Banished Pt. 15

I stooped down to the body on the floor, and after examining it with sensory perception, I located his core, somewhere inside his stomach, and cut it out, then I joined Blair as we returned to the main group.

"Nate! What happened?" Francesca asked, and as I tossed the core at her, she grinned. "Fuck yeah!"

She wrapped her arms around me, but before her body could even properly press into mine, I spotted the thread descending from above, and even as I pushed her aside and grabbed my halberd, Alice suddenly jerked off of her feet, and went flying up into the canopy above, and a singular scream rang out.

Then silence.

The faces around the group were open-mouthed shock, and even as we retreated from the tree, everyone sticking together, with Francesca, Blair, and myself keeping a lookout for threads, the mood had turned outright abysmal.

"Fucking hell. Fuck this place," Samantha cried, stooping down, and covering her ears.

She was shaking, and Sheila quickly tried to console her, while the rest of us tried to stay alert.

"The others didn't pull them up that quickly," Blair said. "That one's different from them, isn't it?"

I nodded, and she smiled proudly, prompting Wilt to scowl at her.

"Alice just fucking died; what the fuck is wrong with you?" he asked.

"I'm keeping my eyes open. What the fuck is wrong with you?" she shot back.

He was seething a little, and I placed a hand on Blair's shoulder.

"Easy," I said. "He's just grieving."

"Wha-? Fuck you!" he said, glaring at me. "If you were even slightly competent, people wouldn't keep fucking dying!"

"Well, how about you take this then, tough guy?" Blair said, offering her axe to Wilt. "Then we can all blame you when the next one dies."

He initially reached out for the axe, but before his hand could even make contact with the weapon, it began to shake, and he withdrew the hand, steadying it with the other, a slightly beaten expression on his face.

"This isn't the time to get down on ourselves or turn on each other," I began, "but Blair has a point; keep your eyes open, and stay alert. Mistakes are punished with death in this world."

The mood became somber, and Sheila moved to my side as we continued on south.

"Hey, so uh... where you guys are staying; does this sort of thing happen often? Sudden deaths, I mean."

I shook my head at the question.

"We're in a bad spot out here. These monsters are at a higher level than the typical stuff you might encounter randomly, and none of you are combat ready."

She shuddered a little at this.

"But, it's safer, right? I mean, it would be for us?"

I nodded.

"It is... though honestly? We can't ever let out guards down. And maybe it's a lot safer when you're with someone who's as strong as Ethan. There are a lot of things out there that are way stronger than me, and if they come knocking, there's not really a whole lot we can do, really."

Sheila frowned, then slinked back to stand beside Samantha, who was still trying hard to not have a complete breakdown.

"Does this feel like ten miles?" I asked Francesca, and she nodded.

"I actually think so. Maybe we're getting the hand of this scouting thing after all, huh?"

I nodded, and I directed the group to change our course east again.

We continued on, trying to get a quicker pace going, since the spiders weren't able to match our speed while keeping to the relative safety of the trees, but I did note that there only seemed to be that one spider back there, so maybe it just wasn't hungry after its last snack.

The group didn't request a stop this time, however, and we were able to press on for quite a few hours, though as the sun came up and the nighttime coolness began to dissipate, quickly giving way to a sweltering heat, requests for the waterskin became more and more frequent, until the container reached close to empty.

"There should be more streams up ahead," I said, as Sheila tentatively sipped at the almost empty container, and she offered a drink to Samantha, before draining the rest of its contents.

It took us another twenty minutes to get to a stream, but when we did, everyone drank quite eagerly.

"I don't know if I've walked this much in my entire fuckin' life," Colt exclaimed, and I smirked a little at that.

"That pretty much sums up my entire experience on this planet," I replied, and he smirked a little at the comment, but the humor seemed to annoy Wilt, who kicked at a nearby rock.

"Are we really joking about walking when people are dead?" he asked, and I sighed, then moved to pull him aside.

"Look, I know the losses hurt. They always do, and everyone who lives on this planet has probably lost someone, but we need to keep the spirits up a little if we're going to make it to safety. Just... try to keep the group's best interests in mind, okay?" I asked, and he scowled at me.

"Easy to say when there's not a scratch on you two," he said, and I shook my head.

