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Escape From Manitou Island: Part 131 |
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(DISCLAIMER: This part, and all parts hereafter, are works in progress (WIPs) and have not been proofread or checked for plot inconsistencies. I've decided to present them "as is" for now, as there is a significant amount of unfinished material; yet this story has been on hiatus for a long while, I've forgotten certain details, and I have no plans to resume work on it any time soon. Please keep in mind while reading that details may change in the future. Should you spot an inconsistency, however, please feel free to point it out to me for possible correction.)
The Belly Of The Beast CHARMIAN AND WINTER Born--and more than a few of the others--screamed when the already gaping hole in the tunnel wall was suddenly made wider by the appearance of another Underwater Lynx, its head crashing through the opening and blocking the two groups from each other. This Lynx was smaller than the one that had crashed through before, and so its entire head came in and bent to the side at an uncomfortable angle, cramming the tunnel and effectively halting any further passage; Charmian lifted her hand and got ready to hurl a fireball at it, only to notice how the Lynx's eyes immediately popped open and it opened its mouth. "Humans!" it cried, and she couldn't believe it. "M--Mishupishu!!" She promptly dropped her hand and dashed toward him; he wriggled a little, obviously very uncomfortable in the cramped position. "What are you doing here--?!" "I--I was leading off the two Lynxes who were swimming above!"* the Lynx gasped. "I think I finally lost them--but the demon said that the ones in the other tunnels* were catching up and getting ready to try to drown all of you! So I broke into the side tunnel* to try to draw one of them off. I think that attack you just used scared him a bit. But he might come back at any minute!!" "Charmian--?" Winter Born's voice called from the other side of Mishupishu. His eyes widened and he looked like he wanted to turn his head, but of course he couldn't. "Everyone else! They're still in the tunnel too--?" he cried. Charmian nodded. "They're right behind you!" "Oh dear!!" He wriggled his whiskers and grimaced. "I thought they were safe and gone! If I pull my head out of here now, this tunnel will flood!!"* "That's not good, is it?" Kenu's voice said from the other side.* Charmian started gnawing on her lip. Mishupishu looked ready to cry. "What do I do, what do I do--?" he wailed, and she had to hurry up to him and put her hand on his muzzle just to calm him down enough so that he wouldn't wreck the tunnel any worse. "Don't worry about it! I'll think of something!" She frowned in thought, then started chewing on her own fingernails. "CRAP I can't think of anything!!" "The rest of them can run on ahead if they get going now," Moon Wolf said. "Charmian! We can't leave all of you behind!" Marten's voice cried from behind Mishupishu.* "You might have to," Charmian murmured so they couldn't hear. "Even if Mishu could pull out enough for us to pass, I don't think we can all outrun those other Lynxes..." She blinked and trailed off when Little Wind's fireball drifted past her and halted in front of the Lynx, making him cross his eyes just to look at it. Little Wind followed and stopped as well. "Would you have enough room to carry everybody--?" he asked. Charmian's, Thomas's, and Moon Wolf's eyes goggled and the blood drained from their faces. "Everybody...?" Mishupishu echoed, then frowned and appeared to be calculating something in his head. "Well...I think so...though some of them would have to go rather far back in my throat..." "WHAT?" Charmian, Thomas, and Moon Wolf all yelled at once. Mishupishu's stare flitted toward them. "I promise I wouldn't swallow any of you!" he exclaimed. "Honest!" "HOLD ON!" Charmian shouted, waving her arms and startling them. "You think we're going to crawl into a sea serpent's gullet and let him carry us AROUND? Are you frigging CRAZY?!" "I promise I won't swallow," Mishupishu added in a much smaller voice. "Likely story," Manabozho muttered from the back.