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It was a large black beetle, a setotojane, with its horny neck, pushing at a minute trophy, some insect that had died of thirst perhaps. Little disasters, little victories; like ours, she thought; when viewed from above we are no more than setotojane. (The Witch Doctor's Wife, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency)
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When I got back from the market, I found Grace and Christina by the tree. "Well?"
"Inyanga told us about the Council," said Christina. "We have to convince them to let us through the gates to the rest of the world."
"Ugh, red tape," I muttered. "Well, let's get this over with..."
"We..." Grace said.
"I thought we were rid of you Wizard City nuisances," snorted Rasik. "I grow tired and the shadows grow long. Go bother Kankenya Brokenfang. He is toothless and weak." He skulked off.
"Wow," said Christina. "That was... rude." She gave a thumbs down.
"He is not the one who I remember from youth," said Grace somberly. "The Olyphant Representative was a different one. Things have changed... for the worse."
"Aw, let it go," muttered Christina, slapping her back. "Let's just see this Kakenya guy."
Kakenya was little more helpful. "I can't believe they're dead, Rra Brokenfang!" said Grace.
"Oh, it is you, Mma," said Kakenya. He put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. "The Savannah is too dangerous a place for outsiders. You knew it yourself, did you not? Death runs on quick legs, and the weak fall beneath tooth and spear."
"They had a guide," said Grace. "I refuse to believe that they are late. Let us go find them."
"Your poor daddy's ghost would torment me if anything happened to you!" gasped Kakenya, shrinking back. "You would get lost and die from hunger or thirst if I let you go! You don't even have a map of the place."
I sighed. "If we found a map, could we go?"
He turned to me and rubbed his beard. "Where would you get a map?"
"I bet the students had one, we could check the place they were staying," said Christina.
Kakenya sighed and leaned on his staff.
"Please, Rra..." begged Grace.
"Very well," he said. "The students were staying in a dormitory over there." He waved to a building. "If you find a map, I will reconsider letting you go."
"This should be easy," grinned Christina, giving a thumbs up. "It's probably empty, or has one straggler, and then..."
And then we saw the BUG.
It was a terrifying creature, it was like a giant goliath beetle had turned into a humanoid. It unnerved me seeing its mandibles click and clack. It didn't help that a girl was screaming her lungs out.
"Shadow Weavers," whispered Grace, pointing to the robed insectoids. I recovered and nodded.
"That's one of the students in the group!" cried Christina. "We have to rescue her before they..."
"Whatever they want with her, we are NOT letting them do it," I said angrily. "BONZAI!"
(Goliath Bra'kym'tra is your first encounter with a Goliath Beetle. These guys look imposing but are just as capable to death as the other bug-enemies...)
(And he is Storm and has only 4250 HP. Three guesses what happened to him? ^_^)
The Shadow-Weaver Haunts with him were a joke. ^_^ )
"Oh look, looks like they want more," cackled Christina. "Carrot fairy, we'll keep them busy while you go check on the fellow student." She winked and nodded at Grace, who joined her in battle.
The student was okay. She introduced herself as Simone Brightlance. "Are your friends going to be okay with those ugly bugs?"
I smiled. "We took down Malistaire together, I don't think we have anything to worry about."
"I thought I'd be safe by skipping the Savannah tour and staying in Baobab," bemoaned Simone. "I never knew they had such giant bugs here."
"This is the work of dark magic," sighed Grace. "We were coming here to tell you that the trip is cancelled and you all need to get back to Ravenwood."
"Thank goodness!" said Simone. "I thought this would be a good experience for me. I was wrong. I'd rather deal with Professor Falmea's lectures than giant bug-men!"
"Say, do you know anything about the others?" asked Christina.
"The other students?" said Simone. "No, I haven't seen anybody since they left. I've been hiding, er... studying here."
"It's okay," I said. "We were looking for a map to the Savannah."
"I have a map of the Savannah," said Simone, taking a scroll out of her pocket and giving it to me. "You can have it, I'm getting out of this place!"
"Do you need an escort to the Gate?" asked Grace.
"No, I will be fine, the bugs won't attack me in the middle of Baobab with all the guards," said Simone. "I'll take my temp key and get back home!" She dashed out of the hut as I checked the map. It was indeed a map to the Savannah...
