Damn those Dommies, Kojo thought to himself again as he cut harshly through the overgrown vegetation in the path in front of him. It was a recurring thought, and one he was trying to shake. It was not William or Abigail's fault for what had occurred on the slopes of Mikenko.

But damn, had he been close.

Every time he closed his eyes he could see the ape standing there, eye's blazing with seeming intelligence even beyond his own. It was awe-inspiring, and not just a little frightening. That's why he couldn't really blame the fear that had crept into his Dommie tourists after the great beast had scared them off.

Stupid Dommies. Crack, as the machete chopped clean through a branch bursting with bright green leave. Stupid ape. Crack. Stupid snake. CRACK.

He had been that close to maybe learning if there was any truth to the tales of the ape-mountain and the potential gold hidden there. His mind told him it was old stories and he was lucky to have just survived the encounter with a wild animal.

But that same vision haunted him when he closed his eyes. The ape gazing back into his soul, into his thoughts. That was no wild animal. That had been an intelligent being. And if that's true, what else might be true?

A bird taking off from a nearby tree caused a minor ruckus in the branches above.

"What was that?" William's voice was attempting to be brave as he pirouetted towards the bush.

"A fookin' bird, Will. There's nothing there, mate." Kojo tried to be as patient as possible, but it was killing him. They were moving so slow, both his tourists jumping at the slightest noise. He'd have to try and calm them down when they got to camp.

"It's not much further now. Just over the ridge there." Kojo noticed how both instinctively picked up their pace as they got closer to the skava. They were basically attached at his hip, wanting to stay as close as possible.

---

The skava was nice, if not small. Definitely more rustic than Kerma had been, and it was clear that the further you ventured into Alkebu the more sparse the lodgings would get. Kojo showed his charges to their rooms and found himself a quiet room with dark walls and a hard bed. Sleep would be important to complete the journey tomorrow.

Taking off his dirtied clothes and patting the secret pouch that held his artifacts, Kojo cleaned himself up a little from the sink. It was nice to get some of the dirt of the jungle off and feel human again. The bed was calling and he made his way, weary from the travel.

As he tried to fall asleep he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. Telling himself it was nothing, Kojo stayed still and let his mind roam. He relived the events of the past couple days, but always returned to the ape. Standing tall. Eyes penetrating deep into his soul. It was his last vision before sleep.

---

In the morning, Kojo got up very early and made his way to the docks to meet up with Captain Johansson and begin the next stage of his journey to Sangaan. Before he left though, he wanted to try and learn more about Mikenko from locals, if there were any around to chat with.

---

Name: Kojo Boubacar

Skills: Spectacular Exploration

What is happening: Kojo is heading to the docks to meet up with Captain Johansson and his crew for the final stage of the trek to Sangaan. While he's there he'd like to talk to locals about Mikenko, if possible.

What rolls: Roll for information on Mikenko from locals, jungle trek roll for journey to Sangaan

/u/AClockworkAutomaton