Strong Voodoo (part 3)

"Well dat be up ta yas. Ya wan' stay 'ere, dat be fine. Ya get back on ya box. But if yas wan' live, ya come feel da see breeze on ya."

"I have never been. It is near the sea I hear...?"

All polite an' propah, but Doll look frighten'. Maybe she like bein' in dat cage. Troll be use' ta dat. Elfie scared oh wild place an' dis one be tiny, a lil wide-eyed rabbit. Maybe I play a little.

"Oh ya. Sun an' sea an' jungle."

"Jungle!?"

"Oh ya, on dem islan' nearby. Darkspear islan', I might add. Wid raptas and tigers an' all maner o'dangerous ting. Jus' waitin' fa a tasty morsel."

"Oh!"

"Dem gobble ya right up if ya don' learn ta move right."

"Now I feel you are just trying to scare me,"

Maybe, maybe. But wid no fear, ya jus dead. Cage be safe, but it make ya sleepy.

"But if ya let go, ya learn 'ow ta tink like a troll, ta move wid da jungle, dey tink ya one o'dem. An' den dey know oo be da real boss. Ya need ta be rule by 'ere ... not 'ere"

I touch ma 'eart, ta show Doll what I means, dem ma 'ead ta show da wrong way. She look away, preferrin' da walls o'da cage ta dat open door.

"Ya tink ya can try dat?"

Hehe - she noddin'. Maybe Doll ain' dead yet.

"Dat's da spirit! Now ya got ta come wid me. OK - follow me, darlin'. I takin' ya ta da wild place."

I 'eads out o' dat cage, Doll followin', slow, like she bein' pulled back. I don' like dis place.

"Ya gets no suchine down 'ere, no wind, no sun. No wonder a' elfies be so frail. Yas look like a ghos', darlin'."

I don' like dat funny elfie-magic dat lead out o' dat cage. It ain' natural. Spirit don' make it, god don' make it. Jus' folk dat tink dey gods. Troll seen dat before. We get civilise an try make ourself god. We fell.

"Dat ting make ma 'ead spin"

"It is a great achievement..."

See? As soon as Doll leave dat cage, she got more fight in 'er.

I don' like dem zepplin much eithah, but at leas' dey made o' ting I understan'. Fire an' metal an' air. An ya can feel da wind spirit on 'em. I look out at dem skies as we rides. Doll jus' cling on an' close 'er eye. Scared o'da wind, too, eh?

 "Euch, those things make me giddy."

"I seen a crash'd one in da nortlan'. Dey ain' too safe, I reckon. Now, ya got sometin ta ride, darlin'?"

I calls ma rapta an moun' quick. Dat woun' in ma leg from catchin' 'em las' week fa young ones sting bad. I smile quick - nevvah let raptah know 'e 'urt ya. If 'e tink 'e boss, 'e start gettin' 'ungry. Raptah know true. In dis worl' der be predatah an' prey. Best be da firs' one, eh? Doll's chicken cook up nice, I reckon.

"Dis be a rapta - don' take ya chicken too close, or 'e may eat im. Raptas be like da spirit o'da jungle."

"Beady eyed and viscious...?"

"Dey vicious, alrigh'. An' quick too. One minute ya by walkin' along, minden ya own business, den WHAM! ... dey got ya. Savage, dey be. No warnin', jus' speed an deat'. Dat be why we rides 'em. So dey know oo be boss."

"You enjoy the pursuit, the taming...?"

Bettah eatin' dan bein' eaten, eh?

"I wen' out wid ma brothas an sistahs a couple o'days ago ta get some more. Dey don' like dey tamin', dat be sure. One near bit ma leg off!"

She look nervous again'. Sometime troll keeps rapta cage fa too long. Dey get slow, can' 'unt no more. Ya let dem out aftah dat an' dey fren' eat 'em.

"That sounds brutal."

"Life is brutal, darlin'. Ya fancy city may 'ide dat from ya, but der be folk der oo kill ya if dey get da chance. At least wid rapta ya die quick." 

Ya may die in jungle, but at leas' it ovah. Rapta won' cage ya. Rapta won' torment ya jus' fa fun.

Dat bettah. I 'ear da soun' o' drum once more as we get closah ta Sen'jin. I breath da rhythm, fillin' ma lung wid life. Salt air mix wid it, wave break an' ma spirit rise.

"Ya can feel da sea wind, now, eh? It caress ya skin like da fines' lovva."

I wave ta ma kin in Sen'jin. Dis jungle. Dis 'ome.