Running through the woodlands just beyond the village outskirts, Giblet and Dwege continue forward never looking back. Dwege nearly trips over a rock buried in the ground. Grabbing Giblet by the arm which causes him to twist his ankle and fall. Screaming in agony as Dwege stands up rushing over to help. “ What happened?” He asks leaning down to offer Giblet his hand. Giblet slaps his hand out of the way, “ you knocked me down and I fell on the side of my foot! What do you think happened?” Dwege looking puzzled tilts his head. “ Well I see that you fell but I don’t know why you’re being so loud. I mean what happened to make you yell?” Giblet grasps his ankle tight, “ I think I turned it too far!” He exclaims. Dwege looks around noticing the edge of the woodland is near he then asks, “ do you think if I help you then you’ll make it to the grasslands?” Giblet breathes heavily, rocking back and forth as he allows the pain to run its course. Closing his eyes he thinks for a moment. After one final big breath in he leans forward, moving his hands onto the ground. “ hrrrrhhhggg...” He huffs as he struggles to stand. Dwege assists grabbing under his arms as he lifts Giblet to his feet. “ Easy does it!” He says reassuring Giblet as the two make their way towards the edge of the forest. “ you can do it!” Dwege exclaims, hoping his words will encourage his friend. Giblet exhales heavily with every step forward, placing excess pressure on the wound with each step. “ Almost there now. Just a few more, you can make it.” Dwege says excited. Giblet grunts, “ I can’t... I’m not going to.” Dwege shakes his head, his arm wrapped around Giblet with Giblet’s arm resting over his shoulders as to prop him up. “ You can do it!...” And with only mere steps to go the two topple over falling to the ground. Giblet in agonizing pain shudders, “ I told you. You never listen to me!” Dwege rolls over to his side. He replies, “ I thought you would at least reach the tree line.” Standing to his feet he notices someone in the distance, “ look over there, it’s someone who can help us.” He says excited. Rushing to the edge of the tree line between the large trees Dwege shouts to the person in the distance, “ hey! Over here! We need help!” Giblet attempts to shush him, “ psshh, be quiet. You are going to get us caught!” He alerts Dwege, attempting to wave him back. Dwege sees the person take notice. Turning back he says, “ hey I think they saw me!” Excited he’d gotten the attention of the distant person. Giblet shakes his head as he groans in pain. “ What if they know we’ve run off. They will be coming after us. If they catch us then we are done for.” Dwege attempts to reassure Giblet. “ There is no way they are after us. Even if they were they wouldn’t know anything. They can’t prove that we are lying.” Giblet sighs, “ oh I think they can.” He says as he lifts himself so that his back is resting against the nearest tree. “ Alright so what will we do then?” Dwege asks. Giblet sighs, leaning back onto the tree. “ What can we do?” He answers. Dwege thinks a moment. “ I’m not sure, but we can’t stay here for long.” He remarks. Giblet asks, “ how far do you think we are?” Dwege looks around at the surroundings, “ I don’t think that far. It hasn’t been a long time either.” Giblet exhales as a rush of pain shoots through his head, “ great, the others will be onto us soon and we can’t even move to get away.” Dwege looks back out at the grasslands, “ well that person is gone, guess they won’t be any help.” Giblet jolts, “ what? What do you mean gone? A person cannot just be gone. Where did they go?” Dwege shrugs, “ beats me. Maybe they didn’t think we needed help.” Giblet laughs manically, “ this is just great. Of all the people I have to get stuck with why you?” Dwege laughs in response, “ I don’t know, why is it funny?” He inquires. Giblet shakes his head, “ it’s really not. I can’t explain why I am laughing, or what this is I am feeling.” Just then there is a stick breaking nearby. Giblet twitches in response. Dwege asks, “ what was that?” Giblet replies, “ they are near, I knew it. You led them to us with your yelling. Now they know and they are going to kill us. It’s all your fault.” Dwege shakes his head in denial, “ nuh uh, is not!” He claims. Foot steps approaching can be heard as the leaves crunch in a pattern getting louder. Dwege looks around but sees nothing, Giblet presses himself against the tree trunk as flat as he can to prevent being jumped on from behind. Dwege asks, “ who’s there?” As he looks. Just then another stick breaks behind him. Turning back to see he is surprised by the farmer they had attacked the night prior, standing over him Dwege is at a loss for words. Only partial fragments of sentences escape his mouth. “ uhh...we...yu...” In a quick lunge forward Narfeesh sends Dwege falling to the ground. Crawling backwards he grovels in fear for his life. “ Please it wasn’t our idea.” He says. Narfeesh looks at the two pitiful men on the ground. “ Who was it then? Yetzan?” Giblet shakes his head, “ no, not at all. He wanted nothing to do with you and your kooji.” Narfeesh steps forward again, “ who then?” He asks one final time. Dwege spills the answer, “ it was Yote! He told us that since you refused to let Jex be with Natutu that we would make an example out of you.” Narfeesh stops and laughs for a moment. “ Ha, some work you two did.” Dwege begins hyperventilating, Giblet exhales heavily, “ we were only supposed to scare you.
