Metanoia; The Hybrid
CHAPTER 51: UNITED IN CONDITIONS.

Iris and Piers we lived there. Because Iris still looks very traumatized, so I decided to just stay and rest. But I gave Piers a task to collect wood, water, and leaves that can be used as a base. Because this forest belongs to its territory.

Xavier and I walked into the forest. Gave some marks on the ground with rocks, so as not to get lost. I don't know much about hunting, I've only seen Alexander's uncle hunting deer and stuff. All I know is, make the creature die, and the bowels will be fulfilled.

I always forget when I'm preying on something, so I don't remember at all how I hunted with my own two hands. There's no way I'm doing the same thing at a time like this, I don't want to make them keep any more distance from me.

"Shh, I think I heard something" Xavier whispered, making a fuss.

"A fawn" I whispered, as a fawn appeared from our right side.

"What should we do Gara?" Ask Xavier.

"I could've pounced on him, you know Lycanthrope's a natural hunter?"

Xavier chuckled, "All I know is that you're not gonna let the fawn escape."

I took a position, to fly my degger. I moved my gurgle as a swipe, convincing myself to get into the stomach of the fawn. After that, I gathered my strength, and threw the knife at high speed. Fortunately, my goal was right. The fawn squealed in pain as my degger was perfectly stuck in his lower abdomen. That part also shed a lot of blood.

The fawn then ran to the other side of the forest with bloodstains adorning the tananhnya. That way, we'll easily find the fawn.

"Have you ever eaten a Demon's heart?" Xavier asked suddenly.

"No?"

"Oh, I thought you were. My mother once told me that if anyone eats it, even if it's a child, it has the power of a demon."

"You kidding? I'm a Hybrid."

Xavier laughed, "Hahaha you're right!"

I know, the fawn just ran a few miles from us. We caught up with him, and noticed patches of blood spilling on the ground. Right in front of us, the fawn was walking very slowly. Sometimes screaming and falling. Slowly, he squeezed, lying in front of there. The blood coming out of his stomach was a lot. He's gonna die because he lost a lot of blood.

And after a few minutes, he didn't move anymore.

"You're sadistic" said Xavier.

"I'm a sadist, or is your stomach hungry?" My toot.

"Hehe, my stomach is hungry" he replied.

"Let's clean this up, and bring it to where it was"

My words were cut off, hearing a scream from a different side.

"Iris?" Guess Xavier.

"No, the sound and the direction are different, more into the forest" I kept quiet again, making sure that it was someone's voice.

"Please!"

That's Dylan's voice! I'm very familiar with his voice, it must be Dylan.

"Can you sort this out? I'm going in the direction of that voice" I said.

I pulled my degger from the belly of the deer, and then ran to the other side of the forest. It got closer, and I finally found Dylan and Luca in a big, fallen tree. However, my eyes ended up at the bottom of the ground, between the surface and the trunk of the tree, where Castiel had to lie with his right leg crushed. She was crying, her face reddened, not knowing how long she endured her pain.

"Gosh" I said approaching them.

Aware of my arrival, Dylan turned his head and looked very pleased, "Gara!"

I quickly helped Luca to lift the trunk of this tree so that Castiel could be released, but this trunk is very heavy for 8-year-olds like us.

"It didn't work!" Dylan.

"Luca, how's your magic?" I asked, hoping that Luca with his magic can lift the trunk of this tree.

But he shook his head, "I have no energy."

Shit, what should I do. Oho! Justright. I immediately transformed myself into a wolf form, and I just lifted the tree trunk with my back. Quickly, Dylan pulled both of Castiel's hands until his feet slipped from there.

Upon my return to form, Castiel immediately fell into my arms. We both fell on the ground. His breathing was very tight, his eyes were filled with tears. His body trembled, of course due to the pain felt.

"Thank you Gara!" Strangled Castiel in a very slow tone and still crying.

I nodded as I patted her back rhythmically for her to calm down, "Keep breathing."

