《Alternate Dreams》Dream 17
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Team-work. There is no "I" in team. Alone we can do can so little, together we can do so much. No man is an island. We, humans, have always been social creatures. We have gathered together to ensure our mutual interest since the stone age. We formed tribes first, hunted together to feed our familes. Then we formed villages when we learnt to farm and live off the land, which grew into towns and bustling cities. We selected leaders whom became chiefs and mayors, then kings and emperors. Today we come together in corporations, governments and even unions. Together we have come far, and only together will we continue to do so.
Alex saw Eian select spirit and then close his eyes. Eian stayed still. A minute passed. Worry shortly began to naw at Alex.
"Why do you think he's been like that for so long?" Alex asked Sarah seeing as she was watching towards what led to the dark bat tunnel.
"I don't know. The voice told me time passes in there really slow. So the only thing I can imagine is he's taking his time." Sarah guessed.
"Do you think he got hurt in there?" Alex asked recalling his earlier fears.
"You can get hurt in there?" Jessica asked suddenly even more afraid of attempting spirit.
"I don't know." Sarah said looking at Eian with worry.
"What do we do if he stays like that forever?" Jessica said begining to worry about losing one of their group permanetly.
"Relax people. Lets wait a while longer before jumping to crazy conclusions." Sarah said as the voice of reason.
"Yeah Jess. Sarah's right. This might be normal for his element." Alex said unwilling to believe Eian would stay down forever.
Alex waited for what was ten minutes and he began to feel a little dread. What would they do with Eian if he stayed in a coma for long. He quickly corrected himself, his powers could probably heal him, if that be the case. A few minutes more trickled by and suddenly Alex heard something.
Turning to look he saw a single human-goblin dressed fully. This big human-goblin was staring at them intelligently from afar, wearing light-grey clothing. It looked at them and retreated slowly, facing them the entire time.
"Sarah, what is that thing doing?" Jessica asked worryingly at the strange human-goblin.
"It's probably afraid of us." Alex said as he got up and held his spear and shield.
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"I'm not so sure. I think it's watching us if we will attack. Why would it do that though?" Sarah pondered aloud.
Once the creature was far away it quickly spun and ran the opposite way. Confirming his idea at it's cowardice.
"See it's just afraid." Alex said, wholely confident at taking one human-goblin together with Sarah.
"Alex grab Eian. Jessica grab Eian's shield and help me grab everything essential." Sarah ordered.
"Whoa...whoa... Whats up Sarah?" Alex said surprised at her sudden orders.
"Sarah what's wrong? Your scaring me." Jessica said panicking.
"I think it might be a scout. Some of those big ones could be coming, let's put some distance between us to see if Eian wakes up." Sarah explained.
Alarmed at the idea Alex quickly grabbed Eian.
'Damn it. This is going to be hard.' Alex thought as he struggled to dang Eian, while carrying a shield and the lizard meat.
Sarah and Jessica were loaded with a shield, five short-spears, Two staffs, Two long-spears and one dagger.
"Alex hurry up!" Sarah ordered.
Alex set his mind to it and begun dragging Eian harder. Perhaps a minute later Alex felt Eian jerk.
"What? Whats up? Eian asked confused.
"Get up man, your heavy." Alex grunted.
Alex let go of Eian causing him to land uncerimoniously to the floor. Sarah quickly detailed her theory to Eian.
"Shit! Why would you think that it's a scout?" Eian asked scrambling up.
"We've never encountered some of those big ones dressed like that. They're probably looking into the deaths of the guards." Sarah detailed.
"Gimme my shield and a spear then. Maybe this time I'll remember to block with it." Eian said, though Alex heard Eian mumble the second part.
Alex prepared himself, weilding shield and long-spear, ready for the bats. He followed right behind Eian. They were soon infront of the dark cavernous area.
"Let's edge along the right wall. Nothing will attack us from behind. Eian in front, Alex protect the left side." Sarah ordered.
"Okay." Eian replied.
"Roger." Alex agreed.
There was a shriek and Alex got a glimpse at it as a bat was flying towards him. Alex braced himself shield ready and set his long-spear towards the bat.
"Eian! Try absorbing the impact with Alex!" Sarah ordered.
Eian swiftly came to his side and they took the impact shields-together. The bat fell dead on his long-spear and they both speared it a few times to be sure. They continued right-wards, the cave seemed oval in over-all shape. They were moving foward-right along its right wall.
