Praying, all that could be done was savant prayer, extending ones voice to a being beyond the veil, desperately pleading for assistance in this dire time of need. If the joke took a misturn the anger would sky rocket, morning would come sooner than later. Then loss would be inevitable, with a face surrounded with candid teasing, slightly amused, Fred flashed such a face onto the Jack whom was being rode such as a horse would by Anastatia. Jack's mind was nowhere near on synch with Fred's, despair seeped into the boy immersed in soil and damp leafs. He was forced to realize how naive he had been to think that noise would have been ignored. Such a sound has never escaped Jack's lips before, it was plain girly. The two young ladies wore a grim expression, a shadow creased over their faces, concealing all sign of feedback. Wind whistled with anticipation, the long wait, a span of a few seconds, will all be realized.

Anastatia: "Poof."

Lily: "Pwahahahaha."

As if the suffocation seemingly vanished, the boys began to draw hidden labored breaths. The girls were laughing in rythym, accomodating to one another with ease and neutrality. They soon started patting each other and consoling one another with no use of verbal contact. After their mood settled however, the two girls began feeling unease with extreme sensitivity, far more enhanced than usual. Their eyes lingered in search of the cause for the disruption within the nerves of the girls, tracing along the jungle they oggled down without tilting their heads. Slowly, folding their chins in ever so slightly, they both stared down.

Anastatia: "I'm sorry!"

Lily: "KYAAA!"

The horse had quietly stayed put, not alerting his supposed master of her disrespectful riding of his back. With consideration of this, Anastatia backed away unwillingly. She knew it was wrong but it felt fun riding Jack's back, untimely as it was. Lily on the otherhand, almost exploded on cognizance of the position she was in. Ungracefully sitting on Fred's abdomen, Lily was bursting with a shade of red comparable to sunburn. She had no words, no excuses, no retorts, she was reduced to a shell unable to form a response. Jumping away instantly, Lily hid behind anastatia, renouncing herself for the moment.

Fred: "Don't worry about it, I didn't move so me and horsey could soften your fall, if you guys got injured this game would turn sour quick. So let's win."

Anastatisa: "Y-yeah..."

Lily: "M-mhm..."

Fred: "Good, then, Jack on a serious note, do you remember what you were calling me in the gas?"

With dejected looks, Anastatia and Lily both wryly accepted Fred's passion and self proclaimed assistance. They were still hungover on their indecent displays currently replaying in their minds, a memory which inacts a multitude of emotions. With those complications in mind, Fred shifted the conversation to the key point that needed solving. Jack's monologue meant for his Grandfather whom passed away when he was 7 like Ezekiel currently is; that needed some clarification, atleast a comfirmation.

Jack: "Inside the gas? Inside the gas you say... I actually can't remember, it's so strange but when I think about back then my mind gets all hazy and numb, making me blank out. Sorry, did I call you something weird like Zeke would?"

Fred: "...Not really, it was just a bit strange, don't worry about it's just me rambling on since i'm worried for you, passing out ain't a joke."

Jack: "I passed out?! Woah your right, I really was knocked out before Ana crushed me."

Ana: "No need for that last part..."

With a sense of dejection, Anastatia inserted herself into the serious conversation turned toxic, perplexed by the insult Jack just threw, obviously towards her weight. Even though Jack meant nothing by it, Anastatia had already drawn conclusions and proceeded on, in a bit of wallowing. Fred deciding to write off Jack's moment of illusion off as drunk moment like the adults have after drinking the bitter drinks of their's; resigned from saying anything else.

Jack: "Don't look at me like that. I'm fine, I just couldn't handle the gas near the center, Fred picked up for my slack, that's all."

Anastatia and Lily: "B-but..."

Jack: "Nope, I don't want to hear it, i'm fine, truly lets move on, before the sun show's itself. We're close I can just feel it."

All held disbelief comfortably plastered on their faces, losing conscious is definietly not a normality for the children, chide at Fred's creation bubble and popped, but more so towards Ezekiel who used it first. He was testing them, initiating trials for them to accomplish on their way to him, he set an atmosphere rejecting the concept of predator and prey. The philosophy which replaced the prior was one of unworthy Knights attempting to slay a catostrophic dragon in it's innate domain. There was no room for worry or doubt, regardless of injuries or sudden shock, they all must move foward, no way to beat the dragon otherwise.

Fred: "Alright, thats a Knightly spirit. Let's move, I see tracks to my left, it looks like Zeke sped up by running on the ground, still to the North."

Anastatia: "Sigh, no kidding, they're so plain and obvious now, he was rushed."

Lily: "Hmpf, good, all the better for us."

