Chapter 19: CHAPTER 18
"See you guys in two hours' time" Rex said as he stood up and walked out of the war plane. His robotic army called the keepers; were dressed neatly in white amour and were standing in an orderly formation, in front of the plane. The sun was at its zenith, and apart from the birds singing sweetly on the tree tops, and the rushing of tree leaves, when it catches the soft gentle wind, no noise was heard, not even the beeping sound from the keepers. Rex nodded his head as if pleased.
"Okay boys, let's get this over with" Rex mounted his air bike and zoomed north. His army of twenty soared behind him. They didn't need the air bike as they flew, the exhaust under their metallic feet was basically meant for flight.
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The flight was only for minute but it seemed hours to Rex. The air was slapping his helmet but it was not enough to calm his nervousness. What would happen if they find life in this uninhabited world? Would the king order the people of Anadan to return here? What if the inhabitants of this world were flesh eaters, worst still, what if there were demons? Rex shook his head. There is no such thing as demons. Demons don't exist. The beeping of his compass brought him back to consciousness and he started his descent.0
"There is something ahead; you guys would wait here while I scout the area." Rex dismounted his bike. Though he was in his early forties, he had fought many battles in Anadan with these Keepers. In truth, Rex really hates working with them. His theory against them was the fact that they could not give suggestions, or advice, they were stupid machines. One only needs to change their C-cards – control cards – and they would follow any order one gives. They are good in combat though, but to Rex, they were as rude as their maker, Dr. Jakins.
Giving it a second thought, an enemy, if one existed here, might spot the constant beep from their visor and run away or attack him unaware, so Rex shut them down with the control switch on his belt and walked to the direction his compass was pointing.
He walked stealthy, avoiding twigs and dry leaves so that he won't give himself away. The deeper he went the denser the forest and the colder or warmer it became. It was like moving from a cold temperature to a warm temperature and back again. Rex pulled out his gun smoothly when he saw something moved. He raked his gray hair and laugh off the sweat that had lined his brow when he saw the animal.
"Just a deer" he relaxed and stuck back his shocker gun on his belt. He could have shot the doe for the fun of it, but he observed that the doe was pregnant and refrains from the thought. The funny thing there was that the doe was staring at him, as if daring him to shoot. Rex smiled at her. Women both in human and animal wore the same pride, especially when they are pregnant.
Rex looked down at his compass and cursed; it was turning endlessly in all direction, and pointing to none. Rex angrily hit his palms on it and the compass broke to his disappointment. He stood in the middle of nowhere with confusion swerving around him like tiny water droplets suspended in the air. What was he to do? Going back would have been the best idea but he couldn't trace his way back to the keepers.
What will I do now? Rex asked himself as he tried to wander back the way he had come. He staggered randomly in all direction, sometimes running, sometime walking and sometimes stopping to catch his breath. He didn't want to think of the fact that he was lost, or of the fact that the captain general would fly back to Anadan without him once two hours' elapses.
"Damn" Rex whined in pain as he pulled out a thorn from his arm. The thorns here were like nothing in Anadan. The leaves and grasses were strange as well, with leaves so broad like a plate that it was impossible to see through the other end. Even though the tall trees had broad canopy leaves, he was surprise to see that the grass below were as green as the tall trees themselves. Rex added pressure to the wound on his arm, just above his wrist, below his elbow. The wound wasn't deep but it was bleeding pretty badly. He was confused and totally downcast, going forward or backward the four cardinal points met on his head.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone