The Cinders of Dezu

22nd: The Fuja (2)

The weight in Julian's hammock was revealed to be gone in an instant as she saw a flash of a figure fly up above the the trees. Dai's big yellow eyes glanced upwards at the movement just as Cairo tumbled out of his hammock. He clumsily fell onto a sheet of ice he formed haphazardly to break his fall with a slide. When the slick ice sheet stopped in the dirt at an incline Cairo's feet stumbled and he tripped over himself onto the ground. He was a pitiful sight laying in the dirt near Dai's feet.

Dai looked down at him a moment. Cairo pushed himself up, clearly with the wind knocked out of him and struggled to stand. He looked back quickly at the sight of the General and then hobbled over in Talia's direction. Dai released the tree. Wood cracked as the severed pieces of the trunk scraped against each other and the branches broke apart as they hit the ground. Cairo made it to Talia just as the tree settled in its fall. Dai's eyes were on them both.

"What is this, now?!" Cairo said to Talia.

Talia kept her eyes locked to the glowing yellow bulbs in Dai's face.

"I need you to-"

"Run into the trees again, got it, yeah," Cairo said, turning from her.

He ran forward, forming a sheet ahead of him as he went and stepped onto it. Fire lit up the ground in front of him and he quickly stepped back as the flames lapped up the sheet he had started. The flames went out. He turned around to look at Talia.

"Stop," she said, quietly.

Cairo looked at her confused for a moment. He looked back at the thirty foot, fur covered warrior. His face looked, resigned. Not like he was happy at what she had done, but it was clear the two had an understanding. Cairo didn't know how to feel about that.

Talia turned to see a ten foot Fuja emerging from the trees west of where the tree they had slept in formerly stood. It was exactly the direction she had hoped he wouldn't have come from. The hilts of his blades peaked over his shoulder. He smiled at her.

"Night Huntress, protector of the Nom," he said, "But lesser known as the protector of hidden Vincarsee."

He leaned his head back in the direction he'd come from.

"We found some friends of yours."

Talia's expression was like poison.

"Cosh, I swear on my mothers life, you will-"

"Hey, hey," he put his arms up in defense, "far be it from me to challenge the mighty night warrior."

He reached behind him and whipped the blades from his back. They were curved and wide, clearly made for brutal hacking.

"Unless she asked," he said with a sinister smile.

Dai turned to him and boomed like his voice was in a cavern.

"Brother, I won't tolerate this again! You will put your weapons down! The girl has surrendered!"

Talia lit her arms on fire.

"Not if you or your men have done anything to Corliss and Laina!"

Cosh's eyebrows went up.

"So that's their names, thank you! That's two more bounties to add."

Talia's nostrils flared.

"All bets will be off."

"Then a new wager!" Cosh roared, "That your blood will be shed before mine!"

"Fire doesn't shed blood, little prince. It burns it."

"I am a warrior! The next general! I'm no-"

"You will be the next nothing if you don't put your weapons down!!!" Dai roared.

Cosh looked to him with jagged, gritted teeth. He placed the blades back on his back. He spoke in Fujanai.

"Brother, you are blind. Why would we submit to the wishes of a Vincarsee. We have four bounties here, five if we take her!"

"The Huntress stays," Dai said, " And if you live long enough not to be the fool you are now, someday you'll know that today I saved you from fiery death."

Cosh snarled and folded his arms like a ten foot warrior child. Dai turned to Talia with a solemn expression briefly before looking to the sky. With his height, his gaze could reach just above the tree tops at an angle. He gave a loud deep guttural sound. Cairo covered his ears. He had remembered seeing a video once of a koala bear's surprisingly deep and fearsome bellow. This reminded him of it, though it sounded a tad more melodious.

A new, higher pitched bellow, something more akin to a bird, heralded the new arrival before it was seen. Bursting from the trees above in a glorious plume of smoke, came a bispin and it's fur covered warrior rider. A Fuja soldier holding the bispins reigns tight in one hand and a large bola in the other, came down in a gliding gallop with the creature until it landed lightly in front of them.

Cairo was dumbfounded. He'd never seen such a creature. The Fuja were new of course but the dazzling beauty and ferocity of the bispin was what left him speechless. It had sharp teeth that it bared but it's body was mostly like that of a horse. And it's misty glow, even now in the morning sun, was something of dreams or nightmares depending on which side the bispin was taking. He supposed now, it was the latter.

"Show me your commitment, Huntress," said Dai, "You're other friends aren't on our list, but your willingness to help us gather the other one who is will go a long way. We will not hunt the boy and his mother again for some time once we let them go." 

Talia shook her head in frustrated resign. She ran toward the rider and leapt onto the saddle behind the Fuja. With a flick of the reigns the Bispin bellowed again and ran forward. As it did, Cairo saw its legs go into a floating gallop as it lifted up into the air, the smoke almost looking like a strange form of propulsion. In a moment, it was gone with its rider and Talia holding tight.