“There is a large Jiadin army north of here,” said Rejji. “They are searching for a demon. Have you heard any stories about demons?”
“Bah,” frowned Brakas. “I believe they are searching for the free tribes. They have probably spread the story about the demon to make the locals drop their guard.”
“Perhaps,” interjected Mistake, “but they described the demon as looking like Rejji, right down to the crescent on his palm.”
“So that is why you wanted the gloves,” nodded Brakas. “I remember seeing that mark the day you met Wyant. It is unusual, but I certainly don’t think it makes you a demon. Maybe the army is searching for the killer of Diakles after all. This is not good.”
“What will the army do when they find out that Rejji has not gone north?” asked Bakhai.
“They will turn around and come back,” answered Brakas. “If it is more than a couple of dozen men, they will split into groups and start spreading out from the last place you were seen. Who has seen you since the death of Diakles?”
“A large village southwest of here,” responded Rejji. “The army has hundreds of men and not dozens. How far will they search?”
“Hundreds?” echoed Brakas. “I don’t know what to tell you. You are not far enough from the village to escape detection from their hunt. You can’t go north, and south or west will lead you back towards the village. I think you need to split up.”
“What about east?” queried Mistake. “That would take us away from the army and the village.”
“No, lass,” Brakas shook his head. “East is the jungle. That is the last place you want to go. Nobody enters the Qubari Jungle and emerges alive again.”
“What choice do we have?” questioned Bakhai. “Will the Jiadin follow us into the jungle?”
“Of course not,” scowled Brakas. “Why would anyone follow you to your death? If that is the plan you choose, I will not go with you. I will do whatever I can to help you, but entering the jungle is not an option for me.”
“But we could just enter the jungle a little bit,” offered Bakhai. “Then we could wait until they tire of the chase and go home.”
“They won’t tire,” advised Brakas. “They will camp at the edge of the jungle and wait for you to come out. You might as well give yourselves up to the Jiadin than enter the jungle. Either way is sure death, but I think the Jiadin would be less painful.”
“We are not giving in to the Jiadin,” declared Mistake. “Never. We are going to the Bone Mountains and if the Jiadin want to sit at the edge of the jungle while we proceed northeast, then that is what they can do. It will keep them out of our way.”
“I have no right to involve the three of you in my troubles,” said Rejji. “You should join together and head far away from me. I do not want to be responsible for your deaths.”
“Maybe that is not such a bad idea,” offered Brakas. “If the two of you go your own way, I can take Rejji double on my horse and try to outrun the Jiadin. We could travel much quicker and you two can go to the Bone Mountains unmolested. The Jiadin don’t want you for anything.”
Mistake opened her mouth to speak and Rejji held his hand up. “Let us eat without quarreling,” he said. “It will give us each time to think about our options.”
The meal was eaten in silence and when it was over, the silence remained. Mistake eventually rose and walked off into the woods. Rejji moved away from the campfire and stretched out and Bakhai disappeared into the woods. Brakas started to engage Rejji in conversation, but Rejji shook his head and closed his eyes. Brakas sat quietly at the campfire as it burned itself out. When Mistake returned and quietly went to sleep, Brakas also chose a spot to sleep and closed his eyes.
The first rays of the sun were lighting the sky when Bakhai walked into the camp and woke everyone. “It is time to move,” he announced.
“Move to where?” asked Brakas as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
“To the jungle,” Bakhai stated as the others rose. “We shall enter the jungle and follow the edge of it until we come to the Bone Mountains. If the Jiadin follow us, we will either wait until they leave or figure out a way to trick them.”
“Maybe we can make them think we died in the jungle,” offered Mistake.
“That might actually work,” agreed Rejji, “but I still see no need to drag you three into this.”
“You do not own us,” Mistake declared. “Bakhai and I will decide for ourselves where we are going. And we have decided that we are going with you. Now, let’s get moving before the Jiadin turn around and come after us.”
“They have already turned south,” Bakhai interjected. “We have little time to make the jungle and that does not include any time for discussions.”
