CHOSEN ✓ AVATAR

CHAPTER 004

Honestly, I don't pay much attention to it because I know that sooner or later, she's going to realize that despite her many attempts to get rid of me, I'm not going anywhere.

"This idiot is the one keeping your ass safe, carrots" she scoffed behind me while we ventured inside the forest. Just Norm, Grace and me.

"Like I need you to keep me safe" I wasn't looking, but I could feel her rolling her eyes at me in annoyance.

"Then I'll save myself the trouble and just protect Norm from predators" I stopped and turned around with my signature smirk to her "I'm sure you can take care of a Thanator on your own" I winked and without waiting for an answer, I keep moving with my gun raised and the scientists trailing behind me.

[>>>]

A while later, we came to a stop at some random trees where Grace finally decided to take her goddamn samples.

I stood guard while they entertained themselves with their science. I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little curious about their doings, so I walked a little bit closer and watched the screen Grace is holding. A picture of a lot of neuron looking things projected on the screen and I had to admit that it was something interesting.

Then they started talking in scientific language and that's when I lost interest. Even so, I preferred to stay close, at least until a noise not far away caught my attention.

Leaving them a bit behind, I continued walking through some trees where a small nature trail leads me to the source of the noise. I thought I was going to find an animal but instead, I found a strange group of orange plants with red reflections in the shape of a spiral.

It gave me some curiosity and I got a little closer, but not too much. I looked at each and every one of them, admiring their beauty and their vibrant colors, but I jumped when one of them sank to the ground.

With a frown, I analyzed it for a few seconds, my gaze now on another one of them. I reached for it with my hand slowly and when I touched the surface, the plant shrank just like the previous one.

A smile played on my lips and like a little girl I began to touch several of them, each one shrinking on their ground.

I started to laugh, the nature of this place is quite entertaining, but while I was laughing I didn't realize that the rest of the plants had shrank without me touching them. It was when I heard the ferocious roar of an animal that I turned around, raising my gun. A huge creature that looks like a cross between a rhino and a hammerhead wanting to charge at me.

"Shit" I cursed scared.

The voices of Grace and Norm faded from the background and for a moment I thought they had ran away by hearing the animal and left me alone, but then they both appeared through the trees keeping their distance from the animal's sight.

"Don't shoot. Don't shoot, you'll piss him off" Grace's voice came to me through the earpiece in my ear. Her instructions seemed somewhat ironic to me, considering that the animal is already upset.

"That's not very helpful, carrots" I said without taking my eyes off the rhino/hammerhead.

"That armor is too thick, the bullets are useless" as if it understood what we were saying, the huge animal swung its huge head sharply, breaking the trunks of two trees at either side of it. I put the gun away and held it tight against my chest, not quite knowing what to do. I should have taken Norm at his word when he offered to teach me about the wildlife of this damned place.

Damn Quaritch, he was right about the dangers out here.

"It's a territorial threat display, do not run or it will charge" her words only scared me even more because that thing will charge even if I follow her instructions.