Rescue

Thank you for the Power Stone, ONE more chapter today thanks to you, tell me in the comments if you want bigger chapters. Love you all. 

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After two more days of scouting Devil's Thirst, I had crafted the best plan I could with Albedo's help. Every patrol route was mapped, every weak point noted. Through careful observation and relentless focus, we pieced together a strategy that gave us the best chance of success. It wouldn't be easy, but it was the only way.

We decided to strike under the cover of night, using the darkness to mask our movements. The goal was simple but dangerous, eliminate the Carja soldiers silently and free the prisoners without raising an alarm. Stealth would be our greatest weapon.

Cam and Web would remain behind at the cave. It wasn't that I didn't trust them, they had shown resilience in their recovery, but I didn't know how they fought. Out there, an untested ally could be more of a liability than an asset. They understood, though Cam's grim expression suggested he didn't like being left out.

"You'll guard the cave," I told them, my tone firm. "If anything happens, if anyone follows us or stumbles upon this place, you keep them away from the prisoners we bring back. Can you do that?"

Web nodded quickly, his face a mix of relief and determination.

Cam crossed his arms but eventually gave a reluctant grunt. "We'll hold the line," he said.

Albedo and I spent the rest of the day preparing. She packed a mix of herbs muttering something about keeping us alive if things went south. I double checked our gear, sharpening blades and ensuring every arrow was accounted for. The traps we'd set earlier around the cave were still intact, providing an added layer of security.

We reached the ridge overlooking Devil's Thirst just as the outpost began to settle into its nightly routine. Fires burned low, and most of the soldiers were either clustered around them or pacing their assigned patrol routes. I activated my Focus, tagging the guards one by one. The patterns were as I'd recorded, predictable, almost mechanical.

"Are you ready?" I whispered to Albedo.

She gave a small nod, her calm demeanor as steady as ever.

"Just remember, precision over haste. If we're spotted, the entire camp will come down on us."

"I know," She replied, her voice quiet but resolute.

From our vantage point, I could see the blaze barrels positioned near the center of the camp, a potential key to our plan. If things went wrong, those barrels would provide the distraction we needed to turn the tide, or to escape.

The first target was a sentry on the far edge of the camp, isolated from the others. I notched an arrow, drawing it back slowly as I lined up the shot. The faint whistle of the arrow was the only sound before it found its mark, and the sentry crumpled silently to the ground.

Albedo moved like a shadow, her spear glinting faintly as he dispatched another guard near the cages.

We worked methodically, taking out soldiers one by one, each step bringing us closer to the prisoners.

The night stretched on, each moment a test of our resolve and skill. Failure wasn't an option.

We had killed nearly half of them before things went south. A soldier, groggy and barely awake, had stumbled out of a tent, ready to start his patrol. Before either of us could silence him, he spotted us and, with a panicked yell, activated the alarm.

A shrill, piercing sound cut through the night, waking the entire camp.

"Great. Two against fifteen now," I thought grimly, gripping my weapon tighter.

Albedo, ever composed, gave me a quick glance, waiting for my lead.

"Destroy the blaze. Create panic. Move around. And most importantly, stay alive," I told her sharply, my voice low but urgent.

She nodded, already moving toward the blaze barrels at the center of the camp. I veered off, darting into a dilapidated building.

The soldiers were pouring out of their tents, shouting orders and grabbing weapons. The chaos was immediate. Smoke grenades in hand, I hurled them into the open areas as I moved, thick plumes billowing and obscuring their vision. Through my Focus, I could see everything, their movements, their positions, the growing confusion. They couldn't see me, but I could see them.

I notched an arrow and took aim, the faint blue glow of my Focus guiding me through the haze. One shot. Then another. Soldiers dropped, their bodies swallowed by the smoke.

Outside, I heard a deafening explosion. Albedo had reached the blaze barrels. Flames roared to life, spreading rapidly through the center of the camp. The soldiers shouted in alarm.

I used the distraction to move, weaving through the shadows and taking out isolated targets. A pair of soldiers rushed past me, coughing and waving their arms in a futile attempt to clear the smoke. They didn't see me until it was too late.

"Over here! They're in the smoke!" one of them yelled before my arrow silenced him.

"Albedo, status?" I called through the din.

"Still breathing," she replied, her voice strained but steady. I caught a glimpse of her moving near the cages, her spear flashing as she cut down a soldier.

"The prisoners are awake but still locked in. I need more time."

"Keep at it," I said, my voice firm. "I'll draw the rest away."

I sprinted toward the blaze, soldiers were converging on the fire, shouting to one another as they tried to douse the inferno. I pulled another smoke grenade and hurled it into their midst, the thick cloud swallowing them whole.

The camp was in chaos now, and panic was on our side. But with so many soldiers still standing, the fight was far from over.

Every ounce of my concentration burned like fire in my skull as I loosed arrow after arrow, each shot precise and deadly. The strain on my arms and the pounding in my head didn't matter. I couldn't stop. Not until every enemy lay dead or I did.

One by one, they fell. Some never saw it coming, while others charged blindly into the chaos, only to meet the same fate. But even my quiver had its limits, and soon I was down to my last arrow.

The final two soldiers closed in, forcing me into melee. I drew my upgraded spear and braced myself. The fight was brutal, every swing and thrust met with desperate resistance.

One soldier came at me with a halberd, its blade whistling through the air. I barely sidestepped in time, the weapon grazing my armor. I retaliated with a swift strike to his chest, my spear puncturing his armor and sending him sprawling.

The second soldier was quicker, his strikes precise and unrelenting. His halberd found its mark, slashing into my leg. Pain shot through me like lightning, but adrenaline surged in response, numbing the worst of it. I gritted my teeth and pressed on, driving him back with a flurry of attacks.

Finally, with a decisive thrust, my spear pierced his throat. He fell to the ground, gurgling, before going still.

I stood there, bloodied and breathless, the corpses of my enemies around me. The fires of the camp making me look like a demon risen from hell itself. My hands trembled from the exertion, but I tightened my grip on my spear, refusing to let the fatigue take over.

"Is it done?" I asked, my voice hoarse, as I activated the Focus to reach Albedo.

"Yes," she replied, her tone steady but tinged with relief.

"The prisoners are free. I'm leading them out now. Are you..."

"I'm fine," I cut her off, though my leg throbbed with every heartbeat.

"Just get them to safety. I'll catch up."

The adrenaline was wearing off, and the pain was beginning to seep through, but I couldn't let myself falter. Not yet. I limped toward the cages, ensuring no one was left behind.

As I glanced around at the destruction, I felt a grim satisfaction. The Carja outpost was no more, its cruelty extinguished. 

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