A.N.: I am sorry for the short chapter! But I have a lot of excuses : NaNoWrMo, School, Projects. But look, it is going to be break soon and I will definitely update with a longer chapter! So bear with meh..


"They are here." The General said, smirking slightly. His breath still smelled like meat and wine, the lingering smell of the man's meal.

Will was still feeling fine even after his breakfast mush and he concluded that the poison was not in his stream yet.

"We should put on a show for them. Give them a little challenge." The General said, "And for your entertainment, for I am sure you are bored out of your mind, being cooped up for so long."

"What are you planning to do?" Will asked, a little hesitation in his voice.

"Considering that you are our guest, I will put on the most splendid show you have ever watch." The General smiled though the smile never quite warm his cold eyes up and told an entirely different story than his words.

As he talked, the General opened a small flap on the side of the large tent. A scope-like object extended out, stopping just a small distance away from his eyes. It was a telescope.

"Your new toy?" Will asked then regretted his decision when the General smiled slyly.

"It is for you." The General said, fixing the telescope almost gently in front of his eyes, "It has an excellent view and I am sure you will enjoy the show."

Before Will could protest, the telescope was placed over his eyes.

"See him? He thinks that we are so careless that we didn't even notice his entrance. This will be a fascinating show to watch. I can't wait to see your face and his when one of you die. It will be amazing."

"You are sadistic." Will spat though his eyes never wavered from the scope.

It was Gilan. And Archelous, as well as Halt. They were here. But Will could felt no excitement. Maybe a little bit of happiness that they had finally rescued him, but that was all. He couldn't bear to think of the terrible trap that awaited them, luring them into the plan of the General.

"So you have told me countless times," The General just smiled slyly, "Imagine, them coming here. Creeping, ducking out of sight, sneaking into the tent. Imagine their shock fac-"

"Shut up."

The air in the tent suddenly dropped and Will couldn't help but glanced at the General, "I will allow this only once. One more time of your rude language to me will not be tolerated. One more time and one of them die."

Will did not doubt the man's promise and could only nod, turning back to the scope. Only to find it extracted back.

"Now," The General clapped his hands together as if nothing happened, "Why don't we wait for them with a warm welcome? Come on, get up from your chair, Will. They need a whole-heartedly and sincere welcome."


Keep your heads down." Gilan advised to the assassins.

The bushes they hid behind was just tall enough to cover them as they peeked through the gaps into the camp of the Temujai. The Temujai had not moved far from their previous camp base. Temujai soldiers were still half asleep and the sentries looked like they could use a few weeks of sleep. But they were alert even if they did not appear to be. Appearance can deceive people, Gilan knew.

"Can any of you see where Will is?" Gilan asked. It was directed to Halt and Archelous who were by his side.

They shook his head in unison though Archelous nodded his head slightly toward the direction of the central tent, "Probably in there."

"Or anywhere amongst the smaller tents." Halt said gruffly, "We don't know."

"Since when are you so depressing?" Gilan shot his former mentor a look.

"Since when are you so optimistic?" Halt shot back.

"Halt, I am always optimistic." Gilan would have cried out if they weren't at where they were.

"Can we please just focus on the situation at hand?" Archelous sighed.

"I think Archelous is right." Gilan said, "Will might be in that main tent. There are more sentries posted outside than any other tents."

"It might be for the commander general person." Archelous pointed out.

"The commander is not even in the tent," Gilan said, inclining his head slightly toward the second largest tent, "He is outside of that one. See, he had just gone in."

"And he got out and went back to the first tent." Archelous commented on the sideline, "Great."

Gilan sighed. The first or the second? He observed the two tents again. There were more soldiers guarding the first tent than the second. But why did the general entered the second tent? A second in command? His question was soon answered as a soldier carried a plate of what seemed like food into the first tent. Gilan narrowed his eyes.

After a few moments, the general exit the tent and headed back to the second. A second soldier carried a different plate into the tent. Unlike the first plate, the second was full of deliciousness. Chicken. Beef. And a goblet of wine. The first was simply mush.

"That must have been Will. In the first tent."

"Unless the general likes to eat mush." Archelous shrugged, "Then yeah."

"Oh cheer up!" Gilan sighed heavily, "Let's be optimistic. We will get Will back. Drive the Temujai away. Host a party. And ask Will as to how in the world did he get captured."

"And coffee." Halt added.

