"KEEEE OKEEOK TOK!"
Haygen watched with stoic patience, Otis with kindness and practiced understanding, while Kayla's mouth pressed into a thin smile of acceptance. Wess held his hands behind his back and drove a lockpick into his own hand letting the pain stifle his laughter.
"KEEEE OKEEOK TOK!"
She had been at it for ten minutes. Anyu cupped her hands to her mouth yet again and sang out. A bit of rope formed a loop in her hand.
"KEEEE OKEEOK TOK!"
It was late morning and the wind from the ocean was just enough to tug at Kayla's silver locks and billow her robes ever so slightly. Odd that with the ocean in reach all she could smell was dust and stone. The crashing of the waves against the cliffs was a soothing sound. The different shades of the red rocks all around her reflected the sun and made everything bright and colorful.
There they stood, packed and ready for the long trek north staring out to the red rock formations that surrounded them. They scavenged every piece of gear they could from Malifax's domain and filled every glass vessel with cleaned seawater. The only thing missing was food and transportation. The Ranger was attempting to accomplish the latter. She tried the call several more times.
Haygen stretched and squatted, priming his muscles. He brought his hands out into a "Y" and and smiled to the mountains before him. His stiff leather armor pieces were belted and strapped back on. The bulk of their supplies were stuffed into the backpack that dug into his shoulders. Though his belly rumbled, being able to walk on land brought a smile to his face. He hefted a green, meaty hand to his forehead and looked over the crags and cliffs as if he would be able to see his mother's Druid grove in the near distance. "I see something moving. There."
Heat waves in the distance blurred their vision, but something was heading right for them.
"It's moving awfully fast," noted Otis. The Dwarf, dressed in his gambeson and worn leather boots, was well rested and eager to be on the move.
Anyu squinted. "The beast is being hunted."
Coming into view, now, was a cloud of dust behind a large red lizard that scrambled on all four of its legs. Its long tail whipped to and fro as it scampered across the rocky terrain. In its trail of dust was a pack of the same lizards of various color ridden by an odd looking tribe of Men.
"Wastelanders," Anyu explained. "They also ride the Kudaki. Do not let them take you prisoner...you may not last the night."
The Kudaki finally reached the companions and it lowered its head in submission to the Ranger who stroked its head and sang to it in a strange tongue. The lizard was the size of a horse, but with stout legs, a pointed head, and thick reptilian skin.
The four companions made a defensive wall in front of the lizard mount and the Ranger as she worked to befriend the Kukdaki. As the Wastelanders approached, weapons flew from sheaths and a magic spell was prepared.
The Wastelanders slowed their own Kudaki to a walk as they approached the group. A quick look at their malformed faces and hands of these Men suggested generations of inbreeding. They rode their lizard mounts on saddles with saddlebags which showed they were an intelligent tribe. All of them stowed their capture ropes and replaced them with long spears and curved swords. The alpha of the hunting party pulled forward and spoke in easternese dialect that only Anyu could fully comprehend. She barked a reply and the leader began again.
"My Kudaki. Bogu...first sight." He pounded his chest and grinned a mouth full of jagged yellow teeth. He pulsed his spear in the air many times to the grunting approval of his band.
Otis elbowed Haygen. "Take this one if you would."
Haygen nodded. He thought it best since he was in new territory to barter with the locals and form a bond no matter how hideous they appeared. "Hail, Bogu. This one is ours as you can see." He pointed to Anyu and the Kuhdaki she tamed. "Mayhaps we trade other goods with your tribe?"
Anyu slipped her rope loop inside the Kudaki's mouth as homemade reins. She climbed up on its back, held firm to the reins, and pulled her longsword free from its scabbard. She slashed the air with a swift twirl of the blade.
"You have many horse...lizard...things," Haygen said working through his words. "We have one."
Bogu let out a gutteral war cry and took a few steps towards Haygen and had to look up Haygen to make eye contact. Though Bogu was big for a Man, he was not as tall as Haygen. "No! Bogu fight Orc for Kudaki."
"No." Anyu slid down from the lizard's back and casually strutted toward Bogu. "My touch first. Bogu and Anyu of the Tushkar must fight."
Haygen gritted his teeth. The alpha was nearly twice Anyu's weight and appeared skilled.
The alpha cackled. "Bogu no fight Tushkar Skuuda! Come, Orc, and fight Bogu."
The companions didn't know what Skuuda meant, but seeing the Ranger's eyes flare and her mouth turn down made them think it wasn't a kind name in the eastern tongue.
Haygen remained still and placed the head of Icefang onto the rocky surface showing Anyu that the contest was hers. The four friends gave encouraging nods to her.
