Legend of Trelkoara: The Serpent of Sex

Chapter 8- Paths and Plans

Mikul wandered amongst the wreckage left behind from the previous night. Even now a few building were still smoldering, their fires having died out from lack of fuel rather then any attempts to put them out. Bodies lay scattered, the only clues to whether or not they belonged to the living or dead being the groans of pain that filled the air. Out of all the buildings in the city the only one to be spared was the temple itself. This was odd, as it had been the source of the disturbance, but it seemed appropriate. After all, what better way to remember the horror of the night’s events? Mikul backed against a building as a medical crew hurried by him. He silently blessed the Tallweathers as he watched the crew move a young girl onto the stretcher, hurrying past him again as they rushed her to a waiting helicopter. The Tallweathers had acted fast, even before the full extent of the damage had been known. The hotel staff had sent any one they could spare to help treat the survivors, while the First Fleet sent its own medical staff to help out. The worse cases were being helivacked out to the ships, while the walking wounded were being treated on site or at the hotel itself.

Mikul walked into the main courtyard of the temple. Here was the scene of the worst carnage, bodies literally heaped against the walls as rescue workers sifted through them, looking for those that could be helped. The dead could be grieved for later. Now was the time to help the living. In the center of the courtyard the seal was oddly untouched. Mikul bent down and ran his hand down the carving of the evil god that was supposed to lie beneath. A single crack ran down the center, ending half way into the carving. A chill ran down Mikul’s spine, as the fear of what was to come raced through his mind.

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Jason and Eileen sat on the balcony of her room and watched as another helicopter passed over head. The hotel staff had been tight lipped about what had happened the previous night, saying only that there had been a minor incident at the city during the night. Jason couldn’t help but wonder what sort of ‘minor incident’ required a massive airlift operation out to the fleet stationed off the island.

“Do you think everything is alright?” Eileen asked. Jason looked up as another helicopter flew by going in the opposite direction of the first.
“I doubt it. Something major happened. They just don’t want there to be a panic at the hotel or in the town.”
“I wonder what it could have been.” she remarked.
“That makes two of us. What ever it was, we’ll probably find out soon. Hard to keep something this big quiet for long.” There was a slight thump after he stopped speaking, and Jason turned to see Shadow sitting on the balcony besides Eileen. The panther growled softly and turned towards the road. Jason looked in the same direction and saw a line of trucks heading towards the hotel, mostly pick ups, though there did seem to be several troop carriers mixed into the convoy.

Jason looked closer and recognized Mikul sitting on the back of the lead pick up. He was about to alert Eileen to this fact when she beat him to it.

“Look, Mikul’s on the front truck.” she pointed. Jason nodded. “Think we should go ask him what is going on?” she asked.
“That sounds like a good idea. Come on, before they pout them into quarantine or something.”

The two turned towards the door and Shadow leapt back into the trees. After a quick run down the stairwell, the two teens stood outside the front of the building, glad they had managed to beat the convoy. The trucks began to roll past, heading towards the area were the staff lived. Jason waited then called out to Mikul as he rolled past. The old man glanced around quickly, then hopped off the truck as it rounded the corner, shielding him from the sight of the following truck. Fortunately the trucks were moving slowly enough that Mikul was able to land on his feet and jog out of the way of the next truck in line. He walked over to where Jason and Eileen were standing. He nodded at them as he got close.

“So what happened last night?” Eileen asked. Mikul shook his head.
“There was some sort of riot during the lunar celebration. Many of our people lay dead or dying, and much of the city was ruined.” he explained to them.
“Any idea what caused it?” Jason asked. Mikul looked at him for a moment.
“I have my theory, but I doubt you will believe it.” Mikul answered.
“Well, try us anyway.” Eileen suggested. Jason nodded in agreement with her.
“If you insist. It is my belief that the God Trelkoara was responsible for last night. An examination of the great seal this morning revealed it to be cracked. This is the first time in a thousand years it has done so. I believe he is trying to resurrect himself.” Mikul explained. Jason looked at him.
“You’re right, I don’t believe it. Sorry man, but a thousand year old snake god? That is a bit hard to believe.” There was a low growl from above. The three looked up to see Shadow standing on a branch half way up one of the trees. The panther leapt nimbly from branch to branch, until he found one close enough to the ground. From there it was a simple leap to the ground. Shadow walked over and paced around Mikul, sniffing at the old man, trying to gain a sense of who he was. Mikul watched the panther warily, prepared to go down fighting if it attacked him.

