Hunt for Survival

Golden Locket

Shaurya

“So, today, where should we go?” I asked him.

“I don’t think that I have any idea where we should really go. I am not a native who lives over here.” He said, but more like he mocked me. I didn't mind it.

“I am well aware that you are not a native, but if we don’t go further, then will we be able to get out of here?” I asked him.

“We won’t be able to,” he said and that was the answer that was the most expected one at that time.

“Then we should get ahead.” We came out of the cave and were hungry. We weren’t left with any of the fruit because of the chase last night. If Mr. Snake didn't appear out of anywhere, then we wouldn't have lost that many fruits which, would have been enough for today. And last night that fruit wasn't enough for me, which made me hungry once again.

“Here, take this one.” I saw a fruit in front of me which made me both feel hungry and surprised. I looked at Prashant, who had gestured me to take it. I took it while being absent-minded.

“From where did you get this?” I asked him because last night he had said that because of the chase, he wasn't able to carry many with them and now he is giving me one which I didn't expect at all.

“I didn’t take it out last night, but maybe it can help you endure your hunger for a while.” He said. I looked at my hand. You should have told me that you are having one with you.

“You don’t want to have it?” I asked him because I was the only one who was holding it but he didn't have anything at all.

“I don’t have an appetite,” he said flatly while sitting on one of the stones. I smiled secretly. Though he had given me one, that doesn't say that he wasn't hungry at all. I thought for a while about what I should and then an idea struck me and I tried to tear it off with my hand, but it wasn’t possible. In movies, they make us see that tearing fruit with our hand is so easy, then why am I unable to do it? Whatever, I should use something else and I know what I want to do. I took my knife and used to cut it open. The fruit was cut into perfect half. I went towards the place where he was and stood in front of him.

“Here, you also have some or if you get fainted because of the hunger, then I won’t be able to handle the situation.” He looked at me while I tossed the fruit in his hand and sat nearby to get a taste of my food.

“How did you cut it?” He asked.

“With a deity knife.” I said casually, but he stood up. What had happened that had made him stand up?

“You know that this is a powerful knife and you are using it casually?” He asked me and I rolled my eyes.

“I am well aware that this knife is very important. So what? What harm can it cause to me by using such a mere thing? After all, is a knife at the end? It is not like I had murdered someone with this knife or it will put a curse on me just because I had used it for cutting a fruit.” He shook his head.

“ Do you even understand the deep meaning of this situation?” I looked at him and shook my head. He put his hand on his temple and was frustrated at my action. What could be the meaning of this situation? Everything for now is good and we are having something to eat as well. What else could this mean? Is he talking about last night? I looked at him while eating a bite of my food.

“All I can understand right now is that we have to survive over here till we find a way to go back from where we are.” I said to him.

“That is not the only thing, but the weapon which you are carrying is not ordinary but extraordinary and we don’t know anything about this weapon at all and there was a giant and a snake which were behind you to kill you and get this knife. That says that this knife is a matter of fact and you can’t take this for granted. You have to be careful or else there is a case where your life could be in a dangerous situation.” He lectured me like I am a school gangster who takes a fight with others kids just for fun and he is my mother. I looked at him weirdly. Why is he getting fired up about things which I already know?

“But we don’t have any information about this knife except its name, which is, deity knife, and nothing else.” I said and he sighed.

“Are you even understanding the importance of the situation?” I am already tired after him saying that for the third time.

“I am. Now shall we move forward?” I asked him. I don't want to talk about this anymore.

“I feel that you haven’t understood a single thing.” He mumbled, but I heard that. I don’t know why he is so worried about this knife. I have just simply cut the fruit with this and nothing else. Why does he have to exceed this situation?

I know that this knife is of great importance and I have to take care of this and also of my life. But at the moment when he was explaining his opinion, I felt that I couldn't understand what he was understanding. He was either worrying about me or about this knife, but by his way of talking, he was most worried about this knife only. I was expecting something impossible. We haven't met each other for long enough and I already expected something from him.

“Why are you standing over there, right? We have to move forward.” I heard his voice which was in the distance, and I looked at him with quite surprise at his sudden change in his behaviour.

“Are you alright?” I asked him.

“I am. Why do you ask?”

“Such sudden changes.” He rolled his eyes.

“Nothing has changed inside me. I haven’t forgotten anything, but right now, coming out of here is the best option.” I followed him and we were walking and walking, but nothing was coming to our sight. The sun above me was brighter and that was making me feel hot in my summer T-shirt and there was an urge for me to take it off, but I had to resist this temptation for now.

“I am already feeling so tired after walking so far.”

“It must not be 20 minutes also, but you are already feeling tired.”

“I am. What is your problem with me?”

“I have no problem with you except your talkative problems.”

“Then sorry to say, but I have no cure for it and you have to handle this till the end of our journey.” I said to him and walked past him and soon I saw the water and my heart gave away. My whole mind and body was screaming for it and I waited no longer but took my t-shirt off and put the belt away, which was having knife, and ran into the water.

“Shaurya wait.” He said, but I ignored him and dived in the water. From the time I was over there, I didn’t get the time to have a proper dive in the water. It feels so good. I came to the surface and saw him. My whole body calmed down after the t*****e that the sun had given me.

