Chapter 5
"Hey! We're going to complete the next mission together."
He spoke to us... with this group, we're supposed to complete the upcoming mission.
"Hey! I'm Lorine Olider! Nice to meet you!" Lorine replied with a smile.
Lorine? What are you doing? The party leader is supposed to do this introduction... that's the proper way.
"In that case, I'll introduce my team" he replied.
Before us stood five people, just like us. Each of the five had a white metal badge on their shoulder. The first was short and muscular with red hair. A silver metal necklace with a red feather hung around his neck. On the ground, between his legs, he leaned on a long, broad sword, similar in structure to Dominic's sword.
"My name is Aron Datsuma," he said. "I'm the party leader."
Datsuma? From the famous Datsuma family? My father knows some of them personally...
"This is my cousin, Karina Agnora," Aron continued, pointing to Karina.
Her hair was red and straight, reaching slightly past her shoulders. She was full-figured with a large chest, holding a dark wooden staff. At the bottom of the staff were several small holes at the top and two large holes where the hands grip.
Karina bowed slightly. "Hello, nice to meet you all. I hope we get along well together."
Agnora... I know her last name too. There's a very famous fire mage with the last name Agnora. Does that mean she's her daughter?
"Next, meet Itan Saaroo" Aron continued.
His hair was dark blue, his skin was brown, and he had a somber expression. He was tall and thin, with several daggers visible at his sides.
"Yes, I'm Itan. Nice to meet you" Itan said.
"And this is Hugo Nakom, the last addition to our party" Aron added.
His hair was blond, he wore glasses. He was broad and slightly tall, holding a short, wide metallic staff. The staff had many small holes where the hands grip it and several small holes at the bottom.
"Hello, nice to meet you" Hugo said.
"And finally, Vanessa Carmikola."
Before us stood a beautiful girl with long, straight pink hair and light blue eyes. Her smile was captivating, and her chest was medium-sized. Her body was sculpted, holding a long metal staff with a few small holes where the hands grip it. At the top was a yellow metallic ball with small holes as well.
Her voice was gentle. "Hi..." Vanessa began to say but was immediately interrupted by Dominic, who had already stood beside her, "I definitely joined the wrong group."
Vanessa smiled. "And who are you?"
"Dominic Sateel! But you can call me the Dream Maker."
"Dream Maker? What dreams can you make come true?"
"After one night with me, all your dreams will come true..." Dominic continued.
"Well, that's not going to happen... we just met" Vanessa replied.
"Trust me, there's no man in this world who can..." Dominic said but was interrupted.
"Dominic! We're here for the mission" I said, trying to calm him down, "So, I'll introduce us..."
"I'm Zophyr Alaw, the party leader."
"Alaw? Adrian Alaw's son?" Aron immediately asked.
I nodded in agreement.
"Amazing! If so... fate has brought us together... just like our fathers. They were in the same party when they were volunteers," Aron added.
In the same group? That means his father is Marcus Datsuma. My father told me about him, a noble and brave warrior... I've heard that all the Datsuma family members are like that.
"My father told me about your father, Marcus. Truly, fate has brought us together," I said.
"Hmm... shouldn't we be preparing for the mission?" Hugo said with dissatisfaction.
"Yes... you're right. These are my party members. You've already met Lorine and Dominic. This is Roobers Whitalero, and this is Sylviana Moonight."
"Nice to meet you," Roobers replied, looking somewhat distracted.
"G... G... Y..." Sylviana whispered something unclear but nodded in agreement, a sort of confirmation that she was pleased to meet Aron's party. She seemed to be hiding behind Roobers, though there was no apparent reason for it.
"Alright, now that we've introduced ourselves, let's hear the mission details" Aron said, and we approached the assistant who patiently waited behind the counter at the Union Quests House.
"I'm glad you've made your introductions. Now I'll explain your mission" the assistant said.
"About a week ago, a volunteer party passed by the area near the Great Forest. According to their description, they noticed a large number of goblins, about ten goblins in total. It's important to understand that goblins don't usually gather in large groups, so this seemed quite suspicious..."
"Very suspicious" Sylviana whispered, looking very interested in the assistant's description.
The assistant continued "That party was a beginner party, a white badge, like you, and they decided not to get in trouble and returned immediately. I don't know what would have happened if those goblins had noticed them, but it seems like a wise decision. After they returned, they reported what they saw. The Union examined the situation and decided further investigation was necessary. So, four days ago, a more experienced volunteer party was sent to investigate the area."
"How many were they? And how experienced?" Hugo asked.
"They had a yellow badge, a party of five volunteers, serving for about two years" the assistant replied, and Hugo nodded in agreement.
"They were supposed to return within two days at most and report their findings, but as I mentioned, four days have passed, and they haven't returned..."
"So you're saying... they're dead?" Lorine asked with slight hesitation but with an icy tone.
We all thought about it... only Lorine actually said it...
"Let's not jump to conclusions. Delays like this can happen for many reasons. Maybe they lost their way? Maybe they realized they had to investigate the area further because they found something very important? Maybe the goblins discovered them, and they had to retreat north? Maybe they're fighting right now and waiting for reinforcements? And maybe... maybe they're dead..." the assistant said in a quieter but still clear voice.
A short silence filled the room, broken by Aron "What is our role in this mission?"
"The mission's goal is to find out what happened to the missing party without taking too many risks, without venturing into side paths. Any piece of information you can provide will earn you a worthy reward. There's a possibility that after extensive searching, you won't find anything and won't obtain any relevant information about the missing party... in such a case, don't expand the search. Just return here and mark all the places you've visited."
The Union would give up on them? The Union never gives up on anyone...
"In such a case... that we don't find any information... we'll abandon them there? The Union will abandon them...?" I asked in confusion. This doesn't fit with the Union's way of handling things...
