The trio, along with Luke and Killian, fled the scene and sprinted towards their wagon parked at the hitching posts a little farther from the tavern. They quickly hopped in, Luke frantically fumbling for the reins as he suppressed the urge to burst into tears. He successfully drove the wagon away from the tavern, and out of the town.

Overtaken by fear, Luke rode the wagon down the road where they came, then aimed for the road to Cherryfield. He knew the Templars, he knew them too well. Any second wasted away from their destination is a second they might pay dearly for.

However, his plan was interrupted.

"Woah, where do you think you're going?" Killian said, holding onto the reins.

"Let go of the reins! We need to get to Cherryfield, fast!" Luke retorted, gripping harder onto the reins.

"It's too long, we won't get there until the morning." Joel interrupted.

"At this speed, yes we can!"

"Are you insane?! You're gonna make the horses gallop all the way to Cherryfield?!" Killian questioned, clutching onto the reins. "The horses will never make it there, you can't get there faster. Now stop, we need to meet up with my friends."

"Well, screw you! You can go there yourself if you want to!"

Killian let go of the reins before he pulled his fist back, clenching it tightly. He then punched Luke in the jaw with just the power to knock him out. The merchant boy swayed from side to side before he completely lost consciousness—eventually dropping unconscious in his seat.

Killian took the reins before he pulled them back—the horses made an abrupt stop down the dirt track. He then breathed a sigh of relief before gently carrying Luke and handing him to Joel in the back of the wagon.

"He'll be alright when he wakes up," Killian stated.

"...Well, I could think of better ways to calm him down, but sure," Joel responded, gently placing the boy on his back. "So, where to now?"

"We're gonna meet up with my friends! They're a little far, waiting for us in the forest."

"The what?" Joel wondered, "Wait, how the hell did your friends get all the way there? You told us you were just going to sell and buy some stuff!"

"Oh…" Killian uttered, cracking a nervous smile. "Um, yeah. I guess we'll have to explain to you guys once we get there. Also, are your mates alright?"

Joel turned his head in response, his eyes falling on Mik who was fiddling with his Magnum as Dolisia was gazing at it in awe.

"Ooooh, it looks shiny!" Dolisia said, having unlocked a new level of drunken insanity.

"Wanna see a magic trick?" Mik offered, drunken still.

"Mhm, mhm!"

"Say ah."

"Ah."

Dolisia willingly cooperated, only for Mik to shove the tip of the revolver's barrel in her mouth. Much to everyone's surprise, Dolisia started licking the barrel before she spat out in disgust.

"Yuck! That's a horrible magic trick, I demand a refund!"

"Much obliged!" Mik said, cocking the revolver.

"MIK! You dumb son of a bitch!"

Joel sprung at Mik, taking away his gun before shaking him violently and reprimanding him. Meanwhile, Killian shook his head as he chuckled in amusement and turned around before guiding the horses toward the forest.

Although the intensity of their situation decreased ever since the gang fled the town and Killian took control of the wagon, the threat was still not averted. In fact, an uneasy feeling lingered in Joel's mind as he contemplated one thing.

Why was Luke so scared?

…

Far from the town, and a little farther from the dirt track, there was located the forest. It was modest in size, and so were the trees—scattered a few paces apart from each other. Deep in the darkness of the forest, there shone a faint fiery light. It was barely enough to illuminate the campfire on which it was lit but noticeable enough to be spotted from afar.

Near the campfire, there was the wagon of the other trio. It stood idly, parked neatly between the trees, facing the logs that surrounded the campfire. There lay four logs, and on one of them sat Sumiko—munching on a piece of salt-cured meat. Despite the rough texture, and how hard it was to chew, she ate the meat without a single complaint. In fact, she was delighted by the taste.

Opposite her sat Tatsuo, his face neutral as he bit on an apple. He was more or less indifferent towards the taste as his mind wandered elsewhere.

"Oi, Tatsuo." Sumiko called, taking another bite from the meat. "Show a little appreciation to the apple."

"I'm not much fond of it, I don't like fruits."

