Rescue Mission

Darkness was fast approaching.

Szeina didn't know if she should be grateful for it or not. The last few minutes of retracing their steps to follow their pursuers were too heart wrenching.

It made her held her breath longer than she had from the tree when those trippers, she'd assume, tried looking for them.

With sun taking its last peek in the sky, the moon slowly made its appearance, clothing the forest in dim darkness.

Crickets sounded all around them. If they were to step on a fallen branch, Szeina was sure that the noise of the crickets could cover it.

But she had no plans to take that chance.

Coming to a halt, Yvann joined Szeina as they stared at the sky. On the Western part of the forest, smoke arose and that could only mean one thing.

The creatures they were tracking had set up camp.

With mere nods of their heads, Szeina knew Yvann had the same thoughts. As silently as they could, they moved in the direction of the smoke.

It was not a wise nor logical choice.

Szeina was well aware of the fatal consequence that awaited her and Yvann. She knew that the percentage of survival if they get captured would be lesser than ten.

But they can't just cross their fingers and hoped for the best. They had to do something.

They had to act.

Upon coming closer to the source of smoke, Yvann pulled Szeina into a nearby tree. He looked at her in the eye. His expression was indescribable.

"Listen, Szeina. I don't fully understand what's going on around us. Neither do I have a clue where we are exactly. I actually don't even know how we can go back. But promise me that when things get too chaotic, if your life will be in the line, you need to save yourself, okay?"

Szeina held Yvann's gaze, the storm in his eyes seeming to make her think he was already imagining his demise even before they had a chance to fight for themselves.

"I will make no such promise, Yvann. You and I are on the same boat, but I'm not going to let anyone die. Not under my watch. You better keep that in mind. No one is allowed to die. No one."

Yvann breathed a tired sigh. He thought he would have her to agree.

Yet Szeina's response made him feel a little better.

Gently letting her go, he focused his attention on the smoke rising towards the sky. Countless number of stars hovered over them brightly.

"Alright, then. Let's make that a deal. No one's going to die. At least, if we can help it."

"Yes. Plus, don't even think about being heroic when that time actually comes, Yvann. I'm going to haunt you for eternity."

Despite the odd situation they were in, Yvann manage to grin at Szeina's threat.

"Look at you imposing threats in the middle of us on the brink of danger. Jeez."

Szeina scoffed, grinning at the thought as well.

"Well, I think when the people quoted that we need to enjoy life as it is short, they do not know what kind of thrills there is when you don't know if you'd live or die after doing something stupid."

Yvann shrugged.

"They never experienced what we're experiencing now, so we can't really blame them."

"Right." Szeina agreed, putting a halt on the off topic discussion they were having. "So, now what? We need a plan. Infiltrating a camp with several trippers would be suicide if we don't strategize."

"We can't strategize if we don't know what the camp looks like nor have a proper estimate of their number."

Szeina pursed her lips.

"I'm not sure that it will be wise to come any closer to the camp. You saw…" Szeina trailed off. Of course, they both saw what they saw. There was no denying that.

Whatever that was, she could only conclude that it's nothing close to what a mere mortal was capable of doing.

"We don't really have much of a choice here." Yvann informed her. He wasn't liking the idea more than she did.

But what was there for them to do?

They were left to fend for themselves. Unless some miracle happened, it was just the two of them.

Blowing out a sigh, Szeina stared at the smoke. It seems that the fire was only getting stronger. She could see a few sparks coming as the trail of smoke head upwards.

Whatever was happening at that camp, they have little time to waste.

"Alright, let's do it then."

With a nod, Yvann turned to the direction where the camp was, his footsteps light. They need to be very careful and avoid stepping on any fallen branch and dried leaves.

Any kind of noise, no matter how small, could be very fatal to their chance of survival and the rescue mission they have embarked.

Using an enormous tree as a shield, Yvann and Szeina peered at the small camp that the trippers have set.

Makeshift tents made of the same linen as the sack of what they considered as clothes stood around the enormous fire which they have going.

Two people were feeding it with tree branches and watching the embers fly with amusement.

Around the camp, Szeina counted around twenty heads present. Most of them were male and female with red-head and are at around the same age as she was and Yvann.

With their uniform sack, it proved her difficult to even distinguish one from the other.

They painted a single black line on either side of their faces. It made them looked like more of a tribesman than the monsters she had started to imagine inside her head.

Still, looks can be deceiving. She was sure of that.

They might appear to be appealing compared to the Rebels, but she could sense that they spell more danger than those growling and grouchy monsters.

In the middle of that camp, a few feet away from the raging fire, Szeina saw a silhouette of two individuals tied against each other.

Their long hair cascaded messily around their faces and Szeina didn't even have to make a wild guess who those two unfortunate individuals were.

"The twins." Yvann murmured, confirming her suspicion.