Richard Tuttle - Web of Deceit

“I cannot continue,” she complained. “I need rest.”

Rejji turned his head and saw that the group following them had spread across the trail and had their spears lowered. Mobi stopped and returned to stare at Mistake.

“Why do you stop?” frowned Mobi.

“We have traveled far this day,” answered Rejji. “Our bodies have no more to give. We stumble and will fall soon. We need rest.”

“There is no resting here,” scowled Mobi as he waved forward one of the rear guards. “Lygrim quickly,” he ordered.

The jungle warrior nodded and dashed into the foliage as Mobi scanned the towering trees around the party. Within moments, the jungle warrior returned with two large purple fruits and handed one to each of the Fakarans.

“Eat this,” ordered Mobi as the warrior returned to the rear of the procession. “It will give you energy to walk. We must continue.”

Mobi turned and started walking slowly as Rejji bit into the fruit. It was very moist and almost sickeningly sweet, but Rejji felt the energy pulse though his body. He took Mistake’s hand and started walking after Mobi as he ate more of the fruit. Rejji felt surprisingly stronger with each bite and again Mobi picked up the pace as if being able to sense the new strength of his captives.

It was almost morning when they came to a deep river gorge. They followed the gorge downstream for an hour until they came to a long, narrow bridge over the gorge. Mobi turned and separated Rejji’s hand from Mistake’s. He then started across the narrow bridge. Rejji let Mistake go first and then stepped onto the wooden slats. There were two ropes strung for handholds and Rejji kept his hands on them at all times. The bridge swayed with each step and when he was out over the water, Rejji looked down. He felt queasiness in his stomach as he saw the churning water far below him racing towards the waterfall off to his right. A mist rose from the waterfall and towered almost to the height of the bridge. Rejji could see the early rays of the sun trying to penetrate the mist.

Rejji tore his eyes from the view below and focused on the narrow wooden slats as he continued across the bridge. He felt exhilaration as he stepped off the bridge and felt solid ground under his feet again. Mobi halted a little ways beyond the bridge to allow the rest of the party to catch up. Rejji was scanning the jungle while they waited and his eyes locked on a towering pyramid through the trees. Before he could dwell on it, Mobi started walking again and Rejji followed.

The trail wound through the jungle for a few minutes and then they emerged into a village. People lined the streets and stared as Rejji and Mistake passed by. Mobi led the procession down the long street and into a massive, cultivated square with flowerbeds and paths and stately trees. Across the square, the street continued as far as Rejji could see. To the right of the square was the large pyramid that Rejji had seen through the trees, but Mobi turned to the left. They headed towards the long stone building that occupied the fourth side of the square. The stone building stood out from the surrounding wooden homes and Mobi marched them up the steps to a large wooden door and they entered the building.

Mobi led them down a long hall and then turned at an intersecting hallway that was lined with doors. He stopped a third of the way down the hallway and two of the men behind Rejji stepped forward and opened two doors, one on each side of the hallway.

Mobi spread his arms wide and said, “Rest here. You will be summoned later.”

Mistake took the room on the left and Rejji the one on the right. The door was closed as soon as Rejji stepped into the room. The room was small and had a cot, a basin and a chamber pot. Rejji heard the sound of a bolt from the door and knew he had just entered a cell. There was no window and no candle and when the door closed, Rejji had only a mental image of where things were. He walked cautiously in the dark towards the cot and lowered himself onto it. Almost immediately, he felt the energy drain from his body and he drifted off to sleep.

***

Bakhai opened his eyes and looked up into the face of a man wearing a headdress with curved horns protruding out the sides. The man had a ring in each ear and each flaring nostril and piercing blue eyes.

“How do you feel?” the man inquired.

“I am not sure,” Bakhai said. “I feel no pain.”

“And you won’t,” assured the man. “I am Yltar, head shaman of the Qubari. You were severally poisoned by the paran bites. You are lucky to be alive. Who are you?”

“I am Bakhai,” the patient answered.

“And who is Bakhai?” questioned the shaman. “Where are you from? Who are your parents?”

“I do not know,” frowned Bakhai. “I have never known any parents. The animals of the Giaming raised me. That is all I know.”

“Sit up,” ordered Yltar as he walked to a table and retrieved a bowl. He brought the bowl back and handed it to Bakhai. “Eat it,” he instructed. “It will help restore your strength.”

Bakhai sat up and accepted the bowl. He gazed at his hand, which was heavily bandaged in some type of white silk.

“Your hand will be as new in one turn of the sun,” smiled Yltar. “Do not for any reason remove the bandage before that time. Why are you and your people here in the Qubari Jungle?”

“We are heading to the Bone Mountains,” Bakhai explained. “We mean you no harm if that is the concern. Are Rejji and Mistake all right?”

“They are well for now,” Yltar stated. “The Qubari Jungle is forbidden to invaders. The penalty for trespass is death.”

“We are not invaders,” frowned Bakhai. “We seek merely to pass through the jungle, nothing more.”

“Perhaps,” murmured the shaman. “Why did you not just go around as others have done for ages?”

“We could not,” explained Bakhai. “We were being chased by an army of Jiadin warriors. They would kill us if they caught us. The villagers warned us not to enter the jungle, but we really had no choice. We planned to stay just on the edge of the jungle, but we lost our way. We mean you no harm. If you will allow us to leave, we shall do so by the shortest route.”

“Things are not that simple,” sighed Yltar. “Secrecy is essential to our purpose in life. You have broken that veil of secrecy so this has become a matter for the council.”

“We will promise not to tell anyone,” offered Bakhai.

“I am sure you would,” chuckled the shaman. “It would be a rare man who would not make such an offer. You were taken from the web of a tyrik. Do you remember that?”

“Yes,” replied Bakhai. “Even though I was in a weakened state, it is something I shall never forget, no matter how hard I try.”

“I do not doubt that either,” nodded Yltar. “What were you trying to do before you were rescued?”

“Well we tried to get free of course, but that was useless,” responded Bakhai.

“Is that all?” interrogated the shaman. “Think carefully on your answer as I expect you to be totally truthful to me.”

Bakhai had always avoided any mention of his skills since he had found out how the villagers thought him possessed or evil when they discovered he could talk to animals. He looked into the shaman’s eyes and knew that if he lied he would be detected and they would never take his vow of secrecy seriously. That would mean they would not be allowed to leave the jungle alive.

“I tried talking to the tyrik,” admitted Bakhai. “I have never known a tyrik before, but I had to try something. If that failed I would try to imitate one of its predators.”

“What makes you think you could talk to a tyrik?” the shaman pressed.

“I grew up with animals,” stated Bakhai. “I have learned to talk their languages. Had it been an animal I was familiar with, I am sure I would have succeeded, but I have never seen a tyrik before.”