Everliving: Day 18

Word Count: 108,014

Summary of Events:

Quique and the pirates, having all escaped from the sinkhole surprisingly unscathed, continued on their way through the jungle. Reynaldo found a cat hiding behind his bookcase before being called on by Lisandro's father Roberto and arguing with him about Lisandro's success and Bethania's affections. Quique was looking for firewood when he got tangled in vines, but freed himself and then found a bay full of ships, including that of Lisandro, which he snuck aboard so as to learn where about they were at along the coast, before being caught by Lisandro . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

"Who is that?" the man asked.

The Duke looked at Quique, and then back at the man. "Tell me."

"I don't know who he is," the man said. "And I know everyone on this ship."

"You're a conniving fraud then," the Duke said.

"No," Quique replied. "I'm merely spying."

"Gorpulatese rat," the Duke spat.

"No," Quique said. "I am not Gorpulatese."

"You're not one of us," the man said. "And you're not anyone else."

"I am Ñapesan," Quique replied.

"We're the only Ñapesans here," the Duke spat.

"I'm with them," Quique said, pointing at the Tempest.

The Duke shouted and threw Quique over the rail before he could react. Quique quickly recovered himself and managed to start swimming for shore while gunshots rang out behind him and water splashed around him.

Scrambling to his feet, Quique ran in to the trees as quickly as he could. He didn't stop running. He had a feeling he was considered a traitor for associating with pirates and hoped that the Duke wouldn't come after him.

Tripping over a root again, Quique sprawled out on the ground this time, his ribs aching almost immediately.

He got to his feet to keep running, but the sight before him stopped him. It looked like another natural spring, except that it was bone dry. He'd never seen anything like it, and he wasn't sure what to make of it.

Not to mention, it was slightly different from the other springs, as the water appeared to have come from a fairly high place, and flowed for so long as to wear a divot in the rock it'd flowed over, from where it would've filled a lower basin, which was now somewhat full of dirt, dead leaves, and other debris.

A rather fat tree arced slightly over the spring, it appeared to have grown through the stones which were neatly piled to form the lower basin's sides.

Quique went over to the tree and climbed up it to look at the upper basin-like place which was above his head, meaning it was fairly high up, as he was taller than most people he knew.

The upper basin was dry as well, and Quique noted that there was a hole in the large rock which was the upper basin, which made it look a lot like the other springs they'd found, except for the part where it was a dry basin.

Climbing down, Quique turned around to find Captain Sly and several other men gathered around, looking at him.

"Is this what you were shouting about?" Captain Sly asked.

"No," Quique replied. "I only just found it. I was shouting because I was caught in vines, but I got out, and I found this."

"What is it?" Captain Sly asked.

"A dry spring," Quique replied.

"I wouldn't call it a dry spring," Carran said. "I'd call it a dry fountain.""

Pronunciation:

Gorpulatese: gohrpewlahteeze