Dedications: Thank you to Ravimar this time for being supportive of this story! It really helps me understand how much readers truly do care about my story, and drives me to keep on writing! :D
After the rustling from the bushes and the two Conquerors' appearance, Meilin's group froze for a moment, before they all dived for cover. Meilin watched as Rollan dived and slipped in between a small gap between two tree trunks, and she admired how stealthy he was. Even in his suit of armor, he was so silent that she wouldnt've known if he was coming. She squatted down and just peeked through a small gap between the bushes. She didn't attempt to enter the bushes, for that would cause too much noise. However, the bears did attempt to enter the bushes next to a slanted tree trunk. They just awkwardly bumped and jostled each other, until half their bodies were covered by the bushes. Meilin nearly snorted in laughter at that. Those bears looked silly as their noses still poked out from the bushes' leaves, and their hindlegs were still poking out, and only hidden by the shade. Essix must've swooped into the treetops, as she caused leaves to skitter out of the treetops.
The bears groaned a bit and snorted leaves away that tickled their nose, before it went completely silent. Now, all that could be heard was the crackling of the fire, while the Conquerors entered the clearing. There stood one, burly man in chainmail armor just like Rollan's. Meilin winced at the thought of Rollan, while she tried not to think about him. She glanced at his hiding place, but could not even find his silhouette, before she averted her eyes away from his spot. She made a sigh that almost sounded disappointed. She had to remember that he was a Conqueror and another guy, who was just on the opposing team. How could she ever trust him? Meilin shook her head, attempting to clear the thoughts, before she heard the man's boots kick at the dirt.
This new Conqueror, who had just appeared, was in his adulthood. He had scuffed, leather boots. His hair and long beard was just as filthy, as it was matted and filled with twigs, mud, and leaves. Meilin grimaced at that horrid mess. If ticks lived in that, then they would've thought that they were living in a forest! What was in the man's hand though then caught her eye. The thing that he was holding had a handle on top, but the rest of the rectangular frame of the supposed "box" was covered. Meilin thought she heard skittering, before a loud rustling came, and out burst a younger, and much thinner, nimble man.
Meilin ducked a bit more out of sight. The new, red-haired one tailed rapidly behind the first man. He was clearly eager about something, as he pleaded, "C'mon, c'mon! When are we gonna' do the experiment?"
The man with the dark, bushy, brown hair and beard snarled, "Shut yar trap, boy. Yar like a bouncy rabbit that's been mixed with a yappin' coyote. Anywar's, we're here now."
"Oo, so this is the testing grounds?" admired the tall, red-hair man, rubbing his hands together. He was dressed head-to-toe in leather. As energetic as he was, Meilin felt disturbed by him, as he swung his head side-to-side, taking in his surroundings. Clearly, this campground of theirs had been set up for something. A patched, dull, red tent had been set up insecurely on its metal poles, creating a triangular pose. A tree stump with a lantern on it stood nearby. At the center of the campground, there was a firepit, with a feeble flame flickering in it. The campground was surprisingly well-lit, even as the sun was descending in the distance, making it grow darker and darker. Three, roughly cut, log benches huddled around the campfire, as the men stayed standing.
Meilin shuffled closer and squinted to get a closer look. What could be in that covered box?
Suddenly, the red-haired man stated, "Did you hear something?"
Meilin froze and inhaled sharply. She began to feel uneasy. Everything began sounding louder, as the wind swept past, while a few leaves fell and brushed Meilin's face. Meilin suspected that Essix must've adjusted her grip on the tree branches above her, as she could hear something, besides the leaves. The bears stopped twitching, as they were most unfortunately, still half-hidden in place. Rollan could not be heard at all, as he was clearly the most experienced with hiding. Meilin tensed and began fearing for the worst, "What Rollan truly wasn't in his hiding place after all?!" What if he was…
All of a sudden, a hand slapped to Meilin's mouth, alarming her and muffling any noise that she made.