"Maybe you should look a little closer," I said, and he followed my gaze to Francesca, who was shivering a bit, as she cradled the spot on her arm where she'd been cut.

We filled up the waterskins, then got ready to head off again, but this time, I noted that the group was moving much more quickly than before, and I glanced back to see Wilt encouraging Lin and Colt to keep up the movement.

Lin's wound seemed to be much less of a problem than I'd initially imagined, and as the group kept going at a much steadier pace, we started to make up ground, and after another few hours, Francesca called out to me.

"The hall's up ahead! I can see it on the map!"

I gave her a thumbs up, and the spirits seemed to lift a bit, but as we closed in on the hall, a bit of anxiety began to gnaw at my chest.

I signaled to the group to hold up, and Francesca shot me a subtle nod, stepping to the fore of the group while I moved in on the entrance, and as I held up my wrist to the sensor and the doors swung open-

Slash*

The blade clattered across my arm guards, but the force of the strike pushed me back a few feet.

I jumped aside, and a spear ripped past me and towards the man; but he lifted an arm just in time, deflecting the missile, but I darted in right after the attack and stabbed at his hip, landing a proper strike.

"Fucking piece of shit!" he cursed as I withdrew, leaping a few feet back, and he tottered back into the hall.

"Well, what do we have here?" another man called, as he stepped out of the shadow of the guildhall, and through the entryway. "These aren't the otherworlders we were looking for."

"Look at his armor, though," another voice called; a girl's, and the man nodded.

"You're right. Do him," he said, and as I leapt back again, I suddenly fell to my knees, as some force suddenly pulled me down, restraining me completely, as if a great weight had suddenly been rested on my shoulders.

My knees shook, and the man who spoke darted forward, drawing a sword as he did, but as he slashed; Francesca moved in front of me, and got her hands up, parrying the blow, and she turned to the side and swung her feet around, sweeping his legs from under him.

He crashed to the floor, and she quickly drew her dagger and lunged, but he quickly rolled out of the way, and she retreated to my side.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Can't... move," I replied.

Blair moved to my side, and I shook my head subtly.

"Don't... you'll die... with no... armor."

She scowled, then her eyes followed mine to the satchel around my shoulder, and as I nodded, she grabbed it off of me.

The man readied himself to attack Francesca, and I noted that he wasn't any quicker than we were with speed-three armor.

"How do I make this usable?" Blair asked.

"Run your... finger... along the... emblem," I managed, and she nodded as the armor piece began to unfold.

"Fuckin look at that," she breathed.

The man with the sword moved in again, and Francesca parried a few slashes, then swiped at him with her dagger, and he cursed as the blade grazed him just at the wrist.

"Do I switch?" the girl asked, and the man shook his head.

"This one is quick, but injured. She dies, we win, but for fuck's sake, tell Danny to get his fucking ass in here."

"I got a heal," Danny called from inside the guildhall, and the man scowled.

"Don't waste energy on that, dumbass, just help me kill this bitch!"

The man tottered out of the hall with an annoyed expression, and I tried in vain to struggle against whatever that girl was doing to hold me in place.

"Help... her!" I called out, hopelessly, as the injured man hobbled over to join the fight.

Francesca took one look back, then darted at the two men, but as the first one slashed at her, she parried the blow, though this time, her armguard deactivated and fell off of her right hand, but she didn't stop her run, as she went straight for the wounded man, and he stood his ground, anticipating the attack.

Francesca went straight at him, leaping through the air, and as he slashed at her with his own sword; she twisted her body, allowing the sword the glance off of her breastplate, before jabbing the dagger into the man's hand, and he howled, as he tottered back, away from her.

His ally quickly moved to attack her, and she rolled out of the way, then retreated quickly to my side.

The man was cursing, holding the short sword in what I now assumed to be his weaker hand, and Blair moved past me in full armor, shooting me a bit of a smirk as she did.

Watch me, her eyes seemed to say, and Francesca now focused on the uninjured man.

The group seemed to be a bit more wary of us now, and I turned my attention to the girl.

Her eyes were fixed squarely on me, and as I studied them, I activated sensory perception, and noted that there seemed to be energy threads between us.

Then something clicked.

Energy threads that extend from the body!

My mind went back to the day that Casey and I were in the baths, and the princess moved behind her, and whispered into her ear...

