Recap: In our last episode, the leader of the island's tribe took Ivy as his wife, after she and Julian got stuck on his island. Julian must now fight the chief to get his Ivy back, but can he beat a man that weighs 600 pounds more than he does?
"Very well, we'll fight to the death. Winner..." and at this, the fat man leered at Ivy, "takes all."
Julian tried not to look scared. One look at Ivy's frightened expression made him lose every trace of his fear, though. He had finally realised his love for Ivy, and no one was going to take that away from him. He flashed her a smile and locked eyes with the chief, a cold expression on his face.
"Lets do this." said Julian, smirking. The chief laughed, and waved his right arm.
All of a sudden, the entire tribe ran out of the jungle. Most members sat on the ground, holding tubs of fried insects and waterskins full of berry juice. A few had signs made out of tree bark, reading things like: "Chief Fatbody 3:16 says your wife is mine!" and "Chief Fatbody: 14 wives and still going strong!". Two more tribesmen sat in front of tree stumps, placing a long stone slab across them, to make a table. Other, younger tribesmembers scurried around, making a square around Julian and the chief out of sticks, tied with rope, like a boxing ring.
"What's going on?" Ivy whispered to her friend.
"Oh, he always does this," the woman replied, "I think its an ancient custom of theirs."
One of the miscellaneous tribesmen blew a conch shell, and the battle was joined. The fat man lept at Julian, giving a war cry, as Julian dodged out of the way. Using the ropes, he pushed himself toward Julian, who scurried out of the way not a moment too soon. The fight went on like this for a little while, until finally, Julian was a split second too slow, and the tribesman plowed into him. The audience of tribesmembers cheered and hollered as Julian fell, growing in volume as the fat man picked Julian up with one meaty hand.
"And it looks like Chief Fatbody is playing with the idiotic contender, an American called Julia!"
"That's Julian!" Ivy called from the sidelines, "And he's not an idiot!" The announcer ignored her, and her eyes narrowed. Ivy stalked over to the table and shoved the skinny tribesmember out of the way. He shrugged, then joined the audience.
"Yes, it looks like Julian is being batted around like some kind toy, folks. I don't think we're going to see much action from this guy!" said the other announcer, eyeing Ivy warily.
In the ring, Julian was getting the beating of his life. Well, second to TC, that is.
"Well, not much fight left in yah, is there?" the chief said, kicking Julian while he was down. Julian looked up at him, his vision blurry. He saw the chief with a rock in his hand, held high above his head. Julian suddenly thought back to all the great times he and Ivy had had together. He had only recently realised just how much he cared for her, and didn't want to let that go. Turning his head to face Ivy, he looked deep into her big blue eyes. Julian could see her fear and pain in her face, he could see her yelling for him to get up. Turning back to look at the chief, he realised that the fat man had turned away from him, and was waving at the audience.
Using all his strength, Julian pulled himself to his feet. He grabbed the rock that the fat man had been about to use on him, and held it in one hand. Ignoring the pain that racked his body, Julian threw the rock at the chief's head. The fat man crumpled to the ground on impact, and Julian started to sway from side to side, woozy.
"Julian!" Ivy cried, running toward her husband. She ran into the ring and threw her arms around him, sobbing with relief. He smiled weakly, and put one arm over her shoulder. An old man, a member of the tribe, walked to the centre of the ring and took Julian's free hand.
"Chief Fatbody is dead! Long live Chief Julian!" he cried, raising Julian's hand in the air. The crowd burst into frenzied screaming and cheering, and Julian smiled a little.
"And as Chief, Julian gets all of the old Chief's 15 wives!" At this, Julian smiled. But when he saw Ivy cross her arms and pout, in that way that made him love her even more than he already did, he had to say no.
"Thanks, but I'd rather stick with the one I've got," he said, looking down at Ivy. She beamed and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. The crowd cheered even louder. And their cheering grew deafening when Julian smiled mischeviously, then kissed Ivy full on the lips. He held her, the adulation of the crowd surrounding them, for what seemed like eternity. Ivy finally broke the kiss.
"Fighting for me like that was really sexy, Julian." she whispered in his ear. He winked at her.
"If Chief Julian only wants one wife, that's fine by us!" the tribal elder said, "Now we need to get you two married."
Ivy laughed. "We're already marrried!"
"No, the law says you must be married by our tribal customs. Take the bride to the wedding chambers so she may change!" Two women of the tribe scurried out of the crowd and grabbed Ivy from Julian's arms. She protested, but they dragged her toward a small hut nearby.
"And to you, I present the chief's headdress," said the tribal elder to Julian. He placed the woven mass of palm leaves atop Julian's head, and gave him a long burgundy spear. Julian nodded approvingly at the weapon, and the elder led him toward the beach, where the wedding area was already set up. The sun was beginning its descent when all was in place.
Several tribesmen began beating a happy tune on their drums, as two women with giant palm fronds walked toward the wedding aisle. They parted the fronds and Ivy walked through.
When Julian saw her, his jaw just about hit the ground. The normally conservative Ivy was clad from head to toe in nothing but a skimpy, one-shoulder dress made of leaves and tiger skin. She smiled demurely, but that turned to a happy grin when she saw Julian's expression.
As the tribe's medecine man presided over the ceremony, Julian and Ivy exchanged looks. When all eyes were on the grave of the former chief, Ivy took a moment to whisper to her husband, "This is so much better than our first wedding..."
