~*Chapter Two*~
"Mm...hmm...Pan!"
Someone was there...though he appeared asleep, Jack had awoken long ago to the sound of this strange voice...it had been burbling some strange, almost foreign tounge, though it sounded halfways like human speech. The trashing of leaves and branches cast leaves about him as he sat at the base of the tree.
"Pan pan!" came the voice again, only this time, it was very close, almost directly above Jack's head. Whatever it was, it seemed very intent upon Jack...and that was not always a good thing. Slowly, the samurai's hand crept down to the hilt of his blade; he was sure not to make any sudden movements. The creature's actions had ceased, though Jack could readily sense this creature's presense nearby...and even though it seemed friendly, Jack remembered all too well what had happened when he was too trustworthy to veritable strangers. He gripped the slightly rough leather hilt in his able hand, not yet unsheathing it. He would wait a few moments longer. The voice, high-pitched and rather curious, was right by the samurai's left ear now. The advantage was entirely Jack's; the creature had no idea what was to befall him-
Suddenly, a shrill shriek permeated the calm forest, causing Jack's eyes to flash open in surprise as a loud crashing sound was heard and something heavy and squirming fell right into his lap. Leaping to his feet and unsheathing his sword, the samurai looked around swiftly, his dark eyes trying to find what it was that had fell onto him and if there was more of them. After several moments of mass confusion, Jack managed to regain enough composure to look at what had been spying at him...and found something rather anticlimatic.
"Pan pan?" said the small brown monkey, looking up at the rather imposing figure of the samurai with large brown eyes. He trembled a bit at the sight of the menacing blade, and backed away, mumbling something that was a mixture of human language and ape-like tones. He was small and brown, with thick, short brown hair and large curious eyes. Sharp nails revealed their tips on the monkey's able hands and feet, and a long tail curled a bit behind his small, tough body.
Sighing and shaking his head with a bit of amusement, Jack sheathed his sword and looked down at the small primate, who was still trembling with fear. Not wishing to upset the small creature any further, he got to his knees silently and looked at him silently. There was a mutual respectful silence for about two minutes before the monkey let out another shriek and started to point furiously at the blade upon Jack's hip.
"You bad man! Come hurt again! Make family sleep forever!!" he screamed in broken English. "Now come back for Pankeeki! Sent by evil Aku!"
If Jack was stunned by this monkey's ability to speak in human tounge, he was even more jarred by his accusations. He stood quickly and stepped forward, his hand outstretched towards the small creature.
"Wait! Please hear me through," he replied as the monkey started to back away. He lowered his hands and took a benign stance. "I can assure you that I bear no ill will, nor do I come from Aku. On the contrary; I am the only one who can defeat Aku..." he trailed off, and the monkey regarded him with the most scrutinizing expression he could muster.
"You no work for Aku..." he replied quietly, looking up at the tall samurai. Jack nodded an affirmative, and as he regarded the monkey that stood at the base of the tree, he saw the red spatters upon the bark and grass...he then realized the truth of what that statement had meant.
"Aku's minions were here..." he said to himself, looking around. It was then that he also noticed the wide swath of destruction that had been practically invisible in the darkness the night before. He looked at the devastation with pained eyes, and clenched a fist around the hilt of his blade. All this useless destruction...this pointless, heartless pillaging and killing...it had to stop! "How long ago did they come through here?" he asked, kneeling down to look at the monkey on equal terms. The monkey looked behind him, dark brown eyes looking carefully at the atrocious damange, then back up into Jack's ebon eyes.
"Few days ago...not sure how long," he replied, then jumped onto Jack's shoulder with a big smile. "Pankeeki help you! Pankeeki see where the evil men go! Help-" he pasued, and looked pas Jack's ear and into his face. "What you named?"
Jack smiled vaguely. "They call me Jack," he said, and stood, looking at his left shoulder, where Pankeeki was perched. "It will be dangerous...are you sure you want to come with me?"
Pankeeki nodded emphatically and crossed his arms. "Yes; Pankeeki help Jack beat bad guys!" Jack kept his smile, and shook his head a bit. If this strange companion's desire to come along meant anything at all...Jack realized that it simply meant that his quest would be a bit more interesting, a bit more strange...and much more vocal, it seemed...
