Chapter 8
Rumble in the Jungle
Ok I need to think rationally here. I have a little bit of time before our pursuers are onto us, Mathias needs medical attention. I need to remove the arrow cauterize the wound and hopefully I can whip together a tonic to deal with internal bleeding that is definitely not a given though.
“Mathias I need your sword for a second” I ask him for his sword and he gives it to me I cut a long strip off my cloak, I then I summon a fireball into my hand and heat up the tip of the sword for a while. “ This is going to really really hurt bite on to this” I then fold up the strip of cloth and stick it in his mouth.
In one quick motion I break off the front of the arrow and then pull out the back part of it. Mathias screams out but it is muffled by the cloth in his mouth. I then take the sword that I heated up and used it to cauterize both the entrance and exit wounds ignoring the squirting of blood.
I can hear his breathing heavily taxed, he has lost a lot of blood and one lung is slowly filling with blood . I need to find a place for him to hide while I lead our pursuers away from him, I then will circle back hopefully spotting some potential herbs to make a tonic. If all goes well I can avoid him going into shock from blood loss before I finish. I notice a natural cave up ahead, at least I have some luck I can have him stay there.
I lead Mathias up the cave, its pretty small but it will do for now. Being mid-summer the temperature is warm but since its close to night time it will get colder and he lost a lot of blood, I want to start a campfire but the smoke will be visible guess he will have to tough it out for a while. Another concern is monsters attacking him but I guess I will just have to roll the dice on that for now.
“Just leave me*cough*, I will only slow you down and get you caught.” Mathias once again wanted me to abandon him.
“I already told you I wasn't going to abandon you. Now I cant promise you I can save your life so don't thank me yet. I still have to play Rambo in the forest with our mercenary friends and then spot some plants I need for a tonic” I explained to Mathias my plans.
“Play Rambo? I never heard of that game.” Mathias didn't understand.
“Oh its like hide and go seek but with deadly traps and sneak attacks, Ok I got to go, hold on I will do my best to come back” I said simply. I think he tried to tell me to leave him again but I wasn't listening.
Its amazing how effective earth magic is at making traps I made several basic pitfall traps heading back to where I fixed up Mathias's wound. I didn't have a lot of time so this is the best I could do with my current level of earth magic. Add in a few trip vines for inconvenience and a pool of water to slow people down. That's all the time I had before I could hear the first scouts approach.
“Oye it looks like they stopped here to treat the wound, you better hope you didn't hit the girl and now she is dead it would be your ass” one of the mercenaries said to another who was the one who shot arrows at us when we entered the forest.
The scouting party is only 5 people I am surprised the guards must of done some serious damage to the mercenaries. I am sure there are more on the way though. The 5 mercs then split up to search this area for a trail. I made sure to eliminate any trail towards the cave and left several dummy trails leading into pitfall traps. After a couple of minutes go by I hear a loud scream of someone having falling victim of one my traps. I sneak up to a tree by the pit I can hear the moans of someone in pain.
A couple mercenaries come to investigate the scream and are shocked to find one of there comrades at the bottom of a pit impaled by several stone spikes. “ He is still alive let me put him out of his misery” the mercenary with the crossbow said. Right as both mercenaries have there full attention on the guy at the bottom of pit fall, I pull out my dagger and approach the one without the cross bow from behind. Right as the crossbow shots the guy barely clinging to life in the pit I drop kick with all my strength the poor fool forward into the pit to join his buddy. Internally I am screaming 'This is Sparta!'. No scream from the victim this time as he was impaled through the head on the way down.
“What the..” stunned the mercenary tried to gauge the situation but it was too late I already had stabbed him through the heart and all he could do was look onto me in surprise as I pulled out my dagger and used a leg sweep to trip him down and finished with a simple head kick knocking him out. He would bleed out before ever waking up. I quickly looted him because I knew that the other two could be coming as well I got a crossbow and a stack of bolts and a coin purse. I heard rustling in the bushes but this time it wasn't mercenaries it was a monster. It was a a level 30 Gigalizard I quickly backed away letting him eat the mercenary who was bleeding out currently.
I am cold heated killer, I think to myself I remember having difficulties after killing someone as Taiko, but as Kara I feel no remorse in fact I rather enjoyed killing! I must be a real sick princess huh. This has got to do with the war-god blessing I suppose. I guess if I feel you are my enemy I will not hesitate to kill you and I wont any sense of empathy from it. I truly am a monster after all. Well whatever this makes what I have to do easier.
I sneak around looking for the other 2 scouts, it looks like they were able to detect one of the traps I had set up and threw a rock into it to activate it. They are not concerned about the earlier scream, probably they figured it was a monster that caused the scream. I hope no monsters have made it to Mathias he is in no shape to defend himself.
