//?A Curious Sergal: Part 5.001
#5 of //?A Curious Sergal
Part 4:
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//? A Curious Sergal Part 5
He was in a forest. Its colossal trees and mysterious coves were objects of such wonder to his young eyes. "Don't wander too far off..." he could sense Mother and Father warning him. It concerned him as much as it would concern any other two year old. "...After all..." Now only Mother spoke. Jax saw something sparkling in the corner of his eye. He approached it, and saw a small trinket. "We wouldn't want to lose you..." He picked it up to gaze at the wonderfully shiny golden object, but realized his hand was red. "again...", a distant and synthetic voice continued. He turned his palm towards himself, and was frozen as still as a statue. It was covered in blood. Jax turn around to find Mother and Father, but realized everything was covered in blood. From the trees now flowed a sanguine sap. He felt a presence behind him, and whirled around, only to come face to face with a blood-red Keeper, its targeting array pulsating and glowing red with the eye of death.
***
Hoot! SLAM! "@#$% OWLS!"
Jax cursed out the feathered felon who had awakened him from his sleep and caused him to slam his muzzle for a second time into the branch of the tree he was perched in. He looked over himself, the gash on his stomach had closed in record time (record, that is, for someone with radiation poisoning...). Perhaps the effects of the curse are finally wearing off, he thought to himself optimistically as he craned his head to the heavens. It was (SOME TIME OF NIGHT/DAY); time to make the last leg of the trip home. Before packing up to leave, he decided to read over the copied letter he was carrying.
(INSERT LETTER HERE)
A jolt ran up his spine as he looked at his map. That village was familiar. Though he had never been there, he had seen it on maps many times before. It was a Reono outpost village. It was the village Arroyo was from. There was no time to waste. Jax threw himself out of the tree and bolted forwards despite his heavy landing. When he reached the village, he decided, it didn't matter that he had been gone for so long; he would warn them face-to-face, unlike he had been doing, and if need be he would fight alongside them. He would not lose another friend.
(HOWEVER MANY UNITS OF DISTANCE LATER)
Just as he reached the hill crest adjacent to the valley the town was in he knew he was too late. Ash filled the air and lines of smoke scorched the skies. If there were any way of helping he would have, but even he knew it was too late. Banners waving the eye of death flew around the burning town held by the waves of grey-furred creatures. Jax slumped his shoulders. He had run so far, and yet he was still not tired. But wait... a commotion was forming in the wastelands of the destroyed battlefield. A circle formed in the waves of grey. Inside the circle was a lone strong figure with a thick mane(Arroyo, for those that forgot). Another figure from the side of the circle it was facing strode forward. The one approaching was clad in golden armor, held a double-bladed polearm, and was more than a head taller than all the other Sergals in the area (Rain, for those that forgot). All others, that is, besides the lone figure with the thick, golden mane. The two figures entered a fighting stance, and then began to charge each other. Jax couldn't watch. He knew that if he were in the circle of Shigu, Arroyo would have been brave enough to watch. To be witness to his last act of valor. But Jax couldn't. He averted his eyes just moments before it happened. Not even his curiosity could make him look.
Jax had been right the first time he had met Arroyo; his mane would have grown into something magnificent... if it hadn't been detached from his body in such a horrific way, that is.
Part 6: