The Slumbering Enemies

“It hurts…!” the lean man cried with shuddering eyes as both of his teammates sits next to him while being covered in the rain that oozes down from above the tree crowns of emerald. “I’ll… I’ll…Kil—Guuhh!!!”

“Be still for Divine’s sake!” the writer commanded as she tends to his wound which isn’t looking so good. It had bone fragments sticking out from where the arrow came out from. But the writer has managed to fix it by supporting the leg with cloth tied branches to keep it straight, though with him moving it does make it worse. “If you move one more time, I’ll pouch you to sleep. Please… You’ll only damage your leg further. And I’m sorry for putting you guys in this situation, because of me… you were demoted.”

The muscled man places a hand on her shoulder as he smiles, “We’re friends, so it’s alright. We’ve been together for ten years now, and I haven’t regretted following your lead. Sure, sometimes you can be a slight demanding, but we know you’re just doing your best to rise us to the top. So let us make this our biggest catch yet!”

“What about me…? Look at my leg! I’ll never be able to walk with it again!”

“Sure you will…” the muscled man said while not even believing in his own words as he gives his longstanding friend a hand on the shoulder, too, with a burly smile displaying on his slight clean-shaven expression. “I’ll come back, you take care of him, leader.”

He stands up while taking his crossbow from the ground. With stomping feet he rushes into the forest while not even looking back.

“No, don’t go!” the writer screamed because he had such an angry look upon him as he had turned around. But no answer comes, nothing, only the sound of the dripping drizzle in this forest of darkness resounds. Because the brooding clouds are as dark as they can be.

It makes the writer turn her head side to side as she watches the woods, carefully. The darkness gives her dread in her heart since the hounds had stopped barking their sounds of horrors. Indicating that they’ve finished their hunt, or the hunt for their hunted has been unsuccessful.

Before leaving the garden, she had packed some Yran’Gilis in a pouch to bring back as evidence since someone had to report it to the higher ups so they can bring more agents to secure this place for the kingdom. Though, the honor of finding it would be placed on the leader of the team. But she would never take the honor for herself.

Here in this rain forest of sloping pathways and the small hills of trees sits the writer beside her teammate who’s crying in agony. She slowly takes out an Yran’Gilis flower because she has been versed in its effects.

The writer takes ahold of a water bag on the lean man’s waist, and with an unplugging, she crushes the dry leaves into the water bag, pushing them in as fragments falls to the ground. Then with a shake, a remedy of slumber has been prepared.

“Here, drink this. It’ll ease the pain,” the writer said with a forced smile upon her lips.

“Leader…”

“I know…it is illegal. But you won’t feel pain anymore. And when you wake up we’ll be already back in Tertinum sharing the fame together. So shh, drink it and relax,” she said as the water bag presses onto his lips as he willingly begins to drink while his eyes starts to become blank from the effect which’s so powerful that he passes out instantly with a thud on the ground. She catches his head while placing it soundly on the slight watery moss.

“Thank you for reducing my workload… writer was it?”

Her face contorts as her body becomes frozen upon hearing the lyrics right behind her, as if a ghost whispered into her ear. Her eyes of utter wideness, her mouth has formed an oval opening of dismay, and her body moves no muscles.

“Try not to turn around… Otherwise, writer, I’ll have to put you down… permanently,” Xe’Reth said with a darker tone than usual, as if he wants his vocal cords to be as petrifying as they can be.

He stands looming one meter behind her with his piercing eyes of darkness.

“W-What do y—”

“Drink the water… Now…” Xe’Reth said with terror running through the writer’s spine.

Can she turn fast enough while swinging her crossbow at him? Her eyes gazes with an unmoving head at her weapon that’s lying there beside her, but can she? Werana said that he was fast… Can she move her hands faster than Werana’s opinions of his agility?

The silence… the silence of a moving dagger being drawn out of its sheath is heard but not heard by the two different combatants. As the writer stares at her crossbow, something blocks her field of view… A dagger.

“You have a time limit to drink, otherwise the man in front of you will never wake up again. You are the one who can choose if he lives or dies. Will you let him live? Or will you let him die as you try to fight me off? But it is too late, for I’ve now a dagger on your neck,” Xe’Reth whispered in her ear as he’s currently crouched down, taking advantage of her own undoing. Provoking her to choose, but it’s already settled, for she has a raised water bag in her hands.

“W-Will you kill me when I fall… asleep?” she asked with stuttering words while her whole body is still frozen in place, only the hand is moving closer to her mouth. She is actually afraid for her life, a feeling she has never felt before, it is making her shake in such fright. The black ghost is right behind her!

“That depends on how my… mood is,” Xe’Reth said jokingly yet with such brutality, but innocently nonetheless, because he won’t kill them. They haven’t seen his face, only his clothes which can easily be tossed into the fire, and his voice is acidly terrifying that a person which hasn’t such knowledge would believe that the voice comes from a horror of darkness.

“You’ll be caught… You know that, don’t you?” she provoked bravely as her principled heart squeezes out one last protest.

“You can… always try…” Xe’Reth whispered closely in her ear as she hears his muffled voice of terror, but still that feeling of utter confidence in his words stabs her attempt of retorting.

“Drink… Now…” Xe’Reth uttered triumphantly. And she does drink as she raises her head to take in the water of slumber while feeling it course down her throat. With a tilting thud to the side she lands on the ground while Xe’Reth catches her so she wouldn’t hit a rock which’s right where her head would’ve landed.

Xe’Reth gives out a sigh as she caught this adult woman.

“Three to go…” he said as his body raises while taking one of the crossbows to inspect it closer, because they’re valuable. But with a toss, it lands on the moss because he doesn’t need it. Something so clunky would only be a hindrance. Though, those one-handed ones are in a different light. Xe’Reth would like to at least try to shoot one of them.

‘Hmm, where is the other one who found me first? The entrance perhaps?’ Xe’Reth thought, but his eyes goes sharp as he searches the surrounding dark rainy forest; scanning the trees to see if someone hides. ‘That big man of muscles ran towards the hounds’ direction.’

Xe’Reth turns hastily as loud stomping footsteps resounds, and there comes the charging brute out of the woods. And upon seeing his teammates he bellows out a roaring cry, thinking that this man of darkness has killed them.

*Shriek*

Xe’Reth eyes goes wide. He tilts his body to dodge sideways as a bolt almost hit him by the hair, making Xe’Reth dash away while the man aims at the shade of quickness as tree after tree makes him disappear for an instant.

*Shriek*

It pierces Xe’Reth’s cloak leaving only a hole where it went through as it hits a distant tree. Xe’Reth clicks with his tongue in annoyance. The crossbow’s terrifyingly fast bolts, shoots with such a powerful force that it makes Xe’Reth extremely worried for his own life, yet under his bandana he has such an exhilarated grin on his face.

The burly man has narrowed eyes while he stands in a crouched position, supporting his whole weight so the bolt can come out from its slit to fire in precision as he aims at Xe’Reth, watching, studying his rapid movements, and with a squeeze he fires off his crossbow as he has the target in sight.

*Shriek*

With a hastily lowered head, Xe’Reth manages to dodge that shot which almost tore his head clean off, but with stumbling movements upon being so surprised by the bolt, Xe’Reth falls forward as one of his feet is caught on a root.

But with that forward fall, he launches himself forward while he vaults in a whole spin to land on his feet again. He begins to run with even more accuracy with his feet placements, but he sneers since some of his arrows left his quiver.

The burly man moves as he shoots off his bolts one after the other while he’s getting closer and closer to his teammates to check if they’re really dead, but as he turns his body and head to look at them, Xe’Reth charges towards him as he runs with a lowered upper body while his arms are in a backward position; as if he’s a fast descending bird that has found its prey.

