"There is no great lord who would give us power. Un-Ra is no great leader. He has brought us here under trickery. He means kill us and feast on ar bones and steal our magical black sand."
Although most Daboon cannot understand Ve-Na's poor speech, they feed on his forceful tone. Un-Ra senses this and he looks down at the Daboon atop a formation of rocks. He stands tall and roars out to his mutinous brethren. "I hear whispers of doubt from those I bring. I offer great power and fresh meat to these fool beasts that I rescued from starvation, yet they whisper like sheep against my back. My Lord will walk among us soon, and with him will come all things."
Ve-Na walks up to the cluster of rocks, followed closely by the rest of the Daboon. "He lies my brothers, there is no powerful lord. Ave we not suffered enough doing what the mighty Un-Ra commands like we ar slaves. Many of us die on this long journey. If we fight together we can beat him." The Daboon behind Ve-Na growl and slam their arms against the ground in agreement.
Un-Ra continues, "Do not blaspheme our Lord in front of me, worm. Our great Lord does not betray his followers. He will grant all that he has promised, but you must prove your loyalty to him if you want to be rewarded. It's your lack of faith that keeps him away. Did I not bring you to the black shores where the great sand was collected? Was it not I who brought you to the hut in the trees where we feasted on the flesh of man and soft fur? The dark Lord showed me the path to these gifts-"
"Curse you Un-Ra and curse the dark lord," growls Ve-Na, as he picks up dirt, tossing it at Un-Ra and challenging him before all the Daboon.
Un-Ra jumps down from the rocks, landing beside Ve-Na and tossing mud in his face. "I will show the rest of the Daboon what happens to blasphemers."
"Your confusing tongue will taste good," Ver-Na says as he and Un-Ra circle each other.
They both wave their arms at each other in a display of their dominance. Un-Ra arches his back and shows Ve-Na his long powerful quills. He begins to contract his back muscles, and his quills click loudly. Ve-Na does the same, rattling his quills together in an effort to show Un-Ra his strength.
All the Daboon in the small herd now rattle their quills, which fuels the energy and aggression in all of them. Un-Ra attacks first, lunging at Ve-Na. They growl as they attack, exposing their teeth and brandishing their claws, trying to rip each other apart. Another Daboon jumps toward Un-Ra from inside the crowd, but Un-Ra turns and shoots quills from his back at the attacking Daboon. The Daboon falls to the ground shaking as the toxins seep into his bloodstream. Un-Ra tosses Ve-Na to the ground and races toward the wounded Daboon, ripping at him with his teeth. Ve-Na tries to help the fallen Daboon, but Un-Ra is too powerful. Un-Ra grips his jaws around the fallen beast's throat, and the Daboon around them roar with excitement as they hear Un-Ra snap his neck. Un-Ra turns back to Ve-Na with blood dripping from his mouth. He roars loudly with the other Daboon, and in a bloodthirsty frenzy the Daboon begin to beat and molest the slain beast, ripping his body apart and feasting on the fresh meat. Ve-Na tries to flee, but the surrounding Daboon push him back into the pit toward the fight.
"Help me you fools. He will destroy you all," Ve-Na calls out in desperation.
Un-Ra starts to move toward Ve-Na, when a loud bellowing echoes above them. The Daboon stop roaring and gaze up to the sky. Un-Ra looks back and sees the Hornbill perched on the rocks where he once stood.
"The dark Lord is upon us. You will now witness his true power," Un-Ra yells and bows before his master.
A wall of darkness erupts around the herd of Daboon trapping them where they stand. Some of the Daboon bow, like Un-Ra, toward the rocks. Others try to scatter, but are trapped by a wall of darkness. Some curl up in fear, exposing their quills for protection, and others try to attack the darkness. A black hand, formed from the darkness, grabs Ve-Na, and he screams in pain. Claws of darkness pierce his flesh. The Daboon watch and bob their heads up and down, submissive to the darkness. The hand slams Ve-Na to the ground, breaking his body. Un-Nabus walks out from inside the darkness and stands beside Un-Ra, and the rest of the Daboon bow.
"You have done well, Un-Ra, my loyal servant, and rewarded you will be."
"Thank you, Master."
