CHAPTER FOUR
Kiran and Gatril woke early the next morning to continue their journey.
Kiran brushed his teeth and went to the kitchen to get them breakfast, returning with two plates dumplings, chopped pumpkins and stewed beef.
After their meal Kiran gathered his things and went outside to his quacycle, then rode around the back of the inn where Gatril leaped over the fence to meet him. She wore her cloak to conceal her appearance. The bosdrake hopped onto the human’s quacycle, and together they rode out of Wopol and onto the main road.
“The popobawa,” said Gatril. “These are forest creatures, right?”
“Yeah,” said Kiran. “They’re a bit dangerous too. They come out at night to feed on blood. But they disguise themselves as humans in the day time.”
“They also have good agility, I heard,” Gatril said, “I’m not very good with flying foes either, and I still haven’t fully recovered from our fight with Kundis.”
“We can camp and rest when night falls,” said Kiran. “I heard reports of a popobawa in a forest near Dehafi Town. That’s three miles from here.”
“Okay, boss man,” said Gatril.
Their journey took them around a small hillside that overlooked a vast plain and mountains in the distance, where the morning became brighter and warmer. Just beyond the mountains in the east lay the country of Gobanyi, where Kiran knew young magical practitioners like himself were prepare for the Witching Tournament. It got him wondering how well his spells would fare against the techniques of the others.
Of course I’ll do fine, he thought. I’m going through so much trouble to get rare spells after all.
As they descend onto flat grassland, the town of Dehafi rose into view. Its most dominant features were pillars of black smoke spewing from the factories. The distance between the town and the human-bosdrake pair was occupied by scattered trees that loomed over the swaying grass, grass being tended to by grazing gazelles and zebras.
Kiran and Gatril weren’t looking out for anything out of the ordinary, concerned only with reaching the town, yet something amongst the animals managed to snag their attention.
“Whoa, what’s that over there?” said Gatril.
“Huh?” Kiran parked his quacycle along the road. He looked in the direction Gatril gestured to, and spotted someone in a dusty robe kneeling next to one of the zebras. “Who is that?”
“There’s only one way to find out if you really want to know,” said Gatril.
Kiran turned off the engine and he and Gatril got off the vehicle. They made their way through the grass, kicking up bugs with each step. Some of the animals scattered but the one the person was next to didn’t budge an inch. And when they got close enough, they saw what was really happening.
The stranger was a woman. She wore a red tunic and a shiny, green fabric wrapped around her waist and draped over her shoulder. Kiran recognized it as a sari, and coupled with the woman’s brown skin and black, straight her, he deduced her origins as a Gabanyese from the neighboring country.
But it was what she was doing rather than her nationality that captivated Gatril and him.
The zebra’s penis was fully erect, which the woman stroked and sucked on fiercely with slurping sounds and lots of froth.
“Wow, she’s really working it,” said Gatril.
Kiran looked at her indifferently. He was not disgusted in the sense of the word, but he didn’t fancy sexual activity with animals. What differentiated beasts from animals was the fact that they had human intelligence and at least human-like features; breasts and genitals shaped like that of a human female.
“Excuse me, lady?” Kiran said.
The woman held a finger for their silence, and continued to stimulate the animal until her cheeks abruptly puffed, spilling semen from the corners of her mouth. She made a choking sound as she held a little of the fluid in her throat. She reached for a jar on the ground, pulled the throbbing, dark phallus out of her mouth and spat the semen into a jar.
As the strange woman got up and wiped her mouth, Kiran noticed a knapsack at her feet and the crude handle of a pistol in her waist. She looked at the pair with black eyes, smirking a little as if please with herself. “Yes, may I help you two?” she said.
Kiran and Gatril looked at each other, and the bosdrake gesture to the woman urgently. Kiran said, “Excuse me. I didn’t mean to intrude. I was riding by when I saw you here. I guess this is a bad time?”
“No,” she said. “I’m just about finished.” She took up the knapsack and put the jar inside. Shouldering it, she said, “So, why is a human travelling with a bosdrake?”
“I’m his friend with benefits,” said Gatril, slapping Kiran’s bottom.
The woman smiled. “I see. My name is Aparna.”
“My name is Kiran,” the young man said. “And this is Gatril. I’m a sorcerer.”
