Post by greentongue on Jan 5, 2011 19:02:39 GMT -6
This time it was a guard in Onyx Anchor livery that was assaulted. As Haikon was turning to waken Karlo for his turn at watch a struggle occurred in front of him. In the light of the torch a large indistinct form could barely be seen separating itself from the nearby trees. This form grabbed and lifted the guard from his feet. Something slammed into the guard's neck and he went limp.
As the torch fell to the ground, the guard's body rushed into the jungle. The vegetation moved as if something larger than just the guard was passing though it. There was enough light that anything visible should have been clearly seen.
As soon as Haikon realized that he is witnessing another attack, he called out again, "Guards! Guards!" Weapon in hand, Haikon rushed forward to battle! "It hides well, be wary!"
Haikon kept an eye open for anything he could throw or toss at the thing when at close range, so that its position could be determined.
Haikon's call alerted the other guards and they came running. The ones on the opposite side of the camp woke their fellows as they ran through. This time Haikon was not the only witness as the guard's body appeared to fly into the jungle.
His quick reaction put Haikon close behind the creature. The only thing he found that could be thrown to mark the creature was the sand and soil on the ground. The closer he got to the jungle's edge and the sputtering torch on the ground, the thicker the soil became. Just ahead in the dark he could see the body weaving in the air as it traveled through the underbrush.
"What was that?" asked the guards as they gathered at the edge where the missing man had stood. The torches that the newly arrived guards carried showed the same strange foot prints that had been at the previous attack. "Should we follow? Should we wait for orders?"
Karlo was dreaming about the scantily clad woman.
Quickly counting the number of guards, Haikon subtracted two from the total and urged the rest follow him in. "No time, we'll lose him! Six follow me, the remaining two guard the perimeter!" He dashed on, intending to kick sand/dirt at the thing if he got within striking distance and needed the help to see its position.
Even with the moonlight from reddish Kashi and greenish Gayal combined, the jungle was a dark place. The flickering light of the torches that some guards were carrying cast brief flashes of light and shadow. The torches were enough light to ruin Haikon's night vision but not consistent enough to see clearly by.
In the brief snatches of light Haikon attempted to spot the Creature's tracks. With the bushes moving just ahead he scooped a handful of dirt and detritus from the ground. With a spraying motion he cast the handful in the direction of the movement.
Haikon was unable to make out the Creature's tracks in the dark as he ran through the underbrush. His thrown handful of dirt struck the nearby bushes. However he was able to close in on the Creature using the floating body as his guide. When he was within a few steps of the body, it fell to the ground.
Haikon heard the crashing of the nearby guards plowing through the bushes on either side.
The continuing ruckus did not fit into Karlo's dream. He came awake with a start, ready to fight. Karlo leapt to his feet, grabbed his weapons and moved to point where he could keep an eye on the chests and the battle.
With a bold yell Haikon guessed at the Creature's location and thrust just above the victim's body. Even with the additional reach of a spear he was unable to make contact with the Creature.
Summoned by Haikon's yell, the other men swarmed to his assistance swinging their swords as they came. One of the guards in the right fore hit something with a solid blow. His cry of enthusiasm alerted the others. "It's over here! I think I hit it."
Several of the guards had torches in addition to their swords. Their torches cast light on the nearby jungle growth and on the fallen body of their comrade at Haikon's feet.
Karlo held his position while still keeping an eye on everything.
Hoping that he would do better, the young warrior oriented on where the guard had successfully struck and attempted to spit the beast. "Hyaaah!" Haikon cried as he thrust with his spear into the empty air. Around him the other men were wildly waving their swords in the dark jungle.
The invisible Creature managed to evade their attacks by the dim light of the flickering torches. With the constantly changing light as all the men tromped around it was difficult to spot any stray movement in the bushes.
There was no movement from the body on the ground. He lay where he had been dropped impervious to all the commotion around him. Slightly bent and askew like the discarded plaything of a child.
