"YYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!"
Lucas, Isabel and Dr. Escudero turned to look at the temple after hearing that dreadful screech. Even Ikta was intimidated and felt the urge to flee from there, but she didn't. Her sister was still inside. No ordinary animal could have produced such a chilling sound. It was evident that something strange had happened in that place.
"What the heck was that...!?", Isabel asked frightened.
"Nothing good, I'm sure...", Grandpa said worried.
"Oh my! Ye think the girls are okay? I dinnae wanna think if something bad happened to them... oh please, Lord...", she said clasping her hands together to pray for Y'shaati and Uyari.
"Easy woman! Don't worry, I'm sure they're fine... they can handle it. I'm afraid we can't do anything but wait here...", the old man said trying to calm her down. But Lucas looked uneasy and hesitant. He could sense that things were not going to be all right as his grandfather claimed. His heart was telling him that he had to do something now.
"I... I don't like this. I... I gotta go there and look out for them...", the boy said.
"Are ye oot yer face!? How can ye even think of saying that!? Ye can forget about that idea right now, dear! I ain't gonna lose ye again, ya ken!?", Isabel exclaimed very anxious. Lucas remained silent as he picked up a mercenary's pistol from the ground.
"Lucas!? Lucas, I'm talking to ya! I’ll gie ye a skelpit lug, I swear!!", she shouted in desperation to stop him.
"I'm sorry! But I can't just stand here and do nothing! Miss Uyari risked her life before to protect us! Y'shaati risked her life today to save Grandpa... but who's there to protect them? Wouldn't you do the same for me? This can't go on like this! Not anymore!", he sentenced.
"Archie, are ya listening to yer grandson!? Yer not gonna say anything to him!? Huh...? Archie!!", Dr. Escudero approached the boy as he prepared to enter. He seemed to be very calm with his decision. He put a hand on his shoulder and looked him straight in the eye.
"You're doing this for Y'shaati, isn't? You're in love with her, aren't you?", the old man whispered with an unexpected smile.
"Uhh... well... I think so. Yeah. I like her a lot...", Lucas confessed while looking down blushing.
"Heh. That's my boy. You've matured a lot since the day you met that girl. She made you a better person. I'd like to say that I had something to do with it, but the truth is that you did it on your own. And I'm very proud of the young man you've become. Never forget it. Well, what are you waiting for? Go get your girl, my boy!", he said with a wink.
"Ah! Yes, I will! Thank you so much, Grandpa! I won't let you down again!"
Without wasting more time, Lucas put the gun behind his pants and ran to enter the lost temple. Seeing this, Isabel almost fainted. Luckily, Grandpa was by her side to hold her.
"Whoa, careful there! Are you feeling well?"
"Och... one of these days... I'm really gonna die of a heart attack... and it will be yer fault, ya bampots!"
Once in, Lucas walked through the corridors, noticing the traces of blood on the floor. The girls were the only ones barefoot, so surely those footprints belonged to them. He thought that if he followed them, he might be able to track their whereabouts. As he went on, the boy couldn't help but feel fear as he saw the horrible deaths the mercenaries suffered. He knew the same thing could happen to him, but the boy didn't plan on backing down this time. He was afraid, as always. But now he had someone to be brave for. That feral blonde was his whole reason to face his inner demons. Thanks to her, he could now become a true hero.
"(I mustn't run away... I mustn't run away...)", he repeated in his mind to give himself courage as he made his way through the hallway filled with corpses.
/////////////
Inside the secret chamber, Marco couldn't believe his eyes. Faucault remained on his knees shaking, sweating and breathing heavily after producing that inhuman roar. His entire body was radiating some kind of white steam. But the most disturbing detail was that his muscles began to swell so grotesquely that the man now looked like a giant. Because of this, much of his attire had been torn apart and some nasty purple veins could be seen pulsating on his chest, neck and back. The girls, on the other hand, were still unconscious and tied up in a corner.
"B-B-Boss...?", Marco whispered nervously.
"Argghhh... gggghhhh... ahhhh... ahhhh... what's this...? What's happening to me...!?", the mercenary muttered as he checked the large new size of his hands. The amazonite looked tiny in his palm, not to mention that his voice now had a much deeper tone. It almost sounded like snarls.
"Holy fuck... are you okay?", the boy asked. "That... that same thing almost happened to me. I told you it was no joke, that shit is dangerous! You should get rid of it as soon as possible...", he suggested, but Faucault ignored him.
"Uhm... boss...?", he asked again. However, Faucault was mesmerized almost in a trance-like state by something evil. A sinister voice that only he could hear and that it came directly from the cursed jewel.
"YOU... YOOOOOOUUUUUU..."
"Ahhhh!? W-who's there!?"
"CONSUME... COOOOOONNNNNNSUUUUUUUUUUME..."
"W-what...!?"
"FEED MEEEEEEEEEEEEE..."
"What the hell are you...?"
"CONSUME... I SHALL GRANT... POWER... I SHALL GRANT... EYE AND CLAW..."
"Aaaaaaaaahhh!!! What are you doing!? YAAAAAAAAARRRGGHHHH!!!", Faucault cried out in pain as the amazonite suddenly embedded itself right into his chest and began to penetrate his skin like a drill until it was fully assimilated by his body. He could feel a dark entity taking over his will.
"Aaaaarrrrgghhhhhh!!! Nooooooo stoooooop it!!! Please!!! Please... just... stop... I... can't... uhhhh..."
"CONSUME... CONSUME IT ALL..."
"I... I... will... consume..."
"FEED ME... FLESH AND BLOOD..."
"I will... feed..."
"FEED ME... WITH DEATH..."
"I shall feed... with death!"
Just then, the statuesque mercenary got up from the ground and started walking towards Marco and the girls. At the same time, a foul cloud of brown breath began to come out of his mouth. His gaze seemed vacuous, with no sign of emotion or reasoning, as if he had been completely possessed by someone or something. Now he was nothing more than a mindless puppet. The man he used to be had disappeared.
"Boss... what are you planning to do...?" the boy said, taking steps back. "S-stop right there! Answer me!"
"I... will... consume... Hraaaoogggh.... GOOOAAAAAWWRRR!!!", Faucault roared like an enraged animal before picking up his pace.