“I could tell,” said Aparna, gesturing to Kiran’s staff. “I guess you could call me a sorceress then.”
It was as if someone quickly wound up Kiran, straighten his back and widening his eyes. “Really? You practice magic too?”
Aparna nodded. “I was getting this zebra semen for my spell.” Aparna looked Kiran with heightened curiosity. “Wait, would you be entering the Witching Tournament by any chance?”
“Yeah,” said Kiran. “I’m here trying to get some popobawa queex.”
Aparna said, “Really? That sounds a little dangerous though. I know a few people who got attacked by them. They got their blood drank, some even got raped. I heard they used to attack the townsfolk until they got guns and killed them off. Now only one lurks in the forest nearby, but no one dares to venture inside.”
“That’s no problem,” said Gatril. “We fought something much scarier than that just yesterday. Do you happen to live around here?”
“No,” said Aparna. “I’m actually visiting from Gabanyi. I came here for a few ingredients that could only be found on this side of the continent. So far I’ve gotten two of the four. I need the queex of a brustark and the semen of a dandepuffer.”
“Those aren’t easy animals to capture either,” said Gatril. “Especially the brustark.”
“Don’t worry,” said Aparna. She gestured to the zebra behind her, now going about its business grazing. “I can drug them like I did this one.”
“Dandepuffers are close to my village,” said Kiran. “Opposite of where I found you, Gatril.”
Something had been bothering Gatril, and she said, “But Kiran, she just mentioned that the popobawa usually rape people. Are they all males, or do they also have females?”
“They are a bit of both,” said Kiran. “They tend to look like females, but they have a five-inch-long clitoris they use to have intercourse with and release semen. I just need to knock her out and capture her.”
“Okay,” said Gatril. “You know Kiran, you’re starting to sound like a real sexplorer.”
“No,” said Kiran. “I always ask nicely for their queex first. The last beast was killing and eating innocent people, like the popobawa are. I’ve never killed anyone either.”
Gatril didn’t protest any further, but said, “Well we better get some rest. I think it’s best we do it tomorrow night after we’ve recovered.”
“You’re both welcome to stay with me if you want,” said Aparna. “I have enough space in my room that I booked.”
“Really? Thanks!” said Kiran.
“No problem,” said Aparna. “It’s a pleasure to help a fellow practitioner of magic.”
Gatril groaned and rubbed her head. “Ah, I’m not too fancying going into human territory every minute. I know this question might sound off topic, but isn’t there a place where humans and beasts get together?”
Kiran folded his arms and looked at the ground as he tried to figure out something that could help. “Hmph.” Kiran unfolded his arms and looked at the two women. “There’s a place called a Furshack where humans and beasts meet, but that’s way on the north coast where the ships dock. Even if we could afford to refuel my quacycle, it will take around five days to reach there.”
Gatril frowned. “Nah, forget it. We don’t have enough resources or tools to defend ourselves. Let’s just finish up with your task and then we’ll get a move on. I’ll just stick around here by myself.”
“Are you serious?” said Kiran.
“Boy,” said Gatril, “I’ve been living on my own for years. This won’t be anything.” Gatril abruptly pulled close and whispered in his ear. “Now go and have some fun with your new friend here. But make sure she washes the semen out of her mouth first.”
Kiran frowned at her. “Really, Gatril?”
“Stop being a wimp and let’s get going,” Gatril said, walking back to the quacycle with the others.
Kiran towed the vehicle next to him in a walking pace with the two females. Once they were close to the town, Gatril gestured a few trees that she would mark as the checkpoint for Kiran to meet her outside.
Aparna took Kiran by the hand and lead him through the streets, careful to avoid the prostitutes, police, back-alley merchants and other unscrupulous characters lurking about. Kiran’s interest in his new, taller companion wasn’t subtle either, as he kept sneaking stares at her face and chest. But it wasn’t by the influence of his hormones either, for he wondered what kind of magic she possessed in her arsenal.
They came to a white building that was the inn. Inside Aparna showed the receptionist her key and they allowed her and Kiran upstairs to the rooms.
“Right here, Kiran,” Aparna said as she brought them to a door at the end of the hallway, next to a window that glowed white from the sunlight.
