Thank you Miiake for the continued support! At least someone is reading this and that makes me feel good. ;; Well here's the new chapter. Enjoy.
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As the shock passed Shihu-Danhu continued to walk, mumbling to himself. Jahlo followed, keeping step with the fidgety little magician as if she was his shadow. I lagged a bit behind due to the weight of my task. Kaorin hadn't awoken since she has passed out in the forest. Her breathing was ragged and forced. Only more reason to rush this operation.
Shihu-Danhu held up a vial of blood he had taken from the Mamool Ja.
"Got the blood. The Hezrakk leaf is grown by the Mamool Ja to feed their animals. It shouldn't be too hard to find"
A place filled with those beasts. Great. He had no idea where the leaf was either. It certainly bolstered my confidence.
"I've seen the leaf. They grow it by the river that runs through Mamook. I think I can lead you to a place it may be located.", Jahlo said expertly. Even she didn't know where it was and she looked as professional as they come.
"Oh, Prior!", Shihu-Danhu said spontaniously. "I forgot to introduce you! Prior this is Jahlo Teshkondo, she's an Immortal"
"Pleased to meet you.", Jahlo nodded.
I nodded in return. "What's an...Immortal"
"I am a servant of the Empire. I am a guardian of the Astral Candescence. I am a blue mage. I am everything and anything.", she answered, almost chant-like.
"That's...great..", I mumbled to myself.
We passed by the jade banners and I felt we had truly passed the gate of no turning back. Once we were in we needed to get what we needed and back the hell out. I would leave the combat to Jahlo and Shihu-Danhu. She seemed disgustingly powerful and he could make himself useful somehow. I decided I would occupy my time with Kaorin. Simply making sure she was ok and didn't die prematurely.
The ground began to take a downward slope into a cavern. The cave was lit within by torches spaced evenly on teh walls. They cast gloomy shadows on the moss caked walls. Shihu-Danhu and Jahlo were silent. I could see it in their eyes that this was it. This was what it all came down to. Our survival. Shihu-Danhu was so small he was barely noticeable in the mild illumination cast by the torches. Jahlo was crouched in what I shall term to be a 'stealth walk'. Her footfalls muffled due to the precision with which she took each step. There I was, with two expert adventurers and I was clomping along like a riks in heat.
Jahlo peered around a bend in the cavern. After a moment I took a look for myself. The hall stretched out before us for quite a ways. Illuminated as it was, it looked abandoned.
"None in sight. It is safe.", Jahlo whispered.
I tried to follow them as quietly as I could and that took some serious effort. I know what you're thinking. You could do better. Ok, go to the most dangerous place you know. Preferably one that if you were caught you would be torn limb from limb. Then have someone fall unconcious due to poison intake. Pick up this person in your arms and wander aimlessly around the aformentioned dangerous place and see how you like it. Regardless, I managed to muffle my footsteps just a little by crouching slightly. It was uncomfortable, but I would be a lot more uncomfortable if I were caught by the Mamool Ja. As my legs began to shake with muscle fatigue a faint light appeared at the end of the tunnel. Not an artificial light, but pure,yet dim, sunlight. As we reached the mouth of the cavern we gaved out upon the open area before us. The sprawl consisted of an upper level or cliffs connected by crude wooden bridges with a lower, lush green courtyard in the center. It was beautiful if you ignored the violent lizardmen. Only a few Mamool ja milled about in the center enlousure below us.
"Hmm..", mumbled Jahlo through her veil. "This isn't good"
She pointed at one spear wielding Mamool Ja in particular.
"That's the Strifelord Barool ja. He's one of the Mamool Ja generals. Dangerous beyond words.", she told us.
"I'm guessing the leaf is down there?", I whispered.
She nodded in confirmation. Splendid. Our only hope to keep Kaorin alive lie within sight of a dangerous Mamool Ja general. Not to mention the other nameless Mamool Ja that roamed the pit below us.
"Don't worry. I have everything under control"
She certainly seemed confident. No reason not to believe her considering what she did to that other Mamool. The soft swish of a weapon being drawn was heard as Jahlo unsheathed two rediculously decorated sabers. Each was identical and heavily curved. The curve tapered toward the handle and gold filligree was emblazoned along the blade. Auric wire was twisted on either side of the blade at the handle to form a heart-like shape. All in all they were tremendously elegant swords.