I hear some footsteps up ahead and approach them stealthily. It appears the two followed a set of my fake tracks to the pitfall and now are trying to pick up new tracks.
“That was a nasty trap back there probably made with earth magic. You don't think that little girl managed that do you? Could it have been here a long time?” The man was spot on I did use earth magic, it was only level 3 earth magic though nothing super impressive and I used a decent amount of mana.
“Traps and on top that beasts in the forest that go all the way up to level 50. We are getting paid too little.” He continued. His buddy was looking around and took off his helmet to wipe off some sweat from his face, I didn't miss the opportunity and aimed with the crossbow and fired. Aiming for his head I was slightly off, being the first time I shot this thing it was to be expected thankfully it was off low and the arrow nestled itself it the target's throat.
“That scream earlier It sounded bad, HEY no laying down on the job!” the loud mouth said as he approached his friend. Whom was now laying down. I try to take advantage of this situation and again approached from behind.
“Shit! I didn't sign up for this” he vented out loud in horror realizing his buddy had been shot in the throat. I went to back stab him but he detected me at the last second and turned enough making my dagger glance harmlessly off his armor.
“You were going for my back? How cunning but now you can drop that little dagger and come with me I am going to deliver you to boss Roland and get a big bonus.” The mercenary said.
“You really think you can capture me? I have already disposed of your 4 buddies.” I said intimidatingly.
“Hah that's a bluff if I ever heard one. They probably are killing your buddy as we speak anyways I am going take you by force even if I have to injure you badly and then use my healing tonic on you.” I am so happy to hear he has a tonic I hope it is at least a mid-level one.
The mercenary then lunged at me with his sword I guess he wasn't lying about injuring me. I simply dodged to the side. I looked for an opening and didn't find one that exposed a vital spot, this guy is pretty decent for level 33. I started to run away and he chased me “I wont let you get away” he says. I lead him to where I had the small pond and I stop on a patch of land in the middle
“Giving up after such a short chase, well you are a little girl so I guess its to be expected.” He didn't realize he had feel into my trap.
I cast lightning strike I bet he is super surprised because I did it without chanting, I wasn't real great at aiming lightning because I couldn't train magic like I wanted to but with the water there I could miss him and still hit him with it.
As the lightning struck he collapsed in the water stunned sort of like he was tasered. I run up to him through the water and slide my dagger into the back of his head after ripping off his helmet ending the last of the scouting party. I searched him and found the healing tonic, some coins, and some rations. I headed back to Mathias.
Mathias was unconscious I felt a pulse but it was weak. I tilted his head forward and poured the tonic down his throat is was a mid level healing tonic which is a quite valuable item in this world I was lucky mister talks too much had it. I split the rations it was just some bread and left the other half with Mathias when he wakes up, there was nothing more I could do for him, if that healing tonic didn't work he was screwed anyways I wanted to go check on the situation at the bridge it had been over an hour since we left there I need to assess the situation. I am sure it wont be long before they notice the scouting party has disappeared.
I leave Mathias making sure there are no more monsters in the area. I sneak around in the forest making use of my high sneak skill and my low-light vision. I come up to where I can see the bridge far away and try and make out what has been going on.
It seems William and the other guards did some serious damage I saw less then 20 mercenaries left, I bet the mercenaries did not think they would sustain casualties like this. They have a campfire going and it looks like they are trying to reorganize there forces. It was now full-blown night time and
it would hard to track me at night. They probably feared that forest killed me and all this death was for nothing, I am sure that they will still look for my body though to confirm it.
I wont forgive them though, ruining my life and taking all these good men's lives of my country. I came to really like William and now he was gone, all because of greed. Greed of a payday for these mercenaries, and greed of a pedophile king who wants me as his wife. That bastard doesn't have the balls to come and kidnap me himself because he doesn't want to start a war on a second front. I guess I will head back I want to check on the corpses in the pitfall I didn't get to loot the 2 that had fallen in.
When I get back to where the 3 bodies were at the pitfall I am astounded, the Gigalizard now had like 12 buddies one of them who looked special he was level 41 and was colored crimson red. They were all going to town on the corpses having dragged out the other 2 from the trap. The original crossbow guy was now just a skeleton having been picked clean and the other 2 were not far from that. I should be super grossed out but I am amazed how fast the corpse became a skeleton. Then a crazy idea pops into my head.
As much as I convince myself it is a bad idea I cant deny how amazing it could turn out. I may not get another opportunity like this again, so I psych myself up and shot my crossbow at the special looking Gigalizard I am no longer sneaking and am making noise on purpose to attract the gigalizards attention.
