Chapter 46 – Getting Closer and Closer to the End
The group pressed onward through the tangled undergrowth, the humid air thick with the buzz of insects and the distant calls of exotic birds echoing through the canopy. While Razan, Loona, and Charlie trailed a few steps behind Hank and the others, Razan noticed the front of the line coming to a sudden halt.
He squinted ahead.
"What now? What deadly crisis are we dealing with this time? Is it a dinosaur? Tell me it's a T-Rex!"
Loona rolled her eyes.
"You forgot the island's rule: small things get big and big things get small. So even if there was a T-Rex, it'd be dog-sized at most."
Razan shrugged.
"Well… but I think one that size would make a great pet."
Hank turned back.
"It's nothing, everyone. We stopped because grandpa read the path wrong."
Alexander protested.
"No, the path is correct."
Hank pointed upward.
"Then why are we down here when we should be up there?"
A massive, sheer cliff face loomed before them, topped by a towering mountain shrouded in mist.
Razan looked at Alexander.
"Well, I hope you didn't get the path wrong. I don't want the reason for my death to be an old man who didn't know the right direction."
Charlie reached up and pulled Razan's cheek hard.
"Don't be rude to him. He's very old. It's normal to forget."
Alexander chuckled.
"My friends without faith, there's a solution for everything. This one might even be fun."
Hank raised an eyebrow.
"You think it can be fun? Did anyone bring an umbrella? Because grandpa here is going to fly us up to the top of the cliff."
Alexander, getting an idea, grinned mischievously.
"I knew you'd end up being useful for something."
He then walked away purposefully.
"Better wait here."
Hank and Gabato exchanged confused looks.
"So where's he going?"
Razan deadpanned.
"Well, grandpa must have finally accepted his time has come and is looking for a spot for his eternal rest. A moment of silence for this noisy old man."
Loona punched Razan in the arm.
"Don't kill other people's grandpas!"
Razan rubbed the spot.
"Sorry. I didn't mean it badly."
Charlie looked at Razan curiously.
"Is it true?"
Razan smiled wickedly.
"No. I meant it badly. I'm evil."
Charlie smiled back.
"That would be more convincing if you didn't have a collection of action figures."
Razan defended.
"Hey, they're action figures and they're very expensive. One of them I had to divert some money to buy."
Loona, hearing this, fixed him with a stare.
"You had to do what to buy it?"
Razan started sweating, searching for words, when suddenly Alexander reappeared—flying high on the back of a massive bee, its wings humming like helicopter blades, drawing gasps from everyone.
Razan sighed in massive relief.
Alexander, perched confidently on the enormous insect, called down:
"It turns out riding a bee is very easy. Just don't look it in the eyes."
Hank shouted up.
"Come on, get down from that bee now!"
Alexander smiled broadly.
"Why would I want to get down?"
Hank:
"Because I don't want to have to explain to your health plan that you broke your body flying on a bee."
Alexander laughed as he rose higher into the sky with the bee.
"You know best. But I hope you brought swim trunks for when this island turns into the Pacific Ocean."
Hank turned just in time to see Sean climbing onto another giant bee and helping Kailani up behind him.
Razan whistled appreciatively.
"Well, the kid pulled it off. But when, I don't know. Women are really confusing. One moment she's rejecting him and the next she's riding a giant bee with him. It's too complicated for my two brain cells to understand."
Loona glanced around.
"Well, then which of you is going to drive?"
Razan shook his head immediately.
"Don't count on me. I can only fly by myself. I have no ability to drive a giant bee."
Loona then noticed Charlie raising her hand enthusiastically non-stop. She sighed.
"Well, we're counting on you, Charlie."
Charlie jumped excitedly.
"Cool! I'm going to drive a giant bee!"
They then climbed aboard the massive insect with Charlie in front gripping the reins, Loona behind her, and Razan at the rear holding on tight.
Hank watched everyone taking off and sighed.
Gabato asked hopefully.
"Well, give me a ride?"
Hank smiled.
"Well, let's go."
Soaring through the sky on their buzzing mounts, Sean shouted over the wind.
"Look at this view. Isn't it the best thing in the world?"
Razan, on the bee with Loona and Charlie, called back.
"It's the first time I've flown this slow. It feels like a bus it's so slow."
Charlie grinned.
"So you think it's slow? How about this?"
She leaned forward sharply, making the bee accelerate dramatically, wind whipping past them as they caught up to the others flying.
Alexander laughed.
"So it's beautiful, isn't it?"
Hank admitted.
"Well, I have to agree. This view from up here is really beautiful."
Gabato beamed.
"Look at that beauty! Hank, I found paradise!"
Razan warned.
"Well, I think not. But if you fall from here, I'm sure you'll find it. So better hold on tight."
Gabato assured.
"It's all under control."
He then got splattered by droppings.
Gabato groaned.
"What a stink!"
Sean laughed.
"That's…"
Kailani confirmed.
"Yes, bird poop."
Sean said:
"It must be from a little bird…"
He was interrupted by a gigantic bird swooping overhead, its shadow engulfing them.
Hank yelled:
"To the trees!"
They dove the bees toward the jungle canopy below.
Razan, seeing the giant bird diving to kill them, thought:
To think that one day I, a dragon, would be chased by a little bird. But I have to say it's pretty fun.
While Hank and Sean desperately swerved fighting for their lives, Charlie smiled happily while performing daring maneuvers through the trees to dodge the bird.
Razan then saw Sean climbing higher with his bee and thought:
And he's going to mess up.
Razan looked at Charlie and Loona.
"Well, I'm going to help that idiot."
Then Razan executed a perfect backflip, launching himself right onto the back of the bird chasing them.
He wrestled it into submission and, after a few "loving" punches, it decided to surrender to Razan's captivating personality.
Razan then flew with it toward where Sean and Kailani had gone.
He climbed just in time to see the bird knock the two idiots off their bee.
Razan sped up and caught the two falling.
Sean, holding Kailani in his arms, opened his eyes and saw himself being held by Razan riding the bird.
Razan pulled them onto the bird and said to Sean:
"Well, looks like I was wrong about you, kid. You can still have an attitude worthy of a cool guy."
He said while looking at Sean holding Kailani and not letting go even falling to death.
Sean smiled.
"I just thought about following some advice to show her she can trust me."
Razan said:
"Well, looks like that's already a good start."
Kailani said:
"Seriously, you guys are going to talk like I'm not here? I didn't faint."
Razan smiled.
"Well, then let's meet up with the others."
He was about to steer the bird to meet everyone when he stopped.
Sean said:
"What happened? Why did you stop?"
Razan scratched his head.
"Can one of you two take the wheel? I'm terrible at finding the right spot."
Kailani said:
"Well, let me."
She then started steering the bird to find the group.
After a while, they finally found the rest of the group.
They landed from the bird.
Razan looked at everyone.
"Well, looks like no one became lunch. Good news."
Hank said:
"Sean, how are you?"
Sean said:
"I'm fine. Razan helped me."
Alexander, looking at the sky:
"Well, it's getting dark. Better find a place for us to stay before it gets completely dark."
Hank said:
"Then let's go."
They then started looking for a place to stay