Un-Nabus turns to the Daboon and raises his arms. The darkness around him mimics his movements, and the Daboon cower. "My children, the Lord of the Daboon has come to reclaim your loyalty. In days past, your fathers were forged by the will of the Hhtuno, and to the Hhtuno you are bound. Pledge yourselves to me with the blood and sacrifice of this disbeliever. Defy me, and your fate will be his." Not understanding his words the Daboon only respond to Un-Nabus's power and bend to his will. Un-Nabus walks among the cowering beasts. "If you are to be an army, then you will need to be armed as great warriors worthy of the Daboon." Un-Nabus points his staff at the boulders, and the darkness surrounds them. The sounds of stone being crushed and formed echo against the forest and all the creatures that hear it flee in fear. When the darkness clears, the Daboon stare with excitement. "Take what you can carry, for we will soon march on to the tower."
The Daboon pick up the maces, clubs, axes, and armor made from the stone.
"Un-Ra, I promised you a great reward for completing your task, and I shall be true to my word." Un-Nabus raises his hands, and the darkness lifts the last untouched stone. Un-Nabus walks to the satchels piled in the middle of the circle of Daboon. He takes a handful of the black sand and tosses it into the cloud of darkness. A spear of shadow pierces Ve-Na's slain body, and a cloud of blood rises from the wound and combines with the black sand. The darkness crushes the stone, and a fiery light shine through the shadow.
"Rise, Un-Ra, and claim your prize."
Un-Ra rises from his knees and reaches inside the darkness, gripping his hand around cold, smooth stone. He pulls out a hammer from inside the darkness. The stone is now black and is covered with burning markings.
"Take this, Un-Ra, for only the greatest Daboon warrior may wield it."
The Daboon watch Un-Ra raise the hammer over his head. The hammer shines in the darkness, and Un-Ra roars. The Daboon gather around their leader and roar and slam their weapons on the ground.
"Now march, my Daboon, and follow your master, for the glory of battle and the taste of blood will soon be yours." Un-Nabus turns and lifts his hood taking the form of the Hornbill, and the Daboon march behind him to the tower of Ogdah.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Resting in the cool, dark underbelly of the tower, Akelou and his companions have been trying to regain needed strength. Akelou opens his eyes and grabs his necklace, rubbing it with his fingers. A dim light grows reveling a cave that has been undisturbed for ages. Akelou wonders when the last time anyone stood where his friends now sleep. He gets to his feet and wakes the others. They all stretch their aching muscles and begin their journey again. With great effort they have climbed through small gaps in the rock for three days. They now emerge from the honeycombed foundation of the tower, and come to an inner trench that drops into the deepest places of the world. Choking steam rises from the void below carrying a stench of fire and death. They begin following the map, slowly circling the pit on a narrow path. Tib has long ago given up trying to keep up with the others and travels on Akelou's back.
Argle whispers down to Akelou, "I have seen torches over this ridge."
Leotie nods to Akelou and takes an arrow from her quiver. They cautiously creep over the ridge and look down across the dark pit. They can see three guards standing watch.
"That must be an entrance to the dungeons. The princess must be somewhere beyond it," Leotie whispers to Akelou.
Akelou spots two of the guards sitting on the ground, asleep against a wall. The third guard is pacing back and forth in front of the entrance. Akelou points to Argle, "Climb above us and wait for our signal. When you see it, glide across the pit and attack one of the sleeping guards. We will take care of the others."
Argle climbs up and out of sight.
"What is the signal, Akelou?
" whispers Leotie.
"When I strike and Argle leaps across the trench, hit one of the sleeping guards with an arrow. We must be as silent as we are deadly. We can not alert others of our presence."
Leotie strings an arrow and waits for Akelou, who looks down at his feet for a small pebble. Akelou tosses the stone into the darkness. The stone strikes the tower and the guard turns and walks to the edge of the trench. Akelou swings his axe towards the guard. The axe spins in the darkness, whistling in a lethal silence. Hearing a whisking, the guard lifts his torch only to see a flash before the axe strikes his forehead. The guard goes limp, leans forward, and falls, disappearing into a cloud of steam.
Akelou's axe rises from the darkness toward its master. Leotie wastes no time and releases her arrow. The arrow strikes the sleeping guard. The guard wakes from the shock of the impact and looks down at the arrow sticking out from his chest. The arrow has pierced his lungs, and he tries to scream but can only gasp. The sound wakes the other guard, who groggily gets to his feet. He lifts his torch to search for what has woken him. Then another arrow from Leotie's bow slices through the air finishing off the injured guard.
