Chapter 22: Chapter 21 – counter raid part 1

Charlie looked up at the white furred creature. Several of the large, white fur covered, centipede like creatures he had arrived at the tribe on with the Chiefess sat in front of him. The women strapped to it vines with empty boxes to try and bring as many supplies as they could accumulate from the raider camp. Ourupadia, Phukomeia, and one of the three survivors from the captured warrior party were armed with guns.

Charlie clutched his own gun tightly in his hands, constantly fidgeting as he kept checking to see if the gun was loaded and if the first cylinder of bullets was ready to fire. After that he would then cheque his leather pouch given to him by the Chiefess, checking to see if he still had the extra rounds of ammunition. As if somehow magically the ammunition was to just disappear the second, he closed the bag.

He cursed himself slightly for having such awful object permanency, but he knew better than anyone that this was just his nerves getting the better of him. He watched as several women did small dances around burning incense and small fires. His confused gaze must have been obvious as Nolkonoe turn to look at him.

“They dance to summon spirits of dead ancestors to assist them in battle. Do not disturb them as they must do the dance perfectly unless they accidentally summon the spirits of one of the failed dead ancestors who was not successful in battle,” Nolkonoe explained,

“How do they know which spirit is which?” Charlie inquired.

“They don’t, they just hope” Nolkonoe said before taking his arm and walking him away. The women danced for a while longer, shimmying, shaking their hips, and waving incense in the air while chanting and they monotonous tone. The wild, frantic, yet somehow still choreographed and purposeful dance around the small embers, which flickered against the sands of the white desert, mesmerised Charlie.

The Chiefess noticed Charlie ogling at the scantily clad dancers, frowning she gave him a quick prod in the side to regain his attention and remind him of his place. Slowly dragging his eyes away from the women, he still spied on the slightly from the corner of his eyes. Grabbing him around the waist, The Chiefess leapt up onto the back of the creature. She made sure he banged his head slightly on the saddle as she threw him down, just to make sure her point about him not looking at other women was very clear.

Grabbing his arms, the Chiefess forced Charlie to wrap his arms around her body. Nolkonoe quickly bound his hand as she made sure he couldn’t escape from the Chiefess. Charlie sighed, deciding it was best to just allow the women to do what they pleased with him. Phukomeia claimed behind Charlie, sandwiching him between the two warrior women. Laughing, Nolkonoe and the rest of the counterattack party mounted the creatures.

The dancers finished and joined them on the creatures. Now all seventy were ready, the Chiefess gave her signal, and the warriors began to ride their creatures into the desert. Feeling the coolness of the Chiefess paint, he closed his eyes and sank into her back. Seeing the sun was having such a harsh effect on him, Phukomeia moved into his back and relaxed against him.

As they started to move though and the breasts and butt of the two girls started to press against him, both quickly realised he was becoming incredibly hot, incredibly fast. Nolkonoe rolled her eyes as she watched the two women panic and press themselves against him more to try and give him more coolness from their paints.

Nolkonoe slapped both women on the head, before pointing to his bushing face. Both women gave small laughs before returning to their original positions.

“Idiots,” she muttered as she they began on their journey into the desert.

For a while they rode in quite. Not much to be said as all minds now sat on the idea that there was to be a battle not to long for now. Nolkonoe was the first to break the silence.

“We shall attack at dark. You and the other three armed with guns shall got with you to a high position and give us cover fire. Our archers shall do the same,” Nolkonoe said, wanting to calm the boy’s nerves by telling him a little bit more about what part in the mission he shall have.

“Where will the high up position be,” Charlie asked, looking back to Nolkonoe.

“Not sure yet, but Ourupadia and Phukomeia will keep you safe and the surviving girl from the captured party knows the land better, she will show us where to go,” Charlie nodded to what she said.

“Ok, I if you trust her…” Charlie thought for a few seconds, his eyes narrowed, and his face must have soured as Phukomeia spoke.

“What’s wrong?” she placed her arms around him as she pulled herself closer, felling as if she needed to calm the young man’s nerves. He was seventeen, or at least that was what she had heard from Nolkonoe and considering this was his first battle he must have been terrified.

“Call it a merchant’s intuition, but I… I just have a bad feeling,” Charlie said, smiling and trying to hide any form of fear. Turning, the Chiefess placed a kiss onto his forehead.

“You shake like new-born, hug, make self-feel good,” the Chiefess said, her translation book opened on her lap as the creature they rode on carried on through the desert. Charlie complied as he sat against her back, his head gently leaning against her.

Hours past as they moved through the seemingly never-ending desert. Nolkonoe and Phukomeia laughed and joked as they saw Charlie was now deep in sleep.

“Should we wake him?” Phukomeia questioned in their native tongue, gently keeping herself slightly away from him as not to knock him and wake him. Looking to the sky, Nolkonoe could see the sun was almost at its peak.

“We should stop, eat, wait for night and begin our attack,” Nolkonoe answered. Nodding, the Chiefess hit her elbow back into Charlie’s side. Phukomeia managed to grab him as he almost fell from his saddle.

