[shaman]

We are getting near the end now.


10 land of heritage

Any mentally stable mudokon would never step foot on scrabania without a guide; it was one of the most dangerous places on oddworld! The chances of being eaten, torn limb from limb or something just as remorseless were even greater than dying of thirst (and this is a desert we’re talking about). Still ordinary mudokons haven’t spent weeks on end in a loathsome mine with nothing but sligs and estranged vykers for company had they? All thirteen mudkons had been lying far from the mines on the baked ground for almost an hour now, so grateful for the sensation of being above ground that even a harsh, brown desert would suffice. It was evening now so the sun wasn’t beating down like it would be normally, one thing was missing though.
What were they going to do now?
They must have been a sight; thirteen mudokons lying in a line on a baked plain of featureless sand roamed by scrabs without a care in the world. But Sid knew they would have to move, the unbelievable happiness of breaking out of the vile mine was wearing off, and it was becoming more apparent that sunbathing in scrabania was basically mass suicide.
Sid stood up and gazed over at the others who were chatting happily, not seeming to have a clue what was going to happen next.
“Um, Theo” Sid asked. “What do we do now”?
Theo sat up, he and Archie had been sharing a large bottle of smuggled brew and were by now senseless.
“Uh ... um, what”? Theo slurred.
“i think he wansa’ know where we’re going now”? Archie replied.
“Oh right”! Theo chuckled. “Oh hell the light it’s so bright – “
“Theo where are we going now”! Steve snapped.
“Ok ok”! Theo sneered. He got up and took a few seconds to regain his balance before continuing. Archie just slumped back onto the floor.
Theo produced a map from his loincloth which he had obviously stolen and began to study it.
“Yep ooooooooookay then” He said finally. “We wait”.
“Wait for what”!? Marty yelled. “Odd we’ve been here for ages, wait for what”?!
“Them” Archie replied before slumping back onto the ground.
Sid looked to where Archie was pointing, there was a large vehicle rather like the one Sid had been brought to the mine in with Archie. It was rumbling through an approaching sandstorm towards them, obviously Theo had planned further ahead than just escaping.
The wagon pulled up by the side of them and all the mudokons on the floor got up, Archie and Theo trying to look a little more sober.
The door swung open and five mudokons got out, all were wearing bandanas that covered the lower part of their faces, and all had a brand similar to the one Sid bore on his arm.
“I was wondering when the NLA would get here”! Theo shouted stumbling towards them.
The mudokon nearest Sid looked around at them all, “this them”? He enquired.
“My whole division”! Theo laughed. He indicated to Sid and Marty, “plus a few extras”.
A scrab roared nearby, it was getting late. The mudokon at the front signalled for them all to get in where it was safe, and for the first time Sid was actually grateful to be inside a caravan.

It was night time and a sandstorm was smashing the caravan through the whole journey, the small window at the back of the caravan provided a great view of the outside. It was beautiful, and since no-one else was awake so Sid was given time alone.
The moons outside were casting a light that refracted through the sandstorm, they were like ghosts in the sky. Sid thought of his mother who had gone missing weeks before this. He allowed himself a glimmer of hope that perhaps the NLA had picked her up and she was waiting for him at – wherever they were going.
Sleeping was impossible, but Sid wasn’t tired. His head was spinning; a lifetime seemed to have passed in a few weeks, what would happen next? He would soon be dumped somewhere with nothing but gratitude for the NLA and the hope that his mother had found them.
Sid woke up the next day to the sound of his drearily chattering mates.
“Sid”,? Marty said excitedly. “Take a look”!
He was indicating to the window, and rubbing his eyes; Sid got up and peered through it.
The sandstorm had settle and scrabania was quiet, but on the hill in front of the was large structure towering over them, it was very old looking and had many ornate carvings around its walls.

The scrabanian temple.

