11 The JUNGLE of NARRA (1/2)

The misty wind blew a chilling lonely breeze in the darkened night of Nagozul. The thick cloud of fog consumed every light source all over the Palace grounds shrouding the vision of any living person in Nagozul, rendering one to be left clueless in the dark night. Even so, this didn't stop Yosh from running around the Royal Gardens at the west wing of the Palace pacing a speed no Nagozulian Sentinel can match. The Great Dash!

There is an opening at the center of a long hedge wall circling the gardens. It is the entrance to the fifteen-foot brick wall maze that is elaborately structured all around stretching about three hundred yards on each side. Each mossy stone slab is covered with vines producing an effect that is ghastly and frightening as it stood there haunting in the cold dark night. Escaping in this elaborate puzzle proves to be a surprisingly arduous task for it is apparent that the rich fog is much denser there than is what's outside - not to mention its slippery floor that can trip anyone that's not too careful with their steps. Every plan to stealthily escape the Palace leads to one inexorable point of access: it is through this wall maze.

There are a few lower ranked guards posted near the maze because no person in their right mind would want to wander in such an intricate network of hallways in the middle of early morn. Not only that you'll catch a cold with the shivering fog that's been enveloping the area, but you'll get shouted as well in the morning when they find you there lost and alone with no permission. This access point is the only viable option if he is to successfully attempt to break out. All of the other openings have a higher risk of detection except in the maze which he thought to be ridiculously unguarded.

”Alright,” he whispered to his companions - Stella and Luna, ”Phase One complete. We've snuck around and got away from those guards at the Palace, let's see if we can pull this off. I have bribed the two guards that are guarding at the exit of this maze so that should be easy. They'll let us pass there and will not tell anyone of our little escapade so the only thing that we need to do is to...” He gulped for a second trying to psyche himself to remove any second thoughts, ”...get past this.”

Yosh ran around inside, left and right, dashing in the dark frightening maze now without hesitation. Clearly, his mind is now much more determined to achieve his goals that he willingly disregarded the fact that he still is afraid of this brick maze.

The brick maze, also popularly known as the Snake Tunnels, is supposedly a playground for little Nagozulian prince and princess. The seers proposed to build this as an experiment in the assumption that children who were brought here can train their memory and test their mind concerned with logic. They say it develops critical thinking and mental responsiveness due to different elemental traps hidden there but Yosh disagrees. He says that it's way too creepy to be a playground for children to play to. His brothers agreed too when he said that the only thing it produces are horrible, unforgettable nightmares. He knows it is so because he experienced being trapped in that maze for a day not knowing which way to run home to. That's partly why he's so obsessed with the immortal evil ghosts of Karshivyk and large mythical monsters to a point that he believes that they are still haunting him till this very day. That was five years ago when he was just six years old, but this trauma still lingers in his mind shouting at him, telling him that he will be lost there in confusion again.

”Go away evil ghosts of Karshivyk! I won't lose to you again!” he grumbled trying to shut his thoughts to the idea, denying his subconscious mind the luxury of pleasure at his expense.

He stopped in his path and directed his look to Luna.

”Hey, Luna. Please, go up the walls and direct me to the exit at the northern side. Stella can't fly that high 'cause someone might see her.”

Luna created a slight meow understanding right away, jumping swiftly to Yosh's shoulder. Yosh then directed Stella near the wall to his right directly on top of him. After seeing Stella in position, Luna jumped pouncing to the wall, into Stella's flying body, giving off a faint clink from the touch of her claws to her armor, then bounced back again making her land at the top plane of the wall.

”Great Job you two! Now find me a path.”

Luna began shouting her meows and ran. Yosh, seeing her sprinting fast, followed hurriedly with a wide smile lighting up his face. Six years ago he doesn't have anyone to help him scurry in that dreadful place but now he have his friends and that feeling of security slowly ate up the fear inside him, making him confident to run faster using his Great Daomagarian Dash, turning left and right, never stopping, never having doubts, running as if it's as clear as day.

”Hmmnn...” Karus contemplated walking all around flustered. ”I should've joined Yosh at the Great Palace Escape.”

”Uh-huh, naming it now with grand names, are we?” mumbled Kayzar smiling.

The travelling party is somewhere north, near the Kulog Pass. They created a camp with a fire in the middle burning bright, warming them all around in its bountiful radiance. There are five of them there sitting and waiting for Yosh who has proven himself late for about an hour now. Reus and Kayzar is reading the books that Illyriah gave while Narra brewed his tea - as always - in the opposite side. The Daomagarian merchant, big and muscular as he is, lay sitting at the side doing his third round of inventory checks which he does repeatedly to kill boredom.

