"Time to sail," shouted Arik as he raced for the tiller.
Arik gazed at Wylan who was wading knee deep in water so he could hold onto the long line Tedi had made up for him. Tedi scrambled aboard and raised the other sail as Arik held the tiller hard to port. The scow turned slowly and sailed parallel to the coast. Arik looked ahead and saw the small indentation in the cliff face. He shouted for Tedi to make the anchor ready. Tedi strode to the bow and unstrapped the anchor. He chuckled when he saw Wylan trying to run knee-deep in water to keep up with the scow.
"Don't let go of the rope," shouted Tedi. "We will need you to pull us in when the wind dies close to the cliffs."
Arik eased the tiller starboard as they neared the small harbor, and the scow turned towards the island. Wylan now had enough slack to regain the small beach, and he started along the beach into the cove. As the scow entered the cove, the sails fell limp and the scow slowed to a halt. Arik stripped off his clothes, ran to the bow, and dived into the lagoon. He swam to the point farthest from the entrance and met Wylan. Together they hauled the scow into the lagoon. When the scow reached the center of the lagoon, Tedi dropped the anchor overboard. As the scow settled, Tedi untied the bowline that Arik and Wylan were holding and tied it to the stern. He signaled to Arik, and Arik nodded. Arik walked the free end of the line around to the side of the cove. While Arik pulled the stern close to the shore, Tedi gathered up the belongings that they had left onboard. When the stern got close to land, Tedi tossed the belongings to Wylan. Tedi untied the stern line and held it as he jumped to shore. Arik shoved the scow back into the lagoon and got dressed.
"You two sure know how to handle boats," declared Wylan. "What do we do now?"
Arik looked up at the overhang surrounding the lagoon and said, "Now we climb the cliff, but not here. Let's find a place where the cliffs do not present so much of a challenge."
"Right around the bend is not bad," offered Tedi as he pointed towards the spot where the scow had beached itself the night before. "There is a crevice there that goes up half way."
"Did the army teach you to climb?" Arik asked Wylan.
"No," answered Wylan, "but I love climbing trees. It can't be too much different."
Arik exited the cove and found the spot Tedi had mentioned. While he waited for his two friends to gather their belongings, Arik tied one end of a rope about his waist.
"You going up alone?" Tedi asked.
"I figure it is the safest way," nodded Arik. "I will tie the rope off up there and then you two can climb the rope."
"Shouldn't I go up first?" inquired Wylan. "There might be animals or people up there that do not wish us on their island. I at least have the military training to fight them off while you two climb up."
Arik shook his head and smiled, but Tedi replied, "I think Arik will be alright. He is a good climber, and I think he can take care of himself if something nasty comes along."
Wylan shrugged as Arik moved into the crevice and began climbing.
"Arik and I do know how to take care of ourselves," Tedi said to Wylan as they watched Arik progress up the crevice.
"Oh I am sure you do," nodded Wylan, "but training can make a difference in a critical situation. At least that is what the instructors pounded into our heads. I think if you two follow my lead, you will learn the tricks in no time. You both seem to pick things up quickly."
"We try to learn the skills needed to survive," Tedi chuckled. "Just remember, no matter how good you are, practice will make you better. That is what my instructor taught me. I learned that lesson no matter how much it hurt."
The friendly banter ended as Arik signaled that he was on top and the line had been secured. Tedi told Wylan to go next while he tied the packs to the end of the rope. Tedi waited until Arik signaled that Wylan was safely up the rope before he grabbed the rope and climbed to the top. When he reached the top he pulled the packs up and untied them from the rope. He coiled the rope and looped it over his shoulder.
On top of the cliff was a massive plateau as if the whole island had been raised out of the sea, and the cliffs had grown downward to protect it from invaders. The edge near the cliff was barren, but the rest of the plateau was a dense jungle. Off in the distance, Arik saw a mountain rising out of the jungle. It had an ominous look about it, and Arik shivered involuntarily as he felt that somehow their journey would culminate there.
