"Crap!" Yelled out John as he stumbled into a cave going into the ground.
The three who remained on their feet looked down at the gaping hole. They snickered to themselves. Just a moment ago, Jackie had warned him about taking a wrong step, but of course, no one ever really paid attention to her.
"Hah!" She laughed at him.
"Shut up and help me! I think I'm stuck." He yelled from the dark.
"I'll help you, John." Said Andrea opening her pack, "Be there in a bit. Let me get my flashlight."
Andrew and Jackie were left alone up above, while Andrea carefully made her way down the hole. She stumbled on some loose rocks, but quickly regained her steps. For a skinny, paraniod girl, she was determined.
She pointed the bright light farther down the cave, when she finally saw John. He was on his back, with his foot dug into a small crater. He held his ankle trying to get it out. Andrea sighed and bent down to dig him out. She began digging into the ground when she heard a yell from up above. It was Andrew, of course.
"What's going on up there?!" Questioned John, "Are you two fine?"
"No!" Answered Jackie.
They heard the clashing of metal from Andrew's sword, then it hit the ground with a loud thud.
Jackie yelped as they listened to her body jump from one side to the other. They were in serious trouble, so Andrea dug quicker into the ground trying to free John.
Jackie had jumped to the side, grabbing for Andrew's sword and covering him from the beast they encountered. A sphinx appeared out of nowhere, snarling at the unsuspecting couple. Jackie drew Andrew's sword and guarded his shaking body.
"No. Keep away Sphinx." She pointed her sword and walked towards her, "Leave us. Our friend has fallen into your home. He is recovering and we will soon be on our way."
The sphinx blinked and smiled evilly at the small girl.
"Why would I let you just get away?" She asked waging her tail on the soft grass. "How about this," she paused, "I'll tell you a riddle. If you figure it out then you'll be free to go. If not...well be warned, I am very hungry."
Her voice like nails in Jackie's ears as she turned around to see Andrea was still trying to dig out John. She turned back to the giant lion lady and nodded.
"Fine, we have a deal." She agreed, smiling to herself.
Anyone who knew Jackie enough would've known how much she enjoyed riddles. She smiled at the Sphinx and nodded.
"Well human," it started, "what is greater than god, more evil than the devil, the poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it, you'll die by it?"
Jackie looked down at Andrew and thoughts of various answers filled her mind. Her mind picked at the words, tryig to find a solution. She could figure this out. She knew she had to.
She looked back down at the struggling John and Andrea. Only their groans of frustration were heard. Then suddenly the sound of rock breaking was filled in the air. The air held still as John and Andrea made their way up from the cave.
She turned back to Andrew who had fallen near the baby creatures. The Gryphon was defending the Hydra. It snarled at the Sphinx, and the Sphinx simply ignored it.
Jackie saw the Sphinx growing impatient and smiled at her. She was ready to answer.
"The answer," she started, "is nothing."
The Sphinx looked at her and blinked. She then nodded and made her way past the humans that had just come out of her home. Sphinx simply entered her home for rest.
"What...what happened? Did she hurt either of you?" Andrea asked, looking at Jackie and Andrew with concern.
"No no. We're fine. She shouldn't be bothering us anytime soon. I did make a deal with her." Jackie smiled to herself and grabbed her things. "Well let's move on! John you look fine, so let's get movin'!"
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"Ughh do we have to?" Andrew groaned as they came upon a rocky hill.
"We have to, if it means getting to Vincent." John insisted, "Past here, the river, through the field of...what is that? Dragons? Oh well doesn't matter. It looks like some sort of field, it should be easy. Then finally, we should catch up with Metier in time to stop her from entering their homeland."
"Ughh!" He continued to groan, "Fine! I hate climbing."
"You hate anything that has to do with moving," Jackie chimed in, all while jumping on a rock, ready to begin the climb.
Andrea stopped and looked up at the partly cloudy sky, and began to think. It was beginning to go dark and made the group stop.
"Hey guys? Should we find somewhere to rest?" She began, "It's starting to get late."
The three turned around to look at her and glanced at one another. The two boys turned to face Jackie. They waited for her imput.
"Well, I'm not sure... I suggest looking for a cave on this hill. It should be easy." She noted, "Sure let's do that. It is starting to get late."
