Ha'zi reached the treeline and saw another fading glimpse of him, the figure of his father moving through the trees with speed.
The others in their haste and dealings with Cardiloc, completely neglected the absence of an innocent fifteen-year-old Haradrim boy. No one would see him disappear into the foliage.
Ha'zi, in his haste, would attempt to catch up to his father and a resulting rush through the darkness of the jungle, dashing through trees and passing nocturnal creatures like snakes, toads and other things that lurked in the rainforest brought him further away from the beach. Like he had as a boy in the jungles of Far Harad where the great Mumakils roam, he navigated his way through this dense dark forest. Just as he was about to grasp his father he tripped on a log, falling down a hill and injuring himself. When he recovered his bearings he saw, in front of him, his father, staring back. For a moment he was confused, unable to say anything. Then his father seemed to shift into smoke which enveloped him for a moment, drowning him in darkness before dissipating and light streaming through the darkness of the jungle. Above him the moon shone in its glory, illuminating a small clearing in the jungle that he had been led to. Then he heard a rumbling. Like an earthquake the ground trembled, similar to how the great Mumaks of Far Harad shook the ground when they walked. He heard a great uplight and the atmosphere darkened. The moon was expunged and above him stood a creature of sheer strength, might and horror. It blocked out the sky.
Ha'zi saw what appeared to be a giant eyeball, brown iris, black eyelashes and brows staring down at him through the clearing. He was frozen with fear. Before he could scream, shout, run, move, jump, even attempt to look away it reared upwards so that he could see its upperbody. It was muscular, toned and naked. It was like a gigantic humanoid without clothes. It reached down and plucked him up, gently lifting him out of the jungle. Ha'zi saw that he was in a valley of sorts, a hill which he had rolled down obscured his sight of the beach. The others would not be able to see him. Hear him. Help him. He was alone. His father....an illusion? No, that was real. Too real. The smoke? This?
The giant lifted Ha'zi to stare directly into the boy's eyes. He held him up and slowly the creature's jaw fell open, revealing a set of teeth, like Ha'zi's own yet infinitesimally larger. It seemed like he was about to be eaten. Was this it? The end? Eaten by a giant? His father? Would he ever return to him? Was that apparition him? Was he already dead? What is this place? All these questions ran through his mind as the giant snapped its jaws shut. It was yawning, it seemed. It moved away from the jungle and out into a clearing before leaning down and depositing Ha'zi onto the warm moist soil of the clearing. The giant bent over and laid down, like a sleeping cat on the ground before a stream of steam jut out as an opening ripped its way out of the flesh on the back of its neck. Ha'zi stared in wonder and shock as out of the giant's neck a man emerged and casually slid down its back, hit the ground with a thud, and began walking over to him. The man bore no resemblance to anyone Ha'zi knew yet he looked like him. Dark hair, brown eyes, taller and older but middle-aged and seemingly fit. The man reached him, brandished a knife, opened his mouth and spoke in a dialect that Ha'zi could somehow understand, yet, did not know the origins of.
"I am sorry for what I must do to you. But it cannot be helped. Forgive me."
[user avatar="https://cravatar.eu/helmavatar/9842Kye/74.png" name="9842Kye"]16315828[/user] ((Ha'zi's current condition is unknown. The question of his whereabouts will be revealed within the next IRL 3 hours.))
--------------------------------
As they entered the tent, Dimitri and Thoruk were met by the colors and flavors of the place. Saffron wafted through the air coupled with some incense; tinted colored glass figures from little animals to sprawling sculptures of wonders like the Dome of Stars of Osgiliath sat upon a wooden table. The tent floor was matted with furs and carpets that came from extraordinary creatures that neither Thoruk or Dimitri could take a guess at. Before them at the head of the wooden table sat a figure. A female dressed in very stylish yet high-status etiquette. She stood upright, the posh way, with her head held high. Her hands were at her sides and besides them were two polished ivory horns. One seemingly used as a cup as it held a volume of red liquid whilst the other seemed decorative only. She regarded them with little interest, initially addressing the slaver that had entered, yet, her jade eyes flared when she saw that Thoruk was a dwarf and they darted to meet Dimitri's eyes as she noticed his arm.
"This, 'ere is Captain Kel, but you probably already know that." Announced the slaver that led them in.
"So," she said with a southern honeyed accent addressing Dimitri, "What's the situation at the 4th Ship?" [user avatar="https://cravatar.eu/helmavatar/DimitriP_13421/74.png" name="DimitriP_13421"]8861015[/user] [user avatar="https://cravatar.eu/helmavatar/KingTraitor/74.png" name="KingTraitor"]13615485[/user]
