Whatever was really going on, both men were remarkably bad at subterfuge. Their contradictory responses combined with the inconsistencies of their story were glaring.

After analyzing everything that had happened so far, he thought that at least part of their tale was probably true. It seemed likely that they were heading toward a third member of their party, who was waiting in ambush somewhere nearby.

After meeting him on the road, Shaun and Greg had apparently decided that Nick was too tough to handle without their full group and the element of surprise. He fervently hoped that their incompetence was born of inexperience. That this was the first time they had tried something like this and had yet to harm any member of team Earth.

Whatever he learned during their imminent confrontation would determine how Nick dealt with the situation, perhaps forcing him to make a decision that was deeply unsettling to him. He had realized back during the tutorial that something like this could happen, although he had hoped that the survival of their species and the fate of their planet would bring out the best in people and suppress the worst.

Apparently, not even the apocalypse could blunt the darker aspects of human nature.

Part of him simply wanted to walk away. To step into the brush and disappear into the wilderness. He knew that the men would never find him after watching them move across the marshlands. But if he left now, the group might try again and attack the next person they encountered instead. Nick didn’t want that on his conscience.

Besides, team Earth couldn’t afford to lose a single member if they wanted to defeat the guardian waiting on top of Darkstone Tower. On top of that, he wasn’t completely certain that there wasn’t an injured person out here, even if the rest of their story was a lie, and the prospect of leaving someone to die left a bad taste in Nick’s mouth. It wasn’t in his nature to turn his back on someone in need, although he was only willing to risk so much to save a stranger.

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While he struggled to make up his mind, he followed the increasingly nervous duo deeper into the trees. They must have seen something in his expression that gave them pause, because only a few seconds later, Shaun decided that Nick was in need of reassurance.

“We’re nearly there, friend. Thank god we found you so quickly. I doubt that Aya had enough time to bleed out yet,” Shaun finished, missing the look of alarm that flashed across Greg’s face.

“Bleeding out,” Nick repeated the phrase. His tone was flat, and his tongue felt leaden in his mouth. He decided that it was time to bring an end to this charade and he knew that his next words might precipitate violence. “I thought you said she was poisoned. Also, there don’t seem to be any caves around here. Your story doesn’t add up. Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”

“Err, yes…” Shaun fumbled his words as he tried to recover, slow to notice that it was already too late. “The bleeding is almost as bad as the poison, and it’s really more of a burrow than a cave.”

“Ah, shit. Shaun, you’re a fucking moron.” Greg unsheathed his blade with a desperate glint in his eyes, as his deception fell apart like spun sugar in the rain. “Draw your sword you idiot. He knows. Aya! The mark figured it out too soon. We need your support now.”

Greg turned to face Nick as his companion drew his short sword and fell in beside him, lack of skill with their weapons clear in their stances. “I’m truly sorry about this, but it is what it is. We’re not killers. There’s no need for anyone to die today. Drop your weapon, kick over your sword, and hand me your pack along with everything else you own. If you don’t make us fight you for it, I’ll let you keep your canteen and the dagger sheathed on your belt.”

“We don’t want to hurt you,” Shaun added. “But we will if you resist. Aya is an archer. She has an arrow nocked and pointed for your heart. Don’t try to resist, we all have our weapon skills maxed.”

“Shaun, too much information,” Greg hissed.

Fucking amateurs. Nick sighed and stepped into a defensive stance, scanning the surrounding woodlands while keeping one eye on the men in front of him. While this was the last thing he needed, he was relieved to witness the group’s incompetence. It told him that they hadn’t practiced this routine before.

It was obvious that Nick was their first intended victim, and they lacked the skills to discern that robbing him was well above their paygrade.