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"You see," said Mma Ramotswe, casting a glance at the attentive attorney. "There are some people in this country, some men, who think that women are soft and can be twisted this way and that. Well, I'm not. I can tell you, if you are interested, that I killed a cobra, a big one, on my way here this afternoon."
"Oh?' asked Jameson Mopotswane. "What did you do?"
"I cut it in two," said Mma Ramotswe. "Two pieces." (The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency)
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I was terrified as I helped fight the unholy abominations that were the Fire Lions. They had glowing eyes and black skin. But a nice Theurgist called Ethan Mythsword aided us in taking them down.
(You don't want the Fire Lionesses, which are Death. You want the Fire Lion Ravagers which are Fire. Grace's Storm Lord and Tempest can easily cut through them, but expect Helephant, Firezilla and worse before you can take them out. Christina ate a lot of damage. You need to take out nine Ravagers before you can advance and the best ratio you can get is three Ravagers and one Fire Lioness in the second area. Don't fight in the first area, as there are more Fire Lionesses per Ravager there and you'll get a lot of Lionesses instead.)
"Blasted Wizards!" growled one of the dying lions. "You will never find our near the Water Hole!"
"Thanks for telling us everything," I laughed as he died. "You led us RIGHT to your lair!"
"Peeyew!" said Chrstina, holding her nose. "It smells like every animal in the area did their..."
"Don't finish that sentence," I groaned, doing the same. It did smell like an unflushed toilet, only a zillion times worse, and putrid purple water was bubbling in it.
Grace sighed. "This is dark magic indeed. We must purify it."
"We're not miracle makers," I said. "Let's report this to Bheki."
We spoke to Bheki, who thanked us and Grace spoke to Narley, the mole gardener. He gave her a packet of seeds and I had some stuff I wanted to ask him about...
Namely, getting those precious bug-protecting spells I had used treasure cards for. They were expensive as heck! (Yep, finally got the spells to keep pests of Ranks 1 to 3 away for two days. I decided on the Dragonflies spell first as it's more efficient than the Pest Zapper, but it was most expensive. I really need to get to Halfang Farming again. :( )
"Yep, right here," I said, taking the seeds from Grace.
"That's great," said Eden. "Let's get to planting the seeds so the Darkmanes have a good crop."
"Then you have to go home," said Christina. "Your Professor is worried sick about you."
"I know, Moolinda Wu is a good professor," Eden said.
"Ah, that explains why you are worried about crops," I said. "You're a Life Wizard! Okay, let's do this and get it over with."
I felt a little jealous that the Darkmanes got Evil Magma Peas, but I decided not to dwell on it.
"Thanks, the Darkmanes will have more than enough food," said Eden. "Well, I'd better pack up and go home. I recall the group saying they were going to have lunch at the Water Hole and then go up to Nemean Rock."
"That putrid place?" I grumbled. "Who would eat there?"
"Perhaps Rra Kakura would know more about Nemean Rock," said Grace. "I have only been there once but it doesn't seem like a bad place."
Another image filled out in the photo as Eden used the teleporter to get to Camp Mgobo. Half of the students were safe now, but half remained unaccounted for.
Kakura told us that the Rock had become accursed ever since King Mansa had been killed by his brother, an ancient warlock called Nergal. (Yep, KI found a way to sneak in a Lion King reference without getting slammed by Disney. :p) He told us to speak to our guide.
I didn't like Tik-Tik but we didn't know where else to go. He told us to fight some more Fire Lions...
Ugh. :(
"Look, this staff was held by Mma Redband," said Grace. "We're on the right trail."
(Grace took forever to get the staff and she and Christina nearly got WRECKED by the Ravagers. Fire is too evil. :( )
On the way back, I helped an Iklaw youth get a good spear for his trial of adulthood. Koyate was kind enough to make it and not ask questions. :) (Very easy side-quest for 2260 XP.)
Tik-Tik saw the staff and nodded. "While you were away I searched her hut again for clues. I believe I have found some evidence that tells what has happened to the students. Go into my hut and collect it, then take it to that witch doctor, Whitestripes. He will want to see it."
"I don't trust you," I muttered as we entered the hut...
FIGURES! IT'S AN AMBUSH!!!
(Certorr is a Sun-elemental bug and has a bit more stamina, 6205 HP.)
(He still gets wrecked. ;) )
We searched the hut but found nothing. "I have a feeling," I said. "Let's go outside."
"He's gone," I said. "Figures. Never trust a guy whose last name is Snaketongue."
"Tik-Tik was in cahoots with the Shadow Weavers!" said Christina. "Why that..."
