Eun is confined to the brig of the ship under guard. She's ashamed, and doesn't try to dissuade you from cutting her rations, but you see the hurt in her eyes when you warn her she'll be flogged next time. Like she thought you'd never do that to her.
Well, tough. She hurt you too.
Her punishment hasn't gone unnoticed, but for now no one's said anything good or bad. It probably won't be necessary to keep her there longer than the current voyage.
You might do it anyway. Or at least keep her share of the treasure. You don't like being betrayed, even in minor ways.
Caihong is left at the ship to help the crew fortify a base camp while you, Amaya and Ping scout ahead with a few others whose names you do not know. You initially want to bring Han along for his pistols, but he hasn't left Maia's side since she went to medbay and you decide to let it go. Someone you trust to be loyal needs to be here anyway. It would've been Eun, but, well…
You bring Fan with you personally. While you do trust your crew to keep her safe, you know that the safest place to be on this island is within arm's reach. You carry her on your back, despite the sickening feeling her presence gives you and the loss of the feeling of the storm. It isn't great but you can live without it. She couldn't possibly have kept up with you on foot anyway.
The storm's rain comes down hard, making it hard to see anything or anyone. The wind, fortunately, isn't nearly as harsh, and silently you thank whatever storm god apparently likes you. You and a few of your chosen comrades vanish into the storm, heading inland.
At the end of the beach, you find the wet sand quickly gives way to trees and vegetation. The trees are tall, reaching high into the air with thick roots below. You don't notice at first, but as you go further in you start to notice that there's only one type of tree around you. The heat and humidity is making you and you companions sweat up a flood.
The rain above still falls, yet in here you almost forget about it. You get the feeling that without the stormclouds clouds above, this place would still be dark. The forest floor is bare of vegetation, and is easy to walk through. Yet as you walk you notice movement down by your feet as termites, ants and other insects are everywhere you try to step.
Though the rain is falling in sheets overhead – you can hear it hitting the leaves above– and the ground is muddy beneath your feet, as you go deeper into the forest, less and less rain makes it down to you as you press forward.
Amaya, ever the quiet stoic, barely makes a sound as she creeps through the woods, a large knife in her hand. Ping has brought a rifle and keeps it in his hands, eyes darting everywhere for a target. He knows not to shoot until you give the word.
Fan tightens her grip on you, but you can feel her moving and shifting as she looks around. Every now and again you hear her breath in quick as a colorful bird or other large animal goes by.
"Shanwei," one of the new recruits pipes up, "what exactly are we lookin' for out here?"
"Anything."
"Right, but-" The man begins.
Amaya glares at him, finger to her lips. He quiets down. She then turns her gaze to you, raising an eyebrow.
She's wondering the same thing, but is willing to go along with you for now.
You appreciate that because the truth is, you're not sure what you're looking for either. No one's ever been inside the Dajufeng. Part of you is hoping that you'll find a big scrap village put together from old shipwrecks or something, but that's unlikely. If there's any permanent settlements in this place they'd have to contend with constant rain and the high winds.
Ping shrugs. "We know there's a cult somewhere in this storm. So look for icons, weirdos in robes, temples, etc."
"And above all," you say, "stop talking. We're supposed to be sneaking here, and-"
Something roars and leaps from the darkness; a big cat with midnight black fur. The panther crashes into one of your screaming men. You are on the cat before it even gets a chance to bite down and tear the beast in half with your bare hands.
"-and jungles are full of predators." You finish, nonchalantly tossing both halves of the corpse back into the woods in the general direction of another panther. It gets the hint and bolts.
-
You eventually come to a clearing where no trees take root. Up above, the limbs of the trees reach out and create a canopy through which the rain does not fall.
That is not what draws your attention, though. Instead, it is the figure in the center…
You signal to your crew, and seeing the same thing you do, they spread out around the clearing, keeping in the shadows and readying themselves to strike. Amaya goes to your right, pulling a small pistol everyone on the crew teases her for. Ping sets up his rifle and aims down the sights. The others, including the panther-struck one you've mentally nicknamed 'Scarface', spread around with their cutlasses and pistols.
You don't need your sword for this. You crouch low and ready yourself to pounce.
Fan leans in closer and whispers. "What're you gonna do to them?"
You grin. "You hold on tight."
This is too juicy a target to ignore…
-
Who do you find in the rainless clearing?
[] – A Tech Monk, looking for your same target…
A Kuji-Nan wanders these woods, and momentarily pauses, leaning on a staff that hums with power. They look directly at where you are, then mutter and tap their own head.
"Of course there's life signs there! Just not people, let alone cultists. Bothersome rain…"
[] – An Eldar, asking for a trade…
A slender, almost human figure stands poised in the woods. She glances about as you arrive, fixing her gaze where each of your crew is hiding. All but you.
"I seek parley, Ching Sun-Sin of the Cutting Dagger."
[] – A cultist, seeking revenge on his fellows…
A man in an old robe with an eight-pointed star on its back, muttering in incoherent rage.
"Filth, scum, traitors to the Truth… They will learn their folly!"
