Furoma Chapter 22

Read Table of Content | +Kyla Scurchio
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     I knelt over my trap to examine the mouse I had captured. It didn't look much like the other battle mice. There was a pile of splintered wood at its cold, dead feet. Perhaps it was just a worker. I took out my journal and began to draw him, trying to block everything else from my mind.
"You really shouldn’t come out here on your own." I jumped as Zugzwang poked himself out of the bushes.
"Well, I couldn't much stand sitting in that grove of trees anymore." I said as I snapped shut my journal and pocketed it.
"It's just not safe for us here. I know these mice are on high alert. Why do you think we haven't seen much? They are looking for
us." He glanced around the clearing cautiously.
     We dropped more bait on my trap then headed the other way to check Z's. He had caught a Samurai which confirmed his theory in his eyes.  On the way back to our hiding spot I thought I'd just ask Zugzwang about the book. I needed answers.
"Z, I was wondering, do you know who owned that book before you?"
     "My master, but I've had it for years. He never put as much effort into deciphering it as I have."
"What do you mean?" There was a long pause where Z said nothing. I stopped walking and found him several paces behind me frozen. "What are you doing?" I said as I came up behind him.
"Shh." his eyes were on the Pagoda. I looked the distance and saw two mice heading into the building.         Well, I assumed they were mice, it was hard to tell. The robes they wore covered everything; even a hood protected their faces from view. When they disappeared from our sight I turned to ask Zugzwang what the big deal was, but I never got the chance.
     Like he was drawn to them, he sprinted in the direction of the Pagoda. Shocked I stood frozen in place.     I watched as he flattened himself against the building. He peeked into the door then vanished from my sight as well. Knowing it was the last thing I should do, I followed him. I made it to the Pagoda wall and flattened myself against it as Zugzwang had.  I couldn't see a living thing in the area so I tilted towards the door and peeked inside. I paused before entering deciding to make one quick entry into my journal for the king, just in case.
     "Dear King, I have been surveying the training grounds for some time now. It would appear that the mice have overrun this area as well. Many powerful warrior type mice seem to have taken over the Pagoda nearby, and turned it into a Dojo. I am now going to attempt to hunt inside…"
     I slowly inched my way through the door, my footsteps echoed around the hall. Candles flickered dimly on the paneled walls, casting shadows throughout the room. I stood still for a while waiting for any sign of anything. The first floor appeared to be empty. Caution told me not to go any further into the Pagoda, so I slumped against a wall and placed my trap nearby. I pulled out the horn and blew a single note into the air. As the last echo died a mouse dropped from air flipping once before hitting the ground. I jumped in surprise, completely caught off guard by the creature. It took its little spear and poked the cheese on my trap before scampering away with a disgruntled look.
"Oh, like my cheese isn't good enough." I grumbled.
     I spent the next several hours waiting to see if Zugzwang would mysteriously show up. He never did. In the meantime I hunted the mice, many were similar to those I had hunted outside on the grounds but the three new ones intrigued me. Trained for combat, they were all very agile and very cunning. But I feared they were only tools, students to a more powerful master. I stayed well hidden behind panels as my trap was armed waiting for the mice. I collected the small tokens from the students as I caught them, pocketing them for later use.
     I felt time slipping away from me. I was quite lonely without Zugzwang, and it took all I had to keep the fear from trickling through my body. I passed away the time by attempting to craft new cheeses. The mice on the second floor ignored my brie completely; they would require something more powerful to draw them in, something unique to each of the masters.
     At long last I had managed a successful batch of cheese for each master. I dropped them, here and there, around the room just to see if they would attract. A broad grin spread across my face when each cheese was snagged up by the cunning masters. There was one more flight of stairs that led to the upper floors, the mice grew more difficult the higher I went, I feared what was up there, but I knew that's where I'd find Zugzwang if I went.
     As I caught the masters over the next day I saved each of the shards they dropped. I noticed they fitted together nicely. And when matched with some curds and whey and a pinch of ionized salt it made a very powerful cheese. I carefully placed the electrically charged morsel upon my trap and carried it up the stairs. I scooted my trap on the floor and crouched in the stairwell waiting. Almost instantly after I sounded the horn a mouse appeared. A small frail looking mouse holding a broom sniffed hopefully at the cheese. It slid closer to the trap, only to be smacked aside by a larger more powerful mouse. My jaw dropped. As the smaller mouse cowered in fear the Dojo Master reached down and consumed the rumble cheese in one bite. He then touched his stone necklace with his paws, they then began to glow. Slowly he pointed them at my trap and I heard an awful crunching, crack, and the trap’s magic’s were destroyed.