"No wait wait wait!!! Ahhhhh!!!", Marco screamed in terror. However, at that moment, a bullet pierced through Faucault's chest. The mercenary suddenly stopped his march to check his wound. A second later, he was shot twice more. His pectorals were bleeding. Surprised, the blond boy turned around to see who had intervened.
"What the... Lucas!?", he exclaimed dumbfounded.
"Hey, what the hell happened to that guy...!? W-what's going on here!?", Lucas asked trembling as he kept aiming his pistol at Faucault.
"He's gone mad! Shoot him again!", Marco demanded.
"Must consume... GRRRRGHHH!!", the man-turned beast emitted another growl.
"Stay away, you monster!", Lucas exclaimed before shooting him several more times. But the mercenary was still alive and roaring. Not even bullets were able to stop him. The last option was to give him a lethal shot right in the head.
"I will... consume it all... YEEEEAAAAAOOOWW!!!", Faucault howled so loudly that he dislocated his jaw.
"This is for everything you did to us... and all the good people you killed... die you bastard!!", the boy shouted before giving him one last shot right in the forehead.
"AAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH...", the giant man fell, shaking the place as he made contact with the ground. A pool of blood began to ooze from his head. His muscles were still twitching, but he was apparently dead. Against all odds, Lucas had managed to defeat the monster. Both boys came over to inspect his body.
"Is he dead?", Lucas asked.
"Surely... no one can survive something like that. Nice shot...", Marco replied. "Tell me, what are you doing here?"
"I felt that Y'shaati and miss Uyari were in danger so I came to... oh crap, I almost forgot! Where are they!?"
"Oh, they are over there. But I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Luc. Hehehe...", Marco said suspiciously.
"Wait what-", Lucas was interrupted with a hard punch in the face.
"Argh... what the hell is your problem!?", Lucas asked wiping the blood from one of his lips.
"The boss promised me a treasure and wealth! But alas, it was only lies... the amazonite turned out to be a disappointment. I wasn't planning to leave this damned jungle empty-handed! But I see that's not gonna be possible... I have to make this trip worthwhile...", he said with an evil grin.
"You're still at it? God... you're such a sick degenerate...", Lucas said knowing what he meant by that.
"Hey, I'm not gonna hurt them. I'm just gonna have a little fun with these two beautiful savage girls. I Don't think they will oppose me in that state... they might even enjoy it, hahahahaha!!"
"And you think I'll let you abuse them!?", Lucas said clenching his fists.
"What are you gonna do, smart guy? You gonna shoot me too? HAHAHAHAHAH.... ARGH!!!", Marco was punched hard in the mouth as he laughed.
"No... I won't shoot you. That's something you certainly would do to me, but I won't stoop to your level. I'm just going to give you the beating I should have given you a long time ago! I'm not afraid of you anymore. The years of terrorizing me end today!"
"Grrrrrrr!! You're a dead man, Lucas!!"
After many years of hating each other, the day when the two boys would settle things and confront each other had finally arrived. They began to struggle just a few meters away from Faucault's inert body. The boys took turns hitting each other with heavy punches and kicks in the purest style of a street fight. Both held on to each other's shirts and ties to better aim the blows. However, Marco's strength was superior to Lucas', so the latter started to feel overwhelmed.
"That's all you've got? Don't make me laugh!", Marco said while pushing Lucas against the wall and starting to strangle him with one arm. But Lucas thought fast and kneed him hard in the crotch.
"Hnnngggghh...!!!", Marco groaned. Lucas countered with a headbutt to free himself. With that attack his glasses broke a little, but he didn't mind at all. A few pieces of glass wedged into the blond boy's face.
"Heh! I've wanted to do that for a long time!", Lucas said with blood dripping from his forehead. Marco touched his face, shocked.
"My face!! You fucker!!", Marco exclaimed before tackling Lucas. Both boys fell to the ground. There, Marco tried to take from Lucas the gun he was hiding in his pants. He really wanted to kill him at that moment. Lucas tried to get him off in any way he could, so he bit one of his hands when he had the chance.
"Agh!!! Let go off me you idiot!", Marco ordered whipping Lucas' head against the floor made of rock. Lucas was stunned for a few seconds. However, the blond boy succeeded in his task and snatched the weapon from him. He was in serious trouble now.
"I see the wild blondie taught you some of her dirty tactics... but this is as far as you got, Luc...", Marco whispered pointing the gun at his throat. Lucas remained motionless, but discreetly reached into one of his pockets.
"Aargh! Damn you... you're no different than Faucault! You deserve the worst! You're not going to get away with this!", Lucas shouted angry.
"Those are gonna be your last words? Very well... this is farewell, then. Don't worry, I'll take good care of the girls, hahahaha!!!", Marco bragged as he pulled the trigger. But no bullet came out of from it.
"Ah!? What!?", Marco gasped.
"You really think I didn't count the bullets...?", Lucas said before pulling his hand out of his pocket holding his little knife. With a swift movement, he stabbed Marco on his left side.
"Aghh! Ahhhh... ahhh... you... m-motherfu... how could you...? Grrgh...!", Marco moaned, falling to the side as he covered his wound. The stab wasn't fatal, but he definitely couldn't continue fighting in that condition. Lucas had won the fight.
"I knew you would try to do that... I know you too well. I almost feel sorry for you. You're not going to die, but I hope you learned your lesson...", Lucas said, getting up. Immediately he walked over to aid the guardian girls. He bent down to untie them and tried to wake them up.
"Y'shaati, miss Uyari! Are you all right? Come to your senses, please!", the boy said shaking their shoulders. Fortunately, they didn't take long to regain consciousness.
"Uhhh... Lucas...? Is that you...?", the brunette whispered as her eyes opened. "Lu...cas...?", the blonde also asked.
"Oh, thank God! Yes, it's me! Are you hurt?", Lucas asked a little more relieved.
"Pretty banged up. But nothing serious, I believe...", Uyari replied. "Head hurt...", Y'shaati pointed out. Both girls slowly rose to their feet. "Ahh! Wait... where is he? Where is that demon!?", Uyari asked very upset. Her vigor was admirable, she was ready to keep fighting despite what had happened earlier. Y'shaati also adopted an alert pose.
