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Chapter 9: Errand running
The pelican continued its path, the ride taking a total of 2 hours.
"So where are we actually heading, like terrain, environment, the plant life around the facility?" Kokobiel asked.
"They didn't tell us much other than it was a jungle and required specialized gear, they put it in a storage room and got about all we needed." Berum said the other chupa nodded with. Tom looked out as he saw landscapes pass underneath, he never actually paid attention to his surroundings that much. It was kinda nice to see all the land underneath the small towns and the few vehicles traveling.
"Do you think we'll see any interesting animals?" Berum asked as he leaned over Tom looking at the land below.
"Don't know, maybe we'll see some bats or like a parrot or something," Tom said as he stopped looking out the window looking towards the front of the pelican.
"I would assume we would see those," Berum said as he sat back down as well. Tom leaned forward in his seat looking towards Kokobiel he had a book, or more of a journal because he was writing in it, it seemed odd for him to write for his brutish stature and the dumb things he does. Tom looked past Kokobiel to see the purple chupa who seemed very bored already, from what he could tell now seeing the front of the chupa this was a female chupa, her face was a bit smaller and she had a eyebrow piercing, she wore the given freelancer outfit, it was standard issue but you weren't forced to wear them. Tom figured she just liked the way they look or maybe how they fit, he had tried his own on and it was fairly nice but he didn't like the colors of the outfit, it did come with some nice gloves though.
There was a tink upon the glass and then several more, Tom turned his head to the window, the sky had become dark very quickly and rain slowly started to fall from it.
"Shit, looks like we're gonna end up soaked." Tom said to the rest of the group but only Berum was to respond.
"I think we would've got wet either way because it's a jungle." Berum said in a very smart ass tone.
"No shit Mr. Detective," Tom said back sarcastically as he shook his head looking back at the window. The land below had begun to slow down when passing it before it stood still and began to get closer, they were finally landing.
"I think we're at the LZ," Tom said, looking back at the others.
"LZ?" Berum asked.
"The landing zone, how do you not know what that means? It's the standard term when landing somewhere," Tom said in rebuttal, utterly confused that he wouldn't know what that meant. He just shook his head before the pelican landed and it opened up, the air that rushed into the cabin was humid and hot, the wave blew past before the rest of the pelican was filled. Tom grabbed his things as he got up following behind Berum. Kokobiel followed behind the other before butting up to Tom.
"So how's your new friend?" Kokobiel asked in a low tone.
"He's a lot like you, just smaller, and a bit smarter." Tom replied with a smirk. Kokobiel chuckled as they finally stepped out of the pelican and onto the muddy ground.
Tom seeped into the mud as he trudged through it with his bag on, it went up pretty high almost to half his calf. The pelican behind them began to close its bay door before it lifted off again going back the way they came.
"We have one week to do this and we have a day trip there so hurry your asses up boys!" The purple chupa said as they easily made their way through the mud.
"Yes ma'am" Berum said as he rolled his eyes making his way forward as well. Kokobiel also made his way through the mud fairly quickly, Tom grabbed onto Kokobiel pulling himself out using Kokobiels bag before getting atop his shoulders.
"Hey ya bastard you aint that light!" Kokobiel said as Tom climbed upon his back.
"Shut it and onward stead," Tom spat back as he pointed forward. Kokobiel rolled his eyes as he moved forward only slightly slower.
The group soon made their way out of the mud and onto some slightly stronger ground enough for them to not sink into it, but it was still wet. Tom got off of Kokobiel's shoulders and back onto the ground before following along with the rest of the group, large jungle like trees surrounded them as they got further and further in. Strange noises of animals filled the air as the forest seemed to get more and more humid.
"Fucking hate jungles and how sticky they make me feel," Tom complained about as he swatted some bug off his arm.
"That's not what you say when other things make you sticky," Kokobiel snickers before Tom socked him in the arm. The other two ahead of them laughed slightly hearing it, they slowed down to join the group better and chat more.
"So how long have you two idiots known each other?" The purple chupa asked as she looked over to Tom and Kokobiel.
"Like 7-ish months." Tom said after thinking about it for a small moment.
"We never got your name by the way, what is it?" Tom asked as he looked back at the purple chupa.
"I'm Olga, nice to meet the two of you, so ya guys together?" Olga's question caught them off guard.
"Woah this big guy, no way, he's more like a brother to me" Tom said back to Olga.
"Yeah what he said," Kokobiel added. Olga shrugged
"It was worth asking," she said as she went back to walking ahead of them before Berum followed behind. Kokobiel and Tom shook their heads before catching up with them.
Night time had finally fallen as the planet in front of the ring finally blocked out the nearby star. The group had just begun making camp for the night, Tom was trying to start a fire but most flammable things were damp.
"Maybe if we look under the brush we can maybe find something dry, or maybe there's something dryer up higher, Kokobiel help me up that tree," Tom said as he got next to a tree and nodded his head to Kokobiel.
"Don't think that's a great idea but it'll be funny to watch you fall, no promises I'll catch you," Kokobiel said as he lifted Tom up and onto the closet branch.
"If you don't catch me, I'll make sure to haunt your ass," Tom said back as he began climbing other branches.
"Twenty bucks says he falls and nothing dry comes down with him." Olga said as she watched him climb.
"I'll take that bet." Kokobiel said, Tom got further and further up, most of it was still wet but it was slowly getting dryer. He finally got to a spot where it was dry and he began snapping branches before dropping them down, he moved along a branch further away from the trunk breaking and sending down more branches before he stopped for a moment.
Something blew in the branch just across from him, he swung underneath the branch to try and grab it, unsuccessful on his first attempt but better luck on the second, he snagged the strange thing bringing it to his face. It was a hat, more specifically a newspaper boy's hat.
"Huh nice hat," Tom said as he put it upon his head, it fit pretty nicely upon his head but the hair didn't help. He finished breaking branches before he began to climb back down, digging his claws into the tree before sliding down like a cat.
"Check it, I found this hat up there!" Tom presented his new head accessory.
"Nice, but why was it up there?" Berum asked, Tom shrugged in response.
"Not my problem, it's a free hat," Tom said as he began collecting the broken branches.
"I like it, it looks good on your head, reminds me of an old friend but his hat was purple," Kokobiel said as he helped Tom pick up the branches. They piled the branches into a pile as they began snapping smaller twigs off the larger branches to make some sort of kindling before Olga got a match out and put into the kindling as they slowly built up the fire. Soon the fire was going and they sat by it, Tom began setting up his sleeping bag as he gathered up different sticks setting up a tarp above his bag.
"So who has first watch?" Kokobiel asked as he sat on a wet log he had dragged over.
"Not it," berum quickly replied.
"Not it," Olga was right behind his response, leaving Tom to do so.
"Awe you guys suck ass," Tom replied as he got from sitting on his bag.
"You're just too slow ya slug," Kokobiel said as he laid back on the log.
"At least I sleep with at least some shelter above me," Tom responded a little angrily.
"I got the trees, man," Kokobiel replied as he nodded up to them. Tom mocked him as he said what Kokobiel had said back to himself. He dragged his bag sitting on it, it wasn't the most comfortable considering all of his things were inside the bag but it was sittable.
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