Aparna opened the door and they went inside. The walls were made from clay, polished and painted in a beige color. The caretakers had put more effort in making the walls and ceiling more ornate, and the room carried a sweet scent of vanilla.
Aparna turned to Kiran and said as she took off her knapsack and cloak, “Make yourself comfortable.”
“…Sure.” Kiran put down his knapsack on the table next to Aparna’s and took off his shoes.
He saw that one of the beds was untouched and chose that one to lay down in—and abruptly looked up when he saw Aparna stripping down to nothing but her underwear. Aparna’s slender frame manage to have enough curves to entice Kiran, and her bottom, though small, was well rounded.
Kiran realized his eyes weren’t coming off her and he closed them, finally looking away. Aparna hung her clothes on a rack and took out a beaded necklace from a drawer. “So Kiran,” she said, sitting on the other bed and looking across at him, “what kind of spells have you gathered so far?”
Kiran, relieved they had a productive conversation at hand, reached for his staff at the bedside and showed her the orbs. “These are all hardened queex from monsters. This is Gatril’s, this is from a lamia and the other is from a Riverwench.”
“You really fought a Riverwench?” Aparna said.
“Sure did,” said Kiran. “The first orb is a force-counter spell. The second one is an earth-pillar spell, and the third pulls water from the atmosphere; for when I’m travelling and run out of something to drink.”
“That’s resourceful,” said Aparna. “You know, those spells can be created in other ways with similar materials, right?”
“I know,” said Kiran. “But my grandfather told me that in the old days, before magic merchants got tons of the materials and started selling it, wizards had to find their ingredients the old fashion way. And my grandfather says I’ll need the combat experience.”
“Doing it old school, huh?” Aparna said.
“Yep,” Kiran replied. “So what kind of spell do you have?”
Aparna gestured with the necklace. “Mostly charms, like this one. It wards off hexes from other people. Each of these white beads can absorb a hex, but they turn to dust afterwards. In that case I would need to make a new one. I had to buy the ingredients for this once. It costed a lot, so that’s why I’m trying the old school way, like you.”
“Okay,” he said. “And the zebra semen, what will you do with that?”
Aparna said, “If I add some sand and onions, I can harden it into a crystal that will enable me to sense vibrations on solid surfaces.”
Kiran realized something about the two spells Aparna mentioned, something he read about and also told to him by his grandfather. “Aparna, your spells, they’re passive ones, aren’t they?”
“That’s right,” she said, amused Kiran was able to deduce it. “These spells actively feed off the user’s spirit energy and are active even when the user doesn’t think about it, so long as their spirit energy has not been diminished. While active ones, like your force-counter and earth-pillar, rely on you to command it in your mind and channel your spirit energy manually. But the Witching Tournament is also about flashy spells, so my next two will give me enhanced strength and the ability to make things float.”
“It looks like you’re going for a close-combat type of combination,” said Kiran.
“It is,” said Aparna, getting up. “I’m going to brush my teeth. I have a spell book on the table you can check out if you want.”
“Oh, nice!” Kiran leapt up and towards the table. He snatched up the book and fell back in the bed.
Kiran studied the texts in the book until Aparna got back. They delved into a conversation about which kind of magic combination was the most efficient, and recalled the most famous magic practitioners of past. No sex was brought up, not that Kiran was feeling particularly lusty, but more than once Gatril crossed his mind.
Three hours later they left the inn and decided to scout out the location of the forest, moving on foot to conserve the fuel of Kiran’s quacycle. Though Kiran walked around with Aparna, there were a few other foreigners in the town as well, easterners like Aparna and northerners whose light skin made them stand out like a giraffe amongst zebras.
Within little over half an hour they were able to find the street that ran from the heart of the town and into the forest. It also bore a small police port, were a few officers were stationed as lookout for potential smugglers and monsters, even incorporating a tower for an enhanced point of view.
Kiran and Aparna slowed their approach as an officer came to meet them. Kiran noticed his eyes paid more attention to Aparna, but he wasn’t surprised.
“Good afternoon children,” said the officer. “Where are you both headed?”
“Sir,” said Kiran, and the man switched his lustful gaze from Aparna to an annoyed one when he saw Kiran. “My name is Kiran Kehomba. I’m a sorcerer in training. I’ve come from my town to try and find popobawa parts for my spell. My friend her is accompanying me.”
