did not suspect they were human so they had to hide, demorph, and morph birds.
Which is what he was useing now. "Ax-man? We just risked our butts for this guy. Now tell me. Who is he?"
<She is a female. Everyone, meet my shorm, in human terms that means best friend. Her name is Swanilin-Corinnath-Jaheen.>
"Swan?" Prince Jake said. "Welcome to the Animorphs!"
<Thank you, Prince Jake!> I said.
"Oh no," he said. "Not another one!"
Aximili and I were confused but the humans and Tobias laughed.
Aximili told me privately, <Humans are strange, but you'll get used to them!>