Chapter 4:
Tomb of the Brotherhood
Akuco still refuses to like his partner Aerne, as he reluctantly holds her round the waist, her itchy fur against his scales. If he did not wear his vest, he would be constantly irritated on his front. Being reduced to his current position makes him feel degraded, because he wanted to be the one controlling the bakhora in flight. Aerne just assumes he knows nothing, and that is also true when it comes to flying. He only endures it, because of the sights all around them. He has never seen his region from above before. The highest he ever got were the hills surrounding the watering hole he often went to, so he could collect fresh mineral rich water with his father. Sadly, he will have to do it on his own, now that he is old enough to take care of himself. Dazethes often told him he did it on his own, but he was never witness to it, mostly because he had not yet been conceived. When his father used to take him at a young enough age to learn, not do, Akuco recalls that Achakzoa the war chief was always with him. But seeing his home from up here just feels like freedom, and he doubts he will ever get used to it.
"You're pretty quiet, Akuco," Aerne wonders.
"I'm just enjoying seeing my home from up here, that's all," Akuco replies.
"Have you never flown before?"
"No. I prefer the water."
"Eww. Water is all wet and soggy. It's horrible."
"But aren't you supposed to like water?"
"What makes you say that?" She glances over her shoulder at him.
"I mean. Your species. I've been thinking about it ever since I first admired you, and I think I know what your species may be now."
"You admired me? That's so sweet, Akuco."
Akuco is soon blushing discreetly. "N-no. Not like that at all."
Aerne just simply laughs. "Aww. I've never seen a crocodile blush like you before."
"Please stop it, Aerne. My heart belongs to no one other than Sheisk."
"Is she your girlfriend or something?"
"Yes. She is. She's my world, and no one will stop me loving her like I do. Not even my father."
"Yet you are also important to the Evari Havara clan. You have to choose, you know."
"Choose what? Neither my father nor Chief Reptilitz have told me anything. I'm apparently 'not ready' to learn of my role as both of them put it." Am I being too rebellious?
"Yes. I can see that you need to think about this more. You are important to both clans, and deep down you also know this." She looks back ahead again. "And once we fly over that ridge there, you'll be in an entirely new region. No Dylarocian rules to worry about."
"Ridge?" He manages to glance over Aerne's shoulder to see how close the ridge is getting, but then something catches his eye. Minute of course, but Akuco still noticed it. "Wait!" He watches the bakhora look to the shadow of the mountain again.
"Huh?"
"The bakhora. She hears something down there."
"Where?"
"In the shadow of that mountain there." He points at the mountain in question, and Aerne directs the bakhora there after she too notices her look that way as if she hears something. Akuco is hoping the bakhora is reacting to the Brotherhood, meaning they made it to the Cerbist Ruins and escaped but could not get back. The worst thing would be that they did not even reach their destination before getting shot down, and now he is even more hopeful the Brotherhood are down there. However, the clan member mentioning that something happened at the Cerbist Ruins makes Akuco go back to his first theory, that the Brotherhood are trapped inside.
"Maybe it's the bakhora patrol that hasn't called in yet, down there."
"I guess that could be why she's reacting like this," Akuco replies. But all I want to know is that the Brotherhood and Kaietha are safe.
Aerne glances over her shoulder at Akuco once more, and he receives a look of wonder. "Don't look so worried, Akuco. I'm sure whoever you are looking for is alright."
"I hope you are right." As all three of them get closer, Akuco clearly sees that it is indeed the bakhora patrol incapacitated on the ground with arrows in their bodies. The only one still able is a male bakhora, crying for help because that is all he can do. He too has the same weapons in his body and is unable to move. Saddening, due to the pain he must be feeling.
Aerne gasps. "They're incapacitated!"
"Then we must do something to help them!"
"How? We'll never carry such weight back!"
"They're the patrol, right? One of them must have a means to contact the station."
As the bakhora is just about to land, Akuco jumps onto the ground and rushes to the one that was calling. His first impulse is to relieve the poor creature from its pain, and he repeats this for all of them before Aerne has even reached him. On the ground by a large rock, he leaves the arrows he pulled out. Not to his surprise it is the same fletching, plucked from raven down.
"It figures it'd be the exact same fletching. The same arrows as a whole even."
"Akuco?"
"Huh?" He turns and Aerne tosses him some cloth.
"Pressurise the wounds if they are bleeding. I will do the same."
"Okay. But should we take out the arrows from the patrol?"
"It might be best."
"Understood." Akuco gets the job done quickly, tossing each arrow aside and placing pressure on the wounds that bleed. Aerne does in turn, tie bandages with a healing paste on where the arrows struck them. Akuco therefore, is not surprised she is prepared for anything. Always one step ahead. In her hand, she holds a contact radio.
"Anyway. I better contact the bakhora station," Aerne states, before placing the contact radio to her mouth and speaking. "Are you receiving?"
"Receiving you. Over," the station master replies, albeit unclear due to the walkie-talkie.
"We found the patrol. They're all incapacitated including the bakhora, which are all paralysed. We only found them due to the resilience of one male, able to call for help. Whoever shot them down is a very skilled archer. Over."
"Who could possibly have the skill to shoot them out of the sky?"
"Not sure. But it looks like it may be a raven. The fletchings on the handmade arrows are all raven in origin. Over."
"How far did they reach? Over."
"In the shadows of the mountains to the west."
"That's such a journey. Thank you for finding them. I will contact the station at Bakhora Marsh, and ask for their assistance. Over and out."
"Over and out."
"So I guess we have done all we can," Akuco states.
"Yes. All that matters now is our mission. But now that we know this archer's skill, we need to plan." She returns the walkie-talkie to the patrol member she borrowed it from.
