Reinforcement

Tagunban awoke to the sunlight beams of dawn from the eastern sun as it crested the hills. It was then for the first time in days Tagunban had awoken with the full youthful vigor of rest. There Tagunban saw Petara asleep peacefully wrapped in some sort of cloth blanket, the dart Tagunban thought he destroyed yesterday floating above her in vigil. Tagunban stretched each arm to the opposite side of his body before getting up and stretching his back, while the spiritual poison was long dissipated Tagunban’s muscles were still sore and stiff from the battle yesterday. “Hey it’s morning, we should get moving.” Tagunban spoke softly not trying to give Petara or her spirit dart too rude of an awakening. Petara groaned as she sat up stretching her arms above her head while she yawned. “And good morning to you too lover boy, still sore from last night?” Petara teased Tagunban as she stood up. “Ya ya very funny, need I remind you that we still have a legendary manhunter on our tracks? If I can help it, I'd prefer not to have an exploding arrow pierce my heart.” Tagunban responded in annoyance as he quickly packed his things. “I keep telling you not to worry, don't I? This hill is almost completely surrounded by streams, if anything even vaguely humanoid steps into those creeks my Naga will tell me instantly, and the one place there are no creeks I have my Kapre keeping a vigil over. Anyone gets even close to us I’ll know well before they can do anything.” Petara answered as she stood up.

Though before she could continue her reassurance Petara’s Tsentsak dart bolted away from them before they heard the sound of rushing air. “Damn it he’s found us already! So much for your damn spirit lookouts!” Tagunban growled as his muscles crackled to life with the electricity of the Thunder Step. Before Petara could hiss a retort to the mocking of her spirits Tagunban would bolt tackling her to the ground as another wind reinforced arrow rushed past their heads. “We're far enough away I can dodge his arrows, can your spirits fight him from up here?” Tagunban barked as he held himself over Petara on the ground. “I can give them free reign but you saw how well that did against you.” Petara responded quickly. “Good enough to let us get away? That's all we need until we can get some help like you said.” Tagunban asked before taking Petara in his arms and quickly rolling the pair away from another arrow. “If they weren't still healing from your fight probably, but as it stands now then no.” Petara nervously stated as she was pressed against Tagunban. “Damn. Think you can stay out of the way while controlling your spirits? I'm his goal so if you don't attack him directly he shouldn't go after you before me.” Tagunban asked as he scanned their surroundings for another arrow. “There's no other option, you go ahead while I pack camp. It'll be easier to sneak in if he's distracted already and we can leave quicker if our gear is already packed.” Petara answered Tagunban with conviction. “Alright I'll trust you, just don't make me regret it or I swear to Puthaw I'll….” Tagunban grumbled before being interrupted by Petara. “Oh don't worry about that love, you couldn't lose me if you tried. You're far too interesting to abandon now, you're my best bet at gaining knowledge about the Twa.” Petara reassured Tagunban as she slipped out from underneath him before Tagunban nodded and bolted with the Thunder Step for his axe. Tagunban would see Petara quickly packing up their camp as he sped towards the direction the arrows were coming from. Another arrow crested the hill to which Tagunban could only just barely side step with a hail of debris from the ground exploding just behind him pelting his side and back. Pushing the Thunder Step to the limit Tagunban would see Aegata the Manhunter not as a shimmering wave of light like before, but as a fully visible man surrounded by an intense whirlwind whose howling whistle flooded the jungle air and Tagunban's ears. “You have betrayed your tribe headhunter, come out and face your death with honor before Aegata the Manhunter!” Tagunban took cover behind a tree once again for a brief moment to catch his breath as Aegata spoke. Another Arrow ripped and Tagunban bolted for another tree again as the previous one exploded into a hail of splinters and wooden shrapnel behind. For now Tagunban would simply play a game of cat and mouse with Aegata as he silently hoped Petara could be trusted and would come back to help him like he promised. Tagunban charged his mana and shot out a series of electric silhouettes that mimicked the speed blur and light given off from the Thunder Step in four different directions; a new technique Tagunban referred to as the Thunder Mimic within the confines of his mind. While the speeding mimics shot out Tagunban climbed up the tree he covered behind with natural pantherine grace. Aegata, not falling for the trickery of the Thunder Mimics, shot a mighty air reinforced arrow into the base of the tree Tagunban climbed up causing it to blow out