Chapter 10
"Why?" I muttered, Manlan motioned to something hanging off the one of the vines that was between two bamboo stocks. It was a hozen that was so still I didn't notice that it was there.
"Slowly move that way if it turns it's head it has seen us" Manlan softly explained as he moved to the right of bamboo stocks that the Hozen was hanging between. It looked around but didn't seem too interested in us. It seemed to want to play with the butterflies instead of watching for intruders. We made our way into the village without being spotted.
"What are you doing" I explained as Manlan stood up
"There's nothing here, except for some skulls and…" Manlan stated when he was cut off by a low groan that came from a constructed cage of bamboo. I also stood up to see what it was. I saw what looked like a race that I had never see in my lifetime The Jinyu or koi fish people. He looks like a gold and white koi fish. He even had the whiskers. The crest on his head seemed to go down his neck and possibly down his back as well; he also had what looked like fins on his arms.
"Admiral Taylor!" Manlan shrieked as he dashed for the man that was laying on the ground. The man looked bloody and was barely breathing. He was covered in bite marks, scratches, and bruises.
"Your friend put up a good fight and almost made it out too" said a gurgled voice. It was the Jinyu he seemed to be watching the surrounding area for any suspicious movement.
"What happened?" I asked as I started to notice more cages. Ari whined as he looked around,
"They dragged away as many of your people as they could. Before they could put him in a proper cage, he managed to break loose from a few of the chains that were holding him down. But before he could get too far the Hozen caught him again. Smacked him upside the head pretty good," The Jinyu clarified
"He's burning up we need to get him out of here," Manlan chimed in
"I don't think we are taking him anywhere with him tied to the ground Manlan," I remarked as Ari sniffed Taylor
"If you free captives and kill a few Hozen. I can give you an idea where the master key may be," The Jinyu proposed. I watched as Manlan looked at Taylor and then back at Jinyu. With a sigh he got up and called over his bird,
"I want you to stay here and keep an eye on Taylor" Manlan prompted as he left spear in hand. The hippogriff ruffled its feathers as Manlan approached it. He got on the hippogriff, it let out a soft shriek before running off.
I managed to bring Admiral Taylor's fever down and learn a little more about the Jinyu and the Hozen. How the white and gold Jinyu ended up in the village and how he was captured. We were chatting when Admiral Taylor muttered something.
"Taylor? Admiral say that again" I questioned as I softly shook him
"L…ay… un" grumbled Taylor before going unconscious
"Lay, what" I said as Ari put his nose up to his cheek. He seemed distorted, almost like his fever was coming back. I grew more worried if he might have been poisoned. When I heard footsteps I looked up to see Manlan covered in blood. Thankfully it was just his hands, he seemed to be carrying a net bag of some sort.
"Where's the key," Manlan commanded as he threw the bag at Jinyu's feet. The bag seemed to contain ... skulls.
"The tiger in the middle of the village has a chain wrapped around its neck" The Jinyu disclosed as he opened the bag and pulled out a skull. Manlan nodded as he turned to me,
"Ava … hows Taylor?" Manlan asked as he stepped into the cage and sat next to me.
"He is not getting any better, I'm afraid that he contracted something, or worse poisoned" I cautioned as I scratched Ari's neck. My nerves were starting to kick in, I could feel my hands start to shake.
"How are you handling this, are you feeling okay?" Manlan coaxed as he took his gloves off.
"I'll be fine," I prompted as I laid my forehead on Ari's shoulder trying to collect my thoughts.
"You're doing great on keeping him stable, just keep him company okay," Manlan said as he softly scratched in a small circle in the space inbetween my shoulder blades. I nodded as Manlan stood up,
"I'm going to get the master key and we will get as many people out of here as possible," Manlan assured as he put his gloves back on and headed back down the hill. I started to notice there was a lot of commotion further down.
"If it's okay with your friend I can take Taylor to a healer back in my village. One of them can look at him and see what they can do for him, I'd hate to see him die," The Jinyu prompted as he shifted in his seat.
"That would be great, if they could. I'm afraid he's got something that his body can fight," I hesitated as I picked my head up from Ari's fur. I looked at Taylor then back at the Jinyu to see him watching the top edge of the hill. "By the Gods, they do have gills" I thought to myself
"Sir, I never asked you your name," I voiced wanting to know if he had one.
"You can call me Karasshi, it's nice to meet you Ava" The Jinyu bubbled as he directed his attention in my direction. The longer he looked in my direction the more I noticed that the whites of his eyes were starting to get a reddish purple. He sighed as he brought his hands to the sides of his face. He rubbed his eyes in frustration, the scales around his talons were starting to crack. He was drying out,
"Are you doing okay? You seem a little dry," I questioned as I placed a hand on the edge of the cage.
"I'll be fine, this has to be the most talking and moving I have done in several days," Karasshi grumbled as he rubbed his skin. I looked around to see if I had something. I looked through the bag to find my mothers water pouch that I've been using to wet the cloth on Taylor's forehead.
"Does it need to be a specific type of water?" I questioned Karasshi, thinking of something that I could do for him.
"No… at least I don't think it needs to be, why?" Karasshi puzzled as he rubbed his eyes and his forehead. I stood up and motioned for Ari to lay his head on Taylor's chest, with the pouch in my hands as I stepped over the cage's walls, and nudged him with the pouch. He uncovered his eyes and stared at me confused on what I was trying to do. I opened the top of the pouch and lightly poured some water over his hands. After some water collected in his hands he brought it to his face. He ran his hands down the back of his neck and down his face, he seemed happier.