The Old Kingdom (story)

[shaman]

Merry christmas everyone!

Since my writing died a painful death, i decided to rekindle it a little.

This is my second fanfic. It is by no means a sequal to the first, and is by no means anything like the first, i hope you enjoy it. And remember, every time you give me a dishonest opinion, God kills a fairy.

-Warning, this story contains Guns, magic, casual tchildish swearing and other sketchy stuff-


PROLOUGE
Five thousand years ago, in Mudos. Before Industrialism and the magog cartel were anywhere near creation. Mudokon, Grub and skuba toads fought over a large jungle – covered land; which is now known as The Old Kingdom.

Wars were fought for decades with no side willing to give in, until one day
Eight mudokon chieftains sought to end the conflict by establishing a single nation on mudos; this was accepted.

But not by everyone

A ninth cheiftan, led his tribe to war with the other eight, in a bloody campaign which lasted for years. He was – of course – defeated, and as punishment, The other eight chieftains banished him from the newly founded “Old Kingdom” and using ancient tribal magic, they bond him in a prison of the hardest stone, unable to move or die. Forever.

But in that moment, the ninth chieftain cursed The Old Kingdom, swearing that the shrykull – a being of protection – would no longer watch over them – until he himself was released to rule, the nature of his enchanted prison meant that this could only be achieved by the union of the blood of the three most sinful creatures living there.

Five thousand years later, peace in the Old kingdom is still very hard to come by.

And an ancient curse rears its ugly head.

The old kingdom

1) All for nothing.

“The three bad kings, look for the three bad kings”.

“I’ve already heard all that”! Toko shouted with rage and stamped away from the weirdo’s in the room with him, who were a little taken aback by his rudeness. He removed his big – face mask and wiped the sweat from his face.

Toko was a mudokon, he was tall and looked far younger than his true age (which no one knew) He wore a green loincloth and was adorned with many amulets and symbols and his pale blue skin shining in the glow of the mudokon spirits he had conjured only a few minutes before.

Toko was by anyone’s standards a strange mud, he would vanish for months or even years at a time, popping up halfway across oddworld with no apparent means of getting there, no one knew who he really was or what he was about, even the non – believing industrialists kept their distance. Although his nature had been debated many times by many creatures. One thing everyone agreed about Toko - was that he was supernatural.

Now, Toko was a spiritual leader in a place called “The Old Kingdom”; a vast jungle and swamp covered landscape in the mid western part of Mudos. It was a place of vast importance, a place whose structures, culture and tribes stretched back before recorded history. Tall ornate stepped pyramids carved to perfection by their ancient builders dotted the landscape, dominating the countless communities of skuba toads, Grubbs and Mudokons who lived there.

Although far out of reach from the industrialists for thousands of years, The Old Kingdom had been as good as invaded by the Magog cartel, and the natives had been pushed further and further back, now with only a fraction of the old Kingdom under their control. In their desperation they turned to a curse made Thousands of years ago by a legendary, infamous being known as “The ninth chieftain”; saying that he would return and bring a shrykull to help in their time of need and consume their enemies.

For ages they tried to summon this death god, the Ninth chieftain and his shrykull into their jungle, but to no avail, and with time running short and the threat of slavery and death hanging over them, Toko had been trying for weeks to find anything in the prophecy which could be used to their advantage.

Toko turned to the eight spirits.

“Haven’t you got anything useful to tell me”?

“That’s all we know” One of them said in a chilling, echoing voice

“I’ve been in this temple for months”! Toko signed, surveying the brown
earthy walls of the dome shaped room he had taken refuge in.

“Not once have I seen anything in the prophecy to help us, nothing telling us what to do” He sighed. “Nothing”...

Another weirdo glided forward. “You have to be patient Toko” she said. “We’re trying our hardest, we want this war to end as much as you do ... it does take time”.

“Time that we don’t have”! Toko shouted throwing his mask to the floor, where it splintered. “We lost the fleech jungle this month. Most of the people are thinking their ancestors have abandoned them”.

“And what do you think”?

Toko looked up at the roof, almost seeing past the stone to the darkening sky above. “I think they may be right”.
At that moment one of the weirdo’s flew forward in a trail of blue light, thrusting his ghostly arm straight through Toko, who froze with shock.
“YOU DON’T EVER TALK LIKE THAT”! The weirdo boomed. “Where were you when we built The Old Kingdom? Where were you when we united the tribes over five thousand years ago, where were you when we fought the ninth chieftain and banished him?!!!”

Another two weirdo’s shouted at their fellow to release Toko and he flew back to his place, leaving took clutching his chest in agony”.
“Toko”. The female weirdo said sympathetically. “We will help you decipher the prophecy, we’ll tell you what you need to do to bring a shrykull to the old kingdom and end all this”.

Toko looked up at her, and nodded.

“What is it you would ask of us”?
Toko sighed. He had been listening to the weirdo’s blabber on for months now. Plus they didn’t sleep, and continued to chatter all night making it impossible to sleep himself “What is the meaning of what you just told me”?
The weirdo’s spoke in unison, a chilling trick of theirs which never failed to shake a mortal.

“It is the curse set down by our brother, the ninth chieftain; it refers to the time when he is born again into The Kingdom, allowing us to receive the shrykull’s protection”.

Toko nodded, it was finally coming together. “I thought you didn’t want The Ninth Chieftain to come back”.
The ghosts shook their heads.

“It is unfortunate, but the only way to conjure a shrykull in The Old Kingdom is for The Ninth Chieftain to return”.

He cleared his throat. “Who are the three bad kings”?

“The three bad kings are the three most evil creatures in the Old kingdom, their blood will bear the great evil which the shrykull needs to manifest here, they are as follows: the traitor, the murderer, and the thief”.

Toko smiled and nodded, finally after months it was all making sense, whoever these “three bad kings” were, he needed to find them.
“So, we need to go after these three people”.

“Correct”. Came the ghostly reply, and slowly the weirdo’s begun to fade, until only one was left. She seemed uncaring that her fellows had just vanished, and just stood there without a glimpse of life on her skull like face, as though petrified. Toko walked up to her, feeling the cold air around her cut through his thin clothes.

“Where are they”?

[enchilado]

I like.

Being picky about grammar, may I point out:

1) When someone speaks, put full stops, exclamation marks etc. after the quotation marks: "Is anybody home?" rather than "Is anybody home"?

2) Also put commas in places like this: "I don't know what to do" he said. should be "I don't know what to do," he said.

It seems like it's going to be a great story though, I can't wait for more

[MA]

nice one Shaman. i loved your previous story (the ending especially not many fanfics do that to me), and this looks good. keep it up.

i assume you have already written it all up? i vaguely remember you saying you would before posting it.

[shaman]

I have indeed written the whole lot. This is a ten - part story, minus a few edits in grammar (Thanks ench ) The second part should be up soon.

[shaman]

New chapter.


2) The Suffering City.

It was evening, the skies had darkened with heavy storm clouds and a comfortably cool wind swept through the jungle.

The old kingdom for all the terrors it faced in these troubled times was never more alive as more and more refugees from conflict areas settled deeper and deeper into the kingdom’s monstrously large lands, here in the capital it was like nothing ever seen before. The whole area was situated around a huge stepped pyramid, an awesome sight, with snarling faces carved into its side. And the sheer magnitude of its towering sides terminating in a stone structure from which incense smoke was always rising, a heavy aromatic fog which was said to be stimulating to breath.

Surrounding the pyramid were countless other stone structures. Looking over the jungle and the vast lake beyond, and around them the countless hovels and wooden structures which served the inhabitants as homes.

A market place bustling even at this time of night, was easy to hear from the tell tale noise of hundreds of the jungles’ many natives. Mudokons, Grubs, Skuba toads and many other creatures were there; many, unfortunately driven into the city by the ever advancing industrialists.

Outside all that, when you walked so far into the jungle the last house vanished from sight into the array of curling plants, there sat one solitary figure. Next to a small tent in a deep state of trance; a grub, who preferred to avoid the hustle and bustle and focus on more interesting matters out here in the wild, a thick orange smoke surrounded the place, blown from a large pipe the Grub was smoking filled with an unknown burning substance.

Tuanto breathed the orange smoke and sighed. It was at times like this when he wondered if the whole world had gone mad. If people stopped worrying they would find it easier to obtain a solution to the war raging in the jungle, maybe this was true, or maybe it was just the overactive mind of a regularly doped Grub. Still however stupid he may make himself from smoking such a product, it did prove useful, and sure enough; in Tuanto’s mind ... some strange images started to appear.

Tuanto saw a lake; he was almost touching the water. Standing on nothing, floating above the surface, suddenly a wolvark appeared in the ripples a rough looking creature holding a gun, and dressed in a large red and black hat and trousers.

The image died and a mudokon appeared, also armed with a spooce bow and surrounded by others whose faces were blurred, those tooS faded and finally a mighty Steef clad in golden armour appeared, holding a sack of moolah.
Suddenly the whole world up heaved and Tuanto heard himself grunt with pain, he was flying into the blackening sky, past the atmosphere, and into the void of space, he felt hot limbs grab him from all directions and had to concentrate to stop the spiritual creatures from damaging his mind, a white flash blinded him and he saw the three figures again, the figures holding him began to scream; nothing coherent just random words: Murderer, traitor, assassin, betrayer, thief, bandit, criminal. But one word sounded loudest of all, an unyielding scream pierced Tuanto and he heard what it said as clear as day.

“KING”

Tuanto screamed as the figures exploded and a terrible creature tore its way into his consciousness, a being of unimaginable power, with parts of a scrab and parts of a paramite, with thrashing talons erupting from its muscle-bound body and several glowing red limbs bursting with white fire. The most unearthly sound filled his ears as the creature bellowed and Tuanto sat bolt upright, awake just in time to see a mudokon walking towards him.
“Tuanto?” The mudokon inquired pushing past a few bushes into the clearing.
“Oh”. Tuanto gasped, brushing the orange smoke away from is pale green face. “It’s just you Toko.”
Toko sat down next to him, it had begun to rain. For which Tuanto was very grateful; shocks were so much better absorbed when soaking wet - especially for an amphibian such as a Grub.
Toko coughed the orange smoke away and turned to Tuanto.
“What did you just see?”

Tuanto felt his heart sink; he did not want to tell Toko what he had just envisaged. But he was trying to decipher the prophecy and he needed all the help he could get.
Tuanto darted his large bulging eyes around the clearing to make sure they were alone. Then turned back to Toko and whispered.
“Toko, I’ve done well now I have!” The grub chuckled. “Them all dead, muds you been talkin to was right!”

Toko smiled. “What do you mean?”

Tuanto leaned forward; he was almost nose to nose with his friend.
“I did see ... them” .Tuanto giggled with excitement, this was the best moment he had had for a while, the only spark of good news for ages.
Toko looked faint; this was the moment he had been waiting for over a month.
“The three Toko” Tuanto continued. “I saw the three, an’ it’s true!, they make the monster come onto dis’ world! I saw him too! S’plain as day!”
Tuanto nodded, he had never felt so happy. This provided a flicker of hope for the old kingdom, Toko was clearly pleased but wasn’t that good at showing it. Tuanto had always found the muds to be a little strange- Even if he did say so himself.
It was obvious that Toko was concerned, he stood back up.

