Elise went on the move in the group of around a dozen Drachen. All appeared battle ready at a glance, small hand axes at their sides and daggers tucked into pouches on their sides. Three to the front moved with wooden crossbows. Plenty of arrows rest in the quivers attached to their backs.
Her eyes shot right, glancing at the moonlit forest where only a few nocturnal animals rushed. To her side was another of the older warriors. A glance to the left and what she saw was the same. Their steps echoed, marching across the land with grass crunching beneath their feet.
Ahead again she looked, branches passing by with few critters in sight. The moon hovered above, stars dancing around it joyfully. The wind danced from ahead, blowing right into them as a slight breeze. Straight ahead at Vulper’s back she glanced, a sigh leaving her.
“What’s the problem Bakuuva, ya scared?”
“Shut up Donokraka. I’m just feeling, confused is all. What are we even doing? Vulper never told me what.”
“Recon,” Vulper called back, “Chance of a battle with a Vampire Clan that’s moving over the area. One of the ones the Priests were supposed to hit actually.”
“Whoa whoa, you’re bringing ME along on a mission that could involve fighting? Are you seriously trying to get rid of me or something?”
“Nah,” Vulper laughed back, “I told you before, you might not be a true warrior but you’ve got more brain than half the people in Vulfax. That could come in handy for something like this. Plus, you’ve run into these guys before when you got into it with Kensa. That’s useful info for us.”
“That’ll come back to bite you Vulper, she can’t fight for JACK,” laughed one of the people to her side, “She’s a worthless turd that can’t harm a fly.”
“Elise, shut him up and prove a point. That’s an order,” Vulper muttered back.
“Oh uh, kay,” Elise replied looking right.
“Prove wh- WHA!”
THWACK
The group went on, Elise included while the man who had insulted her crashed into a tree. Three-fourths of the people looked back laughing, Elise included.
“Oh my lord, she just, she tripped you Mackie, she tripped you good, bwahahaha,” laughed one of them.
“Have a nice trip?” laughed another.
“Oh Charles that was in poor taste,” Vulper muttered still looking ahead as he ran, “Now see, I’m just going to say it. When it comes to smarts, the lot of you are idiots. Elise is one of the rare few in Vulfax that can actually use her brain, making her valuable to a commander like myself. I know my viewpoint won’t change your minds but do me a solid and respect my decisions.”
“Fuaa-” Mackie groaned from behind.
“I didn’t mean to trip him straight into a tree,” Elise mumbled.
“Well Mackie deserved it for running his mouth. I was getting sick of it. Besides, not like you did it of your own choice, it was an order. Well done,” Vulper chuckled from ahead.
The group carried on, charging through thicker line of trees. With some zigging and zagging they made their way through, pushing further away from Emerton. The wind broke and all at once there was light. The group flooded out of trees onto plains, tall grass off to the South and relatively nothing to the North. Straight ahead was a middle mix of nothing, deer all around.
As soon as they had charged out, the deer had begun to charge with many running off to the North and South. Some shot back into the trees from many meters away. The squad tightened formation, Vulper still at the head with two of the crossbow wielders at his side angled back, the third beyond the three.
“Now Elise,” Vulper called from the head.
“Yes?”
“Say you were in charge of a bunch of blood suckers looking to take Drachen Territory. Where would you advance from and why?” he questioned.
“Well where would they be coming from?”
“Southwest. The thicker forest and mining systems.”
“Well if they have the Priests around looking for ‘em uh, I would say I’d want as much cover as possible. I’d probably have them close in by the river valley along the rocks, then charge through tall grass until they reached the forest. Once in it’d be hard to find them. Plus they could hollow out the trunks with their abilities and hide in them to avoid sunlight.”
“Makeshift coffins. Nice. And of course this group of ‘em can’t cross through running water which means they’d take the bridge straight ahead of us. Going Northeast for the bridge, crossing it, then heading Southwest at the bottom. Should be the case if the Priests at all blessed the stream to contain them.”
“That’s what I’m thinking sir,” Elise called back.