"Well, what do you want? I can give you a piece of junk if you like?" She said, referring to the salted meat.

"Thank you, but no. I dislike that even more."

"Heh, you're one choosy prick. So, what do you want then?"

"I'm not particularly fond of anything, it doesn't matter." He said, "But I do miss some onigiri."

"Ah, who doesn't?" She replied as she reminisced, "And the udon, how much would I give for that…"

The conversation halted as Sumiko raised her head to the sky, gazing deeply at the stars. Her expression shifted to a melancholic smile; as if she misses something or someone that she can no longer see again.

"Say, Tatsuo…" She began, "If you could go back to our hometown…would you take the risk?"

"Absolutely not." He coldly replied. "Are you intending on going back?"

However, Tatsuo was met with no reply as Sumiko gazed at the stars a little longer. Suddenly, she smiled before chuckling.

"Of course not, I'm just wondering. Besides…" She said, munching on the meat again. "This place is far better. We have all the clothes we need, all the peace we could ask for, and all the food that we want! This is my new home. As much of a whiny baby as you are, I'm sure you'd prefer munching on some junk than scavenging for dead animals and rotten flesh like we did back home."

"Hm, I guess you're right."

"Hah! Told you!"

As he gazed at Sumiko, Tatsuo couldn't help but break a quick, affectionate smile. Sumiko once again gazed at the night sky, a hopeful yet melancholic smile plastered on her face.

"Honestly…if the war stops one day, I wouldn't mind going back there again." She said in a mournful tone, "As much as I don't want to go back…we once had memories back home. And that…that is something irreplaceable."

Tatsuo smiled approvingly as he averted his gaze. She took the words right out of his mouth, and he couldn't be more proud of her for doing such. Their conversation halted, and they sat in tranquility, meditating in the silence of the forest:

A silence that was shortly broken by the clopping of hooves, and the rustling of bushes and grass that grew louder from behind. As they turned around nonchalantly, their eyes fell upon Killian sitting in the driver's seat.

With a pull on the reins, the wagon came to a stop near the other. Killian hopped down from the driver's box before waving at the duo with a smile on his face.

"Yoo-hoo! I'm back!"

"Killian, right on time for dinner!" Sumiko said, before throwing a piece of salted meat to him.

"Thank you!" He said, fetching the piece of meat before munching on it. "Much appreciated!"

"How did it go?" Tatsuo interrupted.

"Oh, it was lovely. One punch was all it took for their leader to go down, or I suppose it was their leader. Still, we dealt with them well, now it's a-okay!" He enthusiastically stated, with a thumbs up.

"Not surprised. But good job, Killy. You did well." Sumiko said, "Still, what about the other gu—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Sumiko was interrupted by a loud smack that resonated from inside the wagon, much to her confusion that is. Suddenly, Joel hopped out from the back of the wagon, a frown plastered on his face.

Dolisia followed after him, but due to her drunken clumsiness, her foot slipped and she fell on her back. And there she lay, chuckling in drunken insanity as she stared at the sky. Mik hopped out third, a neutral expression plastered on his face due to having slightly sobered up.

Luke hopped out slowly and lastly. He struggled to climb down the wagon with one hand, while the other was holding onto his reddened cheek as he stared at the ground with widened eyes—confused as to what had happened.

Joel's eyes wandered to Sumiko and Tatsuo who were sitting around the campfire before he stomped towards them.

"Hey, you!" He pointed at Sumiko, "You better explain what the hell happened—"

But before he could step closer, Joel was held up by Killian, who simply stretched his arm across like a barrier—stopping Joel from coming any closer. His height and exceptional physique dominated Joel's.

"Hey hey, now. You better act a little more politely." He stated.

"Relax, Killy." Sumiko said before she turned to Joel, "And you…what's your name again?"

"Joel."

"Ah, yes. Joel, I'm sure you're confused, but you need to cool down a little bit. Just sit down with us, relax, and we'll tell you everything you need to know. Oh, also." She said, leaning closer to Joel before whispering, "Do you guys have some food? Tatsuo doesn't like fruits, so I'd appreciate it if you can offer him something else."

