Chapter 14: CH 13 “Outpost”

Both of the girl's black hair fluttered from the strong sea breeze.
A familiar to Iris sight of the dense leafy forest which lay at the foot of the ridge and ended with a tin streak of grey sand along the sea.
Elf scanned the landscape below them looking for a specific landmark. As she was observing the low ground a worried thought entered her mind, a thought she forgot about.
Why has she brought her saviour to the vile humans which will do horrible things to her, actions that she did not want to remember? As she gulped in fear, she realized that Kia's fingers intertwined with hers. Kia must have dragged the spaced-out Iris from the top of the ridge to the bottom.
The previously silent forest was now filled with crunchy sounds of dried leaves and sticks being stepped on and a quiet giggle. As the road faded into the wilderness and as the crowns of the trees above them made the forest darker allowing a diminishing amount of sunlight through the gaps between them.
Before Iris's mind could process and second guess the point of their journey. From in between the trunks of the trees, a familiar wooden structure was beginning to emerge but the sight felt off to Iris.

The wooden structure was placed deep in the woods and its previously lively wooden brown hue was replaced with dull grey and dark brown.

 

"Kia, you see this?" Iris whispered.

 

"What?"

 

The elf pointed at the building with her finger.

 

"Let's check it out! Hehe!" Kia's mouth made an "O" shape with her mouth before dashing towards the building.

 

"No, wait!" Iris tried to grab her but failed to even be close.

 

Curious sounds like "U", "Oh" and "What's that?" came from behind the shrubbery which surrounded the compound.
Iris followed the sounds and after getting past the dense foilage her eyes saw dilapidated buildings which surrounded a large courtyard with a wooden well in the centre which barely held itself together. The walls were painted dark crimson in some places similar to the stone steps leading to the main building and wooden beams which supported the roof of the blacksmith.
Rusted weapons, construction debris and bleached bones scattered erratically around the courtyard. As if not bothered by such a sight, Iris found Kia playing with the handle of the well's hand pump which was laying rusted in the mud.
Iris came over and sat down on a rotting pile of wood beside one of the houses.
What might have caused it? She stared blankly at the rundown building of a shrine in which she met Valentine. The door to which was leaning on the wall beside the doorway. An unusual feeling or lack it off comes over Iris.
She did not feel any particular emotion seeing the deserted camp once filled with humans.
Yes, she was a slave and they treated her as an item to be discarded when no longer of any use but surely she would feel so emotional seeing a sight of a massacre, towards the living.

 

*Click* A hand came into the elf's vision.

 

"Hello?" Kia, who also sat down on the rotting pile beside the elf traced the still visible grain of the wood with her right hand while looking up at Iris.

 

"Sorry, I just can't get my head around it."

 

"I don't understand?" She cast her head downwards.

 

"Just wondering what might have happened, It's nothing important." Iris's hand lifted the girl's head and she gave her a small reassuring smile.

 

The girl smiled but after a moment of silence, she pointed to the main building with her snow-white fingers offering the perplexed elf no explanation. The ruined building which once functioned as the crusade headquarters appeared to fit with its surroundings which caused the elf to look at Kia who maintained her pose. Iris stood up and went over to where the girl pointed. When she was about to open the front door she glanced back only to see Kia waving toward her with one hand. She slowly open the discoloured door which squeaked loudly. Iris entered the grand hall which was once filled with humans drinking until they would pass out under neatly positioned tables, now broken tables, benches and other debris were piled high on each side of the hall. Rusted weapons, cutlery and armour were scattered on the floor. Some of the weapons remained in good condition giving off a soft glow from their surfaces.
Iris pulled from a big oak table with little effort a spear which shone slightly. She wanted to look behind her to see if Kia is still there but her senses screamed at her to not.

 

A loud rattling noise came from the right side followed by heavy footsteps. All of Iris's senses begged her to run but an unknown force paralyzed her in place. Unable to move she could only watch a monstrous abomination walk into the main hall.
The monstrous amalgamation of a dozen corpses which formed a 3-meter-tall skeletal monster slowly stumbled its way across the hall.
She watched as the aberration walked from one side of the hall to the other, one of the skulls which formed the left shoulder started to rattle and move its helplessly fussed body. As more parts of the monster started to flay around the monster turned its bulk towards her. The central skull's eye flanked by the tall shoulders lit anew with ghostly blue light.
Iris who was able to free herself from the paralyzing force looked back towards the doors from which she came finding them closed.

