Chuma was always the first of the tarks to wake up in the morning and one of the last to go to sleep other than Millikan. He was staying in the other room, sharing a bed with Jabari who used him as a pillow the whole night. Now he was stuck with a crook in his shoulder and his chest feeling like it was going to cave in.
Walking pass the other tarks as he made his way to the bathroom to get to the other room. Making sure to slam the bathroom door as loud as possible, to wake the others. He entered the other room and looks around, eyes landing on Millikan who was still laying on the bed.
"Millikan." Chuma walks over to the side of the bed and looks at rain who was still asleep with his arm around Millikan midsection, his face buried under his hair. He didn't think much of it as he looks back at Millikan who was staring at the ceiling. "There is something I forgot to mention to you about the forbidden forest."
"What about it?"
"A couple of months ago I recalled some of the elder tarks speaking of msasi."
"Msasi, you mean those that hunt…"
"Tarkata, ndiyo." Chuma nods his head. "I for one don't really care about the masasi. But I think it's best you are aware of the looming threat they we may face in the forest."
"Asante Chuma." Millikan looked down at Rain who stirred then lifted his head.
"What's this about msasi? I am unfamiliar with the term." Rain yawned as he rolled over and sat up in the bed, kicking his legs over the side as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Chuma, tell everyone to get ready to go soon." Millikan sat up and stretched his arms over his head. He grabs his shirt off the night stand and pulls it over his head. "Is there another route to shao Kahn fortress, one that doesn't require us to go through the forest?"
Rain was already standing up, haven put on his shirt on as well. He turned around to look at Millikan with a questioning look. "There is an alternate route through the mountains but it would make more sense to go through the forest instead, that way we can reach the fortress by sundown."
"Yeah." Millikan sighed.
"Something wrong Mill?"
"For the past decade there been this group of nomads who go around hunting tarks for game and profit. And I don't want to risk losing any of my men in the forest."
"I see." Rain looks at the other tarks who were up and getting themselves ready. "I will be with you so that should deter them."
"Probably." Millikan stood up and goes into the bathroom. He hoped rain was right about that, then again the fact that those nomad's hunted tarks made it seem like they wouldn't care about casualties.
There was no doubt in Millikan mind that the thugs handing out side of the inn were Black dragon. Fifteen of them dressed in what looked like black military uniforms with the black dragon insignia patch on the arm sleeves. The other two were dressed differently than the others, which concludes the fact that they were in charge. A blonde headed male with a ninja GI and red headed dagger wielding female.
The female seemed to be complaining to the blonde male about something that had to do with earth realm. Millikan can really care less about the conversation, he just wanted to get his men out of the Inn but they seemed to be blocking the way as they crowded the entrance. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rain walk past him and out the door.
"Excuse me." Rain says to one of the thugs standing in his way. The man just looks at him but steps out of the way. He looks back at Millikan and motions for him to follow. Millikan shrugs and follows Rain outside, the others walking right after him in a single line.
"What the…aye Kira look." The blonde nudged the female known as Kira, pointing at the tarks.
"I didn't know they grew hair?" Kira said out loud, looking directly at Millikan. Sensing someone was looking at him, Millikan looks back to see Kira who quickly looks away. "Come on Kobra, we better get moving or we won't hear the last from Kabal." She takes something out of her back pocket and tosses it on the ground. A red and black portal appearing just a few feet away. One by one the black dragon stepped through the portal which disappears after the last one picks up the item off the ground. Millikan looks at Rain with squinted eyes.
"Don't give me that look." Rain rolled his eyes as he headed to the ferry station. The morning Ferry was just about set to go out and luckily it was empty except for the man that they talked to the other day.
"Still need those horses?" The man asked as soon as he saw the group.
"Yes, we do. And a carriage would be nice as well. We have koin to pay for it too." Rain looks over at Millikan waist and reaches over, grabbing the black pouch off his hip. The man nods and motions to two other standing nearby.
"Two horses and a carriage." The man calls out. "I'll have them ready in no time, so I suggest you all get on the ferry and wait there."
"Gura." Millikan motions for everyone to get on the ferry. It was big enough to carry 40 people over the river, which was only a one hour ride across. As soon as everyone got settled on the ferry. The two horses and the carriage was loaded on after them. And since they were the first ones to get there, the other people waiting to get on the ferry had to wait their turn.
Millikan stood at the front of the Ferry, leaning against the railing as he looked out at the river, more at the foggy forbidden forest on the other side. No matter what season it was in Outworld, that forest always had some supernatural fog surrounding it. The fog didn't pose any danger but it made it difficult for those with no sense of direction to get lost in it. Probably why those hunters chose that place as their hunting ground. Not many tarks ventured through there and come out with the horde they travelled with. Millikan just hoped that they get through the forest as fast as possible, no breaks.
"You seem really worried about the…msasi, did I say that right?" Rain stood next to Millikan leaning back on the railing. Millikan nods his head as he continued to stare at the forest as if he was expecting something to pop out of the fog. "Are they really that much of a threat?"