The assistant shifted uncomfortably, "We... the Union... the Union doesn't abandon anyone" she said. "We'll know more when you return, and then we can decide how to proceed. Please try to understand, we can send another expedition, but it'll be harder to handle three missing parties than just one..." she added.
Roobers looked confused "You said there's only one missing group? How come there are suddenly three?"
The assistant was about to answer, but Hugo interrupted her "She means us... the Union doesn't want us to disappear the same way."
"Exactly. So it's important to remember that in this mission, which is important and urgent, you must prioritize your safety" the assistant added.
The assistant opened a paper map of the Great Forest area and the surroundings, she showed us the approximate location where the party was supposed to reach.
"One last thing, Maximilian, Mike, Nanako, Roger and Katy... those are their names. Maximilian is the party leader... follow the instructions and always remember... the Union is with you" the assistant said.
Several assistants handed us combat rations and new, filled water canteens. We quickly organized ourselves.
"We're heading out!" Aron called and right after we left the Union Quests House.
Aron, Itan, Vanessa, Karina, Hugo, Dominic, Roobers, Sylviana, Lorine, and I... a total of ten volunteers, two parties, all focused on one mission, and we're going to do it.
The evening was approaching. We had only left Herash a few hours ago...
It felt strange to travel at this hour... usually, we leave in the morning and return around noon in the day after.
The path was mostly similar to the one we take every time we go out hunting.
"Soon we'll lose daylight, but this time we won't make a campfire. We'll keep marching into the night" Aron said.
Karina walked behind Aron, She looked back toward our party "We won't make a campfire, but it's worth taking a break... Zophyr's party looks exhausted."
I won't lie, I'm quite tired... we left right after we returned, and we didn't have time to rest... but I can't admit that in front of everyone. It will make us look weak.
I looked back. Lorine, Roobers, and Dominic looked tired but able to continue, but Sylviana... she was walking heavily, using her staff to advance with each step, inhaling and exhaling heavily... I don't think she can continue like this for much longer.
Lorine's eyes widened with joy "Yes! We're completely worn out! Time for a rest."
How can she say that? How can she show such weakness... now Aron and his group think we're weak.
"Alright, we'll take a short break" Aron said and immediately sat on one of the scattered rocks nearby.
His teammates followed, sitting on random rocks nearby.
I waited a moment before approaching to sit on one of the rocks. I wanted to make sure Sylviana found a comfortable place to sit, but Roobers beat me to it and was already by her side, extending his hand to help her.
Sylviana paused, looking briefly into Roobers' eyes before averting her gaze.
"I'm here for you" Roobers said, Sylviana continued to look away but still took Roobers' hand for assistance. "Thank you" she replied softly. The two moved to a large rock and sat on it.
Great, now everyone has a place and they're resting. I looked around and to my surprise, there were no more large rocks to sit on... what am I supposed to do now? I need a bit of rest too...
Upon further inspection, there were three large rocks with enough space for two people. On one of them sat Sylviana and Roobers and on the other two sat Lorine and Itan, each alone.
I hesitated. If I sit next to Lorine, she might think I want to be with her... she might get the wrong impression... so should I sit next to Itan? But... I don't know him at all... what should I do?
Lorine noticed my hesitation and immediately raised her hand to signal me to sit next to her. Now it's even more suspicious... she wants me to sit next to her? What should I do? I have to choose now...
I sat down... somehow... somehow I found myself sitting next to Itan instead of Lorine...
Lorine was to my left but out of my line of sight. I didn't dare look at her face after refusing to sit next to her, so I ended up looking towards Itan... who was sitting right beside me...
"Umm... hey" he said surprised.
I looked at him. He probably didn't understand why I chose to sit next to him... honestly, neither do I... but I can't show it was by accident.
"We're on this mission together. I wanted to know more about your roles and abilities... you're an assassin as I can see?" I asked. Yes... that sounds believable... after all, I'm the party leader.
"Umm... yes... I'm an assassin..." he replied confused.
I didn't know what else to say... it would look very strange if I didn't say anything...
There was a brief moment of silence, suddenly broken by a growl or roar, something that sounded like a bear... only much louder... the sound seemed distant but still very audible.
The sound echoed loudly in our ears, filling us with fear. I felt a cool shiver run down my spine. I had never heard such a sound before.
Aron immediately stood up "Don't worry... everyone continue resting" he said, looking alert and ready for anything that might come.
"It sounds very far from here... I don't think you need to stand" Sylviana said, quite confidently... she had already stopped panting heavily.
"I've never heard a sound like that" Hugo said.
"Neither have I... and I hope never to encounter the creature that made that sound" Sylviana replied.
Even Sylviana didn't recognize the sound... it must be a very rare creature.
"Do you think that creature is what killed the party we're looking for?" Lorine asked worriedly.
Hugo looked at her confused "Why did you assume they're dead? Why did you assume that creature killed them?" his tone sounded a bit angry.
Aron returned to sit on the rock, "No... she's right... that thought immediately crossed my mind too... it could be that an unknown creature attacked them."
"It! could! be!" Hugo repeated Aron's words, emphasizing each one, "A roar, growl, or even an unknown creature... that doesn't mean they're dead... I'm not saying they are... but I'm also not saying they're not..." he added.
Dominic joined the conversation "I think the Union is lying... they know they're dead and just sent us to find the bodies."
Dominic boiled my blood... how can he talk like that?
How can you speak like that about the Union?! The Union never lies!
Just before I could respond "The Union doesn't lie!" Itan surprisingly replied.
Dominic waved his hand dismissively "Whatever you say..."
"Let's save our strength for the battle" Aron said, ending the argument.
Itan looked very serious in his words. I would even say his face looked slightly angry, as if he spoke from his heart.
"Don't take what Dominic said seriously" even though the argument had ended, I think I should try to calm the atmosphere... after all, we're supposed to work together on this mission.
