Kainak the Awesome

Chapter 12

Kai and Hilo were in. They drew their weapons, examined them and began to walk down the hall when Hilo smacked his head, remembering that they had to keep Kainak looking captured until they were ready to spring the counterattack. They didn't need to do much besides keeping Kai's arms behind his back until they were ready to kick some ass.

The darkened tunnel led to a light at the end, which itself led out into a larger, cut-out-of-rock inner plaza/atrium in the middle of the ruins. Men and women who looked rather disreputable mulled about, preparing weapons and tactics for what looked like some coming attack. It was likely that, if Pauahi had not gone all Leeroy Jenkins and attacked the research camp and Teo village, this could be a large attack force, at least that's the possible conclusion that both Kai and Hilo silently came to.

Their suspicions were furthered at the sight of several people lined up in a phalanx-like formation, standing perfectly still and straight as if at attention. But they gave off a disturbing atmosphere just from their mere appearance. These must be the zombies Julie and Tito were talking about. One of them was tied to a steak in the middle of the atrium (the same one Julie was tied to).

Feeling a chill running down his spine and up his skin, Hilo shuddered and rubbed his arms. "There is something dead about them," he whispered. He cringed when he saw the poor soul tied to the steak get whipped by a rather cruel-looking individual.

To stop himself from looking at them, Kai looked up at the ceiling. It may have been about 20 feet high, and there was a good-sized hole in the middle shining down on the steak in the middle. The walls were covered in vines and ivy, with places to climb and swing from as if it was built just for him to do his jungle boy thing. What luck!

"We have to find our brethren first," Hilo whispered. "I doubt you and I can fight them all on our own."

"I already called for help," Kai replied.

"Your monkey friends?" Hilo sighed. "Listen, we have to rescue our brethren, anyhow. If you have any better ideas besides the stupid monkeys, I would love to hear it."

"I'm a nature hero. It's part of the deal!" Kainak hissed.

"Even so, we still have to rescue them! No questions! Kame could cure these poor fellows."

"I know, I KNOW!" Kai hissed under his breath.

His hiss was a little too loud, and it caught a disreputable man's attention. His expression turned into rage. He stomped over to Kai, clearly intending to harm him, until Hilo roughly grabbed his hair and wrists. "I found him!" he declared. "You keep your hands off my catch!"

"Don't pull my hair, traitor!" Kainak hissed.

"I want to kill him myself!" the disreputable man growled.

"He's MINE!" Hilo growled through gritted teeth. "I captured him! I get the reward!"

"You sound way too into character," Kai said under his breath.

Hilo pushed him towards the center of the room, hoping to get through. But, more and more of the disreputable fellows and women noticed him and began to gather around the increasingly-nervous Jungle Dude. They shouted insults, slurs and curses at him, all of a high degree of vitriol that not even Hilo could think of duplicating. The two of them did their best to ignore these miscreants and focused on the task at hand.

"I did not expect this," Hilo whispered. "What did you do to them?"

"I don't remember," said Kai. "Um, I'm sorry, everyone! I thought I could play hero like the white saviour-wannabe I am, and I pissed way too many people off. Totally worth it!"