Grace gasped and took out her photo. We saw that one of the shadows had filled in with Simone's picture. "Every time we save someone, I bet the darkness will fade," said Grace.
"Uh, guys... we'd better beat feet before the reinforcements come," said Christina. I saw a Shadow Weaver appear from thin-air. I nodded and we hurried out of the dorm hut.
(For some reason, Shadow Weaver Haunts kept spawning. After I fought them a couple of times, I realized that the game will keep popping up a Haunt so I decided to just leave it be. :( )
"That was clearly a bad taste," said Christina. "Sorry."
"We didn't want the other students to think your world sucks," I said sadly.
"It is okay, Mma," said Grace, waving her hand. "I am more concerned about those agents of the Umbra Queen, Morganthe. I have not seen her yet and yet her agents are even in the safest huts."
"We'll find out where the others are and get them back," I said. "Let's show this to Kakenya."
Grace was still upset. I had a feeling she was worried that history would repeat itself.
"So you will let us go?" I asked.
"I still say you are foolish to want to go out there," said Kakenya. "It is a bad time there for my people. Still, I gave you my leave. Go to your death if you must."
"Your people?" I asked.
"The Savannah is the home to the Lion Clans," said Grace. "I fear trouble is afoot."
"Then we must go and catch up to the other students before it's too late!" said Christina.
"You will need the approval of the other council before you can go," said Kakenya. "Talk to Unathi Nightrunner and see what she says."
"Well, I have a trident," said Christina. "Does that count?" She giggled.
"I won't send you to your death," said Unathi. "If you can prove you can hold your own in combat, you will have my approval too. The Baobab Market has become a violent and chaotic place."
"We know," said Grace. "The Iznizubu bandits had stolen some merchant's goods."
"Then you have battled them before," said Unathi. "Iznizubu are weak, but if you can defeat some Spearfang Slashers, we can talk."
"Spearfang Slashers," whispered Grace. "A rogue lion tribe which preys on the weak like jackals. We would do the world a service by ridding them."
"I sure hope this shows the merchants we mean business," grumbled Christina as we took down the rogue lion bandits. "This is getting redundant."
"You took down a horde of Shadow-Weavers and NOW you're complaining?" I joked. And then the lions Death Ninja'd me and Grace, but Christina Power Nova'd them to death. :p (The male Slashers are Death and will spam Death Ninja Pigs; the female Slashers are Myth, but even a pierced Humongofrog was enough to weaken them so a Power Nova with Bladestorm took them out.)
"So we can go now?" asked Christina.
"Very well," said Unathi. "Since you are so insistent, and since Mma Rainsmith is with you, I will give you permission. You still need Rasik Pridefall's approval before you can go."
"Ugh," I said. "He stormed off."
"Hmm," said Unathi. "He is treacherous. I see his assistant, Vir Goodheart, over there. He is a weakling and a groveler. He will bend to you if you are forceful enough." She winked at us.
"We prefer to be reasonable," said Grace. "But we will take that in mind."
"Leave this to me," Grace said. "Vir is a good friend of my late daddy, he will understand our plight."
Time passed and I got worried. She came back.
"He will give us approval as Rasik is away on business, but..." She turned to me and sighed. "You will not like his conditions..."
Are you kidding me?
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!
*SIGH*
(Yep, you have to fight more Iznizubu Bandits and Spearfang Slashers until you collect items and they have a 33% chance to drop. *face palm*)
"So we can go with your approval, Rra Goodheart?" asked Grace.
"Of course, your father told me about how you were going to become a Wizard, and how you had so much potential. You are doing a noble and brave thing by rescuing the students." Vir grinned. "I am sure your father would be proud of you."
Grace wiped a tear from her eye. "Thank you, Rra."
"We will go now," said Grace.
"Good luck, rainchild," said Inyanga. "Let me give you some advice. When you arrive, go to Camp Mgobo and speak to Msizi Redband."
"I know about her," said Grace. "She was hired by Rra Sunchaser to guide the students alongside me. We will seek her out."
However, Lethua (after he reluctantly opened the gate) had other advice for us.
"Sure, with a last name like THAT, he can be trustworthy," I mumbled under my breath as we entered the gate and exited Baobab to the west... and to adventure.
[To be continued...]
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