"His leg was scratched, and his bruise was also severe. He definitely can't walk for a while" Luca looked worried. Not only was the bruise, but the scar of the wound was spitting out blood.

"We have to cover up the wound" I took my gurger, opened her protector, and prepared to tear off my long left arm.

"What are you gonna do?" Dylan.

"Try to close the wound?"

"With your clothes?"

"Yes" I tore it off, and gave the cloth to Luca. He immediately wrapped Castiel's ankle slowly, although Castiel was in pain from being touched, but in any case, the wound had to be covered.

"How now?" Ask Luca.

"The others are by the river, thank goodness I have found you. Let's go there and spend the night, you must be hungry" I said.

"Come, I don't like the forest here, the sunlight isn't even translucent" Luca said.

"Alright, Castiel let me carry it from behind" I said and held Castiel after he climbed on my back.

We walked together, following the lines I made on the ground, as directions. Long enough to get to where Xavier and the fawn were, until we finally arrived.

"You've been a long time Because of you!!" Shocked Xavier, running from his seat on the ground, approached us.

"Castiel's legs were crushed by a large tree trunk, he was unable to walk for a while. Let's go back to the riverbank, have you cleaned up the fawn?" My toot.

"Here, just wash it in the river" Xavier showed the fawn that had been hung on a wooden branch.

Xavier lifts the back side of the wood, helping Dylan to lift the adult deer whose internal organs are no longer there. It looked very heavy, but thanks to an extra hand from Luca, the fawn was successfully lifted. The four of them carried the fawn.

"Who... killed the fawn?" Castiel asked behind me.

"We killed him together, the fawn for dinner tonight, you're hungry aren't you?"

We walked to the original place, when I arrived, I saw a lot of wood that could be used to burn, a lot of piles of leaves that became a base on the ground, and also two coconuts.

"ah! You people! Thank goodness!" Pekik Piers approached us.

"Help me lay it down" I walked over the leaf, and helped the others to bring Castiel down. The confused Iris just kept quiet, sitting in front of us.

"Iris, borrow your lap" without Iris' consent, Xavier immediately placed Castiel's head on his lap.

"You're such a fool, Iris to such surprise" Dylan shook his head at Xavier.

"Is it okay, Iris?" My toot.

"Yes, why are his legs hurt?" Iris looked curious.

"He was hit by a big tree."

"How many days have you been lost?" Piers asked.

"6 days ago. We met simultaneously, and survived with what was" Luca gave a cringe-faced face, imagining something.

"What do you eat, for 6 days?" Dylan asked.

"I'm a Wizard color, I don't really need food. Just by absorbing the surrounding energy, it makes me enough, different things if I use it for others, each of them only gets 20% energy, because I am not strong enough to pull it. I was a kid" explained Luca.

"I wonder what it's like to eat energy" Iris raised one eyebrow.

"Hahaha, energy is not something that can be chewed and swallowed. You just don't feel hungry and thirsty, that's all" Luca added.

"Night is almost here, let's get ready" I got up, and gave the others their duties.

While Iris and Castiel stayed there, we did our job. I myself tried to split two coconuts, whose shells we would use to heat the water. Dylan and Xavier cleaned up the remains of deer dung on the riverbank. Lastly, Luca prepares the fire with his powers, and the Piers are catching some fish for extra food.

Of course, for some reason, we asked Iris about it. Iris did not mind at all, as long as she did not eat the fish, she agreed to the plan.

"Fire! I made it" Luca looked happy.

"Look, I caught two big fish with my own hands!" Shouted Piers.

And I managed to split both coconuts

in my hand, with my degger. I brought four shells, two of which had coconut water.

"Everybody, let's drink this" I gave Iris two shells of coconut water to hold her. First, Castiel drank it, aided by Iris. While Luca and I were helping to lift the venison from under the river, it was a pity that the land had to be higher. Afterwards help Dylan to be raised up.

"Coconut water" Castiel murmured.

