Throughout the night, Lucas and John stayed outside the dungeon in order to look for any dangers. It was dark and it took various hours for light to fall on the shelter again.
*Yawn*
Lucas took a huge yawn while opening his mouth wide, he was very tired of not sleeping for the whole night. After John gave the shift to him at around two in the morning, Lucas was awake since then.
"Finally light huh..." John looked at the forest around them and couldn't find any creature. It was as if the forest was all peaceful.
"... Are you sure the leaves cracked? It might have been in your head, this place is making us crazy I think." Sean spoke while yawning with a small smile, a vein bulged on Lucas's head seeing him so carefree.
"Sean, come here," John said seriously while calling Sean toward him, he obliged and Sean followed him to the leaves.
"What do you see here?" He said pointing at those cracked leaves in front of them all.
Sean looked at the leaves intently and finally, got the gist that the leaves were really broken by something stepping on them.
"Do you see? When you were sleeping the whole night, Lucas was awake having the watch. Show some respect toward the kid."
Lucas didn't even bother looking at them both bantering because it was a very common scene in all the three days that had passed of the first phase.
"Okay everyone, please stay at the campsite as it is near the wall of the defense and not the entrance, there is less chance that something will attack you there. Uncle John... do you want to go scout the area with me?"
"Well, we should eat first, then we can go to the forest and one more thing..." John spoke while looking up. Lucas traced his gaze and found that he was looking at those tall trees.
"We might have to cut these..."
"Why?"
"We may have made the fortification that can make the creatures on the ground have trouble entering but what about those that are above the trees?"
Suddenly, Lucas realized the problem, the trees around were very near and were dense. If something were to climb the trees and jump toward the shelter, getting past the defenses was easy if the creature survived the fall which Lucas was not sure about but still, the situation had changed a lot.
They all went toward the camp where Ella and Sarah prepared the last of the food. The Vixenox's whole body was gone, aside from a leg and some upper flesh, Lucas didn't know why the flesh was still so fresh after all these days but didn't care as they were getting benefited anyway.
In half an hour, the food was ready
Everyone ate it while making weird faces. It wasn't easy for the grown-ups to eat it with a straight face either.
"Sean, Barney... I and Lucas are leaving... till we come back, make a makeshift torch that I taught you."
"No problem, Dad. Just be careful." Sean said and hugged John goodbye, Barney stayed behind but it took only a single eye contact for the both to convey their feelings.
Barney was not much of an emotion shower, but his family was used to this habit of his.
Ella gave a kiss on the guy's forehead and hugged Lucas goodbye.
"You ready?" John asked with a single tap on Lucas's shoulder. Lucas only nodded and started walking with him.
Everyone bid farewell to the two guys who moved to the North of the shelter like always.
Lucas looked at the back again, at a certain someone... Ella. She was making a face of concern, the same face Lucas's mother made when he was leaving for the first day of his college.
John kept taking glances at Lucas from time to time and Lucas knew about it, he just didn't know why.
After five minutes of walking silently, John broke the streak and spoke.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He asked with a smile.
Lucas looked at the guy for a second, with wide eyes. He didn't know which enjoyment was he talking about, the company of Sarah who was very close to him, or the help that he was getting in order to upgrade the shelter?
"I can see the liveliness in your eyes... just like when I was young... You like to live in this forest with dangers.." John said with an ear-to-ear grin that made Lucas shiver.
He was liking the situation, aside from his parent and sister who was away from him. Especially his mother who was not very prone to fighting yet after living with his father who trained every day, did yoga, and was into calisthenics even at the age of 40, she had picked some things here and there.
'Everything will be alright when I see them again... Sigh...' Lucas sighed inwardly while thinking. John who was looking everywhere vigilantly while having a conversation with Lucas saw his sad face. The face that one makes when he gets homesick or misses something dear to them just like a family.
John, being a person who was in the customer service sector for a long time, had picked some things in all his years of work experience. One of them was knowing what the other person is thinking just by looking at the face. John was a prodigy that did not flaunt much but he was the best accountant in his office and was up for a juicy promotion if not for this situation.
"You will find them, kid... don't worry..."
Lucas looked toward him and the mind smile John was giving him. A smile formed on Lucas's face too, it was nice to have someone who cared. He didn't care how John came to know about it.
Another few minutes passed when finally, they both reached the grazing area. The grass was abnormally large but something else was in there which was new.
"What the hell..." Even John froze up looking at the situation. There they were, three lizard-like disgusting creatures with humanoid figures.
The creatures were on full display and apparently, it didn't know that the duo was looking at them.
The creatures had the face of an alligator with their full body being the same as the humans... aside from the big long tail which had scales on them. Lucas didn't know why but he was sure that the creature's skin was shining in the sunlight. It looked wet and slimy.
The three creatures were crouched near the end of the tall grass, all three of them were encircling a bloodied and battered dead body. The body was of the deer-looking creature they saw before.