Sylren tightened the grip on her son's hand as they climbed a narrow tunnel; breaking the darkness surrounding them with the blue-white light of the cylindrical lantern she held with her other hand.
Arold frowned but didn't complain. "Are we lost?"
"It's okay to be lost in caves because every dark tunnel opens to light," Sylren said, the backpack weighing down her shoulders. "However, we must never lose our way in life." She pointed ahead.
Arold's eyes widened. "Light…!"
"There was light at the end of this tunnel," Sylren said flatly, "that's why I said it. Not every dark tunnel opens to light." She turned off the lantern.
Arold sighed. They both stepped out into the light, and he was bemused to find they'd stepped onto a cliff-like formation covered in short green grass, a warm sunbeam shining diagonally onto it through the broken gap on the far side of the ceiling of this dome-like cave.
Arold walked into the grass and discovered even some flowers to be growing on top of this triangular piece of land. He slowly walked to the very edge.
Sylren put a hand on his shoulder, both looking down at the massive lake above which this cliff-like rocky land covered with a layer of soil and grass was hanging. "Seems deep," she said. "Try not to go this close to the edge again."
Arold nodded, gulping at the depth of the dark blue lake, its stillness only broken at the right side by the stream pouring in through the cracks. "Er…" he said as he was turning away. "I think something moved down there, Mom…"
"Probably just a fish," Sylren said, taking off her backpack and placing it near the center of the triangular formation. "Or in other words, our dinner."
Arold frowned. "We shouldn't kill it…" He looked down at the still lake again. "It's not doing anything to us."
"It's being tasty," Sylren said, showing a determined fist. "And that's a crime when I'm around."
"That's not fine," Arold said. "We already have dinner."
"Oh," Sylren said, taking out a bag of chips from inside the pocket of the pack she just unzipped. "About that…I kinda had to make room for some books and stuff, so…this is all I have…"
Arold frowned, sighing.
"But with that lake," Sylren said, "we don't have to worry about food or water anymore."
"Water's fine…" Arold said, looking sideways. "But…"
"Tell me, Arold," Sylren said, rising from the grassy ground, snack bag in hand. "Do you think other animals see you as anything but food?"
"Er…" Arold said, confused. "Cows won't eat me…"
"A tiger would," Sylren said. "And it's not alone in that."
"But it doesn't have any choice," Arold said. "It's a carnivore."
Sylren shook the snack bag. "We're kinda in the same boat. No choice."
"No, we're not," Arold argued. "We're humans. We can choose what goes into our tummies."
"Then I choose to eat that fish."
"Er…" Arold said, conflicted. "That's not fine… It's just a stupid little fish—"
Sylren laughed loudly. "I thought you were worried about the fish because you saw its life as equal to a human's. But that wasn't mercy. It was just pity."
"But aren't we…better than a fish…?" Arold asked quietly.
"If we were," Sylren said, "we wouldn't have built our own jungles. We molded the habitat of other animals to fit us, driving them out. We'd done it so much through history that many species took off to the Skies, where humans couldn't reach them.
"But that's what we do best: reach the unreachable. It ended up reprogramming the genetic code of every Higher Skies' Etherbeast species into hating anything human or human-related, that's why flying in the Eight Skies is so risky. You never know when and what might attack through the clouds."
Arold gulped. "Violent birds…?"
"Flying monsters," Sylren said flatly, handing him the bag of chips. "Show pity to someone capable of showing it back. That fish will get eaten, it's just a matter of by which animal. At least we'll kill it painlessly—that's mercy. Keep this in mind, Arold…
"Just as fishes swim, we humans hunt. Hunt food, water, shelter, knowledge. We've been doing it for ages and have gotten quite good at it. We're not intelligent apes with self-control, just civilized hunters capable of collaboration. Got that?"
Arold nodded, absorbing the words spoken to him.
"Now, while I fetch the others to this sweet place," Sylren said, taking off her hat and fixing her hair, "you eat some chips and wait."
