Altalazar
First Post
Book V
Kamakawiwo – Chapter Thirty-Five – Emergency of Epic Proportions – Food Shipments Stopped in Hapapa!
Over the past few months, we’ve all done well. My makamakas and I have run our humble inn well, serving many bakua fruits. I took the time to woo my kuuipo, making for her many small carvings. I admire her independence. She does not worry about my frequent absences to teach the bullies of the world and I know she does the same, in the name of her akua. I learned more about the ways of her akua, and also pledged to dedicate my bully instruction to him.
I also took the time to have Nala create for me more clothing of metal, like what I found underground, only out of a much lighter and joyous metal called “mithral” that Akowe-Ke has assured me would be much friendlier to wear over long travels. It weight half as much and even was soft enough that I could sleep in it, saving myself the long task of putting it on and off each day. That made much more time for cooking!
I had only enough coins for her to start it, but I hoped to find more coins soon, and Akowe-ke assured me he could transfer some of the magic from one to the other. I was counting the days! Though I did not know how many to count.
Akowe-ke showed me his two new makamakas. One was a small fellow made of sharp metal parts he called razor. He reminded me of a dog, only heavier, like he was well-fed. His other makamaka was short and had a small hammer. He seemed to make and fix things for Akowe-ke. I wondered if he could cook. He was kind enough to make my shiny amulet of scales even stronger and he gave me a fresh pair of boots that made my meandering bulk move just a bit faster. I was very grateful and I picked him up and gave him a great big hug. He was cold to my touch, but still cuddly.
One day, I went in to see Nala to see her progress, and she told me that she had disturbing news. Hapapa, on the coast, was no longer receiving its much-needed shipments of food from Nawiliwili up river, and so food was expensive and scarce! I immediately ran to my makamakas and informed them of the emergency! We had to save them! I gathered as many bakua fruits as I could hold, 40 in all, and jumped up on the nearest boat, waiting patiently for my makamakas to come join me for the kai voyage along the coast.
“Come come, my makamakas! Hungry kamaainas await us! We must hurry!” I said patiently, holding the bakua fruits in a big pile on my chest, stomping my feet on the deck, causing the ship to rock back and forth violently. The captain asked me to stop my thumping, so I did. I knew I needed to be more patient. But hunger is insistent!
Eventually my makamakas joined me, and I was glad to see Akowe-ke was generous enough to bring an entire wagonload of food, enough for a hoolaulea table. The kamaaina of Hapapa will be most happy with his gifts!
“You are so generous, Akowe-ke,” I said to him.
“Of course I am,” he replied. “I will charge not a copper over fair market!”
I did not know what he meant, but I knew his words must be generous!
Thus on board, we departed on a days journey up the river to the kai for a further day’s journey north along the coast.
Kamakawiwo – Chapter Thirty-Six – Fisherman! Fisherman! Fisherman on the kai!
I spent the journey above deck, there not being sufficiently large accommodations for my 400 pounds to fit below decks. It amazes me so many boats are made for the malnourished!
While on top, I watched the kai for signs of my makua kane. I saw nothing for hours, until I saw something! There he was! Or could be! Boats! Fisherman! On the kai! I shouted for the captain to see, running back and forth along the deck. The captain asked me to stop, as the sailors on board were getting green and kai-sick, and he then promised me to look through his spyglass at the boats. I jumped up and down with excitement, until he told me I had to stop for him to hold the glass steady.
The captain looked out on the water and told me the boats looked like they came from another island. I was disappointed, but I thought that maybe my makua kane went to that island and just got lost! I watched it for the rest of our voyage, and determined that it was headed in the same direction.
After all of my jumping, I saw Akowe-ke’s new little friend up on deck, walking behind me, his tools in hand. The captain was very impressed with the repairs he made to the boat, and inquired about purchasing him. Akowe-ke replied, “he’s not for sale, he’s a part of me!”
“How sweet of him to see his new friend as part of the ohana,” I thought.