“Tuanto, tell me everything, everything you’ve seen.” Toko pulled Tuanto up to his feet and shepherded him into his tent it was very cramped and Toko had to hunch over to fit inside. The tent was full of jars of various chemicals and hypnotic stimuli, with hundreds of tools for shamanism and several pages of noted written in a language (probably Grubbish). Which Toko did not understand.
“Tuanto, I need to know what’s going on, I need to find these guys whoever they are. They could win the war for us!”
As Toko spoke it was obvious what was going to happen, he was going out to look for these “Three Bad Kings”, and Tuanto was terrified that he may not see Toko again. Journeys through the jungle and swampland had become increasingly dangerous lately as the industrialists had closed in. But still, this was history and Tuanto wanted to be a part of it.

“You gonna go then?” Tuanto sighed.
“I have to” Toko repied. “But i need you to tell me everything first.”
Tuanto picked up his staff and starred at it for a while before turning his frog – like head to face Toko.
“I can show you Toko.”
And he tapped Toko lightly on the head with the staff. Toko fell instantly backwards and began to convulse as he saw the same thing Tuanto had.
Toko got up and looked at him.

“I have to go” he said and walked out of the tent.
“Wait”! Tuanto shouted running up to him. “You might need this, it got me a good way through the marshes, use it on them fleeches, makes um’ sting bad. Real bad”! He handed Toko a small vial of green liquid. Toko nodded and walked out of the clearing.
The market was alive with activity, everywhere there were stalls set up for buying countless varieties of products scoured from The Old Kingdom, although lately it was becoming more and more common for stall keepers to sell what they could and ration the rest in these troubled times.

It was getting late and was now raining heavily; Toko stopped and looked up at the waterlogged sky, which cracked with the sound of thunder.
Something was wrong.
A whooshing sound swept across the market, everyone dropped what they were doing to find the source of the noise hundreds of heads turned as the sound echoed off the great pyramid and the trees were bent over. Then suddenly, as if time had stopped; everybody knew what was happening. Toko looked into the crowd and only had time to whisper one word to himself.

“No!”

A few metres from him, a large hovel exploded into a ball of flame, the inhabitants around screamed as they were thrown into the air, in an instant the whole market had descended into chaos. Several more loud bangs and the sight of great plumes of black smoke spiralling upwards, many natives were running blindly around, shielding themselves with whatever they could from the shrapnel. It was as Toko feared.
The industrialists had found the city.
Toko looked around at the suddenly transformed landscape; the whole jungle ahead of him had been set alight, and was burning furiously like a lake of fire on the horizon. Several large airships flew ponderously overhead, with their deadly cargo falling like raindrops from their great hulls and bursting into flame on the ground below. A large mine fell from one of the aircraft onto the pyramid, exploding in a flurry of rubble, and shattering the roof of the temple at the top, which groaned and cracked.
It ended as soon as it started. And the market was empty, everyone had run for cover.

The silence was only broken by the quiet crackling of the fires, Toko coughed, the air was black with soot and smoke, and he knew this place didn’t have much time. Tuanto - knowing him – would have jumped into the river and would by now be swimming happily into the jungle; so there was no point in looking for him.
Toko brushed the ash from his face, and before anyone saw, he crept away from the burning market as the mudarchers descended on it to help the population, dull bangs could be heard from far away now as the natives fired back at the industrialists, but Toko had other things to do now, If what Tuanto and the weirdo’s said was true, he had three people to find: a thief, a traitor and a murderer. The disadvantage was that he had no idea which people the prophecy referred to, nowadays there were plenty of criminals living in The Old Kingdom, but the weirdo’s had managed to narrow it down to a mudokon, a steef and a wolvark. And the vision Tuanto had shown him told him to go north.

So, having no idea where the next clue would lead him, Toko stepped away from the gutted city and into the dense jungle.

[shaman]

I would also like to point out that due to unforseen circumstances i may be too busy to post the next parts of this for a while.

But we'll see.

[shaman]

3) Reign of the thief.

Ianto shivered as the cold morning wind cut through him, and the Elum he was sat on grunted in irritation for having been made to wait for so long. Ianto looked over the stinking swamp, it was a bright, cloudless day; the sun was beginning to peak its way over the jungle and casting a shining glare over the area, the steel monorail tracks below the hill on which he waited glistened in the light.


Ianto was a mudokon, he was in his late teens and was small built and tall, hunched over on his Elum, and clad in a long loincloth belted at his shoulder by a strap, and fastened with a bright badge. He carried a semi – auto spoocebow in his hands, and a scarf covered the lower part of his face.

There were three mudokons on the hill, all waiting silently on their Elum and looking around cautiously. All were armed with short close combat weapons and spoocebows, and one of the older ones carried some unarmed bombs. Anyone with a brainstem could tell they were up to no good.

A light breeze crept over the hill on which the muds were waiting. And suddenly they all turned their heads towards a small clearing at the edge of the swamp where the monorail tracks started. The unmistakable sound of a train whistled from the jungle, and soon they all saw what they had been waiting for; steam.
Steam was rising from the jungle, as always the trains were right on time. One of the Mudokons turned to Ianto.

“Dibs on the blitz packers” Jimmy smirked, and with perfect precision they rode the Elum down the hill right underneath where the train would be going.
The train passed with an audible rumble and Tony swung his sling and catapulted three objects onto the polished metal rails, the train ran right over them, there were several loud beeps. And three dull clangs as the mines exploded. The monorail shuddered and the front of the train crumpled as part of the pistons driving the machine were blown clean out from under it, it landed with a deafening skid on the track above, and the alarms sounded.

Dozens of emergency ladders fell from the exits on the train, and the doors swung open as the alarms carried on sounding. As quick as a flash Ianto and his fellows climbed the ladders and ended up on the train as the driver and staff clambered out of the stricken control room.

The mudokons immediately started throwing the trains merchandise out of the doors to be loaded up. Moolah, ammunition, weapons, food, drink, medicines, and boxes of soulstorm Brew.

“THIS IS A ROBBERY!” Jimmy yelled. “GET ON THE FLOOR ... RIGHT NOW!”

The unarmed Sligs obeyed and were on the floor with absolutely no fight.

“We are sooo fired”! One of them winged. “The boss is gonna kill us!”

“If you don’t shut up I’ll kill you myself!” Tony bellowed. “Now obviously we don’t want
you too mobile while we finish our work”

There were several loud bangs and the sligs screamed. But Tony was a good shot and the only damage was to the kneecaps of the slig’s mechanical pants, which Tony had shot out to prevent them from fighting back or running away.
Soon everything of value the Muds could carry had been loaded up, Jimmy came running out of the train’s armoury with a large number of blitz packers.

“Here you are mates!”He yelled. “Present” Ianto threw his swag over his head and took a blitz packer from Jimmy, thanked him and continued to make his way to the exits.

“Much obliged gents” he said to the sligs - Promoting several laughs from his fellows.

Ianto was (obviously) a bandit, a growing trade here in the old kingdom, before the war his part had been a place where any mud could make his living. But not now N.O.K (North Old Kingdom) was now a town of warcheifs, gang’s bandits and thieves. No doubt the war had caused this boom in illegal activity, but Ianto wasn’t in a rush for it to be over. He wasn’t dumb; he knew the war wouldn’t last forever. So their mischief wouldn’t go unnoticed for much longer.

Pity, because he lived for it.

Soon the three desperadoes were riding quickly over the swamp away from the looted train, the industrialists would find the wreckage and look for the perpetrators, but Ianto had done this sort of thing before. There was a place around here where nobody knew about, save over criminals. And they were not about to give up a hideout of this proportion.

The three mudokons continued out of the muddy swamp into the jungle, a place where the plants on the ground made it impossible to see any tracks. They rode for an hour, deeper and deeper into the trees, more and more the light seemed to be diminishing and for a newcomer it was amazing how they managed to see on the track.
Suddenly, a long whistle sounded from overhead, and all the mudokons stopped. By now they were in a very empty and very old part of the jungle, the only sound was of birds, and the occasional paramite which helped keep industrialists away.

“What’s goin on”? Ianto whispered. “The base isn’t for another mil!e”

Jimmy turned around. “They abandoned that base a week ago Ianto, makes us all harder to track”. “This is where the operations are now.”

“Who the hell’s bright idea was that?!”

Jimmy smirked. “Marley’s”

“You mean that nutter who spent over five years in the scrabanian temple with a bunch of freedom fighters and attacking Clacker towns?!”

“The very same nutter, but whatever we might think, he’s in charge now, the other guys left The Old Kingdom ages ago, and you know that, anywayz we better get inside.”
Ianto looked around; there was nothing but plants and trees, nothing which qualified for a secret entrance. Either this was a cheap trick or the powers that be really did strike the jackpot this time.

“Watch this” Tony smiled. And he walked over to a small tree stump, examined it and took five precise steps to the right. In front of him was a large tree, a massive thing with a huge trunk. Tony ran his finger down the trunk and then begun to knock his fist onto it, in a strange rhythm. Eventually he stopped, and to Ianto’s dismay, a flap at the base of the tree opened, and the unmistakable eyes of a skuba toad greeted them.

“wadda you want?!” It croaked.
Tony looked around. “I’ve lost my Elum” He whispered.

The toad’s eyes darted around. “What Your name?” He said.

“I can’t tell you”

At once the Skuba toad nodded and disappeared, then the whole side of the tree opened up, half the trunk swung away from its side and Ianto saw a slope underneath the tree, leading into a dark stone corridor.
“Come on come on” The toad hissed. “Get in, you too Gormless ... Don’t stand around chumps you wanna bring the sligs down on us now do ya’?!” Ianto obeyed and led his Elum under the tree with the others, into the jungles bowels and into headquarters.
As soon as all of them were inside the toad closed the entrance, leaving them in the dark corridor, it was almost impossible to see and Ianto’s Elum became nervous, the only light was from two small burning torches at the far end of the tunnel, from beyond that Ianto could here muffled voices and music.

They came at last to the end of the tunnel, a small space sloping downwards so by now they were several metres underground. All around thin tree roots stuck out from the ceiling and a the air was stale and hot, a door at the end of the tunnel ground open, where the three muds were greeted by a grub armed with a small tomahawk, the grub pointed them nervously into the main structure, leading their Elum to one side to be fed.
“What’re you doin?!” Tony said indignantly to the grub, which recoiled in fright. “You think you’re trusted with our bounty? You must think I’ve had my eyes stitched up! I know what you do when your left alone with other guy’s loot, they never see it again! Hand it over!”

The grub quickly unstrapped the swag from the Elum and handed it to Tony, then quickly got out of his way at the risk of being beaten up.
Ianto looked around, the whole place was stone built and lit with a few zappfly cages, casting a green light over the place, it was full of many creatures; Grubs, Mudokons, steef and skuba toads, all chatting quietly over their brews, hundreds of weapons were stacked against the walls, along with several customised shooters kept jealously close to their owners. Ianto had done all this before at different locations and he knew the drill – keep yourself to yourself, keep your weapons holstered and don’t make eye contact with anyone.

“What now?” Ianto whispered to jimmy.

“Hang on.” jimmy replied. And he made his way over to one of the tables and started whispering to a particularly robust looking bandit, Ianto saw Jimmy indicate to his friends and the bandit give a curt nod, get up and walk through another door out of sight.

