Ch. 25 – Taha’s Playground Pt. 1
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A mental fog descended on all observers and inhabitants of the Motu. None were exempt, intruders and visitors alike. They felt the pull and tug as memories drained away, tumbling out like a waterfall.

Any significant and insignificant details concerning the birth of a new Tu’i became muddled and unnecessary. Those who thought they had heard about an Advent Tournament found themselves dumbstruck and turned around.

A whole group was struck from the records of the tournament. Where once there were 5 now there were only 4.

Announcements kept as commemorative tokens faded until little was left but a fine residue. Broadcasts that had been recorded and sent out to every nation were wiped clean, becoming useless lumps of data. Memories leaked as evidence burned, obfuscated and forgotten.

Piles of information about the Motu and the Tu’i that were sitting in the various offices of foreign officials caught fire, dissipating into a fine black mist as they stared listlessly. As they came back to their senses they wondered why they smelled burned paper and had headaches.

Each Tu’i, present and slumbering, would remember. As the keepers of memories purged and lost, they would continue the slog.

And the tournament continued as another normal tournament, no longer an Advent tournament.

_____________________________________

The intruders waited impatiently, twitching and shifting. Waiting for the chance to rip and tear the flesh of a local god. They salivated, wet strands dribbling from each of their various maws as they imagined the delectable treats waiting for them.

Mr. Bel sat in a corner, scratching his head. He felt as if something were wrong, as if a niggling memory had suddenly vanished. Something about a little upstart. His long, spindly fingers continued to scratch his head as his vexation grew. Something was missing.

The rest felt the shift in the ether but none couldn’t place what was annoying them. They knew why they had come to this forsaken island. Their insatiable hunger wouldn’t allow them to turn away from the feast they expected. But just below, frustration and foreboding lurked as memories eluded them. They had come to challenge the upstart Tu’i, right?

A pit of fear burrowed it’s way into their stomachs and began to flower. They felt the wrongness, the unrightness of this place. This wasn’t their place or time to be. But something had drawn them here. And that something was ready to receive them.

“Semya.” Pink rattled, his grotesque lips incredibly chapped and cut. The oozing liquid slid up and down his bulbous, inflamed spout, rising and falling with his moist breaths.

All of the intruders turned their gazes to their leader. They all drew a collective breath, holding it in as their bodies quivered.

“We must retreat.” His wet, mucusy voice was filled with something that was foreign to them. Fear. Pink shivered as the foreign emotion coursed through his gangly body. His instincts blared shrill alarms, screaming warnings as his skinny gut did flips. His long fingers, with their sharpened nails, shook lightly as he scratched his elongated neck.

The group said nothing, their eyes and what equaled eyes stared at him listlessly. Just beneath the surface they all shook.

“Brat.” Mr. Bel said as he pointed at the door that had quietly opened on its own.

Wordlessly the intruders stood and walked through the open door, following the dark corridor as they headed towards the daylight that beckoned them from the opposite end. Those who hold power never question the why of mysterious occurrences, they step forward and test it. Even when their primal instincts tell them to run.

---

The intruders emerged in a wide open, outdoor arena space. Unlike the one they had been hunting in, this one was built on a beach front. The purple-black waves of the void-ocean lapped at the edges of the large arena.

“Semya.” Pink said, a hint of hesitation in his voice. “Let us return.”

The growing sensation of disquiet was tangible. They felt no need to refute his assertion and followed as Pink walked towards the void-ocean. Much like when they had first emerged on the beach the water grasped at them. It sizzled and roiled as it made contact with the decaying flesh of the long dead lackeys. They ignored the searing pain as they plodded through the water.

As they waded further into the hateful water, the intruders broke into a desperate run as a sense of urgency filled them. The hairs on the back of their necks stood on end as a frightening wave of despair flooded them, pushing them forward. A presence had revealed itself, waiting for them back on the beach. They scrambled, only one of the intruders daring to look back.

Mr. Bel quickly glanced behind himself and recognized the small, hunched form of the Tu’i that had been dragged before them. Like a moth to a flame, he couldn’t stop himself from turning and making eye contact with the disgusting little thing. The group had made some headway into the void-ocean, even with how vehemently it fought them, but he was still able to clearly make out the menacing smile that the Tu’i wore. He saw as saliva dripped out of the corner of the little man’s wide smile, twinkling under the bright void-sun glare.

Mr. Bel ripped his gaze away from the Tu’i, refocusing on the task of escape. Every single intruder felt the push of their instincts, urging them to flee with all their might. And they heeded it, even with the slow progress they were making as they fought through the void-sea.

Grunts of frustration and effort rose from their varied maws as the sickly purple water dragged at them, pulling them back towards the beach. For every step they took, they were pulled back two or three. They roared and growled as they fought the churning sea, clawing at the surface and underwater.