Without taking much noticed, the crew had defeated the second trial, how many more trials await is completely unknown to the children, hence, caution must be assumed. Fred grimmaced at the tracks as well as Anastatia's comment on the transparency of it all. They were far too open, he's leading them once again, even so, there is no other lead beside the trail left by Ezekiel. Follow was all they could do, awaiting the next rise of conflict head on. The crew inspected the tracks quickly and accelerated towards their target.

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Fred: "Be careful."

Lily: "No need to be all bossy, we we're already doing that, your saying that like if we're dumb kids."

Fred: "Hmm I guess so."

Lily: " Who do you think your t... Ohhh i'm hungry."

Cutting off her own sentence in reach for a sudden emptiness creeping into Lily's abdominal's, her face tightened with the grumbling of her stomache. The sound reverberated loudly among the sound of crickets and the occasional movement of a nocturnal animal moving about in bushes and leaves. The energy spent on the infernal gas drained at the saturation and hydration in the under developed bodies of the crew, although Lily's body was especially under developed, leaving her with long term effects. No one could have predicted these unfair circumstances, thus not a single person packed food or water.

Lily: "Guhahh, it hurts. Food, need food."

Fred: "Sorry we didn't pack any, just tough it out, if you feel too weak to keep going i'll carry you across the finish line."

Lily: "No one asked that... Grrrr AGH! I can't wait to beat Zeke."

Enduring to her furthest extent, Lily wasn't in need of coddling or assurance, what she needed was nutrients. Her body was feeling heavy and her mood turned sour in annoyance and irritation. Her symptoms were growing with each step, she could feel her change into a different person, such as one would when it's reached that time of month. She turned the fire searing her insides with a simmer towards Zeke, the order she would give must be the most unreasonable, hateful request. One Zeke will never forget for as long as he lives, an imprint on his heart leaving trauma one could never shake, for it is bound to the foundation of their being.

Cutting through the Jungle, the crew began making their way North just East of where the ravine towards the edge of the jungle is suppoused to be. Feeling as if Zeke avoided that side with his L-shaped motion of travel, the crew sighed with relief, they would have liked to avoid that side of the jungle due to what may or may not be there. Lily's condition, while hidden to the rest was dire, she was on the verge of turning feral, ghoul like, giving into gluttony. She needed food, no matter what it may be, from live animal to poisonus berry, anything will do. Within a glimmer of a glimmer, Lily's senses which were befuddled by the wild death gas, had resharpened themselves in pursuit of anything that could be consumed, saw orange flash across her peripheral. Turning her head in that direction like an on guard deer, Lily focused in on the orange she previously noticed, it was, a carrot.

Lily: "Thank god, food!"

Fred:" Eh? What food, there shouldn't be... Wait, wait, WAIT LILY!"

Closing the distance between her and the carrot, Lily was on the verge of reaching it when Fred suddenly soared to the carrot aproximatly a second before Lily did, pushing her in the process. Lily had no idea what Fred's true motives were, all she could see is him attempting to steal her food which she spotted first, rage spewed out of her into Fred. In that same instance, whirring mechanical noises could be heard, like something rubbing against a tree with enough force to burn from friction. The carrot was wisked out of arm's reach, a cage of iron rope assembled tightly enough to imprint cuts and scars around Fred. Lily's eyes went from narrowed anger into a widened suprise as she saw Fred become incapacitated by the very carrot she desired so badly.

Lily: "Fred!"

Anastatia: "God what now.

Jack: "We just can't catch a break."

Fred: "Urkk."

Rising through the branches and vines while crashing into several, Fred felt the trap struggle with the weight he had. The trap wasn't made for a large creature, it was on the verge of failing and collapsing in on itself. Fred couldn't believe it, did Zeke really know about such a thing or was this some type of coincidence? Coincidence, no, he knew down to the very foundation of it all, yet he never raised a single noton or attention to the matter. Furthermore, using it whimsically at his so called friends of his, in order to buy time for himself, actually, more like just playing a joke. The trap was about to snap any second, this would only cause pain to Fred, it wouldn't steal time. Although, if caught, the trap most likely would have been able to capture Lily's petite frame, was it really aimed for her? Fred couldn't solve the puzzle with the rapidly approaching devastation about to happen.

Fred: "Damn you Zeke."

Jack: " Are you joking?"

Anastatia: "There's no way."

A rattling sensation screeched upon the jungle exposing it to the industrial creations of man that pollute it secretly. The device in question sounded stuck, as if jammed by a metal pipe, vigoursly trying to foce it's way through. Snapping in half entirely, a popping noise insued and shook the leaves off nearby Trees, raining down ever so slightly on the children below, along with a calmly furious Fred who gave of the notion that he was getting used to this type of treatment.

Fred: "You got it then, demon."

Jack: "Hck!"

Fred who was on the 20 meter above ground level with his fellow comrades, ascended to 60 meters above the ground withing a frame of 3 seconds. Jack climbing up desperately with the vines skewered about, aspired to atleast reach fred a quarter of the way, this fall, it wasn't survivable for a child.