Arold nodded again, still thinking about what his mother just said.
Sylren turned away, lantern in hand. She looked back as she walked to the tunnel and turned the lantern on. Arold opened the bag of chips. Sylren waved, Arold waving back.
###
"And what do you think you're doing there?" Malaro said, standing beside the orange-red-haired geologist Prestris and the silver-rimmed-glasses-wearing nature writer Lariz. "You know we can clearly see you, right?"
Sylren rubbed the back of her head as she revealed herself, coming out of the corner she was hidden behind. "I was trying to spook you guys. Wanted to make you think it was one of those mysterious Etherbeasts."
"But you've been terrible at hiding since before time," Prestris said, standing from the ground. "Wait, Malaro told me you still had your bag. Don't tell me you lost it."
Lariz closed his notepad, fixing his glasses. "No one can be that irresponsible."
"I lost it," Sylren said flatly. "And my son too…"
The three of them paused for a moment but finally laughed. Prestris approached her.
"At least don't bring little Arold into your stupid jokes," Prestris said, hugging her. "Though I'll admit, I did miss them a tiny bit."
"Can't say the same for you," Sylren said, smiling. "Your sense of humor has been as bland as your taste in men since before graduating."
Malaro's brows rose, lips drawing to a line, neck tucking.
"You can only say that because you've seen my husband," Prestris said. "Is yours so ugly you have to hide him from us?"
Malaro looked at Lariz with a wince. "Should we stop them—?"
Sylren laughed. "He's just busy… Unlike yours!"
Prestris started laughing with her, but the other two only seemed confused and uncomfortable. "Come on, guys," she said. "Seriously? Not even a chuckle?"
"What was funny about that?" Malaro said flatly.
"It wasn't even factually correct," Lariz said, "since your husband is also actually busy, making the statement a plain—"
"Lariz!" Sylren said loudly with a smile. "After we solve the mystery of this new species of Etherbeast, you have to publish our findings. Promise me!"
"Well, I can't, actually," Lariz said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Since that was my goal from the very beginning. A promise would just—"
"I don't see Qira," Sylren said with a straight face. "Did you two really went through with that divor—"
Prestris put a hand over Sylren's mouth. "Come on! That's just rude!"
Lariz looked as if he was fuming, losing balance.
Malaro held up Lariz from falling, their back against the women, comforting him as his face dulled and head sunk. "It's alright, buddy," Malaro said. "Not everyone is blessed with as good a wife as mine—"
Lariz's face dulled further, head tucking fully. "That's just adding insult to injury…"
"Moving along," Sylren said, returning to Prestris. "Found something?"
Prestris nodded, pointing to the ground. "That footprint," she said. "Commander Befir briefed us about everything known about this new species. Apparently they're about 3-foot tall and appear in hordes."
"Definitely a new species, then," Sylren said. "None of the Etherbeasts known to be living in a habitat like this fit that description. We'll need much more data than that though."
"Lariz has all of it written," Prestris said, turning to the writer, who still faced away from them.
"Cut him some slack, you two," Malaro said, facing them. "Especially you, Sylren. You just talked about his broken marriage and moved on like it was nothing."
Lariz's face gloomed. "Broken… Don't put it that way…"
Sylren blinked. "Would you want me to keep talking about his div—?"
"No," Malaro said quickly, Lariz's head sinking further.
"Thought so," Sylren said. "We'll need those notes, Lariz. And I found a perfect place to discuss them."
"And you left your stuff there?" Prestris said, raising a brow. "Knowing that this rumored species attacks the miners on a regular and steals away their tools?"
"Arold's guarding it," Sylren said. "It'll be fine."
Prestris shrugged. "So why the wait? Let's head there immediately and start cracking away at this case."
"We're short on manpower," Sylren said to her. "I thought Lariz's wife and your husband would also join."
"Quit mentioning Qira, you two!" Malaro said.