* "I've ridden in the mouth of a Mishupishu before," Little Wind insisted. "It's watertight! It's the only way there's room for everybody, and it's the only way to get out of this tunnel without drowning." "Charmian--?" Winter Born's voice called from the other side,* when a BOOM from the opposite wall made them gasp and jump back. Mishupishu grimaced and wriggled. "Ow! My head!" He blinked his eyes open. "I promise I'll be as gentle as anything! I picked up a baby moose and carried it across the water once--it was just fine! If you could find the moose and ask it, I'm certain it would vouch for me, though it's probably grown up by now..." The BOOM came again and he began wiggling anxiously. Charmian cast Moon Wolf and Thomas a desperate look, then turned back to the Lynx. "What about the others--? How do we ALL get out of here--? There's no way I'm leaving anybody behind!" "Well--all of you could crawl into my mouth first," Mishupishu offered, "then I could try to pull back a bit, and stick my head back in, really fast--so too much water doesn't get in--and then your friends could climb in--and then I can try to use this tunnel to get to land. That way, even if it does flood, all of you should be safe! You think--?" "But what about you?" Charmian asked. "That leaves YOU wide open to attack!" Mishupishu blinked, then looked perplexed. He bit his lip. "Well...at least you get back to your Island* eventually...?" "HUMANS!" Kenu's voice bellowed from the other side.* "Is the demon still anywhere nearby--?" "He should be outside somewhere near this tunnel!" Mishupishu said. "He was keeping track of the other Lynxes!"* Charmian heard little feet scampering closer, and Mishupishu giggled when she assumed that Kenu must be pressing against him. "Human!" he exclaimed in a more normal voice. "Command the demon to prepare himself to come and fetch me as soon as the tunnel bursts open. I will remain behind to see to this problem!" "Huh--?" Charmian blurted out. She heard him stamping his feet. "Humaaaaaaannn! I am the almighty KENU and I have declared WAR on the Underwater Lynxes! Well--all except for this one--" Mishupishu started giggling again "--but anyway, seeing as I am not the best at swimming, I demand that the demon carry me to the surface, where I will assume my TRUE form and distra--um--take on the remaining Lynxes so that you tiny humans can make it safely to land!" More stamping noises. "Pleee-ee-eease?" Thomas looked at Charmian and shrugged. "Sounds like a plan." "Sounds like a STUPID plan," Charmian grumbled, but gave in with a gusty sigh. "Fine! Everybody--in Mishu's mouth. Except for Kenu and X'aaru." She made an awful face. "God I hope I don't regret this...!!" "Just crawl right in and settle yourselves where it's most comfortable!" Mishupishu offered, and opened his jaws as much as he could. All of them but Little Wind went a little green on seeing the huge forked tongue and glinting teeth jutting up and down like stalactites and stalagmites; yet the young wabano crawled right in as if he were taking a seat on a fair ride. Moon Wolf promptly looked disgusted, clambering in after him, followed by Niskigwun;* Thomas climbed in, helping Charmian, who yelped as soon as she saw Manabozho* already comfortably seated within. She had to pause to catch her breath. He just gave her a look. "Told you before,"* he said. "I rode inside a giant sturgeon once before fighting it.* After that, riding in the mouth of an Underwater Lynx is nothing!" Charmian scowled at him as she tried settling down not far from Mishupishu's throat. "Ass." She popped to her feet again and grimaced. "Eeewwww!! It smells like rotten fish in here and everything's all slimy!" "Well...what did you expect?" Little Wind asked, furrowing his brow, just as a fresh--so to speak--wave of fish scent wafted over them, and Thomas had to grab Charmian's arm before she could fall over gagging. "I' going to shut 'y 'outh now!" Mishupishu said, and Charmian at last settled herself upon his tongue, against one of his back teeth--it was as tall as she was, sitting--and she started chattering and whimpering as the Lynx's jaws slowly went shut. Little Wind's fireball kept the inside dimly lit, and they all peered across at each other as if thinking the same thing, and she was pretty sure that they were; in all of her travels upon and away from the Island, she'd never imagined that she would ever be in this particular situation. Hold on! Mishupishu thought, and they grasped onto his teeth, bracing themselves; there was a sudden jarring motion, and Charmian gasped and nearly lost her grip on the slippery tooth, having to dig her feet into his tongue. A grinding noise came from outside, then the rushing noise of water flowing into the tunnel; they all jerked again and the noise stopped. Mishupishu's jaws opened and they peered out to see the others staring back in at them, eyes wide. Lieutenant Barrington's* mouth fell open. "You have got to be bloody KIDDING me!!" Charmian waved wildly. "Get in!! Whoever doesn't--DROWNS!!" That convinced them, and everyone but Kenu clambered into