MISFIT

CHAPTER FORTY

The cave was cold but as they got in deeper the temperature became more accommodating yet still for Raheema, it was beyond normal, she still shivered.

"Are you okay?" Kuzo asked.

"I'm fine" She lied.

"Here" Kuzo took off his cloak and handed it to her.

"Thanks Kuzo" Raheema took it without arguing, she put it on.

"Look, there's light ahead" Summer signaled. And truly there was.

They increased their pace just as the cave began to rumble. Dust fell off from the roof of the cave.

"Hurry!" Kuzo trotted towards the light, the girls followed brushing off the cobwebs and dust.

"What the hell is going on out there, are they throwing grenades, what's all that rumble-" Summer was cut in by Kuzo when he abruptly stopped and signaled them military style with a fist shooting up.

"What is it? Raheema asked. They hadn't noticed.

"Look, vines" Kuzo pointed to the vines that seemed to be coming from an the inner cave, as they walked in, the vines began to look like an arch above their heads and slowly, as they got in deeper they were no longer in a cave but what looked like an indoor garden with flowers of different kinds, the cave walls were covered in climbing plants and flowers, light streaked in from various spaces, it was a beautiful sight to behold, just as there were vines there were branches.

"Is this where we are supposed to find a piece of stick?" Summer was flabbergasted.

"We're screwed" She said.

"No, this is perfect, it is here, this is what De Molay meant when he said the staff hid itself very well, a true camouflage"

"So we're supposed to look for a piece of stick in a garden of sticks, tell me where to start digging for a pin in a haystack Kuzo and I'll gladly begin the search" Summer was obviously giving up. She seemed frustrated.

"Where do we start looking Kuzo?"

"Aaron's staff was known to have budded right?, we are looking for a stick with flower buds or anything out of the blue, a piece of branch that looks different…." Raheema and Kuzo went to work.

"Kuzo we can't risk making a mistake, there's no coming back if we leave"

"Will you just stop with all the doubts and help us look, would you rather have us stay in here?. huh, you can sit it out if you don't want to help its totally fine but stop complaining Summer, if we return with the wrong piece well so be it, then mom will have to come in here and get it herself!" He screamed.

It was only at that point that he realized he too was frustrated and scared as well, what if they did return with the wrong piece.

"Just stay in hell and stop messing with my head" Kuzo said to the devil on his shoulder.

Summer quietly joined in the search.

"Hey, I think I found something" Raheema called.

Kuzo rushed to her side and saw what she had seen. A very smooth piece of stick, it looked nothing like an ordinary stick.

"I doubt it is the one, it's too obvious, the knights probably put it there"

"It looks expensive"

"Kuzo….here!" Summer called too, Kuzo and Raheema rushed to her side, just as the cave shook.

"Is that….." Raheema began to say.

"A Binju seed" Kuzo and Summer said in unison.

Truly on what looked like a very normal tree branch hidden among the vines was a single binju seed, among other buds, growing on the stick. It looked nothing like something extraordinary but a normal stick with buds,  any person who knew nothing about the binju seed would mistake it for an ordinary stick with growths on it.