Thus the tale concludes! I’d really like to know what people think of the ending. Oh, and just to let you know, this part of the story is NSFW due to explicit content.<\/p>\n
As Mkab scowled, Priyat stepped back and stood beside <\/em>the elder troll. The two of them spoke quickly in hushed voices, humming and gesturing. It wouldn\u2019t have mattered if they\u2019d been shouting; Mkab couldn\u2019t understand a word of the bizarre sing-and-flail troll language.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re going to kill me, just do it,\u201d Mkab spat. \u201cIt won\u2019t matter. One day the army will come and kill all of you.\u201d<\/p>\n Priyat folded his arms. \u201cThe army will never find us. We move every season.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe? You traitor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not the one who abandoned all sense of human decency, Mkab.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey are savage, <\/em>and not human.\u201d Mkab gave one last attempt at struggling out of his bonds. It was as futile as it had been the first time. One of the trolls around the bonfire laughed. Mkab felt his fury ebbing away. He\u2019d stared death in the face too many times; fear and rage were for the young. Mkab felt only disgust for the trolls and Priyat. \u201cI\u2019m done talking to you. Kill me, unless you don\u2019t have the balls.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re more like them than you think, chap,\u201d Priyat said. That brought the blood back to Mkab\u2019s face. \u201cDespite your backwards way of thinking, the aaman<\/em> greatly respect a fearless warrior such as yourself. As such, they aren\u2019t done with you yet.\u201d<\/p>\n The elder troll raised his arms with a sweeping gesture, and the rest of the tribe made a deafening cry in harmonized voices. Priyat receded into the shadows, his eyes gleaming. The elder sang in a tremulous voice as the painted silver symbols on his body gleamed and danced in the glow of the bonfire. Mkab saw a shower of sparks reach up to the stars; they were giving more logs to the flames. The men switched places with the women around the circle of the fire, and the female trolls began gathering up the spoils of the hunt. Mkab couldn\u2019t turn his head to see what they were doing, but they took the bodies of the warriors he\u2019d killed, as well.<\/p>\n A heavily muscled troll painted like a jaguar approached Mkab, brandishing an obsidian knife. It could have been the one that Mkab had taken from the dead warrior.<\/p>\n \u201cGo on, cut my throat, coward.\u201d The troll didn\u2019t seem to understand him, and approached without a hint of fear or caution. Mkab gritted his teeth but kept his eyes wide open, refusing to face death with fear.<\/p>\n The blade dug into his chest and painted a bright red slash, almost from shoulder to shoulder. It was a skin-deep wound, but the blood still seeped out freely and trickled down his stomach and onto the ground. Then the troll hooked a hand into Mkab\u2019s belt and slashed down, cutting Mkab swiftly and methodically out of the rest of his clothes.<\/p>\n A wizened old troll woman, more flesh and wrinkle than substance, appeared from the shadows to stand beside the elder troll. Like all the trolls, she was naked but for a breechcloth and her torso had been painted much like the elder\u2019s. She had a necklace made of various skulls; the largest one looked like it had belonged to a cat. It hung between her breasts, staring at Mkab through empty sockets.<\/p>\n Her voice was leathery, but it was shrill enough to be heard over the din of the flames. The warriors began to dance around the fire again, and Priyat translated from his seclusion in the shadows as the old woman waved her arms and sang:<\/p>\n \u201cYou are naked in the sight of the elder gods, the great hunters of the jungle: jaguar, tooth-lizard, eagle, and snake. We speak through our loyal vessel, the shamaness Avoye. In our eyes you have been judged worthy, for though you are not of the aaman, you have bested their warriors and borne your wounds with courage. You are not of the aaman, but your spirit, your seed, is strong. Your warrior\u2019s blood will join with the blood of the aaman, and make them stronger.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em>Mkab rocked back and forth, hoping to loosen a stake or two. Shouting and cursing would only waste his breath; he had little time left before they slit his throat and fed his blood to their cannibalistic warriors.<\/p>\n The burly jaguar-warrior returned, brandishing the same knife. Mkab pulled at his ropes, but the pain in his ankle and ribs were throbbing heavily, and his chest and face wounds were bleeding the fight out of him. The troll stood over him and held the knife against his own palm. In the firelight, the blood looked black. It seeped down from the troll\u2019s hand, invisibly along the obsidian blade of the knife, to dribble onto the gash across Mkab\u2019s chest. The jaguar troll returned to the circle of dancing warriors, and another troll took his place above Mkab. The shamaness continued to sing as each warrior came and let out a few drops of blood onto Mkab\u2019s wound.