A Device Infernal
Chapter V: Bokor
Now, after saving them mushroom men from them giant leeches and then fighting them hobgoblin soldiers that was chasing Servan and Jbili, they reckoned that there wasn't much more that could surprise them up on Crimson Bayou. Well they was wrong about that.
Now everyone liked Skeeter but no one believed him about how he got his nickname for killing one of them giant flying bugs that folks called "skeeters." No one had ever seen one and most thought them a legend. There were plenty of strange and dangerous critters in the Yando but who would believe in a flying bug the size of a big boat that breathed fire, let alone that some wet stomper like Skeeter could kill one. Well, they was wrong about that too!
They continued up the bayou in Sabeen's boat, the Virago, looking for the high trees and standing stones that would mark the home of Lazar Mirande, the bokor or houngan or whatever that might know how to lift the sleeping curse that had been put on Vangeline. It was said he had been living on Crimson Bayou since before anyone could remember.
But coming around a bend, they saw a small cargo boat all afire. It must of happened pretty recent since most of the boat was still intact, although the flames were licking it pretty good.
As they approached the boat, they began hearing a buzzing sound that kept getting bigger and closer. Suddenly, over the tree tops, a giant flying bug the size of boat appeared. It headed directly toward the Virago. Skeeter called out, "It's a skeeter, I told you they were real! But this one's a lot bigger than the one I kilt!"
As it flew over the Virago, a blast of fire came from its jaws, setting the boat afire.
Everyone began firing at the skeeter or trying to put out the fire on the boat. The skeeter came around again and was trying another blast. Skeeter ran to the stern of the boat and as the critter approached and opened its jaws, he whomped it a good one with his whomping stick.
The blow crunched in the skeeter's head a bit but didn't stop it from firing a blast of flame at Skeeter. He leapt overboard to avoid getting burnt but that meant that the fire hit Sabeen who had been manning the tiller. She cried out in pain from the fire. Fortunately, Brother Maksen was near at had so he ran over and cast some healing magic on her.
After scorching Sabeen, the giant bug flew over the boat, trying to turn around for another attack. Jbili saw his chance and went charging along the top strut of the boat. He leapt into the air just as the skeeter was flying over the Virago.
Amazingly, he landed on the bug's back and began stabbing into the creature's thorax.
Sabeen called up some wind to drive it into the trees. It brushed against a high pine and somehow Jbili managed to hang on. But the skeeter turned around to go after the Virago. Jbili stabbed it again, his sword getting stuck in the bug's back.
The skeeter shook something fierce and Jbili was flung off, plunging through the deck of the burning cargo boat.
The skeeter was so busy shaking off Jbili that it didn't have a chance to fire it's breath at the Virago. When it was flying by, though, there was Skeeter awaiting it with his whomping stick again. He whomped it another good one, this time smashing the critter's skull and causing black ichor to stream out of it.
As it flew past, Coralie put the final shot into its skull with a blast from her double-barrelled horse pistol. The skeeter's dead carcass plunged into the river.
Seeing where Jbili had fallen, Placeed gulped down a big helping of Bullywog Etouffe that allowed him to breath underwater. He swam over to the burning cargo boat and began battering at the hull to free Jbili.
Sabeen moved the Virago over towards the cargo boat. They hoped they might salvage something from it.
As they neared the shore, there was a great rustling, and a giant Dozen-legger emerged from the jungle.
In the meantime, Servan had leapt onto the cargo boat. Fiddlesticks levitated (to which they had gotten sort of use to by now) over the help. The fiddler plucked the dwarf from the burning boat and floated him to safety.
Maksen and Coralie fired into the hard shell of the crawling beast. Dewy tried using one of her fairy tricks to gain control of the creature's mind.
It backfired on her however, and the bug nearly took control of her mind. After a brief moment with her eyes glazed over, the little sprite recovered and was more than angry. The rest of the party fired at the creature repeatedly holing its shell.
Skeeter, having leapt onto the cargo boat, found a burning barrel. He flung it at the Dozen-legger, hoping to catch it on fire.
The thrown barrel was thrown with enough force that it staggered the already wounded monster. However, it was filled with medicinal herbs and grasses that did little damage to the creature but did start a small fire on its hide.
Seeing a swivel gun in the bow of the burning boat, Servan ran forward only to discover that the powder barrel near it was on fire. He quickly doused it, preventing an explosion but ruining the powder.
Dewy flew over to the creature so close that she could not miss with her sling and fired fairy shot directly into the creature's eye. This final shot killed the beast.
Fiddlesticks floated Jbili over to the spot where the corpse of the skeeter lay in the shallow river water. The dwarf plucked his sword from the monster's back.
