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Chapter 8: The hunting game (part 3)

They kept staying at the place in minutes, waiting for Amelinda to heal Leo then left. They after that saw some Athenenas who all brought bows and arrows go cross them but the Athenenas didn’t see them kept going away. It’s not lucky for Heracles and his friend in the day, they didn’t meet any animals after that. They kept wandering inside the forest till evening then decided not to go back their tents because it’s too late for them to go back that moment. They found a dry area, stacked pile of firewood then burnt it. They kept sitting around it chatting in hours then latter all of them fell in sleep. Somewhere outside the area in deeply forest, chaos is happening but Heracles and others there didn’t have any clue about it. They were still in their dreams.

***

Light rays went through leaves, hit on Heracles’s face. He woke up and found out all people were still sleeping lying around the fire which is no longer burning. The firewood had burnt completely. There had only ashes which had cooled on ground. Heracles reached to Gwen who lay by him and shook his hand. 

“Wake … Wake up Gwen. It’s morning.” he said.

Gwen sat up, rubbed his eyes by hands. “Heracles, why do we stay in here? And why are the others also here?” asked Gwen.

“Don’t you remember Gwen? We are in ten days of natural survival?” said Heracles giving him an odd looking.

“God, I forget it. Just dreamed about a great party on a strange island at somewhere in the wide sea.” said Gwen.

“Forget it Gwen.” said Heracles shortly, “We have to wake them up and go hunting now.”

Then they woke up the others. They hurriedly left the place. They kept going far away their tent. Entire the morning they didn’t meet anything. After a long travel, they found the way to rest. Honestly, he, Gwen and Leo could continue but Amelinda and the other girls were tired and needed to rest. 

Heracles and the others were sitting on gigantic roots growing out from ground. They were eating their lunch. While others were stayed together, Gwen sat alone breaking his bread in pieces, sadly put them into his mouth and reluctantly chewed them. Sometime, he casually threw bread piece away. It someway attracted a cock which was hiding inside bushes nearby. The cock stealthy went out from bushes walking toward Gwen’s bread pieces and then started pecking them. Gwen quickly saw it and turned happy. “Heracles,” he called in very small voice, hinting the others to the cock which were enjoying the bread pieces. Heracles and others silently made their way to round it. They slowly appeared from its back. The cock kept eating, not knowing that it was in danger. A crack sound suddenly spread out some one stepped on a dry branch and broke it. The cock raised its head and saw them around. It immediately ran and crowed loudly. They immediately chased after it. Gwen leapt down, lowered his body opened his arms widely and waited for the cock on its way. The cocked kept running straight to him. Right after it were Amlinda, Flora and Fiona. Heracles and Leo were each side of it. The cock turned muck noisy when it faced to Gwen. It flapped its wings, leapt up then flew over Gwen’s head. Gwen turned back at one, he jumped up, stretched his hands and then grabbed the cock by both his hands. He fell down after that. His face was down on ground but he had caught the cock which crowed noisy on his hand. 

“Are you okay?” said Heracles who came to him first. “Ouch --” Gwen turned over. His face was dirty but he seemed very happy. “I got it.” he said grinning. 

“Yes, you did.” said Heracles. He helped Gwen to stand up then flattened his clothes. 

“Is it enough for us to join in flag robbing game?” said Gwen holding up the cock front of others’ faces.

“Yes, it is.” said Amelinda. 

The cock turned much noisy than ever. It seemed not to stop crowing from the time it’s caught. Suddenly, an arrow from somewhere shot toward them hitting on the cock. The crows stopped. The cock didn’t struggle anymore it died. Heracles and the others immediately turned to the place the arrow came out and see shapes of people after thick trees. The people walked out from the trees.

“I’m sorry. I think it’s an ownerless bird.” said one who brought a spear. He was Hank. Accompanying with him was Morela, Donna and some Aresans. Almost of them brought bows and arrows while other brought spears as like Hank. They hurriedly approached Heracles and the others. 

“Didn’t you see that we caught it?” said Heracles staring at Hank.

“Yes, I did.” said Hank shortly.

“What do you mean?” said Heracles.

Hank didn’t speak, he kept looking at Heracles’s eyes. They looked at each other in seconds. “I only go to tell you that I will defeat you in flag robbing game.” said Hank breaking the silence then took his eyes out from Heracles.

“I wait for it.” said Heracles. 

Hank and his friend left after that. They quickly vanished from the place. Heracles and the others also strode off going toward their tents. When they came there, it’s nearly dark. Some people of their family had been there. The others also turned back after that. They grouped in their captain tent, brought out things they had hunted. Except the cock Heracles and his fellows had hunted, the other also caught another cock and a rabbit. The animals were put inside the captain tent then some of them left going to militant tents. 

!!! The above post is a draft of my first book on Heracles, Heracles and the Nemean lion in Hippocoon land. Its content can be omitted, modified or replaced. If you want to read the full version, click here buy a ebook: Heracles and the Nemean lion or click here to a paper book: Heracles and the Nemean lion by Hung Nguyen !!!




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