And then I saw it.

The threads extending from the princess to her, as her suggestion took form.

That was it!

I had to project the threads outward from myself!

I focused on the girl, and concentrated.

"You want to release me," I said, but even as the threads seemed to activate, nothing happened.

Something simpler, I told myself.

"It's getting harder to concentrate, isn't it?" I asked.

I wasn't even sure if she could hear me, but her eyes suddenly wavered a bit, and I immediate realized that I could move a little.

It's working! I thought.

I grabbed my halberd, and Francesca eyed me, nodding subtly.

"You just can't seem focus anymore, can you?" I whispered, directing the energy threads to the girl, and her hand went to her mouth.

"What did you do?" she asked, stumbling backwards.

Just then, Francesca rounded the man with the sword, and as he made a sweeping strike aimed at her, turning as he did, she blocked the attack with her dagger and left-arm bracer combined, and I used the momentary distraction to make a sweeping slash, and the man's body fell to the floor, as his head, helmet and all, went flying.

"Fucking hell!" the other man said, stumbling back, and Blair grinned wickedly as she made use of the momentary distraction and drove her axe into his neck, then yanked it from him to produce a spray of blood, some of which splattered her armor.

She chopped at him a few more times, even as his body went still, then turned towards the other girl.

"Whoa!" I called out, as she began to advance. "We need that one alive," I said, and she nodded, pouting a little, and holding her axe at her side with a cute expression that sharply contrasted the sinister form that she cut, with blood dripping from her armor and weapon.

"This can't be happening," the girl muttered, disbelievingly, and I approached her.

"Weapons," I said, and she quickly took her sword and threw it onto the ground, as well as a hunting knife.

"Please don't kill me," she begged.

"Disarm," I commanded, and she swallowed uncomfortably before complying again.

Her hands were shaking, and I moved closer, and took her hands into mine.

"What's your name, doll?"

"T-Taylor," she stammered, and I nodded as I placed my hand against her chest.

"My name is Nathan. You know how to pledge, don't you?"

Her eyes were tearing up, and she nodded.

"N-Nathan. I pledge myself... to you," she said, and I nodded, as my implant began to pulse.

"Taylor," I said, as the shadowy image of her formed in my mind, and I recognized the feeling that came to me as fear.

"You can relax, sweetie. No one will hurt you, as long as you cooperate," I assured her, and she studied me, the fear in her eyes easing slightly, even as doubt remained.

I created a clause related to her pledge to paralyze her if she lied to me.

"Are any others coming here?" I asked, and she shook her head. "How did you know about this place?"

"The information guild," she replied. "They said that this domain was being purged, and that strong otherworlders might come here to rest. We thought we could score a huge bounty if we could ambush one..."

I nodded, then turned to the group.

"Let's get into the hall for now," I said, and everyone moved slowly and shakily past the dead corpses, and into the hall.

I ordered the girl to remain in the guildhall, while Francesca and I stripped and stowed the armor from her dead comrades, then extracted their cores, and looted their credits.

We moved them to some bushes beside the guildhall, but as we turned to go in, Francesca shot me a worried look.

"Shouldn't we bury them?" she asked, and I shook my head.

"I don't wanna chance it right now, and I need to get you some treatment for that wound."

Francesca rubbed her arms nervously, then nodded.

As soon as we were back in the guildhall, I did a quick check through the catalog for antivenoms and poison treatments, but there were few options.

Then Samantha moved to my side, to my surprise.

"You're looking for antivenoms? Are there snakes in here?" she asked, and I shook my head, then indicated to Francesca's wound, and she moved to examine it.

"Holy shit," she breathed. "What did that?"

"The monster with the blade-arm," Francesca answered, and the girl shook her head.

"No way. Take a look at this," she said, and I moved closer, examining the wound. "There are like, barbs, along the inside of the cut."

I shook my head.

"Do we need to get them out?"

She nodded.

"You'd need something like tweezers; something really small."

I eyed her.

"Are you a doctor, or something?"

She shook her head.

"One year of med school," she said, and I smiled.

"You might as well be a fucking surgeon in this world," I breathed. "Help me do a search for the tools you'd need," I said, indicating to the console, and she nodded.

