Cleaning up took a while. They awoke practically glued to the rocks. Rana went from person to person, spraying them with slick slime and helping them wash out their hair. She didn’t even tease Kenta.
Paul simply shed a layer of wax, and Daniel never actually got dirty.
The others speared the two of them with hostile eyes while bathing in cold slime. No one wanted to speak, not even Wendi, and they readied themselves in silence.
He’d never been ashamed of his body until today. Paul had felt weird learning of other races’ messy biology and been embarrassed by his pear shape comparing himself to Kenta, but never felt so mortified as when he’d put his friends in danger by existing. That stupid candle on his head.
He wiped a bead of wax from his face. They should’ve left him behind. He was worse than useless.
A few hours later, the group descended the white-painted mountain, picking their way through the birds—living and dead—bestrewed across the land. The creatures Red Tail summoned were real and, without a master or familiar environment, wandered aimlessly. Frail exotic birds collapsed, breaths thinning in a slow death.
They trudged through the once-forest, now a broken and defiled heap of splinters. The landscape would take decades to recover. Nothing but scavengers survived. The air buzzed with endless flies.
When they finally left the fallout zone, they didn’t have the strength to make camp. They fell on the soft grass for relief.
After wordless hours, Cassie spoke first. “So, guys, can we give up now?”
Kenta rose and assessed them. “It is not a matter of bravery or cowardice anymore. I will not blame anyone who doesn’t come with me, but…” he stared at the horizon. “I’m not stopping here.”
“We can’t split up!” Paul objected, his fears coming true.
“We will not split the group,” Lea assured him and stood with Kenta. “I do not intend to surrender either. The situation is unchanged. Retracing our steps is as dangerous as pressing forward. We have no good options, so we maintain the plan.”
Daniel got to his feet as well. “We stay the course but work smarter. We always take the safe path, we Camouflage our campsite at night, and we take breaks.”
Kenta frowned. “Breaks?”
“The pressure got to us, and we rushed,” he explained. “We’re running out of entertainment and fresh food, so we look for a place to stock up. Maybe rest a few days, no traveling.”
Cassie nodded as she found and discarded another piece of gunk stuck to her hair, “Not gonna lie, that sounds great right about now.”
“It does seem wise,” Lea admitted.
“As long as the stops aren’t too long,” Kenta agreed.
“Very well then. If you please, Paul, the group would like to investigate a few human settlements.”
Cleaning up took a while. They awoke practically glued to the rocks. Rana went from person to person, spraying them with slick slime and helping them wash out their hair. She didn’t even tease Kenta.
Paul simply shed a layer of wax, and Daniel never actually got dirty.
The others speared the two of them with hostile eyes while bathing in cold slime. No one wanted to speak, not even Wendi, and they readied themselves in silence.
He’d never been ashamed of his body until today. Paul had felt weird learning of other races’ messy biology and been embarrassed by his pear shape comparing himself to Kenta, but never felt so mortified as when he’d put his friends in danger by existing. That stupid candle on his head.
He wiped a bead of wax from his face. They should’ve left him behind. He was worse than useless.
A few hours later, the group descended the white-painted mountain, picking their way through the birds—living and dead—bestrewed across the land. The creatures Red Tail summoned were real and, without a master or familiar environment, wandered aimlessly. Frail exotic birds collapsed, breaths thinning in a slow death.
They trudged through the once-forest, now a broken and defiled heap of splinters. The landscape would take decades to recover. Nothing but scavengers survived. The air buzzed with endless flies.
When they finally left the fallout zone, they didn’t have the strength to make camp. They fell on the soft grass for relief.
After wordless hours, Cassie spoke first. “So, guys, can we give up now?”
Kenta rose and assessed them. “It is not a matter of bravery or cowardice anymore. I will not blame anyone who doesn’t come with me, but…” he stared at the horizon. “I’m not stopping here.”
“We can’t split up!” Paul objected, his fears coming true.
“We will not split the group,” Lea assured him and stood with Kenta. “I do not intend to surrender either. The situation is unchanged. Retracing our steps is as dangerous as pressing forward. We have no good options, so we maintain the plan.”
Daniel got to his feet as well. “We stay the course but work smarter. We always take the safe path, we Camouflage our campsite at night, and we take breaks.”
Kenta frowned. “Breaks?”
“The pressure got to us, and we rushed,” he explained. “We’re running out of entertainment and fresh food, so we look for a place to stock up. Maybe rest a few days, no traveling.”
Cassie nodded as she found and discarded another piece of gunk stuck to her hair, “Not gonna lie, that sounds great right about now.”
“It does seem wise,” Lea admitted.
“As long as the stops aren’t too long,” Kenta agreed.
“Very well then. If you please, Paul, the group would like to investigate a few human settlements.”
