Chương 24: Sinful Fruit
Cyrus's piercing gaze analysed every slight change in their countenance. Although he was suspicious, that fruit was too tempting to pass up on. "Alright, lead the way. We don't have much time before we switch with the others."
"Your right." Jumping off the ground, James patted his sore butt before continuing. "Then let's get a move on. Time waits for no man, young Cyrus." And just like that, shoulders wide and with his chest puffed out, he strutted off into the forest like a man on a mission. Connor unconsciously followed along with similar movements.
"Truly two peas in a pot," he whispered under his breath. Cyrus could only face palm at these over the top theatrics.
Connor, hearing Cyrus mumbling incoherently, shouted from up ahead, "You saying something, kiddo Cyrus?"
Rolling his eyes, he responded, "Nothing important, I was just wondering how far this place is."
James spoke in Connor's place, "Hmmm... We didn't travel in a straight line on our way back, but I would estimate that the walk is about 45-minute. There are also a few steep rock formations we have to traverse and they can get pretty tight. It could end up taking a little longer than expected."
'Doesn't sound too bad. We can probably make it back in time,' Cyrus thought inwardly. Noticing the dark, verdant forest surround him, he concentrated his full attention, ready to spot anything suspicious.
After 10 minutes of walking, a soft brushing sound ruffled the leaves on a nearby tree. Alert and prepared, Cyrus froze in place while his heart thumped wildly in anticipation. The more focused he was, the more prominent the sound became. A low scraping noise tickled his ears. This was no small animal or an evening breeze. It was definitely something else, something dangerous.
James and Connor were oblivious to the situation and were continuing on their way. At first, Cyrus wanted to warn them but stiffened when an enormous pair of slit eyes petrified his soul. He felt that one move and this terrifying predator would swallow him whole. Just the black, scaley head was 4 feet wide, while the rest of its body extended into the canopy.
Cyrus distinctly realized that there was no hope of contending with this monstrosity. With the seconds passing like hours, this behemoth swung its massive head and terrifying gaze towards the two twins. Freed from that unnatural pressure, Cyrus yelled at the top of his lungs. "RUN!"
Not waiting for any reply, Cyrus sprinted forward with every ounce of strength pounding the earth. His arms were swinging in full motion as he took off like a horse.
Moments later, loud cries broke the peaceful atmosphere surrounding the forest. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?!?!"
"AHHHH, STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!!"
Cyrus was too busy to even tell who was screaming as he broke through the low-lying foliage. It just so happened that those delectable fruits were in the direction they escaped. James, woken up from the original shock, roared from behind. "CYRUS! RUN MORE TO THE RIGHT AND YOU WILL SEE A RIVER UPHEAD."
Trusting James, his body jumped in the air before kicking off the side of a tree in an acrobatic manner. Cyrus's legs instantly shot off the ground, losing none of his previous momentum. It was so fluid that even Connor's screams toned down a notch.
'Damn bastard, just you wait.' That nagging question of what made Cyrus better than him flashed through his mind. Even in this desperate situation, James still had the nerve to be jealous.
Never the less, that massive beast spurned him on to run even faster. Its giant and intimidating figure only fully emerged from the treetops after running for 30 seconds. Its lithe body, slithering back and forth, extended over 6 meters long and barreled through the trees like they were twigs.
Cyrus could only see the basic details through his peripheral vision, as he was more focused on saving his life. Luckily for them, this beast, with a higher intelligence, underestimated its prey. Now chasing from behind, the snakes' slow movement speed impeded its ability to swallow them whole.
After a few minutes of this unfruitful endeavor, the giant snake released a resounding cry throughout the forest. "HSSSssssss!" Opening up its maw, a built up fluid sprayed out of its stomach indiscriminately. That putrid green mist evaporated the very air it touched, as the forest greenery was corroded into a black puddle.