"Eh? I mean…sure." Joel said, turning towards Luke, "Hey Luke-…"

Joel ceased midway through his sentence, realizing it was useless to request anything of Luke in his current state. Thus, he made his way toward the wagon himself.

"Something wrong?" Killian questioned.

"Mhm," Joel nodded, pointing at Luke. "We had trouble waking him up, so Mik gave him a little too harsh of a love tap."

"Oh…gotcha. Let me help you then."

As Killian helped Joel search inside the wagon, they were lucky to find a stash of brown bread and uncooked white rice stored in one of the crates in the back. The two then transported the crate outside before unpacking its contents.

Much to the delight of Sumiko and Tatsuo, the two handled the rice themselves and offered to cook it as a token of gratitude and friendship between them, which Joel couldn't refuse as he was considerably hungry.

As the rice was being cooked by Tatsuo, the trio along with Luke and Killian sat around the campfire next to Sumiko—the latter taking the opportunity to explain to them what had happened. Thankfully, Luke was conscious enough to understand, and Dolisia was sober enough to comprehend what had just unfolded, albeit temporarily.

Apparently, the trio was making their way across the land from town to town, until they were spotted by the Templars, who eventually stalked them relentlessly in their journey to Cherryfield.

"And how does that lead up to us?" Joel asked.

"Well, we decided to take a break and thought that the best way for us to shake those bastards off was by joining into the journey with another traveler or merchant. And luckily, you guys saved the day!" Sumiko replied.

"And later? With the tavern and everything?"

"Well…we knew that the Templars were racist, they hated anything out of the ordinary. And…" Sumiko said, pointing at Mik and Dolisia. "You might pass off as someone native, but those two are as foreign as can be."

"Huh?!" Mik exclaimed, "You do realize that that you're being a racist bitc—"

"Mik!" Joel reprimanded, "He just wants to know what you mean by that?"

"We decided that the best way to shake off the Templars was by focusing their attention on someone as equally interesting as us, and you guys were a perfect fit!" Killian added.

"W-wait, you guys used us as bait?!" Luke stuttered.

"Yes, it was necessary." Tatsuo added, "The Templars would only stalk us but never face us. And if we stuck together, they might have not shown themselves or maybe would have come after us with greater numbers. It was necessary to focus their attention on you so that they can lose track of us and—at the same time—give us an opportunity to confront them head-on."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"Precisely, hence why we were here while Killy was saving you guys, it's a win-win through and through. And hey, now we have more time to sit down and get to know each other better, eh?"

Joel stared at Sumiko, frustrated at the fact that he was merely used as bait in a plan that he had no knowledge about. He felt outsmarted, which left him with a bitter taste. Regardless, he couldn't help but agree that the plan was indeed a nice one and that they were now—fortunately—safe from any looming threat.

"I guess you're right…well, I'm just glad it's over with."

"Let's leave that aside for now." Tatsuo said, "Dinner's ready, let's get to eating."

Tatsuo then ordered Killian to fetch the wooden bowls from their own wagon as Sumiko took out the brown bread from the crate. Killian handed a bowl and a wooden spoon to everyone before Tatsuo began distributing just enough rice to each bowl, while Sumiko gave everyone a piece of bread.

After eating a spoonful of the rice, Sumiko broke into a gleeful cheep upon tasting a hot and properly cooked meal that not only was tasty but reminded her of her home. She was on cloud nine as she chewed the rice down.

"Uwa~! It reminds me of home so much!" Sumiko exclaimed before she turned to the trio. "I can't thank you guys enough."

"I guess you can thank Luke, we didn't do much per se," Joel said.

"Well, Luke. You're a lifesaver."

"Oh, uh…" Luke uttered in a flustered voice, "Ehe, don't mention it."

As the boys sat next to each other, Dolisia scooted closer to Sumiko before whispering a request into her ear.

"Hey, uh…do you have some water with you?"

"Oh, sure." Sumiko replied before leaning behind her, picking up a leather flask that she handed to the former. "It's my water, but you can drink up as much as yo—"

Without letting her finish her statement, Dolisia snatched the flask from Sumiko before drying it in one gulp. She took a deep breath before breathing out a sigh of relief, the water having sobered her up a little more.

