Rescue Chapter

Leothrad was not the only person to hear the drums beating furiously in the distance. They had been following the trail of disturbed brush for some time and came across some monkeys. As the warriors came to the area inhabited by monkeys Leothrad ordered for them to stop so he could listen to the drums. Leothrad focused on the sounds of the drums as the monkeys came closer to them. Some of them jumped on the shoulders of several warriors and chased each other around.

Dozens of monkeys jumped from shoulder to shoulder and head to head as the warriors stood in the jungle like statues. Each one listened with their leader to the drums that fell silent for the fifth time. For several moments the warriors heard nothing but the jungle and the chattering of the monkeys. Four of the warriors threw the monkeys off their shoulders trying to force them away, but more of them jumped on the live statues in the jungle. Leothrad kept his ears open for any more drum beats that could lead them to the cliffs. He had five monkeys climbing all over him when the drums came again.

“Can you hear that?” Jethaam asked him from behind as the monkeys went scattering all over the place.

Leothrad turned his head to face the Vah Shir with one eye. He heard the drums pick up again. This time they sounded closer than before. In his younger days as a warrior he heard those same drums played when he was on this island. He knew the sacrificing had begun on the cliffs of Kruskor Island. “We seem to be closer.”

“Would the sacrifices be on the cliffs as usual?” a warrior asked pushing past Jethaam. Leothrad looked at him saying nothing. The warrior had a braided beard and a blind eye he refused to cover up. “Champion, is that where the sacrifices are?” he growled.

“Only the drums will tell us.” Leothrad told him before setting off again, following the drums instead of the path of disturbed brush.

The Angoth Champion rushed through the jungle as his party ran after him. The drums stopped again signifying another sacrifice was made. He picked up the pace eager to rescue who ever was in the hospitality of the Ipama. It was not long before the drums rose up again preparing for another sacrifice. Leothrad ran over the tracks of the Ipama and the captives following the drums to the location of the sacrifices. As the rescue party drew closer to the source of the drums the beating stopped. Another sacrifice was made, this time they all heard the screams of the victim.

Leothrad raised his arm to halt their advance and turned to the warriors following him. When he turned the drums started again and he looked up to see Ipama warriors staring down at them. Leothrad counted double their own number, but barely enough to overwhelm them. Each warrior looked ready to jump their targets below. Leothrad raised his spear and shield in a defensive stance. He locked shields with another Angoth warrior as another locked shields on his left. A force of forty or so warriors formed a turtle formation with their shields with the spears jutting out. As one they waited for the Ipama to jump down and surround them. When the Ipama landed on the ground the drums stopped again.

The Ipama’s stench wafted into their nostrils telling the warriors their foe was feet from them. Leothrad listened as the Ipama circled around them anticipating when they should attack. He felt the drums would begin anew any moment if something wasn’t done soon. Even if they were there the Ipama could toss another sacrifice over the cliff before the Angoths attacked. The feeling that the drums were about to begin again gave him goose bumps and made his skin crawl. His command was to wait for the drums to start up again before they strike at the circling Ipama.

It felt like a long wait before the drums started up again. Leothrad peaked out of a gap in the shield formation and saw the Ipama were still circling them. He gripped his spear even tighter pacing himself before stabbing one of the Ipama. When he jerked the spear from the corpse the rest of the party chose their targets and struck. Leothrad shouted to break formation and attacked another Ipama. The Ipama tried to fight back, but the Angoths overpowered the one hundred Ipama. Each warrior killed two or three Ipama eliminating all the attackers. Their movements were too quick for any of the Ipama to block or runaway. Leothrad looked up to check if there were any other Ipama watching them from above.

He saw no other Ipama in the trees. The warriors around him also glanced up and saw nothing, but the tops of the trees and the branches stretching over them. Once they saw for themselves there were no Ipama left to fight they looked towards their leader who was already headed to the source of the drums. Jethaam and his Vah Shir followed at his heels as the rest of the men followed after them. The drums grew louder as they progressed through the jungle quickly. Over the drumming they began hearing other noises up ahead. Leothrad could tell they were very close to the source of the drums. He slowed his pace as not to rush into a trap at the cliffs. When the drums stopped again Leothrad crouched down and crept his way to the edge of the jungle where the cliffs were. His entire rescue party did the same as their leader, most did so because they were experienced and knew the process of rescue missions.

As they crept to the very edge of the jungles they came across a fence of spears stuck in the ground. Behind the wall of spears were the captives waiting for their turn to be sacrificed. Most of them were sailors and Groviscian Hoplites. The rest were what remained of the Cren force they fought on board the Lessiiv that had attacked her with the Ipama. Among them were a dozen armored Cren warriors that formed the remnants of the pile of warrior they came across. Leothrad recalled the large clearing they came across while following the trail of disturbed forest. Over a thousand bodies of Ipama and over a hundred Cren Warriors lay dead in the clearing. Four different Ipama tribes were at the same clearing. He did not know which was which or the names, but their garb differentiated them from others. The tribe that first helped the Ipama was massacred while the rest seemed to have fought over the captives in the clearing.