”Shush Karus,” ordered Reus who is reading the lost volume of the Great Narra's Compendium of Mythical Bestiary. ”Sit down, you're blocking my light. Yosh can take care of himself. He's got Luna and Stella to watch his back so you shouldn't have to worry.”

”Besides,” said Kayzar joining the conversation reading the first parts of Kyrin's memoirs, ”he's the fastest among us. He's the only one who can use the great dash with less effort so he's really going to be here sooner than you expect. He's just in a pickle is all, or better yet he's in between his pickles if you know how Yosh is with snacks.”

”That's not what I've been thinking,” he sat down near Reus who clearly ignored Karus and obviously went on reading his book, ”I've been thinking about how cool it is that he's escaping the Palace. Don't 'cha wish that you too have been grounded for a month? He's clearly enjoying himself having fun while we sit around here doing nothing.”

”Not having fun!?” shouted Reus, ”Eherm, correction. We're doing something, You're NOT! For the past hour you've been acting weird like that. For the love of what's good and holy, why don't you go grab a book here, go around there and read! That way we can all be at peace!”

”Sheesh, too much black tea eh? Don't be so jumpy about it. I'm just envious is all.”

Karus grabbed a book about the Tower of Karshivyk and began reading near Kayzar. After just thirty minutes, the twins began deliberating about some theory that they have about the spirits of Karshivyk and the Elves of the Forrest of Kyrin in much unusual jubilation and great enthusiasm that it made Reus to grumpily change spot to sit near Narra who is quietly enjoying his tea.

”So, bothered by your brothers now, are we?”

”Nah, I just accepted fate and decided not to read. Besides, I can't read in this condition - too dark and foggy. My eyes are straining, and my glasses are going all shady.”

”Hmmn, Yes. We are very near the Kulog Pass and I believe it's storming there now as we speak. See, the thick fog is the clear indication that it is indeed blowing unimaginably strong there so I think we should take up the hike and move around the pass to reach the jungle.”

”Wait,” refuted Reus, ”don't tell me that we're going up the Lakas Mountain range to avoid the pass! I thought you said that you know your way to the Kulog Pass.”

”I'm sorry Reus. I know my way to the Kulog Pass, believe me I know, but we really can't travel through if there is a storm brewing there. I just can't risk you and your brothers being hit by lightning bolts. Your father is the only one who can calculate the storm's presence, you know and it's not as if we have a strong Wind-Water prodigy in our party to redirect the bolt's current so our only option is really to go around it.”

”Aww! Come on Gramps, I still have my casted leg here? How can I travel up the steep mountains?”

”Oh, don't worry. I commissioned someone to carry you. Remember that I really like to anticipate everything.”

”Right, carry me...” whispered Reus looking pale seeing that he dislikes someone carrying him and regards it to be most humiliating.

The sudden noise in the bushes at their south startled the three brothers that it made them stand up in anticipation dropping everything that they are currently doing.

”Yeah-Hey-Hey! I'm here!” shouted Yosh in much excitement as he jumped through in a lot of effort to create some surprise which clearly failed.

”Hmn, an Hour and a half later than expected,” said Narra sipping his tea sitting there, cozy in his spot next to the fire, ”You're really losing it Yosh.”

”Whoa Gramps, It's not really my fault,” the others just looked at him, smiling mischievously, giving the impression that they don't believe his statements but he pushed on and tried, ”I did my best to evade those guards, really but since the ones that I bribed, in some sort of misfortune, was posted on the other exit areas in the last minute, I have to improvise and wait for them to look in the other direction and sneak through. It's not my fault if they keep on changing the guard's schedule on a whim.”

”Eherm,” entered a big muscular man behind Yosh shaking his hair as he passed him by, ”I t'ink we deserve 'sum credit.”

”Yeah,” added a laughing young slender woman beside the muscular man trying to enter in the conversation, ”If it were not for us, then you all would've waited for three hours more because junior here doesn't want to move his little feet.” She laughed so hard infecting the others to laugh as well.

”Eh?” replied Yosh in much confusion, startled as he is when the petite young woman gently slapped his right arm still laughing.

”Yo! Kudos, Madj! I didn't know you were coming!” shouted Karus as he ran near them grabbing their hands tightly in a shake, welcoming them to the party which Kayzar did also.

”How're you... where did'y... why's tha...” stammered Yosh in much uncertainty. He didn't know that they are following him. Stella and Luna didn't detect their presence at all and neither did he. He just stood there puzzled, trying to remember everything that happened earlier on to explain this unusual phenomenon.

