An Island for a Cloud

10.1 The company you keep

Thank you very much for reading this chapter. If you spot any spelling mistakes or awkward sentence structures, please be nice and let me know :)

Many days had passed since Patz was rescued and the unlikely union was formed.

The further from home the boys ventured, the gladder Patz felt about the company of his fellow Flizers, even if one of them was Klatz. Other than throwing each other suspicious looks, worst of which Klatz reserved for Patz, the boys were too preoccupied with watching their every step to be arguing. Mostly, they left the bickering for the time before and after sleep.

Klatz made no secret about in how much of a low esteem he held Patz. And Patz could not blame him then deep down he knew that Klatz was right. His father appeared more tired and weak than usual and Patz choose not to see it. The seeds of guild had been planted firmly and were growing stronger with every passing day. Patz regretted not having followed Zatz's advice and disclosing his feeling for the girl sooner. At least he would have known now for certain how Ziya felt about him and it would have made the guilty feeling slightly more bearable.

The opportunities were wasted and for all Patz knew he could be on a pointless journey risking his life and that of his true and good-hearted friend Zatz. Zatz, who loved their Flizer forest and their quiet lives there more than anything and who had little interest for the strange and mysterious lands beyond the Flizer borders. Who could blame him? Nothing good ever came for Flizers from the outside. Zatz humoured his friend whenever Patz phantasized about heroic adventures and glory. But going on an actual adventure one day? Zatz could think of a thousand better things to do. Yet here he was. And he was doing it all for Patz, his best friend. Patz could not think of anyone else he would have preferred to go with on this quest, yet he worried about the dangers that awated them and fearfully pictured the many ways that Zatz could get hurt. And there were times Patz wished he had chosen differently. Yet, the choice had been made and there was no way back.

Patz wished they could walk faster as every day that they slowly crept through the swamp, meant that Ziya spend another day in the clutches of the evil Aleutans. Yet, the swamp grew more and more traitorous, making it impossible for the gallant saviour to move faster. Every step had to be carefully placed, groping for solid footing in the muddy ground.

Only now and then, when they stopped to rest, Patz allowed himself to look up at the point in the sky where behind the clouds the hot sun hid. The heavy, ghostly clouds promised rainfall any day now. But there was no end to the Swamp of Zurak. Their meager supplies had run out days ago and they had to rely on swamp tulips for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The tulips tasted awfully. Not at all to a Flizer's liking. At first, Zatz refused to get anywhere near them, but after spending half a day walking on an empty stomach, a change of heart came about him.

"Not bad. Not bad at all. Almost like an onion," Patz heard his friend mumble.

Patz knew that the taste was far from the deliciousness of an onion, but seeing his friend chewing on a tulip which much enthusiasm, he only shook his head. After a while though, Zatz seemed to be the only one who was not tired of the swamp tulips.

The monotony of the food and their surroundings, weighed heavily on the mood of the travellers. There seemed to be no end to the muddy ground and its traps. Everywhere they looked and as far as their eyes could see, it stretched out in all directions. And now the prospect of heavy rains became an additional worry for them.

They were exhausted, yet they knew that now was not the time to rest. Not even to complain, if they wanted to get out of the swumps before the water levels rose and they are no longer able to recognize small patches of safe ground to step on. And so meekly they picked up the pace and pushed ahead.