"As they are this skilled, how will we outsmart them?" Akuco asks as he heads back to the large bird.
"The best we can do is find the blindspots." She heads back to the bakhora and mounts it, followed by Akuco. As the bird lifts off, Akuco goes into thought.
If they have any blindspots. I'm doubting this because it seems this archer never misses a target. Having the skill to shoot down a bakhora and its rider means they have very sharp eyesight. He pauses as he watches the ridge disappear behind him from below. I guess we won't know until something happens when we reach our destination. Let us hope Aerne is as skilled as she says she is, because I'm definitely nowhere close to her level. Neither on the ground nor in the air.
Akuco has never been out of his home region before, so everything he is now seeing from above is new to him. Not a single place is recognised as he admires the entire area. Yes, he might know that the Cerbist Ruins are past the western swamp, but on the other side of the ridge he has no clue where. Perhaps he is glad that it seems like Aerne knows her way around, but he did not expect her to speak with him again until they reached the location, except, that is exactly what she does.
"So, Akuco. How do you find this region of the north?"
"Not sure." He looks around again, just to be certain. "I don't know it at all."
"Well. It's not much bigger than the Dylaroc Marshes you are used to. Mostly plains and fields on this side. And the mountains behind us near the coast. Nothing else really to see, though there is the Avia Vada clan in the mountains to our right."
"So that means they are nearest to the ruins, right?"
"Precisely. The ruins should come into view for us shortly at this speed. But be prepared for a small battle in case our enemies are by the ruins too."
"Understood. I can fight on land, I'm just not at your level. You look like you can handle yourself well in a fight."
"So do you, Akuco. Not everyone can stand again after being struck down by a dylaroc. Yet here you are with me, acting like it was nothing."
"Oh, it was painful alright. Once the adrenaline stopped kicking in, that is." He then wonders how she knew about it. "But who told you about my wound?"
"The chief for one. But I already knew from the clan members. You probably didn't notice. But a lot of the tribe had been talking about you, especially those dylaroc scars of yours."
"I see. Anything else you heard?"
"Nothing else was interesting enough. I only needed to know the importance that you hold for both clans."
"And I consider that prying into my private life." Akuco soons gives her a frown.
"I'd never do such a thing," Aerne remarks innocently.
"Sure." He quickly holds tightly on her shoulders with a surprised cry, when she directs the bakhora downwards to lose altitude. Maybe she did that to spite him due to his sardonic reply. "Warn me next time!"
"You're not supposed to let go, you know. These bakhora are only meant for single riders. Besides, we need to fly low enough so we can see what happened at the ruins."
"And that makes us more vulnerable. Do you not consider that maybe this archer is down there?"
"Even if we're high, they'll still notice us. That is if this archer is down there."
"Either way. We'd be noticed less." Akuco then notices the ruins manifest from the dust, and he wonders why that would be. Why is there so much dust? It looks like the remnants of a collapse if I know my volumes of dust well. Is that what happened? A collapse? I hope the Brotherhood weren't inside. Worse. I hope the collapse didn't happen above them. That amount of rubble is literally a tomb.
Before he could think any further, he notices a figure on a column positioned as though they just aimed something. Moments later, he is thrown sideways at the same time the bakhora is controlled to dodge as he holds on for dear life, then watches an arrow with a red flickering light fly by. In seconds it changes to a static green, giving Akuco a feeling of dread. When he sees it coming back for them, he is quick to warn Aerne.
"Aerne! It's coming back!"
"What?!" Aerne turns her head and sees. "Damn it!" She rapidly causes the bakhora to flap her wings and lift in a desperate attempt to keep ahead of the homing arrow.
Akuco is gripping Aerne around her waist, trying to not squeeze tightly as they speed ahead to who knows where atop the bakhora's back, the arrow from earlier still following them. Akuco constantly checks over his shoulder, just to be sure that the shadower has not sped up.
"Is it still on our tails?!" Aerne shouts, while Akuco is still watching the arrow bee-lining straight for them.
"Yes!"
"What must I do to shake it off? Damn it all!"
"How can such an arrow exist?!"
"Because it's Aridgelow's! He makes his own!"
"Aridgelow?! Who's Aridgelow?!"
"He's known the world over, as the Demon Archer!"
"First I've heard of him!"
"Seriously! How?!"
"You know how! Father never tells me anything!"
"By our Maker! This is stupid! If I'd known those arrows were Aridgelow's, I'd never have brought you with me!"
"I'm literally dead weight back at the clan! I wasn't even supposed to be there yet! Besides! I want to be useful!"
"Then strike that arrow down, or it'll be chasing us until she tires!"
"No concern for me!"
"Use your powerful tail!"
"What?!"
"You heard me! Use it!"
"While flying through the air at fifty miles per hour?! Don't be ridiculous! I've never used my tail this way before!"
"Then this is gonna be close!"
"What?!" Akuco turns his attention forward, and swears that Aerne is leading the bakhora to a rock formation. "Wait! Are you insane?! We'll crash!"
"Got any better ideas?!" Akuco is speechless. "Then brace yourself!"
Aerne continues directing the bakhora towards the rock formation, despite Akuco being too scared to say anything. He refuses to open his eyes or look over his shoulder at the arrow flying towards them. Then his stomach nearly falls out of his mouth as the bakhora drops out of the sky. Above the trio, a chink of metal resounds which Akuco dares to look up at, before the entire column collapses towards them amidst a metallic explosion. He remains holding Aerne tightly as the bakhora dodges the falling rocks effortlessly, while carrying more weight than she would otherwise manage. Now Akuco believes that females may indeed be better in most things. So in silence, he just watches as the remains crash and nestle below, breaking up into a much more dangerous pile over the ground.