”Well Yosh, no point in just standing there go on and help your brothers,” commanded Narra gulping all the contents of his cup in just a second and standing up to stretch around preparing himself. He directed his attention to everyone and continued. ”I ordered the two of them to come with us so that we can have some extra hands in the journey. We have a lot of walking ahead of us, so I suggest we keep on moving fast.”

”Hey,” directed Kayzar to the two to get their attention as they pack the things that they need to bring, ”How come you two're here? You're the most favored dinner chefs at the Palace, right? How'd you escape that?”

”Well, as 'ya know der' a lot of sheps 'an a lot o'kitchen 'n 'd Palace so we won't be missed,” replied Kudos as he helped Karus in wrapping the mat that they were sitting into. ”Basic'ly, we went to 'da star shep- or t'least 'dat's 'wat he calls 'imself - an' asked his permishun' if we can get 'ar breaks for a week.”

”No way!” said Karus snickering, ”the star chef Mort? Ha ha! Of course, he's going to approve your vacation. Clearly that's what he's been waiting for.”

”Yeah,” replied Madj snickering as she dropped her bag grabbing a rope inside to give it to Kudos. ”He's been anticipating this opportunity to present his newfound ideas on cooking that he'll present to the queen,” she said this with much waving of her hands insulting the so-called star chef'smannerism when explaining - waving the hand on a circular manner, ”I think that's his plan to replace us being the dinner cooks.”

Kudos laughed with Madj's statements and replied, ”Juz' to point out, bein' 'd Dinner Chef is 'd most prestigious thin' 'dat d'ose Nagozulian shefs want. Clearly, we don't like 'dat position. 'Der's too much prejediz' on us Daomagarians already an' 'dis position makes us livin' targets. If given a chance, we 'wud wanna be placed on lunch duty. 'Dat way, we'll be invisible to 'd scene an' no one's 'gonna boder if we're takin' 'ar breaks.”

”Good thing you're with us,” shouted Yosh, ”that would hinder Kuya-Karus and Kuya-Kayzar in making experiments with our food.”

”Don't you worry Yosh,” entered Narra as he grabbed his huge backpack as big as he is, obviously heavy but he managed to bear it as if he was carrying nothing, ”I'm going to stop them from ruining the food. And Oh-Yeah, I'll be the one to cook - I can cook too you know.”

”Just promise us Gramps that you're not going to ruin another perfectly mixed pork broth stew by adding bitter herbs,” pleaded Karus with a concerned face.

”Yeah and adding those horrific wrinkly stringy bitter vegetables that you like very much,” added Kayzar in a face with much disgust.

”Oh? But I will. It's good roughage and besides you brother Reus loves that too.”

They saw Reus being carried by Kudos, waving his hands and moving his eyebrows up and about in agreement with much pleasure almost teasing.

”No, not again,” replied Karus and Kayzar in unison with heavy hearts as they carried their travel packs, preparing themselves in their trek upwards in to the Lakas Mountain range.

It took them almost three hours to reach the opening at the Lakas Mountain range. They looked up straining as though seeing a very impossible task up ahead. Reus sighed and whispered something to Kudos which made the big man guffaw excessively. The others heard this and caught on laughing too but twins are deaf in that moment for they are mystified at the scene they are beholding. A great mountainous tower wall built and chiseled magnificently by nature.

There was a steep, almost impossible, path leading up to the mountains. It looked as if one man can only walk at a time for it covered at least three feet of floor to walk onto. There are some cracks under and above with some persistent grass living beneath it giving the path a somewhat staircase look - a very odd looking, sheer sloped, remarkably placed staircase at that in which one would insinuate it to be created on purpose: to make climbing to Nagozulians practically unreasonable and unsafe, or at least that's what Yosh was thinking.

”You know Kuya-Kayzar,” whispered Yosh gulping in anxiety as Narra first checked the front steps, ”I have this weird fear about heights, not heights in general but fear about really-dangerous-height-the-size-of-a-mountain like sort of thing, and I think you ought to check up on me once in a while -- but don't make it too obvious ok? I don't want Kuya-Karus teasing me with this.”

Kayzar nodded smiling as he once again measured the great height of the steep path they were about to trek with much excitement in his face. The twins are most appreciative in these kinds of risky things, especially Karus who went on second to Narra followed by Yosh and then Kayzar. On their backs were Kudos and Madj and following down below is the yawning merchant who seems to be feeling kind of sleepy with his face without expression as if treating this journey like a lazy day's walk in the park.

The steep stone wall, the sharp edges of the silver stones and the hard wind, blowing as if slamming them on the face of the mountain, are not the only ones that made this somewhat perilous journey a little bit harder on the Nagozulian Princes. It seems that the fog enriched the wall with much water that it made it almost impossible for them to fix their foot on its moist ground firmly leading for them to tie ropes with their Daomagarian friends just in case.

