Journey to Yesod

Art drawn by: Bintang Hamal

Written by: Hunter Ake

Edited by: Lilliana Steele and Dee Dee Davis

Chapter 2 (Part 2)

          The group of adventurers agreed to rest in Mali’s guest rooms for the night. But first, they were invited to dinner. Sook shifted uncomfortably amongst the luxurious dining spread. She was so used to her practical, loose-fitting clothes that this restrictive, fancy, borrowed outfit only served to smother her. 

          “So, Mali, is Banaka your usual prowling grounds for business or are you here on a seasonal trip?” Zenebe spoke with feigned confidence. 

          Mali smiled as she replied, “My stay has been more extensive than originally intended. However, Banaka has always held a special place in my heart.” 

          After that non-answer to Zenebe’s question, Dulani once again interjected. “You’ve said before you’ve been waiting for someone to come along and solve this issue. I understand being an animal lover, I can relate, truly, but you speak of sticking around here as though it’s some great inconvenience. Do these animals really mean enough to you to undermine profitable opportunities?” 

          Sook ate her food awkwardly, it was delicious, but she was out of her element and Dulani’s questions only served to increase the tension. 

          Mali’s expression didn’t even waiver, “Banaka has plenty of profitable opportunities. I have all that I need, monetarily speaking. But how could I sleep soundly knowing innocent creatures are being harmed? I may be a cutthroat businesswoman but I’m not heartless. Has your family’s fall from grace really tainted your view of the nobility so quickly?” Her tone was venomous and Dulani’s suspicions were drowned out by her wounded pride. She dug her nails into her palms in order to prevent herself from exploding. 

          “Mali, Dulani meant no disrespect. Our experience with that Cougnact earlier today simply gave us a bad first impression with the local fauna. Our group simply doesn’t have the same artistic perspective and personal experience with the immediate environment.” Zenebe steered the conversation to cool the temperature of the room. 

          “Yes of course, Zenebe, I’m sure that dreadful beast was a rather rude welcoming. That is just another reason why I find it so important you three stop these poachers. I don’t want any more of those vicious monstrosities scaring off potential opportunities from Banaka.”

          This was the typical mindset Dulani was expecting from someone like Mali. Dinner ended and the band retired to their rooms. Sook couldn’t stop thinking about how she froze at dinner. She wanted to speak up for Dulani, but this entire night felt like she was in another world. Zenebe sat on the floor of his rather gaudy room and meditated. He agreed with Dulani that something didn’t seem right with this job, but he didn’t believe antagonizing Mali was going to help them get to the bottom of it. Dulani tossed and turned all night. She was furious, running through the exchange in her head over and over, thinking of all the things she wished she had said.

Quadect 11^th, 1258

          The gang set out early the next morning to the west toward the foothills. “Ugh, that pompous snob, looking down her nose at us!” Dulani was still seething. 

          “A pompous snob who is paying us very, very, well,” added Zenebe. 

          “Personally, it seemed like she was just matching your disrespect, Dulani,” Sook added sheepishly. Now Zenebe was even more nervous. Sook loves quarreling with Dulani, why does she sound so off? Even out here in their element? 

          Dulani looked at Sook with fury in her eyes, but it quickly subsided, “She was looking down on us from the very beginning. I just brought it to the forefront.” The thief broke eye contact and looked ahead, her cloak billowing in the wind.

          The group crested a hilltop and immediately dropped up on the realization that they had stumbled upon their target. Nestled into the base of the foothills was a hastily-erected encampment. There were people wearing hunting garbs manning large tree trunk walls. The trunks were mounted in the ground, lined up, and shaved on the top into points. Over the wall, they could see the tops of cages, likely crammed with local fauna. Skinning setups, campfire pits, and makeshift huts were scattered throughout the area and in the center there was a large well. 

          Zenebe pointed to a stream just south of the wall. “We should approach over there so I can use the water to our advantage.” Dulani and Sook nodded to him and the three moved back down the hill and around, in order to approach the stream as inconspicuously as possible. Once in position, the three of them gave each other an approving nod. 