Lariz almost started crying now. "But YOU said her name…"
"He got chosen for a different team," Pretris said, referring to her husband. "Higher priority than this case. But I brought along my daughter. She wanted some firsthand experience in the field she's chosen for her future."
"Ulana's here?" Sylren said, smiling. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? She's the only one who has a sense of humor in your family."
Pretris rolled her eyes. "Come on now, you're being just like her professors."
Sylren raised a brow. "Because…?"
"You're also giving her extra credit," Prestris said, leaning away.
Sylren snorted. "You just proved my point."
A teen boy with a camera to the side of his waist walked out of a corner with a girl of similar age by his side, both lost in their own conversation. The girl was Prestris's daughter, Ulana Salonesa.
"Who's that with Ulana?" Sylren asked the mother. "He's wearing our attire."
"Oh," Prestris said. "You haven't met him. He's Lariz's son, Korven. Wanted to help his father with his research."
"All help is welcomed."
"He's actually an amateur photographer trying to go pro with the pictures of this undiscovered Beast."
Korven stopped, looking at his gloomy father. "Did someone remind him of Mom?"
"Not you too, Korven…" Lariz said, sighing deeply. His son took him away from Malaro, comforting him.
"Aunty!" Ulana opened her arms as she approached Sylren. "I missed you so much!"
Sylren embraced the young woman, patting her orange-haired head. "Same. But I'm really upset at you."
"What did I do?" Ulana said, frowning as she pulled herself away.
"You brought your mother," Sylren said, side-eyeing Prestris. "Should've left her back home."
Ulana laughed. "Come on," she said. "You know I can't trust her to take care of herself."
"Sylren got her, my dear daughter," Prestris complained to Malaro, who now stood apart from Lariz. "Too bad."
"Korven," Lariz said, face pale as he stood straight. "This is the team leader, Sylren Tonidex. Sylren, this is my son, Korven."
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Sylren," Korven said with a slight bow. The boy had his hair bleached, and both ears pierced. "Dad told me about your previous research expedition. With you leadership, I'll definitely get the photos I'm looking for."
"By the time we finish our research, Korven," Sylren said with a smile. "You're going to be the most famous photographer in all of Imperos."
Korven smiled, hand on his camera. "I'll try my best."
Lariz coughed. "Don't promise him something like that, Sylren."
Sylren gave him a look of confusion. "But it's true. The research papers you're going to publish at the end of this will need some photographs of these new Etherbeasts, will they not? And who do you think will capture them but your son."
Korven nodded. "I like that plan."
"That's too optimistic," Malaro said, scratching his chin. "These miners haven't been able to capture even a single in years. What can we do in mere two years?"
"They're not researchers, you oaf," Prestris called him out. "It'll only have been disrespectful for us if they'd achieved that."
Malaro exhaled softly.
"Where's Trixina?" Sylren asked suddenly.
Malaro looked around him. "She's right here…" He panicked. "Where is she?"
"She's here," Sylren said, revealing her from behind. "Don't let go of her hand, Malaro. Getting lost inside these caves is easy and even easier for child like her."
Trixina smiled as her father grabbed her hand. "That was the spook."
Malaro shook his hand. "I didn't enjoy it one bit."
"All assembled," Sylren said, putting hands on her hips. "This makes eight of us here. Let's get going to the last member."
"About time," Prestris said.
###
'Not all animals are equal,' Arold concluded, eating the potato chips, looking down into the lake. 'If they were, there would only be one animal.' Her mother's words had forced him to think these things. 'But even the different kinds of fishes aren't equal. Some eat others. Humans don't do that. Does that make us equal? What makes us equal?
'Are friends equal?'
He tossed a potato chip to the water. 'Can you choose to eat it, little fish?' The chip landed on the surface, too insignificant to disturb the calm lake.
Two fist-sized orbs of glowing red appeared in the lake, just underneath the thrown chip.
