SURVIVORS
Chapters 77. Magic And Illusion
The chirping of birds and the warmth of the sunlight between the leaves were unable to wake Robert's team members. The cold mist blanket was like the seduction of the heavenly goddess to continue knitting dreams.
The gust of wind caressing the leaves made him sway cheerfully. Until it is no longer able to maintain the touch of love from the dew. The crystal-clear threads attached to the surface of the leaf fell scattered towards the earth that continues to miss it.
Tis..
The delicate petals of the blue trumpet flower that appeared between the trees were also unable to hold its majestic position. The trunk is curved like the curves of a ballet dancer playing a swan dance. The blue petals fluffed beautifully launching the goddess's tears that she hugged since early morning.
Byurrs..
"God.."
Liam opened his eyes in surprise as his face fell down that cold and pure water. There are wet cheeks and rubbing eyes. Right above his head, a trumpet flower was seen swaying like mocking his laziness welcoming the morning.
"You're the one who spilled dew on my face? Intentionally huh?" Liam got up and sat staring at the flower.
"Do you want to be a hair ornament or flower tea?"
Liam touched the bright blue flower petals. A red-spotted yellow butterfly perched on the petals of another flower and inserted its head to reach the flower's cider. Liam smiled at the beauty.
Liam turned around and wanted to greet his friends. But he immediately felt an awkwardness. The day was bright enough even though the forest was covered in fog. Liam could hear birds chirping in the trees. Why aren't his friends awake? All sleep well, including the horses are also lying down lazily.
"Leon, get up. It's morning." Liam shook Leon's body to wake him up. Leon only complained faintly while sleeping.
Liam tried to wake up all his friends. But no one woke up. Even Robert who has high alertness is also unable to resist the temptation of dreams. Liam was confused to see that.
"Why am I the only one awake? Is it because of the dewdrop?" mumbling itself.
Liam looked for other trumpet florets and found some that still contained dew. He picked the flower carefully and poured the water on Robert's face.
Robert was shocked and immediately opened his eyes.
"What the hell. Wet it," exclaimed Robert exasperatedly.
But Liam ignored it.
"Look, everyone is asleep and can't get up unless they've been dumped in dew water" Liam explained.
Robert looked around. True, all his friends still sleep soundly under the dance of dozens of butterflies in that place.
"Help me find a flower that has dew water, before the sun's rays vaporize everything."
Liam drops a drop of dew on Dr. Chandra's face and wakes him up. Robert looked at it in disbelief, but soon followed Liam's way of looking for flowers that fortunately grew between trees and covered almost the entire surface of the ground.
Dr Chandra helped the two find flowers so that all their friends could wake up, before all the dew evaporated into the sky.
The lazy horses also received the same treatment until they all stood up again and eagerly ate the fresh wet flower groves.
After they realized it, they discussed it. That place is beautiful. Under the shade of the tree was filled with various colors of flowers. In addition to birds, there are also many colorful butterflies flying and alighting in the flowers.
But even though it was so beautiful, the place felt terrifying. They were grateful that the blue flower had awakened Liam. If not, I don't know what might happen. Could they have slept there longer, or maybe forever?
"Look at our location. What do you think?" ask Robert.
"We're no longer in the aisle of a maple tree!" silvia was surprised.
"Yes, here I see the trees are diverse and not too tight, so that the surface of the land can be overgrown with wildflowers. But the maple tree we hollowed out to hold drinking water, it's still here." Robert showed me the water jug.
"But the location of this tree is no longer standing in a row forming a hallway, instead standing in a circle around us." Leon added.
"Then where is the passageway to the pool that was behind us before huh?" Angel did not think.
"Whether we were moved here, or the maple hallway was covered by illusions." Niken added his praduganya.
"Could there be magic in this place?" ask Laras.
"I think we better get our stuff back on the horse and get out of here." Robert gave instructions.
They quickly cleaned up the luggage. The horses must end their rest period. For breakfast, Laras simply gave each of them a few crackers of bacon and drank the water of each maple tree while waiting for all the preparations to be completed.
"This water is sweet and fresh" said Niken, smiling at Angel, who was chewing on a slice of meat.
Angel nodded in satisfaction after trying it.
--
"Which way are we going?" Indra asked.
"How do you think?" Robert asked back.
Indra scratching his head.
"I don't know the direction in the forest like this" he replied honestly.
"Because this place is flat, how can we choose a direction based on the wind?" gilang.
"We just follow the sunrise. Because any direction we don't know what it's going to be like." Dr. Chandra nodded after finishing his horse.
"Yahh, that's right too. We'll just follow the sunrise." Angel supports. The others nodded.
"Okay, then we'll walk." Robert began to lead his horse in the direction of the sun. They moved away from the falling shadows on the ground.
--
The sun was just overhead when they discovered that the ground level was starting to decline. They rest for a moment.
"Are we going down?" Robert asked others for their opinion.
"Could only. Maybe we can find a stream if it goes down" says Dr Chandra.
Indra helped Niken make a fire so he could cook a little food for the afternoon. Because this morning they did not eat breakfast properly because they wanted to get away from the place where they were made to fall asleep.
Laras, Angel and Silvia help so that all can be ready faster. They just made a pot of vegetable soup mixed with slices of potatoes and smoked venison.
Resting an hour, they began to continue on the path, following the descending ground. So far away had it been, but they still had not found any signs of life other than flowers, birds and butterflies.
"Hows it? Still want to go ahead or set up a rest area?" ask Robert.
"It's very late in the afternoon, it's good we just rest," said Angel who was tired.
"Rest here? Is this place magic free? Not like where we slept last night?" Gilang.
"Yes too. What if we were all made to fall asleep again like last night? Is luck still coming to Liam in the morning?" Silvia was getting anxious.
"What if we just keep going at night?" Indra conveyed his idea.
"Robert shakes.
"In fact, even if we make a torch as a light, it won't help much if we don't know this place well. That would be very dangerous."
"Also, if magic is meant to trap us, then day or night, even if we sleep or wake up, we still cannot run" Leon said.
"So, how?" doctor Chandra asks for certainty.
Robert thought for a moment.
"We're resting here." break up Robert.
They end up lowering the load off each horse's back. Feed and drink and let them rest.
"Robert, we're running out of drinking water again" Chandra's doctor pointed out a small jug of water.
Dr Chandra did not see the red-leaved maple tree that Robert had pierced before. So he wanted to know what other solutions there might be.
Robert looked towards the silvery white straight trunked trees. He walked in that direction followed by Dr. Chandra. Clean the surface of the tree trunk from fine skin fragments that stick.
"Note this tree, Doc. High straight rods and silvery white stem color, thin paper fragments that cover it is very easy to ignite the fire if we want to make a fireplace. Then the bright yellow color of the leaves is very striking. It's a Birch tree. Generally, water can be taken in winter. So let's try our luck again."
Robert stabbed the tree trunk with his knife. Waiting for a moment, then his eyes shone happily when he felt his finger wet. Make another prick so that the water comes out more. Adding small pieces of wood that he cleaned into the water hole to direct water droplets into their water jug.
"Thank you Robert. Without you, this team would've been a mess a long time ago." Doctor Chandra patted Robert on the shoulder. He meant it in his words this time.
***