From his position Karlo could hear Morusai hi Ujjain giving commands to his men. They were being directed to guard the perimeter and sound the alarm if there was any suspicious movements. Runmaru hi Thrizelu, the caravan master, was seen talking in low tones to Morusai. Only someone beside them could have heard what they were saying.
Furious and frustrated, Haikon spared a glance at the discarded victim. He pointed to one of the guards. "You, check that man to see if he's beyond help." He motioned to another guard, one with a torch. "Can you hand me that? I have some skill with tracking." Then he called out slightly louder, "Hold your positions! Let me see if I can pick up its tracks."
Arranging the guards into a perimeter defense, Haikon took his purloined torch and attempted to locate undisturbed tracks at the edge of where they've been fighting. The man whose torch he purloined accompanied him to watch his back. "Karlo, I miss you," Haikon mumbled to himself.
The guard crouching beside the victim exclaimed, "He's alive! We need to get him back to the camp." Another guard off to Haikon's left agreed while glancing furtively around in the dark. "Yes, we all need to get out of here. I'll give you a hand carrying him." With that he moved to the victim, all the while glancing over his shoulder. The two of them lifted the body and began to carry it.
One of the guards in red livery joined Haikon. "We need to find this thing and kill it. It is just like the bandits we killed claimed. I thought the cowards were just imagining things when they described it. Think of the glory that will be ours when we bring back its head."
Haikon scowled as the two guards talked each other into retreating. "Go then. At least you do something useful. If he dies, let it be on your heads." He then turned to the guards who would accompany him. "Good, brave soldiers make for brave officers! Let us kill this thing. You two, come along!" This last to the two remaining undecided guards.
After a time of checking around the general direction the Creature had been moving and searching the ground, Haikon was able to locate fresh tracks. Following the trail he moved slowly into the jungle with a guard at each hand.
Behind him the two men were carrying the body back to the camp. Two more were huddled in the light of their torch watching the dancing shadows of the jungle and slowly following Haikon's progress deeper in.
Haikon quietly spoke to the ones who accompanied him while tracking. "What did the bandits tell you?"
The guard in red answered, "The sniveling cowards claimed that there was an unseen creature grabbing people in the brush and dragging them away. Claimed even the Qol were fleeing the area. I never heard of such a thing. I thought they had just run away too fast to see what had attacked them."
"I wondered why your clan was not fulfilling its obligation and providing a full contingent of warriors to escort the caravan," said the guard in blue. "I had not expected to be assigned this duty. Did hear rumors of something loose in the Flats but, you can't believe all the wild tales you hear."
With some indignation the guard in red replied, "If it were not for our clan standing against threats from the Flats, your clan could not spend its time playing in the ocean."
Trying to follow the faint tracks through the palmetto brush, Haikon quickly realized that his prey was intelligent. The Creature had avoided places that would clearly show which way it had gone. The two following guards caught up to him as Haikon cast about trying to find more of the trail. Even with the extra light of their torch, he was unable to clearly determine which way to proceed.
Haikon scowled, and kicked at the ground with one sandaled foot. "By our Lady," he complained, "This is no beast, but a cunning foe. It hides its passage deliberately!"
He stood up straight, looking about thoughtfully. Then he motioned to the men with him. When they came closer, he said quietly, "I don't know if it can understand our talk, so keep your voices down. Do any of you track? No? All right, then. I can't follow it with any accuracy any more. If we continue, we could get lost and it could ambush us. Let us make our way back to camp as best we can; but act as though we do not suspect ambush. In fact, since the beast's second victim is rescued, I EXPECT it to attack us as we return. Stick close together, improvise more torches if we can, and when it attacks, surround it if we can and we'll try to make short work of the thing!"
He grinned evilly, and prayed for the safety of the men with him.
The men with no torches grabbed some dried palmetto branches and lit them from the torches. They burned quickly but gave off plenty of light. Even the more timid guards looked less cowed with the added light.
