They continued mapping the terrain, pushing deeper into the overwhelming crush of sprawling bushes. For a bit of assurance, they had gotten some pikes carved back at the main camp.

  One beast they had to avoid was a massive, slow-moving yellow lizard with powerful jaws and a tail strong enough to topple a tree.

  It wasn't fast enough to chase them, but its strangely yellow hue stood out—odd for a pure ambush predator. Probably poisonous. Its sense of smell and hearing, however, were frighteningly sharp.

  It would spot them and wait in paths they were bound to follow, watching them eerily as they passed by, like it believed they couldn't see it. Worse, when they turned back, it would be closer.

  Joey and Matthew had fallen over screaming in horror when the massive lizard silently approached without them even knowing, stopping only when they turned. It stared at them, still and waiting.

  For a couple of minutes, they screamed while it just watched. Then they ran—constantly checking their backs, terrified that it would have closed the gap, its enormous jaws opening to reveal rows of hooked, slimy teeth.

  They tried to forget and turned their attention to the red bird.

  It stalks its prey with sharp eyes that saw through the canopy with ease. Then, with chilling accuracy, it dived down, snatching up creatures with its three-toed foot before lifting them high into the air. Near its nest in the rocky hills, it would let go—dashing its prey's body against the rocks below.

  The jungle was a standoff between these three powerful predators. The herbivores were either big, armored beasts or fast, monkey-like creatures. There was also a small herd of large, furry, omnivorous chattel that had six legs and powerful snapping jaws, bathing and living close to the swamps.

  The dogs and the orange lizard didn't hunt each other much. The lizard's large body and the dogs' speed were incompatible.

  Both preferred hunting the bird. The bird, in turn, hunted both of them, horribly mauling the eyes and noses of lizards, stealing their eggs, and picking up young lizards to kill.

  It also often swooped down and took a dog or two away in its claws. It held the superiority of always being able to escape but wasn't that physically powerful.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  They returned to camp, Matthew and Joey joined in on trap-digging and sharpening logs. Matthew deliberately made small mistakes and kept his distance from the others, letting Joey and Brian handle the tension while he played the role of a mild annoyance.

  Whenever Petyr was far enough not to hear but close enough to see, Matthew casually asked others about the hostage situation—sometimes bringing it up out of nowhere, sometimes repeating the question just to be a little irritating.

  "Ask yourself, man. You're the one supposed to handle this, that's what you were appointed for."

  "Man, don't piss me off. We shouldn't give these bastards anything."

  Piece by piece, Matthew refined his plan. It was complex, relying on the reactions of at least fifteen people, but based on what he had gathered, only a few more moves were needed before it was ready. After simplifying the steps, he ran it by Brian.

  "That sounds good. Should we talk with the others more about it?" Brian asked.

  "No problem." Matthew stretched slightly. "I'll be out for a while—need to take a piss."

  He had two more things to do before he was sure this would work.

  Brian frowned but reluctantly left. Mathhew disappeared once Petyr turned away and attended to his first task, before coming back thirty minutes later to find Petyr.

  He found him hiding behind a tree at a high point maintaining visibility over their camp, he watched the boy in his most open moment. Petyr was openly scared, cursing about the plants, often taking a swig of water from his bottle. He massaged his ankle, annoyed, and caught small herbivores to eat, smiling deeply.

  After learning enough, Matthew circled around and made enough noise for Petyr to discover him. The boy jumped, scared at first, but quickly turned angry.

  "You little bastard, where the fuck did you go—"

  As Petyr charged at him, Matthew pulled a spiked wooden pole from his back and pointed it at the ground.

  Petyr stopped in his tracks, snarling. "Think you're big and tough now that you have a weapon—"

  "I didn't come here to be an asshole. I'm just warning you about our hunt. You might want to get to a safer distance and—"

  "Shut up. Trying to hide how many spirits you get, huh? I'm not that dumb."

  "Even if we get more than ten, we wouldn't give."

  Petyr laughed. "You think you have a choice?"

  Matthew stared at him with dark intensity, stepping closer and raising his pike.

  Petyr grit his teeth. "If you try me, make sure I die—else I'll bash your head in."

  Matthew held his glare for a while. "Being a piece-of-shit parasite for your master must be nice."

  Petyr screamed, veins popping in his head. "I'm not your fucking friend! Watch yourself. We don't want to be scrounging under Parker like you donkeys."

  "So you extort us and play lapdog for Vasilis? You think he'll share power with you? When he's at least level five, with a gun and skills, let's see how your relationship works then." Matthew watched the uncertainty pass over his face "maybe he'll keep you around for laughs"

  "You think you're something, don't you, working with these idiots. You think anyone here cares if you live or die? I've been watching you—everyone here knows you're worthless." Petyr argued, he beat his hands against his chest "i came up with the idea to fuck you guys over, Vasilis just brought the insurance."

  Matthew walked closer. Petyr's eyes hardened as he clenched his fists and reached behind for his knife but smiled satisfied.

  "Are you planning on going back to the White Temple after this? Because you won't know a moment of peace. Vasilis can't save you either. After he runs out of bullets, you can expect to receive the beating of a lifetime—most likely an execution. You'll live out here with your fellow animals."

  Petyr displayed a wide range of emotions during his monologue. Matthew understood his situation a little better. He turned and left.

  "Make sure I'm the first person you shoot."