Chapter 18 Feeling a Little Bit Better

With a weary cough, Kaka's voice barely rose above a whisper as he spoke, his words carrying the weight of exhaustion and suffering.

 "This feeble hiding hole won't do, little one," he rasped, his breath coming in ragged gasps, "will not protect us from the predators that roam these woods. We must dig deeper, carve out a sanctuary within the belly of this fallen tree if we are to have any hope of surviving the night."

With trembling hands, he reached out to touch the rough bark of the fallen tree, his fingers tracing the lines of decay that marred its surface.

"The tree is rotten and soft, we can make a cozy nook hole to hide and rest but we must make haste. The night is upon us, and with it comes the dangers of the forest. We need to carve out a refuge if we are to survive to see the next day."

And so, with Kaka leading the way, we set to work. With our feeble hands and crude tools, we set to work, carving out a hollow within the decaying heartwood of the fallen tree. The damp, rotten walls yielded easily to our efforts, the soft, rotten wood crumbling beneath our fingers as we chiseled away at its fragile surface with our obsidian knife and primitive stone axe. The air was thick with the acrid scent of decay, the musty odor of rotting wood mingling with the earthy aroma of damp soil.

Finally, with our meager sanctuary complete, we crawled inside, the narrow entrance barely large enough to accommodate our hunched forms. With a weary sigh, Kaka curled up into a miserable ball of broken limbs and flesh, his exhausted body succumbing to the relentless pull of sleep. Following his lead, I closed my eyes and allowed sleep to claim me, seeking solace in the false safety of our miserable shelter, the rhythmic tapping of rain against the tree bark lulling me into a fitful rest. 

The narrow confines of our makeshift shelter provided little in the way of comfort or protection. The walls, soft and spongy with decay, offered scant defense against the dangers that lurked beyond. A single well-aimed blow from the pig wolf's massive claws would be enough to shatter our fragile sanctuary, leaving us exposed to the mercy of the forest's relentless predators.

Lucky for us, the walls, formed from the rotten flesh of the tree's interior, oozed a musty odor that stank the air, masking our scent from the predators that stalked just beyond the safety of our sanctuary.

As the soft rays of morning light filtered through the canopy above, casting dappled shadows across the forest floor, I stirred from my fitful slumber, my senses slowly awakening to the new day. But as I shifted in my cramped quarters, a sharp sting on my skin brought me fully awake with a jolt of fear.

With trembling hands, I scanned the dim interior of our makeshift shelter, searching for the source of the unexpected sensation. And there, nestled against my skin, was a tiny slug, its slimy body wriggling with a grotesque sort of movement as it nibbled away at my flesh with tiny, rasping mouthparts.

 The sight of the slug triggered a primal hunger within me, my stomach rumbling with anticipation at the thought of a morning meal. And so, with a mixture of trepidation and hunger gnawing at my insides, I leaned in and plucked the slug from my skin, its squirming form wriggling in my grasp.

As I nibbled on the slug, its slimy texture squishing between my teeth, I couldn't help but murmur to myself in a low, guttural voice. My words slurred around a mouthful of squirming flesh.

"Mmm... Tasty morning snack. Little slug, you taste good. Maybe find more for breakfast."

With each word, I chewed thoughtfully, my eyes scanning the dim confines of our shelter for any sign of additional slugs or insects that might serve as a meal. As I swallowed the last morsel of the tiny creature, a sense of satisfaction washed over me, the memory of its earthy flavor lingering on my tongue like a fleeting whisper of a dream.

As I cast a wary glance toward Kaka, my heart sank at the sight that greeted me. His body, already ravaged, broken, tortured, and abused, was now swarmed with small slugs, their slimy bodies writhing and squirming as they nibbled and slurped at his injuries. With a cry of horror, I lunged forward, my fingers trembling as I grabbed the creatures and tossed them away, their squishy bodies bouncing off the damp walls of our makeshift shelter.

The sudden movement stirred Kaka from his fitful slumber, his eyes fluttering open with a startled gasp. As he gazed up at me with bleary eyes, confusion flickering across his features, I quickly explained what had happened, my voice trembling with fear for his well-being.

 With a groan of discomfort, he pushed himself into a sitting position, his limbs trembling with exertion as he looked around.