Running in the fastest speed he can muster, a blurred shade of darkness displays in front of the wide-eyed man.

As he sees Xe’Reth coming towards him, he pulls the clutch, then squeezes the trigger. With a shrieking sound of horror it shoots straight at Xe’Reth, which makes the man’s eyes show utter victory, but what surprises the man the most… Xe’Reth has his bow now taken out with an arrow placed and drawn to the fullest.

With another shrieking projectile that shoots out, the bolt and arrow connects! But the bolt only slightly moves in a different route in the air while the arrow was utterly destroyed by the bolt’s pressure. Which makes the bolt not pierce Xe’Reth’s skull, but his shoulder instead with a loud flesh-tearing noise as it hits deep.

Though the man’s expression of victor vanishes as Xe’Reth doesn’t stop ripping through the air towards him. The burly man doesn’t have time to reload so he tries drawing his sword that he has on his wait, but it is to late! With a leap, Xe’Reth’s one foot hits the upperpart of the hilt’s sword, making it slide back into its slumbering state while another foot slices through the air to connect to the burly man’s neck in a crescent kick.

Through the power of that slash to the neck, it directs the burly man so he tilts to the side while his eyes shudders as sleep takes ahold of him. With a loud crash he falls to the moss-covered ground.

As Xe’Reth lands on the moss, he kneels down feeling the excruciation pain of the imbedded bolt in his shoulder. It made such a sound on impact that makes him worry immensely. Xe’Reth thought that it would hurt a lot more, but it actually isn’t that horrendous since he has recently felt pain on his body. With a quick pull of the bolt, it removes from his shoulder while Xe’Reth feels the agony of its deep inserted depth.

What makes Xe’Reth surprised beyond words is that the bolt is actually the one that broke. It shows on the bent metal tip of the head, and not his shoulder bones are the ones that shattered. Was Xe’Reth wrong about the power of these bolts? He tests his shoulder as he moves it up, down, and in circle movements while blood spills out in quantity from his round bolt pierced hole.

Nothing seems to be hurting other than his seeping scarlet hole. But Xe’Reth doesn’t have time to care for his wound so he cuts a long cloth sash from his cloak and ties it hard while it’s padded with another folded cloth piece.

He turns his head to inspect the unconscious man who lies there on the moss. Xe’Reth goes and picks up the uncorked water bag which has a little bit more water to be used. With a shove, he sticks it into the dreaming man’s mouth so he will dream even more.

As the water emptied the bag, he picks up all of the arrows that he had shot and dropped, even the tip of the arrowhead which had been destroyed by the bolt. He doesn’t want to leave any evidence that can be easily tracked to an Arrow-Smith.

With a raised eyebrow, he walks to the writer as he inspects the container on her back. He opens it. It reveals the papers that the writer had wrote on before.

“Better burn them,” Xe’Reth said as he takes the papers out from its resting place.

Xe’Reth sprints away towards his garden, leaving the three unconscious DLO agents there all exposed in this dark rainy forest. Luckily the valley doesn’t have many large animals that can be dangerous, though one time as Xe’Reth explored the whole area, he had met a momma bear, a large one at that with her cubs rolling around, climbing trees, and being cuddly.

This valley is hers, and the cave entrance is where she comes back from when a feast has been caught, though that would rarely happen since berries and plants riddles the valley’s surrounding forest, the lake too keeps her fed. But, Xe’Reth will never see that proud beast again.

'I should've dodged the bolt instead of trying to shoot it, heh,' Xe'Reth thought.

It aches, the wound aches as he runs to his plantation. As he arrives, Xe’Reth carefully minds his steps to not tread onto the traps that had been laid by the agents. While moving his head around to stare at his plants of different colors, he can’t help but show saddened eyes, because this will be the last time he’ll come back to this place.

