[Kazuma]

“I'm all right,” Kazuma managed to say before he added a smile to what he'd said. What other response did Kiel expect from him, after all? He was not the type to admit weakness when no one should be bothered by it, after all. Also, how was he supposed to say, "No, I'm not. I need blood." “You don't need to worry about me.”

“We ought to stick together, all three of us,” Tony said hoarsely. He turned to look at Kazuma stroking his hair off his brows. “And if I may say so again--”

“I may seem unhealthy to you but I assure you that I am quite capable of myself,” Kazuma spat almost unkindly to their guide although Tony didn't look like he was bothered by it at all. “Jason is lost because of me, had I not left him while I sought for help, we probably would not be here looking an entire forest for him. He is my responsibility and I intend to see that I deliver it as best as I could.” Blood or no blood.

Tony gave this a simple nod. “All I'm saying is that the rumors about the disappearances haven't been kind.” He turned to look now at Kiel. “This is an old forest, after all. And you can expect all sorts of creatures to be lurking in the dark. We haven't had a significant evidence about it yet, but we won't be surprised if the hydras are actually behind this all along.”

Kazuma had almost choked. Did he just say hydras?

[Kiel]

Kiel was, like, totally unconvinced by Kazu-man's "I'm good, I'm good" repertoire. Like, the dude looked like a stiff breeze would knock him flat, for sers, but at least in the jungle here there weren't likely to be any stiff breezes. “Dude, it's stifling in here, man.”

So much for being tough and Dardanian, you know?

But, it seemed like Shane had picked up the missing dude's scent, at least, 'cause she suddenly swiped Kiel's hand and burrowed her nose into the dirt and took off at a pace they could follow. That, or, like, she'd sniffed out some food... “Man, I'm so hungry, I'm gonna diiiiieeee.”

Kiel chose to ignore the sardonic look Tony gave him, instead focusing on, like, following Shane as she zig-zagged through the trees. “Like, dudes. I dunno about you, but this doesn't look like a hydra trail to me, you know?” Wouldn't a critter that big just, like, crash through the trees in a straight line?

[Kazuma]

Kazuma was hungry, too.

“Well, let's hope it isn't,” he said to both Kiel and Tony to who he gestured to follow as he began to trudge through the path. “Was that the only rumor you have been hearing about these disappearances? How long ago has it been since it started?”

“A couple of months,” Tony said vaguely. “We're nowhere near solving the mystery, though. We think about hydras, kelpie wolves...see, at night, whenever someone disappears, it's almost certain that a wolf would howl. Sometimes I think that's because someone who disappeared had just died.”

“Purely coincidental, surely,” Kazuma seemingly insisted helpfully; he was wearing an uncomfortable face. “Is that all?”

“Well, we also thought about shadowkins...” Tony gestured to Kiel. “That's yours, right?” His question, of course, was in reference to Shane.

[Kiel]

Like, Shane totally took offence at being a suspect, and at other 'kin being suspects, and proved the offence by stopping dead on the trail. She waited, like, totally in predator mode, until Tony came close enough, and then whipped her head around to nip his ankle before darting off with her nose to the ground again.

Like, the whole thing had taken, like, less than a second so Kiel wasn't even sure it had happened. “Like, dude.” Seeing Tony hop up and down on one foot, cursing his Chosen like it wasn't his own fault for talking bad about shadowkin when there was one right there, made Kiel giggle and snicker behind his hand.

“Like, yeah, she's my Chosen.” Shane's throat rumbled from a few feet ahead of them in confirmation. Feeling some of her anger, Kiel couldn't help but want to kick Tony in the same ankle. “But, like, I dunno about 'kin, man. They're normally okay, you know? Unless, like, you've been, like, you know. Hurting them or their home or something.”

He'd said that absent-mindedly. Since meeting Shane, he'd paid attention to stories about the 'kin and learned as much as he could from Phenny's family about them so he could take care of Shane better. They were usually friendly if they bothered to show themselves to humanoids, so he couldn't imagine them yanking people into the jungle to eat.

Except Tony didn't laugh it off like Kiel thought he would, and there was a weird look on his face. “Let's just get on with it.” If Kiel had the wherewithal to not automatically trust people, he might have been suspicious — except, right then, he got distracted 'cause Shane growled and darted into the brush like she'd spotted something tasty to eat.

“Wah! Wah, wait! Shane, wai - ah!” Having dashed off after his Chosen, Kiel was forced to skid to a halt as he crashed through the undergrowth into some kind of horrifying nightmare. In the clearing ahead of him, a goldrush tree had been uprooted, the jelly splashing everywhere... and mingling with the still-wet blood that stained the ground and the leaves. He didn't see the remains at first, and then his stomach totally wished he hadn't. “Wah, ugh, urgh. Dude, dudes. Don - don't come in here, man. Oh, man.”

((Spoiler for mature content.))