"I also know the Union never lies to us. The Union is built on honesty and integrity" I added.
Itan's expression changed, returning to a normal, blank look "Then you and I will get along great" he replied.
I'm very curious, why does he trust the Union so much? Should I ask him about it? Maybe it's a personal matter... we've only just met today... it doesn't seem appropriate to ask personal questions from people I just met... I dropped the subject.
We returned to silence, not just Itan and me, but everyone stopped talking.
Minutes passed slowly. The evening was almost over and soon the night would envelop us.
From time to time, we heard the background noises of the Great Forest, distant buzzing sounds, and occasionally growls from creatures.
We were close to the area where we go hunting each time, the same area that Inzdel showed us, only this time we were slightly more west. As far as we know, the missing party didn't enter the Great Forest but investigated the western outer area of the Great Forest.
You can easily tell if you're in the Great Forest. The trees are tall and close together and there's a dense layer of trees as soon as you enter the Great Forest. In the briefing, they said there are volunteers who circled the entire Great Forest, and in every direction, the layer of trees looks similar. According to what they told us, the area of the Great Forest is like a perfect circle, something that's not naturally possible...
I took out my canteen. It was a dark brown leather canteen with a light brown wooden cap.
I started drinking. The water was cool and refreshing, helping me find some rest...
"Drink some water" I said, looking and gesturing to my party members.
"Umm... Zophyr?" I heard Lorine's voice, Her voice was pleasant and soft, I don't remember her always sounding like that. Maybe it's because she said my name?
I looked at her. She held her canteen upside down, probably to show it was empty "Umm... I forgot to take water" she said with a small smile. It seems she's not angry that I chose to sit next to Itan.
It's very irresponsible of her, The Union assistants gave us water and supplies for the mission...
I got up from the rock, my makeshift seat next to Itan, and sat next to Lorine.
"It's... it's very important to ensure you leave with water for a new mission" I said.
"Y... yes, you're right. It's just... everything happened so fast, and... and... I'm thirsty" she replied.
"Here" I said, My only source of water was my canteen, which I held in my hand... I intended to open the cap and fill her canteen, but the moment I tried to open the cap, Lorine snatched the canteen from my hands.
She didn't hesitate for a moment and drank from the same spout I drank from just a moment ago... "Is it...? okay with you?" It surprised me greatly... doesn't it bother her that I drank from the same spout just a moment ago?
"Why? Are you sick or something?" Lorine asked suspiciously and continued drinking from the canteen.
"No, no... it's just... umm..." I stumbled over my words, "Are you maybe disgusted by me?" she suddenly asked.
"What?! No way! Why would I be disgusted by you? You're definitely not disgusting to me..." I said it out loud.
Lorine? Disgusting to me? How can she say that? And I continued, "On the contrary... quite the opposite... you're actually..." and I stopped... I think I stopped just in time... what was I going to say? That she's...? That she's not disgusting to me? That actually... she's really pretty...? Never mind... she shouldn't get the wrong impression.
I quickly snatched the canteen from her hands and took a sip from the same spot where Lorine's lips had touched. "See? I'm not disgusted at all" I said after finishing.
I looked into her eyes. Her red pupils were as beautiful as ever. A big smile spread across her face. Her lips were small but looked so soft and delicate... I stared at her for several seconds.
Oh no... what a mistake. Now she will definitely get the wrong impression...
The smile widened and spread across her face, and suddenly Lorine started laughing lightly. "Zophyr, you're funny" she said.
I looked at her laughing and smiling, filled with a warm and pleasant feeling in my chest. What is this feeling? I'm very pleased to see her happy.
She reminds me so much of... her... she's coming to mind again... "Miranda..." I whispered.
"Zophyr?" Lorine immediately asked. She heard me...?
"Huh? Yes?"
"Why...? Why do your face look so sad? Why all of a sudden?" Lorine stopped laughing. Even her smile disappeared completely, her red eyes looked at me seriously as if they were trying to penetrate my thoughts.
"Umm... it's... it's nothing" I forced a smile. Lorine's gaze didn't relent, even long moments after.
"You're not focused" Dominic suddenly said loudly. He stood next to Vanessa, while she looked at the sky with disinterest.
"What? Focused on what? The mission?" Vanessa asked, confused.
"Not at all" Dominic immediately replied. "You're not focusing on what you need to focus on."
Vanessa turned her gaze to Dominic. He stood in front of her with his arms crossed, looking at her seriously. "And what is that supposed to be?" Vanessa asked.
"It's obvious... you need to focus and think... about how our date is going to be?" Dominic replied.
"A date?!" Itan exclaimed "When did you manage to set a date?" he added.
Vanessa smiled widely "Our date? But... I don't remember setting a date with you..." she stood up and approached Dominic "I don't remember you inviting me to a date" she said, getting very close to Dominic.
Dominic smiled back and uncrossed his arms "And what would you say if I invited you to a date?"
"Ohh" she turned and started to move away from him. "I need to think about it, it depends a lot on what you're planning for the date" Vanessa replied.
Itan stood up "What?! You're not serious? You're really considering going on a date with him?" he asked.
She smiled playfully "Maybe... does it bother you, Itan?" she replied, glancing at him sideways.
Itan sat back down on the rock, closed his eyes, and crossed his arms "No... not at all... it's none of my business... it just surprised me... I didn't think you were a loose woman..."
Vanessa immediately turned towards Itan, her face reddened, and her eyes widened. She raised her staff with both hands and advanced towards him, looking very angry "What did you say!?" she yelled angrily.
"You heard me" Itan replied without flinching.
She tried to advance even faster towards Itan, but Dominic quickly stopped her "Whoa! Whoa! Hold on just a moment..." he said, grabbing her left hand.
Vanessa fumed with anger "I'm going to kill him now!"
