WARNING: blood, injuries

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Iskall rowed across the large lake for the 100th time. Stress sat behind him, her hand dragging across the water. Beads of sweat came across the Swede's forehead as the air got thicker with every swipe of the paddles. Finally, he dropped the wooden paddles into the shallow water. He dropped his head to his knees, sighing heavily.

"Hun, what's wrong?", Stress asked, shifting her flower crown. She suddenly shrieked, yanking her hand out of the water. 

Iskall's head jerked up. "The heck!? Stress, I'm fine, just hot. What's with YOU?" Stress started breathing heavily, pulling her hand up to show bloody bite marks on her fingers. Iskall's eyes widened. He pulled a small blue crystal out of his pocket, handing it to the jungle queen.

She took it lightly in her uninjured hand, the blood immediately disappearing from the injured one. She gawked as the bite marks healed at record speeds. "Iskall, what is this?" She asked, handing the crystal back.

He laughed, pocketing the blue crystal. "Got it from Scar a while back. Costed a diamond, which is what it kinda looks like," he chuckled. "Cub recommended it, guess it really works."

Stress nodded, sliding off her pink raincoat. She ripped a small bit of the left sleeve off before putting the rest of it around her waist. She pulled it into a quick figure-8 knot, throwing it into the lake. Within a second, large shadows jumped to the surface, more grotesque than any fish known to the duo.

Both pairs of eyes widened, ready to scream. Iskall pulled the paddles out of the water, yipping as monster teeth nipped his wrists. He paddled faster than he knew he ever could, to the closest hermit's base: Scar's.

As the two jumped out of the small boat, a large, black THING flung itself out of the water, shattering the watercraft. The two yelled, Iskall dropping to his knees. "Was I the only one that just saw that," he muttered, "Or am I just crazy?"

A hand rested on his shoulder. "No, that's just an unwanted." 

The ice-loving duo whipped their heads around to see a familiar wizard. Though, he wasn't normal.

There were deep circles under his eyes, seemingly glazed over. Small snakelike creatures wound up his legs, biting all over them. A looming black raven sat on his hat. Smaller, more gray birds sat on his shoulders, watching the dark, furry animals on his arms.

"S-Scar!?" Stress exclaimed, wanting to hug him and back away at the same time. "W-What happened to you?"

Scar's eyelids flickered. "What do you mean? I'm just fine. I've just taken in more friends." He gestured behind him, unveiling hundreds of moving black splotches all over his base area. "If you don't like them, I get it. Bdubs didn't."

Stress's eyes widened. "When did he say that? Hasn't he been missing for-"

"1 and a half weeks? Yes." Scar droned.

Iskall pulled out his diamond sword. "Did you do it to him? Where is he, you freak!?" 

Scar sighed. "That's what Bdubs called me, too." The other two's eyes widened. They started to speak up, but the wizard stopped them. He leaned down, pulling one of the snake-creatures off of his leg. Blood dripped down it, more than should be healthy for one to lose. He threw it over his shoulder.

It seemed that time stopped. A silence threw over the jungle, hundreds of black heads slowly turning to the three. All in one second, the trio were getting swarmed.

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That's it for now, little snakes! See you later!