"Whew. That was close." He then looks at Aerne, ready to question. "But how did you know it would explode?"
"I didn't. I just wanted it to embed itself in the rock so we wouldn't have to keep fleeing."
"So maybe we can use this to our advantage."
"How so?" She strokes the bakhora in a gesture of thanks.
"Element of surprise." He pauses. "Maybe Aridgelow now thinks we died in the explosion."
"I see. Well done, Akuco. That's thinking like a samurai." She then directs the bakhora back to where they came from. "So if we can sneak up behind him, we can give him one good walloping."
"What?"
"I'm not happy that Aridgelow tried to kill me!"
Akuco is speechless once more, then goes into thought. So really you just seem to care about yourself. Typical girls. He nearly killed me and the bakhora too you know. I guess most girls are like Aerne, but not Sheisk. She cares more about me than you ever will. I do, however, hope that Ijiera doesn't act like Aerne here. I won't know though. Not until later when I have dinner with them. How would they treat me, sitting at their table? With his rant and wonders out of the way, he remains silent during the journey back to the ruins. But they only reach half way before Aerne quickly hides them above the clouds, the bakhora gliding along stealthily. All Akuco saw was a figure flying their way in the distance before getting blinded by white puffs of vapour, which in turn made him cough and splutter.
"Damn it. Why does he call for backup? The nerve."
"Who was that?" He is soon shivering when a cold breeze buffets them. "Man. Worse t-time to be c-cold blooded."
"Oops. Sorry, Akuco. I forgot you were there."
"Hey! I'm not that m-much of a d-dead weight!" He wraps his arms around himself, hoping that it will keep him warmer.
"Well you don't have much weight on you."
"Why I oughta..!"
"Shush. Do you want us to be found out?"
"Too cold up here." He quickly wraps his arms around Aerne again, relishing in her warmth. "Mmm. Such warmth."
"Don't make it a habit, mister. Wear some better layers."
"All I ever wear is my sash for important events and such, my loincloth and my vest when I'm not wearing my sash. It's warmer back down in the swamp. I never had to wear extra layers." He pauses as the bakhora dives back down through the clouds and low to the ground. "Anyway. You never answered my question. Who was that back there before we hid?"
"Chracer. A member of Aridgelow's group, and one of Khuzo's heartless bastards."
"I've never heard about any of them."
"Then I guess it can't be helped. You don't want to get involved in whatever is going on here. Maybe I should take you back."
"No. I wanted to go out in the first place, to find the Brotherhood. They haven't returned yet. I'm worried about them."
"But you don't even know anything about them."
"I know their names. I know their features. I even know their occupation. I trust them, because they protected my clan and me from the dylaroc that chased me, my little brother, and Jiszuzu." Speaking of Jiszuzu. When I get back, I'll check on him. Because I doubt he'll want to see me right now.
"And yet. You don't know their enemies, their personalities, their friends or even what you're getting yourself into. If they find out who you are, there's no telling what they might do to you, those you know and cherish, or even your clan. They're all demons."
Akuco soon thinks on what Aerne just told him, as the formation of the ruins begins to come into view once more. Is she right? Could the enemies of the Brotherhood really turn against a clan, just because one of them got in the way of their plans? Who even are they? And how will I fight them, if I can't even fight Druqaorok? Maybe she's had an experience in her past, but I will not pry. It's none of my business. Aerne then turns the bakhora to behind the ruins and has her hover silently before hopping off her back as though she were light as a feather. Akuco tries to copy her exactly, but ends up losing his balance as he slides off the bakhora onto his front.
"Seriously." Aerne remarks in a whisper of annoyance.
"What? It's not my fault!" Akuco replies louder than intended as he stands again, coaxing Aerne to shush him once more with a gesture of her hand, before hurrying against the wall of the Cerbist Ruins as close as she can. Akuco just watches her, unsure why she even needs to do something like this. Nothing threatening seems to be here, so why does she need to hide so close to it? Though he is confused by what Aerne is doing, he also believes she is being a fool. Considering the Brotherhood and the fact that there has been a collapse, he is perplexed as to why Aerne is heading to the front when the entrance would clearly be blocked off.
Without reason, Akuco strokes the bakhora on the side of her face, but then she simply heads off in the opposite direction acting as if she heard something, which surprises him. "Okay then." He decides to just walk alongside Aerne without acting the way she is, wanting to question, but knowing if he does they might be found out. As they near the entrance to the ruins, Akuco hears what sounds like someone or something barging into rubble. And then he hears a voice from inside, bringing his hopes up tenfold despite it being muffled. The most recognisable growl of annoyance even though he has only known him and the others for a few hours.
"Grr! I've had just about enough of you, Chaon! Quit it!"
"Shut up and get crushed already, red eyes!" Chaon shouts.
"It's a bandana, you idiot!"
"You will all still be crushed once I break through here!"
Raph! The Brotherhood! They're alright!
"Just try it you runt!" Raph continues.
Akuco is in hope that he can at least say something to Aerne, but just when he tries to open his mouth, she raises her hand in a way he does not understand. If it is a sign for him to keep quiet, then he shall remain silent. So he simply watches her peek around the corner, before witnessing her quickly hide again. Instantly, she makes a series of symbols with her hands that Akuco cannot decipher. What is she saying? I don't understand. Aerne glances at him, somewhat confused as to why he just stands there. Akuco shrugs at her, as if he can read her current emotions. All Aerne can do is facepalm herself with her head down. Her next remark is silent and mimed, but Akuco understands her clearly.