With the Dozen-legger killed, Maksen investigated the nearby ruin, a very ancient tower most likely from the era of the Lloroi civilization, a thousand years prior.
Something sparkled among the bushes in the ruin and Maksen found an elaborately decorated ring.
When he tried it on, he found himself instantly teleported to the top of the tower. After he climbed down, he discovered he could chose the point to which he could teleport.
They set off up the bayou once more. Things began to become more and more peculiar. The compass no longer matched what the directions of the sun indicated. Strange noises and odd silences alternated. When Maksen meditated, he could see that the spirits he had seen when they first entered the bayou were about them again only this time they appeared more substantial and more threatening.
Another day went by, although it was becoming more difficult to determine when this was so, the sky having become darkly overcast. They soon came upon a mist-ladened stretch of water, where great trees reached to the sky and large standing stones barricaded the river.
Holding a large spotted toadstool which the mushroom folk had given them as a sort of
carte de visite, they passed between the stones and landed near a small clearing.
A small hut stood in the clearing near a ruined statute that appeared to be older even than the Lloroi ruins they had seen earlier. Large furry spiders ambled among the rocks here.
They landed and with much trepidation approached the hut. A great carpet of mist poured from the door.
Then a figure appeared, an elegant young man dressed richly in city folk attire, a snake curling about his walking stick. He tipped his hat politely and said, "I am Lazar Mirande, with what can I help you today?"
After much polite salutations from the party, they said they were there to seek his help in obtaining the crystal lilies to use as a cure for a sleeping curse that had been put on one of their beloved. Lazar replied that he did not have any of the lilies. The only place where they could be found was at the head of Crimson Bayou which was part of the earthly realm of Baron Cimitere, the Lord of Death.
He offered his hospitality to them and they all sat round a big fire and shared such a fine meal that even Placeed admitted he had never tasted the better.
Lazar said they needed the leaves of but one lily, boiled into an extract and that should cure Vangeline. But getting that lily would be the problem. The Lord of Death watched his realm and his subjects as a mother did her children. All the great loas did. Grand Bois, the Great Tree made sure that life came into this world and nurtured the souls until they were read to begin the journey of life. After that those souls walked the paths of life, becoming part of the realm of Pater Carrefour, Papa Crossroads. Finally, there was Baron Cimitere who greeted them at the journey's end."
"And who are you," asked Coralie.
"Why I am merely a guardian, making sure that what is up Crimson Bayou don't come tumbling down onto the living. You see, the Lord of Death is the graspingest of the loas and would over reach every time he could. There have often been conflicts between the loas for the poaching of souls that belonged to each other.
"I fear you may have stumbled upon one such conflict. It would seem that their are many serfs running away from Muetar and many slaves running away from Shuccassam, the large empire to the south. They are all heading to the top of Crimson Bayou, told in their dreams that it will be their refuge and their paradise. Now as travelers, they belong now to Pater Carrefour, who I am sure ain't happy that the Baron is poaching souls from him."
"Why won't Papa Crossroads come up here and stop him?" asked Sabeen.
"The loas can't enter each other's realm, unless invited or unless one of their human servants goes and unlocks the door for their master as they say. That's why ole Baron Death want all them living souls so that he can turn them into his servants and when he has enough of them, they'll be his army to storm these here stones. You see he's making them into the Dead That Aren't Dead, into Zombi."
Servan said that this could be the cover under which they entered the Baron's realm and steal the crystal lily. Lazar said it might but then again it might be the end to all of them.
He said they would find the end of the river soon enough and a vast jungle spreading out before them. After all that, they would come to the land of the Baron Cimitere. They will know it by the smell of wormwood and gall and brimstone.
He gave them a forked stick, a divining rod, that would show them the way, no matter what the sights or signs might tell them. With that he wished them luck and bid them good night.
They fell asleep near the fire and the next morning there was no sign of Lazar or his hut nor the spiders.
They sailed on the next morning, or so it seemed. Though their route was often confusing and neither their compass nor the sun could be counted upon, Lazar Mirande's divining rod proved true. In time, they came to the spot he had described, where the wide bayou devolved into myriad feeder streams. A whole great mass of green jungle seemed to stretch before them. They gathered some supplies, Jbili hoisting the swivel gun upon his shoulder. They all began walking away from the Virago. All save Leon, who being too old and who would only slow them. He would remain with the Virago, ensuring that they would have a means of return. "You all be careful now, girl," he said to Sabeen.
Sabeen looked back one last time. "Take care, my little girl," said Leon almost to himself.
As they marched into the jungle, Leon watched until he could no longer see them. And so he began his lonely wait.