the Lynx's mouth. Charmian and Thomas stared uneasily at his throat before creeping back into it to make more room; they managed to go back quite a way before halting, Charmian not wanting to go further as they would lose sight of his mouth itself. Thomas leaned against the side and held Charmian's arm to keep her aloft as she couldn't stand touching the "wall" herself, it was so slimy. She shuddered as Winter Born* cheerily hopped inside and made her way toward them, dropping down over the back of the Lynx's tongue and smiling up at them. Charmian grimaced and shook. "Why are you smiling?!" she demanded in a reed-thin voice which made Thomas wince. "Why not?" Winter Born asked. "It's just like going in another tunnel!" She took in a breath and was ready to go wandering down Mishupishu's esophagus when Charmian grabbed the collar of her dress and towed her back. Charmian shut her eyes. X'aaru--? You out there--? Charmian? I was so worried! Are you all right--? We're fine, but Mishu's got to get moving now. I don't think this tunnel's going to last. Kenu's going to come out when it goes, and he wants you to carry him to the surface so he can keep the other Lynxes distracted. Think you can handle that? I'll try. Be careful! They're huge! "That's kind of an understatement," Charmian said to herself, then glanced around at everyone. "Um--who wants to signal that we're ready to go--?!" Little Wind reached up and thumped his hand on the roof of Mishupishu's mouth. An instant later everyone was thrown forward when the Lynx lurched back, pulling his head partway from the tunnel. They then fell sideways, and then went tumbling back toward his throat as he started zooming down* the tunnel. The roar of water came to their ears again,* and Marten clung to Peepaukawiss, both of them all puffed up and chattering in fear. Charmian clung to the inside of Mishupishu's throat, having no choice now unless she wished to go tumbling straight back into his stomach. "Cr-cr-cripes!!" she stammered, digging her fingers in and hoping that she wouldn't make him throw up. "Are we going to b-b-break the s-s-sound barrier?!" "I have never longed for dry land more in my LIFE!!" Puka wailed, mashing Marten to his breast. "I have never longed more for a bath," Niskigwun grumbled. "I have never longed more for that FORT!"* Barrington hissed. Charmian cast out her mental net, trying to sense what might be going on outside. She immediately sensed the other Lynxes,* not too far behind them; then she sensed X'aaru, moving further away, up toward the surface. She sensed Kenu with him and let out a breath. "I think they're going to make it," she said. "Hopefully Kenu'll keep them off our tail until we're safe on dry land!" "Wait a minute!!" Augwak waved his arms. "You mean we're leaving our fate in the hands of that Animiki runt--?!"* "What did you expect?" Charmian retorted. "Who else could fight off a bunch of Lynxes?!" The GeeBee leapt up and down in a rage. "THINK, IDIOT FLESHLING! He's just a CHILD! Animiki are careless enough AS IT IS!" "Huh--?" Charmian said, then blinked and sat up straight, remembering Niskigwun's much-earlier words.* "Oh--crap!!" She pushed herself up clumsily. "He is just a kid! He's nearly KILLED us several times over already!* And now he's going to be hurling lightning RIGHT AT US--?"* "Maybe he's gotten better--?" Winter Born suggested. She was clinging to Mishupishu's uvula, swinging back and forth. Thomas took Charmian's arm again and pulled her back down as she pulled on her hair and whimpered. "Yes, he's just a kid, and a rather clumsy one," he admitted. "But give him a shot! So to speak," he hastily added when she glared at him. "Remember what he's fighting for!* You think he'd mess that up--?" "I think he might not have much CHOICE!" Charmian protested, but decided not to keep pressing the issue. She crouched down and covered her head. "Just tell me when it's all over--if we're not all tiny CINDERS by then--!" Mishupishu suddenly jerked, and they all yelled and fell over. Charmian and Thomas scrambled to try to get a good grip, glancing around in confusion. The Lynx continued moving from side to side, and a loud rumbling noise in his throat made them wince and try to cover their ears. "Wh--what's going on out there--?" Charmian yelled. Little Wind pressed his hand to Mishupishu's side for a moment, then started gnawing on his lip. "One of the other Lynxes has broken into the tunnel,"* he said anxiously. "It's biting at his tail." "I wish there was a way we could help him out," Charmian moaned, glancing back down the Lynx's esophagus. She doubted that running all the way to the end and