Back inside the Astra, everyone relaxed. The animals had withdrawn quickly upon noting the fire, as Charce had predicted.
"Are you ok?", Luca asked worried seeing that Ulgar's face and right arm were covered in blood. He was happy that Ulgar, and everyone else, were still alive but it pained him to see his comrade injured.
Ulgar nodded briefly. "It's nothing."
"It's not nothing", Quitterie said and moved in between the two. She pointed to one of the chairs, indicating Ulgar to sit down. "Let me have a look at that."
Luca knew he would only get in the way but still did not like seeing the blonde being so close to Ulgar. Her face was only centimetres from his as she examined the wound. Jealousy was not a pleasant feeling and Luca turned around to help Aries tidying. Around them, there was a mess of wet cloths, random kitchen items, half-burnt torches and puddles left behind by the sprinklers.
"You really saved us", Aries remarked with a mop in her hands. "But Charce and Ulgar saved us, too." She nodded towards Charce who was sitting next to Ulgar, waiting for Quitterie to look at his wounds. His arms and legs were covered with scratches but none of the wounds looked severe.
"We all worked together", the Astra's cook sparkled. "But I wonder what drove these animals to be active at night. Assuming they are the apex predators in this food web, there shouldn't be much for them to be afraid of. Or perhaps their prey is also night active … And why did they attack the Astra? Attacking a chunk of metal would be a waste of energy for them. Did they smell us?", he wondered. "Ah, that stings!" Quitterie started disinfecting his wounds and Charce fell silent.
"Maybe they will be friendlier by daylight", Aries smiled.
Luca nodded. "That would be nice." He was sorting the cutlery and about to carry it back to the kitchen as Ulgar approached him.
"There", the black-haired teen said and threw a blanket at Luca. "Quitterie said you burnt yours", he explained briefly. His face was clean now, apart from the wound across his left cheek where the animal's claw had left its trace.
"Thank you", Luca replied and looked at the blanket. It must have been from Ulgar's bed given that all other blankets were either burnt or wet. It took him a second to understand Ulgar's actions but he quickly regained his composure. "Do you want to share it tonight?" He just could not help it.
The answer came promptly. "No thanks!" Why again had he thought that giving his blanket to Luca was a good idea?
"Ehm… ", Aries made. Ulgar had reminded her that she was in the same boat as Luca. "My blanket was also burnt and the spares are still wet… "
"Do you want to share with me then?", Luca asked turning around to her.
"Thanks, Luca", Aries nodded gratefully. "Let's have a sleepover in Luca's room", she added directed to Quitterie.
The blonde was not completely sure whether Aries understood what she had agreed to. Then again, she was always treating Luca like a female friend. "I don't really want to sleep alone tonight", she agreed finally.
Ulgar could not believe that Luca was using his blanket to hook up with Aries. And now with Quitterie as well. "Sleep with whomever you want", he said not completely able to suppress his anger. Luca could be the Astra's womaniser if he wanted, it did not concern him. Without another word, the black-haired teen left.
xxx
The next morning, the group prepared to venture into the woods on their never-ending foraging quest. The aftermath of yesterday's night was still visible and the exhaustion written in their faces. But finding food was a top priority that could not wait until the space travellers were rested.
"Zack said he is feeling much better today", Quitterie informed the others. "He may be able to examine the damage caused by the nightmares later today. If everything goes well, we can relocate tonight. I'm sick of this place!"
Ulgar remained silent. He still failed to understand how it was 'poor naming sense' to call an animal 'terror' when 'nightmare' was totally fine with everyone.
"How's Funi doing?", Luca asked as he handed Quitterie her raincape. At the moment, the sky was clear but they were not going to take any chances. Who knew what Nemesis would throw at them today.
"It's so pretty, Luca", the blonde answered admiring the cape. Luca had chosen dark red and purple leaves for her cape, their colours intertwining beautifully. "You should become a fashion designer when we're back."
Ulgar silently observed his teammates. Luca did not look like he had done anything indecent with the girls and the rational part of his mind told him that the purple-haired teen would never take advantage of Aries' naivety. Yet Ulgar could not help but wonder. Did Luca even have this kind of desire? What was it like to have sex with Luca? A thought that he quickly banished, his face red.
"I'll look after the others while you're gone", Yun Hua promised. Her skin had healed now but the group had decided that she should stay in as a precaution. It was good to have someone who could look after their friends as well.
"I'm counting on you!", Quitterie replied while showing off her raincape. She would have prefered to stay with Zack and Funicia but was aware that there was little she could do for them now.
Luca was pleased with how much the girl liked her new clothing. However, as his gaze met Ulgar's, his smile vanished. The black-haired teen gave off an aura that made him inapproachable to Luca. With his new clothes, his dark green raincape, the bandages and the wound on his face, he looked like he already belonged to Nemesis. So handsome! Nothing was left of the high-school student and travel companion, especially as his characteristic cap was missing. Then again, Luca himself did not look much like a high-school student anymore either. It was the raincape, he decided, that made them look more mature, like adventures in a videogame. Even Charce and Quitterie, still wearing their uniforms, looked different now. Nemesis was changing them.
xxx
Inside the woods, the air was cooler and moister than in the plain. It was surprisingly peaceful too; there were animal sounds but none of them came from close by.
"These trees are huge", Aries remarked as the group wandered deeper into the woodland. Their stems were at least three metres broad and from the ground, she could not even estimate the trees' height. Strong, big branches with huge leaves completely covered the sky. From far above, they heard leaves rustling and occasional noises, indicating that there was life high above them.
