~*~
Disclaimer, etc. in part one
~*~
Authors notes: Sorry it took me a few days to get this out to you... I've had a rough week and it's been slow going. I hope this part isn't a disappointment compared to what you've already read!
Mayhem Mountain (3/?)
by: Brandy Leigh
~*~
Veronica managed to pry the girl from the electric fence, and with Malone's help, escorted her to the elevator that would take them up into the treehouse. Malone didn't know how he and Veronica had happened to be in the right place at the right time, but he knew that if they had stayed at the Zanga village a moment longer, the girl in front of him would surely be electrocuted.
Out of everyone within the Challenger expedition, Ned Malone was one of the ones who had changed the most. Before stumbling upon the plateau, Malone was a very solitary man. Living through the eyes of the characters in his stories, he was unaware that sometimes, life could be quite the harsh reality. With the help of the other explorers, and Veronica, he had managed to accept reality as it truly was.
Once in the safety of the treehouse, high above the everyday dangers of the plateau, the new stranger seemed to calm down from her initial scare. Timidly, the girl looked around the room, from each explorer to the next. Finally, her eyes rested upon Veronica, the woman who had saved her life.
"Forever am I in debt to you," the girl spoke slowly, her voice thick with an unfamiliar accent. "You have saved my life."
"You don't owe me anything," said Veronica with a smile. "I only did what was right."
The girl nodded and replied, "Yes, I suppose you are correct."
"My good heavens," came Challenger's voice as he emerged from his lab. "What is all the commotion?"
"Veronica and Malone arrived at the treehouse just in time to save this young lady from being electrocuted by our fence," Roxton said. Turning to the girl, he added, "May we ask your name?"
The girl bowed her head as if embarrassed, then replied, "Please forgive my informality. My name is Julian Gatessi, and I am from the ancient village of Gesha. We are housed atop a great mountain in the far east of the plateau by the name of Maschou Monso."
"Mayhem Mountain," Marguerite said thoughtfully.
Roxton turned to look at her, amazed as always by her linguistic abilities. Marguerite just shrugged as if it were no big deal.
"Yes," the girl said, nodding in amazement. "You know our language?"
"Why, our Marguerite knows many languages," Challenger replied. "She never ceases to amaze us."
"Which brings us to the introductions, I presume," Roxton said. "My name is Lord John Roxton, and this is Marguerite Krux, Professor George Challenger, Ned Malone, and Veronica Layton." Each person nodded a hello in response. "Veronica is the owner of this treehouse," he concluded.
"Which, if you'd like, you can stay in for a while. You seem to need somewhere to, well, hide out," Veronica said.
"Oh, yes. That would be highly kind of you!" Exclaimed the girl.
"What brings you to our humble abode?" Challenger asked, taking a seat at a nearby table.
The girl took a seat as well and proceeded to tell her story. "My people, the Geshans, we are a very peaceful people. We refuse to kill another living creature, even to hunt. We rely on those around us to provide us with the proper... cannibalistic nutrition to survive."
"You make it sound so appealing," Marguerite said sarcastically.
The girl gave her a nervous smile and continued. "This peaceful nature, as I'm sure you would imagine, often gets us into trouble. We have no weapons, not even for defense. We are at the mercy of every creature with evil intent that happens to cross our path."
"How long have things been this way?" Malone asked curiously.
"For far too long, but there's nothing we can do. And now this peaceful nature has everyone in our village's life at risk," Julian said with a sad sigh.
"Is that why you were running?" Roxton asked. "To escape someone who was taking advantage of your way of life?"
Julian nodded. "Yes, the Chucahna."
"Chucahna... fear eaters?" Marguerite asked.
"The Chucahna need no food to survive, they are predators that feed on the fear of the innocent."
Everyone looked at each other, not quite sure if they were hearing Julian correctly.
"So you're saying that these Chucahna actually live off of the fear of others, as a nutritional object?" Challenger asked, baffled.
"Yes."
"That's physically impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible here on the plateau, George," Roxton replied.
"Isn't that the bloody truth," Marguerite said with a sigh.
"And there's nothing anyone can do?" Veronica asked.
"Well, there is one thing, but no Geshan has the courage to pursue it," Julian told her.
"And what would that be?" Malone asked.
"To go into the heart of Maschou Monso, and face the Ultouma."
"The Ultouma?" Roxton asked, not quite sure if he wanted to know what it was.
"Fear itself. Anyone who faces the Ultouma must confront their greatest fear. Once that is done, the Ultouma will be weak. Only then can one get past it to obtain the Goblet of Courage."
"What will the Goblet of Courage do?" asked Challenger.
"Allow us to be free."
The explorers looked at each other and nodded, an unspoken agreement among them.
Roxton turned to the girl and smiled. "My dear, today is your lucky day."
~*~
End part 3
~*~
Authors notes: I know this part is very short, but hey, it's midnight, I'm tired, and this is just how it ended! *grin* A big thank you goes out to all of you who have reviewed and motivated me to continue writing. "Forever am I in debt to you."
~*~
Possible questions answered in part 4:
Is it really wise to trust Julian Gatessi?
What have our heroes gotten themselves into this time?
For the love of God, WHY is Marguerite so familiar with Roxton's room?!
You'll have to read to find out...