Crunching steps came from behind. The heads of a couple people turned round to take view of who or what was coming. A smile spread over Elise’s face as her head turned, fading as she turned back ahead. Mackie joined back up with a groan, charging right behind the group. In not but a few moments he had synced with the group again, trailing a touch behind Elise at that point.
“How was that Mackie?”
“Shut up Chloe, I don’t want to talk about it,” he growled.
“Heehee,” Elise giggled.
The squad continued normal as they had prior with the formation changing up, several now surrounding the archers ahead. Mackie trailed behind Elise while two others joined her sides. To her left ran Charles now who had begun to sniff the air, “Mmm.”
“What is it Charles?” Vulper asked from ahead.
“Ngh, I’m not picking up anything sir. We’re downwind and there’s nothing.”
“Not a peep of the enemy?”
“Nada.”
“What the devil,” Vulper muttered, “Was our intelligence wrong?”
“No way boss, it’s gotta be Loserlise’s friggen thought on the enemy’s movement,” someone diagonal to Elise spoke back.
“Are you doubting me Mikhael? Look I might not be a fighter but if there’s one thing I know it’s how to use my brain.”
“Wait, wait!” Charles spat, skidding straight to a halt.
All others zoomed by temporarily, all stopping at their own pace with some slowing to a halt and others throwing on the breaks. Elise in particular shot right into Vulper’s back, bouncing off and back a few paces, “Wha-”
“What is it, what do you smell?”
Heads as before turned, heads and eyes facing right upon Chales. He stumbled, sniffing at the air. To the rear of the group one individual crossed their arms with a smug scowl, “It’s probably nothing-” he spoke.
“No, this is. I smell fire on the wind, and a lot of blood.”
Vulper turned full quarter, his eyes fully stern upon his man’s expression. Charles backed away, his mouth hanging by a hair and his eyes sunken in wide open. His face curled back, his face turning a slight tint of blue practically. A stumble back, then another stammered step.
Elise tilted her head as she gazed upon him, though for only a moment. Her face turned to one of similar expression with her mouth hanging open far more, “N-no-”
“Guys his sniffer is broken right? No way is he smelling what I think he’s smelling,” Mikhael murmured.
“He has the best nose by three to one hands down,” Vulper glistened back, “He can’t be this wrong.”
“I can smell it. The blood of young, of old, men and women alike. Vampire blood. It’s on the air. If we got closer you’d be able to smell it too. I smell, burned hair and leather. Burned flesh,” he began, taking another couple of sniffs, “And I can also smell the stench of fecal matter and urine, light in touch compared to the rest.”
“D-does that mean,” Elise began, stopping herself.
“I uh, I don’t think that Vampire Clan is going to be a problem ever Vulper,” Charles concluded stepping back with lowered shoulders.
“Tch, not good. Lemon, Momo, both of you with me. We’re going ahead to check this crap out. Charles I want you with me too,” Vulper called.
“What are you going to do? What about the rest of us?” Elise questioned.
“I think it obvious. We can’t just show up with fourteen plus people. It’ll be harder to spot only four of us. The rest of you are going to return to the clan and report on this. Ogma, you’re in charge of the retreat.”
“Understood boss,” he replied with a bow to the North of the group.
“But Vulper-”
“Elise, this is for the best. It’ll be easier for four of us to scatter. I’ve got two long range shooters and a great nose, plus my own eyes. We’re the best for what is to come. Four is plenty enough people for now.”
“Alright,” Elise sighed, looking to Vulper as his group broke off, “Vulper, Charles, Lemon, Momo. I wish you all the best. You come back to us now, alright?”
Vulper grinned turning back to face her, “Is that an order?”
She nodded, to which Vulper quickly replied, “Well, we’ve no choice but to obey that order then. You are an heir after all. You three, let’s move!”
Vulper shot round and tore off, the other three taking place behind him. Lemon took the left flank while Momo took the right, Vulper at the lead with Charles right behind. Turning back to her own group, they had also begun to move heading Southwest. Elise in turn took off herself, bringing up the rear of the group.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKf3Oro0PU
