Richard Tuttle - Web of Deceit

“Move to where?” asked Brakas as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“To the jungle,” Bakhai stated as the others rose. “We shall enter the jungle and follow the edge of it until we come to the Bone Mountains. If the Jiadin follow us, we will either wait until they leave or figure out a way to trick them.”

“Maybe we can make them think we died in the jungle,” offered Mistake.

“That might actually work,” agreed Rejji, “but I still see no need to drag you three into this.”

“You do not own us,” Mistake declared. “Bakhai and I will decide for ourselves where we are going. And we have decided that we are going with you. Now, let’s get moving before the Jiadin turn around and come after us.”

“They have already turned south,” Bakhai interjected. “We have little time to make the jungle and that does not include any time for discussions.”

Brakas looked at Bakhai with a puzzled frown, but Rejji nodded as he looked up and saw the bird circling overhead. “Brakas,” added Rejji, “we shall emerge on the other side of the jungle. If you wish to help us in the search for the Sage, we shall meet you there. May your travels be safe.”

Brakas started to speak, but the three young Fakarans marched out of camp to the east. There was no discussion as they each thought of the horrors that awaited them at the edge of the Qubari Jungle. High sun came and went and they kept walking without a break for food.

Fatigue started to slow them down as the day wore on, but the first sight of the jungle looming in the distance quickened their steps. Whether sanctuary or death awaited them, the trio was anxious to put the open landscape behind them. An hour before the last rays of the sun, a bird swooped down and attempted to light on Bakhai’s shoulder. Bakhai halted as did Rejji and Mistake. The bird settled down and appeared to nibble on Bakhai’s ear. Bakhai nodded and turned to look westward as the bird jumped off of Bakhai’s shoulder and flew away.

“They are coming directly towards us,” Bakhai announced. “It is as if they know where we are.”

“Do you think they have one who can talk to animals too?” Mistake asked.

“Anything is possible,” answered Bakhai, “but I have never known another who can. However they know, we must be quick.”

The Fakarans tapped into their reserve strength and sprinted for the jungle. Soon the rumble of the ground could be heard as the Jiadin army closed in on them. Shouts could be heard behind them as they reached the edge of the jungle and plowed into the mass of plants. There was no path and some of the plants had spines that tugged at their clothes as they tried to move further into the jungle. Rejji tripped and fell into the ground cover. Mistake halted behind him and Bakhai stopped and turned around.

“Are you all right?” Bakhai asked.

“Yes,” replied Rejji between pants. “I don’t think I can keep up this pace.”

“None of us can,” answered Bakhai. “I think we are safe. At least nobody appears to be trying to follow us.”

“If the whole jungle is like this,” frowned Mistake, “how are we going to keep to the edge? We can’t even walk in this stuff.”

“I hadn’t thought about that,” admitted Bakhai. “It sounded like a good plan last night. Maybe we can find an animal trail.”

Rejji pushed himself to his feet just as arrows started raining into the jungle. “They plan to aid the jungle in our destruction,” he scowled. “Keep moving further inward before they perfect their aim.”

“If we lose sight of the outside we will get lost,” warned Mistake. “We need to keep it in sight.”

“If we do, retorted Rejji, “then we are in their sights. Let us get rid of them first and worry about finding our way later. How hard can it be to find the edge of the jungle again?”

Rejji looked at the massive army gathering outside the jungle. The Jiadin soldiers started panning out along the edge of the jungle and making ready their bows. He turned towards the dark interior of the jungle and started climbing over plants. Mutters of pain sounded from Mistake as her short legs tried to step over some of the prickly plants. As they moved towards the interior, the darkness grew thicker and not all of it was due to the setting sun. Giant trees sprouted up from the jungle floor and towered over the Fakarans. As the trees grew more numerous, the plants on the ground thinned out a bit.

“A trail,” called Bakhai who was off to Rejji’s right. “Not much of a trail but better than stomping on plants.”

Mistake and Rejji edged towards Bakhai and eventually the trio stepped onto a small animal trail. They stopped for a moment and picked thorns and stickers off of their clothes.

“Which way does the trail go?” asked Rejji. “I am so disoriented that I am not sure any more.”

“I don’t know,” frowned Bakhai. “Let’s find a place to sleep and see where the sun rises.”

“My night vision is pretty good,” offered Mistake. “I will lead for a while.”

The jungle got extremely dark as they moved down the animal trail. Mistake proceeded slowly and kept scanning the sides of the trail as if expecting something to jump out and attack them. After an hour, a loud screech pierced the air and Mistake dropped to a crouch and held a dagger in each hand. The group remained silent and unmoving as the sounds of something moving near them got louder. Rejji slowly drew his sword from its sheath and stood ready to defend the group. Suddenly, something flew across the trail over Mistake’s head and in front of Rejji. Rejji took a swing at it and missed.

“A monkey,” Bakhai chuckled grimly as he exhaled. “It is only a monkey.”

It took a few moments for their nerves to settle. Mistake returned her daggers to their sheaths, but Rejji kept his sword in hand. “Let’s find a place to settle down now,” Rejji decided. “We cannot travel in here at night.”

Mistake nodded and started along the trail again. A few moments later, she stepped off the trail into a really small clearing. One of the large trees had fallen and the area where its roots used to be was clear of vegetation.

“This will have to do,” announced Mistake. “Dare we light a fire?”

“Yes,” answered Bakhai. “Perhaps it will keep the creatures away from us. It is a large enough area that we don’t have to worry about starting a fire. Besides just about everything in here is damp. I will see if I can find anything dry to burn.”

“Don’t get lost,” warned Rejji. “We do not want to get separated in here.”

Bakhai took the sword from Rejji’s hand and nodded. “I won’t be long,” he promised.

Rejji could hear Bakhai slicing into something with his sword. The sound went on for some minutes before Bakhai returned with an armful of thick vine sections. He dumped them on the ground and returned into the bushes. Mistake started a fire, which crackled loudly as the moisture popped out of the vines. An hour later, Bakhai returned to the campsite from another direction.

“No wire,” grinned Bakhai, “but I used some vines to do the same thing. If you need to walk in the woods tonight, be careful. I don’t want you tripping over my trap. I also found some bananas. Not much of a dinner, but it is better than nothing.”

“What do we do now?” asked Rejji. “We are lost in this jungle and the Jiadin wait for us at the edge. I should never have let you come with me.”

“Stop being so discouraged,” chirped Mistake. “We are together and we are alive and free. We have been in worse spots together and we can figure a way out of this one.”

“I do think we should wait for morning before thinking about which way to go,” agreed Bakhai. “This place seems safe enough for now. We will just keep the fire going all night. Most animals don’t like fire and won’t approach it.”