"No it's okay! It's over... I managed to finish him off. I had to shoot him in the head. I also stopped Marco from doing bad things to you... oh I believe this belongs to you...", Lucas said with a slight smile and giving her back her knife. "Bad things...?", Y'shaati repeated confused.
"Hey thanks... wait, really!? You defeated him all by yourself?", Uyari exclaimed in disbelief. "What about the amazonite? Where is it?"
"Wait what? You actually found the amazonite!? Uhh well, uhm...", Lucas babbled. "I have no idea about that, but Faucault's body is over there...", Lucas turned back pointing with a finger. But the mercenary's corpse was gone.
"Ahhhh! W-what the heck!? It was there a while ago!", the boy said with a pale face. "He suffered some kind of... transformation. He looked like an ogre. His body was huge!". While the two were talking, Marco tried to stand up trying not to draw attention to himself, but it was useless as he was too weak for that.
"Transformation you say...?", the brunette said worried. As she approached to that point, she noted a thick trail of blood indicating that he had crawled back into the corridors of the temple. "Oh goddesses...", she peeked out a little to see if he was there.
At the end of that dark hallway, the echo of disgusting sounds could be heard from the entrance. As if a beast was chewing and crushing bones to feed itself. Indeed, Faucault was there, still alive. And that food was none other than the corpses of his former mercenary colleagues. He had gathered them all together to gorge on them like a dog. As he ate more, his already gigantic body suffered another macabre alteration. And yet, he continued eating.
"More... I'm not sated. Must consume... mooooore...", he grunted. However, he also detected a scent that attracted his attention.
"Grrghhh...? I smell it...", Just then, he turned to see exactly where Uyari was. Panicked, the dark-skinned girl quickly ducked out of sight.
"It can't be... we have to get out of here immediately!!", Uyari suggested as she backed away terrified.
"Why? What did you see!?", Lucas asked. Before she could answer, the beast ran into the secret chamber of the temple, collapsing much of the wall as he made his entrance. The appearance of the beast was finally revealed.
Faucault had become an abomination. In addition to his stature, his skin became hard as armor and completely covered with brownish fur. His eyes merged into one big yellow eye. His whole face had disappeared. Long, sharp claws like scythes grew in place of fingernails. But the most disturbing thing was the horrifying, nauseating mouth full of teeth that had emerged on his abdomen. The monster let out a thunderous roar.
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!!! What the hell is that thing!?", Lucas shouted frightened. "Ahhhh!!", Y'shaati gasped in awe.
"I don't believe it... the tales were true... it's the Mapinguari!", Uyari exclaimed.
"The Mapiwhat!?", Lucas asked. However, before she could say anything else, the brunette heard an ethereal familiar voice inside her head.
"(Cub... hear my warning, cub...)"
"Ek' Balam? Is that you?", she said closing her eyes.
"(You and your companions are in grave danger...)"
"Oh believe me, we're very aware of that already!", she grumbled.
"(You must flee in the act. The ancient evil has awaken once again, and Mura Nunka will be no more very soon... make haste!)"
"What? But our mission..."
"(No time for discussions now! Follow my guidance!)"
Just then, the Mapinguari ran towards them with open arms, destroying the pillars of the chamber in the process, just as Ek' Balam predicted.
"Look out!!", before it could crush them, Uyari pushed both the boy and the blonde away to save them. Dodging the charge, the abomination crashed hard into the wall, destroying the mural and the pedestal where the amazonite originally stood, causing a large amount of debris to fall from the ceiling. The temple's structure shook violently. It seemed that it wasn't going to resist much longer. The monster remained stunned for a few seconds.
"Are you two all right? We have to get out of here! This whole place will fall apart! Come on!", Uyari suggested.
"Alright! Let's go Y'shaati!", Lucas said taking the feral girl by the hand. As they left, Marco asked for help from the other side of the chamber, still struggling to stand up.
"Noooo!! Wait for me!! Don't you dare to leave me here, please!! Help me!! HELP MEEEEEEEE!!!", the injured boy pleaded for the last time. Coincidentally, a large chunk of debris fell on him, burying him completely. Suddenly, the entire chamber collapsed, raising a cloud of dust that enveloped everything in darkness. What until recently was considered a shrine had now become a mortal tomb.
/////////////
Outside the temple, Dr. Escudero, Dr. Isabel and Ikta were still expecting a sign of the young ones. Their wait came to an end when Grandpa managed to see three people leaving the temple at top speed.
"Isabel, look! Here they come! They did it! They really did it! I knew the would make it! Yeehaw!!", the old man said with a big smile while embracing the woman. "Yaldi! Those are my sweat dearies! Thank ye, Lord!!", Isabel said gratefully to the skies. However, their celebration didn't last long.
"GET IN THE BOAT!! HE'S COMING AT US!! WE HAVE TO LEAVE RIGHT NOW!!", Lucas shouted waving his arms as he ran alongside the girls.
"What, what's coming!?", Grandpa asked puzzled. Just then, the Mapinguari came out of the temple roaring and chasing them. The monster had suffered no damage from the collapse. "Ahhh, you gotta be kidding me!!", both Isabel and Grandpa exclaimed in unison.
"Start up the boat and escape through the tunnel! All of you!", Uyari ordered as they arrived. "Y'shaati, we need to distract him so they all can make it! This is it! Our time has come! Are you with me?", she asked as the monster drew closer with every second. "Y'shaati fight!", the blonde accepted.
"Hold on... where's Ikta!?", the brunette asked worried looking around. Unexpectedly, the jaguar appeared from behind, taking a great leap over everyone's heads and sprinted into the Mapinguari's path. The Onsa growled and pounced the monstrosity with all her strength, making him stop.
"No!! Ikta!! It's too dangerous!!", Uyari screamed fearing for her beloved sister's life. They all watched the huge feline boldly battling the fiend. She was biting and lacerating fiercely at the Mapinguari's back with her powerful claws. She was quick with her attacks, but none of them managed to really hurt its armor-like skin. In an instant, the Mapinguari finally managed to defend itself and give Ikta a savage swipe. The Onsa fell to the ground.
