Episode 2

Palla Ba talks again with Oram in Heshbaan.

There is a commotion in the front room. Voices speaking Heshbaan, some with an edge of anger, others a dose of fear.

An entourage of strong Hechesis enter the room, coming in from the front entry. The room is now a bit more crowded.

A dark tan Hechesi with matted hair, unkept beard, and a muscular frame assesses the scene. He has a scarred face and one eye that is discolored, surely from past injury. He wears only a kilt skirt, sandals, and fur cast over his shoulders. Like his companions who entered with him, he carries a large warspear in hand and a large knife hangs at his belt. He seems to be the leader of the new group. He addresses Oram in a commanding voice, speaking in Heshbaan.

Oram answers back, normal tone at first, but with increasing anger. After a few seconds, there is a tense back and forth exchange going on between the two men. The Hechesi man's hands are active now, pointing at Ron Oram, at Koral, even at Kray and Thorn, as he speaks out with intensity.

Palla Ba stands off to the side, with the other Seetan behind him. Neither says anything, but they watch carefully at the tension of the conversation between Oram and the Hechesi headman.

Thorn notices Gibon now standing just at the threshold of the back door leading out to the rear porch overlooking the water. The Heshbaan laborer-turned-translator seems to be overwhelmed again by the predicament in which he finds himself. Gibon stands frozen, mouth hanging open slightly, eyes wide and darting back and forth as he watches the two men barking back and forth at one another.

Another Seetan, cloak pulled over his head, stands just behind Gibon. Thorn cannot quite see the eyes of this one, as they are covered in shadow. Thorn can see that the man has a calm stance, yet Thorn believes that the man is ready for action.

In Haran (Farmland District, north of the River)
At the Pre-Race Chariot and Horse Show

Ivor and Cedrio reach the destination. It is quite a sight to see - all of the horses and chariots, plus some other fine carts, and the race track arena itself, which has stands on one side and a rising natural hill for seating on the other side. The weather is nearly perfect.

It is the day before a big chariot race. There are many wealthy people milling about, eating and drinking at tents that serve as refreshment stands serving fruits and vegetables, cheeses, wines, liquors, some grilled meats and soups.

Many servants are working diligently, supporting the pomp and socializing of the elite and the almost elite.

Some of the Holy Gilded Armsmen are milling about, on foot and on horseback. There are a few Korvaran guest legionnaires integrated with them as well. Ivor takes note of seeing them here. Most often these foreign troops are present only up in Sarcoma (The Rise) near the main barracks of the Sar's Armsmen.

Ivor meets the Magistrate who sponsored Cedrio's visit here and provided the carriage transportation. His name is Honorable Eannatum. Seems like a kind enough fellow - he offers all drinks and food and invites Ivor and Cedrio to stay in the luxury tent all day as they want.

At the tent, Ivor sees that Magistrate Eannatum has a Korvaran Legionnaire who is providing security. The Magistrate introduces them. The Korvaran's name is Sergius. He is a gruff looking soldier, chiseled jaw, dressed in full Korvaran battle cuirass, armed with gladius, pugio, and spear. He gives a short response at the introduction and stares Ivor and Cedrio in somewhat of a dismissive manner, before moving away - not interested in talking.

In The Swamp (poor district, north of the River)
At the Hechesi house where Bezil Koral lies fatally ill

The exchange between Ron Oram and the armed Hechesi leader continues to escalate. Onlookers may be concerned, but the dialogue is so very hard to follow for non-Heshbaan speakers.

Kray and Thorn are off to the side, to the right side of the room.

Two of the Seetans are opposite them on the left side of the room.

Gibon and another Seetan are at the back door threshold that leads to the back deck, southward towards the reed pools of the river bank.

The armed Hechesis are near the front entranceway, behind them in the other room stands the large crowd of other Hechesis, through which Oram, Kray, Thorn and Gibon walked through to reach this back chamber.

In the middle of the room is Bezil Koral, laid out like death on a central table. Oram stands beside him.

Finally Oram elevates his voice louder than the Hechesis and draws out his bronze drusus. A moment of tight surging tension blasts through the entire room.

Back at the track...

Sizhen follows his target through the crowd, passing through a thick gathering.

As the man crosses across a stretch of the dirt track, a procession of horses and carriages rides by, with loud and laughing party revelers in tow. Sizhen has to stall briefly to let the carts pass by.

When he is clear to continue, he sees that his mark has moved along quite a ways, now approaching the grassy rise on the corner of the track. It seems that he is heading up to some of the luxury tents at the top of the small hill, where the wealthiest are eating and drinking.

Back at the track...

After stopping by to give Nasi Talel the latest report, Yashub heads back across the track for another round of patrol. He is watching the crowd intently. It is not even midday, but these wealthy landed lords and magistrates are already acting more boisterous as the effects of the wine and liquors are clearly settling in.

Yashub recognizes him right away, from afar, walking up the grassy north hill. Dug-Nuna. The likely murderer of Puzur of Mireh.

Yashub had been certain that Dug-Nuna was involved in the stabbing last fall, but the Hechesi had disappeared. He stopped frequenting the Cattail Mead House entirely. Yashub had felt certain that the vagrant had escaped into the Jara Hili to lay low at one of the Old Nisirian Camps.

Yashub had always suspected that this cutthroat would be back eventually. It made perfect sense now for him to come back in this scene: a target-rich environment for a Stabber like Dug-Nuna.

Yashub knew what must be coming next. He had to cross the track quickly and take this assassin down, dead or alive.

Back at the ghetto...

Koral's mouth starts moving. A voice speaks out in a horrid buzzing sound, not the sound of a man's voice. Instead like some buzz of an insect.

"BBBBEEEEEE. RRRAAAAAAA. SSAAAAAATTUUUUU. SAAAAAAATTUUUU. RRRAAAA. BBBAAAAAAA. CCHHHUUUUUUUU."

In a burst of gore and sludge, Koral's head bursts away from his body.

Extending from the neck, long sinewy tendrils slide out from the neck hole that leads to the chest cavity. The small tentacles burst to life and tip the head off the table onto the floor!

The tentacled head of Koral pulls upright, now perched atop a mass of writhing tendrils beneath it.

The wretched head leaps upward with blinding speed. It latches onto the face of Gibon, who stands at the threshold of the back door.

Some sort of wings or fins burst out from the necrotic tissue sack that was on Koral's head and back. Part of Koral's spine pulls away as well, forming the tops of the long appendages now on the head. The fins slap out and flap at full extension, lashing out at Oram and the nearby Seetans even as the neck tentacles thrust the the head face-to-face with Gibon. The poor Heshbaan servant is completely overwhelmed and topples backwards screaming.

Koral's hair and scalp slides away and more tentacles burst from the top of the head. His jaw detaches and slides down as his teeth fall way, pushed out by a set of fangs.

It is a compete horror.

Thirteen sees the Heshbaan in front of him fall to the deck, the horrible detached head overwhelming the thin-framed servant.

Thirteen stands just outside of the room, on the south-facing back deck of the house, the river marshes behind him.