Disclaimer, etc. in part one
~*~
Authors notes: Sorry it took me a few days to get this out to you... I've had a rough week and it's been slow going. I hope this part isn't a disappointment compared to what you've already read!
Mayhem Mountain (3/?)
by: Brandy Leigh
~*~
Veronica managed to pry the girl from the electric fence, and with Malone's help, escorted her to the elevator that would take them up into the treehouse. Malone didn't know how he and Veronica had happened to be in the right place at the right time, but he knew that if they had stayed at the Zanga village a moment longer, the girl in front of him would surely be electrocuted.
Out of everyone within the Challenger expedition, Ned Malone was one of the ones who had changed the most. Before stumbling upon the plateau, Malone was a very solitary man. Living through the eyes of the characters in his stories, he was unaware that sometimes, life could be quite the harsh reality. With the help of the other explorers, and Veronica, he had managed to accept reality as it truly was.
Once in the safety of the treehouse, high above the everyday dangers of the plateau, the new stranger seemed to calm down from her initial scare. Timidly, the girl looked around the room, from each explorer to the next. Finally, her eyes rested upon Veronica, the woman who had saved her life.
"Forever am I in debt to you," the girl spoke slowly, her voice thick with an unfamiliar accent. "You have saved my life."
"You don't owe me anything," said Veronica with a smile. "I only did what was right."
The girl nodded and replied, "Yes, I suppose you are correct."
"My good heavens," came Challenger's voice as he emerged from his lab. "What is all the commotion?"
"Veronica and Malone arrived at the treehouse just in time to save this young lady from being electrocuted by our fence," Roxton said. Turning to the girl, he added, "May we ask your name?"
The girl bowed her head as if embarrassed, then replied, "Please forgive my informality. My name is Julian Gatessi, and I am from the ancient village of Gesha. We are housed atop a great mountain in the far east of the plateau by the name of Maschou Monso."
"Mayhem Mountain," Marguerite said thoughtfully.
Roxton turned to look at her, amazed as always by her linguistic abilities. Marguerite just shrugged as if it were no big deal.
"Yes," the girl said, nodding in amazement. "You know our language?"
"Why, our Marguerite knows many languages," Challenger replied. "She never ceases to amaze us."
"Which brings us to the introductions, I presume," Roxton said. "My name is Lord John Roxton, and this is Marguerite Krux, Professor George Challenger, Ned Malone, and Veronica Layton." Each person nodded a hello in response. "Veronica is the owner of this treehouse," he concluded.
"Which, if you'd like, you can stay in for a while. You seem to need somewhere to, well, hide out," Veronica said.
"Oh, yes. That would be highly kind of you!" Exclaimed the girl.
"What brings you to our humble abode?" Challenger asked, taking a seat at a nearby table.
The girl took a seat as well and proceeded to tell her story. "My people, the Geshans, we are a very peaceful people. We refuse to kill another living creature, even to hunt. We rely on those around us to provide us with the proper... cannibalistic nutrition to survive."
"You make it sound so appealing," Marguerite said sarcastically.
The girl gave her a nervous smile and continued. "This peaceful nature, as I'm sure you would imagine, often gets us into trouble. We have no weapons, not even for defense. We are at the mercy of every creature with evil intent that happens to cross our path."
"How long have things been this way?" Malone asked curiously.
"For far too long, but there's nothing we can do. And now this peaceful nature has everyone in our village's life at risk," Julian said with a sad sigh.
"Is that why you were running?" Roxton asked. "To escape someone who was taking advantage of your way of life?"
Julian nodded. "Yes, the Chucahna."
"Chucahna... fear eaters?" Marguerite asked.
"The Chucahna need no food to survive, they are predators that feed on the fear of the innocent."
Everyone looked at each other, not quite sure if they were hearing Julian correctly.
"So you're saying that these Chucahna actually live off of the fear of others, as a nutritional object?" Challenger asked, baffled.
"Yes."
"That's physically impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible here on the plateau, George," Roxton replied.
"Isn't that the bloody truth," Marguerite said with a sigh.
"And there's nothing anyone can do?" Veronica asked.
"Well, there is one thing, but no Geshan has the courage to pursue it," Julian told her.
"And what would that be?" Malone asked.
"To go into the heart of Maschou Monso, and face the Ultouma."
"The Ultouma?" Roxton asked, not quite sure if he wanted to know what it was.
"Fear itself. Anyone who faces the Ultouma must confront their greatest fear. Once that is done, the Ultouma will be weak. Only then can one get past it to obtain the Goblet of Courage."
"What will the Goblet of Courage do?" asked Challenger.
"Allow us to be free."
The explorers looked at each other and nodded, an unspoken agreement among them.
Roxton turned to the girl and smiled. "My dear, today is your lucky day."
~*~
End part 3
~*~
Authors notes: I know this part is very short, but hey, it's midnight, I'm tired, and this is just how it ended! *grin* A big thank you goes out to all of you who have reviewed and motivated me to continue writing. "Forever am I in debt to you."
~*~
Possible questions answered in part 4:
Is it really wise to trust Julian Gatessi?
What have our heroes gotten themselves into this time?
For the love of God, WHY is Marguerite so familiar with Roxton's room?!
You'll have to read to find out...
