Trip To The Inferno [OLD VERSION]

Part 18

"Island language when Lynea can't understand."

I felt small panic rise as the giggling disappeared. It was obvious that the woman will talk about us laying together in each other's embrace, ignoring the fact that Tlaloc was the one with the iron grip around me, but what if she exaggerates the whole thing? What if she makes other believe that she walked in on us?

My face went on fire.

I can't believe I just thought that.

I felt Tlaloc move in his sleep a bit. His hand slid down and his hand went on my butt, causing a quiet yelp from me in the process. I looked down at him, thinking that he was awake and did that on purpose, but his eyes were closed and his breathing was even.

This man is either clingy or a pervert. A scary pervert.

I wasn't exactly comfortable with this position or him having his hands all over me, but I had no choice, so I bit my lip and tried to ignore my warming butt. Damn, this man's body temperature was really high.

Maybe he is sick?

I though about that for a while and then decided to be more safe and check it. I slowly rose my hand and placed it on his forehead, keeping it there for a moment. His forehead was warm, but not burning, so I pulled my hand back.

The moment I did that, Tlaloc's eyes flung open, no sleep visible in his eyes. He looked at me for a moment and in one swift motion rolled us, so that he was hovering over me. My eyes went wide as fear and panic seized my chest. I laid frozen there, my eyes never leaving his while my heart did army laps in my chest. A grunt left his throat and he climbed off of me, yawning as he stood up. I breathed out a shaky sigh and sat up, cautious of Tlaloc, but he just walked around the fireplace and disappeared in the wall hole.

What was that all about?

Soon he walked back and went to the fire pit, beginning to create fire while I just sat and calmed my heart, trying to forget Tlaloc's mini attack.

Soon the fire was blazing and food was cooked. I was given a small peace of chicken breast, some veggies and couple slices of potato. It wasn't much, but after eating the portion I was given, I felt almost stuffed.

Before I could even put down my wooden plate, I was sharply pulled up by my hand and dragged out of the cave. Tlaloc's grip was tight and slightly painful, but I kept my mouth shut since it was obvious that he was in a bad mood. Over three years with Drake in my family, I learnt that it's better to keep your mouth shut and listen to the person in charge if they are in a bad mood.

Still with a plate in my hand, Tlaloc dragged me through the field and pass the pedestal. I was able to see people working around us in their tents or around them, chatting while they worked. Some skinned the animals, others made weapons from wood and metal. Women were fixing clothes or babysitting chikdren, some cooked meals for the family. I, also, could feel their stares pointed my way and whispers when we passed them. It was a normal reaction when you see someone or something strange, same happened to new students at our school, so it was a known situation, but it still made me feel uncomfortable and out of place. Well, I was out of place.

I was dragged by the edge of the volcano on the path of dirt that was barely visible. The forest that was shrouded in darkness was to my right and just looking at it made shivers roll down my spine. I looked up at the volcano and thought what would people here do if it erupted. Would the entire island be destroyed?

Suddenly, Tlaloc stopped and me being in my thoughts, I didn't see that and slammed right into his rock back. He glanced at me and I rubbed my nose, sighing in relief that it didn't break.

I looked around and saw that we were in another field that was pushed into the volcano, but this one was a lot smaller. It had a hole at the left side of the field that lead deep into the volcano and I heard faint sound of someone knocking on the metal. A forge most likely. Opposite of the entrance to the unknown stood another tent except this one was in shape of a square and was held by four wooden beams that rose straight up. By the edges of the tent's roof hung dozen of skulls in different shape and sizes. Some of them were human skulls and I felt shivers run down my spine just by looking at them. Were they killed on that pedestal as well? Is Jack's skull one of them? Just thinking about that made my mood drop and my stomach rile up.

'Alpha' a voice spoke to us from behind and I jumped startled. Tlaloc and I turned around to see the Herbalist standing and I instantly had a bad feeling about this.

'Why are you here?' She spoke to Tlaloc, but I wasn't able to understand what she said.

'I want you to give her The Gift Of Tongues' Tlaloc answered something and the old woman hummed, her eyes locked on me. I felt disgust appear in the pit of my stomach as the image of her digging into Jack's body flashed through my mind and I looked away from her. I heard her chuckle and I frowned.

'I don't think she likes me' the woman spoke, but I knew it was directed to Tlaloc.

'She will with time. She will have to' Tlaloc replied and I was suddenly pulled after him.

We followed her into the tent and I was surprised to see that there were even more skulls hanging above us. In the middle I saw a ring painted with something white and recognized the wheat and moon symbols going around the ring next to other four ones that I saw for the first time. There were six candles placed by the symbols that flickered happily. Before the ring, right at the very back, was a table with small crates, but I didn't even try to look inside, too scared of what I will see. Next to the table were other crates, but those were a lot bigger, big enough for me to climb into.

Tlaloc pushed me into the middle of the ring and walked away, standing at the edge of the tent, shrouded in shadows. The Herbalist walked before me with a bowl and looked at me, a smile of indescribable emotion on her face.

'Shall we begin?' She asked me, but I didn't understand what she said.