"Ah…that hit the spot." Dolisia said as she realized how rude she was. "Oh, um…sorry. I'm really sorry."

"Pft!" Sumiko chuckled in amusement, "It's fine, no harm's done."

"Well, that's a first for me: not causing any harm."

"Hm, how come?"

"Oh boy, where do I begin…"

As naturally as she breathed, Dolisia started explaining to her how awful her interactions with the people of these lands have been so far. Her mishaps, her failed plans, her bad luck, and so on. As much as Dolisia hated the way her life has spiraled downwards into a compilation of fiascos over the past weeks, she couldn't help but crack a smile and chuckle every now and then at how amusing some moments were.

But she took a special liking to the segment where she began explaining her interactions with Joel and Mik. They were completely disastrous, so much so that it was a miracle that they haven't died or been imprisoned yet. Sumiko couldn't help but laugh as the former recounted her mishaps. Until Dolisia took a moment to recount the only event she had a deep dislike for, but at the same time made her burst out laughing every time she remembered it.

"There was this one time where we were staying at a barn, sleeping there every day." She began, "The owner was nice, he gave us one of the stables to sleep in and spend the night free of charge. But, one night, in particular, Mik was feeling a little frustrated. He took one of the lamps in the stables, lit it up, and navigated his way towards a secluded place in the barn."

"That's strange, why did he do that?"

"Well, he…" She said, quickly glancing at Mik before making an up-and-down motion with her closed fist. "He went there to masturbate."

"Heh, boys will be boys."

"Oh, that's not the big deal." Dolisia continued, "When he did the deed, he orgasmed so hard that he accidentally knocked the lamp down and broke it, then the hay in the barn caught on fire. Imagine how terrified we were when we woke up to a scene straight from hell and the only excuse you hear is 'My cock was throbbing'."

"Bhahaha!" Sumiko broke into a cackle, "Oh my, and I thought my boys were one hell of a pain in the ass to deal with, looks like you're way worse than me."

"How are your boys like?"

"Oh boy, where do I start?"

The two immediately burst into laughter, seeing how similar their situations were. Sumiko then began to recount all the considerably unlucky and hilarious events that happened between her and her two friends. Despite how funny the stories were, Dolisia couldn't help but smile at the fact that she wasn't alone. And that, as much of a pain as her duo was, they were still the closest she ever had to friends.

Meanwhile, the boys were silent—mostly. Except for Mik who was vexing Joel with random facts and questions every now and then. And surprisingly so, Killian was doing the same with Tatsuo. All the while, Luke sat in between the duos, silently eating the rice with an anxious expression on his face—rubbing his reddened cheek and aching jaw every now and then.

Suddenly, he felt a hand pat him on the back. As he turned around, he locked eyes with Killian, who was smiling nervously before he spoke in an apologetic tone.

"Hey…I'm sorry about that punch."

"Oh, it's alright." Luke replied, "I'm…sorry for being the frantic one."

"Ah, don't worry about that. It happens."

Killian then turned towards Tatsuo, vexing him once again. Luke sat there silently, a thousand-yard stare fixated on his bowl as his anxious expression grew more worried.

"This is a mistake."

Everyone turned towards Luke, who was still staring at his bowl. He raised his head, his eyes wandering around the campfire before he spoke again.

"We shouldn't be here, we're going to risk the Templars coming after us."

"Oh, relax." Killian interrupted, "It's all good, we already dealt with them—"

"No! That's not enough, they don't give up from a beating." Luke retorted, "Every minute we spend here out in the open is a minute that we'll pay dearly for. Those people aren't just some bandits, they're Templars!"

"So what? You saw Killy, he beat them up. What's so scary?" Sumiko interrupted.

"Because he took them by surprise! If he didn't, then he would have stood no chance against them."

"Alright, Luke. Just keep calm—" Killian said.

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" Luke said as he slapped Killian's hand away, "They will kill us. They will wait for us in the dead of night and ambush us. I don't want to die, I don't want them to kill me!"