The plan didn’t work because you attacked us before we had a chance.” Narfeesh stands upright. “ What did you expect? You came to my living space and startled me.” Giblet nods, “ you are right. Please you must help us. We are being pursued by the others for not doing what we were supposed to.” Narfeesh looks at the two, “ what do you mean?” He asks. Dwege’s breathing slows down. “ He told them we had been attacked by some odd looking dhandas from another land. White skin and light hair.” Just then Narfeesh remembered the stranger he and Jex had found matching that description. “ What do you know of these dhandas?” He asks. Giblet shakes his head, “ nothing, we made them up, they are not real.” He explains. Narfeesh’s breathing begins to increase as his heart speeds up. “ Why are they after you then?” He questions. Dwege replies, “ we lied to them and told them those two dhandas beat us up to keep them from knowing it was you and your dawtea.” Narfeesh confused tries to understand their story, “ let me get this straight. So you chose to lie about us, you told them you were attacked by two pale skinned light haired dhandas that may or may not exist?” Giblet and Dwege both nod in agreement as Giblet answers, “ that’s right.” Narfeesh then asks, “ So do they or do they not know about my dawtea and myself?” Dwege shakes his head first. Giblet nods, “ that is right.” He says very sure of himself. Narfeesh smiles and then begins laughing uncontrollably. “ Wow you two are a piece of work, a couple of real sap heads you two are.” Looking at each other in wonderment Giblet asks, “ so are you going to help us then?” Narfeesh smiles, “ sure I guess I can do that. After all it’s the least I can do. What seems to be the problem?” He asks looking at the two. Giblet points to his ankle, “ I fell on it, now it hurts to move.” Narfeesh bends down to get a better look. As he gets close he notices the joint is swollen and purplish in appearance. “ Looks like you hit it pretty hard.” He mentions, behind him Dwege stands to his feet. Grabbing a large stone from the ground he holds it behind his back. Narfeesh rotates Giblet’s ankle around in a circle as Giblet screams in agonizing pain. “ I have bad news for you.” Narfeesh begins to explain to Giblet. “ It feels like you’ve dis...” but before he finish telling Giblet what he had to say Dwege bashed him over the head with the rock. “ Dis what?...” Giblet asks. Narfeesh falls forward revealing Giblet behind him with the rock. “ What have you done?” Giblet yells. “ He was helping us!” Dwege drops the rock, “ well it sounded like he was ripping your foot off, how was I supposed to know?” He asks as the rock thuds against the ground. “ Is he dead?” Dwege questions nervously. Giblet looks at Narfeesh on the ground. “ No he’s still breathing, but he is going to be angry when he wakes up. We have to get away from here.” Grabbing Giblet by his arm Dwege pulls him to help get him to his feet. Wrapping Giblets arm around the back of his neck, Dwege accepts most of Giblet’s weight so they can keep moving. Several moments later Narfeesh comes to with a terrible pain in the back of his head. Reaching around he feels the lump on his skull. “ ughh...” He groans struggling to his feet. He staggers about for a moment until he regains his balance and orientation. Realizing what had happened he searches the ground for clues as to where the two had gone.
