4 Wandering

While Jae and his group were facing peril, four little girls wandered around an enchanted forest. The surrounding area was flourishing with wildlife.

"By the way, are you sure you're Layla?" Clara Nixon turned towards a skeleton in rags.

"*crackles* Yes! Clara!"

"...Can I just assume the reason you're capable of moving without muscles is due to magic?"

"Yes, Clara! You're always right, Clara!"

"And, you were always strange. Now, you evolved to being creepy. Do not EVER sleep near me."

"Yes. Yes. *crackle* Yes."

"...."

"H-Hey Clara. I t-t-think I found some wild b-berries," a girl, whose skin was a cerulean blue, stammered. Although she had fins, scales, and gills like a fish, she also had lungs to breathe in air. She was Natalie Blois, a junior from Iris's school in her past life.

"Stop mumbling and speak clearly," Clara admonished, "Are you sure those are edible?"

The clusters of berries Natalie had pointed at were orange with purple spots.

"I can taste test them for poison, Clara!" Layla declared, heroically.

"Don't bother, you don't even have a tongue," Clara rolled her eyes, "I don't have a clue if you need to eat anymore. We can just gather whatever we find and sort out the poisonous ones later."

"Okay! *crackle* Clara!"

While the four strolled around, they realized none of them actually knew how to find food in the wild. All of them were either rich or spoiled kids who would have otherwise never end up in the wilderness if it wasn't for their untimely deaths.

"*sniff*...Why?" A miserable whimper sounded next to Layla.

"Hm?"

"Why do I have to live like this? What did I do to deserve all of this?"

"The f-food finding task? I-I'm sorry I c-can't help at all." Natalie fidgetted.

"No!" Melody Sun wailed as she stopped walking and plopped on the floor, "Why did I have to die and get tortured for years? Why do I have these insufferable wings that remind me of pain? I was finally able to do it! It was my time, and yet it aaaaall blew up. Haha. Just like how we died."

Slap.

Melody's vision shifted to her right. Numbing, hot pain arose from her cheek.

"Don't be spoiled, little girl," Clara glared, "We all have our regrets and painful experiences. You're not the only one. Think about Layla who got accepted to the college of her dreams. Now, she doesn't even have a flesh body, not to mention a diploma. Think about Jade who was going to inherit her family's legacy. That same Jade gave us these tasks to keep our mind off everything. Even though I absolutely abhor her, I have to admit she's correct. She's objectively thinking ahead instead of wallowing about the past like you."

"So, why don't you calm yourself and reflect on your actions?"

Clara departed from the area without sparing a single glance at the shaken girl.

The originally serene atmosphere of the forest became bleak.

Layla chased after Clara without hesitation. Natalie stopped and turned back once before leaving as well. Melody was silent. She gradually stood up. Head down, tears falling nonstop, she walked forward and started picking up nuts.

The group soon finished gathering food and returned to the others.

--------

"Nora~. You're so cute~. Oh, yes you are~," Wendy Silk poked at Nora Cheng's blobby body. In turn, Nora formed some small pink tentacles and wrapped them around Wendy's finger.

"Wendy? Can you take off my blindfolds? I can't see," Bridget Will, with a lower half of a spider, was still unaware of the changes everyone has gone through. Including, her own.

"Nope~. Wait till everyone else comes back~."

"Why does she have to wait?" Alexis Crafford, a girl made of transparent crystal, spoke.

Wendy signaled for Alexis to lend her ear. Once Alexis was near her, she whispered, "Bridget is scared of spiders~. Natalie told me that Bridget will faint if she hears of what happened to her body~."

"But, she's going to find out someday," Alexis retorted.

"At the very least~, we should wait till everyone has settled down and we can slowly recover~."

Alexis nodded. Suddenly, she turned towards the trees to the right despite nothing being there.

"Wendy, something is coming," Alexis whispered. She then grabbed a sharp branch and stood in front of the trio.

Rustle. Rustle.

A wild Bunicorn appeared!

"Aw~. Ish sho cute~," Wendy fawned while Nora jiggled in disagreement, "Oh~, don't be jelly Nora~"

The wild Bunicorn blinked cutely!

"It's a savage beast. We must kill it."

Alexis was unaffected!

"Eh?"

Alexis thrust the branch into the Bunicorn's neck as it screeched for thirty whole seconds. As its eyes dulled, it never stopped gazing at Wendy as if questioning "Why?". Although Nora covered Wendy's eyes with her tentacles, she was unfortunately semi-transparent. And thus, Wendy had to witness the gruesome death of the bunny in horror.

"What happened? Is anyone hurt?" Bridget panicked as she tried to move her limbs. However, her mind was confused about the addition of several limbs and so, she was still incapable of moving properly.

"Don't worry. I have dealt with the nuisance," Alexis calmly stated, "Now it's time to dismantle the disgusting fiend."

Detecting a sharp piece of rock, she began to cut open the critter. Blood sprayed across Wendy's cheek.

And with that, Wendy fainted.

--------

"Hello, little girl. My name is Altwidus EbonyWood. I am the owner of this forest."

A man with the same hair color as the leaves above stood before Jae.

"Um, I'm a boy," Jae replied, stunned that his gender was misunderstood for the first time in his two lives.

"Hello, little boy. My name is Altwidus EbonyWood. I am the owner of this forest."

He corrected himself.

"Ahem. How about you, children, come to my cottage for a cup of tea and a little chat? I'm interested in how so many races from different parts of the world ended up in your dainty group. Especially, your dryad friend."

"A pedophile?" Jae tilted his head.

"I am not!"

"*cough*...Anyways, I mean no harm," Altwidus narrowed his eyes, "If I did, then I why would I save you?"

"To molest children?"

"No!"

"Stop teasing him already," Iris Meyers smiled as she returned with Scarlett and Jade. "I'm sure Mr. PedoWood has his reasons for liking children."

"Yeah! Mr. PedoWood!"

Ignoring the trio's banter, Jade answered, "We accept your offer, Mister."

"I wonder if it was a mistake to invite this mischevious bunch," Altwidus sighed as he mumbled that 'they are just children' under his breath. "Also, feel free to bring the rest of your group and meet me at the cottage by the steam," with a wave of his hand, he disappeared into a wisp of smoke.

"I forgot to ask him how he understood our language...Oh, well." He wondered why he began relaxing around Altwidus to the point he could tease the poor man. After the years of being experimented on, he expected to be skeptical of any strangers he came across in this world.

Jae turned towards the others, "Are you alright?"

"My scales are strong! I'm not hurt at all! See!" Scarlett proudly showed off the scales on her arm.

"I wasn't talking about you though?"

Scarlett froze for a second before crouching down to restart her scavenging.

"I am fine. Thank you very much, Jae," Jade Hargraves responded. On her head was a pair of black horns while a pair of black bat-like wings emerged from her back. Just above her small butt was a long, hairless tail that slid, leaving a trail behind her.

"By the way Jade, why did you accept?" Jae asked.

"He was the first person know our language. Furthermore, since he intends on having a civilized conversation, I hope we can make a trade. Considering how this is most likely a different world, the thing we need most is information. If we don't find out more about this world quickly, we will either die or meet a fate far worse."

"But what if it's a trap?" Iris questioned.

"Then it's a risk worth taking. Let us head back to the others."