Chapter 29: What'cha Wanna Find Isn't Easy
Back with my still loyal friends, they had reached an impasse at the unavoidable thorn forest.
" Scaredy, I hate to rush you but every moment we stay here is another moment we could be getting closer to Zaí." Ruby said seriously.
"Oh my, although I am usually opposed to the very idea of flying, if it is less terrifying than going through this thicket of despair, I'll do it for Zaí." Scaredy said quivering but determined to prove himself.
"That's the spirit Scaredy!" added Iris.
"Don't forget I'll be right beside you all the way." Poe reassured him.
"Well that does reassure me a little." Scaredy admitted.
With that being said Scaredy mustered up all the courage inside him (what little there was to be found) and began to flap his wings until eventually he was airborne. All the while Poe was right beside him encouraging him every second. Eventually they were airborne and out of sight.
"Well now that we've got that out of the way we really don't have much time to waste." Skull Boy said entering the dense thorn forest followed by Ruby, Doom, Iris, Frank & Len.
30 minutes later
The group had now been twisting through the dense underbrush long enough to let their fear get the best of them.
"Gee this sure is a deep thicket." Ruby questioned.
"Hey be lucky you don't have to squeeze two halves of a person through all this." Frank added on.
Eventually they came upon some abnormally large venus fly traps tangled in the branches.
"Hmmm, these look familiar" said Ruby.
"Hey Iris? You wouldn't happen to have any peppermints?" Skull Boy asked hopefully.
"Don't you just love it when you plan ahead for these perilous situations?" Iris said reaching over her shoulder into her bag and pulling out an entire bagful of red and green coloured peppermint swirls.
"This oughta make finding the exit a little less stressful." she said tossing one into the mouth of the nearest carnivorous plant, said plant then chewed it up and gave a goofy smile. Iris then proceded to repeat the process with every flytrap in front of them while making progress through the brambles.
"Hello down there." Called a familiar voice from above. "Perhaps I may be of some assistance."
"Poe, so glad you're here, can you see the way out?" Ruby asked.
"Indubitably my dear Ruby, the flight took quite a lot out of Scaredy, I told him to wait until I returned." Poe informed the fellowship.
With an aerial view of the situation Poe managed to find the least dense and shortest way out. After a good half hour they had finally reached the end.
They found Scaredy was leaning against a tree in a fetal position.
"Gee, Scaredy how you doing?" Skull Boy asked his winged companion.
"Flying was the most terrifying and exhausting thing I have ever done." he admitted.
"I don't doubt that, but when you think about it, you did it and now thanks to your bravery we're that much closer to Zaí." Ruby said encouraging him.
"Yeah/you sure did/Great job Scaredy!" said Frank, Len and Iris congratulating their nocturnal companion.
"Well if that is the case, then I would call it a job well done. Now can we please leave this wretched place?"
"Good point, there's no way of knowing just how long Zaí has left. Onward!" Skull Boy shouted triumphantly.
With that the gang set off once more into the much more unwelcoming part of the unknown that lie before them...