Kulipari: Seeds and Weeds

Now

Darel raised an eye ridge. "It is that desperate?"

"There is a pile of the dead you can count that number the population of Nova Australis." Kuli said.

Deral sighed.  "You are right. I can't put this off any longer."

The Blue Sky King rose and stepped forward, the Kulipari four--three plus Wilka following.

"Wait a minute." Jir spoke up. "While I agree we need to deal with Quoba--and have allowed her to roam free for too long--how do we know if we can trust these Snakes? They could be making all this up, or be working with Quoba."

Deral nodded his head. He turned to Kuli. "He has a point.'

"He does. So what do you suggest we do, Blue Sky King?"

Darel turned to the council. "Any ideas?"

Jir was still suspicious, but Stargazer and Bindi suggested they keep one of the Snakes here as assurance.

"What? You want us to fight a plant witch, minus 1!" Husk growled.

"We aren't coming to fight." Darel spoke. "We are going to verify the threat and try to talk down Quoba."

"And if you can't?" Parasite asked.

"Because you can't." Sac scoffed.

"Then we will return here and plan."

"Then she will as well." Webber argued.

"So be it. I'm not giving up on her without trying."

Despite their teams' disagreement, Kuli nodded before turning to them. "Do we have a choice? We can't defeat her alone."

Reluctantly, they all nodded.

"Alright, who is staying behind?"

No one volunteered.

Husk sighed. "Come on guys. Kuli can't stay behind."

"Then you stay behind and miss all the action." Parasite suggested.

"I am the second in command." Husk simply said.

Corah was looking closely at all of them. Webber tried to hide one of his many legs.

"You're injured." She said, coming closer to the spider.

One of his front legs bruised so bad it stood out from his black skin.

Webber tried to hide it but Husk grabbed him by his waist and lifted him up.

"Gentle as always Husk." He hissed as Corah observed his leg.

"This is pretty bad. You can still walk on it, but exerting it would risk it." She diagnosed.

"Looks like you're staying behind." Parasite said, relieved it wasn't her.

Webber sighed in defeat as Husk put him down.

"Hey, this is important." Husk comforted. "Your leg needs to heal and for once, its able to. And you can tell the council more about what is happening at the swamps, so they're better prepared when they do, finally, fight."

This was shocking. Husk had seemed like most scorpion earlier, but she was being...nice.

As if feeling their shock, Husk glared at them. "Don't assume all Scorpions are the same."

"Alright!" Kuli slapped their hands together. "Let's go!"

"Wait!" Darel said. He turned to the trips and the council. "Koa is staying here. Remember to play his Dijory Doo. Treat Webber well but try to figure out anything the Snakes could be trying to hide."

They all nodded. Corah had been working on Webber's leg, bandaging it and adding cream to help it heal.

"Corah," Deral said. "Would you be willing to come with us? No matter what we find out there, I expect starving and malnourished people."

After a moment's thought, the woodfrog agreed, giving Tharta instructions on how to care for the spider.

"Him?" Webber gasped. "But--but he's so big!"

He pointed at his thin leg and Tharta's big, meaty hands.

"Hey, I can be gentle." Tharta defended himself.

Webber looked to his team for support, but Sac just shrugged. "You aren't scared when Husk dresses your wounds."

"She's our medic! This is a juvenile Kulipari whose poison power is to grow larger!"

Tharta clapped him on the back, trying to be comforting but only proving the Spider's point. "I'll take good care of you."

Webber hissed and eyed his crew. "Hurry back."

"We should hurry gone!" Sac cried in impatience, jumping up and down at the tent flap.

Deral finally nodded and he and the Kulipari rolled out.

Koa looked nervously at Kuli. They, and their crew, had come in right after his vision. Where They, or their crew, the "they" Sergu had spoken of.

Chaos came from outside once the Kulipari saw what waited for them: a giant black snake.

A child of the Queen Cobra!