Nimrod

Neemrhod!

Awaken by ray of light that slipped thru the gaps of the forest canopy, he covered his eyes with the back of his hand. The ray's warmth was comforting but in a way, annoying for he wanted to rest a little longer.

"A few minutes will do." he thought as he decided to snooze a bit more.

Turning to his side, he felt an unusual texture under him. It was dry and rough and crackled with his movements. It felt to him that he was lying on heaps of leaves. He thought he was dreaming, but it felt so real.

Axle scrambled to his feet soon as he realized where he was indeed sleeping over a pile of leaves.

"Am I in a forest? The trees are unusually big, yet the light is still able to pass thru so I am probably near the edge. But how did I get here? Is this another drill? Maca might have slipped us here while we were sleeping." he thought.

"Hey Maca!" he called out as he walked barefooted. "You should have warned us! Isis?! Sam?! You're also out here, right?"

After a few steps, he heard a thud from behind. He wanted to turn but his body sensed an ominous presence behind him - like the darkness that engulfs a light.

Sweat trickled from his body and his heart pounded like crazy as the thing behind him started to move. Twigs beneath the pile of leaves cracked with its steps.

Another one fell on his left. Then one on his right. Then on his front. Still, more fell from the canopy until around twenty angry nims surrounded him.

With a shaking hand, he reached for his thigh to activate his suit, but it isn't there. He wanted to run but having surrounded by nims, that was not a viable option. Desperate, he grabbed a fallen branch and held it with both hands to prepare for any attack - but it was of no use.

Vines sprouted from the ground beneath him. It wrapped around him up while it pushed him up. In an instant, there he was, helpless inside a nim's hand.

He felt a sting all over his body. The pain was bearable, but he felt as if his life was being drained. He cried and struggled when he realized that his blood was being sucked out.

He thought that he was good as dead but the nim stopped. Vines around him retracted down and he was freed from the nim's grip.

Panting, he looked at the nim who took him - it was staring at him. A familiar feeling struck him - the one he had on the last drill. And like the nim from the drill, the one in front of him fell on its knees and uttered, 'Neemrhod!'

One by one, the nims kneeled and chanted in a deep and slow voice, "Neem-rhod! Neem-rhod!"

Axle could not believe his eyes, the nims bowed to him like loyal subjects of a king. It was like the ones he read from the old world's stories. He then took one careful step, the nims did not budge. He took another one, yet they stayed still.

Without thinking at all, Axle ran as fast as he could. He was right that he was near the edge as he was able to get out of the forest quickly. He ran until he tripped near a lake.

Axle cupped some water with his hands and drank. It felt as if his thirst was unquenchable. When he cupped water for the third time, he was taken aback.

Shocked by its appearance, his hands turned to wood all throughout. Touching his face as he saw his reflection over the lake - he had become a samanea. He tried to remember when he had transformed but he realized that he did not have his suit in the first place.

Still confused, he turned as he felt two people approaching him. Their intent to kill him was so heavy that he felt it the moment they came near.

"Ice, Sam?" he thought. "Is that you guys?" he said as he rushed towards them but he stopped when he realized the words that came out his mouth. Whatever he said, he can only speak the word "Neemrhod".

Taken as an opportunity, Sam fired at his legs. Stumbling, he waived at them to try to explain but he could not communicate with them. He was also not wearing his suit so they had no idea it was him.

Transformed to strangler-type nim, Isis wrapped vines around him.

Fear fell upon him as he saw Sam in an asana-type armor, holding a black blade aimed towards his neck.

"Sam it's me!" Axle cried but the words that came out of his mouth is "Neemrhod!"

In one swift stroke, Sam's blade sliced through his neck. Axle jolted up his cell. Panting.

The pitch-black cell turned bright as he rose covered in sweat. His breath was heavy and his heart still pounded his chest.

It was exactly 3 am.