His fellow warriors gathered along the edges of the forest and the wall of spears in front of them. Leothrad looked down the line of captives who watched in horror as another victim was being chained to the cliffs. None of the Ipama were watching the prisoners and did not know they Angoths were there. As he looked down the row he spotted Evnar and Ilkabad Leothrad spotted other captives guarded by Ipama who were hard. The Champion saw it was women the Ipama were guarding which explained their hardness.

Every one of the women looked horror stricken at the sight of the Ipama and huddled together for comfort. Among them was a more elaborately dressed woman in a green gown from the Crowsian Isles. The green dressed woman had brownish skin and dark curly hair. Her features contained large breast and a slender body. She was on her knees away from the other women appearing stronger than them. This one looked on, watching the sacrifices on the cliff. The green dress and silver brace showed her status as an important passenger of the Lessiiv. He turned his focus back on the Ipama at the cliffs who were drumming again and dancing in a circle.

“They are celebrating the success of their sacrifices. This will end soon and the Ipama will take the rest to the caves.” Jethaam whispered in Leothrad’s ear.

The search leader did not bother saying anything; he grabbed a spear in front of him and plucked it out of the dirt. His followers took up the spears as well preparing to attack the Ipama as they continued their rituals. Leothrad spotted a Shaman standing in the center of some drums and chanting to the skies. He raised the spear like a javelin and threw it launching it after the oblivious Shaman. His target fell with the spear through his back. The drums and the dancing stopped as the Shaman fell on the stone surface.

Before the Ipama could react the other Angoths and Vah Shir launched their weapons at the Ipama. The Ipama turned as their brethren died from their own spears. Each one faced the attackers who were behind the captives grabbing more spears and throwing them as javelins at the Ipama. Scores of Ipama died as dozens drew knives and charged the attackers. More thrown projectiles killed a portion of the Ipama that were on the cliff. Leothrad ordered for his Angoths to defend the captives. They formed a shield wall in front of the captives and charged the Ipama who were mostly weaponless.

Both forces met on the stone surface of the cliff, one side was heavily armed the other was armed with clubs, and daggers. Some had make shift stakes for weapons and jumped on the shields trying to stab the Angoths in the neck and the eye. More Ipama died in the fight on the cliffs as they engaged the Angoth warriors. Spears plucked from the wall of spears were used against the Ipama, puncturing their fur. The Angoths drew their swords when they lost the spear. Ipama were slashed across the body, neck and pierced with multiple spears as the Angoths fought their way through the mass of Ipama. Ipama fell like flies as the Angoths and Vah Shir cut them down covering the stone surface with corpses and blood. There were limbs and hands cut off the Ipama when they attacked the Angoths.

Leothrad sliced his way through the Ipama to their Shaman who proved to be harder to fight since the other Ipama only had daggers and war clubs. The remaining shamans were armed with scimitars and long swords taken from adventurers and merchants who must’ve been lost in a storm. The closest Ipama swung at him with a scimitar; he blocked it with his sword and bashed the foe with the shield. He blacked another blow from the other Ipama Shaman who screamed in his face. A third Shaman leaped at him and struck a high blow down on him. Leothrad raised his shield in time to block it and swept another attack from the first one.

It seemed these Shamans knew how to fight and were experienced warriors. Each one attacked the Champion one after the other while their followers were massacred behind the Champion. The battle for the cliffs reached them and the Angoths forced scores of the Ipama who remained to the floor with spears and shields. Remnants of the Ipama group died at the feet of the Angoth warriors and their Feline allies. All that was left were the three Ipama fighting the Champion of the Angoths.

Leothrad knocked one of them down trying to even the odds, but the three opponents repeatedly attacked him. To him it was unusual for an Ipama to be this skilled in warfare, because most Ipama died in the first battle even against other Ipama tribes. These three had seen plenty of battles even against the Makool from the beaches. His party of Angoths watched him as they banged their shields and spears together. Hearing the Angoth shields inflamed Leothrad increasing his stamina in the fight. He felt stronger from the boost he was given. When the second Ipama attacked he raised his shield covering his body and plunged his sword forward. The blade gutted the Ipama as it raised its weapon. It gasped in shock as he stuck the Ipama. Leothrad twisted the blade and yanked it out attacking the first Ipama.

He sliced its neck then swung down cutting its leg. It fell to the ground chocking from the cut as blood sprayed from this neck. Now he had one foe to face Leothrad turned to the remaining Ipama with the cliff at his back. When he faced the last Shaman with the Angoths cheering him on Leothrad’s eyes locked with the green dressed woman who watched with interest. Her blank expression did not say she was interested, but her eyes said everything. She raised her chin acknowledging that he was looking at her. Leothrad kept his eye on her while he waited for the Ipama to make the next move.

