"You're our hirers, right?" Peter asked a group of seven, who all had pompous looks.
After we discussed on the mission at the motel, we regrouped with Mike and headed for the east gate. We were all skilled at backstabbing ourselves, so acting normal with Mike even after knowing he would try to assassinate us, was as easy as breathing.
"I heard you guys are the best, skilled in weaponry and navigation, am I correct?" A pretty lady asked from the group.
"We are rookies, and the only things we do are carrying luggages and helping with minor problems" Peter replied with a smile.
"So why are you all carrying weapons?... mmm?" A menacing looking guy asked.
"Our safety are your priorities, but we were trained not to rely on people" Peter replied without breaking his smile.
"You know... We've heard cases of rookies leaving landmarks behind... For a gang to track and rob the adventures of their recoveries... Now let me make something clear, you guys are to be at the middle of the team, always, and any suspicious move from any of you, would result to your death. Am I understood?" An observant looking guy, who looked to be the crew leader, said calmly.
"Is he understood?" Peter tilted his head to glance at each of us.
"Loud and clear..." I replied, with the others nodding their heads.
"You seem to be encharge..." The pretty looking lady said, while sizing Peter up.
"No I'm not, they just look up to me as the eldest and bravest" Peter said proudly.
*Cough*
"Sorry, I have a slight cold" I coughed and said.
"Okay... Enough talk, let's head out" the observant looking guy said and headed out of the gate with his crew.
We all exchanged looks amongst ourselves, then followed the crew out of the gate. A sack bag was hanging from my shoulder, which contained my clothes and miscellaneous items I would be needing for the journey.
And two large luxurious briefcase were weighing my arms down, which belonged to one of the crew member. The crew was consisted of two ladies, and five guys, and they came along with two rookies, a cute female elf and a lanky human male.
The cute female elf and Ellen were carrying the luggages of the two female crew member, while the rest of us carried the luggages of the guys in the crew. I carried the heavy luggages on my arm loosely, so I would be able to easily let go of it and pull out my spear, which was hanged vertically on my back, if things were to go south.
Ellen kept spitting out every now and then, on the trees by the side. While Michael walked in front of her, like he was her bodyguard. Peter kept commenting on the unknown small scurrying creatures in the forest. While I was whistling and bouncing around in the middle of the crew.
Mike kept glancing at me in confusion, as it was his first time working with me, so he wasn't sure if I was always hyperactive during my missions. The lanky human guy kept pausing his steps at every slight sound. While the cute elf girl kept glancing at each of us with her cute green eyes.
I was feeling bored and was considering walking up the pretty elf girl to strike up a conversation, when my chest suddenly tightened and my heartbeat leaped. I quickly let go of the luggages in my hands and pulled out my spear which was hanged on my back.
Peter and the creepy couple followed my lead and pulled out their weapons while taking a fighting pose. The crew also quickly pulled their weapons but pointed them at us.
*Silence*
The lanky human guy began panicking and tilting his head around vigilantly, not understanding what was going. While the cute elf girl pulled out two daggers from... Who knows where, and took a fighting pose, while glancing from our team to the crew suspiciously.
"Put your weapons dow..." A guy who was standing at the rear was saying menacingly.
"First victim..." I interrupted him, and inched closer to Mike.
Suddenly, the guy got pulled by the leg, into the shadows of the forest, without even a chance to scream out. The crew members quickly pointed their weapons to where the guy was once standing in panic. While Peter and the creepy couple distanced themselves from me and Mike.
"How did you predict that..." Another guy was saying, when I quickly grabbed Mike by the collar, and threw him over the guy who was speaking.
A slimy black tentacle, which was about to grab the guy who was speaking, got knocked away by Mike who I threw in the direction, but the tentacle quickly grabbed Mark by his ankle and began pulling him away.
"Tier one transformation magic, beast blood" Mike screamed out immediately, and he instantly transformed into a grotesque beast-like creature, standing on it's hind legs.
Mike, who was now a grotesque beast-like creature, quickly clawed at the slimy tentacle, and decapitated it. An angry screech instantly reverberated from the shadows, and multiple tentacles shot out from a direction, towards Mark in his beast-like form.
"A distraction! Kill it now!!" I screamed out to the crew member, who were in a daze at seeing Mike using a spell.
My scream broke them out from their reverie, and they began casting their spells.
"Tier two elemental magic, holy light" a lady from the crew said, and a blinding white light shot out from her, brightening the surrounding area.
*Screech*
I couldn't see what the creature looked like, because I had shut my eyes tightly, lest I go blind.
""Tier two barrier magic, blue seal" I heard a male voice said.
"Tier two elemental magic, ice age" I heard a calm female voice said.
I hated the stupid holy light, which made me unable to entertain myself with the sight of the inheritors battle going on.
"Tier one elemental magic, lightening maniac" I recognized Mike's voice saying, which made my heart drop. If he were to survive this battle, then he would surely kill me.