The two men that had accompanied Haikon initially, introduced themselves as Favreng hi Jodpur a member of Red Ax and Chamang hi Lahore a member of Onyx Anchor. They thanked him for his efforts at saving a fellow guard and his quick thinking. They assured him that they were available if they could assist him in the future.
They made their way back to the camp without incident. Morusai hi Ujjain and Runmaru hi Thrizelu both personally met them on their return. After questioning the guards on what had happened, they thanked Haikon for his initiative. Another man approached and announced that the guard that had been attacked, was only paralyzed and not otherwise injured.
Morusai remarked that he had more respect for Blue Palm after seeing one of their men in action. Runmaru invited Haikon to move to a more favorable position in the marching order as a token of his appreciation. The woman in purple cast a favorable smile in his direction from her position, reclined on her palanquin. Runmaru asked Haikon if he wished to move his camp tonight. He indicated that arrangements could be made to make room for him and his companions.
Haikon bows, and replies "I will accept your gracious offer, and move camp tonight. Many thanks." He casts a shy gaze at the object of his desire, then takes his leave to make arrangements.
When Haikon got back to Karlo, he filled him in on what has happened. "I have a chance to meet some of the higher-ups now, and may learn something, so I think I should take it. Do you mind finishing out your watch here alone? As to marching in the morning, do you think we could observe the chests adequately? If not, I will decline that change. And based on how things go tonight, we can judge whether there is anything to be gained by moving our camp permanently. How does that sound?"
Karlo gave a shrug. "I can finish my watch. What happened out there? Did you lose it in the dark? I wish I had been there to track it down. I am sorry I left you alone out there, but I thought it was best to keep an eye on the chests. I was afraid the attack could have been a distraction."
After Karlo agreed with Hiakon's plan, the servants were roused and Haikon's portion of the camp was moved to the preferred location nearer to the well. There were some angry looks as servants of a fellow traveler were displaced to make room for Haikon. Soon the camp returned to some semblance of normality except for the number of guards patrolling the perimeter in pairs.
Karlo took his expected turn at watching their cargo and the trunks. His vigilance no longer seemed unusual. Several other people also did not return to sleep after the disturbance.
As the torch fell to the ground, the guard's body rushed into the jungle. The vegetation moved as if something larger than just the guard was passing though it. There was enough light that anything visible should have been clearly seen.
As soon as Haikon realized that he is witnessing another attack, he called out again, "Guards! Guards!" Weapon in hand, Haikon rushed forward to battle! "It hides well, be wary!"
Haikon kept an eye open for anything he could throw or toss at the thing when at close range, so that its position could be determined.
Haikon's call alerted the other guards and they came running. The ones on the opposite side of the camp woke their fellows as they ran through. This time Haikon was not the only witness as the guard's body appeared to fly into the jungle.
His quick reaction put Haikon close behind the creature. The only thing he found that could be thrown to mark the creature was the sand and soil on the ground. The closer he got to the jungle's edge and the sputtering torch on the ground, the thicker the soil became. Just ahead in the dark he could see the body weaving in the air as it traveled through the underbrush.
"What was that?" asked the guards as they gathered at the edge where the missing man had stood. The torches that the newly arrived guards carried showed the same strange foot prints that had been at the previous attack. "Should we follow? Should we wait for orders?"
Karlo was dreaming about the scantily clad woman.
Quickly counting the number of guards, Haikon subtracted two from the total and urged the rest follow him in. "No time, we'll lose him! Six follow me, the remaining two guard the perimeter!" He dashed on, intending to kick sand/dirt at the thing if he got within striking distance and needed the help to see its position.
Even with the moonlight from reddish Kashi and greenish Gayal combined, the jungle was a dark place. The flickering light of the torches that some guards were carrying cast brief flashes of light and shadow. The torches were enough light to ruin Haikon's night vision but not consistent enough to see clearly by.