Finding their foot prints he sees they headed in the direction where he had come from. He gasps, “ Jex...” as he begins to head back in the direction he’d come from. Moments later Yote, Chargus and Lutzi arrive in the area spotting several foot prints leading about. The three conspire speculations as to what took place. Converging their stories into an agreement they decide that something recently took place, and that there were multiple people present. Yote speculates, “ well wot ave we got ere? Looks ta be like tew or free dhanda’s were ere very recently.” Lutzi walks around the area finding the tracks that swipe the dirt in long markings. “ One of them looks to be hurt.” Chargus walks over, “ how can you tell?” He asks. Lutzi points to the normally spaced foot prints leading to a large scuff marking and then the tracks come together. “ The long swiping motion indicates that one of them is dragging their leg.” Lutzi explains as the three men follow the trail. Then through the tree line in the distance Chargus spots Narfeesh walking across the grasslands holding the back of his head. “ Look, over there!” He exclaims. Lutzi looks over, recognizing who it was but he decides not to mention anything. Yote pushes between the two standing at the treeline, “ let me frew!” He insists to get a look. “ Ew is dat?” He asks tilting his head as he furls his eyebrows. Chargus shrugs shaking his head, “ I’m not sure.” He replies. Yote looks at Lutzi to ask, “ do yew know ew dat is den?” Lutzi squints as if to get a better look. “ Can’t tell from here, but I’d say they are probably one of the ones here before we arrived.” Yote then proceeds to ask, “ well den wares de ova one?” Lutzi shakes his head side to side, “ I’m not sure.” He answers. Chargus inquires, “ are we going to follow him? See where he is going?” Yote looks over at him before he responds, “ dat’s not a bad idea yew got dere.” Chargus smiles. Yote leads the way, “ alroyt stay close, an dun make any noise. We dun want em to know dat were followin.” Chargus begins to follow Yote, and Lutzi is last in the line. The three men leave the cover of the forest and enter the grassland as the wind can be seen blowing across causing the grass to sway in succession.
Meanwhile on the beach at the coast, hidden in the cover of the cove Jex sits with the unconscious Atlantean. She notices he has a very strange contraption on his arm. “ What is that?” She asks, leaning forward to get a closer look. Grabbing him by the arm and pulling his arm across his chest she places it down. There are strange markings on the device, unrecognizable to her. She places her hand on the device, feeling the smoothness of its surface. Her fingers slide over one of the buttons. There is a reaction as the screen illuminates. She jumps back startled by the strange device. A moment passes before she decides to go back and take another look. The image on the screen fades and the screen goes blank. Jex grunts, “ huh?...” As she reaches for it again. Pressing her finger against the surface nothing happens. She then runs across it again reaching the button. Pressing it the screen illuminates again. This time she looks at the image. “ What is this?” She asks. There is odd looking symbols in the center. Wording can be seen on the outer edges of the screen. A moment passes once again and the screen fades. Jex grunts, “ he...” she exhales from her nose. Grasping the device again the unconscious man groans. Jex gasps, dropping his arm. She backs away for a moment. Examining him while he begins to move about and gurgle. Rolling onto his side the Atlantean turns to face her, his eyes still closed. Just then Jex hears a voice coming from overhead. Mistaking it to be her father’s she steps out to answer, “ did you find anything?”