Through not killing the agents, he has doomed this place forever. But, he’ll simply needs to find another place to grow his illegal herbs with the help of Malinda. Xe’Reth knows how large the citadel’s garden is, though he hasn’t seen it yet, but he has heard of it. The vast labyrinth of hedges, maybe a perfect place to hide his new plantation of herbs?

He’ll have to see, but first things first. Xe’Reth needs to pack down the dried up herbs in the shed, then… burn everything down to the ground, for the Yran’Gilis is highly flammable. A single spark can make them light up in blazing fire, though what’s even more astounding is that they are also highly resistant to the burning effect. It will take a minute for the entire flower to burn to a scrip.

As Xe’Reth pulls out the Yran’Gilis from their rooted sleep, he places them all around the plantation so it will spread throughout the whole garden. Xe’Reth has always bags readied inside the shed to be filled with the bundles of dry Yran’Gilis. There are thirty bundles, ten in each one, which will last for about ten months give or take. Though it all depends on how his mother will be. Sometimes she would need more, sometimes she would need less.

He comes out with three large bags on his shoulders as he walks away to put them so he can light the fire safely. With the rain it will burn even more because when water hits a blazing Yran’Gilis flower, it will make it explode. Xe’Reth must be careful so he doesn’t blow himself up.

The Yran’Gilis has been used in combat many times in the past before it was branded illegal, but now it’s only used by the people of the underground, the assassins, and Xe’Reth.

As he goes back to light a fire, which is relatively hard because of the rain soaking the wood, he goes inside the shed as he’s placing his steps carefully as always. With a grinding sound, light begins to show inside while he initiates the fire by dotting the empty shed with the torch that he now holds in his hand.

Xe’Reth hurriedly heads away from the garden, but turns his body as he sets the parchment that the writer had to a blazing glory, then throws the torch into the garden itself which has a slight pile of Yran’Gilis.

As Werana gazes carefully with vigilant eyes at the cave entrance, she hears booming explosions in the east, the garden!

She has been sitting in a tree while she had awaited the whistling noises from her teammates, but no such sounds has come, only the now exploding booms which makes her extremely worried for her friends, her old friends that she has known for a long time.

Her hound in lying on the ground beneath the tree, having its ears on high alert as it had heard those loud noises. With a thud she lands on the ground while being crouched to lessen the impact.

“Search baby, go!” she shouted at her hound that’s now running fast down the sloping hill’s path while she follows closely behind. Towards Xe’Reth’s direction.

Right as they’re about to reach the end of the slope’s passage which leads into the valley, some kind of ball bounces out onto the path right in front of her hound. While seeing it, she’s startled with wide eyes as her whole face contorts when the ball explodes as an arrow pierces it, creating a shroud of purple mist that shoots out in every direction, while the hound falls to the ground sliding in its unconscious state of dreams.

Werana, however, halts in her steps and throws herself backwards as she begins to climb further up the slope to escape the mist. But through her conflicted mind comes a shade dashing out from the nearby woods, which she becomes aware of when that shade of darkness is upon her.

She hurriedly tries to raise her crossbow in time, but with one slashing kick, it tosses and swirls in the air as it lands almost by the sleeping puppy. Its components are all over the place, the bolts are spilling onto the ground, the wood cracked, and the crossbow’s string hags loose.

However, her movements are quick, she leaps backwards while trying to look through the hood of the assailant, but only darkness displays in front of her.

Werana’s daggers which’re on either side of her waist are unsheathed while she holds them in reverse grips, then she raises her hands and arms to ready herself for the incoming attack that she’s completely ready for.

“COME! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!” she shouted with deadly eyes as she roars with teeth displaying inside her opened mouth.

The now tranquil man in black stands there motionless. His hood is low, so low. But everything else is showing. His quiver of arrows, his slight red armor pieces, belt with a pouch, square leather bags, and nothing else. No black bow, but hasn’t she and the muscled man already seen the shade’s bow?

