Chapter 3
The Healing Process:
Daylight had approached, making the blimp more visible for the Sligs. The enemy started to catch up to the blimp that stored Abe, Alf, Munch, and myself. The Sligs seemed to have a faster, newer model airship, having them spot the blimp dead ahead. Everything was going smoothly until shaking disturbed our travels. Outside, flying Sligs shot at the blimp to slow it down for the big-bros Sligs to jump aboard to detain their enemy inside. I tried to hold on to items around me for dear life as Alf swerved the blimp, trying to avoid the oncoming fires. Munch gets up and tries to make his way to the control center where Alf and Abe stood. Munch knew I wasn't going anywhere and needed to figure out what the commotion was all about. He stumbled to the front and shouted out, "What's going on?!"
Abe looked back at Munch and bellowed back, "Sligs! I need to get outside to possess one of them flying Sligs to keep them from comin' in!"
"We're takin' a lot of damage, Abe. Ya better hurry!" Alf cried out, seeing smoke start to form outside.
Abe nods his head and rushes to the main doors to get to the outside deck. After opening them, he felt the wind as it almost forced him to fly backward. Seeing the flying Sligs, Abe started to chant, possessing one of them to start shooting at the other Sligs that tried to take down their ride. Once the flying Sligs were no more, he had to take down or stall the airship somehow. Abe watched as the airship leveled beside theirs and about to ram them. Luckily, Abe has the power to call forth Skrykull, and he didn't hesitate to use this power as he transformed into the Demigod mixed with a scrab and paramite. Lightning covered their damaged blimp, like veins, protecting the craft and the passengers inside. It suddenly zapped the airship that was just about to ram into them. The airship went down and crashed into a field nearby, having Abe and the crew escape with no casualties.
I relaxed my stance feeling the blimp level out and move smoothly once again. I wanted to take a peek out of the room I was in, but I grew too nervous. Anyway, I needed to save my strength for when I have to get off the blimp. Luckily, the wounds stopped bleeding, as the sleeve of the hoodie soaked with the excess blood. I started to feel less lightheaded as my blood started pumping into overdrive to fix my body up from the damages it received. I still needed treatment because the wounds were beginning to get infected from all the dirt that got into them. I was about to give out a soft sigh until I heard someone coming back into the room where I stayed. It was Abe. He was at least nice enough to check up on me after the bumpy ride.
"You all right?" He asked as he peeked in, not entirely going into the room. I nodded my head, not saying a word to him. I was still in shock that I was face to face with one of the characters I was a fan of all these years. He gave a soft smile and added, "We're almost there. Just hang tight."
I shyly look away and could only stutter out a "….All right." After Abe walked back to the front, I felt at ease to rest a bit to keep my mind from wandering.
Fifteen minutes pass by. I had fallen asleep on the soft furry bed. The adventure thus far had been challenging on my body, so sleeping was the best medicine for me. I always loved sleeping and could sleep the day away if I could. However, I was never a fan of my sleepwalking though. I would sleepwalk almost every night, talking to myself and walking around, and I would remember all of my actions when I woke up the next day, which was quite funny. Luckily I didn't do any of that within the fifteen minutes, and boy, that would have been awkward.
I didn't realize that the blimp had already landed as the three were in the room with me. Alf whispers out, "You wake her. I don't wanna get attacked like I almost did back there."
Abe rolls his eyes, walks over to my sleeping body, presses on my non-injured shoulder, and softly tries to wake me up. "Hey, we've landed. Time ta get movin'."
I was a light sleeper and woke up rather quickly. I jumped a bit from Abe's four-fingered paw on my shoulder as he pulled his hand away quickly, not to startle me too much. I shook my head as I rubbed it slowly. "Where are you taking me?" I requested as I squint up at the three looking down at me.
Abe responded as he presented out his paw for me to take. "To take ya to a shaman ta heal your wounds." I take his hand, and he lifts me off the bed. "Can ya walk?"
"Yes," I replied right after, brushing off the fur on my pants with my working right hand. My left hand started to go limp. I could hardly move it, not a good sign.
I follow Abe, Alf, and Munch off the blimp willingly. Abe in the front alongside Alf, as I stayed back with Munch beside me. A forest surrounded us, seeing huts that the Mudokons slept in and some barns made out of wood that held items like firewood, food, and weapons. There were animals of Oddworld that the Mudokon's kept in fields locked up in pens. Meeps, elums, meetles, and mugs were in separate areas around the small Mudokon village they built. They even made a path to common areas, like the Raisin Cave and a large structure that reminded me of Big Face's temple in Scrabania and Paramaina. A temple made out of rock, clay, wood, and hay. I eyed the wooden tiki-type face carved above the entrance along with the rock carvings of scrabs and paramites surrounding the temple. I didn't realize we were heading over to that temple until I was face to face with it, looking up with my jaw a jar from the incredible detail of the structure before me.