Looking around along the beach. Not seeing anyone she becomes puzzled. “ Are you trying to scare me?” She asks jokingly. Just then she looks up onto the rock face. Spotting the two men that attacked her and her father she screams getting their attention. Atop the cliff Dwege says to Giblet, “ look what we got here?” Giblet steps forward, standing on his own as he looks for a way down. “ There!” He says pointing to way in the distance that leads down to the beach. Jex runs back into the cove to grab her satchel of belongings. She stops for a moment looking at the unconscious man and then back to the point where the two attackers are headed to make their way down to the beach. Her heart pounding as she tries to think of her options available . Knowing it would be foolish to attack them head on she decides to lead them away from the cove. Strapping her satchel over her head onto her shoulder she closes her eyes whispering, “ spirit madja give me the strength and speed I need to escape the grasp of those who wish me harm.” Taking a large breath in her nose and holding it for moment before she exhales out of her mouth. She steps out from the cove and begins running along the beach towards the steps leading down. Giblet and Dwege see her and pick up their pace heading for the path. “ What is she doing?” Dwege asks. Giblet replies, “ she knows she’ll be trapped down there so she is running to get away. Hurry up so we can catch her!” Jex pushes herself as hard as she can, no longer thinking about what if, just doing. She makes it to the base of the steps leading up. She lunges skipping steps along the way. Up top Giblet tells Dwege, “ go! Leave me, I’ll make it on my own, you go after her!” Dwege lowers himself allowing Giblet to remove his arm from around his shoulder. Dwege begins running towards the steps nearly reaching them just as Jex is three quarters the way up. Jex notices that Dwege is quickly approaching, she bursts up the final quarter and without hesitation throws herself shoulder first into Dwege’s hips using his own velocity against him. Dwege flips into the air and lands with a thud onto his neck. Jex then runs towards Giblet who smiles awaiting her arrival. Just as she nears him she fakes right causing him to reach out and lean in to catch her as she then swings with her momentum back left and around Giblet’s grasp. He yells to Dwege on the ground ahead in the distance, “ What are you doing? Get up and go after her!” Jex continues running along the cliff as the waves crash ashore onto the sandy beach below. Giblet bent over breathing heavily gently lowers himself to the ground before laying onto his back. He places his hands on either side of his face and growls in frustration. Dwege grunts in pain as he turns to the side to see Giblet was unsuccessful as well, laying on the ground. He pushes himself up with his arms before standing to his feet. Slowly he begins making his way over to Giblet to help him. On his way over he notices on the beach below someone walking through the water as the waves slam onto the shore. He shouts to Giblet, “ look there’s someone down there!” Giblet unable to hear what Dwege is saying shouts back at him, “ just shut it!” Angry that twice Jex has slipped away from them. Dwege nearly reaches Giblet he shouts again asking, “ did you hear me?” Giblet replies, “ did you not hear me? I said shut it!” Dwege ignores the order instead he goes on repeating himself, “ there’s someone else down there!” He says. Giblet lifts his neck, “ what? Who is it?” He asks. Dwege answers, “ I don’t know but it looks like a dhanda.” Giblet then sits up to take a look. He sees a man covered by a dark brown hooded cloak. “ What do you think he’s doing down there?” He asks. Dwege shakes his head, “ I’m not sure.” The man down on the beach stops and looks at the two on the cliff. “ What are you looking at!?” Dwege shouts. Just then the man reaches up removing the hood of the cloak to reveal a pale skin face. “ The dhanda we made up!” Dwege cries, “he’s real and now he’s come to kill us for telling Yetzan he attacked us!” Giblet shakes his head, “ no, that can’t be. There’s no way.” Just then the man on the beach begins walking towards the cliff. “ Run away! We need to get away!” Dwege exclaims. Giblet stands to his feet with help from Dwege. The two make their way back in the direction they came. On the beach the hooded man makes his way over towards the cove. Reaching the hidden recess in the bottom of the rock face he removes his cloak, dropping it to the ground. He then drops to his knees and bends forward to listen to unconscious Lance’s chest. Hearing his heart beating inside he leans back. Removing the weapon from it’s holster on his right side he turns a knob to change the setting. Aiming the weapon at the Lance, he pulls the trigger causing it to make a high pitch droning as it charges. A moment later the gun like weapon discharges a beam of electric pulse. Lance convulses, arching his back and gurgling. Letting off the trigger the beam dissipates. He re-holsters the weapon sighing. Using his armband he scans Lance for vital signs. There is a flat line for a moment, followed by a quick thud and then successive rapid thuds. Lance sits up quickly, as seawater projects from his mouth uncontrollably. “ bwahhhh...” He gurgles as the last of the water makes it way out. He breathes heavily, his eyes barely open as the bright daylight nearly blinds him. Lifting his right arm in front of his face to block the light and see the figure knelt over him he gasps. “ You!...”
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