Heroes to Hunted

I let out a defeated sigh and tiredly slouched my head.

It was too late now. The window for a personnel shift was long gone, and we couldn't afford to lose the extra body, especially if we couldn't find a carriage to carry the supplies.

I gritted my teeth, feeling the weight of responsibility I'd have to take to ensure our and this kid's safety. 'I'll just have to keep an eye on him,' I thought, my mind anxious about the potential dangers that came with Joseph's inexperience and my heart dreading the hardships to come.

Interrupting my thoughts, Barik gruffly whispered, "Good thing we took cover here," and smirked. Then, he pointed out a side access door leading into our targeted warehouse.

Mizuno surveyed the alley from behind cover, taking note of the surroundings before turning her attention to Barik. "The way is clear; get the door open," she said in a calm, measured tone.

Barik gestured in agreement before taking several steps to the door. Sadly, but expectedly, it was locked. Though it didn't have a handle, it was bound up by a pristine steel chain that sealed it to the frame.

Barik hummed in curiosity and underwent an odd appraisal ritual.

He ran his hand over the door's fortified surface, tapping it lightly and brushing his palm against the grain. His callused fingertips caught on every nook and every divot within the wood. "Hmph," he grunted in approval. "Masterfully crafted. Three-inch thick seasoned wood and top-quality steel banding with an eighty-five... No... Ninety percent purity."

Though his words were initially articulate and clear, they eventually devolved into incoherent mumbling as his focus deepened on analyzing the door.

Observing Barik's focused and intense expression, it dawned on me: 'That explains his demeanor at the forge,' I chuckled silently.

Beyond his inherent awkwardness around civvies, the man clearly had a single-minded focus too. If he was working, there was no room for distractions; he couldn't even register them.

He stepped back and spoke with the harsh tone of a grizzled soldier while wearing the grin of a seasoned artisan. "I'd wager there's no breaking through this one. Not with brute force, anyway."

Mizuno observed coolly with crossed arms. "Can you open it?" she asked, maintaining a straight-faced countenance.

Turning his head, Barik raised his right hand and flexed his burly fingers. "Of course I can," he replied with a tone of confidence, his eyes fixed on the chain. Finally, he deftly wrapped his fingers around the links, his weathered hands finding the perfect grip.

With a deep breath, Barik channeled his magic into the chain, to which it groaned and creaked in response. His brow furrowed with concentration as he poured more energy into the steel. Eventually, the metal started to warp and twist under his grip.

The steel succumbed to his will, corroding and rusting before our eyes.

The sound of cracking metal filled the air as the chain became as brittle as glass.

A satisfied smile spread across Barik's face as he released the chain, the rusted links now hanging by a thread. "It's done," he announced triumphantly. "Let's get what we came for."

We all nodded in silent affirmation and gripped our weapons tightly. A mounting pressure of suspense built in all of us. A pressure queued to burst when the door swung open from its hinges.

Mizuno confidently unsheathed her dual longswords and stepped forward, her eyes fixed on the door ahead. "Open it," she commanded, her voice firm and steady. "And from this point forward, we communicate only through hand signals." Despite the uncertainty of what lay ahead, she exuded an unwavering sense of determination and victory.

Under Mizuno's order, Barik wrapped a stained white cloth around the decayed chain to muffle the sound. Then, like a hammer to an anvil, he struck the chain with the hilt of his flail. A distinct clink of shattering metal could be heard, but it was limited to the confines of the cluttered alley.

Barik raised his free hand and hand gestured, "OK." Then, fulfilling Mizuno's order, he edged the door inward. The hinges quietly squealed as the darkness of the structure's interior was revealed.

It was just as disorganized as the alley, with numerous brown burlap sacks, wood crates, and barrels lining the floors. The large main door leading into the compound's courtyard was sealed, meaning no outsiders would see us upon entry.

To our right was a wooden-planked staircase nailed to the wall, seemingly leading to a darkened storage area above, based on what I could vaguely see.

Lucky for us, the few lanterns lining the walls were supplemented by open windows on the second floor. Strands of sunlight cascaded into the room, leaving illuminated patches of brightness on the floor surrounded by shadows.

Sadly, an easy mission wasn't one we were destined for. As voices rang out within the room, rather a loud shout.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" a guard bellowed in dismay.

Trying to silence the outburst, a woman's voice hissed back, "Shhhhhhh, I only got to know about this 'cause my cousin is a merchant. You know how they like to censor this kinda stuff, so stifle it!"

I peered around a crate just enough to see one of the guards. He slouched over and frantically looked from side to side with a face of paranoia. It was almost as if he expected the walls to have ears, eavesdropping on their conversation. Then, he nodded to himself, having decided that the coast was clear.

"Calm down, Sammy," a grizzled voice sighed. "It's not like anyone can hear us in here. Cut James some slack." Following his words, he raspily chuckled with cheer.

Despite the unknown old man's easing, the other guard still spoke in a hushed tone, "Still, to think there's a revolt in Arcadia! What do you think they'll do?"

The female guard replied with a hint of anger, "Probably raze the traitors to the ground. That's the least they deserve for siding with the heroes; filthy scum." She spat on the ground and cringed. "I can't believe anyone would side with creatures so vile!"

'A revolt? So we're not the only ones putting up a fight!' I'll admit, knowing we weren't the only ones struggling against fate eased my worried mind a little. Especially since that reminded me of Kamida's words when we first met. 'We don't have to challenge the world alone, after all. Thank god...'