"Vanessa, stop... calm down... you're not going to kill anyone" Aron said, still sitting on the rock, seemingly uninterested in what was happening between Itan and Vanessa, his expression showing complete disinterest in the situation. Why is he behaving like that? Isn't it the leader's role to stop them?
I looked at Karina, who also didn't seem eager to jump in and intervene. Interesting, why?
Dominic tried to calm her down "It doesn't matter what he says... why do you care?"
Vanessa stopped, taking a deep breath "Yes... you're right... I don't care what he says."
"Great! So, did we set a date?" Dominic asked.
Vanessa glanced at Itan "I'll think about it when we return, after the mission..."
Night had already arrived.
Aron stood up and called "The rest is over, we have a mission to complete!"
"Vanessa, give us light" Aron continued.
Vanessa raised her metal staff, and slowly the top of the staff began to glow yellow, like sunlight, illuminating the area where we were.
The light ability, according to the briefing I had, is intended only for supports, not paladins... for several reasons... the first is the weapon. The light passes through the staff directly to its top, unlike my weapon, which is a hammer.
The second reason is the amount of energy required to perform this ability. Supports have much more light energy than paladins. It's possible to work on it, but it can take a long time...
The last reason is that the role of a paladin is to be at the front, unlike a support who is in the rear.
The light ability, like many other abilities, requires a lot of concentration and it's very difficult to both fight on the front line and concentrate on abilities.
We continued to advance. The night sky was filled with clouds, hiding many of the stars and occasionally the moon, making it difficult to notice danger even if it was quite close to us... so we decided to walk as a group in two close columns, with Aron and me leading the way and Dominic and Roobers covering the rear. This way, even if we're surprised from the front or back, we have two volunteers capable of fighting on the front line.
Most of the time it was quiet, but from time to time the buzzing, growls, and even roars continued to fill the background.
All the sounds seemed distant and yet loud. I feel that at night, every sound can be heard clearly and loudly.
We advanced at a good pace. The rest helped us a lot. We were already quite close to the area where Maximilian's group disappeared.
Hugo raised his right hand in front of him. Within seconds, white and light blue lights began to emerge from his palm. The lights swirled like a vortex in Hugo's palm. Upon closer inspection, it looked like many tiny balls gathering together and swirling in Hugo's palm.
Seconds later, the amount of light grew and flattened into a floating circle above Hugo's hand.
"We're very close to the location" Hugo said, pointing with his left hand at the floating circle.
I looked at the circle, surprised to see markings and drawings on it, like trees, paths, mountains, and even writing in large parts.
"Is that a map?" I asked in confusion, looking again at the circle. This map looks very familiar... isn't it the same map the assistant showed us?
"Yes" Hugo replied.
"That's very impressive" Sylviana said. I think it's the first time she spoke in front of Aron's group.
"It's exactly the same map the assistant showed us before we left the Union Quests House... I thought this was an ability illusionist acquire at a later stage" Sylviana added.
Hugo was about to answer, but Karina spoke first "That's true. Hugo is very talented. He finished first in the ranking at the end of the illusionist training."
Hugo seemed to hear the praise from Karina well but chose to ignore it "We're here, which means we need to move here and search these places" Hugo said, pointing with his left hand at the floating circle, which was actually displaying a map of the area similar to the one the assistant showed us.
The area was scattered with many trees, but the terrain was sparser than the one we were used to in the Great Forest. Additionally, the terrain was more hilly and sparser in grass and vegetation.
We walked along an improvised path, made entirely of the soil and sand of the terrain but probably created due to frequent humans or over living beings' passage over time...
Suddenly, we heard buzzing sounds nearby. We looked in the direction we heard the buzzing. The noise came from our right, immediately Aron and I stood between the noise and the rest of our group.
"Be ready" Aron said in a relatively low voice, but still loud enough for everyone to hear.
The wooden shield in my left hand, the hammer in my right, I was alert and ready for battle. After a few more seconds, Roobers and Dominic also joined the front.
The buzzing continued to be loud. We waited a few seconds. We recognize this noise. It's the sound the Arnalils make.
We waited in readiness for a few more seconds or maybe even minutes? I'm not sure... I glanced back. In a brief look, I saw Lorine and Sylviana standing side by side, ready for battle, with Sylviana holding her staff in both hands and an arrow loaded in Lorine's bow.
"They're not coming..." Dominic declared "I also don't understand why we're so afraid of a few Arnalils. Maybe we should advance towards them and eliminate them all? Right?" Dominic added.
"No, we won't do that... there's no need to take unnecessary risks" Aron replied, still waiting for the Arnalils to appear. "Don't give me orders! You're not my leader" Dominic immediately replied.
Dominic didn't look at me, but I felt he was waiting for an answer or order from me. He's right, I'm the party leader. I have to choose what's best for the party.
"Aron is right. Our mission is to find out where the missing party is" I said. "Cowards" Dominic said with disdain and immediately left the front and returned to his place at the end of the column.
I'm not a coward... it's really not appropriate to speak like that. I should rebuke him for it.
I intended to speak, but Lorine beat me to it "He's right, the Arnalils aren't coming. We should move forward" she said while putting the arrow back in the quiver behind her back.
Lorine thinks Dominic is right? Hmm... maybe I shouldn't rebuke him this time...
I returned to the front of the column. It seems Roobers did the same. Only Aron hesitated a bit, still alert and ready for the Arnalils that were supposed to come. "Aron? Are you coming?" Karina asked. He waited a few more seconds and then returned to the front of the column next to me.
We continued walking along the improvised path made mostly of sand and soil of the terrain. From time to time, Hugo opened his map. As much as you can call what he does opening a map, but we already passed the area where the ten goblins were seen and found no sign of the missing party... or even of the goblins.