We soon made port, and there was quite a bit of excitement on the docks. So many ships coming in laden with food. So many generous people! And the hungry citizens were so grateful they donated large amounts of coins to the merchants with the food! They found Akowe-ke particularly helpful! He said he more than doubled the money he spent on the food before we left. “See,” I told him, “if you are generous, people will be generous with you in turn! I learned that from my kuuipo’s akua.”
I stood on the dock and started to hand out my bakua fruits to the skinniest of the villagers on the dock. They must be hungriest! At first a few came, but then they all surrounded me. They asked me how much coin, and I told them none, and then they all tried to give me a great big hug as they hugged each other around me. Some hugged so tight they almost fell off of the dock trying to hug me. Some were really aggressive with their hugs. So much good spirit!
Soon my bakuas were gone, but the villagers were all happily singing my name. I only wished I could carry more bakuas in my two small arms!
Kai’lei was also generous, sitting up on a box and preaching about his akua, the akua of storms and shipwrecks. My kuuipo once explained to me that her akua was only worshipped out of fear, but I knew this could not be true because Kai’lei was not a fearful elf! See how he created water and food from his prayer and gave it out freely! At first the villagers could not believe they were seeing such generosity from a cleric of that akua, but eventually a few did take it to heart. They would not be bullies! As his food appeared, mostly fish, I cooked it up in my magic frying pan for all to share.
Later, I went to the docks of the fishermen and asked until I found one who actually knew my makua kane and met my makahine! He knew her well! His name was kalalau and he was a fisherman from the same island of the boat on the akua on the way over! He said he had not seen my makua kane in some time, but that he would look out for him. He said he did see something strange six months ago, and promised to tell me what he could the next time I saw him. I was so happy I sang bakua songs for the rest of the day.
Thus done on the docks, we began our long inland hike along the river to Nawiliwili.
Kamakawiwo – Chapter Thirty-Seven – The Island Land of Plenty Grows Lusher with Every Step
For the first half day we saw nothing and no one on the road. I did notice that the land was very fertile and seemed to grow lusher and greener with every step. I found so many ripe, juicy, yummy bakua fruits along the way I almost stopped to harvest them all, but we had to press onward! It was strange that there was no one on the road!
That soon changed when we heard something ahead on the path. Then it ran out in the middle. A large boar, larger than any natural beast, started to run across the path. Akowe-ke’s Razor jumped into action, charging forward to rip into the beast with his metal claws. The boar turned to him in turn and attempted to feast on metal.
I saw an arrow sail past my ear as I ran forward, my tiki stick at the ready. One second later I smashed the boar, knocking it senseless and caving in its skull into a small crater in the path. The meat was well tenderized! We feasted for days as we traveled on boar meat, Kai’lei freshening it with her divine favor before each meal!
Soon we came within sight of the village of Nawiliwili, nestled in a valley ahead. From what we could see, it was deserted, all of the buildings covered in thick green tangles of plants and vines. Nothing was harvested! All that food going to waste!
I was ready to charge forward to the center of the village, but Akowe-ke cautioned me and sent Razor ahead, telling me that he could be our advance eyes and ears to see what was there. I sat down on the path and started to cook us all a large meal while Razor looked and listened.
Kamakawiwo – Chapter Thirty-Eight – Razor returns – he found villagers! We go!
We went down to the village, searching house by house for villagers. At first, we found only corpses, stinking and rotten, like food left out too long. It saddened me to think of what bullies would both kill them and leave them to rot in the lush tropical heat.
Akowe-ke found in two separate huts loose bricks in the fireplaces where things were stored. I knew the villagers would want us to do what we could to help them. Perhaps he found something there they could donate for the food! One of the houses had a large library with over a dozen books! Including three cookbooks! I knew the generous souls in that house would gladly donate the cooking materials for the sake of the starving people on the coast! If only we could reach them in time!
We finally found some villagers alive when we opened the doors to an inn, the Hanale River Inn. What we saw inside was horror!