Fluttering his eyes open, he looked around. Releasing where he was and the state of near nudity he was in, he panicked, but quickly calmed as he heard the laughs of the native women from both the war creature he was on, and the ones next to them. Blushing, he tucked his legs into his chest as Phukomeia started to tease him for being so scared.

They rode for a little while longer before having the large centipede like creatures form a circle. Several small pockets of women stayed on the creatures as guards while the rest dismounted. Setting up tents, they covered the inside of the circle. The riders of the creatures started to give the creatures instructions through reign movement.

The creatures started to burrow themselves in the sand, also covering the tents in the sand as well.

“From a distance, we shall now only look like a sand dune,” Nolkonoe explained as they dragged Charlie deeper into the camp. women got a small fire going as they began to cook the rations they had. Many passed around bowls of fruit and drink as they sat in a circle of sand created by the creatures.

It was like some kind of nest almost made from the white sand. The white cloth tent around them supplied good cover from a distance. Charlie was amazed by the quickness and efficiency of this camouflage. Wrapping an arm around his waist, the Chiefess dragged him to her side. Leaning down, she placed a soft kiss onto his head.

“Sleep, need rest for battle,” she explained. Charlie was handed a bowl of berries by Ourupadia. Glady, he accepted as he allowed the Chiefess to keep an arm locked around his waist.

Quietly he ate as the warriors either did the same, slept, or kept guard. Carefully, the survivor of the captured party examined the gun in her hands. Every now and then she would scan the tent, seemingly nervous as she shuffled or twitched. He couldn’t blame her, they most likely weren’t far from where she was first attacked.

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He had seen the raider woman from the tribe that had captured her. Only the devil would know what kind of bloody acts those monsters had committed upon this poor woman’s friends and comrades. The eyes of the woman locked onto him. Instinctively he smiled to try and show sympathy to the woman. Simply, she nodded and gave a small grin.

A sharp, jolt of pain went though his arm. Jumping and looking to his side, Ourupadia and Phukomeia stared at him. A bowl of drink in their hands, offering the drink to him.

“Drink, sleep, you will need the energy,” Phukomeia explained as she pushed the drink into his chest.

“Thanks,” he muttered, staring down at the purple liquid. Taking it from her, he quickly downed the thick liquid. Giggling, the Chiefess placed another kiss onto his head before allowing him to cuddle into her as the strong alcohol took hold of him.

As the young boy slumped against the Chiefess, all eyes of the women fell onto him.

“We’ll make sure he is safe,” Phukomeia and Nolkonoe reassured the Chiefess (in their native language) on behalf of their war party. The two other women from the survivor party nodded to her, also agreeing to place his safety above their own.

“Thank you,” the Chiefess answered back in their native tongue. Once again, for the last time that night, she placed a kiss onto his forehead.

“Sleep my sisters, pray to the spirits, and may you steady yourselves for tonight,” the Chiefess said again as she lifted Charlie and lovingly placed him between her legs. Placing a hand onto his head, she manoeuvred him into a position in which he slept between her legs and safety of her arms.

Charlie’s eyes creaked open. A hand shoved his side. Again, then again, until he was fully awake. Dragging himself into an upright position, he looked to the warriors poised around the tent. He could barely make out their figures in the slight moon light of the night.

“Come, its time,” Phukomeia said as herself, the first survivor, and Ourupadia armed themselves with war spears, stone axes, and the guns. Still fatigued, but knowing the situation he was in, he made one last check to see if his gun was loaded, before allowing the women to take him.

Slowly, they moved out of the tent. The cool sand felt cool against his skin, a stark comparison to the scorching heat of day. Quietly he moved with the group though the sands. Stilling his nerves as he knew what was to happen. Still, he couldn’t say the words to himself. But he knew what a battle was, he knew death was inevitable. Yet still he couldn’t fathom that he was to potentially take part in that killing…

Ourupadia kept a hand on his back as they moved over the sand hills, trying to keep him calm. Her efforts somewhat worked as he calmed, yet still a sense of uneasiness hung in the air. Following the instructions of the survivor who had come with them, they slowly began to move up a large hill. The team of twelve archers and the four-gun wielders moved to the top.

Glancing over his shoulder, Charlie looked to see the survivor. Despite being the one leading the group, she hung to the back of the pack. He couldn’t blame her; poor girl was probably terrified to see her tormentors again. Moving up the hill and to the edge of the ridge, they looked down to the large fire at the centre of the raider camp.

Poles with bound captives littered the camp. The skin of the captives had been removed and added to the décor of the raider warriors. Twelve men, fourteen women raiders sat around a large campfire. The archers poised their arrows while those with guns took aim.

“Ready,” Phukomeia whispered as she saw the Chiefess, and her warriors take up passion around the edges of the camp.

The crackling of gun fire rang out. For a moment there was silence. Charlie looked to his gun. He hadn’t fired.  Looking to his left, he saw Ourupadia was just as confused. Looking to his right, he saw Phukomeia. She hadn’t fired either. Coughing, her head jolted as she spat up a thick, dark liquid. Looking to the sand, Charlie saw in the fire light, blood.

 

 

Haven't grammar checked this one yet, so sorry for any mistakes, will change them in the future. 

 

 

Desert Ghost Huntress above! 

 

 

Desert Ghost tribe warrior above! 

 

 

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