"And coffee." Gilan agreed.

Archelous just looked at them, not saying a thing, knowing fully of what they intended to do.

"With honey." Halt added once again.

"With honey." Gilan nodded.

"Large spoon of-"

Archelous sighed. It was getting a little too far, "Why don't we rescue Will first before starting to talk about your honey coffee?"

"Great idea." Gilan said with a small smile, "Alright, listen up!"

The assassins were instantly quiet at his small whispered shout, "Archelous and I will go into the tent and find Will. The rest of you wait out here. If anything goes wrong, immediately secure Will and get out of here. If things get bad-"

"You are not going to say 'leave Will here', right?" One of the assassins asked. Three other glared at Gilan.

"Of course not," Gilan said with a grin, "I was about to say that if things get bad, kill anyone in your way, secure Will, and get out of here."

The four assassins smiled at that, "Sounds good."

"Alright, we are going in. Halt, will you mind staying here and supervise them?" Gilan asked.

"Babysitting them?" Halt asked with an eyebrow raised, "Why not?"

Gilan flashed his former mentor a grin before heading out with Archelous. The bush that hid them well extended only so far and as Gilan and Archelous crouched down, he knew that a step further would mean total exposure. After all, a moving large brown object cannot go unnoticed under broad daylight. Especially with the light rose-colored sand as background. They would be out in the open with nothing to fend. Gilan felt naked all of the sudden.

Archelous, as if sensing his discomfort, nudged him, "Come on, let's go before you pee yourself."

"I do not pee myself," Gilan said with mock offended tone.

Archelous just rolled his eyes. Nonetheless, they got up and crept out of the bush. Once they were out, they abandoned all thoughts of quiet creeping and dashed toward the first central tent as fast as they could. To the soldiers outside, they only saw a flash of brown and gold before disappearing out of their sight. And they would think to themselves that they must be hallucinating due to the light. They would have if they had not been warned of it beforehand.

Gilan and Archelous, too tense and nervous to notice the smallest of the details, merely scanned the soldiers as they backed against the tent. They were still patrolling and their steps never faltering. In the two's perspective, they have evaded any detections. Gilan peeked over the tent edges and ducked as a group of soldiers came their way. The heavy booted footsteps soon faded away after a moment as the soldiers took a different path. There were still a few soldiers outside the tent.

Archelous took it in in one glance, "I will create a diversion. You go inside. Get Will and get out of here."

"What are you going to do?" Gilan asked.

"They have excellent food." Archelous grinned as he stood up slightly from his crouched position.

Before he could go anywhere, Gilan spoke up, meeting Archelous squarely in the eyes, "Be safe."

Archelous looked taken aback and surprised at his comment but he nodded his head nonetheless, "You too."

"I will probably go back to not liking you after we get Will back," Gilan said in a joking tone, "So don't get used to it."

Archelous smiled slightly but he did not response as he slipped away. A few heartbeats later, there was a loud yell from the direction of the food tent and the shouts of 'thief'. The soldiers at the tent turned toward the sound and that was all Gilan needed as he ducked inside the tent. It flapped closed before the soldier turned back.

"Welcome, ranger. I presume you are here to see your little friend."

Gilan's gaze flickered to the man before landing at the figure at the center, "Will."

"Hey, Gilan." Will tried a smile. It was fake and could almost be interpreted as a grimace.

There were no wounds visible except for the red raw lines around Will's wrist, just visible over the rim of the metal chains that clad his hands in front of him together. His clothes were still full and untethered. His smile was still like usual. Except there was something different about him. It was more than him being thinner and paler than before. It was more than the dark bags under his eyes that told of sleepless nights. It was sadness. It was etched in his smile and his eyes as if he knew something that Gilan did not.

"Let him go," Gilan ordered, forcing his eyes away from Will.

"You are not in a position to order anything, ranger." The man chuckled though there was no humor in his tone, "Bring him in." Bring who in?

"Archelous." He heard Will's quiet whisper and spun around in shock.

"Now, why don't we all go out and say hi to your waiting rescue team?" The man glanced at them with a large grin on his face as the soldier pushed Archelous into the tent with the butt of a knife.

Two more came in, each carrying a sword.

"You knew!"

"I was waiting."


Thanks for all the reviews, they literally made me wrote this chapter. I simply cannot keep my eager readers waiting for too long! ^ ^ And of course, they make my day!