Creatures Caves

Chapter Eight: Entering the Temple

It took a lot of convincing for Peaches to coax the upset Gregor into coming along with her and her friends. He ushered them into a lift and pushed a red button shaped like an arrow pointing downwards. The crowded lift gently lowered the creatures. Stopping violently at the floor of the jungle, the elevator let out a shudder as it opened its door for the creatures to be let out. All of the creatures stepped out and continued on one of the longer roads.
All the while during the long trek through the thick jungle, Olivia and Gregor kept on bickering about the earlier fiasco with Gregor’s gadget: the flibbertigibbet, which he named after what someone calls a goofy-looking object. Gregor kept on ranting that it was all Olivia’s fault that his machine broke, while Olivia accused Gregor for building it sloppily. Tandy kept trying to stop their arguing, but the bickering creatures just ignored her vain attempts.
Out of all four creatures, Gregor knew the jungle the best. But because he was to busy quarreling with Olivia, all four creatures were going around in circles. Peaches realized with dread that unless she stopped their arguing they might never get out of this god-forsaken place.
Peaches ran ahead of Tandy towards Gregor and Olivia. She was just in time to hear their latest argument: “You just had to push the blue button! It wasn’t even ready yet!” Gregor shouted.
Olivia’s nostrils flared and lavender fur bristled while she countered, “It might’ve been able to not break from that fall if you just built it stronger!”
Olivia, though taught good manners from her father’s servants, wanted to pound Gregor right in his ugly nose. Judging by Gregor’s look in the eye, Peaches thought that he was dying to kick Olivia’s purple rear. But before the talk got physical, Peaches thrust herself in between the squabbling creatures and said, trying to reason with them both, “Look, guys. If you want to keep on arguing and lead us around in circles, be my guest. But if you want to enter the Temple of Baa with Tandy and me, then stop bickering like a couple of sparrows and let Gregor lead us to the clearing.”
Gregor didn’t know what sparrows were, but he knew clearly well what Peaches meant. Peaches watched, relieved, as Gregor ignored Olivia’s stinging looks and just walked along, taking the lead. Peaches looked at Tandy and said, “Maybe now we’ll actually get to the temple before nightfall.”
Tandy nodded her agreement, relief in her brown eyes as well. Despite what happens next, Peaches thought, we’ll get to the Temple of Baa.

***

Peaches was enthralled by the time they reached the grassy hollow. It took only fifteen minutes to get there after the argument between Gregor and Olivia, who dallied in the middle of the jungle bickering for a whole four hours. Tandy ran and hugged them both, happily sobbing, “I’m so glad you two stopped quarrelling!”
Peaches was also wild with joy that Olivia and Gregor stopped shouting at each other. Yet to her dismay, she saw that they still shot each other looks that would wither Peaches if they were aimed at her. This means they haven’t fully forgiven each other, Peaches thought sadly.
Despite Peaches’s misgivings, they arrived at the clearing with plenty of time to spare: five hours, to be precise. The sun beat down hard on the Norns’ heads, making them feel as though they were on fire. Gregor, however, was very hyper because of the heat. The lush leaves blew gently in the warm breeze heading for the sea. “Well,” Peaches yawned, “why not we rest for a while before entering the abandoned temple? We have plenty of time to spare, and our legs could use a rest.”
The others were in no hurry to disagree. The second Peaches suggested the idea of stopping for a rest, Tandy, Gregor, and Olivia collapsed to the ground and started panting for breath as though they’ve been running for hours on end. In a few minutes, Olivia stepped to her feet and groggily offered, “How’s about I go and get you guys something to eat? My tree house isn’t that far, and I’m starving.”
Peaches smiled and said, “Sure. I’m ravenous, and I bet Tandy and Gregor are as well.” At that Olivia smiled and headed to the lift for her tree house. Even though she didn’t know for sure what the word ‘ravenous’ meant, Olivia had a sneaking suspicion it meant ‘hungry.’
Not long after Olivia left, she arrived with a picnic basket. Peaches’s spirits lifted when she saw what Olivia had brought for her and her friends: some of the most pricy foods Peaches had ever seen. They were a small sea of tomato sauce floating in a crust which bordered it, and on top of it was bubbly cheese. She didn’t know what on earth they were because there weren’t such foods like it in the Albian Gardens. Even so, Gregor, Tandy, Olivia, and Peaches munched happily on the mini pizzas.
By the time they’d finished, Tandy and Peaches were covered with cheese, tomato sauce, and crust crumbs. In the Albian Gardens, manners weren’t as important as brains. But Olivia and Gregor didn’t know that. Olivia looked absolutely green in the face when she saw her friends covered with the pizza garments. “You look gross!” She shrieked out of the blue, and then she ran behind a bush. There was a loud gagging sound, and Olivia came back looking a lot less green.
Gregor burped and said, “Well, we have about four whole hours until sunset. The Temple of Baa is gigantic, so the sooner we enter, the better.” Peaches and Tandy nodded their approval, and Olivia just stared at the entrance, dying to go in.
Peaches helped Gregor and Tandy up to their feet and led the way to the front door of the stone structure. Gregor pushed the Norns aside and with all his might pulled the door open. Everyone peeked inside. The assorted stones that paved the floor, walls, and roof were hidden farther back in darkness. Lichen grew on the walls, and the whole place looked consumed in shadow.
Gregor gulped as Tandy looked about ready to faint. Olivia just asked fearfully, “Are we really going in there?”
Peaches clenched her hands into fists. After all that they’d been through, she wasn’t ready to give up just yet. “Yes,” she said bravely smiling at all three of her friends whom she dearly cared for: Tandy, her first and best friend; Olivia, the first outsider she met; and Gregor, the kind, trustworthy Grendel. Peaches liked them all. Then she said, “Yes we are.”
Peaches then walked into the eternal-looking darkness. But she knew that close behind, her three best friends were padding along.

Hawksight