“My name is Aparna,” she said. “I’m also a sorceress. We’re both trying to find resources to enter the Witching Tournament. I have a permit to enter this country and participate if you’d like to see.”
“Sure,” said the officer, “let me have them.”
Kiran and Aparna took out their IDs, and the officer gave Kiran’s a quick glance and handed it back to him. However, he carefully ran his fingers over Aparna’s hand as he took hers. She frowned and wiped her hands in her clothes, but the officer merely cackled and looked at her identification. “Aparna Borasing. Gabanyese, eh?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Are we allowed to venture into the forest, sir?” said Kiran.
“…We don’t recommend it,” the man said thoughtfully. “If you do enter the forest however, you’ll have to sign a contract with the authorities giving your consent to be the ones solely responsible for your own wellbeing.”
“Sure,” said Kiran. “We’ll sign once we’re coming back. Come on Aparna.”
The young woman snatched her ID from the officer and followed Kiran back into town. They decided to take a walk along one of the factories to explore how far the advancements in technology in the country had gone.
The facility was surrounded by a large fence of wooden posts, and through the large open door, the two could see trolleys and small carts carrying hunks of metal to and from the back.
Kiran looked up at the sign which read “Okoyo’s Engine Repair Service”. “Do you think they made a spell that can combine magic and machines?” said Kiran.
“Not to my knowledge,” said Aparna. “I don’t think that would even be allowed in the tournament either.”
“Would’ve been cool though,” Kiran said. “I know you have knights who are good at using gadgets.”
“Gadgets malfunction, spells don’t,” Aparna snapped. “Let’s go already. I still need to get the tingle of that policeman off me.”
Kiran shrugged and continued with Aparna back to the inn. While Kiran studied his book of spells once more, Aparna was just about finished with her knew spell, having gathered the ingredients to mix with the zebra semen and turn into an orb. She had a large bracelet with three sockets, one of which she fitted the orb into. Aparna channeled her spirit energy into the stone and locked the bracelet around her foot.
“Okay, all done,” said Aparna.
Kiran closed the book and sat up. “Okay. Let’s go see what Gatril’s up to.”
The two took his quacycle and rode out of the town. On the outskirts they made their way to the set of trees Gatril had indicated to them, only to find a giant, round mass of branches bent and woven into a nest.
“What in the world is that?” said Aparna.
“Don’t worry,” said Kiran as he parked his vehicle outside from the structure. “I think she just made a house.”
They got off and walked towards the nest, though Aparna kept a cautious distance behind Kiran. The boy turned on a new lantern he bought and carefully brought its light close to the entrance of the nest. “Gatril…?”
“What?” The voice came from behind them, and both humans spun around hysterically to see Gatril falling from the tree.
“G-Gatril!” Kiran said. “Don’t scare us like that!”
“That wasn’t nice, dragon,” said Aparna, her hand on the grip of her gun. “I could’ve shot you.”
“If you did, I would’ve bitten your head off.” And Gatril smiled, displaying her formidable teeth.
Kiran quickly went between them and said, “Hey, you two knock it off. We just came here to see how you are Gatril.”
“Check this out Kiran,” said Gatril. She turned away from everyone, inhaled briefly, and exhaled from her throat a stream of cloudy, green substance in the air. Kiran and Aparna got a whiff of it and immediately felt their heads going fuzzy and their knees buckling.
“Gyaaah!” Kiran covered his nose and hurried out of the mist. He fell on his knees. “G-Gatril, what is this stuff?”
Aparna fell on her bottom, wrapping her mouth and nose with her cloak.
Gatril was all smiles despite the unhealthy predicament of her comrades. “You guys like it? It’s a special plant I ate. Bosdrakes have the ability to regurgitate specific chemicals in the food we eat.”
As the green fog disappeared, Kiran and Aparna rose to their feet, taking deep breaths so their lungs could recover.
“You could’ve at least given us a warning,” said Aparna.
“That would’ve spoiled the surprise,” said Gatril. “Kiran, did you bring any food?”
“…Yeah,” he said. He handed her the basket.