<\/p>\n Now what?<\/em> Mkab wondered. I\u2019ll never join them.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em>Priyat began to translate for the shamaness again:<\/p>\n \u201cThe blood of the aaman\u2019s mighty warriors has been given to this strong outsider, that he may draw from their strength and add his ferocity to the tribe. By the elder gods of the jungle, the gods of water and sky, earth and spirit, let the joining commence!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em>The red warriors returned to their drums. Doom, doom. <\/em>The women had returned from the huts, their arms slick with blood. They carried the skins of the slain animals, stretched tight across wooden frames, and others hefted stone slabs between them, piled high with meat. The slabs were placed amongst the coals as the men resumed their dance around the bonfire.<\/p>\n A small figure emerged from the shadows, wearing nothing but bright paint, reminiscent of a tropical bird. Her hips and breasts were small, but her lips were full and sensual, her eyes big, round and dark. In her hands was a clay jug.<\/p>\n She was one of the savages all along,<\/em> Mkab thought. You fool, she led you right to them.<\/em> Mkab had no idea why a fairy would be consorting with trolls, but he knew that nobody would bother to answer his question.<\/p>\n The fairy turned to the shamaness, who produced a carved wooden bowl filled with a glowing cobalt liquid. The young woman set down her jug and drank deeply of the thick substance. As she handed the bowl back to the shamaness, her eyes had begun to gleam as they had when she\u2019d consumed the mushrooms in the jungle. She lifted the jug and approached Mkab.<\/p>\n Mkab kept his lips firmly sealed. The fairy knelt down beside him and stroked the wounded side of his face, gently. He wanted to scream at her, but he knew that as soon as he opened his mouth, whatever was in the jug would get poured down his throat. As her earthy scent filled his nostrils, he reminded himself firmly that she was a fairy, and she\u2019d betrayed him. His body responded of its own accord; even it was betraying him. Mkab had never felt so exposed.<\/p>\n \u201cPa\u2019ish\u2019te lach dee\u2019ann,\u201d <\/em>she whispered into his ear. A chill ran down Mkab\u2019s spine. The fairy brought the jug to his lips, but he refused to drink.<\/p>\n \u201cOh\u2019eel,\u201d <\/em>she said in an urgent tone. \u201cToh\u2019eel.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em>Mkab said nothing. The fairy lifted the jug to her own mouth and drank, then leaned down to kiss Mkab.<\/p>\n No, <\/em>Mkab thought. It worked with the mushrooms; it\u2019s not going to work this time.<\/em><\/p>\n He wasn\u2019t expecting something to jab him in the ribs. Mkab\u2019s cry of pain gave the fairy time to spit the contents of her mouth into his. As Mkab gurgled and choked on a bitter liquid, she dumped the remainder of the jug into his mouth. He tried to spit out as much as he could, but between coughs he had to gasp for air, and it felt as though a fire was going down his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cYou crazy fairy bitch!\u201d He screamed, his voice hoarse. He wondered what the concoction was supposed to do. If they\u2019d wanted to kill him they wouldn\u2019t have bothered with poison.<\/p>\n Doom, doom. Doom, da-da doom doom boom. <\/em>More drums were joining in the rhythm, and the singing had resumed. Warriors were forming a new circle; instead of dancing around the fire, they were twisting and swaying around Mkab and the fairy.<\/p>\n Mkab could feel the heat from the potion spreading throughout his entire body, down to his toes and the tips of his fingers. The fairy was playing with the blood on his chest, drawing swirling symbols on his stomach and arms. She smiled at him, and began to draw more symbols lower down. He struggled, tried not to be aroused, tried to think of the burned bodies of children he\u2019d seen in the war, his father\u2019s funeral, the fear he was supposed to be feeling, anything, but her hands were on him, and then her mouth…<\/em><\/p>\n The rhythm of the drums became quicker, a fever beat. The singing was breathy and full of grunts and moans. The women had traded places with the men again, and they were dancing around him, painted and naked. His head swam. All he could see, all he could think of, were thrusts and moans, painted breasts and swaying hips.<\/p>\n The fairy was atop him suddenly, and with no resistance at all he was inside her. No, <\/em>he told himself, I am not aroused. <\/em>Yet somehow he was wishing that the ropes were gone so that he could grab her by the waist, or ball his fists in her hair. As she moved atop him, the swirling bodies and crackling flames faded away, until all he could see was her. She was like a dark goddess, wild and free and alive, tossing her hair about as she screamed with abandon. All Mkab could hear were the drums, the song, and her voice high above it all, moaning in her strange language.