“Come on we better follow him”. Jimmy hurriedly said to Ianto and the others, he then led them into the same door where the bandit had gone, down another small stone corridor into another room, this one was empty apart from the large bandit and five other creatures, two skuba toads and three mudokons., all with their faces hidden and casting angry looks at the bandits who had just walked into their midst.
Tony turned to Ianto. “That’s the rebellion” He whispered; the ones fighting the industrialists down south. Hard bunch – better keep your distance.”
Jimmy walked up to the mudokon at the head of the five bandits, he was much shorter than the rebel and standing face to face with such a figure must have been very unnerving.

“Um” Jimmy mumbled. “We’re here to do business with Marley”

“No no no”, the rebel said quickly in the deep, course accent of The Old Kingdom. “I am Captain Antoc, you will trade with me.”
Jimmy turned to his fellows, And Ianto felt unnerved to see Tony’s hand reach for his spoocebow.
“We came to see Marley nobody else”. Jimmy continued. “Where can I find him?”
The five rebels exchanged looks of frustration.
“I said you will trade with ME!”
Jimmy sighed and walked straight past the rebels to the door at the other end of the room. “Marley, hey it’s me!”
The rebel turned sharply. “HEY!, I KILL YOU! I TOLD YOU THAT YOU TRADE WITH ME!”
“Antoc, do me a favour. And shut up”
The whole room went silent. Everybody turned to see a tall figure strolling from the door next to Jimmy. A mudokon clad in a long loincloth and a leather jacket, with a small scar on his middle aged face and a sawn off blitz packer at his side.
“YOU TOLD ME NOT TO LET ANYONE SEE YOU”. Antoc yelled”THIS LITTLE BASTARD DISRESPECTED ME!”

Marley stopped and addressed Antoc coolly. “Well this isn’t exactly a respectable business captain” He said patronisingly. “I can say that these guys are just another bunch of scummy bandits just like you it don’t seem to bother them”.
Ianto sniggered to see Antoc silenced by someone half his size. The giant mudokon turned and muttered something under his breath about being better respected in the military, Marley snapped.

“Well you know if you go back to the military they’ll just hang you for deserting Antoc! So like it or not you’re stuck here”! Then he turned to Jimmy, Ianto and Tony. “Now then Jimmy I believe you have some loot for me-”.
“Didn’t you used to be a freedom fighter in scrabania”? Tony spluttered, unable to control himself. Ianto looked at him accusingly, Marley just smiled.

“Yes”, he replied Cooley. “But scrabania is” Ianto saw Marley’s hand reach unconsciously to the scar on his face “well not a problem anymore, so I decided I needed to stir up some trouble and profit in my hometown”. Marley then turned quickly to Jimmy. “So let’s see it”.

Ianto and his friends dropped their sacks onto the ground, where their precious interior poured onto the floor, Marley’s eyes lit up as the moolah, ammo and various brand new weapons (some of which were probably unique) were revealed...
“Well well well boys”! He boomed. “I haven’t seen such a prize since my days attacking clacker towns” Antoc muttered under his breath in the background. “So”. Marley said dubiously clapping his hands. “I’ll buy ... Let me see, yes I’ll take those tomahawks, we should make a profit on them”.

This was wonderful, Ianto found it hard to suppress his joy; those tomahawks were worth an awful lot and the Bandits were a wealthy bunch, let alone their rebellion allies. They would be rich!

“Excellent!” Jimmy cried. “You can have them right – “

“I haven’t finished yet!” Marley protested. “The rebellions planning a big operation we need a few boxes of ammo, let me see, I’ll take those hellfire rounds. And the cluster bombs, that’ll be all for the day boys.”
Jimmy divided up the bounty, handing Marley and Antoc their purchases, whilst Marley left the room to fetch their pay. Meanwhile Ianto and Tony chatted excitedly amongst themselves. They hadn’t had this much luck in their whole lives, and clearly the thought of profiting from a war hadn’t crossed a single one of their minds, and even if it did during times like this most of The Old Kingdom’s citizens were ridiculously right – wing ;so Ianto doubted they could be said to have the moral low – ground.
“Pleasure doing business with you boys!” Marley shouted shaking each one of their hands and handing them a small sack of moolah. “Two – thousand, worth every moolah in my opinion, you’ve been a big help. I was thinking we’d soon have nothing left to
shoot em’ with!”

“Thanks very much.” Ianto replied happily.

“Your good bandit’s guys” Marley smiled.

“And that’s why I need to talk to them”.

Marley, Antoc and all the others in the room whipped around, there, standing in their midst, was a tall mudokon in a big – face mask, carrying a long staff and adorned in
many glimmering trinkets and symbols.

“Who the hell are you?!” Marley snapped. “How the hell did you get in?!”

The figure stopped, “My name is Toko.” He replied, calmly. “And I expect you to cooperate with me, I need to speak with these boys, I mean you know harm.”
“A spy!” Antoc yelled running with his tomahawk unsheathed at the intruder. At once Toko reached out a hand and Antoc’s weapon burned white hot. Antoc screamed with pain and dropped the sizzling weapon to the floor, where it cooled in an instant.
“Don’t pick it up, or I’ll do that to your earrings.” Toko warned pointing a finger at the giant mudokon nursing his burned hand. “Now then”

“Tribal magic” Marley muttered. Ianto and the others clutched their weapons. “What do you want?”

“Five hundred, thousand moolah in gold” Toko continued “it’s yours if you listen to me Marley; all of you could be rich; So long as you pay attention.” Marley looked very stern but the fact that this mudokon had entered a hardened bandit camp totally undetected paled in the face of that much gold. Ianto couldn’t blame him, that much loot would mean none of them would ever have to steal again.
“We’re listening” Marley continued. “And – and how to you know my name?!”
Toko shrugged. “I just made a guy’s tomahawk burst into flames without touching it; it’s not surprising that I’m cleverer than I look”

“Tribal magic” Tony whispered to Ianto.

“Shuddup”! Marley snapped. “Ok then, why would you come here just to offer us five hundred, thousand moolah? What’s in it for you?”
“Believe it or not” Toko retorted. “It’s not strength of arms or tacticians which will win this war; it’s a bunch of lousy bandits in a swamp ... who knew? The point is, I need your help and I’m prepared to offer five hundred thousand for it, I can’t say why here” Toko indicated to Antoc. “You don’t know who’s watching”.

Marley upholstered his blitz packer, hiding it behind his back. “What do we do?”
“It is vitally important that you all come to the temple in The Old Kingdom’s capital, I apologise but since no one can be magically travelled to the capital - a nice little security system – You’ll all have to get there yourselves. Still five hundred, thousand’s worth a little trek isn’t it-“

“Now”! Marley yelled firing wildly at Toko. There was a loud crack far louder than the blast from Marley’s blitz packer, and where there should have been a bullet ridden corpse, there was nothing; Toko had vanished.
Marley swore loudly. “Search the base I want that guy dead!, if he get in once he can tell others where to find -”. There was a noise like a gust of wind and simultaneously, Ianto’s weapon along with everyone else’s, imploded in their hands; crushed instantly into tiny fragments of metal.

“He’s still here!” Tony whispered...

“Yes, they say he’s deaf as well.” Everyone looked up; Toko was stood metres above them, hanging in mid air as though it were solid ground.

“Listen”, if you don’t believe me take a look at this”. Toko produced a wad of moolah, there must have been over a thousand in his hand. “There’s more of that at the capital, just make your way there and everyone will be happy. Nobody gets caught, nobody gets SHOT! And we all go home in a good mood ok! I’ll see you there.”
Ianto stared in amazement, who was this mud? Where had he come from, and what on oddworld were they of all creatures going to do to aid the natives in a war? Toko gave Ianto a wink, there was a bright flash and a cracking sound ... and he had vanished, leaving the bandit’s with a great journey in front of them.

[scipionyx]

nice

i just catched up...I think your writing style is great! ^^ and I like the bandits and the whole atmosphere/mood of the story especially chapter 3. ^-^ I'm looking forward to the next one!

[MA]

whoa, Marley! that's a great reference. nice work.
by the way, your link for Sid's Oddysee is broken; you've accidentally put 'http' twice in the URL address.

[shaman]

4) Oddworld is burning.

The weirdo glistened with unnatural light in the palm of Toko’s hand; they were deep in the jungle. Evening was rolling in and Abe’s moon was appearing high in the sky, the jungle was empty now, and the only sound was of the dull thud of distant gunfire miles away, made by enormous guns the industrialists had employed to push the natives back as their war machine advanced further and further. All the birds and paramites had stopped making noise; with a little “outside interference” from Toko convincing them to sleep early it was perfect for him to conjure this little advisor.

“Do you think they’ll turn up?” Toko asked.

“Certainly!” The weirdo replied in their trademark echoing whisper. “This Ianto, young as he is has a lot of greed in his heart; we have seen it Toko, He will lead his fellows to the capital. The first of the three bad kings is in our grasp, well done.”

“But there’s another problem” Toko replied to the glistening spirit standing in his palm who stood transfixed like a poorly made wax model. “By the time i gather the other two kings Ianto would have arrived at the capital, I won’t have enough time”.

Toko sniggered; “Five hundred years and I don’t have enough time”... He whispered.
The spirit laughed with an unearthly cackle. “Of course you will” He said. “As we speak the industrialists will clash with the Mudanchee and Mudomo tribes in the jungles outside the Capital; Ianto and his friends will have to keep their heads down, that’ll buy you some time; a little trick we pulled just in case this happened.”

“Good but don’t kill them” Toko begged “I’m not sure what the prophecy says about one of the kings dying.”

“We are ... don’t worry Toko, they won’t die; the battle has been foretold, it is where you will find another king - the murderer”

“So I should go back to the capital?” Toko sighed, it had taken him weeks to get here, and he was in no hurry to take the long walk through fetid jungles and stinking
swamplands anytime soon.

“No” The weirdo barked abruptly. “We need you to continue north, that may you can uncover the traitor. The Murderer will be found at the battle inside the capital, we are sure of it Toko.”

Toko sighed, the capital was a beautiful place and the thought of it being ravaged in a brutal battle was repulsive. The bombing raid he survived had been the lesser of the evils by far; sligs, he knew, took a far greater toll when they were in battle but this was war and war was cruel, Toko turned to the weirdo.
“Where can I find him?”
The weirdo quit his frigid stance and grinned evilly. “Let me show you” he replied.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few miles away, a ponderous ship floated high above the jungle.
The view from the air ship was tremendous. As though the whole continent of Mudos was laid out before it, stretched out below were millions of acres of jungle and saturated marshland, a few spooce – covered mountains stood like forest Gods over the landscape, and there was an immaculate sunset in the distance.

There were signs of war too. From the observation deck on the airship burned out villages littered the landscape, along with countless wrecked industrialist machinery belching fire and smoke from their ruptured hulls. Still after a long and costly fight against the guerrilla fighting tribesmen, this small section of The Old Kingdom was now under Industrial hands, the natives had fallen back to protect their cities – no doubt the jungle in their wake had been scattered with so many deadly booby traps and anti – personnel mines it would yield appalling damage for the sligs to attempt to cross it.

Murphy stood on the observation deck surveying the landscape, it was a large room with grey metal walls and a glass floor, allowing users to see the ground hundreds of metres blow their feet. Murphy stood with his hat drawn over his eyes for the glare of the evening sun. He was a young steef, his muscular frame which was usually covered by armour was now clad in a simple dark green poncho and brown trousers.

Murphy was in fact a great warrior, and had earned himself a high rank in the Magog Cartel’s army; still he preferred to work in the field than take a desk job –that was for the vykers. – He had just returned from west Mudos where Industrialists had fought over native – held lands, after those lands had been made compliant he had signed up for The Old Kingdom campaign. However, as of late ... Murphy had started to have some frighteningly wilful ideas.
Murphy sighed. But his finely tuned senses knew immediately that he had been interrupted. He darted around to see a suit wearing Octigi wander into his midst.