'Glowing fishes,' Arold thought in amazement. He leaned forward unconciously, trying to get a closer look—
"I told you to not go there, Arold!" Sylren shouted from behind.
Arold turned in panic. "I'm sorry—"
His hand slipped and he fell off the cliff, into the calm lake.
"Arold!" Sylren shouted, rushing to him.
Arold held an arm out, breath getting caught in his throat—
The still surface of the lake crashed against his back. He was too late.
Sylren looked from over the cliff. "I'm coming, just wait—!"
Holding his breath, Arold opened his eyes and found himself in—
Even through a plugged mouth, he screamed, losing oxygen. A giant snake had coiled its slender scaly body around him, eyes glowing red, piercing the darkness beneath the surface.
Eyes widening of terror, Arold found himself unable to look away from those frightening eyes, for if he looked away for even a second, he'd get torn apart by those sharp fangs, or get swallowed whole by that gaping mouth.
'Please don't eat me…!' Arold said to the beast through his mind. 'Please, please, please! I don't wanna die here…!'
A green glow emanating from his skin illuminated the water around, attracting the glowing eyes of the serpent. It opened its jaw even wider.
'I'm dead…!'
Arold realized in this moment a bitter truth. There were only two kinds of animals: predator and prey—those that ate others and those that got eaten by others. Hunter and hunted.
He was the latter.
###
"Should I jump?" Malaro said, taking off his jacket.
"Don't even think about it," Sylren said, opening the zipper of the biggest pocket of her pack. "There's an Etherbeast down there."
"Which one?" Lariz said.
Korven smiled, taking out his camera. "I better get this shot."
"Lakesnake," Sylren said, taking out her compound bow and two arrows.
Prestris's eyes widened. "What's it eating down here?"
"Lost miners, probably," Sylren said, walking to the edge.
Ulana's face paled. "No playing?"
Sylren loaded the first arrow, aiming with her left eye closed. "No playing."
###
'I'm DEAD!' Perhaps accepting this meant something, for the green glow shrunk and gathered inside his chest, forming a marble of glowing green light underneath his skin.
The serpent stopped. Then it looked around, like a predator that'd just lost sight of its prey—
'Air…' Arold thought, the glow dispersing again. There wasn't any air left in his lungs to choke in his throat, so he just yelled in the water as the serpent lunged.
"AAGH—!"
Purple blood mixed with cold water in the next moment, a long projectile piercing through both eyes of the serpent. It uncoiled its long body in agony, reaching for the surface.
###
"You hit it!" Malaro said, a bead of sweat trickling beside his smile. "That's crazy—!"
Sylren jumped off the cliff as she saw the Etherbeast surfacing, hat flying off the head, earring glinting in the shining sunbeam, hand clenching the second arrow. The Beast broke through the surface, pierced eyes tearing out purple blood.
"I'm the big hunter here, you snake!" Sylren announced, landing on the serpent's head. She pulled back the hand with the arrow and then jammed it straight into the serpent's brain, the Beast's head exploding out blood from a single point.
The lakesnake fell, crashing to the stony wall, the impact throwing dust into the atmosphere.
She jumped in the water without skipping a beat, pulling out her son shortly and returning to the surface.
Arold gasped, breathing precious air after coughing out some water. "I'm…sorry…mom… I…shouldn't—"
"Jeez, you were THIS thirsty?" Sylren said with a smile. "At least you fished up some nice dinner."
Arold's eyes widened as he frowned. Then they watered. He tucked his head, eyes leaking warm tears. "I thought…" he whispered to his mother. "I was going to die…"
"Not when I'm around," Sylren said flatly. "I won't let anything hurt you, Arold."
"You alright down there?" Malaro shouted from the cliff.
Sylren smiled. "Way better than that!"
Malaro exhaled harshly, a hand on his chest. "That's nice to hear."
"Now come down here and help me cut this snake up," Sylren said. "We'll discuss the research over fire and food."