Chapter Two
The sanctuary halls were silent as death. Torches lit on the side of every hallway, the tile floors were cold and wet from the janitors mopping late at night. The guards positioned in front of the monasteries library were whispering amongst themselves, as to not wake up any of the students, teachers or monks.
"The chief sure is a prize for any rhinoceros."
"I'd like to tap that."
As the guards continued on with their mindless gibber gabber, it gave Rabok the lead he needed to distract the guards, "Even from a ssssnakess point of view, she issss quite attractive…" he hissed, coming up to the entrance, catching the rhinos by surprise.
"Hey, curfew was several hours a go, snake!"
"Why don't you slither on back to your snake pit before we have to get rough." The other one threatened.
"Oh, well very well gentlemen. Although…I wassss going to tell you an interessssting tid bit of information I heard lassst night about the delectable lady chief." He explained, giving a passive role of his yellow eye's, beginning to slither away.
"Well hold on now." One of them had said.
"Just to be sociable, just what did you hear about the chief?"
Rabok smirked and looked over his shoulder, "Well, if you are really interesssted, I guesssss I could manage to ssspare a few momentsss of my time." Rabok quickly U-turned, appearing in front of the guards again, "I heard from a very sssssatisfied rhino guard that she keepsssss her bed chambersssss unlocked at night." The rhino's face expressions were priceless to Rabok and it took every muscle within his being not to give in laughing.
"Really?" one asked, his eyes lit up like a roman candle.
"Really," Rabok gave a slow nod of understanding.
"You wouldn't mind watching the library for a little while, would you?"
Rabok smirked, sticking his tongue out in a pleased manner, "Not at all gentlemen, have a pleasssant time." Rabok snickered, watching as the two rhino guards left within a hurry. They would be painful mistaken to waken the chief at this time of night. From what he understood, she was nobody to mess around with unless you wanted to end your life in a painful manner. He looked both ways, to make sure the coast was clear; he then bolted into the library, slithering along the ground, twisting in and out of book cases and flinging himself upon filing cabinets. When the king cobra reached his destination, he wrapped the tip of his body around a roll of parchment and slithered off. When he reached the door, he was quickly stomped on. He hissed threateningly, wincing as he looked up, one rhino guard breaking his body every second he stayed upon him. It was a different rhino guard, probably making patrols.
"What and where do you think you're going?" he asked, his low tone threatening, it even made Rabok think carefully about what he was going to say next.
"Taking a…" he winced once more, feeling a burning feeling sensation rise to his skin, making his eye's water, "…sstrole…" he managed to squeeze out. "Get off! I can't breathe!"
"Boy, you're in a heap a—." the rhino was about to say, but winced, his eye's rolled back into the side of his head, falling sideways onto the ground.
Rabok gasped for air, quickly shaking off, analyzing the damage done to the lower part of his body. The tip of his nose nuzzled his crushed body, wincing at his scales stung to the touch.
"Knew you needed help," Saiki explained, holding her mop handy, except the mop's head had broken off when she whacked it against the rhino, it was lying on the ground beside the unconscious rhinoceros. She held her hand out blindly, "Let's see the map."
"Funny, you can't even ssssee anywaysss." Rabok tossed the map in her direction; the otter caught it, handing it to Momocho who sat perched on her shoulder. "You'll be okay for the trip, won't you?" Saiki asked, seeming troubled. They didn't need any dead weight.
"Oh sure…being impaled by a four thoussssand pound rhino doesn't put a dent in my step." He hissed, attempting to slither, but winced at doing so, "I'm sssore, but I'll be fine.."
Eve hovered above, flapping her wings slowly to stay a few feet off the ground, "We can't risk worsening your condition, to be blunt you'd be dead weight, I'll carry you. Compared to the packages I'm used to carrying, you'll be like a feather." Eve extended her talons, and wrapped them gently around the silently defiant cobra.
Lemore joined the group, Sakura beside him. Lemore seemed burdened, as he carried a large sack over his shoulder, Sakura carrying one half the size.
"This is stupid….we don't need these many things," Lemore whined.
"If you were to suddenly drop on the ground and have a round of heart palpitations, I wouldn't be able to help you…" Sakura explained, "Better to be safe than sorry."
