Author's Notes: *huge grin* I'm just sooo happy nowadays, after having read your reviews for both this one and my 'Caught in the Middle' :) Thanks so much! I really, really appreciate it!

- veggie5…. All I can say is, THE GODS HAVE FINALLY ANSWERED MY PRAYERS! When I visited this morning, I found out that there was indeed a new chapter from you! *does my happy dance while grinning* yay! Also, I'm so happy that I've thrown you into a complete loop… that's me, the girl who loves to see her readers being tormented… remember, evil, evil! LOL!

- TLWROX… temper, temper! *even HUGER grin* I love the fact that you liked the last one… :D And for that, I'll throw in an even bigger picture of WS!

- Fab, as TLWROX found out earlier, I don't give out spoilers… *Yes, I'm still grinning* But don't worry. All in due time, my dear. All in due time.

- Margie, my first reviewer of the chapter! I'm so glad that you liked the chapter enough to keep you waiting for the next chapter! I swear the next chapters will be hopefully coming out faster than this chapter did! And did you notice that I've used the word 'chapter' several times already? *still grinning if you want to know* Forgive me. This is me loaded with enough sugar to blast me to the plateau! Okay, I might be freaking you out now, so I'll shut up. Yup, this is me shutting up.

- One last shout out to Beckers! I absolutely love your Christmas Pudding! And to netfret24! I am absolutely swooning over your Devil May Care!

Yup, shutting up now.

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to 'The Lost World'.

Cry of the Blood

Chapter Five

Her heart beating wildly in her chest, Marguerite stormed inside Magda's tent after she heard Roxton's cry. It was a cry of pure anguish and pain, one that undoubtedly send shivers all over her skin. Fear, an emotion she never wanted to have, a feeling so foreign to her, hammered through her entire being. It coursed through her veins, and blocked out all her rational thoughts, until it was everything to her. All there was was fear. All there was was Roxton.

And, suddenly, there he was.

"Roxton," she breathed out. Wasting not one more breath, she went towards him, and gathered him in her arms. Her eyes widened as fear hummed all around her; something was wrong with Roxton, something was very wrong. "John?" she whispered, so low he couldn't hear, as she brought one hand to his face. She touched his cheek, ran her fingers over his stubble-covered skin. He was very cold. "Roxton?" she asked, her eyes widening with confusion. She felt them already moistening with tears. Damn it, here she was, holding him so close she could feel his heart next to hers, and yet she still couldn't get over her fear. "What's wrong?"

Her answer was a ragged breath from the man. He closed his eyes briefly, before he opened them and stared straight at her. She almost gasped at the sight of his eyes; there were too much inner turmoil in them; too much dread, too much pain… too much fear. It mirrored her own.

His mouth opened to form words. "Marg— Marguerite," he said, as though he was pushing his words to tumble from his mouth. His words were slow, slurred.

Marguerite tightened her hold on him. God, what was happening? "John," she said, louder this time. "Tell me what's wrong!" she almost begged.

She watched as Roxton lifted one hand and brought it to his midsection. He touched it, and then raised his hand to his face. His brows roughened to one line, and he repeated the act, as though he cannot believe what he was seeing. His lips parted, but spoke no words.

She was about to ask him again when he stiffened in her arms. He straightened himself, his hands still raised to his face. Then he lowered his gaze to his abdomen. "What in bloody hell?!" he whispered to himself.

Marguerite, frustrated and confused beyond her limit, grabbed his shoulders and forced Roxton to look at her square in the eye. When she was confronted with a dumbfounded, almost idiotic look on his face, she almost gave in to the strong urge of slapping him. "ROXTON!" she cried. "What happened to you?!"

He stared at her, openmouthed, and then looked down on his hands. He said nothing.

"ROXTON!" This time, her cry came as a high shrill.

At last, Roxton met her gaze. "I was… I was…"

"What?" Marguerite was now sure that the man before her was definitely in shock when their eyes met. He was looking at her, that she could tell. But his focus was averted, distant, unsure… "Roxton?"

He gulped audibly, his face finally showing signs that he acknowledged her presence before him.

"I was stabbed."

*

Challenger looked up from the bowl of charcoaled leaves to face the aged woman who was seated on her bed. "But there is one thing that I do not understand," he said, as he placed the bowl down on the table. "How could Magda be infected by something in the future? Much more from a vision of a future? It is all too complex—"

"Ah, but magic always is." She told him. "You are a man of the world, foreigner. You seek to explain all the things that are within your reach. But have you ever thought that, perhaps, there is always something beyond your fingers?" Mara stood up from her bed, and at that act alone it almost seemed as though she was robbed of strength. She shook her head at him. "I cannot answer your question. I do not have the knowledge or the capability to do so."

"Perhaps you do not know the answer to my query, but you do know something, and that knowledge is enough to make you lie to the elders." Challenger brought forth his words bluntly. "Why lie to the elders, Mara? Why weave something that would inevitably lead to someone's death?"

The ghost of a smile, apparent on her face before, vanished without a trace. "Because to risk saving her life is to risk losing all of ours." She answered, almost angrily. There was something in the foreigner's voice that struck a nerve. He was almost accusing her. "I do believe it is better for her to die alone than bring the whole Zanga village with her."

"And you call yourself a healer?" Challenger questioned, his face twisted with disgust. "You have no authority to judge who among you lives or dies!" 

Mara looked at him, her dark eyes narrowed. "I save lives." She spoke, almost quietly. "At this point, this is what I am trying to do."

He looked at her, but she had already turned her back on him. "So you're letting your sister die without as much as a helping hand." He stated simply.

At this point, Mara whirled around, her aged face dark with fury. "It is either that or let all of us die with her!" she almost yelled. "If I told the elders the truth, did you ever think that Amal would not send anyone to try and save her? That act alone is enough to ensure the death of this tribe." She glared at him, daggers apparent in her gaze. "You are wise, foreigner. You know that if ever a time comes for you to choose between the death of one and the death of all, you will know what to choose." Then she closed her eyes, and expelled a slow, labored breath. "Sacrifices are difficult to do, but it has to be done. There is no other way."

Challenger almost bit back his own tongue. It is apparent that the shaman was clearly wounded with his callous remarks. But what he said to her was the truth. She has no right to decide the fate of her sister. And yet, there is also truth in her words. Sacrifices are inevitable. It has to be done. And yet… "You said that my friends and I may be the only hope for Magda's survival," he told her. "How is that? How are you assured that if we are to go, we would not meet the fate you are so afraid would happen to the tribe?"

"There is always the risk." Mara told him honestly. "You and your friends may come back. Or never come back at all." She looked at him in the eye. "Are you willing to sacrifice all of your lives to save someone you barely know?"

Challenger wasn't able to speak for a few moments.

Mara almost smiled at his predicament. "Now is your the time to choose, foreigner. The death of one… or the death of all?"

* end chapter five

I know, I know, all this time and I was only able to write a very short one? *sighs* Hope you're still interested. Please review! Remember, review now and receive holiday cheers later!