Chapter 8: Too Hot To Burn.

"Huff huff…" Oz trudged forward as sweat dripped from his burnt forehead, "Fuk, why did I decide… to leave that paradise…"

Oz tiredly waddled across the grassland as the blue-reddish sky beamed down on him mercilessly.

Nearly an hour had passed before Oz felt it safe to leave his spot so now with a strained back and seared skin he continued his journey to find a home.

However, now with some time having passed, he realized the most important thing wasn't just a home nor was it even food, but water.

Regardless, he was worried, 'So… thirsty…"

As pitiful as life was at the Dun Den, the rice water soup, as disgusting as it was, at least offered some form of hydration and satiation for the inmates.

Oz never really had to worry before since the blood of his prey was sufficient hydration; however, strangely enough, since that strange encounter, he had yet to see any other creatures in sight.

As if that strange yet vaguely familiar shadow had devoured not only the family of gazelles but seemingly all creatures for miles around.

The scalding sky had not been kind to Oz's ordeal in the slightest, so all he could do was frustratingly slog on.

"Fuk…", mumbled out through his chapped lips.

Hours later, a husk of a human body waddled through the tall grass.

His milk chocolate complexion burnt to a crisp and now resembled that of burnt timber, his snow-white hair molded into a disheveled grey.

The boy's spectral black eyes were now fragmented to a dull grey hue.

'W-water…', the boy on his last legs lumbered forward, gritting his teeth with each step.

'I-I can't die here…'

His vision was blurry, the green fields and blue-reddish sky folded together into swarms of colors.

He grasped his scaly forehead in his hands, his body was all dried up and on its last legs.

As Oz licked with his flaky tongue and gazed off into the horizon.

A raspy chuckle was let out, "At least I'm not dyin' to a pig…"

The edge of his mouth cracked as a slight smile spread across his face, "I sure am gettin' cooked like one though…"

COUGH COUGH

Violent coughs of blood were let out as Oz nearly tumbled to his knees, 'No! I fall now, I won't be able to get back up!'

The human body is a fantastical device; when incredibly dehydrated it can even smell water.

Oz didn't know how he knew that perhaps knowledge from his old world; however, what he did know is he smelled it!

His eyes illuminated with one more spark of light, he reaffirmed himself, clamping his teeth together and trekking forward.

At last, after 5 minutes of walking, he saw the most beautiful thing to ever grace his eyes in his entire life.

Under the open sky, a serene, clear blue pool glistened gently.

Behind it was a stone cave that tempted Oz with the comforting adumbrations of its smooth rocky walls.

Around the lake was a toenail-length cut of brown grass surrounding the area.

Oz licked his lips in excitement; however, at this moment his legs trembled, crying in agony as they had reached their final straw.

"Come on… COME ON!!!"

He smacked his legs, booting them for one last go to safety, for life!

The feral boy's harsh growl reverbed out through the air as he hungrily waddled towards his last chance at life.

His legs wheezed in misery before finally giving out underneath him, "Uuf!"

Oz fell onto the soft muddy grass floor, slamming his cheeks into the ground yet a strong gaze pierced through.

"Almost there!!", he bellowed out, as his vision began to blur.

He clawed at the ground; the blood from his nails seeped into the mushy earth.

'Forward', he began to hum to himself, taking a scoop at the earth and snaking through the dirt with each chant, 'Forward, forward, forward'.

At last, he crawled out of the tall grass and was only 10ft away from his chance at life.

The water majestically sparkled as if inviting him to its cool, refreshing pool.

Yet a thin fog was beginning to seep into Oz's vision, and the seductive prospect of sleep whispered into Oz's ears, pulling him into its embrace as he nodded off.

'Of all times… I'm still thinkin' of that pig…'

He thought out, with one last glance at the pool before his eyes slowly shut, and his mind began to fade…

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"No!"

BOOM!

Oz punched himself in the face, knocking a clump of blood out of his nose and sprinkling the grass in his fluids.

He whipped his head to look back at the water in front of him, harsh, haggard breaths were let out as he heavily exhaled.

His nose slowly dripped.

The pool was so close to him and yet he couldn't take more than two steps, and his consciousness was beginning to fade again.

'That pig...'

Slowly, Oz arched his butt into the air, he planted himself on his hands and feet, taking on a stance that would leave many questioning his sanity if they were to see it, yet he was anything but sane right now.

Calmly, he breathed out, locking his eyes onto his target; water.

WOOOSH!!

Oz launched himself through the air.

Soaring high into the skies as he looked down and was welcomed by his smiling reflection mirrored off the calm pool water.

SPLASH!!

As Oz tumbled in he let out a smile, 'Yay, I…', yet the darkness that was lurking had not forgotten its invitation, ever more earnest as he lulled to sleep.

Sinking down into the bright waters…

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{Meanwhile... In Another Part of the Grasslands}

WOOSH!!

WOOSH!!

Shadowy figures sped through the grassy greenery.

At the head of the group was their mini-boss; his eyes shone with a refined green glow.

His green eyes were pure white around, the trace of bloodshot gone as if it never occurred.

One of his men shouted out, "Eyo, Miniboss, it me, ors it gettin' hot?"

The men around him all glanced around at one another as the mini-boss gazed up to the sky.