Wess shouted, "What are the terms?"
"First blood!" Shouted Anyu.
Bogu smirked, laughed, shrugged his shoulders and replaced his spear for a sword. Bringing it up to a guard position he repeated the terms with a crooked smile. "First blood."
Bogu came in first with a vertical strike to Anyu's head. With slight movement, the Ranger side-stepped the blade. The power of the strike blew the loose strands of her auburn hair wild.
The four friends' eyes widened at the opening move. That was not a strike of a contest, but of a death-dealer. The terms were changed, but they saw Anyu still fought with her fiery gaze.
Bogu raged and came in with three more eager strikes. Anyu's sword moved like fluid steel. Three quick parrys flashed out and with a single slash, she cut low and hard across Bogu's lead leg. He went down to one knee, his mottled, bulbous face grimaced in pain and he bit back a scream.
The Ranger didn't look to Bogu, but glared a challenge to the seven other Wastelanders. She began to chant, "Kee Okeeok Paduu...Kee Okeeok Paduu..." Hearing this ancient incantation, normally only sung by the primitive race of Shimita whose tribes dwell deep in the shadows of the Tethyan jungle (or a Ranger foolish enough to endure their barbaric rites of passage to learn the songs of wild beasts) the Kudaki lizards became restless. They reared up on their hind feet ever so slightly. The Wastelanders tried to steady their mounts. Bogu's black lizard whipped its tail hard on the rocky ground. Anyu pointed her longsword at Bogu's eyes, her other hand was lazily stretched out with her fingers entwined in a mystic shape. She continued her song as she glared down at him. "Kee Okeeok Paduu. Kee Okeeok Paduu."
Blood ran from Bogu's wound, but he was not maimed. All knew Anyu went short with the cut. The alpha took the wound as an insult.
"You mock me, Skuuda?" asked Bogu. "Your Wild Songs do not scare."
Anyu stifled a laugh. "I not dirty my sword any more with your filthy Wastelander blood. By rule, I win. The mount is mine. Lick your wound as you go and be glad I let you leave still breathing." She brought her sword to a horizontal guard just below her eyes as she stepped back and allowed him to stand.
Otis' eyes widened and he hefted his hammer up. Kayla crushed charcoal in one hand. Wess grinned and drew his crossbows. Haygen didn't move a muscle--his ax head was still on the ground as watched Anyu fight. All were amazed. Even Wess was impressed with the Ranger's swordplay and strategy.
Bogu stood and charged her with a battle cry. His sword held high as before.
"Game is done," Anyu said quietly. "Now, we fight." She easily countered the Wastelander's strike. An angular swing, which was somewhat of a surprise to her, but she was ready for it. She brought her longsword up, and shifted her weight away from the powerful blow. She swung quickly and strong this time with a grunt. Her muscles flexed with the power she held behind the strike. Bogu's head flipped in the air as it was severed from his body and bounced when it hit the rocky ground. The body continued moving momentarily, but collapsed in a shaking heap a step later.
Anyu was splattered with a crimson line and her sword dripped small dots onto the ground. She picked up Bogu's head by the short, filthy hair and tossed it towards the remaining Wastelander party. Her voice was loud and clear when she said, "You may take his body, but his steed is now mine as well."
One Wastelander broke the silence and let out an angry scream, though he made no move to attack. His leader challenged, his leader lost, and this one was smart enough to know they were outmatched by these strangers. He blurted a command like a barking dog and the Wastelanders turned tail heading east at a leisurely pace. They left the remains of Bogu to rot in the hot sun.
Anyu turned to Haygen and stepped ever so close to him. She wanted to reach up and kiss him. It would complete the fight for her. Instead, she blinked and said, "Water."
All four of them produced their water vessels. The victor drank but a sip from Kayla's bottle.
Kayla said, "That was amazing, Anyu!."
Otis said, "Well played young lady."
Haygen blinked back to reality. "Yes, well fought. Seems you've dabbled in swordplay." He smirked with the remark.
Anyu smiled. "I have picked up few things here and there."
Wess pointed to Bogu's headless corpse. "Yes, yes. Nice one. But look, it's still moving. Look at his foot. Don't think I've seen that before."
Otis said, "Search him, Knucklehead and let's get moving. I fear they will return soon in greater numbers."
"We need more lizards," said Wess. "Two is not enough."
Kayla already knew the solution. She stepped to the Kudaki that Anyu originally called and stroked its face. "That was amazing magic, Anyu. I didn't think you believed in the craft?"
Anyu smiled. She worked hard on her westernese speak when replying to Kayla, for she was teaching her the way. "It is not magic, Kayla. It is a song. You have to get the tone, pitch, and lyrics just right, or it will be..." She thought for a moment. "It will not work." She shrugged like they all should understand the explanation.
