As Alluen and Ellis left the store, a sigh of relief escaped them. Finally, they had what they were searching for: a sleeping bag. But, alas, their pockets weren't deep enough. Yet, fate seemed to intervene as the supplier was nowhere to be found. Instead, they were tasked with tracking her down, with the promise of a discount as their reward.
"Okay," Alluen said, pulling out the map lent to them by Norn, the shop owner. He unfolded it with a flick of his wrist, pointing to Stargaze Mountain nestled within the forest.
"Looks like a bit of a trek," Alluen observes, glancing between the map and the distant mountain. "But before we head off, shouldn't we look around the town and buy some supplies? Even though it might take a while.."
Ellis shakes his head. "But what if something happens to Cami while we're shopping? We could probably hunt and forage around the mountain if we really needed food or whatever?"
Alluen nodded, prompting Ellis to say, "Then let's not waste time. The mountain can't be that far away that the shopkeeper would send two kids there right?"
Once more, Alluen nodded, stowing away the map. "Yeah, let's get moving. Every moment counts," he agreed, urging them forward.
Leaving the town, they made a quick stop at the local bakery for provisions before delving deeper into the forest. With bread in hand, they journeyed on, only for Alluen to spot scattered goblins.
"Hey, hold up," Alluen called, pausing their progress.
Ellis stopped, waiting for Alluen's next move.
"There seem to be goblins around. Could you scout ahead while I cover the other direction?" Alluen suggested.
Ellis pondered for a moment, then proposed, "Wouldn't it be faster if we both scouted? You take one direction, and I'll take the other."
Alluen hesitated, citing the difficulty of the terrain for his tail. Instead, he handed Ellis a whistle, explaining its use for signaling danger.
Taking the whistle, Ellis dashed off into the forest, while Alluen remained vigilant, attuned to his surroundings.
Meanwhile, Ellis forged ahead, pausing now and then to scan for goblins until he stumbled upon two people guarding a cave. Eavesdropping, he overhears their discussion about a girl they captured and deduces it is Cami.
Reacting swiftly, Ellis blows the whistle, alerting Alluen, who promptly heads towards the sound of the whistle.
After five minutes Alluen arrives "Find something?" he asks.
"Yeah, I think I found Cami. There are some dudes – bandits I think – outside a cave and they are talking about a girl they captured with sleeping bags. " Ellis confirms.
Alluen ponders for a moment, then asks about the bandits' numbers and weapons.
"I couldn't see much, but I did scope out the guards outside. There's only 2 of them that have spears," Ellis replied.
"Should we try to sneak in?" Ellis suggests, gripping his sword.
Alluen nods, readying himself. "Yeah, attacking head-on would probably get us killed by several armed adults. "
Alluen and Ellis inch closer to the front of the cave; they look at each other and nod before jumping out at the guards. Ellis stabs one in the throat and grabs his mouth, muffling the guards' cry and taking him down. Alluen wraps his tail around the guard's head, managing to block his screams and crushing his neck. Alluen and Ellis let the guards down to the ground before taking the spears they had before advancing into the cave.
YOU ARE READING
Beginning Of A Sanctuary
FantasyFour teenagers angered the goddess of farming by wasting food in their food fights. In return, she called down heavy rain to trap them in the school and punish them. However, a truck skidded on mud and killed the four teenagers. Once they had passed...
