Julie and the Monkey Witch

Chapter 4

It's pretty safe and correct to assume that despite wanting a sword, Julie was pretty unfamiliar with one. Sure, she'd used a machete before, and those technically aren't much different from swords, but when you consider that swords have a completely different weight and whatnot. Anyone can use a sword, but they need practice. You don't just pick one up and become a master only by swinging it around for two or three minutes; it takes years, sometimes decades before one can be proficient with a sword.

But it never hurts to practice. She already had some of the machete experience earlier, so she used some of those hacks. It was through this that she got the hang of using the sword. It turns out the machete and this particular sword weren't so different, after all.

Her swinging was wild at first, but once she got the hang of it, those swings became more precise. Well, about as precise as they could get for a newbie, once she started using two hands. Then it became easier.

She stopped when she heard some thumping and saw Kainak landing on the front porch. "Can you please knock first?" she asked.

"Sorry," he laughed, kissing her on the cheek and heading straight for the HAM radio.

"What are you doing back so early?" she asked.

"I think something was following me," he said. "We'll have to call the researchers."

"Following you?" she asked. "What makes you think that?"

"A hunch," he replied.

He fiddled with the HAM radio and waited for one of the researchers to answer, and finally, one did. "What is it?" they asked.

"SciTeam, this is Jungle Boy, over," he said. "I had an encounter earlier."

"With what?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. "There was a large, black mass that seemed to be following me in the trees earlier. I couldn't see what it was, but it looked dangerous. Be on the lookout."

"Roger that. And should we inform the Teo?"

"Why is that a question?" he asked.

"Sorry," the person on the other end replied, making Julie roll her eyes as she listened. "Is that all?"

"Well, I already said 'be on the lookout,'" he said. "Jungle Boy out."

"Understood. SciTeam out."

The audio cut out, and Kainak turned to Julie. "What do you think it was?" she asked.

"Beats me," he replied. "I was too busy trying to avoid—is that a sword?"

"Yeah, you like it?" she asked.

Kainak raised an eyebrow at the sword. But then he shrugged and looked at her expression, which was enough to tell him that she didn't intend to use it that much, or something.

"How often are you gonna use that?" he asked, to be sure.

"Not a lot," she said.

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Gina wished all the Teo tribesmen weren't staring at her, but she was glad John was accompanying her to the village. It paid to have a hired gun on your side. Surely, Chief Manti's reaction to his tribesmen's was a relief. And given the similarities between the Teo language and Maori—which John spoke fluently, Gina was not too worried about any problems.

And once Chief Manti was informed, the concern and relief were evident on his features. He nodded and bade them farewell.

He knew things were getting complicated. He also faced a decision. Many of the tribesmen would leave the village at night, including Hani. But with this... thing roaming the forest, it made things more urgent. But he could not pen his villagers in the walls. If he did that, their hysteria would only worsen. If he told them, they would be scared. If he did not tell them, and they saw this, then their hysterical would worsen again. The only thing he knew he could do was to say to them and ask them to remain calm.