Another night passed, and another day began. They left early, and kept close to the Kelpie Trail, until there was an obstruction in their path. Val found this development quite curious, and she could see a hint of apprehension in Cosmo's eyes. He didn't seem to say much, but his eyes seemed to express whatever he thought.
They were silent for quite a while. The others appeared to be waiting for something, but Val couldn't say what for sure. Bandits? That seems highly unlikely. This trail wasn't used very often by travelers. Who wastes all their time for so little? From the little information Val has gathered from her observations, there must be another party interested in the item they are after. Maybe some goons could cause some trouble to delay or harm them? That seemed the more appropriate option.
As Val was lost in her thoughts, Cosmo and Orion stopped. The group took notice, and all were more aware of their surroundings. A strong sensation was making Val's chest tighten. Something was about to happen, but before she could make a move, two men rushed from the front. This head on attack was quickly thwarted by Cosmo and Orion.
Cosmo merely caught his attacker's hand to overpower him. His strength on the man's fist was so intense that he was down on his knees. Orion evaded an attack from his assailant, then he planted a powerful hit to the gut. The second man doubled over in pain. Orion took this opportunity to kick the man down into a kneeling position.
"Who sent you?" The words came out almost like a snarl from Cosmo's lips.
The would-be attacker's face contorted in pain, but a hint of a smile was seen on his face. Val took note, but wasn't about to get involved. Terran instinctively moved in front of Celeste in a protective manner. Corvus and Pyxis remained in the back, but were on high alert.
As the interrogation was continuing, a frightening feeling started to creep up in Val's chest. Danger was near, but it was different. It seemed darker than an average assailant. As each second passed, the feeling grew, and suddenly, a voice resounded in Val's head.
'Take his knife.' That was all it said, but Val didn't believe it.
Val couldn't stand the creepy feeling. She still doubted the voice, but at this point, there weren't many options. Before anyone could react, she took Terran's knife and threw it. It went between Corvus and Pyxis, until it made contact.
Whoosh, thud, screech. The scream was quite loud and painful. The knife's target ended up being a man, but he looked crazed, with eyes completely black and there appeared to be inscriptions all over. The knife glowed with a bright light, and it seemed to dispell whatever was possessing the man as the writings faded, and his eyes slowly returned to normal. Corvus and Pyxis immediately retrained the third attacker.
Fear gripped Val, but not wanting to admit it, she steeled her eyes and clenched her jaw. This was an interesting turn of events. When she looked back to the man Cosmo had in his grip, she could tell that he was uneasy, but not fully scared. She decided to watch a bit more. This doesn't directly involve her, so there's no point in taking unnecessary risks.
"How did you know to use my knife?" Terran turned to Val. "It has a light enchantment that has weakened the dark magic that is within that man."
"Lucky guess." Val wasn't going to admit that she listened to a voice in her head. She didn't want to sound crazy or anything.
"That was truly amazing Val!" Celeste exclaimed.
The revelry didn't last long. Cosmo tightened his grip on his captive. "Who sent you?" There was a hint of a growl.
"Huh," the captive snorted, "what are you going to do about it? The treaty is very clear about these things."
Cosmo's jaw tightened, and he kicked the man in his gut. Val found this bit of information rather intriguing. Perhaps they are each from opposing factions? Factions of what? Well, that wasn't the most important thing. It was clear that no amount of physical intimidation could make them talk.
Val took off her pack, and grabbed a couple of vials out of it. Celeste furrowed her brows, but didn't voice any concerns. Terran watched with a curious gaze. Val then walked over to Cosmo.
"Don't you think you're going light on them?" Val asked with a suggestive look. Cosmo wasn't sure what to make of it, but she continued to get closer to him, until she could whisper in his ear.
The others watched as Cosmo's face went from annoyed to curious to amused. He thought over whatever Val told him, and then nodded in agreement. When Val moved away, Celeste noticed that the look in her eyes. It was the same as when she saved her before. There was a hint of playfulness, but her whole presence exuded confidence. She had a wicked smile on her face, fully in character.
Val handed Cosmo one of the vials. She then opened the one left in her hand. "Are you familiar with the zinnias flower?"
The man Cosmo held captive slowly shook his head. The smile on Val's face deepened. A small chuckle escaped her lips.
"Well, they are truly dangerous." Val looked at her vial. "Once ingested, it moves rather slowly. First you start to feel the numbness. Then you will become paralyzed, until you lose all control of your body. And you must simply endure, until there is no more breath in your lungs."
"You wouldn't!" He yelled at her. "The treaty clearly states -"
"I don't care about your precious treaty." She rolled her eyes, as though she was really bored of the subject. "I am not like these pure souls before you. I belong to no party. I only follow where the money is good."
"But you are acting as one of them." His eyes showed the fear beginning to creep up. "If you kill us, then Draco will be held at fault. A dispute will break out, costing countless lives!"
Val thought for a moment. "That would be true if they dirtied their hands, but in this instance, they can deny all fault. Besides, dead men have few words, what will you tell them about my actions?"