『 The Tortured Forest, Suuran — 27 Everi, 10:27 p.m. 』
The boys continued walking through the night, but fatigue was beginning to set in, and the atmosphere grew heavier with every step. Leafless trees, no sound except the whistling wind and a few nocturnal birds.
“Can’t we stop?” Itoî asked, exhausted.
“All right, but only for ten minutes. We really need to catch up with them tonight; we’ll have a much better chance,” Vars said before sitting down on a large rock along the path.
Itoî sat on the ground, breathing heavily.
“Phew… I’ll admit it, Vars, that fight wore me out…”
Vars smiled while conjuring a small light so they wouldn’t be in complete darkness, then asked his brother:
“You really impressed me. I didn’t know you were that good in combat.”
Itoî blushed for a moment before quickly replying:
“I had to find a way to catch up with you! I know you’re stronger than me in every way… But if I could at least develop good combat strategies, I thought I might be able to get a little closer to your level,” Itoî said, a little embarrassed.
Vars burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! Catch up with me? I’ll never let you catch up! Try if you can!”
Then Vars stood up and started running.
Itoî smiled, then frowned. He stood up just as suddenly to chase after his brother.
“Wait! That’s not fair! You didn’t say go!”
The boys ran for a few minutes until Vars suddenly sensed a presence… He stopped running abruptly and raised his arm as a signal to halt.
“Wait.”
Itoî stopped instantly.
“I sense a presence… No, several. And they seem human.”
“Do you think it’s the poachers?” Itoî asked.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Vars briefly nodded toward his brother. He crushed the light he had summoned earlier in his hand.
“We’re going in… Yes, in the dark.”
Vars handed a thread to his brother and then attached it to himself.
“Take this thread so you don’t get lost. It can extend up to three meters, so it’s still fairly long. Let go of it when we’re close enough to them. They’re camping—I can tell from the smoke. Even if it’s light, it’s still there. They’re amateurs,” Vars said before turning around to move forward slowly.
“How far away are they?” Itoî asked, crouching down and advancing carefully.
“Around three hundred meters, I’d say. When we’re within ten meters of them, I want you to let go of the thread. Don’t act until I give you the signal. I’ll lure them out first.”
“How?” Itoî asked.
“You’ll see,” Vars said as he continued.
They were now only fifty meters away. The smoke was becoming much more noticeable; the smell of grilled meat and vegetables tickled Itoî’s nostrils.
“Damn, that smells good…”
Vars chuckled softly before regaining his composure. He was now fifteen meters away; he could hear them talking. The boys slipped forward gently, each hiding in a bush. Vars signaled for Itoî to release the thread. They advanced very slowly, separately. Only eight meters remained before they would be directly in front of them.
Two men, and a large cage on wheels.
Vars began to think:
Strange. That cage wasn’t there earlier. Where did it come from? A user of the Earth element specialized in steel? It’s possible, but given how amateurish they’ve been—leaving traces everywhere—I doubt it…
One of the men, large and bearded, laughed heartily.
“Bahahaha! We were really lucky to find this cage!” said the stocky man.
Another, thinner and wearing a pointed, tattered hat, joined in his companion’s laughter.
“Aha! Aha! Aha! The worst part is that weird human-demon thing! In exchange for the little girl we found, he gave us the cage!”
“Bahahaha!”
“Aha! Aha! Still, Omir, you didn’t have to bleed the girl dry!”
“Bahaha! Puvis, you really have no heart. She was just a kid. Better that she didn’t suffer any more. Who knows what the demon would have done to her if she’d stayed alive.”
Itoî’s eyes widened, his fists clenched.
It was them! They’re the ones who killed her!
Vars felt Itoî’s energy growing turbulent.
Damn it, not now, Itoî.
The cage began to move. Three Quashtis, disturbed by the energy, started thrashing around wildly, as if trying to escape.
OUH BRAH OUH!
“Shut up, you snow monkeys!” Omir shouted.
Puvis covered his ears.
“Damn, I can’t wait until we meet that old witch to hand over the merchandise…”
Meanwhile, Vars had finished chanting:
“Camouflage!”
Vars took on the appearance of a small bush for a few moments. His camouflage was imperfect: in broad daylight, he would probably be caught, but the night worked in his favor. He changed his plan, as the two men’s conversation interested him:
The old witch? The merchandise? They must be talking about the Quashtis. This beast’s hide is worth a lot, not to mention its fur, which is valuable for keeping certain potions fresh for longer.
Vars moved even closer. He was now only a few meters away from the poachers.
Itoî, on the other hand, couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed his wand and then rushed forward at full speed, positioning himself directly in front of the bandits.
Vars stared at the scene, eyes wide, completely shocked.
Damn it! No!
“You bastards! You’re the ones who killed that girl!”