Sugriva hopped out of bed, but regretted it. His head spun, and he felt like throwing up. Once recovered from the swoon, he threw on his clothes and walked gingerly. The physician yelled, "Your stitches aren't healed. They’ll rip out." But it was too late. Sugriva did not act with logic and forethought. He acted with instinct and desire. His desire was to bleed the Fangs and kill Issi for all he did.
The war parties were on edge. It had been a long time since battle, and even sightings of Fangs dropped off. Bajjo growled and bristled, excited at the coming bloodshed. Half of his favorite part of any battle with the Fangs was the feast of snake flesh afterward. Only the badgers ate them. Everyone else frowned upon the practice. Some of the Fangs were demon corrupted, and taint was said to be in the meat.
"Dig," General Dabip commanded, and his troops dug into the earth, showering the air with dirt. Sugriva never understood how the Fangs never saw the assaults coming. Raptors cawed, as other creatures rampaged about.
The wolves howled on the floor of the jungle. They were the shock troops on the surface. When they reached the burrow's mouth, the attack would commence, and not before. They had the last say in what burned and when.
However, digging crews did not wait for the howl of the wolf. They went to work immediately, or they would be too late to the battle. Bajjo scurried into his hole and dug. Being sick for so long made him eager but sloppy. Sugriva noted quickly that Bajjo was about as recovered as the monkey. Neither was healed enough to be there, but it didn't matter. Sugriva and Bajjo were impatient and stubborn, and they needed to get out of bed.
The din of battle never came. The wolves howled as they found the entrance of the Fang's hideout. However, the war cries of the janaav did not ring through the air. When Bajjo finally got through the dirt, he could see why. Skins were shed all around the inside of the cavern. However, there were no living snakes. Bajjo snarled, along with many other badgers. Their feast was denied them.
Bagheer commented, "They knew, and so they moved far from here. We should be cautious. They bide their strength."
BAJJO'S THROAT RATTLED as he stared down the scorpion janaav. "I'll bite off your stinger and feast on your poison. I will chew you up in place of the Fang."
"Come get some." The janaav grew claws in place of his hands, and a tail ascended over him, stinger poised.
Sugriva and Bagheer watched, sipping on juice. "Who do you think wins?" Sugriva put a sack of coin on the table.
"Gambling?" Bagheer snorted, then paused a moment. "In nature this is a short fight. But here—"
"My coin's on Bajjo," Lebda interrupted, taking a seat. "Watched a pit fight once. The scorpion's tail was ripped off. I guess they taste pretty good."
"You watch our brethren fight," Bagheer snarled. "I never understood man's interest in making our more primitive selves kill each other."
"No." Lebda shook his head. "Janaav. When the tail was ripped off the scorpion went down. The badger just kept gnawing on it when they tried to shoo him off. Nearly took a guy's arm. It was great." There was a twinkle in his eye that made Sugriva uncomfortable.
"Maybe we don't know Lebda well," Sugriva said. He pushed his bag onto the table. "Scorpion. Bajjo's too pissed and injured."
"Injured," Bagheer said. He put his coins down. "I don't believe you. I put my tokens on Bajjo. He is our brother."
"Can't win money if we all bet on him." Sugriva winked. "But really. His injuries aren't healed. Might be in his head. Favors his right side."
Bagheer analyzed the badger as Bajjo growled, his voice a wet rattling. Then he bobbed in and out, the stinger coming down but not making contact. Normally Bajjo would make as big a target as possible to intimidate the opponent, but now he kept his left side back. "I guess he is," Bagheer said.
Then the area reeked as Bajjo flipped out his scent glands. The scorpion shifted from janaav to actual scorpion, gaining an immunity to the stench, but Sugriva knew it was a mistake. The scorpion janaav was young and lacked impulse control. "Dharma strikes again," he sighed, opening up his pouch of coins and splitting them between Bagheer and Lebda.
"Why?" Bagheer asked, raising a brow. "The scorpion in this form—"
Bajjo shifted, darted at the scorpion, and ripped his tail off, eating it in a bite. Lebda laughed, taking the coins, while Bagheer was horrified and threw up. "By the hells, what was that?"
"Nature," Sugriva said. "Research your teammates."
The scorpion turned into a man and blood pooled out of his tailbone. Water rushed to the wound as an elementalist staunched the bleeding. Meanwhile, Bajjo enjoyed his meal, then shifted back to a man, the white hair on his head short and going halfway down his back. "I’ll teach ya to mess with a badger." He gestured vulgarly at the bleeding soldier.
The room snapped to attention as General Dabip came in. The only sound was the scorpion janaav writhing on the floor. "What is this? You are warriors on a path to strike the Fang, but you strike each other? What disrespect. What dishonor. The Ashtadash look down on you with shame." He paused, glaring down Bajjo until the badger had the sense to look down. "I know it's been a while. I know you thirst for war. But you will not war with each other. Now go to your quarters. I'm evoking curfew. Those I find out will be whipped and put on latrine duty." The men were quick to move.
General Dabip approached Sugriva, Bajjo, Lebda, and Bagheer before they could leave and said, "We are
