Kwai kwai everyone! As you can all probably tell, a lot of important stuff happened in the last chapter. I should let you know that many of the actions that Siômo and Reptantis make will not be forgotten by neither the humans nor the Slegs. They will build a reputation throughout the story and you'll get to see what happens due to their actions in later chapters. That's enough of my rambling, remember to leave a review or send me a PM!
Chapter 10: To the Highlands
It was a quiet night out in the jungles of the Lost Land. The night animals performed their nocturnal activities while the stars sparkled in the dark sky. For the most part, the jungles were quiet.
The silence was broken as a jeep drove down a dirt road that was most likely used by the animals. The jeep contained the escaped prisoners, Siômo in the passenger's seat, and Reptantis driving the vehicle. They currently had no real destination; they were just trying to get as far away from the Sleg camp as possible.
Everyone was quiet in the jeep because no one could think of anything to say. Yes, they were safe and managed to escape the Sleg base, but over half of the prisoners were killed and Awehsohs was taken away before they could rescue him. Finally, the girl in the backseat spoke up.
"I don't really trust Slegs… and I've never seen a human like you before… but thank you for rescuing us. Both of you, thank you." she said gratefully, making it obvious how much she appreciated their help.
"No problem." Reptantis replied tiredly as he drove.
"Sorry we couldn't save your brother." the former prisoner sitting next to the woman who spoke said. "I'm sure he's okay." he added, wanting to give his savior some hope.
"You know, if anyone knows where your brother was taken, Tar Keen probably does." the human manning the jeep's turret commented as he scanned the jungle for dangers.
"He probably does, but no one ever goes to speak with TarKeen." the woman replied as she shook her head.
"Who is TarKeen?" Siômo finally asked, having no idea what any of them were talking about.
"You've never heard of TarKeen?" the girl in the backseat asked with wide eyes and the other ex-prisoners stared at the native with shocked expressions.
"I know you're not from here, but… wow…" the Sleg commented as he too looked at his companion with a strange expression.
"Would you please just answer my question?" the Skræling snapped irritably.
"TarKeen is a powerful seer who lives in the highlands. He's arguably the most powerful magic user in all of the Lost Land. No one knows much about him, but legend has it that he's waiting for the Son of Stone." the human manning the turret explained as Reptantis slowed the jeep to a stop.
"And what is the Son of Stone?" Siômo questioned with a sigh, finding it frustrating that he didn't know any of these important details.
"Wow, you really aren't from around here." the human male sitting next to the girl spoke up.
"The Son of Stone is a warrior from another world that brings a balance of war and peace in the Lost Land. The only description known about this warrior is that he has tan skin… kinda like yours." Reptantis informed his native friend.
"Skin color does not determine if one is a warrior or not." Siômo stated as he looked away at the jungle.
"Maybe so, but you're a warrior all the same." the girl in the back started. "I think you should go see TarKeen and see if he can help you find your brother." she suggested, trying to be helpful.
"Where can I find this… TarKeen?" the bearded native questioned with a determined expression.
She responded by pointing at the mountains in the distance that they could faintly see through the thick trees.
"TarKeen lives in a temple on the top of the highlands. You can't really get there with a vehicle because all of the paths leading there can only be traversed on foot." the female human explained.
Siômo nodded before he opened the passenger seat door and got out of the jeep. He closed the door once he was out of the vehicle and was about to walk off, but he stopped when he heard another car door shut. He looked over his shoulder to see Reptantis out of the vehicle and the human girl crawled up to the driving seat.
"I'm going with you, Siômo. There's nothing you can say to dissuade me." the Sleg stated sternly.
The Skræling raised an eyebrow at this, but he didn't argue. Reptantis walked around the vehicle until the two companions were side by side.
"Good luck in the highlands. We'll put in a good word for ya when we get back to the city of Galyana." the human manning the jeep's turret told the duo before the ex-prisoners drove off, leaving the two travelers.
Once the former prisoners were out of site, the two companions turned around and walked into the jungle. The first thing they had to do was find a safe place to camp. They walked together through the thick foliage until they found a tall tree that they could both climb.
