Everglade: The Underaged

Chapter 37

Slade went over to the bush and got caught in a trap. He completely lost it.

"Help! Help me! Get me out before the humans come!" He screamed. But the trap wasn't human made. It had been made by giants. Diamianus scrambled up the tree that had access to the rope suspending the net and cut the rope. Slade fell. Diamianus jumped down and embraced his panicked brother. Slade leaned into his hug. Diamianus reached over and picked one of the pieces of fruit off of the bush. He examined it. Luke knew he was checking it for sleeping drugs and poison. He gave it to Slade, who took a huge bite out of it. Diaiminus filled Slade's bag with the fruit and the roots from the bush, doing the same check he had for the piece of fruit he'd given to Slade. Then he got Slade back on his Pegasus' back.

They set off again. As they left, Slade began to shake. No matter how many times Damianus told him the trap hadn't been human made, Slade wasn't convinced. They finally decided to let him settle down on his own.

When he did, he reached into his bag and pulled out a root. He ate it then leaned against Diamianus. He fell asleep and Diamianus had to work harder to keep him on. Luke scanned the ground. There was no sign of The Crows. Something inside him told him he should go to the city. Now.

"Let's try going to the city. I have a feeling we should be there." He said to the others.

"I don't want to take Slade near a human city." Diamianus said.

"Then we'll meet you at the place we camped last night. I, for one, am going to Everglade." Luke told him. Eclipse turned around and began to fly faster.

Conserve your energy. Luke told her.

Must get to Everglade before too late. Bad things happen. She replied. Luke looked back to find that the others were following him. Good. He needed all the help he could get. As they got closer to Everglade, a sense of urgency came to Luke. Eclipse caught on and went faster. Luke leaned forward toward her neck and she went even faster.

Mile after mile, the urgency got stronger. Eclipse kept going faster. He worried she was going to tire out before they got there. He could see smoke in the distance. He feared the worst. Eclipse saw it too and pushed herself to go faster.

Almost there. Luke said to Eclipse and himself.

Will not fail. She replied. She went faster.

If you keep going faster, you'll tire out before we get there. Luke warned her.

Will not fail. She repeated. My home too. She went faster. The city came into view. It was on fire.