“Why don’t you also join me?” I asked him, but he shook his head.

“Here every action has danger inside it. You should be careful of your actions.”

“I have heard this before, but right now I am not seeing any danger.” I tried to assure him but his face clearly said that he wouldn't be taking the risk.

“I don’t trust this place at all and if you also want to survive, then….” Before he could have completed his sentence, I felt a hand like something around my ankle and before I knew it, they pulled me inside.

“Pras…”

Prashant

I didn’t even finish my sentence when he went back inside the water. It didn’t look like he had gone inside because of his own will. I recalled what had happened at that time and I realized that I had heard him calling out for me. Can this be a prank on me?

"Shaurya!!" I called out to him, but there was no response. I tried calling him again and again, but I didn't see his figure once again. That made me worried about him. I think that he is in danger and I have to save him. I quickly took his knife and tried to unsheathe it but it wasn’t coming out at all. It was like it couldn’t open even if anyone tried to open it.

I can’t waste my time over here and do nothing. I took the sheath with me. Who knows, maybe it follows his command only and will unsheathe only when it is in his hands. I also dived in the water but I couldn’t see him anywhere. I dived deeper so that I could at least find his clue, but he was also not found. As I was going down, my level of oxygen was decreasing and I couldn’t look for him further. I started to swim towards the surface and when I popped out, I made sure to intake enough oxygen, but that never happened, as I felt something around my ankle and there was a pull in the water. Maybe in this way, only I can only reach Shaurya.

That person is really talkative and doesn’t take anything seriously when I tell him about something, but I know that he is not a bad person at all.

I didn’t fight back because I wanted to reach him as soon as possible. After a while, I started to lose my senses because of the lack of oxygen, but suddenly I started to breathe once again, before I could lose my senses, I was back with a good supply of oxygen. But how could this be possible?

“Hey Prashant.” I heard his voice and I looked behind and saw Shaurya who was eating the food and when I landed on my leg, I saw there was a mermaid who was taking me down the water. She left me when I reached Shaurya.

“What are you doing over here?” I asked him.

“Making my stomach please.” I leaned over his ear while looking at the other people who were present over there.

“Don’t get hurried away with this temptation.”

“I know that, but my temptation is growing stronger with the food that they are presenting to me. Here, have something.” I wanted to refuse but my stomach also growled at the sight of the food. I took one bit of the food and I felt heaven at that time. “Is it tasty?” He asked me and I nodded. “I knew that you were also hungry.” I also ate a little bit of the food.

“Now that you have eaten our food, then if we ask for something, then I hope that you guys won’t disappoint their slave.” One of the mermaids said that was male and looked like the king of this place.

“If it is in our capability, then we will.”

“It is indeed in your ability,” they said, and I looked at him with narrowed eyes. Is it in our capability? Either they are referring to what we are carrying or our life or…. they are talking about the deity knife.

“What is it?” Shaurya asked. He is really stupid. He doesn’t think at all before speaking. All he sees is food and he also wants to reward them.

“Deity knife.” As expected. They had treated us so well that they could in return get a deity knife. Shaurya left his food.

“The food was indeed delicious, thanks to that, and you want deity knife in return for your hospitality?” They smiled in return. I wasn’t able to understand his motive at all. “Then you can take it.” My eyes wide open.

“Then give it to us.” He checked around his pocket.

“Oh no! I have forgotten it on the surface only.” After that, Shaurya smirked. He must be thinking about something inside his mind that made all the mermaids get mad around us.

“Do you think that it is some kind of joke?”

“I don’t think that, but it is a joke. For giving me this food I am really grateful, but do you think that I am that stupid to give you away something precious just in a moment? Fight me before you reach it.” After saying that, he flipped over the table and every mermaid dispersed from there. “We should leave before they appear again.” He said and before we could get out of there, I flipped over the knife to him and he caught it perfectly.

“Why do you have this?" He was confused but then smirked and looked at me. "So you were worried about me?”

“No need to think so much,” I said to him, but all he did was smirk in my way. Then we started to swim to the surface but I felt a pull on my leg and then I looked at Shaurya and was looking back at me and then we both felt the pull and then were dragged down. We landed on the land.

“Fight is it? Then I will take it after you are dead.” Shaurya took his position and a smirk came over his face. After getting such a weapon, he is really confident about his movement.

“Then do fight me.” He said and I also took my fighting position. I might not have any weapons, but I can surely fight in my own way.

They started the fight and we both fought and when one of them was down, I took their weapon and started to fight while Shaurya was focusing on the mermaid who was having a crown on his head. The one whom I thought was the king. There was a brilliant fight going on between them and it all looked like a dream to me which I always wanted to be real and today it is.

On my side, many of them were all down, but when the king’s crown fell, the king's expression was priceless and then Shaurya took the chance and stabbed his heart with the deity knife and, after that, he turned into a stone. The stone blasted, making all of his body scatter here and there. I took the thing and saw that it was a pendent. A small round golden coin with a knife symbol over it which Shaurya was having.

“You should keep it as you have found it.” He said and, I wore the chain around my neck. I don't if this will be helpful in our near future.