" No!" The woman's voice rang out as she launched herself towards her plate, her move urgent and swift.
With a flick of her wrist, she scraped the unwanted creature of her plate and threw it away.
" This was supposed to be dinner." She muttered, her eyes flashing with annoyance as she stood with her hands on her hips.
" I guess I have to go hunting." The lady said, her voice filled with frustration.
She rummaged through her bag, her hands searching for tools that will aid her hunt.
The woman held the tools in her hands as she set of into the nearby forest, her eyes scanning her surroundings for something edible.
As she scanned to forest floor,her eyes landed on a radiant yellow berry.
Sun berries!
Her face lit up with a radiant smile, as she reached to pick it from the ground. But as she examined it in her hand, her happiness faltered. The berry shriveled.
Was this really a sunberry?
She turned it over to look at it more closely when she noticed a movement.
The berry began to unfurl, reavealing a pair of quivering antennas. Her eyes widened with shock.
It was not a berry but a little creature!
The creature gazed up at her with large vulnerable eyes,and she could not help but stare at the creature with affection.
But her affection was short-lived.
Without warning, the creature burst into a flight transforming into a huge menacing insect with razor sharp wings. It bared it's teeth at her and screeched. It's screeched pierced the air, sending shiver through her spine. The sound attracted attention, and soon she heard the ominous hum of wings closing in.
She did not hesitate. With a burst of adredeline, she dodged the insects snapping teeth and sprinted, her feet pounding against the forest floor as she desperately sought to loose the creature off her tail.
She sprinted, her heart in her chest and her senses in high alert. She trembled, her legs shaking like jelly, she pushed herself and ran faster. Her heart louder and faster in a frantic rhythm.
She ran, untill she slammed into a dead end.
The sudden stop left her breathless.
She scanned her surroundings looking for another way to go,but was disappointed after seeing there was no other path.
Her eyes burned, her lips trembled as she tried to keep her tears at bay. Realizing her fate, she kept her back against the stone wall, bracing herself for impact.
Just as the creatures were about to strike, a strong hand pulled her from the wall. The unexpected movement caught her off guard.
Her vision blurred, her eyes filling with tears of fear and confusion. The world around her dissolved into chaos, the trees around her spinning wildly as she closed her eyes.
The woman's eyelids fluttered open. Immediately, searing pain coursed through her body. She moaned in agony, the sound echoing in the air. The group across her observed her movements and gave knowing glances at each other then approached the woman.
Their faces came into focus as they loomed over her with curiosity. The woman composing herself, finally noticed her surroundings. Her face widened in fear after seeing the group in front of her and she screamed.
One of the persons placed their hand on her lips shooting her a warning glare.
" Don't shout, the creatures are sensitive to sound." The person whispered, her voice laced with caution.
The woman nodded trying to show she understood.
"Now that she's awake, she can leave and continue on her own, right?" one of persons asked, eyeing the woman warily.
"I suppose she can,"a guy replied, shrugging. "She just has some bruises. She will be fine."
"No, it is not safe to let her out there," the lady who had cautioned her protested, her brow furrowed with concern.
"We can't just abandon her."
"But she looks like she will be a burden to us," the other lady said, crossing her arms over her chest. "We can't take any risks."
"How can you judge that just by looking at her?" the woman retorted, her voice rising in defense of the woman. She turned to the group, her gaze firm. "She stays with us."
The woman's tone brooked no argument, and the group fell silent, knowing they could not change her mind.
" Hey! What is your name?"
The woman who had been silently listening to them answered,
" Sierra." She whispered while fiddling with her shirt.
Astrid's face lit up with a warm smile
" I am Astrid, would you like to come with us?"
The question hung in the air,as it echoed in the cave.
" Yes." Sierra said while nodding in agreement.
Astrid's gaze locked onto Kaelyn, a subtle warning flashing in her eyes. Kaelyn's response was a resigned sigh, her eyes rolling in exasperation.
" Kaelyn." she said, her tone laced with a hint of reluctance.
Just as the others were about to introduce themselves, one of the men spoke up, his deep voice cutting through the conversation. He had remained silent since Sierra's arrival, his expression unreadable.
"I am sorry to interrupt," he said, his tone firm and detached, "but we have a problem."