| | Chapter 6When Umholi arrived at the rumored location, there was nothing but a dark cave. There was ivy along the walls and the opening, and a lot of brush led up to the opening. If he did not know that there was supposed to be an opening to the cave, he would never have seen it behind all the growth. However, there was no sign of anyone or anything.
He stepped closer to the mouth of the cave and yelled, “Hello?” No answer.
He stepped inside, and to his surprise, after just a few yards, the small dark opening blossomed into a massively glorious, almost welcoming, chamber. Except for the gruesome-looking horrors carved into the cave's walls and ceiling, it might make a lovely reception hall. There was plenty of room on all sides, and natural light shone from above.
Umholi could slightly make out the sound of rustling as it echoed off the cave walls. It was a faint sound at first, but then the volume grew louder. Umholi tensed up, not knowing what to expect, and he was right. Before he could take a step back, a giant Boa Constrictor quickly wrapped itself around him. He didn’t squeeze. He just kept him immobile. Then the face of the witch doctor appeared before him, absent a body. It was just floating before him.
The dis-embodied head seemed to glow as it laughed in his face before demanding to know why he had come into his lair uninvited and disturbed him. | | Chapter 10Everyone quickly quieted and listened intently. At first, there was nothing, but then they could hear a faint rumble. It sounded like a shallow swishing sound but slowly got louder. And not just getting louder but coming their way.
Tuta motioned for the group to get into position. They spread out and crouched down in the tall grasses, lying flat so as not to be seen by the approaching faction. No one knew what to expect because no one knew what was coming through the night. The villagers were lions at heart but humans by head, so there was a trace of fear of the unknown. The tension in the air was getting thicker and thicker as the sound got louder and louder.
Within a minute, the faint sound had become an unmistakable rumble, picking up volume. It was hard to distinguish any definitive features of the approaching group. Still, based on the clip of the gallop and the increasingly violent vibrations of the earth, there was no doubt that this was an army approaching.
The villagers sensed that the army was almost upon them. Machetes in hand and the set position, just one motion away from springing out of their hiding places. The time had come. The battle was at hand. They jumped out of the grass with the element of surprise, but it was the villagers who were surprised. | | Chapter 18It was late in the day, and he thought about what he might be able to scrounge up for dinner. He thought about how much he missed the village and his family. How simple life was back there, and the camaraderie of all the other villagers. The laughing, the playing, and the working were all parts of a full life he enjoyed as far back as he could remember. However, all that was gone now. The village and all the people were gone. Most of all, his self-respect was gone. All because of these creatures, he would find a way to bring them down.
He headed toward the lake, thinking he might catch a fish to eat. In his mind, he believed the lake might be haunted. It always felt eerie and strange whenever he was down there. One thing he told himself every time he went fishing was, "Never go in deeper than your waist." Plus, he had no idea what the lake floor was like. It could have a sudden drop-off that he was not ready for. Staying safe in the water was important, even though he was putting his life on the line trying to even the score with an army of extra-large wolves.
When he arrived at the lake's edge, he saw a few ripples in the water, but he had no idea what could have caused them. They were not that big, so he thought a decent-sized fish might be in there. He hesitated for a few seconds to survey the area. Nothing different from when he came down to the lake to fish. He stepped into the water slowly because it was cold as usual, and he needed to ease in. | |