"Mm...hmm...Pan!"
Someone was there...though he appeared asleep, Jack had awoken long ago to the sound of this strange voice...it had been burbling some strange, almost foreign tounge, though it sounded halfways like human speech. The trashing of leaves and branches cast leaves about him as he sat at the base of the tree.
"Pan pan!" came the voice again, only this time, it was very close, almost directly above Jack's head. Whatever it was, it seemed very intent upon Jack...and that was not always a good thing. Slowly, the samurai's hand crept down to the hilt of his blade; he was sure not to make any sudden movements. The creature's actions had ceased, though Jack could readily sense this creature's presense nearby...and even though it seemed friendly, Jack remembered all too well what had happened when he was too trustworthy to veritable strangers. He gripped the slightly rough leather hilt in his able hand, not yet unsheathing it. He would wait a few moments longer. The voice, high-pitched and rather curious, was right by the samurai's left ear now. The advantage was entirely Jack's; the creature had no idea what was to befall him-
Suddenly, a shrill shriek permeated the calm forest, causing Jack's eyes to flash open in surprise as a loud crashing sound was heard and something heavy and squirming fell right into his lap. Leaping to his feet and unsheathing his sword, the samurai looked around swiftly, his dark eyes trying to find what it was that had fell onto him and if there was more of them. After several moments of mass confusion, Jack managed to regain enough composure to look at what had been spying at him...and found something rather anticlimatic.
"Pan pan?" said the small brown monkey, looking up at the rather imposing figure of the samurai with large brown eyes. He trembled a bit at the sight of the menacing blade, and backed away, mumbling something that was a mixture of human language and ape-like tones. He was small and brown, with thick, short brown hair and large curious eyes. Sharp nails revealed their tips on the monkey's able hands and feet, and a long tail curled a bit behind his small, tough body.
Sighing and shaking his head with a bit of amusement, Jack sheathed his sword and looked down at the small primate, who was still trembling with fear. Not wishing to upset the small creature any further, he got to his knees silently and looked at him silently. There was a mutual respectful silence for about two minutes before the monkey let out another shriek and started to point furiously at the blade upon Jack's hip.
"You bad man! Come hurt again! Make family sleep forever!!" he screamed in broken English. "Now come back for Pankeeki! Sent by evil Aku!"
If Jack was stunned by this monkey's ability to speak in human tounge, he was even more jarred by his accusations. He stood quickly and stepped forward, his hand outstretched towards the small creature.
"Wait! Please hear me through," he replied as the monkey started to back away. He lowered his hands and took a benign stance. "I can assure you that I bear no ill will, nor do I come from Aku. On the contrary; I am the only one who can defeat Aku..." he trailed off, and the monkey regarded him with the most scrutinizing expression he could muster.
"You no work for Aku..." he replied quietly, looking up at the tall samurai. Jack nodded an affirmative, and as he regarded the monkey that stood at the base of the tree, he saw the red spatters upon the bark and grass...he then realized the truth of what that statement had meant.
"Aku's minions were here..." he said to himself, looking around. It was then that he also noticed the wide swath of destruction that had been practically invisible in the darkness the night before. He looked at the devastation with pained eyes, and clenched a fist around the hilt of his blade. All this useless destruction...this pointless, heartless pillaging and killing...it had to stop! "How long ago did they come through here?" he asked, kneeling down to look at the monkey on equal terms. The monkey looked behind him, dark brown eyes looking carefully at the atrocious damange, then back up into Jack's ebon eyes.
"Few days ago...not sure how long," he replied, then jumped onto Jack's shoulder with a big smile. "Pankeeki help you! Pankeeki see where the evil men go! Help-" he pasued, and looked pas Jack's ear and into his face. "What you named?"
Jack smiled vaguely. "They call me Jack," he said, and stood, looking at his left shoulder, where Pankeeki was perched. "It will be dangerous...are you sure you want to come with me?"
Pankeeki nodded emphatically and crossed his arms. "Yes; Pankeeki help Jack beat bad guys!" Jack kept his smile, and shook his head a bit. If this strange companion's desire to come along meant anything at all...Jack realized that it simply meant that his quest would be a bit more interesting, a bit more strange...and much more vocal, it seemed...