The Bird and the Garden 3: The Final Adventure

Chapter 71: Snake Eater, Part Two

The bushes rustled as Cinder pushed her way through the thick undergrowth, an annoyed scowl on her face as she swatted at the mosquitoes. Once again she sprayed her can of bug spray, but she wasn't sure if it was even working. She was still being bitten.

She recalled bitterly how Watts mocked her for leaving for the jungle in a sleeveless dress. She wished she had listened, but she'd never admit it, that she was wrong.

"Where the hell is he?" She growled. "I want to get out of this dump..."

The First Vao was proving difficult to track. Since that night he fought against the Grimm for the first time, he had become more nomadic, always on the move. He never stayed in the same place for more than a night, and covered his tracks. From Salem's Seers, he still ran into the Grimm, but he killed each and every one before moving again. He wasn't even building shelters at this point; he didn't need them given how little sleep he got.

She stopped when she reached a clear patch, the dirt freshly disturbed. Kneeling down, she sifted her hand through it, finding the remains of a campfire that had been buried. He had been here, but she wasn't certain how recent. The dirt covering the burnt wood masked how old it was. It could have been from earlier, or days ago. Not more than a week, however.

She swatted at a mosquito that landed on her shoulder, scratching the spot furiously. Standing back up, she continued her search, contemplating just burning everything out of her path before deciding against it - Salem would be furious if she burnt down the First Vao's training grounds. Not only that, but a sudden wildfire without any obvious reason would alert Mistral, and they'd no doubt investigate a cause, likely finding the First Vao in the process.

She pushed through the bushes again, the occasional slap of her palm against the mosquitoes that bit at her skin bouncing off the trees. It wasn't long before she came across another clear patch. But this time, a campfire was lit in the center, and someone was sitting at the edge, the flames keeping the mosquitoes away.

The First Vao held a stick in his hand, a freshly cooked reticulated python skewered on it. The fire had burnt the scales off, leaving him free to eat the snake however he wanted. Next to him was a small pile of dead snakes; pythons, cobras, a tree frog, and even a viper. He only looked up at Cinder for a split second as she approached, before silently returning to his meal. Cinder crossed her arms, glaring at him angrily.

"Do you know how many hours I spent looking for your stupid butt?" She snapped. "Can't you ever stay in one spot?"

The First Vao didn't answer. He took another bite, gulping it down hungrily. His silence only angered Cinder further.

"Hey. You deaf or something? I'm talking to you!" The First Vao swallowed, turning a sharp glare at her.

"And I'm eating. You blind or something?"

She wasn't too fond of his mockery. She resisted the urge to kick at his campfire, instead sitting down in front of it. She didn't want to kick out the only thing keeping the bugs away. "I think you forget who I am," she snarled.

"I don't care who you are, you annoying bint."

Cinder blinked in surprise before she grew angry again. "Excuse me!?"

The First Vao didn't respond, resuming his meal. Cinder watched as he finished it before tossing the skewer to the side, grabbing one of his cobras. She felt sick as she watched him cut the head off and suck the blood from the serpent's body, his throat throbbing as he gulped down whatever he could get before taking a bite. He glanced back up at her again. "Want some?"

"N-no thanks... That's disgusting..."

The First Vao shrugged. "Your loss, mate."

He certainly seemed braver than before he was left in the jungle. He didn't seem willing to put up with her crap. Cinder figured it was a result of constantly being in danger. Besides that, she was growing annoyed with waiting for him to finish. "I am supposed to be evaluating your progress," she growled. "Can't you hurry it up?"