She pointed to a patch of tall grass along a small stream that ran through the center of the courtyard.
"Shihu, Grab the grass while I hold off the Mamool Ja. When you get it, get out of here. As fast as possible"
"What about you?", Shihu-Danhu said, looking like tears were about to well in his eyes.
"Just get out. Make the antivenom and bring the girl and Mr. Prior to Al Zahbi"
"You'll die, Jahlo"
"I'll be fine. I'm an Immortal after all"
With that statement she bolted headlong out of the cavern and practically dove off the cliff. With a small yelp Shihu-Danhu puttered down the cliff after her. What I saw then almost made my jaw fall off.
As Shihu-Danhu scrambled for the leaf Jahlo was taken notice of by the two Mamool Ja and the Strifelord. With a menacing growl the Strifelord ordered the others to attack. Jahlo looked unfazed by this act of aggression. She almost seemed to be goading them on. The first lizard warrior swung his makeshift sword in a downward arc. This was countered by Jahlo's right hand sword, her wrist twisting from the strong impact. The Mamool's crude weapon was deflected downward and the beast thrown off balance. The Strifelord came next with a vicious upward lance thrust. Another parry by Jahlo. She spun 180 degrees and brought the weapon she had used to deflect the warrior's sword up in a slash across the Strifelord's chest just as she used her left weapon to block an incoming stroke from the third Mamool. By this time the first warrior had recovered and roared his displeasure as he brought his sword about once more in a midsection sweep. Holding off the other two beasts, Jahlo thrust her azure-booted foot out as a quick solution. The impact must have been harder than it looked because the Mamool's weapon tumbled out of his hands and landed a few meteres from the conflict. The Strifelord saw that she was only standing by one leg and brought his spear about in a low sweep. The handle connected with Jahlo's calf and sent her tumbling to the earth. Here is where most normal warriors would be struck dead. Hell, I'd be struck dead too. But Jahlo wasn't a 'normal' fighter per se. She was beyond that. Using her right sword like a lever she stuck it into the earth and hoisted herself into the air with it. Becoming totally vertical and splaying her legs she struck the two Mamool Ja warriors in the throats with the ends of her boots. The impact was far more intense than would be expected from a girl her size. Gurgling, the warriors backed off. Jahlo righted herself and stood, swords displayed like deadly trophies. The Strifelord looked disgrunted. Probably because his unholy strength couldn't defeat a slender girl such as Jahlo. His anger seemed to be released in a terribly barbarous lunge with his lance. The spear head sailed through the air, aimed directly for Jahlo's heart. I worried for her then, the strength of that onslaught was far beyond what a normal man could stop. Then I thought again, "But she's not normal"
The spear whizzed to within inches of her heart when, "Ching!", she crossed her swords before her and trapped the weapon between them. It was an amazing feat, I'm sure she was grinning under her veil. She pulled the weapons apart with a resounding clash as the Strifelord's spear was torn in two. The useless pieces clattered to the ground. She wasn't done yet though. Swinging her swords in an arc, blue energy began to pour into her. She tossed her right hand sword into her left hand and caught it as she held out her hand,palm outwards. A crack, a violet light as a blast eminated from her outstreched arm. The burst struck the Strifelord and he was engulfed in roiling purple energies. His body was thrown back quite a distance. He struck the ground, stunned. Jahlo passed the sword back into her right hand and stood triumphantly.But it was too early to celebrate. What she didn't see was the other Mamool Ja warriors that had crept up behind her. One brought his weapon about in a brutal swing. The teeth of the weapon connected with Jahlo's lower back with a sickening, sucking sound. As her blood spread from the wound the other Mamool Ja was preparing himself to attack from the left. By this time Shihu-Danhu had returned with a sample of the leaf clutched in his small hand. He was tugging at my robe, telling me it was time to leave. I didn't want to leave Jahlo like this. I didn't want to abandon her to her fate. But me and Shihu-Danhu had no chance of survival against these beasts. It was now or never. Reluctantly, I agreed to leave. It wasn't my initial choice, but I believed in Jahlo and her ability to make it through alive. I turned my back and followed Shihu-Danhu into the cavern. I would save Kaorin, for Jahlo's sake.
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Once again, suspense! O.O;; If anyone has suggestions, I'm open to them. Hell, if you'd like to see a certain character of a type of character I'll find a way to fit 'em it. It's all fun...so word up and all that good stuff.
-peace-