The special red Gigalizard makes a deep hiss and starts to come after me, as do all the other gigalizards. That was the easy part now here comes the hard part, kiting them to the merc camp. I am concentrating so hard right now as I make my way through the forest, sneaking is one thing but running is a different thing. If I make one misstep and trip I am so dead, these gigalizards are not slow and I am just barely keeping a safe distance from them.
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As I get close to the mercenaries camp I notice that there is a couple of guys on look out. I am coming from the forest so it is likely they are going to hear me and the gigalizards soon. I decide I am going to try and disorient them before the attack comes. I conjure a fire ball, and cast it at one the tents towards the outside of the camp it was at the very edge of my casting range and it wasn't easy at all to aim it so precisely from far away but I managed I credit the adrenaline of death chasing me. The tent quickly catches on fire drawing everyone's attention. I make my move cutting through the encampment while they are focused on the burning tent.
“Fire! Are we under attack?” Roland quickly tries to figure out whats going on. One of the mercenaries is able to cast water magic and douse the fire out.
“Whats that noise? Attack!” Roland notices the gigalizards.
I quickly make my way to the other side the camp unnoticed by the mercenaries. I am now sneaking back into the woods catching my breath, that was a close call I only had 200 stamina left. I now am going to enjoy watching from the woods.
“The hell such a big monster attack in the middle of the night. Someone is behind this keep your eyes and ears peeled.” Roland was obviously upset.
The fight between the monsters and the mercs is in favor of the mercs. I pull out my crossbow and I find a nice target a mercenary that must have been sleeping because he didn't have his armor on. I release the shot and it lodges itself in the mercenary back in the middle. His feet give out on him as he falls down and he is quickly surrounded by gigalizards to finish him off.
“Hey in the woods over there fire arrows.” Roland noticed the where the shot came from which is quite impressive. Its fine though I have long moved from that spot. I release another arrow and this time I am going after archers this time I hit in the abdomen not a fatal shot but definitely going to hinder him. I continue my sneak attacks scoring several kills which is really causing the soldiers to feel very uneasy, like there is sniper that could target them at any time making there focus not 100% on the monsters.
Over the next few minutes each side started to thin each others ranks, there is now only a handful gigalizards and mercenaries left. It seems like my sniping from the woods has really equalized the two forces but I only had a couple more bolts left. The special Gigalizard and Roland have just started fighting and there are 4 other mercs fighting the 3 gigalizards that were left. I sneak up on the last archer that remained and pull out my favorite dagger. My sneak has actually leveled up with this fight it is up to level 7 now. I quickly backstabed the last archer through the opening in his armor, I am sure I hit vertebra based on the initial resistance to my attack and the fact his lower body immediately went limp. After collapsing forward I quickly finished the surprised archer off with a dagger to the back of the head, this is becoming my go to spot for quick and silent executions with the stiletto like dagger.
Now turning my focus to rest of the mercenaries whom are now aware of my presence but are too busy to act on it. I now cast a lightning strike and it nails one of the mercenaries who wasn't stunned but quite staggered from it.
“You grace us with your presence, you know I think I might kill you after all the hell we been through capturing you, I have lost almost every man I have brought out here Darius is going to need to pay a lot extra for you.” Roland said while dodging a tail swing from the red Gigalizard
“So it was Darius I am happy you let that slip, I was fairly certain he was behind this but now you have confirmed it for me. Anyways I will deal with him after I kill you and the rest of your men.” I coldly state.
“Big words from a little girl I will collect you after I deal with these beasts.” Roland confidently stated.
I cast another lightning strike which finishes off one of the mercenary's. “This little girl wiped out your scout team and all of your archers, and now is finishing off you.”
The fighting is now down to me Roland and the red Gigalizard I could see that the Gigalizard was at a quarter health while Roland was at three quarters I needed to whittle down Roland more before we 1v1 and my mana was low I didn't want to run out and fall unconscious. I picked up a 2 swords from the fallen mercenaries and began my assault on Roland's flank.
“My goodness able to silent cast lightning strikes, deadly with a bow, deadly with a dagger, and formidable with swords. What are you, you are definitely not a normal princess, you are closer to being a monster? Are you possessed by a demigod or perhaps reincarnated from another realm?”
His last question surprised me and his last parry on my last attack staggered me backward as I became unfocused for a split second. So there was knowledge of reincarnated people? I figured that the founder of Mahouren was reincarnated but perhaps it isn't too uncommon.
“I am just Kara that's all you need to know.” I say to him.
He finally finished off the red Gigalizard with a stab to its head and turned his attention to me.
My fighting style is almost exactly like a blade dancer, my attacks are quick and sudden and my defense relies almost solely on evasion and trickery. I went with the dual sword style over single sword style because Roland defense is too good he has a reach advantage on me against simple exchanges. The downside to this is I blow through my stamina quicker which was an educated risk since he was already damaged from the previous fight and I need burst to take him down quickly.
