Chapter. 10
Zane looked over the endless desert before him, lost in thought of yesterday events. "Hey Captain! Ready to go?" Asked Albert.
"Yeah, sorry about that. My heads in the game now."
"I hope so, never took you for the type to space out a lot."
"Spacing out, or deep thinker?" Zane patted his firend's shoulder and walked off.
Down the hill the boys regrouped with Celes, who mapped the area. "You two ready? Where's Fenrir?"
"Ivy's watching him, she's teaching him commends. Can't keep going into dangerous places with little to no way of coordinating."
"Understandable, so why are we here?"
Zane pulled out a piece of paper, showing it to his firends it was a request to kill a lagiacrus. "This is our next target, but to get a chance at fighting it we'll need barroth armor. Two barroths should be enough to make three suits of armor."
Albert raised his hand up. "I know how to find one! They like lying in mud to beat the dessert heat."
"Lead on then." Celes handed the bowgunner the map and compass, letting him take charge.
...
A few minutes of walking later Albert lead the team to a large mud pit, he took out his weapon and scanned to mud till he saw some stones move. "Gotta." Albert fired into the mud, blasting a borroth on the top of its head.
The monster rose up from the mud growling. "Good eyes." Complimented Zane.
The barroth climbed out of the mud and turned to the hunters, it lowered its head and charged at them. In the time it took the monster to get ready Celes laid down a shock trap right in its path.
The two sword users drew their weapons and attacked, Zane tried to get the tail but his blade couldn't cut through the mud still on the barroth.
Celes had a better plan and attacked the legs, tripping the barroth as the shock trap wore off. None of the hunter's attacks could get through the mud to damage the barroth, Zane and Celes backed off as the monster got back up.
"Any ideas?!" Shouted Celes.
"Retreat!" Albert threw a flash bomb as his team mates ran for it. The three of them rounded a cliff face and hid, Zane peeked over to the barroth was still looking around for them. "Has it calmed dowm?"
"Afraid not Al. Damn it, if our swords were shaper we could get through that mud no problem."
"Come on guys." The two boys turned to Celes. "Hunters can make use of the environment and what's on hand, between the three of us there must be something."
Zane and Albert sorted out the groups supplies while Celes watched the monster wondering around. "You brought barrel bombs Celes?"
"Just small ones, but I doubt we can do much with them."
Zane stared at the bombs while he rubbed his upper lip with his index finger. "Z? You're scaring me right now with that face." Said Albert.
"I got it!" Zane got up and patted Celes on the back to get her attention. "You know how to find spiderwebs right?"
"Of course, I love bugs."
"Okay you go find some, I'll get some ivy. Albert hold the fort here, your part will come later." With that the two took off, leaving the bowgunner in confusion.
Ten minutes later the swords users returned. Zane handed the ivy and a trap tool Albert. "Your time to shine Al, Celes if you would please."
"Still don't know what your plan is." Albert asked, taking Celes spiderweb.
"Pitfall trap plus bombs equal a mudless head to cut off."
"Dude, that is evil!" Albert immediately sat down and got to work, few minutes later the the trap was completed.
"OkayAl you set the pitfall then draw its attention, Celes and I will set the bombs, then you blasts them. You two ready?"
"Roger."
"Easy."
...
Celes dashed to a large rock, waiting for the signal. Across from her Zane hid as well, he waved to Albert to fallow. The bowgunner ran the spot between his friends hiding places, planting the trap and backed away.
With some distance he readied his weapon and fired at the barroth's side. The beast raored and charged at him with its head lowered, the trap triggered when the barroth stepped into it and fell into a large quicksand pit.
Zane and Celes jumped in and placed their bombs by its waving head and backed away, letting Albert shoot them.
The insuing blast removed the mud covering the barroth's head, Zane stabbed his sword into the monster's eye while Celes started cutting the left side of its neck.
The barroth tried to climb out but Albert got a lucky shot that flew into its mouth, stopping it. After a few more hits fromthe trio the mmonster died from rapid blood loss.
"When that's that then." Albert put down his weapon to drink from his cantin of water.
Celes kicked the monster a couple time the circled around to Zane. "That's one, now how do we get the other one?"
"One thing at a time, let's get what we came for first." The three drew their knofes and began to carve off parts from the barroth, when their bags were full the returned to camp to temporarily drop off what they collected and rest.
...
The group returned to the camp, after putting all they're carves in a large red box they took shelter from the sun in the tent.
"So Zane, what's for lunch?" Asked Celes. The boy checked his belongings and handed his teammates some fruit sandwiches.
"I don't see why I have to make eveyone's lunch."
"Well you are the one with the insanely big backyard garden." Said Albert between bites.
"So it's okay for you two to start mooching?"
Celes waved her finger as she swallowed. "It's called sharing Zane."
"Sharing means getting something in return, which I'm not."
"Then what would you want?"
Zane smiled to his firends. "Nothing, just string trouble is all." Albert and Celes shoved Zane down and continued to eat his sandwiches
...
An hour later the group were back in the mud pit, waiting for another barroth to stop by. "Out of traps, bombs, and no means to make more. You got plan anyone?" Asked Zane.
"Ambush a barroth when it comes for the mud, simple." Said Albert.
"There's one!" Celes drew her longsword and ran after it, with the other two right behind.
Celes jumped and slashed at the barroth's tail, the monster turned and was shot in the face. While the barroth was stunned Zane slid under it and cut into the side of its leg.
When the barroth stepped back its wounded leg gave and the beast fell. Celes and Zane both stabbed at the monster 's head while Albert shot it.
The barroth struggled to stand till it finally started to get back up. "No you don't!" Celes thrusted her sword into the barroth's head, riding it on to the monster's back.
"Celes, catch!" Zane tossed his sword up to the girl, Celes grabbed the weapon and stabbed it into the monster just as it started raging.
The barroth stomped around in circles, waving its head all over, trying to get the hunter off. Celes had a death grip on her longsword as she kept stabbing with Zane's, each stab the sword was getting deeper.
"Albert! Can't you help!"
"No, I might hit her!"
In one more stab the short sword broke through the barroth's skull and sunk in, leaving just the handle still viable.
The barroth roared to the sky then fell to the ground. Celes rolled off the monster as it crashed, laying in the dirt and breathing hard.
"Celes, anything broken?" Asked Albert.
"I can't feel my arms, does that count?"
Zane drew his knife to cut out his and Celes' swords. "I say, you just made kill of the week. We'll get your carves for champ."
Albert took Celes bag and joined Zane cut up the monster, when they finished Zane sheathed his sword and carried Celes' while Albert brought the girl to her feet. "Let's go home team, tomorrow we get this stuff to a blacksmith, then we take to the sea."
Zane nodded with a grin. "Well said Albert."
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