Yocantes Online [Hiatus/Discontinued?)

Chapter 8 - Parallel Horizons

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My eyes drifted on the picture for a moment. She was just a student like me. Young and innocent yet plunged into an unknown world filled with monsters, powers, and all weirdness no encyclopedia or almanac could describe.

I wonder what she felt about being inside the game? Probably fear. Surely a girl would find things hard to condense.

Before I'd realized, Katherine had left me behind.

I was about to go and hand the ID to her but she got on me first, shouting. "Are you gonna come or not, dumbwit?" Shrill echoes trailed off her voice.

"Of course Kat−," my tongue stammered. That was close. I almost sent myself straight to execution. I slipped her ID in my pocket. "Hell yeah, V!"

"Then come on! Don't be a lazy ass!"

Damn this! I wanted to call her Katherine but I thought it was not a good thing. Afraid that I might trigger something bad, I tried to tell myself not to. Calling her by her IGN didn't make me comfortable anymore.

I guess, courage will be on my arsenal next time. 'Right now, finding Trevor and surviving are the top priorities.' I reminded myself.

With little difficulty, I caught up with her. We went deeper into the heart of the forest; passing through slippery moss-filled rocks, big tree roots, and tall, itchy grasses.

When we got to a place which was densely filled with grasses, a piercing sound broke the silence of the forest. Then the sound of metal lacerating through flesh together with angry shouts resonated through the air. Katherine stopped abruptly in her tracks. I did the same.

The noise reverberated again. This time, I traced the source of the sound behind the shroud of leaves on my left. Hustling violently, I made a small peeping hole and peeked through the thick bushes.

There were people from a short distance. There were three of them. Looking exhausted but brave, they were surrounded by a group of wild plants that looked like gigantic sunflowers with gaping mouths and sharp teeth. Their jaws snapped repeatedly at those people with violence. 'Freakin' Neverland." I thought.

The two boys were forming a protective circle around a girl in a ravishing pink gown. What the eff? My logic was killing me. Who the hell would want to fight hostile creatures while wearing a gown? I bet it was a real strain on her part.

Still, both of the boys acted calmly, just to pacify the girl. One of them was saying something to the terrified lass. Maybe he was trying to assure her and contain her fright.

While he was talking, the biggest monster sunflower spewed out a purple liquid. It corroded everything it touched like zombie puke. The earth around them acquired holes as the soil melted when the liquid made contact with it. That must have been Chemistry at its finest.

Pints of acid sprayed all over the armor-clad guy who was ducking, a bronze shield protecting him. A short sword clutched in his other hand. He valiantly held his ground. I wasn't sure if he would survive the barrage.

Most of the shield dissolved; eaten up by the corrosive fluid. Luckily for the guy, the fortified part beneath the bronze plated design was still left, singed with thin sheets of smoke.

The guy stood up, his knees wobbled a little. Firmly, he gripped his slightly curved, slender sword then brought his shield closer to his body. An ardent battle cry let loose from his mouth as he charged towards the monster.

Robust vines shoot out of the sunflower's body and whipped the guy. Swiftly as the wind, he evaded it with ease. Cutting each vine he passed through, he came in front of the monster. Within a moment, the sword sliced through the monster plant's stem till it evaporated to no more. I wished I could move like that with coolness.