with a burst of hyper compressed air like all the others. Yet as the tree fell Tagunban once again channeled the Thunder Step and shot forth through the tree, using each branch as springboard Tagunban hoped the additional speed would allow him to narrowly avoid arrows as Tagunban knew from his last encounter with Aegata that the tree cover game would only work a few times. Yet as Tagunban sped through the air he would see Aegata nock two arrows in his longbow instead of the usual one before he pulled the string back and let loose straight at Tagunban; the stoned look of stoic victory in his eyes. One arrow went wide behind Tagunban as the other rocketed straight for his trajectory Tagunban used the Thunder Step to contract his limbs again like in the fight against the Naga yet it would be of no use, the arrow was heading straight for Tagunban's core. Tagunban thought he was doomed until he heard a metallic clang and the explosion of hyper compressed air before it blasted him back into the ground with a pained thud and a cloud of debris. As Tagunban rolled to his feet he would see the battered Tsentsak dart clatter to the ground before him, grabbing the dart Tagunban bolted behind tree cover again silently thanking Petara for the quick save. Before Tagunban could make his move the Kapre lunged forth from a tree before Aegata could nock another arrow and struck at him with a massive fist, only to then be battered by the winds surrounding Aegata and tossed aside. Yet the distraction was all Tagunban needed to extend his arms out and channel a Thunder Star before lobbing it forward. Yet instead of dodge or in any way avoid the Thunder Star Aegata simply fired another arrow into the tree Tagunban covered behind to burst as all the other with Tagunban getting a broadside of wooden shrapnel before Thunder Star harmlessly made contact with the whirlwind and dissipated, the insulating qualities of air reducing to electric charge to nothing. As Tagunban got up and brushed a cluster of bloody splinters free from his flesh a grove of vengeful ebony trees sprouted from the ground and rushed with spearing branches to Aegata. The tree would only be battered by the winds and forced to grow in a spiral around the whirlwind. It was then Tagunban hatched a scheme as he covered behind a mango tree. “Forget the dart, bring out the other one and fire at Aegata full blast, and have the big guy cover me. I have a plan!” Tagunban shouted to the air not knowing for sure where Petara hid before the Kapre melded back into the trees before emerging at Tagunban's side. “Hey Aegata, with this attack I send you to Puthaw just like I will the warchief after I take your head!” Tagunban shouted in mockery before entering a forward heavy stance while holding his axe behind him and heavily channeling mana into its head. Aegata shot forth an arrow only for the arrow to be blocked by a rapidly sprouting ebony tree before it exploded into black splinters. Tagunban's axe sparked and arced with electric power as he kept channeling before Aegata took out four arrows and held them in-between his fingers before shooting them in rapid succession. Yet these arrows were different, they were faster and looped through the air in total control, the Kapre summoned forth more trees to sprout from the ground and pluck the arrows from the sky. Yet while two were caught, two more flew freely; the Kapre attempted to blow a puff of fowl smoke from its pipe yet the arrows kept coming for the pair’s necks even with the smoke cloud getting mixed in with the whirlwind. The Kapre grumbled before it leapt forth and grabbed one arrow in a massive hand crushing it instantly while the other arrow struck it in the chest only for the Kapri to grab and crush that arrow as well. “Hurry up with your plan little man, I don't know how much more I got in me!” the Kapre grumbled as the energy around Tagunban's axe head began to destabilize and formed the family shape of an eagle with its wings spread before its electric shriek cried out to the heavens. “The Thunder Bird comes for your life Aegata, as it will come for all Diwata for your treachery!” Tagunban shouted in an effort to enrage Aegata that while they couldn't see thanks to the whirlwind worked flawlessly as Aegata's face twisted into a wrathful snarl. “You dare threaten the life of my clansmen coward?!” Aegata shouted before his whirlwind shield would be met by a jetting spray of pressurized water, though the whirlwind stopped the cutting water; small droplets of water flooded in a circular path all around Aegata. Aegata realized what was happening quickly yet as went to jump his foot would be caught on the root of a tree as the ebony trees around him circled in to form a wooden prison. That was when Tagunban swung his axe forwards and let loose the full force of the Thunder Bird rampaging towards Aegata is his now very conductive whirlwind prison. The Thunderbird struck true to where Aegata was electrocuted from every direction within his whirlwind as the ebony trees grew tighter around him.

