Return To Primordial Island, Rick Poldark [top non fiction books of all time .TXT] 📗

Two rushed in, lunging with their spears. Jason pushed his spear tip into one Zehhaki’s stomach, but he was stabbed simultaneously by the others. He cried out in pain.

Peter stumbled backwards, teetering on the edge of the rocky cliff. His heels knocked loose pebbles off the side, sending them falling to the river below. He reached out and grabbed Jason to steady himself, but it was too late. He stumbled backwards off the cliff, taking his friend with him.

After a few seconds of terrifying freefall, they plunged into the river. Peter turned head over heels underwater as the strong current rolled him. He quickly became disoriented, not knowing which way was up. He had also lost track of Jason.

He unfurled his body and kicked, breaching the surface and filling his lungs with much needed air. He bobbed up and down as the river took him south. He searched for Jason, wiping the water out of his eyes. However, the act of rubbing his eyes caused him to sink, and he needed to tread water just to stay afloat. As far as he could tell, Jason was nowhere to be found.

After the river snaked left and then right, the current slowed and Peter was able to breathe and regain his bearings. He looked around but didn’t see anything. “Jason!” he called out. “Jason! Where are you?”

For a moment, he thought of the Spinosaurus, but he fought down panic. He needed to find his friend. He closed his eyes and reached out, harnessing the power of the life orb. He felt Jason. He was close. Peter opened his eyes and looked beneath him. He drew in a deep breath and dipped under the surface.

Closing his eyes, he used the life orb to locate his friend. Jason was rolling, unconscious, underwater. Peter didn’t sense any large aquatic predators, which was encouraging. He reached out, grabbed Jason, and pulled him to the surface.

Peter gasped for air as he lay on his back, grabbing his friend. When he located Jason, he also felt that his lifeforce was weak and fading fast. Peter kicked his legs, swimming in a perpendicular line, making his way towards the eastern shore. Once again, the current turned his vector into a hypotenuse, only the current was weak and the angle more acute.

As he crawled onto shore, he dragged Jason with him. He knelt in the silt and pulled his friend, dragging him out of the water and onto the riverbed. He rolled Jason onto his back and placed an ear to his chest. Jason’s sides bled out onto the silt, staining it crimson. He had suffered so many stab wounds.

Peter closed his eyes and summoned the power within him. He felt the life orb illuminate. It was a warm sensation. He felt Jason’s lifeforce beneath him, growing smaller. He touched its essence with his power, infusing it. He pushed the water from out of his lungs and infused Jason’s stopped heart with the power of life. He then repaired Jason’s wounds from the inside out, first replenishing the damaged organs and then mending flesh and skin.

When Peter opened his eyes, Jason was sitting up. Peter smiled.

Jason rubbed his forehead. “My head is pounding.”

“That’s four you owe me now.”

Jason grimaced as he struggled to stand. “Four? Wait…you’re not counting that time with the Compys, are you?”

Peter smirked. “Of course I am.”

Jason wagged a finger. “I had that under control. They were tiny little buggers. I would’ve taken them.”

Peter laughed. “Good to have you back amongst the living…again.”

“You were right,” said Jason. “We should’ve jumped.”

Peter didn’t mention that he actually fell. He’d never live it down. “I think we can still make it to the temple fairly easily.”

“Yeah, but now we know the lizard men are following us. They don’t want us to make it.”

“That was when I was going to awaken their rivals,” explained Peter. “I’m not doing that now.”

“Yeah, well you try explaining that to them.” He looked around. “Dammit, I lost my spear.”

Peter puffed his chest out and grinned. “We have all we need. We have the life and death orbs.”

Jason shot Peter a weary glance. “Yeah, I just have to figure out how to use mine.”

Peter shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe that’s a good thing. If you don’t know how to use it, you can’t use it to free Nazimaa. Oh, and now you know how I feel. Isn’t so easy, is it?”

Jason shook his head. “No, I guess not.”

Peter pointed up ahead. “All we have to do is follow the river south.”

“I know,” reminded Jason, pointing his index finger to his temple. “I have the map, too. Remember? It’s on the other side of the river. We’ll have to cross it at some point.”

They started to walk.

“How do you suppose Nazimaa dragged two unwilling women to the temple?” asked Peter.

“She is powerful,” said Jason.

Peter wore a pained expression on his face. “I…I just don’t understand this place. I can feel everything, but I don’t understand any of it.”

“You didn’t feel that this wasn’t an island,” said Jason. “Maybe you’re not as omnipotent as you thought.”

“Omniscient,” corrected Peter.

“Whatever.”

Peter chuckled to himself. “I guess not.”

“We do have one thing going for us, though.”

“What’s that?”

Jason winked. “We haven’t run into any dinosaurs since we saw the gibbons.”

Peter sighed. “I’m really sorry about Susan. If there was anything I could’ve done…”

Jason held up a hand, palm facing out. “Forget it. I totally get it, mate. It wasn’t your fault.”

Peter felt relieved. The last thing he wanted to do was lose Jason’s friendship. The only thing was, he couldn’t forget it. Susan was torn to pieces, and he was powerless to stop it. What if…?

“We’ll save Tracey and Mary,” said Jason, as if