Chapter Three: Lizard Men Bear Their Fangs

The crescent moon had fully risen into the night sky. Kilik and Maxi left the road to sleep in a small field of wild grasses. Maxi sat down with a moan of relief and lay back against a small boulder.

"This has got to be the most comfortable rock I've ever laid on," he said with feeling.

Kilik grinned and carefully sat down in a crossed-legged position. "If you were so tired, why didn't you say anything earlier? There's no shame in rest."

"Tch! Like I'm going to give you the satisfaction of thinking you've got more stamina then me. Guess again Rod Boy. If I wasn't suffering from major injuries, I could have walked all— (yawn)— all night."

Kilik set Kali-Yuga across his lap. He rested his hands lightly upon his knees and closed his eyes. His breathing became deeper and less frequent, there was a low hum coming from the back of his throat. Maxi opened one eye irritably and watched him for little more than two seconds before blurting, "That's a great frog call and everything, but why don't you go to sleep, eh?"

"I am going to sleep."

"You can sleep sitting like that?"

"In a sense. Meditation, if deep enough, can refresh the body faster than sleep."

"Whoa. Now that's just plain cool. You gotta teach me how to do that."

* * *

A figure in shadow watched patiently as the two men settled for the night. It crept closer, and closer never making a sound. Even through the grass, the scaled feet were careful not to rustle a single blade. It perched itself on the rock Maxi slept against as Kilik sat in meditation. A clawed hand slipped under Maxi's chin, about to slit his tender throat.

A resounding thwack on the creature's head awoke Maxi, as he looked eye to eye with a lizard the size of a man. The lizard recoiled from the strike of Kali-Yuga, but hissed and bared his teeth in a challenging manner.

"A servant of Astaroth! No doubt left behind after the massacre!" Kilik informed Maxi, readying Kali-Yuga for another attack.

"No wait!" Maxi yelled, but Kilik was already twirling Kali-Yuga, hitting the lizard beast with each revolution. He brought down Kali-Yuga on the lizardman's head, and again across the back. Maxi jumped in, holding the handles of Soryuju tight and caught Kali-Yuga's next strike. The lizardman, injured and obviously outmatched, took the opportunity to run.

"What are you doing!? He is the enemy!" Kilik shouted angrily.

"You said that thing serves Astaroth. My bet is that it will go straight back to its master, it'll lead us right to that giant ax murderer!"

"What purpose would that serve?" Kilik furrowed his brow.

"'What purpose'? 'What purpose'!?" Maxi's voice became angrier with each word. "Only the avengement of my entire crew's murders! That's the purpose it would serve!" Before Kilik could answer, Maxi tucked Soryuju into his violet sash and was in top speed pursuit of the lizardman. The creature was heading northeast, straight into the Banok forest.

"Maxi! Maxi don't go in there!" Kilik yelled, running after him. Maxi either didn't hear or didn't care about Kilik's warning, he ran straight after the fleeing lizard. Kilik stopped short at the border of the trees. They were taller, older and grew thicker than the surrounding forests. A thick fog hung in the air amongst the trees no matter what time of day. The locals never went near it, for it was common knowledge it was a festering tangle of evil and sorrow.

But Maxi was in there.

Kilik stepped into Banok, and broke into a run to catch up with him. The lizardman tried to lose his pursuer, criss-crossing the jungle's growth, but Maxi was spurred on with the promise of revenge. Step for step he matched the lizardman's pace. Kilik struggled a good distance behind following the footprints left in the moist soil of the ground, and the sound of the plant life being crushed underfoot.

"Maxi!" He tried again to slow his friend, "Stop! Wait! You're being lead into a trap!" Maxi was too focused now, Kilik's shouts fell on ears deaf with the obsession of revenge. Maxi blindly continued to follow the lizardman. He came into a small clearing and slid to a halt. There was no sign of the lizardman. The tracks simply stopped, there were no longer sounds of the lizardman's running. There was a small crack from above, a twig fell at Maxi's feet. He pulled out Soryuju, and made his senses become more attuned to his surroundings. The lizardman abruptly dropped out of the tree a few feet from Maxi. Then another lizardman dropped from his perch, and landed softly on the ground. And another. Two more rose from behind the bushes, these two dressed in armor, holding swords and shields, no doubt picked off their past victims.

Maxi was surrounded.

Together, the lizardmen rushed Maxi, claws slashing. Soryuju held them off, striking one on the head, another's sword flew out of its owner's hand, crashing in the plants in the distance. Maxi ducked a high kick, then performed a high kick himself, his heel sent a lizardman spinning to the ground. Another one tried to bite his arm, but Maxi dodged and brought his fist down on the creature's snout, making the lizardman bite his own tongue. It cried out as its mouth dripped with blood. A thick yellow tail swept Maxi off his feet from behind. Once on the ground, the lizards came in for the kill.

A red rod slammed down on one of the lizardmen, the swept up, catching the reptile's chin and knocking him out. Kilik appeared, distracting the lizardmen long enough for Maxi to get back on his feet. The lizardmen kept up the attacks, Soryuju and Kali-Yuga bruised many parts of the lizard flesh, but they were still outnumbered; and more were coming.

"Maxi, we must retreat! Evil creatures will continue to gather to us if we stay!"

"But Astaroth! How else am I going to find him?" Three big red lizardmen appeared, fresh and eager for battle. "Well, maybe a strategic withdrawal isn't such a bad idea," Maxi agreed.

