(Part 6)

"Wah!! Berries! Yum! Yum! I was so hungry!! Thank you God!" Adam stated happily, chomping the berries down. Seraph squatting beside Poseidon set up a little fire as Feng and Ezekiel broke coconuts taking their water out entertained.

Heber eating pomegranates alongside Azazel listened to his story onto finding this place. Helios and Gabriel too coming inside settled down taking a rest.

Xavier boiling the water in a stone shaped bowl which he found within the deep cave, spread some mint leaves inside that left an everlasting scent of mint in the air calming them down.

Kenzo setting the vines tightly kept long wooden branches on the cave's entrance hiding it thoroughly. Stepping inside he too settled down taking a deep breath. "Captain! Open your mouth, hurry up!" Heber said as Kenzo blinked his eyes puzzled, "What the…?"

Poseidon patted his back, "Come on~ just open it up already." Kenzo who was confused stared at them with his mouth a gape, at that moment Heber tossed in some pomegranates seeds as Kenzo covered his mouth embarrassed.

"Here you go! They're tasty aren't they?" Azazel asked caringly handing some to Gabriel as well. Kenzo stared at them silently. "These coconuts are really sweet! Here Vice-captain! Try some." Feng and Ryan passed it to Xavier who shared with Cassiel.

"I think we should leave the mushrooms aside for now. Since, I don't have a single idea if they are poisonous ones or not." Cassiel gulped. Ezekiel concurred, "Yeah, let's leave it. None of us can bear to get sick at this moment."

Adam giving berries to Helios laughed as Xavier asked, "Poseidon, do you have the cups which you took along with you?" Poseidon wondered, "Yeah, I do. But, only some of them. Since, half of them broke from the impact." "Don't worry, we'll share them." Xavier replied eyeing the bowl in which tea water was boiling.

The boys enthusiastic once again with hope and care helped each other enjoying and overcoming even the most unfavorable and severe time. Kenzo stared at his hands. Charred and bruised they finally depicted a sign of victory. A silent smile escaping his lips he closed his eyes. "Thank goodness…" he whispered drifting into a light slumber.

Xavier passing everyone drinks after they had finished eating walked to Kenzo. "Kenzo, here you…" he called suddenly halting in between to find him sound asleep. Helios and Seraph smiled. "Let him rest." Cassiel dabbed Xavier's shoulder agreeing. "Yeah… our king really did his best. Every one, lower your voices now." Xavier pointed at Kenzo. The others along with Ryan and Adam nodded.

Gabriel watching out from the corner of the cave's entrance glanced at his arm which throbbed in pain. Feng staring at him walked over, "Does it hurt?" Gabriel clicking his tongue rejected. Feng sighing on his continuous rejection instantly grabbed his arm pressing it. As if hit by a boulder, Gabriel winced in pain loudly, alerting all the others who looked back anxious. "Hiss! What the hell! Do you want to die-?" he angered as Xavier interrupted pointing at Kenzo,

"Shh! Kenzo's sleeping." Gabriel realizing his mistake clicked his tongue once again snatching his arm back from Feng's grip. "Stop trying to be a hero and get it checked. Who knows for how long we have to fight here just to get back to our homes. Don't take other people's kindness as annoyance. Over here, we don't have anyone to rely on except for each other." Feng exclaimed going back vexed.

Cassiel looking at Azazel and Adam walked to Gabriel. "Show me." Cassiel asked. Gabriel sighing showed his arm to Cassiel. Pulling his sleeve up, Gabriel's arm revealed a purplish strain which ached on even a bit of slightest touch. "Oh my god… it's sprained this much?! Just what did you do?" Cassiel asked baffled.

"I didn't do anything, I was bounded to do so." Gabriel replied directing at the circumstances they faced through. Of course, anyone would gave their all amid the life and death situation they were all going through. Adam tracing his injury stood remorseful. "I'm really sorry…" he apologized. Gabriel twitching his brow cross looked away.