Abe turned to face me. My face goes back to normal as I stare back at Abe into his large orange eyes. I stepped back a few inches, shaking my head. Abe replied, "The Healer is in here." He pointed behind him. "He'll heal your wounds while I speak to someone real quick."
"But…" I cried out. "I'm going in there alone?!"
Alf glances at me and then at Abe. "I'm not goin' in there. The Healer scares me! You're on your own!" He walks off without hesitation, shouting out his last statement. "Lemme know when you're ready, Abe."
Abe waves at Alf, understanding his request as Abe answered me, "I'll go in with ya just to explain to the Healer the details of our situation. But I cannot stay for the whole healing process. I need ta speak to the Almighty Raisin. I think he warned me about you and that I needed ta help ya out."
I didn't ask any questions about who the Raisin was, making Abe a bit suspicious. All I said was, "I just don't want anyone thinking I'm a threat around here. Being, well, you know….different."
Abe understood my reasoning and pushed me along into the temple from behind. "The sooner ya get healed, the faster we can move onto the next task." Abe looked back at Munch that stayed behind. "I'll be right back, Munch. Then you and I will have a talk with the Almighty Raisin." Munch nods and waits outside for Abe's return.
Both Abe and I slowly walk into the temple, only to both jump in fright, hearing the heavy flat bolder door close behind us. Abe moves me forward while I hesitated a bit, seeing the torches on the wall light up one by one, lighting the way where the Healer rested. The carving on the walls was distracting me from what was to come. Details of the creatures of Oddworld and the lore painted and carved that told their stories thus far. Both Abe and I made it to an opening with four giant Mudokon statues around the room posed like they were chanting while cross-legged. In the middle of the room was an open area.
The Healer snuck around the statues and appeared right behind Abe and me. We both gasp in unison, feeling his presence from behind. Even Abe was a bit fearful of this shaman healer by the looks of it. The shaman had long red and black feathers that went down to his knees compared to Abe's shorter red feathers grouped on his head. The Healer pushed Abe softly aside while the wooden masked Mudokon grabbed my wounded arm. I grind my teeth and grunt from the pain as he unraveled the hoodie's sleeve from around the wounds and then scanned me with his eyes from inside the mask. His clothing wrapped around part of his chest; wooden rings, leather bracelets, and a necklace made from fangs chimed while he moved. Abe scratched his head feeling bad for me having to be poked and prodded, but he really couldn't say much as the shaman was much wiser than he was.
While the Healer examined my arm silently, he finally spoke. "Leave us, Abe."
Abe tilted his head as he stood there confused. "You're….not going ta ask why she needs healin' or who she is?"
The Healer turns his head, looking at Abe through his mask in anger. "You're questioning me?!" He snapped out, having the room go silent after his voice echoed throughout the room. Abe shook his head and backed off slightly. The shaman explained, "I spoke to the Raisin." He turned back to look at my arm and moves it around as I grin and bear the pain. "I know what I must do."
My thoughts went into panic mode after that last sentence. My stomach felt unsettled while my heart started to throb, feeling my heartbeat close to my throat. What will he do to me? End up killing me because I'm a lost cause? All I could do was follow this Mudokon's every order as I saw Abe start to step away slowly. Abe gave me a "sorry" face and reassuring me that everything will be all right with the gesture of his hands. After Abe disappeared into the darkness getting back to Munch, the Healer moved me along harshly, having me sit down cross-legged in the middle of the four giant statues looking down at me.
"I know who you are." The Healer randomly said.
"You….do?" I reframed myself from being scared, trying to keep my voice from choking up.
"Yes."
"Are you….here to heal me?" I ask, not looking at the Mudokon that walked around me with his arms behind his back.
"Yes. By order of the Raisin. Otherwise, I may have left you like this. So be thankful that the Raisin sees you as something special."
"Why would he want to help me?"
"Because he knows of your world and how your race created Oddworld."
I whip my head up, "Wait, what?!" Looking right at him as the Mudokon paused his last step and turned to face me.
Meanwhile, Abe and Munch were before the Almighty Raisin. Abe waited for the four orange-eyed seed to speak as he woke up from his slumber. The Raisin's paint markings almost glowed within the darkened room. "I see you have made it back with both Munch and the newcomer safe and sound."
Munch added abruptly, "She goes by the name of Tree."
Abe lowered his eyes down at Munch. "She told you her name?"
"Yeah, back when I was watchin' her while inside the blimp."
The Almighty Raisin pressed on, "This new stranger named Tree you've all encountered will help guide you of the whereabouts of Big Face and your bird portal she came out of."
Abe interrupted the Raisin this time, "Wait, wait, wait." He rose his hands up to force the Raisin to pause. "She came out of the bird portal the Glukkons stole from us?!"
