Chereads / Orin Origins / Chapter 19 - Segment 19

Chapter 19 - Segment 19

And so, they parted ways and headed down their separate paths, Jinjuso, Kaizeen and Lillian on the right, Gazu, Curzon and Timothy. Over on Jinjuso and co.'s path, they were having some trouble walking through the thick brambles and roots shooting out of the ground like spikes and covering the ground intricately like a cosy mattress. "How're you guys holding up", asked Kaizeen, "I'm good, but it seems like Lilli is struggling back there", Jinjuso replied, "well do what a gentleman would do and help your girl, ok bro", Kaizeen said with a smirk on his face. "listen man, she's not my girl, but I guess your right", Jinjuso looked back at the struggling Lillian stumbling and tumbling and said, "are you sure you're, ok? You can latch on to me if you want", "please do not worry about me Jinji, I'll be fine", she said with a smile on her face. "Well, if you say so but please don't push yourself", Jinjuso said with a concerned countenance. Jinjuso and co carried on walking for a few more minutes but all they were seeing were moss-filled trees filled with these weird bulbous bead-shaped substances hanging from their bony outstretched hands, "I don't know why but guys, I'm feeling hella thirsty and my skins getting quite dry", exclaimed Jinjuso, "yeah man what the hell's going on, I can hardly talk right now", Kaizeen said with a croaky voice. Everyone puzzled for a quick second scratched their heads then almost as if a firework and a lightbulb set off, Lillian jumped up with a quick bolt and said, "Oh I know exactly what's going on gentleman, If I may?" "Yes, please fill us in", approved Kaizeen, "Well as you may or may not have noticed, the closer we got to the trees the quicker are skin and throat got dry, that's because of the moss that grows on this tree, it's called Kerellian, understand?", "yeah I get it", said Kaizeen, he looked over at Jinjuso to see him fuming, "seems like he doesn't though", he said. Jinjuso kept muttering the words, "moss sucks out moisture get dry", then in the flicker of a light switch he flickered on and said, "ok I get it", Lillian looked around and said, "may I continue?", they both nodded. And so, she continued, "you may have also been wondering what the bead-shaped substances are hanging from the tree, those are called Kerellian beads, and they contain the moisture the moss has collected, in short, we have to drink the moisture stored in those beads to hydrate ourselves and stave off our skins drying out so quickly". She looked around to see if they understand, Kaizeen nodded suggesting he understand but Jinjuso was fuming more than before and uttered the words, "drink sap get moisture back", but once again he beamed all too quickly and said, "ok understood". "Well shall we partake in the moisture sap?", she asked, "I'm sure as hell not walking around without being able to speak", Kaizeen said as he voice croaked like a frog, "and I don't want my skin to flake at the touch", Jinjuso said as his skin fell to the floor like autumn leaves. With that, the three of them each grabbed a hanging ball of the tree's sap, punctured it and drank like they had never drunk before. It felt as if a flowing waterfall was pouring down their throats, "as nasty as this it sure hits the spot", remarked Jinjuso, "you got that right", replied Kaizeen, "yes indeed gentleman", replied Lillian. After drinking the sap, they immediately felt the differences, Kaizeen could speak normally and Jinjuso's skin stopped flaking. "Man, this is amazing!", Jinjuso said in amazement, "So how the hell did you know all this anyway Lilli?", asked Kaizeen, "oh I read it in a book", she replied, "Fair enough", he said, "well then let's get going and see where this leads", he continued. Jinjuso and Kaizeen started walking off whilst Lillian stood there, she then said, "wait gentleman, I think I know where we are", "so where are we?", asked Jinjuso, "This is the famous Lactentem valley that people who done this exam talk about, they say there is a valley in the exam that sucks the moisture out of you, this must be it, let us hurry!", with that Jinjuso and co move of but walk briskly this time powering through the brambles and roots.

Then far over on the other side of the forest, we arrive on the path Gazu, Curzon and Timothy are treading, the path they were walking up was getting as steep as a rhinoceros back, and the grass was now knee-high. "try to keep up plank and marshmallow, we haven't got all day, "b-b-but it's getting s-so steep my l-legs are about to snap, and stop calling me p-plank!", Timothy said annoyed. "I dooont know if my meaty fooorm will power through thiiis, and stop calling me marshmallow", Curzon said as he started crying, "deal with it, because unlike you this doesn't affect me in the slightest", Gazu said vehemently, "It seems like from here it keeps going further and further up", he said looking back at them, "c-can we just t-take a b-break already!", Timothy said exhausted, "pleaaase", Curzon said in a begging manner. "FINE", Gazu replied shouting again, they sat down in a circle on the latter half of the steep incline, Curzon looked over to Timothy and asked, "why do you waaant to become an adventurer?", he looked surprised and said, "n-no one's ever been b-b-bothered to ask me that question before, b-but If you must know I'm fulfilling the wish my dad could never fulfill", "but you should do thiiiis for yourseeelf, not some…", Gazu interrupted and said, "shut up!", Curzon looked over at him stunned. Gazu continued, "you don't have the right to question him on something like that when you asked Jinjuso his reason he responded, but when he asked you, you violently shunned him, your weak externally but also internally", "so don't let me ever hear you ask someone a question again unless you can answer theirs!". "waaaiit weeere you eavesdropping on my conversation with Jinjuso the whooole time?", Curzon asked upset, Gazu didn't respond, and the group fell awkwardly silent. Until a sound of vines could be heard being lowered over the increasingly steep incline, "Use these to get up it will make things a lot easier", said a short boy wearing a rainbow coloured propeller hat and a tie-dye t-shirt his hair sharp and shark-like, like a certain someone. Gazu and co looked up in shock then Gazu called out saying, "HEY WHY ARE YOU HELPING US? WE CAN HELP OURSELVES", the cheerful youngster replied saying, "every little helps right", "wait, I-Is that Y-Yoji", the cheerful boy then responded saying, "Yoji, haven't heard that name in a while, well catch you later", the boy along with his two companions walked off.