The Tentacled Creature.

"Huh!"

Everybody was taken aback by what the prince said, they exchanged look at each other, to as express their shock.

'Is the prince really serious! Is he really going to let us steal from other people now?

Wow, That will be so cool.'

'Really? Woah! That makes a lot of sense.

It'll be so much easier for us, to steal from other people, to increase our gains, than actually fighting those damn beast ourselves.'

Everyone in the group was flabbergasted by the idea behind the announcement, they were thrilled at the prospect of just going for spoils, rather than going through the work of killing beast themselves.

It wasn't long before the others added their voice, to support the prince's suggestion.

"My prince, it is indeed such a nice idea for you to suggest that we steal from others, I'm in total support of the idea." One robust youth added. He had a small bronze bell hanging on his waist, supported by leaves and a piece of red cloth tied round his waist—dangling and ringing gently with every step he took

"Yes me too my prince, I was even going to suggest it to you earlier but I wasn't sure if you'd approve. However, now that you've said it yourself it makes me so happy.

Haha."

Sally also chimed in. He would never miss an opportunity to flatter the prince now that they he was finally getting the opportunity to build a closer relationship with the prince.

"Good, I'm happy that you are all in support. That means we're one house now, and we are united to achieve success." Idubor was elated.

Mostly, he was pleased with the fact that the people he brought with him this time, were all like-minds and criminally inclined. This was one of the reasons his team was not as big as his other half brothers.

He had taken enough time to select each warrior, ensuring that each person, had a weak more moral standard while also making sure they were capable warriors.

It has always been his plan then, to carry out some nefarious activities when he enters the dreamy forest.

In fact, some of his warriors that had been killed earlier, were actually known among the younger generation of the kingdom as unscrupulous characters, who enjoyed bullying and stealing.

So now, that they had all agreed with him to form a gang of criminals, he was definitely elated.

"Ok, now that we've all agreed, we can take the remaining time to sleep. Then, by the first light of the day we would set out and go in search for the other people."

Once the prince finished he got up, and went into the cave. He was quickly followed by Sally.

The others warriors, also got unto the nearby tree branch and settled their bodies; It was there, they intended to sleep, awaiting the light of the new day.

Soon the dim glow of the morning sun, emerged and fused with the hazy dew to bliss, the serene environment with subtle visibility.

Once the dawn had settled, everybody in the newly converted gang, prepared themselves and came together to move ahead in search for their first victim.

When the prince came out of cave, the people, even cheered for him. They evidently swept off their feet by the bright idea offered by the prince.

In fact last night some warriors who were so delighted by the announcement, couldn't even sleep. They had been too eager for the break of dawn.

"I can see you're all already gathered here, it is really nice, to see that I have your unwavering support.

I'm sure from your performance just now, that we're all so resolute to achieve success, and that nobody has changed their minds on out means."

prince Idubor was wearing a wide smile, his demeanor suggested that he had, had a good night rest and was willing to begin this new day with renewed momentum.

Many people would not expect a boy, who had killed his best friend the previous night, to be smiling so easily and innocently, as if nothing had happened.

"Well, since we're all here, let's just move on." He finally gestured waving his hands to usher his people along.

Meanwhile in another area.

Boom... boom.. boom..

several young people, were in an intense fight with a weird creature. Yellow earth dust, had gathered into the air, disturbed. And clouded the area, concealing the creature's entire figure.

However, from withing the cloud of dust, huge flexible arms, like an octopus, were constantly dashing out and dancing, to slam onto the ground.

"Damn! what kind of a wierd, beast is this? it doesn't easily get injured. It's body is too rigid. Ahh..."

The one who spoke was a boy with a shaved head. His was lanky and had a piece of white cloth hung over he neck.

He jumped up and Flew into the air—spear in hands, towards the monstrous, brown octopus-like kind of creatue, that was now exposed, when the creature squealed, and moved away from the cloud of dust.

The boy who had leapt into the air before, was now diving down, at a crazy speed, aiming for one of the tentacles of octopus-like creature.

However, when the boy was about to strike the creatures arm, the tentacles moved away swiftly. Bypassing his spear, and swept over the his figure to quickly push him aside.

Thud.

"Damn you, filthy octopus! I'll kill you!" Once the boy crashed on the ground, he started roaring curses. He charged at the creature again.

His momentum shot up, and his will to kill the creature became super evident upon his face.

Perhaps, he was vexed, by the fact that he couldn't land a blow before, due to sly bodily movement, of the octopus-like creature—which only had to wave it's tentacles to move about and deliver deadly attacks.

"Igbins, calm down! do not loose your temper, we have to attack it tactically, and with cool heads!"

One other boy, with a full hair like afro, shouted to the other raging young boy, who had a shaved head.

He was already raging and rushing, with a careless approach, towards the creature.

"Sonia, go over to Igbins and support him before he looses his temper and get himself killed!"

The boy, who had a full hair, ordered towards one girl, with a perfectly slim body arched by pompous hips. She had been standing aside, all the while, since the confrontation began.

"Jada look out! NO!!!..." The girl with a slim-waist warned aloud; screaming.

Just as she was about going over to Igbins—the boy with a shaved head, she noticed, that one of the creature's tentacle had snuck up on the young warrior with a full hair, who had called out to her a while ago.

The creature's tentacle moved snugly, and sneakily got behind the boy, readying to

slap him hard.

The beautiful girl, waved her hands, doing all she could to warn the young warrior with a full hair. However, it was already too late.

Snap! Bang! Splat!

The creature's tentacle, quickly wrapped around the waist of the distracted young warrior, breaking his spine. Then within the next instant, it slammed the boy's body, head first, into the ground. Squashing and shattering his his head, and breaking, his every bones.

"No!!!" With his arms outstretched, Igbins, the boy who had been loosing his temper earlier, cried out, when he saw his colleague's head burst away and his body break apart—dropping lifeless, like a sac of potato upon crash.

He abruptly halted, on his track. His face, immediately, changing into a gloomy facade of depress, suddenly became pale.

He kept on looking, wide-eyed, and interchangeably, at the young warrior, Jada's, damaged dead body and the octopus-like creature which continued, it's dance-like fight, with the other young warriors belonging to the team.

"Lea–lea–leader, Our leader is dead. Oh no!" He started murmuring to himself; totally aghast.

His face, soon spelt an auspicious realization. Indicating that perhaps, all those while, when he was vexed and charging, it never occurred to him that the dancing, octopus-like creature, could actually perish a life, as easily as it did with just a slap.

However, he was not to be totally blamed for his ignorance— at least, not until just now, the creature had not killed anyone of his teammates before.

Now, that he had witnessed it, and understood in totality, the implication of what could've happened to him, if he'd successfully rushed over to meet the creature before, he slowly started taking gentle step backwards, to get farther away, from the tentacled creature; retreating.

Bang! click squash.

As if to reinforce his growing fear, towards the creature, in another moment, the tentacled creature, made another two, swift killings— when it slapped one young warrior hard, against the earth, before squeezing out the insides, of the another young warrior with it's powerful tentacle— Making it a total of three young warriors on it's deathlist.

Once Igbins saw this, his mind, was solidly made up; He was not going to engage the tentacled creature anymore.

He rallied his thought, and started devising an escape plan.

"Sonia, stop crying and come over here! Jada is already dead" He hollered at the curvy girl. The only young female warrior in the team.

Beckoning on her, to come over to where he was standing.

Since their leader, Jada, was already dead, his plan, by now, was to abandoned the rest of the team, and abscond with the slim-waist.

This group of people were exactly, young warriors from Igodomigodo, who had entered into the dreamy forest, to participate in the hunt for beasts.