Gatril took it and flung the top open. “Hmmm, pork,” she said, the fragrance immediately watering her mouth.
“We better leave fun time for tomorrow night,” said Kiran. “We’ll need all our strength against the popobawa. I’ll sleep out here with you tonight just to make sure we’re safe.”
“I told you already, I don’t need your company,” said Gatril.
“It’s not up for discussion.” Kiran crept into the nest and carefully placed the lantern in the center of the floor of matted leaves. He put his knapsack in the corner along with Gatril’s small items.
“Excuse me,” said Aparna. “What do you two mean by, funtime?”
Gatril swallowed the piece of meat in her mouth and said, “Sex.”
“…I see,” said Aparna. “You two seem to have quiet the relationship.”
“We’re just friends with benefits,” said Gatril.
Aparna made a lopsided grin. “He’s a really good friend to be staying out here around predators with a dragon.”
Aparna’s words slipped into Gatril’s ears like a salted worm, wriggling about and stirring up unwanted thoughts—thoughts she didn’t want to entertain. “He’s a good human. That’s why I’m following him. Now are you going to come inside or not?”
“I’ll head back to the inn,” said Aparna, a slick smile on her lips.
“Good,” said Gatril. “Now go away and leave me and my friend alone.”
Aparna chuckled and made her way back to the town.
The following evening, Kiran went back in town to pick up fuel for his quacycle, and on his way out he fetched Aparna. He returned with her to Gatril’s hut, getting her to add the final piece to his party. The trio rode around town, testing the limits of the single large seat with the women behind Kiran; Gatril in the center. As a result, their weight made their pace slow, but they had intended to pay keen attention to their surroundings.
Along with the lantern Kiran had placed at the front of his vehicle, Aparna steadily held a torch in her hand despite the slight bumps on the road. Gatril’s keen sense of smell, sight and hearing would also alert them to anyone their lights couldn’t reveal. Despite a few critters and the croaks and chirps of the nocturnal residents, they found nothing out of the ordinary.
“We’re here,” said Kiran as they reached the cluster of trees. Darkness stared back at them, silent and waiting.
“We should stop here and set up bait,” said Aparna.
Kiran said, “Good idea,” and proceeded to park the vehicle in the grass along the path.
Kiran went to the back of the quacycle and took out the items needed to attract the popobawa.
The popobawas were beings with an appetite for blood, so Kiran took out a jar of cow’s blood and poured it into a bucket, enhancing the fragrance with special chemicals. Gatril helped to place it on a large piece of wood similar to a rat trap, only instead of throwing over an iron bar to crush whatever would take the bait, it had a hollow holder container a powdered plant that would be launched at the unsuspecting victim. The powder of the plant would then paralyze the target when inhaled.
They carried the trap a few yards into the forest, knowing the popobawa wouldn’t want to venture out of its cover, and quickly sprinted out of the trees before their prey caught on to them.
Kiran, Gatril and Aparna crouched in a nearby brush, silently waiting on the popobawa to take the bait.
“How long will we have to be here?” said Gatril.
“I don’t know,” said Kiran.
They heard and abrupt sound. A creaking one of sorts. It struck them silent, and they strained their ears.
Aparna said, “That…sounded like the trap, Kiran.”
“Already?” Kiran sounded incredulous.
Gatril, unlike the humans, immediately realized what was going on. “It’s the trap alright, but way too soon. Something must’ve seen us coming—or has been waiting on us.”
“W-What?” Kiran sounded panicky. “B-But who?”
Something landed before them. They sprung up and scattered themselves to get room to commence battle.
“What the hell was that?” Kiran said. He quickly switched on the lantern, revealing the bucket of blood.
“It threw the bucket back!” Aparna said.
Gatril went to Kiran and took the lantern from him. “What are you doing?” he said.
Gatril ignored Kiran and tossed it in the grass near the trees. With the dry weather they were having, the ground quickly caught fire. Gatril retreated with the others, waiting impatiently as adrenaline surged through her veins.
“Come on you bastard,” Gatril sneered.
Then their adversary walked into the light, his formed revealed. The officer from the forest lookout post.
“You!” Kiran said.
“I knew I felt something off about him,” said Aparna.
