Splatoon Country: Arrival of the Tribe

Chapter 2: Jungle Hijinx

A full five minutes of running got Marie... seemingly nowhere.

Though she ran far, it was impossible to tell where she was exactly. To make matters worse, the dirt path she was retracing back to Inkopolis eventually disappeared.

Marie stopped running, leaning against a tree to catch her breath. As she panted heavily, she noticed the forest environment was somehow different.

There was considerably more shade than before, thanks to the thicker and sudden abundance of vegetation. The trees themselves were much bigger than before, with long vines dangling from their branches.

Marie gulped before standing up straight and separating herself from the tree. "This isn't a forest..." she commented to herself, recognizing the environment as a jungle. How could that be? She and Callie passed through here no less than ten minutes ago! The land can't just change like that.

But... it did.

The ambient noises of rustling leaves and a vibrant ecosystem echoed all around her. Some noises she had never even heard before. This went beyond what Marie ever thought was possible. What in the Kraken is going on here?

A loud rustle coming from Marie's side snapped her into focus. She jumped back upon seeing something emerge—it was large and covered in blue feathers, reminding her of a bird. Actually, maybe that's exactly what it was since it walked on giant talons and had a huge beak.

Just like how its appearance unnerved Marie, it would seem her presence angered the overgrown bird, as it began squawking at her. Marie stepped back, prompting the large blue bird to charge. With a yelp, she turned on her heels and bolted through the jungle.

Her frantic attempt to escape caused her to hit a few branches. She even tripped a few times, ruining her green jacket and black pants. But her adrenaline gave her a burst of speed each time she fell or slowed down. She did not want that bird thing to catch her.

Marie ran a little too fast for her own good, as she ended up running right off a cliff—one she was certain had never been there before. She yelled on her way down, smashing into the trees below. Grunts and yelps escaped her with each branch she hit until her back finally impacted the jungle floor.

Good news was the branches slowed her lethal fall. The bad news was her landing was anything but soft. "Ow..." she murmured lazily, lying sprawled out while staring at the blue sky.

Marie was tuckered out from all the running, so much so, she felt like she could fall asleep right there. All she'd need to do was imagine herself lying on a soft mattress wrapped in warm blankets. The thought alone made her sleepy. Despite her wishes, she forced herself to get up.

She brushed all the loose sticks and leaves off her, feeling a minimal but burdening pain course throughout her backside, which caused her to move with a limp.

She headed in the direction of Inkopolis. At least, she assumed Inkopolis was in that direction. To be honest, she didn't know where she was headed. Man, at this point, she didn't even know where she was on the map! But anything that got her away from that blue bird would be enough.

Marie didn't get far before her stomach announced it was hungry. "I told Callie we should've brought snacks." She moaned in distress, only for something small to drop on her head. She winced before rubbing her head.

Marie looked down to see a banana. "What the?" she voiced her confusion, looking up to see an airship overhead. It carried a net chock-full of bananas, occasionally dropping a few as it flew off. Marie was too exhausted to question why an airship was carrying a net full of bananas or how it was even here. Instead, she kneeled to pick up the banana.