Spoiler

Blood was everywhere. Scraped across leaves on the ground where it looked like somebody had been dragged, bleeding heavily. Splattered across the tree trunks where bits of a person were lodged in the branches, like the poor guy had been ripped apart. Crushed bones lay across the clearing, still red with blood but utterly devoid of flesh, like whatever ate the poor guy had spat them out.

“I'm so gonna puke.” Well, but, like. At least he wasn't hungry any more?

[Kazuma]

Kazuma felt utterly sick.

He felt as though air was being sucked out of his stomach and his bile was rising up steadily to his mouth. He felt light-headed and heavy as he grabbed on a distant tree and forced his contents down his throat, pale hand on his tummy. The smell was sickening, a smell he can only relate to gory memories of his human days -- a flight training gone wrong, two soldiers committing suicide and leaving their comrades to clean up after them.

He let out a strange burping noise -- there was nothing to let out. He was hungry, the sweet fragrance of the smeared blood clawed at him, his chest, the pit of his stomach and he felt like sinking his fangs straight into his lips but he closed his eyes tight and took a deep breath -- only to feel worse. He began coughing, lurched forward, almost as if intending to throw up.

“This is terrible,” Tony muttered, hand over his mouth. “I'd never seen anything like this!”

“Human,” Kazuma kept coughing and heaving as he talked to the soil. “It's human. The blood, the bones, everything!” Looking up to Kiel, he asked -- almost begging, “Is there no other way through? I, I don't think I can...” he belched out a noise, again.

[Kiel]

“I-is this... hydra?” Like Tony, he'd never seen anything like it, but then again, he'd never been in the jungle before. “Would a... I mean. Why would anyone... I mean. How?”

Kiel totally jumped, like, a mile out of his shoes when he felt something butt up against the hand curled at his thigh, but when he looked down, like, it was just Shane trying to comfort him. He ruffled the fur around her ears briskly but then, like, he couldn't let go.

Whipping around when Kazu-man spoke, Kiel frowned. “Human? But, like, is the guy we're out here for human?” In a way, he hoped this was the guy, because then they could get out of this creepy place. But, like, almost as soon as he thought it, he took it back, 'cause he wouldn't wish a death like this on anyone. Except, like, maybe some guy who'd murdered, like, a bunch of kids or something, but even then he didn't think so.

The vampire wasn't the only one still feeling like he was gonna puke, but Kiel figured, like, the dude had to be copping the stink much worse with that vamp nose of his. Which presented another problem, too, man. Like, what if Kazuma went all blood-lusty on them? Kiel didn't wanna die, you know?

“Sh-Shane, man, can you, like. Get us back to the road or something? Like, I think we need a way bigger, like, an army or something, man, to deal with this thing.” Maybe he should call Zeph and be all, like, "Wah, dude, save me!" Slythe'd be totally handy right about now — except, like, knowing those two, they'd burn the jungle down in the process.

And it wasn't like they got much of a chance to flee, anyhow, 'cause no sooner had Shane turned to sniff her way back to the road, she froze and Kiel knew why. Like, not far away, there was this almighty splitting noise, like when a tree fell down... and the thudding of giant footsteps.

“Oh, man. Like, I'm pretty sure that's a hydra...” But, like, hopefully it was just a baby one. “Like, please be a baby, please be a baby!” 'Cause, could adult hydra even get through trees?

[Kazuma]

“It doesn't,” Kazuma wheezed, “matter...whether or not Jason was human. The goddess knows how much I wish he was not human now, but--” he coughed again, almost on his knees, white and rigid with nausea, “That's...that's besides the point now!” He was hoarse. “We have to go-- we have to run--”

“He's right,” Tony the guide said to agree, hands on the vampire's shaking shoulders as he looked at Kiel in the eye, a flat frown on his face. “This isn't something we can handle on our own, not without weapons. Let's go back and call for help--”

Another tree fell, a thunderous sound ringing in the atmosphere.

Tony whipped an urgent look to Kiel, “It's getting closer. Tell your kin to get us out of here while we can!”

[Kiel]

“Weh, well. Of course it matters!” Kiel cried, in the middle of a major panic. Dude, he was a warrior, man, he should be cool, he should be cool, he should be — “'Cause, like, what if this is someone else and your guy's still out here hurt or something?” But even as he said it, he had a sinking feeling in his gut that they'd found the guy they'd been looking for and, like, yeah.

Running away now.

He didn't need Tony to tell him to get them out of here, he'd already asked Shane and she was, like, totally being a hero and sniffing her way out. He was so glad she was with them, man. Like, he'd gotten totally turned around in here, you know? Without her nose to get find the road, he figured they'd all wind up, like, hydra food or something.

Following the 'kin as she phased from shadow to shadow, Kiel kept glancing over his shoulder. Something was definitely in the forest with them and, like, “Not to freak everyone out, man, but, like, that thing sounds huge.” He really, really wished Zeph was with them right now, you know?

