The Plague RP
He watched Hiccup only a moment longer before stepping out of the cave. The sun was much brighter out here, and he squinted against the sudden change in light. Now that the storm had ended the ocean was much calmer, but he couldn’t get the images of high waves and blinding rain out of his head. The air smelled heavily of salt and he scrunched up his nose in resentment. And then he almost laughed at himself, because he was feeling resentful towards the ocean, as if it had purposely played a part in Hiccup’s near-death.
Jack glanced once back towards the cave as he made his way towards the forest. He would have to walk back up to the top of the cliff, and he felt uneasy about being so far away when Hiccup was all alone in the cave, but he forced himself to keep going. Hiccup needed water and food, and there was no way he could get it himself in his current condition. He’d be alright in the little amount of time Jack would be gone. After all, he’d survived nearly drowning, so he could survive resting in the cave for a bit. Jack hoped he would try and sleep for a bit; sleep was good for healing, and Hiccup could use any amount of healing at this point.
Now all Jack had to do was find what he needed and hurry back to the boy, which was much easier said than done. He didn’t know how to navigate in the forest, and had no idea where to find water or food or anything. He’d taken several steps into the trees when he realized he would need a way to mark his trail so that he would be able to find his way back, and then he frowned and glanced around for something he could use. The ground was relatively bare; the rain had washed away most of the leaves, leaving behind soft mud that stuck to the soles of his bare feet and slowed his walking slightly. Any pebbles that may have sat upon the forest floor had either been washed away as well or were buried under the mud.
Glancing down, he remembered that he was no longer wearing pants, and were it not for the fact that he was invisible to most people he would feel exposed. Still, he almost didn’t feel like himself. He was staring to get used to not having his staff, but he still felt its loss, and on top of that he had only his boxers left. Everything that he’d taking comfort in was gone.
Except for Hiccup, he supposed, but that was a different matter.
And speaking of Hiccup…
Jack shook his head to focus his thoughts back on finding a way to mark his path. However, his gaze quickly fell back to the mud. The issue had a simple fix, really. His footsteps would be visible in the mud, so all he had to do was follow them back. He felt himself relax with relief. He could do this, he just needed to find a lake or stream or something that would provide fresh water and then bring it back to Hiccup.
The mud beneath him made a squishing sound as he walked along, but he tried to ignore it as he searched the trees. He wanted to try and bring back some food as well as water, but he couldn’t hunt and so his options were limited. He supposed he could pick apples or berries or something of the sort, but he would have to be careful not to pick anything poisonous. His knowledge on the sort of thing was limited, though, and he was afraid he’d pick the wrong thing and make a mess of things again.
But he couldn’t mess up. Not this time, not when Hiccup needed him to succeed. After what felt like hours of walking he was getting frustrated. In truth he wasn’t sure how long it had been, much too long by his count, but probably no longer than an hour. He had yet to see a source of fresh water and he was beginning to fear he would never find one. Every so often he glanced behind him to make sure his footsteps were visible in the mud. If he got lost then there was no telling what would happen to Hiccup. Jack kicked a tree as he passed, hissing in pain and frowning at himself.
When he looked up again he could tell the trees were thinning out and becoming further apart, and he picked up his pace, anxious to see what lay beyond the line of trees. Hope filled him. Maybe it was a lake, or a river, though he didn’t hear any running water… Maybe it was just a quiet river…?
And then he was out of the forest and stepping out into a large clearing. In the center of the clearing was a lake, the water still and clear, and Jack smiled in relief. He hurried towards it, climbing down rocks and roots until he was at the water’s edge. It looked clean, and he scooped up a handful of water and took a sip. It tasted okay, too. Now all he had to do was bring some back to Hiccup, and…
He had nothing to carry it back with.
Jack's form didn't linger there for much longer but he briefly tried to smile before he disappeared around the bend. A sigh left his lips when he knew he was ultimately alone now. He wanted to have gone with Jack and make sure that nothing else bad occurred but in his current condition all he could do was wait. In his time of waiting, he had done what he shouldn't have. Peered at his own wound. The driving madness swirled in his head. The throbbing in his veins pulsed greater, seeming to surge by ten fold but Hiccup was determined to remain quiet.
He had to figure out a way to distract himself but that was easier said than done. He was all alone in this cave. There was no one else to talk to, no one else to attempt to distract himself with by merely holding a useless conversation. Even the walls of the cave were bland, nothing too interested to look upon. There was just his arm. His arm and this swelling fire that made his skin crawl in agony. His jaw tightened the more the pain seemed to grow. At any rate, he knew he wasn't going to be able to tolerate this for much longer. It already felt like it had been hours, when it had only been a few minutes since Jack left.
Hiccup was going to have to figure out some other way to distract himself. He squinted, looking through his bleary-eyed vision and tried to seek out anything. /Something/ to get him to stop thinking about this outrageous fever and pain. Perhaps taking a nap would do him some good. But instead he shuddered at the simple thought of putting his head down and welcoming the dark abyss again. He already slept and he wasn't all that tired anymore. The fever and throbbing wouldn't allow sleep even if he tried.
That's when he spotted a useful device. Well it wasn't much of a device but it could come in handy to ease his mind. Hiccup's legs fell into a pretzel-shaped figure and with his good arm, he pressed his palm down into the sand. Little by little he pushed his way toward the what happened to be a twig. One small hop after another until he reached the small branch. A miniscule smile crossed his lips but the raging flame up his arm reminded him that he was in no mood to be proud. It was a stick for crying out loud. Nothing more or less. Not some great achievement. He was just messing everything up and now he was stuck in this cave like the pathetic fishbone he was, waiting for someone else to help him back to health.
His head somewhat lowered and a sigh escaped past his lips. Reaching for the twig with his left hand, loosely let the tip rest in the grains. Then with a few swift flicks, he started to etch lines. The lines rapidly began to draw figures. First it was a staff, Jack's staff. A simple drawing indeed but then he started to form the Winter Spirit crouched above it with ease, balancing on the hook. Hiccup furrowed his brows after awhile, one brow quirking as he stared at his own drawing. Well one thing was certain, the male was already starting to reside all his focus into the drawing that his thoughts had lifted momentarily from his arm.
Why was he drawing Jack again? The corners of Hiccup's lips tugged downward and he grew conflicted. He should just erase the picture but then there was some silent, untold connection that he feared some sort of bad omen would translate over to Jack while he was out looking for some food. Honestly he was starting to get paranoid but the Gods did seem a bit too angry for his likings. Plus, now that the thought crossed his mind, he really didn't want to take the chances. Better to be safe than sorry right? Hiccup shuffled away from the drawing and decided to illustrate more, at least that would help obscure the image he created just a moment ago.
