When Zelta reached Alec's house, she explained to him everything that happened all through the night. She told him about getting the healer's flower to save her mother.
" How can we trust this Simon, how do we know if we're not running into a trap?" asked Alec.
" We trust him because I do," replied Zelta.
" You marvel me Zelta, trusting someone you just met yesterday," said Alec.
" We have to hurry," said Zelta.
Alec told her that it would be dangerous for only both of them to go. He told her that she would have to bring the rest of her unit along. She reluctantly agreed to his terms and called Tobin and Zelta. When they were all complete, they started out on the journey. On their way, Zain tried to talk to Zelta or start up a conversation with her, but Zelta avoided eye contact with her and kept her distance.
" Err... Zelta, I came around yesterday but you were already...,"
" I know," cut in Zelta. They kept on moving. As they were moving, Tobin quickly drew Zelta behind.
" Zelta you have to believe me, what you saw yesterday meant nothing. Please give me a chance, I'll make things right," said Tobin softly.
" I don't have time for this Tobin, do you even care that my mother is dying? Your priestess is sick for crying out loud !," yelled Zelta. She withdrew her hand from him and went forward.
" Hey," whispered Zain to Zelta.
"I know you have every reason to hate me because I hurt you, I betrayed you. But not here, not now. Right now, we have to stick together," but Zelta paid her deaf ears. Right now, Alec had begun to sense that something wasn't right among them.
" Stop, all of you!" yelled Alec.
" I'm not dumb, what is going on here?" asked Alec. There was no response.
" What is wrong with you guys?" asked Alec.
" As a unit, you all should be united. What is bringing such division among you?" asked Alec. There was no response.
" Wow, you won't tell me huh?" asked Alec shortly.
" Well you guys are in for a bumpy ride because I wouldn't move an inch if you all don't tell me what the heavens are going on here," said Alec, as he stood with his arms folded. Now they stood staring at each other.
" Why don't you tell him, Tobin," said Zelta roughly. But he remained silent, staring at the floor.
" I'll talk then," said Zelta.
" I don't think it's best to talk about this now," said Zain.
" Let her talk," said Alec who seemed eager to hear.
" Tobin and I were together you know, and Zain, she used to be my friend. But now I have nothing to do with them because I found out lately that they are both having a secret affair, kissing each other, and possibly having sex regularly," said Zelta.
" That's enough now, I've heard more than I should," cut in Alec.
" Let's just pretend that non of this ever happened, you'll talk of this later," added Alec.
They were all busy taking that they became so absent-minded about their surrounding.
" What in the..." muttered Zain as she spotted something very strange and terrifying. What she saw, was a strange creature that resembled a centipede, but its length was over half the height of a grown-up human. It was coming towards zelta's leg.
" Holy shit," said Zain in fear.
" Zelta, do not move," added Zain as it had already started climbing upon Zelta's leg. It climbed in a spiral manner.
" Why, what's the problem?," said Zelta.
" Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, not knowing why they were all looking at her like they'd just seen a ghost.
Tobin without wasting time drew out his sword in an attempt to do something, but he was held back by Alec who took out an arrow from its quiver, fastened it to his bow, and aimed at the creature on Zelta's leg.
" Just look at me, don't look down," said Tobin to Zelta. She nodded.
Alec released the arrow at the creature and got the hit. The creature slipped off dead from Zelta's leg. When Zelta saw the creature, she leaped away in fear and landed hard on the ground.
"Oh my god," said Zelta. "That thing really freaked me out," she added.
Tobin went to where Zelta sat on the ground and put out his hand in an offer to help her up. She stared at him open-mouthed for some seconds, then she reluctantly held out her hand to him. He pulled her up to her feet at once.
They all looked around the area and found out that there were still more similar creatures coming fast toward them. They were about a thousand of them.
"There are still too many of them!," said Zain.
" What do we do?," asked Zelta.
" Right now, we run," answered Alec. They took to their heels and ran for dear life. The creatures began the chase as well. The creatures that were in pursuit were giant spiders, scorpions, and centipedes.
They were still running and had covered up a long distance, but these terrifying creatures were catching up. The rate of their speed was decreasing now, due to the distance covered and the energy elapsed. They had been running non-stop for hours. Zain, Tobin, and Zelta were moving synchronously, but Alec on the other hand was right behind them, firing his arrows at the creatures momentarily.
" Be fast, they're catching up," warned Alec.
" Ahhh!," screamed Zain as she tumbled to the ground. She had dashed her foot to a rock. When Zelta saw her on the floor trying to stand, she quickly helped her up and held her as she limped along.
Ahead of them was a dark forest with numerous tall but dry trees. The appearance of the forest was strange and scary because while they were still in broad daylight, it appeared to be very dark.
" Are we going into the woods?," asked Zain.
" I think so, do we have a choice?" replied Tobin shortly.
They all got inside the forest safely, but as the creatures pursuing them were about to, they were vaporized instantly. The rest of them, seeing that the ones that tried to enter the forest had died, turned around and went away. When they discovered what had happened, Zelta and the rest stopped running and exhaled in relief. Zain fell to the ground as she now felt the pain from the fall. She was favoring her right knee.
" Are you alright?" asked Alec.
" I think I landed hard on my knee, it's dislocated I guess," answered Zain.
