I ran as fast as I could, carrying the unconscious Cinza. I'd feel bad if he died now right in front of me, plus it's kind of my fault since I stopped him from running away...
However, I didn't really have anywhere to hide in. I'm actually heading out of the forest again, but will that be enough? Ever since the beginning, this scenario has been a total mess. From the entanglement of my thoughts, the frenzied killings and deaths, and now this! I wish I had stayed inside that ship, comfortably with David and Isaac.
"Haah..."
Being prey to those monsters was despairing. Not being able to defend myself and helplessly fleeing for my life... so aggravating!
Emerging from my thoughts, the sound of footsteps reached my ears. Looking to my left, I saw them again.
'Am I fated with those two or what..?'
Advancing sneakily, hidden amidst the grayish trees, was Alexei and Ivan. I don't know what they were up to, but this time, I couldn't just pass on without having a conversation. And for some reason I had this unnerving urge to kill them... but I repressed this feeling the best as I could.
I gently rested Cinza against a tree before moving towards them. I was planning on appearing unnoticed, but...
Crack!
...too bad I stepped over a tree branch.
The two men glared at me. We stared at each other, without a word.
...
The situation suddenly turned very awkward.
And I finally decided that it was time to talk. "How fancy meeting each other here, right guys?" I said waving my hand casually in a clumsy attempt to greet normally.
"Yes, Rebecca, but shouldn't we focus on the matter at hand first..?" Those words were pronounced by Ivan, who seemed at the end of the rope already and was trembling like a dead leaf. But I don't remember him being so panicky though... additionally, I could discern a strange red glint in his eyes... no, but did that matter anyway?
...I feel like I've forgotten something very important...
A slight tremor of the ground made me emerge from my thoughts.
"Sure, yes, you're right! Uhm... so how do we get out of here..?"
Then Alexei spoke up for the first time, but to say something quite horrible. "We have to get eaten by one of those." His voice calm and expressionless, he pointed nonchalantly at the abominations that towered over all trees and mountains.
Shrieeeek!
"..."
Wind blew, carrying the dreadful blight from the monsters.
'I'm pretty sure I didn't hear that correctly.'
"You heard that correctly." He said as if reading my thoughts.
"But how can you be so sure?" I interjected.
"It's just a guess but we don't have any other options anyway. Plus, time is short."
Huh. I wonder what sort of thoughts could lead to that kind of conclusion. That guess of his is just crazy... either he has information I don't know, or I am missing something significant. Still, he was right in one thing... we don't have time! David gave me one week to slaughter the wolves, but here I am, wasting precious minutes for nothing!
No, that's wrong... that's not the reason why we're out of time though..?
...
Oh my god! Why can't I seem to think properly!? I'm obviously forgetting something, but what is it?! Ugh, it's giving me a headache...
Alexei's determined voice brought me back to my senses.
"You can do whatever you want, but I'm going now."
And just like that, he walked past me, not letting me say a word. Ivan followed him close by silently.
In any case, how are they planning on accessing those monsters mouths without being crushed by their tentacles or legs?
...
Well, let's just follow them, I don't know what else to do anyways.
Thereupon, I too, followed closely after the two soldiers.
*
After walking for a little while, we arrived before the same monster that smacked Cinza—.. oh, I forgot about him and left him behind... anyway now is not the time. Up close, the feeling of dread emanating from the titan was immense; its hammering shrieks broke my eardrums. It was wreaking havoc upon the land, as usual. Occasionally grabbing some animals with its tentacles and swallowing them. So I stopped here out of caution, but Alexei kept going forward without any hint of fear. He must be crazy. However strangely, he wasn't targeted, but instead the monster acted as if he didn't even exist.
Maybe their purpose was to simply rampage and not actually to slaughter? Then that would render the objective of being 'eaten' quite complicated.
As there wasn't any apparent danger, I felt forced to follow after him, which Ivan did too after a few seconds.
Then I asked the blond man, "Now do we have to attack it or we just wait for our presence to be acknowledged? Those mouths are quite high up for us to directly jump in..."
And he answered without answering, "The fact that we are not targeted is actually a good sign: that we have our chances of not being 'devoured'."
"..."
But didn't you say that our goal was to be eaten..?
He then added, "If we are the prey then we die, but if we are not wanted, then we are ejected." He stopped there. But after sensing Ivan's and my dubious stares behind his back, he continued. "That just means we have to stick with any living being that fulfills the conditions of being a prey, until the Black Sheep eats it."
The Black Sheep? So he knew what those things were... well obviously since he also knew of a way to escape.
Ivan suddenly spoke up, "But Alexei, won't the crazy animals attack us if we approach them?"
I was the one to answer his question. "No, they're too busy running away. However, what I am mostly concerned of is how are we sure which animal is considered 'prey' to the monster? Recognizing them would be hard since crazed and normal animals alike are fleeing for dear life."
Alexei said simply, "Luck," then walked away, probably to search for the said 'prey'.
...Well how reassuring, but if that is the only way then let's do it.
Looking around, I spotted—.. I spotted nothing. Of course, any living being in the vicinity would have already ran away at the sight of such an abomination. Guess I'll have to look for one myself... unfortunately, the range of the monster's tentacles was pretty big, but maybe I could cheat in some way..?
I closed my eyes and concentrated my psychic abilities around me to sense every 'mind' not too far from me. It was similar to what I did with the giant centipedes back then, but this time it wasn't to control, but to analyze.
And finally, I managed to recognize dozens: minds that were in a frenzy, craving for blood. Making a mental note of their location and species in my head, I opened my eyes and stared intensely at the multiple tentacles. More precisely the ones that were searching for a prey. It didn't take long, maybe a couple of seconds, one tentacle was rapidly heading towards one of the places I had noted and that was close to me. Without further thinking, I charged.
I had to arrive there before the tentacle did. I zigzagged between the trees, skillfully passing without stopping for even a fraction of a second.
Then, I saw them, a flock of animals of multiple species. I quickly found the frenzied animal I had detected, a huge brown bear. Looking up, the black tentacle was dangerously approaching; I jumped on the back of the animal, attaching myself firmly to its fur, and as soon as I did, the bear was lifted from the ground along with me.
The animal struggled while I grasped its fur with all my strength as not to fall down.
We were already mid-way to one of the monster's mouths.
It was scary. I don't want to die now. I was gifted this new life, I don't want to lose it now! Thinking back, why would I believe so easily what Alexei said? Was there really no other way to survive than this?
I was already so close. It's too late to turn back now, if I fall from this altitude, high stats or not, I'll die.
I closed my eyes, I prayed. Prayed that it would work, that it was the right decision.
And soon...
...
*
*
*
[A/N]
Thanks for reading!
A longer chapter, yay! Aren't you grateful?
By the way, will it work? Will she survive? Well I dunno, you tell me.
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