“Hello Sir.” Murphy said absently.

“Hello Murphy.” The Octigi droned, “Taking in the scenery before we move out tomorrow?”

“I suppose you could say that.” Murphy replied, though it much more important than that.

The Octigi moved closer taking a space next to Murphy. “I don’t usually come in here.” He said in the classical guttery hum of the Octigi voice. “It’s the glass floor, it scares me, I’m afraid of heights -”.

“Why did you come in here?” Murphy snapped.

The Octigi chuckled. “The powers that be want you to abort the mission into the jungle tomorrow and take up something a little more important.”

Murphy wheeled round, this was something to cheer him up. Sligs were irritating at the best of times and being placed with a few better disciplined of their ilk was a very attractive offer.

“I’m listening”. Murphy said warily.

“Good, go to the special operations centre. Someone will meet you there”.

Murphy smiled. “The industrialists already have most of south east mudos under their control sir, why do we feel the need to capture The Old Kingdom too?”
The Ogtigi frowned. “That is not my concern Murphy, the world is changing; these natives must find their place or perish. Same as you Murphy ... and your place is on the battlefield.”

Without a moment’s pause, Murphy turned and walked from the observation deck.
The next morning, Murphy sat in a tired heap in the back of the drop ship; his place in the special operation unit had been accepted instantly and now they flew from the air ship towards the jungles.

There was a rebellion taking place in the industrialist held lands, since the assailants were reported to be armed with heavy weapons the regulars had been spared the task of mopping them up and a special operations unit comprising of a few dozen sligs and Murphy would attempt to capture the rebellious village.

Murphy got up from his cold metallic corner of the drop ship and peered through the small slip of a window; a path had been cut through the dense jungle by firebombs and in the distance stood the fortified village. Anti aircraft shots were flying wildly from the area – and the sky lit up with occasional bright light and bang when one of the attacking ships was hit. Murphy ignored it, after all they were far out of range, but still there was no hope of defeating the natives by bombarding the village; the natives were expert guerrilla fighters and they would have to be engaged on solid ground before the area was retaken.

Inside the ship, the inhabitants were talking hurriedly about the coming battle, or slapping magazines into their weapons. The sligs were clad in black armour and their visors were edged with vicious blades for close quarter fighting.
Suddenly there was a deafening bang, the crew ran to the windows to see another drop ship. Murphy felt a pang of fear in his chest, that ship had suffered a direct hit. Stricken by the shot from the ground, the nearby vessel burst into flames, molten metal poured from its engine room like tears and the awful sound of metal girders tearing under the heat filled the air. As its engines failed it plummeted to the ground out of sight, it was now horribly obvious that they had entered the kill zone, where they were clearly visible and fare game to be shot down.
After a few fear – filled minutes, the drop ship finally touched down on the ancient looking landscape of The Old Kingdom. The only thing greeting them there was the seasonal downpour, humid air and loud bangs firing off in the distance. For more than the hundredth time in his life, Murphy charged out of the drop – ship with dozens of sligs by his side onto the waterlogged land.
-------------------------------------------------------


Barely half a mile away, Toko was standing inside a ruined temple, out of the reach of prying eyes. Over the jungle he could make out the shapes of hundreds of air ships floating over the land, and the bright glare of the projectiles rising steadily from the jungle below. Toko had spent a long time in here in his youth, now the ceiling had partly fallen and the stone carvings were weathered and bare. He looked up; there was a snap and a flash but Toko wasn’t startled, it was a usual occurrence for him now.
The weirdo sparkled as it became more solid. “Ianto and the other bandit’s have reached a village about ten miles from their base” He whispered.


“Odd that was quick”! Toko snapped. “We’re running out of time. What else do you have to tell me”?

The weirdo turned slowly to look out onto the jungle. “The traitor is there” .

Toko smiled. “I thought as much, who is he”?

“He is a steef” The weirdo whispered excitedly. “He is also in great danger”. The weirdo
looked around and then gasped, “HE IS IN A BATTLE!” He shrieked. “WE NEED HIM!, GO NOW!”

Toko nodded, there was another loud snap and a blue flash ... Toko vanished.
------------------------------------------------------------

Murphy roared in pain and anger, a spoocebolt had hit him in the leg. He stood up and shook out the vicious little dart, all around was the deafening sound of gunfire and screams from both sides. He and the sligs had walked into a native ambush.

The surrounding jungle was alight with blue and red lasers, with the occasional explosion tearing open the floor spilling earth and shrapnel everywhere, due to countless incendiary rounds the jungle to their right was now alight and the screams of creatures native and industrial echoed around as they had been too late to escape the blaze. Murphy took a gasp of air and let fly with his automatic crossbow. The noise and sights so disorientating he wasn’t sure who he had killed.

Suddenly there was a cracking sound and a tree behind Murphy became riddled with tiny stone darts; if Murphy had been there he would be pulverised. He looked around to see dozens of mudanchee head hunters screaming and brandishing remorseless looking weapons, they were painted red with scrab based tattoos all over their sinuous bodies and tied to their loincloths were several slig helmets and masks.
At once Murphy whipped around and opened up with his crossbow at the charging horde, several of them fell but their agility made them able to keep furiously advancing, loosing off darts from blowpipes, slings and spoocebows as they ran.

A group of sligs were firing wildly into the mudokons when they were decimated by a flurry of razor sharp darts and arrows, and the ones who survived crawled terrified into the trees.

Murphy steadily reloaded and began carefully firing again, every shot counting, but the mudokons were too close. And with chilling uniformity they all drew their tomahawks, the sligs ran forward and in an instant the clearing had broken out into searing hand to hand combat, lasers from slig held guns and native spoocebows littered the air, tomahawks met metal, flesh and bone in a horrible echoing splatter and those who ran were inevitably cut to pieces in the deadly crossfire.

Murphy knew that this battle was in the lap of the Gods, he couldn’t do anymore here, but he heard the rustle of the trees and looked around to see a group of Mudokons and Grubs sneaking past the line.

“Come on”! Murphy shouted and several of the sligs accompanying him followed his lead and began firing wildly into the trees, sure enough blue darts were firing back and Murphy found himself in his own private fire - fight, rushing off into the trees towards the natives to get a better shot.

Muphy ran using all his might to penetrate the dense jungle around him, darts and arrows stung the trees in his wake and he knew he had to keep going to avoid being fatally hit. Up ahead he saw the group of natives firing at the sligs in the clearing and jumped out, spiralling into the crowd and getting in amongst them.
Murphy stood up, all at once the mudokons drew their tomahawks, the sligs in the clearing – who took advantage of the relief from the mudokon’s fire, ran in to help Murphy. Who barely had a chance to think before the fight started again and he was pounced on by a mudokon clad in tomahawker gear.

Murphy clashed with the mudokon as the sligs and tribesmen around him fought their own private wars. Murphy’s blade met the mudokon’s tomahawk and sparks flew, Murphy was now almost nose to nose with the mudokon and he could see the hate in his eyes,
The mudokon dealt Murphy three monstrous blows which he almost failed to block, becoming angrier and more blood thirsty with every swing; Screaming at Murphy who didn’t have a moment to strike back as his strove to protect himself from the insane tomahawker.

“LEAVE – OUR –LAND”!! The Mudokon yelled lashing out terribly at Murphy. Who blocked forcefully.

Murphy’s heart was pounding. At last he threw himself upwards and pinned the mudokon against a tree, the mudokon grabbed Murphy by the throat drawing him closer till he saw the whites of the tribesman’s eyes.

“I will tear you into ribbons”! The tomahawker spat at Murphy. He then cleft his weapon through the air and it clanged loudly against the blade on the side of Murphy’s crossbow.
Murphy and the mudokon wrestled with each other, occasionally lashing out brutally with disembowelling sweeps. Murphy blocked the attacks and parried with his crossbow, the mudokon dodged it and punched Murphy in the face, knocking him to the ground, then pinned him.

Murphy was trapped as the mudokon sat on him and raised his tomahawk to deliver a deathblow. The bloodlust was clearly visible in the mudokon’s face. Murphy could not move for fear, he closed his eyes and prepared to die.
There was a bang and Murphy gasped , daring to open his eyes to see if he was still alive. The mudokon was there, with a surprised expression on his face, his grip on the weapon loosened and it fell with a thud to the floor.

Slowly the Mudokon closed his eyes and rolled over onto the ground; revealing a slig standing in front of Murphy with a small plume of smoke rising from his recently fired rifle.

[enchilado]

*thumbs up*

[MA]

good read. i've been meaning to read this chapter for a while.

[shaman]

5) Reign of the Traitor

The natives were running up a hill behind the sligs to secure their villages. In their wake was a trail of twisted metal and splattered blood and some sligs were lying dead on the jungle floor.

“Thanks” Murphy Panted catching his breath and pushing aside the dead mudokon at his feet.

“Can’t be watchin’ your back all the time kid” Came the slig’s reply. “Hold on a second”. The slig’s walky – talky beeped and the voice of a glukkon sounded through it, telling them to move onward towards the native village.

“Yes sir.” The Slig said, and he signalled to the others to continue up the slope. With one last much needed breath of fresh air, Murphy followed them.

The rattle of gunfire had stopped now, clearly the Magog Cartel wanted the village captured and not destroyed; it was after all a strategic point. And obviously it was far more sporting to let the Mudokons fire at the sligs than have their own leaders do it.
The village had been totally sealed up, the metal walls were tall and lined with several native watchtowers, and a heavy wooden door plated with metal was the only way in. On the other side of the darkening clearing, Murphy saw the shadows of sligs assembling outside the village, concealing themselves in the trees.
One of the sligs made its way out of the trees, standing directly in front of the village gates like a mad creature, Murphy was just waiting for him to be cut down by fire from the natives.

The slig began to shout over the battlements at the Mudokons inside.

“You have one chance to surrender!” He yelled. “Open the gates and drop your weapons!”

The air was horridly dense with anxiety, Murphy held his breath; with any luck the rebels would surrender and stem the slaughter.
No answer.

The slig started again. “You will surrender or die-!“
At once, there was the sound of mudokons shouting from inside the town. Then suddenly an object flew up into the sky just above the gate, the slig paralysed with terror was so shocked he didn’t even bother to move before the spear hit him.
The other sligs bawled with anger as their fellow lay motionless in the ground with the large spear stuck in his chest. Murphy gave a sigh of regret as he saw a heavy weapons squad lining up.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Murphy stood in the remains of the burning town. He was in its temple high above the rest of the area, where he was granted an excellent view of the gunfire whipping across the gutted houses.

Murphy looked at the dead mudokon at his feet, and then out onto the carnage taking place in the town. His heart sank, the expression on the mudokon’s cold, still face said it all.

“All they wanted was to be left alone”.

Murphy sighed deeply, he was going to leave the military as soon as he got the chance, now he saw the industrialists for the butchers they were.

“Murphy.”

Murphy whipped round and fired madly at the figure behind him, until his crossbow ran out of ammo and gave an audible click in his hand. Opening his eyes, Murphy was dumb – struck to see the mudokon was totally unhurt, a tall pale creature wearing a big – face mask. All the rounds Murphy had fired had frozen in the air a few feet from his target; as though the bolts were trapped in the grip of millions of invisible hands. The mudokon clicked his fingers and all at once, the unspent bolts fell onto the temple floor with an echoing ringing sound.

