Plague of Mybyncia (44 page)

I’ve only been walking for a little bit when
footsteps sound behind me. Spinning, I find Jace approaching with
swift steps, a curious look on his face. “Whatcha’ you doing out
here, Boss Lady?”

“Where’s Reid?”

“Eh…” Jace scratches the back of his head,
“probably best to give him some space. Not in the greatest moods.
But uh, they’ve spotted Rogue Leader returning.”

“Yeah?”

Jace nods. “They want all of us back at the
clearing. Mind if I…?” he bends lower, indicating a request to
carry me.

“What?” I laugh. “No! I’m fine. I’ve been
walking for a while now.”

“Thought I’d offer. Boss would be upset if I
didn’t,” Jace grins, linking his arm with mine. “Ready?”

He escorts me back to the clearing where we
meet up with the rest of the Rogues, Pratt and Mae. Reid is off
with Sampson, Clarence and Vix, the four in deep conversation. Part
of me wants to pull him aside and continue our conversation from
earlier, but Jace said he needs space. Deciding he’s had enough, I
nearly start for him when Reid shoots me a warning look. I stop
instantly. A mixture of anger and guilt sweeps his face but he
makes no indication of inviting me over.

“So,” I force myself to look away, “Tucker’s
on his way back?”

“Yep,” Able points through the trees. “They
saw him reach the ground a little while ago. He should be here any
minute.”

“And he has the bones?”

“Looks like it.”

“Where’s the Horrop?”

“They’re probably bringing it around right
now.”

“And he doesn’t even get a rest?” Pratt
whines. “That’s so
unfair
.”

“Same thing with Walker,” Able shrugs. “But
he’s got to do it. And he
can
.”

“Yeah, but even Walker said this is the most
challenging task. By now he’s probably exhausted. The last thing he
needs to do is fight a—”

A deep, rumbling growl shakes the distant
trees. Heavy and darkly baritone, the sound rings out from the far
right, the Zingfinolds quickly dodging the area. Another loud boom
and anyone left scurries off, backing all the way to the opposite
trees toward the left. Walker, Zeed and a few others hold their
position, peering through the thick canopy that has started shaking
furiously.

“Yep,” Able nods, following their stare.
“Just like last time.”

“What is it?” Mae asks, her voice trembling,
“I mean… what kind of animal makes that sound?”

“Oh you’ll see.”

“Tucker is arrive,” Warze announces in the
center of the clearing, gesturing an arm toward the start of the
trees.

The focus immediately switches from the
growing rumble to the Rogue Leader who wearily approaches at the
base of the clearing. With a look of utter exhaustion, he’s covered
from head to foot in dirt, blood and a heavy sheen of sweat. Three
crusted yellow bones rest under his right arm, each long and thin
and shaped with a slight curve like a bow for shooting. Tucker
pants, looking around the entire crowd before flinging the bones to
the ground at Warze’s feet.

“Next.”

“You want hold,” he shakes his head. “You
need for killing.”

Tucker continues to breathe heavily, his
hands on his hips. “I need a minute.”

“No minute. You must defeat Horrop
now
,” he turns to the trees behind him, waving something
on.

A group of the largest and most ferocious
looking tribesmen make their way through the trees, each yanking a
solid rope over their shoulders behind them. There must be about
twenty all together, all struggling forward, dragging some
unforeseeable force as the rumbling growing louder. Birds rip free
from the shaking canopy, filling the sky as a sharp hiss emits,
followed by another deep grumble that makes me take a step
back.

“Able…”

“They’ve got it,” he promises, a slight
quiver to his own voice, “but uh… just to be safe… let’s give them
some room.”

He makes for the far side of the clearing and
I have Pratt and Mae follow. We pass Walker, Zeed and Perry, the
rest of the Rogues trailing behind. No one really notices our
relocation except Reid, who nods approvingly. With his eyes back on
the rumbling trees, he switches focus to Tucker, who’s picking up
one of the long bones. Warze raises his hands, indicating attention
and immediately, the crowd silences.

“Tucker defeats tribesman, retrieves Ludin
bones. To be Zingfinold, Horrop must die.”