We continued advancing. It was the middle of the night. The moon completed two rounds, meaning there were still three moon rounds until sunrise. We reached a northwestern area of the Great Forest. Ahead of us, we could see a round clearing that bordered the improvised path we had been walking on until now.
"Should we take a short break here?" Vanessa asked. I think she's right. It's a suitable place, and we should take a break... even if it will be short.
"Yes, we'll stop for a short rest" Aron replied.
In this clearing, there were no random rocks, but the ground was flat and not hilly, unlike the surrounding terrain, so overall the ground looked comfortable. We sat on the ground close to the path we had been walking on.
I looked again at the clearing. Near the center, a blackish hue could be seen. I wondered what it was? Is the night making it hard for me to understand what I'm actually seeing? Or is it just my imagination...?
Lorine also looked at the black hue I was staring at "That's a campfire..." she said. Well, clearly, it's not a campfire... a campfire produces fire and heat... and this is definitely not that.
Hugo stood up, even though he had just sat on the ground. He approached the area where the black hue, which Lorine called a campfire, was located.
"Come here! She's right, these are the remains of the logs from a campfire that was here" Hugo said.
We approached the center of the clearing. Now it was clear to see, these were burnt logs that probably served as a campfire that had burned here.
"So, is this their campfire? Maximilian's party?" Lorine asked.
"Let me check" Hugo said, signaling us to move away a bit from the campfire area.
He placed the bottom end of his staff on the ground, maybe even piercing the ground slightly with it, closed his eyes and held the staff with both hands. There were many small holes in the part where the hands grip and also many small holes scattered at the bottom of the staff.
Suddenly, glowing white lights began to emerge from the bottom area of the staff. The lights started spreading in the space, some landing on the burnt logs and some swirling around the campfire. At first glance, it might seem as if the lights were completely detached from Hugo's staff, but if you look closely and pay close attention, you can see a trail of almost invisible and transparent tiny balls with a white and light blue hue, like a tail or even a trace of the first lights that spread out.
Overall, we saw six lights that looked like small spherical flames, with one of them hovering above the burnt log area, mimicking the movement of a flame. The other five lights hovered in random places but close to the burnt log area, and when they reached their destination, they changed shape and became shadowy human-like figures in white and light blue hues.
Now it looked as if there were five people around a burning campfire. What an impressive ability illusionist have.
Hugo opened his eyes "There were five people here, around one campfire."
"Are they...? Maximilian's party?" I asked.
"I'm not sure. What is certain is that these five people were here in the past few days, otherwise the illusion wouldn't work or be stable at all" Hugo explained.
"It's them, I'm sure, they're still alive" Itan said. Was it an attempt to encourage us? Or is he really sure of it?
Hugo's illusion broke. The six light sources disintegrated into thousands of tiny light balls that disappeared into the air.
Sylviana approached and examined the burnt log remains. "It's strange" she said. "It seems the fire burned for a short time... the logs are only partially burnt. A campfire that burns for a long time would burn the logs more fully."
I wonder what that means? Someone put out the campfire after a short time? Why?
"It... it doesn't feel good... something feels wrong" Roobers suddenly said, despite having spoken little during this mission.
"You're right... we should hurry" Aron said.
We returned to the path and continued walking.
Maximilian stood by the campfire in the center of the clearing. He was tall and sturdy, fitting the image of an experienced warrior. His skin was pale and his hair was short and blond. He wore a thin metal helmet that covered almost all of his hair, except for a small tuft peeking out from the top of his head. His sword lay sheathed on his back, one of his most notable features was his sword, a long sword designed for a warrior specialized in two-handed combat. Its hue was light white, with three green gemstones embedded along its length, equally spaced from the beginning of the blade to its tip.
Next to him were three other people, his party members.
Mike, the paladin, held an ornate wooden shield and a long hammer. His hair was brown and short, his body broad and slightly short.
Nanako stood next to him, a support holding a heavy and long metallic staff. Her hair was short and brown-reddish, her skin was brown. Around her eye sockets were two black tattoos in the shape of circles surrounding her eyes. She had a broad face and a wide body structure.
The last was Katy, who was slender and tall with a medium chest. Her eyes were yellow-orange, her hair wavy and long with shades of blue and light blue. She was a mage specializing in ice spells, holding a wooden staff.
All four stood around the campfire, occasionally exchanging a few words but mostly silent.
"I'm back" he said suddenly, emerging from the darkness.
His hair was blond, short with a spiked haircut. He was tall and thin, with light blue eyes. On his back, his quiver was visible, and in his hand, he held a long wooden bow. This was Roger, the ranger.
He joined his teammates around the campfire.
Katy waved at him cheerfully with a wide smile.
"Anything special?" Maximilian asked, still looking at the campfire.
"Lots of goblins, of various roles. I counted at least 15" Roger replied.
"Doing anything special?" Maximilian added.
"No... seems like they're just passing the time..." Roger replied.
"And what about scouts? Could they spot us?"
"Umm... I don't know... but we can't rule out the possibility..."
Maximilian turned towards the area Roger had just come from and began walking. "Mike, put out the campfire, we're not taking any chances... we're moving."
Mike immediately took out his canteen and poured water over the campfire until it was out, then quickly joined his teammates who had already joined Maximilian.
What remained of the campfire were logs only partially burnt.
We continued advancing along the dirt and soil path. Vanessa continued to light the way for us. We walked in two columns, but this time closer together.
I could feel it in the air... there's a sense of tension and pressure... this area is unfamiliar to any of us. We found traces of the missing group, and we know they passed through here not long ago... well, I don't know if 'know' is the right word... at least it seems to me that they passed here only a few hours ago...
We were already quite far from the Great Forest. The buzzing and growling sounds had diminished significantly, though from time to time we still heard distant growls and roars.
We heard a loud roar ahead of us. "Be ready" Aron said and immediately stopped in his tracks, as did all of us.
