Assoonasthefirstdefenseended,ansummonedSemaandcheckedonthesituationofeachalliedfaction.
"!"
Waterfilledabronzebasin.Astheskillactivated,thesmoothsurfacerippledandrevealedanothersettlement.
heystartedwithameita'sBlackRockillage.
Ablacktideofmamoolwasflowingthroughanarrowpass.
heywerebeast-typemamoolcoveredindensespine-likefur,withshortlegsandrowsofsharpteeth.heirmovementspeedwassofastthatfromadistancetheyresembledadarkriverrushingthroughacanyon.
henextmoment,dwarvessprangfromconcealmentcarryingshields.
hemamoolbaredtheirteethandcharged,buttheshieldswerenearlyaslargeasthedwarvesthemselves,leavingnothingtobite.
hedwarvesstabbedupwardwithswordsnearlyasshortastheirarms,plungingthemintothecreatures'softunderbellies.
"h!"
ameita,whohadbeenstandingbesideanintenseanticipation,clenchedhisfist.
"ext."
here'snotime.
andidn'tallowhimamomentlongertobemoved.
Semawavedhisstaff.
heskillhehadnurturedwithexperiencehadrisenrapidlyinlevel.tcouldnowdisplayanylocationthatatleastonepartymemberhadpreviouslyvisited.
heForestofthelvesappeareduponthewater'ssurface.
hedensewoodlandshiftedandwrithed.
Mamoolwiththelowerbodiesoftigersandtheupperbodiesofhumansranthroughtheforestbeforeabruptlystoppingtolookaround.
hetreesswayedagain,openinganentirelydifferentpath.
hrownintoconfusion,themamoolsplitintotwogroupsandfollowedseparateroutes.
ArrowsfromhiddenlfRangerspiercedtheirthroats.
Jeneanodded.
"ext."
hewaterdarkened.
Deepoceandepthsfilledwithrisingbubbles.
Agiganticgreatwhitesharkwithlegsswallowedfleeingfishfolkalongwithentirebuildings.
Armoredfishfolksoldiersstabbedattheshark'seyeswithspearsbeforewithdrawinginunisonatagesturefromtheMermaidQueen.
Cannonsfiredsimultaneouslyfromatopthewalls.
Asthesharkwrithedinagony,fishfolksoldiersentangleditinthicknets.
"ext."
heatican,hiddenbehindamilky-whitebarrier,waspeaceful.
Childrenwereplayingwargameswithwoodenswords.
Aboycarryingatoybowandagirlwieldingawoodenswordcorneredanotherboywearingafakebeardinatwo-against-onebattle.
hebeardedboysoondroppedthestaffhewasholdingandclutchedhisthroat,pretendingtodie.
hechildrenbehindhimimmediatelykneltandbeganpraying.
heboywiththebowandthegirlwiththeswordjumpedupanddownincelebrationbeforesolemnlykissingeachother.
hechildrenwhohadbeenpraying,alongwiththefake-beardedboywhohadpretendedtodie,allsprangbackupandstartedhoppingaroundexcitedly.
"..."
"ext."
angavetheorderbeforeKeithcouldspeak.
"Wasn'tthatthe'xecutionoftheCorruptedPope'incidentthathappenedattheatican?heykilledthePopeandthenthetwoofyoukissed—?!"
"ext."
ecutoffSema'squestionaswell.
Sayingdidn'twouldsoundlikeanexcuse.
Whowasspreadingsuchabsurdrumors?
Semasuddenlylookedasthoughhehadattainedenlightenment.
henhehurriedlyturnedhisheadawayandpretendedtofocusonwavinghisstaff.
anwasbotheredbytheexpression,buthechosenottoask.
herewasnopointvoluntarilybringingupadisadvantageoustopic.
Amidthestrangesilence,theskillactivatedoncemore.
henextsceneappeared.
Adarkforest.
Ahouse-sizedmamoolwaschasingafleeinghuman.
tlazilyproddeditspreywithoneforepawafteranother.achshovesentthemantumblingforwardacrosstheground,whilethemamoolleisurelyfollowedbehind.
hefleeingmantrippedoverarock.
Rollingacrossthedirtwhileclutchinghisleg,hecriedoutinpain.
henheliftedhistear-soakedface,abandonedanyattempttoescape,andpulledawhistlefromhisclothing.
eblewit.
hemamoolswallowedhiminasinglebite.
Behindthebeastfollowedseveralenormouscreatures.
"...?"
