The Hunt, Gone Wrong

"RUN!"

Cassandra had let loose a flurry of arrows at a swarm of Soldier Andres that poured into the cavern. Alex had hacked the last piece of honey from the entangled comb that was clinging to the wall with his knife. He packed it into his sack and took up his bow.

"Where did they come from!" Alex yelled as he stared running toward the other end of the cavern.

The Soldier Andres had multiplied within seconds as they marched toward the two hunters. Cassandra and Alex fled to the far off exit of the cavern. Alex turned back after every few bounds to let loose a shower of arrows to try and force back the horde of Soldier Andres. Each arrow met its mark and the dead Soldier Andres cringed before they submitted to death. The other Soldier Andres merely passed their dead brethren and on towards the intruders.

Cassandra took out a miniature flute and blew into it. The loud whistling echoed in the cave. A loud screech answered to its call. A gigantic hawk had appeared and swooped past its master and circled above the incoming swarm.

"Eros!"

Cassandra threw a claymore mine to her hawk and Eros caught it with its talons. Eros quickly planted the mine to the side of the opening gateway where the Soldier Andres continued to pour in. Cassandra took out a switch from her side pocket and activated the claymore mine. The explosion blew a group of Andres to pieces and the shockwaves flew some crashing toward the wall. The explosion had caused the entrance to cave in only slightly. The rubble had merely created a small blockade but the Andres had already made their way around it. The advancement was slowed but that was all that Cassandra needed to make a quick stop.

"Cassandra! What are you doing!" Alex said as he kept close to Cassandra as she was charting out a map.

"Why are you--"

"We can make it down this tunnel. If we continue any further down this path, we'll just hit another fork of tunnels. That tunnel will lead directly to the exit."

Cassandra put away her map and blew on her flute again. Eros had quickly responded to her call. Cassandra made a motion to Eros to lead down the tunnel and the giant feathered hawk obeyed.

Alex drew out another arrow as he heard the scurrying sounds coming closer. The scurrying had become more rapid as it drew near.

"Alex we should--"

"Listen…"

The scurrying had come to a sudden halt. No sound had come from the dark cavern there afterwards. Cassandra was confused as to why the Andre's had come to a sudden stop. Alex crouched down with his bow and stared out into the darkness. Alex could not make out anything from the shadows of the cavern. He reached into his pack and took out a flare. He ignited it and threw it into the darkness of the cavern. Alex was horrified at the sight.

The walls were layered with Soldier Andres as was the very floor of the cavern. The Soldier Andres were surrounding an enormous figure that was lording over them, a Maya.

"Holy Mother of…GAGH!"

A sharp barbed projection had lodged itself into Alex's leg. Alex kneeled further down and grasped the side of his impaled leg.

"Alex!"

The moment Cassandra made a step toward Alex, the Andres had charged forward. Alex threw his head up and saw the oncoming horde. He tried to get up with what remainder of his strength he could muster after being inflicted with the wound in his leg. Cassandra helped Alex up and put his arm around her shoulder. Alex and Cassandra made a desperate dash for the exit.

The Andres had drew closer with every passing second. Alex came to a halt and pushed Cassandra away from him.

"GO!"

Alex turned away from Cassandra and drew out his bow.

"Alex! I can't--"

"GO!"

Cassandra was hesitant to leave but abided Alex's wishes. Alex could not have Cassandra be dragged down because of him. He thought it was better if he died alone rather than have Cassandra die with him. Alex unleashed hails of arrows toward the oncoming swarms. The effort was heroic but meant little. For every one he killed, twenty others advanced in its place. Alex did not give into the desperate situation. He was then suddenly snatched up and dragged away. To his surprise, he was being dragged toward the exit.

A gigantic wolf had come to Alex's salvation. Fang, Alex's loyal great wolf, had dragged its master by his collar with its teeth. It soon then tossed him up onto his back and quickly dashed to the exit.

Cassandra had reached the exit and was quickly commenced with her work. She had already laid three claymores to one side of the exit and was working madly to set up the other three claymores. She could see that Fang had retrieved Alex.

Fang and Alex had made a final leap out into the open. Cassandra was finished and started to run. The Andres were fast approaching to the exit. Before their tendrils even met the outside sands an explosion met them at the exit. The rubble quickly came crashing down upon them. Many of them drew back.

Cassandra from afar could see the cavern had been shut off and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Eros was screeching and circling high above. Cassandra turned her attention toward Alex and Fang. Alex was resting on Fang's back, breathing heavily. Fang whined a little, seeing that his master had been injured. Cassandra knelt down beside Fang and examined the wound on Alex's leg. It was no doubt a poison barb, Cassandra thought.

"Alex…Alex? Can you hear me?"

"Heh…heh, yeah. Crystal clear."

"Alex, I'm going to try to remove the barb from your leg. So please…"

Cassandra said no more and tended to the matter at hand. She was careful trying to position her hand to best remove the barb from Alex's leg. She took hold and with a quick motion she removed it.

"ARGH! Damn…" Alex cursed at the pain.

Cassandra took a cloth and wiped the blood from the wound. She quickly took out some green herbs from her pack and applied it. She then wrapped the cloth around the leg along with the green herbs.

"Its…its not much now but it will have to do. Alex, I don't know for sure but the barb sunk in deep. There might have been…"

"Poison." Alex immediately finished for her.

She was a bit taken back but she seemed to understand Alex's calm demeanor. Alex had already knew what befell him, the second he had the wound inflicted.

"Fang…come, we need to find somewhere to rest." Cassandra said to the bewildered beast.

Fang followed Cassandra down the sandy dunes. Eros followed overhead, observing the area. Cassandra had noticed that they were starting to run out of water. The pouch that contained their water supply had started to yield only drips of water. She had gave most to Alex and some for Fang and herself. They needed to find a source of water soon.

Alex was not faring very well. He sweated, not only because of the desert heat but also from the poison that was running in his leg. He was muttering strange things under his breath. Cassandra had become increasingly worried.

"Alex, don't worry. We'll get you help. Soon, I promise."

Eros screeched overhead. Cassandra looked ahead of her. Beyond several mountain dunes she could spy an oasis. Cassandra was elated at this sight. A sanctuary within a sandy, desolate land. She had Fang increase his pace towards the oasis.

Cassandra laid Alex on the mat she set on the sand, near the oasis' water. Fang had already helped himself to a few laps from the water. Cassandra took out another cloth from her pack. She laid the cloth in the cool waters of the oasis and then she wrenched the excess water back into the oasis. She laid the now cool cloth upon Alex's head. He was already burning up because of the heat. Alex's pain had subsided for the moment and he was resting peacefully.

Cassandra was relieved that they found such a sanctuary but also faced a dire dilemma. She could not move Alex any further. To do so would spread the poison in his body quicker. But she could not stay at the oasis forever. They were already running short on supplies that they brought with them and Alex needed medical attention. The green herbs did not seem to work. They only acted as a suppressant to the poison. They were in dire need of help.

Cassandra contemplating on this matter, had finally struck an idea. She called down Eros from the sky. The massive hawk swept down and rested upon Cassandra's forearm. Cassandra fitted Eros with a message that she wrote.

"Eros, please…fly quickly to Prontera. You know who to seek."

Cassandra let loose Eros from her arm as he flew away into the deep, azure sky. Within a few moments, Eros was out of plain sight. Cassandra turned to Alex. She rested on her side, next to Alex.

"I just hope that she will come in time…"