AN: A big thanks to Terron145 and ACloudyForecast for reviewing the previous chapter!
Chapter 9:
Walking down the spiralling stair case, Varuna tried to estimate how deep they were travelling down. The stairs were long, spiralling straight down. It was hard for him to tell, but it felt to him that they were walking the same length as a three storied building.
Stepping from the stair case, it was actually rather surprising how little the light had dimmed despite them being a floor lower. Varuna glanced up at the ceiling, noting that they were indeed under a thick, impenetrable canopy that was high above. The trees were of the same height and Varity as the ones of the floor above. And they were growing as abundantly. Quite mysterious…
Turning his gaze away from the ceiling, Varuna glanced around at his surroundings wordlessly. The path from the stairs was quite narrow and winding, preventing him from seeing very far into the distance. And he also couldn't see Isiah anywhere in sight. He turned to Bryce, hoping that maybe he would have some idea on what they should do.
"Isiah must have ventured further," Bryce muttered, seemingly through gritted teeth. He then reached into his bag to pull out the map to study it, his brow furrowing with slight concern. "There's a short cut up ahead."
"Isiah must be following the trail of blood," Nitish quietly said.
Turning to look at his brother, Varuna found him glancing at the thick foliage, his eyes somewhat glassy and cloudy. Blayden was standing next to him, being both protective of him and finding some kind of comfort in his presence. Flicking his gaze toward what Nitish was looking at, Varuna winced. Although not overly obvious, there were indeed drops of blood staining the green grass.
"Maybe you should stay near the stairs, Nitish?" Varuna suggested. If he drew any closer to those who were in need of healing, he would experience their pain and suffering as well. Ten-fold if there was more than one.
"Y-yes, I think that would be best," Nitish replied, unable to stop the slight tremor in his voice.
"I'll protect Nitish, Varuna," Blayden immediately piped up. "So you can go ahead with Bryce."
"Are you-?" Varuna began to ask Nitish, but was interrupted by his brother who smiled softly at him.
"I'm safe here," he reassured. "You go on."
Choosing to believe his brother, Varuna nodded his head with acceptance. "Alright," he said as he turned toward Bryce. The brown-haired Landsknecht also looked reluctant to leave the two alone, but he also didn't want Isiah to be wondering around by himself. And he most certainly didn't want his little brother to witness a blood-bath.
"We won't be long," Bryce said.
Varuna stayed close to Bryce's side as they headed north up the path for a few steps. Reaching a bend in the path, Bryce suddenly stopped and pointed to a small gap in the foliage. It would have been easy to miss if one didn't know what they were looking for.
Stepping through the opening into an unknown room, Varuna was suddenly overwhelmed with the smell of blood. Looking around the small room that was cordoned off by two doors, he barely smothered a startled gasp at the sight of numerous Tharsis soldiers. Most of them seemed to be suffering greatly from numerous injuries, thick patches of blood seeping through stark white bandages.
There was a sense of frantic fear and concern radiating around the room. And yet there was no panic. Maybe it was because Isiah, in his stark white medic coat and medical bag, was barking orders and keeping everyone calm. It was of no surprise to Varuna to see Isiah right in the middle of the battered and bleeding bodies.
Varuna swallowed thickly in order to compose himself and unintentionally moved closer to Bryce as they move further into the room. There wasn't much they could do to help but ensure that no other native monsters of the Lush Woodlands decide that the make-shift triage area would to be a good place to attack.
"There are a few injured guards, isn't there?" Varuna commented to Bryce, the landsknecht carefully inspecting the area with his brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed.
"A blood-red bear…?" Bryce murmured as he placed his hand on a large stone door. "I really don't like the sound of that."
Varuna left Bryce to his mumbling, deducing that Bryce was probably worried for their safety, for his safety since he and his brothers were just researchers and this was their first outing.
"Wait," Bryce suddenly said as he became tense, his head snapping up in an alert manner. "Can you sense that?"
"Sense what?" Varuna asked.
"…Cutters," Bryce said as he removed his hand from the door, instantly reaching for his weapon. "There are several of them on this floor. I can hear them."
Now that he mentioned it, there was a thick feeling of tension hanging heavily in the air and a low rumbling, almost like thunder in the distance. Was that what Nitish was feeling earlier?
"I don't think we should wander too far on this level," Bryce went on to say as he moved away from the south facing door, eying it off critically. "I don't particularly want to encounter another one of those manic bears again. We can't afford to let a bear ambush us again."
With so many injured soldiers and guards, they would be easy prey. They needed to get out off of this floor and get the injured out as quickly as possible.
"Isiah," Varuna said as he hurriedly made his way over to the talented medic, trying not to convey his full concern as it would only alarm the others. "We should leave."
Isiah looked at him through one eye before sighing. He had obviously reached the same conclusion. "Yeah, it's too dangerous here. I've managed to stabilize the most critical and I've ordered this soldier's back to Tharsis. There's nothing more I can do here."