Reptantis was the first one to climb the tree and Siômo was soon after. They climbed at a slow pace because it was hard to see and they didn't want to risk falling to attract predators. Once they were up the tree as high as they could go, they rested on a particularly large tree branch and got as comfortable as they could.
"So… how was your first day in the Lost Land?" the Sleg asked sarcastically, trying to lighten the mood.
"I do not wish to talk about it." the upset native replied as he turned so his back was facing his companion and he closed his eyes to sleep.
Reptantis sighed quietly and looked up at their new destination. He figured that if they left early in the morning, then they could reach TarKeen about halfway through the day. His reptilian yellow eyes then looked up at the stars. Realization donned on him, he would most likely be seen as an enemy to the Sleg army and he would be shot on sight. It didn't matter to him though, he had his reasons for helping Siômo and he promised himself that he wouldn't stop helping the human until Awehsohs was safe.
With that in mind, the Sleg closed his eyes and fell asleep within moments. The two men's soft snores were the only sounds to be heard in the trees, discluding the crickets' songs.
Awehsohs was trembling in fear in his seat as the airship he was in flew over the jungle. The Slegs who were guarding him were average foot soldiers; some skinny and some muscular. Unlike the Dinosoids, none of them talked to the child and they were mainly quiet throughout the whole trip.
The young Skræling was worried about both himself and his brother. He saw Siômo fighting the Slegs before they were separated once more and he prayed to the Spirits and Gods that his brother was okay. He also worried for his own safety.
General Pugnator told him that he was going to be sent to Lord Dominus, but he had no idea who Lord Dominus even was. Yes, this particular person was in charge of the Slegs, that much was clear, but other than that, the child knew nothing of the person he was being sent to.
'Why is this happening to me? I never did anything bad to these things. What is going to happen to me once I see Lord Dominus?" the young child thought to himself with a fearful expression.
Many possible scenarios went through his young mind as he thought about this. Most of them involved the Sleg leader killing or brutally hurting him. None of the possibilities were very appealing and he felt more and more distressed with each passing moment.
Awehsohs took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down and looked at the leather shoes covering his feet. Thinking about these things wouldn't do him any good. He was being taken to Lord Dominus and there was nothing he could do about it.
'Ngadgom nsaosani. (I'm sleepy.)' he thought to himself with a tired yawn.
Sighing again, the native child did his best to get comfortable in the cramped seat and closed his eyes to sleep. Something told him that it would take awhile before they reached Dominus. He knew that no matter what however, Siômo would do his best to rescue him. With that in mind, Awehsohs fell into a deep sleep.
In the next morning within the jungles, Reptantis' reptilian eyes slowly opened due to the sun's light shining over his eyelids. He groaned as he rested his hand over the upper portion of his face to block out the light and he slowly sat up.
Once the Sleg's eyes adjusted to the morning light, he looked around to see that Siômo was already awake and was using some wood from the tree branches to carve more arrows. He watched his native ally do this with interest. His race never used bows, so he found the weapon to be very interesting.
As far as he and the other Slegs knew, bows could be just as powerful as a sniper rifle, yet silent as a light breeze. The weapon was perfect for stealth, and he found it amazing that humans such as Siômo took advantage of such perks. Although, it seemed that the Skræling used the bow more than guns, which even other humans didn't do.
Finally, Siômo noticed that Reptantis was awake and looked up from what he was doing. They both looked at one another for a few short moments before the native spoke up.
"I see that you are awake. Are you ready to head out?" he asked as he placed his new arrows in his leather quiver.
"Yeah, let's go." the Sleg replied before he began to climb down the large tree.
Siômo commenced climbing down shortly after and they quickly reached the jungle floor. Once they both touched ground, they looked towards the mountains and started walking. Luckily, they were exiting Deinonychus territory, so they wouldn't have to worry about the raptors for a long while.
The two companions walked without stopping for a few hours and only stopped once to pick some edible berries from a bush. They ate their breakfast as they walked and didn't run into any major problems. The most trouble they ran into was a few stray Compies, but those were easily taken care of with Siômo's Viking sword and Reptantis' combat knife.
Other than the small dinosaurs, the path was relatively safe. The path began to lead up the mountain and after a few hours, they could see over the jungle's trees. They made it about halfway up the highlands when something happened.
