"What was that?" Brian asked Wesley.
"I don't know, but this definitely isn't our world," Wesley replied.
"That was definitely abnormal, but that can't be possible," Jeremy stated.
"My watch is custom made, and is connected to our satellite," Wesley said while displaying his wrist.
"Then you could reach someone right?" Brian asked.
"I can't, and that's how I know," Wesley replied showing them there was no signal.
Everyone was debating the possibility, but even after the bizarre things they witnessed most were in denial. While debating Taylor arrived with a concerned look and shared her story of the mysterious woman who attacked. Even then only a few people joined them in their belief because only a few people actually saw Venus.
When Miguel's group returned with a large haul of fruits and mentioned losing a man in the process people were splitting into sides over their belief. They still weren't sure what happened to Luke but had to return when they found tiger tracks.
Demitri heard the debate and thought it was all nonsense. There was no trace of either monster they talked about, and with all the chaos he thought it was just the effects of shock.
Regardless of what anyone believed, there was one thing everyone agreed upon, and that was they need to be prepared for threats. They separated into three groups to increase efficiency. With one group working on digging the pits, and the second gathering bamboo. The final group was preparing the meat gathered, and sharpening the bamboo brought back.
"This is will only last us till noon," Miguel stated.
"Hopefully they will find something by then," Taylor replied.
--
John heard the shots while hiking up the mountain, but his group was too far from the camp to turn back now. If there was a threat Taylor's group was nearby and stayed close by for that very reason. The importance of their mission was also crucial for survival. John was given the important task of finding a vantage point to find civilization. Following next to John was a mobster named Alexi, and he was chopping through vines with a machete.
"You sure you don't wanna go back?" Alexi asked.
"Staying in a place like that with so many people isn't practical. If someone was working on a project out here then there should be a city nearby or at the very least a camp." John replied glancing at the others behind him.
With John was a small group of three others, and each of them was wielding makeshift spears fashioned from bamboo. Each of them volunteered to help scout since they had experience in hiking. The steep terrain with the dense vegetation was not something an amateur should attempt. Especially if they were wanting to make a good time.
After two hours of excruciating work, they made it to the top and could see the coast at a distance. Surveying the area John noticed the jungle ending towards the north and could see the signs of a fire nearby.
'Wonder if they have any answers.'John waved the others forward.
They began walking down the safest-looking slope and carefully worked their way down. As they neared the bottom of the hill the jungle was becoming extremely dense, and it became a tedious task of working through.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead John looked up trying to gauge how much daylight they had left. Once they broke through to a small clearing they began working on torches while Alexi glanced around.
'Why did the boss sign us up for this?' Alexi sighed rummaging through the jungle.
Alexi was so caught up in complaining he missed the shed skin covering the trail he was searching through. Seeing nothing of interest, and hearing the others calling he turned back. They continued forward through the jungle, but John's group was being monitored.
The land from that mountain to the coast belonged to a warrior tribe and John was rapidly encroaching their territory. John raised his hand halting everyone, and readying his weapon. Alexi saw this and promptly did the same scanning the area.
"You are trespassing."
From the jungle came a large man wearing tribal garbs, and a cloak draped over their shoulders. He was wielding a Tewhatewha radiating with magic. He had brown skin, long black hair up in a knot being held in by a jade comb, and tattoos going up the sides of his arm to his chest. His name is Ari and is the eldest son of the chief.
Alexi raised his gun, and three more men rapidly jumped out from the bushes. Each of them had spears in their hands with stingray barbs fastened among the end and had similar tattoo's along their arm. They both had a patu tucked into their waistbands with intricate carvings enchanted into them.
They were all young warriors of the tribe out for a hunt when they heard someone rustling through the jungle. Thinking it was prey at first they snuck up to strike but seeing humans with strange clothes, and weapons they observed. With John's group continuing to head towards their village Ari had no choice but to intervene.
Looking forward John was puzzled to see them standing there dressed in such a manner. He saw documentaries of the Maori warriors before, but it was an older way of living. Seeing the massive warriors before him, and the weapons radiating a weird glow he didn't know what to think.
"Don't shoot unless they attack," John told Alexi.
"Looks like they wanna attack," Alexi replied aiming his weapon carefully.
Seeing the weapon pointed towards Ari one of the warriors was preparing to dash forward, but a quick shadow darted out from the tree snatching the warrior. Ari and the remaining warriors looked up as sweat began pouring down their bodies. In the tree was a descendant of an abomination to plague this jungle for three centuries.
"Walk back slowly," Ari said as they were carefully stepping back.
Alexi looked up in the tree seeing a colossal viper with bright orange scales, and he watched the warrior slowly disappearing into its mouth. Protruding all around the viper's head were large spikes forming a fin around its neck, and trailing down part of its spine like a shield of armor. It fed on the warrior unbothered by the others standing below. Filled with fear at the monstrosity covering the canopy Alexi began firing across its body.
The bullets lodged into its scales unable to strike a fatal blow but caused blood to trickle down like rain. Seeing the effects of the guns the Maori were convinced it was an artifact, but they knew it would invoke the beast to rampage. The colossal viper opened its mouth as flames erupted from its mouth. Alexi had his head incinerated, and the man standing behind him had a cauterized hole in his stomach. The earth behind them was scorched in an instant as smoke trickled from the land. John stood there in disbelief seeing their bodies fall to the floor as the smell of roasted flesh filled the jungle.