Chapter Four

“You know I thought if at least I was with you Grey, I would at least see some action.”

“Trust that there’s a method in his madness.” Grey nonchalantly replies.

“Come on, you can’t argue that you wanted to kill some Orcs.”

“I did! I want to try the crossbow” Letty grumbles, a few steps behind Vex and Greymore.

“Well, maybe it’s cause he can trust that us three can kill the Orcs if they run away.” Grey chirps, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes, no doubt thinking of a horde of orcs falling to his hand.

“And in what game world would orcs run. They are always brutal and never stand down.”

“That’s… That’s true Grey.” Letty responds.

“Okay, quit your moaning.” Grey gruffs. “I think we’re coming to the edge of the forest, so be quiet.”

Vex watches as the forest floor becomes clear underfoot. Quiet shuffles and movement coming from far behind her sight. No doubt they were near the outpost. The crackle of the earth and shifting of weighted footsteps silent as the group grows awareness.

A slight hiss echoes into the air as Pip freezes in her spot. Ears pricked forward. The group follows Pip’s lead trusting the fox’s instincts. Vex glances towards Letty. The sleek black and gold snake tightly coiled around her arm. Slightly hissing at the enemy nearby.

Vex eyes drawback in front, focusing on the natural path before them. Two large trees on either side guiding the way. Then she sees it faintly in the distance. Two shadows that do not match the trees. Two enemies standing on guard. She swiftly raises two fingers towards Grey showing the find.

“Take ’em quietly?” Vex softly questions, voice barely louder than a breeze.

Grey slowly shakes his head before raising his hand to his ear. Soft mutters escaping his lips. Vex grips tightly onto her staff, fingers wrapping tightly around the poised ready for attack. Heartbeat beginning to quicken.

“Vex, you sure you can take them quietly.” The Bann’s voice booms in her head. The loudness jarring her.

“Yes,” Vex replies harshly, raising her finger to her jaw.

“Do it.” Were the only words she needed.

Vex motions for Letty and Grey to stay, before silently making her way to the Orcs, Pip on her heel.

The staff in her hand springs to life. Barrel and scope silently opening. Vex takes a position behind a nearby tree to the side of the path. Shielding herself. Pulling the staff upwards, lining the scope. The profile of a short green nose and wide chin, sticking out from the tree.

Vex silently curses, taking a moment to glance around for any other position points. “Shit,” she murmurs to herself. Changing the plans in her head. “Pip, go,” Vex quietly calls out to the fox, eyes locking onto the scope. Energy building strongly in the staff.

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Traces of Pip’s dark teleportation smoke fills the scope quickly before dissipating.

“What was that?” The Orc’s voice travels through the forest.

Turning to see the intruder. Head, lining perfectly within the scope. Temple centered in the crosshairs. A quick tap dispels the energy blast from the staff. Dark green blood spurting through the scope as the Orc gargles a short cry before dropping to the floor with a thud.

“What the…” The discombobulated cry from the second Orc sounds out loudly. Vex quickly shifts the staff onto the angry Orc. Before she reacts, the Orc spots her. In an instant, she lines the staff up with the Orc’s head. A shot quickly pulsates from the staff directly into the barrelling Orc’s chest.

“Shit,” Vex cries beginning to run backward. The Orc hurtling forward. Another shot spurts out of the staff, hitting the Orc in the shoulder.

A blood-curdling scream emits from, brandishing two daggers from his side. Vex’s hands slide down the staff. Heartbeat pounding in her chest fast and hard. In one hefty motion, she swings the staff with a solid hit to the Orc’s face.

The Orc stumbles and staggers as Vex tries to make more distance between them. The Orc lurches forward dagger in hand. Suddenly, Vex loses her footing. Tumbling down backward with a crash. Staff rolling out of her hands.

Vex looks up at the atrocious Orc crashing on top of her. Spit and snot spluttering out towards her. Fiery hot breath howling as he straddles her. The Orc raises a dagger up towards the air. Unable to move, Vex snaps her eyes close, praying for a quick death.

With a grunt, the hulking beast shifts on top of her before sounding out a raw animalistic growl in pain. The sound of a metal colliding on the hard floor. Vex opens her eyes to see the Orc ripping a crossbow bolt out of his next.

A tidal wave of green thick ooze splashing down on her as the Orc lashes out his final cry. Body dropping hard. Crushing her chest. Warm ooze spurting out of her neck.

Vex lies still for a moment. A mixture of shock and adrenaline coursing through her veins. Her fast breathing struggling against the weight of the corpse.

“See, crossbow!” Vex hears Letty chirpily say behind her along with a chuckle from Grey.

“You all right, Pup.” Grey beams down to her. Eyes glistening with laughter.

“Can you get this bloody thing off me.” Vex snaps. As Grey uses a foot to roll the dead Orc off the Vex.

Vex stands, glancing around their surroundings. Wiping the green blood off her with a hand. The forest remaining quiet despite all the commotion she had just endured.

“That first shot didn’t even damage him, it seems,” Grey’s voice inquires out, as Vex collects her staff, discarded on the floor nearby.

“No it didn’t. Shot to the shoulder didn’t do much damage either,” Vex says, making her way back to the body. Where both Letty and Grey had already begun examining it.

The lifeless body adorned a heavy-plated armor. The material dark and old. Iron. A round black scorch mark painted in the center of the chest piece, where the shot had hit. A smaller similar mark on the Orc’s shoulder was barely visible under the streams of blood.

“Awww, he’s so ugly.” Letty whimpers out, poking the Orc’s face.

“Letty, I keep telling you. Stop touching dead things.” Vex grumbles.

Abruptly, the body silently explodes into a cloud of thick green smoke. Pip giving out a yelp in surprise. The smoke disperses out over the ground, leaving a pungent smell of a long-forgotten dead rat causing the group to gag.

“Better tell Cal to aim for the head of these things,” Grey says amidst a splutter of coughs, moving away to the side of smoke.

Vex glances into the forest in search of Pip, now scattered off into the woods.

“Look loot!” Letty shouts out.

“There’s no…” Vex’s words are torn away from her as she turns to see Letty pointing to a small leather pouch where the body once was.

“There’s no loot in this game.” Vex’s speech catches up as Letty pulls out three gold coins from the pouch, with the biggest smile she had ever seen.

“Maybe the closer we get, the more the game changes.” Letty shrugs.