Kamakawiwo – Chapter Thirty-Nine – Villagers and Bully vines!
The villagers all shouted to us to help them, or to run, even as their bodies surged forward to attack us all. One even screamed for us to kill him! The horror! The horror! As gently as I could, I hefted my tiki stick to knock them unconscious. They were not themselves!
They quickly surrounded me. I swung my tiki stick around me in a large arc and knocked down three of the villagers to the ground, sending them to soft slumber. I took a quick step inside the inn and then swung a second time, knocking out two more of them, but not the sixth and final villager, when my tiki stick’s second swing hit the frame of the door. Then more horror! As we checked their condition, out of their backs jumped long green bully vines. And more bully vines came from the back door and around the other buildings, surrounding us, 11 vines in all!
There was something about the vines that was strange. As they neared me I could hear strange voices calling out to me, trying to get inside my head. Fearing they would penetrate me like the penetrated the villagers, I swung my tiki stick in a wide arc around me, knocking down two vines with each swing. I soon was alone in the inn.
I looked outside and saw other vines reach up and grab the bully vines, holding some of them in place. It must be Akowe-ke! See, bully vines! Not all vines are bullies! Some vines want to help us! Just listen to them!
I ran around the back and toward my makamakas, my tiki stick helping to clear a path through the bully vines. We were soon triumphant!
Kai’lei channeled her healing kala into one of the villagers, waking him up from his tiki-induced slumber. The villager told us the last thing he remembered.
“I remember everything,” he said. “I woke up in the middle of the night feeling horrible pain everywhere! I couldn’t move, but I could hear people shouting and screaming. It was horrible! I couldn’t get up, but then the pain slowly faded and I couldn’t feel anything at all. The next thing I remember was being up and moving around but I was not doing it! I could talk and see and hear but I could not control my own body! Then I saw that they took over the children! The horror!”
He told us that they had him feed sheep, horses, even people who visited the village to this horrid plant bully mistress who took over the village. He said eh did not know where Olokele was, but that he had not seen him since before it happened.
The villagers asked us to please save their children, but I told them we would kill the central bully, and then the other bullies would learn their lesson. I did not tell them that I did not have the heart to bash in small children with my tiki stick, plant bullies or no plant bullies.
We headed toward the large stone building at the end of town that the villagers told us led to the source.
Kamakawiwo – Chapter Forty – Empty House, Full Garden
As we neared the large brick home, Akowe-ke touched me with his magic. I saw acid begin to drip from my tiki stick and the world became smaller as I became larger again. He also touched my head and said it would protect my mind from the bully vines. I hoped I would not need it.
Razor led the way into the house, but I was close behind, opening doors for him so we did not wait for him to figure out how door knobs function over and over. But he was so cute when he tried to open doors.
We quickly determined that the house was empty, though there was another decaying body in the library. There was also a book of some importance, but Akowe-ke said he would read it later. He said it was magical research and it was in a laboratory. I wondered, looking at the strange glass containers full of even stranger smelling substances if any of them would make good seasonings.
It was what was out back that caught our attention. A garden, with walls of plants so large and thick they made rooms, and with a maze of passageways between them. I knew I would get lost. I left it to Razor to find us the way.
The way was winding and twisting. We ran into several more villagers and vines, and quickly dealt with them all, until finally we reached Olokele. He was wearing chainmail and carrying a large blade and he yelled at Razor to run away, even as he chased Razor toward us. We stood at the ready, waiting for his approach.
As soon as Olokele broke into our small clearing, I swung my enlarged tiki stick from my enlarged arm and smashed him as he approached me. He was slowed, but not stopped, but just before his blade hit my flesh, I swung my tiki stick again in a reverse arc and sent his helm flying from his head, knocking him unconscious. We dispatched his vine shortly thereafter, then revived him.
We sent him off to tend the villagers after he told us about Alaka’I, our bully vine mistress antagonist, who was somewhere in the center of the garden. We searched for her for some time, until my size went down and my mind was left unguarded. And then she shambled out as us.
