The next morning, the two girls got up early, when it still was not too hot. As the village elder promised, they got food and a boat to travel along the river. The elder also warned them of dangerous animals, like jaguars or caimans.
Rei wasn't too worried about them. She faced Youmas, Cardians and Daimons before, wild animals wouldn't be a problem. Nabiki, on the other hand...
The mercenary girl almost never had left Tokyo before... everything that needed to be done, she could do from home, at her computer. She had her gang of 'subordinates', and no one in school ever dared of crossing her way.
But now she had to enter one of the biggest, hottest and most dangerous forests in the world. So it was no surprise that she got a little... nervous.
While they paddled their little canoe downstream, Nabiki was always on edge, all the time looking into the thicket growing next to the big Amazon river.
"Calm down," Rei finally said. "You're in no danger. If a dangerous animal appears, I just transform and try to scare it away with some fire. Besides, shouldn't you be able to use some of your powers even when not transformed?"
"Perhaps, but I didn't try it until now," Nabiki replied. "I don't even know what powers I have..."
Rei thought about that. "Well, Akane was somehow able to stop those cats from hurting Luna... perhaps you can control scorpions and other crabs?"
"Scorpions aren't crabs," Sting called out of his bag, a little offended. "We are more like spiders... like insects, but not quite..."
"Well, then perhaps I can get those mosquitoes to leave me alone," Nabiki said while swatting one of the flying pests with the rolled up map. The mosquitoes were flying all around their little boat, trying to suck their blood. Luckily they had their Malaria shots before leaving...
After some time, Rei gestured over to the shore. "There! Those look like canoes, similar to ours. Those guys that were in the village must have gotten boats as well. Looks like they went ashore over there."
"Maybe," Nabiki answered. "Perhaps Scorpion Valley is nearby... Should we debark here as well?"
"Hey, I think I recognize this part of the river," Sting said excitedly. "See that knobby tree? I recognize it, I was here shortly after I left the valley. We're almost there, I know it."
"I really hope those people are no enemies," Nabiki sighed as they steered their canoe towards the shore. "I still can't help you in a fight, and if they are four, and you have to fight them alone..."
"Don't worry," Rei said. "It will all work out somehow."
Nabiki groaned. How can that girl be so confident?
----
They carefully waded through the thicket of the rainforest, always keeping an eye open for dangers.
Rei was amazed. "Just look at all those colorful flowers and pretty birds... Wow, just seeing those made the journey worthwhile..."
Nabiki twitched as she looked up and saw a snake as thick as her arm resting on a branch. "I still prefer going to the zoological or botanical garden to see those," she murmured. "Are we there already?"
"Just a little longer," Sting said. "We're almost there."
And suddenly, they stepped out of the thicket and saw an amazing sight before them.
A deep, bowl-shaped crater was situated in the landscape, filled with the rainforest's flora. It was almost as wide as all of Nerima together. And floating over the valley was some strange sort of hazy mist, a big cloud that shrouded it in mystery...
"This is it," Sting whispered. "I'm home: Scorpion Valley..."
"What's up with that mist?" Rei wondered and looked at the cloud. Nabiki shrugged.
"I guess it's just some gases coming out of the ground," Sting speculated. "I really don't know, but they've always been there. Don't worry, they're not poisonous... but they make my home something special, don't you think?"
Rei looked down into the valley. "Well, it's certainly filled with all kinds of colorful plants... If it wasn't for that spooky mist, it would almost look like a paradise."
"Hey, let's not forget why we're here," Nabiki spoke up. "We still have to find my amulet, right? So let's hurry before those guys find it before us."
"Killjoy..." Rei muttered and followed the middle Tendo girl as she went down a slope.
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(Posted Sun, 27 Aug 2006 19:00)
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