"Speaking of…" Joel interrupted, "Luke, why the hell are you afraid of the Templars? No one, even in the tavern, no one was as terrified as you. In fact, the leader of Templars was shooting you nastier glares than he did with the locals at the tavern…what the hell is the deal with you?"

Suddenly, an eerie silence loomed over the camp as everyone shifted their gazes from Joel to Luke, shooting him suspicious glares all the while. Luke sat silently, a tremble in his hands as he gazed down. With a deep breath, he gathered his thoughts and spoke in a guilty voice.

"I know about them because…" Luke began, closing his eyes in anticipation. "Because I was one of them."

However, he was only met with silence, an awkward yet eerie silence. He couldn't raise his head, he was too afraid to look at the others as they shot him sour looks and spiteful glares, or at least that is what he thought. Regardless, he took the silence as his queue to continue speaking.

"The Templars are a group of Luminaries who abandoned the order since it took too kindly to people foreign to these lands, a right which was only bestowed for the locals. They broke apart and founded their own group, one that maintained some sort of peace, but prejudice, and ruthlessly struck down any foreigner of any kind. Some of what they've done is…unspeakable, to say the least. But there is no evidence to bring them down.

I was a Luminary too, once upon a time. I was a black powder engineer, hence why it's the thing that I sell most in my merchant travels. But, the order was never fit for me. I was always mocked for being weak and cowardly, and soon enough I turned my back on them and gave up on the order. That's when I heard about the Templars, their goals, their beliefs…I once believed in what they did, like the blind fool that I was, and felt that I would fare better with them, people who understood me.

But, they never did. They were brutal and ruthless. I disliked what they did, and soon enough, I quit. I gave up on them in less than a year, I couldn't do any of what they asked me…I couldn't indulge in what they did. And, because of that…I became a very lonely merchant. I can never ask help from the Luminaries, because I turned my back on them for the Templars, and the Templars despise me because I'm a traitor, someone who gave up on his brothers in belief. As cruel and ironic of life as it is, the only one who understood me was a foreigner."

Luke glanced at Joel, as the latter gazed back at him with a smile of approval.

What? Why did he smile? Did he hear what he had just said? He was a member of the Templars, he's a disgrace. A worthless racist with a delusion plaguing his mind. Why on earth did he smile? Is he planning something malicious?

"So, just a band of racists?" Mik wondered.

"Yeah?" Luke responded, dumbfoundedly.

"Phew, I thought it was something serious." Mik sighed in relief, "Anyway, Joel. Where were we? Ah, yes. So, my perfect waifu would be—"

"W-wait, did you guys just hear what I said?" Luke questioned.

"Yeah, the Templars are a bunch of bad people, very ruthless, yadda yadda. What's all the fuss about?" Killian responded.

"What?! They will kill you! They are very bad, and no one will help us because I was on—"

"HAHA!" Sumiko cackled, "Wait, you really think they can get us? I thought you were joking at first."

"The Templars lack the basic intellect to realize that we've noticed them since they first decided to stalk us. We can sleep the night in peace, I'm sure they wouldn't sneak up a hundred paces away from us before we notice them." Tatsuo interrupted. "They're as much of a threat to us, physically and mentally, as a mouse is to a cat."

"But…what about me? I was also one of them, don't you hate me? Don't you despise me?"

"Despise you? For what?" Joel jumped in, "Yeah, you're a racist in denial. But you didn't hurt anyone, more like you wouldn't be able to due to your physique. Plus, you were one of them, are you now? Do you want to kill us when you see how different we look compared to you?"

"N-…" Luke stuttered. He was confused, everything that he heard was not what he expected, it wasn't logical. "No…I don't want to."

"Alright, that settles it!" Dolisia announced, "Now, can we move on, please? I want to relax a bit, I don't have the energy for political talks."

Suddenly, everyone went back to where they left off in their trivial chats—leaving Luke in silence once again, flabbergasted, to say the least. He didn't know what had happened, he didn't know why he wasn't punished with a punch, a kick, a slap, or just an insult. But nothing had happened, no one spoke a word of the matter after Dolisia closed it off.

