The Prince and the Serpent

Trap

Boruto hurried across the grassy flats. He was moving as fast as he could without running outright. The protective mask he wore over his mouth and nose was cumbersome and limiting his breathing. The goggles covering his eyes were scratched and lead to him stumbling more than once but he pressed on.

The last two nights had been miserable. The first was just as buggy and wet as their first unfortunate night out in the swamps. However this time, Boruto did't have the comfort of Mitsuki beside him so he hadn't slept a wink. The second was less buggy as they were further inland but it was just as miserable and lonely. If he shed tears in the darkness, Sarada was kind enough to pretend she couldn't hear them. It was only sheer exhaustion that finally forced him to drop off in the early hours of the morning. At dawn, Boruto felt more exhausted than ever. His body felt heavy and dark bags had formed under his eyes. His motions were automatic and fueled by pure will alone.

As they pressed on through the early morning hours, the smell of the air slowly changed from water and grass to rotten eggs. The change was subtle at first but it gained in strength until Boruto's temples throbbed and his eyes burned. At that point, Sarada had pulled some masks and goggles from her bags. He had wondered what was in the bags that she refused to leave behind but he hadn't cared enough to ask. She pressed a mask and a pair of goggles into his hands with a curt order to put them on immediately. To his credit, he obeyed without question.

According to the map, they were on the edge of the general location of the water key and still they had seen no sign of Mitsuki. At mid-morning, movement caught Boruto's eye. He turned instinctively and saw a gathering of several large ravens. Typically, the sight of scavengers gathering at the site of carrion was not unusual, except this was the first sign of life they had seen since the sea of grass began.

Boruto wasn't sure what was driving him to do it but the next thing he knew, he was running towards the birds with his heart in his throat. He both dreaded and needed to see what was there. Sarada started to call after him but gave up and followed. The birds scattered as they arrived and the scene that met their eyes was a grisly one. The grass was broken and flattened completely in places over a wide area. The vegetation still standing was painted red with blood.

The blood was everywhere. It stood in dark pools mixed with the flattened grass. Splatter patterns spread in all directions and large pieces of flesh with short hair lay congealing in the sunlight. A couple of the bolder ravens sat on the biggest lumps, ripping pieces off with their red-stained beaks. Boruto stared at the carnage before him trying to comprehend the gory sight.

"What happened here?" Sarada asked airily, expressing out loud his as well as her own awe and disbelief. Whatever had happened, it had been recent. The pools of blood were only half dry and the flesh was still wet. The grass rippled around them in a sudden breeze, making the land feel surreal. Then the movement of something else in the breeze caught his eye. It looked like a torn piece of leather clothing and it was laying on the edge of one of the pools of blood.

Boruto moved to examine it closer, then another tattered piece of cloth made Boruto's core go cold. Tangled in the grass and fluttering in the gust, half soaked with bright red blood, was a piece of black cloth with gold trim. Boruto untangled the cloth and held it in his shaking hands. It was a piece of Mitsuki's sleeve. Sarada peered over his shoulder and gasped she recognized the fabric as well.

"Mitsuki was here." She stated the obvious. Boruto's fingers closed around the scrap of fabric.

"He was attacked." Boruto stated, his anger and worry making his voice shake. He glanced around the scene again and spotted a bloody trail leading off to the south. "He's hurt! We have to hurry!" He cried as he moved to follow the trail.