Kamakawiwo – Chapter Forty-One – Alaka’I Shambles Into Us
Alaka’I was as large as I used to be, a wall of thickly tangled plants. She was quite strong and smart, and she swung her vined bully fists at Akowe-ke and Kai’lei, ignoring me, even after Akowe-ke made me large again.
She deftly stepped out of the path of my tiki stick, dodging two full swings, until finally a third connected. She then walked back into the thick walls of vines that defined our path and vanished for quite some time.
We stood at the center of the central clearing and waited for her, hearing the sounds of her moving through the hedgerows around us. Finally, she stepped out and dealt another serious blow against Akowe-ke. Both Akowe-ke and Kai’lei were in serious need of help. Gali, singing his inspirational songs, stepped up and healed them with his wand while they tried to keep themselves alive.
I could take no more of this plant bullying, and I put everything I had into my tiki swings, finally connecting with the large wall of a plant mound. Alaka’I shrieked her last and then collapsed, the bully vines collapsing with her, stunned but not dead. Akowe-ke soon remedied that situation.
We returned through the maze of plants and found several trinkets of magic, several of great value, if limited use. The villagers were most grateful, and we helped them get started with the harvest so we could return the food flow to market. I was correct and the villagers with the library were most generous, donating their cookbooks to me, as well as the rest of their books to Akowe-ke.
After several days we returned to the city on the coast and sold what we did not keep. We gained enough coins for me to finally get my armor! I was so happy! I sang all the way home. It was not only finished, but I had enough to get it enchanted even stronger than my old armor, though just barely. And it was so light I could really sleep in it and play in it and cook in it to my heart’s content! I could not wait to show it to my kuuipo!
Akowe-ke read the book from the lab and informed us all that Alaka’I was a wizard of some power who decided that since her strength lay in gardening,, her method to immortality lay in the plant realm, rather than being a “lich” or anything else icky and dead. Well, she learned her lesson. No bully ever lives forever!
Kamakawiwo – Chapter Thirty-Five – Emergency of Epic Proportions – Food Shipments Stopped in Hapapa!
Over the past few months, we’ve all done well. My makamakas and I have run our humble inn well, serving many bakua fruits. I took the time to woo my kuuipo, making for her many small carvings. I admire her independence. She does not worry about my frequent absences to teach the bullies of the world and I know she does the same, in the name of her akua. I learned more about the ways of her akua, and also pledged to dedicate my bully instruction to him.
I also took the time to have Nala create for me more clothing of metal, like what I found underground, only out of a much lighter and joyous metal called “mithral” that Akowe-Ke has assured me would be much friendlier to wear over long travels. It weight half as much and even was soft enough that I could sleep in it, saving myself the long task of putting it on and off each day. That made much more time for cooking!
I had only enough coins for her to start it, but I hoped to find more coins soon, and Akowe-ke assured me he could transfer some of the magic from one to the other. I was counting the days! Though I did not know how many to count.
Akowe-ke showed me his two new makamakas. One was a small fellow made of sharp metal parts he called razor. He reminded me of a dog, only heavier, like he was well-fed. His other makamaka was short and had a small hammer. He seemed to make and fix things for Akowe-ke. I wondered if he could cook. He was kind enough to make my shiny amulet of scales even stronger and he gave me a fresh pair of boots that made my meandering bulk move just a bit faster. I was very grateful and I picked him up and gave him a great big hug. He was cold to my touch, but still cuddly.
One day, I went in to see Nala to see her progress, and she told me that she had disturbing news. Hapapa, on the coast, was no longer receiving its much-needed shipments of food from Nawiliwili up river, and so food was expensive and scarce! I immediately ran to my makamakas and informed them of the emergency! We had to save them! I gathered as many bakua fruits as I could hold, 40 in all, and jumped up on the nearest boat, waiting patiently for my makamakas to come join me for the kai voyage along the coast.
