As everyone turned to face the source of the sound, they saw Audric struggling. Astrid rushed forward, but Kaden held her back. "Don't hurry; you'll end up like him," Kaden warned.
"Instead, let us approach Audric slowly." Kaden advised and the group started approaching him.
When they reached him, they saw that he was having trouble breathing, sweating profusely, and clearly unstable.
"Hold his head," Kaden instructed Xavier. Kaden then examined Audric's leg, which was covered in thorns.
Audric yelled in pain "Don't just stare at it, do something!" Audric cried out
Kaelyn intervened. "Shut up, Audric. We told you not to hurry, but you didn't listen Now you are in this condition but you are still arguing and yelling." Kaelyn retorted angrily at Audric. Audric tried to retort, but Astrid placed a hand over his mouth.
If Audric had just listened to Kaden and went more slowly, they won't have been in this mess. But now, they would have to spend even more time to heal his injury.
" He is even trying to argue further, let us leave him here and proceed." Kaelyn said with her arms crossed narrowing her eyes at Audric.
That was the right thing to do! Because asides from the fact that Audric was not even being nice, the injury looked like something that was not minor. So, why not leave him behind let him die here?
" No! Why would you say that? We wouldn't leave you behind, so why suggest that for him?" Astrid argued.
" It is alright, I have an idea to fix this." Kaden said.
" These thorns are poisonous and vemonous. If we don't remove them and suck the bad blood out, the venom will get to Audric's brain which will result to him dying."
Everyone else gasped out in shock and worry well except for Kaelyn who was still holding on to her suggestion.
" See why I made my point earlier?, how do we even go about this? Even if we remove the thorns, how are going to suck out the bad blood in time before it gets to his brain?" Kaelyn asked with annoyance.
" We will find a way Kaelyn. Also, stop saying that you are not making the person in the situation feel any better." Astrid warned Kaelyn with a tone that meant she was not willing to compromise.
" Yes,-Kaden said agreeing with Astrid- the thorns, I will remove them, one of you will look for a plant called the bloodsucker. It is white in color and enclosed. Pluck it from the root, not the stem. If not, it will immediately die." Kaden instructed.
" What if it is not here." Kaelyn asked
" That doesn't happen. Anywhere you see bloodthorns, there are blood suckers around." Kaden answered.
Astrid looked around and spoke.
" Xav and I are occupied, while Kaden is removing the thorns, Sierra, please, go get the blood suckers." Astrid told Sierra, with a pleading tone. Astrid knew she could not ask Kaelyn to tag along, so she only asked Sierra.
Sierra nodded her head and started moving slowly, looking for the bloodsuckers. She heard a loud groan which caused her to turn back. She saw Kaden removing the thorns from Audric's leg. But blood didn't come out. It looked like in the holes the blood had just been sealed up. That was probably the bad blood, Sierra thought to herself. Sierra then remembered that they didn't have much time and continued looking for the bloodsuckers.
The grove had water in it, so she was moving on water; she couldn't see where she was because water was all over the place. Time had passed and Sierra, seeing that she was not finding the bloodsuckers, dipped herself fully underneath the water and started looking closely for it. She was grovelling slowly, looking closely for the blood suckers. Sierra still could not find it.
" Sierra! Have you found it?"
Sierra heard a voice that sounded like Astrid's
" No!" Sierra responded, still grovelling slowly and moving her hands around the water to find the plany. She still could not find anything. Sierra, seeing that she still was not still seeing the bloodsuckers, she removed a blade that was in the heel of her shoes, removed her shoes and stood in her feet. She carried the blade and pricked her toes. Piercing it deep in her toes so they do enough damage. She groaned in pain and started walking around the water. Sierra still walked with courage with her legs shaking, tears streaming down her eyes, as well as the water making the injury more painful, she still walked with resilience. She didn't want to fail anyone.
She was almost giving up,then,she saw the water rippling, as if it was sucking something. She felt her pain being relieved and walked towards it. She couldn't see the bloodsucker, but she looked at the ripples. Sierra thought of something then silently prayed to the Gods above that she was doing the right thing, she dipped her hands into the water and went straight towards the soil. She packed the soil up and saw the plant. It was a bunch, and one of them had red on it, like it was stained.
It was the blood sucker. Sierra cried, this time of tears of joy!
Sierra's face glowed with happiness, then she started walking back towards her friends and gave Kaden the bloodsucker.
"Sierra, thank you so much," Astrid said, her eyes gleaming at Sierra. Kaden took the plant and placed them on the wounds. They saw the plants sucking the bad blood from Audric. Audric's face looked relieved a bit, and everyone gave a breath of fresh air and relief.