We headed for Musan village as soon as we finished with our meals. We said goodbye to the chief and Jane as we walked towards the forest-covered with mist. There was a strange smell there, and I sense Landers, over dozens of them. I sensed D-class, C-class, B-class, and A-class.
I'm I even strong enough to take on an A-class head-on? I knew Insunya sensed them, but he didn't look fazed at all, in fact, I think it gave him more confidence to get in.
We'd been silent the entire time walking, Insunya never gave us an order to be silent, but none of us made a noise. I also knew that they had questions about me and Jane, but quite frankly, I didn't want to talk about it.
Whenever I see Jane, it reminds me of how weak I was, for a civilian to risk his life for me, someone who dreams of being a Paladin, the pinnacle of strength and hope. To feel so weak, at that moment. The feeling of being weak and useless, never again. But that day, I thought I'd killed Jane. My weakness had killed Jane...sweet, innocent, Jane...how much suffering could she possibly take?
"You seem lost in thought Red, everything all right?" Liz checked.
Her voice snapped me out.
No time to doubt your self Red.
"Yeah, I'm alright,"
"A little reunion with your ex got you all screwed up," Roman gave an unnecessary tease.
People like him don't understand how it feels to be weak. They don't know how it feels to be bowing against something, for the chance of your life being spared.
"Talk about tense," Sukai jumped in. "I think Roman was just joking Red,"
"Yeah," Roman added.
"Are you two like best friends or something?" I asked, annoyed.
"Bestfriends is pushing it a bit, but we have mutual respect for each other," Sukai said.
"Finish your little chit chats, you guys, be prepared to go in," Insunya cut us off. He was looking more serious now. "Brood later Red, we need all your focus with us alright?"
I nodded. "yes sir,"
He's right, I need to get my act together.
"We don't know what's in there, but have each other back alright," Insunya spoke clearly. "As sentinels, our greatest weapon is our comrades, fight smartly alright,"
We all nodded.
Talk about a change of personality.
Insunya entered first, then gave us a signal to move on.
"Lend me your power, Nirvana," Insunya summoned his device.
A scythe appeared in his right hand. It looked heavy, but he carried it with ease. He used it to clear the way for us.
The forest had a whole different feeling to it than any place I've been before. And the deeper we got, the denser the mist was.
"I can sense the Landers in the area, but the mist too dense for me to locate them," I said to the rest of the team.
"I can feel the presence of the Landers, but I can't sense them," Sukai said.
"Yeah, same," Roman and Liz said synchronously.
"He probably developed this because he fought so many of them," Insunya said.
I had this ability even before I started hunting.
"Yeah, probably," I lied.
Insunya blocked our way with his scythe. We stood behind you.
"Starfall, come to me,"
My body move instinctively as my katanas pierced the cores of the Lander lurking behind me.
"They are surrounding us," Roman said the obvious.
We gathered around each other to make a circle.
"what to do Insunya," Sukai asked.
"Strike em down Sukai,"
"Yes, sir,"
"Come to me, Iketh," A katana covered in pure ice appeared in Liz's hand. It looked like it was snowing on it.
"come, Aston," Two katanas covered in blue flames appeared in Roman's hands.
"No, we stay back," Insunya said. "Just Sukai,"
"Orizambi Art- Sword Festival," -Sukai
About a dozen swords appeared above us. It all moved on it's on, piercing through the Landers around us.
"Nice work," Insunya praised. "But more are coming."
I squinted my eyes to try and see the amount of Landers approaching us.
"It's like they are coming in waves," Roman said.
And he was on point.
I realized something from the Landers Sukai killed.
"The Landers Sukai killed, none of them dropped a crystal," I say.
"Yeah you're right," Insunya noticed too.
"It's kinda weird, at least of them should dropped a crystal, and their movement, it isn't even natural, Landers don't like traveling in pacts like this,"
This reminded me of the time I killed 100 Landers.
It then dawned on me.
"Ordel?" I mumbled.
Ordel is a Lander but in human form.
It can be, in the middle of nowhere? That's the only explanation. The chief even mentioned how the Landers barely attack Musan. Like they're being told not to do so.
"The mist is an Orizambi art," Liz said. "It isn't natural,"
"I can sense Oriambi in the mist," Roman then realized it too.
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"So there's an ordel in this forest?" Liz asked.
"that gives us every more reason to preserve our orizambi, try to use minimal orizambi as possible, and Red, refrain from using lightening bind. Let's take care of these Landers, then get the ordel behind his mess,"
We all nodded.
We rushed into the incoming Landers, they were all about C-ranks.
We came to fight bandits, not Landers. I sigh to myself as I pierce through the core. Roman is fast, like really fast. But he keeps brushing aside his long white hair.
We finish them with ease. Fighting along with teammates is more fun and more effective as well.
"Good job team," Insunya said. "We need to get the ordel or we'll be in an endless loop fighting Landers,"
He's right.
"Can you sense 'em Red?" Sukai asked.
Guess she's nicer when things are serious.
"I don't sense 'em directly, but I sense a swarm of Landers gathered in one place," I say.
I then felt an uneasy feeling. A lander, it felt like the same type that attacked my sector. I didn't sense it when we entered the forest. It's..and S-class. And I sense people. The village.
"An S-class lander headed straight for the village." I blurt out.
"S-class? let's head straight for it."
I felt vines crawling over my legs.
"The hell?" Roman said, referring to the vines tightening around him. It squeezed him.
Before we could even react, he was gone. The vine pulled him away from us.
"Roman?" I shouted.
"We were hired to protect the village, Roman will be able to hold on till we come back," Insunya said.
How is he so calm.
"He's a comrade," I say.
"There are innocent people about to be killed," Insunya said.
"I can't fight knowing that Roman is in danger," I said.
"We aren't abandoning hundreds of lives for a single one,"
"I wasn't asking for you to that, I'll go after Roman,"
"Alone?" Insunya asked.
"I'll be with Roman," I said.
"Guess you've made up your mind, girls, I'll need you in the village. As soon as we get there, help evacuates everyone, I'll distract it. Come to me after you're done."
"Yes, sir,"
"Get Roman, and don't you dare die Redhunter," Insunya turned to me. "That's an order,"
"Yes, sir,"