As I left the clearing it got even darker from the tree canopy. And while that sounds normal it got like really dark. Luckily I have fairly good vision so I could still see but I wished I had my homemade night vision goggles. Really they’re just an infrared flashlight and some welding goggles with gels in them, but they worked! Not important though, they aren't here. I walked a good distance in and stopped to let my eyes adjust further.
“It’s dark.” I stated nonchalantly.
After my eyes adjusted I continued on North, or best I could figure because I could only see the sun slightly through the tree canopy every once in awhile. I walked for around five minutes and I noticed a gurgling sound. Not like someone dying and choking on blood gurgling, but stream like gurgling. Trust me, there is a difference. I walked towards the source of the sound and found a fairly large and calm creek. It was deep enough to have an abundance of fish and at least sixty feet wide. I considered the width of the creek thinking it may qualify as a river but that wasn't really important.
“O looky, fishes.” I said looking at the water. “Don’t really care for fish but if need be we have a food source here.”
I looked up to see if I could see the sun but the canopy covered the water almost completely and I couldn't see it from my position.
“Hmm, maybe if I go upstream a bit.” I thought as I started walking.
I walked up the stream for a while and found it got a little rougher as I went up due to rocks. I could hear a waterfall in the distance as well. Now curious about the waterfall I continued on. I was in the mood to climb something.
I arrived at the waterfall and man was it nice. The pool at the bottom was cut into stone and crystal clear. The cliff the water fell from was thirty feet high. I could see a cave of sorts up near the top angled away from the waterfall slightly.
“I think I found something to climb.” I said, knowing full well that something probably lived in that cave. Nothing like a bear or anything, there was no way for one to get in there. But maybe some birds, or bats, maybe someone? Who knows.
Without any further thought I started climbing. It was fairly steep but eroded in layers so that there were plenty of shelves to grab a hold of making the climb easier for me. I made it up to the cave and stood at the entrance. Just to be cautious I pulled my crossbow off my back and loaded a bolt.
“Herro?” I said into the cave. I said it loud enough so any birds or bats would be spooked and fly out but nothing came. “Guess nobody’s home.”
I slowly walked deeper into the cave letting my eyes adjust as I went. I knew I could only go so far before it was just too dark but I figured the cave couldn't be that deep. I was wrong. I was walking deeper and deeper for quite some time. But just before I was going to turn around to leave I noticed a glow in the distance.
“This must be a tunnel instead of a cave.” I said continuing on. I had to rely on the walls to guide me now because it was too dark to see. The walls felt fairly smooth, but they’re rocks so whatever. As I got closer to the light I noticed it was closer than I thought but dim.
“Maybe the light filters down through a hole in the ceiling or something.” I said as I got close.
I got to the end of the tunnel only for it to open up into a larger cavern. In the middle of the ceiling was a glowing crystal of some sorts.
“Strange, slightly foreboding...and really cool.” I said, “I’m gonna go touch it.”
I walked to the center of the cave room and reached up to touch the lighty thing. Considering it was just high enough to let me under it, it wasn't difficult to do.
“Touch.” I said just as my hand made contact.
“...I don't know what I expected to happ-” I was cut off when the crystal lit up much brighter than it was before.
“Ahh!” I screamed as I pulled my hand away and shielded my eyes. “Who hides a thousand watt light bulb in a crystal?”
As my eyes adjusted to the now bright cave room I looked around. It was just a cave. With a weird crystal light kajigger.
“Again I don't know what I expected.” I said mentally bracing for Murphy to mess with me again. But nothing happened this time.
“Well, that was anticlimactic.” I said looking back to the light crystal. “Except for you of course, you did great.”
I touched the crystal again and it started to get dimmer. Another touch made it light up again.
“It’s like a natural tap light!” I said as I touched it over and over. “But not nearly as shitty.”
I grabbed one of the crystals that jutted off of it and gave it a yank. The crystal in my hand broke off and went dim.
“Aww, did I break it?” I said looking at the crystal in my hand. I tossed it into the air and caught it. And sure enough it lit back up.
“Whaa!” I said as I dropped the crystal. “Not broken.”