"Do you know anything?"
"Not when it comes to using your hands I don't." Akuco mimes back in annoyance, waving his hands around for effect. "I can lip read though."
"Too many words."
"So what did you say?"
"Go round the back."
"Huh?" Akuco frowns at her. She did not tell me to go round the back. There were too many hand signs for something so simple. But from what I heard, there is at least one other at the front. The one Raph called Chaon. He is soon hurrying behind Aerne, as she starts heading to the back. Is there a way in from the back too? And if so, why is Chaon still trying to get in from the front? Perhaps Leo and the others are figuring this out as well, not to Akuco's surprise. The turtles and Kaietha all seem to plan in advance, but Akuco doubts they planned for a collapse. Were their enemies here already, or did something else happen? There are so many questions he wants answers to, however, he will not get them currently, so he continues following Aerne to what he thinks is a way in from the back.
Not to Akuco's surprise, there is indeed a back way inside, but he is cautious just in case there may be any hidden traps lying around. From what he has heard about ruins in his childhood, they all have hidden booby traps protecting something of importance. Does the Brotherhood know about these hazards? Is that why they were asked? Akuco will never know until he witnesses them at work, but currently he is taking careful steps every time he moves, in all manner of ways.
"Akuco, what are you doing?" Aerne questions in perplexity.
"Checking for traps. What else would I be doing?"
"There are never any traps on this level in any places like this."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. I comb these particular places often, and I know what I'm looking for. I mean. If there were any traps this far up, they'd only be in the chamber that connects to the lower level, or in a chamber with something of importance."
"But what about dungeons?"
"Dungeons are just places of imprisonment for criminals." She is in wonder now. "Who even told you of this?"
"Em. Fantasy books?" His reply is intentionally sarcastic. He has never seen a book before, yet knows they exist.
"No wonder. But trust me. When I say there are no traps here, then I mean there are no traps here."
Akuco still cautiously follows her nonetheless, especially now that they are in the main chamber with foreboding statues of chimeric creatures lining the length of the room on either side. What if they come alive and attack them? It does not help that the snakes between them just glare with open mouths, in a way that makes Akuco think they are there to shoot poison darts. But the longer he looks at them, the more he can admire all the details. They each have two tails with a snake head on either side, the horns and hinds of a ram, the body and forelimbs of a lion, and a dazzling lion's mane that continues along the ridge of its back. An amazing creature to say the least.
As Akuco glances ahead however, he sees what looks like a furry snake with horns on the wall above a makeshift entrance in an S-shape. The body, though, has two limbs grasping a column on either side, and the mane makes even less sense. If it is supposed to be a snake, why does it have fur and limbs? More confusing are the single pair of long whiskers from its snout. If Akuco knows his snakes, then they definitely do not have whiskers. Once he nears the statue's head, he is adamant that it gave him a condescending glare, right through to his soul. He stops in fright, just staring back. Something is making him look, and it is not until Aerne elbows him in the gut with a force that winds him, that it breaks him from its hold.
"Akuco. Do not glare directly into her eyes if you want to sleep undisturbed tonight."
He is still suffering from the coughing fit Aerne's gesture had caused him, and only manages to speak once he recovers. "You didn't have to elbow me like that!" He holds his gut in a little pain. The nerve of her! How can someone this puny have so much strength? That hurt!
"And if I didn't, you'd still be trapped in that trance!"
"What trance?"
"The one you fell into, because you looked directly into the deity's eyes."
"Deity?"
"Yes. Her name is Jyesjia. She is a goddess of jewels, fear and darkness. The statue's eyes were made out of black diamond naturally formed, and tainted with evil when it was built many centuries ago, by a mage who worshipped her. Some say he is still alive now. But you can lose your mind just by blindly looking into her eyes. They might look pure, but they were chosen due to the fact that they looked like a serpent's eyes. The deep black in the shape of a pupil, is what draws you in. Weak minds and dark hearts are the first to be taken."
"And I guess those of greed are too?"
"Not exactly." She walks through the open mouth of the statue, and despite Akuco being unsure, follows her into another room. "Why though, did you think about greed?"
"Well. You said she is also the goddess of jewels, so I thought that meant greed."
"I see." Akuco soon receives another condescending glare, this time from Aerne.
"What now?"
"Whatever you do, don't think about stealing. Anything."
Akuco can tell she is being serious right now. "Okay, okay. Not that I even planned to steal something that isn't mine."
"So long as we've got that straight."
However, passing by a passage to his left, something starts drawing Akuco's attention to the shadows. Though unclear and foreign to him, he is certain they are voices of some kind. What are they saying? Why does he hear them? What could possibly be in there, calling him? Not wishing to follow his ears, he lets his legs carry him in Aerne's direction, only glancing behind to be sure no one is following, and meeting the glare of Jyesjia's statue once more. He is not coaxed to remain looking however, and that surprises him. Could it be because this chamber is protected from magic, or something else entirely?
Coming to the end of this chamber, the taste of dust fills Akuco's mouth. He coughs and splutters before covering his mouth with his arm and squinting through the darkness. Now he is certain that the Brotherhood may just be on the other side, under a tomb of rubble and debris. The quiet thudding from outside clears this up even more. But just when he tries to take another step forward, the unsheathing of a blade resonates around him as another is held against his neck in a headlock he did not see coming. Impulse has him grabbing the choking arm to pull it down and give himself breathing space.
"Where do you think you're going, little croc?" The unknown voice threats.
"Unhand him, Khuzo!" Aerne cries.
"Pyren. Deal with the little kitty."
"As you wish, Khuzo sir," Pyren says from behind.
