The next day, Xiaolang, Lazarus, Laurel, and Bob began their preparations. After completing their water duty, they each brought a water bottle tied to their waist and departed for the mountains, while Lexus, Shingo, Anna, and Auscella carried the remaining water into the lifepod and would do the food duty later.
"Where do you think we should go, Xiaolang?"
"We have seen almost everything from the top of the mountain last time, but we might have missed some caves where these facilities might be hidden," Xiaolang said.
Xiaolang wasn't sure why they would even hide the facilities underground, but he could only speculate. The spire looked like a rock from the outside, even though it was supposed to be a building. Dust, dirt, and bird droppings must have accumulated there. That facilities might be hundreds or even a thousand years old, preserved by some alien tech so much that it could still run despite the passage of time. There might be other facilities buried underground.
"I wonder how long that spire has been left alone," Lazarus said, as if reading Xiaolang's thoughts.
"That depends on the weather," Laurel said. She had seen how some colonies were buried underground overnight due to bad storms on Mars colonies.
"But if they were buried underground…" Lazarus frowned.
"We can't find them if they're completely buried. But if we can find a cave, we might find some clues." Bob nodded.
"Be careful. We are entering cloud reaper territory," Xiaolang said.
As they ascended, the cloud reapers hawked from above. They definitely saw the children, but chose to keep their distance. The children gripped their spears tightly, ready if the cloud reapers ever came near.
After passing the peak, they continued east.
"Hah…" Lazarus sighed and took a gulp from her bottle. She had already gotten used to the gravity on this planet, but her physical fitness still couldn't keep up.
"Say. Hasn't the weather gotten a bit colder recently?" Laurel said.
"It has. Shingo said the average temperature had dropped by around 5 degrees since we came here," Xiaolang said. Shingo had raised the concern, but since there was nothing they could do about it, he hadn't announced it.
"The nights are even colder," Bob nodded. "We might hit subzero temperatures in two or three weeks if this keeps up."
"That's terrible! How are we going to drink if the water freezes!" Laurel yelled, almost cursing Shingo for not telling her.
"There is nothing we can do about it. In the worst-case scenario, we have to dig through the ice during water duty," Xiaolang said. He wasn't too worried. The animals here still survived, and they had the lifepod. The lifepod was damaged, but its life support system, including the AC unit, was still active. They didn't have to sleep in the cold.
"I wonder if we can see the eastern plain from here." Lazarus pondered.
"There is nothing on the plains." Xiaolang sighed.
"There is food there. If there aren't any more crystal watermelons in the southern forest, we will have to pick some metallic onions in the plains."
Xiaolang pondered. "The food situation is not favorable. Those rhinos were guarding them like security dogs."
Laurel nodded. Then, a cloud reaper landed beside them, blocking the path. It didn't attack. It merely watched them warily. The group continued their journey, their eyes locked onto the cloud reaper.
"It didn't attack us," Laurel said.
"It didn't see us as food. We are too big. Moreover, we are armed," Xiaolang said. His interest was piqued. "It must be guarding something beyond that path."
"It's probably guarding its nest," Lazarus concluded. She had read about animal behavior. Even in zoos, animals still made nests and guarded them fiercely.
"I know. But I am interested in where the nest is. Why did it make its nest in this place?"
"It's their home, no? They like it up here." Laurel shrugged. She personally didn't like these mountains. Everything was a struggle. Even walking up and down was dangerous. But just like people, different animals had their own preferences. She knew that birds liked high places.
"Do you think they made a nest in another ruin, Xiaolang?" Bob asked, and Xiaolang nodded.
"... We don't know that," Laurel said.
"Let's try to go around it. Maybe we can see their nests from afar," Lazarus said.
The cloud reaper hawked, and several more of its friends came, blocking the path behind it. They didn't attack, but they were certainly intimidating, as if they had drawn an invisible line as a warning for the children not to cross.
The four children continued their hike, even when the sun was nearing the horizon. Xiaolang photographed several spots around the hills and found a cave at the end of the trail.
"Look! A cave!" Laurel hopped, pointing her finger at the cave in the distance. She hopped across the rocky terrain, seemingly impatient to enter the cave.
Then something cracked beneath Laurel's foot.
"Stop! Those are animal bones!" Xiaolang yelled.
Then, from within the cave, several eyes glowed. Laurel froze in fear. She remained frozen for only a moment as the eyes glared at her. A mere second separated life and death as the creature from the depths of the cave leaped out. Its hairy leg snatched toward Laurel, grabbing her and pulling her back into the cave.
"Laurel!" Lazarus yelled.
"Chase it!" Xiaolang leaped toward the cave. Bob followed closely behind. He gripped his spear tightly. His spear had been upgraded. It was no longer a mere wooden spear; there was a knapped stone knife attached to the tip.
"Bob! Light!" Xiaolang ordered. He didn't want to assume command. He wondered whether others would even follow him, but Bob did.
"On it!" Bob said as he turned on his watch.
A beam of light shot out from the watch, illuminating the dark cave. Several bones from dead cloud reapers and cloud striders lay on the ground. Xiaolang ignored them. His eyes were on full alert for anything moving. Thankfully, the cave was a narrow tunnel, only about twice their height. There wouldn't be any more surprises.
No, Laurel had been kidnapped right before his eyes. Whatever creature they were after, it was fast and strong. Xiaolang had to be prepared to risk his life.