"What do we do now?" asked Wylan.
"We find a path," suggested Arik. "I do not intend to dull my sword cutting a path through this jungle."
"But where are we going?" Wylan persisted. "How are we going to find a statue in this jungle?"
"Two good questions," admitted Tedi. "I do not have a clue as to how we should proceed."
"See the mountain rising out of the jungle?" asked Arik. "I have a premonition that mountain is where we need to go."
"Why?" persisted Tedi. "Just because it is the only thing visible that is not jungle?"
"Perhaps," shrugged Arik. "I can't explain what I feel, but it is as good a destination as any other. At least from on top of it we will be able to see the rest of the island."
"That is something that makes sense at least," agreed Tedi. "Do you really think there are cannibals living in this jungle?"
"I hope not," frowned Wylan. "That mountain might take days to reach. It must be clear on the other end of the island."
"Well, we will not reach it by standing here talking," decided Arik as he started walking along the edge of the cliff.
Wylan and Tedi quickly followed as Arik searched the edge of the jungle for anything that resembled a path. Several times pebbles tumbled over the edge of the cliff and each time Arik looked down. He did not like the thought of slipping over the edge. He eventually turned into the jungle when he found the slightest parting of plant growth.
"You call this a path?" chuckled Wylan. "You may have to dull that sword of yours yet."
Arik stopped instantly. "Make no noise when we are on the trail," admonished Arik. "If there are creatures in this jungle that wish us ill, I do not want to give them the advantage of hearing us coming."
"Sorry," whispered Wylan. "I guess I wasn't thinking."
Arik nodded and turned back to the narrow break in the foliage. While he very much wanted to find a path, it troubled him when he actually did find one.
"Something certainly lives on this island," Arik whispered. "This trail is too wide to have been made by small game."
Tedi knelt on the path and examined the soil. "Humans, for sure," whispered Tedi. "They go barefoot. And other creatures, too. Some of these prints I have never seen before and they are large, very large."
Arik gazed at the distant mountain and tried to decide which way to go on the path. Neither direction headed towards the mountain, so Arik decided to go to the right. Tedi stayed behind as he gathered three small rocks and placed them at the edge of the trail in the shape of a triangle. When he was done, Tedi ran softly to catch up to Arik and Wylan.
The trails grew more numerous and Arik continued to seek the direction that would bring them closer to the mountain. Tedi marked each intersection so they could follow the path back to the ship. When they came to a clearing with a fire pit in it, Arik halted the group. He cautiously checked the fire pit in an attempt to determine if it had been used recently.
"Look at this," Tedi called softly.
Arik turned and saw Tedi at the edge of the clearing. He walked over and knelt next to his friend as Tedi pointed at a pile of bones.
"These are human," whispered Tedi. "Look at all the skulls."
"And they have died violent deaths," concurred Arik as he looked at the cracks in the skulls. "Perhaps the stories are true."
Tedi held up a femur bone. "Look at the teeth marks," scowled Tedi. "I don't think there is any doubt about cannibals now. This is not a place that we should dally."
Arik nodded, rose, and smashed into Wylan as he turned towards the path.
"Ow," yelled Wylan
as his hands went to his nose.
Arik started to apologize when he heard distant sounds of people moving swiftly through the jungle. "We need to hide quickly," Arik whispered. "Something is coming."
Tedi moved silently into the jungle past the bones he had been examining. Arik dashed across the small clearing and slid into the verdant growth. Wylan ran to the trail and started to run back the way they had come. As Wylan was running, his vision caught sight of movement off to his right just before he tumbled to the ground. Wylan tried to pick himself back up, but a foot slammed into his back and his face hit the trail again. His eyes opened wide as two pairs of bare feet moved into his field of vision and stopped in front of his face. Wylan felt strong hands grabbing his arms and bending them behind his back. Before the threat could register in his mind, Wylan was hauled upright.