Akuco tries to look towards Aerne after he hears the sound of flames, and then notices the weapon held by his throat. A spear. Unable to check behind in case his throat is slit, he plans his next move carefully.
"Now tell me, little croc. Where were you going?"
"Nowhere. Just strolling through these ruins." He tries to sound sincere.
"Aridgelow told me that a crocodile and jaguarundi had passed by on a bakhora. Would that be you two by any chance?"
"We're all pretty similar looking. Honest mistake."
"Aridgelow doesn't lie. I should know. I run this team."
If Akuco is to do something, then he needs to do it now if he wants to reach the Brotherhood. Recalling one of his lessons with Achakzoa, he is quick to calculate where the weight of his adversary is most likely going to be. But the question is this. How will he free himself from the headlock Khuzo holds him in, while also keeping the blade from his throat? His attention now focuses on Khuzo's form, height and build. Like Aerne, Khuzo seems smaller than him, but his strength alone belies his stature.
In one clean movement he lets go with his left hand and slots it over the spear wielding arm, grabs and pushes it down so the blade is off his throat, checks Khuzo in the back of the left knee with his ankle and throws him clear sideways with a shoulder roll. Khuzo crashes on the floor a short distance away and is winded, as Akuco readies himself for another confrontation.
"Go, Akuco! I can handle these clowns!" Aerne replies, before double kicking Pyren down as Akuco turns to her.
"Are you sure?" Akuco asks with concern.
"Yes! Now go! Check your friends are alright!"
"Okay." Akuco then hurries to where the Brotherhood are trapped, looking back only to see Aerne blocking the way through. He worries that Aerne may not handle both of them at once, but his mission is to free his friends, and nothing will stop him from fulfilling his task.
"Friends with the enemy!?" Khuzo shouts, perplexed. Akuco can tell he is up on his feet again.
"Oh! So you're all behind this!" Aerne shouts back.
"Out of my way, kitty!" Khuzo orders.
"I'll burn you to a charred little weakling!" Pyren threats. "All that fur. You'll be bald, vulnerable and cold."
"And then we'll stuff you on a spit and cook you!"
"You talk too much! But just try and get by me you mother..!"
Akuco is too far away to hear them any further, but knows exactly how Aerne's sentence would have ended. Heh! I never would've thought she had such a foul mouth on her. The surprise is how Khuzo and Pyren seem to be treating her. Nothing more than their plaything.
At the rubble, he tries to find a gap he can see and speak through, but no such opening can be seen. "Guys! Can you hear me?!" He calls.
"Akuco?" Don answers with relief.
"Is everyone okay?!"
"We're all just fine! Now get us the shell out of here!" Raph orders, yet Akuco can tell he is straining under weight from his voice.
"Raph! Calm yourself! The rubble is unstable as it is!" Leo states in annoyance.
The constant thudding from outside tells Akuco that Chaon is still trying to break through, and now he knows how bad it would be if he succeeds. Just by seeing the collapse and hearing the sound of its instability with the dust and masonry falling, the whole thing could cave any minute, with them inside.
"Chaon, I've had it! QUIT BARGING!"
Akuco too, wishes Raph would stop with the yelling, as even more rubble has just broken off from inside their tomb.
"I'll barge for as long as it takes, creep!" Chaon complies heartlessly.
"Raph! Stop yelling or you'll cause it all to collapse!" Don orders. "I need to think!"
"You've had plenty of time to damn well think on how to get us out of this mess!"
"Raphy, please," Kaietha pleads. "Think about your brother!"
"All the more reason to punch that damn raven's lights out!"
"What's happened to Mikey?!" Akuco asks, as he searches for any loose rubble to take off to hopefully give them some air.
"The damn raven happened!"
"You see, Akuco. Aridgelow used one of his exploding arrows to trap us under all this. Everyone except Mikey, managed to keep clear of the falling debris. I'm afraid his leg is trapped, and we can't get him loose. There's nothing here strong enough to use for leverage."
"I'm sorry, guys. I tried!"
"We know, Mikey. But you were hit on the head. I can heal wounds, I just can't heal concussions," Leo states.
"You just lay here and let the concussion pass," Don assures him.
"What about Raphael's strength?" Akuco asks.
"I wish, Akuco! But right now, I'm keeping all this rubble from falling atop us! I can't move! This weight is putting a lot of strain on me!"
"I'll try and clear an opening for you!"
"Wait, Akuco!"
"That isn't currently on my list, Don! I'm getting you all out of there!"
"Listen to him, Akuco!" Leo orders. "Go ahead, Don."
"So long as you don't remove any rubble that is holding immense weight, then this entire thing will remain stable," Don states. "I'd do it from here with my bo staff, but it is currently keeping the pressure off of Mikey's leg with Leo's stave."
"Can't you lever it off of him?"
"We tried that. It's too heavy for just the three of us," Leo informs.
"Can Kaietha help at all?"
"It's a nice offer, Akuco, but Raph cannot bear this rubble alone."
"Yes I can, Kai."
"No you can't, Raph! You tried that! You nearly fell to your knees! You can only carry a limited amount of weight! All this rubble is too much for you on your own."
"Sorry. I've always hated needing help. It makes me feel weak."
"We're a team. We work together, hun," Kaietha consoles, but it is clear to Akuco that she does not have the strength to lift much at all.
"Together we are stronger than unobtanium, Raph," Leo states. "Alone, we're a simple titanium pole, able to shatter into a million frozen pieces."
"When I break through, you'll all be flattened bloody pancakes with shells!" Chaon threatens from outside.
"Go get your horns stuck in a fence, you overgrown bull!" Raph argues back.
"I'm a buffalo, reptile!"
