Hey! Thank you for reading my story. Hope you are enjoying it. As always, please feel free to point out things that could enhance the story or a post’s grammar. With how things are going in my life, I don’t have much time to spend on proofreading. So I try to write it as best as I can the first time out. 

    I am, however, a little uncertain how next week is going to go time wise.

    So at the very least I’ll add a chapter by the weekend and if I feel particularly motivated or there is real demand for more than one chapter this week, I’ll be happy to try and get more than one out.

Chapter 5:

What needs to be done…

~Yandré~

The cave was dark. There was no light as Yandré snuck with deliberate movement through the tunnel. Long since he switched off his headlamp for fear of alerting what was so close by.

     Since climbing down from the safety of the scar, he had to stop constantly to take deep breaths to stop the shaking in his limbs, the memory of the huge creature charging at him too fresh in his mind. It was hard not to yawn with the little sleep his body had. The nightmares had kept him up even though he was so tired.

    Yandré stopped briefly just listening, hoping with everything that the quilled beast had finally moved on.

     Silence followed for a minute and hoped surged for a moment, but then the low growling started again.

    Two hundred metres, maybe.

    A sigh escaped him. All he wanted to do was go back to Haven’s Scar, the name Eria had given the place that was their safe house.

    But there was no way he could go back without trying to find water. They had been low to start with before everything went to chaos. Nevertheless, the anxiety just kept mounting minute by minute. He didn’t ever want a repeat of the chase of earlier.

   As he slipped around another bend, he paused briefly flashed his headlight to mark a few loose stones. With forced patience, he meticulously placed stones in arrow back towards haven, making sure it was outside the most used route through the tunnel. He finished with a scrape on the wall, quick and with as little noise as possible. It pointed his way back. 

    Reluctantly he switched his light off again and was immediately assaulted by darkness as his eyes adjusted.

    In the midst of frantically running away from danger with Eria in tow, neither of them had even started to consider making mental maps that would lead back to that initial cavern, which complicated matters quite a bit. Especially when they had sat down earlier to try and draw their route back to the cavern they had woken up in.

     It had failed quite spectacularly since all their ideas of how to get back had ended up with him coming out in different caverns and or unknown hubs that split into multiple directions, not unlike the one he faced right then as he entered the space and flashed his light, five distinct tunnels led out of the open space.

    It wasn’t the way to that cavern either.

   To top it off there was no sign of water. Frustration bubbled up in Yandré. If only he could find the route which they took, then the chances of finding water would increase. There had been a waterfall not far away.

    Loud noises echoed suddenly from the closest tunnel entrance and the sure sounds of growling filled the air. Yandré stiffened and without wasting any time, he retreated back the way he came as quick but as stealthily as possible. Hardly able to see anything in the dark, he desperately listened if it would come closer. But long minutes later his fears proved unfounded and hurriedly moved away from the area.

    It took a while to get back to the now familiar fork in the one cave and he paused to draw the new section of the cave before starting his process again.

    There were two more routes that could lead back to that first cavern closest to the waterfall. It was hard not to want to rush into it. But each time so far that he moved too fast the distant growling and clattering would come closer. The creature was still searching…

    Yandré flashed his light for a brief period before setting off into next passage. Soon enough, the sound of what sounded like water filtered in. His heart surged as he moved faster, abandoning the slower pace.

   Though, instead of opening up into the cavern he wanted, it revealed something he never expected.

   The sides of the passage disappeared off into the dark, but before he could activate his headlight, rows of crystal veins started to light up like a domino effect. Some had a blue glow and others green, and purple. But what it did was add a myriad of lighting effects on the huge subterranean area that had to stretch three football fields, at the very least. Massive rock arches and pillars were scattered over the space supporting the ceiling that was four stories high.

    Most surprising, however, were the many trees and bushes, alive and well, growing underground.

    Yandré stared. But before he could really appreciate the enormity of the discovery, a small shadow darted between a tree and a rock. Yandré froze and tensed his muscles, ready to run. 