The other three looked up to her to arrange things, and if it wasn't her imput, it would be John. They followed her up the rough gigantic hill. Too small to be called a mountain, but still big to be called a hill. On the map it was named a Bluff.
"Anyone spot a cave yet? If not, we'll be forced to sleep out here." John asked the three of them.
"Found one!" Screamed Andrew excitidly, this meaning he could finally rest, "Yes! Let's go!"
Andrea by his side grabbed him and pulled him back, "Wait Andrew. The last cave we came across was owned by a Sphinx. Maybe this one is a home to a creature as well."
Andrew paused and processed the order of Andrea. He took a step back and watched John and Jackie talking.
"Alright, we have to check. You stay outside while I check out the inside of the cave." Ordered John.
"Sounds good, only I'd rather stay right behind you instead. I don't want you getting hurt." Said Jackie.
John only nodded and smiled at her. John drew his sword, as Jackie pulled out one of her arrows and drew it back with her bow.
They walked in quietly making sure to avoid any stones and sticks thrown about the entrance of the cave. They looked around the dark, almost impossible to see.
"There isn't anything here." John sighed, "Thank Singe for that."
Jackie giggled and turned back around.
"Hey guys! It's safe in here! C'mon!" She waved over for Andrew and Andrea to come in.
Andrew's anxious hydra jumped off him and curled up in a corner of the small cave. Jackie's gryphon, Taint, flew lazily out of her pack and cuddled with the three headed dragon. Olive simply stayed in John's hood of his sweater.
"Well let's eat before resting." Inquired Jackie, "Anyone have matches to start a fire?"
"I do," Andrea said pulling out the matches and gave them to her.
"Ok cool, thanks," she gave Andrea a tired smile.
Andrew and Jackie got up to gather the sticks by the entrance of the cave. Meanwhile, Andrea kept clutching onto the necklace of the purple crystal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few hours later, the four of them unrolled the sleeping bags they were given. Andrea slept in a corner by herself. John did the same. Andrew and Jackie slept close together, cuddling like their creatures.
They were all sound asleep, except Andrea couldn't get that much rest. The small purple gem that held the bond between the Naga and herself, was too cold against her skin to allow her to sleep. She looked down at it and touched it carefully. She wanted to take it off to end her torture of the departure but she knew if it even cracked, the bond would be altered. Instead she wrapped her hand around it and closed her eyes.
She sighed, then heard a ruffling. She sat up and inspected around her. The fire of the earlier bondfire was now dying. She looked around once more, when she saw Olive. Olive was by John's pack, eating away at some lettuce Blind Briseno must've left for him.
She sighed in relief, watching Olive eat her veggies. Olive turned to see her sitting up. The bunny scrunched up into a ball and yelped. John groaned from the sound of his bunny yelping and sat up.
"Olive.." He said lazily, "What's wrong?"
As he slowly rose to a sitting position, he blinked and looked around. He noticed a glint of purple in the shadows and noticed it was Andrea.
"Andrea?" He asked weakly, "What's wrong?"
He got up and walked towards her. She flinched, not expecting him to move from his spot. She looked at him and realized that he had tired eyes, and he was careful to not make noise to wake up the sleeping couple.
"Andrea?" He asked again, "Andrea? Everything ok?"
His face no longer hiding from the shadows she smiled at him. He sat down beside her, and reached out to place his hand on her shoulder. She shivered as his warm touch felt unusual in the cold night. She fought back tears from feeling the tiny jewel in her hand.
"Yes, I'm fine," she lied, "Just go back to sleep, John. I'm fine."
She didn't make eye contact with him, until she heard him sigh.
"Andrea.." He started, "You know we're trying our hardest. I promise we'll find Vincent, ok?" His warming smile made a small grin spread across her lips.
"Ok.." She found herself whispering back.
Andrea expected him to get up and walk back to his bag and sleep; instead he paused in front of her for a moment longer. He looked into her eyes and smiled some more. He finally embraced her after a moment of an awkward staring contest.
Andrea was shocked but didn't reject the hug. She closed her eyes, letting his warm body wrap around her, and clutched onto the stone around her neck.
After the hug, she simply smiled at the ground then lied back down into her cold sleeping bag. John walked back to his spot and made sure not to crush Olive. They both turned their backs to one another and fell silently asleep.