The Prison of Deviants

Chapter 40: Survival in the Rainforest

I'm dragging the unconscious Dagur through the damp rainforest, my feet falling into the mud as I step. Ugh, this is one disadvantage of the rain, among its many advantages...

Dagur is a two metres tall snow leopard deviant, but now when I'm dragging him, he seems even heavier than I thought. Goodness... We won't go far like this. I guess I'll need to find a shelter, and fast, or else, the chasing parties that might've already been deployed will definitely catch up to us.

This rainforest is so dense... I see a lot of plants and trees that I recognize from the book of botany back in middle school. Heh, to think that I'd need any of that knowledge in my actual life... The teacher did repeat we'd need it, but we didn't believe him back then. Turns out, life can throw you in any kind of a situation, and you never know what type of knowledge might ever come in handy. But when it does, you feel happier than ever.

That's exactly how I feel now when I see the banyan trees among the many lianas and plants. Those trees, as far as I remember, are hollowed on the inside. It happens due to its starting as an epiphyte, that said, a parasite, on another tree, and eating it up until the host tree dies. So, it forms a hollowed trunk which one can easily use as a shelter.

Talk about a killer tree... Plants know no pity either, in this wilderness. I guess that is one of the reasons why deviants are so heartless - they're children of nature too, after all. They fight for existence and mercilessly butcher one another so that they can prosper. 

Hmph, humans are no different either, to be honest. My own family tossed me away with such ease... Yet, I know my dad would never do it if he were there. That is the exact reason why I want to save Dagur too, now - he is not like other deviants or humans. Just like Knut, he too has a heart. He deserves to live, whatever it might cost me. 

I crawl into the banyan tree, which, just as I've suspected, has plenty of room inside its trunk, and drag Dagur in too. Now, I should search for some leaves giant enough for us to lie on so that we don't get soaked in the mud because it's disgusting, and also find something to eat... I must treat Dagur's wounds too, somehow. He's begun to recover on his own since, as he's said, he has regenerative abilities, but the process is still too slow. I think I might find some plants rich in water that will speed up his regeneration... Oh, and I need to make sure those lapdogs of Terry won't sniff us out in here. 

I have a lot to work on. I crawl out of our new hideout and look around the forest, to find some other plants I remember from the schoolbook. Soon, I locate giant taro - a plant whose leaves reach up to two metres. I guess that will do? I break off some leaves big enough for us to fit on, and carry them back to our shelter. Soon, I form some beddings for the two of us. I put Dagur on his one with quite some difficulty, and wipe the sweat off my brow. Whew, this one's done... Now, what can I do about these wounds?

I crawl out of the shelter again. Should I look for plants or... some water instead? After all, Dagur's said it is water that speeds up his regeneration. And then, we'd need something to drink, too. I mustn't get too far off our shelter, though. I don't know who might be following us, and I need to guard Dagur. He's still unconscious.

I walk through the forest, listening to every low sound. Bugs buzzing, birds chirping, the rain pattering onto the plants... But some rippling reaches my ears too. I guess that's where water is.

I run towards the sound. Soon, I reach the shores of a small stream. It's enough for me to fetch water from, for both Dagur's wounds and our supplies. However, there's another interesting sight here at the shores - a unicorn is drinking water right beside me! I remain hidden in the bushes. Our dinner's served...

I've been hunting a lot of unicorns back in the prison with Knut in the summertime. They're ferocious creatures when on the defensive, but one can easily bring them down if one attacks them in the neck. Especially if you're a vampire, biting your target in the neck is a primal path towards victory.

I grow the claws on my fingers, crawl towards the beast in silence, and, when the moment's right, emerge from the bushes and jump right on its back. The unicorn neighs in distress and rears, with the intention to throw me off its back and stomp me to the death. If you fall off it, you're done for - it might as well use its horn to pierce through your flesh and kill you right there. However, I'm not some lousy newcomer I was many months ago - I'm a fully-fledged hunter now, even though my transformation's still incomplete. I have plenty of experience due to hunting with Knut, who was an impeccable teacher. I've hunted with Rufus, Yelen, and Annabelle several times too, so I know more than enough about vampire tactics.

I stab my claws into the unicorn's sides not to fall off its back and stick my poisonous fangs right into its neck. It neighs in pain and agony, soon to die in my grasp. I drag it back to our shelter without any problems.

Unicorn blood is useful for another thing, too - it makes canine deviants lose their sense of smell. Its stink is unbearable for their sensitive noses. That was the main reason why, in the distant past, vampires used to bathe themselves in the unicorn blood when fighting against werewolves. That's how Rufus's told me once when retelling their history. Now I guess it's a good thing I've remembered all that.

Soon, I supply our new shelter with water and fresh meat. I sprinkle the unicorn blood everywhere around our tree and the area where we're hiding. That should do it, for the meantime. I only hope they won't figure out my cunning. Ronald and the bat-vampires might wake up by tomorrow. If they too, join the chasing party, we will have big problems - they will easily figure out my tactics, since they too are vampires, and inborn, unlike me. They have a lot more experience than I. 

I don't think Dagur and I are getting anywhere farther until tomorrow, though. It truly is a heavy situation. But I must make sure to get by, somehow. We need to survive, after everything we've accomplished. For our friends' sake, too.

For Knut's sake...