Near the Serpent's Fang
Intro: In an uncertain day before Jaino had met the children in Deep Forest, flashback: "Grah!!" has loudly yelled by a long haired veteran man. He points his finger to the frightened people. "Locate the whereabouts of that woman! And the family that helped her to hide! Scan the whole Deep Forest, and bring her to me! We can't let her escape! We haven't finished giving her hell! Her worst nightmare! And the success of our experiment!" Loudly, he laughs madly. "I can smell. I can smell it. The success of our experiment. The eternal life after the long terror. What are you waiting for? Now, go and commence the pursue!"
"Yes, sire!" has simultaneously replied by the crowd.
Behind the long haired veteran man, a man speaks, "Quite confident, are you?" His words startle the person he's spoken to, and that person grumbles angrily. He continues, "If it'll become a failure, you'll bother me again. Oh, well, it's not my place to say that, but make sure you'll finish it quickly as possible. Our boss' body requires to be stable. And you must success on your experiment. Or we will be repeating the tragedy in the past. We will birth another monster in the forest by the time comes. And who knows, you might be the first to be eaten."
"What are you here for, Martinis Digs?"
"I come to retrieve your garbage. I have to drain their blood before their burial."
"That's too early. Speak your real intention!"
"Easy, easy. Our boss asked me to retrieve your reports."
"No! Not yet!"
"I'll be waiting, then."
"Just don't bother with my work!" And he leaves the room.
And why would I bother... I don't even know how everything is progressing. I'm just doing my part.
—End of Intro.
Flashback to when Amono helped Jaino to escape from Kilie in Deep Forest 01: A cry from an animal draws their attention, follows by another cry as this continues.
Jena hides behind her brother as she is cringing in fear.
Crawling out from the trees; their scaly face is angry a warning for their prey for a great chase. Their teeth are sharp as their mouths are showing hungry. Long tongues are saying yummy. Their eyes see their prey as warmth, making their stomachs hungrier badly. They have small upper arms and big giant legs. But their tails are a bit huge, hard and heavy.
"They're huge," has said by Miera, stretching her dress, making it comfortable to her body.
Those reptiles surround them.
"Kilie, do you hear me?" has asked by Jaino, verifying.
"Of course."
"Have the children and bring them home to Aklaba!"
"Do you think I'm idiot?" —Jaino sneakingly moves backward, making his distance away from her group— Kilie, who actually notices, appears to his back. "You won't escape this time!"
One of the reptiles stomps trembling the ground as Kilie outbalances, when she has stood near to Jaino, giving Jaino a chance to escape since the others are busy in different matter.
The big man focuses on protecting those siblings from the agitated creatures.
Their cries are fierce, frightening; making Jena covers her ears and she's shaken. She wants to think this event just a dream. Her brother is confused about a thing to do. Even though he's trembling, bravery is keeping his eyes open.
Meira couldn't help but wonders why those creatures ignore her. She's even more helpless because she does precious her skin.
Jaino reaches the woods and he continues inside passing across a man, cloaked by a worn white cloth and he has only a bolo knife sheathed on his waistline. The man is leaning on a tree. "Your help is in time! Accompany those children home!" has yelled by Jaino, without having an eye contact as he runs.
You're idiot wounded by a childish matter, has though by the cloaked man. His corneas are similar to those reptiles. His name is Amono Hestia Galossom, a Crewl, a member of military under Jaino's force before.
Crewl, they are norims being rise by their parents on their infant days along with a new born animal except the Norim. They can even control or order those kind of animals; and even gain those animals' abilities if possible.
When Jaino retired after ending their first assignment; Amono Hestia then retired. They'd been buddy since training until Jaino had rank up; he then applied to Jaino as subordinated. Until now their friendship never wear off.
Kilie appears in front of Amono Hestia. She grabs his collar and she shoves him into the tree. "As I thought. I was dumbfounded. How many of you willing to push him away from me!"
Amono Hestia remains calm. "What the— I'm just a passerby."
"Don't act dumb!"
Upon making an eye contact; noticing something on her corneas are compressing into the middle. "You got me. It's true. I'm just a passerby. I'm his friend. You can still chase him, and I take over the children and bring them home."
Kilie then disappears.