Knowing that there was nothing else they could do to help, the three of them left the soldiers to organise themselves and hurriedly made their way back to the stairs. Sitting on the soft grass near the stairs was Nitish and Blayden, both blonds visibly pleased to see their brothers in one piece.
"Bryce!" Blayden jumped to his feet to greet them. "How are things?"
"Not good," Bryce answered honestly. "Come on, I'll explain on the way."
As they walked up the spiral stairs leading to the first floor, Isiah explained the situation the as bluntly and to the point as possible, as he always did. From what the soldiers managed to convey to him, between moaning in pain, was how they were ambushed by a giant bear whose fur seemed to be stained with blood.
It was unnerving to know that one bear was responsible to so many soldiers receiving injuries. They had better informed the Count with what they have learnt and forbid any rookie adventurers from exploring the second floor of the Lush Woodlands.
Re-emerging onto the first floor, the group was startled to hear a familiar voice calling to them. "Hey! There you guys are!"
Immediately gaining their attention, the group turned their attention in the direction of the voice. A moment later a familiar red-haired sniper appeared, appearing as if he had just traipsed around the first floor looking for them. It was Falkner, and behind him were the rest of the Phaedrons, Roxbury, Mahalah and Fletcher. They quickly made their way over to them, their concern giving away to reassurance as they grew closer.
"Good, you're all unharmed," Mahalah said, sighing with relief. It was clear to see that he had been carrying a sense of fear around with him for a short while.
"What's up?" Bryce asked, placing an idle hand on the hilt of his blade, somewhat surprised to see the rest of his guild.
"We had received word that there was trouble with a blood-red bear in the Lush Woodlands," Roxbury explained, indicating toward the stairs to the second floor with a tilt of his head. "We became worried when we couldn't find you on the first floor."
"Jeez, news spreads quick, doesn't it?" Bryce commented as he reached up to roughly scratch the back of his neck. He sighed and lowered his arm. "Sorry, but Isiah here wanted to check on the injured. Good thing, too."
"There are injured Tharsis soldiers everywhere down there," Varuna told them as he folded his arms over his torso, still able to smell the intense scent of blood in the back of his nose.
"They're in the process of evacuating, though," Isiah went on to explain as he glanced over his shoulder at the stairwell as well. He paused for a moment, listening. And when he heard the sound of voices and people shuffling about, he seemed to relax. "We should give them room to move."
"I'm afraid there is little we can do," Roxbury said as he began to lead the group through the winding pathways, intent of getting his guild out of any possible danger, as well as to give the soldiers' room to move. "If the soldiers of Tharsis are having difficulties, then we wouldn't stand a chance. Let's head back to Tharsis. It's getting late, anyway."
"Sounds good," Bryce said, pleased to see the orange and yellow sail of their airship, the Duscha.
During the trip back to Tharsis on the airship, a thought suddenly occurred to Varuna. Isiah seemed to know Whirlwind quite well. Varuna knew of the famous wanderer, but never really had much to do with him. Everyone knew of him, but no one really knew him. The conversation that was shared between the two, for some reason, made Varuna ponder how Isiah seemed to know him so well.
Well, better than any of the other locals did.
"Isiah," Varuna said as he approached the medic, who of which was going through his medical bag, doing an inventory. "How do you know Whirlwind?"
Isiah didn't even pause in what he was doing, even as Nitish wandered over, and he immediately lapsed into an explanation. "It was ten years ago. A few nights after the old man brought the two of you home."
Varuna was somewhat surprised to hear that. "Really?"
"He was found injured on the other side of town," Isiah continued, he explanation rather plain and to the point as usual. "Being the compassionate sod that he was, the old man brought him home as well. Whirlwind's injuries were severe, but not life-threatening. I'm not surprised you don't remember him. He left a few days afterwards, partly healed. Since then, I've seen him around, helping out the locals."
Varuna shared a glance with Nitish, find his brother looking softly confused, his brow furrowed as if he was trying to recall something.
"He…?" Nitish murmured.
"I don't think so," Isiah immediately cut him off, straightening up his tall frame and finally turning to look at the two of them. "Like I said, it was a few days afterwards. And on the other side of town. He knew the two of you were there and yet never asked for you. If he had known you, I'm sure he would have."
"You think so?" Varuna asked, feeling somewhat disappointed, noticing that his brother seemed to feel the same.
Isiah sighed before giving the two a very pointed look. "Now, what did the old man say to you?" he suddenly asked.
"The past is gone, the present it now," Varuna immediately replied, the words tumbling from his lips so familiar and potent. "Don't waste time thinking of things that we can no longer grasp."
"That's right," Isiah said as he lifted his hand and placed it on top of Varuna's hand, lightly ruffling his hair in a comforting manner. "Don't think too much about it. And just enjoy yourselves."