"What... what's happening?" he muttered, his voice thick with sleep and confusion.

"There were... there were these tiny slugs, Kaka! They were all over you, nibbling at your wounds. I... I had to get them off you."

Kaka's wrinkled forehead furrowed in concern as he examined his body, his eyes widening in surprise as he spotted the small creatures crawling over his skin. With a grunt of discomfort, he reached out and plucked one of the slugs from his flesh, examining it with a mix of curiosity and disgust.

"Slugs, you say? Well, that's no good. Oh... these little ones..." he murmured, his voice trailing off as he studied the creature in his hand. 

"Fret not, little one. The big ones are the ones you need to watch out for. As for these little buggers... they're not much of a threat. Harmless, really. But they do make for a tasty snack in the morning."

I eyed the wriggling creature warily.

 "Are you sure about that, Kaka? It looks... dangerous."

 "These tiny slugs may look menacing, but they're nothin' to worry about."

"Are they... safe to eat? I chomped on one a moment ago." I asked tentatively, my stomach rumbling at the thought of food.

Kaka let out a raspy chuckle, the sound tinged with exhaustion.

 "Aye, they're safe enough. Not much meat on 'em, but they'll do in a pinch. They make for a decent mornin' snack. It will fill our bellies and replenish us with life."

With that, Kaka raised the slug to his mouth and bit down, the creature squirming and writhing between his teeth. I watched in fascination as he chewed, the slimy juices dribbling down his chin as he swallowed.

"See?" Kaka said with a satisfied sigh, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. 

"Not bad, eh? Now, give it a try, little one. Trust me, you'll need yer strength for our search for a better place."

With a ravenous hunger gnawing at our bellies, we set upon the small slugs with joy, our teeth sinking into their squishy bodies with a satisfying crunch. Each bite brought a burst of slimy goodness, the taste was surprisingly not as repulsive as one might expect. We devoured them greedily, slurping and chomping until not a single one remained, our hunger momentarily sated by the meager feast.

As we licked our fingers clean and wiped the slime from our mouths, we peered cautiously out from the safety of our hiding spot, our hearts pounding with anxiety. The forest lay silent and still, the only sound the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze. With a tentative glance around, we slowly emerged from our shelter, our backs pressed against the rough bark of the tree as we scanned the surroundings for any sign of danger.

With a weary sigh, Kaka pushed himself upright, his joints creaking with the effort. Despite the lingering stiffness in his limbs, he managed to rise to his feet without the wobbling and stumbling that had plagued him the day before.

"Feelin' a bit better today, ain't I?" Kaka grunted, his voice still rough with fatigue but tinged with a hint of optimism. Though his face still bore the marks of pain and exhaustion, there was a glimmer of renewed strength in his eyes.

"Little Hermit, I hope you got a bit of good rest because we need to cover some distance today."

With a hopeful glint in my eyes, I nodded eagerly in agreement.

 "I did! I did! And you look stronger today, Kaka. I'm glad to see you're feeling better. We will go far, I know we will."

"Let's press on, then. Up we go, little one, time to be movin'. We've got open plains to find and a better life to build. And nothing's going to stop us from reaching our goal."

With our meager belongings strapped tightly to our hunched backs, we set out once more into the heart of the forest, our footsteps echoing softly against the damp earth beneath our feet.

To ward off potential predators we smear ourselves with foul-smelling feces in a crude attempt to mask our scent. The stench was overpowering, clinging to our skin like a noxious cloud, but it served its purpose, repelling would-be attackers with its revolting stench. With each step, we moved with the stealth of shadows, our bodies hunched low and our movements slow.

With the weight of exhaustion bearing down upon us, we pressed onward through the dense undergrowth, our senses keenly attuned to the slightest rustle of leaves or snap of a twig that might betray our presence to the lurking predators that prowled the forest floor.

As the hours wore on and the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the forest floor, we realized that the end of the forest was nowhere in sight. With nightfall fast approaching, we knew that we needed to find temporary shelter before darkness descended upon us once more.

After a few hours of trudging through the tangled wilderness, we stumbled upon a cavern nestled within the rocky face of a towering cliff. My heart leaped with hope at the sight of the cave, its yawning maw promising refuge from the dangers that lurked in the forest.