"Who cares?! You all look the damn same to me! Ugly, overgrown man-cows!"
"Grr! Yours will be the first skull I crack in two!"
"Just bring it, horn-head!"
Akuco is not sure, but he could have sworn he just heard a buffalo roar like a crazed-up lunatic. Do they hate each other that much? He thinks, as the barges out there increase in power and speed.
"Chaon! He's getting into your head, you imbecile!"
"I don't care! He's dead after those insults, Aridgelow!"
"Oh right! So Madith doesn't want them alive then!"
"Grr! Quit acting like Master Khuzo!"
"Then get it together already! You do realise I can just use another arrow if necessary! But that would mean dead captives, so High Mage Madith won't be pleased! All I'm saying is! Barging won't help! It'll just bruise you! You've been at it for a while and yet, you haven't gotten anywhere!"
Chaon loudly huffs through his nose from what Akuco could hear, then surprisingly the thuds all stop. This puts Akuco into thought all of a sudden. So I see. Khuzo is their master, and Aridgelow is their voice of reason. Though I do believe Leo is the master of the Brotherhood and their voice of reason, unless I'm wrong. He finally finds a loose piece of rubble, and pulls it clear from the pile before checking if anything else can be taken off. He wants to make a clear opening for him to get inside and help, or at the very least, give his friends some more air.
"Don! If I pull off loose rubble, does it lighten the load elsewhere?"
"No. But it makes it easier to climb without something sliding from underneath you."
"I see. I'm also trying to give you more air right now."
"You'd be better off taking rubble from the top then. But be careful. If you pull the wrong one, you could dislodge another above our heads."
"Understood." He then tells himself what he must do to help. Climb up. Clear loose ones I may step on. Pull off rubble from the top layer. Make sure I don't cause another to fall when I remove one. I can do this. I must do this. Brazen to the point he can trust himself to save his friends, begins the climb up the rubble to the top, clearing loose bits that he finds along the way.
Once at the highest point possible, he starts clearing away a part of the top layer on the side he knows his friends are nowhere near, pulling them clear and throwing them as far from the dangerous wall as he physically can. There is no way he will have any piece colliding with the lower layers unless no other option is viable. Making a big enough gap for him to easily pass through, he peers his head in to make casual eye contact and assess the current situation they have been forced into.
Not to his surprise, all five of them glance up at him, but his main concerns are Raph, Kaietha and Mikey. How will Mikey walk on his leg, when it has already been crushed under that heavy masonry before Leo and Don used leverage to weaken the weight of it? Raph may have a lot of strength, but it is clear that even with Kaietha helping to stabilise the weight of their tomb, that the pair of them can only hold it up for so long.
"Oh look. You've cleared a gap for us," Raph starts. "Now how the shell are we gonna get up there?!"
"I could climb back down and leave you all, Raph, but I'm not that kind of crocodile."
"Raph! He's trying his best to help us!" Leo shouts. "Accept the fact that he's gotten farther than any of us right now!"
"You can talk, Leo! You can't even free Mikey with Donatello and that leverage of yours!"
"At least we've tried, Raph!" Leo argues back, in a rather livid state.
Akuco decides that he should get a remark in, that may hopefully diffuse the argument so he can defend both Leo and Don. "And where'd that large ego of yours get you, Raph?! Holding up rubble you knew you couldn't handle!"
"Grr! When I get out of this, Akuco, I'll pound you!"
"Oh right! Beat up your saviour! That's a smart idea, isn't it!?"
"Damn it all!" Raph then quickly goes silent.
"Look! I know you are concerned for Mikey, Raph! I am too! But being angry like this won't help any of you!" Akuco however, does not expect to nearly fall with the rubble he unknowingly dislodges while leaning too far forward. He gasps and then cries… "No!" ...before trying to reach for what fell and then rapidly pulling himself back to a secure position after he nearly slipped, kicking himself for how stupid he just was. Akuco you idiot! How could you be so stupid as to lean like that?! He hears the collision of the rubble as it hits the floor, and then rapidly clambers back just to check that no one was hurt. "Sorry!"
"Grr!" Raph growls, coughing and spluttering as the dust clears. "Akuco! That's twice now as to why I'm gonna pound you!"
"I'm sorry, alright! I wasn't thinking!"
"Actually," Don begins, perhaps due to a new lightbulb idea that just popped into his head. Akuco believes Don may be the smart one of the group by how quickly he has reacted to something new. "We can use this to our advantage." He hurries to where the rubble landed as Leo casually grabs Don's staff to hold the rubble off Mikey's leg.
"Don! Wait! What about us?!" Mikey cries, but Don does not answer him.
"Don't worry, Mikey. He's having an idealistic moment."
"But. The weight."
"I can handle it."
"Em, Don?" Akuco wonders. "What are you doing? And what do you mean by using it to your advantage? I could've hurt someone with my stupid idiocy!"
"Hmm? I see. Large and strong enough," Don states, clearly ignoring Akuco. Akuco then watches as Don directs his gaze to Leo on the other side of the rubble that is now just lying there. "Leo. Could you help me with this?" Don asks, before bending at his knees and attempting to carry the entire thing.
"Kaietha. Mikey needs you for a moment."
"But, Raph needs me too."
"He'll manage the weight without you, Kaietha," Don states. "For a while anyway. Besides, if my calculations are correct. This will work for all our sakes."
"Will you be alright, Raphy?" Kaietha asks with concern as she glances his way.
"Sure. You've helped me position myself correctly for this weight." He kisses her on the cheek. "I'll be fine."
"Don? What do you have in mind?" Leo asks, heading over there in awe, before going to help carry it on the opposite side.
