The River Princess... Part 4

The humming sound got louder as the tribe listened. They had heard this same sound only a day ago when the sky had brought their River Princess to them. Now, she had told them she would bring down new fire if they did not release the man. The old man looked around at his people. The women were clutching their babies to their breasts in fear. The men were crouched near the ground, like children in hiding. He could feel his power beginning to slip away from his grasp. Once lost, he would never regain it. Gliding the knife over Shaun's chest, a trickle of blood escaped. Shaun made no outcry at all.
"This is no dark seed sent to take our Princess! He is a mere man that followed her! Listen as he cries out. Then you will know that he is nothing! No dark seed would cry out!"
The old man pressed the knife deeper into Shaun's skin. More blood flowed but there again was no outcry. Instead, Shaun spoke out.
"He will cut me through to my soul and I will not cry out for him. I am not a dark seed. I am sent to protect the Princess from harm. Should he kill me, she will then kill all of you. This is the way of the Gods. They will just start over with new people that Will obey their Princess."
"No! He is a liar! I will show you what you have forgotten! See with your eyes the others that called themselves a Princess!"
With a wave of his hand, the old man made a fire start. Melanie's eyes widened as the flames rose into the air. Then he began to chant words that made no sense to Melanie or Shaun. Secrets of the jungle came alive in front of them. From out of the jungle came 5 women. Each one of them had been beautiful at one time. That was plain to see. Each appeared to be older than the one beside them. Cuts to their faces along with time itself had taken away the beauty that was theirs once. Scars layed where beauty once held it's own. Melanie wondered how long ago these poor ladies had somehow found themselves lost here in the jungle as she had.
"These women claimed great powers too! They called themselves our Queen and tried to control us with their beauty! But when they screamed out and bled, you knew I was your King and I was the one the God's gave insight too so that I would see through them. Perhaps this woman is not a Princess either! We will cut her and see if she too screams out!"
Melanie felt her heart pounding in her chest as the old man spoke. From where she was standing, she was the first to see the huge flood light from landing gear shine from the tree tops. She was quick to use it to try and save her and Shaun.
"Stop! I am calling to the Gods now! I will tell them of your disobedience now and they will hear me." Raising her hands to the sky she spoke out. "Hear me Father! This man is the only non-believer! Do not kill them all for his sins! Shine on me so they know you are with me!"
As if the heavens had heard her plea, the light from the landing gear shone directly on her face. It lit her body up and she glowed in the smoke from the flames the old man had created. The people all scrambled to be as far from her as they could get. The roar of the engines being back-thrusted to slow down frightened them even more. The women of the tribe disappeared into the jungle. The old man knew this was his last chance to hold their fears. Grabbing Shaun, he pulled him to the river. He pushed him as close as he could to the water. Melanie ran to where he was and shoved the old man aside. Grabbing the knife he had dropped, she cut through Shaun's ropes as quickly as she could. The knife fell from her hand but she had cut through enough that Shaun was able to break through the ropes. All the men of the tribe saw was him breaking free. To them, he had broken the ropes by his own strength. This caused them to move back into the jungle.
"Get up Shaun! Get up and run with me!"
Shaun stood and reached for Melanie. The snapping of jaws from huge Crocodiles on the river banks resounded through out the jungle. Hissing and growls could be heard over the rivers flow. Suddenly, the old man rose up again. He ran as hard as he could into Shaun, knocking his hand from Melanie's. He sliced out with the knife he had found and cut her across her face. The knife cut deep twice above and below her eyes. She stumbled backwards into the river and was swept down away from Shaun.
"No-o-o-o-o-o-o-o," Shaun screamed out. His fist crashed into the old man, sending him sprawling across the ground. The old man laughed through a blood stained mouth.
"There goes your River Princess! See if your God's save her now!"
"I will finish with you when I get back! You better hope your God's protect You!"
Shaun turned and jumped into the river and let the flow take him towards the only woman he ever loved.
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"There," shouted the roaring voice of Johnathon Kendall. "In the river below us! I saw a body in the water. God have mercy... I think it was my Melanie! Come around and kill those Crocs in the water! Kill them before they get my daughter! God, please don't take her from me! Please!"