Chương 21: Hidden Message
"Your lying, right? You know, this joke of yours isn't funny, Don. You need to grow up, now's not the time nor place for messing around!" In complete denial of this fantastical tale where he supposedly went on a rampage, tearing Jared limb from limb before sending the nearby forest alight with a blazing heat radiating from his body. Who was Don trying to fool? Did he look so gullible?
The injuries he inflicted on Jared meant there was no chance of him escaping. Shaking his head, he called out to Sasha who was standing close by. "Sasha, come get this delusional clown. Also, bring Jared over. I have a few choice words for that jerk!" Just thinking about that smug and satisfied expression of bringing them down together immediately riled him up. If Cyrus missed this chance to flaunt Jared's failures directly to his face, he would be stuck feeling indignant from his previous suffering.
Agitated by his turbulent emotions, the wound that stretched from his shoulder to his abdomen opened up again. A striking red bled through the white gauze strip that bound his chest. 'Oww, oww, that really hurts! I swear. If I see him, he's getting punched in the face.' Spitting out the blood that built up in his mouth, he closed his eyes in an attempt to relax.
Sasha peeked at Don with troubled eyes. As the person closest to Cyrus, their earlier discussion lead to him being elected to take charge of this delicate situation. None of them had ever killed someone before and had absolutely no idea how to comfort Cyrus.
Noticing the looks from everyone else, he sighed before heading towards the burnt body of Jared.
Thinking back on it, they should have brought it over from the start. Don was the first to witness the mutilated corpse that barely resembled a human. Singed black flesh, with a putrid smell of dried beast leather, overwhelmed his senses. He had thrown up before he could properly examine what was left.
When everyone heard that distinct retching and later witnessed spittle dangling from his lips, their cheeks went gaunt white as their stomachs churned unnaturally. They nipped their previous curiosity in the bud as they focussed on settling their own upset stomachs.
The group, very quickly, decided on leaving 'Jared' where he was. Even Manny and Tina, who had been resisting vehemently, thoroughly restrained themselves.
Preparing himself mentally, Don prayed to every God, Buddah, and Devil possible to spare him from coughing up his recent lunch. That sour taste still lingered in his mouth. Rushing to get it over with, he stuffed some grass in his nostrils before swiftly pulling the figure towards Cyrus.
Cyrus's eyes instantly flew open as a thick, pungent stench wafted past his nose. Spending his entire life living in the Cranny with large amounts of human waste and unsanitary people, foul smells were a normality.
Looking down on this mangled and rancid corpse, half of its scalp was severely burnt with dried pus stained across the body. The only thing recognizable was the deep fear and hatred that shone through its eyes. Clearly, the few extra hours only worsened the body's condition.
"W-w-wwhattt is that?!?! Is that a h-human?" Cyrus was so petrified that his entire body shut down and his eyes gradually turned hollow. Despite the original shock, his brain began connecting this body with the story from earlier. Each correlation between the two left him more frantic in searching for an alternate explanation. But deep down, his rational told him that Don's story was most likely true.
'This can't be happening. I don't even member anything after taking that sword strike. It had to be something else, right?' His inward pleas were answered with hazy memories of a forgotten event. Cyrus, visibly shaking, was left with a chill that pervaded his entire body.
Suddenly, functionality returned and something snapped as tears continuously rolled down his confused face. A smiling woman with a pale countenance and a gruff-looking man appeared in his mind. Lost, sad, confused, Cyrus only wanted his family right now. He had no idea how to cope with this current reality and could only think of his parents.
Don, watching from the side, swiftly ran over to Cyrus and gave him a firm hug. Careful not to hurt him, he made sure that Cyrus knew someone was there for him. And with the dam breaking apart, Cyrus cried out loud for the second time in his life. Tears soaked the back of Don's shirt in an unstoppable fashion.
Sasha and Talia, breaking down in tears of their own, immediately ran over as they gently hugged Cyrus. It was a vulnerable moment and a tough ordeal for someone they considered an intimate friend. No matter what, they wanted to be there for him.
Jacob, James, and Connor, who were left out, awkwardly left before busying themselves with some minor tasks. As night was fast approaching, they went to find firewood and some small animals for dinner, leaving Cyrus to rest.
Exhausted, he finally quieted down after 10 minutes of crying. Don, peering at that young tear-stained face, had a sudden realization that Cyrus was still a child. He seemed tough, determined, talented, almost any amazing adjective he could think of, but he was still 5 years old in the end. For such a traumatizing experience to occur to someone he considered a friend hurt him deeply. Don finally realized just how much he treasured this relationship, as his own eyes grew wet once again.