And that’s when we see it—the enormous red
and black beast emerging through the trees, led by a collar of
twenty solid ropes around a neck the size of Hozfin’s home. It sits
in the center of its immense back and three yellow eyes flicker
from the front side, in the middle of what would be its chest. It’s
hard to tell because at the top of the neck, two colossal fangs dip
on either side of the mid section. They nearly scrape the ground,
but stop just at the height of the underbelly where a small army of
skinny red legs scurry along the forest floor, digging their black
pincers into the ground.

“What the…”

“I think I wet myself first time I saw it,”
Able says without blinking.

“We’ve got to help him,” I look to the Rogue
Leader whose eyes have grown wide at the sight. He steps back, the
Ludin bone gripped in his right hand.

“You can’t,” Able shakes his head. “They’d
consider that cheating and you’d all be condemned to death.”

“But…” I try and work through it, what we’re
allowing to happen. “We can’t just let him face it. We’ve done
nothing! Can’t we like… swap out?”

“Yeah,” he laughs, “if only it was that
easy.”

“I’m serious,” my eyes roam over his fatigued
figure. “He looks like he’s about to fall over.”

“The Ludin bones are sharp-tipped. Like
spears. He’ll just have to get a few good jabs in.”

“How’s that going to help him? If he’s too
tired to even move?”

“What do you want me to say?” Able shrugs,
“it was the same thing with Walker. We couldn’t do anything either.
Except support him.”

I look to Tucker again and almost see the
defeat in his eyes. How can he battle this… this thing without even
a moment’s rest? It’s like he knows it’s almost futile to try, but
that’s no way to win. He needs to be reminded that he has more
control. This thing isn’t over yet.

“You can do this, Tucker!” I yell out, all
attention flying to me. “You’ve got this!”

“Yeah!” Pratt follows my lead, cupping her
hands around her mouth. “Show ‘em what a Rogue’s made of!”

Everyone’s stunned silent for a moment,
switching focus between us, Tucker and the Horrop. Is this usual?
Is it even allowed? Warze looks like he’s about to interrupt when
Booker hollers at the top of his voice, following our lead.

“Come on, Commander!” he throws his fist in
the air. “Just one more! You’re almost there!”

“It’s a giant turkey!” Jace joins. “A giant
bird brain! It doesn’t know
you!
You’re the fucking
Rogue
Leader!
You kill fuckers like this before breakfast!”

The rest of the Rogues yell out, shouting
their own words of encouragement and accolades to Tucker’s
strength. They must break through his accepted defeat because
something changes in his stature. He holds the Ludin bone as a
weapon now and not a useless shield. Bowing slightly at the knees,
he looks up to the Horrop as a worthy opponent, and not just his
fate.

Warze waves his hand and the Zingfinolds
grasping the ropes cut them loose. They dart away and the Horrop
stampedes forward, straight for Tucker. I hold my breath just as
the Rogue Leader lifts the Ludin bone to attack.

Just as I think he’s going to spear the
Horrop, Tucker rolls to the ground, under the belly to swat at the
army of red legs. The end of the bone slices some in half and the
Horrop lets out a piercing screech that shakes the nearby leaves.
It tries stabbing Tucker with its right fang, but the Rogue Leader
rolls back and forth, always being missed by seconds. Still on his
back, he jabs at the beast but the bone is not long enough and he’s
never quite able to penetrate the thick black and red skin. The
fang comes for him again but Tucker rolls backwards and up on his
feet, the Horrop giving him no time to rest. Advancing, it nearly
collides with the Rogue Leader but Tucker keeps the Ludin spear
outstretched and as it rushes him, he stabs one of its eyes.

The Horrop backs up, the bone still
protruding from its face as Tucker races around, grabbing another.
He waits, watching it struggle and with the distraction, he swerves
around the left, cutting more of the tiny red legs. The Horrop
screams out, immediately slamming its fang into Tucker, sending him
flying. The Rogue Leader tumbles across the ground, the bone
snapping in two as he lands a good few yards away. The Horrop makes
to take off after him but crashes to the ground. Using its
remaining legs, it pushes its way forward, both fangs scraping
canals into the dirt towards Tucker’s motionless body.

Reid jets forward but Sampson holds his arm
out, preventing his aid.

The Horrop moves slowly but persistently
toward the fallen Rogue Leader. I’m not sure what to do. Can we
really sit back and let it kill Tucker? He’d die and we’d be forced
to leave without the Nazual. But if we grab him and go, at least we
have a shot at all making it out alive.

