"Ok everybody, we're staying together while we check the town. I consider you all my friends and I don't want the chance to lose one of you. Plus, two of you are new recruits to the party, so if something goes wrong it would be my head on a pike when we get back home."
Hearing what Peter had to say, Abel feels a little better and so does Attica. Neither one of them really knew how to defend themselves, except for the slight week of training before turning 18. Everything would need to be learned from experience.
Walking into the town of Nipton, everybody was looking at the shabby buildings and shuddering at what happened at the beginning when the animals started mutating and attacked.
Peter stops in front of a decently sized wooden building before turning to the others and saying with a frown on his face, "I remember this building from before the portals. It used to be a general goods store me and dad used to come to for seed and repairs on equipment. I wonder what happened to the old store keeper. He was a really nice man who would help us out all the time." Looking at the store a little longer, Peter shakes his head looking a little depressed before leading the group into a multitude of buildings.
After the 10th building, Sarah walks out of it before sighing and saying, "They really did pick through this town cleanly the last scout trip. I haven't found a single morsel of food, nor any traces of mutant or human."
After checking the last building, the moon is already high in the sky. The group starts to walk towards the biggest building in Nipton. Following Peter inside, he starts to speak in a low voice while continuing to walk. "This is the old mayors house. He was a paranoid man, but he wasn't a bad person. He made a type of panic room by his bedroom here on the first floor. It's the best defensive place in all of Nipton. I figured we could all sleep in peace there without taking shifts."
Upon hearing that nobody would need to lose sleep, everybody is ecstatic. Between the long trip of walking a fighting, Abel is ready to pass out on his feet.
Setting down his pack full of food, water, supplies and his new sword, he begins to take out a blanket. Setting his pack behind his head, he pulls the blanket up over him and not even five seconds pass before he falls asleep.
Attica soon falls asleep as well, leaving Peter and Sarah awake. Sarah walks over to Peter as he's pulling his own blanket out, "Does it seem like somebody is following us or is it just my own paranoia?" Sarah asks quietly trying not to wake up and worry the others.
Peter gives her a puzzled look. He looks down slightly at the ground trying to remember if he had any instincts kick in at all during the time searching the town. Softly laughing at himself internally, he thinks to himself, "If I had that kind of feeling I don't think I'd have to try and remember if I had it or not."
Seeing a very small smirk on his face, Sarah gets a little defensive. "Look I know I'm paranoid. I don't need you to laugh at me because of it though!"
Peter, pulling himself out of his thoughts, looks at Sarah and her reaction. "I'm not laughing at you. Paranoia can be a good thing out here in the wild. I personally haven't felt eyes on me, but it's still possible somebody is watching us. Tomorrow, when we all wake up, we will keep a more keen eye on our surroundings. Better it be nothing and waste our energy than it actually be something and we die."
"Do you think it will be a good idea telling Abel and Attica? What if they panic and it ruins their focus?" Sarah asks looking at Peter. She knows it's probably a better idea to tell them, but she just doesn't trust that a newbie, especially two, will take the situation in stride and make the best decisions. No matter if they were friends or not.
"I think it's the best decision to tell them. Abel and Attica has already faced mutants, so they know a little bit about battle choices. Even though a skulker can be a little scary, it isn't as scary as facing one head on. Especially in a group where we can all watch each other." Peter replies after thinking on the situation a bit.
"Plus, the mission is pretty much over. We will look for tracks a little bit more, and about mid morning we will start heading back towards Edgeville."
Sarah looks at Peter with a questioning expression on her face. Head slightly tilted to the side. "Why mid morning? Why not mid day to thoroughly look for anything and then head back?"
Peter laughs quietly and looks at his sister, "Well since you don't have any skills, I figured we could clear out that nest of ants. If we're lucky, they replenished their numbers. If they have, then there is a higher chance we will get a skill. Worst case scenario Abel and Attica get battle experience so we can take them on more dangerous missions with us. Having some people by your side you can trust never hurt anybody, right?" Peter looks at Sarah with a smirk on his face.
Thinking about it, she couldn't refute Peters words no matter how hard she thought about it. "Peter is a dolt most of the time, but when he gets a good idea every now and again he really does seem like somebody who can lead a party." She muses to herself. Thinking about getting a skill module also makes her smile a little bit. "Ok, fine. Your right. This place has been combed over already anyway and there isn't a point in wasting time here. Besides being felt like I'm being watched, there's nothing to find here."