“Science time!” I said as I looked around. I grabbed a vine that was growing in the corner, and a bolt from my bag. I tied the crystal to the end of the bolt with the vine and held the bolt.
“Tadah!” I said looking at my impromptu torch. I touched the crystal and it lit up and provided light.
“I made flameless torch.” I said in a gruff, caveman voice. “Me show others, they get jelly.” Well, if cavemen spoke internet I’m sure they’d say that.
Just before I left, I broke off as many pieces of the light crystal I could and put them in my quiver.
“Wish I had a backpack” I said as I left the cave with my new light source. Now that I could see the trip out of the cave was easy. Once I got to the surface again I extinguished the torch and put it in my quiver. It was a tight fit with all the bolts and other crystals but it fit.
“They’re probably here by now.” I said looking at my watch. “It's been two ROFLs since I left so that's about an hour standard time.”
I looked up to see the sun poking through the trees, noted its position and headed back to the clearing.
I walked back to where I thought the camp was, but I didn’t hear any activity. I started to think I missed it. Just as I contemplated turning around and starting over from the river I found the portal. It was still on, and there was nothing or anyone around. The camp was exactly as I left it.
“Hmm, that’s strange.” I said as I walked the clearing. “An hour is a long time to wait.”
As I walked deeper into the camp I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I quickly drew my crossbow and pointed in the general direction while going into a crouching position.
“O shit.” I said under my breath as I lowered my crossbow.
“Shawn!” He yelled seeing me. “I was wondering where you ran off to. I was like ‘can't leave him alone for a minute.’”
“Hello Nyjill.” I said standing back up. “And by minute you mean an hour right.”
“Ya.” He said laughing and not really hearing me. “And G.G. on being a dumbass. A few seconds after you jumped through the portal we were like, he forgot his crossbow and axe. So we threw them though for you.”
“If you noticed so soon why did you wait so long?” I asked cocking my head to one side.
“What do you mean?” He said now confused.
“You said you noticed a few seconds after I left but I didn't get my axe for like ten minutes and my crossbow for another ten minutes after that.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” He said now really confused. “Camden threw your axe in the portal and I waited a few seconds to throw your crossbow so I didn't hit you if you went to get your axe.”
“Ok, if you don't believe me, how long does the portal stay open?” I asked folding my arms.
“You already forgot?” He said laughing slightly. “one-hundred and sixty-eight seconds…”
“And how long have you been here?” I asked.
He looked at his normal watch and stayed silent for a while. “Something is wrong...I came through a minute after you so the portal would only have one 'oh eight seconds left and I’ve been here for two-thirteen.” He said looking towards the portal.
“Welp, the scientists either mixed up seconds and minutes or something is amiss.” I said walking away.
“Wait,” He said catching up to me. “How long have you been here then?”
“I’ve been here for a little over two ROFLs.” I told him picking up my axe. “By the way, what's in the backpack?”
“That’s over an hour, something isn’t right.” He said sitting down and putting his head in his hands.
“Who’d-a-thunk the forefront of science during a zombie apocalypse could be sketchy.” I said walking over to him. “And you didn't answer my question, what you got in the bag?”
“Huh? Oh, ya the bag. I don't know I just grabbed a bag and went through.” He said taking the bag off and handing it to me.
“Well let’s see what we got.” I said taking the bag and going through it. “A couple MRE’s, matches, canteens, machete, noice noice. Aww, a flashlight. I’ve only had my torch for twenty minutes and it's already outdated due to technology. Unless…”
“So if it's been sixty seconds there and one hour here then what does that mean?” Nyjill said mostly to himself. “Does the portal distort time or does the time here pass slower or…”
I didn't really hear him because I was off to do more science. I grabbed my walking stick and machete and went to work debarking it. After debarking it I ‘drilled’ a hole in the top with a pocket knife I got from the bag. I then grabbed one of the crystals.
“Hmm, what do I have to stick this to the top of my walking stick?” I asked no one in particular.