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They heard more bat shrieks and Alex gazed around for the source. Four bats were flying towards them and Alex felt fear.
"Do that shield thing again, but with a little space in-between! Jess get behind Alex with a spear!" Sarah ordered, as they both dropped their extra baggage.
"Got it!" Eian obeyed.
"Roger, boss." Alex smiled at her quick thinking.
"Jess! Point a spear like me!" Sarah said lining up behind Eian.
Two of the bats impacted heavily on their combined shields and spears. Alex grunted from the impact and felt himself pushed back, lightly bumping in Jessica. Eian seemed to absorb the impact better, but was still staggered a bit. The bats fell on the floor injured, while the other two breezed by them on each side.
"Jessica lets make sure those two are dead with me! Alex! Eian! Again!" Sarah ordered setting her sights on the two other bats as they swevered to come back.
Alex re-positioned protecting Sarah and Jessica, with Eians help. The bats charged at them and once more Alex felt the impact stagger him. Eian grunted and quickly stabbed at the one on his side as it was howling on the floor. Alex dislodged his spear from the other bat's throat, which had almost flown out his hands.
"They weren't dead..." Jessica said voice-shaky, rejoining them shortly.
Alex quickly spun and saw Jessica had managed to kill the second.
"Good job Jess." Alex smiled, Jessica gave him a half-hearted smile.
"Let's go. Pick up everything. Alex change spears with Jessica. It's easier to aim with a long-spear from behind you guys." Sarah ordered.
They continued slowly, weapons ready. Another pair of bats flew towards them. By now Alex and Eian positioned themselves without any orders. Jessica and Sarah remained still as it was only a few. They easily absorbed the impact. Alex and Eian killed one bat each.
"Right there! A tunnel veers off the wall." Sarah pointed.
The tunnel was headed roughly at two o clock from where they entered. They quickly entered eager to be gone from the bat-infested open-space. The tunnel was still wide enough for them to walk side by side arms outstreched. Alex felt he could once more breathe. They began hearing dripping-water.
"Careful. Remember animals could be near water." Sarah warned alerted.
"Fuck." Eian sighed, which Alex understood wholely.
"Why does this feel more and more like a horror movie." Jessica complained visibly distressed.
"Relax Jess." Alex smiled reassuring her.
There were a few stalagmites dripping water forming water puddle. There were also two big iguanas which were drinking from a small puddle, on the left side of the tunnel.
"Try to kill it. Eian circle around it. Alex try to stop it from escaping with me." Sarah ordered.
The Iguanas were ignoring them mostly. When Eian was edging along the right wall the iguanas were visibly moving slowly away from the rest of them. Eian burst into a sprint to cut them off. One managed to get away. The other smaller Iguana stopped its advance and when Eian doubled back to chase it. The Iguana ran back towards them. It stopped as they surrounded it visibly alarmed.
Sarah and Alex attacked it. It released a sneezing sound as Sarahs longer spear caught it in the neck. Alex too soon speared it. It died thrashing and jerking to another of Sarahs stabs.
"Eian clean it. Alex let's start making a fire. I'm starving and you boys must be dying." Sarah ordered.
Alex realized his tattoo has stopped glowing, but was blinking anew.
"Hey Eian man! My tattoo stopped glowing! I can heal you now, come over dude. They're all blinking again too." Alex proclaimed, happy to be able to help his friend.
"Thanks bro! This shit stings worse than bees." Eian said elated.
"Mine stopped glowing a while ago I guess." Jessica declared suddenly.
Alex heard Jessica and Sarah conversing as he focused on a cross-image as he healed Eian.
"What are you doing Sarah?" Jessica asked.
"Checking if my tattoos are blinking. The leather is in the way." Sarah said.
"Well?" Jessica inquired.
"Yes they are, but spirit is still glowing so I'm not choosing anything for now." Sarah declared.
By the end Alex felt his new "stamina" visibly drain a bit. Eians wounds had healed perfectly and Eian thanked him for it.
"So, I guess I'll be choosing spirit again." Alex asked Sarah.
"Yes as you see, healing is essencial to our survival." Sarah agreed.
"Be careful." Jessica told him.
Alex quickly selected spirit as the world washed away in white.
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