Chapter 4 - Smoked Chicken

The next morning started just as the previous ones did. May woke up in his bed back on Sixis. The failure of the last day still clear in mind, he wasn't in a great mood. After they had hit the outer ring that surrounded the island, the three had made their way back on the life boat. It had still been early in the day and Ace and Deuce had thought about how to get from this island, while he had emptied the gill nets and gutted the fish. 

In conclusion Deuce and Ace had found the only plausible action was to build a new ship that was shallow enough to just pass over the rocks. So they had gotten to work, chopping trees and cutting wood. The old tools that May had found in the house when he first woke up on the island were not the best but it worked somehow. 

Like most mornings he was the first to wake up and made his way outside, no need to wake the grumpy Deuce from his peaceful sleep yet, they could eat later. May made his way into the forest. Not the path he usually took down to the beach but further inland, a machete in one hand a book in the other.

The way inland was rougher than the path to the beach had been. Overgrown plants were blocking his way and his machete was in permanent use to cut a way through the thicket. A swarm of mosquitoes flew around him, all thirsting for his blood. But with a thought send towards Narya, the Ring of Fire, the insects went up in flames and the wild buzzing came to a stop.

May took a moment to take in the calm of the forest, when bird cries reached his ear. They sounded louder than most he had heard before, not to mention that he thought he came to know all the bird species on the island and that didn't sound like any of them.

He followed the cries that led him further and further inland. The trees were becoming larger the closer he came to the cries until the trees parted leaving the view on tall mountain. May looked up in awe. How is it possible that he had been on that island for a year and didn't notice this. As he looked on in awe he noticed that smoke was coming out of the top of the mountain and standing right on the ridge leading into the volcano stood a single tree. Its branches were almost non existent anymore, looking to have been burned away, except for one. On this one healthy branch May spotted a red fruit.

"Fascinating" May mumbled to himself "I have to get closer to it."

May now stepped through the treeline and started to ascend the volcano. It was tough way up but without much to carry it was still manageable. But as he reached roughly the halfway point, he heard a loud screech coming from above. As he looked up to see where it was coming from he saw a giant bird flying out of the smoke, seemingly ready to dive down towards him. And just that happened the bird dived down coming in fast and May did the first thing he could think of and created a fireball on top of his hand, channeling his will through Narya. He sent the fireball flying towards the bird but with its high agility in the air the bird easily dodged the ball, now seeming a bit more careful in its approach.

But that caution was quickly thrown to the wind as two more screeches pierced through the calm background noises of the forest beneath them. May started to panic a bit as three enormous birds were now flying at him but he felt something reaching out to him, calming him down and as he traced the feeling he was a bit surprised to feel it coming from the One Ring. But that didn't matter now. He concentrated on Vilya and Narya, channeling his will into the rings. Commanding them to do his bidding. And that they did. A small flaming tornado started to build up around him with him at the eye of the storm.

He heard the birds approaching, but he wasn't able to see them as the fire covered the view. He heard their wings flapping around him, seemingly circling around him. He tried to make another step up the volcano when the birds started screeching again. Whatever was up there seemed very important to the birds, it almost seemed like they were protecting the fruit. May had to make a decision now, either continue up to try to get the fruit or get down and back to Ace and Deuce.