His emerald eyes shone with a mysterious twinkle, the sky had become more red as they traveled further out, overpowering the soft blue color in the sky the group was so used to.

He felt something suspicious was going on.

Suddenly his eyes widened and a shiver was sent up his spine; this same feeling was felt by his group as well.

They all shivered in fear and lowered themselves into the tall grass for cover, preparing themselves for combat.

Yet, more so secretly hoped that whatever beast gave them this chill fear would move on.

As the lanky man and his men all crouched in the grass his eyes blazed across the fields, looking for any sign of where the creature lay.

Finally, his eyes widened in shock.

"There's nothing here", as he stood up with a sigh.

His group confused, stayed crouched and responded in a hushed yell, "Get down boss!"

"Waddya mean?"

"We all felt it!"

Yet their mini-boss just shook his head, "No, that's just the aura it left behind…"

The group's eyes widened for something to have an aura that strong… just how strong was the creature itself…

As the group all got back to their feet the lanky man called out, "Come, the newb is incredibly close, and with the way this environment is...", he squinted at the now redder sky.

"He couldn't have gotten far…"

WOOOSH!!

They disappeared once again from their spot, leaving the grassy fields to dance and sway with the runny winds.

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[Meanwhile in a Particular Pond...]

Glub glub glub

Deep down, a still corpse sunk through the ever-murky waters.

The glistening rays of light from the sky had too short of a reach to delve into the deep waves.

Leaving Oz to the whims of the ever-enveloping darkness.

There was a subtle sweet taste to the water, spliced in with some saltiness like someone had salted an apple.

The dark, cool water cradled him in its embrace, the tranquil stillness lulling him into an eternal sleep.

Yet, he was powerless, a fitting end to someone who was dehydrated seconds ago to now die from drowning.

Yet, beneath him, a sound let out.

Glug

Glug

Glug

Bubbles slowly surfaced from the abyss below before erupting all at once like a tidal wave!

SPLASH!!

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{Meanwhile in an Office Building}

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Three crisp knocks rang out on a marblewood door.

"Come in."

The guest's brown, wooden shoes clacked as he entered what appeared to be an office in slight disarray.

The figure was a short, stout man with muscular arms that nearly bulged through his tight, white long-sleeve collared shirt and he wore tight black pants that emphasized the size of his tree trunk legs.

He combed his short-ear-length dark-brown hair back as he examined the room with a glance of his forest green eyes.

Papers were strewn on the wooden table that took up a majority of the room and books lay half open on the green carpet floor.

Matching the floor was the closed curtains that barely allowed any light to intrude into the drab room.

The room smelled of a musty mint fragrance like someone had not washed for days and then bathed in 1000 mints.

Behind the desk sat an old man with disheveled grey hair that had streaks of green running through it.

"I know what you're thinking", the old man let out as his guest's wandering eyes looked back at him.

"Try being as busy as me, and this is where it will put you."

The guest nodded his head, "So you've heard the news?"

The old man harrumphed and then plucked up a seemingly stray piece of paper on his desk before brushing it off.

"Apparently, it won't be the best look if we leave a child of the academy to die in the Dung Den."

The muscular man's eyes widened in surprise, "The Dung Den?

The old man nodded his head as he stir a cup of tea that came out of seemingly nowhere, "Would you like some? It's mint"

The muscular mind peeled his eyes at the old man, his veins pulsating through his forehead.

The old man reluctantly sighed and put his tea down, "What's the matter?"

The guest's response was a gruffy response filled with rage, "You sent a child into that hell!"

WHIRRR!

The outburst caused a blast of air that sent the papers on the desk and the books on the floor to spiral into the air.

The old man just sighed as he calmly drink his tea.

After a long sip, he spoke, "Please stop."

The winds calmed down, and the angry gaze was still planted on the muscular man's face, "How long?", he growled out.

The old man exaggeratedly turned his head and cupped his ears, "Sorry, I didn't quite-"

"HOW LONG HAS A CHILD BEEN IN THAT PLACE!"

BOOM!

A burst of wind slammed down on the floor in front of him, creating a small crater.

The old man only looked and sighed, "I really liked that carpet too…"

He peered up to look at his guest's furious gaze, "Sigh, just a few days, the council decided a year in that place is too much for many, much less a young boy."

The muscular man's veins bulged even further as the old man continued, "Relax, you can go get him if you wish."

The winds died down and the guest forcefully exhaled through his nose before turning round and stomping out to leave through the door.

Whilst walking out the old man chuckled out, "Whatever is left of him."

The muscular man stopped in his tracks his veins screaming to be released from his skin as they wormed around in his head.

His eyes were bloodshot in anger.

Yet seemingly as if expecting this the old man called out, "Relax… I've let you do enough damage for one day, you may go."

The muscular man widened his eyes in shock before nodding his head and shutting the door behind him, sprinting off through the pristine marble hallways with chandeliers hanging overhead.

Back in the room, the old man smiled as looked around at the shambles his room was left in.

All books were flung into the far corners of the room and all the papers were thrown off the desk, all except one.

The old man smiled as he plucked up the piece of paper lying on the desk, a perverted smile spread across his face as he gazed at the parchment, "Oz."

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