He saw three nearly naked men standing before him and felt another holding his arms from behind. The men had necklaces made of bones and their bodies were smeared with blue pigments. Their long hair was towered up on their heads and held in place with short bones. Around their waists were simple belts made of vines, and a crude knife hung from each belt. One of the men bent down and retrieved the spear that had tripped Wylan.
The four savages dragged Wylan back to the clearing with the fire pit. One man used a thin vine to bind Wylan's hands behind his back, while another tied Wylan's feet together. The savages laughed as one of them knelt next to Wylan and pulled the crude knife from his belt. Wylan's eyes opened wide in fear as he realized what the savages intended.
Suddenly, a knife sailed out of the jungle and struck the kneeling savage in the side of the head. The man died instantly and his body fell on top of Wylan. The other three cannibals growled and lowered their spears as they crept towards the jungle where Tedi was hiding. Wylan tried to shout a warning, but the words would not come out. He trembled with fear.
Arik shouted and leapt into the clearing with his sword drawn. The savages immediately turned and thrust their spears at Arik. Arik danced out of the way and then dove towards the trail. While he was jumping to his feet, Tedi sprang out of the bushes and shouted. Two of the savages turned to face the new threat, and Arik charged his lone opponent.
The cannibal facing Arik shoved his spear for a quick kill. Arik jumped back and swung his sword hard into the spear. A resounding crack sounded as Arik's sword sliced the shaft of that spear in two. Before the savage could recover, Arik continued the twirl his mighty swing had started and raised his sword higher. The sword sliced into the cannibal's midsection and the savage howled a guttural cry as his body fell to the ground.
Tedi danced lightly as he fended off the two spears pursuing him. The savages worked well as a team, and Tedi knew that he could not maintain the defense indefinitely. He saw Arik kill his opponent and move towards the back of the two remaining cannibals. One of the cannibals started to turn towards Arik and Tedi leaped forward. He drove his sword deep into the savage's back as Arik was doing the same to the cannibal facing Tedi. Both savages fell heavily to the ground and died. Tedi moved swiftly to Wylan and cut his bonds.
"We need to be moving along quickly," Tedi said. "Are you alright Wylan?"
Wylan swallowed hard and nodded. "Where did you two learn to fight like that?" he asked. "I thought we would all die."
Arik bent over and retrieved Tedi's knife and handed it to him. "We had a good teacher," Arik said to Wylan as he retrieved three spears from the ground and handed one to each of his friends. "His name was Alexander Tork. Let's move out."
"Alexander Tork?" echoed Wylan as he got to his feet and rubbed his wrists. "He's a legend. Did he really teach you how to fight?"
"That and more," answered Tedi. "He taught us to be quiet on the trail."
Arik led the way swiftly along the trail in the direction they had been going before the attack. The distant mountain did not appear to be getting any closer as the trio sped quietly along the trails.
Tedi scooped up a small pebble and threw it at Arik. Arik immediately stopped and turned around. Tedi held a finger to his lips, and Arik strained his ears in an attempt to hear anything that sounded alarming. The three boys remained motionless and silent for several minutes before Tedi walked up next to Arik.
"It was fairly large," Tedi whispered. "Whatever it was, it did not appear to have detected us. Why don't you let me lead for a while?"
"If it will save me from more pebbles hitting the back of my head," Arik chuckled softly, "lead on."
Tedi led for an hour before he suddenly stopped again. He held up his hand to indicate that Wylan and Arik should remain silent and motionless. Several hundred paces farther along the trail was a large tiger. The beast was feasting on some small animal in the center of the trail. Tedi pointed to the tiger. Arik slowly unstrapped his bow and plucked an arrow from his quiver. He moved silently past Wylan and next to Tedi. Arik nocked an arrow and waited patiently. The minutes dragged by slowly as the tiger devoured its prey, but eventually the large beast moved off into the jungle. Tedi remained motionless for several more minutes as he listened to the movement of the tiger. Finally he nodded and continued down the trail.
