The Forgotten

Chapter 5

It took a while, but thank the cosmos it wasn't too late when Phenex found him. He was serverly injured, both of his eye sockets empty and blood dripping out of them, but somehow the blue skinned sensed that Phenex has got no bad intention. "Monkey-tings! Everywhere dere be dese monkey tings!" he breathed out in frustration. The blonde gulped, she didn't know what to do, so she only tried to make sure he knows, that she understands, by making a noise countable as an 'OK'. The troll started telling her about how he could've finished all of them, his tactic being to play dead, like many hunters do. But apparently one of them found out and called him out, leading to them taking his eyes and other things from him. Phenex agreed with another noise, to bringing him his belongings back. Trying to keep an eye on him while holding his hand to make sure he wont get lost, Phenex hid behind the bushes, watching one of the monkey-like things, who played with the troll's eyes as if they were marbels. She thought she was about to puke, but kept herself from doing so, due to politeness- and the moment of attack she was planning. Next to her on the ground, she found a stone, small but good enough for distraction. She threw it on a tree diagonally opposite from her, resulting in it bouncing off and hitting the monkey on the head, turning his attention to the tree it bounced off from. In the blink of an eye she appeared behind the monkey thing, taking it down in one swipe and catching the eye gently, but with a wierd feeling in her stomach.

"Well lookie dere! Dat be my bad eye, but it be a good start." he smiled slightly, putting his right eye back in it's socket as if it was nothing. Phenex really didn't know what she was supposed to think at that moment, so she just gazed at her surroundings, noticing several parts of a statue, looking different from the panda-people. She picked up the left eye, the monkey thing had lost it when walking towards the tree, and gave that to the troll as well and this one too, he had just put back into his eye socket, his smile turning into a small grin, "Dere it be, mon. My huntin' eye! I'll be able ta rest in peace wit' my ancestors.." he appeared very happy, given his joyous aura and smiling face. "But let's find Snuff first." Snuff, his pet companion on his hunts. Phenex nodded in acknowledgement as to her, cute pets must be saved and treated well at all costs. After a short while, the blonde stood still, her gaze catching the sight of a corpse of a fluffy white tiger in front of them. Snuff, that was him by the description Zin'jun had given her. Once Zin'jin realised who laid in front of him, tears welled up his eyes and he cried out to the sky. She didn't really know how to react, it was an emotional moment, and she wasn't so sure what course of action would be best, so she just knelt down to his level and helplessly stroke his back, in attempt to calm his emotions. "Dey done killed Snuff.. What'd 'ol Snuff ever do ta dem?" he sobs.

After a few minutes of mourning, Zin'jun stood up again, and so did Phenex. "I was just about ta curl up an' die, mon. Now, dis! Snuff an' me go way back. Oh, da memories..." the troll lost himself in his thoughts for a second. "No way I can face Snuff in da afterlife without avengin' his death first, mon!" Phenex nodded with a hum, though tilting her head to the side a little, wondering what exactly she should do. "Dese hooligans be led by one named Konk. We gotta sniff him out an' den snuff him out - fir Snuff!" he declared, earning another hum from the girl. "Dere be a tinty cave, mon! Dat be where he be, me tink." he said, Phenex listened up closer, there was a cave northwest from their current position. That must be it. "Mhm," she buzzes while talking his hand to take him with her again, walking towards the cave rapidly but careful with Zin'jun right behind her. She saw multiple monkey-things in fron of the cave, signaling Zin'jun with a pat on the shoulder to stay where he was, she soundlessly appeared behind one of these things, slicing it's neck in the process. Phenex dissapeared into the shadows, carefully watching the others who'd just found the corpse and started making a fuss.

Amidst the commotion, Phenex's thoughts remained focused and sharp. She contemplated whether to strike again, swiftly taking out another monkey-thing to further confuse and disorient the group. However, she hesitated, realizing that a sudden attack might escalate the situation and potentially compromise their mission. Instead, Phenex decided to maintain her position in the shadows, studying the monkeys reactions carefully. She observed the range of emotions displayed—fear, confusion, anger—trying to decipher any signs of heightened alertness or coordination among the creatures. Phenex tried formulating alternative strategies and contingencies, but while a part of her relished the idea of causing more chaos, Phenex ultimately concluded that a cautious approach would be more advantageous. She weighed the benefits of surprise against the risk of drawing unwanted attention or exposing her presence. With patience and calculated restraint, Phenex awaited a moment of vulnerability or distraction among the monkey-things, ready to act decisively when the time was right.