Eden's teeth were firmly clenched onto a branch as he pushed the arrow through his bicep. The best way to get it out was to push it through until it came out the other side. If he would pull it out, the embedded arrow head would do even more damage by tearing the muscle and veins. So he ripped the fletchings at the end off and prepared himself for extreme pain, getting a tree bough for his teeth to grind on. As soon as began to press on the end, sharp pain ripped through his arm and he shuddered, biting into the wood.<br/><br/>Releasing the arrow, Eden sat still and breathed heavily.<span style="font-style: italic">Do it quickly</span>, he thought as he tried to prepare himself again. So you won't have time to quit. He grabbed the end of the arrow again and continued breathing for a minute, trying to muster up the courage to endure the forthcoming distress. When he began to have thoughts about quitting the whole procedure, he abruptly jerked the arrow down without thinking about it. The arrowhead pierced through the other side of his skin during that. His whole body seemed to scream in agony instead of solely his arm. Eden let out a muffled pained cry and trembled uncontrollably, breathing in shaky hisses. Warm liquid seeped from the wound and dripped onto the ground.<span style="font-style: italic">Dammit. Damn it all.</span><br/><br/>After a few minutes, Eden recovered from the anguish, thinking,<span style="font-style: italic">Hard part's over.</span>He put his index and middle finger on either side of the arrowhead's bottom and quickly pulled the arrow out of his arm. The pain was sharp, but not as overwhemling as before. As soon as the end left the hole, a stream of blood poured from his wound. Eden clutched the bottom of his bicep and grappled with his roll of guaze with his left hand. He put the end of the dressings in his mouth and quickly wrapped the two wounds tightly. He used his teeth and his right hand to tie the strip. Exhaling in relief, Eden lied back on the ground for a moment to compose himself again.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">I have to go find Janiel</span>, was the thought that kept ringing in Eden's head as he lied there. After that thought repeated itself for the seventeenth time, he told himself,<span style="font-style: italic">Okay, time to move.</span>Getting up, he gathered his items and continued to progress through the forest. The strain on his arm was so dull it almost felt dead. As Eden walked, he wondered whether he could have passed Janiel.<span style="font-style: italic">This forest is too damn big!</span>Despite his doubt on ever finding her, he didn't allow himself to quit. The least he could do in repayment to his ally for saving his life was to protect his friend; so far, he was failing at it. However, forgetting about saving Janiel would be betraying his ally.<br/><br/>"Janiel?" he called softly, aware that he was still in danger. "It's Eden. Where are you? Janiel?" He continued to call out for her for several minutes until he heard the familiar whizzing sound pass his ear. He froze when he heard it, but broke out into a run not a moment afterward. Son of a bitch! he thought.<span style="font-style: italic">I just fixed the last wound you gave me.</span><span style="font-style: italic">I am</span>not<span style="font-style: italic">getting hit again!</span>After running in various directions forward, Eden hid in the tight crevice between a fallen tree and the ground; the aperture only allowed half of his body in. He grabbed a few nearby branches to help conceal the exposed part of him.<br/><br/>After several agonizingly long minutes, he heard the slow, approaching footsteps of his predator. Eden's heart pounded in his head so loudly that he was afraid that the archer would hear it. He shut his eyes, as if that would made him less visible, and quieted his shallow breathing. He didn't dare think of any words for fear that the archer might sense them, if he or she didn't already sense his fear. All Eden did was listen to the archer's movements and try to estimate where he or she could be coming from and how close he or she was. As the moments passed, the archer's footsteps got considerably louder.<span style="font-style: italic">Oh God, he's gonna find me.</span>Eden wanted to squeeze himself even tighter into the crevice, but he didn't dare move.<br/><br/>Eden jumped when he heard the archer cry out after a muffled striking sound and a thud on the ground followed. He heard the distant cackle of a girl and her running footsteps. She got the archer, he thought with a leap of his heart. He was relieved, but knew it was no time for celebration. He was no safer than before.<br/><br/>"Right in the back of the neck!" cried the ecstatic girl. "Did you see that, Stark?" Eden's body jolted at the sound of that awful name. He was even more scared now. A few more set of footsteps followed and he heard Stark say, "Nicely done. Wait... she's still moving. I'll finish this off." It was then that Eden heard the unforgettable sickening crunch of a skull being smashed with a dull object. His breathing shuddered as his stomach turned.<br/><br/>"Ugh," lamented the girl. "You got brains all over my knife." Stark scoffed and said, "Well, you should've aimed for the head. Then, I wouldn't have had to pulverize the girl's face." The girl just sighed as she retrieved her knife.<br/><br/>"How many is that now?" asked another person as ruffled sounds emitted. Eden assumed they were going through the archer's possessions.<br/><br/>"Four," replied Stark blatantly. The one who asked the question laughed and said, "This is too easy. These idiots can't even hide. They have no idea what they're doing."<br/><br/>"You almost feel sorry for them," muttered Stark. After another minute of inspecting the archer, he said, "Let's keep going." Eden's muscles tensed and froze as the group approached him. He almost cried out when he saw the shadows of their legs passing over him. He was almost relieved until he heard the footsteps stop only a few meters from him. He inhaled once and stopped his breathing. He heard a little laughter.<br/><br/>"E<span style="font-style: italic">den</span>..." called Stark. Immediately, Eden rolled out of his hole and scrambled to his feet in an instant. He began running, but didn't get far before Stark tackled him from behind, forcing them into the ground. "Where do you think<span style="font-style: italic">you're</span>going?" laughed Stark as he held Eden down. Eden furiously writhed against him, but Stark pinned him, putting his foot against Eden's right arm with his hands holding down his head and arm. The others tried to help him, but Stark waved them away. Eden gasped and cried out, "Stark, please don't kill me!" Stark snickered and said, "Now where would you get that idea?" He lifted his hand from Eden's left arm and said, "Oh no, you're hurt... already."<br/><br/>With his left hand, Eden grabbed his spear ahead and shoved it behind him. The blade caught Stark's cheek and ripped a hole in it. He let out a cry and Eden crawled out from under him, getting to his feet and fleeing once more. Stark's group members crowded around their injured leader until he shouted, "<span style="font-style: italic">Get him!</span>" And again, there was a pursuit.