Calmed to the brink of still water, Fred was on the move, his sunshine esk hair, long and overflowing raised far above him, hanging on to Fred's scalp with the influx of resistance tugging at them. Descending with sharp wind almost cutting the skin on his face, Fred with no time for forthwith, extending his arm with an urgency, reaching just barely with his index finger, flexed as much strength into a single finger as possible, giving him slight control over his body, enough to swing towards another branch a few meters below. Catching that one with an entire hand, with no effort into stopping the unsurmountable momentum he attained, drifted his direction to a branch adjacent, in a act of trying to soften the reisistance with horizontal movements. All the while voices were scattered all around the boy trying to safely reach his friends. They were nerve racking to an extent, not completely breaking Fred's focus, but creating openings for a mistake. Once Fred established dominion, he soared through the trees and vines with no interest of wasting any more valuable time.

Fred: "Hey, let's go we're wasting time."

Lily: "Hak, huk, eh? Don't just turn on hero mode without telling us. We're you always that skilled? Just what are you, where's my Fred?"

Fred: "Your Fred?"

Lily: "Eeek."

Tripping on suppousedly buried feelings, Lily let go of an easily understandable in between the lines, meangiful remark. Fred pursuing in curiosity due to ignorance of his own current standing in Lily's heart, imposed himself. Facing the crushing pressure, Lily was wavering, not having a clue what to say next, silent, awaiting for anything to arrive over the climaxing quietness.

Anastatia: "Forget that, look up Fred."

Fred: "Huh?"

Jack: "Huff, huff, wheeze."

Fred: "What are you doing up there didn't I just say enough wasting time. And I really thought we were on the same page Jack."

Anastatia: "He went up trying to soften your fall dofus, be grateful!"

Fred: "Argh"

Feeling a burning sensation on the back of his skull, gripping it tightly was Fred, falling down and rolling in agony. Anastatia held nothing back while reprimanding him for his ignorance which was not his fault. Fred had no idea what had occurred while he concentrated ferociously on surviving, he was aware of noises but no figures came to mind.

Jack: "I-it's fine huff, i'm just exhausted now huff."

Anastatia: "If you say so."

Fred: "That easy?! Then why even bother following through."

Anastatia: "Swept up in the moment, the wind seemed to guide my fist."

Jack returning promptly to a roaring Fred and a furious Anastatia calmed the mood enough for everyone to regain composure. Fred stood tall, staring at Anastatia who let go of a sarcastic statement, sticking out her tongue like the child she is. He won't forgive her but he'll leave it for a later time, currently there was something more important he had on his mind.

Fred: "Lily, you were really that hungry huh?"

Lily: 'W-what are you getting at? I don't know what your saying. Don't blame unnecessary things on others!"

Stepping up to the petite, lilac haired girl, Fred looked down upon his love interest with wolf eyes stained with hunger for something. She backed into a tree with no way to retreat, Fred enclosed upon her closer tha usual. His face was sardonic with sarcasm spread all across it, he had something he wanted to reveal, Lily knew that much but couldn't prepare her starving, depraved body of what came next.

Fred: "Really? Then i guess you wouldn't want this carrot I just found, its so ripe and fresh, what a shame really, guess i'll eat it then munch."

Lily: "No! I do, I do want it, please, let me have it, PLEASE!"

Fred: "Stop being so desperate and apologize, then I might consider it."

Waving the carrot over his head mockingly as the small framed child hopped and pounced about trying to reach a peak she would never be able to reach. Wishing for a sudden growth spurt, Lily wanted the orange vegatable no matter what, she needed it, Hence all she had to do was one thing alone.

Lily: "S-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s..."

Fred: "Thank Wick you don't want this carrot then."

Lily: "I'm sorry! There are you happy? I'm sorry I led you into a trap by mistake, sorry I needed saving, sorry for burdening you, now give me my carrot!"

Recieving exactly what he wanted, Fred relinqueshed his hold over what Lily wanted. With an unnatural haste, Lily grabbed the carrot, never letting it go again. She devoured it near instantly, not savoring it in the slightest, merely gulped it down the way you would with luke warm soup. Her taste buds couldn't even factor any type of sustenance entering her body due to the quickness of it all. Thus, Lily continued starving with a violent dehydration just like the rest, all was for naught due to impatience.

Lily: "Wahhh, Wahhh."

At her ridiculous pouting in th form of crying, the children all laughed once again, along with: despair, agony, disorientation, sickness, ridicule, pain; the kids all also felt a happiness swarm about them from time to time. They couldn't help themselves, they loved each other so dearly, they hung out almost every day, doing and acting silly or serious depending on circumstances. They all enjoyed each others presence naturally the way you would with blood related family members.