The warm rays of the midday sun caressed the forest's trees. No matter what creature was watching this magnificent scene, the brown and orange tinted sky was a sight to behold.
At times, four shadows could be seen dashing across the forest, some jumping from tree to tree. Many people would only believe this as a movie scenario due to the incredible movement and speed of the four shadows.
These shadows were the four of us who had been picked to be a member of the rescue team for an Eagle chimaera named Archer. Running across the jungle with the three chimaeras is actually more advantageous than I realized at first.
The biggest advantage here is the knowledge I receive from these chimaeras. I had no idea about the power of these monsters at first. Because things generally go wrong around me, being clueless puts me in tremendous danger at all times. It started with the wolves, then the three humans, and finally the bothersome bear.
If I have sufficient information about these chimaeras' strengths, I can make my interactions with them more beneficial for me because I will be able to tell whether I am superior to them or not, which can be useful in circumstances when they might attack me or order me to perform an activity I do not want to undertake.
As I follow Tito's lead, I observe that these chimaeras move far faster than the wolves or other animals I've encountered in the past. Even if their pace is nowhere near that of the bear, who could catch up to me in seconds if it weren't for all my tricks, it is still fast enough to match or even surpass mine.
Tito, the chameleon chimaera, was the slowest when sprinting, but it used its tongue on trees to swing itself forward, increasing its speed for a short time. Its tongue, on the other hand, moved SO FAST that I couldn't even see it move. Keep an eye out for that tongue, which must be powerful enough to pull the chimera's weight.
The owl was as fast as the wolves, but not fast enough to outrun me, or so I believe, because we aren't running or flying at our fastest because Tito isn't as fast. The cheetah, on the other hand, should be quite fast, although I have yet to witness her top speed
Tito signaled us to come to a halt as I was evaluating and pondering the powers of these chimaeras. I was shocked that we had already arrived; something didn't seem right because it didn't make sense for the hunters to be this close to this part of the forest given that my battle with the bear was much further away, but I dismissed my thoughts because they didn't lead anywhere.
Tito sat on a tree, his body color having altered to a shade of light grey and light brown to match the color of the tree, allowing him to scout the situation a little better.
We waited for him while he took in the spectacle in front of him. We were each hiding near a tree to reduce the possibility of being discovered. In reality, I could just use my shadow talent to reduce the gap between myself and the hunters, but I prefer not to do so for two reasons.
One, I still don't fully understand my body, and I'd rather not take a bullet. I'm assuming nothing will happen because my body was split in half and back to normal with just less grains after a specific period of time, but I'd like to not take any chances. It never hurts to be calculated and cautious.
The other reason is obvious: I don't want to use an impossible and fictional talent in front of the chimaeras in case it's unfamiliar to them. They might do something if they find out about a wonderful skill like mine, and I'd rather keep my shadow power a secret. Overall, I prefer to avoid employing this skill and instead rely only on my physical strength and speed.
This was taking longer than we had anticipated. How long does it take to scout a group just in front of a camouflaged chameleon? Tito turned around at that same moment, a look of despair, discouragement, anguish, agony, and distress on his face. The expression of a hopeless person.
That was not a visage that any creature should bear for no cause other than a simple miscalculation or misinformation. That was the expression of someone who has done something contrary to their usual way of life. The expression of a helpless and despairing creature.
It hit me at that very time. From the beginning, I had the impression that something was awry. Not doubting my presence or the reality that I was new and strange. Going in the wrong path, too near to the chimaera headquarters. Knowing the precise location of hunters in the middle of the day, when hunters do not normally camp. The extra time the chimaera spent scouting. Everything made sense.
These were the actions of a traitor, someone who knows too much about an event to be a victim, probably because of their involvement with the enemy.
Before I had the time to take action based on my findings and beliefs, a gun was shot and the air shattered. The bullet ripped across space, leaving nothing but silence in its wake. The sound of the gunshot scattered the animals in the forest followed by a painful sting I have never felt in my life before.