The Raisin grew flustered that he kept getting interrupted. Clearing his throat, the Raisin spoke harshly back at the two. "Yes, now stop interrupting and listen up!" They both flinched from his voice that echoed throughout the room. Even the Mudokons that were chanting around him popped out of their trance for a moment. "Tree knows the way to save Big Face; therefore, she needs to come along with you two. Reasons why I had you, Abe, go out and find her. I predicted Munch would stumble across her first, knowing that you two would cross paths regardless. My ratz made sure to get her out of the lab safely, minus a few slip-ups from the Slig shooting her. I ordered the Shaman Healer to help once you have escorted her back. He agreed, knowing of the situation at hand." He waited for the two to ask more questions.
Abe went first. "Who is she? Where did she come from? What is she? I've never seen anyone quite like her before on Oddworld."
The Raisin cleared his throat again, explaining without giving out too much detail, "Her race is called a human. The only information I can give you about her race is that she is from another world like our own. Big Face must have opened up the portal to a random world, forced to do so by the enemy, and the girl stumbled across it by accident."
"I never knew our portals could do that?" Abe shrugged his shoulders, looking down at Munch.
The Raisin pressed on, "Only the strongest of shamans can accomplish this. And they all made a truce never to mess with other worlds with the help of their portals. In this case, with a Glukkon named Luksin and a few of his Vykker lackies, they have been manipulating Big Face with a device that forces him to open up the portal at random. The sooner you free Big Face, the less likely the Glukkon will use that portal to ambush us in this village."
Abe starts to worry, "We gotta move fast after Tree heals up."
The Almighty Raisin went on to explain, "Once you leave with the blimp, you must find the lab. Munch here will help you all get inside with the help of his sonar."
Munch sighs and grumbles out loud. "Great, another adventure that could get us all killed. Maybe the fuzzles can help? Or your ratz friends?" He asked the Raisin soon after. Unfortunately, the last question didn't get answered. The Raisin fell asleep in mid-conversation. "Oh boy…." Munch whimpered out. He never got a chance to ask questions like, Are there fuzzles getting tested in the lab or maybe even slaved Mudokons? They could only check it out by themselves once they get into Luksin's Lab.
"Come on, Munch, let's have the Mudokons patch up the blimp. I think that's a great idea about the fuzzles ta help us. I'm sure the ratz will be following us regardless." Munch nods his head, following Abe out of the cave.
Back in the healing temple, the shaman went on to explain more of the details. "The rest of Oddworld do not know. And let's keep it that way. But us shamans and the Raisin know that we are just a creation inside you human's minds. The "games" you all play, the lore that you all create, came into existence here, in this dimension. Every human that partook into the world of Odd played a part in making all of this around you." The shaman looked up at the statues and pointed to them.
I was in utter shock. The whole human race created this world? What about the other games out there? What about the movies and books that we wrote? It seemed like a fairy tale, and I was just dreaming all of this as I shook my head in disbelief. "You gotta be kidding me!"
"Oh, you know I'm not. I was just as shocked as you are when I first heard about it. You are the only one that can help Abe and the others free my shaman brother from the lab. He is being held against his will to use our portals for the enemy."
"But what can I do? I have no powers like Abe. No way in hell am I going back to that lab." I shook my head in fright.
"You WILL go back with Abe and the others." The shaman demanded. "Just like I MUST heal you for you to make this journey."
I sigh out, trying to hold in my emotions. I was fearful. I always ignored and laughed at the deaths that happened to Abe when I controlled him with a controller, knowing that he'll just spawn back. But now, this isn't a game anymore. And I was the one that had to show Abe the room where I escaped. "Understood," was all that I said to the shaman as he stood right behind me.
He didn't respond, only to fully kneel next to my wounded left arm. He folded up the sleeve of my shirt that was now the color red from my blood, soon hovering his hands over my shoulder, and started to chant, humming, gathering light from within his paws. I closed my eyes tight, knowing this may sting, and boy, was I right. The first thing the shaman needed to do was to take out the bullets from my shoulder and arm. That alone gave excruciating pain that almost made me pass out. I felt faint from the sensation of the shells moving within my skin as the shaman removed them slowly. I took deep breaths and tried to think of other things. Granted, the only thing I had on my mind was how in the hell was I going to get back into that lab and into that room to free Big Face from his torment? That and I had to get my camera back along with my backpack. At least this helped distract me from him pulling out the last of the bullets within my shoulder. His actions caused my arm to start bleeding again. His humming got louder as the light grew brighter as it began to heal up the freshly opened wounds. It even cleared up the infection. I had a few marks where the bullets hit me, but other than that, it was like I never gotten shot.
The shaman stood up and watched me exercise my left shoulder as I rotated it with ease. "Woah, thanks…." I spoke out with amazement and very thankful that he was willing to use his powers to help me out.
All he did was nod his head at me and pointed near the exit. "Now hurry and help save my Mudokon brother."
I stood up and nodded, understanding his order, even though I was freaking out inside with my task that lay ahead.
