Arcaida

-: Chapter 3 :-

1 Corinthians 12:4-26

"For in fact the body is not one member but many."

The floor of the Bramble bush was blanketed in brittle moss, the usual sponginess was gone and the deep green a now sickly pale beige. The air was strangely dry and odourless, the moss which crumbled underfoot puffing up clouds of dust which scratched the back of the throat. The Brambles' vines reached all around the small party, thick trunks giving off thousands of smaller limbs. Only small pathways were easily traversable through the brambles, Joshua had first thought they could be pathways made by some of the native creatures, but the lack of spoor quickly removed that idea from his mind. There had been dozens of trails winding every which way, John had chosen a path at random and set the party off at a brisk pace. The brush was completely silent, save for the heavy footsteps of the men pushing through it.

"I don't know how the bloody hell we are supposed to see in this, let alone shoot anything! This was a crap idea John." One of the older lads said, Joshua had never really cared to remember his name.

"Holy shit Si, stop whining."

 "I'm not whining! I'm just pointing out the obvious mate... there ain't nothin' here!"

"You're fucking classic aren't yah? Ten minutes in and you wanna quit, no wonder you can't hold a woman down."

Low blow Joshua thought to himself, though Simon wasn't wrong. Before entering the brush he had speculated that perhaps when the Bramble-bushes had grown to a certain size they stopped moving. That speculation didn't explain the porcelain like moss underneath his feet, each step puncturing craters into the otherwise pristine beige blanket. He took out a small plastic bag from his jacket and scooped up some of the crumbled moss, he would run some analysis through it later. Shrugging his rifle, he readjusted the straps and looked around, weird place.

The morning light sent streamers sporadically through the Bramble canopy overhead, despite the peaceful light, the Bramble's silence pressed on the party. Simon's outburst was the first word spoken since entering the brush, after the initial good-humoured banter had died off.

There are no natural predators, Joshua reminded himself, his nerves feeling a little on edge. Joshua closed his eyes and took a deep breath to try and settle his nerves. He instead got a lung full of moss dust, kicked up by the Sheriff in front. His whole body heaved into a fit of violent coughing, his eyes watering, he looked up to the see the impartial face of the sheriff looking down at him.

"Are you quite done, Doctor Dryden?"

 "I'm-", more coughing, "fine, just need to-", Joshua unhooked a canteen from his belt and took a deep swig before spluttering it up. "That was... absolutely awful."

"What's going on back here?" John pushed his way through the line of men.

"I'm fine, just breathed in some moss... dust."

"Mr. Hunt", The Sheriff turned his gaze onto the tall lad. "Perhaps we should consider turning back, we have yet to catch sight of any creature big or small. Very unusual for this world, wouldn't you say?"

"Eh, we ain't far in yet, there's got to be something in here, the bloody thing is huge and all the other Brambles has 'em." John turned to Joshua "You good mate?"

"Never better," Joshua said with a rasp.

"Well, let's keep on then!" John slapped Joshua on the back, which prompted more coughing, before pushing his way back to the front.