"Ok."
… … … … …
It had been two days since Varuna and his brothers entered the Lush Woodlands for the first time. They had made many discoveries that no one had even imagined. For nearly two days straight, with little sleep, Varuna and his brothers were busy with their research. Nitish had managed to create some new potions, which needed to be tested. Isiah had discovered new ways to heal injuries that offered less intrusive procedures. And Varuna, too, had found a few items that while useful, were dangerous when misused. He needed to write up a report on how to handle those items properly.
The Count was pleased that Varuna had taken his suggestion to heart and most certainly about the many discoveries that he and his brothers had found. However, his enthusiasm was tinged with worry. The fearsome Bloodbear, as they have dubbed it, was still causing much trouble. It was dangerous, more soldiers' having received potentially life-threatening injuries.
It was a tense time around Tharsis.
Everyone was feeling a bit irritable. Especially the explorers. Locals, too, were becoming bothered as they had to deal with restless adventurers. The ever polite and sophisticated Kirtida was feeling the effects of the lack of exploration the most. The owner of the dancing peacock had to deal with both agitated locals with urgent requests and impatient explorers wanting to get out there and explore.
The second floor to the Lush Woodlands was still relatively unknown, yet they weren't able to do any exploring. The Old Forest Mind was small and there was only so much that they could discover there. And it was incredibly hard to explore the first floor of the Lush Woodlands with nearly every other guild also adventuring. Too many rival guilds in one place were a recipe for disaster.
"They've been advising explorers to avoid the second level of the Lush Woodlands for now," Roxbury said as he leaned back in his seat, ignoring the other explorers that were milling about in the Dancing Peacock. "Until they can find a way to contain that Blood Bear."
Gathered around a table in the far corner of the Dancing Peacock, Varuna and Isiah were taking a small break from their study to sit with Guild Phaedron. Nitish was back at the clinic. He was never the one for loud noises or large crowds. So he was in the back garden, but he wasn't alone. Falkner, Fletcher and Blayden were hanging out at the clinic, Blayden taken a shine to Nitish and wanting to know more about his crafting skills.
It was good that he wasn't alone.
"So what do we do now?" Bryce asked, sounding as bored as he looked.
"You could check out a little grotto called Small Orchid," a familiar drawl suggested.
"Eh?" Bryce murmured as he turned in his seat to look behind him. The wrinkles in his brow lessened when he recognised the person strolling casually over to where they were gathered around a table. "Oh, hey, Whirlwind."
"Eavesdropping?" Isiah commented as Whirlwind stopped near them, the older explorer leaning to rest his hand on the back of Isiah's seat.
"Now, now," Whirlwind said as he grinned down at Isiah. "I was just passing by."
"Of course," Isiah replied dryly before pausing for a moment, studying Whirlwind carefully. "How's the soldier?"
"Recovering in the clinic," Whirlwind answered, his grin never wavering. "As you said, he's going to be fine."
"Small Orchid, hm?" Roxbury was heard murmuring, holding his chin as he mused to himself. "Wouldn't hurt to check it out. Hopefully they'll have sorted the Blood Bear problem soon."
Varuna barely smothered a yawn as he folded his arms on top of the table and then rested his chin on his arms. "We might be able to find some new items to study."
Bryce said something under his breath, almost snorting with sarcasm and mirth, something about never being satisfied. For whatever reason, maybe because he was feeling fatigued and irritable, Varuna pushed himself up onto his feet.
"What did you just say?!" Varuna bristled at the brown-haired landsknecht. How the gold knife ended up in his hand, pointed at Bryce was completely unknown to him. He looked at his hand, completely shocked.
"What are you gonna do with that?" Bryce asked him as he stood up as well, soundingly oddly defiant and undisturbed. "Stab me?"
An expression of pure shock appeared on Varuna's face, looking straight in Bryce's eyes. "I…"
Bryce, however, simply narrowed his eyes and made a 'come here' gesture with his hand. "Bring it."
Varuna stared at Bryce for a few moments longer, sensing absolutely no fear or distrust from him. It was almost as if he was trying to cause a rise out of him. He even appeared smug, as if pleased that he did get a reaction out of him. Whatever it was, Varuna found himself twitching. "Don't tempt me!"
Isiah snorted and leaned back in his chair as the other members of the Phaedrons looked on, seemingly amused. "If he curses you, I ain't removing it," Isiah said to Bryce.
Bryce immediately turned to him, a somewhat disgruntled expression on his face. "That's hardly fair."
"Life isn't fair," Isiah was quick to retort.
"Things have certainly gotten livelier, haven't they?" Roxbury commented while Mahalah, sitting next to him, simply laughed good-naturedly.
"It's good to see everyone getting along so well."
AN: The next chapter is going to be a loooooooooooong one, so look forward to it!