tossing fireballs at his insides would help matters much, beyond possibly giving him indigestion. "The only thing we can do is trust him to pull us through as quickly as possible," Moon Wolf said, giving her a look. "You can't always help everyone. Just sit, and wait." Charmian glared at him but reluctantly obeyed. Thomas clasped her hand and she clasped his in return, a little tightly. "Here's hoping that Kenu has gotten better," she said in a quavery voice, and at that all of them fell silent. X'aaru kept himself as small and inconspicuous as possible, swimming just above the tunnels*--Mishupishu had kept his thoughts open, so he knew vaguely where he was--and watching anxiously for any sign of life. One of the tunnels running adjacent* to the one that Mishupishu and the others were in was collapsing upon itself now, exposing the interior, and he swept down toward this, keeping his eyes open for the other Lynxes, which he knew could show up at any minute. He gnawed on his lip nervously as he scanned the settling mud and at last made out movement within. Mishupishu's long black form was barely visible, his head jammed through the tunnel wall and into what must be the dry tunnel that Charmian's group was in. X'aaru swam back and forth, waiting, as well as peering up and left and right and back for any sign of the bigger Lynxes. His tail fanned from left to right and he rather wished that they would hurry. After a few moments, Mishupishu went crashing into the tunnel and vanished from sight. X'aaru immediately swam down on seeing a little form paddling frantically in the gaping hole of the tunnel's side,* and grabbed onto Kenu's collar, turning and hauling him back up toward the surface. A bubble escaped the little Animiki's mouth before his eyes went wide and he clapped his hands over it. Must you drag me about so RUDELY? he thought. A majestic Animiki should hardly be treated like BAGGAGE! I'm sorry! X'aaru replied, flustered. But how else should I carry you--? If I let you go now you'll go falling back to the bottom--unless you think you can swim--? But I ca--er-- Kenu wriggled, now equally flustered. I AM THE GREAT KENU! I HAVE NO NEED FOR SUCH TRIVIAL THINGS AS SWIMMING!! X'aaru winced; even his thoughts were loud. All--all right! Do you want me to slow down, and carry you upon my back--?! Kenu fell still now, gnawing on his own lip. No, he said after a moment. We have to get to the surface as quickly as possible! He made a face. I, the noble Kenu, can suffer a few indignities in my righteous quest to defeat the Mishupishus and avenge my grandfather...but ONLY a few! X'aaru furrowed his brow but obeyed, making sure that he had a tight hold on Kenu before plunging upward toward the surface as fast as he could. At least once he thought he saw a long sinuous form winding through the water off to the side, and almost turned and went the other way, but the Lynx didn't come for him, apparently not interested. He and Kenu peered down to see it make its way into the collapsed tunnel* before disappearing. A moment later, he sensed Mishupishu's distressed thoughts, and could feel the vibrations of the ground quaking even higher up in the water. He suppressed a whine. I wish I could do something to help! he thought. Kenu twisted his head around to look up at him. Just get me up to the surface as quickly as you can! he thought back, eyes wide. And I promise I'll do everything I can to make this right! X'aaru looked at him uncertainly, but couldn't think of anything else. He snapped his tail in the water and put on a fresh burst of speed, zooming toward the surface. The water around them grew lighter and lighter the higher they went. At last the sky became visible over their heads, and a moment later they burst out, droplets cascading back down with a noisy splash. Kenu promptly let out his breath and sucked in another one; "Keep going!" he cried, waving at X'aaru when the demon attempted to head for the riverbank. "As high as you can! Don't worry about me, I'm not scared of heights at all!" "All right," X'aaru managed around his mouthful, and beat his sopping wings as hard as he could. Within seconds he was wheezing for breath, as the water weighing him down made it difficult to fly very fast, and soon the muscles of his wings were burning, but he winced and kept his discomfort to himself; Charmian and the others were down in that tunnel, and judging by the way that the other Lynx had been attacking Mishupishu, they would never make it to the opposite side unassisted. Up here, he again got a good look at just how wide and vast this river was, and whined a little, wings quaking. Kenu peered