106 – The Circulatory System (8)
The trees that were rarely seen are now often stepped on by the eye, and the huge rocks that rise out of nowhere are often encountered. This is a sign that you are entering a new environment.
We climbed a relatively high hill.
And finally the circulatory system came into view.
There were dark clouds over there. It was still warm here, but in the distance there were occasional downpours and flashes of thunder and lightning.
The boundaries of the circulatory system were clearly divided, as if a black curtain had been drawn.
Through the curtains of rain and mist, the strangely shaped cliffs and dense primeval forests revealed their inner flesh sparsely.
Due to the dynamic movement of the clouds, the entire area looked like a living creature.
If you walk another three or four hours, you will enter the circulatory danger zone. The leisurely journey ends and the full-scale march of hardship begins.
I stood still and stared at Luna.
He has a face that looks like it would never have rained on the top of his head in his lifetime. Can a young lady who grew up in a precious way survive in such a remote area?
“Is it okay if it rains?”
“Yes.”
“Wait a minute.”
I took off her cloak and put it over Luna’s shoulder. We have to go through the rain. It won’t stop her hair from getting wet, but it will protect her clothes to some extent. It’s me. If her clothes get wet, I can take them off and dry them, but Luna can’t.
The rain from the circulatory system was also said to contain magical powers, so it wasn’t bad to get wet. Maybe contribute to the process of being a part of it.
She said as she put her hand on her cloak.
“… Thank you.”
“Let’s go to the danger zone and find a cave or a place to camp.”
Luna nodded her head.
Contrary to her concerns, she seemed a little expectant.
***
Cecile asked while Bertan and Martha were away for a while to reconnoitre.
“Tricia, why are you so low all day?”
“… Nothing.”
That’s what she said, but she had the face of someone suffering from heartache.
“What is it, is there anyone who is annoying? Is Bertan gathering again?”
“No….”
“Tell me. Her sister will listen.”
Tricia tightened her lips and she tried to squeeze them shut before speaking her words out.
“You think I’m useless?”
A faint hint of resentment came out of Trisha’s tone, which she finally brought out.
What the hell happened to say this? It may have something to do with Damien, whom she tried to bring to her group. She introduced it as something to brag about, but at some point she stopped talking about him.
“Well, who said you are useless?”
“No, it’s not like that….
“Then?”
“I don’t know… ….”
After Trisha hesitated for a moment to answer her question, Cecil dug deeper.
“Well, are you saying you feel worthless to yourself?”
“Ugh… similar.”
“Is it because of a boy named Damian? What did he say?”
Trisha strongly denied it.
“No!!”
“….”
Thanks to that, Cecil was able to be sure. It was because of Damian.
Cecile pondered for a moment. Trisha is still immature in interpersonal relationships. I don’t know what kind of environment she grew up in, but her understanding of interpersonal relationships was pretty much a blank slate.
You wouldn’t even know how to deal with a man.
“Anyway, this is another friend story. I thought I was very close with him. But he seems to think differently. He doesn’t even ask me for help, he tries to do everything alone and secretly. Friends share everything you do. Without asking me to join a group, secretly another girl… You joined the group.”
So, did you ever think of yourself as useless because you never asked yourself to join a group?
“Tricia, even as a couple, we don’t share everything. Could there have been circumstances?”
“But… !”
“You don’t have to feel so sad. Do you know what the characteristics of good men are? Don’t try to depend on others Maybe he’s trying to solve it alone because he doesn’t want to appear rough to someone important to him.”
“I didn’t say I was a man!”
Cecile lightly laughed off Trisha’s words.
And he gave advice to Trisha, recalling her relationship with Candy Lee.
“Even if you’re close, if you don’t respect the other person’s territory, the relationship could be ruined. If it’s too much, they’ll run away.”
“… ….”
Trisha thought she had a lot to think about. She was speechless for a while.
The conversation came to an end as the group members who had gone out for reconnaissance soon returned.
Bertang shared what he found while reconnoitering in a sweat.
“There is a dry stream on the way to the danger zone. On days when it doesn’t rain, it’s an easy section to cross because it’s bare ground, but now it’s a little bit full of water. If we cross before it blows more, I think we will be able to dodge the predators for a while.”
No one disagreed with the suggestion to cross before the water increased.
They hurriedly moved to the place that had now become a river.
The muddy water flowed and the current was a little rough, but not so much that it was impossible to cross.
However, when no one offered to go first, Cecile rolled up her skirt and stepped out.
“Ugh, I’m coming.”
She lifted her shoe and stepped her foot into the water. She took a few steps forward and stood in the middle of her, but it was only about mid-thigh, but not very deep.
