"Now, I have to return to the boat and bring back the water vessels to fill them," Lucious murmured to himself. Looking closely at the pristine pool, he realized it must be fed continuously by fresh, clean rain. Turning on his heel, he ran back down the mountain, retracing the exact path he had just carved through the dense jungle.
When he burst back onto the beach, Jack looked up, startled by his sudden appearance. "What happened there, Lucious?" he asked anxiously.
"I found the water," Lucious panted, catching his breath. "But there's a massive anaconda up inside the mountain. Give me the water vessels. I will fill them and come back as soon as possible."
Jack quickly handed over the containers. "I'll keep fishing here until you return."
Lucious offered a small, warning grin. "Just don't catch a shark this time, Jack."
"Nah, I'm using a small hook today," Jack replied with a chuckle.
"Okay, I'll be back soon."
Turning back toward the tree line, Lucious followed his own freshly beaten trail, running straight toward the mountain pool. However, as he neared the pond, his breath caught in his throat. Something was wrong.
The monstrous anaconda that had been suffocating the deer was now dragging itself right toward the water's edge, its belly horribly distended and bulging from swallowing the carcass.
*Anyhow, I need that water,* Lucious thought, refusing to back down.
Moving with absolute stealth, he crept around the back side of the pond, keeping a sharp eye on the giant reptile. He submerged the heavy vessel into the cool water. It quickly filled, growing immensely heavy in his hands. But the slight disturbance didn't go unnoticed.
The anaconda was already awake. It slowly began crawling directly toward Lucious.
Adrenaline surging, Lucious scrambled backward. The sheer weight of the filled water vessel anchored his movements, making his escape agonizingly slow. He ran as hard as his legs could carry him, hauling the heavy container while trying to navigate the rugged terrain around the massive, pursuing serpent. He managed to pull a short distance away, but the jungle floor belonged to the predator.
The anaconda was faster. It slithered aggressively across the ground, closing the gap. In a moment of sheer desperation, Lucious spun around and hurled the heavy water vessel directly at the beast. The impact caught the anaconda squarely, momentarily paralyzing the giant snake with a heavy blow.
Seizing the narrow window, Lucious snatched up the vessel once more and bolted, sprinting all the way back to the safety of the shore.
Down on the beach, Hero was relaxing contentedly by the surf. Lucious dropped the heavy container onto the sand with a heavy thud. "I brought the water! We will stay here tonight, gather fruits for the day, and leave tomorrow for Mushroom Island."
Jack nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we are sleeping in the boat tonight. I already killed three snakes right here while fishing. This area is entirely too dangerous."
"Okay, sleep on the boat it is," Lucious agreed.
Suddenly, a sharp tug yanked at Jack's fishing line. The reel spun out violently, the rod bending under a heavy weight. "I think we just got ourselves lunch!" Jack yelled.
With a strong heave, Jack pulled up a beautiful, shiny, two-foot-long seer fish. Its silver scales caught the midday sun, gleaming brilliantly. Jack beamed with pride at the impressive catch.
They quickly prepared and ate the fresh fish, savoring every bite of their hard-earned meal. As the afternoon waned, they watched the sun begin to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows over the treacherous terrain. They had to survive just one more night on Snake Island.
"We are sleeping in the boat tonight," Lucious reiterated, looking back at the dark, rustling jungle. "This swarm of snakes will kill us if we stay on land."
Lucious pushed the heavy boat into the shallows, lifting a weary Hero over the side and climbing in behind him. The boat was cramped and full of their supplies, but as they floated safely out on the water with a fresh supply of sweet drinkable water, they knew they would be just fine.