Pernicious- True Evil

Chapter 10

"We've been walking for most of the day and this is the first place in a while that will give us protection and keep us somewhat hidden. Let's make camp for the night to be safe," Sagan said as he wiped the sweat from his brow and leaned against Elde.

"But there is still light out," she pointed to the sky. Yes, she was exhausted. Yes, rest sounded heavenly. But she needed to get back to her father and she couldn't wait even a minute longer. Astra needed to let him know she was alive. He needed to know before he lost hope. "Shouldn't we go on a bit further? At least until it's dark?"

"Don't be stupid," Alek rolled his eyes. "If we go on until it's dark, it will be too late. There isn't another shelter here for miles."

"I hate to say it, but I am with Alek on this. We have already been attacked once today and I wouldn't have the energy to fight the way I'd need to if we were attacked again."

"How do you even know that there isn't a shelter? There are rocks all over this place! Maybe even something with a roof, like a cave or something."

"There isn't. We know this area and we built this because there wasn't anything around."

She gazed at the rocks casting shadows across the ground. "How did you build this? These rocks are at least a couple hundred pounds a piece."

"Well pretty girl, we are stronger than we look. Especially the creepy man over there." He pointed to Sagan who winked in response.

Alek sat on the ground and motioned his hand for her to sit down. "I'm going to teach you about these plants."

He took off his bag and pulled open the flap of his brown satchel. He then set it down in front of his folded legs. A smell permeated the area with the strong musk of different herbs which seemed only to get stronger as the time trailed on.

Alek first pulled out a freshly cut green plant with small red and yellow buds on it, a brown round root with sharp green thorns covering the base, a veiny root from one of the carnivorous plants with dried blood encrusting the areas where it was cut, and a vibrantly colored nut. Gently he placed each plant by her legs until the bag became empty.

Setting aside the satchel, Alek picked up the first plant and placed it in the palm of her hand. She carefully examined it, along with the others. She wanted to remember every groove, dip and color of each one. Mistaking one plant to be another could lead to unwanted results including sickness, death, or a fate worse than death itself.

She wondered what he wanted her to do with each one. Was he wanting her to study them the way she was, or was he planning on giving her further instructions? As his honey brown eyes met hers, he looked at her in a way that made her squirm. She hated how she felt like a piece of meat without him saying or doing anything. Perhaps she was misreading him. She hoped so.

"What do you see when you look at this?" He questioned, a crease forming between his thick eyebrows as he pointed to the plant. "Thoroughly examine it and tell me every detail. What do you think is edible and what do you think is not?"

"I see..." Squinting, she lifted the plant closer to her face and wiped her runny nose with her free hand. Damn her allergies. "The buds on the plant are twitching when I touch them. I feel like it is still alive because unlike the rest of the thick stem, there is a section in the center that's thin. I know this sounds crazy but I feel something beating, like a heart or something. As far as edible is concerned, I'm honestly not sure what I can eat on this thing. Maybe the flower buds?"

Alek smirked and gave a quick nod. "You're right. It's alive. After you pull it out of the ground, it usually lives for three or four hours. You can find it in shady areas around water sources—like lakes, rivers, and places like that. They usually grow in groups so they are easy to spot.