The skittering echoed through the cave. Then, as Xiaolang, Bob, and Lazarus came to the end of the cave, they saw Laurel. Motionless.
The creature that had kidnapped her looked like a gigantic alien cat, towering almost to Xiaolang's chest, with six legs and two forelegs that still held Laurel in place. No. It wasn't a cat; it was an alien. Its legs jutted from its sides, not from below. It looked as if it was hugging the ground as it crawled.
Xiaolang had assumed it was a cat because of its fur. It had orange-striped fur, just like a tabby cat. Its twelve compound eyes were staring at the new invaders.
"Laurel!" Lazarus yelled.
"Mew!" The parent dropped Laurel, and six kittens emerged.
"Kill them, Lazarus! Bob! With me! We will deal with the parent!" Xiaolang shouted at Lazarus before charging in with his spear. Laurel's condition was concerning. She didn't move despite being released. Her eyes were hollow.
But that didn't matter. All he needed to do was kill the beast. Even if Laurel didn't survive, he had to exact revenge. That was the rule Xiaolang lived by. If anything came to harm him or his friends, he had to defend them or exact revenge.
Xiaolang stabbed, but the beast dodged. It skittered onto the wall, clinging to it like a spider. How it did that with paws was beyond Xiaolang's comprehension.
"Lazarus! Hurry!"
"On it! Sorry, little guys, but I need my friend back!" Lazarus kicked the baby cats that approached Laurel, trying to nibble on her. When Lazarus kicked them, they screeched.
Lazarus then shouldered Laurel like a sack of rice. Her breaths heaved as gravity mercilessly pushed her down. She had been getting exercise through water duty, but carrying a person was still beyond her. She could do it, but not for long.
"Retreat! Bob! With me! Don't take your eyes off the damn monster!"
"Let's go!"
Lazarus ran, her breathing ragged as Laurel lay unmoving on her shoulder. Bob and Xiaolang followed behind, guarding her back. The light in the distance looked like a beacon of hope. Lazarus clenched her teeth and made one final sprint, exiting the cave.
The alien tiger stalked them. But with Xiaolang and Bob's eyes trained on it, it hesitated.
When Lazarus was bathed by the setting sun, the cloud reapers hawked in the distance. They trained their eyes on her, sensing vulnerable prey. But when Xiaolang and Bob emerged behind her moments later, they hesitated.
Like vultures, they circled above the children.
"We are not out of the woods yet. Keep running!" Xiaolang yelled. "We must at least try to go down the mountain."
Lazarus forced herself to breathe. Her vision turned hazy as dizziness set in. She then stumbled on a rock. Thankfully, Bob caught her by the scruff of her uniform before she could fall off the cliff below.
"Calm down, Xiaolang. I think we need to take a breather. I don't think Lazarus can go on."
"... Okay. Is Laurel okay?" Xiaolang turned to Laurel.
"She is breathing. But there are no reactions!" Lazarus panicked.
"We must get her to the AMS now. There is a bite mark on her stomach," Xiaolang said. He had assumed the worst. The cat kept its distance, refusing to attack them. It was probably an ambush predator. It was waiting for something.
"Alright." Lazarus heaved Laurel onto her shoulder. She couldn't possibly rest when her friend's life was in danger, but Bob put his hand on her shoulder, telling her to calm down.
"Let me carry her. It will be faster that way. Just hold the spear and protect us," Bob said.
"…Alright," Lazarus nodded. After taking a deep breath, she was ready.
"Let's go down from here. Once we hit the savanna, the cloud reapers won't bother us anymore. Then, once we get to the lake, it will be safe," Xiaolang said.
"Please, hang on, Laurel," Lazarus said as the group made haste toward the base of the mountain.
The cloud reapers merely watched them, cold and distant, but Lazarus was grateful they didn't choose to interfere.
The cloud reapers were birds of prey and scavengers. Unless the prey was noticeably smaller and defenseless, like the flipping pigs or cloud striders, they wouldn't face it head-on.
Xiaolang felt it. Just like the cat, as long as he kept his eyes on them, they wouldn't approach.
After descending the mountain, they rushed toward the lake. It had only been a few weeks, but they already knew this island like the back of their hand. Thanks to Xiaolang's compass, they found the lake without any problem.
Yet no matter how much they hurried, carrying a person across the mountain and forest was not easy. Even Bob was breathless once they crossed the shallow river.
"Let's take turns," Xiaolang said.
"Alright." Bob handed Laurel over to him. Xiaolang heaved once he had Laurel on his back. Laurel's body had grown slightly cold, but her breathing was still stable.
"Hng…" Laurel groaned.
"Laurel, hang in there!" Lazarus gasped. Her vision had grown hazy. The world seemed to spin.
"Xiaolang…" Bob gasped for breath, asking Xiaolang for a break.
"One minute," Xiaolang said.
"No. I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to Laurel while we were resting. Let's go." Lazarus gathered her resolve.
"... Alright. Let's go. This part of the forest is fairly safe. We can walk instead of running. Want to change? I can carry her next," Xiaolang said.
"No. I can manage." Bob said. He was sweating hard, his breathing labored, but he still looked better than Lazarus.
As the sun cast its last light of the day, Xiaolang led the group back to the lifepod. But the danger was far from over.
I am not wrong. To survive, you must kill. There is no path to peace. If they come, we must kill them. Compromise will only lead to the death of the ones you love. Just like my parents. They were too soft. ~Xiaolang