This time it was really close. I started panting quickly. We haven't encountered a creature that makes such a roaring sound yet.
I looked at my right hand. Am I shaking? It seems I'm shaking a bit. I took a deep breath and the shaking stopped.
After a short time during which the creature that roared hadn't appeared before us, we decided to continue on the path.
Silence filled the air among us. I could feel the pressure... I looked back at my party members. Sylviana was scanning the area quickly, her head moving from side to side. She seemed very anxious.
Roobers looked at Sylviana with concern, his usual foolish smile gone since the start of the mission...
Dominic, who walked beside Roobers, also scanned the area. Though not as frantically as Sylviana, his face still looked serious and his eyes carefully examined the surroundings.
It seems the group is very anxious. I understand them. I also feel this pressure. Perhaps it's a mix of the mission, the dark night and the unfamiliar area...
I also scanned the area. To our right, there was a steep slope, and to our left, a steep descent. It seemed we were in the middle of a hill or mountain... I'm not sure... from what I can tell, you can go up or down on foot, but the dirt and soil path seemed much better.
Finally, I looked at Lorine. She wasn't scanning the area, her gaze was directed forward, looking calm and serene. The moment she noticed I was looking at her, she looked back at me. A small smile spread across her face, her red eyes radiating calmness and serenity. How can she remain so calm in such a moment?
I returned my gaze to the front. Her smile touched me, filling my body with a pleasant warmth. I felt the pressure ease a bit.
Suddenly, a close growl was heard, something reminiscent of a strong inhale or exhale. It came from our left. We immediately stopped and waited.
We continued waiting. "It's not coming..." Dominic said impatiently and continued "How many times can we do the same thi..." Suddenly, Dominic cut himself off when he heard something behind him. It bit Dominic in his left hand and pulled him forcefully. "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Dominic began to cry out in pain.
Roobers, in a quick movement, tried to hit it with his axe but it released its bite and turned to retreat avoiding Roobers.
Dominic's hand bled heavily. He started panting heavily, crying out in pain. What attacked him? "Zophyr come help him! Quickly!" Roobers called seriously.
He advanced and stood between Dominic and the creature that hurt him.
I immediately moved towards him quickly. As I got closer, I could see the extent of the damage. Dominic's left hand wasn't just bleeding, it was torn, almost ripped off. His wrist was practically severed. He was bleeding profusely and seemed to be in a lot of pain.
What did this to him? It doesn't matter right now... I put down my shield and hammer beside me and immediately placed my right hand on Dominic's injured area, concentrating. Suddenly, glowing and golden light points emerged from my palm, covering Dominic's hand and then disintegrating and disappearing. But unlike previous times, the wound didn't heal completely. It seemed the wrist partially healed but still had serious damage.
I... it... it didn't work?
"Leave it to me" Vanessa said, practically pushing me aside.
Vanessa directed her staff towards Dominic's injured hand. Glowing golden light points began to emerge from the top of her staff.
"We're surrounded!" Aron suddenly said, making me stop looking at Vanessa. I looked around. He was right... we were surrounded.
They looked like black wolves with a few dark gray stripes. Their fur was long and puffy.
What surrounded us were dark predators, five in total. I easily identified their leader. He was the largest of them and he was the one who attacked Dominic...
Roobers tried to attack and hit him, but it looked more like he was just trying to drive him away.
The other four dark predators looked a bit strange. Their mouths were filled with green liquid. Were they sick? Contaminated with some infectious disease? Is it dangerous? I can heal wounds and injuries from battles but not diseases...
The five dark predators surrounded us in a semicircle, with our backs against the slope of the hill.
What should we do? Should we run? The dark predators are quite fast... I don't think we can outrun them...
Aron was covering the right side, fighting a dark predator. Roobers was on the left. The center, where all the others stood, was open for the dark predators' attack... they were crowded and frightened, hiding behind Itan, who stood with his short sword while three of the dark predators pushed them further back...
This is my role, I know what I need to do, I need to be there.
I picked up my hammer and wooden shield. "Fight! We outnumber them!" I called out as I ran towards the three dark predators.
I ran with my shield raised, intending to push the dark predators back. The first predator was slightly hit by the shield but immediately jumped back and distanced himself from me. Following him, the other two dark predators near him also retreated a bit.
I stopped, my shield raised and my hammer ready. I glanced back, seeing the rest of my party and Aron's party preparing for battle.
The three dark predators launched an attack. The first one jumped at me, trying to bite my upper body. I deflected him with my shield and pushed him back. Immediately after, another dark predator attacked, aiming for my left leg. I turned my body to the left and hit the attacking predator on the head with my shield. It took the blow and moved back. At that moment, I felt a bite. The third dark predator didn't stay aside and immediately joined, biting my right leg. Reflexively, I kicked it to push it away and it indeed moved back...
It hurts... I'm bleeding from my right leg, more precisely from the calf area. It's hard for me to stand on this leg... although the injury doesn't seem that severe...
The dark predator continued attacking, aiming for my upper body again. I tried to dodge backward, but the injury in my leg prevented me from doing so effectively. The dark predator jumped on me, knocking me to the ground. I dropped my shield and he tried to bite my neck. I blocked the bite with my left hand and it bit down hard.
Blood poured on my face, actually on the left side of my face and around my left eye.
Attack! Attack! Kill it!
Reflexively, I closed my eye and simultaneously, with my right hand, hit the dark predator on the head hard. It slightly released the bite on my hand and I hit it again in the head or face. This made it release the bite completely and move back a bit.
Attack! I can't stop!
I immediately stood up, still holding my hammer. I struck again towards the dark predator that wounded me, but it dodged even further back.
The dark predator in front of me was bleeding from its left eye, probably the spot I hit.
Suddenly, it struck me. My left arm hurt, more like it burned... that's how it felt, like my arm was on fire.
"Don't move" Vanessa said, directing the top of her staff towards my left arm.
