The dense canopy above cast shifting shadows on the forest floor as the team moved cautiously through the underbrush. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, leaves crunching softly beneath their boots.
They had been walking for nearly 30 minutes because they decided to ditch their horses to avoid alerting the orcs. However, Isla stopped mid-step, nostrils flaring.
"…Do you smell that?" she whispered.
"Meat. Someone's cooking." Leonard took a deep sniff and frowned.
"Could be the orcs. We need to be careful." Dorian warned
Luna stepped ahead, scanning the path before them.
"Or," she said, voice dry, "it could be him."
With that unsettling thought hanging between them, they pressed forward, slow and quiet. The further they walked, the stronger the scent became, mingling with the fading smoke of a dying fire. They finally emerged into a small clearing—and she was right.
Silas sat on a fallen log, one leg lazily stretched out while the other rested bent against the wood. In his hand, he held a partially eaten pigeon, tearing off another bite without a care in the world.
Hawk perched on his shoulder, occasionally pecking at the meat as well, though Silas didn't seem to mind.
Nearby, Kar stomped over the smoldering remains of a campfire, crushing embers under his heavy boot. His expression, as dull as ever, barely acknowledged their arrival.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Silas chewed, swallowed, and then glanced at them.
"You are late." Silas gestured at them to approach before pointing at the drawing on the ground.
Gilbert and Wilfred were the first to approach—unlike the others, they didn't fear Silas.
"Nice drawing. Now we know what the game looks like." Gilbert couldn't take his eyes off the drawing on the ground.
It was so detailed, he could paint a picture in his mind.
"You acted tough earlier. Thought you would have killed all the orcs and rescued everyone." Leonard approached with a disdainful glare and Silas couldn't help but sigh.
Count Hugo was doing his best to secure a greater future for his kingdom and family, but this boy was antagonizing the only person capable of making that future a reality—he must be frustrated watching this.
Isla intentionally bumped into Leonard and shot him a frown, before approaching Silas. Soon, everyone was running to the growing circle—Leonard as soon left out from the group planning.
"Do you have a plan?" Isla asked and everyone instinctively looked at Silas, waiting to hear what he had to say.
Buzz!
Silas felt a sigh–he had never had so many people look at him in this way before. Fortunately, it failed to show on his face. Silas nodded and snapped his fingers—
Bella abruptly emerged from the thick bush behind and everyone jerked back. It stood over its master with a malicious glare directed at the students. It felt like it was asking 'Who do you want me to beat up?'
"2 orcs man the gates and another two keep watching the prisoners at the campfire. I can lure out the first two; we end them, but it has to be smooth and instant, or we may alert them."
By the time he was done, Silas's face was red from talking so much all at once.
"Cut the crap. How do you plan to lure the orcs without alerting them?"
Pa!
Kar slapped Leonard from the back of the head and he staggered forward.
"I'm orc, fool." Kar sneered at the stupid human before walking away
Bastard!
Leonard snapped viciously as he looked up but everyone was gone—walking toward the orc camp.
______________________________________________________
Rustle! Rustle!
Rustle! Rustle!
Orcs stationed at the entrance frowned at the sounds of rustling bushes and glanced in that direction. They gripped their battle-axe tight as they waited for whatever was in those bushes to emerge.
Thud!
Kar stepped out and their eyes widened—
"Kar?" the first blinked, astonished.
After the raid a month ago, Kar vanished only to reappear now.
"Kar? Speak something!" The other demanded
Kar didn't respond. Instead, he ran into the bush, and the orcs chased after their long-lost comrade. Branches, leaves, and flowers slapped against the thick green skins of the orcs while they chased after their comrade—confused by the entire situation
Buzz!
It felt like time had slowed down, and one of the orcs noticed it—a figure kneeling on a branch with his bow drawn and two bone arrows aimed at the skull!
"Too late!"
{Shadow Cloak}
The bone arrows were shrouded in gray mist and vanished as soon as they left the bow—both orcs darted in different directions but that was the plan all along.
The first orc felt a towering figure block the moonlight. His head snapped up to Kar who had been running with his battle axe raised high—tears running down its crimson eyes.
"H-help m-e!"
Simultaneously, the vision of the second orc was filled with an endless sea of flames as Leonard's blade reached for his neck and everything went dark.
Bam!
Bam!
Two bodies hit the ground and two heads spun next to each other—disbelief etched their facial features in their final moment.
The group stepped out from the underbrush, shocked by their success. The bodies of the two orcs lay motionless, their heads severed cleanly from their shoulders. The efficiency of it all left them shaken.
Leonard opened his mouth to say something but he stopped himself.
However, Silas wasn't paying attention to them. He hadn't even glanced their way.
Without a word, he walked past the others, moving straight to the fallen orcs.
Buzz!
{Soul Contract Activated}
Isla covered her eyes while Leonard and the others looked away—no one wanted to witness the sight of dark tendrils scooping organs.
{Undead Orc Grunt: Gorvak}
{Undead Orc Grunt: Brughor}