Meanwhile, the ground seemed to be as deserted as the vast plain where the Astra had landed. Despite having marched all morning, no plant had proven edible, no animal had crossed their path. At least they had not encountered the teddy either. Ulgar had been vigilant but nothing hinted at its existence. Perhaps it had been nothing than a bad dream. Who knew that bad dreams could have soft lips?
"Look, there are fruits!" Charce suddenly pointed at the ground. The fruits laying on the ground, brightly coloured, stood out from their surroundings and had obviously fallen down from above. But it was the closest to food they had ever come on this planet, not counting the fish. "And they're still edible", he confirmed after testing.
"I'm not eating stuff that has been on the ground for who knows how long! It's filthy!", Quitterie complained. Then the blonde remembered how hungry she was. "Actually, never mind. I take one, please."
"Why don't we take a break and eat?", Aries suggested. It was a quiet location, with a clearing just in front of them. The hole in the ceiling made up of branches and leaves let in some sunshine. There were enough fruits for each of them plus some they could take back to the Astra. "They taste like honey", Aries remarked after taking a bite.
After finishing his fruit, Luca approached Ulgar who stood apart from the group, looking out for potential dangers. "About last night…" It bothered him that the other was thinking he would take advantage of the girls. "You know, Charce gave Aries his blanket. I didn't … didn't sleep with her." Luca wanted his friend to understand there would never be anything between him and any other crew member of the Astra simply because none of the was Ulgar. But of course, he could not say that.
Ulgar turned around. "What does it matter?", he asked coldly. "As you said multiple times, we're both guys." It did not concern him what Luca did as long as it did not jeopardise their journey home.
Luca flinched. Suddenly his jokes were coming back to hurt him. One by one, like boomerangs with poison blades. When had Ulgar become better than him at playing this game? "About that", the purple-haired teen started hesitantly. He looked at the ground, suddenly insecure. "Do you think I can take it back?"
Ulgar stared back at the other, his request incomprehensive to him. Luca being shy and cute, that was new. For a second, he thought the other was making fun of him, as he did so often. But Luca had never before appeared so genuine, almost fragile in his dilemma. "I don't care about your gender anyway", he finally managed to say. And perhaps that had been true, once.
It was Quitterie's scream that broke the awkward silence between the two. The girl was laying on the ground, a cat-like animal on top of her. It must have been stalking them, without a sound and waiting for an opportunity.
Ulgar cursed for letting himself getting distracted and shot without hesitation. Hit by the laser beam, the wild cat let go of Quitterie and jumped back. But like the nightmares, it was not critically injured and hissed at him angrily. However, unlike their nightly attackers, it was not gigantic; the cat only measured one and a half metres. It was tiny compared to the other animals they had encountered, perhaps still a kitten. More importantly, it was outnumbered. They would be able to fend it off.
Charce had his spear ready to strike and indicated at Aries to stay behind him. The feline moved elegantly like the cats on planet Astra. However, before their attacker moved again, the woodland became quiet. The animal, suddenly subdued, hissed at them and vanished in the shrubs.
"It's the teddy!", Ulgar realised. "We need to run!" Soon after, they heard its characteristic noises, breaking branches and heavy footsteps. It was a lot faster than last time, probably a different one than they had encountered previously.
"But I'd like to see it", Aries said. "It must be really cute."
Charce agreed. "I'd like to see it, too. I'm curious about it. Besides we managed to fend off the nightmares and the cat." He paused. "It's interesting that we only seem to encounter carnivores on this planet, except for the Horfants. Maybe we can find out what their regular prey is."
"I'm not running anywhere", Quitterie exclaimed. She had just gotten up from the ground and was beating the dust out of her clothes. She moved behind Ulgar, as if the gun stood any chance against the monster.
As the animal came closer, its loud cry was deafening. Seconds later the cry was answered by another teddy, approaching them from the opposite direction. There were two! And both of them were getting closer.
"Seriously we have to- !" Ulgar could not finish his sentence as in that moment, the teddy closest to them shot into the clearing, baring its fangs and its open mouth exposing the double-row of teeth. A three-metre tall monster staring at them ferociously. No wound on its flank.
"It's huge…", Charce managed to say, paralysed with fear like Ulgar had been the first time. He had not expected a beast almost twice as tall as he was.
Luca slowly moved his head and looked at his black-haired friend. "That… that's the thing we encountered before? Why did you never tell me it was this … this deadly?"
Ulgar shrugged. Not that it mattered anymore. They had no way to fight the teddy and it would squish them like worms if they would try to run. Their lives were forfeited … except maybe not all of them needed to die.
"Stay close", he whispered to Luca and then nodded to Charce. The blonde must have come to the same conclusion as he promptly nodded back. Without waiting, Ulgar grabbed Quitterie by the wrist and turned to run, dragging the girl behind him. Charce took Aries' hand and sprinted in the opposite direction. Perhaps the beast would be satisfied with chasing one of them. Perhaps the other would survive.
Ulgar knew he had lost the coin flip when he heard the teddy behind them. In a split-second, it had caught up with them and lunged forward, its mouth wide open. The black-haired teen felt himself being pulled back by a force of abysmal strength and thought Quitterie behind him had become a victim of its ferocious jaws. Yet a second later, Ulgar was able to pull forward again as the girl's raincape tore. Quitterie screamed but he dragged her forward nonetheless while the animal chewed on the leafy raincape.
Realising it had been tricked, the animal cried out, ready to continue its pursuit. Ulgar did not look back, he was breathing heavily now even though they had only run for a few seconds. Quitterie was stumbling and keeping her running cost most his energy. She clearly was a deadweight and the black-haired teen considered letting go of her wrist which would send her into her death. Luca and he would be able to use the chance and escape. Come to think of it, where was Luca?