    Then a little fur covered creature with big ears popped out the other side, chasing what looked like a rat. Yandré stayed still. This was amazing. If there were these kinds of animals, then it meant food.

   As the furry animal jumped, the rat didn’t stand a chance as it quickly disabled its prey before starting to eat the rat.

   Yandré smiled and softly approached the furry creature. Each step taking half a minute, just to be sure, but quickly enough he was within striking distance. It was almost as long as his forearm in length and quite cute. But knowing their food supplies were low, it was either eat what you find or die.

   He steadied himself to jump the creature and as he tensed his muscles, a noise from the closest bush startled the thing. And with a jerk, it sat up, alert.

   Yandré didn’t wait and lunged forward. The furry creature, however, looked straight at him. And before he could grab the thing, it opened its fox-like mouth and an immense screech lanced through the air.

   So loud, that he fell next to it holding his ears in pain. It pulsed in waves against him and the clarity of what was around him turned into a haze.

   Just as fast as it started everything went silent. Yandré shakingly turned to see where the animal was, but only a half eaten rat remained at the spot. He shook his head trying to rid himself of the ringing in it.

   That was intense!

Luckily, his hearing turned to normal a few minutes later.

  He sat there rubbing at his ears when the first sounds other than ringing filled his ears, ones that sent fear pumping through his veins.

  He slowly turned to see the quilled beast with his sword in its back entering the cavern. No more than thirty metres from him.

  His heart beat started to thunder in his chest.

  If it spotted him now, with its speed and strength, there’d be no place to hide.

   Yandré did the first thing he could think of. Slide as slowly as possible into the bush closest to him, no sooner than the lumbering hulk of a monster trudged closer. The earth shook slightly at its heavy steps. But Yandré was certain it hadn’t seen him yet as it moved like it was searching.

   He almost ran for it when the thing approached his area, but fear of being caught before reaching the closest cave exit, kept him rooted, paralysing his muscles. Then it bent down and Yandré pulled back even more into the foliage.

   The sound of scraping caught him off guard. Then the sound of crunching sounded. The beast had picked up what was left of the big rat and the bones which were crunching between its teeth. Yandré cringed each time the sound came. He tried his hardest to keep the shiver out of his limbs. He could not afford one mistake. Half his body would fit into the monster’s great jaws. If it saw him now…

Lumbering steps echoed through the cavern as it moved away from him. Yandré breathed in deeply, having held it for quite a bit. He stayed in the bush for the longest time still reeling from coming so close to it again.

   After what felt like hours, he peeked out over the light filled cavern, the crystal veins shining out over the life filled patch of forest.  He got up slowly and moved towards the exit he came from, glancing every which way for his adversary. Within a few minutes, he reached the passage and was about to leave when he spotted another one of those long-eared, fox-like creatures. Though it was not aggressive, horror filled him as it turned his way.

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   He dived into the tunnel entrance without regard to his body.

   Even as he landed quite heavily, the first thing he did while panting was covering his ears, waiting.

   No sound came.

   Yandré slumped onto the ground in relief, before he got up and swiftly ran back to Haven’s Scar. For now, abandoning his investigation into the possible water source, it was too dangerous to stay in the area at that moment.

   But he had another reason. A determination filled him…

He was going to plan a way to get back his sword and if they were to survive in this cave.

     That quilled beast has to die…

(Watch this space, there is good chance I’ll write this part when I get back today.)

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~Emma Taylin~

Emma woke up groggily. Not quite remembering why she was sleeping on something so hard. She groaned and sat up frustrated at her hip digging into what felt like stone. As she opened her eyes there were only cave around her.

   Oh. I fainted.

   The nervousness of the reason started to bubble up in her. She couldn’t remember that she had ever fainted before, but… seeing her sister being sucked up by that weird silver wall just was too much.

   Voices arguing shook her away from those thoughts as she turned around. Her own father stood there with Forest and his cousin Yuki, who was always looked like a sleek panther with her raven hair and graceful stride.

 “— just check, the video of the cave show that there was at least fifty-metres more walking space to the cave than there is now. I can’t explain it, after I moved Emma, when I turned back that area where we just stood was gone!”