The mudokon shook his head. “That must have been embarrassing for you”...
Murphy froze, unable to believe what he had just seen.

“Who are you? What are you?!” Murphy yelled, he had heard some weird rumours about the old kingdom, but had always passed them off as superstitious nonsense, but to be standing in the presence of such a being was truly terrifying.

“My name is Toko” the mudokon replied. “Now let me ask you a question, why is it that a steef is totally fine with making money out of destroying other creature’s freedom?”
Murphy felt his heart sink, he gazed over to the destruction being wrought in the town below the temple, and realised further the kind of war crimes he had become party to, his crossbow fell from his hand onto the floor. Murphy would give anything at that moment to be able to turn back the time and right this monstrous wrong.
Toko sighed.
“You know Murphy”. He said looking at the dead mudokon at his feet “Steef are supposed to be one of the noblest species on Oddworld.”

“Shut up.” Murphy retorted through gritted teeth.
Toko seemed determined to push the matter. “You are a bit of a disgrace” He chuckled.
Murphy snapped, pulled out a tomahawk and ran at Toko.

“I said SHUT UP!” He screamed and swung the weapon at Toko’s head. There was a
snap and a flash of pale blue light and Toko vanished, Murphy’s Tomahawk met the temple floor with a clash of metal on stone.
Seething with rage, Murphy looked around for Toko, shouting at him to reveal himself and calling him a coward.
“Where are you!?” He snarled. “WHERE?!”
And then he saw it, a shadow of a mudokon standing in the corner of the courtyard. Murphy threw his weapon at Toko, there was another flash and the tomahawk shattered into a million fragments of metal. Toko gave short song – like chant and suddenly, Murphy felt as though he had been set in cement, he could not move a muscle, as though his limbs were totally petrified. Toko strolled over to him casually.
“Right” He said. “I called you a disgrace because it’s creatures like you who are ensuring the death of this world, Look over there.”
Murphy tried to turn his head; but Toko gave a small gesture and Murphy span round to face the battle going on in the town below. Still unable to move, but able to speak, his used what control he had to talk to Toko.
“What am I supposed to be looking at?” Murphy sneered.
“Them”. Toko whispered in Murphy’s ear. “The war, before you industrialists came, this was a paradise. I remember it Murphy; I’ve lived long enough to know.”
Murphy began to cry with regret. “I was only doing my job!” He shouted.
“And look what happened”. Toko sighed “I don’t suppose you pay a moment of thought to those natives, those grubs and Mudokons who you send to slavery; so long as you have your pay check”.
Murphy tried to gather himself. “Are you going to kill me?”
Toko laughed. “You don’t deserve to live Murphy it’s true. But you’re needed, I’ve been sent to find you, and bring you to the capital – by force if necessary – so we can end this war.”
“That doesn’t make sense”! Murphy shouted over the noise of the ever approaching fire. “What can I do to end this?!”
“You have no choice” Toko snarled. “If you don’t come with me you will die!, Sligs are on their way into this temple.”
“The sligs are on MY side”! Murphy retorted. “They will kill YOU!”
Toko sniggered. “Within the hour, you will join with me Murphy, and fight for The Old Kingdom.”
Murphy heard Toko chant, there was another snap and the power of movement was returned to him. He couldn’t believe what had just happened; the rumours of supernatural activity in the old kingdom were true. And scared as he was, Murphy was forced to come to terms with the strange mud he had just met.
Murphy took a deep breath of humid air, then his heart gave a jolt; sure enough ... he heard the unmistakable voices of sligs climbing the temple steps.
“Murphy”! A slig yelled. “Thought we’d lost you ... Good work”!
“Yeah”. Murphy sighed.
“You’ve used all your ammo”. The slig continued upon spotting the bullets littering the temple floor. “Take this”, he handed Murphy his blitz packer.
“Thanks” Murphy replied. “Are you sure you won’t need it.”
The slig removed his mask and fanned his sweaty face. “Not now, we’ve won! The village is ours.”
Murphy sighed again, he was so glad it was over and he could hand in his notice in the next 24 hours. He didn’t know what he would do after but his heart told him he just had to leave, count his winnings and run for it.

“What about the surviving villagers?” Murphy enquired to the slig captain.

The sligs gave an evil cackle. “What villagers?”
Murphy’s heart had turned to stone and sank into his gut, he felt sick. He wanted to die at that moment, watching the slig walk off to join its rejoicing fellows. He couldn’t bear it any longer; the sligs knew there weren’t just fighters in the town, they knew of the old natives, the disabled ... the children. The thought of walking back through the gutted town totally sickened him ; this was the worst moment of Murphy’s entire life, watching the sligs cheering at the atrocity they had just committed stirred in Murphy a great anger, a thirst for vengeance against the creatures who had made him a monster, who had made him take part in mass murder. At that moment ... Murphy knew what he had to do... in doing so he would be a traitor, but that didn’t matter. As Murphy looked at the group of maybe thirty jubilant sligs whom he had once considered allies, a little voice in the back of his mind gave a whisper which echoed through Murphy with awful finality.

“Within the hour, you will join with me Murphy, and fight for The Old Kingdom.”

Murphy raised the blitz packer at the sligs and the world stopped, he heard the click as the slide was pulled back into firing position, one of the sligs turned to him, with a puzzled look upon its green face.

“Murphy”! It snapped ... “What are you doing”?

Murphy’s finger closed over the trigger. Then with a terrible noise ... the moment passed.

[scipionyx]

I think it's cool that Murphy is a steef & your descriptions are again so nice ... i could imagine it well 8D

edit: whoa you posted the next one xD

but I won't be able to read it right now... but cool now I have something to read for later xD

[enchilado]

Good chapter

[shaman]

Meh.

6) The worst journey.

It was early morning, greeted by a clear blue sky and the sound of all manner of odd creature squeaking and grunting. The camp fire flickered and provided welcome warmth in the cold morning wind which swept through the jungle; Ianto was sitting outside his newly constructed shelter, blinking dimly in the sunlight. The other mudokons were snoozing in their shelters behind him.

Marley had taken up this new task of getting to The Old Kingdom’s capital with zealous enthusiasm; in no more than a few days, Ianto and the others had advanced some fifty miles towards the capital and the promise of a large fortune in moolah. But however, eventually weariness had set in and they had been forced to take refuge just outside a mysterious native village in the jungle next to a large river serving as a make – shift harbour to ships from the sea a few miles south, nature had carved a large clearing in the vast expanses of trees allowing a permanent settlement to built there several hundred years ago.

It usually played a role in helping the nomadic natives with their supplies, but now it was a haven for bandits like Ianto to seek shelter. They had decided to camp outside the village so as to not draw attention to themselves.

“Sleep well?”

Ianto turned round, Marley was strolling towards him

“Yeah” Ianto replied. “Nice to finally be somewhere we aren’t always being hunted by the law.”

Marley nodded and sat down beside Ianto. “I know the feeling?”

Ianto was determined to break the awkward silence. “Where are we?”

“This is Mudok port”. Marley sighed “I grew up not far from here”. He pointed far out into the forest, “about five miles that way.”

Ianto smiled. “That guy, Toko or whatever his name was, he said we were going to help win the war. What can we possibly do?”

“The Old Kingdom” Marley replied. “Is full of very Old, very Odd stuff; I don’t know exactly what or who Toko is , what he wants from us or what we can do to aid the rebellion, I’m only here for the moolah ... not unlike yourself.”

“But don’t you care about all this?!” Ianto snapped. “You said it yourself, you grew up here!, why wouldn’t you do anything you could to save it”!


“I’m not Abe Odd dammit!” Marley retorted. “Plus The Old Kingdom doesn’t need protection, not from mortals anyway.”

Ianto spat. “Tell me you’re not one of those nutters who thinks a shrykulls just going to pop up and fight off the industrialists?!”

Marley sniggered. “I’m guessing you’re not a believer Ianto, never heard of The Ninth Chieftain?”

“Well yes of course I’ve heard of The Ninth Cheiftan but he was just a myth and I don’t believe all that prophecy crap”! Ianto laughed.

Marly Turned to Ianto, and it was immediately clear that he was offended.

“Ahem ... Sorry” Ianto Mumbled.

“Don’t worry yourself” Marley chuckled, beliefs aside we should be exploring the village a little, you know ... mingle a bit.”

“Yeah” Ianto replied, “I know what you mean.”
There was the sound of jimmy yawning and emerging from his shelter.

“What did I miss?” He said blinking stupidly in the morning sun.

“Nothing aside from the usual blasphemy” Marley replied. “Get your gear on, we’re taking a look round”.

It didn’t take long for the four of them to get ready and walk into the mudok port, the village was a strange little place. Two rows of large twisted native buildings separated by a large, wide muddy road, everything was held up by the typical long strands of wood used in native buildings, crooked and at odd angles, as though they could fall at any moment, the wooden structures were bleached a pale chestnut and looked very damp and old.

Mystery was lurking round every corner, dozens of weird looking traders sporting merchandise from half the world away, and yet there was no hustle and bustle. The town was eerie, and Ianto had the impression that by being here he was intruding on something indecent, and frightfully shameful. He had only been to the Monsaic Lines once, but if there was another place on Oddworld like that; Mudok port was that place.

The four Mudokons strolled cautiously through the town. Occasionally being approached by a sketchy native babbling away in a language none of them knew there were thousands of dialects in The Old Kingdom, but very few creatures in the whole of Oddworld could claim to be fluent in many of them. Still, strange as the village was, the four friends thought it was safe enough to part ways and take a look around. Plus this was a good place to stock up for the remainder of the trip to the capital.

The doorbell rang as Ianto stepped into the leaky old store, there was no – one to be seen, but still this was a very cool place, stashed onto shelves were dozens of mechanicals – mainly weaponry – and behind the counter shielded by a glass plain were several very beautiful close combat tools and a few very impressive guns. The walls were covered in strange native art similar to the cave art found around Mudos, and the scrab and paramite symbols dominated one of the windowless walls.

Ianto was examining one of them when he heard footsteps, turning round; a grub adorned in many tattoos strolled in.

“Hi”, Ianto said.

The grub looked up; Ianto almost wished he hadn’t said anything, the grub’s eyes widened with delight.

“I know you” It whispered intently.

“No” Ianto gulped. “We’ve never met”

The grub nodded frantically. “Yes we have! We have met before Ianto”...
Ianto was now becoming more alarmed. “H-how do you know my name”.

The grub hopped over the counted and waddled over to Ianto, “Going to the capital?”
“Yes”.

The grub smiled. “You should watch out”, it said. “Lots of things stirring up in the jungle lately”

Ianto gulped, this was precisely why he didn’t care much for native shamans.

“You’ve been going a long time” The grub continued “but hell i would too if there was five hundred thousand moolah in it for me”...

This was too much for Ianto. “How the hell do you know that”!!? He snapped.

The grub stared at him.

“Round these parts, you learn how to know things other guys don’t ... it’s kinda an art -
form ... and we could use some more rain y’know”.

As soon as the grub had finished, large raindrops splattered against the window, and soon it was a full – fledged storm. Ianto looked outside into the pouring rain, and then back at the grinning Grub.

“Yeah” Ianto whispered refusing to believe any of it. “I’m just gonna go now”.

