Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 4773237" data-attributes="member: 3285">Secret of Semar: Part 4a – The Evils of (Wo)ManSebastian landed on the ground with a whoosh of his wings.  They were reptilian in appearance, scaly and black, with a thin membrane spanning each talon.  Dust whirled around him.Vlad eyed Sebastian. “That’s going to take some getting used to.”“You and me both.”  Sebastian folded his wings.  “I spotted a plume of smoke just a few hundred yards away from here.”“The tracks do not lead in that direction,” said Mashudu. “They continue northward. But there is a Hutili village that way.  They help our tribe in mining precious metals and gems.”Beldin grunted.  “Sounds like they need our help.”Kham let out an exasperated sigh. “Do we have to save everybody around here?” The route to the smoke plume was rather treacherous, as it required negotiating the side of one of the mountains of the range.  The slop was covered in spiny brush and loose gravel of the same sharp volcanic stones found in the first village.Sebastian launched himself upwards.  He spun to face them, wings churning the air.  “I’ll take a closer look.”As they closed, the smell of burning wood became sharper.  Harsh words in another language were barked out.The dark-kin landed behind them.  “It’s a small village, no more than a dozen huts all arranged near a mine entrance.  They’ve set the huts on fire. There are dead everywhere, but the survivors have been tied together by a series of ropes to a pole in the center.”“Who’s holding them captive?” asked Vlad.“A small group of women wielding wicked-looking swords.”Kham stroked his chin.  “Women, you say?”“Amazons,” said Mashudu.  “Warriors of the Nibomay Empire.  They claim the inhabitants and land of the Giko Taaba Mountains as their own. When a village does not comply with their rules, they are…pacified.”“So this is punishment for not paying fealty,” said Sebastian.  “My own people have experienced this kind of pacification. Let’s end this nonsense.”  He took off into the air again.Kham drew two pistols.  “He’s going to do that all the time now, isn’t he?”Beldin gripped his axe.  “Pretty much. Do we have a plan?”“Do we ever have a plan?”</blockquote>

Verification