up at him, then down, then waved his arms. "This is good! Now let me go!" "Let you GO--?!" X'aaru cried without thinking, and Kenu let out a little yell as he went falling. The demon blinked, then yelped and spun around to head after him as he plummeted back down toward the river. "K-KENU--!!" That was all he got to say. The little boy righted himself in midair, throwing his arms out to his sides; an instant later, he was glowing, and an instant after that, X'aaru yelped again, bowled backwards head over heels when a wave of power slammed into him. The air started crackling and snapping and his fur stood on end; he chattered and regained his balance, blinking in surprise. The little shape falling through the air was gone. A great ball of light had taken its place, and even as he watched, this grew bigger and bigger, lengthening and expanding, the vague shapes of two giant wings spreading out from its sides and beating at the air. He had to fly higher just to avoid being caught in the buzz of energy surrounding it, and watched in awe as Kenu transformed, a great Thunderbird taking the little boy's place. He beat his wings hard several times, seeking a current, then tilted his head back and began flying in circles. "BEST BE OUT OF MY WAY, TINY DEMON!" he boomed. "ELSE I MAY UNWITTINGLY STRIKE YOU IN MY ATTACK!" "Oh--sorry," X'aaru apologized, hastily ducking out of the way and flying higher than Kenu was. Kenu circled over the river, staring down at it intently; he spread his wings as wide as he could and pinpointed something invisible below. "AHA!" he exclaimed. "THE POWER GRANTED ME BY MY MIGHTY GRANDFATHER NIGANKWAM'S FEATHER* HAS ENABLED ME TO SEE MY FOES! THEY TRAVEL BENEATH THE WATERS LIKE THE COWARDLY FISH THAT THEY ARE!" He flapped his wings and thunder boomed; X'aaru darted a nervous look upwards to see clouds filling the sky. "I WILL ATTACK THEM AND KILL THEM!!" "You'll--you'll miss the others, right--?" X'aaru cried, eyes going wide. Kenu let out a boom of his own. "I, KENU, NEVER MISS!" He started spiraling toward the river. "I SIMPLY AIM AT A DIFFERENT SPOT!" X'aaru whined, grimacing. He hurriedly flapped down after him, having to keep his distance to avoid the crackle of electricity still rippling around the Thunderbird; Kenu opened his beak and screamed, "DIE, VILE LYNXES!!"--before unleashing a volley of lightning bolts which slammed straight down into the water, one after another. X'aaru struggled to keep his balance, the force of their impact was so strong; gouts of water splashed up into the air, a fine mist of it dampening them even at their height. Kenu paused only to take a breath and beat his wings before he was at it again, screaming madly as he hurled lightning and boomed with thunder, flapping in slow circles over the water which was steaming and hissing by now. When one of the Lynxes reared its head, snarling and bristling, the Animiki simply upped his attack, aiming at its head while X'aaru beat his own wings to blow wind at it to try to disorient it. A bolt struck the Mishupishu between the eyes and it let out a bellow of pain before plunging back into the water with a horrific splash. The Ocryx watched in awe as lightning bolt after lightning bolt pummeled the water, until the Lynx came bobbing back up to the surface, tattered and looking quite dead. X'aaru's mouth fell open. "I think you killed one! I think you killed one!" he exclaimed, and flew around the Thunderbird. "You killed one! Hooray!" "THERE IS STILL AT LEAST ONE* LEFT TO FINISH!" Kenu boomed, and took a breath, spitting more lightning. X'aaru watched intently for any more Lynxes to come swimming up, squinting hard and peering into the foam which was cast up into the air by the attack. Kenu finished another slow circle before flapping his wings with a crack of thunder and lifting his head to suck in a great breath. X'aaru watched him in anticipation, the Animiki's great yellow eyes flaring madly and a particularly bright crackle of electricity rippling over his feathers. His chest swelled and X'aaru braced himself for the final attack which would surely finish off the other Lynx still under the water. Kenu flapped his wings, then blinked. "I'M--I'M TIRED!!" he bellowed, then his eyes dimmed and with a whoosh of breath the crackle of electricity around him vanished and he tilted and started plummeting like a stone down toward the river. X'aaru gasped in panic and flew after him as fast as he could, not sure of what he could even do, but it hardly mattered anyway, as a moment later he was thoroughly doused by the great gush of water that shot up into the air as soon as the Thunderbird crashed. |