And then, as they raced through the trees and he glanced over his shoulder once more, he caught a glimpse of something. A head, eyes glinting as they caught the light that dappled through the thick canopy. And another head, lower and to the right, pulling on a heavy branch with his teeth...

“Faster, man, faster!” But Kiel himself was struggling not to go too fast. Like, he could probably be at the road by now, you know, but he didn't want to leave Tony and Kazu-man behind. Like, of the three of them, he figured he'd stand a way better shot of keeping the hydra occupied while the others escaped, even if the thought did make his heart skip a beat.

[Kazuma]

The only way Kazuma had been able to move from his spot was with Tony's help. Now as they half-jogged, half-ran, one arm of his over Tony's shoulder, the scent of dry earth and leaves helped alleviate his sickness and he was able to move faster, more coordinated on his own.

“How much farther?!” he demanded soon after, and almost missed a step when another gigantic object -- possibly another tree -- crashed to the soil and an amazing cry erupted from its landing. It was like the mixture of an echo, a roar and a shriek and Kazuma could have sworn, it was going to be enough to shatter an entire mountain. He fell to his knee as he smashed his hands against his ears and cowered, curling tightly forward until all that was left of the cry was a ringing in his ear.

Tony gripped him hard on his arm and forced him up to his feet. He pushed Kazuma towards Kiel's direction. “The exit is not much farther! Go, get out of here, I'll hold it back!!”

The hydra's scream had undone Kazuma's focus again and he felt lightheaded as he stumbled towards the Dracovarian's direction, hand seeking for the man's grip. Everything was moving around him, everything seemed as though it was bathed in a white light.

Tony had procured a stray branch somewhere along their path and he roared for the hydra with a spin of his weapon, charging. Kazuma had a clue that he was crying angry words at the monster -- but he only realized what the mad man was doing too late and he stumbled forward. “Tony, no!!”

All for naught.

Spoiler

The moment the monster caught breath of Tony's fury, a head swooped down upon him and he disappeared from sight. In a blink of an eye, his lower torso would hit a tree as the long neck swung and it came disembodied from the torn waist of what used to be their guide. The arms -- or what little could be seen of it from the sides of the head's jaws -- flailed limply and the branch fell off the powerless grip. An arch of red was showered upon the forest bed, decorated by undesirables, mingling with the hot summer's perfume.

Kazuma felt as though all sounds muted around him and the world spun round his feet...was he even standing? He could be falling for all he knew. His eyes rolled back, his skin white as a snow flake, as his knees crashed to the earth and he fell sideways, uncertain of his own balance, as he landed on Kiel's feet, eyes closed. Kazuma was utterly immobile.

[Kiel]

“Taroch crap!” Kiel never swore, like, not like that. Like, his mom would have clipped him around the ear and then had the dragons chase him into exhaustion if she suspected he even knew a word like that. But, like, what the Hel, man, this was freaky, this was freaky, this was — “No! Taroch crap! Tony, you dumb-ass!”

Why? Why the Hel had the guy just, like, sacrificed himself like that? It would have been better for him to keep going with Kazuma, and for Kiel to take a fall, you know? Like, Kiel was the one with the katana and all, you know? Like, “Taroch crap, taroch crap, taroch crap!”

Just like Kazuma, that almighty shriek had almost flattened him, but, like, he had to thank Xanth he wasn't a bloodsucker. At least he could, like, stay on his feet, you know, although it made him kinda fuzzy-headed, like he'd taken one too many bats to the brain. And no way he was even going to try to turn and look at the mess the hydra made of Tony's corpse, 'cause, like. Just, no. Urgh.

He had to thank Xanth again, though, man. Like, if he was a human or something, or hadn't been training so damned hard with Zeph, or wasn't so fast, he couldn't have helped Kaz much. As it was, he figured it'd be quicker to just kinda lift the guy off his feet. Even with the extra strength, his muscles were straining. Not that Kazu-man was, like, overweight or anything, far from it, but because it was just so hard weaving through trees and stuff, and it wasn't like some little box that he could grip with both hands.

Having a hydra practically breathing down his neck made him wanna cry. His new mantra had turned into, like, “Taroch crap. Taroch crap. Taroch crap. Taroch crap. Taroch crap,” as if saying it over and over would make his legs move even faster. Maybe it even helped 'cause, like, with trees crashing down all around them and having to backtrack to avoid being crushed, he was still managing to keep them ahead of those gaping jaws — and he'd never been so damned happy to see a Xanth-damned road!

Fortunately, as he had to practically throw Kazu-man over a horse and saddle up faster than, like, the speed of light or something, the hydra seemed to think following them out of the jungle was a totally bad idea 'cause it just kinda stopped. And still, he couldn't stop with the swearing, all the way back to town.

((He's actually saying the s-word. ¬_¬ Naughty Kiel. Thread finished! Whew, that was close...))