"Noooooo!! Leave my sister alone!!", the dark-skinned girl ran to aid the black jaguar while the monster opened its heinous mouth to devour Ikta. But before that could happen, another unforeseen event occurred. From the deep water, a bunch of piranhas began to jump out to attack the Mapinguari. The small predators soon covered its body almost entirely. In addition to that, some giant bats from the tunnel flew towards the creature and also joined the assault, siking their sharp fangs into it to suck its blood. The Mapinguari was overwhelmed. Ikta took advantage of that moment to rise and and get to safety with her sister.
"Ikta! By the gods, don't you ever do that again! Oh, I'm glad you're okay...", Uyari hugged the feline's head to comfort her. She purred.
"What's going on? The animals are attacking him... are they on our side!?", Lucas asked. "I guess it's just the law of the jungle, after all... eat or be eaten...", Dr. Escudero mentioned.
"I willnae stay to find out... but one thing I'm sure of, they're buying us precious bloody time! Quick, we should go!", Isabel mentioned as she boarded the boat. "Archie, do you know how to drive this thing?", she asked.
"Uh no, but there's a first time for everything... all aboard!", Grandpa answered. Without wasting any more time, they all boarded the deck while Dr. Escudero and Isabel went to the cockpit to figure out how to start the engine.
Meanwhile, the beasts of Mura Nunka continued to attack the monster. But it was far from being defeated and what's worse, it still had an ace up its sleeve. The abomination began to suck in a large amount of air, inflating its chest like a big balloon. And then, the Mapinguari exhaled an extremely pestilent and nauseating yellowish cloud of breath from the mouth of its abdomen. The piranhas and bats were caught off guard and couldn't avoid inhaling the fetid fog. It was so caustic, so corrosive that they all fell to the ground convulsing and dying instantly. Not even the insects flying around resisted the pest. The monster didn't miss the opportunity to eat the corpses.
"More... mooooooore... Hrghraaghh!!", the Mapinguari murmured.
"Uhh Grandpa... if you could rev up that engine so we can leave right away that would be great!!", Lucas insisted nervously as he observed the abomination feasting upon the animals really fast.
"I-I'm trying! Let's see... it seems to me, this is... no, it's not. So then, this must be... nope this isn't either... ahhh... this perhaps..."
"ARCHIE!!", Isabel shouted right next to him.
"Yelling my name at my ear doesn't help me! Ah wait, this is the good one!", the doctor said as he finally found the right lever to make the ignition. "Here we go! Hang tight, everybody! This will be my first rodeo with this thing!"
The vehicle gradually began to advance in the water, but the Mapinguari was only a few meters away. Noticing the group's escape, the monster sprinted in an attempt to stop them. Fortunately, the monster only managed to give a slight scratch into the hull of the boat. The fiend roared frustrated as he saw his victims running away. For some unknown reason, the monster didn't dare to dive into the water to follow them.But he wasn't going to give up so easily.
As they evacuated through the dark tunnel, the group took advantage of this quiet period to catch their breath. Uyari and Lucas explained to Isabel and Dr. Escudero everything that had happened inside the temple a few minutes ago. Salvation was looking increasingly viable.
"First mercenaries... then those horrible animals. And now that bowfin... whatever that thing is! He gies me the boke! Och, when is this all gaunnae end?", Isabel sighed.
"That thing was Faucault. The Amazonite took possession of him and transformed him into the Mapinguari. A legendary being that consumes everything in its path...", Uyari mentioned while caressing Ikta's injury.
"But how is that possible?", Lucas asked intrigued.
"Legend says that hundreds of years ago, an evil shaman discovered a way to achieve immortality. But the cost he paid for it was his own humanity, as well as being condemned by the Gods to suffer an eternal and insatiable hunger as punishment. Since the shaman cannot really die, he requires a 'host' in order to continue existing in this world. His body may rot, but his soul will continue to search for a way to return. To stop this, the ancient Icamiabas used a special jewel to contain him inside of it. And then they hid it in a remote part of Amazonia so that no one could disturb its prison... until today...", the brunnette explained.
"That explains all the traps of the temple. Nice... so basically, Faucault and Marco released an old demon or ghost. Sweet jesus...", Lucas said hopeless.
"By the way, what happened to that backstabbin' snotty?", Isabel asked.
"Well... I really don't know. I mean, he was still there when the chamber started to collapse... it all happened so fast, so I'm not sure...", the boy answered. The old man looked at the ground, disappointed to hear those words as he drove the boat.
"So what's the plan now? How do we defeat the Mapinguari?", he added.
"This is something only Ikta, Y'shaati and myself will be able to do. We will have to resort to using our powers to kill him. There is no other option. We cannot allow him to roam free. Otherwise, it will devour everything he finds, causing mayhem and death throughout the jungle. Without a natural predator, he could even break the food chain and put the entire ecosystem at stake. Utter chaos...", Uyari warned.
"That... sounds terrible!", Lucas said with a pale face. "M-Monster... eat all?", Y'shaati asked concerned.
"Yes, all...", the native girl nodded.
"Apes too?", she asked again.
"Yes, most definitely. He's a threat to all living beings...", Uyari insisted. The blonde frowned.
At that point, the boat finally made it outside the stone gate of Mura Nunka. Everyone had lost track of time as they noticed that it was already dusk. The sky was painted with reddish and orange tones, like a bad omen of what was about to happen. The river was open to continue sailing and return home, but behind them, the menace loomed. With uncanny agility, the Mapinguari followed them crawling along the tunnel walls and staying away from the water.
"He managed to catch up to us!? He's relentless!! Step on it, Grandpa!!", Lucas said as the creature approached, hopping from rock to rock.
"N-No good... we're already at full throttle!", Dr. Escudero mentioned.
"WHAT!?", Isabel exclaimed. Just then, the monster took a big leap with which would surely make it land on the deck and destroy it completely.
"It's gonna crush us!! AAAAHHHH!!!", the boy and the woman screamed in despair, uselessly covering their heads. However, the monster was suddenly stopped.
"HYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!", Y'shaati and Uyari gave a battle cry at the same time as they both delivered a great tackle to the Mapinguari in mid air. The power of both girls was strong enough to deflect its trajectory. The three fell to one side of the river. Ikta decided to jump off the vehicle and swim to where her sister was.
