Chapter 8: Island Trek
Marine and Cream were passing the time as Tails searches inside the vessel for his equipment. As this was going on, Gemerl was standing by the edge of the beach keeping look out for anything suspicious.
Cream had built a sand castle with Cheese flying above it. "What do you think, Ms. Marine?"
The raccoon smiles observing it. "Lovely. Want me to make it stay this way?"
"How?"
Marine lights a flame in her fingertips. "You may want to stand back."
The rabbit took hold of Cheese and took a few steps back.
Marine then proceeds to cover the sand castle in flames slowly turning it into a glass castle.
"Wow. It's so pretty."
"Chao Chao!"
The raccoon smiles at their awe. "Thank you."
Tail walks up to them carrying some backpacks and shovels. "You two ready to do some searching?"
Cream grabs a backpack and shovel. "Ready when you are, Captain."
Marine smiles putting on a backpack herself. "I don't think I'll be needing a shovel for this one, Tails."
The three of them then began to walk into the foliage with Gemerl slowly following behind them. The jungle was humid and filled with all sorts of plants and fruits no one ever saw.
Cream sniffs on of the flowers. "I've never smelled such a beautiful flower like this one." She reaches for it only be stopped.
Tails scans the plant with his electronic. "Sorry, Cream. The readings for this flower are showing it as poisonous. Get any of its nectar on you and you'd need immediate medical attention."
"Aww. It's so pretty though."
"Yes, but it just goes to show that some things are only pretty on the outside."
"Where's Ms. Marine?"
"Up here, mate!" Marine was near the top of a tree picking some fruit from the top. "Found us some lunch."
Tails flies up to her immediately scanning the fruit. "These are safe, and they appear to have genetics shared by apples and bananas."
"Sweet!" She takes a bite of one of them only to spit it out immediately. "Yuck!"
"Yeah, it's very acidic too."
Marine drops from the tree using the air to slow her fall.
Gemerl then makes his way into the foliage on his own.
Cream follows him. "Gemerl? Where are you going?"
Tails checks his electronic getting a reading. "Woah! I think he's onto something. I'm getting an energy reading."
Marine looks at it. "I've seen this reading before. Could it be…?"
"Only one way to find out." Tails follows after Cream and Gemerl.
Marine follows them close behind only to hear rustling nearby. "Hello? Anyone there?"
Everything went silent for the next moment as the rustling slowly stopped.
"Huh. Must just be in my head." She then continues on the trail to find the energy reading.
Ardin emerges from the foliage seeing where she went. "A strange energy reading. Any idea what it might be?"
His walkie goes off. "It's very likely a gem we need to carry out our plans."
"Should I retrieve it?"
"Not yet. Tail them to find it and then take it from them by any means necessary."
"With pleasure, sir." He disconnects as he follows the trail.