The remaining guard turns and sees what has happened to his comrade. He lifts his rifle, just as Argle lands on him, driving a thumb claw into his back. The guard cries out in pain just as his rifle fires. The mussel flash singes Arlge’s fur. The weapons discharge booms but an upheaval of steam masks the noise. They both fall and roll toward the edge of the pit. The guard stumbles but gets to his feet with blood pouring down his arm. He looks back at Argle, who is shaken from the impact, and grabs his sword. The guard raises his weapon and smiles as he looks down, knowing he has the upper hand. Argle tries to shuffle to his feet, when suddenly he hears a loud thud. The guard drops his sword and groans in pain. Leotie has landed another blow, and an arrow sticks in his back. Argle wastes no time and charges at the guard. He grabs the guard and head butts him with his father's helmet, cracking the guard's skull. The guard falls back, plunging down into the depths of the pit.
Akelou looks down at Argle, who signals that he is alright. Akelou reaches into Leotie's pack and takes out a bundle of Pokwa rope. Mia-Koda knew that to enter the dungeons they would need to make it across the trench. Akelou takes out a grappling arrow from Leotie's quiver and ties the rope to the end. He points showing Leotie where to aim the arrow. She strings the arrow and searches for a jagged ledge. She releases the arrow, and they watch it strike the rocky wall of the tower. Akelou tugs on the rope until the arrow is securely nudged in stone. Then he picks up Tib and puts him on his back. Akelou hands the rope to Leotie.
"Are you ready?" he asks Leotie as they look into each other's eyes.
Leotie grabs the rope, takes a deep breath, and lunges forward into the darkness. She drops down, racing toward the other side of the pit and disappearing into a billow of rising steam. The rope is not long enough, so Leotie jumps for the ledge. She lands hard, rolling forward from the impact. Argle helps Leotie up, and they both look back at Akelou. Akelou reaches out his arm and whispers a chant. A cyclone of noxious gas blows the rope in Akelou's direction, and he leaps from the side of the cliff, with Tib squeezing his neck in shock. Akelou grabs the rope with one hand, and they sail down to Leotie and Argle. Akelou hears a noise made by the stress on the rope and looks up. A sharp edge of the rocky wall cuts into the rope as it swings and Akelou watches the rope snap. Leotie and Argle watch in horror as Akelou and Tib fall below the ledge. Akelou reaches out with his arm before they hit the wall. The impact knocks the wind out of Akelou. Tib screams as he loses his grip and falls back toward the trench. Akelou reaches out and grabs Tib by his ankle. Tib covers his eye with his hands and swings upside down, his loincloth draping down over his face, suspended above the pit.
Akelou pulls the screaming Wicker up and puts him on his back. Akelou climbs back to the ledge. Once over the ledge, Argle and Leotie help them up. Tib jumps down to the ground and starts kissing and rolling on the floor. Akelou stands, dizzy, trying to regain his senses after the fall. He notices his back is wet and dripping with some kind of warm liquid. He looks down at Tib and sees that the Wicker's loincloth is soaked in urine.
"TIB!" Akelou yells, with disgust on his face.
Tib hides behind Argle, covering his body with the glider's bushy tail. Leotie and Argle start to laugh looking at the wet stain on Akelou's back. Akelou laughs, too, and brushes some dirt from his shoulder. They all look ahead into the tunnel leading into the tower and see a few dimly lit torches.
"Arm yourselves. We do not know what awaits us in there. We look for the princess, we find her, we secure her, and then I will open a door back to the canyons. We must be silent and like shadows if we are to succeed in our quest," Akelou tells the others and tucks his necklace under his clothes and grabs his axe.
They begin their walk into the tower, weapons in hand: Argle has his father's false claws, Akelou his axe, Tib two small stone knives given to him by the Pokwa, and Leotie her bow strung with an arrow. They continue on their quest, racing past flickering torches as they search for the princess.