“Come come, my makamakas! Hungry kamaainas await us! We must hurry!” I said patiently, holding the bakua fruits in a big pile on my chest, stomping my feet on the deck, causing the ship to rock back and forth violently. The captain asked me to stop my thumping, so I did. I knew I needed to be more patient. But hunger is insistent!
Eventually my makamakas joined me, and I was glad to see Akowe-ke was generous enough to bring an entire wagonload of food, enough for a hoolaulea table. The kamaaina of Hapapa will be most happy with his gifts!
“You are so generous, Akowe-ke,” I said to him.
“Of course I am,” he replied. “I will charge not a copper over fair market!”
I did not know what he meant, but I knew his words must be generous!
Thus on board, we departed on a days journey up the river to the kai for a further day’s journey north along the coast.
Kamakawiwo – Chapter Thirty-Six – Fisherman! Fisherman! Fisherman on the kai!
I spent the journey above deck, there not being sufficiently large accommodations for my 400 pounds to fit below decks. It amazes me so many boats are made for the malnourished!
While on top, I watched the kai for signs of my makua kane. I saw nothing for hours, until I saw something! There he was! Or could be! Boats! Fisherman! On the kai! I shouted for the captain to see, running back and forth along the deck. The captain asked me to stop, as the sailors on board were getting green and kai-sick, and he then promised me to look through his spyglass at the boats. I jumped up and down with excitement, until he told me I had to stop for him to hold the glass steady.
The captain looked out on the water and told me the boats looked like they came from another island. I was disappointed, but I thought that maybe my makua kane went to that island and just got lost! I watched it for the rest of our voyage, and determined that it was headed in the same direction.
After all of my jumping, I saw Akowe-ke’s new little friend up on deck, walking behind me, his tools in hand. The captain was very impressed with the repairs he made to the boat, and inquired about purchasing him. Akowe-ke replied, “he’s not for sale, he’s a part of me!”
“How sweet of him to see his new friend as part of the ohana,” I thought.
We soon made port, and there was quite a bit of excitement on the docks. So many ships coming in laden with food. So many generous people! And the hungry citizens were so grateful they donated large amounts of coins to the merchants with the food! They found Akowe-ke particularly helpful! He said he more than doubled the money he spent on the food before we left. “See,” I told him, “if you are generous, people will be generous with you in turn! I learned that from my kuuipo’s akua.”
I stood on the dock and started to hand out my bakua fruits to the skinniest of the villagers on the dock. They must be hungriest! At first a few came, but then they all surrounded me. They asked me how much coin, and I told them none, and then they all tried to give me a great big hug as they hugged each other around me. Some hugged so tight they almost fell off of the dock trying to hug me. Some were really aggressive with their hugs. So much good spirit!
Soon my bakuas were gone, but the villagers were all happily singing my name. I only wished I could carry more bakuas in my two small arms!
Kai’lei was also generous, sitting up on a box and preaching about his akua, the akua of storms and shipwrecks. My kuuipo once explained to me that her akua was only worshipped out of fear, but I knew this could not be true because Kai’lei was not a fearful elf! See how he created water and food from his prayer and gave it out freely! At first the villagers could not believe they were seeing such generosity from a cleric of that akua, but eventually a few did take it to heart. They would not be bullies! As his food appeared, mostly fish, I cooked it up in my magic frying pan for all to share.
Later, I went to the docks of the fishermen and asked until I found one who actually knew my makua kane and met my makahine! He knew her well! His name was kalalau and he was a fisherman from the same island of the boat on the akua on the way over! He said he had not seen my makua kane in some time, but that he would look out for him. He said he did see something strange six months ago, and promised to tell me what he could the next time I saw him. I was so happy I sang bakua songs for the rest of the day.
Thus done on the docks, we began our long inland hike along the river to Nawiliwili.
