Taken Away (Vindicator X Villager! Farmer! Reader)

Chapter 9 - A New Friend

Your breath hitched in your throat. Why were they fighting??

You stumble forward to peek around the trunk of a tree. Behind you Johnny let out a startled noise and followed up suit. He grabbed your arm tightly, but you ignored it. You were too focused on getting a clearer view of the meadow.

There was a large tower on the other side. Its style deceptively close to how the mansion was build. And between it and the forest fought the pillagers. They seemed to be grouped in pairs. Some were engaged in close combat, with daggers or without. Others were shooting with their crossbows.

Your brows raised in concern. You counted roughly fourteen of them.

It took you a couple more glances to see the targets they shot at or the straw puppets they threw their daggers towards.

Oh. They were just practicing.

No one seemed to be bleeding either. Well... Apart from one guy who had gotten a bloody nose. Wait a second! That guy is Aaron!

You wanted to run towards him, to help, but Johnny held you back. This only caused you to squirm in his grasp.

"Let me-!" You complained.

But Johnny only shook his head.

"First of all: No running off. Remember? Secondly: If I let you run into a group of training pillagers, then you will be their next exercise!"

You turn to him in surprise.

"Because none of them know, that I took you along. They would just assume you'd try to escape!" He hissed between his grit teeth.

Oh. He was right. Plus, the impression of you running would probably only encourage their assumption further.

You look down at your feet in embarrassment. How could you be so thoughtless?

"Exactly." Johnny grumbled.

He walked out of the trees and pulled you along. You didn't struggle anymore, not wanting to give off the wrong impression.

A few of the pillagers halted their training. Some greeted Johnny with respectful nods, others eyed you in suspicion or curiosity.

The air grew tense around you. You did your best to not let it affect you. You kept your eyes locked on Aaron, waiting for him to look back at you. However he was too absorbed in his training, wiping his bloody nose on his sleeve.

Johnny dragged you to the tower, where a fifteenth pillager stood. He appeared to be older than the rest. Older than Johnny even, but not as old as the Elders. A scar ran over one of his eyes, which was of a milky white, presumably blind. He had been observing the training so far.

"Captain! How's it going?" Johnny greeted him.

The 'Captain' faced Johnny with a small smile.

"Johnny! Good to see you around. Your party is doing great. We're ready for the next raid."

Next raid? Your stomach dropped. Already they were planning to attack another village?

Suddenly you were reminded, who you were with and it made you sick.

Those poor villagers! They wouldn't know what hit them.

You had to stop it! Somehow. But would you be able to?

You found yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place. You wanted to help the other village. But at the same time you were quite busy with your own problems...

You were too absorbed in your thoughts, that you barely registered Johnny's reply.

"Excellent. I knew I could count on you. Unlike Jordan. He and his party won't be joining us." Johnny let go of your arm to pull a piece of paper out of his pocket.