defend part 1

it had officially been 2 hours since we had started walking, at this point I was boredly chilling on the girls head, swaying my tentacles in the infrequent breezes.

we hadn't said another word after our conversation a bit ago which bugged the hell out of me, I had too many un answered questions for there to be this much silence but I didn't feel like talking at the moment.

the sun was almost completely below the horizon line at this point, the sky's colors turning vibrant and darker as time passed, looks like we'll need to stop before we go on, not sure if night travel is the smartest thing here.

"I've got a bad feeling."(fog)

"you too huh?"(Amira)

"something is off."(fog)

"agreed."(Amira)

the girl unsheathed two daggers from her back, I didn't didn't know she had those.

she kept them sorta hidden, or as hidden as possible which honestly was pretty hidden, the blades were glinting in the light that was left.

"I don't think we should keep going."(fog)

"were so close we can make it."(Amira)

"no, something tells me that it's worse up ahead."(fog)

"ughhh fine!..."(Amira)

we made our way off the road quickly, going back into the treeline, Amira was carving markers on trees in a strange symbol that had many arrows, the largest ones pointing away from our direction and the smallest pointing in our way back and forwards, looks like she knows people are more likely to follow large arrows than small ones.

"so I got some questions."(fog) I said finally breaking the awkward silent tension.

"go ahead."(Amira)

"how strong are you?"(fog)

"I'm only level 12 so I'm not too strong."(Amira)

the quick answers weren't helping here, guess I didn't really have much other sources of info I could ask did I?

I was about to ask another question when my slime coating ran cold, my newly exposed skin tingling in the air it came in contact with, in one movement I used the flat parts of my tentacles to push Amira down, she fell with a grunt as I was propelled up into a tree, the second she turned and looked her face paled.

a large man armed with a sword and covered in armor that looked too beaten to be of any use was now standing with his blade lodged in a tree just where Amira was, it was stuck neck height.

"who are you?!"(Amira)

"your money and valuables!"(bandit)

I used my limbs to quietly move about the upper branches over the two humans, for now I wanted to watch, I wasn't sure getting involved now would help anybody.

as I found a nice spot I found Amira searching for me with quick darts and glances, her face one of worry.

the guy didn't give her much time though as he launched himself towards her with his sword at the ready, bringing it downwards.

Amira rushed to bring her two daggers to block but she wasn't that fast, the dudes sword sliced from one shoulder to her to her other hip in a diagonal slash, blood seeped through her clothes as she fell to the ground, she was struggling.

my inner moral conflict had won, I dropped myself from my hiding place directly over this guy's head where he had stopped after his attack, it took me a second to land but once I did I landed on the dude, I wrapped four of my tentacles around his arms and did my best to restrain him but it wasn't working all that well, he threw me off and once again was in a stance but this time he was aiming at me.

unlike before he didn't lunge forward he slow circled, almost like he was observing something unknown, maybe it was his first time seeing something like me?

did this world not have octopi or squid?

I know I wasn't the same and I didn't have suckers but maybe I wouldn't be such an anomaly of those two did indeed exist here.

"just what are you?"(bandit)

"none of your damn business!"(fog)

"it talks?!"(bandit)

"you asked me a question, what are you an idiot?"(fog)

he snarled at my response, I guess he didn't like insults no matter how small.

he gave up on the circling and charged me from the side he stopped on, my left.

I dashed backwards, allowing him to pads but what I didn't count on was his reflexes, he swung his sword towards me quick, I didn't know kw if I could dodge it or not so I put all my hopes on blocking, using the large bone tip of two of my tentacles I made an x formation in the blades path the metal striking my bone tips making a weird metal hitting something rock like sound that reverberated into the forest.

his sword was temporarily deflected as I jumped back to minimize the impact damage by turning it into momentum, landing on all nine tentacles I readied myself, nearly stumbling on something really soft and squishy.

"I know you just kinda saved my life and all but I don't think we're there yet."(Amira)

my one eye traveled down to see that I was positioned directly on top of Amiras chest.

not knowing what else to do I sprang off quickly, landing somewhere off behind her.

"we should work together."(Amira)

"I'm open to suggestions."(fog)