Kamakawiwo – Chapter Thirty-Seven – The Island Land of Plenty Grows Lusher with Every Step
For the first half day we saw nothing and no one on the road. I did notice that the land was very fertile and seemed to grow lusher and greener with every step. I found so many ripe, juicy, yummy bakua fruits along the way I almost stopped to harvest them all, but we had to press onward! It was strange that there was no one on the road!
That soon changed when we heard something ahead on the path. Then it ran out in the middle. A large boar, larger than any natural beast, started to run across the path. Akowe-ke’s Razor jumped into action, charging forward to rip into the beast with his metal claws. The boar turned to him in turn and attempted to feast on metal.
I saw an arrow sail past my ear as I ran forward, my tiki stick at the ready. One second later I smashed the boar, knocking it senseless and caving in its skull into a small crater in the path. The meat was well tenderized! We feasted for days as we traveled on boar meat, Kai’lei freshening it with her divine favor before each meal!
Soon we came within sight of the village of Nawiliwili, nestled in a valley ahead. From what we could see, it was deserted, all of the buildings covered in thick green tangles of plants and vines. Nothing was harvested! All that food going to waste!
I was ready to charge forward to the center of the village, but Akowe-ke cautioned me and sent Razor ahead, telling me that he could be our advance eyes and ears to see what was there. I sat down on the path and started to cook us all a large meal while Razor looked and listened.
Kamakawiwo – Chapter Thirty-Eight – Razor returns – he found villagers! We go!
We went down to the village, searching house by house for villagers. At first, we found only corpses, stinking and rotten, like food left out too long. It saddened me to think of what bullies would both kill them and leave them to rot in the lush tropical heat.
Akowe-ke found in two separate huts loose bricks in the fireplaces where things were stored. I knew the villagers would want us to do what we could to help them. Perhaps he found something there they could donate for the food! One of the houses had a large library with over a dozen books! Including three cookbooks! I knew the generous souls in that house would gladly donate the cooking materials for the sake of the starving people on the coast! If only we could reach them in time!
We finally found some villagers alive when we opened the doors to an inn, the Hanale River Inn. What we saw inside was horror!
Kamakawiwo – Chapter Thirty-Nine – Villagers and Bully vines!
The villagers all shouted to us to help them, or to run, even as their bodies surged forward to attack us all. One even screamed for us to kill him! The horror! The horror! As gently as I could, I hefted my tiki stick to knock them unconscious. They were not themselves!
They quickly surrounded me. I swung my tiki stick around me in a large arc and knocked down three of the villagers to the ground, sending them to soft slumber. I took a quick step inside the inn and then swung a second time, knocking out two more of them, but not the sixth and final villager, when my tiki stick’s second swing hit the frame of the door. Then more horror! As we checked their condition, out of their backs jumped long green bully vines. And more bully vines came from the back door and around the other buildings, surrounding us, 11 vines in all!
There was something about the vines that was strange. As they neared me I could hear strange voices calling out to me, trying to get inside my head. Fearing they would penetrate me like the penetrated the villagers, I swung my tiki stick in a wide arc around me, knocking down two vines with each swing. I soon was alone in the inn.
I looked outside and saw other vines reach up and grab the bully vines, holding some of them in place. It must be Akowe-ke! See, bully vines! Not all vines are bullies! Some vines want to help us! Just listen to them!
I ran around the back and toward my makamakas, my tiki stick helping to clear a path through the bully vines. We were soon triumphant!
Kai’lei channeled her healing kala into one of the villagers, waking him up from his tiki-induced slumber. The villager told us the last thing he remembered.
“I remember everything,” he said. “I woke up in the middle of the night feeling horrible pain everywhere! I couldn’t move, but I could hear people shouting and screaming. It was horrible! I couldn’t get up, but then the pain slowly faded and I couldn’t feel anything at all. The next thing I remember was being up and moving around but I was not doing it! I could talk and see and hear but I could not control my own body! Then I saw that they took over the children! The horror!”
He told us that they had him feed sheep, horses, even people who visited the village to this horrid plant bully mistress who took over the village. He said eh did not know where Olokele was, but that he had not seen him since before it happened.
