章 2: Imperil
Night time was always the most dangerous time of the day. No matter how Xzavier looked at it, the night always came with its own horrors and dangers.
From the creepy crawlies the crept around on the forest's floor, to that ever present danger of a nocturnal predator showing up unannounced, night time was fraught with so many dangers that Xzavier couldn't possibly hope to envision them all.
There was also the disturbing fact that the forest and the creatures seemed to have a mind of their own. Everything about them was off.
His recent experience had taught him not to underestimate any creature here, he had learnt the hard way that even a tree could turn against him here at any moment.
All things considered, falling asleep was the hardest task to accomplish here. Xzavier hated the idea of being unconscious in a forest as strange as this one, he didn't like it, but he had no other option but to turn into an insomniac.
If an ordinary bunny could have caused him so much trouble, it baffled him to even consider what an actual beast would be like here. He shuddered as he thought of it.
"I better find a high ground and camp for the night."
He thought prudently to himself;
"There's no telling what manner of danger stalks these woods in the night time."
With a grim look on his face, and his mind anticipating the kind of terrors that flew about at night, Xzavier crept along the surface of the forest in search of the perfect place to camp for the night.
There were no caves or high grounds, neither was there any ranger's cabin in which he could take refuge. As he delved deeper and deeper into the heart of the jungle with dusk on his heels, Xzavier soon began to become disenchanted.
He was about to give up entirely when he chanced upon one of nature's wonders. His eyes widened as he took in the wondrous sight. Right before his very eyes, located in the womb of the forest and in the heart of the jungle was a great oak tree that spanned several meters wide with an impressive height of at least thirty foot.
The joy in his heart knew no bounds. The major was more than thankful for the provision.
Xzavier Mace wasted no time and immediately got to climbing. Ascending a tree such as this would have proven to be the real definition of a herculean task, but Xzavier was more than up to it. Amidst grunts and heavy breathing, Xzavier managed to get to the top of the tree just in time for night fall.
After securing his position, Xzavier settled down to the first sleep he had had in several days. He soon dozed off as the days of accumulated took over him in one heavy wave.
Although Xzavier had been asleep for more than four hours, he felt like it had only been a few minutes since he last closed his eyes. He awoke out of his slumber with a jolt and he couldn't explain why. Years on training had honed his sixth sense so he knew that danger must be lurking.
His suspicions were confirmed almost immediately as the military system's voice dropped into his mind with a warning;
"Major Xzavier Mace, please be advised; the system has picked up on a horde of fully wildlife approaching from the rear end. Precaution is advised."
The cold automated voice of the system betrayed no emotion, but there was no missing the sense of urgency in its message.
Xzavier cursed inwardly;
"Yeah no shit!"
The hard training which Xzavier had endured for so many years had gifted him all the necessary tools to survive. He had excellent instincts and in addition to that, he was also a seasoned combatant who had seen action.
But in spite of all these, Xzavier was more than grateful that the system had alerted him on time. The major didn't dare make any sudden movements.
He wasn't up to date on wild animals' trivia, but he knew fully well that most nocturnal predators that hunted at night had excellent night vision and acute sense of hearing. As if those traits weren't crazy enough, he knew that they also had excellent sense of smell.
Most, if not all predators could sniff out their prey from a long way off. It was almost impossible for one to slip by unnoticed. So, without making the slightest sound, Xzavier slowly sat upright. He carefully reached into his back pack and pulled out the one advantage he had right now- a state of the art N-20 night vision goggle.
This particular piece of equipment had a range of about two hundred meters or more. No matter the blackness of the night, it could detect radiation and discern varying levels of heat signatures.
Xzavier took his time to set it up as quietly as he could, then, he crouched down on his belly and peered hard at the ground. He was wide alert and all his senses were awake. It turned out that he didn't need to look too far, Xzavier soon found what he was looking for.
Right at the base of the very tree he was currently hiding, the lithe impressive figure of a muscular Cheetah was circling the trunk of the tree.
Xzavier was not excited about his new visitor at all. He was well aware of the fact that the animals of this forest weren't ordinary. His suspicions were confirmed when he noticed that the Cheetah displayed its intelligence by the way and manner it moved.
Its movements were sporadic, it moved in a zigzag like motion in order to keep its position hidden.
"This isn't good."
He thought;
"This creature is obviously intelligent."
His brief but interesting encounter with the rabbit had taught him just a small fraction of what he needed to know about the creatures of this forest.
Xzavier wasn't looking forward to engaging the Cheetah at all. So, he began to mentally prepare himself for the altercation ahead. His sharp mind began to take into account the environmental factors that could play to his advantage.
Apart from the silvery rays of the glowing moon that filtered down from the towering canopy trees to the forest's floor, there was little or no visibility.
Xzavier couldn't count on the moonlight more than he could count on his own sight. As nature intended, the Cheetah had all the advantage. What Xzavier was grateful for at the time was the fact that the air was still there was no breeze. And because there was no breeze, the cheetah couldn't pick up his scent.
He was still thinking that when the air around him shifted, and with it came a slight breeze from the north.
"Damn it!" he cursed inwardly.
"Can't a guy catch a break around here?!"
He silently prayed that the Cheetah wouldn't pick up his scent, but alas, it was futile. As soon as the wind blew, the Cheetah stopped prowling and immediately looked up at the tree. Xzavier could have sworn that the creature smiled as if to say; 'I've got you.'
Given his present situation, it was difficult to maintain his cool. And yet, Xzavier knew that it was imperative that he stayed calm. A lot was riding on him maintaining his cool. He took a deep breath and reanalyzed the situation.
"The Cheetah is moving a lot. But why? Could it be that it is trying to avoid being seen because it could actually suffer real damage from a long range attack?"
A light bulb came on in his head immediately.
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