---
The small rescue party runs cautiously down a narrow tunnel. Akelou points to Leotie and they come to the end of a tunnel. Exiting the tunnel, they come to the top of the lower tower. The ceiling of the pit is above them, a path hugs the wall leading to an entrance to another tunnel. Beyond the entrance the path continues up and over a rope and wooden bridge to a set of stairs that stops at a wooden doorway, just below the ceiling. They hear the sound of a cracking whip and moans from inside the tunnel. A guard comes out from inside the tunnel. Leotie readies her bow, but Akelou signals for her to wait. Akelou points to the guard, then to himself, then to Argle and the far tunnel. They turn back to Leotie, who is ready. Then Akelou and Argle silently charge at the patrolling guard's back. She releases her bow, and the arrow soars past Akelou and Argle, striking the guard center mass.
"Ugh," the guard yells as the arrow hits him.
He turns to see Akelou lunging for him with his axe raised, and a blur of fur and claws soars over his head. Akelou quickly finishes off the guard, tossing his body over the edge into the pit. Tib jumps from Akelou's back and scouts the tunnel ahead with Argle. Leotie exits the old tunnel and creeps toward Akelou. They reach the next tunnel, and see Argle and Tib in a narrow hall lit by torches.
"Can you kill those torches, Akelou?" whispers Leotie.
Akelou nods his head and points at the torches. The stone on his bracelet shines black, and one by one the torches go out. Once the flames die, the companions huddle together. They hear a creaking echo outside of the tunnel. Akelou looks out and sees the large wooden door at the top of the stairs opens. Akelou quickly glances at two guards with long spears walk into the tower.
Akelou looks at his map, then whispers, "We must go into the tunnel, that is where the main dungeons are. The wooden door at the top of the stairs is the entrance into the upper level of the tower. Leotie, you must strike down the guard on the left. I will take care of the other. Argle, once the torches are out and the guards slain, scout further into the tunnel with Tib." Akelou reaches out, pointing at the torches beside the door. Leotie and Argle watch as Akelou's bracelet shines. One of the guards looks at a torch as it dies out, and he lowers his spear.
"What is …?"
The guard starts to speak but Akelou's axe strikes his side. Akelou stretches out his hand, and his axe releases from the guard's body. The force of the axe leaving his side pulls the guard into the pit. The other guard is frozen with fear as he watches his comrade descend into darkness. The guard turns and rushes for the door.
"Intru …" he tries to yell, but Leotie's arrow pierces his shoulder. He awkwardly stumbles and reaches for the lodged arrow. Another arrow strikes his neck, and he collapses onto the floor in a pool of blood.
Argle climbs further into the tunnel with Tib riding on his back. They come to a bend and take a quick glance around the corner. The light is
poor, but he signals that the path is clear and that they should join him. When his companions reach him, Tib jumps down from Argle's back and runs to Akelou.
"You both must return to the entrance of the tunnel and stay behind and look out for trouble. Tib and I will retrieve the princess. Once you hear my call, come to us, and I will open a door to escape. Argle, climb the tower and wait as lookout for other guards. Leotie, stay inside the tunnel listening for Argle's signal in case any enemies come. Fall back toward the dungeons if you are overwhelmed."
"Good luck, Akelou," Leotie says as she grabs his arm.
"To you, too," Akelou says, before he walks off into the tunnel.
---
Water splashes against the floor of a dark cold cell. A man laughs as a female Pokwa shivers in the corner of her stone prison. Goito, a former ship cook and now master of the dungeons, drinks from a silver stein and looks at the princess lustfully. He is a bald, thick-built man with a large protruding belly. On his chest hangs a chain of bones of former prisoners. His legs are covered in armor that clanks as he walks. He is as dirty as he is foul-tempered, and his mind is filled with dark and twisted thoughts.
"Move, mutt," Goito says and he kicks his dog, a canyon wolf, before sitting down on a wooden stool. He takes the last bite of meat from a leg bone and taps it against the ground, attracting his wolf's attention. The wolf looks at the bone and begins to whimper. "Come and get it you filthy mongrel," Goito says as he waves the bone in front of the wolf's face. The wolf begs for his long-awaited scraps. "Take this," Goito says as he hits the wolf across the face. The wolf cries in pain, and Goito laughs in amusement. He takes a chug of ale and wipes his mouth. The liquid from his stein drips over his mountainous belly. "Arghhh," he grunts, and throws the bone into the dungeons before he passes out. The wolf growls at his master, baring his large teeth, before running off for the bone.
The New World (The Last Delar) Page 21
