Muri The Lightning Primordial

Chapter 7[ A Very Wet Lesson ]

CHAPTER SEVEN

A Very Wet Lesson

The jungle was doing what the jungle always did—breathing, rustling, humming with the quiet business of things that did not care about gods or blind boys or the complicated morning they were having.

Muri moved through it with the ease of someone who had spent his entire nineteen cycles learning its language. His feet found the soft patches before they became trouble. His hands brushed aside branches before they could whip back and catch him across the face.

Venit followed behind him, and if her footsteps were any indication, she was finding the experience deeply undignified.

"You walk too fast," she complains

" And you heal too fast. We all have burdens." He snorts.

"I am not built for walking through mud." She retorts back.

" Apparently you are built for falling out of the sky so I think you can manage a little dirt."

She made a sound that was half growl, half scoff. "I am beginning to understand why your clan sent you into the jungle alone. You have a gift for making people want to be far away from you."

"And yet here you are, right behind me. Following me. Curious."

"Following is a strong word. I am accompanying you out of sheer boredom." She scoffs

"Uh-huh."

They reached the first trap a few minutes later. Muri knelt, his hands moving over the familiar mechanism—the trigger wire, the bent sapling, the loop of rope that should have held something by now. His fingers found nothing but air and damp leaves.

"Empty…" he whispers

"Disappointing??"

"Not unusual. The storm probably spooked everything deeper into the jungle."

He stood, brushed the dirt off his knees and moved to the next trap.

Same result.

Empty.

The third trap had been triggered—the sapling had snapped back, the rope lay coiled on the ground, but whatever had tripped it had escaped.

"Something was here," Muri muttered, running his fingers over the frayed rope.

"Got out."

"Poor craftsmanship." Venit scoffs

"My craftsmanship is fine. The animal was clever or desperate."

"Or it was a very large animal that didn't appreciate being inconvenienced."

Muri sighed, rubbing his temples. "The traps are empty. Which means we have nothing to bring back for dinner except embarrassment."

"Wonderful. I came back from being half dead to an evening of shame."

"You came back from the dead because I carried you through three miles of jungle."

"I choose to remember it differently."

Muri reached into the satchel his mother had given him. His fingers found the familiar shape of his slingshot— the leather pouch and long strings smooth from years of use. He pulled it out, along with a small pouch of smooth river stones he kept for this exact purpose.

Venit's voice, when it came, was dripping with amusement. "What is that?"

"A slingshot."

"That's your weapon? A child's toy?"

"It's the perfect hunting tool. And it's more effective than you think."

She stepped closer, and he could feel her examining it with the kind of condescension that only a being who had never needed a weapon could manage. "You're going to use that to hunt?? For our dinner??"

"Yes."

"And you don't need my help?"

"I highly doubt I would"

"You're sure?"

"Venit."

"Yes?"

"If you ask me one more time if I need help, I'm going to use this slingshot to launch a rock at your head."

"You'd miss."

"You don't know that."

"I know that you walked into a tree yesterday."

"That was one time!!"

She laughed—that bright, unguarded sound that kept catching him off guard.

"Fine. Hunt, then. I'll watch. This should be entertaining."

They moved deeper into the jungle, Muri leading the way with his slingshot in hand. He listened with sharp precision for the telltale signs of prey—the rustle of a rodent in the underbrush, the call of a bird in the canopy, the heavy footfall of a wild pig and the smell of wildlife tinting the greens around.

He heard nothing.

Not just nothing.

Absolute, complete silence.

No birds.

No rustling.

No distant animal sounds.

The jungle had gone quiet in a radius around them, as if someone had drawn a circle of stillness and they were standing in the center of it.

Muri stopped, frowning. "That's strange."

"What is?"

"The animals. They're all gone."

Venit was quiet for a moment. Then, hesitantly: "Gone?"

"Listen…" He tilted his head. "…No birds. No movement. Nothing. It's like the jungle decided to hold its breath."

Another pause. Then Venit's voice, smaller than he'd ever heard it. "Oh."

"Oh?"

"Ohh"

He turned toward her direction, his brow furrowed. "What do you mean, 'oh'?"

She didn't answer immediately. He heard her shift her weight, heard the rustle of her clothes as she looked around. "I think... it might be me."

"You??"

"Everything runs from me, Muri. I told you. I am a primordial. The jungle knows what I am. It's like clearing a space."

Muri blinked. Then, slowly, a grin spread across his face.

"You're telling me," he said, his voice rich with glee, "that the great and powerful goddess has been scaring away all the animals??? "

"I didn't realize—"

"The mighty sky daughter. The Unbound. Fastest and Hardest Striker. The terror of the jungle."

"Stop."

"The woman who could smite mountains, and she can't even let me catch a rabbit, don't legend say gods are loved by all especially wildlife because of their purity" he snickers

" That would be my sister, but I said stop."

"No, no, this is wonderful." He was grinning openly now, unable to help himself. "All that talk about your cosmic power, and it turns out you're the reason we're going to go hungry tonight."

Venit's voice was tight with embarrassment. "I am not used to being this close to mortal prey. They usually flee before I arrive. I didn't think about it."

"You didn't think about the fact that your mere presence makes every living thing within a mile vanish?"

"I was distracted! By the mud! And the walking! And your constant complaining!"

"My complaining? You're the one who keeps complaining about sheep pitch."

"That's a legitimate concern!"

Muri shook his head, still laughing. "Alright, alright. If you're the problem, then you're also the solution."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you need to stay here. Stand still. Don't radiate any so-called cosmic terror for five minutes. Let me hunt."

She made an indignant sound. "I don't radiate—"

"You absolutely radiate. That's the whole problem. Stay. I'll be back."