Hardening his expressions with utmost seriousness, murmured in a hushed whisper, "from today onward, with the heavens as my witness, Cyrus will be my brother. No matter what troubles or tribulations he attracts, I, Don, swear to endure with him!" The round sun appeared to shine a little brighter as the evening clouds gradually dispersed.
A few hours later, sitting around the sputtering campfire, the group was much more lively compared to the first day. Winning that battle and surviving the monster flood, they felt how good it was to be alive. Cyrus, on the other hand, quietly withdrew himself from the group as he ate his meal in a daze before heading to bed. Although he regathered his spirits, it did not help him forget nor bring back that originally happy and confident kid. So with the night as his only companion, his lonely figure drifted off into a restless nightmare.
The rest of the group gave him some space, as sometimes people had to work out their own issues to find true peace within themselves.
Early the next morning, after such a crazy couple days and with 9 more left in the trial, they discussed their next steps. Currently, they had two options. One, venture deep into the forest. Already they were finding it difficult to locate small prey and edible fruits/vegetables. Based on the idea of this being a survival test, the more dangerous areas were bound to have food. Also, those ferocious beasts from before were probably not the last to come. Betting on avoiding them was not a long term or safe solution.
That lead to their second option. Ambush one of those creatures and ration its meat for the rest of the trial. While there was a high initial level of danger, the results were at least more predictable than the unknown forest.
The group's opinion split evenly, with Cyrus not expressing his opinion. After losing control of himself, he feared hurting these friends with such a critical decision. No matter how much they tried to convince him, he was as stubborn as a mule. However, this situation left them more optimistic with him showing more emotion. But with Cyrus's current injuries, they postponed any decision until he heals enough to regain his mobility.
Three days flew by before Cyrus finally regained limited movement. Anything more than walking left his body in pain, but it was a remarkable improvement from his initial condition. Everyone was shocked at this rapid rate of recovery that shattered their understandings. Just like those weird flames, they chalked it up to another supernatural power.
However, that barely made it as a priority during these few days. Yesterday afternoon, an unnatural screech that temporarily impaired their hearing resounded across the forest. With winds whipping up leaves, dirt, and even small rocks, the entire forest entered a tense atmosphere. Everyone in the group was tense and arguing about which option to choose. Clearly, time was not on their side anymore.
Cyrus, for the first time in a while, looked up at that dazzling orange sun as the arguing voices faded into the background. A familiar warmth silently embraced his hurting heart, assuaging his depressed state of mind. For the first time in a while, a slight twinkle returned to those pure eyes. That heavy guilt he carried on his tiny shoulders lessened, if only a little.
Reaching that momentary enlightenment, Cyrus thought to himself, 'I guess what I did doesn't make me a bad person, Hah. Although h-h-he" sucking in a deep breath from his turbulent emotions continued," did not deserve to die...like that, I was fighting in self defense. My parents would be really sad if they-y did not see me again."
He could not help shaking his head at his earlier foolishness. Watching people fight tooth and nail on the streets for food, Demons casually eating a human, and many more tragic scenes prove the validity behind this simple point. Wiping his glistening eyes, he muttered under his breath, "I need to pull myself together. If not for me, at least for my parents!"
As he regathered himself, he noticed that the original argument still had no conclusion. Clearing his throat, "Guys! Listen. I vote for heading deeper into the forest. Previously, my father introduced me to a guard that mentioned a local legend. Supposedly, in an ancient ruin deep in this forest, there are tiny rocks that transform a normal human into an immortal. Also, there are plants formed from the very heavens that grant a 100 years of lifespan."
Even though it sounded ridiculous, people in the Blood-Fiend mine loved tales of immortal cultivators. No matter how miniscule the chance, everyone was on board instantly!"
Sasha immediately jumped at Cyrus. "Speak! Where is it, little brother Cyrus! If you tell big sister Sasha, I may just give you a special surprise....". Licking her lips enticingly, she swallowed Cyrus's arm in a very intimate hug.
Not understanding the hidden meanings, he quickly removed himself from this Boa Constrictor in human skin. "I don't know the exact location. It is a legend after all and people would have completely looted it by now if I knew the location."
Focussing his gaze on each one of them, he asked the entire group, "Can I take this as everyone agreeing to my suggestion?"
The silent Jacob was the first to nod his head in agreement, followed up by the twins. Don, surprisingly, nodded his head in a subdued response. Although Cyrus found his recent behavior a little unusual, he just nodded back in acknowledgement. Sasha was a yes already, while Talia just seemed happy for getting the old Cyrus back.
"Alright, we should pack up the camp and head out. Based on our distance from the monster call earlier, we should have a decent amount of time to leave." Wrapping up the conversation, they tidied up the camp and took everything they could carry before heading out on another dangerous journey.
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