In the brief snatches of light Haikon attempted to spot the Creature's tracks. With the bushes moving just ahead he scooped a handful of dirt and detritus from the ground. With a spraying motion he cast the handful in the direction of the movement.
Haikon was unable to make out the Creature's tracks in the dark as he ran through the underbrush. His thrown handful of dirt struck the nearby bushes. However he was able to close in on the Creature using the floating body as his guide. When he was within a few steps of the body, it fell to the ground.
Haikon heard the crashing of the nearby guards plowing through the bushes on either side.
The continuing ruckus did not fit into Karlo's dream. He came awake with a start, ready to fight. Karlo leapt to his feet, grabbed his weapons and moved to point where he could keep an eye on the chests and the battle.
With a bold yell Haikon guessed at the Creature's location and thrust just above the victim's body. Even with the additional reach of a spear he was unable to make contact with the Creature.
Summoned by Haikon's yell, the other men swarmed to his assistance swinging their swords as they came. One of the guards in the right fore hit something with a solid blow. His cry of enthusiasm alerted the others. "It's over here! I think I hit it."
Several of the guards had torches in addition to their swords. Their torches cast light on the nearby jungle growth and on the fallen body of their comrade at Haikon's feet.
Karlo held his position while still keeping an eye on everything.
Hoping that he would do better, the young warrior oriented on where the guard had successfully struck and attempted to spit the beast. "Hyaaah!" Haikon cried as he thrust with his spear into the empty air. Around him the other men were wildly waving their swords in the dark jungle.
The invisible Creature managed to evade their attacks by the dim light of the flickering torches. With the constantly changing light as all the men tromped around it was difficult to spot any stray movement in the bushes.
There was no movement from the body on the ground. He lay where he had been dropped impervious to all the commotion around him. Slightly bent and askew like the discarded plaything of a child.
From his position Karlo could hear Morusai hi Ujjain giving commands to his men. They were being directed to guard the perimeter and sound the alarm if there was any suspicious movements. Runmaru hi Thrizelu, the caravan master, was seen talking in low tones to Morusai. Only someone beside them could have heard what they were saying.
Furious and frustrated, Haikon spared a glance at the discarded victim. He pointed to one of the guards. "You, check that man to see if he's beyond help." He motioned to another guard, one with a torch. "Can you hand me that? I have some skill with tracking." Then he called out slightly louder, "Hold your positions! Let me see if I can pick up its tracks."
Arranging the guards into a perimeter defense, Haikon took his purloined torch and attempted to locate undisturbed tracks at the edge of where they've been fighting. The man whose torch he purloined accompanied him to watch his back. "Karlo, I miss you," Haikon mumbled to himself.
The guard crouching beside the victim exclaimed, "He's alive! We need to get him back to the camp." Another guard off to Haikon's left agreed while glancing furtively around in the dark. "Yes, we all need to get out of here. I'll give you a hand carrying him." With that he moved to the victim, all the while glancing over his shoulder. The two of them lifted the body and began to carry it.
One of the guards in red livery joined Haikon. "We need to find this thing and kill it. It is just like the bandits we killed claimed. I thought the cowards were just imagining things when they described it. Think of the glory that will be ours when we bring back its head."
Haikon scowled as the two guards talked each other into retreating. "Go then. At least you do something useful. If he dies, let it be on your heads." He then turned to the guards who would accompany him. "Good, brave soldiers make for brave officers! Let us kill this thing. You two, come along!" This last to the two remaining undecided guards.
After a time of checking around the general direction the Creature had been moving and searching the ground, Haikon was able to locate fresh tracks. Following the trail he moved slowly into the jungle with a guard at each hand.
Behind him the two men were carrying the body back to the camp. Two more were huddled in the light of their torch watching the dancing shadows of the jungle and slowly following Haikon's progress deeper in.
Haikon quietly spoke to the ones who accompanied him while tracking. "What did the bandits tell you?"