When did she have time to get here? Didn't she heal Dominic just a moment ago?
I looked around, seeing Aron advancing towards one of the dark predators attacking me, trying to wound it again and again, but every attempt saw the predator dodge. This means Aron already killed the dark predator he fought before?
I saw Aron also attacking the dark predator in front of me... wait a moment... I'm seeing double?
I looked over the entire area. While Vanessa healed my wounds, I managed to count four Aron figures on the battlefield...
Three of them already attacked the three dark predators that attacked me and one of them fought the rightmost dark predator.
The dark predator in front of me jumped towards Aron's upper body. Aron didn't manage to dodge and received the bite, but instead of blood or a wound appearing, Aron's figure disintegrated into thousands of tiny light balls and disappeared as if it never existed.
Now I understood... this is the imitation ability of the illusionist. Hugo looked with closed eyes, holding his staff with both hands, with the staff standing on the ground. It's very hard to see, but if you look closely, you can see a number of almost transparent tiny light balls leading from the bottom of the staff to the other Aron figures on the battlefield.
"Sss S'ha sha noom"
Karina's voice was suddenly heard. A fire mage, casting the Fire Shot spell.
Karina began the incantation. She stood with the staff pointed towards the leader of the dark predators, holding it with both hands without moving her feet. At the top of the staff, a flame started to appear, slowly growing.
"Ho sashi ha-ha-shi"
The flame began to move and twist, looking like it was in a storm, hovering slightly above the top of the staff.
"Thor Zee sha sni"
Karina at that moment swung or almost threw the staff towards the leader of the dark predators fighting Roobers.
The flame left the staff and flew quickly towards the leader, leaving behind a short flame tail. The Fire Shot hit the leader of the dark predators, causing its fur to catch fire. It panicked and started whimpering, trying to get rid of the surrounding fire. Roobers took advantage of the opportunity and in a swift move, swung the axe and cut the leader's body. The axe blade hit and injured the leader's back and stomach but didn't kill it. Roobers didn't relent and struck again, this time at the leader's neck. The axe blade slightly penetrated the neck, but it was enough to kill it.
Roobers killed the leader of the dark predators.
Dominic returned to the battle, seemingly uninjured... it looks like Vanessa managed to heal him completely. He ran quickly towards the dark predator near me and with his long sword, Dominic stabbed and pierced the predator's back, causing it to fall to the ground.
The real Aron, not one of the figures Hugo created, waited for the dark predator to get close to him. When it indeed approached and tried to bite his hand, Aron swiftly moved and stabbed the predator in the mouth. The predator didn't let go and tried to advance towards Aron, but Aron slightly tilted his body to the right and dodged the predator. At that moment, its throat was exposed. Aron stabbed again, aiming for the throat. The sword penetrated the predator's throat from the left, causing it to collapse immediately.
I saw a flash of a figure for a moment. It was Itan, appearing and disappearing, each time getting closer and closer to the dark predator near me on my right.
When Itan got close enough to the dark predator, with the dagger he held in his left hand, he stabbed the blade into the predator's neck and immediately pulled it out.
The dark predator remained standing, shaking for another moment, bleeding dark blood, a kind of dark red, starting to flow from its neck, filling its body and then, suddenly, it fell to the ground.
Vanessa had already finished healing the wounds I suffered. Now it was my turn. I advanced towards the last dark predator, raising my hammer with both hands and delivering a strong blow to its head. It still stood on its legs, so I swung the hammer again and with another strike, it fell to the ground.
I breathed a sigh of relief. We did it. We killed the five dark predators that attacked us.
Aron's imitation figures turned into thousands of tiny light balls and disappeared as if they never existed.
"Very well done, everyone" Aron said as he joined us.
"It seems we're fighting together in good synchronization" I said, we didn't practice this at all, even if we wanted to, we didn't have enough time. The synchronization... it came naturally to us.
I felt a great sense of relief. We truly did it, really, well done, everyone.
The faces of everybody were smiling and content... apparently, I'm not the only one pleased with this.
I looked at the bodies of the dark predators. Again, I noticed their mouths were filled with green liquid. Was this a disease they carried?
"These dark predators were sick?" I asked in confusion.
"Sick? Sick with what?" Hugo replied.
"I don't know... but... a healthy dark predator shouldn't look like this, right?" I said.
Sylviana approached one of the dark predators and examined its mouth. "They're not sick" she said.
"So, what is it?" I asked.
Sylviana looked at me seriously "That's goblin blood."
"I've never seen so many goblins in one place" Mike said as he struck a goblin approaching him with his long hammer.
Roger loaded and shot five arrows simultaneously, trying to hit as many goblins as possible. The five arrows flew towards the scattered goblins, three hitting their targets "We can't win this battle..." Roger added.
Maximilian moved quickly, using his sword to decapitate a goblin approaching them, he then retreated, surveying the area. Before him stood goblins, filling the area. A quick count estimated there were about thirty goblins.
Most goblins wielded short swords, some held large wooden clubs and others had crossbows.
Some of the goblins were already lying on the ground, slain by Maximilian's party.
"Don't lose heart! We're getting out of here together!" Maximilian called.
Nanako healed a leg wound from an arrow that hit Katy "How can we win against so many goblins?" Nanako asked.
"We'll succeed! This isn't the first time we've gotten out of a dire situation!" Maximilian continued to encourage them.
"This time, we'll need a big miracle" Mike replied as he defended himself with his wooden shield against several arrows shot at him.
"We've been fighting for a long time... soon, I'll run out of magic power" Katy said worriedly.
They were at the base of a slightly steep hill with green grass and trees.
"We'll fight to the end! To the last drop of blood!" Maximilian shouted.
Suddenly, a human figure appeared at the top of the hill. Mike noticed the figure but couldn't see clearly who it was due to the night. "Is that a human? Could it be a volunteer passing by?" Mike asked.