"It is too late to consider it now, we must warn Rra Whitestripes," said Grace. "I fear the rest of the group has ended up in danger and been captured by the Shadow Weavers."
"He was a spy," said Christina.
"Rra Whitestripes," said Grace. "Is there any way we can purify the Water Hole? It reeks of death."
"I have been working on that," said Inyanga, smiling. "I have actually found a way to cure one of the Fire Lions. Go collect the young fruit from the tree of Baobab. Then go into my hut and cook the young fruit in the cauldron. When you are done, bring the potion to me."
That was easy, the fruit was lying around and making the potion wasn't hard at all.
"Good," he said. "You would make a great ngungo."
"A healer?" asked Grace. "She is doing what we learned in Wizard City, Rra. So now what?"
"This is powerful muti," said Inyanga. "But there is only enough for one Lion, we must find the right lion to feed it to."
"Peharps Queen Tanei," said Grace. "I saw her as a child, she was very kind. She is the leader of the Ghostmane tribe, she might have been affected too."
"Yes," said Inyanga. "Grace, I know you do not want to, but you must force the Fire Lions to tell you where Queen Tanei is, then make her take the potion. She might fight you..."
"It is okay, Rra, I know I must subdue her," said Grace.
"We'll help," I said.
"Yeah, we're a team," said Christina.
"You have good friends, mvuva," said Iyanga. "Do not forget them."
"I shall not, Rra Whitestripes," said Grace, nodding. "Come, friends, let us find Queen Tanei."
I won't bore you with how many lions we had to subdue to get the location of Tanei, but they pointed us to a cave near Nemean Rock. As expected, she was hostile but we subdued her. (Tanei is Fire and has 5800 HP. She will usually start the battle with Fire Dragon, so watch that.)
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| (Was gonna Levy her but turns out Frog and Ra weakened her enough for an Earthquake to finish her off.) |
"I am glad you are well, Great Queen," said Grace, bowing low.
"Ah, it was you," said Tanei. "Grace. I remember your father telling me about you. Yes, I am glad you saved me, you and your friends. The Ghostmane tribe was the greatest of Lion tribes, but we have been cursed by good King Mansa's evil brother. Nergal, the Burned Lion, made a deal with the Umbra Queen. She gave him the power to overthrow his brother."
"I knew it," said Christina, smacking her fist. "Morgie's behind the murder of..."
"No, King Nergal is not late," said Tanei. "The Umbra Queen transformed him into a weak animal. Nergal keeps him in a cage as a pet!"
Grace gasped. "We must save your King, Queen Tanei!"
"Did you see any Wizards otherwise?" I asked.
Tanei nodded. "Nergal's men herded the Wizards you seek into the caves beneath Nemean Rock."
"Oh no, they've been captured!" said Christina.
"I am grateful for all you have done for me, but I am responsible for my people," said Tanei.
"We will help you, Mma," said Grace. "Let me help your people."
"If you can made an antidote strong enough to purify the Water Hole, I will teach you how to enter Nemean Rock," said Tanei. "Go back to Baobab and tell Inyanga Whitestripes we will need powerful medicine to break this curse."
"Will do," I said, bowing to her. "We will be right back."
It took a bit of running about but we managed to get the ingredients and recipe for a powerful muti (gosh now she's making me do it) to purify the water. We were on good terms with the Councilers so we didn't have to go all the way to Zamunda and Stone Town to get the items which was good as the ways were still blocked off.
"Of course we will," I said. "We won't let you down."
"Thank you!" said the queen. "Find the hermit Esop Thornpaw, who lives on the edge of the Yundland Gulch. He knows many things. He will know how to break the curse."
"But the bridge is broken," said Christina.
"We can find some wood to fix it," said Grace.
Yep, more fixer-up jobs, but we didn't have a choice, not if we wanted to get across the gulch. (Didn't help that some of the slats were in the middle of the Fire Lions - Grace and Sierra got pulled. :( )
"Thank you, Rra," said Grace. "But maybe later, we have business to deal with. We need your aid. You know about the Ghostmane tribe?"
"Iie," said Esop. "I have heard of what happened to Queen Tanei and her people. Bad juju."
"Then you might know a spell to reverse a transformation curse, yes?" I said.
"I do know a spell to remove the curse that Nergal and his witch put on King Mansa," said Esop. "Tell you what, those scruffy Fire Lions stole my drums. If you can get them back, I'll teach you the juju."
(Three guesses what we're doing yet again? Yep, this is the FOURTH time we had to take down Fire Lion Ravagers - not the Lionesses, the male lions. And the drums are a 20% drop, so expect to fight a zillion of them before you advance. Gah!)