 

[An Area Boss class monster detected.]
[Skeletal Patchwork]
{???}

 

 

"Oh fuck!" She cursed as the Boss started to run towards her.

 

She stepped to the side and the Patchwork fist struck the wooden floor. A cloud of thick dust rose to blur their sight. The monster lashed wildly around itself striking one of the supporting beams and bending it. Even in this cloud of dust, she could still see the figure of her opponent outlined by the glowing eyes of its many skulls. When the monster realized its plan was futile, it moved forward throwing its arms in a random direction.
Iris stepped out of the path of the creature and when it turn around she again stepped out of its way. It swiped at the dust cloud and she tried to hide behind the creature for as long as possible. When the dust settled enough to allow the many-headed undead to find Iris, she lunged towards the undead gripping her spear tightly. The silver spear tip left a small hole in its back. The vestigial arms on its back desperately clawed at Iris unable to reach her. Patchwork swung its left arm in a wide arc finding Iris ducking below the swipe and stabbing her spear in its legs. She dodge Patchwork's right arm which tried to smash her like an annoying vermin.
The monster seamlessly followed its attack with a lunge supporting itself on its right arm. She was unable to dodge this strike. Patchwork's long claws went right through Iris's grey leather jacket, painting them crimson.
The smaller arms on Patchwork's arm started to claw at her leaving bloody marks on her exposed skin.
She then saw the monster turn around and then become smaller as she was thrown across the hall. She hit the wall and slip onto the ground.
Her undead nature allows her to not feel the pain which would cause even the most veteran of warriors to begin failing. She tried to stand up finding it impossible. She looks down where the Patchwork's claws entered, finding that under her repairing clothes a chunk of her chest was missing.

As the amalgamation of bone started to waddle its way towards her the once closed doors started to facture and in between them a golden blue light seeped through. The heavy door burst open being flung towards the back wall. A small figure stepped into the hall.

 

"[Imposion]!"

 

The monster turned around, its burning azure eye's died down and from the midst of its body an orange light escaped. The area boss stood there motionless and in a blink of an eye, she could see its entire body is forced into a ball which then showers the area with bone fragments.

 

 

[You have been assisted with defeating a monster 50 levels above you.]
[Exp gained.]

 

 

"Iris!" The figure runs towards her.

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"Iris! Iris!" Kia who has reached Iris with teary eyes screams.

Her arm is then surrounded with black and yellow mist which then shots towards Iris.

 

"Everything..." Kia's teary cries are interrupted by darkness.

 

 

Iris's eyes opened to Kia's teary face who had put the elf's head on her knees. Iris tries to stroke Kia's cheek but she grabs the arm and hugs it.

 

"I-I wanted good. You are so weak and and..." Kia tries to say but falters.

 

"I know, I know." Iris sits beside the crying girl and hugs her.

 

"No, I caused you to almost die you should hate me." She tries to escape but the elf is not letting her go.

 

"You raised me from the dead and how could I hate you~" Elf says while holding Kia's cheeks and mushing them around.

 

"Dummy." The girl says with a pout.

 

"You to~" Elf touches the girl on her small nose. "Just tell me when you will send me to fight a boss. Okay?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Up you go, now let's find something useful here." Elf stands up and motions Kia to do the same.

 

They explore the camp finding only barricaded rooms and empty halls until they reach the blacksmith in which they find a small chest filled with silver coins. Elf asks to put it into her inventory.
They left the camp with very little additional to their name excluding Iris's spear and coins. Iris, who is leading Kia towards the place where the humans left their ships.
When they reach the sea there is nothing too great for them.

 

"Mmmm soft~" Iris gazed at the girl who looked her shoes off and was now barefoot on the grey sand, burying her small feet in the sand.

 

Her vision went back to observing the horizon for any ship that they could use to no avail.

 

"What's that?" Kia pointed somewhere on the horizon

 

"Where?"

 

"There!"

 

Far to the right where Iris was looking a singular thin pole came out off the sea.

 

 

---

 

"Sir why are we fighting goblins?
It's to train you, of course.
Can't we train in class?
No, you can't become a true warrior without a fight, now keep that shield up or you will become a pincushion!"