Pink furiously thrashed around, trying to freeze and scare the water away as his pursing kisses rung out. The more he used the harder the water pulled at him, constantly pulling him under and backwards.

The rest of the intruders fared no better. Mr. Bel, with his grotesquely elongated limbs, found it hard to even stay upright. Every time he took a step his other leg was swept out from under him. He was knocked over repeatedly, churned round and round like he was caught in a spin cycle.

Floa had adjusted after seeing her brethren be tossed about by the willful water. She tried to skim across the top, using the grey liquid to keep her above the influence. As she built speed a large wave rose before her, quickly eclipsing and cutting her off. She tried to float over it but a large blackened, bruised hand shot out of the water, encasing her in its grip as it dragged her under and flung her back towards the beach.

They all continued to fight the currents, some more frenzied than others. To no avail. One by one, each intruder was spat out onto the beach. They lay still, gasping for air their true bodies had no use for. Bestial growls of frustration and guttural whimpers escaped their lips.

“Hello, intruders!”

Standing in the middle of the arena was the ugly little Tu’i. He smiled at them mockingly as they scrambled to their feet.

Mr. Bel was the first to regain his footing. He stepped forward and stood to his full height, easily dwarfing the hunch-backed little monster.

“Filth. We are leaving!” He spat, trembling finger pointing in the general direction of the Tu’i. “We demand to be released!”

The little man cocked his head to the side and gave them a confused look over. A wide smile creased it’s ugly little face as it reared up and stood up properly.

“Can’t do it.” His answer was mocking, almost playful. “You. Are. Dinner.”

As the rest of the intruders scrambled upright they noticed a menacing darkness creep out from behind the Tu’i. It quickly engulfed the whole arena, swallowing everything. They found themselves in a dark, shadowy domain. It was devoid of everything. Life. Death. Heat. Cold. Light. Even the light that naturally emitted from the intruders appeared to be siphoned away.

All around them, the voice of the Tu’i rang. His voice hissed and moaned. It drew near then fled far, bouncing and moving. For the second time in their existence, each intruder felt fear.

“Welcome, old numen. To the Motu.”

As Mr. Bel stood gawking, he felt a searing pain shoot up his spindly leg as he lost his balance and fell forward. Landing with a dull thud, he roared as the pain registered. His dismembered leg, long and elongated, lay next to him as he screamed, leaking a mixture of blood and viscous liquid.

Pink cautiously surveyed the area. The darkness that enveloped them pulsated and throbbed, alive.

He could feel something circling his group, invisible and dangerous. It hungrily watched them from within the darkness. As he continued to keep an eye out he was struck in the chest by a raking claw. The claw ripped a chunk of flesh from the gangly, emaciated body . A pained burble escaped his bulbous lips as he was flung back and into the other intruders.

The intruders caught their leader and allowed him to slide down to the ground, giving him room to stretch out. A piteous whimpering rose not too far from their position.

Floa had her grey liquid working full time as it fanned out to keep her afloat and to act as a shield. Nubs did the same, his mucus-made arms engulfing him in a nearly metallic shield. No’ead was bent over Pink, gaping maw of a neck flared open above their leader. It inhaled and the chunk of flesh that had been torn out of Pink’s chest slowly knit itself back together.

The ugly little Tu’i lashed out once more. No’ead, bent over and sucking up the pains of their brother, let out a stifled, gurgling scream as the Tu’i burst out of its open maw. His long, jagged nails dug into the spinal cord of the intruder's borrowed body. With a visceral ripping and tearing, the intruder was torn asunder.

The vessel collapsed on top of Pink as blood and the grey liquid leaked out of it. Floa’s tentacles whipped out at the Tu’i as he jumped out of their fallen comrade, spine in hand. Before she made contact the little man melted into the abyss with nary a sound.

Pink stirred, taking in a gasping breath as he sat up. No’ead had been able to restore some of his strength, but not much.

“To me, semya.” he rattled as he let out a long kiss. He was able to locate and pull all of his surviving brethren to him. As the kiss pulled Mr. Bel he let out a scream, wet squelching heralding his arrival.

A grotesque lump slid towards the grouped up intruders. Blood and grey liquid leaked from where his arms and legs had once been. Mr. Bel groaned and shuddered, every movement was agony. His once white suit had been dyed red and grey.

Nubs stretched his arms out and pulled Mr. Bel closer as they all encircled their heavily wounded comrade. Kantsee intently surveyed, red-rimmed eyes darting back and forth as he tried to catch the little Tu’i before he launched another attack.

Pink let out an angry, warbling roar. His phlegmy voice rattled and bounced.

From the darkness floated Taha’s high pitched, cackling laughter.

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