The rustle grew louder and louder as it neared them. Clive's couldn't distinguish whether it was by a human or an animal. Exhaustion clung to Clive and his companions pinning them to the muddy forest floor. His heart hammered against his ribs. with a ragged cough, he squeezed the last dregs of strength from his weary limbs, pushing himself upright and drawing his sword. Amina and Biast didn't even flinch, their eyes were fixed on the direction of the sound. . Amina's hand drifted to the hilt of her dagger, as she prepared herself for a fight. The few seconds stretched into an eternity, punctuated only by the gasps of their ragged breaths. Then, two figures emerged from the rain-soaked undergrowth, The harsh look on Clive's face faded as he saw who the two figures were.
"Sergeant!" he shouted relief washing over him in a tidal wave. He crumpled back to the ground, the wet sand sticking to the back of his armor and providing a comfortable cushion for him. His eyelids fluttering closed as he surrendered to his body's request and took a moment of rest.
It was Tiamat and Aevis. They were not wearing their armor and their garbs were wet and stuck to their bodies. Clive's felt relieved and collapsed back into the face and closed his eyes for a moment of rest.
Tiamat spoke, "I see you've outrun the beast as well. It would have gotten me if Aevis hadn't pulled me from its jaws at the last moment "
Amina spoke, " You mean it chased you too? we thought it had taken you "
Biast joined in, " Aye, but i knew you wouldn't go down so easily "
Aevis interrupted them, " The storm is coming in. we should get back to the shelter..."
After a few precious moments of rest, they pushed themselves to their feet, muscles screaming in protest at the sudden exertion. Soon they were once again surrounded by the dense foliage of the forest. The dense foliage swallowed them whole once more, the roar of the waterfall fading behind them. Clive asked, " Where exactly are we headed? "
Tiamat reached into a pouch hanging from his waist and produced several hard, round objects, their dark surface glistening with moisture. "Eat," he instructed, his voice leaving no room for argument. He tossed the objects – what looked like dried fruits and nuts to Clive, Biast, and Amina. "You'll need your strength for the journey ahead. We have more food back at the cave."
Amina's brow furrowed in doubt, "A cave?"
Tiamat slightly turned his head back, " Have some faith Amina, for that cave is our only option against this storm "
Amina's eyes widened in surprise. "You know my name?
Tiamat replied, "Indeed, Amon spoke of you quite extensively when we last met. Since you're here in his stead, I presume his journey has come to an unfortunate end.""
Amina averted her gaze. Clive could sense the sadness in her eyes. Biast joined in, " Her master is not the only one that's been dead. She killed a mother !"
Aevis's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "She did what!?"
" We do what we need to do to survive and complete the mission. I'm sure Amina had her reasons " Tiamat spoke.
Sensing the tension rising Clive decided to intervene. He cast a worried glance at Amina. He could see the pain in her eyes. She regrets killing that mother.
"So, how much longer until we reach this cave?" Clive asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from dangerous territory
Aevis pointed ahead, where a sliver of light peeked through the dense foliage. "There," he said
As they neared the spot, Clive pushed aside a low-hanging branch, exhaustion gnawing at his every move. They emerged not into a clearing, but onto the edge of the forest. Below them, nestled in a valley, lay a small village. Paddy fields, in various stages of growth, stretched out like a patchwork quilt. The farmers working in the fields looked like tiny ants from their vantage point. The valley itself was hemmed in by a ring of massive mountain
Tiamat pointed towards one of the mountains, " Our cave is over there "
A collective groan rose from Clive, Biast, and Amina. Biast threw his arms up in exasperation, his silhouette stark against the stormy sky. "You just had to find a mountain for a cave, didn't you? There's a village right there! We could have gone for shelter and saved us the climb!"
Aevis scoffed. "And risk getting caught? and you call youself a branded. How pathetic?"
Biast gritted his teeth, and clenched his fists. "What did you just say?!"
Aevis stood his ground and glared at Biast, " You heard me "
Before a fight could breakout between the two Tiamat stepped in between them, " Enough! We're all tired and on edge. There's a path up ahead that leads directly to the cave.. "
The anger slowly drained from Biast and Aevis's faces. After a few more minutes of rest, the group started their trek down the path. The path was well-worn, likely used by the villagers as a passageway into the mountains. This was evident from the fact that there were no plants growing on the pathway and some trees growing into the pathway were cut.
In all this drama, Clive hadn't even time to prepare for their real mission of killing the dominant of Shiva. His mind was so preoccupied with rescuing Amina and then the chase that he hadn't thought about their real mission. He gazed over at Tiamat who was walking in front, leading their group, "I'm sure he has a plan," Clive murmured, mostly to himself. "He always does."
The hike continued for what felt like hours. Dusk had settled, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. Finally after a long hike they reached a narrow pass on the side of the mountain. The wind was blowing even more harsh now and it was raining . Clive looked over at the edge. IA sheer drop led down to a raging river far below. If he were to fall, even if the water does not claim his life, the jagged rocks surely will and Clive knew this very well. He gulped. He looked over at Tiamat, " There are no other pathways to the cave besides this one ? "
Tiamat shook his head. "No. Now, follow me closely."
Without another word, he began navigating the narrow ledge, his movements were precise despite the treacherous conditions. Aevis followed suit, occasionally glancing back with a worried expression. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he called out, his voice strained. "A formal invitation? Get over here, quickly!"
The three of them followed suit. Amina, her face pale, took a deep breath and started edging along the ledge first, then Clive and Biast was the last one. Amina closed her eyes as they slowly slid past the pass with their backs rubbing against the hard surface of the mountain rock. Clive watched as Amina closed her eyes. It was very clear how afraid she was. Clive held his hand . She turned towards him surprised, " Here, it helps calms the nerves. Biast and i do it all the time, right Biast ? "
He turned towards Biast who was battle his own fears, " Right right, just now now "
He turned back towards Amina who looked like she was about to reject it but she nodded, " Thank you Clive I-"
Their conversation was cut short when a piece of a rock Amina was standing on broke off and Amina slipped, pulling Clive down with her...