When everyone had successfully crossed the river, Gideon and Percival hid behind a tree, water dripped from their garments in steady rivulets as they changed into dry clothes. Carefully, they tucked the wet bundles into the mesh pocket strapped to the outer frame of their backpack.
To their surprise, everything inside the bag remained dry.
"Sis, this bag is very practical," Gideon called out, his eyes wide with genuine amazement as he inspected the contents. "We are soaking wet, but the things inside are completely dry. I did not know that we have fabric that’s water resistant."
Lara smiled, walking over with a knowing look. "Those fabrics were coated with plant sap both inside and out, but the protective coating might eventually wear off after several washings."
"You should seriously sell this to the army," Bener chimed in, his tone half-joking but with an edge of admiration.
"Yes, Brother. They are indeed my target market."
Lara’s eyes flicked to Gideon’s bag, where water was dripping from his wet clothes. He should have at least wrung out the clothes to remove excess water.
Lara handed them a thin bamboo tube with a lid. "Rub this oil on your exposed skin. It’s another layer of defense. Bugs and other insects would not bother you."
The brothers eagerly accepted the gift and began applying the fragrant oil, their expressions relaxing as the herbal aroma filled the air. The Lenard sibling did the same.
"This smells good," Benner commented when he returned the tube to Lara.
Jetrhu and Lara led them deeper into the jungle. The canopies above dimmed the sunlight. Towering plants loomed on either side of them as they walked, birds chirped overhead, their calls sharp and bright. Every few steps, Percival would pause, captivated by the strange and vibrant flora around him.
He stopped short in front of a glowing red flower, its petals almost luminous against the forest floor.
"Hey, look! This flower is so beautiful. Mother would ..."
Percival froze, and his words were stuck in his throat. Just inches from his face, suspended in mid-air, was a spider the size of his fist. Its hairy legs were still, and its many eyes gleamed like black beads as it stared directly at him.
He dared not breathe nor blink. His muscles locked in place. His heart pounded in his ears. Didn’t Lara say the oil and sachets would ward off bugs? But... wasn’t a spider a bug?
It was Percival’s first encounter with such a spider. He’d never seen one this big—only harmless house spiders no larger than his thumb. Even during his time at war, he’d encountered few, but none had dared approach humans so boldly, so he did not get a closer look.
Lara sensed that something was amiss when Percival fell eerily silent. She looked back to see him standing stiff like a statue in front of a red bromeliad. She stepped closer, and then she saw it: the massive spider dangling just inches from his face.
Lara’s hand flashed to her thigh, drawing the knife strapped there. In a fluid motion honed by years of training, she threw it with precision.
Percival flinched as something brushed the air near his cheek, and the black thing hanging in front of him was gone.
The sound of a knife impaling itself on a tree was heard, and the other people in the group, who were two meters ahead, turned back to see a very pale Percival who was still frozen in place.
Bener and Gideon hurried toward him while Lara retrieved her knife from the tree. The spider was still impaled at the tip of the sharp blade.
"Perci, are you alright? What happened?" Bener asked.
"It’s a spider, a big one—the size of my fist," he said, his voice trembling as the hair on his arms stood on end. It was clear that he was creeped out. "I saw its rows of eyes looking at me. There are so many of them."
"This one has eight. A few have six." Lara replied, holding up the blade for everyone to see.
Percival and Gideon stepped back, while Abel and Barett leaned in, curiosity gleaming in their eyes. The Lenard brothers lived in the village, so they often would catch spiders and let them fight with other spiders.
It was a favorite game of the young boys in the villages. The game begins by placing two spiders at opposite ends of a stick. They would prod the spiders to move along the length of the stick until they encountered each other and fought.
"Sis, didn’t you say that the oil we rubbed on our bodies could ward off insects and bugs?" Percival asked, feeling wronged.
Lara tilted her head. "Yes, but spiders aren’t insects. They’re arachnids."
"...What?" Percival stared.
Bener and Gideon exchanged blank stares.
"Girl, aren’t you too philosophical?" Jethru muttered.
"Master, I am serious. The oil repels insects and bugs. But spiders are a different class altogether. However, the sachets you were given should have repelled it."
Her eyes narrowed at Percival. "Where’s your sachet?"
Percival’s hand fumbled as he opened his backpack and he pulled out the small sachet.
"If you put that inside the backpack, then it cannot protect you. It is useful because of the scent. No wonder the spider got so close."
She asked everyone to show her the sachets. All have it in their pockets. Only Percival was the exception.
"Sis, can I dig that flower?" Percival asked after recovering from the earlier shock. He still wanted to gift the flower to their mother.
"Of course. That flower is a bromeliad, and it should thrive well even outside its habitat."
Percival scanned the surrounding area for more threats. He even checked the underside of the leaves of the plant. Lara has given the men gloves coated with sealant from the sap of a plant. It should protect them from scratches if the plant has thorns.
As Percival began to carefully dig around the roots, Lara crafted a small basket from vines she cut nearby. Lining it with large leaves, she handed it to him. "This will protect the plant’s roots during transport."
They continued their trek, and after thirty minutes, they came upon a stream.
"How about you catch fish in the stream, and let’s have breakfast here," Lara suggested.
She and her master sat down on a fallen log and watched the Norse brothers and their cousins struggle with spearing the fish. Aramis, on the other hand, dug a shallow pit for their makeshift oven and started the fire.
He learned from Kane previously and used a special flint stone to create a spark and start the fire. He grinned when he succeeded the first time. He glanced at Lara, wearing a smug smile.
"Hmp. Why not complement him? I guess he is just seeking attention."
"You are right, Master. The first time he did it, the stone broke, but the kindling did not catch fire."