The guard in red answered, "The sniveling cowards claimed that there was an unseen creature grabbing people in the brush and dragging them away. Claimed even the Qol were fleeing the area. I never heard of such a thing. I thought they had just run away too fast to see what had attacked them."
"I wondered why your clan was not fulfilling its obligation and providing a full contingent of warriors to escort the caravan," said the guard in blue. "I had not expected to be assigned this duty. Did hear rumors of something loose in the Flats but, you can't believe all the wild tales you hear."
With some indignation the guard in red replied, "If it were not for our clan standing against threats from the Flats, your clan could not spend its time playing in the ocean."
Trying to follow the faint tracks through the palmetto brush, Haikon quickly realized that his prey was intelligent. The Creature had avoided places that would clearly show which way it had gone. The two following guards caught up to him as Haikon cast about trying to find more of the trail. Even with the extra light of their torch, he was unable to clearly determine which way to proceed.
Haikon scowled, and kicked at the ground with one sandaled foot. "By our Lady," he complained, "This is no beast, but a cunning foe. It hides its passage deliberately!"
He stood up straight, looking about thoughtfully. Then he motioned to the men with him. When they came closer, he said quietly, "I don't know if it can understand our talk, so keep your voices down. Do any of you track? No? All right, then. I can't follow it with any accuracy any more. If we continue, we could get lost and it could ambush us. Let us make our way back to camp as best we can; but act as though we do not suspect ambush. In fact, since the beast's second victim is rescued, I EXPECT it to attack us as we return. Stick close together, improvise more torches if we can, and when it attacks, surround it if we can and we'll try to make short work of the thing!"
He grinned evilly, and prayed for the safety of the men with him.
The men with no torches grabbed some dried palmetto branches and lit them from the torches. They burned quickly but gave off plenty of light. Even the more timid guards looked less cowed with the added light.
The two men that had accompanied Haikon initially, introduced themselves as Favreng hi Jodpur a member of Red Ax and Chamang hi Lahore a member of Onyx Anchor. They thanked him for his efforts at saving a fellow guard and his quick thinking. They assured him that they were available if they could assist him in the future.
They made their way back to the camp without incident. Morusai hi Ujjain and Runmaru hi Thrizelu both personally met them on their return. After questioning the guards on what had happened, they thanked Haikon for his initiative. Another man approached and announced that the guard that had been attacked, was only paralyzed and not otherwise injured.
Morusai remarked that he had more respect for Blue Palm after seeing one of their men in action. Runmaru invited Haikon to move to a more favorable position in the marching order as a token of his appreciation. The woman in purple cast a favorable smile in his direction from her position, reclined on her palanquin. Runmaru asked Haikon if he wished to move his camp tonight. He indicated that arrangements could be made to make room for him and his companions.
Haikon bows, and replies "I will accept your gracious offer, and move camp tonight. Many thanks." He casts a shy gaze at the object of his desire, then takes his leave to make arrangements.
When Haikon got back to Karlo, he filled him in on what has happened. "I have a chance to meet some of the higher-ups now, and may learn something, so I think I should take it. Do you mind finishing out your watch here alone? As to marching in the morning, do you think we could observe the chests adequately? If not, I will decline that change. And based on how things go tonight, we can judge whether there is anything to be gained by moving our camp permanently. How does that sound?"
Karlo gave a shrug. "I can finish my watch. What happened out there? Did you lose it in the dark? I wish I had been there to track it down. I am sorry I left you alone out there, but I thought it was best to keep an eye on the chests. I was afraid the attack could have been a distraction."
After Karlo agreed with Hiakon's plan, the servants were roused and Haikon's portion of the camp was moved to the preferred location nearer to the well. There were some angry looks as servants of a fellow traveler were displaced to make room for Haikon. Soon the camp returned to some semblance of normality except for the number of guards patrolling the perimeter in pairs.
Karlo took his expected turn at watching their cargo and the trunks. His vigilance no longer seemed unusual. Several other people also did not return to sleep after the disturbance.