2. Danger
Zilong wandered in the water fall, these past week had really took a toll on him, the dangers, the ever present scent of death, and most of all...
'those looks so tasty', Zilong glanced at a magnificent tree in the distance.
The tree stood tall and imposing in the midst of the alien forest, its bark a deep, rich ebony that seemed to absorb the faint light filtering through the canopy above. Running through the dark bark were intricate, glowing blue veins, pulsating gently as if the tree itself were alive with some otherworldly energy. These veins crisscrossed and spiraled around the trunk and branches, creating a mesmerizing pattern that beckoned the eye and hinted at the tree's strange and possibly dangerous nature.
From its branches hung clusters of fruits that appeared almost irresistibly delicious. Each fruit was a perfect orb, slightly translucent, and filled with a radiant, nectar-like substance that glimmered in the dim light. The skin of the fruits was a vibrant blend of purples and golds, with a smooth, glossy surface that caught and reflected the light in a way that made them look like jewels dangling from the tree.
The aroma of the fruits was intoxicating, a sweet, floral scent that filled the air and seemed to promise a taste of paradise. However, a closer inspection revealed the true peril of these enticing orbs. The fruits emitted a faint, almost imperceptible, vapour that carried a subtle but acrid undertone—a silent warning of their lethal nature. The ground beneath the tree was littered with the remains of small animals, their last mistake: a bite into the fruit's deceiving flesh.
Monsters, aware of the tree's dangerous allure, kept their distance, flitting and buzzing around it but never daring to come close. The tree, with its glowing veins and deadly bounty, stood as a testament to the harsh, unforgiving beauty of this alien world.
Zilong knew too well of this fruits effect, as he saw a guy literally exploded after taking a bite.
He sighted Jane coming towards his way, her strawberry blonde hair seemed disheveled as she walked, sweat dripping from her face, evidence that she has been on the run for quite sometime.
"I think I found the spaceship wreckage..but you're not gonna like it".., a voice behind Jane spoke, and captain Luo emerged from the distant corner, his back hair, now roughly hanging on his head had several jafe leaves in them as well, his almost grey eyes seemed glassy as he tiredly walked towards the cave, gestureing for the rest to follow.
"When have I liked anything in this dammed plane... Well at least the sun was still colored the same as on earth", the sun made the planet give some sort of earthly feeling..but that could not be further from the truth.
'I think I'll stick to my life for now' Zilong thought wondering, now that all the weak minded people were dead, who was going to die first, on the outside Zilong looks calm and collected but deep down, he has this felling that he's next.
Soon, the squad gathered inside the cave sitting in a lotus position facing one another.
Captain Luo was the first to speak.
"Ugh.. well, the good news is that we found the spaceship wreckage...", the group tensed up, "and the bad news...is that that's 6km awy from our current location" the group looked at him Zilong was long use to bad news.. this just means they will have to risk their lives again in the unforgiving woods.
Zilong knew this feeling all to well, the expedition 2km to the west has taken the lives of Edward, one of the researchers that was with them, the journey to the south took two of the cadets lives, and the journey to the east took so many lives that Zilong couldn't count, and never have they travelled 6km before.
'yelp.. we're definitely going to die..', Zilong thought gulping a mouthfull of siliva.
....
The next moment they were in the middle of the forest, moving at a moderate pace, wishing to make less noise as possible for fear of an abomination noticing them, tension brewed in the air, Zilong calculated his odds.
'if a monster were to pop out from nowhere I would dash under that bush'... Zilong was a really paranoid fellow, the fact that he could die at any moment really filled his entire body with adrenaline.
...
Strangely enough throughout that entire day no monster appeared, not even a single sound reached their ears, which maid Zilong even on high alert, human were scared of what they do not understand after all, and the fact that there was a whole colony of monsters after their skin and yesterday and today they were nowhere to be found, really gave them a bad feeling.
It seems that not only Zilong thought that but also captain Luo seemed more vigilant, then the red moon came open them, bathing the entire forest with an eerie blood red vibe.
Making the silent and dangerous melody of the forest two times louder.
But alas..they had to rest.
Then, they settled down, strangely enough the night wasn't cold nor hot but instead maintained an equilibrium.
The squad took turns watching the area, Zilong of course could not sleep, even if Feng Guo was in charge of standing guard he couldn't sleep.
'I thought the discovery of a new planet was suppose to be fasinating' Zilong thought not knowing what dangers they would face.
"Guys wake up!!" Zilong, hearing captain Luo's Voice sprung up to his feet and what he saw made him, fell freezing despite the warm atmostphere.
This monster stands over six feet tall, an imposing figure with an aura of menace. Its six arms are muscular and sinewy, each ending in hands with sharp, gleaming claws that look capable of rending through flesh and bone with ease. The creature's eyes glow an eerie, otherworldly white, piercing the darkness with an unsettling intensity.
Three horns jut from its head, two fully formed and curving menacingly backward, while the third is half broken, as if it had been shattered in some ancient battle. This broken horn adds a sense of history and battle-worn resilience to the beast's appearance. Its skin is rough and leathery, mottled with dark patches that seem to shift and change in the flickering light.
Adding to its fearsome visage, the monster's mouth is filled with rows of jagged teeth, and when it opens its maw, an unearthly growl resonates, sending chills down the spine of anyone who hears it. Its movements are surprisingly swift and fluid, belying its size, and it exudes an air of primal ferocity and malevolent intelligence.
It held captain Luo by the throat, lifted him into the air..and what happened next will leave Zilong with a lot of nightmares, the monster, using one of its six hands ripped out captain Luo's head and dropped him, the team, startled were baffled by this revelation.
Horror was evident in their eyes, Zilong, was already sprinting in the opposite direction, not even having a single clue on where he was going, but what he did know that his destination was away from the nightmarish abomination.