The smell of blood he's so familiar with came up his nose. the feeling of it sticking on the clothes, The feeling of muscles being overexerted.
This state was all too similar to when he struggled for his dream. Every time he blinked the world surrounding him changed from green forest to a desolate battlefield so he stopped. He felt that if he didn't focus completely on the ground beneath him. His mind would go back there and he'd not able to control himself.
He narrowed his eyes and tread the way ahead seeking her trails with Lila on his arms.
(It's been ten minutes, I can't keep her whole for long, more five minutes and her soul will start detaching from her body.)] Hyera gave the time limit
He stopped abruptly, focusing everything on his nose, ears, and instincts. The faint fragrance of Larissa and two unknown others entered his nose, an auburn colored hair appeared o his mind.
'They must've passed by here a few minutes ago.'
His bolted to her.
*****
"How long until there?" Ricon asked.
"Around three kilometers until the safest area." The short-haired man said. His tone fast and filled with energy,
"Good." Ricon nodded his face calm. "Let's rest a little, I know a lot of you must be anxious, but let's not make a trip with a tired body."
"Yes!" The sixteen people agreed.
The camp was set, Ricon gathered with the talented he kept close to him.
"So?" His almost whispering voice reached only those near him.
"It's a nest of mad bears, and twenty meters to the side there is a beehive of Psycho Honeybees, it seems to have at least one or two months of age so their numbers won't surpass two hundred. " The Blue-haired fellow spoke, in an even lower tone.
But the six men and women around couldn't hold in their calm, some gasped with huge eyes, other's mouths turned up with a smirk, filled with greed.
Ricon nodded sternly without showing his feelings.
"My family's company will need those honeycomb pieces for research, but the rest of you can split the rest of the goods between yourselves. Do we have a deal?"
"W-Wait, are we really just going for it? The beehive has at least a hundred and some more Psychobees, there'll be casualties, a lot of it." A hesitating feminine voice resounded.
All eyes turned to her. Amélia Instantly regretted it.
'I was doing so well, I was in the main circle.' She thought and bit her lips while looking at the questioning eyes of the most popular youth at the time.
But to her relief, Ricon nodded seriously, "That's an issue we'll plan to solve. We're just forming out the main points now, later we'll get to planning our action. Now, let's rest and talk about this later. Disperse."
He commanded and after the others and Ricon left. AMélia put a hand to her chest and sighed in relief. She knew how social hierarchy's worked and she always kept herself exactly where she wanted to be. But hearing their plan and knowing the obvious outcome made she spill her thoughts without thinking first.
The fifteen or so people ate and took turns to doze off. When the second hour was up, the weirdly well dressed and neat Amélia, yawned and stretched her limbs letting out a relieved grunt. She felt so wonderful after that one hour of sleep, that she couldn't help but smile.
"It's getting dark." She spoke and the surrounding people looked at her.
Because she was in Ricon's inner circle, they listened to her. She never felt more respected, once again she felt stupid for objecting their plan just an hour ago. Although a half an hour early, Amélia walked to the place they usually held their meetings while thinking of a solution to their problem on the way
S sudden disturbance on the water particles of water in the air startled her to attention. When she was twenty she awakened an innate gift with water, she could feel the slightest amount of it anywhere. And now they were moving as if five people were talking. With silent steps, she took cover behind a thick a tree and moved the water in the air to control her scent and breath.
"Are we all on the same page then?" Ricon asked walking ahead of two others. They were coming from the path Amélia was in a second ago.
"Yes, there's a chance to score, why miss out on it?" Rufus, the blue-haired thin young man said.
"Their group has more numbers, they have a great chance of survival. they'd do the same if it were them in our place." Another Green haired Rodriguez commented with a smirk.
"Let's revise it one more time when we meet with the others they must already be there." Ricon continued.
The other two just nodded and smiled.
.These were the people Ricon kept by his side since childhood, elites from great families, they were useful, even more so because he knew each nook and cranny of their ability. He was not afraid of being hurt in their expedition. As he could leave them to be his meat shield in a jiff.
Although he got assurance for his survival from his brother. The mere idea of risking himself was enough to give him the chills, thinking of his brother's orders he narrowed his vision chillingly The drone sent to kill him was seized, there was nothing more else to do, yet, Leandro sent him to hunt for a psychobees honeycomb pieces. He could simply send elites later since it was a rare treasure, but he chose to send his little brother instead...
'Is it his punishment for me trying to use Larissa as a bait? those sluts didn't waste time and told him right there and then huh?'
With venom on his eyes, he put on a polite smile and he greeted the other two of their small group.
Amélia did everything to hold herself from trembling as they passed by, she bit her lips and clenched her knuckles until they turned white.
They hadn't called her to this small meeting, She was cast out, and that meant. They'll start their plan, and soon.
*****
"Bitch! there's nowhere for you to run! we'll catch you!" The redheaded Lorra screamed as she threw a knife reinforced with her inner essence.
And form the side three small fireballs cut through trees and brushed past Larissa's running figure.
She ignored the heat and the knife that stuck and stayed on her shoulder and just ran forward. Larissa knew she couldn't take them head-on while her 'friend' hasn't finished its business. So she chose to stall, they were merely a level above her, a level she was on the verge of breaking in, they were both D rank heros on the Excelled mortal state of being.
'I just need her to digest those two bodies, then...' Larissa's eye shone with animosity. 'I'll beat the breath out of those two.'
fwhip!
Two alike small blades brushed past her neck, but she didn't stop and only sought to disrupt their pace with her vines.
Larissa knew the exact terrain and where to go through the grass and plants around. Coupled with the shadows pitiful cursing it was easy to know where they were.
When she raised her left foot for another step,.she felt resistance time slowed down,
'I'll fall.'
She thought.
The hight consumption of her inner essence raised even more, momentarily distracting her of everything around her, she neglected what was right in front of her...
Her toe hurt and gravity pulled her down, there was only two minutes left for her 'friend' to be available again, she'd manage it then.
With an inward sigh, she rolled on the ground.