The officer didn’t have any firearms, but then again what fun would they be? He was all smiles as he waltz towards them. “I told you children it was not a good idea to come into the forest. Now I’ll have to show you why.”
Gatril stood before Kiran, bearing her teeth. “Kiran, get back and use that spell of yours. Aparna, can you fight?”
Aparna took off her cloak and took out her revolver and knife. “I wouldn’t have been here if I couldn’t.”
Kiran kept his focus and channeled his spirit energy into his staff. “Popobawa!” he said. “I came here only for your queex. If you can masturbate and give it to me, I can give you anything else in return but us!”
“Oh, boy, but I do want you all,” he said. The man’s body suddenly gave off a dark mist and broke apart, recombining into a lanky figure with gruesomely sharp claws on its hands and feet, and dark hair swaying off her head with the texture of bristles.
The shape was undeniably feminine; a small waist with wide hips, and ample breasts. Her face had a single red eye glaring at them like hot coal, above a half-open mouth filled with sharp teeth. Her ears were pointy, her skin of a reddish hue, and striking, membranous black wings sprouted out of her back like the cursed sails of an old, lost ship.
Kiran clenched his ass cheeks. “Yeeek!”
“I’ll drink your blood and screw you all!” the popobawa said, and her clitoris abruptly swelled until it resembled a throbbing phallus.
“Attack!” said Gatril, lunging at the popobawa.
She leapt over the bosdrake and struck her in the back with her foot. Gatril winced and fell, but got up and leaped at her once more. The popobawa attacked but Gatril slammed her tail into the popobawa’s thigh.
The bat-creature yelled and took to the sky with a flap of her wings, cackling dreadfully as she zipped through the air. The popobawa dove at them with the intended vice-grip of her talons, forcing the trio into a frantic duck-for-cover scenario.
Gatril and Aparna tried to counter with acid and gunfire, but the popobawa was too fast for their attacks.
The flying attacker came after Kiran, and the boy ducked and fell. He still clung to his staff, pulling water from the air into a huge ball that had already grown as big as himself.
“Everyone!” said Gatril. “I’ll use my stun-fog! Cover your noses!”
Gatril predicted the popobawa had become quite comfortable in her swooping technique, and if she could just execute it when the popobawa was in her descent, it would affix her into a dive right into Gatril’s attack.
But the popobawa struck first, vomiting a dark smog. She flew in a circle around them to completely shroud them in the black smoke.
Aparna fanned the substance from her face and pulled her blouse over her nose. She turned to Kiran, but his form immediately became obscured. “Kiran!”
“Gatril? Aparna?” Kiran called to his friends, but could only hear them. He could vaguely make out the massive sphere of water before him.
Almost ready, he thought.
Not even Gatril’s feral eyes could penetrate the darkness, yet alone that of the humans. But the popobawa’s single eye was specifically designed for such a task, able to clearly discern their body temperature and shape.
And Kiran was the perfect option for the popobawa. The popobawa snatched him by his shoulders and hoisted him into the air.
“Uhh! Help! Let go of me!” Kiran kicked but his thrashing was piddly compared to the strength of the popobawa.
“Don’t worry!” the popobawa said. “You’ll be screaming a whole lot when I bust open that ass of yours.”
Below, Kiran could see the smoke clearing, and the flames continuing to spread. No! Kiran thought. I got everyone into this mess! I should be able to save myself!
Kiran felt his spirit energy depleting, but the water he gathered was enough. He launched the liquid sphere over his head and it shuddered, bulged and popped.
Water fell in huge droplets with the force of stones. They splattered upon the popobawa, continuously pushing her down and hitting against her wings—just as Kiran had planned earlier.
The popobawa swore and snarled. “Blast! You damn boy!”
Kiran clutched the staff and wailed upon her repeatedly. “Let go of me!” he said.
When the smoke cleared, Gatril saw the two in the air struggling. “Shit…” She tried to come up with a plan and turned to Aparna for assistance.
However, the young woman seemed to have been a step ahead of her.
Resting her shooting arm on her other for support, Aparna used the last light of the vanquishing flames to aid her sight as she aimed at the popobawa. Once she had him in her sights, she smiled. “One point for me,” she said
Aparna fired.
The muzzle flashed.
The bullet found its mark, and the popobawa screamed,