“I’m a Commander in the Remo Guard.” Mustafa declares resolutely gazing at the city walls from afar. “I’m not the Anoboon or whatever.” He looks down at the skull. “I respect you Sinbad but I’m not Nortund. I don’t believe in all this. I believe in my duty and my duty is to be ready at morning roll call.”
“I can respect that.” The green flames of Sinbad’s ghost dim suddenly. Mustafa feels the disappointment in Sinbad’s words. He decides to put the skull back under his arm as he negotiates the terrain of the sloping hill leading down toward the Talhatek River. There are fewer bushes and trees around him as he gets closer to the sound of rushing water. The Talhatek River is the main water source in Zinek connecting Remo with the neighboring city of Ta’em. Remo is at the eastern bend of the river and with the full moon out tonight, Mustafa has a reliable compass to take him back to the fortified city.
Mustafa is glad to feel the soft grass underneath his boots, a welcome change from the rough rocks of the hill he was descending down. He walks down the river side of the river with his right hand on his sword and his left arm clutching Sinbad’s skull. The hairs stand up on the back of his neck as he scans the forest to his left. He is very exposed walking along the river but he only has to check one side for potential ambushes. His deep focus is interrupted by the sound of Sinbad sighing softly.
“I love that sound.” Sinbad’s ghost says wistfully toward the ambient sound of rushing river water to the Mustafa’s right.
“Yeah, it’s very soothing.” Mustafa absentmindedly comments while watching every movement of bushes he can make out in the dark.
“Mustafa, I think I’m ready to return to the afterlife.”
“What? We can get back to Remo.”
“I’m a haunted skull with no physical needs, what am I gonna do in Remo?”
“Good point.”
“I was ready to move on when you summoned me. The only thing I had any regrets about was not being able to do more about the Nortund’s mission. I totally get why you want to go back to the city and that’s fair. But if I can’t further the mission then I’d like to move on.” Mustafa lifts up the skull to make as much meaningful eye contact as one can make with a man with no eyes.
“Okay, man.” Mustafa gives him a friendly smile. “How do I do that exactly? I didn’t exactly summon you on purpose.”
“Just wish for me to return to the afterlife and that should do it.” Sinbad responds. “Just one thing though.”
“Sure.”
“Can you put my skull into the river please? I’ve always loved the Talhatek and if I have any choice in the matter I’d rather have my skull be there than whatever the ogresses were going to do with it.”
“Yeah of course.” Mustafa looks resolutely at the river. “You want me to…”
“Wish me back into the afterlife and then just chuck it.”
“Easy enough.” Mustafa says with a shrug before shutting his eyes and saying: “I wish for Sinbad to go back to the afterlife.” Mustafa feels the sensation of the warm bubble in his chest that he felt when he summoned Sinbad.
“I can feel it. It’s working.” The ghost exclaims joyfully. “Thanks Mustafa, and good luck. For King and City, Commander.”
“For King and City.” Mustafa says back. He winds up as hard as he can and hurls the skull into the middle of the rushing river. As it hits the bubbling water the green flames flicker and then extinguish leaving the black darkness of the inert eye sockets. “Huzzah.” Mustafa says mournfully to himself as he feels the loneliness of his situation for the first time.
Mustafa continues cautiously along the river with his sword drawn, scanning the tree line for any signs of movement. As he gets past mile three along the river, the amber light of the moon is obstructed by something zooming quickly over his head. He looks up to the sky and points his sword at where he heard the whooshing sound. He sees nothing. His ears hear the faintest rustling of twigs of bushes directly behind him. His training kicks in, there are two sets of footsteps the pitch suggest they are human sized: ogres.
Mustafa turns around with his sword right as an ogre male leaps at him with his warclub made from human bone. Mustafa’s sword slashes the attacking ogre in the neck causing him to collapse to all fours and a deluge of blood to spill out onto the soggy ground. Mustafa looks up to see the wide fear filled eyes of a younger male with his bone club. This one turns and sprints back into the forest. Mustafa’s position is definitely compromised now, he heads down the river with even more urgency.
At mile six of his dangerous journey back to the city, Mustafa hears the sound of something zooming in the air again and catches a faint glimpse of a flying object in the moonlight. He looks up in that direction but does not see whatever that strange zooming object is. He begins to move again when his nose smells something that makes him freeze. It is faint but is the unmistakable stench of an ogress who just marked her territory. He points his blood stained sword at the bush directly in front of him and backs up slowly. Growling laughter emits from it as the gigantic dark silhouette of O’djeesa emerges from behind the bush. The creature’s glowing yellow eyes stare hungrily at Mustafa’s nervous sweaty face.
“If you’re meat boy friend didn’t make such a good pile, I would’ve pounced on you.” The beast boasts in the dark.
“Well, glad he was able to help.” Mustafa says defiantly. O’djeesa looks Mustafa up and down and notices that his hands are empty.
“Speaking of your friend, where is my trophy?” She slowly and confidently strolls toward the soldier.
“Resting peacefully in the river. Sorry to disappoint you.” O’djeesa laughs at his sarcasm.
“I was just going to use that skull to replace one of the torches.” O’djeesa says looming closer to her quarry. Mustafa does not know what to make of the perilous situation. He thinks about how with some predatory animals fighting back can dissuade them.
“Well O’djeesa. I’m armed and I can see you.” Mustafa calls out to her while continuing to back away slowly. “Surely there’s some human in this forest who’d be an easier hunt.” O’djeesa just laughs at this, her knife like teeth glistening in the moonlight.
“I didn’t become the greatest hunter in Zinek by eating easy prey. Don’t you see all of this ass?” O’djeesa proudly slaps her rotund buttocks with both of her hands. “This is countless thousands of warriors, kings, mages, ogres, fairies and halflings, even some weakling ogresses who dared oppose our tribe. You killed Taonak in combat earlier tonight. You are a worthy meal. After I eat your meat, I will put your skull on my special trophy case in my den. An honor I reserve for true warriors.” O’djeesa charges at him with earth shaking stomps. Mustafa parries her clawed hand and dives out of the way. He gets up and sprints up the rocky terrain back toward the forest. O’djeesa follows him up the steep hill with startling efficiency. Mustafa runs as fast as he can zig zagging through the forest trying to continue east as he flees the hungry ogress.
His feet find even terrain causing his pace to pick up. He sees another steep hill up ahead. He frantically climbs up hoping that the slope of the hill slows down O’djeesa and gives him some space. Halfway up the hill he hears O’djeesa laughing mockingly behind him. She calls out in the dark.
“Good idea to slow me down with the terrain, but you picked the wrong hill, human.” O’djeesa taunts. “You’ll have mere seconds to decide whether you want to give your body to the jackals or let me give you a warrior’s death.” Mustafa realizes what she means as he reaches the end of the hill to discover with horror that it leads to a cliff and an almost fifty foot drop. He hears the booming footsteps of the predator behind him and in front of him is certain death. He prepares himself for a futile battle with O’djeesa when he hears the zooming sound in the air once again. He looks up and at first sees nothing. Then, as he looks toward the moon he sees the silhouette of an old plump lady in a large brim green hat hovering over the cliff. It is a witch on a broom.
