Chapter 99: Night of terror
They were out of breath as dawn began shining upon them. It seemed like they were finally out of the nightmare. Victor, the Humanos, was running beside Benjamin.
“Stop! Stop! Get back into position!” Benjamin shouted. His dried lips ripped and bled.
“Stop! You bastards! We are the Black Talon! We are the best of Toria! We will not run away like this!”
He almost screamed as he swung his sword. Mercenaries who came to their senses approached Benjamin in response to his words.
“Lux! Roland! Lead them!”
“Yes, sir! Come here! You! You! This way!”
“All men with shields! Come this way!”
Lux and Roland began shouting at the men who joined their ranks. They began to quickly figure out what to do as they found new leaders. All the remaining men gathered quickly.
“Men with shields will guard the rear while we retreat.”
Benjamin ordered the group with shields.
“Gyle! You’re alive!”
“Benjamin! You son of a whore!”
Gyle, a bald leader of another squadron, approached with his bleeding head.
“You got hurt?”
“Yeah, something scratched my head.”
Benjamin glanced at the crudely covered wound and took out a small packet.
“Take it off.”
“Oh? Is that medicine?”
“Yeah.”
“Dammit! UGH! S***! Is this poison?”
“Hah, it’s expensive. You can thank me later.”
Gyle frowned as Benjamin patched him up.
“Reporting! We have a total of 220 men!!”
Lux reported to Benjamin and Gyle, who frowned in shock. It was only one night and they had lost 80 men. These were the strongest mercenaries that Toria had. They were not just some scrawny soldiers or mercenaries you could find anywhere.
“We were helpless. We couldn’t even fight back.”
“They were waiting for us.”
They looked at each other. It was obvious that everything was a trap.
“What should we do?” Gyle asked. Benjamin frowned, then shook his head.
“We should give up.”
“It will not end well for us. The Brotherhood will take away all the privileges we have for ruining their reputation.”
Benjamin let out a sigh, but he still shook his head.
“I know. There are loads of people who want to take our spot. But we cannot succeed this time. You felt it yourself yesterday. The old word of the kingdom was underestimating them. Can you fight them? We might be able to fight them somewhat during the day, but at night? Defenses are useless against them. Do you really think we can succeed?”
Gyle looked away.
“I know. I just said it.”
“Hah, right.”
“We will have to fall back now or else we will lose everyone. This is their land.”
The mercenaries around them heard what they were talking about. They seemed to be talking to themselves, but they were actually saying this aloud so their men could hear them.
‘I want to go back! Please!’
Most were thinking the same thing. That night was hell. The booming sound killed everyone each time it erupted. They feared that the next would be on them as they ran.
“I will not even take a step on this mountain if I get out of here alive.”
“This is the land of the demons.”
“What was that sound?”
“Maybe it was a cry of a mountain.”
The oldest mercenary spoke out. He was named Torqu, who was from the Katzback Kingdom. He was in his late forties, but his strength and wisdom earned him respect.
“It was when I began my life as a mercenary. I was protecting a merchant when I saw it. The mountain was crying. Do you all know the Lawnteen Mountain in Katzback? It rumbled at the beginning, but it soon erupted with a loud explosive sound. Then the fire exploded into the skies. Everyone screamed in fear that the dragons had awakened. The sound from yesterday was similar to that sound.”
Everyone seemed afraid. Some glanced around as they knew similar things occurred when a dragon soared to the skies. There was always disaster around it when that happened.
“I-I hope not! It’s probably not that! Torqu?”
“The sound was like it. Everything else is different though. I don’t see any smoke, so I cannot be sure if I am correct.”
“I just want to leave this damn place! We’re doomed if night falls again! We don’t even have our equipment anymore!”
They lost most of their belongings, weapons, and food as they had to flee from their campsites.
“Everyone! Listen up! We will retreat. We will hunt and gather on our way back to survive! Victor will lead us out of the forest! Don’t disturb him! Anyone who does will die!”
Everyone nodded. The guide was their lifesaver.
“Let’s move!”
They rested for a while, then began to move in an orderly fashion. Ainos scouts followed them quietly.
‘They really are amazing. They found order so quickly.’
Joonbum nodded as he watched them through the binoculars.
“They have new leaders.”
“They’re so quick.”
“There will be no more underestimating us then.”
Gazlow, Pree-an, and Doral commented about them. Joonbum nodded as he watched them.
“I see some of them are missing though,” Joonbum said, but Doral grinned as he pointed to the bushes.
“They are hiding there. Probably trying to ambush any followers.”
“Wow. When did they hide?”
“I saw about ten of them hiding there.”
“Haha, do they think they still have a chance against us?”
Gazlow and Pree-an seemed to know it also. Pree-an coldly looked at them as if he did not like their attitude.
“I heard them speaking to each other about what they were planning to do to our women. Don’t stop me, Joonbum.”
Pree-an mumbled as Joonbum smiled bitterly. It was obvious what they were planning to do. All mercenaries in this world pillaged the villages when they were victorious.
“We’ll take care of those in hiding. We will show them that they are no match even in daylight.”
Pree-an rose with a bow in his hand. Gazlow followed him, waving his hand.
“Don’t worry. You two stay here and watch. You know, watch and learn.”
They disappeared and a scream followed.
“Ahh!”
“UGH!”
A calm, peaceful afternoon was broken by the screamings of men.
Someone fired a whistling arrow. The men with shields ran up to the rear of the group to block any incoming attacks while the other men armed with shields ran toward the forest where the others were hiding for an ambush.
“Ugh!”
“ARHG!”
However, they fell down to the ground before they could take a few steps as arrows pierced into the areas they could not block with the shield. Several men fell to the ground and others ran toward them, blocking them with the shields.
“Nice.”
“Oh, clean shot.”
One attacked those who were hidden and one attacked those coming to help. They retreated quickly afterward.
“Go ahead, take your shot.”
Joonbum aimed and pulled the trigger at Doral’s words. Two shots were fired and two men fell to their deaths.
“AGHH! Devils! Devil’s cries!”
“RUN!”
Mercenaries began running away as they remembered the night of terror at the sound of the gunshot. The fear-stricken men knew nothing but to run. As night fell, they had to face another type of enemy.
“UGH!”
“HELP!”
“KEROX! There are Keroxes! Prepare a bow-”
They were attacked by a group of Keroxes.