“That won't kill him or hold forever, let's move!” Tagunban shouted as he began running towards the camp hoping to find Petara as the Naga in the nearby stream and the Kapre both dissipated into the water and trees respectively. Petara leapt down from the trees in Tagunban's path and started running beside him. “What's your plan and where are we going?” Tagunban asked between breaths at a full sprint. “To the East, I'll explain the plan later.” Petara answered before she was swept off her feet by Tagunban who then used the full force of the Thunder Step to run the pair away from Aegata as far and fast as possible. After many moments the pair heard the rushing of wind and the creaking explosion of wood behind them as Aegata broke himself free from the wooden prison; though by now thanks to the Thunder Step the pair were a safe distance away. For what felt like nearly an hour Tagunban carried Petara and ran full force with the aid of the Thunder Step until he nearly collapsed and dropped Petara; stumbling he would fall to his knees and set Petara on the ground as gently as he could for a man collapsing. Tagunban shakily supported his front as he vomited all over the ground before panting like a man nearly drowned; his vision blurred and his mind was fogged to near unconsciousness. Petara knelt beside him and held what was left of his long hair as Tagunban vomited, with a smile. “You really pushed yourself past your limits back there for me.” Petara comforted Tagunban. “You did save me back there from that arrow when my plan fell apart. I have to help you now.” Tagunban stated between exhausted pants. “We must be at least a day's journey ahead of him by now, I'm impressed.” Petara soothed Tagunban as she stood up and the Kapre materialized from the trees again. In the heat of battle Tagunban never noticed but now he would see a large scar across the Kapre’s shoulder where the Naga’s water beam cut it off; though the fresh arrow wounds remained even if the arrows didn't. “This man saved your mistress Kapre, carry him while we keep walking.” Petara ordered as she pointed to Tagunban. “Yes ma'am” the Kapre grumbled as he scooped Tagunban into his foul smelling embrace. “I know what happened, but don't get any ideas about the mistress boy. You ain't good enough for her.” The Kapre growled as he started to walk and follow Petara. “And you are? I already beat you in a fight once you stinking beast and I can do it again.” Tagunban responded as he bared his teeth. “I should tear you in half right now you little worm!” the Kapre roared before being interrupted by Petara. “You two stop that already! It's bad enough we have that manhunter after us, I don't need you two trying to kill each other as well.” Petara snapped in annoyance as she walked while both Tagunban and the Kapre grumbled as their eyes shifted away from each other. “Good enough. Now then Tagunban it's time I told you my plan to both deal with that headhunter and meet Daisekel at the same time.” Petara proclaimed in excitement as they walked. “Let me guess we kill Aegata the Manhunter and you use your spirit mana to let me speak with Daisekel as he comes to take Aegata's soul?” Tagunban responded. “Exactly, only we need a little help to actually kill Aegata; especially in a way to make my plan work. So we're going over to the Tribe of the Seas to meet an old traveling partner of mine. I think you'll like him, you both have that same kind of strong soul and honor about you.” Petara exclaimed as she walked backwards in front of the Kapre and Tagunban. “Traveling partner?” Tagunban asked in curiosity. “Oh don't be like that, he's well older than either of us; he probably still thinks I'm a child.” Petara chided before she continued. “Though we did meet under similar circumstances, except his proclamation wasn't as bold as yours to say the least.” Petara chuckled to herself. “Do you follow around all the men you try to kill?” Tagunban teased in return. “I only go out of my way to kill the worthy ones.” Petara chided back. “He just made me travel with him for a while, to insure I wasn't a menace to anyone else.” Petara stated in a mocking tone. “You know I told you about my whole life story yesterday. Care to tell me yours anytime soon?” Tagunban asked in curiosity. “Well I was born to a minor clan in the outskirts of the Tribe of the Buffalo along the border with the Tribe of the Highlands. I was the oldest daughter of an unimportant father and my interests drifted to shamanism unopposed. I trained under the shaman of our village until I was fifteen rains old and then I left home to seek more knowledge of the world and power. The first spirit I formed a contract with was the Naga. I knocked down a dam blocking its river much to the chagrin of the local clan whose village it flooded; not that I knew that would happen at the time. Little to say they chased me away and that's when I started traveling further afield. It was when I was sixteen rains old that I met our future partner and first traveled with him. We had plenty of adventures until I got restless at eighteen rains old and snuck off one day. Shortly after I traveled to the Tribe of the Jungles where I stole my Tsentsak dart from an elderly shaman, that was a real adventure to get the spirit inside to accept me as its new master. After that I traveled to the Highlands and made a contract with the Kapre here.” Patera told her tale before interrupted by the Kapre. “I couldn't say no to a pretty face like that and I've traveled with the mistress ever since.” The Kapre proclaimed in admiration. “Then at nineteen rains old I started with my fascination into the Twa and have been traveling the Tribe of the Ancients since.” Petara finished. Tagunban listened to the tales with mixed ideas, on one hand he was fascinated by Petara's adventures. On the other hand she seemed to cause a lot of trouble everywhere she went and had no problem sneaking off on her own when she got bored. As Tagunban was carried by the Kapre he sat and pondered what his thoughts on Petara.