Xe’Reth can only hope that they doesn’t remember the color of it, though black is a common dye on weapons and armors so it doesn’t really matter.

“Shouldn’t you be more… worried about your teammates?” Xe’Reth asked with such a ruthless voice to make her think that he has already killed them all.

“You… what did you do to them?!” she yelled while having her guard up with daggers holding in front of her head and standing legs spread, one forward, one backward.

“They’re at the moment… bleeding to their deaths in the woods,” Xe’Reth said while lying as he turns his body, only showing his dark hooded-cloak that reaches his feet. “If you hurry, you might be able to— No… you don’t want me to escape… right, Werana?”

Werana squints at the hooded man with clenched teeth as he said her name. Shall she apprehend this man quickly then go save her teammates? Or let him escape? The choices are making her scowl deeply while she turns her head to look at the snoring hound a bit further down.

“It doesn’t really matter to me if you want to attack or want to help your dear friends,” Xe’Reth said as he begins to walk into the woods not even bothering being vigilant at the woman standing behind him. But he turns around as he lowers his head and pulls the hood lower, “Though, if I were you, I would’ve chosen my friends over a petty job. It is the soundest decision you can make right now, Werana. Your friends or your job, the choice is yours. Make it quick for I don’t like dallying on such simple judgements.”

“Do you think you’ll get away from the law?! We of the DLO never lets our criminals run loose… But… go, I don’t either want to be here when I can save my friends. GO, you heathen!” Werana screamed as she begins to run into the forest to find her teammates. She didn’t even bother to ask where they are, but she’s a hunter, and a hunter always finds her prey, it doesn’t matter if it’s friend or foe.

While seeing Werana run with such a hastened speed, Xe’Reth turns to look at the snoring hound that lies on its back all sprawled. He frowns at how loud it is, he didn’t even know that hounds can snore.

‘You learn new things every day,’ Xe’Reth thought happily as he goes back into the woods to begin his journey back to Tertinum City. He takes the sacks of dried Yran’Gilis and his bow which he has now fastened around his chest, to begin walking somewhat calmly while he feels the sting of the closing wound that’s slowly starting to heal.

Xe’Reth is somewhat pleased because if he would’ve killed those agents and their hounds, it would’ve become such a shit storm. For the DLO is utterly vengeful upon those who kill their members. They would hunt them for the rest of their lives. And for every agent killed, dozens others comes and takes their place to help the hunt. Even magicians can be brought in when the DLO can’t handle them, though those are only rare occurrences, but nonetheless it’s a threat Xe’Reth can’t make a gamble on.

The agents are highly trained in different sections of their choosing.

Those who’re the most intelligent, namely the ones that has the highest score in the SLO charts as they graduate, gets to be a leader of a team. Then there’re many variety of classes and ranks.

Those who’re keen with their eyes to see things, those who can gain information through the way of the speech, those who’re masters in arms, those who’re hunters of criminals, and those who’re versed in the arts of healing.

Many other divisions are in the DLO, but it all comes down how teamwork is handled, it requires friendship, but not love. Those who’re in a romantic relationship with each other are usually thrown out from the DLO, because the DLO doesn’t allow their agents to be with each other. It becomes complicated when it happens and when it ends between them.

Teammates needs trust, but trust is such a fickle object that can be so complicated when love is thrown into the mix. But it doesn’t mean that they aren’t allowed to find a regular relationship outside of their circle, but that too can be very mean business. Many agents who has been together for so long can form bonds of friendship that doesn’t work so well when their friend finds someone to love, especially when it’s between friends that’re a woman and a man.

Jealousy, hatred, and pain comes from it.

Here today lies three agents unconscious and four hounds that’re slumbering peacefully as they feel the rain watering them from above. And the Sprinting Werana who searches desperately in the woods for her dying friends, leaping over fallen trees, rocks, and crevasses.