Foramoment,ancouldn'tplacethelocation.
henherealized.
heroadleadingtotheillageoftheBetrayers...
o.
heillageoftheWandererClan.
heyhadalreadycheckedeveryotheralliedsettlementintheDarkForest.
aninstinctivelylookedtowardouise.
ouise'sfacehadgonecompletelypale.
"ordan."
"Whatareyoudoing?"
"...?"
"Whyaren'tyoumovingalready?!"
"Yes!"
ouisestartledviolentlyandsprintedoutthedoor.
venasheurgedhiswolfonwardatfullspeed,ouise'sthoughtsremainedtangled.
hesitated.
hemomenthelookedintotheWaterMirror,hehadrecognizedthevillager.
Yetevenwhilewatchingthatneighboringmanruntowardthevillage,hehadremainedfrozeninplace,simplystaring.
"ordan."
Whydidcallforordan?
edidn'tknow.
venasthewordslefthismouth,hedidn'tunderstand.
Didhewanttohelpthem?
Wouldtheyevenwelcomehishelp?
Beforehecoulddwellonthequestion,however,hislordhadalreadyorderedhimtosave◈оvеlіgһт◈(Continuereading)thevillagers.
hatwasthekindofmanordanwas.
Righteous.
Just.
Anditwasn'tonlyan.
veryoneinthedungeonexceptouisehimselfwasadmirable.
veryoneofthemwaswillingtorisktheirlivestosaveothers.
ameitahaddedicatedhisentirelifetoacausegreaterthanhimself.
Jeneahadthrownherselfintoan'sserviceforthesakeofhervillage.
venSema.
hatmagehadfollowedanfromtheverybeginning,casuallyriskinghislifetoexploitadragonandstealtheWorldreeofthelves.
ouisehadneveraskedwhy.
ButhecouldeasilyimaginethatSemahaddoneitforthepeopleofthisdungeon.
oodpeople.
ouisewasnotoneofthem.
heonlypersonforwhomhecouldwillinglygivehislifewasan.
efeltcompletelyandutterlydevotedtoan.
Yethestilldidn'tknowwhetherhetrulybelongedhere.
hefeelingofbeinganoutsiderwasfamiliar.
venamongtherejectedclan,hehadalwaysbeenalone.
Didordannoticemyhesitation?
Withoutshowingtheturmoilraginginsidehim,ouiseledthecharge.
Soonhespottedtherearofthemamoolhorde.
herewereonlysixofthem.
otmany.
adtheybecomeseparatedandwanderedherebyaccident?
Whateverthecase,theyappearedtohavebeenstarvingforalongtime,judgingbythesavageroarsanddemonicenergypouringfromthem.
hecreatureatthefrontslammeditsbodyintothewoodenpalisadesurroundingthevillageandshatteredit.
tsappearancewasgrotesque.
nsteadoffurorskin,exposedredmusclecovereditsbody.
hesightinstinctivelyinspiredhorror.
"Ready."
ouiseremainedcalm.
Pressinghisthighstightlyagainstthewolf'sflanks,hedrewhisbowstring.
remble.
hetipofthebowshook.
Why?
twasn'tfearofthemamool.
nlythendidouiserealizehisbreathinghadbecomeuneven.
isheartwasbeatingerratically.
otfromfear.
Fromanxiety.
ebithislip.
"Fire!"
hwack!hwack!hwack!
Unlikeouise,thesoldiersridingalongsidehimdidnotfalter.
hemuscularmamool,struckfrombehind,turnedaround.
"RAAARRR!"
hecreaturetoreapartthemusclesarounditscrimsonmouthandreleasedafuriousbellow.
ouisenoticedsomethingelse.
"Where'sthesixthone?"
newasmissing.
Amamoolhadalreadyenteredthevillage.
...!
hesoldiersnoticedaswell.
"oahead!"
nesoldiershoutedbeforeouisecouldsayanything.
twasthesamemanwhohadconstantlygrumbledaboutouisefromthefirstdayofarcherytraining.
ouisecouldn'tevenrememberwhenthemanhadstoppedquestioninghisorders.
"urry!"
"We'llhandlethingshere!"
heothersoldiersmaneuveredtheirwolvesandsurroundedthemamool.
