They say that I am messy and imprecise. I think I am just practical.
- KAAL, THE SPY
If you think, the last chapter was a little absurd, then I agree with you. You see, the gullibility drug doesn't just work as a perfect plot device, but it is also working as a really effective 'Shit your life' tool. And this is the actual description given by the professor.
Once administered, a Gully (as we call the drug) causes you to lose all sense of rationality. You take decisions that you wouldn't normally take. That you shouldn't take. It doesn't make you any bolder though.
So, while we were running from those creatures, we had lost all sense of sensibility, and that's probably why none of us stopped immediately when the cliff appeared some twenty metres ahead. It had registered, that there was a cliff ahead, but our capability of decision making had been reduced by half.
Will and Zoey stopped first, halting, then Ayu some seven metres after that. The three remaining didn't stop, but diverged. Jack running in the middle, Noah going left, and Kaal in the other direction. Tabu, though, had jumped off Noah, sometime after Ayu stopped to a halt.
Kaal and Noa dropped on the ground, at the same time, half a metre away from the cliff, Jack, though, didn't stop. The white dude with fancy looks raised his foot to drop off the cliff. Zoey grabbed him by the waist, and pulled him back, dropping on the ground, with Jack falling over her. Will and Ayu reached them, and helped Jack and Zo get up.
"Something is wrong," declared Ayu.
"Only something?" asked Jack, standing at the corner of the cliff, his gaze set at the direction, where their previous asylum was.
"No. I mean, where are the blue and purple creatures, with their horns?" asked Ayu "The speed at which they were running, those monsters should have overtaken us minutes ago."
"I agree," said Will.
You can't save them, they are going to die, a voice, familiar but not really his own, whispered in his ears.
The Asuras hadn't reached them yet. Perhaps, they were not supposed to be there. That's one of the mysteries, I have never cared to solve. I have had much more important things on my mind.
The trees stopped, some thirty feet from the corner of the cliff. The grass was, maintained at meagre height, suggesting the presence of an herbivore. The sky looked particularly blue over us. That was odd, because it had looked like night – a very brilliant night, illuminated by stars – only thirteen minutes ago. Although, Jack had been saved by Zo, someone had successfully thrown logic off the cliff.
"Where are the other two?" asked Ayu "The Israeli girl and the Indian guy."
"Uh…." Jack tried to answer, but was interrupted by Tabu.
"This girl's middle eastern?" asked Tabu, appearing from the forest.
After he was no longer hidden by the trees, it was observed – by the four standing near the lip of the cliff – that he appeared to be dragging someone by their foot. Zoey and Jack, rushed towards him, whilst Will and Ayu didn't move from their respective spots.
When they had reached the little creature, Jack quickly brushed past him to get to Noah, while, Zoey placed herself in front of Tabu, then crouched on the ground, making direct eye contact with him.
"You can speak?" she asked.
"Yes," said Tabu with an irritated look "I can also bite your throat out, do you want me to do that?"
Tabu seemed to be quite satisfied with his reply, and Zoey was rather impressed.
"Oh, not just yet," she said with a smile. "Ask yourself this little man.
"Should you hit me?" she said in a whisper.
"You coming?" asked Jack, looking over his shoulder, carrying Noah, in his arms.
She didn't reply, but grabbed Tabu by his right hand and led him towards Will and Ayu. This, annoyed the little beast to no end. But he said nothing. It was not very wise to quarrel with that particular group. Partly, because it would be inconvenient, and because he had just thrown one member off the cliff, and hit another on the head with a hand sized rock.
Four more to go. Tabu told himself.
"What happened to her?" asked Ayu.
"She tripped and hit her head on a rock," came the simple yet, believable reply.
Ayu wasn't sold though. Neither were the others. Especially Will. Why, well he had seen Tabu drag poor old Kaal off the cliff. He had seen, although, he shouldn't have. That portion of the cliff was different. It had more trees. Large big trees, that blocked Will's sight. But when he wished to see beyond those obstacles, he could. The trees just seemed to disappear. They were back now, and they probably hadn't physically vanished earlier either. But somehow, Will had seen beyond the trees.
He hadn't witnessed Tabu hit Noah unconscious, but he guessed such was the case. So did, the Balinese. He didn't represent his front of throwing Tabu off the cliff. He didn't have evidence. He couldn't have convinced the others. Plus, he might just be seeing visions. He did hear voices all the time.
All of these thoughts were interrupted, when the creatures finally appeared, yelling their battle cries, swinging broadswords and hitting the earth with their whips. In moments, the group was surrounded. Couldn't have avoided the situation. Now, it looked impossible to avoid death. The drool dripping of the broad chested monsters' mouth didn't help up the group's spirits.
"Any ideas guys?" Will asked, scared like a cat.
"Um… I got one," said Zoey reluctantly enough that it was hinted, that, the idea was indeed a bad one.
"Anybody else has an idea?" asked Jack.
"Hey! That's so mean," barked Zoey.
The creatures conveniently waited, giving the group time to finish their conversation.
"What's the idea?" asked Ayu, hopeful yet pragmatic.
"For starters, jump off the cliff."
The group reacted appropriately, by barking insults and chastisements at Zoey, but then the Demons started coming closer.
That is a crazy idea, said the ever-present voice in Will's head.
"Why?" Will asked finally, maybe thinking of the same thing.
The creatures were now only a metre away.
"Just do it," she persisted, then grabbed Tabu and jumped.
Not believing himself, Jack jumped with Noa in his arms. Luckily, he hit Zoey midfall and discovered the Mexican's hair was on fire. Seconds later, they were joined by the other two.
From the corner of his eye, Will noticed – before he was engulfed by flames – at the bottom of the hill, Kaal, a wooden stump, the branch of a tree, sticking out of his belly, and the boy himself only moving slightly.
He was alive. Kaal had somehow survived the fall, he had survived being impaled – if not for long – but Will knew, that Kaal wouldn't survive the forest. And they were leaving him there.