Chapter 8

Lwanda placed the three crystals from the mice on the feather. He hurriedly took his position on the first line again.

The glow on his face, the ragging heartbeat he couldn’t contain it anymore. His curiosity was getting the better of him. He just couldn’t wait, he couldn’t wait to see the ground breaking discovery he was about to make. This world, this place was horrible but it had its moments.

The inventor in him, his father's son was extremely anxious to see just what was going to happen.

Lwanda stood on the first line, just like before he channeled all his intent towards the crystals.

“Attack the mice!!”

Lwanda quickly covered his ears, he was well aware of the destructive power of just one crystal, it made sense that three would be way worse. He stared at the mice eagerly waiting for what would happen next.

He was at his keenest, a part of him was focused on the result of the experiment while the other kept a close eye on the surrounding, if anything popped up, he was ready to jet. He'd pushed his luck far enough, there was no need pushing it any further.

Lwanda awaited the big boom, he was ready for it, he invited it, he just couldn’t hold back his yearning any longer. He listened, he waited but... nothing came. Just silence, heartbreaking silence.

Lwanda glanced at the mice, then the crystal then at the mice again, he wondered what was taking so long.

“Hmm it’s taking its time isn't it”

“Was the attack intent too vague?”

He thought to himself, various hypothesis as to why the crystal was taking so long swarmed Lwanda’s mind, with each idea, his inventor side got a little bit more excited, he was having fun.

In Lwanda’s mind a discovery isn't worthwhile if you don’t toil for it, he was looking forward to the satisfying feeling of having a breakthrough after the initial toil.

“Maybe I need to be more direct?”

“Call out the tacky names I read about in the manga?”

Lwanda took a deep breath, he filled his lungs with not just air but hope and anticipation, it was everything his curiosity could master, he had but one thing in mind, ‘this has got to work’.

With all his might Lwanda let out a scream, he yelled out loud...

“Lightning strike !!”

His voice thundered through the forest, the echo boomed, carrying his will further and deeper into forest.

He looked at the crystal but still there was no reaction, he yelled a couple more times, shouting out loud all the famous manga lightning attacks he could remember.

“Lightening ball!”

“Thunder shock!”

“Thunder ball!”

He shouted with all his might but still nothing happened, the crystal lay there, unresponsive, bland.

“That's a bit anticlimactic isn't it?”

Lwanda thought to himself, he was disappointed, he had at least expected some sort of reaction from the crystal, any reaction at all would do but... nothing happened.

Looking back at it he felt like a crazy person, standing in the middle of the forest shouting manga phrases at a bunch of crystals lying on a feather, the idea was ridiculous but … Lwanda smiled, he knew he would most likely do it again, he wasn’t about to let this go. He was set on getting the answers he needed, whatever it took.

His arsenal was his ace up his sleeve, his trump card, he needed as many things as possible in his favor cause too many things weren't.

He needed things that could ensure his survival and he was set on getting them, even if he had to hop round the crystal butt naked shouting hymns at it, that was his resolve.

“Speaking of arsenal...”

Lwanda looked at the eagle, it was time to move, all that ruckus he’d made was sure to invite some unwanted trouble and he had to escape that, he had to move not only for his safety but also to scout out the area, he needed to know if he was indeed the only one here.

“If there are intelligent beings here then they’ll most likely leave a trail, possibly turn their lights on at night, I need to get to higher ground and look out for that. Maybe even keep an eye out for structures’

With this Lwanda had another purpose, another goal, he needed it, he needed anything for the sake of his own sanity. The possibility of being stranded here all alone terrified Lwanda, he hoped there was somebody else, something else here with him.

His mind was made up, he’d received his mission, it was time to set off, but... he needed to stock up on his supplies first, ready himself for the journey ahead.

Lwanda glanced at the feather on the ground, he thought back to the idea he’d had before.

He walked over to the eagle and plucked out a couple more feathers, all roughly the same height. He looked around the clearing, he was looking for something.

Lwanda noticed a couple of vines wrapped around a tree, he walked to them, pulled out a bunch and continued to slice them into finer lengths with his shard.

He then cut off the quill of the feathers all the way to the fluff. Using the vines he bound the feathers together.

“Phew !!”

“All done”

Lwanda stared at the finished product, he was happy with his creation, using the feathers and the twigs he’d managed to make a makeshift robe.

“Can't tell how cold it will be in this place, might as well be prepared”

“Well, now that I got the juices flowing I might as well...”

Lwanda rummaged through everything in his surrounding, picking different things up, examining them, putting some back down and putting some together. He did this for thirty minutes.

“Finally, all done!!”

Lwanda looked at his inventions. He was pleased with the results, not only had he managed to make a robe from the feathers but also sandles using tree bark, a bag using twigs and feathers and lastly a staff with the eagle’s crystal strapped at the end of it.

All his preparations were complete. Lwanda gazed at the blue sky, he wondered what was in store for him in this place, was it horrific or was it glam, he had but one way of finding out.

Lwanda grasped his staff tightly, he was torn between fear and excitement but his eyes glowed with determination, as he took his first step, he could feel his destiny calling. This was it, this was the beginning of it all.

“Well then... let it begin”