The Cursed Ruins of Pōmaikaʻi

Chapter 8

"I'm the walkin' dude! I can see all of the world! Twist your minds with fear! I'm the man with the pow-wer, AMONG! THE! LIVING! Follow me or die!"

"Tim, what IS that song?" Julie asked while she ran at a brisk pace next to Tim.

"Oh, it's 'Among the Living', by Anthrax!" Tim replied. "You've never heard of them?"

"Uh, I don't really listen to..."

"Metal; thrash metal."

"Yeah, don't think so," she replied.

They, along with the Teo Tribe warriors, ran along a trail through the brush, a short-cut the Teo and Pele tribes have used to move back and forth between their respective villages. It was primarily used for trade and migration; Teo and Pele individuals often inter-married, although given that they are from the same island, "intermarriage" may be a little subjective, but still.

Also, to say the Pele and Teo are allies might be an understatement. According to lore from both tribes, they were founded by twins. One twin founded the Teo, the other founded the Pele. Of course, the oral tradition is still not the most reliable source, and since Teo writing is only used for business and was not used for recording history until about 200 years ago, who knows what might have happened?

Julie carried the sword with her, strapped to her waist along with the utility belt, and a shield strapped to her back. Temporary tattoos were painted onto her body, making her much like the other Teo warriors, although she still had the braid. Her knuckles, ankles, and part of her feet were taped up in brown-colored wrappings.

The rest of the warriors also wore warpaint, as did Tim, who also had to wear one of Kainak's surplus loincloths.

"Feels kinda breezy," he remarked.

Julie laughed. "You get used to it."

"The Village of the Exiled," Manti remarked. "I should have known. But why them?"

"It's simple, really," Julie replied. "And it's not really their fault."

"How?" Manti asked.

"One of my professors at Berkeley said that hardship creates a climate friendly to tyrants," Julie replied. "It's not their fault, they're being manipulated by a wannabe dictator. They promise to take the little guy under their wing, protect them and make things better for them, while blaming people for the society's 'ills'. I've seen it a million times."

"But why?" Manti asked. "How could he turn them against others so easily?"

"They've been suckered," Julie replied. "He blamed their ills on the Other Guy, and on the leaders who failed to do anything, even if it is kinda true."

"I suppose I should take responsibility?" Manti asked.

"Well, I don't know what you did, but I guess it might be a good idea," she said. "But if we're going to stand up to this guy, we should be a united front, because guys like RF want a divided population to make it easier to rule."

"Kinda seems strange we're taking warriors, though," said Tim.

"We need a show of force," said Manti.

"Well, Teddy Roosevelt, a former leader of my people, once said 'speak softly and carry a big stick'," said Julie.

"What does that mean?" Manti asked.

"It means saying that you want peace, but you'll fight if you have to," said Julie.

"What about the trail?" Tim asked.

"Manti says it cuts right through the jungle in a straight line," said Julie. "It'll get us to the Pele village long before..." When she stopped, Tim could tell what she was thinking. It wasn't some obscure reason, it was Kainak. She seemed resigned to the fact that she may have to fight Kainak if the situation required her to do so, even if she didn't like it one bit.