Though the news was pleasant to the ears, Mizuno and Barik remained unfazed as they assumed ambush positions behind a pile of clutter. The scent of old and fresh produce mixed with the metallic tang of stored weapons filled the air.

Joseph trailed behind us, his face depicting a moral struggle I recognized.

It was an expression I was sure I had worn during my initial campaigns. He was weighing the importance of following orders against the morality of saving the captive.

He was a reflection of my early self; I grimaced at the realization.

'How can I feel anger toward him? After all,' my gaze fell as my heart sank in profound sadness, 'I was like that too...once...' However, I shook my head to dispel my emotions; now wasn't the time for thoughts of regret.

Once we were all in position, Mizuno, while crouching, briskly scanned the room. After reaching the other corner, she signaled back to us with one hand, raising a finger for each enemy sighted, and motioned their general direction.

'One. Middle. Two... Middle. Three... Middle. Four... Middle. Five... Above. And Six... Also above.'

'Looks like we've got our work cut out for us.' I felt a rising tension throughout my body, tightening my muscles. Between their slight numbers advantage and two being above, I doubted our ability to do this cleanly.

Mizuno again hand gestured to the two above and readied her blades.

'So she wants to take those two?' I felt a nagging distrust pulling at my confidence again. I didn't know how she planned to eliminate them, but it required my complete faith.

The woman was definitely a capable fighter; anyone else, I wouldn't have managed to stem my unease. Even so, I couldn't help but think, 'You better not fuck up,' and constrict my muscles with tension.

'So that leaves us four.' I tightly gripped my sword and peered toward them. They were in deep conversation regarding the social politics and inner workings of what's needed to genocide a nation.

I glanced at Barik, then at Joseph while motioning toward the four.

Though Joseph was distracted before, even he seemingly knew the importance of staying aware during combat. His eyes were pinpointed and focused on the group of enemies before him.

'Hopefully, the kid can fight well,' I slouched and furrowed my brow in exhaustion. So far, he hadn't given me any reason to trust him with anything other than not being involved entirely.

Finally, Mizuno nodded, and our attack was underway.

The three of us leaped out from our cover, rushing the four that were on ground level. Only one was faced in our direction: the lone woman I assumed was the merchant's cousin.

"What the hell?! Who the hell are you?!" she shouted, drawing her comrades' attention. Following her panic, the other three turned and reached for their weapons.

However, by then, we were already upon them.

I was the first to swing. My blade sliced clean through the base of his neck, immediately lopping off the head of the first guard. His open wound sputtered a shower of blood as his body twitched and staggered to the ground.

"JA-" another called out, seemingly distraught about the death of their ally. However, they had no time to cry before Barik smashed their right kneecap with his flail.

"OH GOD!" he cried with tears in his eyes while pressuring his new wound.

Barik followed up with another strike, a wound-up swing for the guard's bottom jaw. The crunching of bone and teeth resounded from the blow, quickly followed by the guard's pained whimpers.

Meanwhile, the final two, the woman and another, a grizzled old man, managed to unsheath their weapons and assume battle stances.

"Y-Y...YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, YOU BASTARRRRRDS!" she shouted, tears streaming from her eyes. Then, she lunged at me while baring her teeth with what could only be described as primal animosity.

I still wasn't an expert on swords, so I avoided a parry. Instead, I sidestepped and attempted a stab at her abdomen. However, she was skilled and redirected my thrust with her own.

"It won't be that easy, you fuck!" she taunted and threw me back.

While exchanging blows with the woman, I heard a flurry of clangs from clashing blades above and behind me. 'Looks like Mizuno kept her word,' I sighed in relief. 'At least we won't need to worry about them.'

Meanwhile, Joseph was locked in his own life-or-death struggle. Despite his inexperience, Joseph fought skillfully, deftly blocking and redirecting the old man's hand-axe strikes with his shield. He followed up with swift jabs and slices of his shortsword.

'Looks like he's not so helpless, after all,' I felt relief in my gut, knowing he could, at least, hold his own in a fight.

However, the old man was no ordinary opponent. His grizzled expression and scars spoke of a lifetime of fighting, and his movements were deliberate and deadly. With a sudden feint, he lured Joseph into a trap.

The old man pushed past Joseph's shield, resting the bottom of his handaxe's blade on the shield's edge before forcefully ripping the protective tool from Joseph's hand, leaving it to freefall and clatter loudly to the dirt below.

With Joseph's guard exposed, barring the leather armor he'd worn, the old man lifted his axe-wielding arm, ready for a lethal blow.

My heart raced as I watched helplessly, still locked in a fierce struggle within my own fight.

"DON'T YOU DARE TURN AWAY FROM ME!" the woman snarled and loosed a wide swipe for my side.

I narrowly blocked her attack with my blade, but its force carried it forward, slicing through my clothes and grazing my flesh.

'GODDAMMIT!" I gritted my teeth while frustration and impatience boiled inside me. Though the singe of cut flesh surged through my wounded side, my anger was toward my helplessness to save Joseph.

I could only watch as the old man moved to secure his victory. "I'm sorry, boy," he said with genuine remorse, then raised his arm high. Finally, he swiped his axe down for a lethal blow. There was a burst of blood, and a life was snuffed out.

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