The Ancient Jungle (II)
“The boy’s going with us. What about you then? I can still have Bernard here escort you to the outpost,” offers Tlalli.
“I…” Sophie hesitates, looking at the large cat, and then at you. “Oh, fine, I’ll come along too! It is not that I am afraid to go alone, are we clear on that?”
“As you say, Sophie, as you say,” laughs Elizabeth.
Tlalli quickly runs through the plan she thought up. It seems that the shifter is lurking in a swampy area nearby. After Sophie sets sight on the shifter, you will map the surrounding area with your book, which will help Tlalli determine where the quarry will likely flee. That is where Elizabeth will get into position, moving deeper into the swamp by using her boots; the swampy terrain meant that Tlalli wouldn’t be able to keep up easily once it decided to run. Tlalli hands Elizabeth a small bronze orb, telling her that all she needs to do is to toss it at the shifter when the monster is chased that way. It’ll weaken and slow the shifter down enough so that Tlalli can put it down for good.
“Get some rest. It’s been an eventful day for the three of you.” Having finished explaining herself, you are to set out in the morning so Tlalli urges you to sleep.
“Should I keep watch?” you offer.
“Hah! I am not yet so senile that I cannot go without sleep for a few days. Worry not about me,” she snorts, waving her hand at you dismissively. “Now go to bed like a good little boy should.”
You decide to take up her suggestion and turn in for the night. Out of habit, you clamber up the nearest tree and position yourself comfortably against a suitable branch. You had learnt to sleep like this after more than a few nights where your former master had left you lost in the woods. It was safer than sleeping on the ground, as far as you are concerned.
“Wait, are we going to just go to sleep like this?” asks Elizabeth suddenly, standing by the fire and looking at the dirt and mud that makes up the ground in this jungle.
“Is there… nothing else to sleep on?” adds Sophie.
“Sheltered little princesses,” sighs Tlalli. “Here, I’ll get out a blanket for you…”
***
In the morning, before you depart, Tlalli offers you a choice of weapons to defend yourself. “You’ve got only a dagger with you, while the girls have nothing at all. Go on, pick something, don’t be shy,” she says with all the air of a grandmother giving out lozenges to children.
You set your eyes on:
A. A smaller-sized macuahuitl, the Aztec sword that Tlalli uses. It looks pretty sharp.
B. A slingshot to replace the one you lost. The pebbles that Tlalli provides are already polished and sharpened – they will fly well.
C. A revolver. You have no experience with firearms but you know the theory behind using one. Just aim and shoot. How hard can it be?
D. Brass knuckles. All you need to do is to slip on one of these and punch. You’re sure you can do that.
***
Everything so far had gone as Tlalli had planned – she tracked down the shifter’s general location, Sophie confirmed its exact position, and you snuck around the area, mapping possible routes. After that, Tlalli had leaped into battle – the shifter was a strange, bear-sized, reptile-headed beast with fins, changing into a monstrous hag and back again throughout the fight. In its beastly form it snapped and charged at Tlalli with brute force, while in its humanoid form it threw streams of unearthly flame.
But Tlalli handled both forms with ease, overpowering the beast with inhuman strength and intercepting the monster’s fire with her own burning winged snake. It did not take long before the shapeshifter decided to flee, herded by Tlalli towards the spot where Elizabeth and Bernard were waiting.
“A second one! Be careful!” shouts Sophie suddenly. “It’s coming from underneath!”
Another beast appears, leaping out of the swamp like a fish from water. Tlalli is already whirling around, swinging her macuahuitl at the new enemy. Her strike cleanly cleaves one of the fins, and she follows up with a kick that sends the huge beast flying. It transforms before it hits the ground; the flesh shrinks, the fur recedes into straggly black hair, the snout shortens into a more human-like visage which is still grotesque in the rows of jagged teeth lining its mouth.
The hag raises its bent and scrawny limbs and makes an ululating curse, glaring murderously at Tlalli. The water begins to rise, turning the swamp into an even worse mire.
***
While Tlalli fights the newcomer, you decide to:
A. Support Tlalli in putting down the new shifter as quickly as possible. Once this is done, the two of you can go after the one that fled.
B. Tell Tlalli to leave this one to you while she goes after the injured enemy. You might not be able to beat it, but you think you can buy enough time until the old lady finishes off the previous enemy and returns.
C. Rush to back up Elizabeth and Bernard. The injured shifter is fleeing towards them, and though the cat might be strong, Elizabeth doesn’t seem to have any experience in a fight. Tlalli can handle herself.
D. Head towards Sophie to guard her. She’s the only one left alone at the moment and you want to make sure nothing untoward happens to her.
E. Hide and watch. If there are two shapeshifters here, who says there can’t be three? You will keep yourself hidden so that you can ambush any enemy who might be trying to ambush you.