Brakas looked at Bakhai with a puzzled frown, but Rejji nodded as he looked up and saw the bird circling overhead. “Brakas,” added Rejji, “we shall emerge on the other side of the jungle. If you wish to help us in the search for the Sage, we shall meet you there. May your travels be safe.”
Brakas started to speak, but the three young Fakarans marched out of camp to the east. There was no discussion as they each thought of the horrors that awaited them at the edge of the Qubari Jungle. High sun came and went and they kept walking without a break for food.
Fatigue started to slow them down as the day wore on, but the first sight of the jungle looming in the distance quickened their steps. Whether sanctuary or death awaited them, the trio was anxious to put the open landscape behind them. An hour before the last rays of the sun, a bird swooped down and attempted to light on Bakhai’s shoulder. Bakhai halted as did Rejji and Mistake. The bird settled down and appeared to nibble on Bakhai’s ear. Bakhai nodded and turned to look westward as the bird jumped off of Bakhai’s shoulder and flew away.
“They are coming directly towards us,” Bakhai announced. “It is as if they know where we are.”
“Do you think they have one who can talk to animals too?” Mistake asked.
“Anything is possible,” answered Bakhai, “but I have never known another who can. However they know, we must be quick.”
The Fakarans tapped into their reserve strength and sprinted for the jungle. Soon the rumble of the ground could be heard as the Jiadin army closed in on them. Shouts could be heard behind them as they reached the edge of the jungle and plowed into the mass of plants. There was no path and some of the plants had spines that tugged at their clothes as they tried to move further into the jungle. Rejji tripped and fell into the ground cover. Mistake halted behind him and Bakhai stopped and turned around.
“Are you all right?” Bakhai asked.
“Yes,” replied Rejji between pants. “I don’t think I can keep up this pace.”
“None of us can,” answered Bakhai. “I think we are safe. At least nobody appears to be trying to follow us.”
“If the whole jungle is like this,” frowned Mistake, “how are we going to keep to the edge? We can’t even walk in this stuff.”
“I hadn’t thought about that,” admitted Bakhai. “It sounded like a good plan last night. Maybe we can find an animal trail.”
Rejji pushed himself to his feet just as arrows started raining into the jungle. “They plan to aid the jungle in our destruction,” he scowled. “Keep moving further inward before they perfect their aim.”
“If we lose sight of the outside we will get lost,” warned Mistake. “We need to keep it in sight.”
“If we do, retorted Rejji, “then we are in their sights. Let us get rid of them first and worry about finding our way later. How hard can it be to find the edge of the jungle again?”
Rejji looked at the massive army gathering outside the jungle. The Jiadin soldiers started panning out along the edge of the jungle and making ready their bows. He turned towards the dark interior of the jungle and started climbing over plants. Mutters of pain sounded from Mistake as her short legs tried to step over some of the prickly plants. As they moved towards the interior, the darkness grew thicker and not
all of it was due to the setting sun. Giant trees sprouted up from the jungle floor and towered over the Fakarans. As the trees grew more numerous, the plants on the ground thinned out a bit.
“A trail,” called Bakhai who was off to Rejji’s right. “Not much of a trail but better than stomping on plants.”
Mistake and Rejji edged towards Bakhai and eventually the trio stepped onto a small animal trail. They stopped for a moment and picked thorns and stickers off of their clothes.
“Which way does the trail go?” asked Rejji. “I am so disoriented that I am not sure any more.”
“I don’t know,” frowned Bakhai. “Let’s find a place to sleep and see where the sun rises.”
“My night vision is pretty good,” offered Mistake. “I will lead for a while.”
The jungle got extremely dark as they moved down the animal trail. Mistake proceeded slowly and kept scanning the sides of the trail as if expecting something to jump out and attack them. After an hour, a loud screech pierced the air and Mistake dropped to a crouch and held a dagger in each hand. The group remained silent and unmoving as the sounds of something moving near them got louder. Rejji slowly drew his sword from its sheath and stood ready to defend the group. Suddenly, something flew across the trail over Mistake’s head and in front of Rejji. Rejji took a swing at it and missed.