"AHHHHH, IT BURNS! WHAT IS THIS STUFF?!?!" James, late to dodge the projectile, had various parts of his left side burned by the toxic bile. "HELP ME CONNOR, IT HURTS!!!!" Connor was fortunate to have his back protected by a tree that he recently passed. With no time to deliberate, he yanked James' limp body onto his back.
Not even a minute later, the acid from Jame's body also singed Connor's flesh, leaving him gritting his teeth from the pain. His physique used every breath, and voicing his complaints would only exhaust him more. 'Heavens above, please help this lowly individual survive. Fuck, man, it hurts!' He could only find solace in the tears dripping down his face.
Pulling up on their right-hand side, sounds of high speed crashing waves were music to their ears. Cyrus furrowed his brow when the frequency and vigor behind those splashes became more audible as they got closer. Getting a tiny peek through the wooded forest, he almost used those dirty words his mom mumbled behind his father's back. 'Are these two idiots trying to get us killed?!?'
As the raging current came into view, he genuinely debated throwing himself into the basilisks' mouth instead. At least it would be a swift ending. An uncountable number of jagged rocks pierced upward from the riverbed. Also, small fish with razor-sharp teeth prowled around the river. Swiveling his head back, he paled when he had an uninhibited view of this horrifying snake. 'Yup, the river works fine.'
Bracing himself, he launched his body past the rocky preface on the side of the river. Although it was shallow, this 3 meter drop was not much of a danger. The perilous part was surviving inside the river. Still, those eyes filled with endless madness and ferocity made the choice much easier.
'This is way too fast!' Struggling to the surface of the water, Cyrus was twisted, flipped, and turned in every which way as he lost his sense of direction. The periodic time above water barely left him conscious before submerging him again.
Stranded alone in this vicious river current, he lost track of James and Connor's whereabouts. Screaming 'live' in his fading mind, he slowly succumbed to the all-consuming darkness. Only the furious roars of an angry beast reminded him he was alive.
'I swear I will slap both of them if we survive.' That was his last thought as a rock, protruding from the water, abruptly struck his head.
........
'Tsk, Tskkkkk, ouch that hurts!' Opening his groggy eyes in pain, a hand tenderly rubbed the bulging bruise on his forehead. That slight touch left him reeling from the pain and nausea. Only by placing his head on the soft sand would the symptoms abate.
Attempting to open his eyes again, he took a quick survey of his surroundings. Even if he was going to die in his weak present state, knowing why was better than not knowing at all. The reaper did not seem to want his life this time around as everything was calm. His senses were not warning him of any impending danger.
Looking towards his other side, surprisingly, James and Connor were right next to him. The multiple bruises all over their figures were probably the best thing he saw since their meal from earlier. Chuckling through the pain, he decided to rest a little while longer. As it was already night, there was no rush to go anywhere, especially in their current conditions.
The moon had recently risen, leaving the forest with a chilly wind and an eerie atmosphere. Cyrus woke up again and decided it was time for them to get moving.
"Wake up sleepy heads." Poking them with a stick he picked up on the shore, each bruise was given focused treatment from Cyrus.
"*Cough* *Cough* OWWwwww!" Throwing up the accumulated water in his lungs, James yelped from the aching pain these deep purple bruises caused. He was like an angry lion as his eyes seethed with hatred. That stick in Cyrus's hand provoked a nasty scowl.
"Heh, you deserve a lot more for getting us caught up in this stupid problem." James could not debate, as he and his twin were the primary culprits behind this debacle. Not bothering with him, Cyrus continued, "That super wide rock wall you guys mentioned earlier that was near those fruits. I spotted it. We are actually pretty close by."
James smiled and replied, "At least something decent came out of this. We should head over there as soon as possible and get back. The group is probably worried already."
Cyrus glanced at James before nodding his head. He was for once in agreement. They definitely needed to get back as soon as possible. There were a lot of things in this forest that could kill them and strength in numbers was the best solution.
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