“Shadow! Heel!” Jason called out. The panther looked up at him and obeyed.
“So you are the master of this panther eh?” Mikul asked.
“Who, me? Nah, he just started following me around one day.” Jason replied.
“And yet, it followed your order to heel.” Mikul pointed out.
“Trust me, I’m just as surprised at that as you are. I don’t remember actually trying anything like that before.” Jason informed him.
“That is because it is a sign. The panther has always been one of the favorites of the Nukatani tribesmen. Seeing one is considered good luck. This is unprecedented.” Mikul explained.
“Why are they considered good luck?” Eileen asked.
“Well, mainly because it means the panther wasn’t hungry enough to want to eat you. Beyond that, they are simply magnificent beasts. They are strong, graceful, and proud, but not above just lazing about in the sun every once in awhile.” Mikul replied.
“So then what does this mean?” Jason asked. He and Shadow had been staring at each other while Eileen and Mikul talked. He had the sudden wish to know what the panther is thinking.
“Well, if I am right, and Trelkoara is about to be released, then we will need to fight him. Seeing this panther with you, I can only believe the island has chosen you to fight for it.” Mikul answered.
“Do I have a choice in this?”
“Not one that I can see.” Jason sighed at the answer.
“Fine. What do I have to do?” he asked.
“For that, we must journey into the jungle.”

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“So, tell me. What exactly happened out there last night?” Michael Tallweather was in a foul mood. The celebration of the anniversary was scheduled for later that night, and the villagers were getting restless. This was not the sort of publicity he needed. Gwen looked at her boss and gulped. In the few days she had been here, she had never seen anything like this.
“Um, we’re not exactly sure sir. Reports seem to vary on that. It seems there was a minor altercation, and it got out of hand.” She reported. Tallweather simply stared out the window.
“Explain that.” he ordered.
“Well, a fight broke out between a pair of young men over the affections of a young woman. One of them was unhappy with the results, and took matters into his own hand. The young lady’s brothers happened to be witnesses to this, and they acted to defend her.”
“How did you get this information?”
“Several of the elders of the tribe were watching from the temple altars. They were amongst the first evacuated, and told of what they had seen to our staff.”
“Proceed.”
“From there, the melee spread into the city streets. It turned into a riot, and consumed much of the city. Casualties are high, but fortunately there seems to be little physical harm to the city itself. Clean up crews have already repaired much of the damage, and most of the…bodies have been removed. The wounded are all being taken care of now, the more serious cases are being handled by the fleet.”
“What’s the condition on the publicity for this?”
“At the moment? None. There is really no press present at the moment, and those involved are currently under wraps, either at the staff section of the hotel, or on the ships of the fleet.”
“Are any of the guests aware of what has happened?”
“Not at the moment.”
“Good. Keep it that way.” Michael turned away from the window. “Get Danielle in here, we need to make plans to turn this around. First and foremost we need to reassure people of the condition of the city. It’s our biggest attraction, and people need to know it’s safe to go there.”
“Of course sir. Right away.” Gwen hurried out of the office to find Danielle.

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Trelkoara sat on his throne and smiled. Everything was going according to plan. The Nukatani were no longer a threat, and best of all, they had abandoned their city. The few that were left had no idea what was going on, and would be unable to call for help in time. He had already managed to crack the seal, his outburst of power having been greater then he thought. By the new morning he would be free. He just had to make sure his little puppets did exactly what he needed them to…

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It wasn’t hard for Mikul to find a jeep in all the confusion, and soon the four of them were speeding into the jungle. It had been a minor challenge to get Shadow into the jeep, first because they couldn’t let him be seen, and second because the big cat required a bit of convincing to get into the car. Even now he was pacing about the back, too uncomfortable to simply sit or lie down. As the jeep raced down a hardly used dirt road, Mikul began to explain what the goal of their little mission was.

“As I told you kids when we first met, this is not the first time Trelkoara has walked the earth. He was defeated a thousand years ago, and hopefully, we shall be able to defeat him again this time. In order to do that we need to retrieve the spear used by the original chief, all those centuries ago. It was sealed away in his tomb when he died, partly so that it would be safe, and partly so that we would always know where it was should we ever need it again.” Jason and Eileen listened intently as he shared his story.
“So all we need to do is go into the cave and fetch it?” Jason asked.
“If only it where that easy. No, the cave has been rigged with several traps over time, some built when it was, others added as the years progressed to replace those that failed or were failing.”
“So we have to get past all these traps?”
“No, you need to get past all these traps.” Jason stopped at this and stared.
“Um, excuse me? What? Why am I the only one walking into certain doom?” he asked.
“You won’t be going alone. Even if I wanted to, I doubt I could stop Shadow from following you in there. The panther shall be your guide, provided you are willing to trust its instincts over your own.” Mikul reassured him.
“You know, facing imminent death is not what I had in mind when I came on this vacation.”
“Oh, I doubt you will die. The panther will not allow it.”
“You really think I can pull this off don’t you?”
“If you don’t we are all doomed.”

The jeep sped deeper into the jungle. The way seemed unusually clear for such a hardly used path, but at this point, this was the least of Jason and Eileen’s worries. Animals of all sorts raced along side the jeep, following it towards the volcano at the center of the island. It burst from the jungle with a roar, and headed up the side of the volcano, finally coming to a stop outside a small cave. Mikul parked the jeep, making sure it wouldn’t roll back down the mountain, then got out.