He moved away from her, and as he did, he felt the jungle begin to breathe again—a bird called in the distance, the rustle of something small in the underbrush. He was right. Her proximity was the cause.

He managed to track a small rodent, lined up his target, and spun his weapon above his head hard it generated a whistle before releasing.

CRACKK

The stone flew true and He heard the soft thud of impact, and a moment later, he was holding a decent-sized creature by the tail.

He walked back to where Venit was waiting, holding it up. "Dinner."

She was silent for a long moment. Then, grudgingly: "That was not terrible."

"High praise from a goddess."

"It's the best you're going to get."

He grinned. "Fine. We still need more. But I think we're better off fishing. There is a stream nearby."

They made their way to the stream, a narrow ribbon of water that cut through the jungle with the quiet persistence of something that had been there longer than anyone remembered. Muri set down the satchel and pulled out a hook and some line. Then he sourced for a flexible branch around and completed his fishing setup.

"Nuts and fruits first," he said, handing her the satchel. "There's a patch of berry bushes and wild fruits about twenty feet to your left. And there should be some wild nuts under the big tree near the bank. Collect what you can."

"And what will you be doing?"

"I'll be catching fish. You know. The hard part."

She huffed but complied. He heard her moving through the underbrush, her footsteps surprisingly delicate when she wasn't trying to be dramatic. He focused on the water, baiting the hook with a grub he'd found under a log, and cast his line.

The stream was active. He could hear the water moving, feel the occasional tug on his line. He caught two quite medium sized fish in quick succession, adding them to a growing pile.

Venit returned with a lap full of berries and nuts. "This is humiliating." She huffs

"What is?"

"A goddess. Foraging. Like a common squirrel."

"You're a very tall squirrel."

"I will strike you with lightning."

"You've been threatening that for quite some time and yet I'm still standing."

"Don't test me."

He cast his line again, and this time, the tug was immediate and powerful. Something heavy had taken the bait.

"Whoa—" He pulled back, the branch bending sharply. "This is a big one."

"Don't lose it."

"I'm not going to lose it—"

The fish pulled hard, and Muri pulled back harder. The branch groaned, the line sang, and then—

SNAP.

The branch broke. Muri, who had been leaning back against the tension, lost his balance completely. His feet slipped on the muddy bank, and he went down hard, splashing into the stream with a yelp that was entirely undignified.

He surfaced sputtering, the water up to his chest, his dreadlocks plastered to his face. The fish—and his line—were gone.

And Venit was laughing.

Hard.

Not a polite laugh.

Not a concealed chuckle. A full, open, wheezing laugh that echoed through the jungle like a bell.

"You—" she gasped between breaths, "—you fell right in."

"I noticed." Muri says with furrowed brows

"You just—you went splash—" she whizzed mid laugh.

"The branch broke." Muri whispered as he felt his nerves at their last wits.

"The *branch broke* and you went flying—"

She was doubled over now, holding her stomach. Muri stood in the stream, water dripping from every inch of him, and felt a slow, burning annoyance mixed with something that was almost amusement.

“Laugh it up," he said flatly. "See how funny it is when I drag you in here with me."

"You wouldn't dare."

He waded toward the bank, fixing her with a look that he hoped communicated pure menace. She was still laughing, still doubled over, completely unguarded.

"Venit."

"What?"

"Come here."

"Why?"

" There's a fish here, I need you help grabbing it " he whispered walking cautiously towards nothing in particular.

She straightened, still grinning. "I'm not stupid, Muri."

"Just come help."

"No."

"Scared of the fish?? ” he mocks

She scoffed. "I am not scared of anything."

But she stepped closer anyway.

Just a step.

Just enough.

Muri lunged.

His hand shot out, grabbing for her ankle.

He made contact—felt the rough fabric of the clothes his mother had given her—and pulled.

But instead of the satisfying splash of a goddess hitting the water, he felt a sudden, sharp jolt.

ZAP.

Electricity ran up his arm, through his chest, and straight into his skull— strong enough to throw him back into the water. He stood back up with His dreadlocks standing on its end, His teeth clenched, every muscle in his body locked up for a split second, and then he collapsed back into the stream with a groan that was equal parts pain and betrayal.

Venit had not moved.

She stood on the bank, arms crossed, watching him with an expression of pure, her lip curved up with smug satisfaction.

"I am a primordial of lightning." she said sweetly. "Did you really think you could grab me without consequences?"

Muri lay in the shallow water, his dreadlocks still crackling with residual static, and groaned again.

"I don't know sorcery you did but that hurt." He groans

"Good."

"You're terrible."

"You tried to pull me into a stream."

"You were laughing at me."

"Because you looked ridiculous."

"I still look ridiculous. Now I'm wet and in literal shock."

She laughed again, but this time it was softer. She reached down, offering him her hand. He stared at it for a moment, suspicious.

"Are you going to zap me again?"

"Not if you behave."

"I never behave."

"Then maybe I will."

He took her hand and a jolt passed through him again, causing him to mumble incoherently as he stumbled back into the stream.

“ Venit!!! ” he yells

“ I just couldn't help it ” she laughs hard again doubled down.

‘ I swear…’

“ Okay okay fine fine, here ” She offers her hand again with a soft smile.

“ If you zap me again, I'm loading my slingshot ” He warns.

“ Ohhh so scary ” She sneers.

Then She pulled him up with surprising strength, and he stood on the bank, dripping, his dreadlocks a mess of tangled, static-charged chaos.

"You look like a drowned bush," she laughs.

"You look like a woman who's about to get pushed back into the jungle." He snaps at her as he squeezed the water from his tunic

"You wouldn't dare…"

"Try me."

She grinned.

He grinned back but his was filled with malice.