The ogres’ camp was nothing formal. It was unorganized and sloppy. There was no structure to where or how they slept, ate, or anything else. There were not usually any tents pitched in an ogre camp either, except from time to time during the rain. Perhaps the ogres were evolving after all. As for the cold nights and the wind, simple weather did not generally bother them. Their thick skin and coarse hair were good for that.
They were not much interested in comfort either. Not that they did not enjoy comfort. More so, they found comfort in just about anything. They did not make pillows for themselves, or lie on blankets, or search for anything soft to ease them into their sleep. In fact, they had no formal way of sleeping whatsoever. When they became tired, they usually just fell asleep where they were.
With Shagga’s instructions, it did not take Bomani and Farra long to find them. Pupa could easily sniff out their strong stench. Once on the trail, he followed it with no problem. Ogres had sweat glands like humans, but they rarely found it necessary to clean themselves, so the sweat and stink would often build up, stick to their fur, and accumulate day after day after day. Bomani wondered how, with their keen sense of smell, their own stench did not bother them.
Bomani and Farra approached the camp in the middle of the night. The fire the ogres used to cook that night still smoldered, leaving the smell of burned wood in the air, which was much more agreeable than the smell of the ogres. They approached the encampment cautiously, and hid behind a small dry bush. Where the ogre’s camped, the ground was bare of vegetation altogether.
“At least they had enough sense to build their fire in a clearing,” Farra whispered to Bomani.
About twenty ogres lay asleep on the ground. They were spread about randomly as if they had been tossed over the encampment like a basket of rags.
“They look like they are sleeping,” he whispered to Farra.
“What if one of them wakes?” she asked.
“We’ll just have to be careful.”
“I’ll stay here, you go.”
Bomani nodded.
The air was thick with the sound of ogres snoring, accompanied by the sound of ogres snarling. Ogres tended to do both when they slept. Bomani crept slowly, staying as low to the ground as he could toward the ogre closest to them. Around the ogres neck was a diamond held in place with a string. Bomani pulled out his blade and lifted the string to cut it.
Farra watched from behind the bush. She nervously began scratching at her staff, then suddenly noticed the noise she was creating and quickly stopped.
The ogre moved, and caused Farra to exclaim in a small, quick yelp. She instantly covered her mouth, slapping her hand over it.
Bomani moved back cautiously. He stood motionless for a second and glared at Farra scornfully. He put his finger over his mouth to shush her. She nodded, wide-eyed and apologetic.
Bomani went back to the business of getting the crystal. Fortunately, Farra’s mishap had not awakened any of the slumbering half-beasts that lay around them. Within moments, he was able to cut the rope and slip the diamond necklace off of the sleeping ogre. As he quietly handled the useful stone, he smiled with self-satisfaction. He looked back at Farra and signaled mission accomplished, and she smiled at him with approval. Bomani tiptoed back to where she waited.
“Where is Pupa?” Farra whispered with concern. Then she saw him on the other side of the camp. He was too far away to shout to him.
Pupa’s keen sense of smell did not stop at finding the stinky ogres. He had also picked up the smell of cooked meat. One of the stinky ogres that lay sleeping with his dinner, a half eaten hog leg. He had fallen asleep holding the slab like it was a teddy bear or doll, and even though he was asleep, every once in a while he bit into it, chewed, and swallowed without awaking. Ogres often eat while they sleep.
Pupa followed the scent to where the ogre lay. His mouth watered for the savory meat that lay in the ogre’s arms, and he approached it as quietly as he could. He sunk his teeth into the meat. With his nose so close, and the taste of the meat now in his mouth there was nothing that could tear him away from this feast. He pulled the meat gently out of the ogre’s arms.
Fortunately, the ogre didn’t wake — at least not until little Pupa was on his way. Then, the ogre noticed the comfort of his doll was missing. He looked up to see it being carried off, and he grunted at the pup angrily.
“Hey!” he shouted. “Where you going wit dat meat?”
Pupa did not look back. He ran, dragging the large slab of meat along side of him.
“My food. My food is running away,” the ogre shouted; awaking the other ogres around him.
Farra and Bomani heard the noise and watched as Pupa ran toward them with the slab of meat in his mouth.
“Pupa, no!” Farra shouted.
“Look!” They heard an ogre shout, “After dem!”
“Not good Pupa! Not good at all,” Farra scolded him as he came to her. They began to move away from the camp.
As ogre after ogre awoke, they started after the children, picking up their crude weapons along the way. One of the ogres recognized them.
“Hey!” he said, while running along with his companions. “Dem da children dat drownded.”
“I thought you say dem drownded,” another replied.
“Me thought dem drownded. Dem drownded in water, never come up.”
“Dem running,” said the baffled creature, “Dem don’t look drownded to me.”
“Look, we gonna catch dem children, or we gonna spend all night talking bout how me always wrong?” asked the first ogre.
“Me vote catch dem children.”
“Yea, dat good idea,” said another.
The stinky ogres pursued Farra and Bomani relentlessly. Their stubborn stamina worked well to their advantage, for even though the children were faster, they could not keep up the speed for long.
The ogres did not tire as easily. They almost caught up to Farra and Bomani and they began to close the gap between them, getting closer and closer.
Farra was getting tired. She couldn’t keep up much longer. Every second she ran was slower than the one before it. Her muscles begged for oxygen, and her lungs pleaded for more air. They obliged her as well as they could, heaving in and out, painfully, as she choked on dry air. Suddenly her whole body gave out at once and she collapsed.
Pupa yelped loudly to catch Bomani’s attention, and Bomani ran to help her. He grabbed her by the arm and tried to pull her up.
“Come on, Farra. Get up,” he encouraged her. “We have to run.”
Bomani looked up again, and it was undeniable: the ogres were closing in on them. Farra looked at him and nodded, and was finally able to rise to her feet. She took a deep breath and ran. Bomani knew that soon he would have to confront them and fight — he only hoped he had the strength for it.
The ogres seemed to be tireless, and they continued to get closer and closer to the children. Suddenly a strange, tingling feeling came over Farra that she had never felt before. She stopped.
“What are you doing?” Bomani exclaimed. “Keep running!”
“Something new,” she said.
“What does that mean?” Bomani said, coming to a full stop in order to understand her.
“I’m not sure,” she said.
The wind seemed to blow harder at that moment.
Farra pointed her staff at the oncoming stinky ogres and yelled, “Moon glow!”
A bright light emitted from the crystal over her staff, with such brilliance that it was blinding to the ogres. They stopped. The ogres grunted and cried out, trying to rub the sharp pain from their eyes, as they stumbled and fell over each other into a pile of agony. Farra and Bomani seized the opportunity to escape, and they ran as far as they could.
The Ancient Lands: Warrior Quest, Search for the Ifa Scepter Page 20
