"Hey, thanks for the help!" Ernie cheered.
He and Henry approached Joseph who was still facing the beast. Before they arrived, he turned their way.
Both men wore camouflage fatigues, complete with military-grade belts and straps for their rifles. Attached to their belts were sheaths for the few knives they carried and pouches for extra ammo.
As far as Joseph knew, they never wore anything different. Of course, he only knew them for the type of work they did. All the times he came in contact with them before, they were always in the middle of a job.
Just like now.
"You said one." he reminded them.
Standing before him, the two men glanced at one another and then turned big smiles his way.
"One big one." Henry offered.
Joseph pointed over his shoulder at the beast, "But that's…"
A loud crack drew all of their attentions. When they looked, the twisted logs that made up the area around the beast's mouth were falling away from each other. The strips of bark that wove together in order to create the trunk-like appendages were peeling apart. What was left of the bulk of its body was collapsing into a big pile.
Henry and Ernie stepped up to either side of Joseph as he asked, "Do you know who did this?"
Henry shook his head, "Nope."
Smaller pieces were rising up from the collection. The large strips rolled up into spirals. They began rolling about the other pieces that were crawling along the moss. Already, the three men could see the heads attached to necks which were setting upon the tops of torsos still piecing themselves together. The arms, starting as mere sticks, were being laced with sinew-like bark and layers of muscles.
Once the chest and back were in place, the pelvic regions were tying together. Some of these humanoid-shaped sculptures were already raising themselves up in kneeling positions, waiting for the rest of their legs to weave into place. Those that finished themselves faster were already walking toward the three waiting men.
The rolling spirals bobbed and weaved through the wooden bodies, sometimes circling ones who weren't quite on their feet yet. To Joseph, it was as if these mobile spirals were encouraging these beings to finish their forms.
When all pieces had been set, there was nothing left of the beast Henry and Ernie were chasing before. Now a group of figures stood at varying heights, a variety of bulkiness or lack thereof, and adorning antlers with several degrees of angles and points.
While the overall shapes of their faces were bent into the wood, they had no mouths or eyes. But Joseph was not at all surprised when he heard them speak.
"We are in your debt."
There was no way to count how many voices he heard with that statement, but seeing just how many stood before him, he assumed they would have sounded louder if they all had spoken.
"Sounds like it's not finished." Ernie said.
"That is true." Came their reply. Some of those in the back glanced at those standing beside them. Perhaps that was a sign they weren't adding their voices to the mix.
"But this will pass." They continued. "Hopefully not before we exact our revenge. One collective blow would destroy any foe."
"So who did this?" Joseph asked.
This time, every figure turned its head to either side to regard its neighbor before Joseph got his answer. One by one, all their wooden faces looked forward.
"There is a strange movement in these lands." They replied, and already, Joseph could tell a few more voices dropped off from the collective. "The opposite of culling."
"A gathering." Joseph offered.
"Yesssssss. A harvesting of wills. Not to benefit all, but to serve one."
"A movement," Joseph said, "in which direction?"
Henry leaned in and muttered from the side of his mouth, "To your land, I bet."
"Towards lands with no names." The collection answered.
Henry was giving Joseph a grin, waiting to see how he would respond.
Joseph asked his next question, "No specific nameless land?"
"You know we love soil. Yet we do not plant in another's land. We do not crave nameless lands. We go deeeep. We tangle. Then we give ourselves to her fires. We have an alliance, understanding our limits. So thiiisssss. This cannot go unpunished. We will go back. Go back and wait for her fires. Then we come back stronger and crush the one responsible."
"Who might that be?" Joseph asked.
"A vagabond. Like a locust, feeding off desires."
Joseph pictured the moment Chantale showed him of Eliska and her delight from the chimes.
"Was this vagabond called Calarapan?" Joseph asked.
"A ssssilly man, this Calarapan. Now that we know his name, our roots will absorb his strength. Then we shall break him down as dirt under our feet."
Joseph smirked, "Is it your plan to wait? What if I told you where Calarapan is now?"
"Weee would shout your name as we shackle him in our
brambles!"
Joseph's smirk widened, "Then I would be in your debt."
"Today will be for both of us!"
Joseph stepped forward, "My lineage is being threatened by this vagabond even now. While they are strong, I'm sure they
wouldn't mind in sharing the spoils with you."
"We did not see him coming the first time. He will not see us coming this time."
The wooden figure directly in front of Joseph stepped forward and extended its right hand. "We need but passage to your named lands to aid your lineage and exact our revenge."
Joseph looked at the figure's opened palm. Lining the insides of the fingers and thumb were short thorns. He reached out and slapped his hand into the figure's hand. Both closed their fingers down in a firm grip. Joseph didn't even winch as he kept his gaze fixed upon the figure's face.
When the voice came this time, it was from the one before him alone, "We thank you and see this alliance and passage as a privilege. We will respect and honor it in the name of our Asagi roots."
"Ah." Joseph responded, "I have heard of your Asagi forests. I'm glad to finally meet some of its residents."
"Your blood will forever be involved in our tillage. If ever you need passage in our lands, you only have to observe the scars in your hand and whisper our name. We will hear and respond."
Joseph nodded, "Thank you."
He and the Asagi figure pulled their hands away. Joseph looked at his bloody palm, noting the strategic placement of the punctures. Almost like writing in another language, he thought. Lines and dots and spaces between.
When he looked up, the Asagi figure was also observing the blood covering its thorns and palm. When it lifted its gaze, it
nodded to Joseph and then turned toward the rest of the group. There was no verbal exchange, but all at once, the other figures turned to face the spot where their collected form had fallen. Then, they started walking in that direction.
As Ernie and Henry joined Joseph at his sides again, the same Asagi figure that shook hands with him glanced back, "The soggy ground is quite delightful in this land." Then he faced ahead and followed the rest. By twos or one at a time, they disappeared into the thick foliage. Before the last one was gone, Henry leaned toward Joseph again.
"Heh." He muttered, "Perverts."
"I'm surprised they spoke about Lady Enat's fires." Ernie snickered.
"Are you?" Henry asked.
"Ever met her?" Joseph asked with a grin.
"I figure they don't have any shame." Henry added.
Ernie nodded in agreement, "Yeah makes sense. I mean, it might as well be an orgy."
"Despite our vast differences," Joseph said, still grinning, "there are many things that are just universal."