"No. It's too heavy to carry like normal. We must lift it to one side."
"Alright then." Leo heads to Don's right and helps him with his idea. "What now?"
"Well. We can use this to hold the weight of the entire rubble, even for just a while. We need Raph and Kaietha's help to free Mikey. We can't while they are keeping us from being crushed."
"I think it might just work in our favour."
"Roll it with me." Akuco admires how proficient the pair act together in rolling the piece of rubble towards Raph and Kaietha, and maybe believes that he could work this well with Aerne if he just stopped letting his pride control his actions. In no time at all, what Raph was holding was now nestled securely under all the weight, giving the pair a chance to recuperate themselves from the strain. "That should hold it above us for a while."
"Man it feels good to move my shoulders again," Raph casually says, circling his arms and shoulders along with other stretches.
"And free from the weight too," Kaietha replies doing the exact same thing.
"Now then." Still livid with Akuco, he picks up a small stone and throws it right at him.
Akuco is quick to catch it as it flies right for him. "Hey! That could've hit me in the eye!"
"That's a teaser for what you'll be getting from me when we're done with our mission!"
"Oh right! So no thanks for the lucky accident then!"
"Not even slightly!"
"Raph. I think he gets the point. Focus on Mikey for now," Leo calmly affirms.
Akuco then watches all four of them lift the masonry off of Mikey's leg with ease, giving him space to free it with little to no pain and slide backwards to keep clear. Don and Leo remove the leverage with their feet, before all four of them let the weight simply drop back to the floor with a loud thump. After Don and Leo catch what they removed, Leo heads to Mikey chanting words Akuco has never heard before, then places his hands on Mikey's injured leg.
"Thanks, guys," Mikey acknowledges letting Leo heal his wounds, before he stands to his feet supported by him.
"Careful with the pressure you put on your leg, Mikey," Leo informs. "I won't be able to fix bone if anything has been crushed."
"It feels fine to me, but I'll be sure to use the leg sparingly." Mikey then directs his gaze to Akuco. "Hey there, Akuco! How are your knots?"
"I'm trained in basic camping etiquette!"
"Awesome!" Mikey then pulls out his kusari-gama and swings it before throwing it towards Akuco. "Tie that to something so we can all climb out!"
"Sure!" Akuco then climbs down the rubble and searches for somewhere he can tie the tool securely, but glancing to the opening of the other room, he sees both Khuzo and Pyren walking towards him with Aerne subdued in the leader's grasp, battered and broken. "Aerne?" He backs up in shock.
"Akuco…" She tries, but is instead heartlessly thrown on the floor in front of him. By the look of both Khuzo and Pyren, he knows she fought them well and to the best she could. Despite the fresh wounds her enemies bleed from, the bruises and in Khuzo's case, blood from his mouth, the pair look like they still have fight left in them. "I'm sorry…" Aerne contrites, weakened from her injuries and curling up into a painful ball of innocent fur. Akuco glares hatefully at them, noticing Pyren holding his side as he cauterizes himself.
"Next time! She dies!" Pyren angrily states to his master. "And I don't fucking care if she isn't a target!"
"How could you?!"
"She deserved it for slicing us up, punk!" Pyren flares himself up instantly while glaring at Akuco.
"Silence, Pyren!" Khuzo orders. He then takes a dark step towards Akuco. "Where do your loyalties lie, little croc?" Khuzo questions, wiping the blood from his mouth menacingly. He then gestures towards himself with the same paw… "With us? Or with them?" ...before gesturing towards the battered and broken Aerne awaiting an answer. But Akuco never gives one. "Speak!" He spits on the floor and growls. "Don't make yourself another one of our targets, kid! Our quarry is the Brotherhood! And we have come for what they came here for!" He takes another step forward. "I set aside our earlier altercation. You surprised me. Don't make that same mistake again!"
Akuco stands there in silence trying to think, deciding to ask a question, stalling for more time while also hoping to learn something about them. "If my loyalties lied with you, where would they take me?"
"Protection. Money. A life." Khuzo lets that last one linger for a moment. "And our Master's respect for your loyalty to us."
"I see. And what if I said no to this offer?"
"Then your choice would end you right here. Stick with us, and you will be guaranteed your safety from High Mage Madith's rule. Those you love and cherish, would be left alone as well."
It is then that Akuco notices Leo's stave, thrown in such a way, that the butt of the pole would land perfectly flat on the floor. He covers his eyes as it lands, and a bright flash fills the chamber, followed by the angry cries of both Khuzo and Pyren.
With the time he has, he takes both Aerne and the stave, wraps the kusari-gama chain around the pole letting the hook of the blade latch to a chain link, and throws it behind the stump of a column before hiding himself in the shadows. He watches as the Brotherhood each jump from the gap he left, one after another, and go straight into the battle between their enemies.
Akuco is shocked by how quickly they both recovered, or perhaps they are just so skilled they can fight even while blinded. He just hopes Aerne will be alright, as he keeps her out of harm's way. But watching the Brotherhood at work, he clearly sees how much he still needs to learn if he wishes to fight alongside them.
His lessons with Achakzoa are more for self defence if he ever ended up fighting a more powerful adversary, namely Druqaorok. He had planned in the past to fight the rogue leader when he was ready in a future duel, yet being with the turtles has since changed all this. Now, it seems like he has to duel Raphael, so if he is on par with or better than him, he may indeed have a place in their team.
Suddenly, there is an explosion as he covers both his and Aerne's heads. The rubble collapses in a flurry of dust and debris, revealing bright light from outside that partially blinds him. As his eyes adjust, all he sees is pieces being thrown here and there before a huge buffalo charges right into the back of Raphael. Raph cries then crashes front first against the wall beside the entrance to the next room, groaning in pain as he slides to the floor.