Luke tilted his head down, a feeling of comfort washing over him like a cold bucket of water in the summer heat. It was both an unusual sensation that stung at first but brought with it a feeling of ease and refreshment afterward. Although he still felt guilty for what he was at one point in time, still feeling the need to seek proper redemption, he couldn't help but smile in relief upon the knowledge that, after all, not everyone hated him in this world.

"Hey, Luke." Killian spoke, "Do you have a girl that you love?"

"Huh?" Startled, Luke answered. "Not really, no. I don't have someone like that."

"What about you guys?" Killian said, directing his question at Mik and Joel.

"Nope, and I don't intend to focus on such goals," Joel responded.

"Hm, I'm not turned on by real women anymore, so I don't think I can give you an answer." Mik followed, "Besides, who could love an uggo like me?"

"Eh? You guys are just like Tatsuo." Killian said.

"You mean not lovesick?" Tatsuo said.

"Correction: lacking romance. You guys need to understand the beauty of being in love, it makes you do wonders!" Killian began, "I myself have a girl that I love back in Leefside, and she changed my life forever."

"You haven't even confessed to her." Tatsuo interrupted.

"I will."

"She hates your guts."

"No she doesn't."

"You're an idiot, Killian."

"Anyways!" Killian rolled his eyes before he broke into a smug smile. "If you don't love one already, what would you want your lover to look like? You know, your preferences!"

"Oho, now we're talking!" Mik spoke, "My fantasy is a tall, slightly older woman with HUGE tits and thick eyebrows. Not bushy eyebrows or unibrows, but just a thick, sexy pair. A woman that would throw me into a corner or wake me up in my sleep and force herself on me!"

"Woah, what a taste!" Killian exclaimed in amusement, "And you Joel?"

"I'm not really after looks, I just want her to love me honestly. So I'd say perso—"

"Coward, you took the safe option." Mik said.

"What? You're afraid to spill the beans?" Killian followed.

"Alright!" Joel shouted, "I prefer women with big butts and slightly thick eyebrows. And also ones with Asian facial features. Happy?"

"Yeah! That's my bro!" Mik stated.

"So, what about you, Luke?" Killian questioned.

"Uh…well, I really like a woman who is a little more dominant and stronger, but still a good person."

"A little tame, but kinky." Killian said before he turned to Tatsuo. "Now it's your turn, Mr. Boring."

"Piss off, I have no obligation to answer."

"Oh come on! Don't be such a joy kill, spill it out!"

"No."

"Come on! You're such an old fart."

"Oh, you little…" Tatsuo began before he took a deep breath, regaining his composure. "I prefer women who are a little shorter and modestly plumpy. Now leave me alone."

"See? That wasn't so bad was it?"

"You're a pain in the ass." Tatsuo said as he stood up, "I'm going to sleep, don't bother me."

"Oi, Tatsuo. Wait up!" Killian said, following Tatsuo.

"Yeah, it's getting late. We better hit the hay." Joel followed.

"Wait, I didn't tell you about my perfect waifu yet!" Mik hurried after Joel.

As such, Luke was left alone, sitting on the log in front of the campfire. Killian, Tatsuo, Mik, and Joel have headed off to sleep, with Dolisia and Sumiko having already gone and prepared their sleeping quarters when the boys spoke about love.

He sat there, gazing at the campfire with a simple smile plastered on his face. The silence he sat in, along with the ambiance of the crackling of firewood brought him peace of mind.

He sat there thinking: They were right, why should he be afraid? He wasn't alone as he used to be before. He had allies, and to a certain extent: friends. In fact, this was the first time, in his entire life, that he spent the night with a group of people without being anxious, annoyed, or dejected. He felt that he belonged—ironically enough—to this group of misfits and foreigners, the very same ones that he once hated.

'I guess I'll stay here for a bit, and gaze at the stars. Who knows, this chance might never come again.' He thought.

And that he did. He fetched a blanket from his wagon and a brown cloth that he wrapped around one of the pieces of bread—using it as a pillow. He laid his back on one of the logs and laid his head on the makeshift pillow before covering himself with the blanket. He gazed at the stars and sat there silently in the dark after he put out the campfire.

