Primitive Man

Chapter 104: Chameleon

"Garnt, is this really the tree? Are you sure about that?" Ayra asked, looking at the curvy tree that looked like something out of a horror movie, and that's exactly why it was so unique.

"I won't mistake it. These curves look a lot like you and Rona, so I remember it vividly," It was a weird way for Garnt to identify the tree, but both Ayra and Rona only took it as a compliment.

Garnt, Ayra, Rona and the other team members that followed them cautiously entered the tunnel, their footsteps echoing in the dimly lit passageway. The cold, damp air sent shivers down their spines, but their determination to find the mysterious egg fueled their resolve.

The eerie curvature of the tree's roots seemed to reach out to them, adding an unsettling ambiance to their journey.

"Woah! This place is a lot more creepy than we remember," Garnt wondered how they didn't notice all of this, but he knew it might be because of the pressure.

They proceeded down the tunnel, their lanterns flickering, casting eerie shadows on the uneven walls. The path wound deeper into the earth, making them feel as though they were descending into the heart of a nightmare.

As they approached the chamber where the egg was hidden, a sense of excitement washed over them.

"It's still beautiful, nothing like the tunnel," It was still a beautiful scenery with several types of minerals still shining brightly in the room.

The massive ice block that had concealed the precious giant egg was now melted, revealing the proper size of the egg, miraculously unharmed.

"It's a little smaller than I remember, I guess the ice block did something to make it look bigger," Garnt muttered, but others wanted to say that it wasn't the case, after all, it was still fifty times more bigger than a normal egg.

Garnt pondered the potential dangers that lay ahead. He knew there was a chance the creature that had laid the egg might return, but it seemed unlikely. The silence of the cavern only heightened their unease, suggesting they were alone in this forsaken place.

'We have been here for a full day and that creature didn't come, I don't think that would happen,"

As they circled the egg, inspecting it for any signs of tampering, their fellow group members who had accompanied them into the tunnel suddenly erupted in fear. They pointed frantically at the chamber's wall, their faces contorted with terror. Garnt strained his eyes to see what had frightened them but found nothing amiss.

"What happened?" Garnt demanded, searching for an explanation. One of the men in the group, trembling with fear, stammered out, "I saw some kind of snake-like creature on the wall, it was unlike anything I've ever seen."

Garnt's heart quickened, and he felt a surge of caution. He knew that in these dark, mysterious depths, anything was possible. "Prepare your weapons," he ordered, his voice unwavering despite the rising tension. "We need to be ready for anything."

Everyone hurriedly gathered around Garnt, their eyes scanning up and down, searching for what had frightened their companions, but none of them could see anything harmful.

Maro, Garnt's loyal pet wolf, sensed the growing unease. Her hackles raised, and she began to growl menacingly at the same wall that had frightened the others. The tension in the chamber became almost unbearable, and they braced themselves for whatever unknown threat might emerge.

"Maro, do you feel anything?" Garnt asked from Maro, but suddenly the rock next to Maro exploded causing her to jump back.

Ayra and Rona both shouted, since the last thing they wanted was Maro to get wounded after all, she had become the village's favourite pet wolf, and her safety was a top priority for everyone.

"She is okay, she won't go down from a single attack, after all, she is my wolf," Garnt tried to put up a confident front, but even was rather worried about this strange situation.

The tension in the room was palpable as they struggled to understand what had just occurred. As they were about to regroup and reassess the situation, Garnt sensed a presence behind them.

Instinctively, he leapt forward and hurled his spear in the direction of the disturbance, his actions swift and precise.

"Everyone, something is behind us," He shouted, as his spear went flying backwards.

The room erupted in gasps and confusion as the spear struck its target.

"What is that?" Ayra asked confused looking at the animal in front of them.

A snake-like creature, with four arms, appeared out of nowhere, wounded by Garnt's throw. The mysterious creature writhed in pain on the chamber floor, its unusual appearance leaving everyone bewildered. How had it appeared so suddenly was still a big question for everyone.

"Where did it come from?" Rona asked, as she didn't understand how something could appear out of nowhere.

Eva, the group's resident expert in local fauna, quickly realized the nature of the creature.

[It's a giant chameleon and it was perfectly blending into the environment before Garnt's attack. This creature must have been lurking here, waiting to strike.]

she exclaimed providing all the necessary information to Garnt.

The gravity of the situation began to sink in. They were near a large, mysterious egg, and if this creature had been guarding it, they could only imagine the danger they were in. Garnt, his eyes filled with determination, knew that there could be no mercy in this situation.

He readied his weapon and advanced toward the wounded chameleon, determined to protect his group and the precious discovery they had made.

"We are the bad guys here, we are going to kill this animal that is protecting the egg, but do it without hesitation otherwise our people will die," Garnt shouted and charged at the reptile with his dagger, hoping that he would be able to take his spear back, which was made with a new iron.

However, just as they readied their weapons for another assault, the chameleon suddenly sprang to life, its massive four-armed body disappearing into thin air. Shock and confusion rippled through the group as they watched in awe.

"What just happened?" Everyone started to question without knowing how to react.

"It's camouflaging!" Garnt shouted, his voice urgent. "Keep your eyes open and look for any signs, any trail of blood!"

Everyone cautiously scanned the surroundings, hoping to spot any trace of the wounded creature. The chamber's tension had reached a breaking point, and they knew they had to remain vigilant about the rocks falling since it was not a fully safe place.

But in the midst of their search, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air. One of the men had become the unfortunate target of the chameleon. "Ahhhhhhhh~ help me! It captured me, I'm going to die,"

The chameleon's long, sinewy tongue had shot out and wrapped around the man's leg, dragging him helplessly toward its gaping maw. It intended to swallow him whole. Panic and fear filled the chamber as the man struggled against the chameleon's powerful grip.

Garnt and Rona, acting swiftly, rushed to the man's aid. With their new weapons, they hacked at the chameleon's tongue, causing the creature to release an agonized cry of pain. Ayra seized this opportunity to strike. She moved behind the chameleon, her spear poised, and with a swift, decisive thrust, she pierced its head.

"I got this, Garnt." She was proud that, she got to deliver the final blow most of the time, after all taking lives to protect her loved ones was the happiest thing she could do.

The chameleon let out a final, deafening cry as the camouflage broke, revealing its monstrous form. It crashed to the ground, its head leaking blood, and its body slowly ceased its movements. The creature was dead, and the threat it had posed to their group was finally eliminated.

Exhausted and shaken, Garnt and his companions regrouped, their hearts still pounding. They had faced an unimaginable danger in the depths of the chamber, but they had emerged victorious, safeguarding their expedition and their lives.

"That was one of a kind of animal," Garnt whispered in awe, as he stared at the lifeless chameleon before them. Its exotic appearance and deadly capabilities had left a lasting impression on the group.

[It is. Even in my time, people adapted camouflage for different purposes. It is a great technique to attack your enemy by surprise or just protect yourself from enemies.]

Usually, Eva wanted Garnt to learn many things from this encounter and she knew he would do that without even her interference, but then she had to wonder.

[Garnt, do you think this egg belongs to this animal?]

"I have no idea. I haven't seen a chameleon before so how do I know what their eggs look like? We just killed the mother, so the least we can do is see whether we can support the offspring." He looked at Maro, while saying those words and realized how similar this situation was.

He felt bad that the same thing had happened again, but he was glad that he had found this animal. After all, now he knows what he needs to be careful about