Ianto walked out into the downpour outside, he couldn’t wait to find Marley, Jimmy and Tony so they could get out of here. Seeing as the inhabitants were clearly raving mad. Trying to put the Grub in the shop out of his mind and focus on getting through the waterlogged jungle and to the capital so they could finally find out what that Toko lunatic was on about.

Ianto trudged through the sodden streets, but it was a curious little route and he kept ending up walking in circles. In all fairness the others could have gotten into any one of the countless nooks and crannies in the village but Ianto still entertained the possibility of going on without them.

Soon Ianto found himself sitting down right next to the weapon shop he had left a while earlier, until a familiar face came into view through the rain.

“Hey Ianto” The tall broad mudokon said.

“HOLY SHIT IT’S YOU” Ianto shouted jumping up and hugging the Mudokon “Elza you sly scrub! They told me you got shot! ... how longs it been?”

“About a year” Elza chuckled, “I’ve had to lay low since that airship robbery in Paramonia ... you remember?”

Ianto sniggered, this was a welcome arrival, he was totally used to having his past come back to haunt him, it wasn’t often he ran into an old friend.
Elza; was a blast from Ianto’s previous incarnation as a highwayman in Parmonia, a twenty- four year old mudokon who had travelled the length and breadth of oddworld.

He was also, the person who had befriended Ianto in his twelfth year and introduced him to the life of crime. Ianto had left Paramonia shortly after he turned eighteen, partly because the natives were getting far to irate with his dodgy dealings and Ianto had almost been executed three times, and also because the bandits kept getting eaten by paramites in the wilderness.

“That airship robbery” ... Ianto laughed, “I hated you for that.” He indicated to a mark on his forearm where the word “thief” had been branded into his skin, a reminder better than any other not to ever get caught.
Elza flinched like a curious child “So what you up to here?”

“I’m off to the capital?”

Elza’s jaw dropped “suit yourself Ianto but don’t get yourself killed mind.”

“I’ll try ... so what about you, what’re you doin in this shithole?”

Elza looked around, he wasn’t smiling anymore, and then he whispered to Ianto. The moment Ianto saw his expression he knew there would be trouble.

“Ah ... Elza” Ianto squirmed “Do you mind if you give me time to get out before you pull
a heist here”? Ianto squirmed; he was damn near to getting five hundred grand and he wasn’t going to go to jail because his dumb mate decided to commit a raid in the village.

“Well I’m sorry Ianto but I got sixty feisty bandits over that hill there waiting for my signal, I can’t just wait for you and your lot to get out can I? Not when you’re not even pulling a heist.”

Ianto’s heart dropped. “Just gimmie two minutes and we’ll be out of your hair.”

“Sorry dude” Elza walked straight past Ianto, pulling up a mask as he went and walked straight into the weapon store.

“Oh for ODD SAKE”! Ianto yelled and pulling his own mask up over his face sprinted into the shop after Elza.

“Don’t do this”! Ianto begged, “at least not yet.”

Elza looked at Ianto. “Don’t be such a killjoy.” And with that he produced a small walky – talky from his loincloth and put it to his lips.

“Come on in boys”, He laughed. “Get lootin”!
Ianto swore under his breath, and sure enough, he heard the sound of Elum and gunfire outside as sixty bandits charged into Mudok port. The familiar sound of screaming began and soon the whole village was fleeing from the sixty masked natives dismounting and running rampant, looting anything that wasn’t nailed down.

The grub ran out from behind the counter. “Who the hell are you two”!? (He clearly hadn’t recognised Ianto who still had his mask up)
Elza pulled out a spoocebow “THIS IS A HOLDUP”! He shouted “EMPTY THE TILL”!
The terrified Grub obeyed and looking outside, Ianto saw several of the villages buildings were aflame, lots of valuables were being hoisted onto the Elum and the townspeople were screaming, Ianto had seen this a million times before.

“ELZA THIS IS A NATIVE VILLAGE” He shouted.

“I know that” Elza laughed “but it’s fair game, it’s not like the war matters, we’re not on anyone’s side here.”

“Oh oddamit” Ianto shouted and ran out of the shop onto the street, it was still raining, and the water mingled with the flames shooting up from the buildings, these were exactly the kind of Bandits Ianto didn’t hang around with. He was never one for just running into a village and starting to shoot, Ianto was a more subtle thief.
There were several terribly loud bangs and Ianto looked around to see the townspeople firing wildly into the street at the bandits, Ianto ran for cover, it was clear they thought he was one of them. He found himself crouched behind a shop wall; swearing loudly as the townspeople’s round flew by occasionally taking a chunk out of the wall. There was a great splash as the gunfire mingled with the water on the ground from the pouring rain .

Ianto curled up and shouted for help as one round tore a large space out of his cover, even though he was screaming that he was not one of the bandits, the townspeople betrayed no sign on relenting their attack.
By now, the bandits had started to think better of it and were counting their winnings and leaving. None of them had fallen, but they were quickly riding out of the port and back into the marshy jungle.

“Ianto”!

Ianto looked around; Marley, Jimmy and Tony were running through the pouring rain and ringing gunfire to join him in cover. There was just enough space behind the building to stop them all from getting blown to pieces.

“SEE”!? Ianto heard Elza shout. “No harm done! See you again sometime Ianto”! And with that he rode off through the storm into the jungle with the other bandits. As quickly as it had started, the gunfire died down. Mudok port became eerily still, but it wasn’t over yet.

As soon as they thought it was safe Ianto, Marley and Jimmy crept out of their hiding place. For such an aggressive raid the town was virtually totally intact - minus a few shattered windows, broken doors and the Grub from the gun shop cowering feebly in a corner being comforted by his friends.

“We should get out of here”. Ianto said cautiously to Marley who nodded in agreement. They were casually making their way out of Mudok port when Ianto heard the unmistakable sound of guns being cocked behind him.

“Stay where you are”! Shouted a deep voice; turning round the four of them were confronted by a large group of townspeople.

“Oh no we’re not with them”! Jimmy yelled at the approaching crowd.
The townspeople were obviously not listening, soon Jimmy, Tony, Marley and Ianto were surrounded by a jeering crowd growing progressively closer and more threatening.

“You rotten criminals”! One of them shouted.

“We’re not with those bandits”! Ianto shouted as hundreds of hands grabbed them from all directions. “We’re not bandits”!!!


Without a single moment’s hesitation the group were tied up and knocked unconscious.

[Lord Stanley]

I love this story (except for the bad words, of course). The story itself is very well thought out. Keep going!

[scipionyx]

lol i catched up again xD
but hey, the two chapters were cool! i can't wait to read what happened to Ianto and the others ^.^ ...and also Murphy -I like how you described his change of mind

and yay for cliffhangers!!! 8D

[Lord Stanley]

Hello? Where is the next chapter? Please bring it out...

[shaman]

I come to bring you...

7) Reign of the murderer

Not more than a mile away, the capital’s high towers and pyramids stood silhouetted against the burnt orange evening sky. The jungles had longs since dissolved into the shadow of the late evening and were no longer visible. And the industrialist campsite lay silently in a clearing; waiting for the final push.

Inside, most of the inhabitants were busy chattering about the battle the next day. The veteran sligs stood in their small groups solemnly preparing themselves for whatever the next day brought them. Whilst the nervous new recruits huddled en masse; some were trying for what sleep they could get or asking more experienced sligs what they could expect.

On the far side of the camp a shadowy figure approached. The slig on guard noticed the intruder and lowered his weapon over the battlement.

“Stop!” He shouted. “What d’ya want?!”

Toko was hooded and cloaked; he was shrouded in total darkness. Ignoring the slig’s warning he continued casually towards a side gate.

“Stop or I shoot”! The slig shouted.

Toko, finally obeyed and stood totally still. Then with solemn ceremony, he removed his mask and looked up at the slig on the battlements. Staring into his face, he did not blink or move a muscle, just stared intently upwards. There was a quiet sound of a gust of wind rustling through the jungle and the slig nodded, put his head on the battlements and fell into a deep sleep.

“You can come out now!” Toko yelled putting his mask back on. There was more rustling
sounds and Murphy appeared behind him from the trees.

“Where’re we going?” Murphy enquired.

“That’s the capital” Toko said pointing at the looming buildings in the distance. And with that he walked towards a small door on one side of the camp.

“Are you crazy?!” Murphy whispered. “We can’t go in there they’ll kill us! I’m a traitor now!”

Without saying a word, Toko brushed his hand down the side of the door, and it gave a
short click and swung open.

Inside there were several sligs guarding cages with some captured natives inside – most were criminals handed over to them – there was also a mudokon and a Grub stood chatting to a slig Toko and Murphy stayed in the shadows to avoid attention.
“We’ve come to collect a bounty” the Mudokon said. With that he walked over to his large Elum grunting in the corner of the room, tied to its back was Ianto, Jimmy, Tony and marley - all unconscious. Toko smiled; finally he had managed to get Ianto and Murphy to the capital.

Now there was only one person left to find... The Murderer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At another part of the camp, there was a huge amount of unrest. In a surprising move some native leaders had attempted to bring peace with the industrialists and they had chose this place as a meeting ground, not all of them had turned up but even with a small number of them there was an awful lot of shouting coming from the tent.
Uther sat alone in a far corner of the structure, he was a wolvark. About thirty years old, he had dark yellow skin, looked slightly unkempt and was cloaked in a brown woollen garment.

He took a deep drag on his cigar and looked around the room. His tail waved behind him and he fidgeted nervously in the presence of so many dangerous individuals.
Uther was considered by some to be one of the best mercenary’s alive. Hailing from Western Mudos he had travelled quite a lot, now he found himself in The Old Kingdom as the instrument of a plot to assassinate several high ranking creatures.

Uther surveyed the tent with keen eyes. A security camera floated ponderously over a large table over which Mudokons and grubs were arguing furiously with Glukkons and vykers. Sligs were flanking all the exits, and strictly speaking it was only Uther’s false identity as a journalist which was keeping him alive.

Uther looked at his watch; it was nearly midnight and soon the rest of his targets would arrive. He counted the occupants of the room – twenty ... including Sligs. This would be straight forward enough, and then it was off to the temple in the centre of the capital to meet his contact and receive his vast sum of Moolah...

Suddenly there was the sound of footsteps and everyone stopped talking, the atmosphere at once became much thicker as two sligs guarding the main entrance stepped aside and two Glukkons walked into the room.

“Bingo” Uther whispered to himself.

One of the Glukkons approached the table. “Gentlemen” he said. “Let’s get this underway”.


“Uther”!? The other one said in shock.

Uther went pale; he wasn’t expecting one of his old contacts to be at the meeting ... he had no empathy for him of course. But the presence of one of Uther’s old contacts would almost certainly blow his cover.

“You know him?”! One of the Mudokon chiefs said “The journalist.”

“Journalist?!” The Glukkon laughed, “He’s no Journalist, we got us a trouble maker”.

Uther swore under his breath. It was now or never. And calmly, without hesitation, , took the cigar out of his mouth and rested it on the arm of the chair. Before standing up and gripping two small pistols.

“What the fuck are you waiting for?!” A Mudokon shouted at a slig. “Take him!”

At once Uther clicked a stopwatch in his pocket, whipped out his pistols and fired. The Mudokon fell instantly backwards, the sligs raised their weapons but Uther was far too quick. Running round the tent, Firing steadily with every shot counting he tapped each one of the Sligs in the head before they could even get a clear shot.

Reloading in the blink of an eye; Uther now turned his deadly attention to the table.

