Chapter 41
A large wooden ship sailed closer to the only visible land as far as the eye could see. As they drew nearer, the white sand of the beach slowly revealed itself. The captain gave the order to drop the anchor. The crew lowered a small rowboat down the side and into the water. All the men knew very well where they found themselves, and they were not happy about it. No sailor was ever eager to see this particular island. The ship was filled with anxious murmuring.
"There we have it, lads!" The captain called out merrily. "It appears we made it and in one piece at that!" He turned to the hooded man standing next to him, "The island with no name as requested. Many men have lost their lives trying to conquer this stretch of beach. Are you certain this is where you would have us leave you?"
"Indeed. You have my thanks, Captain." The man kept his head lowered, but he held up a sack of coins in one hand. "Your payment. Fifty gold as per our agreement."
The captain cheerily accepted, and held the coins up for his crew. They he yelled out orders to get every man a celebratory drink for the return voyage.
The mysterious man made his way to the edge of the ship. He placed one hand on the rail. Then, with quick agility he flew over the side of the ship landing on the rowboat. As he began to row, the two vessels parted ways. The crew gave a raucous cheer. They celebrated his heroic bravery as well as their departure from the foul place.
After he had rowed all night, the small boat struck the sand ending the man's trip. The journey to the shore should have been a fraction of the time, but the waves constantly pushed against him. It was as if some force rejected the presence of his boat. He pulled the wooden frame a little farther onto the ground. He stood and removed his cloak placing it on the rowboat. He stood quietly on the deserted beach staring into the dense forest which infested the island. He stood with a dignified posture. Without his cloak, his dark hair blew lightly in the wind. His golden eyes appraised the situation as he stared into the trees with intensity.
"I suppose I'll have to get started at some point," he muttered in a half-whisper. He brushed the sand from the fine material of his jacket. With that, he made his way inward toward the center of the island.
Near the coast he had no trouble in his travels. This surprised him. What did not surprise him is what came next. Once the clear blue sky was no longer visible and the sound of the waves faded, the mood of the forest changed completely. The wind blew violently, and the light dimmed.
Assassins hid covered by the shadows among the trees. They drew their swords in response to the intruder. As the explorer ventured deeper into the forest, they rushed him in an all-out assault. Four assassins attacked at once, each one from a different direction. They moved quickly and stealthily. Their attacks fell short. To the perspectives of the other assassins in the trees, it seemed that they died just before they reached their target. The man did not seem aware of their presence. He simply continued his journey at a normal pace. The remaining assassins stayed hidden and followed him at a distance.
The mysterious adventurer made his way down the side of a small mountain leading him into a ravine. The bushes and trees rustled as he approached. The air felt heavy around him. He looked around for a moment. Then, he spoke in a loud voice.
"If you know who I am then you know there are not enough of you. Forsake your current path and deliver a message to your master. Tell her that it is unnecessary for me to destroy all of her pets. This can be avoided if she would grant me an audience."
The brush moved again, only slightly this time. Suddenly, an enormous tree-like monster leapt high into the air. Its shape was somewhat similar to a giant ape. It came down with a powerful punch aimed directly for the man's head. Immediately, he raised both hands to catch its misshapen fist. As he struggled against its might, another monster began taking form. The water from the small inland river rose to the coiled form of a snake. It struck his midsection. The snake sunk its cold teeth into him. The man quickly threw a fierce elbow into its jaws. Just as he thought he may gain his freedom from the beasts, the assassins saw their chance to finish their opponent.
They shot out of the trees in a multitude. Their blades moved for the back of his neck. But, once again they were stopped short. Dark colored lightning followed them out of the trees. It struck each one, disintegrating them on impact.
The man turned his head slightly and smiled at this unexpected outcome. Then, he directed his attention back to the two monsters. He put a hand on the River Serpent chilling it to the point of freezing solid. He shattered it with one blow. Afterward, he shifted his weight pulling the Tree Ape over his shoulder, and he threw it to the ground. His right arm turned steely black, and he crushed the monster's head into splinters.
He stood to his feet and called out toward the trees, "What are you doing here? I thought I gave you specific orders."
A young woman walked out of the forest and bowed humbly, "I give you my deepest apologies, My Lord. I couldn't bring myself to leave you without a guard."
He sighed, "Fair enough, Zuna. Believe it or not, I actually understand. A part of me expected this from you." He paused for a moment, then he gave her a concerned look, "You didn't tell anyone you were disobeying my direct order, did you?
She made her way over to his side, "No, My Lord! Only Kowa knows I am here, she is the reason I was able to get here so fast. As you know, she doesn't ask many questions so I thought it would be safe."
"Very well, I would have to kill any soldier exhibiting insubordinate actions. I don't enjoy it, but it is the nature of being the Alpha. Hopefully no one will know that I'm allowing you to do this."
Zuna smiled sheepishly, "Does this mean I'm different?"
His reply was only a slight chuckle. "Let's get moving, I don't think the fight is over yet."
The corpses of the monsters began to change. The energy flowed out of them, and their bodies were absorbed into the ground. As the energy faded, the weather grew more violent. The pair of warriors hastened to a nearby cave for refuge.
"What happened back there?" Zuna questioned. "Why didn't they turn back into their human forms?"
"These are not Damna. Have you ever heard of humans populating this island?"
She thought about the question, "I suppose not, not surviving anyway."
The Alpha nodded his head solemnly, "This island is uninhabitable...for humans, that is. It is inhabited by one being and her pets. She takes control of things on the island and uses them to do her bidding. Did you notice the power of the monsters? Too powerful for the strongest Damnum. And the disgusting little beast-men that you destroyed, did you notice anything odd?"
"Yes, I overloaded them, and they turned to ash. I found that quite strange."
He narrowed his eyes at the thought, "She most likely created them out of leaves and vines. In any case, she is the one I need to see as long as she doesn't kill us first. Surviving the island is part of her test. She requires strength before allowing a meeting. When we get there, do not respond to anything she says. Since you haven't faced the island alone, she will want to turn you into one of her pets. Such is the consequence of lacking strength. I will deal with her alone."
Zuna looked alarmed at this information, "How is it that you know all of this?"
"Because I lived through this once already," he said simply.