"Y'shaati!! Miss Uyari!!", the boy shouted. "Nooooo, Iara!!", Isabel cried too as the boat pulled away from them. As the girls stood up, the Mapinguari also regained its composure. That attack shook him up quite a bit, but not enough to cause him any harm. The monster roared in rage, knowing that he would have to settle for just eating two small snacks and a black cat.
"I'm glad to count on you, monkey! Let's put an end to this disaster!", Uyari said to Y'shaati as both prepared for the final fight.
"Y'shaati ready!", the feral blonde agreed. Behind them, Ikta growled, ready to pounce on the monster at Uyari's signal. And so began the biggest battle the jungle had seen in recent years. The three guardians went on the attack.
/////////////
The strategy was simple: attack as a team at the same time on different points of his body. Facing it individually would inevitably end in defeat. The blonde quickly climbed up to the monster's head to hit its eye with brute force. She closed her legs and interlocked her toes to brace herself tightly. The brunette, making use of her knife, tried to do damage to the legs to reduce its mobility. Ikta jumped on the Mapinguari's back with all her weight, just like before. As long as they remained like this, the Mapinguari would have no chance to focus on any of them. The abomination tried desperately to shake them off. It also used its long tongue as an extra limb. For a few minutes the plan worked, but the damage to the Mapinguari was almost nil. No matter how hard Uyari tried to slash the monster's lower limbs, her knife wouldn't penetrate its skin. Even the black jaguar's powerful claws couldn't pierce through it. They were just wasting their strength with attacks that didn't even leave a single scratch on the monster.
"Goddesses! This isn't working! We must try another approach.... Ah!", Uyari exclaimed as the Mapinguari tried to stomp her. Its large eye was completely focused on her. As if the beast still had certain memories of Faucault's hatred and revenge against her.
"Monster... strong... aagh!", Y'shaati said while blocking the creature's vision. At that moment, the Mapinguari began to suck in and inflate its chest again. Uyari already knew what that meant.
"Get away from him! He's going to expel his toxic breath!", the dark-skinned girl said before running to a tree and climbing it for shelter. Y'shaati soon followed Uyari's warning and let go of the Mapinguari's head and jumped up to grab a vine. Ikta propelled herself to leap onto a thick branch away from the beast. In just a second, the ground was flooded with that dangerous yellowish cloud that even melted the foliage and the outer layer of the trees. Birds and small amphibians hidden all over the place died instantly. The monster roared as it searched for them in the mist. Perched in the treetops, the girls watched him from high above.
"Cough cough... that things spreads fast... ugh, the smell is unbearable... deaugh...", Uyari said covering her nose and mouth. However, the blonde seemed to be able to tolerate it.
While continuing to search for them, the Mapinguari got careless and stepped on the riverbank with one of its feet. The monster produced an unusual squeak when it made contact with the water and shook its foot to dry it. It seemed frightened about it. An unexpected reaction from the fiend. The brunette noticed this right away.
"Did you see that? It seems to be afraid of water... I think that's why he couldn't stop us in the tunnel. Maybe we can use that to our favor!", she schemed. Just then, the yellow cloud dissipated. The creature looked up, spotting their hiding place.
"He's seen us! Let's go up!", Uyari mentioned. Both girls continued to climb the branches to escape its grasp. But the Mapinguari snarled and immediately rammed the base of the tree to knock it down.
"Ah! Aaahh!!!", Uyari gasped as she stumbled by taking a wrong step. She came very close to falling, but Y'shaati with her good reflexes managed to catch her by her arm. "Whoa... thanks monkey... that was close...", she said relieved.
Down below, the beast ran rampant to knock down all the nearby trees in the same way it did with the pillars of the temple. Its huge claws shattered even the thickest trees. The girls jumped onto the vines and swung nimbly. All the jungle foliage was coming down. The destruction the Mapinguari was causing to the environment was disastrous. To avoid this, Ikta took the abomination by surprise and pounced on it. The Onsa stalled him next to the river long enough for Uyari to come up with a plan to counterattack.
"This is our chance! Let's attack it together and throw it into the water!", the native girl said as they both spun in the air and swung back to where the Mapinguari was. With the great inertia they both had, Y'shaati and Uyari quickly reached the monster. They both released their vines and extended their legs in a coordinated way to deliver a powerful double kick. Ikta moved out of the way to avoid being hit.
"Hyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!", the guardians yelled before making contact with their bare feet on the Mapinguari's chest. The abomination never saw it coming. The fiend was pushed with such force that it went rolling on the ground until it fell all the way to the riverbank. "Begone, demon!", Uyari celebrated.
The Mapinguari emitted those pitiful screeches again as it tried to dig its claws into the surface to avoid being swept away by the current. Being too heavy, he would surely drown at the bottom of the water, but unfortunately that didn't happen. The beast made it out of the river in no time. The girls landed near to fight him again. Ikta didn't miss the opportunity to attack him once again. The feline gave strong slashes on its torso, but sadly, this time the monster managed to defend itself and bit Ikta really bad with its huge mouth. Uyari observed speechless. The Mapinguari brutally shaked the Onsa until he tossed her far away. Crashing against a trunk, Ikta tried to get up, but her wounds made it impossible to do so. She cried in pain short after.
"Sister!!!", Uyari ran to aid the black jaguar. Despite their efforts, the battle seemed to be leaning in favor of the Mapinguari. Meanwhile, the creature focused on the blonde for the first time. Shocked to see what the fiend had done to Ikta, Y'shaati pounced angrily on the beast. Her naked body and azur eyes began to glow brightly.
"You're bleeding! Please forgive me... I was so careless! I shouldn't have-", the brunette said sobbing.
"(Cub! Concentrate! This is not the time to display weakness!)", Ek' Balam said manifesting his voice in her mind again.
"We're losing... we have achieved nothing... the Mapinguari is too strong! It's infernal!", she complained.
"(Incorrect! Ikta's attempt has not been in vain... watch again closely!)", the Jaguar God mentioned. Uyari turned to look. She noticed something astonishing: the Mapinguari was bleeding from its chest while dueling with Y'shaati. The feline's attack had been effective.
"Ahh! It bleeds! But how!?", she asked.
