Chapter 5: C4 Confrontation

Having just completed their mission, a party of adventurers found themselves squabbling about the results of their hunt. A female beast-kin, a female elf, and two male humans. However, they were still nearly half a day's travel from their destination, as the inconsistencies with their hunt brought up small arguments over the awaiting reward. However, their argument is brought short as they find their attention now drawn to a child that had just stumbled from the woodline, an arrow through her chest.

Hatsumi’s Perspective

 

“I’ve got her stabilized, the bleeding stopped, and her breathings back! Chessa! I need you to heal her the rest of the way” -???

“I’ll take it from here, Hatsumi!” -Chessa

As soon as our archer, Chessa, Slid to a stop behind the girl and started healing, I joined Callum and Stanis, who’d already set up for vanguard.

We had just been arguing over our current haul, and then this kid came out of the woods panting with an arrow out of her back. We could hear the breaking of the underbrush coming from behind her, so it must have been whoever shot her. After a few moments of tense waiting, we saw the assailants coming over the hill. Their strained breathing could be heard as nearly a dozen soldiers wearing the sigils of the Church of Orion came into view. For a moment, they readied to aim at a target with bows and staffs before hesitating at the sight now greeting them.

Of the last few of the soldiers who came over the hill, one of them bore the markers of a church Paladin. As the Paladin made his way forward, he began to yell at his subordinates as he forced his way through to the head of the group to stop in place and stare at us with shock. His expression quickly warped into one of anger when he looked down at the girl that Chessa was healing just behind us.

It looked as If he was about to say something but held his tongue before gathering himself and looking back at us.

“To whom may I know the pleasure of this unexpected meeting?” -Un-named Paladin

His soldiers seem really on edge.

“Regional Adventurer team, A-class, Frontier Revenants.” -Hatsumi

I spoke up. I was the team leader from my usual position as backline, so addressing him myself made it easier for Callum and Stanis to keep their guard up. The paladin seems to take a moment, breathing out, seemingly aggravated.

“We are the Wayward Paladins, away team for the Morus territories branch of the Church of Orion. We bade you hand the girl over to us.”- Un-named Paladin.

Not good, his men seem to be growing tense, Callum and Stanis are already lined up for a counter, and somewhere at the start of the drama, I drew an elemental bow. They seem to be taking the direct route with this. Okay, cool it, Hatsumi, you’ve dealt with worse.

“Apologies, Sir- erm, I seem not to have your name.” -Hatsumi

The paladin raised his brow in slight surprise.

“Sto-ar, Sir Sto-ar.” – Sir Sto-ar

I can see Chessa shaking her head “No” from my periphery as if there were a chance I’d comply.

“Apologies, Sir Sto-ar. However, I can not abide in good conscience handing over a child to the church, when they are dead set on killing her. What is your reason for pursuing her?” -Hatsumi

“Tch.”- Sir Sto-ar

As soon as I answered, Sto-ar clicked his tongue. As if he'd expected us to do so blindly. Do they really want her? Well, I can’t figure they’d send a full team of church soldiers this far out for some urchin.

Sto-ar speaks up after a pause.

“We are working on the authority of the Church of Orion, and I will not ask again. I bade you hand the child over.”

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Not good; they're all tensing up! In response, I raised my elemental bow and drew the string of mana as far as my reach allowed as I looked Sto-ar in the eye. Why could they want this child? Shouldn’t they be hunting heretics? Even if she was a heretics child, she shouldn’t have been targeted like this. Bluffing was never my strong suit, but this is fishy, and so close to the border as well.

“Apologies, Sir Sto-ar, but we refuse any order to turn over any individual without reasonable purpose within this territory. You have ventured into the territory under the charge of Baron Frederick Victor Cranton. If you may be tempted to act regardless of our involvement, I could release this arrow and alert the keeps vanguard to a breach of jurisdiction?” – Hatsumi

I really hope he doesn’t think I’m mocking him…Does he think I’m mocking him?

He pauses for a moment, a clear expression of shock painted across his face. He stood there a few moments more, long enough for me to finally break a sweat. Thankfully he finally answered. Ooooof big guy, please don’t look like that; that’s kinda scary.

Sto-ar motioned for his men to lower or sheath their weapons which they did begrudgingly from what it seems. Then he turned to us, looking down at the girl, then back to me.

“It is regrettable that we find ourselves at an impasse. While we cannot risk getting involved with the good Lord of this territory, let it be known if this one ever finds herself within our territory, she will be immediately hunted, are we clear?” – Sir Sto-ar

I nodded, lowering my elemental bow before dissipating it as the accompanying soldiers with the paladin began walking back towards the trail to the trade river.

“We are at an understanding Sir Sto-ar, I bid you safe travel from this territory.”- Hatsumi

Like hell I do, prick, just leave already. Now that I don’t have adrenaline running, I can actually think, and what the hell?! A kid? Damned church of the hunt bastards. Ugh, I'm gonna be sick again...

“*sigh* A close one there.”- Hatsumi

The moment they were out of earshot, I let out the breath I was holding from the tension. Looking back to Chessa, she was already picking the child up.

“She’ll live, but I can’t -nghh- can’t check for any other effects. We’ll have to bring her to Lorn to make sure.”- Chessa

Chessa grunted as she stood. Carrying the child on top of her own gear and the proof marks will probably slow her down.

“If you have her we can take the marks and your stuff” -Hatsumi

“No, it’d be better if you just took the marks. She has a weighty sword and bag here that one of you will have to carry.” -Chessa

Sword? I didn’t see a-gods! This kid was dragging this behind her? This thing must weigh a ton. Callum picked up the sword as soon as attention was brought to it.

“By Solah. *whistle* This thing is a piece of work. Reckon this is why they wanted the kid?” – Callum

I picked up the bag, and Stanis took the proof marks as Callum raised the question.

“Probably not, but it could be a clue. We’ll have to wait till we get back though for Lorn to look into it all the same.” – Hatsumi

Shrugging, Callum placed the sword over his shoulder, and we continued our journey, speeding up our pace.

“To Brenton, with luck, we’ll get there just by sundown.”

And on we went.

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