“A monkey,” Bakhai chuckled grimly as he exhaled. “It is only a monkey.”
It took a few moments for their nerves to settle. Mistake returned her daggers to their sheaths, but Rejji kept his sword in hand. “Let’s find a place to settle down now,” Rejji decided. “We cannot travel in here at night.”
Mistake nodded and started along the trail again. A few moments later, she stepped off the trail into a really small clearing. One of the large trees had fallen and the area where its roots used to be was clear of vegetation.
“This will have to do,” announced Mistake. “Dare we light a fire?”
“Yes,” answered Bakhai. “Perhaps it will keep the creatures away from us. It is a large enough area that we don’t have to worry about starting a fire. Besides just about everything in here is damp. I will see if I can find anything dry to burn.”
“Don’t get lost,” warned Rejji. “We do not want to get separated in here.”
Bakhai took the sword from Rejji’s hand and nodded. “I won’t be long,” he promised.
Rejji could hear Bakhai slicing into something with his sword. The sound went on for some minutes before Bakhai returned with an armful of thick vine sections. He dumped them on the ground and returned into the bushes. Mistake started a fire, which crackled loudly as the moisture popped out of the vines. An hour later, Bakhai returned to the campsite from another direction.
“No wire,” grinned Bakhai, “but I used some vines to do the same thing. If you need to walk in the woods tonight, be careful. I don’t want you tripping over my trap. I also found some bananas. Not much of a dinner, but it is better than nothing.”
“What do we do now?” asked Rejji. “We are lost in this jungle and the Jiadin wait for us at the edge. I should never have let you come with me.”
“Stop being so discouraged,” chirped Mistake. “We are together and we are alive and free. We have been in worse spots together and we can figure a way out of this one.”
“I do think we should wait for morning before thinking about which way to go,” agreed Bakhai. “This place seems safe enough for now. We will just keep the fire going all night. Most animals don’t like fire and won’t approach it.”
“All right,” conceded Rejji. “Being here doesn’t bother me all that much. I just feel bad for getting you two involved. It is me they are after.”
“Why are they after you?” posed Mistake. “I really can’t believe that the fourth bandit could see the mark on your palm. It was dark and you were holding your sword. Plus he was the farthest away from you. He was far enough away that my dagger missed its mark. It doesn’t make sense. Maybe this demon they are searching for has a mark like yours.”
“I don’t think they are after any demon,” Rejji responded. “That is just a tale to scare the villagers. They want me for killing Diakles.”
“I could agree with you,” nodded Bakhai, “except that Mistake has a point. How do they know about the mark?”
“Only two things I can think of,” frowned Rejji. “I lost my gloves At the Pikata estate when they took our clothes, so everyone in Fardale probably knows about the mark. We know that Grulak has spies in Khadora. Suppose one of them is in Fardale? If the Jiadin know I am gathering information for Lord Marak, they will want to kill me for that. They would not only know about the mark and my description, but they would also know where we are every night.”
“What is the other?” asked Bakhai.
“The other is Wyant,” continued Rejji. “He saw my mark the day I was captured and the Zaldoni have joined with the Jiadin. It could have been one of Wyant’s men wearing his new red scarf that got away the night Diakles was killed. He might have recognized me and told Wyant and Wyant knows about the mark.”
“I would go with the first,” offered Mistake. “The four Jiadin who attacked us appeared to already be looking for someone. I don’t think it was a chance encounter. It was like they knew approximately where to find us. I think they were looking for us, and I mean us. We are in this together Rejji.”
“This is making me dizzy,” complained Rejji. “Perhaps we should hold off on reports to Fardale for a while. Let’s get some sleep and talk more about this in the morning.”
Bakhai threw some more vines on the fire and the trio bedded down for the night. The sounds of the jungle were alien and sleep did not come easy for the Fakarans. Only the exhaustion of a long, hard day allowed them to eventually drift off.