<\/p>\n The rhythm grew faster, then faster still. She moved atop him to the beat, and her eyes seemed to be glowing brighter. The look she gave Mkab was a hungry one. As the voices peaked in a thunderous crescendo and the drums throbbed as quickly as Mkab\u2019s heartbeats, she dug her nails into his chest, threw her head back and screamed.<\/p>\n It was enough to bring Mkab over the edge. As his entire body tensed and he spent himself inside her, he added his scream to hers. He shut his eyes tight, and the afterimage of the fairy\u2019s body, aglow from the firelight, danced behind his eyes.<\/p>\n She collapsed atop him as a collective sigh went up from the trolls. Blood and paint mingled between their bodies. Mkab opened his eyes and stared at the stars, feeling empty.<\/p>\n The drums had ceased, save for a rapid thrumming rhythm that seemed to be coming from far away. As Mkab listened, it grew louder, and seemed to be coming from above the trees. Wait…<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em>The village was suddenly awash in light, brighter than any bonfire. The circle of trolls broke as they ran in all different directions. Many warriors took up bows and began firing arrows at the metal bird that was coming down from the sky. The fairy woman was desperately pulling at the stakes that held Mkab to the ground.<\/p>\n Mkab saw Priyat approaching him from the shadows. In his hands was an assault rifle. That\u2019s mine, <\/em>Mkab thought. It looked heavy in Priyat\u2019s spindly arms. There was a blur of dark hair, and the fairy was standing in front of Mkab with her arms outstretched.<\/p>\n \u201cMove.\u201d Priyat said.<\/p>\n \u201cNe.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em>\u201cI said move. He\u2019s doomed us all.\u201d He raised the rifle. The woman didn\u2019t step away, but she was shaking violently. Mkab wondered if Priyat would shoot. He didn\u2019t think so, but he hadn\u2019t been expecting the girl to take a bullet for him, either.<\/p>\n Something small and metallic was sticking out of Priyat\u2019s neck, suddenly. He had a confused look on his face before he fell forward into the dirt, landing on top of the gun. Trolls were running to and fro in panic, and one stepped right on Priyat.<\/p>\n As the helicopter descended into the village clearing, Mkab started to laugh. He promised himself that it was the last time he\u2019d ever take on a job in the jungle.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t let him go,\u201d Marko said. He pushed his small round glasses up his nose. \u201cHe\u2019ll run to every free press with the story.\u201d<\/p>\n Mkab nodded his agreement as he puffed on a cigar. Priyat had proven himself to be too dangerous.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the government\u2019s problem,\u201d Chula said as she put her feet up on the kitchen table. \u201cNot ours.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe government will make it our problem,\u201d Mbwann replied as he wiped his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, it\u2019s hard to take you seriously when you\u2019re cutting onions.\u201d Wu was writing up the report.<\/p>\n \u201cSomebody has to feed you.\u201d Mbwann dumped the onions in a wooden mixing bowl. \u201cNobody can stomach your cooking, Wu. Back to the point, if we let Priyat go, it\u2019ll come down on our heads at some point. Maybe not right away, but the last thing we want is a stain on our reputation or the Minaxan army coming after us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey won\u2019t send the army, they\u2019ll send assassins,\u201d Chula snapped as she lit a cigarette. \u201cHurry up, will you? I\u2019m starved.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, shooting defenceless trolls is hard work, eh, Chu?\u201d Wu looked up from his papers.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re not defenceless,\u201d Mkab said.<\/p>\n \u201cIs someone still sore?\u201d Chula said with a mock pout.<\/p>\n Mkab pointed at his eye. \u201cYou try fighting a wildcat without a gun.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQuit bitching.\u201d Mbwann turned on the tap to wash the lettuce. \u201cBigger risk, bigger cut, we all agreed. You didn\u2019t lose anything vital.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust his pride,\u201d Wu chuckled.<\/p>\n \u201cLeave off it,\u201d Taz said as he stood up from the table. He opened the fridge and poked his head around, and returned to his seat with a beer in hand.<\/p>\n \u201cCan we get back to the point?\u201d Marko was drumming his fingers on the table. \u201cWhat are we supposed to do with Professor Priyat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust sell him with the trolls,\u201d Wu suggested.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t,\u201d Marko said. \u201cThe agreement was for just trolls.