<<<25 July 2057, 07:54Predator and Prey
>>>
About the best thing I can say right now is that
we haven't lost anyone yet. Quite a few close calls,
though. I think our coddled academics are finally
catching on to the fact that the only thing that
stands between their fragile bodies and oblivion
is the expertise of the guardians they've hired,
so perhaps it will behoove them to attempt to
avoid angering said guardians. I hope so. It will
certainly make our job significantly easier.
We made it to the bank of the river, but it was
there that we had our first close call. Joe had
managed to shoot the basilisk, which then fell into
the water and--at least this was the hope--out of
our lives forever. This, however, was not to be.
As we reached the bank and began pulling to boats up
on shore, the wounded basilisk came up out of the
water and grabbed Dr. Fukuhara, attempting to pull
him under with its 100+-kilo weight. We managed to
deal with the basilisk and get the good doctor back
on shore, where he proceeded to hack up several
litres of disgusting water and not provide too much
trouble at the moment. al-Mansour was another matter.
Apparently taking leave of what remained of his
sanity, he pulled a gun and held it on 'Wraith. I,
who had already taken about as much as I cared to
from this lot, proceeded to levitate the doctor several
meters upward and do my best to disturb his aim.
Ocelot ordered him to drop the gun, which he did,
cursing us all (especially me--ironically, he first
told me he would hunt down my children and kill
them; when informed that I didn't have any
children, he told me he would wait until I did,
then hunt them down and kill them. Not the most
stable of travelling companions, our hobgoblin.)
Not content to allow everyone else to be insane without
getting into the act, Bischo chose that moment to
draw his rifle and aim it at al-Mansour, preparing
to shoot the doctor for his transgression. Ocelot
(who is much faster than our guide) pulled his own
gun and "persuaded" Bischo to drop his. I don't think
Mr. Bischo is the most popular member of our party
at the moment. Truthfully, I don't think anyone
is.
We sorted ourselves out according to who could stand
to be around whom, and set out on our course into
the jungle. Saw numerous harmless creatures including
a very large snake (which 'Wraith shot--I think he
had some need of his own for part of it) and an ocelot
(our Ocelot was enchanted by seeing a live example
of his namesake), and one potentially harmful creature--
a feathered serpent, from which we hid ourselves until
it decided to move on. After that it was more trekking
through thick vegetation in high humidity. No one was
in the best of moods.
Fortunately, though, Dr. al-Mansour's navigational
abilities had not been affected by the temporary
departure of his sanity, so in due time we actually
arrived at the spot where we had been headed. There,
right where it was supposed to be, was the kiwi
plant.
As the scientists prepared to begin their work,
several large and very fast forms dropped out of
the trees. I recognised them as black annises, a
form of awakened baboon that is highly deadly
due not only to its speed and strength, but also to
its magical ability to invoke despair in its victims.
One managed to club al-Mansour over the head as we
fought the others; our remaining scientists took off
in two different panicked directions. I suppose
I can't blame them, given what they saw. We made
short work of the annises (and of the squadron of
military patrolmen who attacked us immediately
there after) and once more Bischo saved himself
(barely) from getting shot when he tried to run
away in fear. The others gathered our wayward
scientists and Bischo while I healed al-Mansour.
Then, after busying ourselves clearing the area
of annis and military corpses, we finally set
about examining the kiwis.
Apparently their first brush with real death
(Fukuhara's with the basilisk and al-Mansour's
with the annis) had convinced our crew of
academics that their lives were very fragile and
it was probably not a good idea to annoy those
charged with protecting them. They were downright
civil to us and even allowed us to participate in
preparing the kiwi sections for examination.
'Wraith and I both took a fruit for ourselves
(I don't know what 'Wraith wants his for; I plan
to take mine back to the University for further
study). At this point we are preparing to move
away from the site in anticipation of heading back
toward civilization.
I am not even allowing myself to hope that things
will go well from here on.