Amono Hestia goes to the group and settles those rampaging reptiles. He apologizes to Miera and Dhumbou. Although, Jena is still passed out and her brother is furiously angry at him; still, the man, cloaked by a worn white cloth, asks the boy for forgiveness. He begs at him, including his sister, to come along.
Cracking sounds of leaves, as the consecutive feet step in the ground, awaken the girl, Jena. Opening her eyes slowly, the blurry images have made her fingers to wipe clean her eyes. She waves her view and she scrutinizes the surrounding. Knowing that her carrier is moving, her body feels the tilting movement of what she's lying. She speaks, "Brother? Where are you?"
And the voice of a boy that she recognizes, replies, "I'm here Jena."
Seeing her brother riding the giant reptile that she remembers their attackers, she screams.
The voice of a man loudly speaks the words, "Don't be frighten. My mates are harmless."
She gazes at the other side to see a cloaked person riding the same reptile. Shaking from fear, she asks, "Re... really..."
"Yeah, I assure you."
"Right," has seconded by the boy. At her sister, he smiles. "He even told me their names. Wanna know?" Unable to receive a reply from the frightened sister, he continues, "What I'm riding is Cradoon. The one yours is Diya. And to sir Amono is named Cazavanga. The one leading us is Hicaress. And yknow, their strong and awesome!"
Trying to surmise the safety of their situation, at her brother, Jena just nods.
Onto their stop, one reptile suddenly ogles its head to nearby her eyes, has made her frozen in fear. Feeling the reptile's rough-skinned head caressing her cheek, her body shakes. Her eyes wide open witnessing that reptile widely opens its mouth. Her loud scream roars in the place. Both Amono and the boy rush to her aid and to only discover the reptile caressing its tongue into her face. Her brother laughs. He says, "Diya likes you Jena." To the boy, Jena runs and hugs him. Hiding behind her brother, she peeks at the unbothered reptile.
After Amono has distanced the reptiles from their camp, the boy and Jena gaze at the dimming orange sky. "Brother, where is bro Jaino and ma'am Kilie..."
"Oh, they probably exited the forest already."
Carrying a tray containing three bowls each paired with a spoon, Amono Hestia goes near as he speaks, "Eat now. We have a long road before we reach Aklaba Village." The forest becomes so warp up. What is happening? This is the first time I'm experiencing this.
To Amono, Jena asks, "What is Jaino to you, sire?"
The man sips the soap in the spoon and he digs his spoon inside the bowl. "He's my boss." He sips his spoon again. Both the boy and Jena silence. "An important friend of mine. The best of the best."
Feeling relieve, Jena smiles. "So, he's not a criminal. Thanks goodness."
The boy follows, "Of course, he's awesome after all."
"Awesome..." has mumbled by Amono Hestia. He smiles. Yeah, he's awesome. A person who won't hold back against the evil, as if he was possessed by evil itself, and will cry whenever a person cry. An evil who will collide to those evils and a person who will coward in times of sadness. "That reminds me. Why were you in the forest?"
The air blows coldly as both the children silence. Jena hums to the least possibility. She begins crying. Her brother holds her hand and she looks and sees her brother face shows their mutual feelings. Her brother replies, "Bro Jaino didn't want to hear us our circumstances. So, I think it should be forgotten." His shoulders shakes. "But each time I remember what happened. It hurts."
"Mother... father..." has spoken by Jena. She cries.
"I'm different than Jaino," has followed by Amono. "Let me hear your story." I might able to help you overcome that sadness. "Don't be afraid to speak. Let me hear your story."
Jena begins to speak, "We were actually living in Aklaba. But there was this woman brought by my father. I was afraid, I thought she was a monster, because... because her skin was full of markings of blood. Then my father told mother she was full of injuries allover her body. Her skin was even like, white blue, blue green, purple... Her bones were even showy on her skin, the more that made me frightened. I couldn't understand it. My father explained to mother that she lacked of nourishment. Few days later, we came her to journey to Jelfyr."
Her bones were even showy on her skin? Probably from the loss of her blood. Her skin colors were white, blue green, purple and... Additionally plenty of injuries allover her body and a lot of blood markings. She was tortured... It's impossible. Nah, that was just too coincidence.