As the daylight began to fade, Tedi started looking for a place to camp for the night. The jungle was still rather dense and he had no luck in finding a clearing. As darkness started to claim the jungle island, Tedi halted at the intersection of two trails.
"I cannot find a clearing to camp in," Tedi said softly. "We may have to camp on the trail."
Arik and Wylan huddled around Tedi. "That does not sounds like a good idea," remarked Wylan. "We just saw what happens to things found on the trail. I don't look forward to being eaten by a tiger."
"I have to agree," commented Arik. "Traveling by night might be less dangerous than leaving ourselves exposed on the trail."
"Perhaps," mused Tedi. "We will continue on for a while, but I think we will need sleep to maintain our edge against whatever dangers lurk in this jungle."
Arik nodded in agreement as Tedi continued along the trail they had been traveling. The jungle grew dark as the lightness of day finally faded completely. Tedi stopped again at another intersection as he heard the distant trickling of a stream. He turned left at the intersection and proceeded toward the sound. The sound grew louder as the trio approached the source, and soon Wylan and Arik were able to hear it too.
When Tedi reached the stream, he found a clearing along the bank that was small, but suitable for a campsite. The noise of the stream was not loud, but it allowed the boys to talk without too much fear of their voices carrying for any distance.
"This looks like our camp for tonight," announced Tedi.
"Do we dare have a fire?" asked Wylan. "It would keep the night critters away."
"True, Wylan," responded Arik, "but it will also invite those creatures that do not fear fire. It would be like shouting to the jungle where we are. There will be no fire tonight."
"At least we will have the stream as a barricade on one side of," Tedi added optimistically. "I think we should sleep in shifts so we can always maintain a guard."
"You will get no argument from me," Arik nodded as he fished through his pack for the coils of thin wire he carried. "I think I will lay a line tonight just in case."
Tedi was about to agree when the sound of beating drums drifted clearly into the campsite. A tremor of fear raced down Tedi's spine as he thought about the four cannibal bodies they had left behind at the first clearing.
Chapter 22
Lost Treasure
The prison wagon rolled through the double gates of Ongchi, and Bin-lu watched as the guards slammed the gates closed behind them. His body ached from being tied to the cage for so long that he actually began to look forward, with a bit of relief, to the cell he would be thrown into. Bin-lu frowned as he tried to figure out why he had been arrested. His mind had dwelt on his arrest almost continually since the soldiers seized him, but he could not figure out how he had managed to offend them.
The prison wagon passed through the city center and came to a gate in yet another wall. There were numerous soldiers along this wall, and the prisoners were inspected before the wagon was allowed to proceed through the gate. As the wagon passed through the gate, Bin-lu gazed in wonder at the contrast to the rest of the city. Inside the wall were spacious gardens with fountains sprinkled everywhere. Beautiful statues lined the paths, and the crowds of people were nonexistent. In fact, the only people visible were dozens of patrols of soldiers. Wherever Bin-lu looked, a column of soldiers was marching.
The prison wagon turned to the right and Bin-lu's viewpoint changed. His eyes grew large as he gazed at the magnificent palace off to the wagon's left. It was easily the largest building that Bin-lu had ever seen, as well as the most expensively decorated. A broad sweep of stone steps led up to massive stone platform before the main doors to the palace. The railings of the steps were interrupted periodically by marble statues. The steps themselves were too numerous for Bin-lu to count.
The stone platform was adorned with fancily carved columns, but all of this wonder paled in comparison to the palace itself. The walls of the palace were richly colorful and covered with carvings. The carvings were intricate works of art depicting people's faces, dragons, mountains, and waterfalls. The borders surrounding each carving glinted with gold, and the front wall of the palace seemed to stretch on forever. Bin-lu's vision of the front of the palace was abruptly terminated when the wagon turned once again and proceeded along the side of the palace.
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