“WAIT!” One of the Glukkons shouted.

Uther squeezed the triggers and amidst the screams of terror erupting from the crowd in front of him. He fired fifteen times with perfect accuracy, with the precision of a surgeon. One Vyker reached for his own weapon but Uther’s keen eyesight had caught him and the Vyker fell dead onto the table before he could pull his gun from its holster.
Silence resumed.

Uther clicked off the ticking stopwatch in his pocket.

“Nine and a half seconds.” He said. “Pretty damn good”.

In less than ten seconds, Uther found himself in front of a tent full of bodies. Each one executed as clean as the barrels of his pistols. Catching his breath, he put the smoking pistols back in his coat and gave the room one last glance for signs of life, before retrieving his cigar. Then clambering onto the table Uther reached up at the floating security camera and removed its tape; this would serve as proof that he had done the deed and also remove any evidence. Uther dropped the tape into his pocket and made for the main exit and out towards the capital.
------------------------------------------

Toko was standing outside the detention centre where Ianto and the other Mudokons were being held. He looked at his reflection in the metal wall, looking back at him was the face of the slig he had managed to possess; Toko’s real body was on a gangway above him, chanting solemnly to keep his soul firmly in control of the slig, Murphy was up there too; protecting Toko’s body in case any security staff came into the area.

It was always unnerving to see yourself when possessing another creature, examining the slig’s body for any tell – tale signs of possession Toko straightened his mask, picked up the slig’s gun and walked to the door.

A slig voice lock greeted him as he approached the locked door, Toko put his mouth to the speaker and spoke; his voice now a low, crackling sound. The door swung open and Toko walked into the detention centre.

The room in front of him was large and dimly lit. And dominated by large metal cages, at the far end of the room Ianto, Jimmy, Tony and Marley were chatting quietly to each other.

Toko walked up to the cage, he was momentarily surprised by the Mudokon’s scared reactions. Before realising that he was in fact in a slig’s body and came across as very intimidating.

“Get back” Toko said in the mechanical voice of the slig.
Ianto obeyed, Toko aimed his gun at the lock and pulled the trigger, the lock shattered and the mudokons inside shouted in fear.

“Shut up dammit’ it’s me!” Toko ordered.

“Who?!” Marley yelled.

“Idiot, it’s me! Toko, I’m in possession of this guard! Now come on”!

The four mudokons inside looked dubious about following a slig anywhere, but with one more barked order from Toko they all clambered out of their cage.

“We need to get to the capital” Toko said through the mouth of the slig.“Follow me”. He led Ianto, Marley, Tony and Jimmy out into the main body of the camp.

“My body’s up there”. Toko said to the others, “along with another friend of mine”.

Looking up, Toko saw Murphy peer over the gangway and smile. In the background was Toko’s real body, eyes closed, and swaying rhythmically. Breathing slowly as though in a deep sleep.

“You may want to look away” Toko advised.

“Why?” Jimmy asked.

“Suit yourself” Toko said and at once de – possessed the slig; blue light flickered around the room for an instant, there was an ear splitting noise of tearing flesh and shattering bone as the slig exploded. The Mudokons gasped in disgust, and at once up on the gangway Toko’s body – now reunited with its master stood up.“I told you to look away” He smirked.

[Lord Stanley]

Good, good. Me likes. Me thinks it interesting. Me thinks it needs some editing for all the bad words. Me thinks shaman should continue writing because it so good...

[Lord Stanley]

This is some seriously good writing, shaman. Continue, please! This story deserves recognition!

[scipionyx]

I agree with Lord Stanley although he could have edited his post instead of double posting saying the same thing twice

EDIT: or you could have given him +rep...

(personaly i think it's good to wait a little between the chapters like that people who don't have much time still can follow the story ^___^ )


sorry for replying so terribly late ^^; i was busy with other stuff and because I'm a rather slow reader I wanted to wait till the weekend to enjoy what i read instead of being bothered by homework ^^ but whoa!!!! this was great! I love how the plots tie in with each other and Uther is übercool if SW had been a story i think it would have been written in a quite similar style


anyway I'm looking forward to the next one!!!

[shaman]

Go crazy people.

8 Blood curse in The Old Kingdom.


Uther was back in the capital. Even the usually unshakable wolvark was rocked to the core by what it had become. With the industrialist army encroaching closer and closer into the native’s beloved homeland the whole city had a morbid chill about the place. The once magnificent stone streets and buildings were now becoming blotched and filthy as their maintenance workers had been conscripted. The streets were bustling with thrown – together militia. And tension was incredibly high, espionage was one of the biggest fears and several false “Spies” and “traitors” were rounded up in the last few days.

At first the war had been going well, mudokon head-hunters had proved invaluable against the sligs in deployments throughout the jungle. But they were hopelessly outmatched by the magog cartel’s mastery of weapons technology and there were simply too few firearms in The Old Kingdom to turn the tide of the war.

After a series of rapid defeats and conquered or obliterated towns, the remaining natives had fallen back to their capital and the vast cities surrounding it. It was a fortress capable of withstanding siege for months on end, but broken supply lines meant that food was scarce; slowly but surely the natives were being starved out as the industrialist’s grip tightened around the jungle.

Uther, however had other plans. He had arranged to be smuggled out of The Old Kingdom as soon as he had met his contact and received his pay, it was starting to rain. Uther looked around at the plight of the city, maybe it was his mercenary blood in him, but he didn’t feel sorry. He didn’t feel anything. It wasn’t like it was cowardice to flee a world imminently going to crash and burn, and besides; this was no ordinary war.
When the war started, nobody thought it would get this bad for the natives.

Just before the natives started losing there was talk of something lurking in the jungles – that being said- there was always something in those jungles. But this was different; it was as though every inhabitant knew by instinct that something was wrong. But when it was explained by word of mouth it sounded like trivial and childish folklore.

Even the industrialists felt it, they would not go into the jungles at night, or into sacred areas even in daytime. Uther had been into the jungle umpteen times, and although he couldn’t put his finger on what it was; he did feel something, like there was always something watching you, something behind you all the time.

He didn’t like the jungle.

It only got worse as the conflict progressed, there were reports of squads of sligs and mudokons going missing only to turn up dead if at all. There were reports that people had seen Mudokons with screaming grotesque faces walking in the jungle at night. People hearing laughter outside their homes and unable to see where it was coming from.
Like most living in The Old Kingdom, uther had heard the tales of “The ninth cheiftan” and his legend about the shrykull. Some thought the war had caused him to return and seek vengeance for his banishment, some say the things being heard in the jungle were the spirits of his followers rising to once again be led by their leader after all these years. There were even whispers that the missing sligs were in fact being killed by the otherworldly forces they had provoked.

Uther didn’t believe them. He was a wolvark of logic and fact and refused to be scared by a few soldiers telling stories around a fire.
All the same though, he cringed at the thought of staying here much longer.


The monstrous stone gat rumbled open. Revealing the bowels of the Capital’s walls, Toko, Murphy, Ianto, Jimmy, Marley and Tony stood nervously outside, facing the guards. Ianto in particular was totally taken aback by how the atmosphere inside. Hundreds of armoured mudokons, Skubba Toads and Grubbs were pacing around with looks of total retirement on their faces. The front line was only a few hundred metres from the wall now. The jungle behind them had fallen eerily silent, in anticipation at the dawn of the new day; which would inevitably bring more conflict.

The group had taken no more than a few stepps when they were confronted by several mudarchers.


“Declare yourselves”! One of them shouted. “Who are you?”

“I live here”. Toko said warningly. “Please, what harm is an old mud going to cause?”

The mudarchers exchanged looks of suspicion. And then began eyeing them up for signs of weapons. – which evidently none of them were carrying.

“Go on”. The mudarcher snapped and stepped aside to follow Toko and his party into the city.

“Look at em’” Marley sneered. “Odd most of these guys are barely trained!”
The mudarcher sighed. “It’s been like this for a while now, I mean weeks. We’re coordinating attacks from more overrun areas and that means less qualified troops are needed here, we have to take whatever we can get.

“Save it Marley” Toko said.

“Why are we here anyway”!? Marley grunted at Toko, the last couple of days have been hell for us and we hardly know why you told us to come here”!
Toko stopped.

“You will all know very shortly”! He snapped. “But I can’t say tell you here, there are things at work here that cannot be made public yet, you want your money or not?! ... then follow me”.

“So what is your business in the capital”. The Mudarcher said.

“Precisely that” Toko snapped again.“Our business”.

Ianto saw Murphy give Toko a unnerved stare. Ianto himself was becoming more and more leery of Toko, they had nearly been killed more times than he cared to count on their way here. It was high time they got some answers. The mudarcher gave a slightly insidious smile.

“No offence meant” He said. “But it’s our job to ask questions, we got about ten or eleven spies yesterday, not to mention the filth thinking of surrendering”.
Toko shook his head as though shaking off an irksome fly.

The party had now entered a large stone chamber; thick stone pillars supported an arched stone ceiling, hundreds of natives of all races were furiously working to repair machinery and weapons. The whole place had an air of hurried, frantic desperation; most of the workers looked like they hadn’t slept for days. Every one of their faces screamed. “Help me, I’ve had enough. Hide me.”

The further they walked into the capital of The Old Kingdom, the more it became obvious. They were facing annihilation, Ianto had seen the industrialists. There could be no victory against them; a surge of guilt ran through him, telling him that maybe if he had spent less time being a bandit and more time fighting ... they wouldn’t be in this mess.

And subtly, the group passed out the other end of the wall, into what remained of the capital.


Uther was growing ever impatient. He was expecting an attack on the capital any moment, and being in the middle of a battle before he had a chance to get paid was not what he had in mind.

“Come on come on!” Uther whispered under his breath. His tail tapping the ground impatiently, his contact had told him plain and simple; “outside the central temple at dusk.”

A sobering thought gripped Uther, what if his contact had tricked him. So he would get rid of a few traitors and Glukkons and be left to die a violent death as the capital was flattened.

Uther’s heart had just started to race when, five mudokons walked up to him. He recognised the one at the front immediately; his contact. Calling himself Toko, had finally arrived.

“I have done it” Uther said impatiently. “You have my fee?”

Ianto was very puzzled, now there was a wolvark involved? What on Oddworld for? Even more worrying was the fact that many natives had stopped and were now looking at toko intensively, as though waiting for something to happen.
Uther became a little tenser. “I killed the Glukkons, and the traitors, now I want my fee.”

“Of course” Toko said. He looked around, checking all the natives stood around him. “But first I must apologise to you all”.

“Why?” Marley said. And he got his answer.

The natives around them descended on the group. Uther, Marley, Ianto, Jimmy, Tony and Murphy were set upon by dozens of screaming warriors. Murphy fought like a mad man lashing out with his paws at the natives and striking some to the ground, but they kept on coming. Until the whole group lay bound at Toko’s feet.

“You Bastard!” Murphy spat at Toko. “I trusted you! Where are you taking us!?”

“What’s going on?!” Jimmy shouted before being silenced by a hefty kick from another mudokon.

“Toko you promised me I would be paid”! Uther shouted as he was disarmed. Toko, however, seemed rather unmoved by his betrayal. And more natives were gathering at the scene.

Marley thrashed at the bonds around his feet and hands. “I should’ve killed you Toko! I should’ve killed you when we were back in the jungle.”

“What about us?!” Ianto protested. “You told us we’d be coming here to help the war! I can’t believe I trusted you!”