Seeing that his sister has agreed, Peter starts to lie down and cover himself with his blanket before using his pack as a pillow. Sarah begins to do the same thing and before a couple minutes pass everybody has fallen asleep.
In a little building about 30 yards away from the house Abel and his friends are sleeping in, a figure is hiding himself by a window. "Interesting. The bigger girl seemed to have noticed me watching them. You have piqued my interest." The mysterious figure said with a disgusting smirk before fading into the shadows of the night. No trace, smell, or disturbance in the air was felt. He seemingly vanished into the night.
Waking up and eating their rations they had for breakfast, the group begins their work exploring the town again trying to find anything at all to help their mission and Edgeville. Morning is almost over and the time is close to noon, Peter gathered everybody at the edge of Nipton towards the forest before speaking in a clear and excited voice, "Although we found literally nothing here, I feel like the mission was a success. The newbies got some battle experience and even a skill! Sarah has told me that besides yesterday, she hasn't felt a single eye on her today, so that is also great news! With nothing to worry about anymore except reporting our mission to Edgeville when we get back, I propose we head back to the ant group to finish them off."
Seeing no complaints, but instead enthusiastic head nods, Peter begins again, "We will do the same thing as last time, I will separate the ants and have Abel and Attica work to finish one of them, but I will also bring a second one this time for Sarah and I. You two aren't the only ones looking for skills. If there aren't any other problems let's set off immediately!"
Abel and the group set off towards the forest where the ants are hoping they were still in the same spot or at least haven't moved too far away from where the previously were.
Peter, leading the group, suddenly stops before telling the group to follow him. Walking slowly through the brush and fallen leaves, Peter whispers to the group, "This is where the ants were. It seems they have moved but it doesn't look like they've been gone for long. Their tracks can still be seen pretty clearly. Follow me slowly and carefully. I don't want one of them popping up suddenly because of the noise we make."
Another twenty minutes pass before Peter stops once again. Telling everybody to get ready for battle, he sneaks off into the forest.
A minute or so later, they can all hear a rustling coming from the direction Peter had left. Knowing it's probably Peter with two ants on his trail, they all get into battle ready stances.
Peter then busts out the bushes before conjuring his bow and getting ready behind Sarah.
Abel, seeing Peter position himself a few feet behind Sarah, looks at Sarah. She pulls out two small daggers out of her pack that looks like they can cut through a tree. Seeing the plain craftsmanship of the daggers, he can't explain why he's getting such a dangerous feeling from them. "My short sword is of a slightly higher craftsmanship than the daggers, yet the daggers give off a much more dangerous feeling." He thinks to himself before pulling his own sword out of its sheath.
The ants aren't too far behind Peter, so once he gets ready to fire an arrow and Sarah pulled out her daggers, the ants are less than 10 yards away from the group.
Peter fires his bow, and with extreme precision, hits the front right left joint of the ant. Immediately, Sarah runs up to the ant before swinging her daggers at its neck and completely severing it's head.
Abel, in between trying to dodge the bites of the ant he and Attica are fighting, is in disbelief at how easily his friends have killed the ant. "I guess this is the difference between more missions and higher battle experience." He thinks to himself excitedly.
Attica is also extremely shocked at how Peter and Sarah fought the ant. Such quick and clean movements, precision like accuracy of the bow and strikes, perfect use of timing.
Finally finishing off their ant, Abel and Attica are ready for their next one. Seeing how the siblings fought, they are both filled with renewed vigour hoping so become as fast and as experienced as them.
Peter looks at how fast Abel and Attica finished off their ant inwardly surprised by their growth. "They have only fought a couple of ants and they're already in sync with each other. I can't imagine how fearsome they will be in the future." Peter inwardly gulps at how fearsome the two could become. Their potential alone is terrifying, let alone being in the same group together.
"Abel. Attica. You guys finished off that ant faster than the ones before. Good work! Keep striving to fix your mistakes and awkwardness fighting mutants amd eventually you'll become stronger than even me and my sister here!" Peter praises them out loud this time. Thinking Sarah might have been a little mad at himself for saying their potential could be higher than theirs, surprisingly, she can only look at the two newbies and agree.
"Their potential is indeed scary to think about." She inwardly praises them as well.
After making sure everybody is ready for the next wave, Peter sprints towards the ants again.
Hearing the usual rustle of leaves and seeing Peter running back again, the group gets prepared for a long day of slaughtering.