“You realize this is futile, you may have surprised my men but you are after all just a little girl” Roland says arrogantly. He has a point I don't think I can beat him here few of my attacks have landed and I sort of feel like hes toying with me. I guess even with the stat buffs my level is too inferior to his at this point in time. This is becoming a battle of attrition which me having inferior stamina is going to lose.
“You are getting tired I can see it. Your spirit may not give up but your body has a finite limit and its approaching fast.” God this guy pisses me off. He still has a third of his health left and my stamina is down now under 100. My muscles are so tired I am fighting everything from collapsing. Once again he parries my attack and this time I cant muster enough resistance from falling back on my butt. I am so tired I cant get up, I suppose this is the end my stamina is all gone and I just sit there as Roland approaches me. Damn it I came so close to killing off all these bastards. Roland walks up and kicks me in the head I cant move so I just accept the incoming blackness.
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Mathias POV
` I cant believe I am awake right now, when I was losing consciousness last time I was sure that I would never awaken. The princess said that she would try and heal me though I was pretty sure that it was just to comfort me. There is some food here, rationed bread I eat it. Where in the heck did the princess go, I hope she ran away far away. Yet something told me she was doing something stupid, only having meet her a short time I can tell she is overly confident. I see a couple tracks coming out of the cave headed to the water she used the river to cover her tracks which was headed back to where we escaped from. Is she stupid? What was she doing at this time of night?
I follow the river back to by where the bridge was on the the side of the river away from the bridge I see a scene that is very disturbing. There are bodies everywhere of both men and giant lizards that have sharp claws and teeth. Then I seen Kara on the ground there is only one mercenary left and he just kicked Kara in the head! I charge in to defend the idiot princess who gotten herself caught.
“How nice of you to show it saves me the trouble of tracking you down and killing you latter.” Roland now has his attention on me. He decently bloody he is definitely not 100%, but this guy has scars all over him, you can tell he has been through a lot of battles.
“How dare you kick the princess shes just a little girl!” I yell still upset over what I just saw.
“Little girl? She is far too dangerous to be classified as a little girl. I think I might keep her for myself after seeing what kind of potential she has Ill just tell my contractor that she was killed. She will of course service in another way too when she gets older.” Roland now is inciting my anger and its working damn it.
I swing too heavy and he counters me landing a nice cut across my chest. I was not healed all the way from earlier each attack he lands counts for more then if I was fresh. I see an opening on his offhand and attack it, only to realize it was to draw me in to an attack. I dodged the attack but there was no need it was a feint and he scored and another cut across my legs. Damn this guy is crafty.
After a few more strikes he finally got me good with a stab through the abdomen after dazing me with a headbutt. After removing his sword I collapsed on the ground. Damn I was going to be the hero and save the princess but now I am just going to lay here on the ground dying watching the bad guy take away the princess.
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Kara POV
I awaken and my head really hurts, Roland didn't hold back on that kick. I am surprised I am not tied up though. I can hear Roland is fighting something maybe a beast as I hear a sword hit something metal though maybe a random adventurer or traveler intervened. I am too tired to get up and help them but do grab my dagger and slide into my sleeve hiding it. I now am going to pretend I am still knocked out. After I hear the fighting stop I can hear footsteps approach me and through the gap in my eyelid I can see Roland lean down to me probably to pick me up or tie me up. As soon as he grabs my left arm, I with all my remaining strength slam my dagger which is in my right arm hidden in the sleeve into Roland's throat then I twist it around and pull it out. Shocked Roland sits back gasping for air as blood gushed out from his jugular.
I stand up and spit in his face. I enjoy watching him struggle in the last seconds of his life after all he made me go through tonight. I sigh finally this nightmare is over I look at the carnage of this nights fight. Then my whole world comes crashing down as I realize that Mathias is laying there bleeding badly.
“No you are suppose to be resting in the cave! What are doing here?!” I am in tears, I really came to like Mathias and he is clearly dying. I start gong through the dead mercs left and right looking for a miracle tonic to save him it would have to be at least a high tonic.
“I was just being stupid like our princess. Why couldn't you just ran away back to Lorrington like a good girl hahaha.” Mathias was having trouble speaking.
“Just hold out longer I am just need to find something to cure you.” I pleaded to him wanting him to hold on.
“Its ok I was suppose to be dead earlier anyways. Just to know that you are not captured by that creep is enough to make me rest easy.” Mathias closed his eyes after this for good. I never did find the miracle to save him. He reminded myself of Taiko so much it was scary, I will make sure Darius pays in full for what he has caused, rest easy my first friend. I am just going sit here and cry for a while, I am a little girl so I am allowed to cry for as long as I want.