”I think we're doing a fine job travelling here!” shouted Narra to the team but clearly is directly intended to the Princes, ”I hope you ate a heaping serving of your meals earlier because we'll be in this for quite some time.”

”What!?” shouted Yosh with disappointment as Luna gave her meows inside his chest pocket where he always puts her in.

”Yes,” replied Narra. ”I think we can't rest till we reach the top. See, that's where we're going to camp. Going down from there isn't going to be too much trouble as going up.”

Then he continued on walking pulling his end of the rope giving the signal to the others to move with Yosh mumbling and complaining about Lunch. The others in the back heard this and that led them to cry out laughing. This made Reus a little jumpy, praying not to fall, for his ride moves about much when he laughs.

Yosh found an idea and immediately ordered Stella, who's hovering at his head, to go to the forest and specifically told her to grab some cherries which she did right away making it impossible for Karus to grab some additional requests. This became another topic of their uncontrollable chain of laughter making them twice slower than earlier on.

”Oh, dear Bathala,” whispered Narra smiling, ”I just hope we reach the first landing by midnight.

-------ooO0Ooo-------

”PRODEA!” shouted the Queen running at the receiving area where Prodea is, carried by his personal guard accompanied by Zeba walking by her side. ”Explain to me, AT ONCE, what YOU exactly DID at Bakunawa's Shrine!”

”Relax Mother,” pacified Prodea ignoring the rampage of her mother, ”You really should consider taking those medications that the seers are offering. Bakunawa's fine.”

”Then, can you clearly enlighten me on that matter!? The Nanreben, who has been asleep for a thousand years now, suddenly was awoken from its slumber roaring so loud, everyone in the kingdom is both anxious and afraid! Why did he summon it? Hmn? He only summons it when there's a grave threat here in the Holy Lands of Bathala!”

”Oh that,” Prodea smiled devilishly remembering the luck she had in surviving the attack of Bakunawa which she didn't clearly thought of happening, ”Well I asked him to show the Nanreben to me. It's no big a deal, I'm his student after all. There's no threat whatsoever so you can tell all your worried people that they're safe and sound.”

Prodea gave a signal to the guards and they began walking again, still carrying her, reaching the great steps.

”And the explosion? The seers said there was a large elemental fire summoning at the north west,” asked the queen as they pass her.

Prodea gave a signal to stop and leaned to see her mother.

”Oh, that! Well, I was testing the strength of the Nanreben, and it seems that it, let's say, impressed me. I think he'll be powerful enough to get rid of those easterners once they deviate from the original plan.”

”Is that it?” asked the queen unsatisfied to the answer of Prodea, pushing every corner of her lips with her handkerchief which is her tell if she's nervous and disconcerted.

”Yes mother,” replied Prodea with much frustration and with a hint of disrespect, ”Did explanation brought a tint of light to your curiosity, mother? Can I return to my quarters now?”

The queen was shocked, appalled with her tone. Clearly, she went overboard with her language. She doesn't have any reply for that matter for obviously she's still shaking, tense as she is with her persistent bony fingers still pushing her lips with her white handkerchief. She just walked hurriedly with her clerics almost running to the other corridors to assemble the seers. The sight of it amused Prodea for a little bit, garnering a devious smile to grow up to her cheeks, making her to stop and pause in relishing those few seconds before she ordered her guards once again to continue pushing on to her quarters.

It took her royal party twenty minutes to maneuver their way up to her grand room at the northern most part of the Palace, just a floor below the queen's royal chambers. It is filled with much crystal gems and books and vials of different colors all arranged in many tables strategically placed all around there as if she's doing some experiment - which she proved evidently to be true taking to account her dark Magicks. There is a spiral staircase at the far corner to the east leading to a landing just above to her personal library encircling the whole of her room which Zeba found to be amazing. The room is practically surrounded by books as if she took a chunk of those from the library. Obviously, with her skill and power, she must have read all of those books and is preparing something secret and that aroused the curiosity of Zeba who desperately wanted to know everything she's planning.

Normally, no one is allowed inside her room but because of the circumstances regarding her condition, they were granted a pass to marvel at her secret fortress. She doesn't even want the Daomagarian Royal Service to clean her Royal Chamber and is told that the punishment for just stepping just inches after the door is lifetime imprisonment. This was observed with much obedience and, incidentally, joy by the Royal Services. This just means that there's one less room to worry about. It is somewhat advantageous on their part also, so they didn't ask any more questions. They believe that serving the strict, snobbish, Grand Princess is the worst placement they could have, and this set-up is a dream come true for every working servant.