[Splat]

Glad you guys all like it and I'm so sorry for making you all wait so long! I've had a lot to do, English, Science and Maths coursework, a Drama examination...

Anyway, as i was saying you've all been waiting ages while a chapter has been formulating itslef in my head and i think I've come up with something quite good. Only one way to find out I guess..


Part 4, the Sacrifice

Chapter 1, Dreams
The chief warrior of the Edakee tribe of the Gopemi forest shuddered in his sleep and woke. After a few seconds he remembered why he’d suddenly woken and why there was a definite sense of dread floating somewhere around his stomach.
He reached a hand to his left and groped around. When his fingers found only empty air he opened his eyes, fear turning to panic. Scrambling round, he stared at the blank earth where last night he’d left the Orb. Then he began looking around frantically for the metallic green ball that meant so much to his people. He spotted it within 10 seconds, lying 2 feet away, resting against the taught animal skin that made up the wall of his easily moveable home.
Cursing his stupidity he reached over and grabbed it. He was in a camp full of mudokons: who was gonna want to steal it? He scooped a handful of sandy earth out of the ground next to his bed and put the Orb inside the indent in the hope it wouldn’t roll away again. He lay back in bed in the hopes of going to sleep again but soon the feeling of dread returned and he suddenly felt very awake and all too aware.
Why was he scared? Was it the curse? Only a few hours ago he was assuring his best friend that the curse was wearing off. Now here he was, terrified… Oh, he was being stupid!
For miles below and around the forest were factories, mines and labs for Odd knew how far. People said you couldn’t stand anywhere, not even in the deepest valleys, without an industrial building being in view. No allies, no help or support for miles. Just miles of empty sands… How long would it take to walk all the way round? He could certainly picture himself going on for at least a year. And it would mean walking right back through the forest into Glucose. Oh yeah, He thought, I’m sure Graham would love that.
So what else could he do? Walk through miles of industrial territory all the while hoping he wouldn’t wander into any sligs, vykker expeditions or fleech farms? That was asking a bit too much. Tomorrow he would be seeing Graham leave and telling the tribe where he was going, what he planned to do when he got there. He imagined his speech, I’m sorry guys, I don’t know how to get through miles of glukkon land carrying the greatest weapon of all time. So how’s this for a plan: we just wait around here, keep hold of the Orb and wait for a miracle… He couldn’t imagine that going down too well.
How about this? Rather than walking through miles of industrial land I’ll just spend a year walking around it all! I’ll just pop back up into Glucose then shall I? Yep, Graham would love that. And walking that distance in these parts of Oddworld really wouldn’t be much better than heading through the glukkons land.
He sat up again. It was no good lying there. The Shaman on the tribe, Edam, was full of (sometimes) useful advice and suddenly one of his usually-ignored philosophising had suddenly battered its way into Barry’s mind: "Where there are problems, there are always solutions. For without solutions, all problems could not exist." Well, it was time to see how useful Edam could be.
Barry undid the toggles holding his tent flap in place and stepped out into the cool night air. Stars glittered overhead and as Barry walked, he picked out several: The Fleeing Scrab, The Watcher on the Wall, the Humped Paramite… Actually doing something helped ease the weight of fear in his stomach and the time passed quickly as he walked towards the largest tent in the clearing, owned by the Shaman.
What with being so close to a large industrial complex and in an area frequently patrolled by sligs, the Edakee tribe had to be careful. Fire was kept at a minimum and were never left burning after the Sun had set (except on the New Day festival). The tribe used tents rather than huts so they could pack up and move the entire "village" in a hurry and leave very few signs that they’d been there at all. They’d slipped up in the past, people had been killed. But time went on, new mudokons joined the tribe and they survived, usually a step ahead of their pursuers. Life was hard but they pulled through.
Barry arrived in front of Edam’s tent and hesitated, not sure whether to step inside. He didn’t want to walk in on the Shaman sleeping.
The decision was spared from him, however, by a voice calling from inside: "Don’t just stand there on the doorstep Barry, come inside. I’m not gonna shout to you through the wall all night."
Barry answered as he undid the tent door and stepped through. "Sorry, I didn’t want to disturb you if you were asleep."
"Of course I wasn’t asleep!" Answered the elderly Shaman sharply, "I’m not about to go to sleep when I’m expecting a guest am I!"
"Expecting…"
The Shaman sighed. "Strange how these things work. I really would have expected Odd to pass the Orb onto someone with some idea of the power it holds. You really no very little of these matters for all your skill with that bow."
Barry cursed himself for not expecting this. Edam could be irritable at the best of times and it being about 1:00 in the morning didn’t help. "Which brings us on to why you’re here," The Shaman continued, "You’re worrying about what’s ahead. I woke before I found out what your problem is however."
Barry glanced around the tent for something to do. It was cluttered up with crates and shelves baring various glass, wood and stone balls, bizarrely shaped pots and vases, ornaments, idols, bottles of Odd knows what. Stings of herbs hung from the support posts giving the room a slightly intoxicating odour. There were crates full of books dotted around the walls, some with contents lying across the floor. In the far corner was a separate section for Edam’s bed so no one could accidentally stumble in on him without his mask on: an ancient taboo said to bring death to both the shaman and the one who saw him. 2 masks hung on the post next to the shaman’s bed. An empty hook was nailed into the post below them, the mask it bore currently on Edam’s face.
Edam seemed to own more stuff than a third of the village put together. Strangely, only 5 mudokons and the Shaman were required to carry it all.
Barry decided to go straight to the point: "Well, you know where I’ve gotta get the Orb too… Miles south, over the Industrial land…"
"Ah, I understand." The shaman said as Barry paused, "Miles of glukkon run country and you don’t know how you’ll cross it alive, let alone carrying the Orb?"
Barry nodded, pleased the Shaman had grasped his problem so well. "Well Barry, I’m afraid I can’t help you."
Barry’s face fell. "But you said where there’s a problem-"
The Shaman held up a hand to stop him. "I am well aware of what I said Barry and I’m please at least one of you listen to me. I said I couldn’t help you but I didn’t was there wasn’t an answer. Go see Jason."
"The new guy?"
"The very same."
Jason had arrived in the village 3 weeks ago after escaping from the factory nearby. Apparently the head of security there, a massive B-B-Slig called Barah, was eager to get his hands on him.
"But he’s only been free for three weeks of his life! How will he help me get across miles of land he’s never even seen?"
"You will find Barry, that even those who no nothing of your problems, may no a solution, and often one you would not expect. Go and find Jason, he should be waking from a nightmare any second now, much like yourself. Don’t doubt the weak Barry, we all have a purpose for which Odd set us in this world. I would hope after your experiences you would no that better than most of us."



And there it is, Chapter on of The Sacrifice!

I JUST GOT AN AWARD FOR THE ODDWORLD FORUM'S BEST WRITER
http://www.oddworldforums.net/showth...733#post191733
I didn't see that one coming! Cheers to who ever voted for me and is reading this! Man, i'm going hyper!