A snap of a twig was heard ahead of them and a low toned growl was heard. The duo stopped in their tracks and unsheathed their melee weapons.
"What was that?" Siômo questioned quietly, expecting the Sleg to at least have an idea what the predator was.
"I don't know. I've never been in the highlands before." Reptantis answered as his reptilian eyes scanned the path ahead for dangers.
All of a sudden, a large cat jumped out of the bushes with its claws outstretched. Acting on instinct, the Skræling leaned back and threw his double edged tomahawk at the new animal. The weapon twirled through the air until one side of the blade pierced through the cat's skull and it fell to the ground.
Now that the cat was dead, they could see the details on it. The large cat's fur was tannish orange in color with black stripes on the back and sides. Its underbelly had white fur and it had a short tail. The eyes were black and beady, and two long tusk-like teeth protruded from its mouth.
"It's a Saber-Toothed Tiger. Damn, I didn't know they lived here." Reptantis informed with a frown as Siômo pulled his tomahawk out of the large cat.
As if on cue, more than a dozen of the large cats jumped out of the foliage and snarled at them. The Sleg quickly put away his knife and took out his shotgun before shooting one of them. The Saber-Toothed Tiger that was shot fell to the ground with its head blown clean off from the powerful shot.
"Keep them at a distance! I will kill any that get close!" Siômo shouted as he twirled the sword and tomahawk in his hands.
Reptantis pumped his shotgun and nodded before he shot a charging cat in the chest, killing it instantly. As he pumped his weapon again, another cat attempted to swipe its paw at him, but the Skræling stabbed its side with his father's sword and chopped at its neck with his tomahawk.
The Sleg gratefully nodded in thanks before he shot another charging Saber-Toothed Tiger in the head. Siômo used his superior melee combat skills to slice and chop every hostile animal that got close, but it became more and more difficult as the rest of the hunting group jumped out of the bushes.
The duo ended up taking several steps back as they fought off the cats. They bumped into the side of the mountain as they backed up, but Reptantis noticed that there was a ladder leading upwards. Siômo noticed it too and looked at his ally.
"Go up first! I'll be right behind you!" the Sleg shouted over the animals' growls and snarls as he put away his shotgun and took out a grenade.
Hesitantly, the native sheathed his weapons after slicing one of the cat's necks open and he started to climb the wooden ladder. Reptantis pressed a button on the grenade he was holding and the spikes ejected out of various part of it. He then threw the explosive at the animals before he immediately started climbing after his companion.
The grenade landed and stuck to the side of one of the Saber-Toothed Tigers before it detonated. The large explosion managed to obliterate most of the predators, leaving behind various chunks of gore and bloodstains all over the grass. The surviving animals roared in defeat before running off into the highland jungles.
"That was close." Siômo commented with a sigh of relief as they climbed the wooden ladder.
"Yeah… I preferred fighting the Compies." the Sleg commented, earning a chuckle from his companion.
The two companions climbed the tall ladder for well over an hour. It amazed them just how tall this ladder was and that it even supported their body weight. They determined that as long as they didn't look down, then they'd be fine.
Siômo had to admit though; the scenery around them was beautiful. He wasn't very familiar with jungles, but he found all forms of nature to be beautiful.
"What do you think of the view?" the native asked curiously as they climbed.
"Dangerous looking and dirty. I prefer being in cities." Reptantis grumbled in response.
The Skræling sighed because of this response and shook his head. He had no idea how anyone couldn't like nature. He respected the Sleg's opinions however and kept climbing. After what felt like forever, they finally reached the top of the ladder.
Siômo climbed onto the mountain's ledge and held his hand out. Reptantis accepted the help and grabbed the native's hand, resulting in him being pulled up. Once they were both on the ledge, they looked around their new environment.
Unlike the rest of the mountain, there were no jungles or even trees around. They had reached the top of the mountain and the area was mostly just rock. What stuck out the most however, was a circular, metal building with spikes sticking out of the sides and roof. There was also a wooden path leading up to the metal doors with strange patterns on them, most likely the entrance.
"This place is more… foreboding than I thought it would." Siômo commented with a heavy frown.
"Well, there's no turning back now. Let's just go in and ask our questions." Reptantis replied before he started walking towards the building.
