Moonshine made me blind to this pyramid scheme (BL)

Next day was similar to the previous one. Rain was not heavy, but ground became soggy, with actual puddles. Forest morphed into a wet jungle. There were more bushes, with all kinds of bugs crawling around. Frogs were jumping from under their feet, birds were sitting on branches looking down as they passed.

Blaze screamed yet again, 'yelled out of surprise' he said, when a huge snake passed by his feet slithering between grasses. Now, Jone was walking with him at the back of the group, discussing his lack of impulse control. It was not a big deal, but this tendency to vocalise his surprise was not something he did before, and any such changes in reactions can be an early symptom of neural imbalance. Something they were all cautious about, as it would not end well.

Blaze admitted feeling a bit unsettled by the lack of roof above him. So Jone promised him a cup of special tea to help his readjustment to open spaces. Thinking about it, agoraphobia was not unexpected considering their sheltered life before. Which made Jone aware that others might have similar issues, just hiding them better than honest and unguarded Blaze. And so, next evening they all had to drink a more bitter version of tea.

They made a patio again, this time cutting trees into planks and crossing them over stumps so that they would actually sleep above ground. Away from puddles, frogs and snakes.

Cid actually thought it's hilarious, how this bunch of enhanced super soldiers all found unacceptable to just rough it out. They invested time and energy in setting up such elaborate sleeping area, just for one night. Yet, he would also find it gross if he were to wake up with a frog perched on his face.

So, with expressionless face showing nothing of his internal amusement, he cut the planks and later, with Mani assisting, set up their tent. Then Mani brought him a cup of hot tea and dinner. Room service, not bad. Cid noticed Mani trying to interact more, and he liked that change.

This was their fourth night out, and food was still prepacked rations. One per person per day, they had supplies for four more days. After that they will have to start foraging and hunting.

"Frogs are edible." Jone said, but everyone ignored him. They did not want to think about that yet. Alright, it would not be hard to catch them, but then they should kill them and cook them. Disgusting. All the meat they ever ate in their lives came from labs. Synthetically produced by Geb and Hama, using soybeans and mung beans as materials. Only Xul and Ah Kin actually ate real meat in the past. They were ancient relics themselves, old enough to see live animals raised back in the time station was still used as a shelter.

They hemmed and hawed, stretched and grunted, and then crawled into their tents before Yax or Jone really put them on frog catching duty. It was unavoidable, but they were willing to postpone it for as long as they could. Eventually, they will fold, as there was really no other food other than strange tasting plants.

Comfortably snuggled in his sleeping bag, with one hand under his head and other one pressing the pendant on his chest, Mani stared into the tent above him. Yesterday, when he got the pendant, he really thought it had some sort of heating mechanism installed. Then later, when it cooled down, he realised that it was Yak's body heat he felt at first. The difference startled him.

Did that guy had metabolism so enhanced that it made him into a human stove? He felt jealous and amazed. Having such a high body temperature sure makes sleeping in this conditions more comfortable. He guessed Yak did not have to use extra blanket like he did. He closed his eyes and soon drifted to sleep.

***

Next day they continued walking following their course, but even before midday they realised they are in trouble. Puddles became bigger, and on some places they had to wade through water reaching their knees. Huge oaks were replaced by willows and birches, and they even found bushes with edible red berries that Ivory named redcurrants. After tasting some and founding them a bit sour but refreshing, they decided to pick up some and fill their dinner containers to had as a dessert later.

While they plundered bushes, Yax picked one of the alders and climbed up too survey the path ahead. He chose an old tree, with sturdy branches to stand on. Once on top, he looked around. They were indeed in the middle of nowhere. Looking to he west, trees were generally lower and there were more willows. Looking east, he saw those giant oaks towering over alders. East was same as west. On the north, there was that hills chain they walked on few days back.

He climbed down, and gathered his teammates. "It seems this swamp just gets worse if we continue this way. Higher terrain is on the north." He looked down at the water surrounding his ankles.

"We shall change our route, and go north untill we are back on solid ground. Even with longer path, it will be easier to walk, and time spend should be same." Even if made of waterproof materials, their clothes was not sealed shut, and their boots and pants were wet inside already.

Ivory took out the map, and everyone gathered to take a look. Mani made a quick calculation. "If we go north-west, we should reach high ground while staying close enough to the route. When on river, if we float downstream before landing, we can go back on correct path." Big river marked on their map went from north-west to south-east, diagonally cutting the route they had marked on the map. "That would make up time we lost in this swamp." He looked up and stopped talking when he realised that everyone was watching him.

Blaze patted his shoulder, and Mani confusedly looked at him. Is this encouragement? But before he could react, he heard Ivory say "That sound reasonable to me. Yax?"

"Sounds all right." Yax clapped "Let's move on, we need to get to higher ground and make a place to spend the night as well. Pair up and watch your step!" He looked over his team, and saw Floreo already standing next to Echo, Blaze moving closer to Jone, and Cid siding to Mani. He nodded at them, satisfied that he did not need to explain. He an Ivory took the lead, and for the rest of the day they moved in a row like that.

With soldiers assisting logistics, they moved faster over water and fallen trees. As they went on, for a while there was not much change, but then the ground became higher with less water, and before half of the afternoon passed, they were back on dry land. They did not climb to the ridge as before, but just used hillside too move west.

Forest changed again, and this time they stumbled upon a strange area where trees were apart, forming sort of a passage, tunnel of sorts, where only grasses and fallen leaves covered the ground.

Ivory checked his map, and found that it is likely remnant of an ancient road. They mostly ignored those lines on the map, as so far nothing remained on the path they took.

"Look Yax, it goes mostly in direction we need to take."

Yax took a look as well. This road used to go all the way to the river, but he felt that hoping for the bridge to still be there would be overly optimistic.

Using this old pathway made traveling a lot easier and later, they wouldn't need to cut down trees to make a patio again. They walked until night started to fall, then stopped and made a camp.

Today, Mani started assembling tent together with Cid, screwing together support poles and helping inserting them in sleeves. Cid accepted it as natural progression of their teaming up, and with a dose of melancholy reminisced about their first meeting.

As they settled for the night, they used a rope to improvise a clothesline. Changing into spare dry pants and socks, throwing wet uniforms over the rope to dry, they realised that drying boots is gonna be a bit harder. In the end, Blaze and Floreo went and gathered some dry branches, and while Echo and Jone prepared their tea and food, they managed to make their first real camp fire.

Placing their boots in a circle around it, and putting night watch in charge of keeping an eye on it, they hoped it would dry at least a bit by morning.

Yax took the first watch, as he could not fall asleep anyway. When everyone else retired for the night, he sat next to the fire, prodding it with a stick, and thinking. As he thought, his face became hotter, must be because of fire. Yep, fire.

Or visualising that lovely curve of Mani's calf, that he saw earlier. It was a rather muscular calf. And thigh. Not as muscular as Yax, naturally, he was way bulkier, but considering how thin Mani looked in his clothes, that leg was surprisingly well defined. And smooth.

Or remembering how Mani actually accepted that pendant. And wears it under his clothes. That same gem he used to propose. Could this be thought as calling dibs?