"No." I whispered in defeat. That was my only hope at fighting my way to Zugzwang. Without it I didn’t stand a chance.
     By morning I felt, if possible, worse than I ever had. Alone and weaponless I felt so vulnerable and I was about to give up, until a single thought occurred to me, I'd just craft my own trap. I had been relying on Z far too long. I needed to be able to craft things, and hunt mice, on my own. I emptied my pockets, which was a challenge as the contents were vast. I picked up the Forgotten book and looked for a spell to animate inanimate objects. I found it and grinned.
     When it was all said and done I was covered in sweat and my brain was throbbing. Numerous failed attempts sat piled on the floor next to me but finally I had managed a trap I was proud of, just a little spell work would make it complete. I had the help of splintered wood, rice paper, and a master’s seal to thank. Along with some little metal droid toys the children of Gnawnia had grown to love. I couldn't even remember why I'd kept the set that was given to me, but was glad I had.  The trick of the trap was to lull the mice into a false sense of security while the droids would then ambush them. I whispered the spell over the trap and the droids came to life, taking their position behind the rice paper waiting.
     "Dear King, I checked my trap and found that I had caught a mouse, I caught a Master of the Cheese Claw mouse from the Dojo's meditation floor. Additionally this foe dropped a Master Claw shard. Finally I have all the elements I need to create the cheese required to attract the Master of the Dojo, again. I just hope that this new trap I crafted works better than the one Zugzwang gave me.
     Note: All of the masters in the dojo seem to be resilient to the common cheese I could find, so I have had to craft some new cheese that they simply cannot resist. The following is a list of the cheeses I have created successfully."
     I inched my way into the Pinnacle Chamber. I felt the vibrations of power hit me in waves as I walked towards an open room. My heart dropped when I viewed the scene before me.  Upon the floor was Zugzwang, slumped and bloody. Standing over him was the Dojo Master. He was crippling the power Zugzwang had and rendering him useless.
     "I was wondering how long it would be until I saw you hunter. I am no fool, we know you were sent by the king to end our reign." he chuckled "But, as you can see, we do not plan to go away easily." he waved a hand at Zugzwang. Eyes wide, I watched as Z began to wince in pain.
I took a single step forward.
     "Ah ah, I wouldn’t be doing that if I were you." said the mouse, grinning maliciously. Two robed mice, the ones Z had followed stepped from the shadows. "I do not believe you have met the Ancients. You know, they don’t much like the two of you."
     My breath had caught in my throat; Z was eyeing me, trying to send me a message without words. I shook my head helplessly.
"They are Acolytes Plankrun!" yelled Z before a paw kicked him across the face. Z spit blood upon the floor.
     I took another step forward, willing to do hand to hand combat if necessary, but again I wasn’t given the chance. From somewhere behind me a mouse dropped, landing on my shoulders. She put a delicately, sharp blade to my throat.
     "I do believe my master has told you not to do that." she whispered, sickly sweet, into my ear. With one paw on my forehead she forced my head back and continued to hold the blade ever closer to my skin.
     "Zugzwang." I pleaded. I was lost at what to do, and worried for my own life, as well as Zugzwang's.
     "Listen to me Plankrun!" I looked sideways at him as he avoided another blow to the face. "I am going to get us out of this, but you have to go on, you have to end this. Don't come find me."                 Swiftly Z rose from the ground darting between the mice. The Master of the Dojo followed after him, and the two Acolytes slid from the room grinning evilly. The blade was pushed against my flesh, as if daring me to make a move too. Frozen in place by a single knife, I watched helplessly as the Master of the Dojo touched his paw to his necklace, his paws then began to glow; he was going to cripple the magic’s within Z.
     "Onyx stones right?" said Z laughing. He lowered his head and brought both his hands, glowing, up just as the Master brought up his own. When the two forces touched, a shudder rumbled through the Pinnacle chamber. The wall behind them cracked and gave. Wood splinters fell to the floor. The air around Z waved in and out, similar to that of the portals. A dome encased both man and mouse, then with a sudden ripping and a spark of light Z vanished.
     I felt my heart drop. Disbelief shattered my existence. My throat stung, and I noticed I was the only one left standing. I touched the spot where the blade had nicked me, and then I too hit the floor. On my knees I stared at the spot Z had once been. The Master of the Dojo lay dead, as did the little Assassin behind me.
     Numb, I stood and walked to the gaping hole in the wall, where the wood had been blown away. Far on the grounds I watched as both Acolytes disappeared into the trees. I knew where they were headed. The only place evil enough to hold them. The Mousoleum.