Her brother follows, "It was actually when some strangers were roaming in our village night and day. That was when my father decided that we'll live in Jelfyr... But, but, but... That strange wiggly meaty monster sucked in the strange woman. I could hear her pain." He cries as Jena does.
Jena continues, "It even sucked my father and mother. They were yelling in pain too. Me and my brother, we were both couldn't move. I was too frighten. I couldn't even hear anything what my father and mother were yelling on us. It was my brother that drew my arm and made me to run."
"Yeah," has affirmed by her brother, "I could hear mother and father shouted me to escape with my sister many times. And I was frightened to hear those cracking sounds. It was a nightmare. That was when we met bro Jaino. He helped us escaped."
She wipes her eyes. Her shaky body discerps her words, "As if sire Jaino wanted us to forget my parents and everything that happened on those scary moments. I was really terrified. But, but... I want to see father and mother again."
"I wanted to avenge father and mother too," has said by her brother, "But Jaino said, we should treasure our lives."
"Because Jaino thought, it was better that way," has said by Amono. "When you grow up you can protect those who can't protect themselves," Amono Hestia's words confuse both children. "Both of you two are strong."
"Eh, we both are strong?" has asked by both children.
"Right, you two must grow stronger and do like what your parents did to the strange woman. You get it?"
Jena robs her tears. She speaks, "I can't really understand it."
Her brother has seconded, "Same here. The only thing I can say is bro Jaino somehow awesome."
To the children, Amono commands, "Now now, both of you, eat your soap before it loses its warm." Happily, both the children follow. There is something bothering me. It seems the family of this children is being pursue by them. Or, I may be just over thinking.
Far from their location, many tall trees are shaking while the darkness covers the long creature crawling in the ground. Onward is the gleaming pair of rubies, an indication of hunger.
At night, in a mansion that Duego has turned over to Criselia, packed of workers are cleaning the mess and some scholars are instructing some people in the area. A woman, Criselia, sitting in a chair, closes her eyes. She gazes at the ceiling. She leans her lower arm to her stomach and props her elbow to her wrist. Putting her finger to her chin, she gazes at the floor. She shakes her head sideways. A lady, appointed by Duego as her assistant, notices her distressing movements.
That lady thinks, I can't wait to see what kind of person this Criselia is. Most my studies might be helpful in contributing to her experiment. I know a lot of anatomy, most of the norim races, plenty of wilderness details, xxx, and xxx, and xxx........... And many more. I might be talking highly with my ability. But it's real. He he he he.
She goes near and asks, "Is there a problem ma'am? I notice that you have been so disturb. Maybe, I can help."
Criselia replies, "I was just thinking of something that I've forgotten. Then it came to my mind, there was this 1/3 inch crystalline that I made when it thawed to liquid and evaporated in the air, it fell every inhabitant of a country to sleep."
Shock about what she has heard— "Eh, what!! Is that possible!?"
"O, o, of course, it happened. Right in my eyes. I had forgotten its name and formula though."
"And it made you drowse too?"
"Ah, no, my body is full of resistance to many kinds of illnesses. So I was able to make a wide antidote before a worst case happened. Well, plenty of accidents happened on that day, so I exterminated its data."
"Now! That was a sad news!" I'm expecting to see your actual achievements, you see...
"Anyway, what I really was thinking. I think, I have forgotten something. Something like, a giant creature lurking in a forest. And it somehow related to me."
"Eh? What is that you forgotten? A giant creature that you create? Or you discovered a bringer of justice? A god? What is it, what is it? I can't wait to know."
"No no, it's not like that." Scratching her hair, she confidently yells, "Yeah! Right! I remember. It was a giant species in the deep ocean. It was long and no limbs. I'd been keeping it near my mansion in the forest. I think I'd forgotten to feed it for a thousand years."
"A thousand years... Seriously..." That can't be true... But according to our ancient books, it might be happened... But it we make her words logical, this woman is an ancient lady? She just notices Criselia glares at her intently.
"What did you say?" has asked by Criselia, making that lady shakes her head sideways. Criselia then thinks, But where could that creature has been hiding to? Or probably it had been long gone.
While time always ticks forever
Our past might be dug by someone
Either worst or memorable
.