"Catchupafteryou'redone!"
ouiseshoutedandleaptoverthecollapsedwall.
hewolfthathadoncefoughtdesperatelytothrowhimoffnowmovedasthoughitsharedhisthoughts.
hewolflowereditsbodyandsprintedlikethewind.
ouisedidn'tblinkdespitethefreezingairstinginghiseyes.
ecouldn'taffordtolosesightofanything.
ordidheallowhimselfanydistractingthoughts.
speciallynotaboutthesoldiershehadleftbehind.
heopinionsothersheldofhimhadalwaysbeenpredictable.
Andyet...
Whyhadtheysenthimahead?
ouise'sarcherywasn'tmerelyexceptionalwithinthevillage.
twasexceptionalevenwithinthedungeon.
bjectivelyspeaking,hecouldconfidentlyclaimtorepresentmorethanhalfofthearcheryunit'scombatpower.
Withoutouise,thedangerincreased.
hesoldierswereexperiencedenoughthattheywouldn'tdietocreatureslikethose.
Still,therewasnoreasonforthemtoaccepteventheslightestadditionalriskforthesakeoftheWandererClan.
veniftheclanhadnotbetrayedtheMiddleRealm,theywerestilltheWandererClan.
ouisecouldn'tunderstandit.
ischestached.
hered,bald,muscle-coveredmamoolwasattackingthevillagewell.
Collapsedbesideitwasalittlegirlyoungerthanouise.
liza.
hegranddaughteroftheillageChief.
hechildwhohadorderedouisearoundlikeaservant.
ehadalwaysfoundherirritating.
Buthehadneverwishedforherdeath.
isbodymovedbeforehismindcoulddecide.
Drawingandreleasingthebowstringfeltperfectlynatural.
histime,therewasn'teventheslightesttremor.
hwack!hwack!hwack!
Severalarrowsstruckimmediatelybehindouise'sown.
heshaftsslippedthroughgapsbetweenlayersofhardenedmuscleandpiercedeveryvitalpoint.
hemonstercollapsedlikeafelledlog.
Boom!
hecrouchinglizacautiouslyopenedhereyes.
hemomentshesawouise,shockfilledherface.
ouiseturnedaround.
"hemamool?!"
"Wedealtwiththemimmediately!herewereonlyfive,weren'tthere...sir?"
Jeff,thesoldierwhowasalwayscomplaining,suddenlyswitchedtorespectfulspeechafterseeingthevillagers.
Anothersoldierjabbedhiminthesideandwhispered.
"Captain.Captain."
"...Captain!"
"...?!"
ouisedoubtedhisownears.
ecouldhaveswornhehadjustheardanutterlyhorrifyingtitle.
Anditsoundedliketheotherswereencouragingit.
"-ouisе.You'rethecommanderofthesewarriors...thesehonoredwarriors?"
heillageChiefranforwardandpulledhisgranddaughterintohisarms.
henhelookedupatouise.
isfaceheldshock.
Andenvy.
Anddesiredirectedtowardstrength.
otthefamiliarmixtureofcontemptandsatisfactionthatouisehadalwaysseenbefore.
ouisewasabouttoexplainthatwhilehetechnicallywastheircommander,thatdidn'tmeanhecouldorderthemaroundhoweverhepleased.
Beforehecouldspeak,anelementalarrived.
Bynow,evenouisecoulddistinguishtheappearanceofthewindelementalcontrolledbyJenea.
heelementalmimickedan'svoice.
["Youthereyet?"]
"Yes,ordan.Wedealtwithsixmamool."
["Six?"]
heelementalfrowned.
henspokefirmly.
["Sixtymorearecoming."]
"twillbedifficulttodefendthislocation.hepalisadehasalreadybeenbreached."
ouiseimmediatelyreportedthesituation.
herewasnotimetostandaroundinshock.
["vacuation?"]
"owmuchtimedowehaveleft?"
["enminutes."]
"herearetoomanyelderlypeopleandchildren.don'tthinkit'spossible."
ouiseansweredwithoutevenlookingaround.
hesepeoplewerenodifferentfromwhenhehadleft.
achwasfocusedonlyonescapingimmediatedangerwhilepursuingtheirowninterests,makingcollectiveactionimpossible.
hefactthattheywerestillrunningaroundinconfusioninsteadofimmediatelyloadingsuppliesontobeastsandcarryingchildrentosafetytoldhimeverythingheneededtoknow.
heelementalissuedorderswithouthesitation.
["ettheciviliansintothelargestbuilding.athereveryonecapableoffightinganddefendit."]
"Yes,ordan."
["oldout.We'llbetheresoon."]
hetensiondrainedfromouise'sshoulders.
"eaveittome."
hevillagerswouldsurvive.
