High up in the branches, Lucious reached out to pluck another mango. Suddenly, his footing gave way. He slipped, violently shaking the tree as he fell back to earth. The sudden commotion brought something terrifying down with him.
A shower of leaves erupted as at least ten snakes rained down right around Jack.
"Lucious, what did you do?!" Jack yelled.
A few of the reptiles quickly retreated into the brush, but a handful of angry serpents held their ground. Acting on pure instinct, Jack scooped Lucious up with one arm while wielding his heavy stick defensively in the other. Four snakes remained, coiling and standing tall, their eyes flashing with a fury that suggested they had been deeply disturbed during their personal time.
One snake lunged forward. Jack swung his stick with perfect precision, striking it so hard it flew completely out of range and vanished into the undergrowth. Beside them, Hero was snarling and growling fiercely.
Another advancing snake snapped at them. Lucious jumped back, landed firmly on his feet, and stomped down hard right on the snake's head, severing it instantly. The decapitated head flew through the air.
"Not my first time beheading a snake," Lucious said coolly, wiping his brow.
Seeing the sheer violence of the defense, the remaining snakes turned and fled into the jungle. Jack took a deep, shaky breath, trying to steady his racing heart. "This place is far more dangerous than we thought, Lucious," he muttered.
Despite the chaos, they gathered up the fallen mangoes. Lucious smiled faintly. "Now, let's have a feast."
They cracked open a ripe mango for Hero, who happily began licking the sweet fruit. The delicious, juicy mangoes became a hard-earned breakfast for the weary travelers. Once they finished, Lucious wiped his hands and looked toward the dense tree line.
"Okay then," Lucious proposed. "You guys—Jack, you and Hero—try to do some fishing here on the beach. I will go inside the mountain and check for fresh water. A place like this should have some sweet water hidden somewhere."
Jack nodded, peering into the surf. "Yeah, yeah, I'll catch some big fish here. But you be safe inside that mountain."
"Yeah, I have a hunch," Lucious replied. "But you be careful too."
Gripping his knife tightly, Lucious prepared himself. *Be very careful,* he thought to himself as he plunged into the mountain's dense jungle. The greenery of the mountain was overwhelmingly thick, forcing him to use his blade to chop through the heavy grass and vines just to move forward.
Barely five minutes into his trek up the mountain, the humid air grew thick with a foul, sickening odor. Lucious pinched his nose, gagging at the stench. Following the smell, he stumbled upon a gruesome sight: a dead body, already rotted out until it was nothing but a bony skeleton. The mountain was wet, slick from a heavy rain the day before, making the terrain treacherous.
As Lucious covered more ground, he noticed a few snakes coiled lazily around the boulders. He found a relatively clear spot and sat down on a rock for a few minutes to catch his breath and survey his surroundings.
Suddenly, a massive rustling noise erupted from a nearby hedge. Lucious bolted to his feet, drawing his weapon.
Bursting through the brush was an enormous anaconda. The giant snake was actively constricting its latest meal—a large impala or deer—wrapping its massive, muscular coils around the animal's body, rendering it completely helpless.
Realizing he was completely outmatched, Lucious decided to move on as quickly and quietly as possible. He needed to finish his job and get back to the beach.
He marched with renewed urgency, his pace quickening into a fast run as he searched for any sign of water. Finally, his efforts paid off. Breaking through a clearing, he saw it: a pristine pond, full of crystal-clear water.
Lucious knelt at the edge, dipped his cupped hand into the cool surface, and took a drink. He grinned. "Fresh water," he whispered.