“Is..is this the exit?” Neal’s breath comes out in pants. He is rather winded from spending two days trying to find a way out of that room of ice, than out of the area of caves and thin pathes. He had used the egg for guidence as it had a faint glow to it in the dark. Also, it was not to heavy to carry which made things easier. However the longer he held the beautiful egg, the more strain the muscle in his arms gained. Now easily feeling them aching and begging to have what was in his hands dropped already.
At least it was benifical that after a nights rest his wounds healed a good amount. He was not sure how it worked, but it seemed that he had faster recovery then he was used to. Which helped a lot with how things have been going lately. He was not sure if he would be experiencing more unfavorable situations in the future as well. As much as one can hope for the best, he had no way of making sure things went the best way they could. How unfortunate it was he could not just simply control the world around him like one could in a lucid dream. That would make things so much easier, so much more blissful and sweet.
It was pure luck, however, that he made it out of the abandoned land. How glad he is as well. After all he has not taken a single sip of water nor a single bite of food since he had been kidnapped. Not that he didn’t want to eat, rather he couldn’t with the lack of any sort of life in those mountains of stone. So of course he is very excited to have better chances of finding some now, now that he was off that lifeless land.
No matter how tired, he would force himself to keep awake to at least get some water in him. How dry his mouth felt and the hot weather mixed with how much walking he had done did not help in the slightest. The faster healing of his body unable to do anything for his now chapped lips and dazed stare. A single focus on his mind as he held the egg close to himself and looks around.
He shifts the egg in his hands to a more comfortable position, his arms aching from carrying it for so long. Something like a back pack would be great right about now, he doubted he would find one just laying around here so conveniently though. Those two kidnappers had taken the little sack he had as well, so now all he had were the clothes on his back and this beautiful crystal covered egg.
“You really could just ask me to-“
“Just shut up” Neal is done dealing with this voice, from now on he felt he should just ignore it.
He continued on, the sound he had grown used to of his shoes clicking against the stone floor, now silenced by the grass under his feet.
It was not long for him to find a stream. He gently put the egg down before kneeling beside the stream and cuping some water in his hands. He brings the cool liquid to his lips, greadily guzziling it down. It tastes amazing! By far the best water he ever had, he could not help but keep drinking and drinking in-till he was satisfied. It could have been the thirst talking, but what did it matter now that his thirst was quenched.
After he finishes drinking he lays down on his back. One of his hands then stretches out to touch the egg, a sort of comfort to make sure it didn’t suddenly vanish or something.
The egg is warm now, mostly due do his body heat that had been pressed against it for so long. The faint heart beat inside is easy to feel under his fingertips. How comforting it was, even though he was not sure what could possibly be inside.
“Ah..I want to sleep” He hates all of this constant moving around, he just wants to sleep for weeks on end, only getting up to eat or use the bathroom. Now that was the life.
He sighs, rolling over onto his side and pulls the egg closer to him. Holding it pressed against his chest as he drifts off into sleep. Not a single thought crossing his mind on the wild animals in the forest. Not even a second to think about the dangers that came with falling asleep so openly in the wilderness.
The sun is setting anyway, so he felt he would just rest intill daytime came again. Falling asleep easily, intent on sleeping the whole night.
–
Of course if one is to fall asleep so often in an area so thick with trees, their will come a time they are noticed by the wild life.
Such a time was now, a gigantic creature that had the features of a wolf yet thrice the size is sniffing around, pausing its next step as it caught on a new kind of scent. The strong scent of what seemed to be a flower mixed with another kind of scent. Following the scent lead it to defencless prey sleeping out in the open, laying in the grass with an egg that gave off a powerful aura. A powerful aura that was suggesting that whatever was in that egg was strong. With that realization the wolf decided that if it got to eat that egg its own strength may increase greatly!
It wondered if it should call the rest of its pack. However, after seeing what seemed to be the one guarding the egg sleeping soundlessly, it felt it could do this easily on its own. The one with the egg looks defensless and weak, how easy it would be to take this egg for its own!
So it creapt slowly and quietly towards the sleeping boy, carefully hunting its new pray. Golden eyes locked on the crystal shelled egg, saliva already begining to build up in its mouth with its excitement.
–
His mind floats back up out of slumber, still groggy as Neal began to regester he is awake yet again. Everything is slow, quiet. So Neal does not understand why it is his body decided to wake him up. What he did begin to discover was that he felt extreamly uncomfortable, as if he were laying on a bed of needles.
Everything inside him screamed danger. Was it a gut feeling? Instinct of some kind? Luck? Whatever the case Neal was soon to discover a huge shadowed form creaping towards him from the dark. With slightly opened eyes he watchsthe figure move slowly and quietly, not making a single sound despite its large form.
Panic begins to settle inside Neal. He is so tempted to get up and run right away, but something stops him. If this was a beast or animal of some kind, could he really outrun them? He had not the ability to run fast or for very long, so the most likely thing to happen was the figure would just pounce on him and capture him without any trouble at all.