Esop gave Grace a djembe drum and taught her a secret beat that would hopefully reverse the curse on King Mansa. "I will play a song on my drums to praise your victories," he said. "Try not to lose against Negal, the Burned Lion."
"Please," said Christina. "Like we would." She puffed her hair out.
"Be aware," said Grace. "Over-confidence is deadly."
"We'll be careful," I said. "Let's go tell the good news to Queen Tanei."
"Nah, it's nothing," I said, blushing. "So, can you tell how the chant to open the door?"
"Yes, I will teach you the chant to open the Tsava Door," said Tanei. I was amazed at what it was. "Once you defeat Nergal and free my husband, can you go to Bheki Blackhoof and tell him my people want peace again?"
"We shall, Mma Tanei," said Grace. We bowed to her. "Farewell."
We reached the Rock. It was glorious. I chanted the chant. "Ah. Wee. Ma. Wah. Ah. Wee. Ma. Wah."
The great doors swung open. "Before we go in," said Grace. "I must tell you more about my world's history..."
"The Umbra Queen, Morganthe, returned as a young woman, a powerful witch who had dark magic. She corrupted the world of Zafaria and the people called to the Sun to save them. A legion of light arrived from across the Spiral to defeat Morganthe."
"Wow, a legion of light!" said Christina. "Too bad that's ancient history."
"Not really," said Grace. "One of them was our headmaster, Rra Ambrose."
I gasped. "Merle Ambrose helped to fight Morganthe?!"
"That was what he was keeping from us," said Christina. "How did you know?"
"When I returned, beaten and bloody," said Grace sadly. "I reported the crisis I had suffered and he confided in me. He told me not to tell you, but I decided it was time... if the Umbra Queen is not defeated here, we must call for the Council of Light to rise again."
"We'll stop her," I said. "Let's go inside."
I wish I hadn't. SPIDERS. I HATE SPIDERS. :(
"Is someone there?" said a voice.
"Mma Redband!" cried Grace. It was indeed the guide, she was trapped in a web. We had to save her, spiders be danged.
We eventually brought down the spiders with a critical earthquake. I shouldn't use that spell here, it could end up burying us!
"Are you okay, Mma Redband?" asked Grace as she cut away the webs.
"What? Morgie was leading the ambush?" asked Christina. "This is bad."
"I managed to make a distraction and the rest of the group escaped, but..." Msizi sighed. "They caught Johanna Crowflyer."
"Oh, that student I saw in Nightside," said Christina. "Upcoming Death student. It's a double blow for her - the former Death professor goes ape-bat crazy and tries to revive a god and now this."
"Let's go rescue her and the King," I said.
"Morgie gives spiders as gifts?" said Christina. I grimaced.
"You will not matter," said Nergal. "I will eat your flesh for dinner and then have the other calf as dessert."
"You will do no such thing," hissed Grace. "You will die today and the lions will be freed of your evil."
"Hah, my Shadow Fire will dispel your petty magicks, wizard!" laughed Nergal. "Ravagers!"
Uh, okay, this was a bit dicey... (Nergal the Burned Lion is a gimmick boss but his gimmick isn't that bad - he interrupts with Weakness every three turns. He's Fire too.)
The theurgist who helped us earlier joined us and healed Christina as she was getting beaten by the Fire Lions. Grace's wrath brought down Nergal with Triton...
And we cleaned up.
Ethan released the student. "Msizi will take you back to Baobab," said Christina. "Be safe."
Grace held her head. "This trip would have been better done early, as in before Morganthe..."
I hugged her. "Let's just reverse the King's curse and release him."
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| (I missed the shot of Johanna leaving the cage as Ethan released her before I could.) |
We found a tiny leopard cat in the other cage. "Quick, play the drum," I said to Grace.
She nodded and pounded the beat Esop taught her. In a flash of lightning the cage shattered and the mighty King Mansa appeared. We bowed to him.
"Queen," I said, blushing.
"Your Highness," said Grace, her lip trembling. "Is it true, did the Umbra Queen take your crown?"
He nodded. "That wretched Nergal stole my crown and gave it to the Umbra Queen!"
"No..." whispered Grace, feeling ill.
"It's okay, it's just a crown," said Christina, patting her back. "Once the Fire Lions drink the clean water, they'll be cured and Mansa will rally them back together!"
"Yes, it will take time, but soon there will be peace," said King Mansa. "Go tell Bheki Blackhoof that we will be at peace again."
I nodded but turned to Grace, who was pale. I had a feeling she knew something about the Crown that I did not... something sinister about Morganthe having that crown...
[To be continued...]
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