"(Your deduction was accurate. The water has somehow taken effect and softened its impervious skin, making it vulnerable. That is the key to victory! Its weakness has been unveiled! You must continue fighting alongside your partner!)," Ek' Balam said to motivate her.
"It's true... I can't let that monstrosity hurt her too!", Uyari said.
"(But beware... the girl is not in full control of her power yet. Remember that, within her soul, one of the primordials resides... and in no way should it be disturbed. Take extreme precaution...)"
"I... understand..."
"(Then access my power! Release it all, don't hold back! Make me proud for having chosen you as my vessel. I leave it in your hands for now...)"
"I will! Rest here Ikta... I will make him pay for what he did to you...", she promised petting her sister. "Ek' Balam, grant me thy mighty blessing! Eme'ẽ chéve nde pu'aka!!!"
Uyari's beautiful, sculpted ebony body glowed brightly as she produced those words. She adopted a quadrupedal stance, similar to Ikta's way of stalking. It was a sign that she was about to let out her wildest side. The emergence of the true power of the Jaguar God. Suddenly, she ran on all fours at incredible speed and made a great leap to deliver a surprise punch to the Mapinguari while he was distracted.
"Ryah!!! Ryaah!!! Ryaaah!!! Ryaaah!!! Ryaah!!!", she grunted as she delivered a swift barrage of blows direct the monster's chest. Thanks to her power, the attacks seemed to be just as strong as an onsa's claws. Her strength and agility had increased considerably. The beast had no way to stop it.
"U-Uyari...?", Y'shaati asked surprised to see her friend's new abilities.
"Ryyyaaahhh!!!", the brunette screamed as she grabbed one of the Mapinguari's massive arms. She twisted it so roughly that it looked like it would break. But the monster put up resistance. "The water made his skin soft! We must kill it before its too late!". Y'shaati understood the situation. Embracing her savage side as well, she ran up to the beast and tackled it like a gorilla, sending him off until it collided with a large rock. At last, they had succeeded in causing him harm. His arm was noticeably injured. The Mapinguari got up dazed, but still with enough energy and rage to fight.
"Ook ook ook!!", Y'shaati howled beating her breasts like an ape. "Hsssskk!!", Uyari hissed like a cat. The guardians had become like feral animals.
The Mapinguari roared and began to crush the fallen tree trunks with his arms. In doing so, he created huge balls of debris made of wood, earth and rock. Without warning, the monster hurled the objects at the girls. Despite its primitive appearance, the Mapinguari showed enough intelligence to use these things as weapons. Y'shaati and Uyari quickly dodged the projectiles. They continued to run on four limbs to avoid being easy targets. They jumped from side to side as they came closer to the Mapinguari with each movement. The abomination once again showed cunning and held two pieces of wood as a shield, waiting for the attack of both.
"That won't help you!", Uyari said before sliding under his legs as Y'shaati attacked head on. With a somersault, followed by two hard kicks, the blonde shattered the Mapinguari's defense, pulverizing its makeshift shield. Using its tongue, the beast tried to counterattack to devour her in one bite, but the monkey queen was faster and hit its one eye with a punch. He retreated several steps. At the same time, the brunette propelled herself to jump above him. In midair, she held her knife and stabbed the back of the Mapinguari's neck. Helping herself with gravity, she slid her weapon all down to its waist, making a brutal slash all over its back. The monster let out a great shriek of pain.
"RROOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHH!!!!", a huge amount of blood gushed out after the coordinated attack of the female guardians. But even that wasn't enough to kill him. Y'shaati didn't stop and continued to recklessly punch his eye with both fists. Without her expecting it, the Mapinguari seized her with its scythe-like claws and squeezed her with a bear hug.
"Aaaaaaaaggghh!!!", Y'shaati screamed. Uyari immediately tried to help her partner.
"Let her go, demon!!!", the brunette exclaimed as she leapt to attack him. But the Mapinguari surprised her by throwing Y'shaati as a projectile at Uyari. The girls crashed into each other in the air only to fall to the ground shortly after.
"Aahhh! Curses...", the native girl moaned. Seizing the advantage, the Mapinguari grabbed Uyari by her right ankle and dragged her for several meters. She held on to her knife the whole time... "Ah! Aaaahhhh!", she yelled.
"Free friend!", the blonde ordered. Then she quickly climbed the abomination's body and sat on its head again to continue beating it. To her bad luck, that didn't stop the fiend from lifting Uyari upside down to slowly lick her face and her beautiful breasts. It took its time wrapping drool around every inch of her body with its long, slimy tongue. The beast was eager for a snack and couldn't wait more to have just one bite. "Deauuughh!! Release me at once!!", the girl exclaimed in disgust, waving her knife desperately in hope of severing his muscular organ.
"I... will... consume... hrghraaaaaaaaa!!", the Mapinguari drooled and opening his nasty cavity. Uyari's eyes widened as the huge maw of the beast was about to suck her in. She started to yell but it was muffled. Her head and torso went in first. She tried to hold on to the inner walls of his snout and throat, but everything was too slippery from the thick slime and full of rows of teeth in there. Soon after, her legs and feet slid in easily. Outside, hand and foot shapes could be seen pushing on the sides of the Mapinguari's skin.
"Hyaaaaaahhhh!! Y'shaati, help me!! I don't want to end up like this!! Pleaseeeee heeeeeelp meeeeee...", Uyari screamed terrified of being devoured alive. But it was futile. The monster suddenly closed its snout, eating her completely. Y'shaati remained shocked. Motionless. In an instant, the Mapinguari shook the girl off with a strong swipe. In the distance, Ikta, weakened but conscious, also witnessed the tragic fate of her beloved little sister. A few moments later, Uyari's struggle to escape ceased. There was no more movement in the Mapinguari's belly.
Y'shaati fell to the ground. She still couldn't give credit of what her eyes just saw. The human girl, whom she had just begun to know and consider a good friend, was simply gone. This was the second time she had lost someone close to her, but broke her heart just like the first time. And yet again, she could do nothing to prevent it.
"UYARIII!!! No... no...!!", the blonde shouted horrified with tears welling up in her eyes. Oh her knees, she looked down and clenched her fists in frustration. Ikta let out a pitiful whimper for her sister.