They share the coconut water, word of mouth. I'm just waiting my turn, if there's any left. Good thing Piers brought some wooden twigs, I used them as a buffer for venison. I also helped Dylan and Xavier to put down the venison. It's heavy, but we can lift it up until it's completely over the fire.

"Gara" called Castiel, and I turned. They all seemed to be sitting on the mat, looking at me with a smile. In Piers' hands, there was one of the coconut shells. I got up, approached them, sat down beside Iris.

When I took it, there was still enough coconut water in it for me. Apparently, there are still remnants of 6 people who drank it. I was the last person to spend it

"Huh" the water has disappeared.

"How's Castiel's leg?" I asked while opening the cloth on Castiel's right ankle.

"I feel good, for now" he said hesitantly. Of course, if his feet were to be touched firmly, the pain would definitely come.

"The blood managed to stop, don't move much, it could have opened your wounds again" I recall.

"Gara" called Castiel while holding my hand from her feet.

"I'm sorry. Even though I have stayed away from you, you still care about me. You want to help me-"

"I help you not to expect forgiveness from you, I help you because you are my friend. I'm not thinking about anything else but the feelings and pain you're feeling" I cut.

"However, I've realized something about it. I misjudged you. On our day in the same class, I still doubted you. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..." Connect again.

"I also want to apologize. I've been overreacting on you, Gara. I shouldn't have ignored you. I felt ashamed when I met you in the forest and despair earlier, because I immediately asked for help from you even though I did not say it" said Iris.

"So is I. My reaction that night was excessive, and I regret having enacted you like a stranger. We're friends, that's what I'm looking for here, but I've made a mistake by staying away from you. I'm sorry, Gara. Please forgive me, please forgive us" this time Luca was the one who spoke.

Actually, I don't know what to say seeing my friends get together like this. It was like a dream I always dreamed of. I unconsciously smiled in my silence, and it made everyone smile with a laugh.

"How is it hard to smile. If he smiles, that's a good sign" Dylan said, leaning on my shoulder.

"I also want to apologize. I should have told you about my problems, because you are my friends. I should have been more in control of myself that night so you wouldn't be afraid of me" I said.

"Cassa's right. You know what, Gara? Cassa always said to make up with you. Even though he ignored you, it was all he did because of me. I should have listened to him. And sure enough Cassa said, if we all made up for you, you wouldn't let us turn around on purpose" Castiel said.

"Ah, that's right. The girl's been chatty lately because of our problems" Luca nodded his head.

"Originally you know, Gara. Every time we gathered at the dorm, Cassa would always come to lecture us. He cares about you" said Luca.

Dylan agreed with Castiel and Luca.

"He was an angel, wasn't he? Look how beautiful that look is!" Castiel said suddenly, leaving us all shocked.

"You like it, huh?" Dylan was suspicious, while looking at Castiel with his sharp eyes who wanted to find out more.

"T-no! Look, the meat's ripe!"

Hearing Castiel's words we all looked back. I got up, approached the fireplace we used to ripen the food, the hunting and the catch. There was a twig, unused for grilling fish, I used the twig to pierce the meat, making sure it was ripe.

"Yes, it's ripe. Come prepare" I said.

Everyone stood up, of course, except Castiel who was not allowed to use his legs at this time. Luca helped me lift the meat of the fawn to our seats, which had been given a large leaf pad by the Piers. Others raised fish and four cooked water in coconut shells. I went down to the river, with three leaves that had a shape almost similar to the bowl in my hand, not knowing where the Piers could get them from. I used the leaves to hold water to wash our hands. After that, I helped Xavier to ride.

We all sat back down, washed our hands, and with my clean degger, I used it to cut up the meat, to make it easy to eat.

"Good meal."

Happy eating, we all enjoyed it with a little laugh that some people made. I didn't get too involved in the conversation. I saw the other side of the forest in front of me.

My reason was to isolate myself, but I was also in confusion. It doesn't feel good to be exiled by my own friends. It made me change my mind. I came to the Academy not to seclude myself, but to seek my identity by living in the warmth of my friends.