But as she finds them, the only one who’s injured the most is the lean man while the other two are sleeping their worries away. The writer is next to the lean man as the muscled man is a bit further away, but not far, only a couple of meters. He lies with a water bag next to him while he has a slight red mark on his neck where Xe’Reth had kicked him to shut off his lights.

“How can this be…? The criminal said…—,” her eyes goes wide. “Played… He lied to me… Why would he do such a… Ah! That damned bastard! I was outplayed again and again!”

As she begins to breathe slow and steady to calm herself down, Werana commences to tend to her teammates. She drags the muscled man as her face turns completely red from his weight.

“Don’t worry my friends, we’re still alive… Sigh, that’s good enough for me,” she said thankfully with a tired voice as she stands there above her sleeping friends who’re in a three-line position right next to each other.

With time… they’ll wake up to a blazing vengeance upon their minds, such a humiliation to be defeated by a seventeen year old, but of course they don’t know that. They’ll only think that he’s a notorious criminal, someone too powerful for a simple team to handle. Because if they don’t say that Xe’Reth is powerful to the DLO, they’ll be laughed at, and be put to utter shame.

This will stick to them for their entire lives, but at least they got something out of this. An exploded drug site. It is as good of a reward as any. Even with their defeat of letting the criminal go, they’ll gain recognition, and if they bend the truth a little, they can gain an even stronger reputation, but alas, it all depends on how they’ll handle it…

……………

As Xe’Reth carries the bags carefully down the sloping hill on the other side of the cave entrance, he is truly exhilarated. For this was the most hectic day of his life. The sensation of his life being threatened was joyous yet nerve-wracking.

The fight of life and death when he shot that arrow at the flying bolt was also causing his adrenaline to pump and pump. It almost made him not feel the bolt hitting him, though as the muscled man lied there on the ground, Xe’Reth had felt the pain clear as day. But even so, the running from the hounds and the fighting was something he hasn’t felt before.

While he keeps walking in a calm pace so he doesn’t destroy too many dry Yran’Gilis, he walks with his hood down and bandana removed. To breathe again!

With his calm moving steps he looks up at the sky to see the raindrops that’re hitting him with their cooling effect. He even opens his mouth because he’s somewhat thirsty, but closes it again as he shakes his head a little to get away the dizziness that’s brewing inside him, probably from the slight blood loss.

He keeps on hiking towards Tertinum City, but he takes a different route so he doesn’t come out from where he can be seen walking from the mountain. Xe’Reth takes a rather long way around a lake that he has passed before.

As three hours had gone by since he left home, Xe’Reth comes up to the east outer layer’s gate where people are still in the rain going inside the city, and people who’re leaving since the festivities aren’t that fun when rain ruins it.

“Raining two days in a row… What are the Queens thinking, on such a blessed day as this?”

“They have their ways… Maybe the last crops needs watering before the last harvest?”

“News! Current news before you enter the city! The Honored Malinda Tertin, one of our rulers! The savior of the downtrodden has spread her generous words! She’s going to bring back the charity organization to the poor people of the city! She who’s so benevolent and so magnificent has blessed her presence to the city’s less fortunate!” a zealot preached, a poor looking old man who stands on the side to speak to the people who’re coming into the city.

‘Word travel fast as always,’ Xe’Reth thought as he passes the old man in a calm pace. ‘Now it’s up to Malinda how she’ll handle this new burden that has been placed on her… by me.’

As the main outer layer gates are open to everyone on this day, Xe’Reth strides into the city while he’s being careful not to crash into people with the large sacks that he holds. Though now his hood covers his head again as he makes his way to the outer layer’s west side where he lives, the slum district.

Thanks for reading!

I will try to release once every two days, but it depends. :(

Anyways! He didn't kill anyone. So, would it be better if he had just kill them, or not to kill them like he did? Even if their bodies weren't found, don't you think the DLO has reports as to where they're doing their searches? I think so. *Blink*

What could it be that Xe'Reth forgot to take with him... Hmm...? :D

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