"Raph!" Leo cries, struggling against Khuzo's hold as he attempts to strangle him with the pole of his spear. Every time Leo breaks free, he is quickly subdued back into the exact same place, slowly forced to the floor as he weakens after each escape.
"Yes! Tire yourself! That'll make your death so much easier!" Khuzo proudly states.
"Guh! I will never give up!"
Mikey on the other hand, is strategically striking Pyren with what looks like a three sectioned weapon into all his vitals, quicker than Pyren can move. Akuco has never seen such a weapon before, and can only admire the battling skills of his friends.
"I've had it with your quickness!" Pyren shouts, flaring up in an attempt to protect himself amidst an angry roar.
"Ha, ha, ha! Your flames won't help you here!" Mikey states, before continuing regardless as Pyren groans in agony every strike.
Kaietha seems to be defending the Brotherhood, slicing at every arrow Aridgelow fires towards the turtles. Her speed is so unmatched, Akuco could not keep up.
"Grr! I'll get an arrow past you! You just wait, girlie!" Aridgelow shouts as he craftily fires even more.
"Never! I'll slice every one you shoot at them in half!" Kaietha assures, still slicing at every single one no matter how unpredictably Aridgelow fires them.
"Then slice this!" Aridgelow orders, firing one at Kaietha who catches it inches from her neck. She then throws it back at Aridgelow, who dodges it by twisting his body. The explosion outside tells Akuco that Kaietha must have known it was an exploding arrow.
"Nice try!" She goes back to defending her team.
Don is evading the talons of an eagle as it attacks in predictable patterns. Every time it makes a strike, Don just dodges regardless.
"Hurry up and die already!" She threatens.
"You are far too predictable, Chracer!" Don replies, before striking her with his staff in such a way, she is sent flying backwards amidst a painful eagle cry. "Have a nice flight!"
Raph tries to stand again, but Chaon barges him against the wall once more, before grabbing him by the tie of his bandana and continually pulling him back just to slam him front first again.
"I will crack open your shell!" Chaon angrily threatens. "And then you won't get up!"
"Well good luck, you overgrown man-cow!" Raph shouts, grappling at Chaon's wrist and slamming him flat into the wall with a twist of his body.
It is obvious, despite how clearly Akuco can be seen, that their enemies want nothing to do with him or Aerne. He wishes he could help, but what can he do? He would just get in the way, and cannot leave Aerne alone like this. Her life and safety is just far too important, and currently there is nowhere they can go unless they wanted to be captured. Unable to do anything except watch, he stays out of the way ready to protect Aerne at any cost despite his pride.
Chaon pushes himself from the wall before physically grabbing Raph by the top rim of his shell and slamming him back into the wall. Chaon's attack is made with such force, it causes Raph to become unaware for just a moment, so Chaon takes the chance to pull out a huge axe ready to strike him down once and for all.
With little to no battle skill of his own when it comes to fighting using any weapon, he closes his eyes as Chaon swings at Raph with the axe, not wanting to see him kill him. The chink of metal upon metal coaxes him to watch again, witnessing Raph holding two three-pronged weapons he has never seen before against the blade of the axe above and behind his head. The hateful glare Raph makes says it all.
"Hrr! I should've trapped you in the wall by your horns!"
Don raises his bo staff in an attempt to strike Chaon down, but Chracer suddenly grabs it along with him, before throwing him into the wall on the opposite side. Don groans in agony as he crashes and slides to the floor.
"Hah! And I'm the predictable one!" Chracer corrects before darkly walking towards him, her metal claws menacingly scraping at the floor. "Time to slice you up into strips of edible pieces!" she threatens, raising one of her bladed talons for his head. "Starting with your head!"
"You won't have the chance!" Don blocks the attack with his staff and performs a manoeuvre that sends her flying into the rubble. Crashing through the pile, masonry soon pins her down by her wings. Don then strikes Chaon across the head with such force that he is dazed and unaware, before Akuco witnesses Don lock Chaon's horns with his staff from behind, then throw him into the floor with a power he did not know he had, physically knocking the brute out. "Serves you right for being top-heavy, Chaon!" To Akuco, the attack seemed like it was made due to a vendetta of some kind. Don then rests his hand on Raph's shoulder. "You okay?"
"Thanks, Don. You made that look easy."
"That's what surprises are for. He never saw me coming."
At the same time, Leo and Mikey throw both Khuzo and Pyren into the rubble as well. Kaeitha soon throws down a smoke bomb to conceal herself and the Brotherhood, then throws another towards Akuco where it explodes in front of him.
"Guys! Let's go!" Kaietha calls. She then glances at Akuco. "You too, Akuco! Take Aerne and get out of here!"
"But..!"
"There is no time to explain! Aerne needs help!"
"Right!" Akuco is quick to his feet carrying Aerne with him along with Leo's stave and Mikey's kusari-gama, hurrying alongside the Brotherhood.
"Grr! Oh no you don't!" Aridgelow shouts.
Akuco sees nothing, but he is certain an arrow was just fired at them. Kaietha is quick on the defensive, backhand flipping the arrow upwards into the roof of the chamber. No sooner after the arrow explodes, does Akuco then attempt to dive clear from the collapsing ceiling. But when he looks towards his friends, tightly holding Aerne's broken body in his arms while lying on his side, he sees nothing but dust and debris.
Author's notes: I made recent changes to the original doc, so I had to make the changes here. If you want to see them, you just need to read from the last scene, and not even from the start of the last scene, as the changes are roughly half way down. Sorry if it's an inconvenience.