"So what should we do now?" Ryan asked standing beside Adam. "Mint leaves… Xavier, where are the mint leaves you just boiled?" Cassiel asked apprehending. "In the bowl. Wait a minute, I'll bring them." Xavier replied.

"Crush them before you bring them. I'll apply it on his injury. Mint leaves and essence, soothes skin and its inflammation. He should feel a little better after applying it. Eat some of the raw leaves as well Gabriel and not only him the rest of you too." Cassiel told.

Xavier bringing the crushed leaves handed it over to Cassiel who applied it over Gabriel's arm. While the rest ate the leaves. Adam twitching his brow at the leaves sight stood alongside Heber and Ryan with a speechless. "Do we really have to eat leaves now as well?" he asked sighing pitifully.

"Just take a rest now and stop moving your arm unnecessarily, Gabriel. I'll watch out in the meantime." Helios secured taking over his place. "Yeah, we should all take a nap as well. Let's think about what to do next tomorrow." Poseidon suggested as the rest agreed.

Blowing off the fire, the fourteen of them laid down while Helios sat before the entrance watching out. Seraph patting his shoulder spoke up, "Wake me up, if you feel sleepy okay?" Helios nodding smiled. Poseidon immediately sat beside him with his mini-radio. Ezekiel laying down to his right drifted into a light slumber alongside Adam, Seraph and Cassiel.

Xavier too caressing Ryan's hairs drifted into a slumber alongside Feng and Heber. Azazel staring at Kenzo who slept comfortably in a sitting position, too felt his eyes heavy, drowsiness taking over him. "Let me assist you until I sleep." Poseidon assured Helios with a smile. Helios comforted by his words nodded as the sound of light mid-night commentary took over the little cave.

Feeling the harsh, cold wind hitting his face Alan opened his eyes blinking twice, his surroundings obscure. He sat up straight. A muddy sensation covering his hands. He felt lumps of gravel, stones and sand hurting his body. Grasping his forehead, he looked around confused. "What in the world…?" he whispered gradually touching his neck which ached.

Suddenly hearing eerie hoots of owls, screeching and hissing sounds from mountainous faunae Alan recalling his situation opened his eyes wide to look. On the contrary, to find himself thrown amid the woods with no way out. A sudden fear taking over him he stood up baffled. "Where am I?!" he asked in a frenzy.

Observing large trees and bushes that bathed in slight shade of moonlight hitting the ground he worked out. "Am I in the woods? Or is it a forest?" he thought abruptly realizing. "Yeah, my phone…" he whispered looking in his pockets to find them empty. "It's not here?! Damn… those scoundrels!!" he gritted in anger recalling the ambushers from before.

Wondering around the four corners he thought in a frenzy, "Don't tell me the boys were also brought here? It's so dark right now, where would they even be at this hour?! Judging from the darkness it must be three at night. Oh god… what should I do?! Where do I start looking for them? what if they aren't here in the first place?" His feet suddenly hitting his gear bag he picked it up looking inside.

"Thanks goodness, my bag is here. However, I don't even have a spare phone and the recorder won't tell me my current location neither let me contact anyone. Moreover, I only have four balls left to defend myself with what should I do…?" he thought crouching on the ground clueless. Fear and anxiety taking over him he stared at the ground sweating, his chest thumping hard.

"Are they all even alright…? What if they are…?" he assumed the worst all of a sudden hitting himself and calming down. "Don't think it! Don't you dare think about it, Alan!!" he warned himself closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Calm down… think… think… think… where could they be…" he whispered to himself as possibilities began to emerge his mind. Standing up after a while he tugged his gear bag on his shoulder. His expression grim, he grasped a ball in his hand tightly heading forward.

Suddenly, a bush rummaged. Alan instantly alerted turned around hiding himself behind a tree.

"What was that?!" he thought anxious.