“Let me see that! It’s not physically possible. We would have heard the crash if a portion broke away and fell into the sea.”

“There wasn’t any crash. That is what I’m trying to tell you. There was just nothing. But yeah watch the video, the area was there with Eria and Yandré. The photos don’t make sense though.”

“…” Some murmuring started that Emma couldn’t make out.

“… See! I told you.”

“It’s confusing to say the least,” Emma’s father Bert said, “This kind of thing is another big mystery on top of a whole list of mysteries of Breakwater Isle.”

“You got that right,” Yuki said, “Everything of this island is all weird. Although… that is the reason we moved here in the first place, right Forest?”

Emma watched as Forest nervously scratched his head, clearly embarrassed to admit to such a reason even though she knew it was true.

   Though not admitting anything, Forest asked, “But Chief, what does it mean for Eria and Yandré?”

Emma stood up and moved closer as her dad paused with worry in his face before he took a breath.

   “It means that there is something dangerous going on here. And even if we are on a search mission, we should proceed with utmost caution.”

   Emma fumed, cautiously proceed wasn’t going to explain what happened to her sister. There needed to be more. An explanation to that silver wall and maybe to the issue they had raised over a part of the cave disappearing.

    She moved to Forest and asked from the side if she could have the camera just as her father said, “Forest, I need you to set up a forward base in the previous cavern. Then we need to radio in. What to say though… that is going to interesting—”

   Emma ignored the rest as she moved off to sit on a rock. She let the video run and watched as Yandré and Eria moved from the skeleton to the current location. And just as Forest had noted the floor had been in tact up to where the tripod had stood. Even in the photos, nothing happened to the cave except for the silver wall. But now… she looked to where the area where the camera had stood was just air. No ground.

   Was it different events?

   Emma wasn’t sure. And that scared her. Things were not normal. Even having heard some of the history of the island, that it had popped up from nowhere out of the Atlantic ocean with a full grown forest on it, a few hundred years back and no sign of the ocean ever touching that forest, was confusing in and of itself. But seeing the mysteries for herself … It left a cold feeling.

   Science couldn’t explain it, and it was certain science wouldn’t be able to explain this either.

   “Where did you guys go?” She asked softly into empty air. Hoping an answer would present itself.

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~Yandré Skai~

“You sure it’s going to work?” Eria asked nervously.

     Yandré had been drilled intensely on the danger of going out to look for water. And now his idea of taking the monster had spiralled into an hour long argument/ debate with her. He had almost given up purely out of frustration of arguing with her. It was like arguing with a brick wall! But when he had told her that their situation was dire already and having a creature like that hunting around the caves all the while trying to gather food and find water was almost impossible. Add to that those Screeching Foxes and it was a bleak outlook. With that she had changed her perspective of the matter.

   He fumbled the rope in his hand and said, “As I made clear, this thing can handle at least a ton. If we can trip the thing then our chances increase quite a bit.”

   “But you know how fast it is, how are you going to stop it from getting at you once you go for the sword?”

   Yandré paused and chuckled slightly and said, “Well… I haven’t figured it out that far yet…”

   Eria punched him in the arm and he wanted to protest, but then again. She had a point.

   “Humour me then,” She said, “Let’s say you somehow get the sword out while the monster is still incapacitated, what then?”

   “I stab it again?”

   “Yandré! This is serious!” Eria exclaimed and he cringed before he dragged a hand through his hair.

   “Okay, fine, we’ll plan for that too then, that alright with you?”

 She nodded and Yandré breathed a sigh of relief. Though… she was right. If he had been alone, he would have winged it hoping for the best. And considering what they were up against… well, it was probably smart to plan out ahead. So he fished out his updated map and started planning the mission with Eria.

    One thing was for sure. 

This was going to be most dangerous thing he ever did in his life.

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Hope you all enjoyed it. I’m still super curious to see what names you all come up with. Have a nice evening ;)

(I'm looking for an epic name for the giant quilled beast. I would love to see the names you come up with. ;D)

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