35 Broken, pinched and satisfied.
Eventually, William reached the very place he had struggled for. This short trip required gruesome effort, so it inevitably tired out most of his body!
It was torment at its finest, and the journey grew tougher due to his needs. Throughout this hike, the boy ate two more large melons!
The sour taste has numbed his taste buds, likely for a long while, but it was necessary to eat as much as possible. His body devoured every vitamin as if within a snap, and demanded more afterwards so the severity was transparent!
Admittedly, the boy's dramatic appetite grew weaker only after he devoured the third melon. Scale-wise, the need for nutrients was halved after that point.
Now he was well-feed, and that itself was a good advantage. It could prove of aid right now actually, as mental clarity was simply necessary. That is, if he wanted to understand the new scene which bewildered his conscience!
"This uh... how can I understand these feelings?" William pondered.
Now, it was apparent that Olivia had not triggered the third and final pyramid, the general couldn't have done it either. With that conclusion accepted, his last hope swiftly died out and was replaced by grief.
"She died because of me..." He pondered, and ignored the entire scene for a second.
Thankfully there weren't any corpses around here, that would uncharacteristically cause a heart attack! Yet the scene here wasn't any less odd.
The cause of William's grief featured a massive, mostly white coloured crystal. Detail-wise, it carried small patches of purple layers here and there as well.
Although the existence of this colorful rock was weird enough alone, this issue only grew more complicated. As this same crystal, somehow reflected that big and long, white light!
It was unclear how this whole concept worked, yet one thing was certain. This very gem played an important role, as it helped these powerful lights connect with one another!
In other words, it helped spread that massive triangle across the sky!
This scene made the boy harshly ask, "How can a damn crystal even get up here? This thing looks like it came from some dinosaur era!"
He was right to be confused. This two-meter tall and wide material was extensively impure, unbroken even! This environment wasn't fitted to produce such material.
It seemed as if someone went a kilometer underground, and cut out this specific chunk of rock-like crystal, just to toss it on top of this mountain!
"Dunno anything at this point, I'm done with these forests." He sighed heavily.
The boy's hopes were entirely shattered, and he swiftly lost interest towards this odd crystal as well. With that considered, there was no reason to fight this environment any longer.
He was sad because one thing was painfully apparent, this whole crystal could not have been triggered by anyone from the group! The colorful rock's one purpose was to attract and connect these powerful lights, it did not need any assistance.
Now since these lights had not been connected with anyone's aid, it further confirmed the death of his friends. They had not walked up here so far, perhaps because they simply couldn't!
Considering the losses, there was no reason to stay on these mountains any longer. So he planned to rest here for a few hours, at least until the sun arose.
Afterwards, the best idea was to leave this place and walk back to the city of Fik.
"That place is ugly, but at least I don't have to worry about crazy animals there." He sought enthusiasm.
Yet it was difficult to be positive, as he was quick to realize a sour fact. Since neither of his friends were around, it necessarily meant that he wouldn't gain the title of a hero in that same city!
There wouldn't be a second to tell the story, so who would believe him? It was a hassle to claim a glorious title, in a city of five-million citizens. One's name would just be swallowed in the crowd!
"Gah, can't believe that I couldn't get famous in this primitive world. Dunno how I messed this up, it's not like this place is full of intelligent life." The boy sighed.
The concept of failure messed with his conscience as well, it felt as if every bit of his effort was shattered. All contributions were lost for good.
Worst yet, it didn't seem like mother nature wanted to give William a break. Even though peace was spread across these mountains, he could hear how a creature tried to sneak up on him!
A few bushes rustled in the close distance. Countless heavy breaths were evident as well, along with well-fitted steps!
Such an unsuspected approach made the boy a bit anxious, and his first conclusion darted towards those odd owls! They were still a true challenge, regardless of the circumstances.
Although stressed, he didn't plan to give this sneaky approacher an advantage! Those katana-like swords were pulled out for extra security, and he planned to unleash a tough neuro-shock as well.