          Zenebe closed his eyes and focused. The water of the stream halted and began swirling in eight separate eddies. Sook and Dulani guarded him and watched for any signs of discovery. After building up enough magical pressure, eight massive Octopi tentacles erupted from the eddies and wrapped themselves around four trunks that made up the wall. Dulani could hear shouting coming from over the barricade as the pikes came down. The wall collapsed; large pieces of timber crashed down and carved out space in the streambank. Then as quickly as they had appeared, the tentacles vanished without a ripple in the current. 

          Arrows flew and began raining down on them. Zenebe formed the water into flowing columns that caught the arrows and pulled them into the stream. “You two go, I’ll provide cover from here!” Zenebe shouted while maintaining his focus.

          Sook immediately assumed her lizard form, looking down and crossing her arms over her head. Dulani stacked up against Sook’s back and used her allies’ thick scales to provide cover for herself. Dulani stayed close behind Sook, watching the rafters along the wall as the two moved inside. The archers’ continuous arrows finding purchase in the ground behind them.

          “Break!” Dulani shouted. She sprinted off to the left, racing behind the structures. Sook flicked her tongue and charged headfirst into the group of archers who had been firing at them. 

          Dulani drew her katar and caught one of the poachers from behind, quickly slicing his throat before he could react. The other poachers nearby turned and drew their swords to rush her. Dulani, from under her cloak, threw a chakram at one of the aggressors. Cutting through the air, the chakram made contact with a brute’s neck, instantly cutting through the flesh. The man collapsed immediately, at the same time another assailant swung his sword down toward Dulani. She pulled the lever mechanism on the katar in her right hand, fanning the blades out and catching the sword between them. She, then, used her left katar to cut through the tendons of the poacher’s sword arm. He dropped the sword with a pained silent scream as Dulani thrust her right katar into his chest; all three blades sinking in so deep and causing massive damage. 

          The tumbling sound of bodies breaking wood rang out through the encampment as Sook tossed men and women aside like dolls; their swords glancing off her scales with a shing. She swung her tail into the side of one poacher, cracking the woman’s ribs and sending her flying into another. A large man swung an axe at Sook. She stepped back, allowing the axe to cleave the air in front of her. She lunged forward, clawing the man’s forearms, tearing his flesh apart so he dropped his armament. She grabbed him by the neck, lifted him up off the ground and slammed him back down, completely knocking the fight out of him. 

          Three poachers ran out through the hole in the wall, weapons drawn, rushing toward Zenebe. He closed his eyes and focused again, the water bubbling in front of him. Once the assailants were close enough, the water burst forward, capturing all three of them in a massive bubble. The water inside began spinning and spinning, faster and faster keeping them trapped inside as they struggled to hold their breath. It didn’t take long for all three poachers to pass out and go completely limp. Zenebe quickly dropped, taking care not to kill them. He used his magic to draw the water out of their lungs, wincing slightly at their desperate, gargled gasps for air. After he was satisfied they would survive, he turned his attention to the battle inside the fort. Until he heard exultant shouting from behind him.

          As Dulani finished looting the pockets of her latest target, she turned to Sook, casually throwing off a half dozen assailants. In the process of running to help as back up, tan-yellow garb caught her attention out of the corner of the eye. Zenebe was restrained on the ground, a gag wrapped around his mouth and his wrists bound with rope. “God damn it not again!” she cursed as she immediately turned to help him, but only a couple of steps forward and the shiny steel blade of a knife was pushed against his throat. 

          “Stop right where you are unless you want his blood to flow in this stream like our friends’.” 

          She gritted her teeth and stood still, refusing to drop her weapons but unsure how to step forward. 

          “Right answer!” There was a sickening blow from behind, before everything went dark. 

          Zenebe watched helplessly as Dulani fell forward, dropping her katar and restrained in a rush. Zenebe and Dulani were tossed out in front of Sook. Her lizard eyes narrowed with rage, but subsided as she realized the situation. Her muscles loosened and she closed her eyes, sighing deeply as she reverted to her human form. She offered her hands to the poachers who not only bound her wrists, but collared her as well, spouting slurs. Zenebe squeezed his eyes in grief and desperately strained against his binds, writhing until his skin was raw. All the while, only a single phrase kept repeating in his head, “This is all my fault.”