The Horrop is within feet of the Rogue Leader
when he finally moves, easing the panic in my chest. Tucker
achingly pulls himself to his knees, a look of utter exhaustion
marring his face. Slowly staggering to his feet, Tucker eyes the
impending beast and the last Ludin bone on the ground behind it.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, his eyes flicker from the Horrop to
the bone, back to the Horrop again, surveying all parts. He paces
for a second, wiping another sheen of sweat from his brow before
bending at the knees, readying himself.

Just when the Horrop is about to close in,
Tucker takes off, dashing on the other side of it and rounding to
pick up the bone. The Horrop doesn’t have enough time to swerve
before Tucker’s climbing over it, jabbing the sharp Ludin spear in
and out of the beast’s red and black armor.

The Horrop lets out a blood-curdling wail but
Tucker advances, climbing higher and higher, stabbing over and over
until he reaches the neck collared by the thick rope. He climbs
over it, pulling himself atop the neck nub and between the Horrop’s
fangs. Reaching back, he holds the Ludin bone high in the air and
with a final effort, brings it crashing down in the middle of the
neck.

With a final scream, the Horrop slumps to the
ground, motionless.

Everything is silent as Tucker exhales
breathlessly, hands on his hips and peering down at the dead animal
below his feet.

Warze approaches, yanking the bone from the
Horrop’s eye with little resistance. He glances up to Tucker who is
still breathless and turns to the crowd, hoisting up the Ludin
spear.

“Tucker defeat tribesman, retrieve Ludin bone
and kill Horrop. Three tasks complete,” he projects his voice so
everyone can hear, “today and
all
days, Tucker
is
Zingfinold.”

Everyone breaks out in a chorus of chanting
and hollering praise, the tribesmen throwing their blades in the
air as the females dance around, singing in their native tongue.
The Rogues yell out cheers, shouting for Tucker’s success until one
by one, everyone falls silent.

Hozfin appears across from us.

The crowd parts for him as he slowly makes
his way to the center of the clearing where Warze remains, Ludin
bone in hand. The King looks from him to Tucker, still atop the
dead Horrop.

“Welcome Brother Tucker. You display
Strength. Diligence. Bravery. You now brother of Zingfinolds,” he
glances to us. “Fychu and friends remain guests. They return with
Nazual.”

Tucker nods, his chest expanding and
deflating rapidly.

“Oh thank heavens,” Mae mutters next to us as
a similar relief sweeps across Sampson and Clarence.

Hozfin turns to his people, his hands raised
high in the air. “Horrop dead. We celebrate new tribesman
tonight!”

The Zingfinolds holler with excitement as
Reid, Jace and Werzo race over to Tucker who looks like he’s about
to collapse. They grab his hands, helping him down and drape his
arms over Reid and Jace’s shoulders, supporting his weight as they
carry him away. Booker is about to follow when Warze stops him,
holding out the Ludin bone.

“Souvenir.”

“Thanks,” he takes it. “I’ll give it to
him.”

Warze nods, turning for the king as they make
their way back through the crowd, which quickly disperses. Able,
Pratt, Mae and I make for the departing Rogues, meeting up with
Sampson, Clarence and the others. They’ve all gathered around
Tucker where they have him propped against a tree. He’s panting
profusely, his eyes batting half open as blood trickles from his
nose.

“He can’t make it up the stairs,” Jace shakes
his head. “No way.”

“I can carry him,” Reid says.

“Up all those steps?” Clarence frowns.
“You’ll exhaust yourself half-way up.”

“Then we’ll switch,” Reid looks to Booker.
“Think you’re up for it?”

“Anything you need, Boss.”

“There’s a simpler way,” Walker approaches,
smartly sandwiching himself between Clarence and Sampson, “like I
did with Fallon yesterday. Just hoist him up.”

“You can do that?” Sampson narrows his eyes
with concern. “He won’t give you much support.”

“Not a problem,” he indicates to one of the
low hanging tear drop leaves. “Have him up there in minutes.”

Reid glares at Walker but wipes the
expression before focusing on Tucker. “Alright buddy, Walker’s
going to take you up and we’ll meet you there. See you in a
minute.”

Tucker half nods and Walker wraps his arm
around the Rogue Leader. Reaching for one of the lime green
bell-shaped leaves, he nods. “See you up there.” Tugging on the
leaf, they ascend the next second, straight through the trees,
disappearing instantly.