Julian smiled. "Wait 'til we get to the honeymoon."
"Very well, we'll fight to the death. Winner..." and at this, the fat man leered at Ivy, "takes all."
Julian tried not to look scared. One look at Ivy's frightened expression made him lose every trace of his fear, though. He had finally realised his love for Ivy, and no one was going to take that away from him. He flashed her a smile and locked eyes with the chief, a cold expression on his face.
"Lets do this." said Julian, smirking. The chief laughed, and waved his right arm.
All of a sudden, the entire tribe ran out of the jungle. Most members sat on the ground, holding tubs of fried insects and waterskins full of berry juice. A few had signs made out of tree bark, reading things like: "Chief Fatbody 3:16 says your wife is mine!" and "Chief Fatbody: 14 wives and still going strong!". Two more tribesmen sat in front of tree stumps, placing a long stone slab across them, to make a table. Other, younger tribesmembers scurried around, making a square around Julian and the chief out of sticks, tied with rope, like a boxing ring.
"What's going on?" Ivy whispered to her friend.
"Oh, he always does this," the woman replied, "I think its an ancient custom of theirs."
One of the miscellaneous tribesmen blew a conch shell, and the battle was joined. The fat man lept at Julian, giving a war cry, as Julian dodged out of the way. Using the ropes, he pushed himself toward Julian, who scurried out of the way not a moment too soon. The fight went on like this for a little while, until finally, Julian was a split second too slow, and the tribesman plowed into him. The audience of tribesmembers cheered and hollered as Julian fell, growing in volume as the fat man picked Julian up with one meaty hand.
"And it looks like Chief Fatbody is playing with the idiotic contender, an American called Julia!"
"That's Julian!" Ivy called from the sidelines, "And he's not an idiot!" The announcer ignored her, and her eyes narrowed. Ivy stalked over to the table and shoved the skinny tribesmember out of the way. He shrugged, then joined the audience.
"Yes, it looks like Julian is being batted around like some kind toy, folks. I don't think we're going to see much action from this guy!" said the other announcer, eyeing Ivy warily.
In the ring, Julian was getting the beating of his life. Well, second to TC, that is.
"Well, not much fight left in yah, is there?" the chief said, kicking Julian while he was down. Julian looked up at him, his vision blurry. He saw the chief with a rock in his hand, held high above his head. Julian suddenly thought back to all the great times he and Ivy had had together. He had only recently realised just how much he cared for her, and didn't want to let that go. Turning his head to face Ivy, he looked deep into her big blue eyes. Julian could see her fear and pain in her face, he could see her yelling for him to get up. Turning back to look at the chief, he realised that the fat man had turned away from him, and was waving at the audience.
Using all his strength, Julian pulled himself to his feet. He grabbed the rock that the fat man had been about to use on him, and held it in one hand. Ignoring the pain that racked his body, Julian threw the rock at the chief's head. The fat man crumpled to the ground on impact, and Julian started to sway from side to side, woozy.
"Julian!" Ivy cried, running toward her husband. She ran into the ring and threw her arms around him, sobbing with relief. He smiled weakly, and put one arm over her shoulder. An old man, a member of the tribe, walked to the centre of the ring and took Julian's free hand.
"Chief Fatbody is dead! Long live Chief Julian!" he cried, raising Julian's hand in the air. The crowd burst into frenzied screaming and cheering, and Julian smiled a little.
"And as Chief, Julian gets all of the old Chief's 15 wives!" At this, Julian smiled. But when he saw Ivy cross her arms and pout, in that way that made him love her even more than he already did, he had to say no.
"Thanks, but I'd rather stick with the one I've got," he said, looking down at Ivy. She beamed and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. The crowd cheered even louder. And their cheering grew deafening when Julian smiled mischeviously, then kissed Ivy full on the lips. He held her, the adulation of the crowd surrounding them, for what seemed like eternity. Ivy finally broke the kiss.
"Fighting for me like that was really sexy, Julian." she whispered in his ear. He winked at her.
"If Chief Julian only wants one wife, that's fine by us!" the tribal elder said, "Now we need to get you two married."
Ivy laughed. "We're already marrried!"
"No, the law says you must be married by our tribal customs. Take the bride to the wedding chambers so she may change!" Two women of the tribe scurried out of the crowd and grabbed Ivy from Julian's arms. She protested, but they dragged her toward a small hut nearby.
"And to you, I present the chief's headdress," said the tribal elder to Julian. He placed the woven mass of palm leaves atop Julian's head, and gave him a long burgundy spear. Julian nodded approvingly at the weapon, and the elder led him toward the beach, where the wedding area was already set up. The sun was beginning its descent when all was in place.
Several tribesmen began beating a happy tune on their drums, as two women with giant palm fronds walked toward the wedding aisle. They parted the fronds and Ivy walked through.
When Julian saw her, his jaw just about hit the ground. The normally conservative Ivy was clad from head to toe in nothing but a skimpy, one-shoulder dress made of leaves and tiger skin. She smiled demurely, but that turned to a happy grin when she saw Julian's expression.
As the tribe's medecine man presided over the ceremony, Julian and Ivy exchanged looks. When all eyes were on the grave of the former chief, Ivy took a moment to whisper to her husband, "This is so much better than our first wedding..."
Julian smiled. "Wait 'til we get to the honeymoon."