She stared back at him waiting for the fight to continue. Leothrad seemed to be waiting for her to give the command. The woman nodded and Leothrad faced the last Shaman who swung at him. He caught the blow with his sword then shoved the Ipama to the ground. Feeling victorious Leothrad stepped up to the fallen foe and made the finishing blow. He thrust his sword into the Ipama’s chest ending the fight for the cliffs.

Leothrad pulled his sword from the corpse and wiped the blood off on its fur before sheathing it. He looked at his gathered party then at the captives behind them. His eyes went to the women who were still huddled together thinking they would be captives to another group again. The one in the green dress did not budge from her spot or showed any fear, she seemed very strong. Leothrad nodded to her and she closed her eyes and opened them again, acknowledging him. He turned to the warriors and looked over their heads taking a glance at the sailors, Hoplites, Angoths and the last of the Cren warriors still bound and in a line.

“Unbind the captives, but leave the Cren scum I’ll have a few words them.” Leothrad commanded.

“You want us to kill them here Champion?” one younger looking warrior asked. His hair came out of his helmet and drooped over his shoulders and iron cuirass, which was brimmed with fur. His shield had a claw on it with a spike in the center.

“No, Avax I will keep them here, Jethaam and his Vah shir will stay with me. The rest of you warriors will rearm and escort the others back to the ships. Jethaam’s group and I will return.” Leothrad walked over to the woman in green who sat up as he approached her. She looked aroused when he came up to her. The Angoth Champion kneeled before in respect.

“My lady I am Leothrad Champion of the Angoths. Our ship was out hunting Sea Serpents when we spotted yours surrounded by them. Two other Angoths and I were chasing the creatures around. The other two did not return to our vessel, perhaps they are on board yours? Their names are Ilkabad and Evnar.”

The green dressed woman was speechless for a minute and could not find any words to say. She gaped at him like a young girl does when she sees a person she wants, but is rendered speechless. Leothrad looked up waiting for her to speak, and put his head back down when she regained herself.

“Thank you Leothrad of the Angoths, I am the Medryn Senestra, daughter of the King’s Counselor and the Emissary of Etras. My ship and I are grateful for your rescue. It you do not mind please escort us out of this jungle immediately.” She said with a calm voice.

“Your request is our command Medryn Senestra. Warriors escort the women out of here along with the prisoners!” Leothrad barked at the Angoths.

When the rest of the prisoners were unbound, two familiar Angoths and a brown haired Captain came up to him. The Captain had blood all over his face, and clothing, he even had a monkey clutching on to his shirt and shoulder blade. It climbed on his chest to get to the other shoulder. Leothrad turned to the familiar faces approaching him.

“Ilkabad, Evnar there you are!” Leothrad said with a grin as he embraced the cousins. He grabbed Ilkabad by the head and pressed his forehead against his.

“My sister was worried about you, future brother in law!” Leothrad growled happily.

Ilkabad laughed feeling the joy to see his fellow Angoth once more. Leothrad looked at the Captain. “Who is this? What is the monkey’s name?” he asked both.

“I am Captain Olverd, the Captain of the Lessiiv and this is my new companion, Oross. He came to me when we were dragged to the cliffs through the jungles. He will make a nice friend for my future voyages, thanks to you and your warriors.” Olverd thanked Leothrad for rescuing them from being sacrificed.

Behind them a Cren servant shouted to the Angoths in praise. “Thank the gods you came, for we would have perished at the hands of these savages if it wasn’t for you warriors!”

Leothrad brushed past Ilkabad and Olverd making his way to the line of Cren servants who were still bound. A small number of them were mostly demon, the other half were half demon while the rest were all humans, forced to accept Cren’s descendant to be a deity. He could tell a small number of these captives would survive this day. In his mind Leothrad decided to play a game with them. Evnar came up behind him.

“What should we do with this scum?” he asked the Champion.

“These slaves of Cren had the island of Kruskor set against us. I think we should let the humans live and half the demons alive.” Leothrad suggested. His mind was still set on playing a game with the servants of Cren.

Leothrad smiled then looked at the coast that was visible from this height. It was the same coast he had fought on to get one enemy on a quest years ago. Instead of boats and Angoths fighting Makool he saw thousands of Makool emerging from the water. It was the largest number of Makool he had ever seen gathered in one place. He watched the army of Makool march towards the jungles of the Island as more Makool emerged from the sea. Leothrad’s gaze went to the jungle from there thousands of Ipama warriors rushed out to meet the advancing army.

He had seen skirmishes and squabbles between the two groups, but nothing like this before. Leothrad turned to the Cousins, Olverd and Jethaam with something else in mind for the Cren servants lined up before them.