"This is embarrassing." Lemore whined again, wincing as Saiki held her stick to his nose.
"No, lugging you around is embarrassing, come on, let's go. I don't want to get caught by anybody." Saiki murmured.
"Too late for that, children." A raspy voice hissed amongst the shadows. The group stopped within their tracks, glancing over their shoulders to see a hunched over figure, one of the monks. This monk always frightened Sakura, given her face was horribly distorted, her spine had been twisted within battle, she heard…forever leaving this poor woman within a slouched position, like a weasel. Monk clothes and robes sheltered her body and eye's from view, leaving the unimaginable, to the imagination. "We give you one rule…that rule is, you don't leave, unless you're ready. What makes you think you're ready to leave us, children?"
Sakura winced, "Ma'am…we're—."
"This was my fault," Saiki explained, her stick firmly planted on the ground, a webbed claw held onto it. "I'm ready to leave. I've stayed here for several years, learned all I could, did all you've told me to do. I'm ready to leave and do something I want to do. They just wanted to come along…they're not ready…"
"A very... interesting reason..."
"Yes we are." Whined Momocho, "That's why we come in first place! We're ready for the leaving time." Momocho explained.
"She makes a valiant point. For one reason or another, we've spent our time here, learning the lessons we were assigned…now, however, we must learn our own lessons." Eve explained. "At first I was hesitant about leaving with them, thinking it as a foolish choice to spend my time. I realized, though, I would not be missing much. I've stayed within the same job, for four years. Change is evident and I wish to pursue it." The barn owl explained, taking long, graceful strokes with her wings, carrying the vicious cobra within her hold.
"A well thought out reason," the monk agreed.
"I wish for a change of ssssscenery…" Rabok explained. "Sssssinccce we're being completely honessst," he glanced from the group to the monk, "I was originally planning on ditching these nincompoops to ssssseek revenge upon my clan…however…with the condition I am in at the moment, revenge sssseeking doesn't look to be within my future anytime ssssoon."
"A very honest reason," the monk agreed.
"I just want to go wherever these guys are going." Lemore pointed, "They're the only friends I got, so I just want to make sure nothing happens to them." He explained, a wide grin upon his face, his tail wagging happily.
"A very unselfish reason," the monk nodded.
Saiki raised her head softly, her ears perked. She didn't expect Lemore to be…so…well unselfish. Sure the wolf was as naïve and as oblivious as all get out, but she hadn't stop to realize, maybe there was a personality behind Lemore's obvious stupidity.
"The sanctuary is very boreing, yes it is. I want to see big trees and climb mountains and eat lots of good food! Yes, I want adventure! Memories and adventures shall be fun!" Momocho explained. She wrapped her long thin arms around Saiki's head, "I love Saiki too!"
"A very fine reason."
Sakura sighed, "I'm still hesitant about leaving. I mean, I know so many things are wrong with this. We only have a map! What if somebody holds the map upside down and we get lost? Or what if somebody gets sick? The bandits, the dangers, the risks! It's all too much, almost makes me want to scream…" Sakura blinked a few times, obviously agitated, nearly scaring herself. "But if Saiki's going I guess I'll go too. Somebody has to patch up bloody wounds…even if I am squeamish at the color red…" she mumbled.
"A very motherly reason. Well, with the stated reasons, I shall deliver the message to the other monks." She explained, "Know that you will always have a home to return to if your heart grows weary, but until then, have a safe journey."
The group of students left, disappearing into the night, with nothing but the moonbeams to guide them throughout the dark forest they were beginning to stumble into.
The deformed monk wobbled towards the edge of the sanctuary, standing upon the edge that led to a long mile of stairs. She watched the students leave, until her battered golden eyes could no longer see them any longer.
Two more monks, a python and a hare walked up behind the other and the python, gently stroked the deformed monk's hump, "Indeed you have much chivalry and grace about you, Master Otter…letting go the two children you had raised ever since they were born."
"Indeed, the heart ache must be treamendous." The hare murmured apologetically.
"No," the monk shook her head slowly, "For I have learned, if you truly love somebody, you set them free. They will return, I will see my precious pups again."
The hue moon stayed bright all-night and the Elder Otter continued to stand upon the edge of the sanctuary watching, reminiscing, praying for the students safe journey.