"Grroooaaarggghhahahaha!!", the Mapinguari laughed while letting out a roar as he steadily walked towards Y'shaati, as a threat to warn her that she was next in the menu.
"Monster kill Uyari...", she said in a broken voice. "Monster... gggrrr... hhnnngggrrrr... hhhhnnnnngggrrrrr!!!", she growled and breathed agitated, absolutely furious. She squatted down, ready to pounce like an animal as she faced her enemy. The emerald glow surrounding her body intensified like a sun. The light that emitted hurt the beast's vision.
"Y'SHAATI KILL MONSTER!!!! HHHHNNNNNNGGGRRRRRR!!!!! RRRYYYYAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGHHHHH!!!!", Y'shaati let out a primal scream so loud that the sound wave made the entire jungle tremble like an earthquake. What Ek' Balam had feared was happening. The power of the primordial goddess locked in Y'shaati's body had been awakened.
In the blink of an eye, Y'shaati delivered a massive kick straight to the Mapinguari's side. Immediately, she connected another blow to the chest. Then one to the left arm. Then one to the right leg. All in less than five seconds. The monster didn't even have time to react to her movements. The monkey queen's speed had become almost supersonic. The Mapinguari spat out saliva as its bones cracked. To defend itself, the fiend inflated its chest to release its dreadful breath once more, but Y'shaati was two steps ahead and popped that bulge like a balloon with a poweful smash with two fists. A yellowish acidic substance that served as the base for his toxic gas splashed all over his huge body, burning his skin and fur in the process. A few drops also fell on the blonde's marble-like skin, burning her slightly, but she didn't even flinch at this. The beast fell backwards, writhing in pain.
"Monster die! Monster die!! Ryaaaaaaaaaaarrrghh!!", Y'shaati jumped on him and continued to beat the creature frantically. He couldn't shake her off this time. There was no escape for him. The poor girl cried and screamed as she brutally punished the Mapinguari. In her desperation to get her friend back, she stuck her arms inside his mouth and opened it wide, looking for some trace of her. Using only her hands, she tore pieces of tongue and internal flesh. The scene was disturbing and sad at the same time. Even Ikta felt fear at the sight of the girl's frenzy and uncontrolled state. But just when everything seemed lost, a small glimmer of hope appeared in front of her.
"Ahh!?", Y'shaati gasped. Deep inside its repulsive throat, Y'shaati caught a glimpse of Uyari's slime-covered soles. She was still wiggling her toes, which meant she was still alive. But being stuck in that narrow place, she was probably very close to dying of asphyxiation. Every second was vital for her survival.
"Uyari!!!", Y'shaati exclaimed in astonishment and quickly reached out to grab her by one ankle. The Mapinguari wanted to close its mouth, but it was impossible as Y'shaati was holding its jaws open with her dexterous feet.
"Ryaaaaarrrrr!!!", with much effort, the miracle happened. She finally managed to drag Uyari out of the monster. The girl fell to the ground along with Y'shaati, wrapped in slime that stretched across her limbs like a webbing, completely covered from head to toe in the disgusting saliva. She didn't respond. It seemed that it was too late. The blonde approached her and wiped her mouth and nose so she could breathe. Her glow dimmed considerably.
"Uyari... Uyari...", she sobbed as he shook her shoulders to wake her up. She tenderly caressed her face and thick curly black mane, now completely matted to her head. When one of her tears fell right on one of her cute cheeks, the brunette opened her eyes.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!! Cough cough cough cough...", Uyari inhaled deeply and coughed up a good amount of saliva. "Ugh... what... happened? Am I... dead?", she asked.
"Uyari!", Y'shaati hugged her friend. She couldn't be more grateful to life for allowing her to be with her again. She felt a sense of happiness that she had not experienced in a long time. A very different sensation compared to what she felt when she was with Lucas. She laid her ear on her chest to listen to her heart. "Uyari safe... ook ook ook...", she said.
"You... saved me... Y'shaati... I... I don't know how...", Uyari babbled. "I... I'm very... grateful... no one had ever..."
"Friends! Y'shaati protect friends...", she said smiling, holding hands with her.
"Y'shaati...", Uyari blushed. The blonde also blushed a little.
They girls lost themselves in each other's eyes for a few seconds that seemed like minutes. Everything around them faded away. It was just the two of them, sitting in the middle of the majestic jungle of Amazonia. Peace and harmony. Nothing else mattered. It was like a dream. Something very precious and difficult to explain. But the beautiful fantasy didn't last much longer.
"Goooaaaarrrgh! Grrrrgghh...", the Mapinguari roared as it tried to barely stand up. The monster's appearance was already decadent. It was bleeding everywhere and with those broken limbs it wasn't going to get very far. Its insane desire to devour was the only thing that kept it fighting. Both girls turned to look at him, annoyed.
"I'm sick of him... let's put an end to its pathetic existence once and for all, shall we?", Uyari mentioned.
"Monster die!", Y'shaati said motivated. The guardians stood up and prepared to attack him one last time. Both adopted similar quadrupedal poses and planned a final strategy.
"See that log back there? That'll finish him off...", Uyari pointed with a finger. "But you must use all the strength you have left... are you ready?", she asked. Y'shaati nodded. "On my mark... and... NOW!!"
The guardians ran at full speed towards the abomination. The Mapinguari stretched out his arms to crush them when they were within his reach. That would surely give him victory. Big mistake. The girls, instead of jumping and pouncing on it as usual, decided to aim for the creature's legs. Upon arriving, they each grabbed one of its lower limbs and pushed it back with all their power. The Mapinguari lost his balance, and because his bones were broken, he could not take any steps forward. Behind the monster's back, there was a huge piece of trunk with a very sharp point. The plan was to completely pierce the creature with that object.
"Push him!!! Hyyyaaaaaaaaaaa!!!", Uyari and Y'shaati screamed at the top of her lungs as they both surprisingly lifted the Mapinguari off the ground. The monster tried to stop it by waving its claws desperately, to no avail. The monster roared, sensing that its end was nigh. With a last effort, they carried the fiend to the tip of the trunk.