"They hunt tarkatans like wild animals. Nobody knows how they do it or why but it just really…unsettling to know that something out there has their sights set on my kind." Millikan gritted his teeth in irritation. "I just hope I can get all of them through the forest in one piece." He says looking over at the other tarks.
"You make a great leader Millikan." Rain lightly touched Millikan bicep. "But you let your thoughts get to you too much. You need to have more faith in your men or else it all just goes downhill."
"Do you really think I'm a good leader Rain? I killed one of my own for biting me."
"You were simply defending yourself, and beside you said it yourself. It's common for that to happen."
"It could have been prevented though. He would still be alive if I subdued him another way."
"Yes…sure…like you would have the time to think about a right way to subdue someone who is losing their minds and bites you on the arm. Out of instinct you slammed him to get him off. Honestly Mill, you are more dangerous with a brain." Rain patted his bicep twice then grips his shoulder. "Sometimes it's best if we just put those type of thoughts in the back of our minds, it makes things much…easier to handle."
Millikan stared down at Rain then sighs "I suppose you are right."
"No. I am right. I been around long enough to know that thinking in the past will prevent you from moving ahead." Rain notice Millikan brows raised slightly. "And I also know that you don't like swimming so if you say anything I don't like, you will be swimming the rest of the way."
"I won't, I just like seeing that face you make when you assume I'm going to make a joke about your age." Millikan grinned. Rain pulls his mask over his face and walks away in a hasty manner. "Oh come on, I didn't even say anything offensive." He chuckled as he watch Rain go over to the horses, petting one of them on the head.
They reached the shore and quickly got off the ferry. Millikan wanting to get moving as quickly as possible through the forest. He ordered all the tarks to get inside of the carriage while he and Rain sat up front. Millikan made sure to put on his mask, just in case. It gave him a bit of hope that these hunters went by sight and not smell, or else they would have some trouble.
"We should keep on the north pathway, the fog is less dense and will be able to see what ahead of us." Rain tells Millikan as the go on the front of the carriage. Rain took the reins and shakes it, making the horses move forward.
"Can they go faster?" Millikan asked after about ten minutes. Eyes looking to the left and right, a slight state of paranoia kicking in. Rain shakes the reins, the horses starting to trot.
"You need to relax." Rain says as he kept his eyes on the path ahead. Millikan heavy breathing and shifting was starting to make him feel uneasy. If only he had some wine for Millikan to drink but that might not work if Millikan was so focused on the forest that he wouldn't dare take a sip of wine. "Millikan."
"Nini?" Millikan almost shouted out. Rain head whipped in his direction, finding the shout unnecessary. "Sikitika Rain."
"Tell me something about traditions, do your people celebrate birthdays or holidays?"
"We celebrate birthdays but it's not anything extravagant. Just a small get together around the fire where we all have a drink and eat our favorite dish." Millikan scratched an itch on his right arm forearm. "As for holidays, not so much."
"Really?"
"We don't have holidays. I mean we do have a festival celebrating the death of warriors."
"Ah." Rain nods. "Are there any other traditions, like…relationships? I assume there some rules about mating right?"
"Only the Kiongozi chooses who is and isn't allowed to breed. Other than that there is no rule against mating. We are basic when it comes to those things. Find someone to mate with during the season or for life."
"The Kiongozi…is that your father Baraka?"
"For the past 50 years." Millikan looks to his right, eyes focused on the trees. Rain nudged his arm to grab his attention.
"And how does one become Kiongozi?" Rain wanted to keep Millikan talking, keep him focused on anything other than their surroundings.
"My father was next in line after his father. The next one in line to become Kiongozi when my father dies is my brother Abasi."
"You don't want to be the next Kiongozi?"
"I thought about it but then I take one look at my father and go nope." Millikan shook his head no. "It's hard taking such a responsibility. Having to care for eleven tarks is bad enough. I can't imagine being in charge of a horde."
"Well you are doing great so far." Rain commented. Just as things were starting to settle down and Millikan wasn't on a verge of having a nervous breakdown. A large brown fur dog jumps out in front of the horses spooking them. "Damn." Rain pulled back on the reigns as the horses neighed and stomped there hooves. They eventually calmed down as the dog just stood there staring at them. Millikan and Rain exchanged a look as they tried to figure out why the dog was just sitting the middle of the path.
"I'll get it." Millikan moved to get off the carriage but was stopped by rain grabbing his arm.
"I got it, stay here." Rain hands Millikan the reigns and teleports in front of the horses. He took a steps forward and waved his hand, trying to shoo the dog away. "Get out of here mutt." He shouted at the dog but it made no move to run away. Rain frowned and sprays a jet a water at the dog finally getting it to run off into the trees. Rain teleports back on the carriage next to Millikan and takes the reigns back. "That was a strange dog." He says as he shakes the reigns, getting the horses to move once more.
"You telling me." Millikan laughed nervously as he looks in the direction the dog ran off to. He was getting a weird feeling in his gut that something was going to go terribly wrong. He looks over at Rain who seems focused on the path ahead. He scooted over til their shoulders touched, feeling slightly better. Rain didn't seem to mind, just merely glance at Millikan without turning his head. Maybe he was just overreacting.