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe empire doesn\u2019t care what we send them,\u201d Wu said as he went back to his papers. \u201cThey\u2019ll pay more for trolls, but sending Priyat to them is the only way to silence him…other than putting a bullet in his head. The sooner we get rid of him, the less likely his disappearance will be traced to us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about the girl?\u201d Marko asked.<\/p>\n Mkab and Taz shared a glance. Taz was the only person he\u2019d told. Mkab\u2019s official report had omitted a few details.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about her?\u201d Wu asked. \u201cThey\u2019ll take her, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBetter check with the boss,\u201d Mbwann said as he tore leaves off the head of lettuce. \u201cOther buyers will pay more for a fairy.\u201d<\/p>\n Chula stood up. \u201cSo we\u2019re slavers, now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t gripe when Minaxa asked us to remove the trolls from the jungle,\u201d Wu said reproachfully.<\/p>\n Chula tossed her cigarette butt at him. \u201cI did, you just have a selective memory. Remove them from the jungle, fine. Sell them to the Empire, that\u2019s a different story.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can leave anytime you want to, Chu,\u201d Marko said in a low voice.<\/p>\n As she stormed out of the room, Mkab stood up.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, you have a problem with this too?\u201d Marko asked him. \u201cThey almost killed you.\u201d<\/p>\n Mkab shrugged. \u201cDo what you want with the trolls. I\u2019ll be right back; too much hot air in here.\u201d<\/p>\n Mkab didn\u2019t go outside. He took the hallway from the kitchen to the basement stairs and went down. Farak was standing sentry.<\/p>\n \u201cCome to gloat over them?\u201d He asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I just want to spit in Priyat\u2019s face one last time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBe my guest. Maybe it\u2019ll shut him up; he\u2019s been trying to convince me to set him free for hours.\u201d<\/p>\n Mkab chuckled and walked past Farak to the cells. Priyat was at the far end, in a cell by himself so he couldn\u2019t conspire with the trolls. Mkab would visit him in time, but there was somebody else he wanted to see first.<\/p>\n They\u2019d given her clothing, but her face and arms were still caked in old blood and paint. Her hair was a tangled mess. In the cell was a dirty mattress, a pail, and a plate of untouched vegetables. She looked up at Mkab with hurt eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cEy\u2019ach,\u201d <\/em>she spat.<\/p>\n \u201cThey want to sell you,\u201d he said to her. \u201cThe boss will sell you to the sex slavers because they pay the most. This job was big. You don\u2019t understand how badly everybody wanted the trolls off that land. We got paid big money to do it with no questions asked, and even bigger money to sell the trolls instead of killing them. If we didn\u2019t do it somebody else would have, and they\u2019re just savages. So are you, but you don\u2019t belong in an Imperial quarry pit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOo\u2019sch ulk.\u201d <\/em>She picked up the plate and threw it at the bars. The plate shattered, and soggy vegetables went everywhere. A piece of broccoli landed on Mkab\u2019s forehead. He flicked it away.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re angry. I would be too. But you\u2019ll forgive me. I got the biggest cut from this job, and I\u2019m going to buy you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Thus the tale concludes! I’d really like to know what people think of the ending. Oh, and just to let you know, this part of the story is NSFW due to explicit content. The Jungle, Part Five As Mkab scowled, Priyat stepped back and stood beside the elder troll. The two of them spoke quickly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[32],"class_list":["post-60","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-short-stories","tag-the-jungle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamesfunfer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamesfunfer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamesfunfer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamesfunfer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamesfunfer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=60"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/jamesfunfer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":260,"href":"https:\/\/jamesfunfer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60\/revisions\/260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamesfunfer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=60"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamesfunfer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=60"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamesfunfer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=60"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}