“Indeed you will.” Toko said solemnly. He was flanked by shaman – priests. And over a hundred natives had gathered around the six restrained bodies on the ground.

It had started to rain; a thin sheet of sunlight broke the darkness. The atmosphere was tense, impossibly tense; the calm before the greatest storm.
Toko took off his mask and stared at each of them in turn, his old face sunken and sad. Then he pointed slowly to a statue at the base of the great pyramid - a statue of a
great scrab with paramite arms and a vast, physique.

“You don’t know who that is”. Toko whispered. “Do you?”

“It - It’s a shrykull”. Tony stuttered fearfully.

“Very good” Toko replied “A creature that hasn’t been seen in these parts for thousands of years, and one that we need very much.”

“It’s a myth”! Jimmy shouted “A myth! They aren’t real! Is that why you did this to us? A dumb fairy story?!”

“The shrykull is very real”. Toko retorted, his voice harsh like a man possessed. “The ninth chieftain banished the shrykull long ago before he himself was expelled from The Old Kingdom, this land is cursed. It can never be protected from invaders until the Ninth chieftain returns. And there is only one way to make that happen”.
Marley had turned pale.

This almost unshakable mudokon had been rocked to the core as he realised what the capital’s inhabitants had decided to do.

“Toko.” Marley Whimpered. “You’re insane!”

“Am I?” Toko laughed. “If it is insane to want to save your people from the Glukkons, then yes, yes I am insane. There is only one way to allow the Ninth chieftain to return and so break the curse, the blood of the three most sinful creatures in the kingdom. Murphy, Ianto and Uther are the key to ending this war”.

Ianto shivered with fear. Toko had tricked them all.

An almighty cheer rang through the crowd of natives, a savagely mocking sea of laughter that reflected the natives’ total desperation.

In the face of death and enslavement, they had turned to the oldest legend they knew.
A rumbling sound broke the silence. The natives turned around began frantically shouting up at the sentry’s on the wall to tell them what was going on, the reply came.


The industrialists were advancing.

[Lord Stanley]

Nice. Getting serious here.

[scipionyx]

nice suspense... I can't wait for the next one *3* everything was so imaginable! -really cool!

[Lord Stanley]

It's been two weeks, shaman. Are you as reclusive or Big Face, or are you just making a really, really, really loooong, gooood chapter (hint hint)?

[scipionyx]

actually i remember that i read somewhere that he completed the whole story already before he started to post it here... or am I wrong? ^^;

maybe ... he has forgotten about it... xD



...

[shaman]

Always leave them hungry Lord Stanley. Always leave them hungry



9) Prison of stone.

Everyone started panicking; rushing to their homes and looking for loved ones. Toko shouted for silence and what remained of the crowd gathered around him and quietened down as the rumbling sound grew louder.

“Nobody leaves.” He said “There is no need, we will break the curse now, and end the war”.

“You can’t make them stay here!” Tony shouted. “It won’t work! If you make them stay here with some cock and bull story in their heads they’ll die, the sligs will kill them!”

Toko twitched as though shaking off a fly. “IT WILL NOT FAIL” he shouted and indicating to the dozens of natives surrounding him.

“We were brought up with this knowledge; it was passed down unaltered for thousands of years! And who are you? Nobody! A filthy bandit who would sell his world for a sack of moolah!”

Ianto was nearly fainting with fear. How could this be happening? How could he have been such a fool to follow Toko? What was he thinking? and why him? This Tribe, this group of fanatics, these cultists needed him! They had the choice of anyone on oddworld! But they chose Him, the Steef Murphy and Uther, A wolvark Ianto had never met before. Why? Why not somebody else?

All these questions were racing through Ianto’s head. And the rumbling sound of the industrialists grew closer still...

Marley was distraught “Toko, I’m begging you, not because I don’t believe you. But because I’ve heard the stories, you’re going to release the Ninth Chieftain! Don’t you know what he’s capable of? Haven’t you read the tales?”

Toko bent down to Marley. “This does not apply to you Marley, It’s not your blood we need. And when we’re done here you can go home, back to your swamp”-.
This was too much for Ianto or Murphy to bear. Murphy lunged at Toko, before being restrained by two mudokons, Ianto shouted at the top of his voice.

“You guys are losing the war because you don’t have guns! It wasn’t a curse! Spears won’t work up against sligs with rifles it’s just common sense! But don’t you see that our blood won’t give you a shrykull?!”

Toko seemed unmoved, so in desperation Ianto turned to a mudarcher. “You, tell them”! He shouted. “Tell them, tell them it won’t work!”

The mudarcher stared down at Ianto. “I know it will work”.

Toko rolled his eyes. “Enough”! Split them up! Take the spares and lock them up! As for you three” He indicated to Murphy, Ianto and Uther. “Take them and follow me to the temple”.

Once again, the natives descended on the group; Jimmy, Tony and Marley were grabbed and taken inside a nearby stone building, and Ianto, Murphy and Uther were dragged by Toko’s priests towards the temple.

Toko’s heart was pounding in his chest. He had spent months waiting for this moment, now it had all came together. He was (though he’d never admit it to his priests) scared. For, like the bandit Marley had said, whatever Toko knew, he still had no idea what releasing the ninth chieftain would bring.

The climb up to the top of the temple was steep and sloped. Toko led his mudokons up higher and higher, to the very top of the temple. The very place he had left a few weeks ago. Ianto had quietened down now, which was good because he was beginning to get annoying. But he couldn’t be blamed. He was- after all the youngest, and therefore the most frightened.

They were now high above the city. Where, over the wall floating morbidly in the distance was the sight of thousands of Glukkon airships, carrying their deadly cargo into The Old Kingdoms heart. Toko’s heart dropped with fear, but also the sight ignited a flame of hope, and an unshakable feeling that what he was doing here was just, was so right. How could anyone compare freeing the Ninth Chieftain with total annihilation?

They came at last to the unnervingly small platform at the top of the temple; on which sat a large stone – dome.

It was in the room below that Toko had spent months chatting to the weirdo spirits.
This was a totally restricted area, nobody save the highest and most revered spiritual leaders were permitted entry. And for the first time in a long time, for the greatest purpose in an even longer time, Toko led his party into the dome.

The inside was decorated with cave paintings, and chant circles were arranged around
the room. And in the centre of the room, was a grotesque black stone statue of a mudokon, its arms and legs twisted at odd angles and a look of distraught burning anger upon its dusty face. At its base, was a bowl. The statue had a habit of upsetting people. When Toko was a child he had spent a night in the dome, and had came out the next day screaming. The statue – he said- seemed like it would come to life at any moment. It seemed to itch with anticipation to jump from its plinth and slay everything it touched.

Toko’s shamans were on edge too, not to mention Uther, Ianto and Murphy, who stared fearfully at the vile statue.

“Get into the circles”. Toko ordered, “Three of you, bring our guests to the centre”.
Soon, Ianto, Murphy and Uther found themselves knelt at the statues feet, their hands bound and three silent mudokons flanking them, waiting for Toko’s order.
Toko leaned forward to the statues black, screaming face.

“There”. He said. “Are you happy now?”

Ianto dared to look up, and a wave of horror greeted him.

Toko was talking to the loathsome statue.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marley was sitting in a barred cage with Jimmy and Tony, Guarded by a mudarcher. How could he have let this happen? Why did he have to trust Toko? He was caged, in a city about to be cracked like a clay pot by hordes of sligs, and meanwhile Toko was at the top of that pyramid; about to release the oldest evil the Mudokon race had ever produced. There were a hundred ways to win this war, but releasing The Ninth Chieftain wasn’t one of them.

He had been imprisoned for five millennia and it was doubtful he’d be merciful. Even when they could summon a shrykull, after he was through with them there wouldn’t be anyone left.

“I screwed up.” Marley whispered under his breath.

What was worse was that Marley didn’t even have to be here. He didn’t even have to come home to The Old Kingdom.

Back in the good old days, Marley was a freedom fighter. Slavery was abundant in the Southern part of Mudos, and he had spent his time fighting to free Natives and stick it to the vykers, Glukkons and anyone else who stood in his way.

Marley had joined a band of activists in his youth and had aspired to the rank of commander. He had hundreds of muds behind him and was in The Magog Cartel’s eye one of the most dangerous terrorists alive. They lived every day. Inches from the firing squad and for every Mudokon who got captured or executed, there were dozens who stood eager simply because they’d be joining the likes of him. The only reason Marley came back here was because he had convinced himself that he had spent too long fighting, that it was time to settle down.

“I’ve been an idiot.” Marley said.

Tony perked up. “What?”

“I’m only in The Old Kingdom because I decided to retire from freedom fighting.” Marley replied sadly. “I miss the old days.”
“It’s a bit late for that now.” Jimmy sobbed in the corner. “The sligs’ll be here soon”.
Marley laughed. “How old are you Jimmy?” He said to the dark corner.

“I’m thirteen”. Jimmy replied.

Marley gave a short, mad cackle. “I’m twenty seven” He laughed. “Twenty seven years old, I’m half dead. And after all this time, do you know what I’ve finally learned?”

“What”? Jimmy and tony asked.

“What I’m good at, you may be here to be saps. But me? I’m here to cause trouble”!
And with that, Marley reached out of his cage and grabbed the guards leg, the mudokon fell down and was knocked out by a hefty blow to the temple by Marley. Who grabbed his Spoocebow and proceeded to blow the door open.

“COME ON!” Marley shrieked whilst throwing Jimmy and tony a side – arm each. “We’re going to save the others and get out of here”!

Ianto was frozen to the spot. Not with fear, but his limbs seemed to be locked by an unknown force, rooting him to the ground. The hideous black statue was only a few feet from him, and try as he might. Ianto could not block out what he knew that statue was. With what free movement he had, Ianto turned to look over to Murphy and Uther, who were both struggling wildly against their invisible bonds. The Mudokons assisting Toko were stood around the room in the circles, chanting loudly and frequently, generating a florescent blue light which partially lit up the darkening room. Toko himself was in the centre, next to the statue. And the ever present rumbling grew louder still as the industrialists approached.

“I want all of you to see how well I did”. Ianto heard Toko say bitterly.

At first Ianto though Toko was talking to him, but before he could reply. Toko stretched out his arms and chanted, it was a hideous noise that no mudokon could possibly make, a monotone drone that echoed off the walls and drowned out the chanting coming from the mudokons at the edge of the room.

Ianto wanted to cover his ears, but couldn’t. Then suddenly, eight shapes materialised on the other side of the dome. They grew clearer and lighter as Toko continued to chant.

Eight weirdo spirits burst into existence. Ianto, Uther and Murphy screamed and Toko, who had stopped chanting allowed a thin smile to cut across his face.

“Not bad for flesh and blood eh?” Toko grunted.

The eight weirdoes’ were floating just above the ground, their blank faces contorted with what could be called a happy expression.

“Well done Toko”. They all said. “But there is little time; the airships will be here soon”.

“I...I’m getting on with it”. Toko retorted, and he took a small, stone knife from his belt.

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---A public message to everyone.

The next chapter is the end of this story. Thank you all very much for the following which this story has attracted

[Lord Stanley]

Awwww man, I was hoping you were just beginning...you know, like something goes wrong with the Ninth Chieftain, and the Slig armies are only driven away, and the good guys have to go on a quest of sorts to do something that will let them win, and it comes down to a final confrontation between the heroes and the Ninth Chieftain...but oh well. At least it's been a good, if short, story.