I went back into the bag and found some superglue and a hot glue gun. “Really, how the hell am I supposed to use a hot glue gun? Plug it into a tree? Stupid thing to pack.” I said. I dumped some superglue into the hole. “And now I do science.” I said as I stuck the crystal in the hole with the superglue. The light from the crystal somehow sped up the curing process of the glue because right after sticking it in, it was stuck.
“BEHOLD” I yelled now standing and facing Nyjill startling him out of his deep thought. “I have a staff of light!”
“That's nice but it doesn't help.” He said looking away but then stopped. “Is that glowing? Did you just stick a flashlight in a stick for fun?”
“Nope.” I said dropping my imposing stance. “It’s a crystal I found in a cave that glows when touched. Well, glowed is an understatement, it lights up.”
“That is definitely interesting.” He said now intrigued. “Can I see it?”
“Fool!” I yelled. “Only I can wield the Staff of Light Bringing, you are not a mage such as I.”
He was about to protest when I continued on. “But you can see a different crystal.” I said kicking one over to him so he could pick it up.
“This is certainly interesting.” He said examining it.
“Yah, it’s cool. Whatever.” I said brushing it off. “But look how awesome I look with this staff!”
“I gotta say, you do look kinda like a mage.” He said looking me over. “A tactical one, but a wizard nonetheless.”
“Yah, cargo pants don't really go with a staff but I left my purple cape at home.” I joked as I tapped the crystal to turn it off.
“Anyways, I figured we have at most another thirty minutes before the others arrive.” Nyjill said standing up and stretching. “What should we do in the meantime?”
“Well, I’ve done a lot of walking and stuff so I’m gonna take a break.” I began. “But if you want you can do some yard work like trimming trees or picking up sticks so we can all set up when the others arrive.”
“You mean what you were supposed to be doing while you were off exploring?” He countered.
“Yah.” I said quickly. “But now you’re here and I’m delegating. I delegate you to work and me to rest.”
Nyjill rolled his eyes but grabbed the axe anyways. He went over to a tree and hacked off the branches before moving to the next one. Before long he had done the rest of the trees around the camp.
“The wood is soft but it still takes a lot to swing that axe over and over.” He said sitting down next to me. “Can you pass me the canteen, I’m thirsty.
“Sure.” I said passing it over. “I also found a stream north of here. Looks like fresh water but I’d still like to boil it before we drink it so we need the other supplies before it’s useful.”
“So you found a stream, a cave and weird crystals, cut some branches down and traced a perimeter around the camp before I got here.” Nyjill said after drinking from the canteen. “Did anything else happen?”
“Other than my Staff of Light Bringing, formerly known as the Walking Stick of Awesome, tripped me as soon as I came through the portal...no.” I said waiting for him to laugh.
“That’s great.” He said between his laughter. “Good thing you went first.”
“Yah yah, whatever.” I said waving him off. “I’m gonna go move the branches to the center of camp for burning. Take a break but don’t touch my Staff of Light Bringing! It does +10 damage to Nyjill’s.”
“Ok ok, I won't touch it.” He said as I went to work.
I was almost done when I heard some strange noises from the portal. I walked over to Nyjill and took up my Staff.
“Lets welcome the latecomers” I said standing in front but off to the side of the portal. I figured the cart would come through first and I didn’t want to get run over.
“If the cart comes first and they come through a second or so afterwards then we have at least a minute before they come through.” Nyjill reasoned.
“Hmm, that's enough time to move the cart to the other side of the portal and hide.” I said looking at Nyjill. “Or stand in front and pretend we didn't see the cart.”
“Ohh, I like the second one.” Nyjill said grinning back at me.
“Me too, from their perspective it would have really disappeared.” I added.
Soon after, the cart came through the portal. Neither of us had seen anything come out yet, so it was interesting to see. The portal made noise for a while then the cart just popped out at what I assumed was the same speed it went in at. Nyjill and I then pushed the very heavy cart around to the back of the portal and tried to quickly catch our breath.
“Ok.” I said between breaths. “Our story is we just got here, didn't see the cart, and I found this staff on the ground.”
“Why don’t you just set the staff to the side” Nyjill asked also out of breath.
“Because I like it. That’s why.” I replied. He rolled his eyes but accepted my answer nonetheless and grabbed the axe and his backpack.