"Hoaaaarghhhh... arghhhhhh... aghhhhh... ghhh...", the monster shrieked as it felt the log piercing its chest. A cascade of blood gushed from its hideous mouth. His inner organs exploded and spilled all over the floor. Its body convulsed for a few moments until each of its muscles stiffened as it originally was. The pupil in his one eye began to dilate. The girls watched the Mapinguari's life vanishing slowly.
"We did it? Ahhh... yes. I believe we did it... that's it... it's over...", Uyari sighed relieved. A heavy weight finally lifted off her shoulders. Y'shaati inspected carefully, but everything indicated that it was definitive: the Mapinguari was dead. The threat had been erradicated. However, Y'shaati climbed the inert body of the beast. She planted her two feet firmly on its corpse.
"Hey, what are you doing?", Uyari asked confused.
"Uyari!", the blonde extended her arm for the brunette to take it and stand atop the monster with her.
"Uhh, alright then...", she stepped up. "Alright, so... what exactly are we doing?", she asked. Just then, the triumphant monkey queen beat her chest with pride and screamed out a thunderous cry of victory:
"AAAHHOOOOHHAAAAAAAAHHHHミOOOOHHHAAAAAAAHHミOOOHAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
"Oh! I understand. You couldn't resist the urge to do that, could you? I guess it's just the way you apes are, hehe... haha!", Uyari laughed. "Hmmm... I can make use of this...", before leaving, Uyari grabbed one of the Mapinguari's arms and tore off one of its claws to take it a trophy. Surely she would add it to her repertoire of weapons in the future.
After celebrating, they walked to where Ikta was resting. The feline raised her head and purred with happiness to see that her sister was safe. Uyari knelt down and gave her a big hug. Y'shaati smiled, knowing how much this huge cat meant to her.
"Ikta! I'm so glad you're okay!", Uyari said happily. The Onsa started to lick her wounds. "No, don't worry about it. There's nothing that time won't heal. You'll get well too! You'll see!", she said petting her ears. Y'shaati wanted to touch her as well, but she wasn't sure if the jaguar would allow it.
"Go ahead. Don't be afraid. She knows what you did and respects you...", Uyari encouraged her. The blonde put a hand on her fur and massaged her back. Ikta purred. "See? She likes you!", Uyari said. Just then, Ek' Balam communicated with Uyari again.
"(Well done. I'm most impressed by your performance. Thanks to you, Amazonia can rest safely...)", the jaguar god said.
"(Thank you Ek' Balam. We couldn't have done it without your wisdom!)"
"(There is no need for flattery, cub. But I'm afraid I must inform you of something important...)"
"(What's the matter?)"
"(Two humans were the perpetrators who desecrated the temple of Mura Nunka. One has been vanquished... but the other is still clinging his existence to this world. I sense signs of his life in that direction...)", Ek' Balam said referring to the dark tunnel.
"(Wait, you mean... Marco? He's still alive...?)", Uyari said in complete surprise.
/////////////
30 MINUTES LATER...
Among the debris of the secret chamber that housed the amazonite, Marco crawled out from the debris to abandon the place, feeling completely humiliated. His face was full of cuts and bruises. His body and hair was totally covered with dust. The wound on his side was still bleeding. But against all the odds, the boy wasn't dead. How he had managed to survive all the chaos was a mystery. Maybe it was pure luck. Maybe it was fate playing a trick on him. But unbeknowst to him, the time to pay for his actions was just around the corner. At that moment, someone helped him by removing a huge piece of rubble from his back.
"Ah, there you are... amazing. Ek' Balam was right. You really are no different from a little cockroach...", Uyari said mocking the pathetic state of the boy.
"Ahhhhhh... M-Miss Zé... B-Blondie... you came back for me... Oh... thank you so much...", Marco said with a low voice. Y'shaati looked at him while squatting with folded arms. She could now see through his empty words.
"Don't get your hopes up. We're not here because we want to save you. I couldn't care less about that. We came here to make justice!", the brunette said while suddenly putting her knife to his throat.
"Ahh!! W-w-why!? Agh... don't you think I've had enough after all this?!?", he asked nervous. "Come on... I was... I was just following orders! Faucault forced me to do it, I swear! I'm the real victim here!"
"Silence! Your mouth never tires of spitting out lies! Now, before I get you out of here, I need answers from you. And you better talk with the truth this time. Your miserable life depends on it...", Uyari threatened him.
"Whoa, okay okay! Just... be careful with that thing...", Marco agreed.
"You knew everything from the very beginning, don't you? Even before you arrived here in Amazonia with the others. You knew Faucault's plan. You spent a lot of time with those mercenaries, so I'm sure you must have heard something about it..."
"About what?"
"How did Faucault know about the existence of the amazonite? Who told him about it?", Uyari asked.
"What? Are you joking? I... I have no idea..."
"More lies!!", she exclaimed angered.
"Ahhh!! I-I'm telling you the truth! I-I never asked any questions! I just overheard a few conversations on the radio, that's all!", the boy admitted.
"Conversations? What were they talking about?", she asked.
"Well... uhh, not much really... but so-some mercenaries often mentioned a name... a-a man with a lot of money. I-I think he is the person who hired them all, Faucault included. He even provided them with the arsenal they smuggled in the boat...", the boy explained.
"What!? What was that name?"
"It was... Ma... Madeira. Sandro Madeira..."
"Madeira?", she said intrigued.
"That's all I know... so please... don't kill me!", Marco pleaded.
"Tch. I wasn't planning on killing you. No more blood will be shed today...."
"Really? Ooph... well... that's a relief..."
"But rest assured, you will be judged for your atrocities in a trial! I will make sure you receive a punishment equivalent to the catastrophe you have caused!"
"WHA-WHAAAAT!? EXCUSE ME!?
"Faucault paid with his life... You won't have it that easy..."
"A trial!? A-are you serious!? Pffffftttt... hahahahaha!", the boy laughed histerically with the little strength he still had. "Where the hell do you think we are!? We're in the middle of the fucking nowhere!! There are no laws here!! What are you gonna do!? Are you gonna accuse me!? You gonna turn me to the Amazonian Police Department!?", he said making fun of her words.
"Who said anything about that? The jungle itself will be your only judge, jury, and executioner...", she said whispering in his ear. Marco's cynical grin vanished instantly.