"Maybe the Union sent reinforcements?" Roger asked.
The figure looked at the ongoing battle below.
We advanced towards the direction from which the dark predators came. We had to descend along with the slope of the hill or mountain we were on.
After several hundred meters of descent, we reached a small cliff that allowed us to overlook the area below. Dominic was the first to arrive at the cliff.
"What happened here?!" he said in shock, his eyes widening in amazement.
We quickly joined Dominic on the small cliff and observed the scene below, down the slope.
The area was filled with bodies everywhere... dried green blood was visible all around...
The bodies were of goblins, the sight was horrifying... gruesome... in many cases, their hands were cut, their heads decapitated and their faces mutilated.
I had never seen so many goblin bodies together in one place.
I know goblins are the enemies of the human race and I've killed many goblins myself, but still, after seeing this gruesome scene, it seemed too extreme.
No living soul was visible in the area. We quickly descended.
Up close, their green skin looked paler and whiter than usual, probably caused by significant blood loss, green blood...
The bodies were scattered across a large area, indicating the battlefield had shifted slightly over time.
The atmosphere was very tense, what happened here? Or who passed through here? Maximilian's party immediately came to my mind... maybe they killed all these goblins? If so, it means they're a very strong party...
"It's likely that Maximilian's party was here" Sylviana said after a look at some of the bodies.
"Yes, signs of injuries from swords, arrows and hammers... these are the weapons found in almost every volunteer party" Hugo added in agreement.
"But... didn't they say there were only ten goblins?" Roobers asked.
A quick count showed there were probably around twenty goblin bodies.
Dominic examined the surroundings and suddenly something glinted at him between the goblin bodies. He quickly picked it up from the ground.
"Look what I found!" Dominic called out excitedly.
He held a long sword. Its hue was light white, with three green gemstones embedded along its length, equally spaced from the beginning of the blade to its tip.
"Goblins usually use short swords" Hugo explained.
"I don't care! It's mine now!" Dominic said excitedly and immediately swapped his sword for the new one he found.
We approached the area where Dominic stood. It was a cloudy night and the clouds occasionally covered the moon and stars in the sky, reducing our visibility. Only after we got really close to Dominic did the clouds disperse and we could see clearly again.
"Dominic! Get out of there! You're standing in a pool of blood!" I called out in shock.
This time, it wasn't green liquid, but red, dried blood. Dominic looked under him and immediately jumped and moved away from the spot.
Underneath several goblin bodies, we could see them, three bodies, covered in blood, their bodies cut and wounded, one's throat slashed, another's head decapitated and the third's heart pierced with a sword.
Karina looked at the bodies with great sadness, tears immediately streaming from her eyes.
"Don't lose hope" Aron said, taking several deep breaths and approaching the human bodies we saw. He began searching for something... "Help me, we need to find their pendants" he added.
It was a terrible sight... I hope... I hope these aren't them... maybe it was a battle that happened a long time ago...
I took a deep breath and joined Aron. I tried to touch and move them carefully... even though they no longer feel anything... I still tried to treat them with respect.
Within a short time, we managed to find three pendants.
"Maximilian... Mike... Nanako..." we read the first names on the pendants.
"It's them... we failed" Itan said sadly.
"We arrived too late..." Hugo added.
Karina wiped her tears and looked around the area "Maximilian's party had two more volunteers" Karina said.
We continued looking around and examining the area but found no more human bodies.
"I found something here" Itan suddenly said.
We advanced towards him, on the ground nearby, we could see a trail of blood, not a lot of blood...
Vanessa explained "It seems they were injured, but it doesn't look like a severe wound... could they have managed to escape?".
We followed the trail and after a few minutes, we found a bow and staff. Shortly after, the trail grew larger and we managed to see several footprints close to the blood trail.
"These are probably their weapons... they wouldn't just throw them away..." Hugo said worriedly.
"There are many footprints here... small feet, looks like goblins" Sylviana said.
Wait, does that mean...?
"So, the goblins kidnapped them?" I asked... not sure I wanted to hear the answer.
"I'm afraid so..." Sylviana replied.
Even though I knew... I knew what the answer would be, it still hit me, like a chilling shiver throughout my body... I hope they're still alive... we have to save them.
We continued following the blood trail and footprints until we found an entrance to a cave, a relatively large entrance...
It seems they were taken into this cave.
We have to save them! As long as there's hope... I believe they're still alive.
I started advancing until Aron grabbed my right arm and stopped me.
"Our mission is clear, no unnecessary risks... we have enough information... we must return and report everything to the Union" Aron said firmly.
I looked at Aron in surprise "But... they're here" I said, pointing to the cave entrance.
"Zophyr... we can't take the risk, we must report everything to the Union... who knows how many goblins are inside? And who knows if they're even alive?" Aron said.
I looked at the blood trail, thinking about it again... Aron is probably right... we must return and report... tell them what we found... but... are we really going to abandon them here?
"Do you think they're already dead?" Lorine suddenly asked coldly.
I lifted my head... we're so close to them... "But... maybe they're alive and just waiting to be rescued? If we go back now, they'll surely die" I said.
"It's not our responsibility!" Aron continued to urge me.
I thought for another moment about Aron's words... I thought and thought and came to a decision.
"Dominic, Roobers, Sylviana, Lorine... I've decided, we're going in to save them" I said and started walking towards the cave entrance.
I've never been more sure of my decision, we're going to save them.
I didn't look back, but I heard the footsteps following me.
In addition to my four party members, one more person walked, it was Itan. "Aron?" Itan asked. "Are you going to let them do it alone?"
Aron looked at my party members and his party members... they weren't smiling... only radiating alertness and seriousness... "I didn't know you were so stubborn... alright, let's do this together…" he said.
The ten volunteers entered the cave together.