The Skræling waited a few moments before he chose to follow his companion. They both walked over to the double doors and were about to open it, but the doors slowly opened by themselves.
The two companions looked at one another before they entered the intimidating building. Once they were inside, the double doors gently shut behind them. They looked around the hallway they were in to see small spikes sticking out of the walls, yet they were curved upward, so it looked like they were meant for decoration rather than to be deadly.
Ignoring the strange environment, the duo walked down the small hallway until they entered a large room with columns on the side, most likely mean to support the room. There was also a robed figure sitting on a throne with spikes sticking out of the sides of the seat. Now that Siômo thought about it, he noticed that all of the spikes within the building were made out of bones.
The man sitting on the throne was wearing a blood red robe with a black cloth hanging from his left shoulder. The cloth had some kind of golden symbol, but its meaning was unknown. The man himself had extremely pale skin and his eye sockets were black. His eyes were also white and without pupils. Lastly, he was holding a black staff in his right hand with what looked like a crystal ball on the tip.
There were also two animals sitting on both sides of the throne. These animals looked like canines, yet their skin was like that of a salamander and their backs were covered in spikes. Their skin was black with blotches of orange and yellow, and they had no eyes. If their spikes weren't intimidating enough, their teeth were razor sharp and they had claws on the ends of their toes.
'What are these things?' Siômo asked in his head as he looked at both the animals and the robed figure.
"Welcome to my home… I've been expecting you. My name is TarKeen." the robed figure spoke as he lowered his head, hiding most of his upper face in the shadows of his hood.
Reptantis stayed silent because he had no idea what to say to a being that he thought he'd never see, let alone being addressed by. Siômo on the other hand, stepped forward with confidence, ignoring the spiked animals' growls.
"I was told that you can help me find my brother." The native stated with a straight face.
"Yes… I know where Awehsohs is." TarKeen replied slowly.
Both Siômo and Reptantis' eyes widened at this. How did this strange being know Awehsohs' name.
"Don't look so surprised. There aren't many things that I don't know about in this land. I know that you, Siômo, are not from this world… that you have the blood of Abenaki warriors and Norse fighters." the robed creature commented as he raised his head a little. "Anyway… there are more things at stake than just your brother. Siômo… you have been chosen to take the mantle of Turok and you are the Son of Stone." he revealed with a blank expression.
'So it's true… the Son of Stone…' Reptantis thought to himself as he watched his human ally stare right back at the hooded figure.
"I do not care what title you give me. I only care for my brother." the bearded native stated emotionlessly.
TarKeen's blank face changed to a furiously frown and he quickly stood up, startling both the two companions and the spined animals.
"Do not deny your destiny, Siômo!" the robed figure shouted loudly and he slammed his staff on the stone floor.
The spined animal to his right leaned close to him and it looked like it was whispering something to its master, greatly confusing the two companions. The robed figure nodded before looking back at them.
"Perhaps we can come to an agreement. You don't have to accept your destiny… yet, but you will fulfill it nonetheless. For you see… the Sleg army have caused much suffering in the Lost Land and they aim to cause even more. If you choose to help cease the Sleg army's bloodshed, then I will guide you in the right direction of your journey." TarKeen offered as he sat back down on his throne.
Siômo was about to argue against this, but he stopped himself and considered his options. Awehsohs could be anywhere in this strange land and he could end up searching for his brother for years and never find him. His best chance would be to get this strange seer's help.
"What do I need to do?" the Skræling questioned with an angry expression.
"Theirs is a woman waiting for you just outside my home. She will guide you to the Death Marsh… to the south. Once there, you must find the Temple of the Necromancer. You will know where to go from there, I promise." the robed figure explained calmly and the doors to the exit opened behind the duo.
"You better not be lying… or I will return." Siômo threatened before he turned around and stormed out.
Reptantis watched his ally leave before he looked at the seer. He was about to say something, but TarKeen held his hand up to silence him.
"Go with Siômo. He will need your help. You are linked with the Son of Stone's path now." TarKeen told him as he slowly lowered his hand.
Reptantis nodded in understanding and bowed his head slightly in respect. He then turned around and rushed out to catch up with the Abenaki. Once they were both outside, the doors shut and locked themselves.