A day in the life

Couldn't really relax these last two days. I've gone to sleep with an eyes open and couldn't stop myself from jumping at any sound. 

I didn't notice as much fear from the others, maybe it is less real for them, since they didn't see anything. Perhaps they cannot feel its eyes observing our every move. Most likely, they cannot hear its quiet movements in the dark. Am I going crazy? 

Be it as it may, it shouldn't be good for us to compete for food and gather resources with such competition.

“Let's head southwest and then south alongside the river. We can circumvent the camp and an eventual town we find should be closer to a body of water” I say

We've decided to move today. Biel has already recovered enough to make it possible. 

We have good 'backpacks', as well as enough cordage, shivs, and dry leaves and sticks to take with us. We couldn't fit many Arapucas, but we're bringing one with each, except for myself, as I am carrying six arrows. 

We're taking some bamboo with us, between the backpack and our backs. 

Each of us is also carrying four cups with water in our cordage 'belt' as well as a knife and some meat. 

“Are we completely, a hundred percent, sure we have to avoid the camp?” Joy asks with some trepidation.

She looks at me as if she has done something wrong. What is that? Do they think I'm scared of it?

Well, to be honest, I might be. I really rather not even think about it, and whenever I do, I feel a void in my heart. I abandoned my teammates and ran away. 

… 

Not only that, but I still don't know how I survived. That day is etched in the back of my mind. It torments all my free time. I was so terrified at that moment, I still have some of it left a week later.

Why didn't the mob end my run? Maybe that is how the game is and mobs only go so far? Perhaps the reason I didn't get as many skill points is I lost some when I got knocked out?

“Forget it” she complements

She wasn't implying I was a coward, but it sure does feel like it. After all, I know she wants to check because it is her brother, who risked it all to get her free. 

We have to be real: This team is even less combat oriented than the last one, we need to get more levels before trying it. We also know they don't seem to torture prisoners or anything like that.

TSK

We have to survive, that is the gist of it. We have to survive to rescue them. We have to keep going, it is our responsibility! 

Well … easy for me to say, to be honest. That cat is behind us as we head towards the river. I can feel it. 

As we walk alongside the river, everything is even more humid. I can hear splashing every step we take and with the heat I feel myself sweating profusely all the time. I am starting to feel the weight on my back. 

"Let's stop a bit." Biel said "Make fire."

He moves towards the river as he says that. My blood rushes.

"What are you doing? Are you crazy?" 

I say as I realize I am a coward. It is not likely we're going to be attacked every time we go into the river, and we are considerably south of where the attack was. 

"I got the clay gathering skill. I want to have enough to make at least one bowl."

I make the fire and heat some meat while they move into the river. 

I'm attentively hearing for any type of danger. I can hear something circling us, moving to the other side of the river. We're not outside its territory yet, but for now there is another prey in its mind.

I can hear a commotion to the east too. There should be where the camp is. Another aggressive new player? 

Biel and Joy seem to only be throwing away some kind of black dirt. That is definitely no clay. They are moving along and making balls of dirt, until he seems to like how one of those balls stays together. 

They drink water from two of their containers, as well as two more that were already empty, and fill them up with that mass of dirt.

"Unfortunately, I still need to get skills for treating it and molding it." 

Biel says as he approaches with a smile in his face.

"It is kind of exciting to get a raw material that can become so many things." 

Joy seemed to be happy with it too. Is that related to those things she was drying the other day? 

"You guys still have free skill points?" I ask. 

That was the last of Biel's. Joy couldn't face us while confirming she did spend it all. We do seem pretty stable, maybe that is not a problem. As long as it is something useful in the long run.

I wish she would say how she spent those, but we're not in the best terms. There is a chance she trusts Biel more. 

I get up and go take a walk. She might feel better talking about it with Biel and I can still hear from further away. I'm also curious about the cat and commotion in the camp.

I step behind and start focusing on the sounds of the forest. Sit down. Close my eyes.

I hear them chatting.

"Matraca, are you still getting too flustered to make up with him? Careful to not fall in love."

"What? That doesn't even make sense"

Birds tweeting all around.

TWEET TWEET

Monkeys screaming to the north

ooh ooh ah ah

Very faint, far east laughter. That is the camp. We definitely cannot go in that direction.

RS RS RS RS

In the south, there is the sound of running towards the west. Breaking every single stick and splashing in every wet surface. Is he a threat?

STEP CRACK STEP SPLASH

I cannot hear the predator. Last I hear was in the north-west direction. Are we surrounded? I'm suddenly a bit anxious. 

Come on. Make a sound. Where are you? 

Why is it so quiet? Is it really onto us? Did it stop because we've stopped?

Is it ready to pounce?

... 

COME ON! 

My heart is getting faster. I'm getting anxious for nothing. 

I was scared of the presence of the beast, and even more scared of the lack of it. 

Every chirp, every splash, every crack in the undergrowth becomes a message. The forest is talking to me, and I have to translate it before it’s too late.

CRACK

My eyes open. That's it, southwest. It was trying to get ahead of us? Anyway, we're safe for now.

"AAAAHHHH!!" 

Oh shit! The guy that was running!

I get up in a hurry and run towards it the fastest I can. Joy and Biel are just ahead of me. 

I can hear his screaming and flailing.

I almost trip at least four times. Good thing the foliage isn't that dense. 

We freeze. We look at it. It looks at us. 

Big cat. Almost a meter high. At least 70 kg. Yellow fur. Black dots. Piercing eyes.

"Onça-pintada." Biel says quietly "A jaguar.".

It slowly backs up. Four people are too many. It gives up its prey. 

We divert our gaze to the pool of blood in the floor. There is a man screaming on top of it.

There are bruises in his hands and jaw. He managed to protect his neck and chest, but it is hard to even look further down. 

His right leg is a gruesome view. It was all torn apart in his struggle, barely hanging on in one piece. He needs immediate treatment, and Joy quickly tries a tourniquet to slow the blood flow, it doesn't help at all. 

I start tearing his shirt to try to control the bleeding, and Biel starts getting cordage. A layer of cloth and another tourniquet.

Still not enough. Joy moves to try more. We can't hear him anymore, he lost a lot of blood. She is tearing up, but not giving up.

He had a sword. It is by my feet. 

"Maybe we can cauterize it!" 

I take bamboo and make the fastest fire I ever did. I start heating the blade before I notice Joy crying. 

"I can't do it." She says. 

"Of course you can ..." Words just come out of me, without hope. But I keep heating the blade.

"This isn't a movie! I can't cauterize it! I have no idea how to do it!"

I am sure this is also in Biel's mind right now. "What did you spend those point on?", but that doesn't help right now. I've also made that mistake before. 

I just extend the sword. 

"You're the most impressive person I've met in this world, Joy. You have to at least try it."

She reluctantly takes it upon herself.

Biel is holding the guy. I'm helping with his leg. She is trembling. She pushes the hot iron, tries to adjust the grip, tries to push different areas. Blood keeps splurging out. 

I look at her eyes. They are moving fast, grasping for a hint of hope. I feel two gentle touches from Biel's hand behind me, that is it. It was completely useless.

I touch her hand and her shoulder and try to give my best calm look while something wells up in my throat. 

She lets go of the sword and hugs me. 

And start crying. 

We all start crying.