Bounty Hunter Bash Isle Heat Lock Part Eight

 The Face Paint Prophecy 

They all had been walking for a whole day and a half, including a good night’s sleep, when they came to another tribe. Their homes were tents made of leather and in the shape of combs. The people had dark skin and joyful narrowed brows eyes. They all wore thin clothes which showed their skin, but keeping their private spots covered. The women were covered in bright colourful beads and the men were clothed in feathers.

“Ahh! This is a peaceful tribe and joyful regardless of what happens. They are also very welcoming. Ah yes I had such fun with them!” Cerpheres smiled and laughed.

“In what way?” Both Bash and Chashathrophogh asked with raised eyebrows.

He smiled innocently as he waved his hand.

“Oh don’t worry! It was perfectly innocent! Them and my beloved crew partied all night long.”

That was when a group of girls came up to Bash and Strena and took their hands. They pulled them down gently. Then they dropped several necklaces made up of red, purple and green beads. Cerpheres placed their hands on their shoulders.

“Go with them.”

“Wha-”

Then the rest of the women grabbed then and pulled them away.

“You take care now!” He purred, giving them the thumbs up.

“Cerph-”

Then the men came to the rest and took them to the side and gave them coconut cups. In them was a white liquid that looked like thin milk watered down. Zaryb was the first to drink. His eyes widened.

“What?”

“It tastes like coconut and lime.”

“It does?” Leonardo exclaimed as he too took a drink. His eyes lit up, yet he could taste a hint of alcohol.

Cerpheres chuckled as he too drank. Then finally Chashathrophogh took a sip and could taste other fruit like peach and apple along with the rest.

“Wow!” He let out. “Any reason that you’re giving us this?”

Then Cerpheres spoke something in the words that he did not understand. The men replied.

“Look, you’re lushy.”

“What?”

“It’s the festival of prophecy tonight.”

“What?”

His lips moved upward.

“It’s where the elder of the tribe paints the faces of the tribe to prophesy their future. Wanna say? It might be fun!”

“No time.”

“I’m curious about it.”

Then Cerpheres eyed Zaryb.

“It might just show you what you want!”

“Alright. Can’t harm us too much.”

“It sure will if it takes too much time. Plus this is a tribal thing. So I think that we-”

“It’s open for all. Not just tribes’ men and women.”

Chashathrophogh looked down and nodded.

“We will see what Bash and Strena would want.”

“Alright.”

The next moment they found them and Chashathrophogh explained.

“Sure. We all could use this as a pick me up. Also, we could find out if there is a way off this isle.”

“Why don’t we buy a ship?”

“What?”

“Well, it would help if we did not have to buy all the tickets all the time. And it will decrease the chances of people attacking us.”

“Good point.” He spoke as he looked at Cerpheres.

“What is it my dear uncle?”

“Right.”

Yet the moment that the festival started to enjoy themselves. The girls danced with the men and the men danced with the women. Then the sun came down and an old man and woman walked out of their tent.

Soon the women and the men divided into two lines and soon they sat down in front of the old couple in a circle. Then they both sang. That was when the old woman walked to the one to the right and painted the face of the woman orange. Then black lines coming from the inner corners of her eyes. On her forehead was a tree.

The next one had a black face with white lips and lines from the outer corners. When she saw this she slapped the old lady and marched off into the darkness.

Next was Strena. She painted her face yellow but her lips black and a snake on her forehead the shape of the oroburos on her forehead. Then into Bash. She painted her face black and two stars and a snake on her forehead. Yet her lips were painted blue.

Then they saw Chashathrophogh also had a yellow face with lines at the outer corners of his eyes and a tree on his forehead and green lips.

Cerpheres was also yellow but he had white lips. He had lines coming from the corners of his eyes with a flower and a snake on his forehead.

Zaryb was also black, pink lips and a flower on his forehead. Leonardo was blue with orange lips with a tree on his forehead.

“What does this mean?”

“Well the background is the end. Black means death, yellow…weeeelll I’ll tell you beauties later…”

“Blue?”

He let out a whimsical sigh.

“Again, death!”

“And the lips?”

“What you will speak. Black means truth, white: death, pink: love, blue: cleverness, orange: fire, green: growth.”

“And the lines?”

“Tears, outer: sorrow, inner: joy.”

Strena opened her mouth.

“Star means revelation. Flower: love regardless of the type, the tree growth, and the snake rebirth.”

“Oh.”

“And have you found a way off?”

“There is a doc in that direction. Shouldn’t take too long.” Spoke the elder.

So the next day they left and on their way they saw the woman that slapped the old lady dead with cubs of a cat species that they did not recognize. Yet her leg told them a snake had killed her.