"I'll pop your feathery head like a balloon..." He thought.
Considering how these mountains have treated the young man so far, it made sense how he wanted to let out some steam in exchange. He planned to unleash every ounce of his frustration against this target!
However, what messed with his mind next, was a familiar figure which softly crawled out of a bush. It greeted William with a nod even!
"Huh?" He muttered, and took a step back.
Once he noticed the creature's horn, the snakezoid shouted. "God, not you again! Get the hell out of here, I don't want to kill you!"
Such a warning was directed towards the very creature who helped him before, the same one who fixed his liver! That was why he held back, as this re-confrontation was difficult to ponder.
Its horn was unmistakable, and the chip on this same weaponry helped assure the animal's identity. Although this creature was more peaceful now, it didn't seem like she wanted to heed the other's command!
"You better get out of here, I can't trust that big spike of yours." He continued to pressure.
Yet regardless of that clear demand, the rhino seemed to favor a different route. Within an instant, she blew out another liter of milk towards the boy, and covered his face with the same liquid!
Although that gesture was annoying, it was still helpful. For example, the sweet characteristics of this milk helped fight back the sour taste he got from those melons. That aside, this wondrous substance helped heal his organs as well!
As William brushed some milk off his face, he expressed. "That was only funny the first time, don't overuse the joke."
Once he gazed upwards one more time, the boy's view got captivated by what surely was unexpected! A fine lady stepped out of the bushes, and her brunette hair could not be mistaken!
"You're alive!" He shouted.
Afterwards, the young man leaped over the black-rhino and landed right on the lady who stood a couple more feet away! The tackle was rough, so they tumbled through a bush right after.
This woman who sparked so much joy, was none other than Olivia. Once the impact of the hug was considered, it was fair to say that these couple of snakezoids got very close to each other, skin-to-skin so to say!
"Haha, take it easy!" She hollered back, and enjoyed almost every second of this reunion.
What the lady did not like was how this bush handled her clothes. In fact she only wore a single fur-coat, so it was easy for this same material to latch off her skin!
Once she was tackled, this same fur tangled on the bush for a few seconds and undressed her extensively! Thankfully the hug helped cover those exposed parts, or this situation could've become beyond uncomfortable.
"I love how much you care, but we gotta get out of these pinchy weeds, Willy." She encouraged.
It took the young man a second to acknowledge what he did, the emotions that struck after were even harder to process. From all the things he expected out of this day, wilfully hugging someone was not on the list!
So with a bit of effort, he stood up and said. "Sorry... I uh, yeah good. You're alive and stuff so that's good."
Although that expression lacked any descriptive hints whatsoever, the other enjoyed her friend's happiness with every fiber of her being! Likewise, the lady did not mind that inadequate expression.
On the contrary, after they made it out of the bush, Olivia first covered her skin properly and then gave back a gesture of gratitude. Unapologetically, she landed a kiss on the boy's cheek.
Afterwards she softly said, "I hope you're actually happy to see me, and not because you didn't know how to get back home."
At this point, even William didn't know what to answer. His wants and needs clashed against each other, and it was difficult to figure out which side reigned victorious.
Regardless of the actual truth, it was an advantage to keep this lady alive. Due to that undeniable fact, it did not entirely matter what he felt.
So instead, the young man decided to shift the topic. "Don't tell me you're friends with this rhino now?"
"Why shouldn't I be? She's so cute!" Olivia answered.
Afterwards she rubbed this creature right behind its short ears. So they witnessed how its platypus-like-tail, smacked against the ground in pure joy.
"Cute? This thing tried to stab my ass and keeps throwing loads of milk on my face. I dunno what you find cute about that." He characteristically complained.
Yet before this conversation could have continued, the boy was captivated by a sudden, sharp pain which struck the middle of his forehead! Its origin was unknown.
The impact was beyond bounds, and it could have driven William insane if he was any dumber. Description-wise, it felt as if a tiny needle had been bashed in the middle of his brain!
"Ah!" He shouted, and crashed on the ground.