" Let me help you with that," said Zelta. They wondered why Zelta was acting this way towards Zain. She had said earlier that she have nothing to do with them. Zelta took out her waist belt and used it to bound Zain's knee.
" Don't take this as a sign of forgiveness, I just wouldn't want you to be a liability," whispered Zelta to Zain as she bound the injured knee.
" That was close," said Alec. " Those things nearly caught up with us," he added.
" But what just happened, why did they turn back?," asked Zelta.
" They turned back because they can't come in. They'll die if they try to," replied Zelta.
" what now?" asked Tobin.
At this point, Zelta remembered what Simon had told her, this was the time. She brought out the whistle given to her by Simon.
"The badlands," she said shortly," we're in the badlands".
" Is this where we find the healer's flower?" asked Alec.
" I think so," replied Zelta.
Zelta took the whistle to her lips and blew it. She blew it for some minutes but there was no sign of any approaching person. After a long wait, they began to hear the sounds of a moving creature coming toward them. Zelta looked at the others and saw that they held their weapons like people ready for war.
"Lay off your weapons, we're here for help, not violence," Sha warned.
They looked closer and found coming towards them, a wolf with crystal-blue eyes, and snow-white furs. Zelta knew that this was Simon's young sister. The wolf stood before them growling with its back furs raised.
" We are not here to hurt you," said Zelta softly to the wolf. " Don't be afraid," she added.
Zelta slowly stepped forward to the wolf, and kneeling down before it on one knee, she drew the symbol Simon showed her on the floor. It was a two-in-one crucifix sign ( ‡ ).
" Your brother sent us you. He told me to tell you that he is alive," said Zelta. On hearing this from Zelta, the wolf stopped growling and kept calm.
" Please my mother is sick and I need the healer's flower to save her. Your brother said you will show me where to get it," said Zelta. The wolf motioned to them with her head to follow. She turned around and began to go deeper into the dark forest. Although the forest was dark, they could still see her white fur and tail waving from side to side. They followed her as she went deeper and deeper into the dark. The white wolf stopped in front of a wall of long palm branches lined up like a curtain. The wolf passed through the palm fronds and they followed suit. They found themselves in a very magnificent place. The place was full of bright glowing flowers of different colors." I think this is the place," said Zelta. She knelt down again before the wolf and said thank you to her. She raced away afterward.
" What a cute little wolf," said Zain.
" You call that little?" said Alec as he knew that that wasn't any regular wolf.
" Wait a minute, which one is it?" asked Tobin. There were many flowers there but only one was the healer's flower.
" I don't have a clue," said Zelta.
" I guess this is just another mind-game," added Zain.
" Hay look, that one looks strange," said Alec pointing at a golden flower he spotted.
" Yes, that should be it," said Tobin, "I'll go get it".
Tobin went on to pluck out the flower. He had just taken a few steps forward before the got caught up by quicksand. Tobin was struggling to climb out, but the more he did, the more deeper and faster he sunk.
" Help me out of here!" yelled Tobin as he struggled.
" Tobin, stay still," said Zelta." In quicksand, the more you move or shake, the more you sink, remember?," said Zelta.
" Stay still, let me help you out," she added. She went towards where Tobin was and reached out her hand to him.
" Be careful not to fall in yourself," warned Alec.
She carefully drew him till he was completely out.
" Thanks," said Tobin to Zelta, who paid deaf ears.
" Now that Tobin is out, how do we get that flower?," asked Zain.
" I'll get it myself," replied Zelta in an attempt to move.
" Wait, I think there's a pattern," said Alec.
" What pattern?" asked Tobin.
" They are both dry and fresh green leaves on the ground, creating a pattern. The reason why you sank was that you stepped on dry leaves instead of fresh ones. You have to pass through the fresh and avoid the dry," explained Alec.
" Sounds simple," said Zelta. She began hopping, jumping, and flipping her way through, trying her possible best to avoid the dry leaves. The flower was just a few meters away when she caught sight of motionless vipers surrounding the flower. There were too many of them on the ground, sleeping.
" Guys, I think we've got a problem here," said Zelta.
" What is it again?," asked Zain.
" Over a hundred vipers are lying around here. I can't cross over to the flower," explained Zelta.
" Zelta, keep your leg firm and steady. Try not to step on the snakes because vipers are not friendly," said Zain.
Carefully, Zelta began to move forward. She kept her foot in the spaces in between the snakes and trying not to make contact with the dangerous vipers.
She continued like this until she reached near the flower and carefully retrieved it. Immediately she collected the golden flower, the rest of the other flowers dried up and withered. She turned back and saw the snakes turn to dust in an instant. With the flower in her hand, Zelta walked out unharmed.
" We should get going now, there's no time to waste," said Alec.
" How are we sure that this is the flower?," asked Zain.
" There's only one way to find out if this is it," said Alec. " Zelta, give Zain a petal to eat, her wounded knee should heal if it's the right one," said Alec.
Zelta took out a petal from the flower and gave it to Zain, who ate some of it.
" How do you feel Zain?" asked Tobin after a while.
" I don't feel anything new," replied Zain.
" Let's go home, she'll feel it soon," said Zelta. As soon as they were about to go, Zelta discovered something.
" Wait awhile, I no longer feel the pain on my knee," she said. She loosened the belt tied to her knee and started hopping in amazement.
" I'm healed!" she exclaimed.