Survival

The lift had descended and when the door opened the forest loomed before it.

“Step out quickly, the lift doesn't have a sensor.” The Spectre instructed and walked towards the verdure.

This made them quickly walk out and save their awe for when they were in the forest.

Selis scanned the place, watching the criss-crossed branches, the enormous trunks and the cluttered forest floor and finally at the others. The others were as quiet as mice. Anyone would feel like a prey in an ominous territory such as this where many people had disappeared.

We are going back to where I… no,

…where we came from?

Perhaps she could find answers related to her past here. It was not that bad after all.

A long time was spent silently walking over tangled roots and bushes, under the dense unlit canopy. The copper sky was starting to fade away into a darker violet shade and cawing could be heard as the crows were settling down. So far nothing seemed like answers to Selis.

The man stopped, so did Selis and the others. He turned to face the five and spoke with as monotone a voice as ever,

"Your mission is to survive until dawn."

There was a whoosh and a dark blur. Just like that, he was gone and the five were alone in the ominous forest.

They stood in the forest in pitch darkness with no equipment, tools or a single weapon to protect themselves. It was just them and the cacophony of invisible toads, birds and insects.

“I can't believe this! The first mission we get is to survive in a damn forest, all on our own?” Skald gritted his teeth,”Dammit!”

“On top of that there's Cyress’ situation.” Sora had covered her mouth with her palm, her eyes on the ground tense.

Sunne, the newest addition to the group, stared at them while Skald glared at him.

When Sunne noticed the glaring, he finally spoke,"I'll…I'll just leave?" It sounded more like a question. When only a silence met him, he walked into the dark undergrowth while the other four looked at each other to see what the other would do. None of them wanted to make a decision.

This doesn't feel right. Why treat him this way for Cyress being sick?

However, Selis couldn't muster the strength to speak when she looked at Skald and Skadi’s expressions. Selis felt an ominous feeling gnawing on her when she saw the apathy in their eyes, as the last member of the group had disappeared into the unfamiliar darkness beyond. It was the first time she had realised there was something very much wrong here, under the guise of young Neophytes just living a peaceful solitary life away from society.

Sora’s shrill voice finally broke the silence. It wasn't as much as speaking up as it was a frightful yelling, “Wait. It's too dangerous to go alone!” She took a few hurried steps in the direction however there was nothing but darkness in the undergrowth. He was gone and the decision had been taken too late.

Looking at the darkness before them, a thought she would rather have not thought about, appeared in her head.

What if the next time we see him, he's no longer alive?

She shook her head. No, the Spectres wouldn't have sent them here if it was really that dangerous.

Wouldn’t they?

But then the stern eyes of Skald and Skadi and Sora’s frightful eyes told a different story. Furthermore Skald and Skadi had told her that Neophytes did disappear now and then.

Silence had the little group in its agonising clutches again. The forest had rendered everyone uneasy and the four everyone was on their nerves. Selis looked at the shadows stretching beyond the trunks and the branches and her mind lingered uncooperatively on what could be lurking there.

"I think we should set up a fire." Selis whispered as if scared to disturb anything lurking about. It was also getting quite cold and she found herself wrapping her arms around herself.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"But how?" Sora questioned, looking at Skadi and Skald.

They seemed to think for a bit before Skald would speak up,"This is a stupid idea."

"What is?" Selis urged him to go on. Stupid idea or not, they needed everything that they had in the unsettling situation they were in.

"We should try looking for flint."

Selis didn't know what to think about it so she looked at the others. It appeared that none of them had any other ideas.

"Let's pick up kindling while we're at it." Skadi added to the discussion.

What's a kindling?

She realised what it was when Skadi started to pick some dried leaves and twigs..

"Stay close." Skald warned before he sauntered away, his eyes scanning the ground.

Everyone else started looking for flints and foliage too, assigning up areas to themselves. Selis had no idea what a flint looked like but she did pick up dry leaves.