Seeing that she was all right, Tricia stretched her legs out too, but Cecil sensed something wrong with her and restrained her.
“Wait, don’t come!”
After crossing two-thirds of the way, the water rose up to Cecile’s belly button, even though the floor wasn’t even deeper. The flow rate increased rapidly.
After Cecile had crossed, the water rose rapidly and started pouring like a waterfall.
The width of the stream also widened rapidly, forcing them to retreat.
Tricia shouted, making her hand like her trumpet.
“Sister!”
Cecile was isolated on the other side of the rapids due to an unexpected variable.
“I’m fine! Never force yourself to cross, take a detour and find the bridge and cross it!”
“What are you going to do with your sister!”
“I’ll find a group that can help us! If anything, send Stitch!”
“Too dangerous!”
“It’s okay!”
I was really worried about whether I could go alone like that. The only food in Cecil’s hand was a few pieces of beef jerky. It was hard to understand how long this situation might last.
Bertan and Martha wondered if it was even possible to find the group in the danger zone.
In the meantime, Tricia expressed her doubts after seeing Cecil’s actions.
She straightened her dress and undid her top three buttons.
“Her top was not wet… ?”
After that, Cecil headed towards the danger zone.
***
We made our way through a forest that was half rocks and half trees. In the circulatory system, where I finally got my feet on the ground, a fine mist rained down like dusting flour.
Our first goal was to find a cave where we could camp, and then we had to get food.
Finding the cave didn’t seem difficult, as huge rocks towering above the ground were not uncommon. But food was a problem. No sign of the animal has yet been seen. If possible, find an animal that is located at the top of the food chain, and if that doesn’t work, you have to collect herbs or mushrooms.
As I was walking, Luna called me and stopped me.
“One of the spirits I commanded found a cave.”
It was good news as the fog was getting thicker. Luna’s spirit saves time too.
“Okay. Let’s go check it out.”
I had to avoid it if it was a cave that led underground. When it rains, there is a risk that water will pour into the cave, and there is a high possibility that insects and bats will be infested.
I moved along with Luna.
The cave she guided was located on a suitable elevation, and the bedrock itself was solid, so there was no danger of collapse. The spirits found the right place.
We unpacked there.
“I’ll pack the firewood.”
The first priority was to light a fire and set up a camp.
If you remove the bark of the linear tree, it is good to use it as firewood because it is dry inside whether it snows or rains, so you just need to find it.
Luna said she didn’t want to wait as she sat still and she moved after me.
“You can just wait.”
She shook her head.
“… In the meantime, I’ll pick mushrooms.”
I didn’t really stop him because he said he would do it himself.
I saw quite a lot of mushrooms on the way, but I couldn’t believe anything edible.
We moved separately. By the time she had picked up a bunch of useful linear trees and peeled them off, Luna returned to the cave with a bunch of her mushrooms in her arms.
She held out the mushroom in front of me with a proud face.
I was speechless after confirming this.
Variety of natural colors. Some were red like apples, while others were green like green apples. If you look at the color, it is pretty and coveted. But they were all poisonous mushrooms.
Because of the proud face, I felt like I had to eat it all without saying anything. Rather than hating her clumsiness, I rather like her, but since her life is at stake, she had to tell the truth even if it hurts her heart.
“They are all poisonous mushrooms.”
Indeed, every one of them possessed deadly poison.
“…… !”
It looked like I picked it with all my might, so I thought about what to do with it, and in the end I threw them outside. Luna said she didn’t show it outwardly, but she was shocked inside. She didn’t say anything for a while.
Why do you feel guilty? I should have eaten at least one.
I washed Luna’s hands in case there might be poisonous mushroom spores left, and started a fire in a position where her smoke would escape. Just in time, the raindrops swelled as if they would sweep the whole world away.
We warmed up by sitting side by side facing the entrance of the cave. Thanks to the raindrops, the inside of the cave felt more comfortable. Luna was still speechless as if she was still in shock.
She raised her body temperature moderately and stood up again to grab her wooden sword. And Luna also got up after me.
“If you leave now, you’ll get soaked even with a cape on. Wait here. I will hunt and come.”
Luna thought she hesitated for a moment, then she remembered the poisonous mushroom, but she nodded.
“… Huh.”
As I was about to leave the cave, Luna suddenly called me.
“Hey… Light comes out of her pockets… Is it okay if I don’t check now?”
“Huh?”
When I checked the waistband, light was really leaking from inside that one leather pouch.
It was a pouch containing Cecil’s stitches.
Not food… But something she would eat.
Cecil is going on a hunt and she ain’t hunting for food