The villagers asked us to please save their children, but I told them we would kill the central bully, and then the other bullies would learn their lesson. I did not tell them that I did not have the heart to bash in small children with my tiki stick, plant bullies or no plant bullies.
We headed toward the large stone building at the end of town that the villagers told us led to the source.
Kamakawiwo – Chapter Forty – Empty House, Full Garden
As we neared the large brick home, Akowe-ke touched me with his magic. I saw acid begin to drip from my tiki stick and the world became smaller as I became larger again. He also touched my head and said it would protect my mind from the bully vines. I hoped I would not need it.
Razor led the way into the house, but I was close behind, opening doors for him so we did not wait for him to figure out how door knobs function over and over. But he was so cute when he tried to open doors.
We quickly determined that the house was empty, though there was another decaying body in the library. There was also a book of some importance, but Akowe-ke said he would read it later. He said it was magical research and it was in a laboratory. I wondered, looking at the strange glass containers full of even stranger smelling substances if any of them would make good seasonings.
It was what was out back that caught our attention. A garden, with walls of plants so large and thick they made rooms, and with a maze of passageways between them. I knew I would get lost. I left it to Razor to find us the way.
The way was winding and twisting. We ran into several more villagers and vines, and quickly dealt with them all, until finally we reached Olokele. He was wearing chainmail and carrying a large blade and he yelled at Razor to run away, even as he chased Razor toward us. We stood at the ready, waiting for his approach.
As soon as Olokele broke into our small clearing, I swung my enlarged tiki stick from my enlarged arm and smashed him as he approached me. He was slowed, but not stopped, but just before his blade hit my flesh, I swung my tiki stick again in a reverse arc and sent his helm flying from his head, knocking him unconscious. We dispatched his vine shortly thereafter, then revived him.
We sent him off to tend the villagers after he told us about Alaka’I, our bully vine mistress antagonist, who was somewhere in the center of the garden. We searched for her for some time, until my size went down and my mind was left unguarded. And then she shambled out as us.
Kamakawiwo – Chapter Forty-One – Alaka’I Shambles Into Us
Alaka’I was as large as I used to be, a wall of thickly tangled plants. She was quite strong and smart, and she swung her vined bully fists at Akowe-ke and Kai’lei, ignoring me, even after Akowe-ke made me large again.
She deftly stepped out of the path of my tiki stick, dodging two full swings, until finally a third connected. She then walked back into the thick walls of vines that defined our path and vanished for quite some time.
We stood at the center of the central clearing and waited for her, hearing the sounds of her moving through the hedgerows around us. Finally, she stepped out and dealt another serious blow against Akowe-ke. Both Akowe-ke and Kai’lei were in serious need of help. Gali, singing his inspirational songs, stepped up and healed them with his wand while they tried to keep themselves alive.
I could take no more of this plant bullying, and I put everything I had into my tiki swings, finally connecting with the large wall of a plant mound. Alaka’I shrieked her last and then collapsed, the bully vines collapsing with her, stunned but not dead. Akowe-ke soon remedied that situation.
We returned through the maze of plants and found several trinkets of magic, several of great value, if limited use. The villagers were most grateful, and we helped them get started with the harvest so we could return the food flow to market. I was correct and the villagers with the library were most generous, donating their cookbooks to me, as well as the rest of their books to Akowe-ke.
After several days we returned to the city on the coast and sold what we did not keep. We gained enough coins for me to finally get my armor! I was so happy! I sang all the way home. It was not only finished, but I had enough to get it enchanted even stronger than my old armor, though just barely. And it was so light I could really sleep in it and play in it and cook in it to my heart’s content! I could not wait to show it to my kuuipo!
Akowe-ke read the book from the lab and informed us all that Alaka’I was a wizard of some power who decided that since her strength lay in gardening,, her method to immortality lay in the plant realm, rather than being a “lich” or anything else icky and dead. Well, she learned her lesson. No bully ever lives forever!