As Selis discarded the moist leaves, she thought she heard something but she couldn't particularly single it out from the soft murmur of the forest. After collecting a good amount of leaves, she returned to the others rather quickly, unsettled by the sound from before.

There was the sound of stones banging against each other as she neared the group. Skald was trying to get the leaves and twig they had gathered to burn. Skadi had found the flints and was looking at Skald with disappointment.

"So incompetent. And you talk about arson." Skadi muttered as she looked down at him. Both literally and figuratively.

"Just wait and watch!" Skald’s nose wrinkled as he continued to strike the flints against each other.

The sparks flew hither and thither leaving absolutely no marks on the foliage.

"I'm starting to respect primitive people." He complained.

"Your ancestors are disappointed in you." Skadi sighed.

Skald ignored her.

Finally this time when he struck the flint, a spark flew over the kindling, landing on a leaf. He would wait for it to conquer more area in the leaves before Skald started blowing the little ember. It burst into a tiny flame and spread over the kindling. The area around them soon was aglow in the hues of orange and red as the flames rose. A wave of warmth spread over them.

"Yesss!" Skald jumped up punching the air above him, celebrating.

"See? I'm not a disappointment to apes!" He declared. Of course it was evolutionarily wrong however nobody there was going to correct him.

Skadi sighed again. Selis put the leaves she had bought on the ground next to their little fire and applauded, chuckling.

“This definitely feels better.” Sora’s voice was drowsy as she warmed her hands over the fire.

Selis seated herself on the ground facing the others.

“Oh! That's right.” Selis looked at Sora,”You said that Cyress was a Neophyte from the previous generation. What does that mean?” She didn't particularly know why she was reminded of it now, but it had been nagging her at the back of her head ever since she had heard about it.

The fire was cracking and Selis visibly looked grateful for it. Her palms tended to grow cold really quick and so did they warm up just as quick.

Sora explained looking at her, “A large number of neophytes usually show up from this forest at the same time after years. You see we are the oldest Neophytes here. The only Neophyte older than us is Cyress. He is the only one left now from the previous generation of Neophytes. “

Skadi watched Sora as she spoke and then took over,”Usually the oldest ones determine what kind of generation it would be as neither Peryton nor the Spectres interfere with the matters of the Neophytes. The Institution wasn't always as peaceful as it appears now. That's what the previous generations said anyway.”

“Cyress was among the Neophytes from the previous generations who sought a change in the ways of the ruling neophytes. He wanted the Neophytes to have egalitarian values regardless of age and was a part of the Opposition to the ruling Neophytes.” As Skadi informed, Skald looked at the forest harbouring a blank expression on his face.

“Cyress and the Opposition took over as the Ruling Neophytes disappeared or died one by one as they grew up. However there was still some trouble at the beginning of our generation from those who still followed the Rulers. Cyress tried to wipe the darkness out as long as he was able to.” Skald was looking at the forest. It was the first time she had seen him look so serious. The omnipresent smile on his face was gone.

So that's why they are trying so hard to help him. He is like a hero to the Institution.

No matter what, Cyress didn't deserve what he was going through. They had to find a cure.

"I never knew the forest was so noisy from the Institution." Skald said, trying to change the topic. Perhaps he realised that they had to first survive till dawn before helping anybody let alone ailing Cyress.

"I'd use the word creepy, instead of noisy." Skadi spoke as she flicked a bug away from her uniform’s sleeve.

The night showed no signs of ending. It was still pitch dark and the forest creatures were as noisy as ever. The campfire crackled and it seemed as if it was laughing at them.

“Do you have any-” Sora began in the process of adding firewood to the flames but none of them knew what the rest of the sentence had been as none of them knew what really happened next. A sound of cracking branches in the undergrowth, followed by a loud thump.

More thumps, each one more and more rapid. Glinting large horns. They stood up. The only thing they were able to see was a huge bull leaping from the bushes and running at them. And what followed was Panicking, Running, Charging, Bellowing, Screaming, Yelling, Chaos.