"I find it amazing," said Kayla. "Can I show you my way?" Without waiting for an answer, she pulled a flaking scale from the Kudaki. She removed the small pot from Haygen's backpack. She poured a bit of her water into the pot. From her belt pouches she withdrew a bit of incense, and basil. She cut a small section of the scale off with her Kowluun dagger and dropped the three ingredients into the water. Charcoal already ground into her hand, she spoke her magic word. "Arsonas." Red flames sparked to life in her hand like her limb was a torch. Then she held the iron pon in the same hand. It took a moment for the water to boil, then stood and to the northern sky she spoke her incantation. "Cunehla Le Kudaki!" The spell carried through the winds and found a willing host. They waited for a moment and from the northern peaks of the highest mountain peak crested a large, green Kudaki lizard with ebony claws and spikes along its tail. Down it came from the mountain and presented herself to her new keeper. The four other companions watched in wonder as Kayla and the lizard bowed and exchanged chirps for calming words of thanks from the Wizard.
Anyu smiled at the exchange between Kayla and the Kudaki mount. She had never seen a bond so deep as that in a long time. Her thoughts ran immediately to her animal friend, Neeko, who was now with the gods. She could only admire how quickly the bond was formed, yet was shaken at it's unnatural occurrence. "She is a beautiful mount, Wizard," Anyu noted. "She has given you a life-bond. That does not happen to animals often. It would take me years to develop that."
"It's the spell," said Kayla. "I wish I could claim it was me, but that's magic for you."
Unnatural, thought the Ranger, but effective. "Make a loop like this," Anyu said. She raised up her bit of rope she made for her reins. "It works well. Steer like a horse, but the ride is less up and down...more side side." she waved her hand back and forth. "Use legs for steer too."
Kayla smiled in thanks and put her rope loop inside her Kudaki's mouth. She sat on her gently and petted her neck. "I name you Scout, for I hope you guide me well in these lands."
Anyu stepped to her mount and grasped the reign. She put her ear to the heart of the lizard and listened with her eyes gently closed. "Your heart tells me you are Rainseeker, so that is what I will call you."
"Well, that one is yours, Haygen," said Otis pointing to Bugo's Kudaki kitted with saddle and saddle bag. "Probably the only one that will carry your weight. Do you have a name for this large, black?
Haygen leaned away from it not really liking the idea for riding a beast through this rocky terrain. "Dag, he looks like a mean cur," said the Half-orc. "But I will give him his due if he follows my will. With his red striping, I will name him Slasher and keep him in-line." As if hearing the name and not liking it, Slasher uttered a wail that sounded like an angry little dragon. Haygen sneered back at him. He shoved Bogu's spear into the saddle-mounted carrier. Because he lost his last tracking spear, he thought this would make a good temporary replacement. He took the loot that Wess pulled from the Wastelander's gear and shoved it into the saddlebag, making a mental note to dig through the bags later.
"Let me guess," Wess put his hands to hips and looked to Otis. "You and I ride with the ladies. Sometimes I hate being small."
"Yes, strategy demands it, Wesley," Otis reasoned. "Soon, we will find more of these fine beasts as we ride, but until then I shall ride with Anyu and you with Kayla." The kind Dwarf looked to the faces around him that were still alive. "Agreed? Good then. Let's move. Though we have gained speed in our beasts of burden, we must quickly leave the southerner's territory." He climbed on the back of Rainseeker with Anyu at the reins. The lizard gave a bit of a grunt with the added weight of the stout Dwarf, but did not complain. "Let us head north!"
The Ranger, being familiar with most of the lands of the East, led them over the nearest mountain and across dry valleys. The four newcomers found the Kudaki difficult to ride at first, but soon they adapted to the sway of the lizard and had to be ready when they approached steep cliffs that a horse could never climb. Finally they settled into a steady pace on a purpose-build path called The Lonely Road that ran north through the rocks like a dry crooked river. When noon struck, the land was like stone oven and they took shelter in the shade. Anyu showed them the easiest way to catch small lizards for food and how to harvest the small pockets of water caught in the shadows of the rocks. They found the flesh of the barrel plant bland, but they were thankful for it. The beauty of travelling through the Wastes quickly turned to drudgery after many days, and it was then that trouble found them.
A/N Hey, if you enjoyed this chapter, pound that star! Hope you guys like the Kudaki. They needed something to ride on and I like lizards! If you guys can come up with some cool names for Otis and Wesley's Kudaki I'll definitely take one. I do have one for Wess picked out, but I need one for Otis. Perhaps we can vote on it?
This chapter dedicated to