He needed to think of some kind of plan. Running was not an option right now, and trying to beat it in a fight was not either. So what other option was there? Was their any kind of option at all?
He has barely any time to think as the figure grew closer. Neal finds himself searching for something to hold onto and use to distract whatever it was, or better yet something to scare it enough so it backs off.
The typical common stick and rock is all he can find, nothing else besides the egg within hands reach. Not that the egg was an option as throwing the egg was in no way a good idea, he couldn’t sacrifice it either, it would be to cruel. Besides after going through such trouble to save the egg, it would be a serious waste to toss it now. Especially after he just escaped that maze like place.
Someone with no experience at all with fighting a wild animal had no real chance of getting the upper hand. Even if the creature was alone, that did not change the fact Neal had no way of bringing the creature down.
Left with not many options, Neal had no choice but to grab a near by rock and grip it tightly in his shaking fist. He did so slowly, so the creature did not notice he was awake and aware of it stalking towards him quietly. If it realized he knew, then surely it would no longer bother being quiet and charge at him straight away!
One hand held the egg close to him, well the other tightly held the rock. He tried to keep his breath under control as he waited. Waiting for the perfect moment to catch the creature off guard and strike. Waiting for when he could see it better, to raise his chances of not missing his target.
The wolf like creature was in no way aware of the guardian of its prey awaking. To focused on the egg as it quietly made its way over, excitement filling it as drool dripped from its mouth. The sound of the droplets hitting the ground the only noise it made.
The noise was enough for Neal to focus better on the creature. Just as it began to shake its behind back and forth, like a cat, as it got close enough to pounce and tackle the egg, he made his move.
Thump!
The wolf like creature froze in its spot in the tall grass, looking dumbfounded as he watched the rock that just hit it bounce once before landing on the ground still. No pain from the blow, rather just surprise from the sudden flying object hitting it. Taking a moment to replay the scene of the boy suddenly sitting up and throwing the rock at it with all he had. Just the fact the boy was there was its own shock, having forgotten about him with how much of its attention the egg held.
The wolf like creature stands up from its prepared pounce and looks back over to where the boy had been laying. Much to its dismay it found the spot empty. It narrows its eyes at that spot, an unpleasant feeling growing in it at the runaway prey. Now it felt ever more so determined to get the egg, as well as make that weak looking boy regret hitting it with the rock.
It quickly caught ahold of the now familiar scent and chased after it. The boy could not have gotten far after all, and it was confident in its speed. So confident it did not bother going at full speed as it tracked down its prey.
As it came to a lake the wolf like creature stopped right in its tracks. Looking around confused it sniffed the ground, but found the scent ended here. How was that possible? Where did its prey go?
It kept sniffing around, but after having no luck and its stomach begin growling reminding it of its hunger, it decided to give up and move onto new prey. It is not like it was guaranteed it could get the power of the egg from eating it anyway. So accepting its loss it moved on, but silently hoped to perhaps bump into the boy and the egg another time.
As soon as the wolf left the waters surface rippled, disturbed as something suddenly came up from under it.
–
Neal came up out of the water coughing up mouthfuls of it back to where it came from. His body shaking from how cold the water felt on his previously warm and comfortable skin. He holds the eggs with both hands now, trembling as he made his way out of the water and back to solid land.
It seemed the plan had worked. He noticed the creature seemed to be wolf like, so he felt jumping in the water might help to erase his scent from the wolf. Not that he had been sure at all it would work. He just got lucky the wold creature here couldn’t track scents even through lakes.
How badly he wanted to lay down and wrap himself up in a blanket. He knew better though. If he stayed here, he would defiantly see the wolf again. Since it may return just to make sure or try tracking him again.
So even as his body shook with his decreasing body heat caused by jumping into that ice like water, he forces his feet to keep moving and makes his way through the forest in search of a safe place to sleep. Walking even as his skin tingles and aches, while his mind grew foggy and unfocused. Unable to stop the strong desire to just lay down and rest that his body seems to scream.
The light of a distant campfire is all he sees before he collapses, while somehow managing to avoid falling on the egg. It was a wonder how he still gripped onto it tightly even though he was now asleep.
“Why is it this human does not bother asking for anything even now? It makes no sense to me.” The voice that had been quiet for awhile due to observing and being in thought spoke out loud once again to itself.
It wondered about the egg, feeling a sense of familiarity with it. However it was having trouble recalling exactly why this was. How important it felt, yet nothing came to mind even though it wanted something to.
“Whatever, for now I need to just focus on getting a body that will last awhile with me in it. Even if this perfect candidate is stubborn, I will probably regret it if I give up now. Besides this is much fun! It will feel all more refreshing once I get what I want! After all no human can resist natural desire, a wish for anything must appeal to him at some point enough to cast that stubbornness aside!” Once that happens it can then take what it wants, Neals body, as it has so many before this. After all it was such a fun thing to do!
Comment