69 Vacuous Bravo (1/2)
Sibuor Ratong' was flying high in the dark clouds. It pierced through them like a needle through a cotton cloth. Those on his back were squinting as surges of winds knocked them. No one wanted to talk since no one was in the mood of doing so. The flowers of the crew had been stolen. Only Apeleka and Jakony were females in this group of two humans and beasts. Their presence was being missed greatly.
Roar! Roar!
After travelling for around fifteen minutes, a loud roar of an angry beast resounded just ahead of them. Everything appeared like a dot from afar but as Ratong' flew closer, everything became clearer. Everyone with Ochieng' at the moment had a consummate eyesight. It made no difference whether it was dark or not.
”That is where Apeleka's odor is coming from!”
Mang'weya suddenly jumped excitedly waking the others from their own thoughts.
”Are you sure?” Ratong' asked.
”Of course I am.”
After receiving Mang'weya's reassurance, Ratong' hurtled and arrived before the roaring beast. The beast stopped and looked at Ratong' with 'I have failed my master' expression.The beast was as large as the enlargedRatong' and looked exactly like a gorilla except for its creamy round eyes and brown furs. Ochieng' and the other beasts were looking at it ill at ease.
”Tell me where she is before I tear you into pieces.”Ratong' vociferated in Lu language.
”Who?” The beast asked with a raised brow.
”Hey! How are you there, my fiancee has been captured by a certain creature we do not really know. The lady is pretty and was dressed in a scarlet furred skin. She is around 1.6 meters tall and has a chocolate skin. Have you seen such lady around?”
Ochieng' asked before Ratong'gave its answer in an anxious voice making the beast look at him sympathetically. In the end, the beast only shook its head to show that it had no idea of where the lady was.
”That is a lie! How can her smell really be here if she wasn't here! Tell me where she is before I tell you how I deal with those who steal my sister in law behind my back!” Ratong' roared angrily making the beast quiver in fear.
The beast looked strong and could fight on equal grounds with Jade Eagle and even win. The reason it was fearful before Ratong' was because the lion's glare made it look indomitable and it made the beast' hair stand on end as ominous feeling rose from the bottom of its heart. The only reason it was able to face Ratong' was because it had long known that the man on the beast's back was an Ordainer.
”I have not even seen the girl let alone knowing where she has gone.” The beast answered staidly.
Ratong' wanted to start a fight with the beast but was stopped by Ochieng'. It immediately stopped though unwillingly. Ochieng' knew how unreasonable this lion friend of his was. It could not just be left to handle matters as it wished.
”Please tell us what had annoyed you the other time to an extent that you were uncontrollably roaring.” Ochieng' asked with a grave face.
”I am Demure Monkey. I was 'ordained' by Samoi Samoi from Sobu sub tribe. Sobu is one of the sub tribes that make the Lang tribe located above Kalek tribe. Samoi lived over ten thousand seasons ago. He left his tribe in my hands to protect it before he left to go and protect the whole of Keniya. The people of Sobu have never seen me in this form before but I have been watching them since brother Samoi left the tribe. All was perfectly well until a season ago when a sorcerer appeared in the tribe. He had been offended by the sub tribe head. To revenge, he created vacuous bravo to kill humans for him.” The so called Demure Monkey recounted.
”What is vacuous bravo?” The ever gentle Mudho asked.
”They are dead humans forged by the sorcerer's spell.He kills people through magic and then make them his puppets. They obey his orders unconditionally. It is impossible to destroy them and even I have been helpless against them. They have killed several people who have been turned into puppets as well. I think it is a matter of time before Sobu is turned into a park of puppets controlled by that sorcerer.”