Camp

I dropped back into the group. I stayed towards the middle as I focused on putting one foot in front of the other. I was in no condition to fight anymore so the middle of the group was my best option. I was grateful that I wasn't the only one that looked tired now. Savannah was still alert, and kept me on track.

Sleeping half the school days away was working in my favor as well. They just thought it was my normal lazy exhaustion. Savannah was my lifeline right now. I hated relying on someone I didn't trust. Ethan was at least half a mile away now.

It didn't feel like he was headed to the same campsite as us. There were four in this area that I could remember. The shelters themselves were barely more than lean to's. It was the fence that surrounded them that really made an impression. They were fifteen feet high, and electric.

If it couldn't fly it couldn't get in. I was barely functional when the last of the daylight left us. I was dragging my feet pretty badly by the time we reached the fence. Our escorts opened the gates, and letting us in. I folded on the ground as soon as I got under the shelter.

I shifted my backpack around off my back, and up under my head. I still wasn't comfortable in my human form, but exhaustion won the argument. The discomfort of my human body, and my ravenous hunger woke me a few hours later. If I had to guess I'd gotten about six hours of sleep. I was too hungry to go back to sleep so I stood up quickly, and quietly.

I went to the bathrooms. They had showers on the forest side of the bathrooms. I stepped into one, dropping my bag, and shoes outside. Taking my clothes off, and hanging them over the wall. I set the timer on my watch for an hour, and checked the heat signatures of everyone in the camp.

None of the students or teachers were moving. Two of the escorts were patrolling the fence line. I watched them walk one way, and then walk the other way. I switched forms in the shower while they were closer, turned my color dark green, and climbed up on the roof of the bathroom silently. I waited until they were a good ways away from me, and jumped flapping my wings down hard just once. I was propelled clean over the fence, and glided into the trees on the other side.

I dropped down to the ground, and rushed deeper into the woods. I couldn't wait to see if my quick jump had been noticed. I needed to get something to eat. I needed to hunt I didn't have time to think about anything else. I switched quickly from normal vision to infrared.

It didn't take me long to find something to chase. I took full advantage of what little sleep I'd gotten so far. Rushing forward at full speed. I caught the Snek before it could flee into its little whole in the ground. I snapped the damn things head off.

I left the head, and sucked it's body down like a plus sized noodle. The blood tasted good on my tongue, and it's meat felt good in my stomach. It wasn't enough though.

Snek killed 40 xp. Absorbing crystal. Crystal absorbed 5 xp. 45 xp awarded. 160/800 xp until level 9.

Sneks didn't usually travel alone. I switched to infrared, and looked down at the hole the little creature had tried to hide in. There were multiple heat signatures down deeper in the hole. I dug down into the hole quickly. Unearthing three angry Sneks.

I pinned two with my hands, and chomped down on the third. It's body was still writhing as I sucked it down. I snapped off the heads of the last two, and their body's went down just as quickly. My watch beeped at me as the timer went off. I scaled my way into the upper branches of the trees, and rushed back to camp as quietly as I could.

My wings twitched as if they wanted to be used as I jumped through the upper branches of the trees. They would get a little use. Just not much since I needed to stay hidden. I stopped at the edge of the trees. Watching the two escorts move away from the bathroom side of the fence.

It was a big jump between me, and the bathroom. It would make too much noise to miss so I had to make it the first time. I extended my wings, and shook them just to savor the feeling of the air on my membranes. I jumped, and brought down my wings once. Propelling myself high into the air.

I flapped them one more time to clear the fence. Gliding the rest of the way down to the bathroom. I landed on the roof almost silently. I heard the two escort guys calling out to each other. They must have heard me go over the fence.

I dropped into the shower stall quickly. Flipping the water on as I switched back to my human form. It was cold, but I didn't really care. I pretended to be washing up as they approached this side of the campsite. I slowly turned the water off, and pulled my clothes onto my wet frame.

I stepped out of the shower to pull on my shoes, and the rest of my gear. They shined their lights on me briefly as they walked past. Clearly not caring all that much that I was there. System show my the notification I got when I was running back.

3 Sneks killed 120 xp. 3 Crystals absorbed 15 xp. 135 xp awarded. 295/800 xp until level 9.

I went back to the place where I'd been sleeping before, and laid down to nap a little longer. I knew I wouldn't get much more sleep, but I needed as much sleep as I could get. At least my belly was full.