Cold blooded 4: The keys and the stones

Chapter 13

Nagima's POV:

We've been walking for days at a certain point in time. Every now and again, we'd either take flight or run altogether just to speed things up along the way. Still, that wouldn't change the fact we still had miles to go. At that rate, things started to feel pointless to me.

We had just got done running and flying for what felt like hours on end. And I was in my female form. Of course it was absolute light work to Ajin, Xenon, Majin, Lisanna, Mango, and Max. But some of us needed to use just as much energy to even catch up to any of them.

Finally came a time that we took a break in what looked like a nearly dead forest. We stopped running, and did whatever we needed to do in order to catch our breaths. I perched on a tree branch, and some of the others just sat on rocks.

I don't know how much I was gonna be able to take, but I began to question this whole journey in the first place. "Hey Mango. How many more miles do we need now?" Ajin asked. "Oh uhh, just 99 more to go." Mango took a quick look at the map.

I felt my eyebrows jump as soon as I heard that number. "Well hey, we're going a lot faster than initially planned." Majin spoke optimistically. "Speak for yourself. If only half of the group was here, we'd be able to get there in a single day by now." Max said harshly.

I couldn't even stand up to him on that one, he spoke the truth. Harsh, but valid. "Hey don't be like that. Some of us just need a moment to catch up is all." Mango chuckled nervously. "Who is 'us'? Mango, you're a dragonblood. You're not a problem here. I'm just addressing the extras in the area is all." Max implied.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I felt inclined to respond. "I'm just saying, that some of us need to pull our weight around here more often is all." Max said while picking his ears. "I mean..." Lisanna was bound to agree. I just knew it.

"Lisanna!" Majin called out. "Look, I'm just saying he's not entirely wrong okay?" Lisanna said with honesty. "Does it even matter? We're all strong enough on our own as it is." Tenebris butted in. "Technically, it does matter." Xenon leaned on a dead tree trunk.

"Bro. What're you talking about?" Skyla raised a skeptical eyebrow at the superhuman. "This entire journey has always been in our hands." He pointed at him and Ajin. Ajin just gave him a baffled stare.

"And I'm pretty sure that if it wasn't for me slaying that big shadow monster, some of you lot would be dead." Xenon gave out the cold hard truth. And to be honest, deep down, I believed it. And all because I wasn't born with power like them.

"That's stupid!!" The cat girl screamed. I think her name was Harlow, if I was correct. "W-well... I just know that Ajin is stronger. S-so you can't talk!" She hissed. I couldn't even say she was wrong either. Ajin alone was basically god tier.

And all of a sudden, I heard zaps and explosions from afar in the dead forest. "Oh just perfect... another monster we're gonna have to deal with." I complained, having enough of the bullsh*t to be dealt with.

"Let's not fret, I'll go check it out to make sure it doesn't give us trouble." Ajin volunteered. But before he could blast off into the forest, I dived right in front of him, and looked him in the eye. "I want it!" I exclaimed. Ajin looked at me confused.

"I want to be the one to scout it." I clarified. "Oh. But why?" Ajin seemed to understand, but not really at the same time. "It's best to not have our strongest link leave the group in case something were to happen. Don't you think?" I convinced.

"They do have a point." Zaina commented. "Mhm." Lisanna nodded. "If that's really what you want, be careful." Mrs. Salma warned. "I will." I turned to face Max, curious to see his reaction. It was blank, but at least I got a thumbs up from him.