She did a few searches, then indicated to something:

"Surgical tools?" I asked, and she nodded.

"I'm not gonna be doing surgeries, but it has some of the basic tools we'd need; forceps, surgical knives, scissors. Things like that," she explained, and I nodded.

"Five-hundred credits," Wilt said. "Doesn't look too good for you," he joked, looking at Francesca, and his jaw dropped as I held my wrist up to the console, and finalized the purchase.

I nodded to the supplies as they took form in the space above the console, and Samantha tentatively reached for it, then moved to Francesca's side.

"Is there anything else you'll need to treat her?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Something to disinfect the wound, clean the instruments. Like, pure alcohol, ethanol, or something like that."

I nodded.

"There's something we use back at our base; a kind of alcoholic concoction," I said, and she nodded.

I quickly scanned the catalog for the medicinal cocktail that Casey had mentioned, then purchased it as well, before turning to the group.

"Okay, the plan was for me to part ways with you all here, then Ethan would come along and guide you along to this training camp of his," I began, and Sheila furrowed her brow.

"Some of us aren't on board with that," she reminded me, and I nodded.

"Sheila has expressed her desire to join up with my group," I explained. "Blair too, I think."

The girl nodded in agreement.

"But, to be honest, I don't think it might be safe to leave you here, given what's just happened. Another group like theirs," I said, indicating to Taylor, "could possibly come along, and you'd be defenseless against them."

Taylor shifted uncomfortably as I said that, but I continued nonetheless:

"Now, I don't think Francesca's treatment can be delayed, so sticking around until Ethan gets here isn't really an option for me anymore. So, I guess it's up to you, really. Do you want to take your chances and wait here for Ethan? Or do you want to come back to our base with us?"

"I wanna join your group too," Samantha said, moving to Sheila's side, and Devin and Lin quickly voiced their desire to join up with us as well.

Wilt shot Colt a tense look, and Colt nodded.

"I don't think either of us are too keen on joining you, but you'd be leaving us for dead, huh?" Wilt said.

He let out a sigh, and I rubbed my chin as I considered the possibility.

"Actually, there might be another option. Taking you back to our base would be a risk for us, because we won't have any control over who you pass on the information about our location to later on," I began, and Wilt scoffed.

"You think we'd snitch?" he asked derisively, and I shook my head.

"There are ways to get information out of people; like what we just used on Taylor over there," I clarified. "It's a risk once we take you in and let you leave; no matter how trustworthy you are. But maybe we can work around that."

He studied me.

"I'm listening."

"We'll blindfold you two, and bring you to our base. We have rooms where you can stay, pretty comfortably too, and as soon as we get into contact with Ethan, you can leave."

"So, house arrest?" Wilt asked.

"It's better than dying," I reasoned, and Colt nodded.

"I'm down with that," he said, and Wilt reluctantly agreed as well.

I got out some of the scraps of cloth, and Blair eagerly volunteered to make sure that they were adequately blindfolded.

"Fuck, that's too tight," Wilt complained, and she smacked him on the shoulder.

"Man up, buttercup," she shot, and he went quiet, grumbling to himself.

I decided to purchase another survival set, as the clothes, waterskin, and satchel had all proven to be quite useful, and with the bit of rope provided, I tied Taylor's hands, much to her dismay, and we prepared to set off.

It was a little late in the day now, and I knew the road between where we'd entered the blighted grove and Grenze would probably be in use, but we needed the quickest possible route back, so I figured it was worth the risk.

To my surprise, however, the guildhall turned out to be much closer to that place where we'd crossed the stream and entered the blighted grove than I'd initially realized, and as we got there Francesca shot me an annoyed look.

"We're fucking stupid. We were sweeping up and down this forest at least ten miles west of where this was, huh?" she asked, and I nodded in agreement.

"Our scouting skills could use some work," I said, and she smiled.

"I think trips like this is what'll develop those skills though," she offered, and I nodded in agreement.

"Although, I still don't think it'd hurt for us to spend some time learning from the hunters," I said, and she grinned awkwardly in response.

We stayed alert until we got to the stream, but as we crossed it, we relaxed our measures a bit, and Francesca returned to my side.

"I don't quite think this trip turned out to be the treat that Cameron was suggesting," she said, and I chuckled at her.