Chapter 278 Result of the ambush

Inside the Gaiya forest, the last of the ambush-soldiers stopped moving under the trees.

Blood soaked into the leaf litter in dark, irregular patches. Broken swords and dented helmets lay scattered where the fight had taken place with the strike team. The forest around the small clearing still held the weight of the heavy fighting that occurred just here. A few of the strike team’s own people were already checking the wounded from their own side, binding cuts, and dragging bodies of the knights out of the main path so nothing would trip them when they moved again.

Vessa stood beside one body, the only causality from their side, that no one had moved yet.

The girl was young. Too young for the kind of work they had been doing. Yes, she was an adventurer, but being an adventurer doesn’t mean they should die at the hand of humans. Many adventurers die when doing this line of work, but whenever someone’s life gets taken away because of a reason unknown to her like this, she forgets everything and becomes ruthless just like she had become earlier, when she cut down every soldier and knight, without even giving them a chance to beg for mercy.

Her short knife still lay near her open hand, the tip dark with the blood of these men. Though he managed to kill every last one of them, regret of not notiching them before was gnawing at her.

The first volley from the ambushers had taken the girl in front of her clean through the chest before anyone even had time to shout a warning. She had gone down without a sound. That silence still sat wrong in Vessa’s ears.

Maya pulled her own spear free from a knight’s armored chest with a wet, deliberate motion. The body slumped sideways. She wiped the blade once against the dead man’s cloak, then walked over and stopped just behind Vessa’s shoulder.

For a moment neither of them spoke.

Maya’s voice came low, rough from shouting earlier. “We have to get to the village, Miss Vessa. Fast. Otherwise this girl’s sacrifice is just going to sit here and mean nothing.”

Vessa didn’t turn right away. Her eyes stayed on the girl’s still open eyes a second longer. The forest around them was quiet in the way it only got after violence, birds gone, small animals gone, even the usual night insects holding back. The only sounds now were the soft movements of the surviving team members and the distant, almost constant roar that had been growing from the direction of Buena village.

After half a minute, she finally turned.

“Yeah. You’re right.” Her voice was flat, practical. “We can’t delay anymore. After everything is handled at the village, let’s come back and bury her properly.”

Maya gave a short nod. There was no argument in it. Just acceptance of the order of priorities.

Even if it felt wrong to leave their comrade here like this, giving a chance to the stray monsters in the forest to have a go at her body, they still had to reach the village.

Vessa raised her voice enough to carry to the others without shouting. “We’re moving, guys. Wounded who can walk, walk. Anyone who can’t keep pace is welcome to stay here. I won’t force anyone to come with us and risk themselves anymore.”

A few tired ones looked like they would be ones to raise their hands, but to Vessa’s shock nobody did it. Their silent acknowledgments answered her. They were going with her, whether more of ambush waits for them, or more monsters at the wall.

People started gathering what they needed, spare weapons, the last of the clean bandages, the small satchels of emergency potions that hadn’t been broken in the ambush. No one complained about leaving the dead behind for now. They all understood the same ugly arithmetic Vessa had just spoken out loud.

Vessa took one last look at the girl on the ground, then turned fully toward the path that led out of the denser part of Gaiya. The trees thinned in that direction. The night air carried the faint, distant glow of village lights and the heavier, wrong smell of monsters in numbers.

They started walking.

None of them knew that the route they had taken through the forest had cost them more than just time and one life.

None of them knew that Ines and her hundred soldiers had already emerged from the western edge of Gaiya ahead of them. That she was standing right now in front of the ruined western gate of Buena village, looking at the jagged hole her own people had made, and at the three former adventurers who had just run out under Selene’s light thinking they were going to assess damage and maybe save the neighborhood behind them.

Those three women had no idea what was walking toward them out of the dark.

Vessa’s group kept moving through the trees, urgency in every step, still believing the greatest threat waiting for them was the monster wave that had escaped their grasp before.

None knew the real shape of the night was already waiting for them at the gate, after having disposed of their Guild Master like she was nothing.

Want to explore further?

What you’ll find there:

Exclusive Art: Characters and scenes brought vividly to life.

Extra content: Side stories and worldbuilding details not in the free release.

Community: Share theories and chat with fellow readers; also a way to get direct contact with me. You can also bring any interesting idea you have about the story into the story by sharing it with me directly.