Kilik grabbed one end of Kali-Yuga and swung it in wide circles around his head, forcing the lizards to back up enough for the two men to have enough room to run and flip over their adversaries. Maxi cleared the heads of the reptiles, but Kilik's leg was caught, and he fell to the ground in the midst of the beasts. In the scuffle, Kilik felt fangs dig deep into his shoulder.

Maxi took a deep breath and yelled as light surrounded his body and flowed into Soryuju. By the time the lizardmen were within striking range, Soryuju had been fully charged with Maxi's power of soul. The nunchaku pounded scaled heads, knocking one lizard to the ground after the other. When there were only two lizards standing, they retreated, hissing at Maxi as they did so.

Maxi kneeled near Kilik who was still on the ground. His jacket was skewed slightly, revealing the fang marks of the lizardman. The bitten flesh, was bleeding, but was also crusted with a yellow-green gooey substance.

"Eeeeeesh! That's a gross one. I wouldn't be showing that battle scar to the ladies if I were you." Kilik didn't respond, turning paler as the seconds passed. "Hey come on, that was just a nip on the shoulder, what's all the fuss about?"

"Poison," Kilik was finally able to say, "Lizardmen have poisonous fangs. I must meditate, if my body slows enough it may smother the toxins. It will take a few days.... Leave me here..." Kilik's eyes rolled back, and his body became limp.

Maxi stood up slowly, thinking, Maybe I should just leave him here... Heck if it weren't for him, I'd still be rolling on the high seas with my crew. If he never showed up in that town a lot of people would still be alive and happy...Maxi stood and walked away from Kilik's fallen form.

He hesitated. "I'm must be getting soft," he mumbled disgusted with himself. He returned to Kilik, sliding Kali-Yuga into Kilik's mirrored sash. "Lousy son of a weasel. You're going owe me big time for this," he muttered under his breath as he pulled Kilik's body on his shoulders and began trudging back the way he had entered into Banok forest.

By mid-afternoon, Maxi had finally found his way out of Banok. He did not stop to rest, but continued along the road until Banok was far in the distance. Only then did he set Kilik's body down and allowed himself some sleep.

The next morning, Maxi checked if Kilik had won over the poison, but he was still as meditative as ever. Hauling the body on his shoulders once more, Maxi walked in silence. This pattern continued for three days. Each morning Maxi tried to awaken Kilik; each time, no response. He was beginning to lose hope of Kilik ever awakening.

* * *

"Odaba? Do you see something?"

"Yes, child, a man with dark hair and white clothes carries another man with a red coat. The man in red is in need of my medicine. Bring them here to me, Tani, and be quick, he does not have long to live."

"As you say Odaba," the young girl pulled back the curtain that acted as the front door to the old woman's hut. She strapped on her sandals, tying sloppy knots in her haste. Wasting no time, she took off running down the overgrown path and turned on to the main road.

* * *

"Still not with me, eh?" Maxi mumbled checking Kilik's pulse, as Kilik's body lay propped up against a tree. The pulse was nearly gone. "Well you better not kick the bucket after I've carried you this far that's for sure!" Maxi shouted at him. As he turned around to build a fire for the night, a young girl suddenly stood a few feet from him, smiling broadly. Her hair was tied up in two long braids, she wore loose clothing that looked quite worn through, and her face was sprinkled with freckles. Maxi stared back at her, not smiling at all.

"Can I help you with something?" he asked slowly.

"No, but I can help you with something. My name is Tani. Follow me to Odaba, she will cure your friend, she is very wise and has many cures."

"How did you know he needed curing?"

"Odaba told me," she said watching a butterfly pass her face. "She knows many things. She teaches them to me." She stepped over towards Kilik, Maxi took a step to block her. "Do not worry, I won't harm him. See? I have no weapons," she said as she spun around to prove her point. She pushed past Maxi and knelt down to Kilik. She took his cold hand in hers and stroked it gently. "So many burdens on his heart..." she mused.

"Now wait a second, missie, I'm telling you right now, I don't have much money so if this is some kind of scam—"

Slap! Maxi touched his face with more surprise than pain. She moved fast.

"How dare you! Odaba has no need of material wealth! She is good and helps those that would do her harm! If I ever hear you speak of her like that again I'll make you wish you hadn't! Now pick up your friend and follow me!" She turned on her heel and waited on the road for him to do as she said.

Maxi took a deep breath and picked up Kilik once more. It wasn't much of a miracle, but taking a chance on this 'Odaba' was the only chance Kilik had.

* * *

"In there," Tani pointed to the hut. Maxi, with some difficulty, maneuvered Kilik inside, laying him down on the cot Tani indicated. Soon after a very, very, very old woman came into the room. She was dressed in a tangle of rags, all clinging to her bony frame. What little hair she had left was silvery, and thin. Her fingernails, long and chipped, were a discolored yellow. When she opened her mouth to speak, only a few remaining teeth came to view.

"Maxi."

"How did you know—?"

"Do not interrupt me young man. I must ask you to wait outside while I tend to Kilik."

"But how—?"

"Tani, get this buffoon out of my way," Odaba waved off Maxi's questions. Tani giggled and took Maxi's wrist pulling him outside. Odaba laid her knarled hand on Kilik's forehead, feeling deep into his mind. "My, but you are far away... I warn you, young man: this is going to hurt."

Kilik's heart beat a little faster.

~*~*~

*Phew* This is getting harder now that the Soul Calibur profiles just say that Kilik and Maxi "endured many hardships". O_o; Talk about vague! Any suggestions are welcomed for "hardships" later on. Leave your suggestions and opinions in a review, or email them to me: kinoyui@yahoo.com

Thank you for reading!

^_^ ~Xiantau