Sid stared in awe at the structure in front of him, he had always wanted to make his way here (not as an escapee admittedly) it was somthing he felt played a great role in his life as a shaman and finally he felt quite accomplished.
“Now all that’s left is the one in Paramonia” Sid whispered under his breath.
Sid turned to Marty and the others, who were all smiling with the same awe and happiness.
“The temple”?
“Welcome to headquarters” Theo replied blankly. “You’re about to meet the rest of us”
They were driven right up to the temple. Soon its massive shadow was looming over the caravan and they pulled up at its outer steps. The door swung open and the mudokon who had greeted them outside the mines appeared, now with nothing covering his face. He looked a little like Theo and had obviously noticed the exited expressions on the faces of the newcomer’s inside.
“Well some on” he said, “best show you the inside”.
The scabanian temple would be an amazing place for anyone who entered it, but it was even more astounding that a group of fugitives (which turned out to be pretty damn numerous) managed to set up a community inside its ancient bowels. The security systems that their ancestors placed in affect were as strong today as they were then. It was inconceivable that the NLA were able to overcome them and set up their base of operations.
The temple’s top level was the only one that the NLA had been able to access, rumors of the lower levels being overrun by wild scrabs (which had found their way in through underground caverns) were too great to ignore, so the top level of the temple was the only one anyone lived in, it was a huge circle of enormous towering pillars under which the temples walls were supported, Filled with mudokon – made shelters.
Sid stood with his twelve fellows and looked at the scene. Theo sighed,
“Good to be home” He said.
Everyone in the temple seemed to be weary of the thirteen newcomers. Sid couldn’t blame them; anyone could turn them into the industrialists. Still though he didn’t like the way he was being looked at.
The NLA had everything they needed in the temple; safety (no one ever came this deep into scrabania) food (there we elum and some desert fruits growing around) and equipment. There were dozens of mudokon crafters making spoocebows tomahawks and other various examples of mudokon craftsmanship, and several slig weapons were being cleaned or polished by chattering recruits outside their shelters.
Theo led their party to small closed off part which was stowed away in a small corner of the temple; it was fenced off crudely and was covered by a small tent just large enough for a mud to walk inside.
“You guys can go now” Theo said. “Try finding your families ... but i want to see you two”. He indicated t Sid and Marty, whilst Steve, Archie and the others gave a thankful goodbye to Theo and walked off into the sea of mudokons and shelters. Sid looked at Marty, and then back at Theo.
“Come on” he said. “This is important”.
Theo lifted back the curtain hung over the door and led Sid and Marty inside.
It was much larger on the inside than it looked; the tent was dark and about ten metres across, divided into several rooms. All of which were filled with arguing mudokons, in one room there were six mudokons crowded around a large table over a map, upon seeing Marty and Sid they hurriedly closed the curtains and continued their argument.
In the centre of the ten was a large table surrounded by several mudokons chatting quietly, all of them looked like veteran NLA members and all bore a lot of scars. One of them turned as Theo entered the room, and his expression hanged rapidly, into one of savage amusement.
“Theo”! He smirked. “You survived”.
“Sorry to disappoint you Marley” Theo retorted. “i was wondering-“
“Is the rest of your lot back”? Marley asked mockingly. “Raids just aren’t the same without you lot making fools of yourselves in the background, so tell us”. “Did the rest of you manage to escape the glukkons”?
He spat on the floor.
“No, Katie didn’t make it”.
Marley seemed to recoil at these words.
“So what about these ones”? He asked.
Theo turned to Sid and Marty, Marty nodded slightly and Theo smiled.
“They’re proper little troublemakers” Theo said proudly, that one (He indicated to Sid) “beat up a slig and started all the muds tearing a building’ apart, and THIS one (He indicated to Marty)”well him and Archie threw a few bonepowder kegs into a train.
“How’s that he isn’t shot”? Marley asked.
“No casualties” Theo explained. “but the pair of em’ I’m sure would go the length of oddworld to save a scrub”.
Marley got up and walked over to them, he was taller than Theo and obviously intimidating. Wearing a long coat and straw hat he may have looked ridiculous but no one it seemed dared to cross him.
“Sounds like we could use you two” Marley grinned. “Hell it sure sounds like you’re the kind of material Theo would hang around with ...okay you can stay, but not without being recruited”.

Sid looked at Marty, it was obvious what he was doing and Sid would have nowhere to go otherwise. He was of course still banished from his tribe.
“Unless you’d rather leave of course”?
“Fine” Sid said at last, “we’re in”.
“Good to hear it, you’ll have to work of course”.

Marley walked back to his fellows and sat himself down.
“Our next raid is tomorrow Theo”. Marley said with an uncaring expression. “The full deal, guns, hawks’, bows and bandanas ... Take them along, who knows they might get lucky again”.