The Evanian Escapade: The Arakuur Woods

Chapter 5: Fried eggs and berry juice

The next morning, El woke up to the smell of freshly fried eggs. He forgot all about the adventure he had the previous day and the sight of a brown haired girl brought all the memories back. He lay in bed, endlessly staring at the roof. He was talking to himself.

"How did I get here?"

"Ummm...oh, that's right! Akira brought me here"

"But who is Akira?"

"I think she's the girl who's making eggs..."

"The eggs smell yummy! Wait! No, focus. Why did Akira bring me here??"

"Because you got lost in the woods..."

"And why did I get lost in the woods?"

After thinking for a while, he jumped out of bed and yelled,

    "Cob! I need to find him!"

The girl, startled at his sudden statement, drop a ceramic cup. She started cleaning up the shattered glass on the wooden floor tiles and said, "I thought you were sleeping!".

    "Oh, sorry... BUT I NEED TO FIND COB!!!"

    "I made breakfast. Eat and rest. You can leave soon after."

She gave him a plate of fried eggs (of some bird, definitely not a chicken) and a cup with a purple colored drink inside.

    "What is this?"

    "It's spix berry juice. It will help with the bumps on your head. Don't worry, it tastes great with eggs!"

El recalled the few facts he had read about spix berries-

They were poisonous berries, each were about the size of a tiny pebble. They are mainly found on Mis-Tiri and can only grow in the presence of underground Zaprize fields. They are used in many herbal medicines and, if detoxified properly, can be enjoyed as a delicious treat.

    "Aren't spix berries poisonous??!!! Is this safe??"

    "Oh, stop worrying so much! I am extremely experienced when it comes to these indigenous plants. You'll be fine... I think."

    "You 'think'?" He asked with a questioning expression.

    "Yes, I 'think'. I did get spix poisoning once. I had a bad stomach ache for a while but it got better after I had lunch."

"Maybe she poisoned my food and she wants me to eat it so that she can help her Kurabite friends capture the crown?"

He enjoyed this meal, despite the suspicions he held, and was much more focused on how to rescue Cob. He decided to ask Akira a few questions.

    "What did you do to Cob-alt's troop?"

    "What's a Cob-alt?"

    "Uh... never mind! Do you know anything about a troop of soldiers that your people captured?"

    "What? No! I'm going to the tunnels to meet my people today. I haven't seem them in months..."

    "Take me with you! I need to find Cob."

    "Don't you want to go back home?"

    "No, not without Cob!"

    "Well, alright... as long as you explain to me what a 'Cob' is on the way. We leave in an hour."

His suspicions towards Aki reduced as he continued the conversation. He realized that she was clueless to the "evils" of her people. Or was El the one who was blind to the Evanian counsel's doings after all?

El silently squealed with excitement at the thought that he was on an unforgettable adventure and would save his friend although, usually, it was the other way around. He recalled sweet memories of how his companion and he were indifferent in ideas.

They ran around the palace and explored the gardens as if they were unknown lands. Many a times, El would find a snake or dangerous creature and curiously try to make contact with it. Every single time, Sir Cob-alt of Evania would come to his rescue!

Akira, on the other hand, was wondering who El was, where he came from, why he was in the forest, and most of all, WHAT (or Who)...WAS A COB?!

She wasn't sure if El was a righteous person but she decided to trust him. (She also planned to trap him in the forest if she needed to... which would preferably be unnecessary.) She had her suspicions and so did he.

Little did they know, a mysterious tale was about to unravel before them. And so, a journey of friendships, struggles and lots of laughter had begun...