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Chapter 21 - Camping
🕑 Added 2025-03-31 15:08:35 +0000 UTCGallop, gallop, gallop!
In a forest of towering trees, a horse raced forward along a dirt road. Standing on the saddle, a small figure held the reins, guiding the horse.
'Damn, standing on the saddle is exhausting. The curse of being small,' Puss thought irritably.
It had been five days since he left San Ricardo, and he had been riding almost nonstop, only pausing to let the horse rest and to eat or sleep himself.
His irritation began to fade when he saw a signpost ahead, pointing down the road.
Puss read the words aloud.
"San Riqueza."
His eyes sparkled at the sight—he was getting close.
Unfortunately, before he could celebrate, he heard his horse snorting more than usual. It was time to stop again for rest, and the sun was already setting.
He sat down in the saddle, pulled out a map, and studied it carefully.
'I should arrive tomorrow…' Puss thought after analyzing the route.
Soon, he found a small clearing a little further ahead and leaped off the horse onto the ground.
"Come on, amigo, lie down so I can remove the saddle," Puss said, patting the horse's leg.
Obediently, the horse lay down. Removing the saddle and bridle, he let the animal get up to graze and rest while he gathered materials to make a fire.
"Why did it suddenly turn into a forest when it was all desert before? Is this another craziness of this world, or does this happen on Earth too?" Puss wondered, confused as he collected dry branches.
To be honest, in his past life, he hadn't been much of an explorer and had barely left his own city. When it came to the environment, he was as clueless as one could be. Of course, he knew such transitions probably existed on Earth, but he had never seen them with his own eyes. In this crazy world, though, it seemed far more common.
The abundance of dry branches in the area made his job easier. In no time, he had gathered enough and returned to his chosen campsite, tossing the wood onto the ground.
Before starting, he picked up some stones and arranged them in a circle to prevent the fire from spreading.
'The survival lessons and books I bought are really paying off right now… Not to mention all the times I watched Bear Grylls in my past life…' Puss thought, amused.
Next, he pulled a knife from his backpack and began shaving one of the dry branches, creating small wood shavings. Combined with some dry leaves and tree bark flakes, he built a small, flammable nest.
Finally, he took out a flint and a piece of metal. Holding the metal against the flint, he struck it firmly, producing sparks. After a few tries, the embers landed on the nest, and a thin wisp of smoke rose.
Puss crouched and blew gently, encouraging the embers. Soon, a small flame flickered to life. Carefully, he added the dry branches on top, making sure the fire could breathe.
Within moments, the campfire was burning.
He then stood up and stretched his back. Sniffing the air lightly a few times, he suddenly paused.
His eyes narrowed toward the east, and a grin spread across his face.
"The fire is ready, and dinner has arrived!" He said.
Then, with a leap toward the east, he bolted forward at an incredible speed on all fours.
Leaping onto a tree, his landing was so soft that the branches didn't even shake. Using his claws to grip, he swiftly climbed up, running along the trunk until he perched on a thick branch.
Dashing across the branch, he sprang toward another tree.
…
A squirrel woke up early, preparing for another day of work.
"Darling, I'm heading out. I might get a promotion today, and I can't be late," He said to his beautiful squirrel wife, holding a nut under his arm, ready to start his day.
"Well, I know. You've been Employee of the Month three times in a row. I just wish you'd work less, you're gone for so long… Haah, forget it. I love you!"
She complained a little, but in the end, knowing he wouldn't change his mind, she simply sighed and spoke lovingly.
As she spoke, she smoothed down the fur on his neck to make him look more presentable.
The two stood at the entrance of their burrow, bidding farewell with a kiss.
"I love you too. I have to go!" Separating from the kiss, he smiled at her and turned to leave.
But the moment he turned, he saw two enormous slitted green eyes staring at him.
"AAAAAAAAH!!"
The squirrel couple screamed in terror as a swift orange paw skillfully snatched them up.
"Monster! Let my wife go and take me instead!" The husband squirrel gathered his courage and shouted, but the monster seemed to ignore him.
As they were held in horror, they heard the voice of the terrifying monster that had captured them.
"Huh? Where's the third squirrel?" The monster said in confusion, sniffing the air.
"Third?" The husband asked, puzzled by the question.
After sniffing again, the monster seemed to find what it was looking for and shoved its paw into their burrow. When it pulled it out, another male squirrel was caught in its grasp, screaming in terror.
"AHHHHHHH!!"
The first squirrel, now seeing another male squirrel inside his home, turned to his wife in disbelief.
"I-I can explain!!" The wife, shocked that her secret had been exposed, quickly tried to justify herself.
But the squirrel needed no explanation.
"BITCHHHHHH!!!..."
…
Sizzle! Sizzle!
Puss looked on in satisfaction as three skewered squirrels sizzled over the flames.
'The smell is good. Good thing I learned how to cook and brought spices,' Puss thought as he turned the skewers.
When he had caught the squirrels, all he heard was "Squeak! Squeak!"—so he had no idea of the bloody drama that had unfolded.
Taking one off the fire, he took a bite and closed his eyes in satisfaction.
"Delicioso!!" He exclaimed.
He had never eaten squirrel meat before, but for his feline taste buds, it wasn't bad at all.
Finishing his meal quickly, he lay down for a light nap with a full stomach.
He had trained extensively on how to sleep while remaining alert over the past fifteen years, so he wasn't too worried about being caught off guard, not with his mutant cat instincts and senses.
As he lay there, watching the stars pass overhead before drifting into sleep, Puss recalled the man who had asked for his help.
He had looked desperate and terrified. His clothes were ragged, and he seemed famished. He had been truly frightened, saying that his family's life was in danger and that they couldn't leave the city.
He had spoken of a giant monster, something like a frog, which, if not slain, would doom him, his family, and everyone in town.
'He said the frog is sleeping and could wake up at any moment… I hope they can hold out until I get there,' Puss thought, gazing at the stars.
For the past few days, he had ridden almost nonstop. He had only stopped now because he was very close to the city and didn't need to rush as much—any chaos caused by a giant monster would be loud enough for him to hear and rush in.
Of course, he preferred to arrive sooner to avoid any risks, but his horse was exhausted, and so was he—neither of which would be good for battle.
Under that sky, so full of stars it felt like he could see the entire universe with the naked eye—a view he would never have had on Earth—for some reason, Puss felt lonelier than ever.
Only the crackling flames and their warmth reassured him that he was truly there, in the present, and that this wasn't just some crazy dream.
His eyes slowly closed as familiar faces passed through his mind, either giving him strength in the darkness and solitude—or only making him sink deeper.
'Mama, Humpty… I wish you were here…'
With those thoughts, his eyes gradually shut, and he drifted into the world of dreams.
Comments
Tenske
Hahaha, eu fico imaginando a reação dele se ele conseguisse entender os esquilos