He was finally, somewhat, at peace.

...

Later into the night, Luke sprung up from his state of sound sleepiness into a sickening feeling—an urgent urge to vomit. He had forgotten: it was a natural occurrence that he would throw up after drinking as much as he did tonight.

Thus, he stood up, beads of sweat trickling down his cheeks as he held his mouth shut, suppressing the urge to vomit. He ran for the treeline, far from the campsite, and threw up all the alcohol he had consumed.

He stood up before breathing heavily, a sensation of ease washing over him after having released all the toxins from his body. He turned toward the campsite and walked back towards it.

Suddenly, a hand covered his mouth from behind. Before he could react, a pair of hands wrapped themselves tightly around each of his limbs before he was carried with ease, unaware of what had happened.

He tried to kick, and scream, but he could do nothing. A feeling of utter hopelessness—of unparalleled fear—flooded his mind as he saw the figures that were carrying him. They were the Templars, glaring at the boy spitefully as they carried him away from the camp silently.

In a desperate attempt to call out for help, Luke bit the hand that covered his mouth, releasing its hold on him before he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"HELP! JOEL, MIK, DOLISIA! HELP!"

"You little shit!" The Templar whose hand was bit hissed.

The Templar punched Luke in the face, not once, not twice, but repeatedly until the boy was knocked unconscious. He then ordered the others to carry him away faster as they sprinted far from the campsite.

Meanwhile, in the camp, Mik was unable to hear the Templars creeping towards him, nor did he hear Luke running for the tree line at first, for his hangover from the alcohol hindered his natural functions. However, Luke's call for help was more than enough to get him to jolt up from his sleep—to the sight of a Templar with a dagger aiming for him.

In a swift motion, Mik kicked the former in his crotch before he lunged toward him, throwing him out of the wagon along with himself. As the Templar writhed in pain, Mik removed the former's helmet before smashing his nose with a powerful blow, rendering him unconscious.

Another Templar swung his sword at Mik, aiming for his neck. The latter dodged at the last second, the blade grazing his hair. In response, Mik took the helmet and used it to shield himself from the second swing. He stood up and delivered a devastating left hook to the Templar's throat, the latter slowly descending to the ground, choking from the pain of his crushed windpipe that was enough to paralyze him, but not enough to kill him.

"What the hell happened?!" Joel said, having just woken up.

"The Templars, they ambushed us!" Mik replied before he drew his revolver. "Shit, Luke isn't here!"

"What?!" Dolisia exclaimed, "Goddammit, no! Did they take him?!"

"I don't know, I just woke up as well—"

Suddenly, two Templars were launched from inside the other trio's wagon, ripping through the side of the carriage. They lay on the grass, unconscious as Killian hopped out from the ripped hole, followed by Sumiko and then Tatsuo. The trio was less anxious than Joel, Mik, and Dolisia. But, they were still equally confused as their eyes wandered off to them, and then to the two templars laying on the ground.

"You guys were ambushed too?!" Killian questioned.

"Seems like it." Mik replied, "Did you guys hear that voice?"

"Yeah, someone calling for help, I think," Sumiko answered.

"Fuck! That must be Luke!" Joel exclaimed, "Goddamn it, GODDAMN IT!"

As the gang contemplated their situation and debated what to do, the Templars hopped onto their horses and galloped away from the forest and towards the rally point where the rest of the Templars waited, including the leader.

Luke was unconscious as he was mounted on the back of the horse, tied tightly to it. His peaceful night, the first of its kind, was interrupted and soiled by the sudden ambush from the Templars. He was right, they should have listened to him. He knew better than anyone that the Templars were ruthless, cold-blooded bastards that would pull off such a trap.

As Luke unwillingly rode down the road with the Templars, the gang was still contemplating and brainstorming for ideas. They couldn't let Luke be kidnapped by the Templars, he was an ally and somewhat of a friend. They needed him, he was the trio's final opportunity at redemption in this world.

They needed to act, and they needed so fast.