“This is it. Inside is the tomb of the first chief. It is in there that you shall find the golden spear. Go now, and quickly. We do not have much time to waste.” Mikul passed Jason the flashlight and rope he had been searching for. “These will help you. The batteries are fresh, and the rope may be needed if certain traps have given way.”
“So you know what traps are in there? Anything you can tell me?” Jason asked.
“Only that there are many, and they are well placed. Again, all I can suggest is trust the panther. He shall guide you. I have faith in him.” Jason looked down at Shadow. The panther looked back, and Jason could have sworn he shrugged.
“Well, that makes one of us at least. C’mon Shadow, let’s get going shall we?” Jason and Shadow headed into the cave, and then disappeared into its murk. For s few moments the sounds of foot steps could be heard coming from the cave, then they too went silent. Eileen turned to Mikul.

“Are you sure he will be okay?” she asked. The tribesman looked down at her.
“I honestly wish I was.”

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Jason had been wandering through the cave for nearly ten minutes before Shadow halted. The panther stopped, and began to sniff the air. He seemed to sense something and began inching along in front of where Jason had halted. Jason watched as Shadow moved farther and farther in front of him, and began to move to catch up when he heard a faint snip sound. A pair of blades flashed out, passing over Shadow’s head, and then retreating back into the wall. Jason blinked, then walked over to where Shadow was standing. The panther lifted a paw, revealing a small stone button beneath. The button had been pressed into the floor, and was now stuck, a small crack in the floor wedging it shut.

Jason nodded at the panther to continue, and Shadow moved on. Anytime the panther paused Jason froze immediately, trusting the panther to keep him safe. Every once in a while Shadow would trigger one of the traps, either showing Jason where not to step, or setting off ones that didn’t reset themselves. The path behind them was soon littered with such traps, massive stone blocks that filled half the hall with their bulk, blades, spears and darts lodged into the opposite walls. Most passed harmlessly over Shadow, intended to stop a man from entering, not a wild beast. Here and there older traps had either malfunctioned or been previously triggered, the remains of small animals just as common as the skeletons and bodes of those who were greedy for the hidden treasures.

After having walked for almost half an hour, Jason noticed the flashlight was beginning to die. Smacking it a few times didn’t seem to make things better, and the bulb looked to be fine. There was no reason for the light to be dying, but it was. Finally, it sputtered out and died. Jason looked down at the flashlight, and tried flipping the switch a few times. Still, nothing happened. He tried smacking it against the palm of his hand, for a similar result. Then he realized he could still see what he was doing. Glancing about the cavern, he noticed there was a strange fungus growing along the sides of the cavern. It was emitting a soft glow, providing just enough light to be able to see clearly. He looked down the tunnel and saw that it had also triggered and froze several more traps. With the way clear before them, Jason and Shadow headed deeper into the mountain.

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“You wished to see me dear?” Danielle asked as she entered the room. Gwen slipped in quietly behind her and stood against the wall.
“Yes. Any ideas how to make sure tonight’s celebrations aren’t clouded over by the events of last night?” Michael asked.
“Well, that’s simple. Hold the festivities at the temple itself.” Danielle answered. She didn’t know where the idea had come from, but she liked the sound of it.
“Excuse me?”
“Well, it’s really quite simple,” she elaborated, “holding the ceremony and orgy at the temple will show how extremely confident we are in the city. Better yet, it will add a certain flavor to the party that we won’t get holding it here in the suites.”
“But what about protests from the Nukatani? We haven’t exactly asked permission, and there isn’t enough time to secure it either.”
“Chances are they will never find out to begin with, considering most of them will be spending the night at the hotel or on the ships. And if they do complain, we simply issue a formal apology for over stepping our bounds.” Danielle got up and walked over to her husband, then sat on his lap. “So,” she whispered, “ready for tonight?” Michael kissed her then lifted her off of him.
“Quite ready m’dear. But save it for later. Tonight will tax even us I’m afraid, and it would hardly be fitting for the host to leave before the guests now would it?”
“I guess you’re right. Come Gwen, we need to go pick out what we are to wear. We should probably make sure its nothing too delicate, as I fear our outfits may end up getting a bit torn.”

The two women hurried out of the office, heading for their rooms. Michael smiled as he watched them go. It was definitely going to be an interesting night. Fun at the very least, but still, very, very interesting.

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Jason and Shadow found themselves faced with a door way at the end of the long stone corridor. A light was flickering from the inside, as if some one had lit a fire deep inside the volcano. Jason hoped the light wasn’t coming from magma or anything truly dangerous. It would be a real pain to admit he had gotten this far just to find what he was after had been melted away.
The two strode towards the doorway, passing through it with out trouble. Inside a small fire was burning in a pit, over which a tin coffee pot hung. Shelves had been hacked into the walls, and books filled them to capacity. A small easel stood in one corner, and two more doorways seemed to be carved from the stone. Jason and Shadow walked into the room, looking about. Jason focused on the doors in front of him, wondering where they led.

“Welcome young one.” Said a voice from behind them. Jason froze. “Welcome to your tomb.”

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A/N: Aye, college is playing hell with things once more. Fortunately, this is almost finished. Just a few more chapters to go!