Bakhai awoke to the feeling of something crawling across his arm. He bent his head and saw a large red spider crawling towards his shoulder. With his other hand, he swiftly knocked the spider off and rolled away from it. He managed to wake up Mistake and Rejji with his abrupt motions, but nobody spoke. Bakhai pointed to the spider, which was now slinking away. Mistake and Rejji nodded and closed their eyes again in an effort to return to sleep. Bakhai took the opportunity to grab some more vines and toss them on the smoldering fire. When he did so, there was a large crash and a scream in the jungle. The three Fakarans all sat up swiftly.
“My trip wire,” whispered Bakhai.
Rejji grabbed for his sword as Mistake rolled away and came up in a crouch, her hands filled with knives.
Chapter 17
Tokak
The three Fakarans stood motionless for a few moments waiting for another noise, but the jungle was silent of any nearby danger. Rejji reached down and retrieved a large vine section from the fire and held it aloft. The glow only extended out a few paces, but Rejji hesitantly stepped towards the area the noise had come from. Bakhai and Mistake followed him closely. They proceeded about twenty paces from the clearing when Rejji halted and held the vine-torch higher. There on the ground was a creature the size of Mistake. It had smooth leathery skin and an odd orange tuft on the top of its head. It had two legs and arms like a human, complete down to its toes and fingers. It appeared to be unconscious and Rejji raised his sword to finish it off before it woke up.
“No,” shouted Bakhai as he rushed forward. “What are you doing?”
“I was going to kill it before it wakes up and attacks us,” Rejji replied sheepishly.
“Why?” Bakhai asked rhetorically. “It hasn’t harmed us. You must learn not to go around killing things just because you don’t understand them. Help me get it back to the fire, Mistake. I think it might be hurt.”
“Are you sure, Bakhai?” questioned Mistake. “Can’t we just let it go?”
Bakhai glared at Mistake and she shoved her daggers into their sheaths and grabbed the feet of the creature. Bakhai carefully lifted under the arms and they carried it back into the clearing. Bakhai sat next to the fire and held the creatur
e across his lap while he examined the head.
“It has quite a bruise,” frowned Bakhai. “I feel responsible for putting up that vine.”
“I don’t understand,” puzzled Rejji. “You kill animals every day. Why is this one special?”
“I kill to eat,” explained Bakhai. “As does every other animal. I don’t kill for pleasure or because I don’t understand another animal. If the animals reacted as you did tonight, I would not be here. I am sure I was strange and alien to them when they found me. They took me in and nurtured me. They taught me and raised me as one of their own. Why is that so hard to understand?”
“Oh, it is so cute,” chirped Mistake as she saw it in the firelight. “I wonder what it is?”
“Cute?” Rejji echoed, his eyebrows rising in disbelief. “It has orange hair, if that is what that is. And practically no mouth. Look how sharp those ears are.”
“Hand me a water flask,” ordered Bakhai. “I want to revive it.”
Bakhai took a water flask from Mistake and held it to the tiny mouth. When he tried to drip a little water into the mouth it rolled down the creature’s cheek.
“See if you can open its mouth a little, Rejji,” ordered Bakhai. “I can’t seem to get any water into it.”
Rejji sheathed his sword and returned the vine-torch to the fire. He moved around Bakhai and placed his fingers on the creature’s mouth. As he spread it open, Mistake screamed and Rejji jumped backwards.
“Oh no,” wailed Mistake. “Oh no. Get rid of it now. Get it out of here. Did you see those teeth? That thing doesn’t eat berries. Those teeth would rip through bone.”
Just then the jungle floor pounded as something huge approached. A loud growl ripped through the air and the trio was frozen in terror. The pounding came louder and closer and before they could recover, a huge creature stood at the edge of the clearing. The creature was twice the height of the little one in Bakhai’s lap and much, much wider. Its skin was also leathery, but tough and wrinkled. It had large ears that hung off at angles, like small flags, and a large bulbous nose. The most prominent feature of its face though was huge mouth that spanned almost the entire width of the face. The mouth was open like the entrance to a cave and its teeth were long and sharp. It didn’t appear happy.
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